A large carriage was closely escorted by fully armored knights. Inside the carriage were Eric, Lucas, and Laurene. The two siblings sat side by side, while Eric sat alone. He looked out the window with a gloomy and irritated expression.
Four and a half days had passed. Their party had stopped at several places—such as luxury inns and the homes of local nobles—to rest. Of course, these accommodations had been arranged by James beforehand.
Lucas and Laurene glanced at their eldest brother. Since the start of the journey, they'd been a bit anxious because, from the very beginning until now, Eric had been wearing an expression as if he wanted to kill someone, so they'd chosen to stay quiet and speak only when necessary.
"You're scaring a lot of people if you keep that expression on, Brother Eric." Lucas mustered the courage to confront Eric. The blond man glanced in his direction but turned back to the view outside the window.
"Don't bring shame to the name of Ostheno, Brother Eric." This time it was Laurene, chiding Eric. Then Eric finally looked directly at them, startling Lucas and Laurene a little.
"Not now, you two. Leave me alone." Eric replied flatly and indifferently. Lucas crossed his arms and retorted. "Oh? So the miracle healer has a lot on his mind too? Pardon us."
Eric just clicked his tongue, giving a brief response to Lucas's sarcasm. "Noisy. Besides, I've already lost that ability."
This news shocked Lucas and Laurene, with the young blonde woman raising her voice slightly. "What!? H-how could you!? That ability of yours is so rare!"
Eric looked at his younger sister using his divine eye. He snorted, saying softly, "It's not like I wanted it, little girl. If you ask me another question, you'd better spend your time finding a way to diet and lose some weight."
Laurene's eyes widened, and she blushed. "How did you know—" Eric turned to Lucas, "And you, little boy. Try to sleep on your back, not on your side, if you don't want to drool in your sleep all the time."
Lucas straightened his posture, a creeping heat appearing on his cheek. "W-wait a moment!"
In that brief moment, Eric had exposed their little secret, one they considered embarrassing and personal. Before they could respond, Eric continued. "Want me to continue the list? If you don't want me to, stop yapping and be some good children."
Laurene clutched her skirt tightly in embarrassment, while Lucas glared at Eric, feeling offended. Eric paid no attention to his younger siblings and turned his gaze back to the view outside.
Honestly, he still felt guilty and uneasy about the current situation. Since then, he had quickly sent a letter detailing Grandma Seeva's condition and asked Millie and Ferguson to take turns looking after the old woman.
So far, he hadn't received a reply. It seemed the old woman had forbidden Millie from writing, or perhaps there was another reason. In any case, he hoped that upon his return to the Academy, he would receive a reply with the latest news about Grandma Seeva.
In half a day, they would arrive at the Academy, and finally, Eric would be free of these nosy twins.
***
Finally, their carriage arrived at the Academy, stopping right at the main gate. This time, there were already many people coming and going at the main gate—parents dropping off students, both new students and those returning from winter break.
Many eyes turned to Eric's carriage, and they began whispering as Eric stepped out, followed by Lucas and Laurene. Eric glared at everyone staring at the three of them.
Eric walked a short distance toward the gate, where he saw Lucas giving a briefing and report to the knights escorting them. Lucas and Laurene approached Eric, who was standing with his arms crossed.
"Done? Good. Let's get going." Eric led the two siblings into the Academy along the main path. Lucas and Laurene were fascinated by the plum blossoms that were beginning to bloom. The two of them looked around in awe, like little children, because this was where they would spend most of their time pursuing their education for the next four years.
Soon after, they spotted a butler and a maid standing there, greeting the three of them.
"Sir Eric, Sir Lucas, and Miss Laurene." The two servants bowed in greeting. "Please allow us to take your belongings to the dormitory."
Lucas and Laurene were taken aback by the statement, but Eric explained to them. "Chill, they're the Academy's servants. Each noble is assigned a servant."
"I only see two here…? Where's yours, Brother Eric?"
The two servants showed a hint of unease when Lucas asked that, and their eldest brother simply replied briefly. "Don't need one—a pain in the ass."
Lucas and Laurene were unaware of everything Eric had been up to over the past year at the Academy, including his behavior toward the servants in the first-year dormitory.
Though still curious, they finally continued on their way to the first-year dormitory. Eric accompanied them, which left Lucas and Laurene puzzled and annoyed that their older brother had gone to all this trouble.
Then, as they entered a small path surrounded by shady trees, they saw a group of students coming from the opposite direction. The student leader widened his eyes and smirked at Eric, who was leading the way.
"Well, well, well. Eric the deadweight! So you're leading your brother and sister like a mother duck! Hahaha!!"
"..."
Eric ignored the taunt and kept walking, though he'd tried to avoid him—yet the man seemed to deliberately edge closer and bump his shoulder against Eric's.
"I heard the news—you broke off your engagement with Miss Silvia! A piece of trash like you doesn't deserve her!"
Eric stared straight ahead, staying focused on carrying his belongings while Lucas and Laurene looked on, slightly angry at the group of students who were laughing and mocking Eric.
"Oh? You don't dare to fight back! It seems even winter break hasn't cured your cowardice!"
"..."
Eric kept walking, ignoring the man. "We're heading to the first-year dorm for girls." Lucas and Laurene fell silent as Eric brushed aside that mockery. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, they began to realize that Eric was changing.
After a few minutes, they finally arrived at the first-year girls' dormitory. "Laurene, don't forget to wake up early for the orientation ceremony tomorrow." Lucas gently advised his sister.
She sighed lightly, "I know, I know, Lucas. Then, I'll go ahead first." The maid carrying Laurene's belongings bowed toward Lucas and Eric, and Laurene just stared at Eric without saying a word before entering the building.
Lucas and Eric continued on their way. Halfway there, Lucas broke the silence. "You didn't have to go out of your way to walk us here."
Eric turned his eyes toward Lucas. "It's necessary. Who knows if some fuckers will pick a fight with you two just because you're my siblings, like earlier."
The atmosphere fell silent again. This time, Lucas chose to enjoy the scenery around the Academy. The spring breeze brushed the leaves of the trees along their path. He could see several students running here and there, laughing freely and gathering together.
Once again, they passed a group of male and female students, and they moved slightly away when they saw Eric.
"Ssshh! Watch out for that guy!"
"Huh? What are you talking about, Senior?"
"It's Eric Ostheno, the molester!"
"Ehh!?!?"
"Stay away! Stay away!"
Lucas watched the group of students quicken their pace. "Curious..."
"..."
Eric remained silent, responding neither to Lucas nor to the group of students. Finally, they arrived at the first-year boys' dormitory where Eric had once lived.
"You can take the rest from here, right?"
"Yeah, Brother Eric. Excuse me, then."
The butler accompanying Lucas bowed to Eric and followed Lucas as he entered the dormitory building. Eric stretched lightly and continued dragging his suitcase. He hoped his roommate for this second year wouldn't be a weirdo.