Chapter 92 92 Academy helpers
[Eva's POV: ]
"Everyone! Please listen here!"
We were on the other side of the garden of six seasons, the place where the sun was shining so healthily that many people standing here with me were sweating buckets.
'But thanks to these pretty clothes El made with my Mana, I feel pretty normal.'
The winds blowing from time to time were cooling instead. I liked this place.
"Fuck. Why do we have to be here when there is a better place right over there."
"Shit bastards…"
"Tsk. Uncivilized country bumpkins. And they want to be helpers in this great institution."
"This is killing meeeeeeeee~!"
The heat was too much for them to bare but their voices were pretty low as the one who was supposed to be our instructor, the scary-looking lizardman in full armor, was looking over everyone present here with his sharp eyes.
'He looks strong.'
He definitely was no normal being, that much was sure and since he was here as the instructor of all of us, he must also hold an important position in the academy.
'But I think he is a nice person.'
He could definitely hear what everyone was saying and he still maintained that same expression he had. There was not even a spark of annoyance in those deep yellow eyes but only disappointment towards some of the people his eyes found, umm, unworthy?
It was like he was looking at everyone present from the perspective of a servant who had served his master for a long time with his utmost commitment.
And, when looking at some of the people here who didn't even care what was going on, he couldn't help but be disappointed at these servants as well as their masters who chose them as their helpers in the academy.
Still, while glancing over at some of us, he had a look of acceptance and pride as if he was thinking 'there still are some good ones here'.
'He's somewhat like the two people over there… right! I remember now. They are the ones El mentioned!'
An older man in a butler outfit with the insignia of the imperial house imprinted on his chest pocket, and a lady in a pretty normal-looking outfit who exuded a kind of aura that was almost on par with the older-looking butler.
'The old uncle must be Sir Fang, the personal assistant of the crown prince and the elegant lady in normal clothing must be the famous nanny of Princess Catherein of the elven kingdom.'
I knew El mentioned to watch out for these two but since her description of a 'hot oldie with a round hat' and a 'pretty mommy with G cup oppai' was too strange, it took me a while to realize she was talking about these two people.
'Still, they certainly are amazing.'
The old uncle was strong, so strong that even I would have a difficult time facing him just yet.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtPlus, I could tell he was a swordsman, probably someone who used a rapier, and from what I could feel, he was certainly far above my current level.
'And then there's that lady… she's probably a great mage if I'm not mistaken.'
She was wearing a pretty normal piece of clothing but the way her glossy blue hair waved with the light winds was no short of mystical.
She looked very pretty, and even though she was the nanny of the beloved princess of the elven kingdom, this pretty lady was a human.
'But certainly, a person blessed by Mana.'
We were standing pretty far from each other but I could still tell the surrounding Mana was directly going towards her as if gathering around her to greet her.
She was fascinating, they both were actually.
And compared to these two, as well as many other people present here, I was lacking a lot. Be it in terms of levels, stats, or experience.
"Ok. Let's start."
But I am still determined to help them to the best of my abilities.
'I'm strong enough to at least be of a little help to them. So I will do whatever I can to do that.'
Which of course included this important moment.
"The academy helper evaluation is divided into two sections.
The first being where your skills as a helper would be evaluated by the group of experts, and the second being the familiar summoning.
Your basic skills as a helper are of utmost importance since you won't just be serving your masters.
And though not for the students, it is crucial for the helpers to have a familiar so, if you can't summon one for any unworldly reason, you can't be an official helper of this academy."
Our test was starting and I had to finish it, get a good enough score to pass, and do good enough to at least look good enough to serve them.
'Alright!'
So taking a deep breath, we all followed behind the lizardman instructor to an area some distance away from where we were standing.
"Can anyone tell me what it means to be a helper in this academy?" He questioned while looking at all of us, his eyes sharp and the seriousness in the atmosphere was overwhelming for some reason.
"It is to be able to serve our masters' here as well sir!"
The pressure was great and the heat was making it worse.
It was mentally tiring but the way that person shouted it even while enduring this all was quite rude in a way.
'And besides, I don't think that's the answer he was looking for either.'
-Snap.
"Wrong. And you are out for answering without proper manner."
That person just vanished into thin air after his snap, and…
'Oh my.'
The area was filled with gasps, fear, and sounds of shocked gulpings.
He just threw out a person that answered incorrectly, something no one was expecting would happen.
I was even more surprised since I knew the person that he had just thrown out was a servant of the fourth imperial prince that might attend the academy with the crown prince.
'They really don't care who you are… damn.'
This was a surprise even for me, but to the two of them, the old uncle and cool lady, this was nothing more than an obvious happening.
Their expression had only changed slightly, almost saying that whatever happened with him was something that he deserved.
They didn't care about that imbecile. Instead, the cool lady directly looked into the eyes of the instructor.
It was almost like she was challenging his authority in this place… or perhaps she was asking him if she could answer his question not as an inferior person giving this test but, as a true servant that served their master.
'It was disrespectful in a way as well, but, it strangely worked and the instructor nodded at her, allowing her to speak up.'
Another fascinating thing… she really was amazing.
'I should ask her to teach me her 'ways' after these things are over.'
I didn't know if she would accept m,y little request or just look down on me a mere commoner but I had to give it a try. She was an admirable person from what I had seen until now.
"Hello everyone. I'm Alquea."
She gracefully introduced herself and she used only her name in this process, something El told me to remember.
'Just like students, we all were also equals in this academy. There was no above or below so aside from the names, nothing actually mattered here. Not family not background or even the person you personally served.
That all was a secondary thing.'
The core meaning of being a helper of the academy meant that aside from helping the ones we served, we would have to help out in various tasks in this grand academy, not as servants or workers but just as the name of our titles suggested, as 'helpers'.
Miss Alquea explained that fact better than I could ever have after that pretty introduction and she even elaborated on the meaning of being a helper after that as if she had studied specifically about this topic extensively.
'But it was cool. Verrrrrrry cool~.'
"Right. This was a very good explanation so I believe everyone must have understood it pretty well."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHe had an impressed look as if he was saying 'It is impressive an outsider knows this much alone.' or something like that. But, certainly, it was a positive one.
"Just as the main point says, being a 'helper' would mean you are being hired by the academy where you are certainly free to serve your masters if you have one or do whatever you want in your free time but, you would have to lend your skills to the academy and help in whatever way you can in everyday situations.
You are not being forced into doing anything but declining a certain number of requests or failing to finish your daily work would mean you will have to say goodbye to your positions.
If you pass the tests here, the work later would be mostly easy tasks focused inside the academy only, not anywhere outside.
You would just have to do what you are good at… and the first part of the test tests just the thing you are good at."
-Clap. Clap.
He clapped twice, and with a flash of unique lights, three short cat people materialized and walked beside the instructor.
They were cat people so aside from a little human resemblance, they were just like cute cats.
And they were all wearing glasses and fashionable suits so they looked even cuter~.
'I would have hugged them if they didn't have that utter look of disgust while looking at all of us.'
A look that genuinely expressed disgust at being in the presence of us humans… or maybe something else, but they were looking at us with that look so I could only think of us at the moment.
"Ahem, ahem."
However, that look soothed down a little after that face was caught by the lizardman instructor, and after a click of a tongue, the cat with white fur stepped forward and started speaking.
"Alright, you a nya bunchaidots. The first part of your first test includes what you can do the best. So, use everything here and show us what you are best at."
-Snap.
The cat snapped too… I didn't understand how a cat could snap with her cute pows but she definitely snapped, and at that snap, many things appeared in the surroundings out of thin air.
'Alright now…'
Our test was starting truthfully now, and I knew Lu, El, and Nes must be doing their best in their part of the test so I had to do my best as well.
'And if it was about the thing I could do the best…'
-Shwaaaash.
What else would I do if not a pretty swordplay demonstration… with some milk and cookies of course. I had to impress Raz's far, far distant relatives here, just a pretty dance wasn't going to work.
'Here I go then.'
My sword, Luel, was strong on its own but, it could certainly do more than what a sword could thanks to its innate ability to take any form I wanted.
She was strong, so, I was even more prepared to face all these professionals who had trained and served their masters for more time than I had wielded the sword.
'But, I will still pass.'
I knew I would. I had faith in them since they believed I will. So, I will.
And for that, I had to prepare some fine milk for these cute kittens first...