Once we passed through the main gate, Manuel stared out the carriage window at the vast grounds and buildings, his mouth falling open. “Wow!”

'This is something else.' Even I, who had seen enormous university buildings in my previous life, found the Royal Academy impressive. There were beautifully landscaped maze gardens, a vast training ground, facilities hidden behind walls, buildings that looked at least five stories tall, and a tower dozens of stories high at the center. Compared with the buildings in the capital, where even five-story structures were rare, it was astonishing.

“I’d heard that people with magic-related abilities helped build it, but I had no idea it would be on this scale,” Manuel said.

“The story goes that they even brought in an archmage to build the central tower,” the butler replied.

At their words, I looked toward the tower rising in the distance.

It looked like one of the cylindrical high-rises I’d seen in my previous life, only here they called it a tower. No matter how I looked at it, the building soared far higher than anything that belonged in this world. An archmage... Did they mean one of the heroes from the Great War?

As I thought about the heroes of that era, the carriage passed various facilities and pulled up before a huge marble building that looked like a temple. It wasn’t a religious building, though. It was the academy’s central auditorium, where this year’s entrance ceremony would be held. It was used for large events, and everyone who had entered the academy grounds was heading there.

The carriage stopped. The butler climbed down, then I stepped out ahead of Manuel. Every eye nearby turned toward me.

“It’s the ducal House of Gresia.”

“I heard their second son was enrolling this year.”

“Is the one who just got out the second young master?”

“I don’t think so. They said the second young master didn’t have a physical awakening. That one looks like someone with a physical ability, or a knight.”

“Then who is he?”

I could hear the whispers clearly without even gathering mana in my ears. As expected of a renowned ducal house, everyone knew the Gresias. They all knew Manuel was enrolling, too, but no one knew I was. I’d heard the capital was even harsher in its treatment of illegitimate children. Encountering that reality the moment I entered the academy brought a bitter smile to my face.

'No need to draw attention right from the start.' I slipped behind the butler standing beside the carriage door, as though waiting for Manuel to get out. The butler looked pleased, and everyone’s attention left me and returned to the carriage. Then Manuel stepped out.

“It’s Young Master Manuel!”

“The second young master, right?”

The crowd murmured. Manuel wasn’t the heir to the ducal house, but he was still the Duke’s second son, and his mother, the Duchess, came from a renowned marquis’s family. It was only natural that he drew so many eyes.

'It must have been quite a sight when Simon arrived.' If the second son drew this much attention, I could only imagine what it had been like when the heir enrolled.

Admiring voices rose from the crowd as Manuel descended from the carriage. He looked like a prince from a romance comic: splendid clothes, a restrained smile, every gesture perfectly proper. Even without knowing his family, anyone could tell he was a high noble. The education of a ducal house really was something. Even pathetic Manuel could look like this. I almost wanted to applaud him.

Manuel looked around, spotted me, and let one corner of his mouth lift. 'Oh, he’s enjoying himself.' Dress him up however you liked; Manuel was still Manuel.

“Well, let’s go in.”

Once the carriage had driven away, Manuel composed his expression again and walked toward the auditorium. I followed, with the butler behind me. The people watching Manuel seemed curious about who I was, but a voice rang out and made them all turn. Manuel and I turned too.

“The carriage of Her Highness Princess Aisha de Carlos approaches! Bow your heads in respect for the authority of the royal family!”

For the first time in this world, I saw the sort of scene I remembered from my previous life, with vehicles splitting to either side and stopping. The carriages that had been following ours hurried to the edges of the road and halted. Down the middle came an ornate carriage. A man in court attire seated beside the driver kept shouting his announcement at the top of his lungs.

People rushed aside and lowered themselves. Commoners knelt on both knees and bent forward, while the nobles stood along the sides of the road and bowed their heads. I bowed my head with them. I might have been an illegitimate son, but I had awakened, so I didn’t have to kneel with the commoners. Being treated differently than in my previous life left a bad taste in my mouth, though I couldn’t complain about keeping dirt off my knees.

Right now, though, all I felt was nervous. We should have left a little earlier—or later. How had we managed to run straight into her? As I waited with my head lowered, I heard the carriage stop, followed by the sounds of people getting out.

“Princess Aisha de Carlos is passing through! Everyone, show your respect!”

There was that voice again.

The first king, who had founded the academy, had originally decreed that once enrolled, royalty and nobles alike would all be students of equal standing. He had issued the order for the sake of education and to unite the kingdom, but I’d heard that, as the years passed, the academy had developed a tangled power structure of its own. Outwardly, at least, the royal decree was still observed. Otherwise, royals, nobles, and commoners could hardly have attended the same classes. We hadn’t enrolled yet, however, so everyone had to bow for the princess’s procession.

With my head down, I sensed people passing in front of me. If I spread my mana around, I could easily tell who they were, but among this many royals, nobles, and knights, someone was bound to notice. All I could do was pray to myself. 'Keep walking. Keep walking. Please, just keep walking. Don’t talk to me, don’t act like you know me. Just keep walking.'

But the footsteps stopped right in front of me. 'Damn it!'

“Sir Alex?” It was the voice of the young girl I’d heard not long ago. “It is you, isn’t it? Look up.”

I was doomed. Thoroughly doomed. Everyone’s head was bowed, but I could feel their eyes turning this way. I wanted to run, but I couldn’t disobey a princess. I cautiously raised my head.

“Sir Alex! How wonderful. I was worried I’d have to go into the entrance ceremony without knowing anyone. Let’s go in together.”

The princess was still just a child, and her eyes sparkled as she spoke to me. Behind her stood royal knights and the royal butler and maids I’d seen at the palace. Beside her, Katrin was looking at me apologetically. The princess, meanwhile, gazed at me with an innocent expression—but there was a curious curve to her eyes. She’d done it on purpose. Definitely on purpose. She hadn’t spoken to me without thinking; she’d deliberately singled me out. Something about her had felt hard to pin down when we first met. Despite her age, this little princess was clearly a sly one.

“Everyone, raise your heads,” the princess announced loudly. “We’re going to be fellow students now, so I won’t accept these formalities from this point on.”

Everyone looked up, then stared at the princess and me as if question marks had appeared over their heads. She’d got me good. So much for a peaceful life at the academy. A princess had asked an illegitimate son like me to accompany her. At this rate, I was going to be plunged straight into the rough currents of capital politics.

“Come along.”

At her words, I glanced to the side, at a loss. The corner of Manuel’s eye was twitching, and the butler looked troubled too.

“Oh, you’re Young Master Manuel, aren’t you? It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Manuel fumbled through a greeting. In an instant, all that fine ducal-house education fell apart.

“Why don’t you come with us, young master? Sir Alex has told me a great deal about you.”

I hadn’t said a single word about him... Still, Manuel brightened at the princess’s invitation, and our party headed into the auditorium with hers.

Ugh, those stares stung. It felt as if sharp swords were stabbing me. I was bound to become the most talked-about person at school on the very day of the entrance ceremony. 'Damn it. Suicide. That’s my only option.' I couldn’t go on with academy life like this. I’d never killed myself before, and the pain of dying was horrific, but I couldn’t endure this kind of trouble. I decided to kill myself that night, after the ceremony.

With Manuel and the princess chatting beside me, I entered the ceremony hall. At that moment, a message appeared before my eyes.

[You have enrolled in the academy. A new ‘save point’ has been set.]

What?!

* * *

The entrance ceremony was strangely similar to the ones I’d experienced in my previous life, yet different. The great hall, which had the unmistakable feel of a temple, was packed with people. Lights resembling magical lamps hung from the ceiling and illuminated the hall, while fine paintings and sculptures along the walls lent it an air of grandeur.

Several long tables stretched across the center of the hall, with all kinds of new students seated on either side—from little girls to young adults, from princesses to commoners. At the back stood the people who had accompanied them: family members and attendants.

I was seated at one of the long tables with the other new students. I would have preferred an inconspicuous corner, but instead I was at the table directly in front of the people who appeared to be teachers. Naturally, that was because the princess sat beside me. It was also because a teacher I knew was waving to the princess and me from up front. Katrin—the princess’s aunt, who had been working as a mercenary until recently—was seated with the other teachers, looking our way and waving.

I ground my teeth. The princess and her aunt were making a fool of me together. And now even the ability that had helped me had dealt me a blow.

A ‘save point’ had been set just because I’d enrolled in the academy. This was the first time since my awakening day that one had been created without my dying—and only the second time in my life, counting that day.

Perhaps the ability that brought me back to life at a ‘save point’ after I died wasn’t what I’d thought it was. Until moments ago, I’d believed it was another ability of mine, similar to an ‘inherited ability,’ and that the save point on my awakening day had been created only because my inherited ability had interfered. But this new ‘save point’ had appeared without any connection to that ability. It had been triggered by a specific event: enrolling in the academy.

'Does it happen in response to events or triggers? Is dying a kind of event too?' I still didn’t know anything for certain, but this result was so different from what I’d expected that it gave me a great deal to think about.