“Wow, it’s even better than what my mom makes! Mom, I’m sorry!”

Larisa apologized to her late mother while happily devouring the food. Watching Larisa with plump cheeks, Siod chuckled.

“Is it really that good?”

Larisa nodded vigorously.

“Eat slowly; you might choke.”

Although he had thought Larisa might miss ordinary food, he hadn’t expected her to enjoy it this much. Siod poured water for Larisa and asked.

“How about you, William? Is it good?”

“Yes.”

Although there was no special aroma or flavor, the simple and hearty dishes were quite tasty. It was the first time William realized the difference between the nobility and commoners, even in the act of eating.

“Luckily. It’s worth bringing you to a good restaurant.”

Siod added with a smile.
“First impressions matter for food too. If you eat something tasteless at first, you might start avoiding that dish altogether the next time.”

While William wasn’t particularly picky about his food, he empathized with Siod’s words. The meals at the academy were of lower quality compared to those at the Rondart Mansion.

Naturally, noble students were willing to pay for meals at nearby restaurants instead of relying on the academy’s cafeteria. Only a few commoner students, including William, remained to eat at the cafeteria.

Even James disliked the cafeteria food, so William often ate alone. Of course, the reason William endured the tasteless cafeteria food was that he was too busy studying for his double major to find time to explore good restaurants.

“It’s worth exploring.”

“Huh?”

“No, nothing.”

The food was truly delicious. Watching Larisa, who seemed happier than yesterday, William thought he should bring her here more often.

“To be honest, when Professor mentioned teaching nobility classes, I thought it would be dull etiquette lessons. But this is more like… not a noble class, but…”

William struggled to find the right words. Rather than a noble class, perhaps a commoner class, or a societal class?

“William, you were born a noble. Isn’t it time you realized that you’re already sophisticated enough as a noble?”

“…….”
William’s world had revolved around the Rondart Mansion. Now, he had just taken a step into the academy, and beyond that, a much broader world unfolded. He nodded his head in a strange mixture of feelings.

To the eyes of the world, he was already among the elite of the nobility. Yet, he thought otherwise.

“Nevier is from the slums. She is an exceptionally unusual existence. She ascended to the ranks of the high nobility purely through her abilities. She has already proven herself. But what about you?”

William set down his utensils and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“Think about how you will prove yourself.”

“…I want to become an alchemist.”

“An alchemist. Alright. If you become an alchemist, what do you want to do?”

Helping people with alchemy, changing people’s perceptions… William didn’t want to repeat the stories he had already discussed. Unsure of what answer Siod wanted, William hesitated in his response.

“William, you said you want to help those in need, right? In that case, what is the best way to help those in need?”

There might be an answer in today’s lesson. William sighed inwardly and responded—the most effective way to influence the masses.

“Politics.”

“That’s right.”

“My clever lad.”

Siod couldn’t suppress a hearty laugh.

“Now, think again. What is the best way to change people’s perceptions of alchemy?”

“…”

William sighed without giving an answer.
“Surely, you know about this too?”

“…Do you think I should become a noble and an alchemist?”

“There is no better way than raising someone from the lower class to the upper class in mainstream society.”

“Do you think I’m disgracing my family?”

“You never cared about the name Rondart. Don’t pretend to care now.”

William fell silent, feeling embarrassed. It was the first time he encountered someone he couldn’t outtalk.

That evening, Guinevere, who knew that Siod had taken the children around various places during the weekend, quietly asked, “How was the class?”

William couldn’t deny it. “It was… interesting.”

“Good for you.”

“But that doesn’t mean I’ve decided to become a duke.”

Guinevere paused for a moment, then nodded calmly. “I see.”

William widened his eyes. He expected his mother to say something different.

Guinevere was doing her best. It was because Siod suggested giving William various options. Siod said that the more William resisted, the more he would rebel, especially given William’s current age, which was adolescence.

Adolescents tend to run away and rebel against their parents at the drop of a hat. It was a truly formidable time.

Guinevere recalled her adolescence. It was a time when she truly lived… lived as an outlaw, meaning she lived without laws.
Guinevere didn’t want to provoke her adolescent son. Every time the reason why William should become a duke came to mind, she recalled one loophole after another that William had created.

“I have to endure.”

Guinevere was learning patience for the first time in her life.