As we rode in the carriage, I listened to what Lili had to say. To summarize, while my application to the elementary division had been denied, my outstanding knowledge and physical performance had led to a conditional offer: I could skip ahead to the advanced division.
Since this is a newly established school, it’s unclear whether “skipping ahead” is the right term. In any case, my swordsmanship, which even overpowered a regular knight, was deemed too dangerous for the still-developing students of the elementary division. Hence, the special exception.
Well, considering I carry the memories of a Sword Saint, this isn’t surprising.
I possess a deep understanding of historical shifts from that era, not to mention physical techniques—far superior to what your average young instructor knows. Frankly, the only things I’ve failed to recall are the names of my disciples and the faces of my parents.
...Yeah, I’m quite the cold-hearted bastard, aren’t I?
In any case, the outcome is this:
At the age of ten, I’ve been admitted to the advanced division and, within the same day, transferred to the dorms.
And now, here I am—surrounded by teenage girls, probably in their mid-teens.
“Ahhh! He’s so cute!”
“This kid can’t be the same age as us, right?”
“Of course not! There’s no way someone this tiny could be our age!”
Hey, quit poking my cheeks.
I swatted away one of the girls’ probing fingers.
“He’s so small... It’s too cute...”
“He’s like a little stuffed animal!”
The overwhelming scent of perfume made me nauseous.
These must be the new students who had passed the intermediate or advanced entrance exams held yesterday. All of them were in their sleepwear. Girls of marriageable age, wandering the dorm in such attire—it’s utterly unbecoming.
A girl crouched down to meet my gaze.
“Hey, hey, what’s your name? What’s it?”
“...”
I’m under no obligation to answer. I’m done pretending to be something I’m not.
“Aw, he’s too scared to talk! You’re scaring him.”
“No way! I’m super nice, see?”
The Royal Knight Academy has separate dorms for boys and girls. The two are connected by a hallway, but entering the dorm of the opposite sex is strictly prohibited. Shared spaces include the dining hall and training grounds situated between the dorms.
The gender ratio is about 80% male to 20% female. At the nearby Mage Academy, the female ratio is supposedly much higher, but knight schools tend to skew heavily male. Each division—elementary, intermediate, and advanced—accepts 100 students total, split between boys and girls.
But that’s beside the point. The real issue is:
Lili brought me to the girls’ dorm.
Due to the uneven gender ratio, it’s smaller than the boys’ dorm, but still, why?
Curious girls surrounded me with fascination.
“So, who’s this? Someone’s little sister? Must be an elementary student, right?”
“Not mine! What do you think? Do we look alike?”
Don’t get so close to my face. And stop calling me a sister. I’m a boy.
“This kid’s way prettier than you.”
“Shut up.”
“Wait, could it be a boy? Actually, I can’t tell! Such a pretty face, though!”
“Well, they’re in the girls’ dorm, so they must be a girl. Boys aren’t allowed, remember?”
Hmph, your eyes must be for decoration.
“So... should we check?”
“...That might be a good idea.”
Don’t even think about it!
Just as one of the girls was reaching toward me with her wiggling fingers, a class roster was gently placed on her head.
Lili, who had left me at the dorm entrance to go elsewhere, had returned.
“Enough. It’s nearly curfew. While it’s fine to socialize, return to your rooms for the night.”
“Awww, Lili-chan, you’re so strict!”
The girls reluctantly left, waving at me as they went.
“It’s Instructor Ituka,” Lili corrected sternly.
“Yesss, ma’am.”
“Answer properly. Once.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Don’t drag it out.”
“Yes, ma’am! ...See you later, little boy!”
After their silhouettes disappeared, I glared up at Lili.
“Hey, Lili.”
“Address me as Instructor.”
In my past life, our roles were reversed! You used to call me teacher!
No, actually, not once. You always called me Blythe by name, unlike the others who referred to me as master or teacher.
Ah, well. No point in dwelling on it.
“Instructor Ituka, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
What kind of indignity is this, having to call my former disciple “Instructor”? Not that I ever formally taught her anything.
All she did was survive by staying near me. That’s it.
“Why the hell did you bring me to the girls’ dorm? I’m a boy.”
Using the name “Eremia” was a mistake. It’s too ambiguous. Should’ve gone with something more obviously male, like Emilio.
Incidentally, my name was arbitrarily chosen by my mother, Queen Alina.
Lili responded matter-of-factly.
“First of all, until just now, I thought you were a girl.”
“Oh? ...What did you just say!?”
I double-checked her expression.
“It seems Instructor Givrey, whom you defeated during the practical exam, noticed. But I did not.”
“Huh?”
Lili pulled out a piece of paper from the roster and showed it to me.
It was my application form.
“Your application listed your gender as female. Someone must’ve altered it. Upon closer inspection, you can see traces of the original ink being scraped off and rewritten. The handwriting is different, too.”
That old hag of a mother! She rewrote it!
I had my suspicions when she gave me this androgynous name, but this confirms it.
Did she think that would make me give up and come home?
What a terrifyingly obsessive love.