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On the marble floor polished like a mirror, there lay a plush carpet that seemed to engulf one’s ankles. As I gazed upon the resplendent pillars, ceilings, and glass chandeliers, reminiscent of a foreign royal court—or rather as if the entire court had been transplanted here—I found myself contemplating once again the disparities of this world.

This was the mansion allocated to the Safiras royal family… or rather, solely for the sake of Viola’s personal study abroad.

It was enclosed within towering walls of an imposing scale, seemingly inconceivable for a residence situated in the heart of another nation. However, it appeared somewhat distant from the central hub of the Livitium Imperial Kingdom, where the palatial estate of Princess Lieselotte, a member of the royal family of the Silent Central Nation, and the mansion of Frontier Count Aulanthia (which was my former hometown), a prominent noble, were gathered.

Passing through the gate and traveling a short distance in the carriage through the expansive garden enclosed by tall trees, we arrived at a magnificent three-story mansion adorned with white marble and glass.

To provide a comparison for reference, I’d like to add that I currently reside in a three-story, elegant chateau-style “Café Letindüte #3″—or rather, its annex and third floor served as my living space. This establishment was co-funded by myself, Ms. Christy, and a “certain noblewoman” who is a philanthropist of the Empire, though I know little more about her. Ms. Christy and Lord Eilmer had both given their wholehearted endorsement to this enigmatic individual.

The ground floor of the building facing the street was entirely used as a store, with half of the second floor also opened as private rooms. The remaining half of the second floor served as backstage, employee waiting rooms, and a mess room. While I had the entire third floor at my disposal, in reality, I only had my private room and a “magic laboratory” in the annex where I could freely experiment. The rest served as spaces to maintain the appearance of a “noble,” so it was surprisingly cramped—occupying only a space equivalent to the hut in the Tenebrae Nemus at most.

As for personal space, that was about it. However, for the entire Letindüte, in addition to this, there was a separate building across the courtyard equipped with facilities such as warehouses and bathrooms, and residences for live-in staff, guards, gardeners, and stables, so it was akin to a small noble’s country estate.

By the way, the vast majority of regular students attending the academy lived in the dormitories provided by the school, mainly due to the low fees. However, for various reasons¹ the school reports that around 40% of students do not use the dormitories.

…Well, this information is based on rumors Bruno heard in town, so it’s unclear whether the percentages are accurate.

For this reason, it’s typical for nobles—especially those of royal status—to maintain separate residences in the capital city for the sake of appearance and security. This aspect reportedly significantly contributes to the country’s foreign currency earnings. However, from a general perspective, I am in a position where I am living a sufficiently privileged life (though slightly less convenient compared to modern society).

Still, even from my perspective, Viola’s mansion stood out distinctly. It made me keenly aware of the disparity between the haves and the have-nots, realizing that there are indeed different levels to society.

♢♦♢♦♢

“This is amazing.”

We were led to the reception room by a maid who appeared to be in her mid-twenties. As we walked through the mansion, we were greeted with servants and various magic devices, such as automatic doors and lighting that activated according to footsteps, and the water supply device in the toilet that we stopped along the way. It even made Luke, the one person I expected to be used to luxurious mansions, gasp in awe.

“Indeed. Normally, if magical devices are placed so close in proximity, there’s a risk of interference between the magical energy waves they emit, leading to magical surges or pollution. But here, the ‘field’ is beautifully harmonized. The Safiras Kingdom must have highly skilled magical architects.”

Even though I’d grown somewhat accustomed to this style of building, I couldn’t help but be amazed by the magnificence of this building and the high level of magical technology used abundantly throughout. Even if it were built normally, the construction costs would be astronomical, but here, the placement of numerous magical devices was meticulously calculated from the design stage. Perhaps it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it’s five times the market price.

And then…

The maid who was guiding us, upon overhearing our conversation, added with a hint of pride, “While the mansion itself follows the architectural style of Safiras, the magic technology used here is from the Superempire. I’ve heard that at the behest of His Majesty the King, who has a close relationship with the chairman of the academy, the top construction engineer of the Superempire was recruited.”

“Top construction engineer of the Superempire? Could it possibly be a dwarf artisan?” I suddenly recalled the chief dwarf responsible for the construction of the Transfer Gate near the western pioneer village and asked.

“I’m sorry. I’m not aware of such matters as they are handled by different personnel. I will confirm and report back to you later,” the maid said, bowing crestfallen.

“No, it’s just a question out of curiosity, so please forget about it,” I simply sensed a hint of my hometown —Jill’s hometown— and asked about it. Honestly, I’d be troubled if she took it too seriously.

“Are you sure? It wouldn’t be much of a problem.”
“Yes, it is fine. Knowing it won’t do me any good. Besides, it’s not like I’ve grown homesick either.”

Honestly, even if it were the same dwarf artisan, it wouldn’t change a thing. Besides, the idea of an artisan from the Superempire just made me chuckle remembering how Bartholomew once cracked the newly built teleport gate.

Speaking of Bartholomew…

“Miss Jill. My Princess has entrusted me with the duty to protect this land, hence I cannot accompany you to another country!”
“Ah, I see. How unfortunate. Good luck with that.”
“Nevertheless! I have once pledged to protect you, and one mustn’t simply break an oath one has been bound to. Therefore, as a compromise, I have received permission from the fatherland to use this!”

Saying this, Bartholomew presented me with a box large enough to be cradled in both hands, almost the size of the hulking Death Knight himself.

Upon picking it up, I detected a faint magical presence. It seemed to be some sort of magical device, but I couldn’t quite discern its effects. Either the magic in it was so crude that it was basically junk, or conversely, it was so advanced that someone the likes of me was too unskillful to fully comprehend it… Most likely, the latter.

1. Syl: —such as simply residing in the capital city and commuting by stagecoaches, juggling studies with being an adventurer, thus living in inns or boarding houses in the city for greater freedom of movement, or struggling financially and being unable to afford living in the dormitories, hence working while attending—
   too wordy, so I’m cutting this out as footnote