Yeah, I’d hate that atmosphere myself. I’m surprised he hasn’t cracked and either run away or told everyone to F off. That type of atmosphere looks toxic and suffocating; the only not terrible person to him is the sadistic maid. Everyone else is just the worst whether they mean it or not. The father could pretend to love his son (haven’t seen anything that suggests to me he care about him at all; a little praise from a parent goes a long way) and the princess since she obviously likes him could take a minute to step in his shoes and realize how he feels (generally a good rule to try and understand the person you like). The teachers can all go kill themselves. He has the best grades (far better than the Hero) and still gets treated like some delinquent. I’d have run away a long time ago and just lived on my own (its a fantasy world and comparatively easier to leave as a kid). He’s fairly component in swordsmanship and intelligent, no reason he couldn’t live on his own if he tried. That environment is just toxic and everyone needs a wake up call. Joining the imperial knights is just obviously going to make things worse.