Chapter 30: Not all popularity is good

The Dragonheart Academy is an academy with a history that spans for 200 years.

The Kingdom of Regalus values people of great talent and this particular academy aims to nurture the talents of the kingdom.

The Academy grounds also covers a lot of space in the Capital City. With the number of training grounds, it has and the three separate classes it offers for the three different paths the youths could take is something that speaks for how large the area of the academy itself.

From what Colt knows, there’s also a colosseum where the famed Scarlet Festival is held. This place was only mentioned to give a background for the villain of the story like Mina and Vyra.

And as he stood there, in the middle of the road trying to process his emotions, Colt was receiving a lot of attention.

And he could enter now and avoid those gazes but Colt was waiting for someone he cannot hope to ignore. So he was stuck to wait there for some time.

“Who’s that? How come I haven’t seen him before? And…that cat why does it have a bowtie?”

Such is the question of the people around Colt especially the women of both high and low birth.

The good attention was mostly for the females and as Colt stood there with his straight body, his posture and the way he carried himself spoke volume of who he was.

He was of high birth and the female nobles who found his visage and way of carrying himself truly magnificent. In normal cases, Colt would have appeared unapproachable as he seems to be no ordinary man or even no ordinary noble.

But as the round white cat on his shoulders yawned and rubbed its eyes all adorable-like.

‘So, this is the academy…it’s rather lackluster that what I had imagined.’

Colt was still standing at the golden gate of the academy. The gates were as high as a two-story building and the golden round bars it had were beautifully glistening with the sun. There were guards wearing golden armors by the two pillars of the walls surrounding the academy and they seemed powerful, yes, but all of that didn’t seem all that grandiose for Colt.

‘I’ve been to better theme parks.’ He was a man of the modern era. He had been to many theme parks and had played with VR. The world inside the VR was beautifully crafted and its designs were much more eye-catching than the one in front of him.

Inside, he reckoned there would statues of people who achieved the highest form of achievement one can get and the teachers would then use that fact to encourage the students.

“I just wish there is not much drama to have. I’ve read the story; I don’t want to deal with most of these nobles.” Colt whispered to himself.

The first four volumes tackle the kingdom so he was pretty sure that many of these nobles are scums and have too much pride on their balls. He also knows who’s the most rotten of them all, and he also knows who did what.

Many in the novel were spared for having their scandals thrown underneath a bigger issue, but if anything pops up, Colt can destroy almost anyone’s life here if he picks his cards right.

Many of their families have done a lot of good things and these good things are what keep Colt’s gun loaded.  

But he got to say, these guys are as annoying as they are petty. Just him standing there attracting the attention of women already attracted a lot of bad eyes from the men whose face now resembled a grumpy old man.

“Meoww…”

“I know, they’re petty and annoying, don’t mind them.”

Even the cat was annoyed and had to say something to Colt. It even sighed as it looked around the men. No one saw it but its eyes were full of disdain and are snorting at these men.

“Excuse me, but may I know your name?”

While Colt’s mind was preoccupied with the thought of having to spend his time in this academy for some time, a lady with scarlet hair and had a smile on her face.

Those around Colt saw this and immediately began to whisper amongst themselves. It didn’t matter if Colt wanted to listen or not, but as their voices echoed together, Colt managed to hear them loud and clear.

And they were talking about one thing anyway, the name of the woman who approached Colt.

‘Millia…!! That doesn’t ring a bell.’

Colt looked at Millia. She was beautiful and had a dignified expression on her countenance; he do not know who she was nor does he know what nobility she comes from if she was someone from a high position, but considering the number of whispers she is getting, Colt decided to play it safe and acted courteous and respectful as he attempted to slid away from trouble.

‘I can feel the glares of the guys.’ Colt doesn’t want any jealous driven plot that will lead to a duel and he will get injured. That kind of thing may spread his name but it might cause untold consequences that is too bothersome to face so, Colt would love to avoid any of that.

Placing his right hand on his chest, Colt introduced himself with a cool and respectable grace.

“My name is Colt and my surname is Edgeworth, and may I inquire if your name is Young Miss Millia of the Horias Family?”

“Oh? Young Master Colt is from the Edgeworth Family? Two of the noblest of the noble families, I can see that Young Master Colt’s aura is something you inherited from the great Vice General Count Shickly.”

Milia sung praises to the Edgeworths giving Colt time to reevaluate the worth of the woman before him. For her to respect the Edgeworths means that she should be someone above the rank of a Count.

Either that or she just genuinely respects Count Shickly.

Almost every Count in this Kingdom hates Shickly because they cannot move up in power because if they do so, they will be seen as greedy bastards.

The Marquis’ hates are directed at Marquis Liroy.

It was weird how the hate was oddly given equally to the right sides, but it may be worse and he just doesn’t know it. At this moment he didn’t really care because what Colt wants to do is just end this conversation and silently wait for someone.

“I do not think that is the case if ever, the one who inherited that aura was my little sister Risa. I am just someone forgettable.” The translation, ‘Get the fuck away, I won’t have power in the future, everything belongs to Risa so flock to her when she comes here.’

However, Millia didn’t even get to read between the lines and simply laughed at his words.

“Hoho, it would seem that Young Master Colt likes to joke. I have trust in my eyes, and I can tell that your bearing is comparable to that of a great warrior.”

“Haha, Young Miss Millia you jest, I am considered as a wastrel, something like that is impossible for me.” Colt was not mincing his words now and was full on degrading himself.

But Millia seems to have too much of a thick skin as she continued to converse with Colt, “You are too humble, Young Master Colt.”

As of this moment, Colt didn’t know what to say. He was tongue-tied and the one before her was expecting him to make a follow-up. The only problem is that he has no idea what to say.

Millia’s eyes were expecting him to say something, he didn’t know if she wants him to sing praises about her or anything else.

‘What do you want me to say? You’re the one who approached me, lady! I didn’t want to talk to anybody!’

Colt was having a headache and just before things could enter the realm of awkwardness, someone came to his rescue…

“Nyaaaa.”

“Hoooh, that’s a very cute cat.”

Colt looked at the fat cat and gave him a look of appreciation and the cat raised a paw to tell him that it knows.

“Aw, she’s so cute. Wait, is it a he or a she?”

Millia asked something very trivial but to the nearby female students, many went to lean forward as they tried to learn the gender of the cat.

And as Colt gave a soft chortle, he gently rubbed the fat cat’s head and it purred as if to show it was enjoying it.

Colt noticed this a gave it a light tapped it to let it know that, it was showing too much affection.

A few moments later, he answered.

“Neither, I call him he, I call him she; he’s androgynous so you can refer to him as you wish.”

Then as Colt said those words and acted out the image of a gentle image, his troubles increased.

“Um, may I know what his name is? I am really interested in knowing.”

“Me too…”

“I as well.”

One after the other, women flocked around Colt.

He did not know if it was because of his family name or because of his handsomeness, but he was swarmed with women, he began to grow restless.

He wished to push them and then run away but he can’t do that as it will affect his name, so he was left to handle the swarm of females and the death stares of the many men.

He was already in too much stress dealing with the women he did not even know but as time always move forward, trouble also moves…

“My Dear?”

A sweet voice sounded filling the air, everyone turned and saw a beautiful woman with a glowing radiance as if she was an angel.

Her pink hair was perfectly formed into a crown of braids going around her head. She had a smile that resembled that of an angel.

It was Mina Vera, the only daughter of the Marquis Liron Vera and one of the most decorated students of the Mage Class.

She wore the uniform of the academy like any other else but her beauty carried it to the next level.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Her steps echoed as she approached Colt. As if it was the red sea, the crowd parted and before long, she was already before Colt.

She smiled at him and questioned…

“Did you wait for long, my dear?”

Her voice was sweet but Colt could feel it, the hidden dagger behind her tone.

The cat saw this and touched Colt’s back as if to say, ‘Good luck.’

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