My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~ - Chapter 79: The Slavery System

He looked like a boy of good breeding with a bowl cut.

He possessed well-ordered features, suggesting he was an example not to be found among the Dragonkin race’s usual members. He gave the impression of a young noble boy with a good upbringing. The man projected exactly that image.

Dressed in a gorgeous dragon robe woven from a combination of black and blue fabric, his elegant manner of chatting made him the very picture of a young nobleman. However, this was excluding the girl he was currently sitting on.

“Oi, stop it. Kicking a girl around, what kind of idea is that?”

The only ones who reacted to Kishō’s intervention were the surrounding female students. The boy, whose bangs were trimmed straight across, ignored Kishō and continued his conversation. Ignoring the wide-eyed female students and continuing to talk with a smile, his utterly condescending attitude immediately irritated Kishō, who moved to grab his shoulder.

“Oi, don’t ignore m—”

The moment he was about to shake his shoulder, a bad premonition made him retract his hand. A vacuum sickle wind (kamaitachi) descended like a guillotine, grazing his fingertips. Startled, Kishō gulped.

“Could you not touch me with dirty hands?”

Without even turning around, the bowl-cut boy said quietly.

Interpreting that as a signal to start a fight, Kishō cracked his knuckles.

“Is the use of magic permitted in the Upper School too?”

At that, the boy finally turned around. His amber eyes opened and closed as if bored.

“Of course, the use of magic is prohibited. However, the prohibition is for nobles; it does not apply to commoners or—”

While sitting back arrogantly on the back of the girl on all fours, the boy softly stroked her nape with his left hand. The moment the girl’s body trembled, a weak wind breath suddenly generated from his palm. A blade of wind materialized in midair and cut off a part of her hair with a snip. The elegantly flowing black hair fell with a whoosh onto the marble floor and spread out.

“Especially to the likes of slaves. That is my view.”

—Hair was a woman’s life.

His mother’s words suddenly crossed his mind.

“Why would you go that far? Did she do something to you?”

“A slave is, so to speak, an object. Counted as a possession or property. That would be the same in human society too, right? For me, this is like cutting a doll’s hair. Just a a pastime.”

Because she was a slave. The fifteen-year-old boy was not jaded enough to be convinced by that one phrase.

Kishō couldn’t hide his displeasure at the manner of speaking that treated her like a dress-up doll.

“Dragonkin are a species that protects the flock, right? In that case, regardless of commoner or slave, aren’t girls subjects that should be protected?”

“Hmph, you are ignorant of the world, aren’t you. Certainly, we have an obligation to protect the flock. However, slaves are an exception. Listen well? A slave is a title given to the loser in a struggle between flocks. In other words, she—no, her parents—were once our enemies. Staking their entire existence on killing each other, and her flock lost. Even so, without taking their lives, we show mercy and let them serve us. Rather, I would like to receive gratitude for that generous measure.”

Slave was a title given to the loser in a struggle—if that was so, it seemed to be a slightly different existence from the slaves defined in human society.

Kōran had said that this was a delicate problem where even teachers could not intervene.

“Are you saying that child is the enemy of your precious person?”

Kishō’s biggest concern was the kind of grudge between individuals. For example, if it turned out that his mother was killed by her, the boy’s unreasonable response would be extremely reasonable in terms of emotion.

However, what returned from him was a denial surprisingly devoid of emotion.

“No, wrong. Because she has been a slave since she was young.”

“In that case! We are comrades belonging to the same Dragon Emperor’s flock, right. There might be past grudges, but can’t you change that way of thinking at least while being students?”

“She, you see, is a slave I brought to make her take care of me. I have received permission properly from the academy too. As long as that ownership lies with me, there is no place for you to interfere.”

Behind the boy, the girl forced into a disgraceful figure was staring blankly at her cut, prideful hair. The eyes appearing and disappearing from her long bangs looked lonely, and there was something shining faintly at the corners of her eyes. Considering that evident regret, Kishō clenched his teeth.

“If I say I cannot tolerate that?”

“Hmph? Are you saying you will fight me?”

A spark like lightning ran in the depths of Kishō’s eyes.

“Being shown such a figure, there is no way I can back down as is.”

The boy stood up from the girl’s back.

His amber eyes opened and closed as if bored, and for some reason, that gaze was directed not at Kishō, but at the girl on all fours. And—

“Kuha…”

With a natural, unhesitating movement, he kicked the girl’s abdomen mercilessly. Her slender body bent into a dogleg shape and floated in the air. Voiceless agony was spat out from her mouth, and the girl rolled onto the ground as she was.

“Empathizing with an object is not good.”

Inside his head, the sound of the cord of his patience bag snapping was heard.

“You’ve got guts. I’ll take you on.”

“Amazing confidence, huh. Keep your ignorance of your place to a moderate level.”

“I don’t mind particularly, you know? Even if you use magic like earlier. However, at that time, I won’t go easy on you, though.”

“You don’t understand. Even if you win against me, she won’t become free.”

“You are the one who is dense. I’m saying I’ll beat you up until you lose the composure to bully her.”

A touch-and-go atmosphere flowed between the two, and the surrounding female students also started fidgeting uncomfortably. There, the boy removed his gaze from Kishō and directed his amber eyes to Kōran, who was in the rear.

“Hmph, I see. Giving the cold shoulder to Sōgetsu-niisan’s invitation, you are siding with this man, huh, Kōran-san.”

“Sōgetsu has Suiren Princess attached to him, right? At that point, there was no connection with me.”

“Hee. In that case, this man whom you follow is the partner Princess Kuroyō took a fancy to.”

The Princess’s fiancé. At that fact, the surrounding female students stirred greatly.

“Just in case, I will warn you. This guy is strong, you know.”

“For the man-hating you to say that much… I see, the rumor that he did something reckless in breath class seems to be true apparently.”

There, the boy bowed elegantly.

“My name is Sōsetsu. Son of Dragon King Souzetsu. In rank, I am one step inferior to Princess Kuroyō, but I am from a distinguished family among distinguished families. How about it? Do you still intend to lay a hand on me even with this?”

“Ah? I don’t know about Dragon King or whatever, but so what. Heredity does not exist in Dragonkin. Status is something you grab with your own hands, my friend also said. If you are a man too, instead of relying on the influence of your parent, try to manage with your own power.”

“Hoh… Is it bullishness due to ignorance, or did you spout big words knowing everything? It is a very interesting point. I might have become a little interested in you.”

“I have no interest in a guy who oppresses girls, though.”

“Fufu, I am hated, huh. But that’s right. Depending on the conditions, I don’t mind stopping oppressing her.”

A forward-leaning posture, ready to leap at any time. Kishō’s eyebrows, which had entered a battle-ready state reminiscent of a beast, reacted with a twitch.

“That’s right. How about something like this? You become my sandbag right here now. I will not use magic. What I use is only one mock sword. You will be trampled by the mock sword I swing while remaining non-resistant. In exchange, for every one hit, I will stop oppressing her for just one day. In other words, if you endure my attacks for the number of days remaining until graduation, your wish will be granted splendidly. How about it? With this, you can protect her certainly.”

A proposal made with the conviction that he absolutely could not accept. The boy was taking it lightly from the start that this proposal would not be accepted. This was a provocation in the guise of a concession. Fully aware of that, Kishō smiled fearlessly.

“Hoh? An interesting proposal.”

“If you want to liberate a slave, I’ll be troubled if you don’t show me that much sincerity, I suppose.”

“Fine.”

“Eh?”

“I’ll accept your proposal. However, I’ll have you absolutely keep the promise.”

◇◇◇◇◇

Moving the tables of the food court aside, a single boy stood on the open marble floor. A plain black-haired boy.

Sōsetsu clenched the handle of the mock sword tightly.

Against the unilateral violence to be conducted from now, the boy was not shaken at all. Did he lack imagination, or perhaps—

“Are you underestimating me? Just in case, I am the second strongest male student in the first year, though.”

“Second place of the first years, huh. Not a bad opponent. But, my destination is at a much higher place. I have to show I can overturn a handicap of this level.”

Commoner atmosphere who rose up in the Lower School—that was Sōsetsu’s recognition of him. What was this? He easily accepted the overwhelmingly disadvantageous condition. ‘I’ll manage with spirit‘ or such, what the boy was emitting was not such a guts theory atmosphere. He possessed a composure that suggested clear chances of winning surrounding him. Sōsetsu found that unbearably unpleasant.

“Are you trying to say you are higher rank? You.”

“Well, putting it plainly, that’s what it is.”

Sōsetsu felt the mask of composure suitable for a noble son shaking.

Sōsetsu had not been able to master Sword Aura. However, even so, if one took a slash swung by Sōsetsu directly, they wouldn’t get off scot-free—at best, lasting ten hits would be good—so he was taking it lightly, but…

“It seems it would be better to beat you up with full power from the beginning without going easy.”

“Ou. Come without holding back with the intention of borrowing my chest.”

“Gu…”

Clench, his back teeth sounded.

Why was he being underestimated by such a commoner atmosphere?

(I’ll make you realize…!)

Using the humiliation he felt for the first time in his life as a spring, Sōsetsu’s concentration heightened more than usual. Then, the Ki put into the mock sword, concentrating all nerves, wavered faintly orange.

(This was… could it be, Sword Aura? Does it mean even this me could reach the same height as Sōgetsu-niisan…?)

Although wavering faintly and unreliably, that was unmistakably Sword Aura. Rejoicing at that state he had suddenly awakened to, Sōsetsu wound up the mock sword together with an evil smile. Not a noble stance like swordsmanship. The mock sword wound up greatly became a merciless horizontal sweep and struck the right side of the head of the boy standing with composure—

◇◇◇◇◇

“You-chan looks lonelier than usual.”

Resting her chin on her hand at the long desk of the dilapidated hut, Ōka said, looking bored. Sitting opposite, Kuroyō nodded hmm, and raised her beautiful face from the thick book.

“Not being able to meet Kishō is more painful than I thought.”

“You can leave me alone and go, You-chan.”

Kuroyō shook her head slowly and closed the book with a thud. On the cover, “Encyclopedia of Curses” was described.

“I cannot leave Ōka alone.”

“But, I am—”

“No need to act tough. If you become alone, surely you should feel lonely.”

“I am not a small child, you know~.”

“It’s okay, rest assured. Because I am with you.”

“Muu, the talk doesn’t get through~.”

Swaying her chestnut hair, Ōka directed her gaze outside the window.

“Alice-chan isn’t coming today either, huh.”

“Probably she is taking care of Instructor Fūyō or something.”

“Being an assistant is tough too~.”

There Ōka sighed, and returned her gaze here. Those eyes were unusually serious, not including her usual joking atmosphere.

“Aren’t you worried about Sho-kun?”

“Ah. I am not worried at all.”

“Why? It’s different from the Lower School where he knows the ropes.”

“Kōran hasn’t shown herself today yet, right? So surely right now, Kōran should be guiding him through the Upper School.”

“Even so, you know. The rules are different in the Upper School from here, right? Sho-kun is clumsy, so surely he will cause trouble with Upper School students too, and I think he will defy even teachers. If You-chan is by his side, couldn’t such sparks be avoided?”

“Ōka.”

Kuroyō returned the look to her best friend’s face straight while remaining expressionless.

“I arranged the stage so that Kishō can be active. How to utilize that stage, and how to dance, is for Kishō himself to decide. It is not a problem for me to intervene.”

“But, Sho-kun has dangerous parts so… that’s why.”

“Ōka is kind. You are worried about Kishō and can’t help it, aren’t you.”

“That’s not it! I just…”

Her best friend who was not honest was dear, and her usual lack of expression softened a little.

“I think. Serving the master is the wife’s role. However, believing in the master and waiting is also the wife’s role. Our master is not a ball that will be crushed by this degree.”

“Uu, amazing trust. You don’t doubt that Sho-kun will lose even a little bit, do you.”

“Naturally. The man I fell in love with is Kishō alone since I was born. Not the lined-up excellent noble sons, but only that person who holds no title.”

“Is he that… compared to noble sons, is Sho-kun amazing?”

“Ah, that power is at a height immeasurable even by me. Right now, possibly, it might be around the time he is wielding that power to his heart’s content.”

Following Ōka, Kuroyō also looked outside the window.

Then, as if praising the glory of the beloved man, the inserted sunlight flickered dazzlingly.

◇◇◇◇◇

The flash of the horizontal sweep glittered, and the orange Sword Aura tore through the space in a straight horizontal line. The moment the sword blade made of wood was about to strike the boy’s temple, what Sōsetsu imaged was a giant stone pillar. And not just a stone pillar. A stone pillar of Black Dragon Stone. A strong load was applied to his arm, like when he swung the sword toward the Black Dragon Stone of the world’s highest hardness.

Strong impact traveled from the arm to the shoulder and spread to the whole body, leaving a faint numbness in his body.

“Gu… agu… w-why. Why am I taking damage?”

The right arm gripping the mock sword was trembling shakily.

Repelled. That was unmistakable. But, how? The method was the problem.

The black-haired boy kept his hands thrust in his pockets, not crumbling his expression of composure. No matter who looked, he was unhurt. Therefore, the one who took damage was only himself—instantly, Sōsetsu thought up to there. However, he immediately shook his head.

“Foolish. Receiving a mock sword housing Sword Aura, albeit immature, and remaining unhurt is impossible! Generally, an impact of the same degree as the impact I received should have been transmitted to you too. Despite that, why can you remain standing without retreating even a step!!”

The composure like a young nobleman crumbled away, and Sōsetsu screamed without looking aside.

At such unseemliness, the boy laughed hah, and lifting his chin with a snap, looked down on him.

“This is one hit. Still more to go from here. The road ahead is long.”