After parting ways with Lisa,
I headed back to the dormitory alone.
By the time I stepped outside, the sun had already slipped past the horizon.
Even though it was late evening, the academy grounds were still bustling with students rushing around like they were being chased.
Right... midterms were coming up soon.
Groups of students hurried past me, arms full of books, notebooks, and even borrowed reference materials from the library.
Seeing them jog across the campus with that desperate look in their eyes triggered a memory I had pushed to the back of my mind.
Exams.
The academy’s first set of exams.
No wonder the place felt like a battlefield.
Everyone had their reasons for studying until their eyes bled.
Commoners were fighting tooth and nail for scholarships—sometimes the only way they could afford to stay enrolled.
Noble students were busy proving their worth, hoping to secure the position of family heir or at least avoid getting scolded at dinner.
Meanwhile, me?
I wasn’t planning to go that far.
Studying just enough to avoid expulsion—that was perfectly fine to me.
If I got kicked out halfway through the year, the alternative would be immediate military enlistment.
The country didn’t wait around for dropouts.
Well... unless I got lucky and suffered an injury severe enough to make enlistment impossible.
But I didn’t want to go that far.
Avoiding the army was great and all, but not at the cost of a permanent disability.
I didn’t hate the idea of staying alive that much.
So, really—
Graduating peacefully without causing trouble.
That was my one and only goal.
A boring, simple dream.
But in a world like this... even that felt strangely difficult.
On my way back to the dormitory, walking past the streetlights flickering on one by one, I spotted a familiar figure sitting alone on a bench.
"...Elena?"
She jumped slightly at the sound of my voice.
"Ah! Louis!"
Elena had been hunched over, staring intently at something in her hands, clearly deep in thought. When she looked up, her expression softened.
"Looks like the meeting’s over," she said.
"Yeah. I wanted to organize today’s discussion a bit before heading in."
"Why not just do that inside?"
She smiled faintly. "The breeze felt nice. I wanted to clear my head out here for a while."
Just as she said that, a cool wind brushed past us.
The cold bite of winter had faded, replaced by the fresh, mellow wind of the changing season—a quiet, peaceful sort of air you didn’t get often.
After letting myself enjoy the atmosphere for a moment, my eyes drifted to the paper she was holding.
"Is that the meeting report from today?"
"That’s right." She shifted it slightly so I could see. "They told us about some changes to the academy policies. Want to take a look?"
"Yeah, sure. I’ll take a look."
I accepted the paper Elena handed me and slowly scanned through the contents.
It explained that, for the time being, special classes would be held by personnel dispatched from the Imperial Knights and the Magic Tower.
Considering all the chaos that had unfolded recently, it seemed the Emperor had finally decided to intervene directly.
But then one line made me pause.
Imperial Knights... that’s where Julian is.
Just hearing his name dragged an old memory to the surface—Julian, Louis’s older brother.
If the Imperial Knights were sending people here, then...
Was he coming to the academy?
...No. That would be too much. Hopefully not.
Meeting Julian again would be nothing short of awkward.
The memories I inherited from Louis didn’t contain a single warm feeling toward him.
Inferiority.
Helplessness.
Jealousy toward a brother who shone far brighter than he ever could.
A tangle of negativity, quietly simmering beneath the surface—
emotions I hadn’t created, but now had to carry.
If I were to meet Julian right now, I wasn’t confident I could handle whatever emotions would surface.
Just thinking about it made my chest tighten.
As I continued staring at the meeting minutes with a serious expression, Elena—who had been watching me carefully—finally spoke.
"Did you finish showing Lisa around the academy?"
"Yeah. I just saw her off and was heading back to the dormitory."
"R–really?"
At my reply, Elena started fidgeting, her fingers nervously twisting the edge of her sleeve.
...What’s with that reaction?
Does she want to ask me something?
Seeing her open her mouth slightly, then close it again as if debating with herself, I stayed quiet and waited. If she wanted to talk, she would.
After a moment of hesitation, she asked,
"Um... are you two... friends?"
Her eyes shifted up to me, cautious and a little anxious—probably because Lisa had acted familiar with me.
Friends, huh?
I thought about it.
"Well..."
Can I really call us that?
My relationship with Lisa is... complicated.
We first met in a dream—literally.
She reached out to me, asked for help.
And I... didn’t have it in me to ignore her plea.
That’s all there is to it.
No normal beginning, no normal bond.
Just two people connected by a strange, fragile encounter that somehow turned into trust.
If someone were to ask whether Lisa and I were friends, I’d honestly have no idea how to answer.
We haven’t even known each other for an entire day.
"Friends... I wonder?" I murmured.
"Hm... I see?"
Elena, who had been watching my confused expression with serious eyes, nodded—her face brightening for some reason.
It’s been over a month since I enrolled in the academy, yet I still haven’t formed anything close to a normal friendship.
If I really think about it, the only people I talk to regularly are my fiancée, Viola, and Elena here.
And even with Viola... despite us being engaged, there’s this thick, unbreakable wall between us.
A silent distance neither of us has dared to cross.
My relationships are a complete mess...
I never had any expectations about enjoying an idealized "academy life," but this is a bit much, even for me.
When I look at it realistically, Elena might be the only person I’m close enough to genuinely call a friend right now.
I let out a quiet sigh as I lifted my gaze toward the sky—now swallowed completely by darkness.