Chapter 7: Karma

Chapter 7:
Karma

 

I WAS THINKING ABOUT karma. I wasn’t entirely clear on the definition of the word, but it sounded cool at least. Like fate or destiny—like you had all this stuff riding on you or something.

“I wonder if I can escape the karma of being a background character.”

“Karma is a deed,” said Luxion. “Cause and effect. You act, and it results in good or bad karma. To wit: you don’t know the meaning of the word.”

Do you know what it feels like to have your badass catchphrase pedantically corrected by someone else? He might as well have dug a hole for me to bury myself in! “Pretend I never said anything.”

“As you wish.”

We stood out on the deck under the cold night sky. The Partner was lined up with three of Duke Redgrave’s airships. Flying opposite us was Earl Offrey’s fleet—an armada he’d put together in case of battle.

Long story short, the earl was demanding we hand over the pirates we’d captured. Meanwhile, the duke’s side—my side—responded that the earl was an idiot for thinking we’d willingly hand them over when their vassal house had requested my assistance. Earl Offrey was obviously desperate to keep us from getting our hands on proof that his house had conspired with the pirates. Unfortunately for him, now that the Redgraves were involved, Offrey House couldn’t simply force me to relinquish my prisoners. Instead, they had to negotiate—or try, anyway.

Angie had taken Li—ahem, Miss Olivia back to her ship and intended to fly her home. The moment she’d seen Miss Olivia’s tear-stained face, she’d glared at me and slapped me across the cheek with her open palm. Pretty damn mad, I’d say.

“Are you sure this is for the best?” Luxion asked me.

“You mean leaving talks up to the duke? Do I look like a master negotiator to you?” I shook my head. “Obviously this is the way to go.”

I had asked the duke and his family to see to the discussions with the earl. Surely they wouldn’t make demands of me after I left everything to them, right? Not that paying compensation to anyone would be a hardship, since I was sitting on a fortune right now. I had the pirates I’d taken captive, all their Armor and airships, and their treasure as well.

What other problem could there be?

“That’s not what I mean. I’m talking about the credit. Why did you attribute your achievements to Brad and Greg?”

“Because I benefit from them getting to return to their inheritance. They’re plenty willing to protect Miss Olivia, right? Even if they fail at some point, I have a feeling they’ll pull through when the time comes.”

The game’s story was already way off course. I had to correct its trajectory as much as I could. I didn’t like to think of what might happen otherwise. Besides, even if those two couldn’t reclaim their positions, they’d come out of all this looking way shinier than they had before. They’d put in the effort, and they deserved a reward. I could at least do that much for them.

“So you settled things with Olivia, gave credit to Greg and Brad, and kept only a few items for yourself. Were the results worth the cost?”

This inorganic jerk. Was he not factoring the treasure, airships, or Armor into his calculations? “Of course. This is more than enough for me. Plus, I have you.”

Although now that I thought about it, Luxion was supposed to be Miss Olivia’s. The little I’d done to help her hardly made up for the fact that I’d stolen what was, theoretically, her cheat-tier spaceship. But if I said that, Luxion would let it go straight to his ego, so I kept my mouth shut.

“You made Olivia cry,” he said. “Angelica was quite angry about that.”

“Yeah, well, our princess is hard to please. Looks like she hates me now.”

“You intend to put distance between yourself and Angelica as well?”

I laughed dryly. “Come on, I’ve been way too close to her.”

There was this little thing called “appropriate distance” to which I had not in any way been adhering.

As I waited on the deck, Earl Offrey’s fleet took off in another direction. Apparently negotiations were over.

 

***

 

A room had been prepared for Angie on the duke’s airship, and she had invited Livia to stay there with her.

Livia sat with her arms wrapped around her legs, telling Angie of the trip thus far. Angie could only sigh in exasperation.

“I won’t say you behaved with perfect ladylike grace, but Leon’s more than a little pathetic for throwing such a sulk.” Although, Angie knew she was being a bit hypocritical.

Livia cast her eyes downward. “No, it’s all my fault. I took my feelings out on Leon, and now he hates me.”

Angie reached out to console her, but she paused, fist clenched. Do I have any right to blame Leon and console Livia?

As she reflected on everything she’d said and done up until now, her heart flooded with regret.

“Let’s rest for now,” Angie said. “We’ll be going straight back to the academy.”

She had no idea what she ought to do. Livia was her friend, one she’d made without the influence of her house; she was neither a follower nor a yes-man. However, Livia was also a commoner. Angie doubted her every impulse as to how to genuinely engage her.

Was their relationship—and the one they shared with Leon—doomed to crumble?

 

***

 

When Brad and Greg returned to the capital, the palace invited them to a meeting to discuss their future. But the government official who delivered the news of their reward could not fathom their response.

Brad slammed his hands on the desk. “What in the world is going on—ah, that hurt.”

His arm had only just healed.

Greg shook his head in exasperation and scowled at the official. “We didn’t dispatch the pirates. All we did was help. Why the hell are we receiving the reward?!”

Greg and Brad were to be officially knighted. They would also be compensated for disposing of the pirates known as the Winged Sharks.

“Don’t mock us!” Brad protested, tears in his eyes. “Bartfort defeated them. Are you telling us to steal the credit?!”

The official glanced uneasily between the two, already at his wit’s end. “We need you to accept. Baron Bartfort himself reported your deeds, claiming he only assisted you. Ah, and I am afraid, as neither of you possess court ranking or titles, and as the baron possesses an upper-sixth court ranking and a baron title, his report takes precedent over yours. I-If you feel there has been a misunderstanding, we may launch an investigation.”

Normally, people would have jumped for this reward. If Leon had tried to steal the glory out from under Brad and Greg, the official would likely have insisted on an investigation. However, from the look on his face, he clearly wanted to tell them, Shut up and take it.

That bastard. He’s being weirdly considerate. Greg folded his arms and took a deep breath. “We. Only. Helped. Bartfort defeated the pirates. All we did was show up. If you wanna give us a participation trophy, sure, but we won’t take anything more than that.”

Brad nodded. “We did nothing noteworthy. We simply can’t take full recognition.”

The official sighed. “I was asked not to say anything to you, but I’ll make an exception, given the circumstances. Baron Bartfort made an appeal to both of your houses. He asked them to examine your accomplishments and consider reinstating your inheritance.”

Greg and Brad’s jaws dropped.

“Wh-why would that jerk do that?!” Greg leaped to his feet.

Brad furrowed his brows. “Y-yeah. What would motivate him to go that far for us?”

“I don’t believe it’s my place to imagine what the baron is thinking,” said the official, “but he’s made quite the financial contribution to the palace. He sent money and gifts to your houses as well. Perhaps you should be grateful and accept his kindness, hm?”

With that final implication—that they could return the favor later—the official promptly left the room.

 

***

 

Greg and Brad took a seat in the palace’s courtyard, neither able to sort out their dizzying array of emotions. Greg sulked while Brad gazed, forlorn, at his feet.

From a distance, Julius spotted the two and rushed over. His face was lined with exhaustion, but as soon as he saw his friends, he lit up with a smile. “I heard about everything, you two!”

Apparently someone had informed Julius of their “deeds.” Both boys frowned.

“Your Highness?” Brad glanced up.

Julius grinned, evidently in high spirits. “I hear you safely disposed of those pirates! And in front of Bartfort, no less! We’ve claimed victory this time, haven’t we? Not to mention, I heard your families have reconsidered their stance on your inheritance after hearing of your accomplishments. It won’t be long now before they reinstate you as heirs!”

“You’ve got it wrong,” Greg grumbled. “We didn’t win anything. Not in terms of strength or spirit.”

Brad couldn’t disagree. “Your Highness, we did decide on something, though.”

“What’s that?”

Both Greg and Brad got to their feet.

“We want to win against Bartfort,” said Brad. “It’s not that we want him to lose anymore. It’s that we want to beat him, as men.”

“You said it.” Greg clenched a fist. “We’re no match for him the way we are now. The dude’s an amazing knight. We never stood a chance against him in the first place.”

The time for sulking was over. They would take action immediately.

“Your Highness, would the queen grant us an audience?” Brad asked.

“My mother? I’m sure she would. But what are you planning?”

Greg laughed awkwardly, embarrassed. “After everything he did for us, we gotta return the favor. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be men.”

 

***

 

So this is what it feels like to show someone kindness only to be slapped in the face, I thought.

Classes would resume tomorrow. I’d somehow managed to return to the academy in time and was sitting in my room in the boys’ dormitory, an official correspondence from the palace in my hands.

“Brad, Greg… So this is how much you hate me, huh?”

I clenched the paper hard enough to wrinkle it. The words on the page basically amounted to: Congratulations! You’re being promoted to lower-fifth court ranking!

Yup. I was to ascend from upper-sixth to lower-fifth, courtesy of Brad and Greg (and my involvement in the pirate incident). All I’d done was try to reconcile them with their houses, and somehow that became a reason for me to receive a higher court standing? This had to be some kinda joke.

“Who the hell is pulling the strings here? How is this even allowed? What does ‘lower-fifth’ even freakin’ mean? My dad’s lower-sixth. Why do I have to be two whole ranks above him, huh?!”

Most people would be happy to receive more clout, you say? Wrong! I wasn’t the least bit pleased. Receiving more influence and power meant more responsibility. All I wanted was to hole up in the countryside. What good did clout do me? If your court ranking got too high, the palace started calling on you all the time, and I did not want to get involved with politics. Why else would I lend those two lordly nincompoops my support? Now I was moving up in the world?!

Normally, you needed a number of achievements before the palace gave you much of any recognition. Higher titles required things like a thorough check on your territory, and court ranking was similarly difficult to obtain. And yet!

As I protested, Luxion drifted behind me to peek at the document. “I never dreamed you would be rewarded with higher rank. You certainly do have a habit of exceeding my expectations in the most unpredictable of ways.”

“What part of me is accomplished?! I didn’t want a freaking promotion! No matter how you look at this, the outcome makes no sense! There’s plenty of other guys out there that’d love to know how I did it, and I can’t even explain it to them!”

Expelling a few pirates shouldn’t have been enough to warrant this “honor.” Normally, you needed achievements on the battlefield, years of dedicated service, or some especially exceptional deed.

Come on! Why me? Why now? Promote someone else, I’m begging you here!

As I grumbled, I heard a knock on my door. I opened it to find a dorm employee looking nervous, who promptly bowed her head.

“Baron Bartfort, I-I have a letter and a package for you.”

“You do, huh?”

“Y-yes. I can’t bring the package to you, so we’ve set it outside.”

“Outside?”

She gestured for me to step out into the hall, where I found an airbike waiting for me. A large and luxurious vehicle, it didn’t take a genius to figure out it cost a buttload. Probably even more than lower-end Armor.

The sender’s name graced the envelope—Atlee House. I opened it and scanned the letter.

“Guhhh?!” I screamed, and several nearby employees jumped.

I held an apology from Clarice’s family. They wanted to make amends for the incident during the school festival. They also thanked me more personally—their daughter had recovered her high spirits. Part of their gratitude came in the form of this airbike.

Seeing as I was a man, and therefore liked anything with wheels, I was, technically, happy to receive it. The problem came in at the last line of the letter.

“This can’t be. This has to be a lie. Does…does everyone really hate me this much?” Tears welled in my eyes.

The dorm employee swiftly bowed and made a strategic retreat.

Tears fell one after the other, sprinkling across the letter and blurring the ink as I read it again:

Considering you received a higher rank recently, the palace requested we wait to bestow further honors upon you. You will be elevated to upper-fifth ranking upon graduation, so please wait until then.

Earl Atlee, a court noble, held a cabinet minister position. In accordance with his status, he also held a high court ranking. And, he apparently felt indebted to me. Therefore, he had requested further promotion.

The airbike would’ve been more than enough, thanks!

“Why?! Why does everyone want me to get promoted? It’s just weird! It’s almost like you all know how much I hate it, and that’s exactly why you’re doing it! How can you all be so heartless? And you call yourselves human?!”

Luxion floated over to me and extended one of his cords toward the airbike, where he plugged himself in. “The engine entirely differs from the model you rode during the festival. The parts are high-quality. It’s an exceptional bike.”

“What are you doing?”

“Administering improvements and taking control.”

It looked like he was assaulting the poor machine. Luxion could be a real villain.

Right around then, my knees gave out from under me. I landed with a thud on the ground and stared at the bike.

“You know what,” I said, “let’s go on a journey. An adventure in a country we’ve never been to before.”

“You can’t. Classes resume tomorrow.”

“Of course they do. My life suuuuucks!”

Why do things like this always happen to me? I keep telling you, world, plenty of other guys want what you keep socking at me! Me? I don’t want it!

 

***

 

By the time Chris returned from his family’s estate, his face was heavy with exhaustion. They had already disinherited him and cut him off, so they had only called him back to tie up some loose legal ends and deliver a seemingly endless train of lectures.

When he first left for home, he had mentally prepared himself for official disownment and to be told to never show his face again. Yet it had been worse than he could have imagined. His body, his posture—everything spelled fatigue.

When he returned to the dormitory, he spotted Leon with his legs splayed out beneath him in the hallway, shoulders slumped forward.

Why’s that Bartfort jerk sitting there on the floor?

Chris didn’t bother calling to him. Instead, he made his way to his room, only to find a letter waiting for him. He picked it up off the floor and saw Marie’s name signed on the bottom. His lips pulled up into a smile, and he adjusted his glasses before reading it.

“Marie went into a dungeon over break? W-was she okay by herself?”

The letter continued, saying Marie wanted to meet him and show him something once he came back.

Chris hastily prepared himself and flew out the door. Now on his way to see Marie, he completely forgot the troubles he had endured back home.

 

***

 

The next day, I remained hunched over my desk in despair all through class. The instant the first break began, Daniel and Raymond came over to me.

“You look awful.”

“Shouldn’t you be a little happier?”

Rumors were already spreading. The girls had heard about Brad and Greg’s successful bandit fight, and they lionized the boys at every opportunity. Me, though? Not a single high-pitched shriek in my direction. Neither Miss Olivia nor Angie contacted me either. The general vicinity of me was defined by a distinct lack of women.

“I didn’t want another stupid promotion,” I grumbled.

Daniel forced a smile. “I get where you’re coming from. A higher rank means more trouble. At your status, your vassals will have vassals, and you’ll have to command entire fleets.”

The higher your rank, the more the kingdom expected from you. In the event of a war, a baron at lower-sixth rank was only obligated to launch a single airship. Now, I’d have to provide way more than that. You were further compelled to offer aid in proportion appropriate to your status, hence why some nobles didn’t want to be elevated. Meanwhile, those who did seek influence flaunted their power by collecting airships.

Raymond glanced at some girls sitting nearby, who regarded me with conflicted looks. “But,” he said, “at upper-fifth ranking, you should have a much easier time getting married, right?”

Marriage. Yes, that was the whole reason for attending the academy.

“I guess.” I shrugged. “Maybe it will make it easier, but it still sucks.”

Raymond laughed. “We still have our school trip. And who knows? A girl might take the opportunity to approach you then. I’m jealous.”

Yeah, but any girl who made a move on me now would be practically announcing to all and sundry that she only cared about my status. Oh, wait, that’s right. That’s the only kind of girl at this academy in the first place.

Daniel looked put out. “I wish I were going with either of you.”

Irrespective of grade, all students at the academy took school trips every year, with separate groups going to one of three different destinations. Daniel, Raymond, and I were each headed to a different place.

In the game, you selected the same destination as your love interest of choice, which gave you more opportunities to increase his affection for you. You could obtain Limited Items in these locations as well. I’d maneuvered myself to a destination where I could find just such an item, one that I’d found invaluable during the game.

“I’m bringing you souvenirs, so you better look forward to it,” I said.

They both laughed.

“You got it.”

“We will, then!”

At least I could count on my daily life to remain steady and unchanging; I appreciated that. A lot of students took their school years for granted. I certainly had in my previous life, but that meant I now knew how I should treasure this time.

Raymond glanced at me. “So, Leon, you’re on the same boat as Miss Angie and Olivia. Why not use this opportunity to apologize and make nice with them?”

“Why are you making it out like I’m the one at fault here?”

Daniel’s eyes widened. “Aren’t you?”

Raymond—the jerk—nodded. “Yeah, he’s gotta be.”

It seemed I needed to sit my friends down to find out just how many treacherous thoughts they harbored.

 

***

 

On the day of our departure, an extravagant luxury cruise liner awaited us. Once aboard, my group headed for a warm island in the South, a popular destination for many schools. The seasons there ran differently, so at this time of year on the island, summer reigned.

“So it’s like traveling from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere? Huh…”

Although a school trip in name, the whole thing reminded me more of a cruise. I spent my time aboard the cruise liner hanging out with the upperclassmen I knew, including Lucle. Together, we wandered around the ship’s casinos.

“The island we go to is a tourist attraction,” Lucle said, “and they hold a festival this time every year. If what they say is true, the unique atmosphere should prove enjoyable.”

“A festival, huh?” I stroked my chin.

“They want us to experience a different culture. Girls wear yukata to the festivities, and if the boys are lucky, they might get the chance to escort a girl and get to know each other. Time for you to give it your best, Leon.”

Lucle was right. If I wanted to get married, I had to put in some effort. The only problem: the other boys were already swarming the popular girls. Any untaken girl had their servant pampering them instead.

I spotted Angie at the bar counter, conversing with some people. Her former followers hungrily sought the chance to win back her favor, but she seemed annoyed by their efforts. As I idly scanned the casino, I spotted Miss Olivia ducking outside. Perhaps she felt uncomfortable with the atmosphere.

Lucle glanced at me. “You picked a couple difficult ones.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not in any position to go after either.”

“That’s for the best. We low-middle rankers have our own set of girls to aim for. And those two have boys aiming for them, too. Pursuing someone whose status doesn’t match yours is only asking for trouble. But you already know that, don’t you? You saw it play out with the prince and the high lords.”

Speaking of, the prince and his posse had been split up for the school trip. Julius and Jilk were with one group, and Marie had been lumped in with Brad and Greg.

Lucle’s gaze landed on Chris. “Look, it’s the Swordmaster.”

Chris sat at a poker table, but even when he won, he didn’t crack a smile. Just then, he stood from his chair and left. He had to be bored, all separated from Marie and the others.

“So, Chris is by himself, huh…?”

His cool aura alone still attracted a horde of girls, though.

“Lord Chris, what do you want to play next?”

“There’s a pool on the deck. Won’t you swim with me?”

“No, come eat with me!”

He sighed and hurried off, but his dismissive attitude only fueled their enthusiasm.

When I breathed out a sigh of my own, Chris’s head jerked my way. A vein bulged on his forehead, and he glared at me.

Lucle interrupted our staring contest by nudging me. “I’m headed over to roulette. Want to try your luck with me?”

“Nah, I’m not one much for gambling,” I said, eager to ignore Chris as soon as possible.

Lucle’s jaw dropped. “What?”

He clearly didn’t believe me, but I really did hate gambling. Who went into battle without knowing whether they’d win or lose? Absurd.

I only fought when I was sure I could claim victory.

 

***

 

As the cruise liner headed for the southern island, a couple of girls secretly met in the vessel’s storage area, whispering to each other.

“If we’re humble with her, she acts all arrogant!”

“Well, she’s a duke’s daughter. What do you expect?”

The two were some of Angie’s former followers. Their group had been trying to regain Angie’s favor since losing her trust. However, some among their number—namely these two—nursed ulterior motives.

“My house will be cutting ties with the duke’s family.”

“Mine, too. I mean, the faction supporting the crown prince is all but gone. And Redgrave House keeps losing power.”

Julius’s downfall had caused a ripple effect in the faction that supported him, especially affecting his primary ally, Duke Redgrave. It was only natural; the prince had been the faction’s rallying point, and with him disinherited, nothing could hold the former allies together. The houses who had coalesced around Julius in hopes of reaping the benefits after he became king now fled for greener pastures—they had no hope of seeing their original goal fulfilled.

These two girls, however, were a bit different from the rest.

“How are we supposed to use this thing?”

“They said to pull the string and fling it outside. We’ll stand out if we do it on the deck, so they said to throw it somewhere else.”

They held a cylindrical object with a string attached to it. One of the girls yanked the string, and smoke instantly began spilling out. She promptly tossed the object outside.

“Will this work?”

“I guess?”

The two clueless girls slipped out of the storage area and made their way back to Angie.

 

***

 

Upon arriving at the island, Livia borrowed a yukata and meandered through the town in the fading light of evening. Normally, that would be dangerous, but the festival meant that stalls lined the streets and red lantern lights dangled everywhere, lending the town a uniquely warm and lively atmosphere.

“How beautiful…”

A drum and flute played in the distance, their melody joined by the voices of people enjoying the festivities. The festivals in Livia’s hometown looked entirely different; she wandered the streets alone, engrossed in this brand-new culture—as much as she could be.

She hadn’t spoken with Leon since the incident with the pirates. Speaking with Angie gave her a hard time, too. The gap between the three of them had only widened. Livia caught sight of Angie walking through the festival as well, but with her clique surrounding her, Livia couldn’t possibly approach.

A range of aromas danced through the air, salty and sweet. A variety of games awaited as well, and Livia watched people scoop goldfish out from a tub of water. Fireworks burst overhead, and Livia flinched as they colored the night sky. She could call the scene nothing but beautiful, but at the same time, she couldn’t truly enjoy herself.

Despite her misgivings, she tried searching the crowds for Angie again, or Leon, but couldn’t find either. She honestly hadn’t thought to look for them lately. In the wake of everything that had happened with Carla, she loathed herself too much to try.

Is it really all right for me to be here?

When Livia had asked that question before. Leon had said yes. She’d been so happy. Now, she felt pathetic, embarrassed by the cruel things she’d said to him.

Why did I put so much weight on other people’s words?

Even Livia didn’t know the answer. Lately, she didn’t find much meaning in anything, no matter what she did. She wandered aimlessly, farther and farther away from the festival.

Oh no… I’d better go back.

But just as Livia thought that, she overheard the sound of people arguing.

“N-no! I won’t give them to you! I don’t care that you’re a noble! Please, stop!”

Unthinking, Livia raced toward the sound. It had to be one of the students harassing a local. She burst onto the scene, even though she didn’t yet know what she intended to do. “Uh, um…!”

“You there! What are you doing?!”

Livia wasn’t the only one who’d rushed to the sound of altercation; Angie also charged into the alley, her yukata in slight disarray. The two glanced at one another in surprise, and then, awkwardly, they turned to the source of the argument.

“Leon?” Livia gasped.

“You…” Angie was similarly aghast. “What in the world are you doing?”

Leon was the one threatening the poor local. He glanced uneasily between them. “Uh, this isn’t what—”

The local—a man wearing a mask—pleaded with the two girls, nearly in tears. “Pl-please, help me! This noble is demanding I give him everything I have.”

The girls frowned at Leon. In that moment, he looked just like a sleazy noble, drunk on power and trying to rob a poor merchant of all his wares.

Leon jumped to his own defense. “N-no! I told him I’d buy it all, so hand it over! I have the money!”

The man shook his head. “No. Other people are looking forward to these as well! It doesn’t matter how much you pay me. I won’t let you rob other people of their joy!”

He clung to several boxes of tiny little objects folded inside slips of white paper, presumably meant to be sold at the festival.

“What are these?” asked Angie.

The man brightened. “Charms my granny made. They’re quite popular and provide many benefits. She makes all different kinds, and I wrap them in these white papers. What you get is entirely luck of the draw.”

Leon waved a roll of cash at the man. “That’s why I said sell them to me. I’ll buy them all. You want ten times the normal price? Done.”

He was being awfully persistent.

The man cowered. “What’s wrong with you?! This isn’t a problem money can solve. I’m selling these because I want to see people’s smiles!”

Leon withdrew a coin purse from his pocket. “Here, how’s this? Gold coins. Twenty of them. I’ll give you this on top of my previous offer.”

The man paused but shook his head. “My granny made these to give people joy. I refuse to yield!”

“You’ve got guts. I like you!” Leon’s grin grew sinister. “Actually, I have some platinum with me, too. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“I already told you, no!”

Angie snatched Leon’s ear between her fingers.

“Ouch. Owie! That hurts, Miss Angie!”

“Drop the ‘miss.’ I don’t want your formality. Now come on, we’re leaving.” She glanced at the local. “We’ll be taking this bother with us.”

The man clutched his goods protectively. “Th-thank you!”

He soon disappeared through the crowds outside the alley, making his way toward the festival.

Even as Angie maintained a firm hold on Leon’s ear, Leon stretched a hand toward the man. “Waaait! My item!”

Livia had no idea what to say.