My name is Gol. I am a beastman.
Though I was born in Howlin Village, I grew up in the Village of the Great Tree. Because we share the same background, I’m usually lumped together with two other beastman boys, Sil and Bron. We’re so close in age that we’re often mistaken for brothers, but we aren’t actually related. That said, I believe the bond between us is deeper than blood.
The three of us had finally arrived at the royal capital of the Demon Kingdom to enroll in Galgard Noble Academy.
There were no age limits for enrollment at Galgard, or any other academy in the Demon Kingdom for that matter. This was because the majority of the kingdom’s residents were demons, and their individual growth rates varied wildly. As a result, you might find a one-year-old enrolling alongside someone over the age of two hundred. Because of this, there was no hierarchy based on age.
The only thing that mattered was one’s grades. Status was determined by performance in four categories—Academics, Combat, Magic, and Lifestyle—as well as one's overall score. That was the standard for schools in the Demon Kingdom.
However, Galgard Noble Academy was a bit unique. While the basic rules were the same as any other school, those who attended were either nobles or people connected to them. Consequently, the social hierarchy of the nobility still applied.
"Oh, look. Unfamiliar commoners in a place like this. Perhaps you’ve wandered into the wrong academy?"
We had been standing there, unsure of where to go, when an arrogant-looking woman with her blonde hair styled in tight ringlets called out to us. Her age... was probably about the same as ours?
Sil reacted instantly to her words. Before he could move, I grabbed him from behind and held him back.
"Wait, wait," I whispered.
"Why are you stopping me? That woman is clearly making fun of us."
"Did you forget what Frau-sensei and Yuri-sensei taught us?"
"Hm? ...Oh. Right."
Before coming here, we had been tutored by Frau-sensei and Yuri-sensei—both graduates of this academy—as well as the older sisters of the Civil Official Girls. They taught us many things, specifically regarding the intricacies of noble society.
When I compared her words to what Yuri-sensei had told us, her statement translated to this:
"Oh, look. Unfamiliar commoners in a place like this. Perhaps you’ve wandered into the wrong academy?" (Translation: Oh, is something the matter? If you’re lost, I’ll show you the way.)
"...That was close," Sil muttered. "I was about to punch her."
"That’s exactly why I stopped you," I said. We had been told to avoid conflict as much as possible.
"Hey, woman. Take us to where the teachers are."
I punched Sil in the back of the head the moment those words left his mouth.
"Are you an idiot? Did you forget the special training we did with the teachers?"
"R-Right. My bad. Sorry, lady. Let me try that again."
Sil adjusted his clothes and checked his hair. Then, with a practiced, gentle smile, he spoke again.
"Well, well, what a beautiful young lady. Meeting you is the finest thing that has ever happened to me. I wish nothing more than to converse with you for all eternity, but it seems fate will not allow it." (Translation: Man, that’s a lifesaver. Sorry, but could you point us toward someone in charge?)
"My, you certainly have a silver tongue for a commoner. I don't exactly mind the flattery, but you're an eyesore. Be on your way." (Translation: I apologize, but I don't have the time to guide you myself. There should be someone near the main gate who can help, so why not ask there?)
"How cold. However, I would hate to be further disliked by you. As you suggest, I shall take my leave. I look forward to the day we meet again." (Translation: The main gate? Got it. Thanks.)
"Leave at once." (Translation: You should hurry. The teachers seemed quite busy with something earlier.)
With that, the arrogant-looking woman walked away.
"Was that okay?" Sil asked.
"Your intonation was a bit shaky, but it shouldn't be a problem. At least you managed to overcome your shyness."
"I told you I’m strong when it counts."
"I suppose you are."
"Still, noble speech is tough," Sil sighed.
"Yeah," I agreed. "It changes depending on your status, whether you're friends or strangers, the time of day, and even the location."
The difficulty level was high. I was starting to get a little anxious about whether we’d actually be able to pull this off.
We found the Sentry’s hut right beside the main gate. We must have overlooked it earlier. When we asked for directions, one of the Sentries offered to guide us personally. It was a huge help.
Galgard Noble Academy occupied a massive amount of land. Apparently, even the nearby mountain and forest were part of the campus. There were seventeen school buildings in total. While they varied in size, most were about an eighth the size of the Village Head's Mansion. The largest one was roughly a quarter the size of the mansion.
There were three dormitories, and these were quite large—about half the size of the Village Head's Mansion. The Sentry explained that they were the Teachers' Dormitory, the Men's Dormitory, and the Women's Dormitory.
Next to the dormitories, there was a row of individual houses. They were large, too—maybe about the size of the houses Ria and the other high elves lived in.
"What are those?" I asked.
"Those are rental houses for students who prefer not to live in the dorms."
"Wait, one person lives in a whole house like that?"
"Indeed. Though they usually employ servants as well. If you find yourselves in need of a house or staff, there’s a dedicated reception desk for that. However, the houses are usually by reservation, so it might be too late to secure one now..."
"No, we plan on living in the dormitory."
"I see. My apologies. The building you need is this one."
Following the Sentry's lead, we entered the building where the Academy Director was located and stopped in front of his office.
"Well then, I shall be on my way," the Sentry said, giving us a salute.
As he turned to leave, Bron stopped him.
"Good work. We’ll count on you again if anything else comes up."
"Understood!"
When I saw Bron hand the Sentry a silver coin, I froze, realization hitting me like a physical blow. I had forgotten. Frau-sensei had emphasized this point repeatedly: the Sentries were paid to guard the academy, so if you asked them to do anything else—like acting as a guide—a tip was mandatory.
I couldn't believe I’d forgotten something so basic. Was I really that nervous? I thought I was fine, but apparently not. How frustrating.
"Bron, thanks. You saved us," I whispered.
But Bron was suddenly clutching his head in distress. "What's wrong?" I asked.
"I messed up. For a favor like that, a large copper coin would have been plenty."
"Wait... oh."
The coin Bron had handed over was a silver coin—worth one hundred large copper coins.
"Man... you really overdid it," Sil said, patting Bron on the shoulder.
"Ugh, I can't believe I did that. This sucks."
We couldn't ask for the tip back, and we definitely shouldn't. Frau-sensei had taught us that we had to maintain our dignity and suck it up in situations like this.
"There, there, Bron. It can't be helped. We don't usually handle money back home."
Most of the currency we had been entrusted with consisted of silver coins. His hand had probably just reached for one out of habit. Still, losing a whole silver coin... no, it wasn't just about the money. It was the village’s money. Wasting it was unacceptable.
"Bron. Mistakes are fine, but you can't just leave them as they are. Those were the Village Head's words before we left, remember?"
"Yeah, I remember."
"We’ll accept this failure, and we won't repeat it."
"Got it."
"And Sil, that goes for you almost punching that girl earlier, too."
"The punching part, I know. And the part where we got lost in the first place, right?"
We were here on a vital mission: reconnaissance. We had to ensure that when the younger kids from the village eventually enrolled—especially Alfred, Tiselle, and Hiichiro—they wouldn't run into these same problems.
Lu-sama, Tia-sama, and Raimeiren-sama had been very firm about this. The Village Head told us not to worry too much, but we couldn't just take it easy. This was the duty we had been given. We were going to fulfill it perfectly.
"Anyway, let's go introduce ourselves to the Academy Director. We can record our mistakes later."
Our academy life had only just begun.