Helmut momentarily felt as if he was facing a stranger.
"Is that Asuka?"
The rare blue hair, the distinctive mole under his eye - it was unmistakably Asuka. Yet, he seemed different - notably taller. While not exceptionally tall by the standards of the swordsmanship department known for its towering members, he had grown significantly. His aura too had matured, indicating a growth in skill. However, any gap Helmut might have hoped to close during the vacation remained wide, considering his own confrontation with the formidable head of the Palma Knights.
"Hey, Helmut. Did you do some hard labor over the break? You're quite tanned."
Asuka greeted with a grin, prompting Helmut to ask skeptically, "Have you been taking growth potions?"
"What are you talking about? Oh, my height? My family members usually have a growth spurt. I'll probably grow even more. Everyone in my family is tall. I might even surpass you."
Asuka, having shed some baby fat for a more masculine appearance, seemed quite pleased with himself. Sian sighed in resignation.
"The cuteness is gone. That was the only thing softening your personality."
"What did you say?"
Asuka's eyes narrowed, but then he chuckled.
"Well, give it a year, and you'll be the real shorty. Alea too."
"Don't call me short!"
Sian retorted, self-consciously touching his head, perhaps worried about his own height.
"I'll grow too. My family isn't known for being short!"
"Who's saying otherwise? No need to be so insecure."
As Asuka taunted him, Sian glared back. Watching their banter, Helmut felt a deep sense of return.
'Back home.'
The events in Basor and the desert felt like a distant dream. It was as if he had returned from a war to peace, finding everything strangely unfamiliar.
Now was the time for some serious training. Although he had been practicing his swordsmanship during his slow journey back to Baden, Greta Academy's training grounds offered far superior facilities.
"I'll be going now."
Breaking away from Asuka and Sian, Helmut paused when Sian reminded him, "Hey, Helmut, have you chosen your elective courses yet? The deadline is today."
A chill ran down his spine. He had completely forgotten. Another headache-inducing course was the last thing he needed.
"Didn't you register? You just got back to Baden yesterday, right?"
"Today."
"Right on the last day! Hurry up and register. Being the top of the swordsmanship department, you get first pick. Don't end up choosing something like 'Understanding Magic' again and suffering through it."
"Don't remind me."
With Asuka's grumbling in the background, Helmut immediately changed his plans.
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Fortunately, he made it ten minutes before the deadline. Helmut quickly claimed the easiest elective course available, utilizing his privilege as the top student of the swordsmanship department.
At Greta Academy, everything followed a meritocratic system. High achievers naturally received all the perks.
'Did I even read any books over the vacation?'
Helmut tried to recall. The last thing resembling a book he read was the Palma Knights' documents Mihail had given him.
He had spent a vacation too focused on the martial aspects, inadvertently seeking convenience.
"If Alea had been in a country like Basor, he would have found a library first thing."
But Helmut naturally excluded books from his thoughts.
'It's just not my thing.'
While his nature might not lean towards academic pursuits, the academy's curriculum ensured that students developed a well-rounded set of skills, beneficial even to commoners who couldn't afford private tutors. For Helmut, this was also the case.
As Helmut was about to head to the training grounds after settling his course registration, someone greeted him.
"Hello, senior."
It was Charlotte, seemingly surprised to bump into him.
Helmut was reminded of his original plans for the vacation.
'I was supposed to follow Charlotte.'
That plan had been postponed due to the unexpected Basor martial tournament.
Charlotte, noticing him, commented, "You've gotten a bit tanned."
"Yes, a bit."
Everyone seemed to notice his slight tan. "Did you visit a hot country? Someone from our family went to the Basor tournament; perhaps..."
Helmut denied it as calmly as possible.
"No, that wasn't me."
Charlotte's sharpness was unexpected, but she took his words at face value, then asked about a question he had posed before the vacation.
"Why did you ask me that question? About why..."
'That question... about Margaret Elaine.'
Helmut played it off nonchalantly. He was getting better at acting.
"Just someone I happened to see once who looked like you."
"I see."
Though she accepted his answer, Charlotte seemed puzzled.
Margaret and Charlotte didn't look alike, leading Charlotte to wonder if her mother favored Mihail because he resembled her. After all, didn't people say parents favor children who look like them?
Then, Charlotte had a realization.
"Then, you must be a noble, senior."
Helmut raised an eyebrow. Her logic implied that only someone of noble birth could have seen her mother under her maiden name, especially since her mother had been married for nearly two decades.
Helmut casually pointed out, "We're not supposed to discuss such things at the academy."
"Right! I made a mistake."
Charlotte hastily looked around, worried a professor might have overheard. Typical of her conscientious nature.
"Well, I should go. Take care."
She bowed slightly and hurried off.
Helmut watched her leave, then started walking.
'I'll find out next vacation.'
Having resolved one matter, he was in no rush.
Meanwhile, Charlotte suddenly stopped.
'But why did Helmut remember my mother's maiden name?'
It was a mystery why Helmut would recall her mother's name from before her marriage, nearly twenty years ago.
Charlotte quickly dismissed the thought. The new semester was upon her, and she was too busy for trivial concerns.
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The next day, after a morning training session at the academy's gym, Helmut planned his day.
'Today's going to be busy.'
Once classes start, there would be little time for leisurely trips downtown. Best to get shopping done now, especially with an errand in town.
Someone knocked on his door. Opening it, Helmut found Sian and Asuka.
"Helmut, want to join us downtown? We're going shopping and hanging out."
Helmut flatly declined.
"No, I have plans."
"Is it Coach Ethan? Alright, got it."
Sian, jumping to conclusions, left with Asuka. They remained inseparable even as the new semester approached.
'Hope we don't run into each other.'
Though, it wouldn't really matter if they did. He hadn't lied.
Soon after, Helmut got ready and knocked on Alea's door.
"Coming."
Alea emerged, her presence casting a bright light around her.
They had made plans the night before: to buy textbooks together and then have a meal. It was a simple arrangement.
Yet, Helmut felt an odd discomfort, as if indigestion. Whenever he met Alea, he experienced symptoms he'd never had before, feeling almost frail.
'Maybe it's Alea. Should I keep my distance?'
He regarded Alea with renewed caution.
"What's up? Aren't we going?"
Her slight smile was captivating. Helmut truly understood the meaning of "pretty."
Learning new words through experience might be beneficial, but something felt amiss.
Still, escaping seemed harder than swimming against a strong current.
'I do owe her.'
Whatever came after, he could deal with later. Running away seemed foolish.
"Let's go."
Helmut nodded with determination, and they left the dormitory together.
Upon reaching Baden's upscale shopping district, Alea suggested,
"How about we try somewhere different today? That place is famous too."
"Suit yourself."
Helmut was unfamiliar with the area. As long as he paid, it didn't matter.
Following Alea into a restaurant, they were greeted by a luxurious setting. The table was set with blue silk and silverware, and the chairs were comfortably cushioned.
'Nice.'
Helmut, quickly becoming accustomed to luxury, found the standards fitting. He felt more aristocratic by the day, as if returning to his roots.
Sitting down, he let Alea take charge of ordering.
"Whatever you like."
Whether seafood, mushrooms, or spicy food, Helmut wasn't picky. He had no particular preferences.
Just then, Helmut glanced sideways and caught sight of something.
'What?'
Not far away, a couple sat close together. Familiar faces.
Seeing them on a date wasn't unusual, but the identities of the man and woman were: Coach Patricia, her face flushed with laughter, and Coach Alan, uncharacteristically gentle.
If Sian or Asuka had seen this, they would have made a scene. Luckily, Helmut was the observer. He dismissed their relationship as a private affair.
As Alea finished ordering, she noticed where Helmut's gaze had fallen.
"Who's there?"
Spotting the coaches, Alea's expression soured.
"Alan and Patricia? But I heard Alan was engaged to a prominent Baden noble's daughter."
Alea's memory was unquestionable. Suddenly, the scene turned scandalous, potentially catching the coaches in an affair.
Neither Helmut nor Alea was particularly disturbed by this revelation.
"How do you know?"
Helmut was curious how Alea, usually indifferent to gossip, knew such details.
"Alan comes from a well-known noble family in Baden. Patricia is an outsider. It's beneficial to keep tabs on the faculty..."
"Would you like to order now?"
A waiter approached with a friendly smile. Alea made her selections.
'How is that beneficial?'
Perhaps to hold leverage for blackmail. Not a very positive advantage.
Regardless, it didn't matter. Whether Alan and Patricia were having an affair or Alan had a fiancée, it was just academy gossip, irrelevant to Helmut. His stomach was growling.
"This will be good."
But then, trouble arose. Patricia, attempting to call the waiter, noticed Helmut and Alea.
"You, you guys!"
Patricia's eyes widened in shock, a first for Helmut. Alan's face stiffened too. They had inadvertently witnessed a potentially compromising situation between the coaches.
Despite the potential scandal, Helmut and Alea remained nonchalant, their attention soon returning to their meal.