Translator: Kell Editor: Weasalopes
The Northern Academy Town
「Uhm, this is… a lot fancier than I expected . 」
「It looks really good on you . 」
「B-But I haven’t worn anything like this before . 」
「You’ll get used to it . I’m sure your boyfriend will be delighted . 」
「H-Hikaru is not m-my boyfriend…」
「All right . Please follow me . 」
「Aaaahhh…」
Man, I can hear them all the way here… Hikaru thought as he waited . They were in one of the most famous boutiques in Forestzard . The door to the fitting room opened, and an employee stepped out of it, followed by Lavia who was beet red .
「………」
Hikaru found himself at a loss for words .
Lavia was wearing the dress they had ordered to be custom-made ten days ago . For Hikaru, ten days was a long wait, but in this world, it usually took one to two months for custom-made clothes to be done . It used Obias Silk, a high-quality type of silk taken from a monster . Dirt didn’t stick to it much and with its lovely color when dyed, it was popular with “first-class women adventurers” . Like her eyes, it was as blue as the deepest lake, with beige and blue embroidery .
She no longer wore a cap . Her hair, still short, had some spots of brown left after removing the dye . It should go back to its lady-like length and full silver color in time .
A scarf with a checkered pattern – the current fashion in Forestzard – was wrapped around her neck . Apparently the bobbles on the edges were part of the craze as well .
She’s so cute… Those were Hikaru’s honest thoughts . He was captivated . When he first met her, her beauty seemed out of this world, the kind you’d only see in works of fiction . That was partly because her eyes were devoid of life and her skin was pale after being in house arrest for too long . But now that she walked outside frequently, her skin had retained its healthy complexion . She changed from plain beautiful to more adorable .
「H-How do I look?」she asked .
「Well, uhh… You look very lovely . 」he answered .
With a bright smile on Lavia’s face, they left the shop .
The cloak – a pale brown color – that Dodorono made had arrived as well . Made from leather from a Camouflage Dragon, it was incredibly light . It was so light, in fact, that the guild receptionist thought the package contained cotton .
With nothing else left to do in Forestzard, they chartered a carriage to Scholarzard . Hikaru could afford one since he had the money .
First class interior design with first class cushions . Even without these things, Lavia was in high spirits lately . She chose to sit beside Hikaru despite the fact that there was a vacant seat that could fit four people on it .
She doesn’t have to wear a cap and disguise herself as a boy . I guess that’s why she’s happy? Well, she’s free now, after all .
While her fine clothes garnered appreciation from the crowd, her looks had the same effect as well . She attracted attention when they walked the streets of Forestzard . Men called out to her, even though Hikaru was beside her . Fed up from turning them all down, he activated his Group Obfuscation .
I have to think of what to do once we’re in Scholarzard .
They’d be separated a lot once he enrolled in the National Academic Research Institute . He planned to study anything related to Stealth, and he didn’t factor in what Lavia should do in the meantime . He wished for her to learn whatever she wanted .
I guess we’ll just cross that bridge when we get there .
The carriage headed northward .
Scholarzard was located about a two-days trip by carriage from Forestzard . A town sprawled at the foot of a mountain, the National Academic Research Institute was situated at the highest point . The peak of summer was right around the corner, and yet it was chilly when you were not under the sun . Hikaru recalled the one time he went to Hokkaido . Scholarzard’s climate was similar – from the cool, refreshing air to the vast plains just outside of town .
Ponsonia’s capital was way bigger than Forestzard . But it was the opposite for the respective satellite towns . Scholarzard was much larger than Pond, with a population of around forty thousand . It wasn’t just because of it being an academy town . The town was important for the trade between the countries part of the Allied Nations .
Incidentally, Forestzard was located at the southern tip of the alliance, where the land was fertile and people could live comfortably . The northern parts were mostly mountain ranges and coniferous forests .
「Next . 」
Before they could enter Scholarzard, a guard had to check their guild cards . He looked at Hikaru’s card, nodded, and asked him to touch the stone tablet that checked for any criminal record . Lavia showed hers – a rank G guild card – with a smug look and the guard let her through without checking for anything else .
「What? Ah, must be because I own a Ponsonian guild card . 」
It would appear they were lenient in checking cards of those from the same country .
「Ehehe . I got into town with my own guild card . 」Lavia said .
Even that was enough to make Lavia happy . Up until they reached Forestzard, they moved quickly with Hikaru’s Group Obfuscation . They got her card just a few days ago .
「Let’s go . 」Hikaru said .
「Okay . 」Lavia replied .
They both set foot into Scholarzard .
The town’s center – or rather, its heart, the National Academic Research Institute, commonly known as just “the academy” – was located at the northernmost part of Scholarzard . The town actually came first before the academy was even founded .
At the town’s geographical center were public institutions – government offices, the Adventurers Guild, the Merchants Guild, among others . Surrounding the area were restaurants, stores, and workshops, with the residential area just outside of it .
Markets were located beside the northern and southern gates . Those in the transport industry didn’t have to go all the way to the center of town to do their business .
「There aren’t any nobles in this country, huh?」Hikaru said .
「Looks like it . That’s very rare . 」
「Really?」
「Yeah . Other nations like Ponsonia or Quinbland have nobles . The seven members of Forestia had their own cultures and hated imitating other countries . It’s clearly stated in the founding charter that was written a hundred years ago when the alliance was formed . 」
「Own culture, huh…」
「They have “clans” and “Houses” instead . 」
「Hmm…」
Hikaru thought that wasn’t any different to nobles . And as expected, these aforementioned clans and Housest excercised their power in their respective nations .
Now I see why the queen and the minister are having troubles .
Hikaru sympathized with them, if only a little .
「Oh, that must be the academy . 」Lavia said .
One of the features of Scholarzard was that every public institution had spires . On the roof of the academy were deep-red tiles that looked like scales . Its walls were built with stones, with white plasters in between the gaps . Dark brown timber were used for the pillars, like walnut or rosewood – a distinctive feature .
The academy itself was surrounded by a moat filled with water . There were five bridges in total – one in each direction and another one to the southeast . While security wasn’t too strict, its outer walls could hold if there ever was a siege . Trees grew in numbers inside the campu,s making the place look like a park from outside .
One had to show their card for identification as well to enter the academy . After being asked for the purpose of his visit, Hikaru once again touched a stone tablet .
There were all sorts of races that went in and out of the campus – Spirit Elves, huge hairy men, and others . Although their ages varied, there was no one elderly around .
The younger ones – those of the same age as Hikaru or around twenty – wore the same jacket, the uniform of the young people . It was a deep-blue color, with an embroidery on the chest of a lion holding a pen in its mouth – the emblem of the academy .
「It doesn’t look like it’ll match my dress…」Lavia said, looking dejected . Hikaru couldn’t help but laugh .
「Why are you laughing?」
「Sorry… I’m just glad you like the dress . We’ll just get you a new one . I’m planning to stay here for a while . 」
「Really?!」Lavia asked, her eyes glistening . Seeing her expression made Hikaru want to buy her all the clothes she wanted .
「Of course . 」