Episode 144

I stepped into my dormitory. Cartel Academy had seven dormitory buildings in total. Although it sounded dull, each building was painted in one of the seven colors of the spectrum, from red to purple.

When I remembered Alderson’s explanation during my recommendation as a special student, I realized the purple building was the most prestigious. I couldn’t imagine ever reaching that level, but the hierarchy was clear—the dormitories ranked downward in order from purple to red. Special students stayed in the purple building, but since this was a sudden exchange, I’d been placed in the yellow dormitory instead.

The room was designed for two. It wasn’t particularly spacious, but compared to my quarters at the training camp, it felt almost luxurious. A neatly folded uniform lay on the bed. The design was simple enough not to be embarrassing, and the color was brighter than I liked, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker.

I headed to the attached bathroom to wash up and change into the new clothes. As cold water poured over my head, numerous thoughts filled my mind. Kayan’s demeanor had softened noticeably. I never imagined I’d reach a point where I could joke with someone from the Iron-Blooded Lord’s collection.

Did most people wear fake smiles and suppress their real feelings when working? I got the sense that the man I’d met after his retirement was the real Kayan.

I stepped out of the bathroom, and a wave of fatigue hit me.

Wait. Isn’t this odd? I entered the White Flame state… My body hadn’t collapsed the way it had in the Jewel Mountains, but the fatigue surged through me all the same.

There’s still some time before Kayan comes. Should I close my eyes for a little bit? I sank into the bed. The soft mattress swallowed me whole, and my consciousness slipped quietly into darkness.

***

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, and birds chirped outside as I cursed under my breath, “I’m screwed.”

I hadn’t expected to sleep so deeply. Glancing at the bed next to mine, I saw it untouched—no sign the sheets had been disturbed. My roommate hadn’t come back at all last night. If someone had entered in the middle of the night, I would have woken up.

It is probably one of the hero disciples. I couldn’t believe he didn’t come back all night. What happened at the welcome party?

I scratched the back of my head and took a long, slow shower. After a quick rinse, I stared at the clothes crumpled on my bed. I must have slept face down there.

Whether it was the poor lighting yesterday or the bright sunlight now, the outfit looked even worse than I remembered. It didn’t match my hair color either. Still, I didn’t have many options. In the end, I left the room wearing the same clothes from the day before.

Not long after, I ran into Kayan and greeted him. “Good morning.”

“Good morning. You’re up, Master Luan,” he replied with a polite nod.

“You weren’t standing there all night, were you?” I asked, half-joking.

“As your servant, I have no reason not to wait,” he replied. “It’s been exactly seven hours and thirty-one minutes.”

I blinked, stunned.

Then he grinned. “Just kidding. I waited about an hour, made sure you were asleep, then left.”

He really shouldn’t say things like that while checking his pocket watch. Nonetheless, I didn’t have the right to complain. If he’d gone to bed later than me and still had woken up early to stand outside my door, he couldn’t have slept more than five hours.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.

“It’s all right,” he replied, brushing it off.

“By the way, I didn’t make it to the welcome party. What will happen to me? I’m not going to be kicked out of the academy like this, right?” I asked.

“I heard that Dean Alderson pulled some strings,” he said. “You won’t be penalized for missing it.”

“That’s a relief,” I muttered.

“But,” he added, “you do need to choose your courses before the end of the day.”

“Okay. What should I do first?”

“Let’s head to the main building,” he suggested.

I nodded, and the two of us left the dormitory together. On the way, Kayan turned to me. “We use trams here.”

“What is that?”

“They’re like streetcars,” he explained. “You’ve heard about the rail system in the capital, right? It’s a smaller version of that.”

“Oh, I see,” I said. So it was basically a carriage that circled the academy grounds on a schedule.

We waited at the station near the dormitory. Before long, a tram approached with a faint clatter. It was larger than I’d expected, sleek and impressive.

It must operate through magic. I nodded to myself. That explains why it is called a magic car instead of a horse-drawn carriage.

A man who looked like a tram crew member asked, “Show me your student ID.”

I took out the card I had received from Alderson and handed it to him. He studied it with mild surprise, then gave a courteous bow. “All set. Feel free to sit wherever you like.”

“Thank you.” I walked past him and chose a suitable seat. Glancing at Kayan, who remained standing, I asked, “Aren’t you going to sit?”

“I’m comfortable like this,” he replied.

“The human body is designed to find sitting more comfortable than standing,” I stated matter-of-factly.

“It’s a matter of mindset,” he said calmly.

I didn’t have an answer for that.

Moments later, the tram rumbled to life and started to move.

Not bad at all, I thought. The ride was so smooth that if not for the scenery drifting past the window, I would not have noticed we were in motion.

“By the way, what about Arjan?” I asked.

“She’s handling the admissions paperwork.”

“You two have been putting in the work,” I praised.

I let the sound of the tram fill the silence and turned my gaze toward the window. The Twilight River flowed through a meticulously maintained garden. Even without the twilight glow its name promised, the view was beautiful.

Soon, the tram stopped.

“Have we arrived already? That was fast,” I said.

“No, six stops remain until the main building. It should take about twenty minutes.”

“Wouldn’t it be faster to run?”

“Technically, yes. But it would look undignified. And there’s always the chance of getting lost,” Kayan replied.

“You’re right,” I said with a nod. He had a valid point.

Suddenly, the quiet hum of the tram was replaced by a flurry of noise. I looked up to see students boarding. Is this a dormitory stop too?

Dozens, maybe close to a hundred, climbed aboard. It had been a long time since I had seen so many peers at once. Even the blessing ceremony had fewer people than this.

They all seemed to be around my age, but they differed from the hero disciples who had endured the Badnikers’ training camp and the Goodsprings’ certification ceremony. In a positive light, they looked innocent. In a less flattering way, they seemed immature. But really, this was probably how people our age were supposed to look. They must have faced their own struggles. I’d heard that to get into Cartel Academy, you had to study until your hair started falling out.

For a moment, I drifted into a strange sense of sentimentality. What if, before my regression, I had set aside my stubborn pride and entered Cartel Academy? Would I have mingled with them, studied diligently without useless pride?

There was no way to know. Either way, the tram had plenty of seats, but not enough for nearly a hundred students. Naturally, it got a bit cramped, and I found myself in an awkward spot. For some reason, no one sat in the seat directly in front of me. On top of that, the students appeared oddly fixated on me. I felt like a monkey in a cage—an unpleasant sensation. Their attention was more curious than hostile, but no one dared to take that seat.

The situation felt strange, so I looked out the window again.Just then, the chatter around me died down, and I heard footsteps approaching. “C-can I sit here?”

I nodded at the hesitant voice.

“Thank you…” The student with the stammering voice settled into the seat in front of me.

Only then did I take in the occupant properly. He was a boy about my age. His slender frame and soft voice made me question his gender for a moment, but this time, there was no doubt. This fellow wore glasses and a large hat, which he didn’t remove even after sitting.

Is it hair loss?

I thought rudely as our eyes met.

The boy smiled awkwardly. Feeling the need to break the silence, I introduced myself. “Luan.”

“H-huh?”

“That is my name.”

“Oh… I-I’m Glenn.”

That name rang a bell.

I tilted my head as the tram resumed its motion. Five stops remained. I was bored sitting still, so I decided to start a conversation. “How old are you?”

“S-sixteen.”

“Same here. No need to be so formal—you can speak comfortably.”

He turned to me, eyes wide. That’s when I noticed that the color behind his glasses was red. I muttered, slightly surprised, “Do I look that old?”

“N-no! That’s not it. I just wasn’t sure if I really could speak comfortably.”

His cautious attitude struck me as odd. Was he a commoner?

The academy did not limit its enrollment to nobles. Some departments offered systematic training for butlers and maids. In some cases, these servants attended classes alongside young masters and ladies. If that were the case, It would be best to keep my last name under wraps. I had no way of knowing how this timid boy would react to the name Badniker.

“U-um… U-understood.” Glenn gave a small nod. Then he glanced at me and said, “I haven’t seen you around before.”

“Yeah. I’m a transfer student.”

“T-transfer student? Then are you a hero disciple?” His voice jumped a little, and he winced at the sound before looking back at me.

“That’s right.”

“Wow. I’ve never met a hero disciple before.” His eyes gleamed with envy.

I felt a flush of embarrassment but understood his reaction. Hero disciples were young heroes, aspiring leaders, or future legends. We were admired, sometimes even idolized, by others our age. Before my regression, I had looked up to them too. More than that, I had envied them.

“W-where are you headed?” Glenn asked.

“To the main building. I need to sign up for classes,” I answered.

“What class?”

“Historical Geography.”

Glenn’s expression hardened slightly. HHe studied my face carefully before saying, “T-that subject isn’t open to transfer students.”

“I know. But I’m a special student, so it’s allowed.”

Glenn’s surprise deepened.

I sensed the other passengers on the tram staring at me in astonishment. The sudden attention caught me off guard, but I couldn’t take back my words.

“So, you’re a hero disciple and a special student… A-amazing.”

“It’s nothing.”

“B-but…” Glenn hesitated and lowered his voice. “Historical Geography… i-it’s a bit dangerous…”

I nodded. “Yes. I heard the professor’s a bit unhinged.”

“T-that’s not quite right. Professor Alec isn’t a bad person. He just… has trouble expressing himself. T-the real issue is… the other students in the class…” His voice tapered off until it was barely a whisper. If I hadn’t had sharp hearing, I wouldn’t have caught it at all.

Glenn’s face turned bright red as I stared at him, confused. The conversation stalled. Glenn seemed uncomfortable continuing, so I shifted my gaze to the window.

The tram was nice like this. When there was nothing to say, you could simply watch the scenery roll by. I wasn’t exactly the silent type, but after everything that had happened yesterday, I wanted a bit of peace.

Outside, the Twilight River glided past as I thought about my future. Three tasks lay ahead. First, meet the Historical Geography professor who knew much about Spirit Mountain. Second, help Seren prevent a disaster at the academy. Third, take Evan to Leone.

I sighed. The plan seemed simple when broken down, but the last two tasks promised to be anything but easy. They would take time. For now, I would focus on the first and simplest step.

“Master Luan, we have arrived at the main building,” Kayan informed me.

“Okay.” I stood as Kayan spoke.

A moment later, I saw Glenn scrambling after me. It looked like he was headed to the main building too.

“It is really big,” I muttered.

It truly was. From a distance, it could easily be mistaken for a royal castle. But as I stared up at it, admiration mingled with a faint sense of unease.

“Come to think of it, where do I sign up for classes?” I wasn’t joking. Getting lost in a place like this wouldn’t be unusual.

“I’ll look into it right away. Please wait a moment,” Kayan said.

That was when Glenn stepped forward. “I-if you’re going to register for classes, the office is on the first floor. I-if you’d like, I can show you the way.”

He seemed nervous around me, but in this situation, his hesitation felt more like shyness than avoidance.

“Please,” I answered.

Though I questioned his unpredictable behavior, I accepted his offer.

“Master Luan, I will leave you here. Call on me anytime if you need help,” Kayan said.

“What? Where are you going?”

“I’m not allowed to accompany you in the main building.”

“Then don’t wait here for no reason. You should rest,” I instructed.

“But—”

“You went through enough trouble because of me yesterday,” I interrupted him.

Kayan bowed his head. “As you wish. I appreciate your consideration.”

I was grateful that he had followed me this far to assist. Still, next time I should manage on my own. Having a servant with me felt like a burden.

The main building’s interior was just as grand as the outside. The spacious hallway bustled with people. If Glenn hadn’t been there to guide me, I probably would’ve gotten lost.

“O-over here,” Glenn said, stopping in front of a large door.

Several familiar faces gathered there. They were fellow hero disciples, probably here to select their subjects too.

“Uh? That’s Luan.”

“He looks fine.”

“Of course. Nothing was going to happen to him.”

I gave them a casual wave.

Glenn, who was suddenly in the spotlight, flinched and quickly backed away. “T-then I’ll be going!”

“Hey, wait…”

He vanished before I could thank him. I stood there awkwardly, half-raising my hand and scratching my chin.

Then Seren appeared at my side and asked, “Who was that?”

“He is a student here.”

“Hmm.” She stared after him with a curious look, then asked, “Did you catch his name?”

“I think it was Glenn?”

“What?!” Seren’s gaze snapped to Glenn as he hurried away.

“Do you know him?” I asked.

“Sometimes, I wonder if you’re smart or stupid,” she remarked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that you should memorize all the names of the imperial family.” Seren said with a sigh. “Glenn Scarlett. He is the Third Prince.”

Ah.

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