Having completed check-in and arrived at their room, Randy and his team were left smiling wryly at the reality they now faced.
Randy, who had confidently handled the check-in process with a smug expression, was left speechless when the receptionist added a final comment with a straight face:
"We've also prepared bedding for your attendant."
Randy and Liz froze in place at those words. Subtly urged to "leave" by the receptionist, they had made their way to their dorm room, where they found exactly what had been described—a simple bed and chest wardrobe clearly meant for an attendant.
Given that both Lucian and Liz hailed from a marquis family, it was only natural for accommodations to include a room for attendants. However, Randy, being an exchange student and a viscount from a small, weak nation, wasn't given such luxuries.
While the room itself was decently sized, it lacked a separate space for attendants.
"What should we do now?"
"What should we do now?"
Standing at the doorway while carrying their luggage, Randy and Liz could only exchange helpless glances.
(This is bad.)
If the marquis were to find out, Randy would be drown—no question about it. But the bigger issue was…
"What's the big deal? Just share the room."
…this silly witch who came as part of the package.
"Who's sharing a room? Look, there are two beds, aren't there?"
Randy snorted, to which Ellie responded with a mocking grin.
"Oh, I see. So you're still a cherry boy, eh?"
"Shut up. You're probably just old virgin anyway."
Ellie cackled as Randy snorted again.
"Old virgin? And where's your proof of that, hmm?"
"Your reaction is the proof, you idiot. Go learn how to be release pheromones first."
Ellie seemed to realize she was at disadvanatge, so she muttered: "Hmph, a clueless boy like you wouldn't understand my charms anyway." Then, she stepped aside, leaving Liz in her place.
Randy sighed in relief, glad to see the troublemaker gone.
But that relief was short-lived.
"Randy, what does 'cherry boy' mean?"
Liz, oblivious to the situation, obliterated his moment of calm with her innocent question.
"N-nothing, just nonsense!"
Randy hastily averted his gaze, while Liz pouted and protested with her hands on her hips, "You're mean for leaving me out."
"It's not like I'm leaving you out or anything," Randy muttered awkwardly.
Then Liz, still pouting, suddenly raised a hand to her ear as if listening to someone. She appeared to be speaking telepathically with Ellie.
By the time Randy realized what was happening, it was too late.
Liz deeply blushed and glared at him with cold eyes. "Randy, that's so indecent!"
"It's a misunderstanding! Don't believe a word that idiot says!"
Randy frantically denied whatever Ellie had told Liz. Meanwhile, in his mind, he could hear a smug telepathic laugh: [That's what you get for mocking me.]
After much bickering at the doorway, the three finally got back to the matter at hand.
"So, what do we do now?"
"Good question."
Despite all the noise, the issue of sharing the room remained completely unresolved.
(If only there were some sort of partition…)
An idea struck Randy. "Wait here," he said, tossing his luggage aside and rushing out of the room. His destination: the dorm manager's office.
Randy rushed to the dorm manager's office and, after some effort, managed to borrow what he needed. He quickly returned to the room.
"If there's only one room, why not just split it into two?!"
He announced proudly, while Liz tilted her head in confusion, letting out a soft, "Huh?"
"Liz, hold this for me."
What Randy had borrowed was a measuring tool—a tape measure, the kind commonly used in this world. Ideally, he would have preferred a retractable steel tape measure, but such a convenient tool didn't exist here, likely due to the setting's base as an otome game.
While fabric tape measures for tailoring were available, they weren't straight and only measured up to two meters, making the task of measuring the room all the more tedious.
(I'm definitely inventing a retractable tape measure someday.)
Randy silently vowed. However, he had no idea that the women around him wouldn't wait long enough for him to pursue such a project.
Instead of a measuring tool, they would soon demand something more immediate—like a miracle drug for radiant skin.
Oblivious to such future complaints, Randy worked alongside Liz, measuring the room inch by inch.
"This here is the middle. We'll put a big divider right here."
"And where are you getting this divider?"
"From here."
Randy, grinning, opened his status window and pointed to the crafting menu.
However, he lacked even a shred of materials to make anything.
So naturally, he turned to Ellie.
"Hey, you old virgin! This is your time to shine."
Randy requested her help, specifically for a teleportation trip to his territory to gather materials. But instead of responding, Liz looked troubled, and Ellie didn't even bother to show her face.
"What did she say?"
"She said, 'I won't assist an idiot who has no manners.'"
Liz explained with a sheepish smile. Randy ground his teeth in frustration. While Ellie wasn't wrong, the question was whether he could bring himself to apologize.
Knowing he had no choice but to swallow his pride, Randy begrudgingly bowed his head.
"Oh great and powerful, Master Eleonora, I humbly request that you teleport me to my territory."
"You don't sound sincere," came the reply.
"Tch… Oh great and powerful grand magus, Madam Eleonora, I humbly beg you to teleport me to my territory."
"'Who is stupid?,'" she added smugly.
"Urgh… Oh great and powerful and beautiful magician, Goddess Eleonora, I humbly beg you, this stupid me, to teleport me to my territory."
"'Who is foolish, perverted, and—'"
"Hey! Don't go too far!"
When Randy raised his head, he saw Ellie smirking, clearly enjoying herself.
"Oh, you caught on?"
"I could tell from your tone. Even with our short time together, I've learned that much."
Ellie chuckled, then waved her hand with a casual "Fair enough." She snapped her fingers, and a light enveloped them both.
When the light faded, Randy and Ellie had vanished from the room.
☆☆☆
"Huh? You're back already…"
"It's an emergency."
Ignoring his surprised father, Randy dashed through the house and out into the backyard.
"Wood should be good enough."
Without waiting for Ellie or Liz to respond, Randy picked up a massive axe stuck in the yard and headed into the forest behind the estate. Without hesitation, he swung the custom axe he had crafted for himself, cutting down two or three trees in quick succession.
"Alright, this should do."
Dragging the logs back to the backyard, Randy reappeared, where Alan and Keith were already exchanging exasperated looks.
"Keith… my son came back yelling about an emergency, and now he's out here chopping down trees with an axe."
"Lord, young master Randy has always been… rather straightforward in his methods."
Unaware of their subtle criticism, Randy busily worked with Liz to turn the logs into lumber.
"Liz, take care of this part… Ellie, don't get in the way!"
From a distance, Alan and Keith watched over them.
"Keith, did I mishear, or did he just call her Liz?"
"I believe he's referring to Lady Elizabeth."
"Oh no. I didn't hear that. I refuse to hear that. The marquis hasn't caught wind of this yet, has he?"
"Let's agree that we heard nothing."
Oblivious to their concerns, Randy continued to process the wood in silence.
"Alright, great mage, it's your turn now."
"You treat me as a convenient transport tool, don't you?"
"Well! Of course not!"
"Hmm, I don't believe you."
Despite her lips pursed in mock displeasure, Ellie snapped her fingers. Light surrounded them both, and they disappeared once more.
"What do you think he's building?"
"If it's young master Randy, your guess is probably the same as mine, Lord."
"It's not some kind of siege weapon… right?"
"Surely not. Then again, the young master himself is practically a siege weapon."
"Fair enough."
Whether that was praise or criticism, Randy remained unaware.
——-
Light flooded Randy's dorm room once again as he and Ellie reappeared.
Without wasting a moment, Randy and Liz began constructing a partition using the lumber. Piece by piece, they built a simple divider complete with a door.
While the soundproofing were a little lacking, the private spaces were finally secured. Randy nodded in satisfaction at their handiwork.
Just then, a soft knock came at the door.
"Yes?"
When Randy opened it, a female staff member stood there.
"Lord Randolph, upon confirming that your attendant is of the opposite sex and the same age, an emergency meeting has been convened—wait, what is that?"
Frowning, the staff member gestured toward the divider.
Puffing out his chest, Randy explained proudly that he had built it because sharing a room with someone of the opposite sex was inappropriate.
"I see. I'll admit I'm curious where you got the materials, but to clarify—you made unauthorized renovations to the dormitory, correct?"
Under her sharp gaze, Randy scratched his head.
"I just made a bit change…"
"Unauthorized renovations or additions are prohibited."
"P-prohibited?"
"Yes. Violators are subject to severe penalties."
"And… the penalty is?"
"Immediate expulsion from the dormitory."
"What?!" Randy and Liz shouted in unison.
"Don't worry," the staff member said calmly. "There's an affiliated inn near the academy. I'll inform them of your arrival. Please pack your belongings and report to the dorm office."
With that, she turned to leave with cold eyes but stopped at the doorway, as if remembering something.
"Oh, by the way, being expelled from the dormitory within hours of moving in is a record at this royal academy. Congratulations."
She closed the door with a faint smirk.
"Randy…" Liz muttered.
"Don't say it. Let's just think of this as liberation from the constraint of dorm's life."
"Liberation? You've fucked up so hard that you're kicked!"
"Shut up."
Carrying their belongings, the group left the dormitory behind.
*******
Meanwhile, in the girls' dormitory, Catherine was wandering around in frustration.
"Where is she?!"
Catherine's goal was to find Liz, who she'd heard had been placed in the girls' dorm as a special exception.
Since she hadn't yet received any formal contact restrictions from the kingdom, she was determined to inflict direct harm to Liz now while she had the chance.
However, Liz wasn't in the girls' dorm—or even on the royal academy grounds.
Unaware of this, Catherine spent the day running around the dorm, drenched in sweat and yelling:
"Seriously, where is she?!"