Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are So Hot! [BL]-Chapter 236: Academy Opportunities

So, it wasn’t an academy solely for nobles, Damien realized.

"Although many students come from affluent backgrounds, the world outside the academy is just an ordinary city. You’d have opportunities to experience general, everyday life if you step outside. Even within the academy, there are plenty of the second-class citizens working as staff, so I don’t think you’d have any difficulty getting to know this world and growing accustomed to it."

"Wait! You can leave the academy grounds?" Damien asked, surprised.

He had imagined such prestigious schools to be isolated and cut off from the outside world.

"Yes," Theo replied with a nod. "All you’d need is a simple permit to go out. In fact, as a ’student of the academy,’ your status would make it easier to go outside compared to being seen as ’My lover,’ leaving the estate in secret."

So it was like how elite students in prestigious schools back in his world could walk around the city freely.

It certainly sounded less complicated than sneaking out from Theo’s estate.

"Moreover," Theo continued, "you’d have the chance to meet a far greater variety of people than you do here. From the perspective of adapting to this world, attending the academy offers experiences comparable to living among the general populace."

That made sense.

At the estate, Damien only interacted with a fixed group of people.

Most of the staff and retainers saw him as Theo’s lover, which made natural relationships difficult to form.

On top of that, the majority of the people here were Centaurs, so opportunities to engage with other races were scarce.

Aside from Theo’s companions, the only non-Centaur Damien was familiar with was Svetozar.

The idea of meeting people from diverse races and learning more about the world was undeniably appealing.

"In addition to interacting with outsiders, you’d of course have the chance to learn more about this world through formal studies. You could learn literacy and proper etiquette as befitting someone of noble standing."

Ah, studying other things sounded good, but...

"Well, about literacy... Elyon has been teaching me..." Damien admitted hesitantly.

"Ah, yes. You’ve been learning from my Teacher," Theo replied knowingly.

So he had noticed.

Well, it wasn’t like he was hiding it too seriously.

He had just wanted to keep it low-key and surprise Theo with his progress.

"Yeah, so I don’t really need to learn writing at the academy," Damien said.

"What do you think, Teacher?" Theo asked, turning the conversation toward Elyon.

"It doesn’t matter. You can learn at the academy if you wish," Elyon replied nonchalantly.

Damien blinked his eyes.

He had been enjoying his lessons with Elyon, and to hear him so casually suggested replacing them left him feeling a little dejected.

Those sessions had become a cherished part of his routine.

"Don’t make that face," Elyon said, noticing Damien’s reaction.

"There are many other things I need to teach you—magic, elven knowledge, and much more," Elyon explained, addressing Damien’s sulking expression with a faint smile. "Zima has already mastered literacy well enough to continue independently, so I’m simply shifting the focus of our lessons. That’s all."

Damien’s pout softened as he understood Elyon’s reasoning.

If that was the case, he had no complaints.

"Attending the academy itself serves as a foundation for noble education," Theo added. "If you intend to continue as a baron, going to the academy would be beneficial for you. Of course, there are some nobles—like you—who have risen from common origins through notable achievements and haven’t attended the academy, but they often struggle in social settings. Connections formed at the academy often become the foundation for relationships in aristocratic circles."

Ah, that made sense.

Damien had heard similar things back in his world—how educational backgrounds could influence social and professional circles.

"If you decide to live among the common folk instead," Theo continued, "an academy graduation would still be an asset. It opens more career opportunities, and some use the connections they make during their academy years to start their own businesses. Lorenzo, doesn’t your family have academy graduates?"

"Yes," Lorenzo replied thoughtfully. "Actually, both my elder brothers—one set to inherit the Steinholt Trading Company and the other preparing to manage a branch—graduated from the academy. Our company tends to promote people who work their way up, but in other trading houses, there’s often an even split or even a preference for academy graduates. Being able to establish connections with the upper class is a significant advantage."

Listening to Lorenzo and Theo, Damien began to see how much emphasis was placed on the academy’s role as a bridge to the social elite.

"Additionally," Lorenzo went on, "as Master Theo mentioned, even in the general workforce, having an academy diploma makes a big difference. Without it—or at least a private school education—there’s a noticeable gap in salary and work conditions. It’s not fair, but that’s the reality."

Damien noticed the group listening to Lorenzo intently and nodding their heads slightly.

While some of them were older than Lorenzo, their different upbringings—nobility versus mercantile backgrounds—seemed to create gaps in this kind of knowledge and perspective.

So, the academy was essentially like a university in Damien’s world.

It wasn’t strictly necessary, but having that credential could change your starting point in life.

Unless you had a specific career goal requiring alternative training, attending the academy seemed like a solid choice.

Damien considered this for a moment. "So, if I go to the academy, how many years would I be there?"

"There’s no strict timeline," Theo replied. "Some people enroll as adults when the need arises, and both the duration of attendance and graduation age vary widely. However, for noble children, it’s typical to graduate within a few years of reaching adulthood. In your case, I’d estimate about two or three years."

"If you don’t earn a degree, the time might extend, but I don’t think you need to worry about that," Theo reassured Damien.

"Really?" Damien tilted his head, skeptical. "I mean, not to downplay myself, but I’m not exactly a genius."