Chapter 3: An Ill Fate

Chapter 3:
An Ill Fate

 

I WATCHED FROM THE DECK as the elves’ floating island gradually receded in the distance.

Beside me, Luxion said, “I thought you said you wouldn’t butt your nose into other people’s affairs?”

Another person stood on the deck with us—Miss Yumeria, who also gazed back at her homeland. An old leather traveling bag sat on the ground beside her. She wore a complicated mix of emotions on her face, ranging from excitement to melancholy.

“I couldn’t just leave things the way they were,” I said. “Would you have preferred me to tell the elves to just knock it off? We both know that wouldn’t work. This was the best option.”

“That aside,” he continued, “I am surprised the elves were willing to let her go. It was amusing to see the women agree that you should take her while the men were reluctant.”

“Yeah, and their reasons made my stomach turn. ‘She could damage our market value,’ blech.”

“You can’t really blame them. The slave trade makes up a substantial part of their income.”

I scoffed. “Yeah, and it’s revolting. But bringing her along does give me a satisfying advantage.”

“True,” Luxion agreed. “You can now drop said market value whenever you feel like it.”

“Exactly. I’ve got my hands on priceless blackmail here. I’ll be sure to use it wisely.”

The male elves were all paranoid about Miss Yumeria’s story coming to light. They’d pitched a real fit when I said she was coming with me. I prevailed, but it took some effort. The other women and the head elder were on my side, but I really tipped the scales when I mentioned the demon king. That silenced all opposition. They were pretty shaken.

Pretty satisfying for me, though.

Miss Yumeria approached me, holding her bag in both hands. “Uh, um, what’s going to happen to me now?”

I softened my tone to reassure her and answered honestly. “I could use a live-in servant back home to look after the place. I’d like to hire you.”

“B-but I’m…” She trailed off. Miss Yumeria didn’t have much self-confidence; actually, she was rather pessimistic and withdrawn. It was a miracle she’d ever made it as a traveling entertainer.

“The elven standard of beauty is irrelevant to us humans,” I said. “You know that, right?”

“That’s not… They call me a dolt. A dimwit. I’m afraid I won’t really be of any use to you.”

Jeez, those elves had been jerks, huh? The whole society had proven pretty dark with all its judgmental tendencies. Heartbreaking, if you asked me. Although, given the elves I’d met at the academy, I couldn’t be entirely surprised.

“Don’t worry. Besides, I have other reasons for—”

Kyle cut me off when he stomped over, his face contorted with anger. “What’s the meaning of this?!” he snarled.

“What’s the meaning of what?”

“Dragging my mother out of the village. Do you understand what this means?”

Miss Yumeria clung to his arm. “Hold on, Kyle. He was worried about me, and—”

“Be quiet! It’s precisely because you’re this gullible that people always take advantage of you! Do you even know what kind of person this man is? He’s the lowest scumbag in the entire academy!” Kyle bellowed so loudly that he drew the attention of everyone on deck.

“The lowest? Well, now that’s just mean.”

Do I overdo it sometimes? Sure. But I wouldn’t say I’m the lowest. If anyone deserves that title…maybe Marie? But definitely not me.

“I’m only telling the truth.” Kyle glared at me. “You beat the crap out of the prince in front of the entire school. What would you call that?!”

“An action worthy of praise from the palace? What was it they said? ‘A noble knight rightfully admonished the prince.’ Sorry to burst your bubble.”

“This is exactly what I’m talking about!”

“Kyle, um, listen…uh…” Miss Yumeria seemed shocked at her son’s behavior.

Sadly, her response only seemed to add fuel to the flames. It was like all his frustrations had come boiling to the surface. Kyle laid into her without pity. “See, you’re hesitating! You’re so spineless. It was the same back in the village. That’s why everyone can take advantage of you. That’s why we’re so poor! They curse you, call you impure, condescend to you, and use you for all you’re worth. You can’t just keep smiling like a fool and let them get away with it!”

Miss Yumeria lowered her chin, tears welling in her eyes.

Unable to watch any longer, I tried to intervene, but—

“What’s with that attitude?!” Livia jumped between us.

“What’s your problem?” Kyle snapped. “This has nothing to do with you. Stay out of it!”

“I can’t just stand by and watch. How dare you talk to your mother like that. Apologize!” Livia was normally a profoundly soft-spoken girl, but right now she shouted Kyle down like a terrifying older sister.

Kyle shrank back. “Y-you don’t know anything about us. It’s her fault I grew up so poor. Do you even get why I’m working at this age? Do you know how I was treated when I lived in the village? You look down your nose at me, but you don’t have a clue what I’ve been through!”

With that, he burst into tears and fled, ducking back inside the ship. Gone was his usual bratty attitude. That was most likely the true Kyle beneath the mask—what a scary thought. He’d just been pretending to be that cocky kid.

Livia tried to chase after him, but Miss Yumeria stopped her. “Pl-please wait. I’m the one in the wrong. It’s just like he said. I’m a terrible parent, and he’s suffered so much.”

Hoo boy. Other people were watching, so I dragged the two of them inside.

 

***

 

Once we slipped into an empty room, we let Miss Yumeria fill us in on the details.

Apparently, her position in the village (and subsequently the way people treated her) was even worse than we’d imagined.

“Those of us who are impure like me can’t use ordinary magic. I wasn’t able to help the village the way I was supposed to. Like everyone else could.”

“I thought the head elder said something about elves like you being able to use special magic, though?” Livia said.

Miss Yumeria nodded. “There is a limit to what I can do, but this is one of the few things I’m good at.” She happily produced a flowerpot and a small packet from her bag.

She seriously put a flowerpot in there?

She opened the packet and produced a single seed. As she put her hand over it, it began to grow and bloomed into a flower.

“That’s incredible,” I said, genuinely impressed.

Luxion agreed. “With that kind of power, it’s hard to believe she was treated so poorly in the village. Ordinarily, I would expect them to prize such an ability and guard you jealously. Their contempt must have overridden any logical thought.”

Miss Yumeria’s ears burned bright red with embarrassment. “I-It’s really not that amazing. I am severely limited in what I can do. But I think for the village, it wasn’t just because I was impure. I’d given birth to a half-elf, as well.”

Livia was still confused by that. “But what’s so wrong about that?”

Miss Yumeria hesitated at first but explained. “It’s true that impure elves are looked upon with disdain, even though it’s thanks to their unique powers that our community has continued to exist. However, I left our island so I could discover more of the outside world. There…a nobleman captured me and held me at his estate for some time. Terrible things happened to me there.”

Lines formed in Livia’s forehead. Innocent as she was, she knew what Miss Yumeria had endured. She opened her mouth, perhaps to offer some kind words, but nothing came out.

“When I became pregnant,” Miss Yumeria continued, “the noble cast me aside. But when I returned home, my people were opposed to me giving birth. All because a half-elf could damage their value. But I was already so far along at the time, and…and I wanted to have the baby.”

It broke my heart watching her tears fall, one after another.

“That’s just…” Livia’s voice was thick with upset.

Luxion, on the other hand, was entirely unmoved. “I understand their anxieties but not why they assumed it would be a problem. You could have simply kept quiet about it.”

Miss Yumeria shook her head. “You wouldn’t necessarily know at first glance, but there is a difference between elves and half-elves. Kyle matures at the same rate as a human.”

“Then why did you sell him?” I blurted.

Miss Yumeria pressed a hand over her mouth and sobbed. “The slave merchant took a liking to Kyle, and the village leader said he couldn’t refuse the merchant’s request.”

Livia and I were having a hard time following, but Luxion helpfully explained. “The power dynamic in this arena is skewed toward the merchants; it seems likely this merchant used knowledge of half-elves as leverage.”

Miss Yumeria nodded. “They knew all about our concerns—our circumstances. They also don’t want to see our market value drop, so they had us keep quiet about it, even as we took him. There was…a lot happening. A bad winter. The village might not have made it if Kyle hadn’t gone along with it. He didn’t even say a word to me. Just sold himself off and left the money behind.”

He had worried about her. The contrast was striking. I hadn’t had a care in the world at his age. All I’d done was play around.

Dammit. This world really is a cruel one.

“He only lashes out at me because he has so much pent-up frustration. He really is a good son. His salary isn’t very high, but he still sends me what he can.”

Livia’s gaze dropped to the floor. After hearing everything, she felt ashamed of herself. “I said some awful things to Kyle without knowing anything about him.”

I liked this part of her. I really did.

“You weren’t wrong when you said it though. I think you’re fine. But don’t worry, I’ll have a talk with him,” I said.

“Oh, butting in again?” Luxion asked.

I shrugged. “I am Miss Yumeria’s employer now. I think a certain level of care is necessary here, right?”

“You certainly are good at finding excuses, Master.”

“Oh, shut it.”

Luxion had a point, though. Why was I the one making a point of looking out for Kyle? Wasn’t that Marie’s job? But I got the feeling she wouldn’t be able to handle it. It had to be me. Plus, something about parent-child relationships made me weak. At this rate, I wasn’t going to be able to make fun of Kyle anymore.

Best I clear things up as quickly as possible.

 

***

 

I found Kyle hiding at the dead end of a narrow passageway in the ship.

“Hey, you stupid brat.”

“What do you want, scumbag knight?”

This little jerk… He’s not even remotely cute.

“I wanna talk to you about your mom.”

His little pointed ears twitched, but he remained quiet.

“My parents just rebuilt their estate back home. It’s much bigger now than it was before, and they need more help. I’ve arranged it so your mom can live there as a servant and have enough money to take care of herself.”

“Like I believe you,” he snapped. “I bet you just fell for her looks so you stuck your nose into our business. I can’t trust you—or any other noble.”

Miss Yumeria was indeed beautiful. I couldn’t blame him for worrying I might have ulterior motives. She still looked youthful despite being older than me and having a kid. Also, her breasts were huge—ahem.

“Like I even get to go back home all that often,” I said. “And the baron—my father—may look like a barbarian, but he’s actually pretty straightforward. He definitely loves my mom too much to lay hands on anyone else. Probably.”

His head jerked up, and he glared at me. “I said: I can’t trust you.”

“I keep my promises. Besides, that’s not the only reason I want her around. She’s leverage against the elves. If they try anything funny, I can threaten to reveal the truth about your lineage. She’s plenty valuable for that reason alone. I get nothing out of mistreating her.”

Although considering how little faith the rest of the kingdom seemed to have in me, no one was likely to believe the truth even if I did reveal it. Still, it was worth it to make the elves believe I had the upper hand in future negotiations. As long as I could dangle this over their heads, I was satisfied.

Kyle went quiet.

“You’re welcome to visit her any time you want,” I said. “I’ll allow you—and only you—to enter our region freely. Don’t bring Marie.” Primarily because I hated her, but I also had a feeling she might do something sneaky if I let her visit my home.

Kyle dabbed his tears away with his sleeves. “She’s…” He hesitated. “My mother is too good-natured for her own well-being. And she’s gullible.”

“Sure is.”

“She undervalues herself, and she’s spineless…but she’s also very kind, so it’s impossible to hate her. She’s a terrible parent.”

That doesn’t sound like a kid who actually hates his mom.

Kyle stood up, rolling his shoulders back, and then bowed his head low. Gone was his usual snarky attitude. “Viscount, please take good care of my mother.”

Though he had an odd way of showing it, he really was worried about Miss Yumeria.

I nodded, easing his anxiety. But there was one other thing I wanted to ask about, something Luxion had told me. “By the way, I hear you used to change masters frequently. Was that because…”

Kyle lifted his arm to hide his eyes, perhaps to keep me from seeing his tears. “That’s obvious. I was searching for a master I could actually trust. And I landed a good one—the girl who bewitched the crown prince. But because of you, all of my plans went out the window.”

“Whoops?” I flashed him a cheeky grin.

He glared at me for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh. “You really are an awful person. If things had stayed the way they were, I would have been set for life.”

I didn’t recall him being this calculating in the game. “Then why haven’t you given up on Marie yet?”

“I’m tired of searching. Plus, she’s the Saint now, so just being at her side makes me look good. For as incompetent as she looks, she’s got a good head.”

Funny he should say that, straining as she was under the weight of her family’s debt. Kyle had to be aware of that. Maybe he simply liked Marie as a person.

“One more thing,” he said. “You should be careful of the principality’s princess. She seems to be up to something.”

“Miss Hertrude?” I knew she was scheming, I just didn’t know what exactly. It didn’t seem like she had given up on getting revenge against the kingdom yet.

“She said a few things to me, and she talked to the village leader, too. There was something fishy about it. Well, I’m sure you’ll handle whatever it is just fine. You’re way more underhanded than she is.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.”

So while the rest of us were in the ruins, Miss Hertrude had struck up a conversation with Kyle? Hm.

 

***

 

That night, I lugged a heavy bag up onto the deck. It contained the spiky black Armor fragment we’d brought along with us.

“Are you really going to do this?” I asked.

Luxion’s single red eye gleamed in the dark. “Of course. I’ve already made preparations. Destructive impulses like this are hardwired into me. In human terms, you might call it instinct. Every second that ticks by is a second wasted. I want to be rid of it as soon as possible.”

Huh, okay. Although the whole destructive impulses thing is mildly terrifying coming from an AI.

“They appear to have preserved it in that facility for research purposes, but it no longer has any such value,” he said. “Now, quickly!”

I pulled the fragment out from the bag. The moment I touched it, it pulsed beneath my fingertips.

“Ergh?! That feels disgusting!”

A crack appeared on the surface of the metal fragment. Then the edges peeled back to reveal an enormous eye. I yanked my hand away. It was so detailed it looked like a real, human eye—even though it was far bigger than any human’s.

As I watched, tentacles squeezed out from the edges of the crack around the eye and reached for me.

“Please be careful,” said Luxion. “That thing is alive.”

No kidding!

The fragment let out an unsettling, high-pitched cry.

As it did, Luxion emitted a beam from his red eye, blasting the fragment. First, he seared the tentacles away, then he focused his attack on the eye itself. Simultaneously, a gang of Luxion’s robots clambered toward us, snatched up the fragment, and heaved it overboard. As it plummeted, Luxion’s main body, still hidden nearby, fired a larger beam straight at it.

“Did you really have to go that far?” I asked.

His electronic voice swelled with satisfaction. “Of course. That weapon should never have existed. A vile artifact of the new humans, and it has no purpose in this world anymore. Is this what you flesh-beings call feeling refreshed?”

Well, I guess if you’re in a better mood, that’s all that matters.

Still, humans had made that? It was revolting.

In any case, the thing was done, and no one had seen us do it. All as planned. We started to head back inside.

At that moment, Miss Hertrude stepped out from the opposite end of the deck. “There you are.”

“Did you need something? Hey, where are your escorts?”

She ignored my question. “I was hoping to speak with you alone. I wanted to revisit our conversation about that item you found. I hope you’ve been considering my offer. I assure you, I’m willing to pay the appropriate price.”

Wow, she really did want that thing, huh? I made a face. “You sure it’s really worth that much? Looked like junk to me.”

“I see you don’t understand its value. All the more reason to sell it to me. Or you can offer it as tribute to the kingdom, if you prefer. Then I can have one of our officials negotiate for it instead.”

Yeah, about that…

“Well, this is unfortunate,” Luxion said as if the situation had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Are you really going to feign ignorance here?!

“Sorry,” I said. “I dropped it.”

Miss Hertrude’s jaw fell open. For multiple seconds she said nothing.

“Just how stupid are you?!” she shrieked.

“I mean, come on. It was gross!”

“That’s not the problem here! You idiot! You moron! You absolute buffoon! I cannot believe you! You’re telling me you just dropped an irreplaceable treasure like that? I demand you immediately change course and retrieve it!”

“No,” said Luxion.

She trembled with anger. “I—I’ll be reporting this to the kingdom’s top nobles!”

“And what purpose would that serve?” Luxion asked. “My master found the treasure, so he owned the rights to it. Whining about it would only make yourself look foolish.”

Not to mention Luxion had turned it into so much dust. There was nothing to retrieve in the first place.

“That was valuable! If you can’t treat it as such, you have no right to call yourself an adventurer. What are they even teaching you at that academy?!”

“I hate to break this to you, but the academy basically only exists so we can find marriage partners,” I said.

“Too bad for you, Princess,” Luxion said, even colder than usual.

Miss Hertrude spun, her hair whipping through the air as she stomped back inside. “I won’t forget this!”

I stared after her until she disappeared. “She’s intriguing. I thought she was just your standard, coldhearted beauty, but she’s a lot more emotional than I expected.”

“So now you want her, too? She is far from your type. Particularly in terms of bust size.”

“Do you seriously think I only judge people on the size of their breasts?”

“Yes.”

The way he answered without even a pause pissed me off.

 

***

 

When we returned to the capital, I hastily prepared to visit the palace.

Luxion watched me as I changed. “We just got back and you’re off to deliver your report? You do have it rough.”

I grumbled, “I’m still only a student. Why do I have a job like this?”

“But aren’t you mentally a full-grown adult?”

“I’m still a kid at heart. I haven’t lost my playful side.”

“I thought you said before that you were mature?”

I shrugged. “I dunno. Did I really say that?”

“You did. I haven’t forgotten.”

“You sure are persistent. Listen, part of being an adult is having a selective memory.”

“Running from reality, you mean,” he said. “I suggest you try some self-improvement instead.”

“I’ll pass. Let’s go.”

“If we must.”

Luxion floated along behind me as we slipped out of my room.

 

***

 

I was dead tired as I shuffled down a corridor in the palace, having finished my report. Glancing out a nearby window, I realized it was getting dark outside. “It’s already evening.”

“Having tea with those girls took up more of your time than the actual report,” Luxion remarked.

Much to my chagrin, a surprise tea party had been waiting for me at the palace with several graduating female students, the daughters of prominent noblemen. The report itself had only taken ten minutes, but the party had dragged on for hours.

“It wasn’t the least bit fun,” I said.

“I’m sure it wasn’t.”

They were all ladies from baron, viscount, or earl families. The problem was they’d all come with their demi-human servants, and the only thing they wanted to know about me were my financial prospects. Was this what it felt like attending a mixer in Japan and having girls ask about your annual salary?

It made my head pound.

As I dragged my feet down the empty corridor, I stumbled across Queen Mylene wearing a particularly beautiful dress. Her platinum blonde hair practically sparkled, the kindness in her eyes was soothing, and her smile was infectious.

“Oh, Viscount Bartfort, you look exhausted.”

A maid lingered a few steps behind her, poker-faced.

I straightened my back and buttoned my collar to appear more proper. “My apologies. Your Majesty is—”

“Could you spare a few moments for me?”

Now she was the one inviting me along to talk to her. My heart swelled with delight. “I would love to!”

She smiled, and I eagerly followed behind her.

“You really are an open book,” Luxion mumbled from behind me.

 

***

 

The queen and I retreated to a room where we sat across from one another. The servants provided tea, which was more delicious than anything I had ever made. It wasn’t the tea leaves that made the difference either. Whoever had made it was skilled.

I sulked a bit in self-defeat—I wanted that skill!—as I waited for Queen Mylene to speak. Luxion hid quietly beside me.

“Are you getting along well with Princess Hertrude?” she asked at last. “I felt a bit anxious when I heard you took her on your adventure.”

“She insisted on coming along. But I thought she had approval?”

Her Majesty’s expression clouded over. Apparently, she hadn’t wanted to grant Miss Hertrude permission for the trip. “Those at the palace have differing opinions. Personally, I didn’t think it appropriate to have her study abroad here in the first place.”

So someone else had approved the trip despite Queen Mylene’s opposition. It was no wonder why she worried; the princess of an enemy state was attending the same academy as her son. Of course, there was also concern for Miss Hertrude’s safety. From the queen’s standpoint, sending a princess out on an adventure posed too much risk.

I agreed. If some idiot got crazy ideas in their head and attacked Miss Hertrude, it would be an international scandal.

For that reason, as long as Miss Hertrude was at the academy, the palace had assigned her a retinue of female knights and student escorts. Even then there was still cause for concern.

“I spoke with the princess myself,” the queen continued. “She didn’t state as much openly, but she holds quite the grudge against the kingdom.”

Miss Hertrude hadn’t even experienced the original conflict between the kingdom and principality, but the principality had drilled the grudge into her. I knit brows, at a loss for what to say. I couldn’t just casually say, Well, the kingdom is pretty awful. This was a complex issue, and I wanted to keep my mouth shut.

That’s cowardly, you say? Yeah, so what? I was a coward.

While I waited, Queen Mylene went on, “Viscount Bartfort—no, Leon—I don’t think the principality is going to give up any time soon.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Pent-up resentment like that didn’t just disappear.

“I know being appointed commander to the Saint’s personal guard was a burden on you as well. By the way, have you heard about what happened with Lafan House?”

I shook my head.

Her Majesty put a hand to her cheek, brows knitted with concern. “Julius and his friends managed to resolve outstanding loans, but Lafan House’s debt—or rather, the Saint’s debt—only increased. Normally, we would strip a noble house of its titles for this behavior, but because she’s the Saint, many nobles are opposed to taking such a course of action.”

Maybe Marie really is cursed. Just when they’d managed to resolve her debt, it increased again. Marie would probably faint when she heard. I would love to see the despair on her face. I’d get a good laugh out of that.

“The palace and temple resolved the balance for her, but that brings up a few issues with next year’s budget.”

In other words, the money Marie could use as the Saint was going to be cut dramatically. The debt her family accrued must have been substantial.

Oh man, just listening to this makes the tea taste even sweeter. Queen Mylene was giving me the best tea in the world—both literally and figuratively. I was definitely going to sleep well tonight.

“Now, this is where the true issue lies,” Her Majesty said. “Leon, you are the commander of her personal guard. The nobles want you to take responsibility for this problem.”

“Huh?”

“Even though you were only recently assigned to that position, many of those in the palace and temple insist we can’t let the matter slide without censuring you.”

This isn’t sounding good. How in the world did they think I was responsible for her financial business?

“H-hold on. Blaming me for her spending after you guys saddled me with bodyguarding her seems a little messed up.”

“Yes, I know, but I’m afraid people always want to blame someone.”

Great, what a rotten time for this world to resemble my original one.

“There are those that begrudge you for how quickly you have moved up the social ladder. I cannot sit idly by as they chastise you, however. I backed your ascension to viscount. I’ll do as much as I can to support you.”

“Thank you, I appreciate—hold up. You backed me?”

“Yes, that’s right. Remember the incident with the pirates? Brad and Greg came to me and said that in truth you dealt with them. Plus, there was the incident with the principality. That was why I recommended your promotion.” Her smile was so bright it was blinding.

N-no, that’s not what I should be focusing on here! I never wanted to climb the social ladder! “Um, you see, I didn’t exactly want a grander title. What I want is…”

“Yes?” She tilted her head, shining like a goddess.

I know she’s older than me, but she’s so cute! And hey, I might actually be older than her, mentally. Augh, she’s making me feel light-headed!

It might hurt her feelings if I told the truth about not wanting the status she’d won me—and then she might regret having done it. I couldn’t bear to make her sad. So I blurted out the only thing I could think of.

“I want you.”

“W-wait! Y-y-you can’t say that! I mean, I’m old enough to be your mother!”

So like a twenty-year age gap? Still within an acceptable range as far as I was concerned! Besides, she was far better than those academy girls. They’d only started kissing up to me because my status changed. Queen Mylene was different—perfect, even!

I reached over, covering her hands with mine. “Even so, I—”

“Ahem.” One of Queen Mylene’s maids coughed.

Crap. I let myself get carried away again. I completely forgot we were at the palace.

Her Majesty’s face was bright red. Dammit, I loved the way she reacted. It made me want to tease her more.

“See, you’re making fun of me again,” she said. “That’s a bad habit, Leon.”

If only she weren’t the queen, then I really would gun for her.

“In any case,” Her Majesty said, bringing us back to the task at hand, “there is something else about the princess that’s been weighing on my mind.”

 

***

 

As soon as they received word that Leon had left for the palace, three demi-human servants gathered at the academy. One of them was Miauler, a tall, muscular man with cat ears who belonged to Leon’s older sister, Jenna. He and his comrades hovered in front of Leon’s room.

“Kyle, that traitor. I can’t believe he said he wouldn’t help us,” Miauler snarled.

The other two tried to placate him.

“He’s the Saint’s servant. We can’t make him do something like this anyway.”

“The elves were acting all weird. Maybe that’s why? Anyway, I’m surprised you got hold of a key.”

“You mean this?” Miauler held up the object in question, grinning. “I made a mold during one of the many times that stupid woman dragged me here. Brainless chicks like her are easy to manipulate.”

Slaves like Miauler were purely bound by contract. They didn’t serve their mistresses out of any sense of love or admiration.

He unlocked the door and carefully scanned the hall before he slipped inside. One of the servants stayed behind to act as a lookout while Miauler and his other buddy stowed some items inside Leon’s room.

“What are they gonna do with these things anyway?”

“How should I know? They just said they’d pay me to leave them in this scumbag’s room.”

The servants at the school hated Leon, mainly because he’d defeated their peers who had tried to go after Queen Mylene during the school festival. His actions had been just, but it had still left a bad impression on the academy servants.

Once they were done, they ducked out of the room and took off. A few male students saw them and thought it odd for servants to be hanging around the boys’ dorm without their mistresses, but no one dared reprimand them for it.

 

***

 

After school the following day, I threw a tea party. If male students didn’t do this occasionally, the girls started all sorts of ugly rumors. Not that I really cared about my reputation right now, but tea parties—or rather, tea itself—was my hobby these days. A fitting one, too, for a gentleman like me.

Today’s guests were a real couple of characters. First, Deirdre Fou Roseblade, an earl’s daughter with blonde, drill-shaped curls. Her appearance, especially with that red lipstick, suggested she was headstrong and haughty, but she actually had quite the entertaining personality.

“You sure are being awfully carefree,” she grumbled.

I sipped the tea I had poured for myself. “I’m satisfied with the taste today.”

The offhanded comment irritated my other guest—Clarice Fia Atlee, Jilk’s former fiancée. “Leon, you’re walking a fine line. Do you understand? Duke Redgrave’s faction is losing power. His words don’t have much sway at court, not anymore. Marquess Frampton is on the rise, and he’s insisting the nobles take a strong stance against you.”

Apparently, this marquess was the one who wanted me to take responsibility for Marie’s debt. The notion was so absurd I could only laugh.

“If you’re talking about the Lafan situation, it’s got nothing to do with me. Marie—or rather, her family—is entirely responsible.”

Deirdre uncrossed and recrossed her legs, leaning forward to plant her elbows on the table. “You fool. However they preface it is irrelevant. They’re trying to take you down. And they want to take your airship while they’re at it. They’ll come up with whatever justification they need to get their way.”

“I’m shaking in my boots.”

The nobles sure seemed to have a lot of free time to waste. I understood why they were so desperate to steal Luxion away, but they’d picked the wrong people to team up with to accomplish that.

“From what I’ve heard, Marquess Frampton has been meeting with Princess Hertrude. And the kingdom has only been so soft on the principality because Marquess Frampton’s faction holds most of the power.” Deirdre wore a grave expression as she scrutinized my face, waiting for some kind of reaction. She didn’t just coast on her status; she knew everything that happened at court.

Being the daughter of a court noble, Clarice was even more informed. “He’s influential enough to get his way even in the face of opposition. Leon, you need to be careful.”

It sounded like a troublesome situation over there, but I had no desire to get involved. That had always been my stance, and I wasn’t changing it now. “Great, then they can just strip me of my titles and be done with it.”

Deirdre grinned. “You really are a fool. Do you think they’d be kind enough to stop there? If you’re not careful, they’ll trip you up before you know it, and—”

A flurry of footsteps suddenly drowned her out. Dozens of soldiers flooded into the tearoom, weapons drawn.

“Leon Fou Bartfort? You’re coming with us.”

Clarice shot up out of her chair, bristling. “What disrespect is this? He’s a viscount of lower-fourth rank!”

One the soldiers grinned. “Titles don’t matter with traitors. Now come with us, brat!”

To my shock, the soldiers grabbed my arms and hauled me out of the room.

“Traitor?! He’s a hero!” Deirdre bellowed after us.

“Hero? He’s no hero. He had a secret arrangement with the principality. Now, if you’ll excuse us,” the knight said grimly as he shut the door in her face.

A secret agreement with the principality? I thought in a daze. What in the world is this about?

 

***

 

At the girls’ dormitory, Angie rushed into Hertrude’s room, pausing only to gasp for air.

Hertrude gazed at her coldly, seated with her legs crossed and her hands folded neatly over one knee. “You sure do seem to be in a panic. I’ll forgive your lack of etiquette this time.”

Angie glared at her. “What’s the meaning of this?”

Hertrude smiled. “Hmm? Whatever do you mean? Speak plainly.”

“Playing stupid? You must be the one who started the rumor about Leon and the principality!”

“Angelica, it’s not very nice to accuse someone, especially when you lack any proof.”

Angie took in a deep breath and exhaled, composing herself. “You seem to be close to Marquess Frampton. Why go to such lengths to drive Leon into a corner?”

Hertrude’s voice held a note of pity. “You really came here over something as petty as that? You’re as hotheaded as they say. Frankly, you’ve outdone yourself and become a straight-up fool.”

Angie pressed closer. “Do you really mean to go to war with us? What can you hope to accomplish when Leon alone was enough to defeat you?”

The princess smiled triumphantly. “You sure do like putting Mr. Hero on a pedestal. I haven’t spent long with him, but I have seen enough of the viscount to form my opinion. He’s average at best—most of the time. Perhaps he has some promise, but as a knight, he’s worse than mediocre.” She laughed when Angie’s brows twitched in anger. “Can you honestly disagree? Certainly, a kindhearted knight is the ideal, but in times of war, a knight who can’t kill is worthless. He’ll never be a match for Vandel.”

Hertrude had indeed been watching Leon closely. And she had found him wanting.

“I know he has those Lost Items,” she went on. “That familiar of his has some manner of connection to them, too, doesn’t it? But that thing only follows Leon’s orders. No matter how spectacular the weapon, it is wasted in the hands of a man who won’t use it.”

Angie couldn’t defend Leon on this count. No matter how talented he was, he was still inexperienced as a knight. War was the way of this world, and any knight who couldn’t kill wasn’t really a man, at least not as far as society was concerned.

“Do you hate us that much?” Angie asked.

All signs of mirth disappeared from Hertrude’s face. “What would you know? Can you understand how our people feel, having lost their parents—their children? Your army attacked us without mercy. Don’t expect us to forgive and forget!”

“It must be nice to be so ignorant,” Angie snapped. “It seems you are the one who knows absolutely nothing. The kingdom was right to make you study here. What you need is—”

The door to the room swung open, cutting Angie off as several female knights charged in. “Stop right there! Lady Angelica, please come with us.” They surrounded her.

“What? What are you all doing?” Angie looked at them quizzically.

The women grinned.

“How inappropriate of you, trying to get violent with Princess Hertrude.”

“Not very proper for a duke’s daughter.”

“Now, come along with us.”

That was when Angie understood. The female knights who had supposedly been assigned to keep watch over Hertrude were no bodyguards—they were enemies. She tore her gaze from them to stare at Hertrude. “Are you really serious about this?”

Hertrude stood, leaning in close to whisper in Angie’s ear. “This time Holfort Kingdom will be the one flowing with rivers of blood. As for this continent…we’ll sink the whole thing. If you can stop us, go ahead and try, Angelica.”

 

***

 

I stared at my room, now a chaotic mess after the soldiers had finished searching. My face soured when they unearthed a letter that supposedly linked me to the principality. I had never seen the thing before, but they had produced quite a number of them as they raided my room.

The enemy had gone to such theatrical lengths that it was actually impressive.

The knight from before marched up to me and smoothed out one of the letters. “You won’t be able to weasel your way out of this anymore. Who knew our hero was actually consorting with a hostile nation behind our backs?”

The lies were so brazen, I rolled my eyes.

“You ready for what’s going to happen now?” He pressed his face in close.

I snorted. “Yeah, you’ve done a great job cornering me.”

He grinned and threw a punch at my face. As I collapsed, his subordinates rushed toward me.

“Don’t try to resist, traitor!”

I didn’t try to defend myself, yet he continued to punch me. Luxion stared down at me from where he hid, and I managed to reassure him with a thumbs-up until they restrained me again.

Honestly, I was starting to have a bad feeling about this.

“How does it feel, clawing your way up the social ladder only to lose it all instantly?”

“I thought this guy was fishy. No punk like you should be a viscount.”

“Seems like he had his hand in all manner of criminal endeavors. Better be ready for a tough interrogation.”

They dragged me out of the room. Male students had gathered in the hallway to see what was going on. Among them was Miauler, my sister’s personal servant. He gave me a sinister smile when he saw me.

“You bastard,” I growled.

At this, his grin widened.

Someone’s foot slammed into me from behind, sending me to the floor. They snatched a fistful of my hair and yanked me back up. I was forced to continue walking, and we started passing female students and their servants.

“Why, this is a pleasant sight.”

“I knew he was suspicious!”

“I had my doubts from the start.”

The girls paused in the corridors as we walked by, spewing hateful remarks without a lick of self-restraint. Some even threw garbage at me.

Oh, come on, seriously? You guys are switching allegiances again?

They had done an entire circuit by this point, returning to their original stance on me. Strangely enough, I found it more comfortable that way.

The knight who’d kicked me sneered. “Viscount Leon Fou Bartfort—no, I guess you’re just Leon now. I hope you’re prepared for what comes next, you filthy criminal.”

I mean, yeah. First come the false accusations, then comes the cell. Duh.

“This isn’t exactly how I envisioned you taking my titles away,” I joked.

Then the crowd split to reveal Livia.

“Leon!”

I gave her a small wave and kept going as people continued slinging trash at me.

Clarice and Deirdre also appeared then, along with my friends, Daniel and Raymond. They watched with fear in their eyes as I was escorted out of the academy.

This stupid otome game world is the absolute worst.