Chapter 53
Waking up before four in the morning, I put on a lightweight shirt and pants, quickly get ready, and walk down the dormitory corridor silently with a dummy weapon I brought from the fortress in hand. To maintain a lifestyle as close as possible to when I was at the fortress, I voluntarily conduct early morning training, heading to the training ground alone each morning with a towel and canteen.
It's already been two months since I entered the military school.
First-year classes in the morning focus on basic skills like reading and writing, which are drilled into us with specialized terminology to prepare for the various paperwork, such as reports and written apologies, we'll handle as soldiers. Since most soldiers come from commoner backgrounds with poor literacy, this is given the highest priority.
Those advancing to the civil officer class, who deal with negotiations with other countries and confidential documents, require even more advanced knowledge, arithmetic, and language skills. It's not uncommon for nobles who underestimated commoners to suffer crushing defeats in academic exams.
The class format involves listening to the instructor's lecture while taking notes, which surprised me at first since I was used to reading through books at home and listening to hired tutors while expressing opinions.
Perhaps because the mixed class consists only of nobles, the morning lessons are significantly abbreviated, and we're told to ask the instructor after class if we have any questions.
Afternoon classes mainly involve physical activity. I was looking forward to swordsmanship, martial arts, and horseback riding, but so far, there hasn't been any of that—just lessons on handling and maintaining weapons, caring for horses, and observing the training of upperclassmen.
A few of the chestnut-haired students have voiced complaints, but when I stare at them while holding up my dirt-covered hands, they quickly avert their gaze and fall silent, so I consider it fine.
Additionally, there's evening basic physical training, and two or three times a month, active-duty soldiers visit the military school to give lectures. The topics they cover seem to vary, as each speaker is different every time, and their practical stories mixed with honest opinions are so engaging that I can listen without getting bored—it's very interesting.
Creak......
Opening the rusty gate and entering the training ground, my cousins, who started joining me for early morning training around last month, waved at me while stretching.
Uncle Ruget's two sons, being brothers, resemble each other in appearance, but the older brother, Roberto, always wears a gentle smile, while the younger brother, Liam, is expressionless and speaks little.
"Not just chestnut-haired Billy, but you also made second-year Kish cry, didn't you?"
"I don't recall making either of them cry."
I place my belongings in a corner of the training ground and start stretching with the two of them.
After loosening up and running a light lap, we begin running in earnest.
"That's strange...... Liam knew about it too."
"I heard Kish picked a fight with Celes and got knocked down."
"See?"
Even though we're in the same dormitory, our ages are different, so our classes are on different floors with varying content. Unless we make time to meet like this, we hardly, or rather, never, see each other.
And yet, they've already caught wind of an incident that happened just yesterday in a matter of minutes......
"It's only been since yesterday, but the information spreads awfully fast......"
I glare at them, wondering where their source is, but both quickly look away, clearly unwilling to answer.
"Father told us sternly to protect Celes. He even lightly threatened us, saying there'd be consequences if something happened."
Roberto, smiling while raising both hands, and Liam, silently nodding in agreement with his brother's words.
I know that not only were they asked by Uncle Ruget, but they're also acting out of concern and goodwill toward me.
Even this early morning training—they somehow sniffed it out and started joining me before I knew it. Despite their busy schedules with frequent drills and expeditions, they're spending their precious time on me.
"There are even rumors about who'll be made to cry next."
"Tell them they should be ashamed to call themselves nobles if they're going to corner a woman like that......"
As for Kish Luible, a year above me, he deliberately stopped me on the way back from observing training during class, not only hurling insults but also grabbing at me in the process, so I merely retaliated.
Besides, it wasn't me who made Kish cry—it was Sil and Severi.
"Lower nobles, far from the central power and uninvolved in politics, think of the Rotish family as just countryside nobles. In fact, I've heard that the Tseli family, another of the two great noble houses with adjacent territories, is almost deified due to their former head being a Knight Commander and producing numerous knights as their family crest suggests. Well, in reality, more people from the Rotish family become soldiers than knights."
"......Even if we're countryside nobles, we're still a Count family. It's amazing they don't think twice before laying a hand on us."
"Indeed."
While exchanging light banter with my younger cousin, Roberto jumped up and down a few times on the spot and raised one hand.
Seeing that, I also jumped lightly on the spot before heading with the two of them toward the outer perimeter hardened with dirt.
"The music festival is coming up soon, but have you prepared your dress?"
"Before entering the military school, my maid sent a letter with my measurements."
"As for the fitting...... I'll give up on that, but if I'm to make minor adjustments to the dress, I need to arrive in the Royal Capital at least three days before the music festival. In that case, I'd have to leave here next week to make it in time......"
"Are you two not attending again this year?"
"Of course not. Until we graduate, Mother and Rijyu, who are in the Royal Capital, will handle social events on our behalf."
"Father isn't attending either."
Running alongside my cousins, who mention that they're from a branch family, I subtly check the thickness of my arms, but they haven't changed since two months ago...... I think.
Overall, I've gained muscle, but since I'm still growing, my muscles are more meager compared to active-duty female soldiers.
Yes, the problem isn't the muscles, but my height......
"No ribbons. Minimal lace, not a cute dress, and I've requested shoes without heels."
"What about the color?"
"It's the color of Lord Floyd's eyes."
"That dull color?"
"Liam......"
Roberto scolds Liam for muttering that it's dull, but Liam doesn't seem to care at all and lets it slide.
At balls or music festivals attended with a fiancé, it's customary to wear each other's colors—women incorporate it into their dresses, while men often use it in accessories adorning their chest.
In my case, since my fiancé, Lord Floyd, has dark green eyes, the color of a dress for a young girl before adulthood ends up feeling rather plain.
The accessory adorning Lord Floyd's chest, when he complimented Mirabel's dress instead of mine, was always a bright red gem matching the color of my eyes.
I once thought about changing the color of my dress, wondering if he preferred cute colors like light pink or yellow......
"I like that color too, you know."
In the end, I choose the color of Lord Floyd's eyes, so there's no helping it.
It's been quite a while since we last met face to face.
I don't expect a smile, but as I increase my running speed, I wish that at least we can have a proper conversation, just the two of us.