From Koreana - the biggest city of Milbotts, I traveled straight to the Royal Capital Ars for two weeks. This place is located in the western region of the kingdom.
"Wow... the gate is huge."
I marveled as the carriage passed under the city gate, which was as tall as a 5-story building and had to be no less than ten meters thick. Although I knew the Royal Capital had to be on another level, this truly exceeded my imagination.
In the royal capital, everything was completely different from Milbotts. There were no more sprawling vineyards; instead, there was a suburban buffer zone with small villages and vast wheat fields, which served to feed this city.
As for the center, behind the wall was a large city divided into different sections: the commoner district, the middle-class district, the upper-class district, and the royal castle. Passing through each district felt like entering a different world. From the way people dressed, the way houses were built, to even the smells, everything was different. From the houses in the commoner district, initially built of wood but still sturdy, to the upper-class district, which was full of large stone buildings with gardens, high walls, gated entrances, and even patrolling guards. Each time we passed through a district, the carriage was stopped and our travel permits were checked.
It seems this place is very strict about dividing areas. Is this the clearest sign of Medieval social class discrimination?
Each gate was guarded by only about two soldiers in armor, fewer than I thought.
The reason was simple: if there was a rebellion, they probably just needed to close the gate with a metal door, and that would be it. Quite economical in terms of manpower and effective, huh? The person who designed this place truly calculated everything.
Or perhaps they had learned from experience.
I also heard there was a slum, located somewhere on the other side of the city. I don't know what that place is like and certainly have no intention of visiting, as it sounds dangerous, especially for a 5-year-old noble child like me.
Clatter clatter*
The carriage continued along the stone-paved road, through the residential area of the upper-class district, to a large square with a huge structure. That was the church of the Milis faith.
It's strange to place the main church in an area full of rich people, isn't it? Actually, from what I've read, this place is the headquarters for all their activities in Asura, not just a church. The commoner district already has a church; that's where the populace goes to pray. Although not as magnificent as this one, it's still bigger than the one in Koreana. In addition, there are several other small chapels to meet the needs of the large population here.
I don't know much about the Milis faith. From what I've heard, it seems to be the largest religion in this world. They tend to guide people towards good, generally quite 'average' for a religion. Although they are quite racist, especially towards the Demon Tribe. However, from what I know, they recently even have a policy of 'all beings are equal,' meaning all races are equal, including the Demon Tribe, which has caused an internal schism.
In general, it's quite complicated. It seems that whenever religion and belief are involved, there's always trouble, huh? Luckily, I don't have a religion.
Furthermore, the faith also sets quite strict standards for marriage: only one husband and one wife, for life. As far as I know, quite a few Asuran nobles are also followers of Milis, yet they still take concubines left and right.
It turns out that moral standards or sermons are only effective for the powerless common folk. Just like on Earth.
From deep class discrimination to this, perhaps human nature is the same in any world.
Oh well, I don't intend to judge. I have no opinion on taking many wives. Because if that practice didn't exist, I probably wouldn't have been born. I also don't know if I'll have the guts to have many lovers in the future because from my past life until now, I've had very little contact with the female sex.
Partly because I've been buried in my studies for what seems like my whole life, and then work. Plus, my criteria for a partner are a bit fantastical, so I couldn't find a suitable person until I died.
But that's the subjective reason.
As for the objective reason, I'm not very good at communicating with women either. 99% of my experience with the opposite sex was about work, study, or something serious. The remaining 1% was people thinking I was a pervert and threatening to call the police because I accidentally walked the same way home.
Sometimes I wonder what standard my face in my previous life was, to be misunderstood like that. And I feel happy that in this life, I was born with a handsome face; this will surely make life much easier.
But that was the previous life. In this life, apart from the maids I occasionally talk to practice 'Mind Reading,' I don't seem to spend much time communicating or chatting. The most recent and frequent time was probably at my birthday party a few days ago. That was the first time I had contact with so many children my age. Luckily, I didn't say anything weird and just quoted the exact lines taught from the 'noble textbook.'
I was also answered with the exact same lines from the book.
At that time, I thought I was the main character in an English textbook from Earth. The kind of character who would meet someone and say, 'Hello, my name is Atur. I am five years old. I like to play rock-paper-scissors for several hours every day. I hate pink and falsehood. Nice to meet you.'
Thinking back, it's quite cringey.
"Sigh... I hope I can make some new friends soon."
I sat in the carriage and sighed wearily.
"I think with your personality, that will be difficult."
"What do you mean, Ken?" I glared.
"I mean, if you don't have the intention to make friends, it's hard to get any," Ken explained. "I saw you were quite talkative at the birthday party, but you always create an invisible wall and don't seem to care about the other children at all. More precisely, you don't even want to talk to them."
"Uh..."
But what can I do... Making friends with kids is harder than I thought. They all talk about nonsense, and with different interests, how can we be friends? If we had something in common like swordsmanship, most of the kids at my birthday party were too 'green' to understand what I was saying. When talking about magic, they were completely clueless, making me feel like my IQ would drop steadily if I talked to them for more than ten sentences, so I always found a way to escape.
Thinking back now, I really was like an unpleasant brat who looked down on others.
"Exactly." Ken agreed with my thoughts.
"Urggg..."
The wheels rolled on for another half hour. By the time the sky turned to evening, I had arrived.
Since it was after working hours, the school wouldn't receive me, but the administration had anticipated this and had someone pick me up and take me to the dormitory area.
The Ars Royal Capital Academy's dormitory area was built as clusters of sturdy two-story stone buildings. Each building, based on the exterior, seemed to contain about 20 to 30 rooms. With the 12 buildings I counted, it seems this place has a maximum capacity of 360 students if they are single rooms.
Of course, there are shared rooms, with a maximum of two students per room. Only if you have money or are a noble of high status can you get a private, fully-furnished room. Or, if you're richer, you simply live in your family's mansion somewhere in the Upper-Class district.
And it seems I belong to the second category.
I got a room with a large bed, big enough for two adults to lie comfortably, or maybe even three (I don't know what they were implying). There was a bookshelf, a wardrobe, four windows, and a very luxurious set of table and chairs for receiving guests.
Although it's nothing compared to the room I was just 'rewarded' with at the mansion for my 5th birthday, this is more than enough.
"Ah... The bed is so soft. And I don't have to be bothered by that old Ken all the time."
Unlike me, Ken, despite being my personal guard, wasn't allowed in as the rules here forbid outsiders who aren't students. So I was completely free, yay.
Well, now it's time to take out the enrollment guide. I have to go to class tomorrow, so I need to review the rules thoroughly.
According to Asuran culture, every child aged 5 and up, if they have money, will start attending school. In some regions, that number is 7 or 10. The Notos family seems to be loyal to the standard number 5, so I was sent to school as soon as I was old enough.
At this school, which shares its name with the Royal Capital, I will study for a total of 5 years. This means starting from age 5, I will be 10 when I graduate. If I complete the subjects before the required time, I can graduate early.
This means that apart from the holidays between semesters and the new school year, this dormitory room will be my home. Most of my future friends will also be here and will likely shape all my important relationships.
But come to think of it, I don't really want to go back even for the holidays.
The reason is that I don't have much attachment to that place.
Apart from my other half-siblings (whom I don't interact with much), there's no one there I know well anymore. Pilemon has also been appointed as some minister here in the Royal Capital, so if I want to know if he's eaten something wrong and dropped dead, I can just walk to his house to check.
"Oh... They teach magic."
I looked at the list of subjects. Besides the subjects I had already nearly completed the entire 5-year curriculum for at home, like history, politics, etiquette... here they also teach magic from beginner to intermediate levels, Water God Style and Sword God Style swordsmanship, and many other elective courses for upper-year students like Economics, Medicine, Law...
In general, it's quite comprehensive and broad. This place not only trains politicians and nobles but also produces outstanding individuals in certain fields to serve the royal family. For example, if I graduate with an intermediate-level Water God Style swordsman certification, I might be accepted into the Imperial Guard, continue training to the advanced level or higher, and have a higher salary than Ken's measly pay, for instance.
In short, this is the place where I will get my qualifications and connections, shaping a lot of my future.
I must try my best!
The next morning, I dressed myself meticulously. Since the school doesn't have a standard uniform, I just wore a set of clothes that looked nice but was still comfortable enough for movement. Anyway, I wouldn't have time to go back to my room to change because the class schedule is quite packed.
The school allows students to choose their own subjects, except for the compulsory ones. I enrolled in the middle of the term, right in the 3rd semester - the semester preparing for the new school year - so 100% of the subjects are self-study. Of course, I only chose the things I wanted!
"Let's see... morning: history of magic development, introduction to water magic. Afternoon: Water God Style swordsmanship..."
My future as a great magician can finally begin! I must do my best.
Clenching my hands into fists, I put a smile on my face and started to step outside.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of my door. Not the tall Ken. It was just some kid, taller than me, seemingly around 9 or 10 years old. He had slightly messy brown hair that seemed to want to cover his matching-colored eyes, and his face wore a bright, beaming smile. His outfit, though it looked expensive, was strangely sloppy; a few buttons weren't even done up.
"Hey, kid. You're up early."
He waved.
"Um... hello?" I was stunned for a moment, then immediately struck a noble's greeting pose. "Good morning, sir. My name is Atur Notos Greyrat, son of Lord Pilemon and a newly enrolled student. May I know your honorable name?"
The kid stood frozen for a few seconds, then put his hand on my shoulder and patted it vigorously.
"Haha! You act exactly like you came straight out of a textbook on how to be a noble!"
Well... I can't deny it. It's true I just quoted page 67 of the 'Basic Noble Etiquette' book verbatim, for the situation of meeting a stranger whose name you don't know. First, introduce yourself, then quickly ask for the other person's name, gently steering the conversation in a polite direction. It clearly stated an example of what to say, and I repeated it exactly, just changing the name.
"I'm Henry! Henry Whitebear!" my new friend Henry introduced himself. "Your big brother asked me to help you out during your first few days of school."
Big brother?
"Luke?"
My eyes suddenly lit up.
And then I was disappointed. Luke doesn't attend this school. It seems my brother will be taught separately with Princess Ariel by the best tutors available. What Luke had told this Henry fellow were words from over a year ago. When I asked about my brother's current situation, Henry just shook his head, helpless.
"The only way is to sneak into the princess's palace. But don't do it, you'll get your head chopped off."
"I don't intend to," I replied with a forced smile to Henry's sincere warning. "But thank you for the reminder."
Speaking of this guy's last name, Whitebear, he's the son of Lord Firun, whom I met at the birthday party not long ago, and also Veronica's older brother. I wonder if she studies here? Should I ask? Is this brother the type who would go, 'Aha, you're interested in my sister? I'll kill you'? Well, it's better not to mention it.
Then I suddenly thought about Luke making friends and even asking them to look after me, and a few tears welled up in my heart. Thank you, brother Luke. I vow to be your loyal servant in your quest to marry the princess and take over as the head of the family, replacing our old man.
"By the way, you've already chosen your classes on your first day?" Henry asked curiously as he walked beside me. He intended to show me around, but it ended up being him walking me to class.
"Ah, I can't waste anytime right? The sooner I started, the better I will be."
"So diligent? Most new kids just want to play," Henry tilted his head.
"Well, since my father paid for my education, I have to try my best."
Although I think my tuition fee is nothing compared to one of the Four Great Nobles, but whatever.
"Man, hearing you say that makes me think I should sign up for an elective class too..." Henry crossed his arms and pouted in thought for about a second, then patted my shoulder again with a wide grin. "Just kidding! It's the break semester, who'd be stupid enough to study!"
So, this guy is the 'fun-loving' type, huh? What's this, a combination of a studious type and a fun-loving type. All that's missing is a cheerful and gentle female lead, and we'd be an anime trio.
"Oi, Henry. What are you doing with that kid? It's the third semester, you should be going home, shouldn't you?"
And just as I thought it, the female lead appeared.
A girl with long blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes, clearly a noble. Oh right, this is a school for nobles.
"Good morning, Tristina!" Henry raised his hand in greeting. "You're not going home either?"
"My home is right here in the Royal Capital," the girl named Tristina replied.
"Then what are you doing here?"
"Studying, obviously," Tristina shrugged. "I don't want to go home anyway, so I'm using the winter semester to learn something... huh?"
Tristina seemed to have noticed me walking around her, checking her out. The reason? Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slightly disagreeable air. This appearance and personality remind me of someone I know.
Ah no, with a chest like this, she's still far behind...
"You pervert!"
"Ouch!"
And so, I got punched in the head. However, my Water God Style footwork saved me.
Well… she doesn't look 'gentle' at all huh?
"Oww!" I immediately jumped back two or three more steps just to be safe before bowing my head to apologize. "Lady Tristina, please forgive me! I just thought you looked like someone I know, so I was curious!"
Tristina didn't seem to expect me to act like that, so she glanced at Henry as if to ask, 'who is this guy'?
My brown-haired friend just shrugged.
Now, after the first class on the history of magic, as fate would have it, Tristina and I are in the same class. Henry snuck in too, so now the three of us are staying behind to talk (Henry put his arm around Tristina's shoulder, telling her to stay for fun).
"So, Luke isn't my eldest brother?" I asked Henry again, just to be sure.
"Right. There's another guy, but I don't like him, so I can't remember his name," Henry nodded.
So Pilemon had a child even before Luke? Ah... it's also possible that Luke and that eldest son were born just a few weeks apart. After all, from what I know, Luke's mother is not the first wife. And that eldest son was raised in the Royal Capital since birth, spoiled with the best of everything, so it's no wonder I never saw him in Milbotts. The servants also seemed to occasionally mention some 'young lord' in the royal capital, which made me think they were talking about Luke. Turns out there's another older brother.
Interesting. Does this mean my brother Luke was kicked out to be the princess's bodyguard just to clear the way for that eldest son to rise?
"Have you people run out of things to talk about?" Tristina protested, shrugging off Henry's arm. "I'm here to escape all that political family drama, and you two are discussing it right in my ear?"
This girl is truly the rude type. But for some reason, her posture and movements are strangely noble-like. In short, apart from her foul mouth when she's around us, everything else is exactly like a noble lady.
That's right. With other friends or professors, she's quite polite, even gentle.
I don't want to say this, but why do I feel like I'm being discriminated against? That hurts.
"My, my, Lady Purplehorse looks so cute when she's grumpy."
Ah, I know the reason. It's all because of this guy.
"If you call me that one more time, I'll break your arm."
But before he could say anything else, she really did twist Henry's arm.
"Ouch, ouch! It hurts, it hurts! Mercy, mercy!"
I heard a clear, dangerous cracking sound before Tristina let go. And yet, Henry wore a blissful, wide grin.
This guy is an M! Definitely!
"Anyway, you're from the Notos family? Luke's younger brother?" She now turned to me and asked.
"That's right." I nodded. "Atur Notos Greyrat, a pleasure to meet you."
"No wonder you look exactly like Luke." Tristina glanced up. It seemed she was trying to recall my brother's face.
"Oh, you know brother Luke, milady?"
Probably classmates?
"Yeah, we were in a few classes together." Bingo. "But the first time we talked was at Princess Ariel's birthday party," Tristina added.
"Ah, so it was that party." I nodded. "The party where my brother was offered up as a tribute."
"It is an honor to be able to serve the princess," Tristina's tone sharpened slightly. "You should be happy for your brother."
"Ah, right..."
What's this? Another die-hard fan of that princess? Why do I get the feeling Tristina is thinking, 'I should have been the one to serve the princess, not him'?
"Anyway, the next class is starting soon. I have to go to my class."
Tristina stood up. I nodded too; I had to go to my water magic class.
And yet, all three of us (Henry tagging along after Tristina) ended up in the same classroom. Talk about a small world, huh?
And when the afternoon class came, we were also in the same swordsmanship class. Maybe Tristina and I are on the same wavelength?
"It's because I've already mastered all the etiquette classes," Tristina explained. "So I just randomly picked the only three elective classes left."
"I see."
I nodded. Right, I shouldn't expect any 'we really click' moments.
"Randomly picked?" Henry suddenly spoke up with a grin. "I also randomly picked my classes and ended up in the same ones as you. We really do click, don't we, Lady Tristina?"
And for that, he got punched.
I'm not saying 'serves him right,' but... it really serves him right.
Henry, despite his swollen lip, still grinned and put his arm around my shoulder.
"Anyway, where should we eat tonight? The school cafeteria isn't open for dinner during the winter semester, so we have to eat out."
"Eh? I thought meals were provided all day?" I immediately spoke up.
"Usually, yes, but not during the winter," Henry shrugged. "Normally, anyone who stays behind and wants to eat will have their servant cook for them. The ingredients are all available."
Before I could say anything, Henry put his arms around both me and Tristina.
"Little brother Atur doesn't have a servant, right? Neither do I. You too, right, Tristina? Then let's go eat together!"
"No need." Tristina removed Henry's hand. "I can take care of myself."
Henry seemed a bit crestfallen, then he looked at me.
What is this? I don't have any money! And I have no intention of mooching off someone I just met less than a day ago. I'd rather go to the inn where Ken is staying and beg for some of his food.
But abandoning this guy now seems a bit pitiful. Look at that face, practically begging me not to leave him. Sigh...
Let's see...
"How about the three of us cook together?"
Actually, the kitchen I entered last time wasn't the family kitchen but the servants' kitchen, which explains the poor ingredients and weak equipment. Meanwhile, as I was told, the family kitchen is large and has more cooking equipment. And the royal students' kitchen is no exception; this place is not only large but also clean and has a pleasant, gentle aroma, as if someone just baked some pastries.
Regarding the culinary system, apart from basic animals like chicken, pork, and beef (though they don't look quite like the ones on Earth), most of the food here is different. Not entirely different, more like they have something roughly equivalent and use that.
For example, the small, soft, red fruit, about the size of a cherry, that I'm holding. They call it a 'jiz' fruit, usually used as a spice for aroma. Based on the smell, it's quite similar to cinnamon, so as someone who detests this smell, I put it aside.
"There aren't many ingredients, huh?" Tristina was the one who spoke up as she looked around.
"Oh, you come to the kitchen often, milady?"
"Occasionally," she replied curtly, showing no sign of wanting to explain further.
But I have to admit, the ingredients are quite scarce. I only see a few fresh fish hanging inside a glass box engraved with a magic circle. It seems to be a type of magic tool that helps keep food fresh. Interesting, I didn't expect to see a magic tool here. I'll have to 'borrow' it for research sometime.
And apart from those few hanging fish, the kitchen only has basic ingredients like flour, eggs, and a type of root vegetable that looks like a white onion. What can be made with these?
"Oh, there's beer!"
Henry seemed to be the most excited one here. He immediately poured himself some beer and chugged it down, even though I'm sure he's not old enough to drink alcohol. Wait, this is another world. Is there even a legal drinking age here?
"Don't mistake the oil jug for it," Tristina warned.
"Of course not!" Henry took another gulp.
She pointed to two wooden jugs that looked almost identical, except one was labeled 'beer' and the other 'oil.' It's true that a drunk person might not notice and could really drink the oil.
The thought of that scene made my throat feel queasy.
But wait a minute.
"We can use any ingredients here in any quantity we want, right?" I asked.
"Yeah," Tristina replied, still glaring at Henry. "As long as you don't waste it."
"In that case, I know what I need to cook."
What do you all think is the pinnacle of modern food processing?
Grilling? It's too simple, too dry.
Stewing? It's good, but it takes too much time.
Steaming? It's light, healthy, but not very popular in mass culture.
So, what are we left with?
Fried food - the most consumed type of food preparation in the 21st century.
Not just because it's tasty, but because it's *extremely* tasty! It's no coincidence that KFC and McDonald's pop up everywhere.
So, have you ever wondered why fried food became so famous in the mid-20th and 21st centuries? Why wasn't it as popular in the past?
Because an evolved form of frying had appeared.
That is Deep-Frying.
Before the industrial revolution, oil and fat were luxuries packed with calories. Laborers craved it like cars crave gasoline. However, as technology developed, that ingredient became cheaper and more common, leading to the fast-food culture dominated by fried items.
And at my current time and place, as a royal student, taking a little oil won't hurt anyone, hahaha!
"What are you doing with so much oil?" Tristina tilted her head and asked.
"You're not planning to drink it, are you?" Henry also tilted his head, following Tristina.
"Not drinking it, but I'm going to make something extremely cool," I declared boldly, placing the pot on the fire to heat the oil.
Now, back to preparing the main dish. I took two fish from the preservation box, placed them on the cutting board, and used my 'supreme' knife skills, unused for five years, to fillet them.
"Man, your cutting is hideous," Henry muttered.
"Alright, let me," Tristina spoke up.
She immediately stepped up, took my place, and expertly separated the fish meat from the bones with the knife. So much so that my jaw dropped.
"There, it's done."
Finished, she took a step back, giving me my spot back.
Wow, wow. Those knife skills didn't just fall from the sky. A genius? In this case, I think it's due to practice. I must recruit her to serve... ah, I mean, to assist in my cooking endeavors.
"Thank you mil' lady."
I smiled brightly in thanks and returned to work. Next, I took out the flour and eggs.
At this step, anyone from Earth would probably know what I'm planning to make.
That's right, it's river fish Tempura, an extremely luxurious dish in this world because of the amount of oil required to prepare it.
The remaining preparation is simple. I just need to make the batter mixture of flour and eggs with cold water (I used water magic). And to increase the crispiness, I also added a little beer.
The sizzling sound of frying, the smell of hot oil, made three hungry mouths start to drool.
Before long, the food was done. Three plates of other-worldly tempura were complete!
"Why is it so dark?" Tristina glared at the plate of food, then glanced at me sitting next to her.
"Is it edible? It looks weird, even though it smells amazing." Henry was also drooling but didn't dare touch his fork.
"It's fine, it's fine! It's edible! Guaranteed!"
Although the color wasn't the usual golden-brown because the flour here is black, I think the taste shouldn't be too bad.
Probably.
Actually, the color wasn't what I was worried about. The thing that annoyed me the most was the dipping sauce. Since there was no soy sauce, ketchup, or anything, I could only use salt for dipping. Well, it'll have to do.
"If you're hesitant, let me eat first."
So, I used my fork to pick up a piece and put it in my mouth.
The first thing I felt was the heat of a freshly fried dish, the crackling crispiness. Of course, it was nothing compared to the perfectly made tempura on Earth, but it had a certain crispness. And most importantly... the fish meat inside was still wonderfully moist, even though it had a faint fishy smell of raw fish.
Aaaaaah... this is the taste of home.
Seeing me like that, Henry also dipped a piece in salt and ate it. He was immediately startled by the heat but also nodded vigorously, praising how delicious it was.
Tristina was no exception. Although she seemed a little worried about this 'Milbotts specialty,' she also tried it. I swear I saw the blonde girl's eyes light up for a second.
After that, she didn't say anything and just continued eating.
Ah, besides the fish, I also used some vegetables to dip in the batter and fry, along with some bread I baked myself.
In general, although simple, it was a nutritious meal.
I give this meal 5 points for the lack of dipping sauce and the not-yet-perfect flavor. But plus 6 more points for effort, that's 11/10. Fantastic!
And on my first day of school, I created something called 'Fish-Diving-in-Boiling-Oil' - an expensive snack for the nobility.