<h4>Volume 5 Chapter 8.3</h4>


    Trantor: Reflet


    Of course, this inspection had a purpose. Since Azuma Workshop’s transportation circles allowed all three of the Great Western Kingdom’s royal families to go to school in Rufeus, the rulers decided it would be good to examine the current condition of the academy. Aearis was chosen because at times like these she had the lightest workload and could move freely.


    Originally, Layotte and Mark were supposed to have someone else take their ce at work so that they could study at Rufeus Academy for two years, but after hearing First Prince Avin and Magdalena’s evaluation, they had put this on hold.


    On a side note, the only members of the Fane royal family who had education in Rufeus Academy were Avin and Princess Magdalena. Elena, the second princess, had done some work as the tentative priestess princess which had put her enrollment on hold, and the third princess Maria and so on had already nned to switch out with Avin but put it on hold when hearing his evaluation, so with marriage, injury, and subjugation, Layotte’s three older sisters were not currently in the state to be studying in another country.


    Then again, half of the reason for studying abroad in their case was to find a marriage partner, so Maria most likely didn’t have any further need for attending a school since she straight up got married, and Layotte’s retainer Julius’s marriage with Elena, a feat of strength would be the deciding factor, and her frail body made her education in Rufeus likewise unnecessary. As for Magdalena, due to a request from the queen of Darl in alliance with Wulls, she had married the crown prince in Darl who had absolutely no rtion to the partner she had selected for studying abroad, so it seemed that she, too, would not have much of a need at all to go to Rufeus.


    「So I get the impression from Avin that the environment was not so favorable, but how do you feel about Rufeus Academy as it is today?」


    「Yes, His Majesty Avin came at the worst time, you might say. Compared to that, the academy has improved more than enough.」


    Aearis felt like there was something else being implied there. When she began to pursue this topic further, suddenly Sasha had a grin on her face.


    「I do not think telling you what I know will do the story much justice. After all, Rufeus Academy will be greatly changing here on out.」


    「……It’s definitely Hiroshi-sama, isn’t it?」


    「Yes. It would indeed be Hiroshi-dono. I imagine that the special lecture he’s giving today will be pivotal to great changes in Rufeus Academy.」


    Hearing Sasha’s response, Aearis now understood that gist of the situation. Hiroshi, who didn’t have any particr obligation to see Lauren as important, would never give the kind of lecture that gave special consideration to the factions or anything. He would most certainly be giving a lecture on what he was asked to do, and the information would be thick enough to pulverize themon sense and identity of the audience.


    「At the very least, I doubt they could bring any foreign students into this factional dispute even if they wanted to.」


    「Could it be that Avin……」


    「Not just Avin-dono. I sincerely apologize to everyone who came to study at that time. Studying in a foreign country such as this is one of the major objectives of foreign students, and the academy staff got in the way of it because of their selfish actions.」


    「……Was it seriously that bad?」


    「Well, when the previous ruler was still in office, he was so angry that he forced several of the instructors out of the school. How does that sound to you?」


    「I mean, yeah……」


    Things must have been pretty bad in Rufeus Academy if the normally neutral king went so far as to intervene using the power of the state. Imagining the situation from the information given, Aearis couldn’t help but sympathize with Avin.


    「I can still forgive something like a theory faction. There was after all a period of time that isn’t ounted for in the documents avable in the library, so it’s normal for factions based on theory to emerge, and it’s impossible not to have some form of opposition.」


    「Is that so?」


    「Yes. Part of education is opposing other theoretical factions with your own, arguing fiercely back and forth andparing and adjusting ideas. As I mentioned, I don’t mind those sorts of healthy factional disputes, but anything political like allotment of research funds is something uneptable.」


    「Well, it does seem to be a thing everywhere, yes.」


    Aearis said seriously, to which Sasha nodded in an embarrassed manner. Then again, in Aearis’s case, she had not only had her honor stolen by the Katarina faction, but also had her life targeted by them. She essentially had no way out other than destroying her opponent in a political, societal, and existencial sense. Rufeus Academy’s factional disputes were simply cute inparison.


    That being said, it was still uneptable to let foreign students get wrapped up in these meritless factional disputes, no matter how cute. Making connections would asionally lead to such affairs, but with the instructors forcing everyone to participate, it made you question what purpose the school existed for.


    Avin at least was able to find his bride-to-be, Prisia, but for Magdarena who was dragged around by the disputes the entire time, this must have been quite agonizing in many ways.


    「At any rate, if anyone were to get wrapped up in the factional conflicts in the current Rufeus Academy, it would likely be between schools of thought. The fact that Azuma Workshop, a group ofplete outsiders, is the centerpiece of this is fascinating, of course.」


    「……It’s only been a month, so why are factions already forming?」


    「Apparently there are quite a few professors and students who were devastated by Lime-san’s charm and ability. So, Aearis-sama, if you were to attend, there might very well be the emergence of a new foreign faction.」


    「I certainly don’t have as much schrly ability or discernment as everyone in Azuma Workshop, so I doubt that will be an issue.」


    Aearis didn’t appear to understand her own charisma well enough, and Sasha inwardly sighed. Being a holy woman, Aearis already had the atmosphere about her that naturally attracted people to her side. While she had learned not to speak her mind on political matters, Aearis still had unfathomable discernment for a girl her age, especially considering this was young even for this world’s standards, and her presence was more than enough to create a new faction in both a schrly sense and a political sense.


    「……Well, I’m sure that you’ll be deciding to attend based on your tour of the school, and it’s doubtful that you can begin attending right after you decide, so let’s bring this topic to a close.」


    「Good point. So what will we do for breakfast? I do have a present to give you, so perhaps you could try it if you wanted……」


    「Hm. A gift from Alfemina-sama’s priestess princess, Aearis-sama. I see.」


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