The glass bottle containing the silver scale that Silvanus gave him. According to Silvanus, now that the curse was lifted, it might not be needed anymore.
However, Nigel couldn’t tolerate the idea of traces of himself rolling around under someone else’s bed. Moreover, he felt he should return it when he went to give his thanks to Silvanus. After all, it was his scale.
Nigel dressed perfectly in his uniform and left his room. In front of Rowen’s room in the West Annex, the broken door was still hanging loosely. It was the trace left behind by the Imperial Knights who had broken it yesterday.
“…Nigel?”
The one who discovered Nigel peeking inside was Rowen, who was just putting on his shirt. He looked slightly surprised.
“What brings you here so early?”
“…You don’t even have a door, so you should at least change in the bathroom.”
“It’s too much trouble. It’s just a shirt anyway. Are you feeling alright?”
“I’m fine. More importantly, I was in such a rush yesterday that I left something behind.”
Nigel said calmly as he entered the room. Rowen finished buttoning his shirt and moved aside.
“Left something behind? What did you drop?”
“Yeah. Something important.”
Nigel’s eyes quickly scanned the floor. The corner under the bed where he’d rolled around when he was a frog yesterday. Among the dust bunnies, he saw a transparent glass bottle glinting. Fortunately, it seemed no one had touched it.
Nigel naturally bent down and picked up the glass bottle. The cold touch of glass against his fingertips. Only then did it feel like he could breathe freely.
‘It’s still here. Thank goodness.’
Nigel felt relieved and carefully tucked the glass bottle deep into his uniform’s inner pocket.
Perfect.
“Did you find it?”
Rowen asked while putting on his outer garment.
“Yeah. Let’s go. Today we need to inspect the Swordsmanship Department site.”
“Ah, right.”
When Rowen beside him nodded as if he’d completely forgotten, Nigel’s sharp gaze flew at him. It must have meant, “You didn’t even know about your own department’s business?”
It was a familiar morning scene.
Now that Nigel had returned, Rowen’s daily life had also returned to normal. Rowen felt relieved once again at that fact.
“You’re not going to be too nitpicky, right? We only used half the budget.”
“Shut up. I’ll know when I see it.”
While scolding him, Nigel also realized that until yesterday, he had greatly missed this ordinary morning of walking side by side with Rowen.
The sound of their shoes walking through the corridor echoed regularly.
Nigel walked looking straight ahead, then suddenly opened his mouth.
“The Swordsmanship Department inspection will be done in 30 minutes.”
“30 minutes? We prepared for months, isn’t that inspection too short?”
“…Right. It might take longer.”
The fact that the Swordsmanship Department students had prepared for months already resulted in points being deducted on Nigel’s evaluation sheet.
Nigel clicked his tongue and said.
“You guys are just strong, you have no delicacy at all. You’ve definitely caused some trouble.”
“Come on, no way. This time we even got cooperation from the Arts Department kids and prepared properly.”
Is that really so? Rowen boasted confidently from the side, but Nigel’s eyes were still doubtful.
10 AM. Swordsmanship Department training grounds.
Bang, bang, clang!
The training grounds, bustling with festival preparations, were filled with the smell of sweat and shouts. Dozens of muscular students were moving busily, erecting giant wooden structures.
As soon as Nigel arrived, he surveyed the site with eagle eyes. The safety of the structures was passing.
Then, Student Council officers began hoisting a giant velvet banner to the center of the stage. A blue banner embroidered with the golden lion, the Empire’s symbol. It was essentially the face of the festival.
“Raising it! One, two!”
The giant banner unfurled, fluttering toward the sky. Nigel crossed his arms in anticipation and raised his head.
And.
“……”
Nigel’s mouth fell open. Rowen beside him also couldn’t close his mouth.
What is that?
On the blue background, instead of the dignified golden lion… there was a cross-eyed, pot-bellied fat yellow cat monster embroidered. Even the mane wasn’t that of a lion but stuck up spikily as if it had been struck by lightning.
“……”
“……”
Only silence flowed through the site. Every time the wind blew, the fat belly of the ‘lion (or what should have been one)’ jiggled.
“…Rowen.”
Nigel’s voice trembled.
“What is that?”
“Uh… um… a lion…?”
“A lion? That? Does that look like the Empire’s lion to you?”
If that had been a temple’s emblem, it was such a disastrous level that there would be no excuse even if it were immediately accused of blasphemy. Someone came running toward Nigel, their face deathly pale. Probably the Swordsmanship Department student in charge of that flag.
“Th-that’s…!”
If they couldn’t get approval from Nigel who came to inspect, everything might go down the drain. He ran up to Rowen and Nigel in one breath and made excuses.
“We entrusted that flag to a freshman from the Arts Department… and that friend is a bit unique. Ha, haha.”
“Are you saying they dared to unleash their artistic soul on the Empire’s symbol?”
Nigel’s eyes widened as if asking if they were insane. To think they almost hung such a hideous emblem claiming it was the Empire’s symbol. Just imagining it was horrifying.
“Remake it! If you don’t restore it to its original state even if you have to pull an all-nighter tonight, know that there will be no Swordsmanship Department matches at this festival.”
Nigel rarely got angry within the Academy. Even Rowen standing beside him was so flustered he didn’t even have time to think about stopping Nigel.
Rowen himself had never thought to check whether that flag was made properly. Normally he would have asked Nigel to reconsider, but that… was a bit excessive.
The faces of all the Swordsmanship Department students who had been running around the training grounds excitedly for the upcoming festival turned deathly pale. Someone pulled down the problematic flag, and another student rolled it up tightly and put it out of sight.
Ha. Nigel sighed and pressed his forehead. It felt like a headache was coming back to his previously clear head. His vision spun.
“…Ugh.”
It seemed he needed to take medicine. His brain was screaming that he needed to cool this head down right now. The medicine Professor Vera gave him yesterday worked well… but the remaining medicine was left in his dormitory room.
“Nigel. Does your head hurt again?”
With good timing, Rowen noticed Nigel’s physical condition and spoke to him.
“…Yeah.”
Nigel answered honestly. He was probably the person who knew his physical condition best in the Academy after Professor Vera. Since it was Rowen who had even seen him transformed into a frog, it had become easy to speak about such trivial things as they were.
“……”
Rowen looked at Nigel with a frown.
‘I thought he was fine now…. He still gets headaches when he’s stressed. If I’d known this would happen, I would have objected more strongly to him taking on the festival preparations. He probably didn’t hurt when he was a frog. Rather, until he’s fully recovered, that way would be…’
Having thought that far, Rowen shook his head from side to side. Wishing Nigel would return to being a frog, which he hated so much. This wasn’t a thought someone who cared about him should have.
Nigel, unaware of Rowen’s thoughts, waved his hand.
“Still, this is mild.”
Honestly, it was closer to anger boiling up at the thought of solving the Swordsmanship Department’s problem than his chronic illness. Thinking about something else for a moment seemed to reduce the headache just a little.
Nigel rubbed the area around his temples with his fingers and said.
“Rowen, you finish up the site. I need to go to the Student Council room.”
“This early?”
“We agreed to all gather every day until the festival.”
Rowen frowned as if displeased. However, Nigel, who had already been absent for several days and really wanted to stop by the Student Council room to start his day today, said firmly.
“Let’s meet again at lunch to talk about finding the culprit.”
“…Alright.”
Nigel left Rowen behind and exited the training grounds.
With each step he took, it felt like the vibrations from the floor were being transmitted directly to his brain. He pressed down hard on his throbbing temples, but the pain didn’t subside and instead dug in more sharply.
He missed this morning when he’d woken up refreshed.
Nigel breathed roughly and leaned against the corridor wall. He desperately wanted the medicine Professor Vera had prepared yesterday.
When he took that medicine, it was clear and refreshing, as if the fog in his head had lifted. There was no aftertaste left on his tongue, and he felt lighter.
‘Her skills are definitely good.’
Rather than stopping by the dormitory, it would be better to take Eden Lake’s medicine, whom he’d meet at the Student Council room anyway. Nigel, who had stopped in the corridor for a moment, soon raised his head and headed toward the glass greenhouse where the Student Council room was located with an unconcerned expression.
Click.
As soon as he opened the glass greenhouse door, warm energy and the scent of flowers engulfed Nigel. Even the fresh grass scent that would normally clear his head felt nauseating now.
Nigel frowned and entered. It was quiet, as if the other Student Council members hadn’t arrived yet.
“Lord Nigel.”
Except for Eden Lake, who was sitting at the secretary’s desk organizing documents. He gave a simple nod from his seat, then continued signing as always, without any unnecessary words.
“…Right.”
Nigel answered briefly, then walked to his seat. Perhaps because he felt relieved upon actually arriving at the Student Council room, his body felt a little more comfortable.
“Should I bring you some water?”
Eden didn’t even wait for Nigel’s answer and stood up from his seat, striding toward the Student Council room’s kitchenette. Food and beverages were prepared there so students could have a light snack or quench their thirst.
There was a clear sound of glass cups clinking.
