Helios Orb Chronicle – Chapter 442

In the living room on the second floor of the main hall, princes and princesses from various countries gathered for a pre-enrollment social gathering.

We planned to greet them again at dinnertime, but it was amusing to see them rushing down a bit past the dinner hour, seemingly engrossed in conversation.

Hilde had just returned as well, and we were only a few minutes late, so it wasn’t a problem for us. However, we offered a few words of advice as such delays might become an issue once they started their academy life. Afterward, we took our seats and began conversing over dinner.

Hilde seemed delighted to see her cousin, Princess Lucia and Princess Diana, whom she hadn’t met in a while.

Conversely, I was surprised by how much Princess Aurora’s way of speaking resembled Prim’s.

I had heard about it, and seeing her resemblance, I thought that young Prim might have been like that. When I mentioned it, Ms. Apricot confirmed it, which caused Prim to blush deeply.

She was cute, though.

We also heard about their choices of guild courses, and they asked us about our hunts and wars. We answered what we could, and the dinner concluded harmoniously.

Ah, speaking of the social gathering, the dinner itself was lavish. It featured A-R rank Gold Dragoons and White Dragoons, along with M-C rank Diamond Feathers and M-I rank Fortress Whales.

The princes and princesses were highly impressed, as it was their first time trying many of these dishes.

That night, they stayed at Komine Manor. Perhaps due to the excitement of their first time, we ended up talking late into the night, leading to a bit of oversleeping the next morning.

After breakfast, we boarded a Fleidranthia Heavenly Noble House’s multi-functional beast carriage and transferred to Memoria.

We were there to inspect, or rather, tour the soon-to-be Memoria General Academy. We also planned to pay a visit to the Amatista Marquis family, with whom we would be staying from spring.

I had already paid my respects to the head of the family, Rika, at the Hinomoto Mansion, but I hadn’t met her mother, Elisabeth.

This time, we used a gate crystal and a transfer stone slab to transfer to the outskirts of Memoria.

The gate stone was located in Rika’s bedroom, so it would have been difficult to transfer with the princes and princesses. Even after enrollment, I intended to restrict its use unless there was an extreme emergency.

This also offered a chance to sightsee in Memoria. More importantly, this social gathering was an official event, and entering Memoria without going through the proper procedures could lead to trouble.

With a total of nine princes and princesses, including Yuri and Seras, present, we had to be thorough. We were also providing security, paying close attention to their safety.

“So, this is Memoria…”

“The cherry tree plantations are famous, but they’re also throughout the town.”

“As you can see, they bloom beautifully, adding to the scenery.”

Yuri took it upon himself to act as a tour guide for Princess Aurora and Princess Nebrina, who were occupying the observation deck of the Fleidranthia Heavenly Noble House’s multi-functional beast carriage.

Perhaps because they were older among the enrolled royalty, they seemed to have become quite close.

It was an unexpected pairing, Princess Aurora, who looked exactly like Prim, and Princess Nebrina, who was incredibly shy.

Princess Nebrina seemed to be hiding behind Princess Aurora, which I took as a sign that she was beginning to open up to her. However, I felt she really needed to work on her shyness.

“I’d seen Denebulate before, but this is my first time riding one.”

“I didn’t expect to see so many Ritters on board that time. This one is for nobles, so it doesn’t carry as many, it seems.”

“We’ve already disclosed the details to the Crafter’s Guild. It’s quite large for everyday use and has features that aren’t necessary.”

Princess Raio and Princess Illumina were very interested in the multi-functional beast carriage, and Mako was explaining it to them.

That was all well and good, but I wished they would focus more on touring Memoria instead of wandering around inside the multi-functional beast carriage.

Mako also seemed on edge, unsure of where they might go next.

On the other hand, Prince David, Princess Lucia, and Princess Diana, along with Seras, were enjoying the tour from the rear deck while leisurely sipping tea.

Carol was also assisting them, so I decided to leave that part to her.

“Eh? Seriously?”

“Seriouslyyyyyy.”

“Th-that’s amazing…”

From the observation deck, I could hear Princess Aurora and Princess Nebrina exclaiming in surprise. Why was Rebecca there?

Apparently, they were discussing MARS, but I hadn’t been paying close attention and couldn’t quite make out the conversation.

While I had a slight sense of unease, I hoped that Rebecca, who was also accompanying them as a guide, hadn’t imparted any strange knowledge.

With Princess Aurora present, if she had done anything of the sort, she would only incur Prim’s wrath, so she probably hadn’t.

She hadn’t, right?

“I’m sorry about Rebecca…”

“There’s nothing wrong with becoming friends, and the Princesses don’t seem bothered, so as long as she maintains decency, it’ll be fine.”

Flam, sitting next to me, bowed his head, apologizing for his sister’s conduct.

It wasn’t exactly misconduct, but Rebecca had a history, so her credibility was rather low at times like these.

Well, I was being cautious too, but she hadn’t committed any fatal blunders. Since they were classmates and had agreed to be friends, I felt it was not my place to interfere. They seemed to be getting along well, so I decided to let it be.

“Everyone, that is the Memoria General Academy, where you will all be enrolling in the spring.”

Though still some distance away, the grounds of Memoria General Academy came into view.

The General Academy was built on the north side of Memoria, forming a completely new district due to its scale.

It was surrounded by high walls for security, but at about three meters, it wouldn’t be difficult for anyone around level 40, let alone high-class individuals, to jump over.

This applied to noble residences and royal castles as well. That’s why the walls were equipped with magical devices that would immediately sound an alarm if anyone attempted to climb or jump over them.

Beyond them, the main school building and various guild buildings stood in rows, clearly indicating the vastness of the grounds even from afar.

“Is that the Memoria General Academy?”

“It’s a bit of a distance from the Amatista Marquis family, so commuting might be inconvenient. Considering the commute time, you’ll need to wake up earlier than students living in the dormitories.”

“Oh, right. The dorms are on campus, so they can sleep in more.”

Princess Aurora’s reasoning was debatable, but not entirely wrong.

In reality, it took about thirty minutes by beast carriage from the Amatista Marquis family.

Still, the difference was only ten or twenty minutes, so there wasn’t that much extra sleep to be had.

“These experiences are all part of it. The academy is a place to learn not only academics but also etiquette and general knowledge. At the same time, it’s a world solely for children. While status is generally disregarded, it doesn’t mean it ceases to exist. Eventually, student leaders will emerge, but until then, the princes and princesses will likely have to take on that role.”

Though not immediately, some form of student council or student body would eventually be necessary, and I suspected it would form on its own. An academy that disregarded the status of its entrants was a microcosm of society, and many things that might be permissible within the academy would not be after graduation and entering the real world.

Status wouldn’t disappear just because it was disregarded; issues related to it would certainly arise. Learning all of this was the purpose of a general academy, hence the need for student leaders.

While the princes and princesses would be entrusted with this during their time at the academy, it couldn’t continue indefinitely. We should probably consider a timeline of two or three years.

The beast carriage slowly proceeded towards the main gate of the General Academy.

The Memoria General Academy had only one main gate.

This was not only for security but also to prevent students from escaping. Students were expected to focus on their studies for five to six days a week, with one to two days off. However, they were generally prohibited from leaving the academy grounds.

Therefore, there were plans to include small shops and cafeterias within the academy, with prices kept reasonable for students. Guild branch offices would also be established, allowing students to take on requests on their days off. However, until graduation, promotions would not be possible regardless of the reason, meaning most students would remain at T-rank, with their income being no more than pocket money. For those already registered with a guild and having achieved a certain rank, they would receive compensation according to their rank. However, this was intended to be for adult classes only, and since adult classes would be allowed to leave campus, this should become a non-issue in a few years.

However, this posed a problem for Hunters, whose work required them to leave town. Since their job was to hunt monsters, they would lose their source of income. Therefore, Hunters would participate in practical training outside Memoria as part of their classes, hunting monsters.

The hunted monsters would be managed by accompanying instructors, and compensation would be paid based on questing records. However, it was possible for someone to steal a monster that had been cornered by others outside the instructors’ direct supervision.

As a result, it was decided that in case of disputes, Knight Magic Hearsay would be used for investigation. Hearsay, also known as interrogation magic, required the permission of an Order’s Master or Sub-Order’s Master to be used. It was a spell that could detect lies. While typically only used in interrogations, disputes between students could escalate into serious matters, and the situation needed to be resolved promptly. Therefore, some members of the Order responsible for security at the academy would be granted the authority to use Hearsay. Furthermore, if found guilty after an investigation using Hearsay, the worst-case scenario would be expulsion.

This had already been announced, but as we reaffirmed the explanation on the way to the main gate, everyone nodded with solemn expressions. Many of the princes and princesses were destined to inherit the throne. However, if by some mischance they were expelled, it could lead to their succession rights being revoked and subsequent lifelong confinement, or even a quiet end to their lives. In reality, such individuals could not be allowed to inherit the throne, so the revocation of succession rights was a foregone conclusion. The princes and princesses present had received proper education, so I doubted they would do anything foolish. However, the only foolish son who was not invited had a high probability of such an outcome, and I predicted his expulsion would come sooner rather than later. Emperor Reinhardt and the kings shared the same opinion, viewing his expulsion as a precedent for revoking succession rights rather than a scandal in the first year.

“The punishment is severe, but as long as we act normally, there won’t be any issues, right?”

“None at all. In fact, Hunters can be quite rough, so we tend to overlook minor problems.”

“There are also those in the Trader’s Guild who believe doing anything for money is acceptable. As long as you don’t go too far, you won’t be punished. Of course, if discovered, you might face demotion.”

Hunters, Traders, and Scholars were more prone to such issues. For minor transgressions, it wasn’t uncommon for even demotion not to occur. Therefore, as long as you engaged in guild activities normally, there would be no problems and no risk of expulsion.

“We can’t register with a guild for the first year, but there are guild branch offices, right?”

“Yes, there are. Several first-year students have already registered, and even those who haven’t can use them.”

Similar to the issue with Hunters, first-year students generally couldn’t register with guilds, meaning they couldn’t earn income. However, this would also prevent them from using the shops within the academy. Therefore, the guilds were making adjustments to allow for simple jobs that would provide pocket money. Nonetheless, the range of work was limited within the academy, mainly consisting of cleaning and assisting teachers. Of course, it was also an opportunity to learn about the work of the guild they intended to register with, so it would be beneficial for them to try it out.

“I see. So, even without guild registration, we can take on simple tasks like being an assistant?”

“Yes. From the second year onwards, you can only accept requests from your registered guild, but it’s essential for the first year. Many of the jobs might be butler-type duties, which might not be suitable for Your Highnesses, so it’s probably fine.”

However, I didn’t think the princes and princesses would need to take on such roles. They would likely be provided with ample funds, and the Trader’s Guild, in cooperation with the Priests’ Guild, also handled banking services, allowing for deposits and withdrawals, so they wouldn’t be inconvenienced. I had even considered developing a system similar to electronic money, but since currency was issued by the gods and represented by the Priests’ Guild, I had to abandon the idea.

“No, you mentioned it’s an experience, so I think I’ll try it at least once.”

“It will also be a way to earn money ourselves, which I believe would put our mothers at ease.”

However, the princes and princesses were fully committed to taking on requests. Since they were motivated, I had no intention of stopping them, but I still hoped they wouldn’t do anything half-hearted. In that case, it likely wouldn’t count towards their achievements.

Oh, we’re already at the main gate.

In that case, today, I’ll provide a thorough tour in place of Rika, who couldn’t accompany us due to feeling unwell.