From the edge of the deep blue forest, the Academy greeted us with the stern face of its walls. Stepping into the Academy for the first time in my life, I, like the country bumpkin I was, was busy marveling at everything with wide, sparkling eyes.
"What, you've never been to the Academy before? You were a slave, weren't you? I figured you might have come around here at least once. This area gets quite a bit of traffic, you know."
"What time does a slave have to look out the window and sightsee? My daily routine was just staring at the ground, praying, 'Please let me meet a good master.'"
"......Sorry."
Alice apologized with an awkward expression. How far could a slave possibly have gone? Even working in a busy street, all I could see was the dirt floor, and it was common to get hit by a passing noble if I accidentally lifted my head. Simply sitting in a carriage like this, leisurely gazing out the window, was a luxury slaves couldn't even dream of. Alice said.
"Still, y-you're a free person now, right?"
"That's right. A free person."
The sound of the carriage wheels rolling rhythmically filled the gaps between our conversation. Alice fiddled with her red hair and asked me. At that moment, I was stealing glances at Alice's thighs and fingers, trying to keep my expression in check.
"Do you really want to marry my mom?"
Alice then slightly pulled at the hem of her skirt and spread her legs. The tantalizingly revealed thighs made a stimulating sound just brushing against the fabric. I nodded and said.
"Yeah."
"You're a free person now. So, isn't that enough? There's nothing good about marrying my mom."
"Hey."
"W-what is it?"
Alice flinched when I suddenly called out and moved away from me. I asked.
"Why do you hate the idea of me marrying Isabel so much?"
Alice's eyes widened at my question before she turned her head away again. The scenery outside had also stopped because the carriage had to pass through a checkpoint. I waited for Alice's answer, thinking the shape of the mountains looked just like a beast's fangs.
"What business is it of yours? If I don't like it, I don't like it."
Of course, I didn't get a proper answer. She glanced at me furtively before adding,
"And I didn't say I'd oppose it unconditionally. If Mom doesn't change her mind in six months, she'll permit the marriage, you know?"
The carriage passed the checkpoint and started rolling again. The blue sky and forest landscape that had filled my vision were replaced by stuffy white brick buildings and drab signs. Alice said.
"More importantly, look here. These are the commercial buildings. You'll probably be using these places quite often from now on, so get familiar with their locations."
"Aren't there any shops inside? Within the Academy?"
"You're not a student, so you can't use them. You need to show your student ID to enter the commercial area."
"Annoying."
Even if I didn't plan on leaving the Academy grounds, not being able to use the shops stung. I needed places to kill time while adjusting to life inside the Academy, but if I couldn't even window shop, what was I supposed to do?
"Then what am I supposed to do? I'm technically your servant, but I can't just go wandering around outside all day."
Alice shrugged at my question and shook her head, saying,
"Hmm? Just take a walk in a park or something. Ah, no. It'll be a big problem if you get into an argument with nobles in the park. Better just rest in the room."
She basically meant I should just stay put in the room. I looked at Alice, dumbfounded, and said,
"No, that's just a prison. You might as well give me some work if that's the case."
"No, how can I possibly give you work? What would I tell Mom? That I'm living by bossing around my future father?"
"Ah, this is driving me crazy. Isn't there anywhere I can read books?"
"You can read?"
Alice seemed surprised that I could read. Slaves who could read were rare, after all. Of course, that meant 'elite' among slaves; servants were generally expected to read and write, so people didn't often seek out slaves who could read. People tended to prefer slaves who were dumb and thoughtless over those who were smart and cunning.
"My previous master was a kind person, so he taught me how to read. My friends and I, the three of us, learned to read and did farm work together. We had a lot of fun."
A smile naturally spread across my face. Alice stared at me blankly for a moment before asking,
"Th-that... why were you sold to him?"
"My master was accused of being a devil worshipper and burned at the stake. I had nowhere to go. Everyone scattered, and I don't know where they are. Everyone but me probably died."
It was ironic. After my master was unjustly killed for being a devil worshipper, I truly became a devil. What would my master think if he saw me now? Alice closed her mouth and turned her head. Just then, the carriage stopped in front of the Academy. Alice gathered her belongings and said,
"Let's go. I'll show you to the room. You carry the luggage."
"Okay."
The luggage wasn't much, as I wasn't staying for more than a few days. I grabbed my travel bag and followed Alice. In front of the large main gate stood a pillar with a round orb attached. Complex writing was inscribed below the pillar, but I couldn't read it.
"What is it? Haven't you seen a magic suppressor before?"
"A magic suppressor?"
"Yeah. It's a device that sounds an alarm if a powerful demon or evil object with strong demonic energy tries to enter. That orb turns redder the denser the demonic energy is."
Since I was hiding my demonic energy at the moment, the orb showed no change. As a test, I cautiously released a bit of my demonic energy. The orb's color remained unchanged, as if it couldn't detect even that slight change.
"Ah, isn't it a bit cold?"
"Really?"
Alice, standing right next to me, wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, perhaps getting goosebumps. She urged me to go inside quickly and turned towards the dormitory direction.
"Are the girls' and boys' dorms separate?"
"They are separate, but there are no restrictions on servant access."
"How do you tell who's a servant and who isn't? Suspicious people could just walk in."
"Hold on."
Alice left me behind and went inside first. Female students in uniform glanced at me or whispered amongst themselves as they passed. Every time women looked me up and down, I felt a strange sense of unease. I half expected someone to point at me and yell,
'Why is a lowly person like you here?'
"Kept you waiting?"
Of course, my unease ended up being just that - unease. Alice was walking towards me, holding a badge in one hand. As I took the badge, Alice pointed to her flat chest and said,
"You pin it around here. With this on, if anyone asks whose servant you are, just say 'I'm the attendant for Miss Alice.'"
"Ah, so that's how it works."
"If you lose it, don't go anywhere that day. Stay in the room, and wait here in front in the morning. I'll get a new one from the administrator right away."
"Got it."
"Alright, follow me for now. You need to carry the luggage."
It was amusing that Alice was carrying the luggage herself when she had hired a servant. I grabbed the bag and followed her. Alice pointed to the room number and said,
"My room is 203. Got it? If anyone asks, say 'Miss Alice of room 203' or 'Young Lady Alice of room 203.' You know the family name, right?"
"Family name?"
It was hazy. Ever since I came into the house as a slave, I hadn't done anything involving the family name, nor had Carlson ever invoked it. Alice said.
"Flancia."
Alice looked straight at me and said again,
"My mom is Isabel Flancia. I am Alice Flancia. Now, let's say I'm a student here in the dorm. But if someone found you too suspicious and asked, 'Whose servant are you?' what would you answer?"
"Young Lady Isabel Flancia of room 203......"
"No, Isabel is my mom. Say my name."
"Anyway."
"Right. Well... leave the bag here. Sit down and rest for a bit. You've come a long way."
I did as she said and placed the bag next to the bed. I had expected the Academy's noble dormitory to be quite luxurious, but the room's interior was surprisingly neat and simple. There was no fancy furniture, just a few reception tables and chairs, a plush bed, and a desk. However, the colorful tea sets in the adjacent kitchen cabinet served as a reminder that this was indeed a noble academy. A warmly colored carpet decorated the floor, and several other doors were set into the corners of the room, presumably leading to the bathroom and closets. Alice, unconcerned by my inspection of the room, sat down and said,
"The tea is in that cabinet over there, so make yourself a cup if you want something to drink."
"No thanks. I don't really like tea."
I shook my head. Then, I carefully sat down on a chair and asked,
"Should I make you a cup?"
"No. I don't really like tea either."
For someone who didn't like tea, the cabinet was stocked with all sorts of varieties. Even to me, who knew little about tea, they looked like high-quality products, so I couldn't help but tilt my head in confusion. On her desk sat a small photo frame. It was a picture of Alice smiling, embraced by a large-breasted, silver-haired beauty whose ample upper body enveloped her. I asked.
"Is that Sylvia?"
"Huh?"
Alice, who had been reading, looked up again at my question and gazed at the frame, saying,
"Ah, yes. That's Sylvia. My friend."
As she said that, she lightly touched the photo with her fingertip. The smile that naturally formed on her lips held a special kind of emotion she never showed me. I sat on the chair, rubbing my shoulder, then jumped up. There was nothing else for me to do by resting here any longer. It seemed better to head to the servant quarters early and get some sleep. Lingering around a woman who was putting up walls wouldn't get me anywhere. Alice was drawing a line between us, and it was better for everyone if I left before she showed any discomfort.
As I stood up, Alice said,
"See you. The servant quarters are out the door, turn right. Tell the administrator there that you're the new Flancia Isabel attendant...... no, the Flancia Alice attendant, and they'll assign you a room."
"Servants get private rooms too?"
It was a whole new world to me. Alice said with a laugh,
"They used to have communal quarters, but servants started fighting and someone got murdered."
That wasn't exactly pleasant news, so I just shrugged and opened the door.
"Ah......."
I blinked, frozen in the doorway. The silver-haired beauty I had seen just moments ago was standing right outside. Her breasts were so ample they couldn't be contained by her uniform, and her hips were seductively wide in contrast to her slender waist.
"Sylvia!"
Alice pushed me aside slightly and hugged Sylvia tightly. Sylvia hugged Alice back and said,
"Alice. Did you have a good trip home?"
"Yeah. Sylvia. I missed you."
"Um, and this person is......."
"He's a servant. More importantly, come in quickly. I bought the tea you like this time."
She pulled Sylvia into the room without even introducing me. Then, she opened her bag and took out a small glass bottle. It was specialty tea leaves sold in my hometown. Sylvia looked apologetic and stammered,
"I-I'm so sorry. I always end up receiving things like this."
Alice said with a smile,
"Don't worry about it. You know I love tea."
Well, look at that? I smiled and closed the door.