112 – events are always simultaneous(2)

People evaluate the freshmen who entered Estelia Academia this year as the golden generation.

Coming to such a conclusion for newcomers who have just entered school seems like a fluttering sensation common to pompous people, but this was not the evaluation of ignorant people who like to open their mouths at parties, but it was a common thought among many people in the empire.

Starting with the heirs of the imperial family, the heirs of the major noble families of the empire entered as freshmen for a reason, but there is a reason why a prestigious family is called a prestigious family. They were the ones whose talents matched the weight of the name they bore, and they were undoubtedly the protagonists of the next generation.

The basis for evaluation does not have to be based on your performance within the academy. Already, they were a group of geniuses who made the empire noisy even before they entered school. The mere fact that such children entered the academy shows that this generation is not lacking in being called golden.

And now sitting in front of Richard’s eyes are the geniuses who made the current generation called golden.

Including Damian Kraus, who brought him here, Reinhard Kromel of the Duke of Kromel, and Orcus Estelia, the next emperor, there are only those who are evaluated as the best talent ever in each field.

To be honest, I feel bewildered when these people suddenly gather in front of me.

Of course, Richard Ertuwen was also one of the geniuses who called the current generation golden, but that didn’t mean he was friendly with them. If there is one, it’s about Damien..? We’ve never talked to each other that much, so it’s just awkward in this situation where we’re all together.

But that awkwardness soon disappeared.

“Hey, stop moving. Are you taking out the bottom?”

“Uh heh. Where do you catch a live person with pointless faults. Do you have any proof?”

“Because your magic is leaking from your cards? If you want to cheat a little, hit it properly.”

“You freak. You notice this.”

The awkward air current between them quickly flew away as soon as the game started. Instead, Damian and Orcus’ casual conversation seemed to distract Richard.

The difference between the status of the two, the royal family and the nobility, was also different, but it was because the sense of difference between the image of the two people that Richard had usually thought of and the image he was showing in front of his eyes was huge.

Since it was an image created solely based on rumors, it is natural that there is a difference from reality, but even so, the image Orcus is showing now is very unconventional. I didn’t expect curses to come out so easily from the mouth of someone who would become the noblest person in the empire.

So was Damian.

The man I saw in the north the day before had an atmosphere that I couldn’t believe he was the same person as he is now. At that time, when we talked at the gymnasium, he felt like a nobleman in a story that was hard to touch. When we reunited again this morning, it was also less than before, but the feeling was still there.

It’s no wonder that Richard feels embarrassed when such a person suddenly shows up like this in less than a day.

‘It wasn’t just a word.’

Richard remembered what Damian had said that morning.

The one who wanted to be friends.

Nobility was originally a ceremonial language, so Richard took Damian’s words as such. There was never any particular friction with Damian, but between him and Richard there was the subject of Elena.

Now that a year has passed, Richard has finished organizing his mind, but Damian doesn’t know what to think of it, so naturally his thinking has no choice but to be directed in this direction. She couldn’t have imagined that she would talk like that to a man who liked her lover.

“Richard. It’s your turn.”

“Ah oh.”

Damian held out his card and spoke to Richard. It seems that the war of nerves with Orcus has finally come to an end. Judging by the liveliness on Orcus’ face, it seemed that Damian had taken the Joker. Damian said to Richard with a spleen-looking face.

“Choose carefully, because you never know which one might be the Joker.”

“…Leave it to chance.’

Richard smiled at Damian’s words and drew a card. Choose carefully, but it’s all down to luck. Rather, it was judged that it would be more beneficial for Damian to draw a card quickly before playing with his hand.

And the picture drawn on the drawn card is a clown riding on a ball. it was the joker

“this…”

“hahahaha. You should have chosen carefully.”

Seeing Damian laughing at the subject he handed over, it was Richard who felt disgusted.

But at the same time as he thought about it, the corner of Richard’s mouth also went up.

Damian’s face doesn’t show any malice. All that is revealed is pure goodwill. That fact quickly calmed the confused Richard.

You don’t have to think about what happened in the past. Everyone here was only thinking about playing the game, and Richard decided to do the same. Then just enjoy.

Richard faced Reinhardt, who was about to take his card. At first glance, the eyes were emotionless, but you could tell that the faint emotion in those dark blue eyes was joy. Seeing those feelings, Richard seemed to be able to deal with Reinhardt more comfortably than before.

This must have been the same for Reinhardt as well. He, who had been sticking to only one expression like a stone statue, slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

“Five.”

Taking the card from Richard, Reinhardt discarded the card in his hand with a brief exclamation.

The Joker was still in Richard’s hands.

Damn it.

***

“Ahhh…”

Returning to his room, Richard stretched out and relaxed his stiff body. Even if it floated high in the sky, it has long since gone under the ground. It was only natural that my body was so stiff as I sat in my seat and continued to play the game, unaware of the passage of time.

“It was fun.”

No one was listening, but Richard said that, remembering what had happened just a moment ago.

I think I’ve played all the games that can be played with trump cards. There were some I knew the original rules, and there were also games I was playing for the first time this time. I’ve never been interested in card games before, but I have to say it felt a little different today. Unlike before, I was able to feel the pleasure while playing the game.

Richard was unaware that the cause of this feeling was none other than the new friends he had made this time. The card was just a link, but it was an emotion that came from enjoying themselves together.

Originally, Richard never intended to run into Damian and Elena at the academy. Even if he were to be in the same place, he was thinking of avoiding his side. Richard himself had finished organizing his mind, but his presence could have made the two uncomfortable.

They never confessed, but since they’ve been showing off like that, there’s no way the two of them didn’t know what Richard was thinking at one time. At least Richard thought so. That day in the North, he even showed Damian that way, so he was almost certain of this.

The room was dark, but Richard didn’t turn on the light. Instead, I went to the window and stood under the stars that lit up the night sky. The countless twinkling stars did not light up the room, but they were enough to brighten his vision.

“I was worrying for nothing. I.”

Same department as Elena, next door to Damian. I made up my mind to stay far away, but as a joke of fate, I ended up being very close to the two of them. But even so, as you can see from what happened today, none of the things he worried about happened.

Unlike a year ago, Elena approached and greeted him normally, and Damian and he became friends.

He repeatedly said that he had finished organizing his mind, but seeing the two of them facing each other casually, he realized that he was still in the past. who was worried about who His face burns at the fact that he was pretending to act for himself as something for the sake of the two of them.

The wind coming in through the open window cools my head.

I feel very refreshed, probably because the passing wind has blown away even the thoughts in my head. Let’s fill that sparkling night sky instead of empty heads. I don’t hate that sky, which is brighter than the sky I looked up at from the north a year ago.

Richard spoke softly towards the wind.

“Thank you for comforting me.”

A leaf rustling in the wind came slowly into the room at Richard’s words.

At this, Richard laughed and closed the window.