Aegis (3)
229
After the orientation was over, he returned to the Frislan family fortress.
Rey, who was called by Ernst, stood in front of Ernst’s office wearing the uniforms of the Aegis cadets.
I didn’t knock, but I could hear Ernst’s voice from inside the office.
“Come in.”
Ray opened the door and entered the office.
“…”
“…”
Silence passed for a moment.
Rey rolled her eyes here and there and opened her mouth later.
“Hello, Marquis.”
“…”
When Ernst realized that the kid in front of him had a fight over who was the first to say hello, he seriously clasped the sword around his waist.
However, Ernst relaxed his expression with superhuman patience and turned his eyes to the artifacts arranged on the other side of the office.
“They are the armaments your Majesty has bestowed upon you. They are entirely yours, and if there is a problem, the imperial family will help you.”
Rey approached the artifacts on display without hesitation and reached out.
The number of artifacts was four in total.
Rey looked at the armor-shaped artifact first.
Perhaps it was the effect of using the Dragon Heart as a power source, even though it had not yet been properly activated, a strong current of mana was felt.
Ernst stood next to Rey and opened his mouth.
“All of these weapons are powered by Dragon Heart pieces.”
The dragon heart sculpture is close to a semi-permanent power source.
Dragon Heart had excellent output and was able to accumulate a large amount of mana relative to its volume, so it was safe to say that among the power sources of the Artifact, there was no material with comparable performance.
Ernst handed Rey a pile of papers.
It was an item that was close to the manual that contained the specifications and manuals of the artifacts.
Ray glanced through the papers briefly and placed them on the chest of drawers for a moment.
All four artifacts were equipped with optical camouflage, and were the highest artifacts in the Empire.
Even the power source is made up of pieces of Dragon Heart, so there must be few artifacts to follow as much as its own performance.
Rey lightly tapped the armor-shaped artifact.
I didn’t feel bad.
“Well… I’d appreciate it.”
It was a bit cheeky, but Ernst wasn’t harsh.
Rey laughed while holding the artifact in the form of a spear.
“It’s a pity I can’t take it to Aegis.”
Ernst smiled after Rey and clasped her hands lightly.
The wind pressure generated by Mana pulled out the decorations in Rey’s arms.
Ernst, who had received the medal, said while wearing the medal on Rey’s left chest.
“You may publish your achievements at any time if you wish. The Empire will gladly praise your name.”
This is what happened because of Ray’s persistence.
Ernst also agreed to a large extent on the reasons Rey was trying to hide his achievements, but it was also true that he wondered if it was necessary to do so.
After talking a little more with Ernst, Ray went outside with the manual.
*
After leaving Ernst’s office.
Ray walked down the hallway and tried on the brooch that Karen had given her on top of the medal.
Wearing the brooch completely covered the medal.
It was not that the size of the medal was small, but that the size of the brooch was large.
Ray giggled to himself.
The reason the size of the brooch was large was that Karen’s insufficient skills could not make it possible to properly build a small brooch.
So Karen eventually had to choose a brooch that was a bit too big for her, but Ray kept laughing because she was expecting Karen’s anguish before making that choice.
Rey stopped by the training ground, feeling the soft energy emanating from the brooch.
Before Rey was called by Ernst, there were only Johanna and Darren in the training ground, but while Rey was going to Ernst’s office, Spera was visiting the training ground.
“Are you here, Spera-sama?”
“Oh, have you been?”
“Yes. What was everyone talking about?”
When Ray asked that question, Darren opened his mouth with a serious expression on his face.
“Brother, what are you going to do with your chess show?”
“…Talent Show?”
“Yes. It should be done the day before the entrance ceremony… Didn’t the seniors tell you at the reception?”
“Oh, is that so?”
I have to introduce myself, so prepare something like a simple chess show in advance.
Rey was in front of the kids… Of course, in terms of physical age, Rey was younger than the Aegis cadets, but it was very sad that she had to worry about making fun of her in front of the kids anyway.
Still, I had to be patient.
The reason Rey had to completely hide her identity and enter Aegis was to experience life inside Aegis raw.
Of course, I thought it was meaningful now because I played the chess board during the entrance exam, but…
Anyway, unlike Ray, Darren was seriously thinking about how to show off his talent.
As a freshman, I couldn’t downplay it as it was a place to make a first impression on seniors.
Darren asked Ray again.
“Brother, what are you going to do?”
“Well? Should I show you some magic?”
Rey lit a small flame over her finger.
While Darren, who was unable to use magic, made a droopy expression on his face, Spera said a word.
“Um… Then… you’ll probably be treated like an idiot…?”
It’s pure stupidity, and if a knight made a circle, he was usually treated like an asshole.
Who would have guessed that Rey had mastered the space sword?
Rey nodded, extinguishing the flame, and asked Darren.
“What are you planning to do? You haven’t decided anything yet?”
“Um… I’m just a normal…”
“Normal, what?”
“Shall we dress up as a woman and dance…”
“…”
Ray straightened up.
“Darren, if you say that one more time, will you fold it in half?”
In Lay’s previous life, ‘dressing up as a woman’ was… In other words, it was something the old fashioned people had.
It is said that it was popular among the elderly at every festival, but Ray could not understand how such a savage culture could be popular in the 21st century.
On the other hand, Darren was in a bad mood.
Moderately flimsy women’s clothing was very good to elicit a reaction from the stage. At least, Darren had been advised that way by his seniors.
Darren asked Rey, thinking to himself that he should borrow the skirt Johana had been given for a while.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“Is it? Should I sing a song?”
Ray imagined himself singing on stage.
If… if I go…
what’s that kid’s voice? Ha, damn the taste of alcohol. Hey, get that bastard down quickly.
Ray, who had predicted his future, licked his forehead.
Unfortunately, Ray’s voice wasn’t alluring.
Ray decided not to be fooled and to choose an exciting song that anyone could sing.
“Uh… Yohana and you?”
Everyone turned to Johana.
Yohana blinked and frankly showed a sign of lack of confidence.
“I don’t know…”
“Do something like a simple dance.”
Yohana was good at everything she did with her body.
Of course, Yohana had never learned to dance, but it was enough to learn it by snatching it up for a few days at the chess show anyway.
After receiving Rey’s gaze, Spera nodded her head.
“I’ll find someone who can teach me to dance.”
It was a place to make a first impression on seniors, so there was nothing wrong with preparing hard.
Johanna was shy, but expressed her gratitude towards Spera.
*
Two days before the entrance ceremony.
I rented a tavern, and both the 2nd and 3rd grade cadets of Aegis gathered in one place.
This event, also called an exchange meeting, was not an official event, but participation was semi-compulsory.
The intention was to familiarize each other with the seniors and juniors in advance, so there was nothing good about getting caught up in it.
Among the 3rd grade cadets gathered at the tavern, there were also faces that Rei had not seen in the entrance exam.
They were admitted by special admission, and the number was five. Ray just glanced at them.
Soon, the self-introduction time of the 3rd grade cadets began.
The 3rd grade cadets went out to the podium one by one and introduced themselves.
After the self-introduction, the second-class cadets clapped and demanded a show of their talents.
The 3rd grade cadets were very shy, but continued their talent show because they didn’t have many opportunities in their lives to be ridiculed in front of others like this.
Most of the cadets prepared dances or songs, and some cadets prepared and played string instruments or used cards to show plausible hand games.
If they did well, they did what they were good at, and if they didn’t, the 2nd grade cadets laughed and clapped.
Even the 3rd grade cadets, who were awkward at first, quickly assimilated into the atmosphere.
As the atmosphere escalated, it was Darren’s turn.
After introducing himself, Darren went down the podium for a moment, then came up with a wig and a skirt on.
Rey covered her eyes with both hands and muttered.
“Ah, that bastard…”
Rey or not, the reaction was enthusiastic.
While everyone burst into laughter, Darren shook his body to and fro. The 2nd grade cadets fell in love with that cute joke.
After that, there were a few more cadets who dressed up as women or made up to raise the mood.
Each time, the 2nd grade cadets especially cheered and met a glass of wine.
When it was Yohana’s turn, the applause grew louder as she climbed onto the podium.
Everyone knew that Yohana was the chief of the rider this time.
After introducing herself, Yohana performed a light dance that she had been learning for a few days.
Like Yohana, who has a natural sense of body use, it was a dance that I learned briefly, but it felt very good.
Yohana was the youngest among the 3rd grade cadets and she was a cute girl, so everyone who watched Yohana had a smile on her lips.
After continuous self-introduction, it was the turn of Giuseppin, just before Rei.
Giusephine was shy, but she did her best.
For his talent show, he brought a stringed instrument resembling a violin and played it, but Ray was very good at listening to it.
And finally, it was Ray’s turn.
“Please take care of me, my respected seniors.”
When Rey bowed her head politely, the second-class cadets were satisfied.
Ray, who had finished introducing himself, said in his place.
“Let’s sing a song.”
Immediately a boo broke out.
“Wow!”
“Hey, if you’re going to sing, wear a skirt!!”
“I’m not sincere, my sincerity!”
The second-class cadets giggled as they spoke mischievously.
The atmosphere itself was friendly. Ray was the only one who wasn’t happy at this place.
Ray thought about whether to just pull out a 30-meter sword, but gave up and started singing.
It was a song in which the lyrics of a song I had heard in my previous life were appropriately added to the famous melody in this world.
“led by the force of cosmic soul, I can-!”
“Oh!”
The response was pretty good.
Rather than Ray sang well, it was a good song to just lift the mood.
If I started doing something like ‘what if…’ in the current atmosphere, I would have just been dragged down.
Lay, who did her best in front of others, came down from the podium, hiding her tiredness.
‘f*ck…’
This is the jjajangbap I’m doing, or while Ray is in awe.
One of the second-class cadets, who was looking at Rey, tilted his head and pondered.
‘Where did you see this face…?’
However, I can’t remember right away.
The second-class cadet who was worried just ran into a drink with a friend sitting next to him.
It was around the time when the exchange meeting, which was held in a lively atmosphere without such a big accident, came to an end.
Roan, a second-class cadet, came forward and focused his attention as he met his hands.
“Come on, you rednecks, have fun until today, and at the entrance ceremony, eat well and be in good shape. Okay?”
“Yes, I understand!!!”
Hearing the loud reply, Roan continued to speak with a look of satisfaction.
“The entrance ceremony is also an entrance ceremony… If everyone has committed a crime, repent in advance.”
The corners of Roan’s lips twitched up.
“If an unclean person touches the holy sword, will they be punished?”
A shout of joy erupted from among the third-class cadets .