Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are So Hot! [BL]-Chapter 240: Preparations for the Academy

"The dormitories are operated by the royal family and various noble houses," Theo explained. "The dorm you belong to signifies your connection to a particular house. For instance, someone in the royal dormitory is more likely to advance in their career than someone in a dorm run by a mere count. These differences are quite pronounced."

Ah, so it was akin to political factions or alliances, Damien thought.

It made sense.

A dormitory associated with the royal family would likely house influential people.

Building connections with such people could be invaluable in the future, even setting aside the status aspect.

Of course, there would also be nobles who got along well or poorly with each other, making the choice of dormitory a significant decision.

"Our family also runs a dormitory as a marquisate," Theo continued. "In fact, we recently constructed a new dormitory because the old one had become outdated. The old dormitory hasn’t been demolished yet, though—it’s still standing."

At this point, Theo glanced at Zima and Ithnan’s group, her expression calculating.

"Now, to return to the main topic: Zima, Ithnan, and the others—how about working as staff at that old dormitory? While it’s true the building is a bit cramped and outdated in style, structurally it’s still good. With some minor renovations, it could be perfectly functional again. I was thinking you, Leonide, and the others could also stay there."

Ah, now Damien understood.

ince Zima and Ithnan’s group couldn’t enroll at the academy due to their status—Zima being a slave, and Ithnan being both a slave and a Dragonewt—they would instead come as staff members.

This arrangement essentially meant the entire household would relocate to the academy’s old dormitory.

For Damien, it was almost as if their estate was simply being moved to a new location within the academy grounds.

He saw no problem with it.

"But what about Zima and Ithnan’s group being slaves?" Damien asked. "Is that really okay?"

After all, if they couldn’t enroll as students, could they even work on academy grounds?

By law, slaves in this country were prohibited from concealing their slave marks, so anyone could instantly recognize their status.

In prestigious institutions like the academy, which catered to nobles and the wealthy, employing slaves as staff seemed unlikely.

Even in Theo’s prominent noble household, using slaves as servants wasn’t permitted.

Wouldn’t the same restrictions apply at the academy?

"About that," Theo began, "there are actually quite a few slaves within the academy."

Damien blinked his eyes in surprise, and it seemed Leonide and the others were equally taken aback.

"You see, each dormitory employs a number of staff to help with its operations. Additionally, some dormitories officially allow, or even require, personal attendants to accompany students. Even in cases where it’s not officially sanctioned, many nobles bring their own servants anyway. So, the number of servants—including slaves—is actually quite significant."

Well, that made sense.

With so many nobles and wealthy families involved, the dormitories were essentially smaller versions of noble estates.

"Furthermore, attending the academy is nearly mandatory for nobles, and maintaining a dormitory is practically an obligation for noble houses of a certain standing. For families that aren’t particularly well off financially, employing slaves as servants is a common practice."

Ah, so under those circumstances, Zima’s presence wouldn’t be an issue, Damien thought.

"What about Ithnan and the other Dragonewts, though?" Damien asked.

"That’s a different story," Theo admitted with a wry smile. "I expect they’ll attract a lot of attention. While the academy accepts students from various races across the country, I haven’t seen any Beastman or Dragonewts, even among the staff."

Well, that wasn’t surprising, Damien thought. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

There seemed to be so little interaction with other races that even basic communication could be a challenge.

"That said," Theo continued, "I doubt you’d want to leave them behind at the estate, would you? If you plan to keep them as your guards, getting them accustomed to this environment would be a good idea."

That was true. Ithnan and the others were a rare race, and that wouldn’t change.

However, confining them to the estate felt wrong.

Ultimately, if Damien fulfilled his role as their master, everything else would fall into place.

"Ithnan, Thalatha, Arba’a, Sitta, Tis’a," Damien said, addressing the Dragonewts directly, "I want to stay together with all of you. I want to walk the streets with you, side by side. Will you come with me?"

Ithnan and his siblings exchanged glances before nodding their heads in unison.

"We will gladly accompany you wherever you go, Master," Ithnan said, speaking on behalf of his siblings.

Damien nodded his head back, reassured by their loyalty.

If they were willing to stay by his side, he resolved to do his best to ensure they could remain safe and comfortable.

"The plan," Theo continued, "is for Zima to serve as a household servant, while Ithnan and the others take on roles in dormitory security and perform tasks like handling deliveries and heavy lifting. Essentially, it’s not much different from the work they’ve been doing here at the estate."

That sounded reasonable, Damien thought.

Everyone seemed to be on board, including Zima and the Dragonewts, who nodded in agreement.

"Now then," Theo said, addressing the group and looking around, "are we all agreed that Damien will begin attending the academy?"

Despite Theo’s assertive proposal overriding any initial hesitations, no one seemed to have objections.

After all, the academy was just a stepping stone toward their broader goals.

Damien felt this plan aligned with his own desire to better understand and integrate into this world, while also preparing for independence.

Everyone nodded in acknowledgment, each with their own thoughts and feelings, but united in agreement.

Theo smiled warmly and satisfied.

He then continued.

"Very well, I’ll proceed with these arrangements. I’ll discuss the finer details with each of you later, but for now, the plan is for enrollment to begin in about a month."

"A month?" Damien thought aloud.

That wasn’t much time.