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In our travels until now, we only stayed a night or two at most, so adjusting our rooms would have been a waste of time. This time, however, we plan to stay at this establishment until the exam results are announced.

Particularly for Mia’s case, since she isn’t enrolling with us, she’ll likely spend most of her time waiting for our return, so it would be best to make our room comfortable to live in.
Honestly, we wouldn’t mind if, instead of watching over the room, she occupied herself with hunter activities, but it’s unlikely she’d choose that option. Just to be safe, we’ll discuss this with her later.

As we walked, I noticed many teenagers and young people in general around.
Some were in groups, others just by themselves. It’s a rare sight since I arrived in this world, but a common one in my old world.
Some people are stealing glances at Ciel, but she seemed completely unfazed.

With the presence of so many unattended children, this area must be quite safe.
The establishments here, including a cafe, bookstore, stationery shop, sorceric tool shop, weapon shop, and magic core shop, appear to cater to students based on their pricing. At the weapon shop, for instance, the main items are blunted weapons, which are used for combat practice.
For those looking for real weapons, one would likely need to shop outside this district.

『Is this the place? It’s a really large building.』
『It looks very much like a school.』
『Is that so? If Ain says so, then it must be true!』

Following the path, we arrived at a large gate leading to a sizable rectangular building flanked by two structures roughly half the size of the main building, each adjacent to what looks to be extensive plots of land.
Assuming the side buildings are dormitories, the central structure must be the school.
I wonder if they also have a school yard or gymnasium.

We wanted to go inside, but they were checking credentials at the gate, so we likely wouldn’t be allowed entry.
And perhaps because we were intently peering in from outside, a woman affiliated with the academy noticed Ciel and drew near.

The woman had shoulder-length light brown hair and seemed to be around Carol’s age. She also has a softer demeanor compared to Carol.
Could she be a teacher here?
Noticing the lady, Ciel instantly lost most of her expression.

「What’s the matter?」
「Is this the second academy?」
「Oh, an applicant, I see. That’s right. Be sure to come here tomorrow morning.」
「Understood.」

Ciel’s response sounded superficially polite, but perhaps interpreting it as nervousness—or it’s a common tone here—the lady didn’t seem to mind it.
Having confirmed the location, we can now simply head back to the inn, but a lingering concern prompted me to have Ciel ask another question.

『Ciel, could you ask her if first academy students come around here?』
「Do first academy students come around here?」
「I can’t say for sure, but generally, no. The facilities around here are tailored for second academy students, you see.」
「I get nervous when there are great nobles around, so I’m glad.」

While Ciel obviously didn’t mean what she said, probably because her response was relatable to the common folk, the lady showed a look of understanding.
And then, with a blank stare, she awkwardly replied, “Well, yeah…”
From what I know, the youngest princess is also taking the entrance exam, so maybe that is what’s currently on the lady’s mind.

Ciel said her thanks expressionlessly and turned to leave.
Knowing that First Academy students are not loitering around this place is good news.
However, in hindsight, considering that commoners can’t actually use establishments made for nobles, I guess it’s only natural that there’s separation.

As for the children of high-status nobles who will enroll in the Second Academy, they should already have an understanding of this before taking the exam, and if they didn’t, there isn’t much they can do about it anyway.
In fact, for low-status nobles, some might actually prefer enrolling at the Second Academy for financial reasons. However, as a rule, the heirs are strictly required to attend the First Academy.

◇◇◇

Returning to the inn, Mia was at the entrance waiting for us.
After leading us to our room, she bowed and greeted, “Welcome back.”
Ciel responded, “We’re back,” in kind.

「How was the academy?」
「It was really spacious. And there were a lot of children too.」
「I’m glad to hear it was uneventful.」

Even if something did happen along the way, most events wouldn’t leave a strong impression on Ciel. Still, everything did go without a hitch, and I sympathize with Mia’s relief. 
Given how Ciel tends to attract attention due to her beauty, there are often times when men with ulterior motives approach her.
That none did this time is likely a testament to the public order here.

That aside, for some reason, this room resembles our bedroom at the manor. The room is a fair bit smaller in comparison, but it’s furnished with a grandiose bed too large for the space and a familiar table set, both combined giving me a sense of déjà vu.

「Still, did you bring along furniture from the manor?」
「No, I merely had similar-looking furniture made; your bedroom in the manor was left completely as it was.」
「Really? Fufu, I don’t know why, but it’s comforting.」
「I feel honored to hear that. However, it’s lacking in space, so I unfortunately couldn’t recreate it completely.」
「Let’s hope the academy dorm has a wide enough room.」
「I will do my best to create the most comfortable room for Lady Ailniege.」

The somewhat mismatched conversation nearly made me chuckle within Ciel.
That aside, the name Ailniege has been unexpectedly useful; other than as an alias, it’s also being used when referring to both Ciel and me.
“Ail” comes from both Ciel and me, so it’s by no means incorrect, but Mia initially hesitated since it felt disrespectful to do so.

It doesn’t really bother me, while Ciel actually approved of being called by that name. While she enjoys being called Cielmer—and if it’s not just my ego, she likes being called Ciel by me the most—it seems she prefers the use of Ailniege over “you two ladies” or similar terms.

『Come to think of it, what do the people who don’t have money do until the exam results are released?
Those who live in the capital would probably be fine, but the Second Academy aims to gather as many talented individuals as possible from all walks of life, right?』

I muttered something I got curious about, and Ciel asked Mia about it.
Mia pondered a bit before answering confidently.

「There should be establishments which offer free lodging. However, while a small amount of money might secure you a private room, these free rooms are generally shared rooms. Nonetheless, troublemakers will be unanimously barred from taking the exam, so it should be safe still.」
「Is it alright that we’re not staying there?」
「Those who have the money are expected to find their own lodging, so I believe it’s alright to stay here.」
「I guess that’s how it is.」

Ciel responded with a vaguely convinced tone.
It’s probably because she wasn’t really interested in the topic to begin with.
From my experience with entrance exams, it’s a very nerve-wracking experience, but from what I see with Ciel, she doesn’t feel any anxiety at all.
Even if surrounded by royalty, Ciel will likely approach the exams with her usual attitude. I found this to be quite characteristic of her, and then I realized that I didn’t feel any anxiety as well.

And that’s the end of this chapter! Yay~!

Mia’s necessary adjustments turned out to be replicating their bedroom back at the manor to make them feel at home! Which is pretty sweet, but also hilarious. Imagine staying at a hotel and when you return after leaving for a short break, your room looks eerily similar to your house.

Meanwhile, our girls went to see the school and luckily had a neutral, if not positive, experience overall without any trouble. I like the detail of there being just mostly children/students roaming around and the shops nearby being student priced, since I feel like a lot of fantasy school arcs skip that small detail. Actually, some don’t even depict what’s outside the school. It’s mostly that the schools are just so big and grand that they have everything available inside. Actually, maybe that’s just for school stories.

Now then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to comment. Stay healthy, stay safe, and have a nice day~!