My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~ - Chapter 81: Academy Structure and Noble Society Learned from Kōran

“Please, do not abandon me, Master.”

A girl was prostrating herself, her forehead almost touching the marble floor.

Unevenly cut black hair painfully flowed down her back.

Kishō, his heart aching for the girl’s circumstances, knelt down on the ground himself, flustered. Placing his hands on her small shoulders, he tried to make her stand.

“No good, doing this. I’m not your master, and besides, didn’t Sōsetsu-sama say you could enjoy student life freely?”

“However, Sōsetsu-sama told me to serve you.”

“Not serve, look after, right?”

“It is the same thing.”

“No, it’s not the same!?”

The slave girl, Tsukino, stubbornly refused to stand.

Why had this situation occurred?

It seemed she had taken Sōsetsu-sama’s words, “Have that man look after you,” to mean he had decided on Kishō as her master. That was why she called him “Master,” but Kishō had no intention of forming a flock in the first place. So when he tried to gently refuse, it developed into a situation like this.

“I am of lowly slave status. I do not ask you to make me a Consort. However, please, place me by the side of the kind you.”

“No, no, no, not ‘lowly’ or anything like that! I don’t think that. But I, you see, want to love only one person single-mindedly.”

“Therefore, it is fine if you place me by your side as a slave.”

“Let’s stop that idea of a slave first, okay? Okay?”

When he tried to make her stand, she conversely grabbed the hem of his dragon robe as if clinging. Gripping it tightly and strongly, she bowed her head many times, pleading, “Please.”

Kishō did not understand why she was desperate to this extent. But even without understanding, he felt the darkness of the heart she held with his skin, and words would not come out well. A drowning man will catch at a straw—or so they said. If the straw for her was Kishō, wasn’t it too cruel to force her to let go of that hope? As a result, remaining half-hearted, unable to refuse or accept, Kishō stood still on the spot.

“This man, you see, is ignorant of the circumstances of Dragonkin society. So he doesn’t correctly understand the problem Tsukino is holding either. Well, in short, he’s just a good-natured person.”

As if breaking the balance of that impasse, the one who interjected was Kōran.

She pointed to a table seat and jerked her chin for the two to sit.

“For the time being, let’s align our understanding. As it is, we’ll get nowhere.”

For Kishō too, being prostrated to on the ground made it impossible to talk calmly. He agreed to that proposal without a second thought and, urging Tsukino, took a seat.

The seating arrangement was Kōran in front of Kishō, and Tsukino on his right.

“First, how much do you know about slaves?”

Asked, Kishō thought for a little while. He pondered the knowledge he had heard from others.

There was no slavery system in Argant. It was strictly a story of foreign countries heard from travelers.

“I hear slaves have no human rights, and are treated as objects under the law. Apparently, there is even a slave industry that exports slaves to other countries as products. Slaves are shackled with handcuffs and fetters, and cannot escape from that status for a lifetime until they die. Imposed with heavy labor, they are made to work until they die in a harsh environment, is the story. Or… um…”

“They are sometimes made to work as prostitutes too, right.”

Having what he hesitated to say taken over by Kōran, Kishō nodded awkwardly.

“That’s right… Compared to Dragonkin slaves too, conceptually it is close. Just, as expected, as far as I hear your story, there is only one part that is greatly different.”

“Different part?”

“First, I’ll speak from the major premise. In the country of Dragonkin, there is a Code that all Dragonkin must obey, and separate from that, there are Flock Rules. Basically, detailed rules—for example, murder is prohibited, or theft is prohibited—fall under Flock Rules. In other words, what is called ‘law’ in human society is equal to Flock Rules.”

The flocks of Dragonkin—especially nobles—maintained independence comparable to city-states in flock units. In other words, it could be said that order was maintained at the national level. In that case, that Flock Rules correspond to laws was a story intuitively understandable.

“Then, it becomes a story of what is the Code, right. You can think of the Code as commandments imposed on the clan, transmitted from ancient times, that must absolutely not be bent. For example, the Muin (Unmarked) can only marry one wife, or only the one with whom the pledge was made first can be set as the Principal Consort, those are such. This cannot be bent even by His Majesty the Dragon Emperor.”

“I see. That Code, what happens if you break it?”

“I cannot say unconditionally, but heavy penalties will be imposed. For example, being stripped of peerage and demoted to Muin.”

“Muin can only marry one wife, right.”

“That’s right. So at the point of demotion to Muin, the flock collapses.”

“If refused?”

“It will mean turning all Dragonkin into enemies.”

Flock Rules apply only to subordinates, but the Code acts on all Dragonkin. In short, if Flock Rules were the laws of a country, the Code can be interpreted as something like international rules decided by diplomatic agreement between countries.

Actually, if breaking the Code became public, a trial was held at a place called the Neutral City, Kōran said. And she continued as if reminding him,

“Okay? From here is important so listen well. In one of the Codes, there is a wording, ‘Those who have reached full eighteen years of age can freely create a flock and become independent.'”

“Speaking of full eighteen years, it’s almost the same time as academy graduation. Raising the banner of a flock is also done after academy graduation, right. Could it be the academy schedule is matched to the Code?”

“That’s right. To put it the other way around, because this Code exists, it is interpreted in the academy rules as ‘Cannot raise a banner while being a student.'”

There Kōran glanced at Tsukino sitting next to her.

“And this Code applies equally to those of slave status.”

Tsukino, who had been looking down without speaking, stiffened her body and gripped the dragon robe on her knees tightly. Kishō resolved himself inwardly that from here was the main subject.

“Then is it that? Even with slave status, raising a flock banner is possible?”

“That’s right. If it’s a boy, raising a flock banner. If it’s a girl, incorporation into another flock becomes possible. In short, limited to those under eighteen years of age, they can escape from slave status by their own will.”

Escape from slave status. That they can do it by themselves, certainly the mechanism seemed fundamentally different from the slavery system Kishō knew.

“In other words, Tsukino-san will be liberated from slave status simultaneously with academy graduation, right.”

At that good news, Kishō brightened his face, but the complexions of the two girls did not clear up.

“That doesn’t go so easily,” were Kōran’s following words. She prefaced with “Okay?” and said.

“You know that Dragonkin are a species that values Honor (Meisetsu), right.”

“Ah. I heard that Honor dedicated to the master is the manifestation of that loyalty.”

“In that case, what happens if that Honor cannot be expected from a slave?”

“——————Wha.”

His breath almost stopped.

The words Kishō swallowed without being able to say earlier.

If he recalled those words Kōran took over, the answer was obvious.

—They were sometimes made to work as prostitutes too, right.

Pain resembling burning impatience scorched Kishō’s chest as if tightening it. If he directed his gaze fearfully to the diagonal front, Tsukino spilling tears without a voice entered his vision.

“Such, such a thing…”

To the words squeezed out as if gasping, Kōran shook her head regretfully.

“Of course, I don’t know about Tsukino. But, other boys won’t see it that way. Normally no one thinks of marrying someone who was of slave status.”

In other words, she will never be liberated from slavery for all eternity.

“That’s why… she sought help from me going that far… without knowing such a thing I… shit.”

At his own worthlessness of not being able to recognize the girl’s SOS correctly, Kishō slammed his fist on the table in irritation. However, without blaming him, Kōran was consistently indifferent.

“If you intend to take that child in, you had better stop.”

“Are you also worrying about Honor?”

To that question, Kōran shook her head slowly to the side,

“Worrying about Honor is strictly the convenience of the male side. I don’t care either way particularly. What is a problem is diplomatic reasons.”

“Diplomacy? The story jumped suddenly.”

“I tried to talk about it earlier too, but the conversation was interrupted, you see. Since it’s a good opportunity, learn. About the structure of the academy and the what’s what of noble society.”

◇◇◇◇◇

“The advantages of operating the academy are broadly divided into two.”

Thrusting out two fingers, Kōran declared so.

“One is to scout excellent graduates into the flock, but since it’s unrelated to this case, I will omit it.”

“Earlier Kōran said the sales here are strictly a bonus, right. In other words, including the sales of the shopping mall, making money is not the main purpose of academy operation. Then the remaining one becomes the reason why Tsukino cannot enter the flock.”

Tsukino’s shoulders trembled. Perhaps to not show her face swollen from crying, she was looking down. Her long bangs covered her expression completely. However, deciding that it was a path he cannot avoid, Kishō faced forward.

“Right. And that is the common sense of the Upper School—and by extension, nobles. If you also intend to step into the Upper School, I was going to say you cannot do as you please like until now, but it seems it was too late. With that, Sōsetsu’s pride is in tatters.”

“My bad. But, I don’t regret it.”

Kishō was not weak enough to flinch in front of a girl being oppressed unjustly. That was a problem before the presence or absence of knowledge. At such a bullish stance, Kōran smiled.

“The second reason is because academy operation fulfills the role of diplomacy as is.”

“Academy operation is diplomacy? What’s that.”

Saying the explanation was a little complicated, Kōran put on a slightly thoughtful face.

“Do you know? Dragonkin are a belligerent people, but they do not fight with their parent flock.”

“Nn, come to think of it Mion-sensei also said such a thing. That because there is a habit of not attacking the parent flock, they marry daughters to strong men.”

“If you understand up to there, the talk is fast. The parent flock means the flock where one was born and raised, right.”

“Ah, attachment springs up for the flock where one was born and raised. So, psychologically they don’t want to fight, right.”

“Right. If rephrased, it can also be said that attachment springs up for the flock one belonged to. If I say up to here, wouldn’t it pin (click)?”

He recalled Ōka’s story.

—All students take the form of belonging temporarily to the Dragon Emperor’s flock.

“Could it be this is also essentially the same as political marriage?”

“Correct answer. Even if it is a short period of three years, if one belonged temporarily, Dragonkin instinct hates to be hostile. In other words, future hostility risk decreases.”

“Even the strongest flock of the Dragonkin race makes efforts not to make enemies, huh.”

“Right. The main subject is exactly there.”

She peeked at Tsukino’s face with a glance. She remained looking down as usual, but it seemed she had stopped crying. Kōran hesitated for just a moment, but immediately started speaking the continuation.

“Noble society is maneuvering so as not to be hostile as much as possible, even for His Majesty the Dragon Emperor. Is this okay?”

“Ah, they are operating the academy spending this much enormous cost. I’m convinced.”

“So a question there, if there was a person maneuvering to liberate a slave under one’s control, what would the master think?”

“He wouldn’t find it amusing.”

“Yes. Tsukino’s master is Dragon King Sōsetsu. In peerage, he is the second from the top, a possessor of ability comparable to His Majesty the Dragon Emperor. If glared at by such a person, what do you think will happen?”

“What happens… independence of slaves is guaranteed by the Code, right.”

“That’s right. So independence itself cannot be prevented. But you see, it is possible to find fault with the flock she became independent to and attack.”

“Wait, wait, isn’t that absurd.”

“That that absurdity passes is Dragonkin society.”

Power was justice.

The winner obtains everything, and the loser lost everything.

Even if one laments that it was unreasonable, if that act was not prohibited by the Code, use of force became possible. The weak had no choice but to cry themselves to sleep.

“Therefore, even if closing eyes to the problem of Honor, it means there are no boys with the spirit to try to put that child in their flock.”

Kishō clenched his back teeth.

“If I put that child in my flock… it means Kuroyō will also be exposed to danger?”

“Right. That is why I opposed.”

There Tsukino raised her face which had been down all along. Her face, swollen messy from crying, gouged Kishō’s heart. His right hand which was thrown on the table was taken, and Tsukino clung as if imploring.

“Is, is it no good? Will you not, let me, enter, Master’s, flock?”

Kishō cannot accompany reality with just how harsh an environment the circumstance of a slave was. But, being made to kneel and made into a chair—if acts trampling on dignity as a human such as that were repeated daily, it was obvious she was in a painful situation more than one can guess.

That place was exactly hell. Isn’t it a living hell itself?

“I, I hate it, anymore. Every day, living, is, painful. Why, was I born, I wonder, hating Father, and, Mother, I cannot forgive, myself. I want to die, already. But, today, being saved by Master, I was very, very happy. Because no one, saved me. Because I was, all alone, all the time. That is why, if it is this person, I thought.”

Her heart was spoken while shedding tears. Sobbing was mixed, and each word was unclear, but that full text entered clearly as if carved into Kishō’s chest.

At the bottom of hell from where she cannot escape by herself, she was crying alone all the time.

There was no one trying to extend a hand. Because she was a slave.

In such a situation, a single thread hung down. If the existence becoming the hope of salvation was Kishō.

(Naturally, she would extend her hand desperately. It’s decided she would try to grab it.)

There was no doubt it was a matter he should consult with the Princess. So temporarily reserving it here, and replying at a later date would be the best choice.

(I understand that. But—)

Kishō could not shake off her hand. He did not want to see her disappointed figure by a half-hearted decision called reservation. If no one can save her, he thought he had no choice but to extend his hand. Overlaying his former self on the lonely her—

Because the image of being slapped on the back and cheered up crossed his mind.

“Kōran, teach me just one more thing. Is it possible for a Consort to make a flock of only one person?”

“Possible. The ranks inside a flock, excluding the Principal Consort, are all local. By the judgment of the master and the Principal Consort, they can be changed however one likes.”

“In that case—”

And Kishō made a decision that changes his future life greatly.