Thanks to Gunther, who had been staying at the academy about a month earlier, Veris and Arwen were able to complete the administrative procedures without much difficulty.
The first thing Veris did afterward was to book a room at a high-end inn.
With the academy entrance exam just a week away, the entire city was bustling with activity. It was said that based on the results of this exam, students would be classified according to their talents and skills.
Of course, Veris had no intention of taking the exam seriously. In his view, none of the people at this academy were qualified to teach him.
Anyway, students would only be allowed to enter the dormitories after the entrance exam and classification were completed. Naturally, this was good news only for the merchants operating within the academy.
"...This room has a nice view."
"It's supposed to be separate rooms, but there are no spare ones. You'll have to endure a few days of discomfort, Arwen."
"Is there any other option? ...I truly like this room."
"Well then, what shall we do now? The exam starts in a week, and it says here it will take place in the central district of the academy."
"I will just follow you, Veris."
"Such formality."
Veris replied to Arwen's blind voice and lay back comfortably on the bed.
Compared to Veris's bed at the mansion, it was slightly lacking, but it was certainly a high-end inn, and the softness felt extraordinary.
In that comfort, Veris diligently read the pamphlet that Gunther had given him before parting.
The first thing that caught his eye was, of course, information about the entrance exam. It was said that if one did not fulfill the obligations of a noble, their admission could be revoked based on the exam results, which seemed quite unfair.
Rustle.
How long had he been reading the rather dull pamphlet?
The silence that had seeped into the room was broken by Arwen.
She was neatly organizing the shoes that Veris had carelessly tossed aside, and perhaps due to her familiarity with the task, her movements were quite graceful.
"By the way."
"Please speak."
"Arwen, you're not a maid here; you're a fellow candidate for admission, just like me, right?"
"...To be precise, I need to pass the exam, while you are already confirmed for admission."
"Regardless, there's no need for you to attend to me, is there?"
"I merely acted because you seemed to need care. You don't need to worry about it."
"Hm... care, you say."
Saying that, Veris suddenly sprang up from his seat.
He then walked over and stood next to Arwen.
"Care is usually something children receive. Do I still look like a child to you?"
As he said this, Veris placed his palm on Arwen's head.
Just a few years ago, there had been a time when Arwen was taller than Veris. However, time had made that irrelevant, as Veris had grown taller, and now there was almost a head's difference between them.
"...You are truly mischievous."
It could be something to take offense at. However, Arwen merely gazed at Veris with a blank expression, saying nothing... but Veris understood.
How many years had it been since Arwen had been by his side as a personal attendant? It had been over ten years, so they were close enough to gauge each other's feelings without needing to say a word.
Thus, the fact that Arwen was feeling shy, unlike usual, was evident even on her expressionless face.
"You should get used to it now."
With a playful spirit, Veris pressed his body closer to Arwen.
It was a posture similar to that of Veris placing his hand on Arwen's head while embracing her. Naturally, her expression remained as blank as usual, but her face, even her ears, turned bright red as she silently gazed at Veris.
"Seeing you play such pranks, it seems there's still a gap in your maturity."
"Is that so?"
As Veris withdrew his hand with a teasing reply, Arwen silently adjusted his clothes.
Perhaps her master still didn't realize how each of his actions stirred the heart of a woman.
* * *
"Really?"
"Yes. That's probably why my sister will arrive later than scheduled."
The next day, while having lunch with Gunther, who had come to visit, he was busy talking about Beatrice.
After all, she was his fiancée. Veris wasn't particularly curious, but it seemed Gunther thought Veris would be interested in her whereabouts.
Come to think of it, Gunther used to follow his sister around like a shadow, but now it seemed he had graduated from that phase and was quite nonchalant about it. After all, it would be quite a sight to see such a large man feeling anxious all alone.
By the way, that clumsy little girl who had bitten her tongue while introducing herself as a child was now a candidate for the next archmage.
It seemed that not only Gunther but also Beatrice had been diligently working hard.
"By the way, I've heard you're called a genius in swordsmanship in the empire?"
"That's embarrassing. I wonder if it even means anything to be called a genius in front of you, brother."
"Do you know my skills?"
"I'm also a swordsman and a knight. I can gauge the skills of my opponent to some extent."
Indeed, it seemed that the reputation he had earned was not just luck, as Gunther was full of bravado.
Thus, Veris felt a surge of curiosity. Gunther's abilities? Of course, it was true that he had made remarkable progress compared to the past. But it didn't seem like he would know the extent of Veris's capabilities...
"So how do you perceive my skills?"
"I don't know."
"What?"
"It's embarrassing, but your skills are beyond my level of comprehension." Veris couldn't help but look dumbfounded at Gunther's bold response.
Just a moment ago, it seemed like he was praising Veris, and now he couldn't even gauge his skills? What kind of absurdity was this?
"It's just a man's intuition. Ah, this person is incredibly strong compared to me. It's that kind of feeling."
But it seemed Gunther had no intention of bending his will. No, to be precise, he was excluding the possibility that Veris could be weaker than him.
It was truly blind goodwill. It felt somewhat akin to a large dog serving its master.
"Such unfounded confidence."
"That's just a man's intuition."
"Intuition can freeze to death."
With Veris's response, the conversation continued for a while with trivial chatter as they ate.
Perhaps due to the fact that it was an expensive inn, the food was of such high quality that they didn't even need to go to a restaurant. It was difficult to find such luxurious food in the countryside of Count Vitelbach, and yet here they were, enjoying such lavish meals from the second day of arriving at the academy. It was a uniquely nostalgic feeling.
"By the way, I don't see your attendant around?"
Gunther asked while stuffing his mouth with seafood pasta.
It was hard to believe that such a sight belonged to the son of a marquis, but Veris, who didn't judge people by their manners, answered him casually.
"Arwen? I heard she's not feeling well."
"Oh dear. It seems she's suffering from a cold due to being in a foreign place."
"That could be the case."
Veris answered nonchalantly, but he knew that Gunther's concern was unfounded.
Although Arwen looked delicate like a frail elf, she had transformed into a strong swordsman through years of training. A swordsman who had mastered mana suffering from a cold? That would be something even a passing dog would laugh at.
He didn't know the exact reason she stayed in the room, but sometimes people just want to skip a meal.
"By the way, do you know about the exam content?"
"Roughly."
"It's quite interesting. There's a dungeon beneath the academy."
Veris nodded silently.
There is a massive dungeon beneath Vera Academy.
It's unclear whose insane idea it was, but it's said that the reason the academy was built here was precisely because of the dungeon beneath.
This academy is a city deliberately built over a dungeon, not just by coincidence.
And exploring the entrance of that dungeon was the main content of the entrance exam.
"Perhaps this exam will have a high level of difficulty."
"A high level of difficulty?"
"Do you know the rumors about this year's new students?"
"A little."
"Your territory is so... remote that your rumors don't spread as much. But for others, it's different. There are many new students with significant names."
"So, the academy intends to deliberately raise the difficulty of the exam?"
"Yes. I learned this thanks to a hint from a friend, but I thought it was something you should know."
At Gunther's advice, Veris nodded nonchalantly.
The difficulty of the exam?
What would it matter if the difficulty increased?
That was Veris's honest feeling.