Nobles and Commoners

Early the next morning, everyone at Yi Lin Manor was already prepared.

Today was the day Miss Wei Wei and Young Master Ronan began school.

It was also the day Ronan finally saw Wei Wei.

She looked far more haggard. When she saw Ronan, she merely gave a reserved nod, seemingly too lazy to even offer a greeting. There was now a woman wearing a white mask beside her. Ronan knew that she was probably another personal bodyguard Earl Will had hired for Wei Wei.

After the assassination attempt, Earl Will had mobilized every resource at his disposal. The two people at Yi Lin Manor had to receive the most thorough protection. Across the Emerald Star Region and even the entire Blue Sea Province, no private security company was more renowned than White Dove Company. Rumor had it that both Miss Lingzi and Uncle Fan were elite figures within White Dove Company.

Since they were going to school, they could not appear too high and mighty. Thus, Bo Ning Academy had a rule: even nobles were not allowed to bring servants or family members. Most noble children studying at Bo Ning Academy were essentially on their own. Only a few who were particularly incapable of taking care of themselves would bring someone akin to a pageboy, enrolling them as official students.

Naturally, neither Ronan nor Wei Wei needed a pageboy.

The servants had taken care of all the trivial matters. They arrived at the Bo Ning District Maglev station on time, where a private car was already waiting.

Once they got in, only four people remained in the carriage.

Wei Wei found a spacious seat, put on her sunglasses, and closed her eyes to rest. Miss Lingzi naturally stayed right by her side.

Ronan glanced at Uncle Fan beside him. The man still wore a cheerful expression.

But driven by his instinct for danger, Ronan was not particularly willing to speak much with Uncle Fan. He felt that every extra word he said would make it easier for the man to see through him.

The Maglev slowly started up and sped away from Bo Ning District toward the academy city cluster—Azure Ring Island.

With nothing better to do, Ronan began flipping through some guidebooks introducing Azure Ring Island and Bo Ning Academy.

Come to think of it, perhaps because he had not taken it too seriously, Ronan had barely learned anything about the academy he was about to attend.

The Steel Empire had a fairly comprehensive education system. From community elementary schools to the various secondary academies that followed, and even universities, every star region had ample educational resources.

Within Blue Sea Province of the Seventh Star Region, Bo Ning Academy ranked first among secondary academies.

In nature, secondary academies were much like high schools on Earth, serving to build up foundational knowledge for university. But Ronan learned that the secondary academies in this world were far more relaxed than the high schools of his previous life.

Taking Bo Ning Academy as an example, it was divided into Junior Class and Advanced Class. Looking over the Junior Class schedule for a week, there were only classes in the mornings. Afternoons and evenings were free time. Students could choose to sleep in their dorms, wander around, or use their spare time to study.

Yet compared to the relaxed atmosphere of these secondary academies, the entrance examinations for the Empire's famous universities were terrifyingly difficult. Even getting into an ordinary university was not something just anyone could muddle through. Thus, being admitted to an excellent university was a highly prestigious achievement, even for nobles.

Ronan had no academic record at all, so the only reason he had been inserted into Bo Ning Academy was because Earl Will had pulled strings behind the scenes. Put bluntly, he had gotten in through the back door. The Earl's intention was for him to first make up some foundational knowledge.

But when Ronan saw the ages of those in his class, he could not help but laugh bitterly.

Most of the Junior Class students... were little brats of thirteen or fourteen.

For someone like him, already sixteen, to join them—even with Ronan's calm temperament—was somewhat embarrassing.

What gave him an even bigger headache was that he had actually seen Su Jie's name among his classmates.

"That arrogant brat..."

Ronan secretly shook his head. He had a faint feeling that even if he wanted to spend a peaceful stretch of time at Bo Ning Academy, it would probably not be easy.

Unlike Ronan, Wei Wei and her friend Wang Xiaoman had already passed the Advanced Class examination last semester and gained the qualifications to take university assessments. In that regard, Ronan had to call them senior sisters.

Among the people Ronan knew, both Su Xiao and Christine had successfully entered the Emerald Star Region's finest institution of higher learning—Migratory Bird Academy. Migratory Bird Academy ranked among the top five universities in the entire Empire. Its academic capabilities, especially the strength of its mecha program, were exceptionally formidable.

The reason Ronan knew this was that Earl Will's Tri-Alliance Group was one of Migratory Bird Academy's largest sponsors. If nothing unexpected happened, Wei Wei would also be able to enter Migratory Bird Academy smoothly in at most two years.

However, a university like Migratory Bird Academy had not been built on Azure Ring Island. Like the other universities, it was located on an Academy Planet not far from Emerald Star. Still, Ronan had heard that Azure Ring Island had a stargate leading to the Academy Planet. As long as one paid enough, they could travel back and forth quickly and freely.

As for the most attention-grabbing Li Nanbei—he had long been Migratory Bird Academy's most remarkable prodigy. He had graduated from the mecha program at seventeen, and it was said that he was already a Level 7 Mecha Pilot in the year he graduated. Now, he had entered the Imperial Military Academy and spent more than two years training outside under a major figure from the Military Department. No one knew how much stronger he had become.

Half an hour was neither long nor short.

After reading through several magazines and books, Ronan had gained a basic understanding of Azure Ring Island.

Just then, the train suddenly entered a long bridge.

Looking out the window, he saw vast stretches of seawater rippling gently.

The sky was azure, while the sea was actually green!

Far in the distance, a tiny black dot gradually emerged.

Ronan narrowed his eyes. His eyesight was extraordinary, and he could already make out the outline of that black dot.

It was an immensely vast cluster of islands!

The central island was especially enormous, with abundant vegetation. Yet it was also packed with transportation facilities and buildings.

They had arrived at Azure Ring Island.

Bo Ning Academy was located in the eastern region of Azure Ring Island's main island and covered an enormous area.

Even after getting off the Maglev train, Ronan had to ride in a car for twenty minutes before reaching the academy dormitories.

The matters that followed became much more convenient. The servants had already arranged everything at the academy, so Ronan only needed to go straight to class the next morning. Wei Wei blandly said, "See you," then walked off on her own. Ronan, who had never been good at expressing himself, could only smile bitterly inwardly at the little witch's attitude.

As for Uncle Fan, who was supposedly his personal bodyguard, he vanished the moment they got out of the car. He showed none of a professional bodyguard's bearing, making Ronan thoroughly confused.

Thus, after the servants finished arranging the new dormitory and respectfully departed, Ronan was the only one left inside.

"Pretty nice surroundings..."

Ronan rather liked being alone. He pulled open the curtains. A large tree stood outside the second-floor window, its leaves nearly reaching inside. It was still morning, and the sunshine was bright. Even though it was autumn, the air held a touch of warmth.

The dormitory was structured as a two-person suite. Aside from the living room and bathroom, his so-called roommate would probably be someone living in the room across the hall within the same suite.

When Ronan arrived, his roommate had not yet come, so he simply went out alone to look around.

After all, he would be living at this academy for some time.

After spending most of the day, Ronan had explored almost the entire academy by himself. He walked quickly and had visited nearly all the academy's major buildings, silently committing them to memory. It was his habit: whenever he arrived somewhere new, he would memorize everything nearby, forming a map in his mind.

The girls' dormitory for the Advanced Class, where Wei Wei stayed, was actually not far from his own dormitory building. Yet for some unknown reason, after what happened that night, she had barely taken the initiative to speak to Ronan.

Throughout the day, Ronan also encountered quite a few strangers. Today was registration day; official classes would begin tomorrow. Seeing those commoner students sweating as they ran around handling procedures, thinking of how much effort they had put into earning admission to this academy, while he himself could casually stroll around campus, Ronan could not help but mock himself.

People really were different, after all.

There truly was no fairness in this world.

"I heard that at many academies in the Empire, the conflict between noble students and commoner students has practically become public."

"Based on what I saw during the day, the registration arrangements for nobles and commoners were also clearly divided."

"I just hope... my roommate isn't the kind who especially hates nobles..."

Ronan thought as he looked at the light shining from his dormitory.

The next second, he pushed open the door and saw a tall young man standing in the living room.

He was struggling to carry a very old computer into the room.

His clothes were shabby.

And when Ronan entered, the other boy's gaze clearly changed.

Ronan secretly shook his head.

Good morning, everyone. This is a transition chapter, please vote. Thank you to reader Po E Lei Zhu for the 5,888-coin donation.