CHAPTER 53: BACK TO GROUND ZERO

In the end, I lost everything.

The Scholarship I worked so hard for... gone, just like that.

The Prestige Points I racked up due to my achievements and merits, from the start of my school life... vanished. Now, I even have to set aside some hours every week for Public Service... all so I can regain Prestige Points and improve my quality of life in the Academy.

All the reputation I built throughout my entire first year has dissolved, fading away like dust.

... Gone with the wind.

I know.

My comfortable life in the Academy is officially over.

The only thing I have left is my status as a student of the Royal Academy of Randalorion.

But do I regret it? Do I look back on any of my actions and regret any of them?

No.

Not at all.

I was a little too naive, and I didn’t think a lot of things through. I also grew overconfident and underestimated the cruelty of my opponents.

Yes, I made a lot of mistakes.

But, I still don’t regret anything!

I did what I thought was right at the time, and I lived according to my desires.

Regardless of where I am now, I made those choices of my own volition for my own sake.

That makes it all worth it!

I never for once presumed that my path would only be filled with positives and happiness. No, it was bound to get rough and even tragic at some point.

Of course, I recognize that!

It’s very possible for me to lose everything—even my life—in this pursuit of mine.

But I don’t care.

My pursuit of freedom, true freedom, is too important.

I won’t give up on it!

If there’s any negative emotion within me, it’s the overwhelming resentment I feel towards Earl Klaus Gerondester and his accomplices. Men like him, and lackeys like Brutus, are the reason why the world is the way it is.

They also serve as a reminder of the obstacles in my way.

I resent them!

Deeply!

As for Balric Wolfshade, my thoughts regarding him are slightly more complicated. Naturally, I do not despise him, but I also do not hold him in any high regard. In fact, I hold a small amount of pity towards him.

He was most likely taught by his family to be grateful towards the Royal Family for the grace given to their Household. His whole life must have been filled with countless brainwashings, and that story he told me must have been shoved down his throat countless times until he truly believed it and revered the King.

He is merely a victim in his own story, but that doesn’t mean I consider him innocent.

Not at all.

His philosophy is a near antithesis to mine!

Living for the sake of pleasing others, in order to get rewards that aren’t even proportional to the efforts made... what kind of nightmare is that?

Unfortunately, that reflects the reality of a lot of people in this world.

Even me, in my past life.

I was the same back then, doing my best to please people. My role in politics was largely beneficial to those Nobles, just so I could secure nuggets of benefits for myself and the Aditi Household.

What a pathetic life that was.

I no longer wish to live my life in such a way, which is why such rhetoric has no hold on me.

’All of this is only a means to an end, not my actual intention. I simply require something from this Academy, which is why I chose to attend and have decided to remain here.’ I constantly tell myself, while wearing a bold smile on my face.

Everyone has their own path in life, and on the road, there are many stops.

This is simply one of mine.

As for my life in the Royal Academy, I will admit that it has gotten really rough, but it isn’t as bad as I feared it would be.

The spring term of our Second Year started a week before I got discharged, which means I already missed a whole week of class by the time I resumed.

Naturally, I still have a lot to catch up on, but the situation isn’t the worst.

Due to my heavy Academic burden, I was going to drop one or two Departments—including the Department of Administration & Statecraft—just so I could focus on the others. Unfortunately, by the time I was discharged, the one-week window for altering Departments had already passed.

In essence, I am stuck with six Departments in my Second Year.

Thankfully, I still have time with the course registration, so, unlike in my First Year, I only select a few Electives that really catch my attention.

As for the rest, regardless of how interesting they seem, I can’t afford to spend time on them.

Being more prudent with my time is one thing, but I also have to consider grades.

Thankfully, my As are still higher than my Bs and Cs combined, and I have gotten no grade lower than a C, which means I am still on the right track to become a First Rate Scholar.

However, I am certain that a lot of attention has been drawn towards my case, and the Earl might not be through with me, which means I have to be extra careful and not get too complacent. All the Electives I have decided to choose reflect this decision of mine.

I won’t be taking any Electives from the Department of Administration & Statecraft. They simply aren’t worth my efforts, and I’m certain there could be traps waiting for me there.

Minimizing the hold that the Earl has on my academics is one of the safest moves I can make.

This means he only has five courses he can control among my several dozen.

I don’t expect him to miraculously change my mind and give me better grades, but I must work very hard to ensure I don’t get any lower than a C. After my Second Year, I’ll simply drop the Department and be done with him.

That doesn’t mean I’ll forget this grudge, though.

Not at all.

However, an astute person knows when to submit to circumstance, and there is wisdom in biding one’s time. Even if it is dishonorable and frustrating, I will retreat for now.

Stooping to conquer isn’t such a bad thing if one succeeds.

Now, for my dormitory in the Bronze Wing.

Ah... what can I say?

It is indeed as bad as I expected it to be.

Due to my low Prestige Point, I currently share a room with seven other people, many of whom are my seniors. Naturally, due to my status, many of them know me, so it wasn’t difficult getting acquainted with them.

Fortunately, I have managed to get along with them just fine.

I don’t think they will be causing any trouble for me, all things considered, but I can never be too certain about that. My guard is still up against them, but... so far, so good.

My financial situation isn’t too bad.

I still haven’t been able to reach my uncle, but I have assets in the Academy City, and there’s also the Bank that exists here in Loria, so I am not particularly strapped for cash.

However, the situation is rather worrying.

If this lack of communication persists, I may have to visit Uncle Damon as soon as I get the chance. Summer Break sounds like a good time to do so, considering we have a whole month to ourselves. As long as nothing holds me back, I’ll have to travel to see him.

As for our contact who exists in the city, he assured me that he would look into the matter when I met up with him after sorting out my finances.

Sigh... my money.

The Scholarship really made me forget how costly it is to attend this Academy.

Paying the tuition for the first term alone has reduced my total assets by a whopping ten percent.

It’s not sustainable at all.

I even lost my D Grade Armament, further reducing my wealth.

At some point, I’ll need to find a stable source of income that will help me through the rest of my years in this Academy. If it comes down to it... I might have to borrow some money.

No, I shouldn’t think that way.

The situation hasn’t gotten to that point yet.

Right now, I still have a few options left. However, with school breathing down my neck, I won’t be able to make any real moves until the end of my Second Year. Once my Third Year begins, I will have to let go of two Departments and focus on only four out of the seven.

Doing this will open up a lot more time for me and allow me to take action more easily.

And so, life continues.

A week has passed in the blink of an eye, and I have done nothing but study and study some more. The only thing that exists outside my study bubble is the Public Service, which I take on during my one free day in the week.

Public Service takes on many forms, but at its core, it is simply about helping the Academy with miscellaneous work to gain points and build credibility in the Academy.

The reward for doing these services is Prestige Points.

For example, helping a Lecturer arrange some documents, assisting staff in cleaning dormitories, or even aiding in the transportation of certain materials. There are a host of these jobs that students can undertake, and there is a board that displays all of them in front of the Faculty Office.

Since I don’t have a lot of time and I need to rack up as many Prestige Points in order to leave my eight-person room as quickly as possible, I have decided to go all-in on Public Service during my free day, taking it as though it is simply another day of lectures.

I am well aware this will affect my grades considerably.

In fact, my Second Year First Term result may end up being the worst when looking at my academic journey. But... doing this is necessary.

Only by doing this can I quickly escape my very precarious situation and at least secure a two-person room for myself. By achieving that, I will have a lot more comforts to enjoy and will be able to focus more on my studies.

My Prestige Points will also be high enough for me to gain access to the lounges that are optimal for studying, and I will also be able to join most of the Clubs.

Clubs... huh?

There are certainly some resources that Clubs offer which could be of use to me, but I doubt I’ll be joining any this year. Clubs also require a lot of dedication, and balancing their activities with my current situation will simply be too much.

Perhaps in my Third Year, when I have a bit more time...

"Javier...!" A familiar voice suddenly calls out to me as I walk by myself, heading towards the Faculty Office to begin my Public Service for the day.

"Hmm?"

I turn back and see Seth... Seth Clayford!