Chapter 6: New Room

Four days have passed since I left home. Over these days, I’ve been completely reliant on the carriage driver. He’s a remarkably talented individual, adept at cooking, hunting, gathering food, and, of course, driving the carriage.

Though I already knew the answer, my urge for conversation got the better of me, so I asked him a fairly obvious question on the second day of our journey.

“Ne, Mister, how come you can do all these things?”

When he heard my question, his eyes widened for a moment before he broke into a delighted smile.

“It’s to ensure nobles like you have a comfortable journey.”

“Hee, is that so? Thanks, Mister!”

He gave a wry smile in response to my thanks. Since that small talk, he became quite an enjoyable companion. I even asked if I could sit beside him in the driver’s seat. At first, he refused, citing various reasons, but he eventually relented when I said, “Won’t it be boring to travel with no one to talk to?”

Thanks to that, I sat beside him with an umbrella throughout the remainder of our journey. We talked about various topics, like where he lived, whether he had a family, and so on.

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I also discovered that he was an exclusive driver for the school I was attending. He suggested that I visit the stables if I had the time, as he wanted to introduce me to his acquaintances. He mentioned that nobles like me, who were easy to talk to, were rare. Of course, I happily accepted his offer, though I wasn’t entirely convinced of my rarity. After all, my mother and father were like me, so there should be plenty of nobles who are nice.

After a while, a town with a huge gate came into view. The soldiers guarding the gate stopped us.

“What’s your business here in the Royal Capital?”

“I’m a carriage driver for the Royal Magic Academy. I’m here to deliver the student beside me.”

One of the guards raised an eyebrow as he glanced at me.

“Hi.”

I waved at the guard with a smile, surprising him. The driver then handed a permit to the guard, allowing us entry.

“Umm… why didn’t you show them the permit first?”

“That questioning was only a formality and also to confirm our identities.”

I pouted at his response and muttered, “It would have been faster if you just handed the permit.”

He laughed a little at my muttering and continued to drive the carriage.

The capital was quite a developed and lively place. Crowds of people walked along the stone-paved paths, and buildings that were a mix of Renaissance and medieval styles lined the roads. Lamplights along the road, supplied by magic according to the driver, illuminated the streets at night.

We continued on until a giant, luxurious gate came into view. It was around 4 meters (4.4 yards) tall with golden engravings. The walls near the gate were adorned with various gems and intricate designs tracing the edges of the gate. Overall, it was a majestic sight.

Beside the gate stood an aged man with flowing white hair reaching his shoulders. His face was crisscrossed with deep wrinkles, but he smiled at me and spoke in a congratulatory tone.

“Welcome to the Farlingstad Magic Academy. For the next 14 years, this will be your new home.”

“…Eh?”

(… Farlingstad… Magic… Academy?)

My eyes widened at his words, and I muttered under my breath, “This has got to be a lie… is this really the game world?”

The driver beside me smiled and said, “It isn’t a lie. This really is that ‘Academy,’ Miss Lumina.”

I began doubting my reality and recalled the contents of the game I played before my death. Eclara’s image surfaced in my mind; unlike in the game, she didn’t have a surname and was a traveler. Could this mean that this is a different world?

“Unn… this isn’t the game world… these are just coincidences piling up on one another… that’s it, I’m just overthinking things.”

As my mind started to calm down, I noticed the driver and the old man looking at me with concern. I quickly composed myself and gave them a small, embarrassed smile.

“Sorry for showing you an embarrassing side… hehe…”

I made a wry smile and introduced myself with a bow.

“My name is Lumina, the only daughter of the Chis Chem Barony.”

Hearing my introduction, the old man checked a piece of paper and smiled slightly.

“Indeed, your name is on the list. Please step onto this Magic Circle so we can examine your inherent mana.”

The phrase “examine your inherent mana” displeased me slightly. Sighing, I stepped down from the carriage with the driver’s help and stood at the center of the circle.

As the old man chanted a complex spell, the circle beneath my feet formed intricate geometrical patterns and floated slightly above my head.

“Your mana is too low to be enrolled in the magic class, but you can be enrolled in the general studies. Although there may be many commoners in that class, is that acceptable?”

I nodded in agreement. He then opened the gate, and the driver escorted me back to the carriage. Instead of sitting beside him, I was now seated inside. I asked him why, and he replied, “It wouldn’t be good for your image to sit beside me, a simple driver.”

I grumbled a bit but reluctantly accepted his offer, as he was right. As the carriage moved inside the school grounds, I placed my elbow on the window and gazed outside.

“I liked sitting in the driver’s seat because the wind felt really good... haaa.”

I closed my eyes and fell asleep inside the carriage.

***

“Please wake up, Miss Lumina. We have arrived.”

I opened my eyes to find the carriage driver gently shaking my shoulder. I stared at him for a moment, then at his hand.

“Ah!”

He quickly removed his hand and bowed.

“That was very rude of me. I’m very sorry.”

Yawn*

“No, I didn’t mind it, so please stop bowing.”

Fully awake, I saw we were in front of a large mansion with many windows. Some children of varying ages walked to and from the mansion.

“Hee, so this is where I’ll stay from now on.”

The driver, recovering from my statement, moved closer and coughed slightly.

“Yes, it’s not as grand as the magic class’s place, though. They are considered elites compared to us.”

“Well, that’s true. They can use high-level magic and such.”

As I stepped down from the carriage, a female servant in a maid’s uniform approached and bowed. She had red hair tied in twin tails and seemed to be around my age. Under the afternoon sun, her red eyes sparkled brightly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lumina Chis Chem. My name is Emilia Darion. I shall serve as your guide for the remainder of the day.”

I wished she would stop talking so formally, but as a noble, I understood it couldn’t be helped. The driver unloaded my two suitcases and followed behind me as I walked with the maid.

“Um, may I ask a question… Miss Darion?”

“Emilia is fine.”

She gave a curt response and continued walking.

“Then… Emilia, how old are you? I get the feeling you’re not much older than me.”

“That’s correct. I’m 7 years old.”

A smile appeared on my face upon hearing our ages were close.

“Then does that mean you’re a working student?”

“Yes.”

“Are there many of you here?”

I expected Emilia to answer, but it was the driver who responded.

“Yes, there are many students like her. They are exceptional children with promising futures but cannot afford the school’s tuition.”

“Hee, is that so? Then does that mean you’re really smart?”

“Not particularly.”

Once again, she gave me a curt answer without facing me, though I noticed her ears turning slightly red. It seemed she wasn’t used to receiving praise.

“This will be your room, Miss Lumina.”

Emilia suddenly stopped in front of a large wooden door and opened it. I entered the room, finding it quite spacious. On the right side was a canopy bed with numerous pillows. There was a study desk near the window and a closet near the bed. Though the room was a bit dull due to a lack of ornaments, it was quite comfortable.

The driver placed my suitcases inside the room and left with the maid.

“I thought they would help me unpack… well, maybe they’re busy with many students in the mansion. I shouldn’t expect too much.”

I opened my suitcase, arranged my clothes in the closet, and placed some of the books I brought on the desk.

By the time I finished, it was already evening, and the sky had darkened. I heard a knock on the door.

“Come in!”

I allowed the person to enter and saw Emilia pushing a cart of food into the room. Her eyes widened as she noticed my already arranged room, and she appeared a bit flustered.

“You… finished arranging your room?”

“Ah, yes… I didn’t have anything else to do.”

“Normally, it’s our job to arrange your belongings while you were away, Miss Lumina. I wondered what you were doing since you didn’t come out… to think, you were doing this.”

“Is that so? Well, I’m finished and quite hungry. What’s for dinner?”

She quickly composed herself, showing me the contents of the plate. Tonight’s main dish was beef stew with a vegetable salad on the side. For dessert, there

was strawberry sponge cake and black tea.

“Hmm, looks delicious!”

I sat at the table and waited for her to finish arranging the plate. She poured water into a cup and stepped away once she was done. I cast a spell to add three cubes of ice to the water and began eating.

Once I finished, Emilia quickly cleaned the table and left the room with a bow. I felt a bit sad that I couldn’t converse with her more. I had been taught by my mother never to talk while eating, so I finished my meal quickly to have a conversation with Emilia. To think she was that fast.