My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~ - Chapter 015: Westward Ho

Upper School main building, third floor.

The headmaster’s office.

Within a pack, the magnificence of one’s dragon robe served as an indicator of how high one’s status was.

For instance, those of the lowest status wore dragon robes of single-colored fabric with no embroidery. Moving up one rank added embroidery to the single-colored fabric. Going higher still increased the fabric to two colors. Through the types of fabric used and the embroidery’s magnificence, one could discern someone’s approximate status.

Among these, the Six Consorts’ dragon robes took on magnificently splendid appearances. Based on three color systems, they were completed by combining dozens of fabric types. Then, beyond gold and silver thread, they were embroidered throughout with the highest-grade threads called platinum thread, azure-gold thread, and crimson-gold thread. Those magnificently splendid dragon robes symbolized a consort’s authority.

Additionally, dragon robes had a custom of embroidering a crest representing rank on the left shoulder with the master’s name at its center. The dragon robes of all Central Dragon Emperor Academy students and teachers bore the crest of a majestic dragon with spread wings and the name “Kuroren” inscribed at its center. This signified belonging to Dragon Emperor Kuroren’s pack.

One of the Six Consorts—Seiran, the League Consort ranked sixth—carefully sat on the leather sofa to avoid wrinkling her prestigious dragon robe, then prompted the accompanying Instructor Mi’on to sit as well.

“So, Instructor Mi’on. What is the meaning of this?”

Asked right off the bat, Instructor Mi’on raised her face.

“Yes. We dragonkin have good compatibility with magical beasts, so for inexperienced first-years, the Beast King Forest seemed quite suitable.”

Seiran crossed her arms irritably and tapped the expensive fabric with her fingers.

“That’s also problematic, but no. There’s another matter, isn’t there?”

Instructor Mi’on pushed up her triangular glasses with one finger and murmured “Ah.”

“Against magical beasts one-on-one, falling behind is virtually impossible. Acting in groups, they can handle it even without weapons.”

The rhythm of her tapping fingers quickened. Seiran raised her voice slightly.

“From a safety perspective, that discussion is also necessary. However, Instructor Mi’on, that matter has already been approved at the Lower School council. Right now there’s a higher-priority problem, isn’t there?”

Instructor Mi’on tilted her head dubiously and gave an unenthusiastic “Yes?” It seemed she had no idea. Growing impatient at this, Seiran pulled a sheet of paper from her sleeve. She thrust it onto the coffee table almost like slamming it down.

“This.”

It was the paper listing the summer special training’s group assignments.

“Is there a problem?”

“A BIG one!”

Then Seiran ran her finger across the paper and pointed to one specific group.

“What is the meaning of this?”

This time Instructor Mi’on’s expression showed genuine confusion. Her sharply drawn straight eyebrows now formed a figure-eight.

“Well… it was the Princess’s request, so…”

“This isn’t just any group. It’s a rehearsal for living together as a pack in the future. You might call it a simulated pack. So why is Princess Kuroyō in the same group as that male student?”

“That was her personal request, so I couldn’t say.”

Seiran let out a large sigh unbefitting her noble status.

“Instructor Mi’on. I told you. You must not let Princess Kuroyō fight that male student. Why? Because I feared this very situation.”

“With all due respect, Headmaster, in the mock battle held at the Lower School, the Princess herself saw through that student’s ability. I couldn’t stop it. Besides, no conclusion was reached. We stopped midway.”

You’re the one who allowed her transfer to the Lower School anyway—Instructor Mi’on’s disgruntled eyes seemed to protest this.

Leaning back against the backrest as if throwing herself into it, Seiran looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

“I know. You did well. But was there truly no way to prevent this?”

“I did my absolute best.”

“I’m terribly anxious about tomorrow’s summer special training. If something were to happen, how would I explain this to the General Consort?”

“That should be fine, surely. Consummating while still students results in expulsion.”

Once more, Seiran let out a large sigh.

“That child is completely defenseless. She even has a habit of unconsciously approaching anyone she takes a liking to. And with that beauty. Do you think there’s a male who’d leave her alone after spending days eating and sleeping together? If there is, I refuse to recognize him as a man.”

“However, expulsion means no rank is granted and they become unmarked. I don’t think she could accept living at the bottom for life.”

“That child, called a genius who appears once in a millennium, has enough value to throw everything away. Enough value to refuse academy graduation and rank bestowal. Because she alone is more useful than hundreds of common girls.”

Instructor Mi’on fell silent, unable to say anything.

◇◇◇◇◇

Daily necessities for extended stays. And spare dragon robes. Plus other seemingly necessary miscellaneous items and preserved food. Packing camping equipment into his rucksack, preparations for the summer special training expedition were complete.

Given the season, Kishō thought blankets might be unnecessary, but reconsidering that they might be needed, he packed one just in case. His friends back in Algant used to say they got so excited before field trips they couldn’t sleep, but having been sleep-deprived for days, by the time he finished preparing, his drowsiness had reached its limit and he fell into a deep sleep.

At the briefing the day before, just as Seikan had said, they were told they’d be heading west on an expedition. The destination was, coincidentally, a famous forest called the Beast King Forest, located near Algant—the human city where Kishō had been born and raised.

In this world, creatures called monsters existed. The difference between animals and monsters came down to one point: whether they emitted miasma. Particularly among monsters, those that mainly used simple physical attacks were beast-type monsters, which dragonkin distinguished by calling them magical beasts. This was because magical beasts could be defeated through simple tests of strength, making them compatible prey for dragonkin—the name differentiated them as easy targets.

The Beast King Forest, as its name suggested, was a forest where beast-type monsters had seized dominance. Other monsters had already been driven out, and only magical beasts lived there. Instructor Mi’on had explained at the briefing that this made it an optimal location for first-years’ initial practical training.

“Still, I’m not feeling this. Do we really need to spend five days just traveling?”

Kishō grumbled in the rattling covered wagon bed. The not-particularly-spacious bed was packed with ten students. It felt suffocating.

Though called a wagon, it wasn’t pulled by horses. Two creatures called Armored Lizards—lizards covered entirely in scales hard as armor—pulled the wheeled bed. Their legs weren’t as fast as horses, but they had stamina and could run all day without their pace dropping. With high defense and robustness, dragonkin preferred using Armored Lizards.

Twenty such covered wagons in total. Carrying the Lower School’s 150 students and two supervising instructors, they headed westward in a single direction. It resembled an army’s advancing column.

“Come on, don’t be like that. Real combat’s the best way to improve our abilities. Especially for us in our growth period—it’s obviously important training.”

In the cramped wagon interior, Seikan spoke awkwardly, his large body hunched.

He was clearly getting the worst deal here.

Long boards were attached to both ends of the wagon interior, forming bench-like seats. They sat divided into five on each side facing the direction of travel, with their luggage placed in the central space. Every time the wagon jolted, their rear ends ached. The ride wasn’t very comfortable.

To Kishō’s right, the Princess looked up from the thick book she’d been reading. The cover read “Attribute Factor Inheritance Theory.” She tilted her head, angling her expression-sparse face.

“But leaving our territory like this is strange, if you think about it. Normally you don’t leave your territory without a special reason.”

To Kishō’s left, Ōka spoke airily.

“It’s Dragon Lord Rag’s territory, right?”

Dragon Lord Rag. That was the name of a noble who held territory at the western edge of the dragonkin nation. The land he governed bordered the human city of Algant. And Algant was also Kishō’s birthplace.

“The city of Rakure. It’s famous because merchants come seeking its specialty products.”

Merchants traveled to Rakure via Algant.

He’d heard those rumors and had that knowledge in his head.

Ōka pulled hard on his arm.

“Hey, what are Rakure’s specialty products?”

Hmm? What were they again? Kishō tilted his head.

Answering in place of the unreliable Kishō was the talented and beautiful Princess.

“Silk textiles and celadon porcelain. Though silk textiles are produced in any eastern city, in terms of specialty products only available in Rakure, it would be the celadon porcelain.”

He stole a glance at the Princess’s profile, which was far too beautiful.

After that incident, the Princess had stopped saying she wanted to join his pack. In fact, she’d stopped mentioning packs at all.

He didn’t know what change of heart she’d had.

But one thing was certain: the persuasion hadn’t succeeded. Because Kishō hadn’t been able to present the most crucial part—the basis for why they didn’t match. Being half-dragon. Having no attribute affinity. His heart hadn’t been prepared enough to confess these two things.

Though the Princess had made a mysterious declaration before departure.

“I’m a clumsy woman. So I’ll demonstrate through actions.”

Not understanding what she meant, Kishō could only respond “O-oh.”

Inside the wagon were Kishō, the Princess, Ōka, Seikan, and six female students following Seikan—ten people total. According to Ōka, this combination had been assigned by groups pre-registered with the academy. Incidentally, Ōka had handled the registration without asking.

“Both hands full of flowers—quite the ladies’ man.”

Seikan teased with a smirking face from across.

“Says the guy with six attendants.”

When Kishō bantered back, a booming laugh returned.

“The Princess on your right. The year’s fifth-ranked honor student on your left. Want to trade if you’re dissatisfied?”

“Seriously, you… saying that right in front of the girls who admire you.”

“Because it’s true they’re good women. These girls don’t mind. Right?”

The female students nodded as if it were obvious.

Kishō felt nothing but discomfort at that bizarre scene.

A relationship of mutual use. Seikan had said that before. Did the girls view it the same way with similar detachment?

That might be a necessary skill for survival. But it still felt lonely somehow.

“That’s your business. I shouldn’t interfere. But I won’t become like you.”

His booming voice shook the wagon with laughter.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Different packs having different policies is natural.”

This man definitely wasn’t straightforward.

But he wasn’t dislikeable. Seikan’s words and actions were clear and refreshingly straightforward.

Honestly, he even envied how definitively he could state his path and proceed. Perhaps that was the ideal form for a dragonkin.

“As expected of the Lower School’s top student.”

“Huh? What’s with you suddenly? Got a fever?”

Seikan grimaced as if truly disgusted. Goosebumps even rose on the thick arms visible from his dragon robe sleeves. Rude bastard.

Glancing to his right, he saw the Princess had returned to immersing herself in her book.

“Even in such terrible conditions, studying… This is the Upper School’s top student.”

With the dictionary-thick book open, the Princess turned her gaze toward him.

“There’s something I’m a bit curious about. It’s a good opportunity, so I decided to read through it.”

After answering, she immediately lowered her gaze and continued reading.

“Ahh, I get it. Shō-kun, you’re lonely because Yō-chan won’t pay attention to you!”

“That’s not it!”

“Mu? Is that so?”

“I said it’s not!”

“Ahh, he’s totally embarrassed.”

Ōka poked his left cheek repeatedly.

“You got some nerve, Ōka. Let’s take this outside.”

“We can’t go outside… Hey, don’t thrash around. It’s cramped.”

Hunched in a cramped forward position with arms crossed, Seikan teased amusedly.

“So this is the famous married couple comedy routine. You two really get along.”

He pressed down on Ōka’s head in a grinding motion.

“Who’s married to who? Does this look like a married couple to you? It’s a master and dog relationship.”

“That’s right. I’m a dog. So I’ll do this.”

He thought he heard a chomping sound. Intense pain shot through his left arm. While petting his beloved dog, she’d bitten him. Not a love bite. Her jaw strength that could crunch through serpent scales drove her canines deep.

“Ow!? Wait, Ōka. I’m sorry. I was wrong, so time out.”

As the situation began taking on the aspect of a children’s quarrel, Seikan sighed with an exasperated expression.

Unable to focus on reading anymore, the Princess smiled faintly.

Seikan’s girls looked annoyed at the wagon’s increased shaking.

The party proceeded westward in a single direction.