Last Class Standing – 4
The startling student shivered even more as I got closer. At first, it was at the level of flinching a little bit, but now it’s almost to the level of cell phone vibration.
‘It’s too harsh.’
Since the business card I have is a business card, I admit that my first impression was a little rough. However, no matter how much it was, it was enough to avoid looking at it or to look at it, not to the extent of showing such a pitiful trembling.
Unless you’ve seen blood because of the Inspection Department like Irina did, there’s no need to start a match like that. Even if the inspection department bites a person, it is extremely rare for them to bite without reason.
‘Are you a commoner?’
If you are an aristocrat, you won’t tremble more than necessary, so it’s highly likely that you’re a commoner. If you’re a commoner who doesn’t know anything, you probably won’t be afraid, and maybe you’re vaguely afraid because you’re a commoner who’s vaguely heard about the aristocratic world.
“What’s your name?”
“Oh, it’s Amelia!”
There was a possibility that he was a cowardly nobleman, so I asked his name, but he was correct that he was a commoner. If you are an aristocrat, you speak like a saint. This avoids the misunderstanding of nobles as commoners.
I took a quick look at Amelia, who had risen from her seat before I knew it. She has long purple hair and purple eyes. She grew up eating poorly and is a bit small. Her pupils and body still fluctuated.
She turns her gaze to her little brother who is sitting next to her, and everything is the opposite except for her hair and eye color. Maybe she ate her sister’s food instead, but her healthy physique and carefree expression. Her hair is also short compared to her sister’s.
“Olivia. I need to say hello.”
“Oh, yes.”
She belatedly rose from her seat as Amelia shook her sister, her Olivia, with her trembling hand on the shoulder.
“This is Olivia! Please take good care of me!”
I couldn’t bear to open my mouth despite the lively greeting. Object Olivia is holding. It was probably because his eyes were on the object he was chewing on.
‘What is that?’
Isn’t that a turnip?
An unexpected thing appeared at an unexpected timing. I must have heard the conversation about eating, so it must have been right to eat that?
It was a salty conversation, but at least I thought I was eating bread. But what about turnips? No, an academy student who is not just a commoner eats like this?
‘Crazy.’
I wouldn’t have felt this way if it had been a potato. It’s not uncommon among commoners and soldiers to eat potatoes as a meal.
But it’s a turnip. Instead of using it as one of the cooking ingredients, he was chewing turnips raw. Even the turnips couldn’t keep the two of them full, so Amelia yielded.
“That, hey, it’s a little sweet, so I’ve been eating it for a while.”
Understanding how I was staring at the turnip in a daze, Amelia cautiously opened her mouth.
It was a good quickness. Certainly turnips have a subtle sweetness that commoner children sometimes eat as a snack, she heard.
If it hadn’t been for the protests against hunger from Amelia’s stomach, she would have called it perfect wit rather than decent.
“Oh, sister! I heard you ate earlier!”
Shocked by Amelia’s protest, Olivia hurriedly split her turnip in half and handed it to Amelia.
The friendship of her beautiful sister was distracting.
Do these children know what a meal is…?
***
The Imperial Academy is a paradise for commoners. It is a place naturally entered by high-ranking nobles and members of the imperial family who dare not look at it, but being able to enter a place where such high-ranking people naturally gather is a blessing bestowed by Enen.
As long as they don’t have a really big accident, commoners who enroll in the Imperial Academy are guaranteed a bright future. Being admitted to an educational institution for high-ranking people means that you have that kind of ability.
Once you’ve proven your abilities, it’s easy to get a job after graduation. If you are lucky enough to get into the eyes of a high-ranking person during your school days, your future will become even brighter. That’s why commoner students who entered the Imperial Academy care about two things: grades and reputation.
Because my future is determined by my efforts. Not an ordinary baron or viscount’s vassal, but a great nobleman’s vassal, a bureaucrat in the local administration, or perhaps even an official in the imperial administration.
There are even cases where a single champion is given a title. If you’re really lucky, there are even people who even received the title of succession.
“Guys! I-I passed the academy!”
So when I first passed the academy entrance exam, I felt like I had the world.
My parents died and I was taking care of my four younger siblings. He only blamed Enn for how long this hard life would last. But that resentment is over, now is the beginning of happiness.
For common students, full tuition waiver, scholarships and living subsidies are provided. Of course, I have no intention of writing. I have to send them all to my siblings. It’s okay if I’m a little hungry.
“Amelia. Please take good care of me.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Are you okay? Leave it to me.”
I really did my best for my future and the future of my younger siblings. He did not hesitate to do dirty work in order to catch the eyes of high-ranking people named Hakwoo. As long as my name was remembered by nobles, I could do anything.
To be honest, I wanted to say it in a respectful way, not in an informal way, but that was against the school rules.
“Sister! I’m here too!”
“Olivia?”
And a year later, Olivia entered the school. Unlike me, he entered the armed forces, not academics.
I didn’t know that Olivia had such a talent until last year. If I had played her parent properly, she would have found Olivia her talents sooner.
She looked like she was about to burst into tears, but she struggled to laugh as she couldn’t spoil Olivia’s cheerful mood. Good job anyway Olivia’s future was also secured with this.
There is no need for the four of us to share the money I sent. Because Olivia will also receive a scholarship or subsidy. She said Olivia could live in abundance.
But strangely, Olivia went about like a beggar.
“Money? I sent it to my younger siblings too?”
“…What?”
I was really angry at that statement. Why am I suffering like this? I’m working hard to feed you and raise you well. Why do you not understand my heart? Do you think I’m doing this to see you walk around like a beggar?
He slapped Olivia on the back several times, telling her to quit immediately, if this was the case, to drop out, or to cut ties with her.
“But I also wanted to help her!”
Olivia, who was bigger than me and hit every time she hit me, exclaimed. She tried to ask what she was doing well, but she couldn’t.
Seeing her tears welling up, she couldn’t open her mouth. On the contrary, I also started to shed tears, but how could that be?
In the end, Olivia’s stubbornness could not be broken. Still, the number of people sending money has increased and the number of recipients has decreased, so you said you could send a little bit, but even that was rejected. That her younger siblings are grown up and eat a lot.
Then I can’t help it. We are already grown, so it makes sense to send it all to her younger siblings.
“There’s plenty to eat in the nearby woods!”
“Have you been to the forest in the meantime?”
“Yes! I made a small garden!”
“Awesome…”
Because I think I can endure any hardship with Olivia.
“What’s your name?”
I didn’t mean to ask for such a great ordeal.
I was having a meal with Olivia in a deserted place as usual today. Aristocrats value face and dignity, so they are likely to be offended when they see us eating. You can’t hate your future boss.
However, the high-ranking person who controls the empire immediately appeared, not the boss of the future.
‘It’s ruined.’
It was a mistake. It was an anti-class competition, so no one was eating at the restaurant, so I was careless. I was going to eat quickly before someone came, but I was caught in the moment. Even to the most dangerous.
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No matter how commoner I am, I know who that person is. No, since he was a commoner, he needed to know more carefully.
Aristocrats I need to keep an eye on. And the head of the inspection department, whom even the nobles are reluctant to avoid.
‘Uh, what should I do…?’
In addition, the current Inspector General also serves as the Academy Inspector. What if you get angry? What if an academy student says they don’t keep their dignity?
Is this being referred to the disciplinary committee? Then the rumor spreads and your reputation goes down? What if you get expelled?
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Negative thoughts came to mind biting their tail after tail. When I heard a growl in front of the inspector general, I really thought the sky was falling.
“Follow me.”
The inspector general, who was silent for a moment, turned his back with those words. If you run away… Rather, it will only add offense, right?
I followed the superintendent, holding Olivia’s hand as she stood still with her trembling hand.
‘Please, Enen.’
I’m fine, so let even Olivia graduate safely.
***
I was going to go home after a quick meal, but I didn’t know that I would suddenly be sponsoring an undernourished child.
“Sister, sister! Try this too!”
“Ugh, ugh…”
However, how many people can just go back after seeing that scene? It was a scene in which the prince would have shed tears and wanted to feed him something.
It was especially heartbreaking that it was a turnip, not a potato. If you can’t even eat potatoes on this continent, compared to the world before Bing, you don’t even have kimchi…
‘What will the empire become in the future?’
Being admitted to the academy while being a commoner means that you have that kind of ability. Depending on his conduct, he became a high-ranking official or a key vassal.
But those two talented people are tinkering with turnips? Isn’t this something that the Minister of Education and the Minister of Gu Hil-seong should take responsibility for and take off their clothes?
I tried to suppress my sigh and looked at the two. Olivia eating her food with a happy expression, Amelia moving her hands quickly while keeping an eye on her.
“…Eat this too.”
I even pushed the food in front of me.
“Thank you!”
“Oh, Olivia!”
“It’s okay. It’s what I gave you, so let’s eat it.”
I can’t even eat because I’m afraid I’ll burst into tears if I’m not careful.