The conqueror from a dyi.., p.22
The Conqueror from a Dying Kingdom, page 22
Huh?
Carol wiped her tears with a handkerchief and then loudly blew her nose. “You might be an idiot, but you saved me... Thank you.”
“You’re...welcome.”
She just brought me here to say thanks? All right then. I get it.
“That’s all...” Carol said, then turned to leave.
I stopped her. “Wait up.”
“What?”
“I...owe you an apology too. I think I’ve been really insensitive.”
Carol glared at me as I admitted my guilt. “Why, pray tell, would you apologize?”
Why...?
“I think I injured your pride.”
“My pride’s quite intact!”
Then what’d you slap me for?
“Just thought I’d say something...”
“I was angry because you said you didn’t want to be at the academy. You’re a blackguard who lacks the dignity of a knight.”
She’s calling me a blackguard again. I don’t think I’ve been called that ever, past life included. Blackguard... It’s not a word you hear every day.
“Fine, maybe I am one, but you don’t know me or my problems,” I protested.
All I wanted was a slow, easy life as the head of a ranch. Now I’ve been forced here because of circumstances beyond my control and I need to be a dignified knight all of a sudden? Forget that.
“All that matters is that I’m not letting someone like you beat me. If I’m no better than a blackguard, I’ll bring shame on the title of queen.”
What’s this now?
“It doesn’t matter who’s better,” I said.
“Making excuses now?”
What are we even fighting over? And why, pray tell, am I stooping to a ten-year-old’s level to argue? Jeez, I’m even starting to sound like her.
“You’re going to be a queen, not a knight. A queen’s job is to make her subjects swear loyalty to her, but you’re competing with them to see who’s stronger and wiser instead.”
“The queen has to be stronger and wiser than anyone. Isn’t that obvious?”
“What a stupid thing to say. Are queens all superhumans?”
No matter who you are, you’re going to have some strengths and weaknesses. For one thing, if she’s the newest top student at the Cultural Academy, then she must be way better at Ancient Shanish than I am.
“Isn’t it a good thing if some of your subjects are wiser than you? Be happy about it.”
“I’m still not letting a blackguard beat me! Otherwise I must be even worse than a blackguard!”
“Ugh...”
Well, I don’t know how to argue with that one. If she thinks I’m trash, then I can’t deny it.
“Well...yeah, sure. Never give up,” I said.
“Don’t talk to me like that! Are you trying to say you’ll always be better than me?!”
How’d she reach that conclusion? I feel like she has a really warped perception of me.
“Is a fierce rivalry between us really necessary...? Well, whatever. I couldn’t care less about exams, so go ahead and outdo me if that’s what you want.”
I just wanna get out of here. All I’ve done is try hard on an exam, and now I’m getting dragged into a complicated argument over it.
“You...” she muttered.
“I’m not even trying. Work hard and you’ll beat me sooner or later. So don’t worry about...”
I’m just digging myself deeper here. I was trying to cool her down, but I’m just adding more fuel to the fire now. I think she’s about to hit boiling point, but I just can’t find the right words to cool her off. I wish I didn’t suck so much at expressing myself.
“You trash! Moron! Filth! Um, uh, moron! Someone like you won’t ever beat me!”
All my efforts were in vain—she’d exploded with rage. Her Royal Highness then went scampering out of the room.
✧✧✧
“Where’d you go? We were looking for you.”
Back in the event hall, Rook had been searching for me near where I’d been sitting.
“Sorry. Someone else caught me first. She’s a difficult one to deal with.”
It was worrying to think that this “someone” was the future queen of our kingdom. That said, she was still ten, so she had time to improve. By the time she reached twenty, she’d be far too important and sophisticated to worry about the likes of me. Hopefully.
“Difficult? Who? One of the academy’s teachers?”
“No, just some girl I once met a long time ago,” I said, trying to brush the incident off. I didn’t want to give him a cause for concern.
“Well...you didn’t waste any time,” Rook quipped, grinning at me. “I don’t mind if you see girls from the Cultural Academy... Just don’t try messing around with one and then ditching her.”
Clearly, he doesn’t realize it was the princess. He must think it was some girl from the Cultural Academy. And what’s he mean by “ditch”?
“What do you mean?”
“All I’m saying is don’t go messing around. That’ll keep you safe as long as you don’t do anything else improper. But if you fool around with a girl like that and then dump her, it’ll mean trouble. You’ll be the one expelled.”
What? Expelled? Uhh... I’d rather not.
“If you really need to let off some steam, there’s a brothel that’s been a Knight Academy favorite for years now. It’ll keep you out of trouble. You can ask the older students about it.”
Is he serious? Does that really exist? And let me get this straight—when it comes to the exam, Rook leaves me completely in the dark, but he tells me about this when I didn’t even ask. Is this what he considers important information?
“It’s seven...maybe eight years too soon for me.”
Sexual desire must’ve been more of a product of the body than the mind, because I didn’t feel it in the slightest. And compared to Japan with all its miniskirts, everyone here was dressed so modestly that there was nothing that threatened to stir up that sort of desire. For the next few years, the only organ I’d be thinking with was my brain.
“Maybe,” Rook agreed, “but if you wait until something happens, it’ll be too late.”
“Okay, but now’s not the time or place. Could we talk about this back home?”
“Ah. Good point. Let’s head back.”
People were already making their way out of the hall, leaving the place much less crowded.
III
We returned to our residence and ate lunch together. Once we’d finished, I bid Suzuya another tearful goodbye. After that, I took my luggage—a collection of things I’d brought from the manor in Ho Province and hadn’t yet unpacked—and loaded it all onto a carriage. I was finally ready to set off.
“You’re really leaving?” Sham asked between sniffles.
“Yes.”
“Please don’t go...”
She’d come to the royal capital with us, and now she was trying to win me over with tears. She’d recently turned nine, so she would attend the Cultural Academy the following year.
Sham had been in a perpetually foul mood ever since she’d learned that I’d be going away to join the Knight Academy. The only way to placate her had been to agree to let her move to the Ho residence in the capital where I’d visit her regularly.
Satsuki had gone back to Ho Province to fill in for Rook while he was away, but she normally spent long periods at the royal capital. Since Sham’s mother would often be here, it wasn’t such a bad place for her to be.
“Don’t cry like that. It’s not like you’ll never see me again.”
“I’ll miss you...”
Normally the only words that came out of Sham’s mouth were entirely rational. It was rare to hear her get so sentimental.
I’m gonna miss her too.
“Me too.” I placed a hand on Sham’s head and stroked her soft hair, gently combing it with my fingers. “You’ll forget about feeling lonely when you visit the Grand Library.”
“I won’t.”
I’m sure you will...
“I’ll come visit whenever I can,” I reassured her. “We’ll both be in the royal capital. We’re closer than any two stars.”
Okay, that line felt a bit forced.
“But we’ll be thousands of times further apart than if we lived in the same house...”
Th-This girl...
The Grand Library was built next to the academy, which itself wasn’t too far from the Ho residence, but “thousands” was probably a realistic estimate.
“How about I give you some homework the next time we meet? If you’re busy working on that, it’ll be like we’re studying together. Then you won’t feel lonely.”
That really felt like a stretch.
“Do you mean it?!”
But she beamed—she loved the idea.
“I do.”
Never thought I’d meet a student who’s actually happy at the thought of getting homework. She’s more than a teacher like me deserves.
Still, Sham was reluctant to see me go as I released her hand and signaled to the coachman that we should head off.
I rode alone in the carriage, though I suppose you could say my luggage accompanied me. As much as I’d been embarrassed to travel with my parents before, it felt empty without them.
We passed through the academy gate and entered the grounds where other students’ carriages were gradually arriving.
After climbing down from the carriage with my luggage, I signaled to the coachman to head back.
I hadn’t packed heavily, but there were still three adult-sized leather bags; it was a little much to carry all at once. I couldn’t just drag them along the ground either, these weren’t suitcases with wheels.
Soim might’ve helped me grow stronger, but not strong enough for this. I’d assumed a baggage handler would appear to help me out, but instead I was forced to locate someone myself. But that would still mean an exhausting trek with my heavy luggage until I found someone.
I considered finding a tree or something that I could hide everything under, but I worried they might be stolen. In the end, I remained rooted to the spot, thinking it over, when someone patted me on the shoulder.
“Hello. We meet again.”
I turned to see the boy who’d introduced himself as Myalo during the admission ceremony.
Am I glad to see him.
“Hey. Nice to see you again.” I put one of my pieces of luggage on the ground and shook Myalo’s hand.
Now I’d be able to ask him how the introduction to the dorm would go.
“I recognized you from behind and thought you might need some help,” Myalo said.
He was watching?
“Yeah... To be honest, I don’t even know where I’m supposed to go.”
My honest answer made Myalo chuckle. “I know the way. Let me take you there.”
Now this was a true honor student. He was like a ferryman appearing before someone stuck in front of a river, or a spider offering a thread to someone trapped in hell.
“Would you? Thanks.”
“The location was on the dormitory introduction pamphlet.”
Introduction pamphlet? No one mentioned that.
“Is there somewhere I can get one of those?”
“They were sent to our homes... Don’t you have one?”
Naturally, I did not. I could thank Rook once again.
“I have it somewhere, but to be honest, I never looked at it. Shameful, I know.”
This is genuinely embarrassing.
“I see. I don’t think the pamphlet matters much, but you really should have sent your luggage ahead.”
That was when I noticed that Myalo’s hands were empty—he had nothing with him. When I looked around, I saw other unfamiliar students who were also empty-handed. There wasn’t a single student with bulky pieces of luggage in sight...except for me.
Apparently, I was supposed to have sent my luggage ahead prior to moving in.
What’s wrong with my family? And they’re supposed to be a chieftain family?
“I could help you carry those if you’d like,” Myalo offered.
“No, I’m fine.”
I can’t make him do that.
“What will people think if I’m walking next to you empty-handed while you struggle?” Myalo replied with a frown.
Well, he does have a point. If his hands are free while I’m huffing and puffing with this massive pile of stuff, people might think that I’m his servant.
“It would really help me out actually. You wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course not.”
I passed him the lightest of my bags, which he took in one hand. After some brief consideration, he decided to carry it with two.
Is it really that heavy?
At this point, I noticed just how thin Myalo’s arms were. Soim had forced me to swing wooden rods around every day, and before that I’d been carrying hay bales around on the ranch, so I was fairly well-built. Myalo, on the other hand, wasn’t even from a warrior family. Life had to be radically different for boys raised by witches.
“Sorry. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“Yes. It’s heavier than I thought, but I can handle it.”
Looks like he can carry it without too much trouble using two hands. It won’t be too tough for him. Actually, it’d be a little worrying if he couldn’t carry it at all considering we’re the same age and I can hold it in one hand along with an even heavier bag.
“Let’s get going, shall we? I don’t think the dormitory is much further.” Myalo led the way.
When we arrived, we found other children forming an orderly line in front of the dorm. Myalo and I waited in line with them.
The dorm appeared to be a large, two-story wooden building. One of its distinct features was a slanted roof that covered the whole building; its design ensured any snowfall would slide off to the rear. The second story included a roofed terrace. Half of the ground floor was devoted to the cafeteria, while the other half was a living area and lobby. I could also see some sofas.
Overall, it was quite an impressive dorm. Everything looked brand new. It was a far cry from the student hostel that I’d nervously stayed in for a short time during my student days in Japan. The memory made me feel nostalgic.
“I wonder where the older students are.”
“We won’t find them here,” Myalo told me. “This is the dorm for new students in our year group. It will be ours up until we graduate fifteen or so years from now. Once we’ve all graduated, there’ll be no more use for it. It’ll be torn down and a new one will be built.”
Seriously? So it really is a new building. No expenses spared, I guess. Actually, no. Not when I think about it...
This wooden building was about to be home to a bunch of boisterous kids for at least fifteen years. The whole thing would probably be trashed by the end. Most of us weren’t exactly sophisticated, but we still came from noble families. They couldn’t put new students in an old, decrepit dormitory.
Having no older students around was actually a relief. In a sports-orientated world, the older kids in the dorm were bound to get into the habit of throwing their weight around and bullying the younger ones. Tearing down the dorm and rebuilding it meant former students wouldn’t come back to visit for the sake of nostalgia. Expenses aside, it was all pros.
“Does the Cultural Academy do the same thing?”
“No. They have a huge dormitory—as big as the school itself—where everyone lives together. Although naturally, the boys and girls are in separate buildings.”
“Oh. I see.”
I can’t see Sham coping with that. Well, it’s not like she has to use the dorm at all. She can commute from the residence each day if she prefers.
The line made good progress while we talked. It led to a plump, middle-aged woman who sat at a long desk and rapidly took notes. Before long, I reached the front of the line.
“You can go first,” I told Myalo.
“No, after you, Yuri.”
After letting him carry my luggage and guide me here, I felt I should’ve at least let him go before me, but he had other plans. We were holding up the people behind, so arguing over the sequence now would just cause problems.
“I’ll go first then,” I said to him, before giving the receptionist my name. “I’m Yuri Ho.”
“Yes, Yuri. You’re in room number one.”
Number one? I guess because I’m the top student.
“Here. This is the key for securing your valuables.”
Apparently, I had a safe of some sort. We didn’t get rooms to ourselves, so I was glad to learn of this feature as I took the key from her.
As I was leaving the line, I heard, “You’re in room number two” from behind me.
I guess Myalo placed second after all. Wait, no—they obviously couldn’t make the princess stay in a dorm full of boys. If they did, I’d start thinking that the people in the royal castle had lost their minds. There’s a good chance I won’t see Carol here. Nice.
“My room’s next to yours,” Myalo noted, sounding pleased.
“Yeah. I said it already, but I hope we can be friends.”
“Likewise. I look forward to the next few years.”
We entered the dorm and went up to the second floor.
I found the room that had the number one written on its door—this was my room.
“I’ll return this to you,” Myalo said, offering me the bag he’d carried.
“Thanks. You really helped me out.”
“Not at all. See you around.”
I parted with Myalo and opened the door to my room.
The room was beautiful and still smelled of wood, as you’d expect from a new building. If I’d arrived at a place like this on vacation, I probably would’ve been filled with excitement.
But someone else had gotten here before me and was firmly planted on one of the beds—a boy with a crew cut.
Although the obvious assumption was that he was a student in my year, he was so muscular that it was hard to believe we were the same age. For some reason, he was glaring at me as if I made him mad.
Did I do something wrong? I couldn’t think of what I might’ve done, since I’d never seen him before now.
I looked around me. It was quite a big room.
