The Northern Duke’s Daughter Will Never Fall

Chapter 10: Astrid Enrolls

The satellite city of Persangte, Michelburg.

More widely known as an “academy city,” Michelburg was a city that was the academy itself, and the academy was the city.

This Imperial Military Academy not only served as a pillar of Michelburg’s regional economy but also as a bustling hub for cadets, instructors, assistant instructors, their families, and the commercial facilities that supported them.

Today, the entire city seemed to have transformed into a grand festival. The flag of Einthafen fluttered here and there, and banners welcoming new cadets were displayed all around.

Astrid gazed at the crowd of new cadets spending their final moments with family, friends, and loved ones before the start of the ceremony.

‘At least there’s no “budae jjigae” here,’ she thought.

She recalled the dreadful memory of eating that stew on the day she enlisted in her previous life. Which was worse—the week spent in the capital after arriving or the taste of that stew? It was hard to say, but Astrid concluded it was a close contest.

From the day she arrived, she hadn’t even been able to go to her family’s residence.

She was dragged straight to the Imperial Palace by Kreutz, who, oddly enough, seemed genuinely happy to see her.

As a result, she spent the week in the palace. Last night, she had finally been brought to Michelburg to stay the night before today—the day of the entrance ceremony.

– “Astrid, it’s time to head out.”

“Understood.”

Hearing Leopold’s voice from outside her room, Astrid grabbed a black griffin-fur scarf hanging on the wall and wrapped it around her neck.

She was dressed in the ceremonial battle uniform of House Miterien. Weapons weren’t allowed, so she’d left them at the estate, but she’d still brought the uniform.

‘Well, at least I’m starting this second military life as an officer, not as a grunt. Small mercies.’

With that thought, she opened the door.

Leopold, dressed in the commanding officer’s uniform of the Royal Guard, stood outside. Astrid’s eyes scanned him up and down.

‘Clothes really do make the man.’

He looked good. Annoyingly good.

“Shall we?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

The atmosphere during the entrance ceremony was tense.

Although the Imperial Military Academy’s goal was to identify and cultivate talent, and admission was open to commoners, allowing prodigies from all over the country to gather, this year’s mood was unusually heavy.

The reason was clear.

The Crown Prince of the Empire, Leopold von Einthafen, and Astrid von Miterien, the eldest daughter of Wolfgang von Miterien, a founding hero of the Empire who had chosen to distance himself from power by assuming command in the north—both were enrolling together. It was an unprecedented situation.

Astrid was feeling quite pleased.

She hadn’t known until the entrance ceremony, but three other young ladies from prestigious families were also enrolling this year.

While none of them could rival House Miterien in prestige, they were still daughters of noble houses with good reputations. As potential crown princess candidates, they were all more than suitable.

‘Perfect. I’ll find him a match among them and be free.’

Of course, Leopold would also try to find someone for her, but that would be a futile effort.

After all, Astrid had no intention of marrying.

She planned to spend the next four years at the academy searching for a way—any way—to return to her original world.

‘I will return. No matter what, I’ll find a way back!’

Since Leopold was technically her ally, she’d help him find a suitable match, but she’d definitely go back. Absolutely.

She glanced toward the assembly hall below, where hundreds of new cadets were filling the space.

Once they were officially enrolled, all cadets’ ranks and social statuses would be stripped away, but since the ceremony had yet to begin, neither the Crown Prince nor the other heirs of prominent families could be made to sit in that hall. Instead, they sat in special seats behind the lecture podium.

Among the five young men and women seated in these special seats, Astrid’s presence was particularly striking—though she was entirely unaware of it herself.

Her silver hair, swaying lightly, sparkled in the light. Her sharp, upturned eyes gave her a haughty, fierce look.

Her mint-green eyes glimmered, and her lips, tinged with a hint of ash, only added to her otherworldly beauty. She was, by all accounts, a rare beauty.

The common thought among the cadets was unanimous.

‘No wonder Wolfgang von Miterien cherishes her so much.’

“The entrance ceremony will now begin!”

A man dressed in the academy’s official uniform stepped onto the podium and shouted in a booming voice.

The powerful voice echoed through the auditorium, filling it to the brim and even creating a reverberating echo. The sheer volume made the new cadets grimace and cover their ears in discomfort.

A voice produced purely by physical prowess, without the aid of any magic.

The overwhelming atmosphere in the room quickly turned to silence.

Accompanied by the harsh clinking of metal, a middle-aged man wearing a suit of silver-plated armor strode forward.

The man ascended the podium and, with sharp eyes as fierce as his appearance, scanned the room full of new cadets before breaking into a warm smile.

“Why have you all come here?”

The sudden question caught everyone off guard. No one answered.

“Don’t know? Then… Our Crown Prince, sitting behind me, can answer. Let’s hear it from him.”

The attention shifted to Leopold.

Sitting in the special seats behind the podium, Leopold calmly stood up without a hint of surprise and met the gaze of the middle-aged man.

“To pledge loyalty to the nation, protect its people, honor the martial way, and contribute to the prosperity and strength of the country as knights.”

It was a textbook-perfect answer.

The middle-aged man’s lips curled into a satisfied smile as he nodded.

Turning his gaze back to the cadets, he continued scanning the room.

“Remember that answer well, cadets. I am Ortega van Daikins, the headmaster of this Imperial Military Academy. I have one more question for you all.”

With that, Ortega pounded his chest twice with a clenched fist.

“Who owns this school? Is it you, the cadets?”

No one answered.

“Some of you may think so, but I’m afraid that’s not the case. This school is operated using the taxes paid by the people who seek your protection. And who established this school? It was His Majesty, the Emperor. I have been entrusted by His Majesty with full authority as headmaster of this school. So then, you there.”

Ortega’s finger pointed at Astrid.

“Astrid von Miterien. Who owns this school?”

‘What is he talking about?’

Astrid couldn’t quite grasp the point of the question.

It’s a monarchy, isn’t it? The Emperor exists, so how do taxes factor into it? What answer should she give?

When faced with an unclear situation, it’s best to give a safe, generic answer.

“His Majesty, the Emperor.”

Since it’s a monarchy, that answer should suffice.

“Oh? His Majesty, the Emperor, is it?”

Ortega’s expression showed a hint of disappointment.

Most cadets, when asked this question, would answer “His Majesty” and explain that the Emperor is the owner because he rules the Empire.

He’d expected something different from Astrid von Miterien, known for being forthright and unique, but maybe that was just a baseless rumor.

“And why is that?”

“Because he’s the one who pays for it.”

“What?”

Ortega’s eyebrow twitched.

Where did this logic come from?

In Astrid’s mind, the answer was obvious. Whoever paid for something was its owner. Since the Emperor funded the school, he was its owner.

“Isn’t it natural that the one who pays for something owns it? Taxes or not, if you pay for something, it’s yours.”

“Hah… Ha-ha-ha.”

After a brief pause, Ortega burst into laughter.

She certainly had a unique perspective.

It was an unexpected answer, but it was refreshing.

“Well, who’s to say what the right answer is?”

Ortega’s gaze swept across the auditorium once more.

Speaking informally to both the Crown Prince and Astrid, as if their prestigious backgrounds didn’t matter, Ortega left a strong impression on the cadets.

“What’s clear is that none of you are the owners of this school. This school is nothing more than a cradle to shape you into proper knights. You’re here to become knights, and that’s why you’ve come. So you’ll think like soldiers, act like soldiers, and live like soldiers.”

Ortega’s sharp gaze flashed like a beast eyeing its prey.

“I, along with everyone else here, will see to it that you become proper knights.”

The already silent auditorium grew even colder as an eerie stillness settled in.

“Knights will act like knights. We’ll make sure of that. Understood?”

Not a single cadet dared to answer.