The Villainous Aristocrat's Efforts Led to a Genuine Harem - Episode 50

Episode 50

“Reis-san. Now that the territory has settled down, how about enrolling in the Lurtia Academy?”

The gentle afternoon sunlight softly illuminated the mansion’s great hall. And in front of me, the second princess Fylia spoke with a smile.

Someone as beautiful as Princess Fylia should look divine. Yet right now, she looked like a demon to me.

The Lurtia Academy City—this is the main stage of the game’s story. It’s a vast city where the future heroes of various nations are trained.

To be able to attend that academy is, of course, a great honor. But for me, it ranks number one on the list of “places I never want to get involved with.”

Why did it come to this situation? The answer is simple.

Ever since I resolved the last stampede, Princess Fylia has been paying a lot of attention to me. She even helped with the territory’s management. She arranged for additional manpower and lent me a hand whenever I was in trouble.

For me, it was nothing but helpful and convenient… but I never imagined that all of that was foreshadowing that would lead to this.

Still, I wasn’t panicking just yet.

This year’s entrance exams were already over.

In other words, even if I were to enroll, it would only be in next year’s intake.

If I were in a different year from the original protagonist, then our paths wouldn’t cross. And that would prevent any ruin flags from sprouting for me.

Besides, a year later, the game’s main story would already be over.

“The Lurtia Academy, is it? If I remember correctly, the exams are already finished, right?”

“Yes, they are.”

“Which means it would be next year’s intake, correct?”

Confirmation is important. If Princess Fylia nodded here, then the matter would be settled.

Certain of my victory, I allowed myself a small smile inside.

“There’s a recommendation slot. So you can still enroll in this year’s intake. So, what do you say?”

My inner smile froze.

What the hell!? Recommendation slot!? Now that I think about it, such a system did exist in the game.

But since it had nothing to do with the protagonist, I had completely ignored it.

I was panicking inside. But outwardly, I kept my composure as I opened my mouth.

“A recommendation slot, you say?”

“Yes. It’s given to those with exceptional grades or notable achievements. Doesn’t that suit you perfectly, Reis-san?”

No, no, no.

That’s most likely referring to my achievements during the stampede.

…To think that my efforts to avoid a bad end would come back to bite me like this.

While freaking out inside, I kept my outward calm. I had been well-trained by Ryō in the art of poker faces.

Princess Fylia’s proposal was an honor. So rejecting it outright would be rude.

“It’s truly an honor, and I am grateful. However, I have my responsibilities in territory management right now. Wouldn’t it be better to give that recommendation slot to someone else instead of me?”

A gentle refusal. The kind of polite decline that any working adult should understand.

But Princess Fylia looked somewhat moved by my words.

“Oh, please, no need to be so modest.”

That was a serious rejection, though!?

Before I could counter, Princess Fylia continued.

“My father also said that if it’s Reis-san, there would be no problem.”

Oh my god… Not just Princess Fylia, but even the King himself? With the King’s backing, it’s going to be very difficult to oppose this.

“Why me, specifically?”

“To explain that, I first need to talk about the role of the Academy City.”

Princess Fylia quietly leaned back against her chair. With elegance, she crossed her legs and looked straight at me.

I already knew what the Academy City was about.

It’s the place where the so-called future heroes are trained.

Promising youths from various nations gather there to compete and hone themselves together—or at least, that’s the official reason.

“The Lurtia Academy City was founded through joint investment by many nations, in order to nurture future talent. You knew that, yes?”

“Well, to some extent.”

In the game’s story as well, the Lurtia Academy City served as one of the protagonist’s key bases.

Which is exactly why I don’t want to get involved with it.

“But… the Academy City is not merely a place of education. It is also a stage where each nation shows off its strength and asserts its place in international power relations.”

…It may not directly translate into national power. But if a country cannot demonstrate strength at the place where future leaders gather, then… well, they risk being looked down upon by other nations.

And the people who gather there eventually become the core of their nations within a few years.

“In other words, the academic performance there affects a country’s reputation to some extent, correct?”

“Exactly. That’s right.”

Not much different from how it was in the game.