Chapter 212

Bonbon’s Bon
In the first year, all classes start with basic lessons. However, most noble sons and daughters have already learned these basics from private tutors, so they may be exempt from certain classes based on their results and can attend school at their discretion. Of course, they may also attend the classes as review if they wish.

Whether one is exempt or not is determined by the academic test held during the three days following the entrance ceremony. That test concluded yesterday, and today was the results announcement. The whole class waited in anticipation for Miss Lallanoa to arrive.

“Hey Joan, what’ll you do if you get exempted?”

“Hmm, I think I wanna go to the guild.”

“Thought so~! Let’s go together then.”

“Of course! Let’s go, let’s go!”

While she and Belle were getting excited, the boys in the seats in front of them turned around. If she remembered right, one of them was a rich boy from some viscount family, and the other was a commoner from the same territory. The second one looked like the rich boy’s sidekick.

“You guys mean the Adventurers’ Guild?”

The rich boy asked, and Joan replied:

“Yeah, that’s right. Why?”

“You, a noble lady, going to the guild?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Why?”

“Bet you’re just a G-Ranker.”

“Nope, not quite. Why?”

“Hah? Then what rank are you?”

“Hah? Why should I tell you? If you wanna know, you tell me yours first.”

“Me? Prepare to be amazed—I'm an F-Ranker! Right from registration! And not just anywhere—at the royal capital’s guild! The capital’s guild!”

Joan, Belle, and Zack all widened their eyes in disbelief.

The three of them whispered among themselves.

“You’re kidding, right? How can he look so smug about that?”

“Joan, and he said capital guild, too.”

“Does he not know? The reality of the capital guild?”

“Isn’t it common knowledge? That you can buy your rank if you’ve got the gold?”

“Exactly. His parents probably bought it just to give him some fake prestige.”

“Totally believable~”

“Hey!! Lord Bon’s talking! Don’t ignore him! What are you whispering about!?”

“Don’t mind them, Kosshi. They’re just shocked by my greatness.”

As the sidekick flared up, the rich boy—Bonbon—calmed him.

Ah, so this is Bonbon’s Bon, and the sidekick’s Kosshi, huh.

Wait, Kosshi… oh, like that blue kids’ chair that’s popular. So that’s why his shirt under the blazer is blue?

Yeah, makes sense. Nice, Kosshi.

Pffft…

As Joan was silently applauding Kosshi in her mind, a sound of someone stifling a laugh came from behind. Turning around, she saw a boy with short brown hair and dark brown eyes—probably from the capital.

The boy quickly looked down, awkwardly, and the boy beside him nudged him with an elbow.

“Hey! You! You laughin’ at me?!”

“Eh? No, I wasn’t—!”

“Lord Bon! He laughed, no doubt about it!”

Kosshi pointed at the boy behind them.

Geez, how noisy.

And seriously, Bonbon’s spit looks like it’s about to fly over here…

“Umm, the boy in the back wasn’t laughing, you know? He was just coughing earlier and trying to hold it back so as not to interrupt your story, which is what made that sound—”

“Huh!? You defending a commoner?”

“Why not? This is the academy, where we’re all equal regardless of status, right?”

“Even so, I’m from a count’s house!!”

“Yes, so it seems…”

Wait a minute. This guy was at the entrance ceremony, right? He introduced himself, didn’t he?

And I introduced myself too. I even gave the student representative speech.

And the rank of a marquess is above that of a count, isn’t it? Or am I wrong?

Feeling uncertain about her own understanding, she looked around. Everyone but Bon and Kosshi were covering their mouths, holding back laughter. The other count kids were shaking their heads.

Ah, looks like I wasn’t mistaken after all.

What should I do…?

I’ve got plenty I’d like to say—about both status and guild ranks.

Feeling a stare, Joan turned to see Cathy, Samantha, and Rebecca watching her. Their mouths moved soundlessly.

(S・A・Y・・・I・T.)

Samantha was even gesturing emphatically with her hands.

You want me to go for it!?

Seriously? Am I being encouraged to start a verbal showdown?

Belle and Zack also noticed Cathy and the others, and nodded encouragingly.

“Haaah…”

“What’s that sigh for? Are you sighing at Lord Bon!?”

“Not particularly. I wasn’t sighing at the count’s son, you know?”

“Then what the hell—”

“C’mon, Kosshi, don’t get so worked up. Even if her family’s below ours, being kind to ladies is my motto.”

“As expected of you, Lord Bon.”

“Um, being kind to women is nice and all, but like I said earlier, things like ‘commoner’ or ‘count’ don’t really matter in the academy, you know?”

“That may be true within the academy, but the guy behind you showed disrespect to me, a count’s son!”

Ugh, this isn’t getting through at all.

“Then let me ask you—do you refrain from being rude to those above your status, even within the academy?”

“Of course. That’s common sense for any noble. You seriously didn’t know that?”

“Then in this class, who would you say ranks above you?”

“In this class? Only Young lady Catherine. Everyone else knows that. We all introduced ourselves, didn’t we?”

Bon looked around for confirmation. But except for Kosshi, nobody met his gaze. Other count heirs shook their heads silently.

“Ohhh, so you did hear our introductions at the entrance ceremony. And based on that, you say Cathy’s the only one above you?”

“You brat, how dare you call Young lady Catherine Cathy!”

“But she gave me permission. Right?”

Everyone turned toward Catherine in shock at Joan’s casual “Cathy.” Embarrassed and happy, Catherine covered her blushing face with her hands but nodded repeatedly in response.

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