Chapter 48: The Spirited Parachute Student

The northeastern edge of Ashilton City was a place where low mountains and forests created a picturesque landscape. Along the meticulously maintained, state-of-the-art moving rail road, street trees were planted, chosen for their distinct seasonal beauty. Unique galleries and small performance venues, boasting their own architectural styles, dotted the area.

At the very end of this road stood the Ramiel Royal Academy, an institution founded when Aitoolia was still a kingdom, and still renowned as the empire’s foremost educational establishment.

“Does the moving rail go inside the school?”

“It goes as far as the main gate. The interior is almost like a village, so you’ll have to drive manually in regular driving mode.”

While Bliss Moore and Philip Wyman had entered the royal palace, Ethan Prescott was on his way to the Royal Academy with Dale Kenis, intending to register for classes. Peering out from the elegantly designed cube car, Ethan continuously let out exclamations of awe.

“What a truly magnificent road!”

“Well, it’s a region steeped in history, so ancient elements, nature, and cutting-edge technology blend together in a peculiar harmony.”

“Perhaps because we’re ascending a hill, I can even see the royal palace in the distance.”

At this, Liam Stare and Kyle Evans, who were riding along for security, subtly interjected.

“The Regulus Military Academy, where Lord Bliss graduated, has an even deeper history.”

“Indeed, Aitoolia’s finest academy is the Regulus Military Academy.”

Dale narrowed his eyes and retorted playfully.

“Oh, my, my, it’s been years since you two graduated, yet you still get so worked up just hearing the name of a rival school. And here you are, members of the elite Antares Unit.”

“Dale, graduation has nothing to do with spirit!”

“We are Regulus alumni forever, you hear?! No, Ethan, reconsider even now. What about officially joining the Antares Unit as an officer, following Lord Bliss? Turning the car towards Regulus….”

Hahahaha— Ethan ultimately burst into loud laughter.

The slight tension he had felt instantly dissipated.

“So, I’m just parachuting into a place like this, huh?”

Ethan murmured, observing the grand scale of the academy slowly unfolding before him. Dale, about to quickly reassure him in case his confidence had wavered, instead let out a laugh. Ethan’s expression, as he casually mentioned ‘parachuting in,’ was utterly brazen.

“Because it’s the oldest institution, it holds the most records from before the Empire’s formation. It likely even contains a substantial collection of data from before the continental shifts. Such information, you see, isn’t found at Regulus, which is teeming with future soldiers.”

Ahem— Liam and Kyle cleared their throats, feigning indifference.

“While it feels like a significant step up from where I originally intended to go, I figured Bliss wouldn’t have sent me here for no reason. He must have gone through a lot of trouble to create this ‘parachute’ spot for me, so I ought to make the most of it.”

“You are truly spirited.”

Dale, a pleased smile on his face, patted Ethan’s shoulder. Having been the first to notice Bliss’s peculiar attentiveness to Ethan back at Henry Grace’s villa, Dale had become even more openly affectionate after learning Ethan had become Bliss’s Guide.

Upon reaching the main gate, Kyle disengaged auto-drive and took the wheel. Pedestrians along the road halted, clearly captivated, as the car’s wheels switched from dual-purpose moving rail and road wheels to those exclusively for regular pavement.

Ethan subtly leaned away from the window, scratching his cheek. Though he knew the interior wasn’t visible from outside, the car, which had seemed extraordinary from the moment they departed, was clearly special enough to draw attention.

“Um, this cube car seems really expensive.”

Liam, seated opposite him, winked.

“It is expensive, yes, but there are quite a few cars that cost even more. Most luxury vehicles use separate sets of wheels: one for regular roads and another for moving rails. On a monorail, a cube car moves by hovering slightly via an electromagnetic system, so it can have small wheels or none at all. However, true wheels are essential for normal roads. Dual-purpose wheels are designed to reduce costs by eliminating the need for additional conversion devices or equipment, but they result in a poor ride quality on regular roads. Your backside gets quite sore.”

As Liam finished his detailed explanation, the car, having completed its wheel transition, began to move smoothly. Ethan, who had considered Uncle Hans’s new cube car the standard for a good vehicle, was astonished by the ride comfort created by tires that gently gripped the ground. Looking back, he saw groups of people pointing at their car, their expressions alight with excitement.

“Still, I heard a lot of nobles attend this academy, so don’t they see plenty of luxury cars? To cause such a stir just because the wheels changed at the main gate… it’s a bit much.”

‘Even as a ‘parachute’ student, I didn’t want this much attention.’

Ignoring Ethan’s inner thoughts, Liam, one of the many men who adored cars, enthusiastically explained.

“People are gathering because of its rarity. There have been a few advertisements, but this is likely the first time they’ve seen one in person. Isn’t the exterior design truly magnificent? It’s one of the Classic series, borrowing designs from famous car brands of the lost ancient continents.”

“Classic? Does the Moore family also own a car brand?”

At this, Kyle, who was driving, chuckled lightly and playfully chided Liam.

“Liam, he wouldn’t know. The brand name isn’t ‘Moore.’ It’s ‘Swan.’ They are a close, prominent collateral branch of the Moore family. Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Swan, the supreme commander of the Betelgeuse Unit responsible for royal palace security, royal family escort, and all manner of ceremonial duties, is the next head of the family. He couldn’t break Lord Bliss’s record, but he’s known as a young officer who was commissioned at a similar age.”

‘Swan, he thought.’ Along with Damian of the Zephyrus Principality, it was a brand that consistently ranked high in the dreams of car enthusiasts.

“…No, seriously, just how enormous is the Moore family? If they’re manufacturing combat aircraft and all sorts of weapons, couldn’t another family handle just one car brand? This unfair society! It seems Bliss wanted to give me both candy and crap when he parachuted me in!”

A pale Ethan lamented the disparity between rich and poor, sharply criticizing Bliss, who seemed even more brazen than himself. Liam began to laugh heartily.

“Hahahaha, Kyle, did you hear that? Khahaha, poor Philip, who practically had to beg the Swan family to get this due to Lord Bliss’s badgering. Crap, he says! Hahahaha!”

The car had, by now, stopped in front of the administration building. Kyle, having parked the car, spoke with a face struggling to suppress laughter.

“The Swan family is in the car business because they manufacture tanks. When a wartime system is implemented, all of the Swan family’s factories must switch to their allocated roles for tank production. This isn’t different for other car brands, but since cars aren’t their primary focus, they brand them as luxury items and produce them in smaller quantities. In terms of sales, the car brands owned by other families are far larger. So, broadly speaking, it is indeed a weapons business.”

Dale, wearing a faint smile, pressed the door button. As the classically designed door smoothly opened, people gathered in front of the administration building to watch the car came into view.

“…Lord Bliss prepared this because he couldn’t possibly have you ride in anything shabby, Ethan. It seems the ‘crap’ was thrown from somewhere else entirely.”

Suddenly, Dale, now armed with a businesslike expression, stepped out first. Liam and Kyle, no longer acting like friendly neighborhood uncles but having reverted to perfect guard postures, descended and extended hands as if to escort Ethan. Ethan’s head tilted sideways.

“Are you playing some kind of ceremonial game? Why are you suddenly treating me like a prince—”

Ethan, who had been speaking playfully as Liam led him out, suddenly froze.

“It’s fortunate you at least know you’re not a prince, Ethan Prescott.”

There stood Marchioness Annabelle Moore, enveloped in rich, warm fur. Behind her, a different classic car, accompanied by guards, was parked—not the one Ethan had arrived in.

“Lady Annabelle.”

As Dale stepped forward, she cut him off.

“I wish to have a word with Ethan Prescott. With the very person who has kept me from seeing the son I bore for several months now.”

A ripple of murmurs spread through the onlookers. Her words, laden with subtle nuance, made it sound as though Ethan had seduced her son and driven a wedge between mother and child. Ethan’s striking good looks were a bane in such situations. As he heard the whispers and felt the assessing gazes, Ethan stiffened. Dongja cackled, whispering with an air of amusement.

[Ethan, this old lady seems to have come fully prepared. Since that Bliss fellow isn’t letting you show your face, she must have come here, huh?]

“Lady Annabelle, Ethan needs to go register for his classes.”

“Dale, I’m the one asking the questions, not the butler. I believe Ethan Prescott can answer for himself. I’m not particularly fond of the reception rooms in this building, but I think it would be best to move. Ethan doesn’t need to attract any more attention, does he?”

Ethan barely managed to suppress a scoff. Every one of her actions had been calculated to make Ethan a spectacle. She had deliberately brought a car from the same unreleased series, parking it in front of the administration building to gather a sufficient crowd before Ethan’s arrival. Then, just as his car came into view, she made a magazine-worthy entrance, appearing as a perfect noblewoman from head to toe, thus amplifying the interest.

This woman, who seemed as though she would make others wait but never wait herself, had intentionally appeared in the cold weather. She was playing the role of a pathetic noblewoman, elegant and flawless, yet whose well-raised aristocratic son had been stolen away by some despicable person who had used their body to seduce him.

Ethan slowly blinked. Marchioness Annabelle Moore, who had demanded an answer from Ethan, was already turning away, seemingly not even imagining any defiance from him.

‘Well, if she wants an answer.’

“Even if Marchioness Moore interferes with my class registration, I will not attend Regulus Military Academy.”

!!

At the mention of the rival school, the air around those watching them grew sharply tense. A flicker of surprise momentarily crossed her composed face as she turned.

“Wh-what… I, when did I ever…”

“I heard that Lord Bliss was a very proud graduate of Regulus Military Academy. Lord Bliss himself tried to persuade me, right up until I departed, saying it wasn’t too late to graduate from Regulus and formally join the Antares Unit as an officer.”

Liam, Kyle, and Dale’s expressions shifted strangely. Dongja’s laughter rang out boisterously.

[Ehehehe, that’s what you were just talking about in the car!]

Ethan’s demeanor and speech were so confident and polite that it was impossible to think of him as a commoner. In the Aitoolia Empire, few commoners possessed the audacity to look a great noble like the Moore family directly in the eye without flinching.

“As Lord Bliss’s Guide, I understand that joining the unit led by the Colonel and fulfilling my role there would be the natural and unremarkable path. I also fully comprehend that you, Marchioness, who cares deeply for Lord Bliss, would only feel at ease if I were unconditionally by his side. However, Madam.”

Ethan deliberately paused, sweeping his gaze across the surroundings where people were on edge at the repeated mention of the rival school, and offered a wistful smile. Annabelle had attempted to leverage his striking appearance to manipulate the situation in a strange direction, but unfortunately, Ethan himself knew his face best.

“Forgive my presumption, but I wish to study the history of the Empire here at the Ramiel Royal Academy, a place brimming with stars of intellect. My heart pounded with excitement at the thought of debating and exchanging ideas with the empire’s most brilliant minds. While I understand your unease due to Lord Bliss being without a Guide for so long, please grant me freedom when it comes to my studies. Lord Bliss himself understood, which is why I was able to apply for classes mid-semester. Though I am a ‘parachute’ student, I do not wish to miss this opportunity to study in a place where ancient elements, nature, and cutting-edge technology blend in such peculiar harmony. However… if the Marchioness is truly determined to stop me… I will reconsider attending Regulus.”

Kuh— Liam was impressed. Ethan had subtly inserted his ‘parachute’ status, yet his words were a perfectly natural blend of defense and offense, even granting him legitimacy. Dale looked as though he couldn’t quite believe how his own earlier words had been so deftly elaborated upon. And then, the ‘stars of intellect’ from Ramiel Royal Academy, who utterly loathed Regulus, began to clamor.

“Regulus, my foot! Register for classes right now!”

“Ramiel is the best!”

“There’s no rule that if an Esper is Regulus, the Guide has to be Regulus too!”

“Alright, everyone, let’s clear the way!”

A crack appeared in Annabelle’s steadfast elegance. Seizing the moment of sudden commotion, she dropped her act as the pathetic noblewoman and smiled venomously.

“…You’re quite clever.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“I pity my son, who has to receive such cheap guiding, never having had a proper examination.”

Feigning not to hear, Ethan performed a polite noble’s bow towards her. With his neat posture and gently curved eyes, he smiled like the most harmless person in the world, then whispered to her, who still maintained her ‘nobility’ despite her pale face.

“I shall be a spirited ‘parachute’ student, Marchioness.”

As elegant as she was, the thin, expensive pouch in her hand crumpled with a crunch.