First of All, Let's Hide My Younger Brother

“I heard that she applied for the knight class, but didn’t [Schuette] belong to that second-year student, Franz?”

“No, I heard that she took down the blood demon that appeared at the Burke station with [Schuette].”

“Seeing that she has [Schuette] and that she came to Kratier instead, it seems like she will be succeeding the Vesta family.”

In no time, the incident of the blood demon attack at Burke station spread quickly, and I already became a celebrity in the academy. 

I was assigned a room on the 3rd floor of the girls’ dormitory and was guided by a female student.

Inside the room, my luggage had already been piled up as I was the last one to arrive, and there was another girl living there besides me.

The person who shares the same room with me is a girl with brown hair and brown eyes and is already wearing a chemise.

“Philia, she will be your new roommate. Please inform her about the cafeteria and the location of the bathroom. You’ll have to stick together until class tomorrow.”

“Alright, senior.”

When the female student left, I looked around the room where I will be staying.

The room was not very spacious, there was a bunk bed, 2 cream-colored desks, one nicely decorated light stand and a large wardrobe attached to the wall.

Perhaps the light stand is shared, and the wardrobe has an even number of drawers, so the two of us could share it.

My roommate, a brunette girl, had taken over the first bunk bed, so I figure I’ll occupy the second floor.

I rummaged through my bag to change my clothes and started organizing my luggage.

I was about to quickly take out my chemise and wash in the bathroom, but the girl approached me hesitantly.

“Are you lady Kayla Vesta?”

“Yes? Ahh……”

I gently lifted the hem of my skirt and greeted her as my etiquette teacher had taught me.

I was taught to greet people like this wherever I go……

Am I doing this right?

“Nice to meet you. I am Kayla, the eldest daughter of the Vesta family. And you are?”

At my greeting, the girl scrambled and hurriedly lifted her chemise with her hand.

“Philia Kauritz. I’m not a noble. So, please drop the formalities and rest assured, lady Kayla.”

Philia said she’s sixteen, a year younger than me, and she’s had her coming-of-age ceremony this year.

“If you want me to drop formalities, then you’ll have to do the same. So, what grade are you in now?”

“I’m in… 3rd grade.”

“Then we’re in the same grade. Let’s be friends, friends!”

If I had entered based on my age group, I would have been in my fourth year, but I transferred in the middle of the school year, so I entered as a third-year student.

There are about 4 years left until I reach 7th grade.

However, I don’t have the desire to stay for 4 whole years.

Coincidentally, Kratier Academy had a good system called skipping classes.

If you have good grades during the semester and a high score on the promotion test, you could skip a class.

“I’ve never heard someone speak to me in a friendly way like lady Kayla does.”

Philia stated her face blushing.

“No matter how equal the admission is and that there is no class restriction, we cannot just ignore our social class in the end.”

In Kratier Academy, once a person gets admitted, both commoners and nobles do not have to follow their social status as they do outside.

Everyone is the same and everyone is equal here.

“That’s only on the surface. Once you leave the academy, you go back to the social hierarchy.”

In my previous life, the world I used to live in was a society where there’s no social hierarchy and everyone was equal.

Of course, it was a world with significant social disparities, but legally there was no discrimination based on social status.

This is why I quite liked Kratier’s principles of maintaining equality, even if it’s only superficial.

“A commoner is no different from a nobleman without a title. Now let it go, Philia.”

When I grinned and reached out my hand, Philia shyly smiled and took my hand.

“I was a little surprised when the told me that the lady is coming to my room. I was nervous.”

“What are you nervous about?”

“Um it’s because I tend to hide my status.”

Is there more to it? Philia, however,  stayed silent and helped me unpack my things.

“The food here at the cafeteria is really good. I don’t know about anyone else, but I like it.”

“Woah, I’m looking forward to it.”

I said as I put my clothes from the trunk into the drawer.

Then Philia made a surprised expression. 

“No, it might not be that good for lady Kayla. You must be used to eating food made by a professional chef in a mansion.”

Oh, I see.

“I’m not particularly picky about food. It’s okay.”

“Really? That’s good. Actually, besides the restaurant here, there is a dessert shop outside the academy, we can go together later. I’ll show you around.”

“Hm, okay, sounds good.”

Philia shyly said everything she wanted to say. 

At first, she seemed shy and hesitant, but she turned out to be a very talkative person.

“The bathhouse is a shared facility. It seems like there are complaints among the noble students because of that.”

“Public bath, huh. It’s been a while since I’ve been to one.”

“Kayla, you’ve went to a public bath before?”

“Oh?”

Before I even realized it, I blurted out a comment, and as soon as I did, Philia reacted, leaving me momentarily speechless.

How do I even say that I’ve experienced that in my previous life.

But in front of Philia, who is looking at me with shining eyes, I decided to just be honest.

“I have been to one a long time ago.”

“I see. Kayla is quite unusual. Most noble female students don’t like public baths.”

“Why?”

“I heard it’s because they don’t like showing their body to others. So, is that okay for Kayla?”

“I don’t mind.”

I hang my green uniform in the closet, then I grabbed a change of clothes, a towel, and bath supplies and headed to the communal bath.

My basket felt very heavy after I put the things I needed into it.

“Which way should we go to get to the bathhouse?”