My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~

The place Princess Suiren led them to was a room on the second floor of the Upper School’s main building.

The interior looked like the office of a noble. It closely resembled the teachers’ private rooms, but compared to the ones Kishō knew in the Teachers’ Building, the level of luxury was on a completely different scale. That difference came from the furniture, the interior decorations, and the masterful designs worked into every part of the room.

The painting hanging on the back wall, especially, carried an air of refinement even in its frame alone. Not that Kishō understood anything about the quality of the art itself.

“Hey, hey. If Fūyō-sensei saw something like this, she’d cry, you know.”

Wanting to ease Tsukino, who had completely shrunk in on herself, Kishō deliberately cracked a light joke to show there was no need to worry.

“It’s a far cry from that ramshackle hut we use as a hangout, huh.”

“The Upper School’s top student is given a luxurious private room all to themselves.”

Kishō looked around the room with deliberate boldness. In contrast, Princess Suiren seemed entirely unconcerned by his attitude. She invited Kishō and the others to the guest sofa in the center of the room, then added that explanation. Once they had taken the seats she indicated, Princess Suiren bowed toward the desk at the far end.

“Sōgetsu-sama. I have brought the two of them.”

The leather office chair, turned backward, slowly rotated around.

Sitting there was a male student with long hair slicked straight back. Amber eyes, the same color as his younger brother’s, peered from behind narrowed lids. He pushed up his silver-rimmed glasses with one finger, and that intellectual-looking face gave a small nod.

“Good work, Suiren.”

“No. It was an easy task.”

The leather chair creaked as he rose.

The male student who stood was tall and slender. He stepped forward with a gentle manner, yet one glance was enough to show that he was different from the other Upper School students. Absolute confidence clung to him. He possessed the aura of a truly strong person, something his younger brother had lacked.

Strong, Kishō thought instinctively.

“You must be Kishō-kun. My name is Sōgetsu. I hear you took care of my younger brother, Sōsetsu.”

Wearing a gentle smile, he offered a handshake.

Kishō stood to match him, but he did not take the offered hand. The eyes narrowed in apparent friendliness were not smiling at all.

On the reception sofa, Tsukino had completely withered and made herself small. She was like a cat someone had brought in from outside—utterly timid and quiet. Though she trembled, she still raised her face and looked this way through sheer force of will. Gently patting her on the head, Kishō murmured in a low voice,

“Leave the rest to me.”

“I heard you wanted to discuss something concerning Tsukino. Or do you just want revenge for your younger brother?”

Worried about Tsukino, Kishō’s words naturally came edged with thorns.

The suspicion planted by Princess Suiren’s words and conduct had only grown stronger by the time they reached this room. Faced with Kishō’s openly skeptical gaze, Sōgetsu merely shrugged.

“My useless younger brother does not matter. The one I am interested in is you, Kishō-kun.”

“Oh? Then I’d like to hear in detail how that has anything to do with Tsukino.”

“Well, sit down.”

At his urging, three cylindrical tea cups were set on the reception table before them. The one carrying the tray in both hands and serving the tea was, unexpectedly, Princess Suiren herself. Once she was done, she stood waiting behind Sōgetsu.

“Hey, hey. What’s with ordering a Princess around like a servant…?”

“Suiren is captivated by me, you see. She will do anything for me. Isn’t that right?”

When Sōgetsu asked over his shoulder, Princess Suiren waiting behind him let her cheeks flush red.

“To serve one’s master is the honor of a Dragonkin woman. There is no greater happiness than that.”

Maybe it was because they were sisters after all. In some ways, her way of thinking resembled Kuroyō’s.

For a moment Kishō found himself thinking fondly of the beloved person he had not been able to see for some time, but he shook his head. Now was not the time for that. He cut straight to the point.

“So. What do you want?”

Sōgetsu lifted his tea and took a sip.

“It seems my foolish younger brother promised to set Tsukino free. But what would you do if I said I am not convinced?”

Tsukino’s face went pale, and both her shoulders began trembling so pitifully it hurt to watch.

For someone as innocent as her to be this frightened, there had to be a reason. This man called Sōgetsu might be an outrageous schemer. Princess Suiren, who clearly knew the relationship between them, should have been able to predict exactly how Tsukino would react. Knowing that, she had deliberately made her come here anyway. Kishō felt a surge of anger at that malicious intent.

“Are you saying you intend to break the promise?”

He leaned forward, as though shielding Tsukino behind him. In response to Kishō baring his fangs in threat, Sōgetsu coolly looked him over as if appraising him.

“I would rather you not misunderstand. Tsukino is Father’s slave, not Sōsetsu’s. In other words, my younger brother had no right to set her free.”

“She’s your father’s slave, and she was attached to Sōsetsu, right? Then that’s exactly the kind of matter you shouldn’t be interfering in.”

“…Logically, yes. But if I petition Father, the matter changes.”

At that, a flash like lightning ran through the depths of Kishō’s eyes.

“I intend to bring Tsukino into my flock. If you lay a hand on her, I won’t let you off lightly.”

“Hmm. How hot-blooded.”

“Protecting the flock is the duty of a Dragonkin man. Naturally.”

Kishō made it clear that he would resist to the end. In response, Sōgetsu twisted one corner of his mouth and raised two fingers.

“I will give you two pieces of advice. First, laying a hand on Father’s slave would be unwise. Second, I still belong to Father’s flock. If you lay a hand on me, you may end up making Father—a Dragon King—your enemy.”

“You nobles are such a pain. The moment anything happens, you start crying about who your parent is and what your rank is. So the second-year top student is just a spineless coward who runs to his father when things get serious? Sorry, but I’m so disappointed I can’t even see the value in punching you.”

For the first time, Sōgetsu’s composed expression twitched.

Feeling even a thrill at the fighting spirit rising in him, Kishō declared,

“Either way, I have no intention of handing Tsukino over. If you want her, then try taking her by force.”

“Is that really all right? If you make Father your enemy, you will drag even Princess Kuroyō into it.”

“If I abandon Tsukino here, then Kuroyō would be disappointed in me.”

Princess Suiren, standing behind Sōgetsu, did not move a muscle. A faint smile still rested on her lips.

Even though the safety of her younger sister was supposed to be at stake, that indifference felt unnatural. Don’t tell me she simply had no interest in her sister at all, Kishō thought.

“So in other words, you mean to oppose me no matter what?”

“If you intend to lay a hand on Tsukino, then there’s no reason not to.”

“You would stake your life on a slave? Is that what you mean to say?”

“Tsukino is not a slave. She’s my comrade.”

And then, at that point, Sōgetsu relaxed.

“What do you think, Suiren?”

“As expected of the one that child chose, he has spirit.”

“In other words?”

“I suppose… he passes.”

“I see.”

Sōgetsu nodded and touched the bridge of his glasses with his middle finger.

“You seem to be misunderstanding, so let me correct that. I merely asked, What would you do if I said I was not convinced about Tsukino? In other words, everything just now was hypothetical.”

“Hah?”

Having his momentum completely sidestepped just as he had gotten fired up, Kishō nearly pitched forward. Still unconvinced, he glared at the intellectual-looking man.

“In that case, there was no need to threaten me with making an enemy of a Dragon King.”

“It was necessary. I was testing you.”

He was irritated by the condescending tone, yet somewhere in himself Kishō also felt relieved.

Then a slight tremor reached him from beside him. Startled by the still-frightened Tsukino, he tightened the mind that had almost relaxed and straightened his posture again as though bracing himself.

“I don’t care if you’re the top student or a Dragon King’s son. If that’s all this was, then don’t drag Tsukino into it. Just look at how terrified she is. You can see it yourself, can’t you?”

If he conceded a hundred steps, then merely testing Kishō was still one thing. The purpose remained unclear, but he could tolerate that much. But frightening Tsukino for no reason at all was utterly pointless and malicious.

“Because I heard you are Kuroyō’s sister, I’ve held back until now. But since we’re here, let me say it. Don’t assume everything will be forgiven just because you’re a Princess.”

That was for Tsukino’s sake. Or perhaps it was meant as a warning to Sōgetsu.

For Kishō to demand consideration for a slave was outright heresy in the Upper School. Naturally, he expected Sōgetsu to react badly, but the man seated before him only sighed.

“What I said before was hypothetical, yes, but that does not mean it was complete nonsense. She is indeed a party concerned.”

“You know, don’t just convince yourself and leave it at that. Explain it in a way I can understand.”

Crossing his long legs as though cramped, Sōgetsu leaned forward to mirror Kishō. The two now faced each other over the reception table like men glaring one another down. Behind his glasses, Sōgetsu’s slit eyes narrowed.

“Then I will put it plainly. Form an alliance with us.”

“Hah?”

The abrupt shift from open hostility to an offer of alliance caught Kishō completely off guard, leaving a blank in the thoughts of someone who had been ready to fight.

“Oh my? Haven’t you heard anything from Kōran-kun? We nobles manage our flocks by properly balancing alliances, neutrality, and hostility so as not to become isolated.”

“…You’re telling me to join your little diplomacy game too?”

According to Kōran, tea parties also served as diplomacy. But to Kishō, still just a student, it had all seemed like little more than make-believe with no real substance. He had taken this talk of alliance as more of the same.

“I came to stir things up in the Upper School, you know. To be blunt, you—the second-year top student—were part of that target too. And you want me to get along nicely with that?”

“This is neither getting along nor make-believe. I am speaking seriously.”

As if to support her master, Princess Suiren—who had remained modestly silent until now—spoke up.

“That’s right. Sōgetsu-sama is speaking of an alliance with the long term in mind, one that would continue even after graduation. It is a decision made precisely because he recognizes your ability. You should feel honored.”

“You say he recognizes my ability, but we haven’t even fought.”

“Being able to see through an opponent’s ability without fighting is also a talent. And in that regard, you are—”

As if gesturing toward the luxurious chandelier overhead, Sōgetsu raised one hand. Princess Suiren, standing behind him, gasped and fell silent, looking vaguely abashed. Sōgetsu picked up from there.

“The fact that Princess Kuroyō herself took a liking to you already makes you worth considering. Add to that the way you rampaged the moment you transferred into the Upper School. And beyond that, your willingness to throw away calculations of profit and loss in order to protect your flock—a genuine dragonkin temperament. If made an ally, you would be reliable. If turned into an enemy, you would be a very troublesome passion type. That is what you are. Therefore, I concluded that making an enemy of you would be a poor plan.”

“Even if you call it hostility, it’s not like we’re trying to kill each other. For a second-year top student, you’re awfully timid.”

“As Suiren said earlier, this alliance includes what comes after graduation. It is not the sort of make-believe that only applies while we remain students.”

Kishō’s throat had gone dry without him noticing, and he drained the tea in one gulp.

“Even if you say alliance, I still have no idea what that means for me.”

“Of course, I am not asking for an answer immediately. But Suiren and Princess Kuroyō are sisters who share the same father. Surely it is understandable, on an emotional level as well, that they would prefer not to oppose one another.”

Really, Kishō still was not sure whether the alliance being spoken of here meant exactly the same thing as alliance in human society. Even the concept of slaves differed somewhat, so assuming complete equivalence would be premature.

Still, considering that even His Majesty the Dragon Emperor engaged in diplomacy, the idea of forming an alliance itself was not something Kishō found impossible to accept—

“No, on a personal level I have objections everywhere. My impression of you is the worst.”

If Sōgetsu had proposed the alliance from the beginning, Kishō might have honestly nodded. But after being sized up and threatened using Tsukino as a pretext, it killed any inclination he might have had.

At Kishō, who made no attempt to hide his displeasure, Sōgetsu showed a broad smile.

“If you form an alliance with us, I will hand Tsukino over to you as a gift.”

“So it’s a condition for the deal.”

“Please consider it my sincerity.”

Only then did Kishō finally understand why Princess Suiren had been so insistent about Tsukino.

She had been threatening him implicitly: if he refused the alliance, Tsukino would not be freed. And she had done it in front of Tsukino herself.

“Oh? That’s a pretty underhanded trick for a student.”

“Please do not misunderstand. I do not wish to make trouble with you.”

“To hear the great second-year top student say that much is an honor.”

“Diplomacy is not a game, you see. Especially when I can form an alliance with a future Dragon King candidate—it is fair to call these exceptional terms. I ask you to forgive the somewhat dirty methods. They only mean I value you that highly.”

“You’re overestimating me. But—”

He glanced to his side.

Tsukino was looking up at him with eyes like an abandoned puppy.

Seeing that anxiety from the corner of his eye, Kishō made his decision without hesitation.

“It seems I don’t have any other choice.”

“But, Master—”

“It’s fine. If I can buy Tsukino some peace of mind with this, it’s cheap.”

Tsukino’s eyes widened.

“Then at a later date, let us have you sign and seal the alliance agreement.”

“I’ll have Kuroyō attend too.”

“Of course. Please do.”

As if to boast that there was no room for deceit, Sōgetsu spread both arms.