Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are So Hot! [BL]-Chapter 237: Choosing the Academy

It wasn’t something Damien particularly enjoyed admitting, but facts were facts.

Back on Earth, he had attended an ordinary public school, and his exam scores typically hovered around the middle of the pack.

"You already have a basic foundation of education," Theo explained. "Besides, unless you’re aiming to earn a teaching license or something similar, graduating isn’t particularly difficult. And I’ll be here to help you, so you’ll be fine."

That was reassuring, but Damien knew better than to take the word of someone obviously intelligent when they said something was "easy."

Still, if graduating only took two or three years, it didn’t seem like it would consume too much time or be overly problematic.

"Would it be an issue if I graduated and then took on regular work?" Damien asked, recalling that Leonide and others his age were already working. "Aren’t there people already employed at that age?"

"In our case, it’s more like being in service rather than formal employment," Leonide explained. "To put it bluntly, my family serves the Dalehaven household as a kind of pledge of loyalty—almost like hostages."

"Wait, really?" Damien blinked, surprised.

He hadn’t realized that Leonide’s situation had such a formal, almost feudal, undertone.

It reminded him of stories from the kingdom periods on Earth, where the vassals kingdom sometimes sent their family members as hostages to ensure their loyalty.

"Then, isn’t it a problem that Leonide and the others became my retainers?" Damien asked, concerned. "Wouldn’t that upset the arrangement if I took someone who was effectively a pledge of loyalty to Thek’s household?"

Theo shook his head, smiling. "Not at all. It’s not as strict as that. These arrangements are less about literal hostages and more about maintaining good relations or showing a symbol of trust. Serving someone as close to me as you are only deepens those bonds. It’s beneficial to both families."

Theo and Leonide exchanged lighthearted laughter, their camaraderie so natural that it almost erased any sense of formality.

They often teased each other at Damien’s expense, but it warmed his heart to see their genuine connection.

Considering Theo’s explanation, it didn’t seem like there was any issue with the arrangement.

In fact, it might even strengthen the ties between the families.

"Now, as for the matter of work," Theo began.

After Leonide spoke, Lorenzo followed with his thoughts.

"Certainly, there are children around our age or even younger who go out to work, but that usually happens when they have no parents or when their families are too poor to support them," Lorenzo explained. "Even then, when they start working, it’s mostly in roles where they learn the basics first, such as apprenticeships or menial jobs."

Damien nodded his head thoughtfully.

It made sense—if someone couldn’t read, write, or do basic calculations, there would be little they could contribute right away.

Starting with foundational learning was a logical first step.

Thinking about it that way, Damien realized how impressive Leonide and the others were to already be considered capable workers at their age.

"I’ve heard that farming families often rely on their children as part of the labor force from a young age," Lorenzo continued. "But in a merchant family, people usually aren’t taught actual ’work’ until they’re about your age, Master Damien. Besides, for those who attended the academy, the types of jobs they’re entrusted with are entirely different, so comparing them directly to those who worked their way up from the bottom isn’t fair."

"I see," Damien murmured, feeling out of his depth.

Whether in his old world or this one, he lacked the real-world experience to form much of an opinion.

All he could do was take their word for it.

"So, it wouldn’t be a problem to consider potential job options while attending the academy?" Damien asked.

Both Theo and Lorenzo nodded in agreement.

"Hmm," Damien mused. "It sounds like going to the academy is the best option for now."

He recalled hearing how, in his old world, people often went to university "just because."

He was beginning to understand why.

Attending the academy would allow him to learn more about this world and provide a foundation for future work opportunities.

"Are there any challenges or significant burdens associated with enrolling in the academy?" Damien asked. "For instance, how much does tuition cost?"

He still had about 400 gold coins left from the payment Theo had given him in exchange for his knowledge of Earth.

Hopefully, that would be enough.

"Hmm, it depends on the courses you take, but the tuition averages around ten gold coins per year," Theo replied.

"That’s... cheaper than I expected," Damien said, surprised.

He had assumed that a school for nobles and wealthy individuals would charge exorbitant fees.

While ten gold coins weren’t exactly cheap—especially considering he’d heard that a commoner’s annual income was about 30 gold coins—it wasn’t as astronomically expensive as he’d imagined.

Still, Damien realized he didn’t yet have a good grasp of this world’s financial norms.

"In addition," Theo continued, "as nobles, we’re usually expected to pay a donation, but since you’re associated with our house, that won’t be necessary."

"Really? Why’s that?" Damien asked.

"Heh heh heh. Being part of a marquis household has its perks," Theo said with a grin. "We make substantial donations to the academy every year, so it’s covered."

"By the way, if one were to make a donation, how much would it typically be?" Damien asked.

"Well," Theo replied, "it varies depending on the title and the economic situation of the family, but for a baron’s household, the minimum starts at around 100 gold coins."

"Every year?!" Damien exclaimed.

"Yes, every year."

Damien’s eyes widened.

That’s the equivalent of tuition for ten students annually.

If even the lowest-ranking baronial families were expected to donate that much, how much were the higher-ranking nobles contributing?

What about Theo’s family, practically at the very top?

The amount must be astronomical.

Perhaps these noble donations were the reason the tuition fees for the academy weren’t as high as one might expect.