The Special Dining Hall and Research Clubs

The conversation was lively, but we had arrived at the ducal residence, so we brought it to a close for the time being and went inside.

Although Stephan and Martine's arrival had been so sudden, the staff had apparently prepared everything while we waited in the carriage for a few minutes. As expected, the ducal family's servants were incredibly capable.

We entered the most lavish reception room in the residence. Tea was brought in, and the servants and guards withdrew, leaving only the four of us in the room.

"So, to get back to what we were saying, would it be all right if we invited them to lunch and occasionally ate together?"

Stephan-sama broached the subject.

"If it means I can have lunch with Leon and Lucien, I'll put up with eating with the others."

"Then let's have lunch together occasionally. We can invite the sons and daughters of nobles to the royal family's special dining hall as a way of deepening our interactions with them."

So what happens to me? Can I enter the royal family's special dining hall too, even though I'm a commoner?

"Stephan, I'm a commoner, but can I enter the royal family's special dining hall? For that matter, can commoners even be invited?"

"Ah, since you're under the ducal family's patronage, it should be fine if we invite you along with Lucien. Besides, the family renting a special dining hall gets to decide whom to admit. Since we're royalty, we just have to be a little considerate."

I see. If that's the case, then I should be able to enter too. It would have been a little lonely if I were the only one left out, so that was a relief.

"I see. I'm glad I'll be able to enter."

"You don't need to worry about that. To summarize, the royal family and the ducal family will rent separate special dining halls, and Leon will usually eat in the ducal family's special dining hall. The royal family will invite the sons and daughters of high-ranking nobles to lunch, so we can occasionally have lunch together that way. Is that all right?"

"Yeah. I think that sounds good."

"I don't see a problem either."

"Yes, I have no objection either."

"Then it's decided. Once we return, let's prepare to issue a notice."

Wow, major things get decided just from casually talking like this. As expected of royalty.

Our conversation had reached a stopping point, so we drank tea and spent some time relaxing. We had been talking nonstop until then, so our throats were dry.

All right, so that was the end of the lunch discussion for now, right? I wanted to ask about research clubs. Would it be all right to talk about that now?

"So, the lunch discussion is over for now, right? I wanted to ask everyone something. Can I bring it up now?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"I wanted to ask about research clubs. The explanation was so brief that I didn't really understand them. Do you all know more about them?"

My impression so far was that they were something like university clubs, but was that really what they were like?

Lucien answered my question.

"Research clubs are groups of students who help the teachers with their research. Teachers at the Royal Academy are also researchers in their respective fields. It seems they began when students particularly interested in a field started gathering in a teacher's room. Now they're called research clubs and apparently have their own building."

That wasn't quite what I had imagined. They were less like university clubs and more like university seminars. They were research groups led by teachers.

"I think I have a general idea now. We can join with a teacher's permission, right? Are you all planning to join a research club?"

"No, only some students belong to research clubs, so I hadn't even considered it. Do you want to join one, Leon?"

"Yeah. I'm interested. The one I'm most interested in is the Magic Item Research Club."

I was curious about what kind of research they conducted! Were they developing new magic items, or improving existing ones?

The magic items in this world were incredibly inconvenient because they didn't have switches. If that could be improved, magic items would become much more useful. I wanted to work on that in the research club.

I had been forbidden from developing new magic items, but improving existing ones should be okay, shouldn't it? They probably wouldn't make me register those, either.

Besides, if I just avoided revealing all my attributes, a magic item I could make with my healing attribute should be fine!

"I see... If Leon is joining, then I'll join too."

"Huh? Is that okay? If it would be inconvenient for us to leave at different times, I can walk home."

The Townsend ducal residence was less than a thirty-minute walk even at a leisurely pace. It wouldn't be a hardship at all, and it would be good exercise.

"No, that's not what I mean. It's just that being near you sounds interesting."

What kind of reason was that? Did Lucien think I was some kind of bizarre person?

"Then I'll join the Magic Item Research Club too."

"I'll join as well."

What!? Could they really decide that so easily?

"You don't have to accommodate me, you know?"

"I'm not doing it to accommodate you. You've developed a lot of magic items, haven't you? I've been curious about the development process."

"That's right. Being around Leon would teach me so much."

Was this... something I should be happy about? Well, if I could join with everyone, it sounded fun, so I supposed it was fine.

But the teacher and upperclassmen were going to be shocked... The duke's eldest son, the First Prince, and the First Princess would suddenly be showing up.

I'm sorry... teacher and upperclassmen.

I apologized in advance to people I hadn't even met yet. Somehow, things had become a big deal because of me.

"Then shall we all join the Magic Item Research Club together? How do we join?"

"The sooner we join, the better. Let's all meet tomorrow after school and go to the teacher in charge of magic items."

"In that case, shall we come pick Leon up again?"

No, please don't!!

"Martine, that would attract far too much attention. Could we meet in the entrance hall on the first floor instead?"

"Well, that works too."

"Then let's meet in the entrance hall after school tomorrow."

Stephan summed things up that way, and our conversation ended. Tomorrow was going to be another difficult day...

First tomorrow, everyone would probably stare at me the moment I entered the classroom. Then I'd have to explain everything to Ronnie, and I had no idea how Salim would treat me. The more I thought about it, the more depressing it became.

No! Think about something fun!

I was looking forward to having classes again for the first time in a while, and I was curious to see what the research club was like. I was looking forward to it. Yes, I was!

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

"Yes. Meeting you has made me look forward to it even more. I don't think I'll ever be bored when I'm with you, Leon. It would have been even better if we were in the same class."

"I agree. I almost wish we could put Leon in our class even now."

Please, anything but that! There was no way I could be the only commoner in a class for high-ranking nobles!

Besides, was that even possible? Could royalty do that by its own authority?

"That would be impossible, right...?"

"Well, surely that wouldn't be possible. If it were, we would have done it already."

Thank goodness it wasn't possible... Crisis averted!

"I've gotten used to my current class, so I'm fine staying where I am."

"Have you? But didn't you get into an argument on the very first day?"

Lucien had brought up something he shouldn't have. I'd told him to forget that!

Lucien's face had taken on an amused expression. How mean of him!

"It's true that, judging by what happened today, I wouldn't say you've gotten used to your class..."

Stephan said that with a slight laugh. I'd told them all to forget it!

"It's fine! That was just a little misunderstanding, so... I'm sure we'll be friends by tomorrow!"

At least on the surface, we should be able to patch things up. Now that Salim knew I had the Townsend ducal family's backing, he probably wouldn't openly do or say anything to me.

As long as Salim wasn't an idiot... He wasn't an idiot, right? I was starting to feel uneasy.

"Well, if you say so."

"Yeah. It'll be fine. Besides, I made a friend too."

"Really? Then introduce them to us during a joint class sometime."

Introducing him... If I introduced Ronnie, he might pass out from nervousness. Maybe he'd be okay once he got a little more used to things?

"His name is Ronnie, but he was extremely nervous today, so maybe it would be better to wait until he's gotten a little more used to things."

"Then introduce him whenever you think the time is right."

"Okay."

"Please introduce him to me too."

"I'd like you to introduce him to me as well."

"Of course."

Sorry, Ronnie. It looks like I'll be introducing you to all three of them. I apologized profusely to Ronnie in my head.

"Martine, it's getting late. Shall we head home?"

"Is it already that late? You're right. Time flies when you're having fun."

I looked at the clock too and saw that quite a bit of time had passed. We left the reception room and made our way to the entrance hall.

"See you tomorrow."

"We'll see you again tomorrow."

With that, Stephan and Martine walked toward the royal carriage.

"Yes. Please have a safe trip home."

"I'd be happy if we could see each other again tomorrow."

We said goodbye too and saw them off. Still, what a long day it had been.

Yaaawn... I was exhausted. Just as I yawned and was about to head back to the residence, I suddenly remembered something. Come to think of it, there was something I'd forgotten to ask about. I'd completely forgotten amid everything that had happened, but now that I'd remembered, it was really bothering me. It might have been completely trivial, but I wanted to know.

I stopped Lucien, who had started walking back to the residence, and asked in a quiet voice.

"Lucien, what are the desks and chairs like in the Class A classroom?"

"Desks and chairs? Why are you asking about that?"

"I was wondering whether they were different from class to class."

"Come to think of it... You're right. The ones in your classroom were different from those in mine."

"They are?"

"Yes. Mine were about a size larger and had cushions on both the seat and backrest. Your chair didn't have any, did it? The decorations were more elaborate too."

Just as I thought... Even though they say there are no differences in status, there definitely are. Well, they did say that was only a pretense. Besides, the classes are divided according to social status in the first place. If things were truly equal, they'd assign classes without regard for status.

This was probably the norm at the Royal Academy, so I'd just have to get used to it.

"Thanks for telling me, Lucien."

"Oh, was that what you wanted to know?"

"Yeah."

"Well, all right, then..."

Lucien looked puzzled. It was proof that he didn't find the differences in facilities based on social status strange at all. This was normal in this world.

"I'm tired, so shall we go back to the residence?"

"Yeah."

Hmm... I really was tired, so I'd better go to bed early tonight. Things were going to be difficult again starting tomorrow.