Twilight Alchemist 141

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141. Even If I Don't Understand, But I Still Can Get My Hopes Up, Isn’t It?

I'm Feidarl Ingu.

Grandson of Generis Ingu, a distinguished heraldist.

One day, out of nowhere, my grandpa took me on a long carriage ride for weeks, and before I knew it, we were at the kingdom's farthest edge.

I don't understand.

A remote area, with terms like "deathly", "cursed", or "dark" as prefaces.

A place no human should logically go.

Yet, in this frontier supposedly filled with monsters, there was a city even grander than the capital.

I don't understand.

According to grandpa, this newly established land was part of the frontier, a place that should be called the demon realm.

From what I learned from my tutor, this land technically belonged to the Veil Road Margrave.

Though it was nominal, the Margrave was given this vast and dangerous territory that no one could ever enter, nearly half the kingdom's size.

Even though no one could live there, let alone venture into it, the nobility constantly complained that Margrave Veil Road's land was "too vast". Even as a kid, I thought nobles were ridiculous.

The one who was given control of half of this vast, untouched, dangerous land was Kyle Golden Dawn von Elixir, the Frontier Count.

He's the child of the Margrave, but supposedly, he's younger than me.

I don't understand.

We continue down the rural roads.

Usually, the farther into the frontier you go, the rougher the roads should get, but strangely, the roads became more refined.

Even the number of passing carriages was comparable to the capital.

I don't understand.

Though the journey was long, it was a surprisingly pleasant trip with no encounters with monsters.

The city that came into view bore the middle name of the Frontier Count, Golden Dawn.

Its sheer size left me so astonished that my jaw literally dropped.

At that moment, I began to understand why I had to come all the way out to this frontier.

If it's a city more developed than the capital, it makes sense why grandpa was summoned.

Later, I was allowed to attend the meeting with Kyle-sama, and he was clearly the studious, goody-two-shoes type.

On top of that, he proposed that during this year's festival, he wanted to conduct a crest examination on every adult.

Seriously, he's just an ignorant, sheltered boy.

Perhaps he didn't realize how difficult and draining it is to carefully analyze the flow of magic within a person to examine their crest potential.

When grandpa explained that, the alchemist next to him piled up valuable mana potions on the table.

I don't understand.

And then, despite us being there, they continued discussing the territory’s important matters without a pause!

It’s exhausting. This lord and alchemist combination is exhausting!

A few days after that mentally draining day, I became extremely irritated.

Grandpa decided to stay in this territory for a while and told me to attend the academy here.

I get that.

But!

Telling me to enroll in an academy that commoners attend is just too much!

Sure, I'm technically a commoner, but I'm the grandson of a rare heraldist!

Why should I have to go to a school that commoners can attend?

In the capital, I was properly tutored at home.

I could understand if it was a school for nobles, but a place that even commoners attend sounds no better than the church-run classes they hold once a week for the public.

Grumbling internally, I headed to the academy.

As I followed the path on the map I was given, something seemed off.

First, as I got closer, I saw more and more children walking along, ranging from obvious commoners to those who seemed wealthy.

Also, what I thought was a noble’s mansion wall running along the side of the path turned out to be the academy’s property.

How big is this place!?

Following the flow of children, I arrived at the academy’s main gate.

…The gate was so grand and imposing that even high-ranking nobles would flee barefoot.

Wait, this isn’t Kyle-sama’s mansion?

No, I know it's not, but a commoner’s academy more splendid than the lord’s mansion?

I don’t understand.

Passing through the gate, there was a stone-paved path wide enough for several carriages, leading to the entrance, with flowerbeds on either side, and a vast field visible in the distance.

For a moment, I wondered if I had wandered into some noble's estate, but all the people walking around were commoners.

…No, wait.

They seem like commoners, but they’re surprisingly clean.

The quality of their clothes was typical of what commoners wear, but they were clearly new.

There wasn’t that distinct worn-down look from hand-me-downs.

On top of that, their skin and hair were impeccably clean, as if they bathed daily.

Come to think of it, I heard water was freely available in this city.

Looking up, I could see an aqueduct running high above, providing water through the pressure from that height.

Heh.

I learned about this from my tutor, but I doubt any commoners here would understand it.

"Hey! You, the newbie!"

Smack!

Just as a boy's voice rang out, I felt a thud on my back.

"Whoa! What the hell!?"

I reflexively yelled.

One of the students must’ve been the one who called out, but their approach was rough!

"Whoops, sorry! Was it too hard?"

When I turned around, I was surprised to see a grinning male student.

Despite his words, he didn’t seem apologetic at all.

But what really surprised me was that he was a beastman.

There was another beastman with him too.

The one who smacked me was a wolf beastman.

"Hey! Ed! What are you doing?! Apologize!"

"Eh!? It was just a greeting!"

Apparently, the wolf beastman’s name was Ed.

The one scolding him was a female rabbit beastman.

She’s kinda cute.

And then a red panda beastman bowed his head to me.

“Uh, sorry. Ed didn’t mean any harm, he just can’t control his strength...”

Hearing his nervous apology, it was hard to stay angry.

I sighed.

“...Alright. I’m Feidarl Ingu. I’m starting at the academy today. You guys too?”

I couldn’t finish with, "Even though you’re beastmen?"

Because, looking around, I could see other beastmen heading toward the school too.

The one who answered my question was a female cat beastman with a soft and fluffy aura.

She’s also pretty cute...

"Yeah~. That’s right~. I’m Wamika~. How old are you, Ingu-kun~?"

Her lisp and friendly tone instantly closed the distance between us, making my heart race for some reason.

"I'm thirteen."

I’m about to turn fourteen soon with the upcoming festival though.

"Then we're all in the same class~."

Wamika smiled warmly.

Yeah. Beastmen, commoners, whatever.

For some reason, I suddenly felt motivated!

Introducing myself as we walked to the school building, I learned that the energetic rabbit beastman was Saika and the red panda boy was Kai. I didn’t care much about him though.

Ed kept walking a few steps ahead of everyone at a fast pace, while Kai seemed to avoid me, so I naturally ended up walking between Saika and Wamika.

Yeah. I’ll do my best. I’ll make this academy life work.

It was right then that I had a fateful encounter that would shake my life to its core.

The first thing I noticed was the alchemist.

The same shady-looking alchemist I’d seen with Kyle-sama.

All dressed in black, like some kind of adventurer.

But I didn’t care about that oaf.

The one walking beside the alchemist was a girl.

Wearing a high-quality magician’s robe and accessories, and adorned with numerous rings and ornaments infused with magic.

Her hair was a translucent purple with a slight wave, and when the sunlight passed through it, it gave off an aura like a goddess’s halo.

Her occasional sideways glances revealed a fair face with well-defined features.

My heart shook. Earthquake. A massive tremor.

At the same time, I felt a surge of murderous intent toward that shady alchemist.

Walking to school with a student?

That creepy teacher’s a damn lolicon!

Judging by her appearance, the goddess seemed about the same age as me.

Praying she’d be in the same class, I headed toward the classroom.

…Of course.

That encounter was just the beginning of the shocks to come.