Chapter 4: The Hidden Boss Meets a Dragon
“What’s that prima donna’s deal?” I sighed.
“I think it’s fine. Think of it as something you only have to deal with until graduation and just be friends with her.”
Patrick and I were talking while walking side by side down a hallway at the Academy. Eleanora hasn’t seemed to have had enough of me and still talked to me all the time. I had been relying on Patrick, but he appeared to be amused seeing me be followed around by her.
“I don’t want to deal with the duke’s family.”
“I’ve talked to Lady Eleanora a little bit. She’s pretty strange, but you know she isn’t a bad person. It wouldn’t hurt if you made a bit of an effort,” Patrick remarked.
“I’ll think about it,” I groaned. “Well, I’m heading back to my room now.”
Patrick really keeps pushing for us to get along.
Having arrived in front of the dorms, I turned the corner and began walking in the opposite direction of Patrick, only to be stopped immediately.
“Oh, wait,” Patrick called out. “Are you going to the end-of-year party?”
“I don’t really care about social events, so I don’t think I’ll be going.”
“I see,” Patrick said after a moment. “You should come if you change your mind.”
After saying goodbye to Patrick, I found myself thinking about the occasion while walking back to my room.
“The end-of-year party, huh,” I muttered to myself.
That school event was a proper soiree as it doubled as social etiquette practice. In other words, it had nothing to do with me, so I figured it was fine to miss it.
Oh, right. In the game, there was an event where you sneak out of the party venue with the love interest with the highest affection parameter.
I did want to see whose route Alicia was currently going down, though it may not actually be useful information since we had already gone quite off track from the game’s story. I would be grateful if she were going down the main story’s Prince Edwin route. If that were the case, she would defeat the Demon Lord and then get engaged to the prince as the second coming of the saintess, leaving me completely unaffected—at least, ideally, she would.
I already told Patrick I wouldn’t be attending, but perhaps it would be all right for me to show my face for a bit. The various thoughts swimming through my mind kept me from noticing someone’s presence near me. Suddenly, a voice called out to me from point-blank range.
“Yumiella! Have you decided on your dress for the end-of-year party?”
Whoa, it’s her again.
Recently, I had gotten somewhat used to her, and my responses were becoming superbly perfunctory.
“My dress? I can’t wear my uniform?”
“You absolutely cannot. We’re going to wear fabulous dresses and dance!”
“But I don’t have a dance partner,” I tried to reason.
“What? You have Patrick, don’t you?”
The double ringlet-haired prima donna is saying something funny. Why is Patrick’s name coming up?
I knew how to dance—we had simple lessons at the Academy, and I could probably dance pretty well if I used my physical abilities to their fullest for once. After all, it was a school event; it might be good to attend. The only thing was, did I even have a dress?
“Patrick doesn’t have anything to do with this. Also, I don’t have a dress.”
“I see. If we had one made, it wouldn’t be ready in time. Then... I shall lend you one of mine! Let’s pick it out together!”
I said I didn’t have a dress, but it would have been more correct to say that I didn’t know if I had a dress. I had spent the past year alternating only between my uniform and pajamas.
I feel like there’s a closet in my room...maybe...
After successfully shaking off Eleanora, I returned to my dorm.
“Hey, Rita, do I own any dresses?”
Rita’s eyes widened. “How unusual for you to be concerned with dresses, my lady.”
You don’t have to be so surprised...
Since she was sent by my parents, Rita continued to relay their instructions to me. Just the other day, she had mentioned talks of an arranged marriage for the umpteenth time, which I brilliantly ignored. Rita had resigned to just relaying their messages rather than trying to get me to uphold their instructions because I always refused to listen.
“I need one for the end-of-year party. If we don’t have one, I can just wear my uniform—”
“Nonsense! This party is a special occasion, my lady. Let’s do makeup as well.”
“Makeup is unnecessary.”
Rita performed her job as a maid perfectly, and the tea she made was wonderful. I just wished that she would stop trying to take every chance she could to get me to dress up.
I don’t care about whether it’s common sense or not in this world, students shouldn’t be wearing makeup.
“So, do we have any dresses?”
“Well, we do, but...” Rita replied vaguely. She made her way to the closet and opened the doors to show me what was inside.
Ah, I see.
The closet was filled with a plethora of fabulous dresses. The pastel-colored dresses hurt my eyes.
“Oh, wow...” I managed to force out. “How wonderful... These frills and ribbons are so exaggerated and totally awesome.”
“The mistress ordered these,” Rita responded to my sarcasm. I wondered how old this mother of mine thought I was.
The dresses, which there were several of, were all warm colors like pink and yellow. They were tailored to the measurements of my uniform, so sizing didn’t seem like it would be an issue, but that made me more uncomfortable.
“Something a little plainer would be nice, like black or white.”
“White is for weddings, and black is for funerals,” Rita stated matter-of-factly.
“Then how about brown or gray?”
“They’re not really common colors.”
Why not? I don’t dislike gray.
Just then, I heard the sound of a knock followed by someone’s voice.
“Delivery for Lady Dolkness.”
“I’ll get it,” Rita offered.
I’ll leave handling the guest to her. It’s unfortunate, but I guess I’ll give up on the end-of-year party. Wait...unfortunate? I didn’t think I was particularly looking forward to the party, so why does it feel unfortunate?
Rita returned while I was still pondering.
“It’s from Her Majesty.”
It appeared that the guest brought a gift sent by the queen. I had already received several gifts from the queen, such as tea or treats; however, this gift looked different.
“What is that? Isn’t it kind of big?”
Rita was holding a bag about as tall as her—it was the perfect size to hold a dress.
Could it really be...? What kind of timing was this?
“I’m going to open it,” Rita said, unveiling the gift. “As expected, it’s a dress.”
The gift was a red dress. It was the kind of red that could be described as deep, refined, or perhaps, wine-like.
“Wow, this crimson red dress will look really good on you, my lady.”
My lack of vocabulary felt like it was on display.
It’s called “crimson” red, huh? I should’ve taken a color assessment or something.
“Well, I don’t think it’ll fit,” I declared.
“Let’s try it on!”
Rita was more aggressive than usual, and she pushed me to try on the dress. The sleeveless, sheath silhouette design was perfect for my body type.
Wait... Why does she know my size?
◆◆◆
The day of the end-of-year party arrived, and students dressed to the nines were gathered in a hall at the Academy. Looking at the glittering chandelier and the young men and women dancing in an open space underneath it left me dying to leave.
The hall fell silent as I walked in. I continued walking into the venue without a care, despite all the eyes I could feel gathering on me. Slowly, whispers started to buzz around, likely about things such as my dress being dyed crimson from blood spatter—it was easy to tell even without listening in.
There was one person headed in my direction while everyone else kept their distance. Eleanora, who had been a bit far from where I was, made a beeline toward me upon spotting me enter the hall. She adorned her dress, seemingly accustomed to this sort of event.
“Wow, Yumiella! I guess you decided to attend after all,” she said happily.
“Hello, Lady Eleanora.”
“Did you not ask Patrick to escort you?”
I wanted to ask why Prince Edwin wasn’t escorting her, but that was something I wouldn’t say no matter what. I had confirmed that Patrick would be attending, but other than that, we hadn’t talked about the party at all. He was popular with all provincial aristocrats, regardless of gender, so there was a chance he had made plans to escort someone else.
“Why are you bringing up Patrick?” I asked, genuinely confused.
Is it because I don’t spend time with anyone else? Eleanora needs to stop making everything about romance.
“Huh? That’s because you’re—”
“Yumiella, you came,” a voice called out as if to interrupt Eleanora.
“I’ll go somewhere else, so I don’t bother you two,” she said before hastily leaving the scene.
Her consideration is unnecessary. There are no unrequited or requited feelings between Patrick and me.
I turned around to find Patrick, just as I had expected. I always recognized his voice.
“I kind of felt like coming,” I explained. “But I was just thinking that I would leave after all.”
Wearing this dress is actually a little embarrassing...
Patrick hadn’t responded to anything I said and stood there frozen and wide-eyed.
Confused by his reaction and lack of response, I took a step closer to him, only for Patrick to take an immediate step back.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“N-Nothing.”
There’s no way it’s nothing.
Patrick’s gaze darted around suspiciously.
“Really, what’s wrong, Patrick? Are you looking for someone?”
“It’s nothing.”
What is up with him? Is he really looking for someone, or... Oh! I know!
It wouldn’t be unusual for Patrick to have a crush on a girl or two. It wouldn’t be good for him if she were to see us together.
I guess I’ll be considerate now and leave. How sad...
“I’ll be going, then.”
“Wait,” Patrick said with an uncharacteristically serious face. He had grabbed my arm to stop me, which made my heart skip a beat.
Was it because of how warm his hand was? I mean, this dress doesn’t have any sleeves.
“Um... It’s fine if it’s only one song, but will you honor me with a dance?”
“Honor you with a dance” sounds so aristocratic. I should also be happy about it like an aristocrat and say something back.
“Sure.”
Oh no, that came off kind of cold.
“That response is very you,” Patrick said with a small smile.
I guess it was okay.
In an area off to the side from the center of the hall, Patrick and I began dancing hand in hand. In my mind, I was able to dance perfectly, and I had confidence in moving my body, so why were my movements coming out so disjointed? I was envious of Patrick, who was perfectly taking the lead.
“You can step on my feet. Just relax more.”
“You don’t mind having your feet crushed?”
“Hey, stepping on and stomping on are two different things.”
As we bantered like we normally did, I started to get used to dancing, and my body began moving smoothly with the music. With a bit more room to breathe, I was able to peer around at my surroundings. There were a lot of eyes on me, especially those of male students. They must have felt like they were seeing a battle robot suddenly start dancing.
“Aren’t there too many people staring?”
“It’s because you’re pretty.”
“Wha—?”
What are you saying? And without hesitation? I need to calm down. I’m not someone whose feelings get swayed by social pleasantries. But my hands are starting to sweat. What should I do...?
“If you say things like that to just anyone, people won’t believe you,” I said, attempting to collect myself.
“I don’t know if you’re just dense or...”
“Well, there’s no way I could give a proper response to some social pleasantry.”
“Actually, I’m the dense one. Today I finally realized that I—”
My only thoughts were about my sweaty palms, so the moment the song ended, I quickly let go of his hands and wiped mine on my dress.
“What were you saying?” Then, I realized that might have been rude. “Oh, that wasn’t because your hands were dirty or anything. It’s just my sweat.”
“I know. Never mind,” Patrick responded, slightly annoyed.
I’m sorry my dancing was so bad. Well, time to leave.
Just as I was about to ask Patrick what his plans were after the dance, a voice came from my side.
“Lady Yumiella, will you honor me with a dance?”
The offer looked like it came from an upper-level student.
Who are you?
I could hear Patrick sucking his teeth.
Oh, I get it. I don’t know the details, but this guy must not get along with Patrick. This is a job for my finishing blow.
“I’m only interested in people stronger than me.”
“Oh, um, I see,” he responded with a blank look. Dejected, he backed off.
Nice! I drove him off, Patrick.
“Your type is...strong people...” Patrick was muttering something with a serious look on his face.
Are you okay?
◆◆◆
The end-of-year party was over, and the long spring break was before us. I was currently being invited to have tea or attend parties by many students. The students who were cautiously talking to me were probably being told by their families to invite me. Each time I turned them down, I was met with a complicated expression that looked to be a mix of relief and a hint of disappointment.
Naturally, my family had told me to return home. The invitation came with the objective of trying to introduce me to “someone wonderful,” which they didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding.
Above all, I don’t think that they can call going to a house I’ve never been to before to visit people I’ve never met “going home.”
There was somewhere I desperately wanted to go to during this spring break. I was going to go even if I wasn’t invited, but, if possible, it would be better to be invited. I wasn’t sure if my feelings got through to her, but just three days before the break, the girl I was waiting for finally came to talk to me.
“L-Lady Yumiella, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Sure, I can talk, Jessica. Also, you can drop the ‘lady.’ No need for formalities.”
The girl whose invitation I was waiting for was Jessica Montford. In the game, she was Alicia’s friend. She spoke kindly to Alicia, who was having trouble fitting in at the Academy, and with similar commoner-like values, the two became fast friends. Jessica shared basic aristocratic information that would help Alicia and helped with progressing the game—she was a supporting character. In reality, Alicia got close to the love interests almost immediately, so the two never developed a friendship. I’d never spoken to Jessica before, but I needed to go to her house.
“Well then, Yumiella, you must have plans during the long break, right?” she asked while twitching like a small animal.
“Not at all. My schedule is completely empty.”
So please invite me to your house.
“Um, a dragon appeared near the Montford Barony, where my home is. Currently, only livestock has been harmed, but people could be harmed at any moment. The central army won’t get involved until a person is injured, so... I thought maybe you could do something about it, but there’s no way you can, right?”
Naturally, I immediately responded, “Let’s go and get rid of that dragon.” I didn’t think that it would go so smoothly.
This was an important event in the game. Jessica would have asked her friend Alicia for help during this crisis at her barony, but because of my effects as an abnormality, they never became friends. This led Jessica to resort to desperate measures and come to me instead.
Of course, there was a reason I accepted her request—the reward for this event was very attractive.
“Um, is it really all right?” Jessica seemed perplexed at my willingness.
You can be happy about this. I’m also happy that you came to me.
Patrick invited me to visit the margrave’s mark, but of course, I turned that down.
◆◆◆
The long break had started, and I was at the Montford Barony. Jessica, who used to be terrified of me, was now able to converse with me normally—perhaps she had gotten used to me during the carriage ride over.
“You’re sure that the dragon is a fire type?” I asked at some point on the journey to her domain.
“Yes, that’s what my father’s letter said. It’s apparently settled down on the tallest mountain in the area.”
“I see. Is there anything else I should know?”
“Um... The letter also mentioned that it didn’t seem like it could be defeated without countermeasures against fire. I think I can get you more details when we get home.”
It’s just like the game, I guess I can look forward to that too.
I thanked Jessica and turned to look out the window just as her home came into view. The Baron of Montford’s barony was in the countryside on a rustic land overflowing with nature. I could understand why it was alarming for a domain of this size to have a dragon appear.
“I’m home!” Jessica loudly announced at the doors to the baron’s mansion. “I brought someone who can probably defeat the dragon!”
One after another, the servants appeared, joyed at her return.
“Welcome home, my lady. It must have been a long way for you and your friend.”
Heh heh, “friend.” I think you mean “vermin exterminator.”
“Thank you very much for inviting me. I’m Yumiella Dolkness.”
“Thank you for coming,” Sir Montford greeted. “Unfortunately, a dragon has appeared in this area, so we might not be able to be as hospitable as expected,” he said apologetically.
Huh? I thought Jessica sent a letter explaining things.
“Father, Yumiella is the person who will defeat the dragon for us.”
The baron’s face twisted in confusion at Jessica’s explanation. “Oh, she’s the person you were saying was as strong as the Demon Lord?”
Wait, Jessica. You wrote in the letter that I’m only as strong as the Demon Lord?
As I glared at her from the corner of my eye, Jessica panicked to explain.
“Yumiella’s level is 99. And I said she was strong enough to defeat the Demon Lord, not that she was as strong.”
The baron’s expression remained unchanged. This was something I hadn’t experienced in a while.
The next morning, I immediately started for the mountain to take down the dragon with two soldiers accompanying me to show me the way. Jessica was considerate and offered to join me, but I politely declined because she didn’t seem like she would be an asset for battle.
“Hey, why do we have to go along with what some spoiled aristocrat wants?” one of the soldiers muttered to the other.
“I don’t know. We have to follow the baron’s orders.”
The two soldiers apparently thought of me as some spoiled girl who just wanted to see a dragon. I ignored their quiet bickering and speed-walked up the mountain trail.
We eventually found a clearing halfway up the mountain, and I decided to wait for the dragon there.
“Let’s take a break here.”
The two who followed me sat on the ground, out of breath.
You guys need some more stamina. Might I suggest level grinding?
“Miss,” the older soldier began between gasps. “I forgot to mention this, but if the dragon appears, we’re leaving right away. Keep your aristocratic debauchery to a minimum.”
Do they still not understand what’s going on? Do they not find it weird that I’m not even close to out of breath coming all this way?
Suddenly, it was here. I glared toward a point in the sky without responding to the soldier. Confused by my actions, the soldiers also looked up at the sky, finding a single shadow.
“Wh-What is that? That shadow... Is that the d-dragon?”
The shadow grew as it got closer, and eventually, it was close enough to be easily recognizable as a dragon.
“Hide! We’ll wait it out!”
“It looks like it’s already found us,” I informed them calmly.
The soldiers scurried and hid in the shadow of a nearby boulder.
Didn’t they hear me? Hiding is useless at this point.
The dragon was circling the area around us—perhaps its guard was up because humans had entered its territory. The dragon that appeared was a fire type, just as Jessica had described. Flames curled around the edges of its mouth as if to warn us that it could breathe fire at any moment.
As I stared at the dragon in the sky, I thought about how I would defeat it. If possible, I wanted to retrieve the magic stones after taking it down, but most of my long-range spells would destroy everything, leaving nothing behind, and my targeted spells activated through the target’s shadows, meaning I couldn’t use them against a flying enemy.
I quickly glanced at the soldiers hiding behind the boulder, only to find their faces twisted in despair.
“I-It’s all over... I’m going to be eaten...”
Aren’t you guys giving up too easily?
My company seemed to be mentally unwell, so I decided to take care of things quickly.
“Black Hole.”
My spell activated, covering the dragon’s left wing in darkness. The wing then disappeared, along with the darkness. The dragon spun around and dove to the ground. I was about to finish it off, but it looked like it had already died from the impact of hitting the ground.
Well, that was weaker than I thought it would be.
“Y-You did it! You’re amazing, miss!”
The soldiers had done a one-eighty and were so moved that they began crying.
Was it really that impressive? I said I would take care of the dragon three whole times on the way here.
“I hate to ruin your moment of happiness, but it isn’t over yet.”
Yes, I had defeated the fire-type dragon, but this battle wasn’t over yet. The truth was, the dragon that settled down on this mountain was one of a breeding pair. In the game, it was said that the boss’s element was fire, so many players likely equipped water-type weapons and fire-resistant armor. However, after defeating the fire-type dragon, there was another battle with a wind-type dragon. Of course, the second was stronger, so the event was a trap where you actually had to prepare against the wind element.
Suddenly, a roar reverberated through the entire mountain.
Maybe it’s angry that its wife was killed. But wait... Maybe this one’s the husband.
The wind dragon flew into the sky from a nearby forest, making a beeline for us.
That’s a wind type for you. It’s so much stronger than the last dragon.
“L-Look out!” one soldier called out, seeing that the dragon was barreling toward me.
It was no problem for me, though.
“Shadow Lance.”
The dragon had stopped right before me, pierced midair by the plethora of spears protruding from my shadow before dying. This dragon’s demise came from attacking me from the direction my shadow was cast.
The soldiers looked as though they had aged several years after two rounds of the emotional rollercoaster that was preparing to die and making it out alive. I sent them back with two large magic stones for the trouble. As for myself, I went to the top of the mountain to obtain the item I came here for.
Why did a breeding pair of dragons suddenly come to this mountain? To raise a child, of course. I couldn’t help but smile at how well things had gone.
Within the nest sat the item I came looking for—a dragon egg.
◆◆◆
The long spring break was over, and today was my first day as a second-year student. Considering I arrived on the first day of the new term holding a large egg, I had drawn attention to myself.
“Hey, Yumiella, it’s been a while,” Patrick greeted me. “So, uh... What’s that?”
“It’s my child. I gave birth to it.”
Patrick took me seriously for a moment and grabbed my shoulders. “What? With wh—Oh, you’re joking,” he cut off, seconds from interrogating me about who the other person was.
Jeez, I didn’t think he would panic so much. Do I look like I could give birth to an egg?
“It’s a dragon’s egg. Some stuff happened over the break. You get it.”
“Get what? I don’t think ‘some stuff’ typically leads to obtaining a dragon egg. Are you going to hatch it?”
“That’s the plan. I’ve already discussed it with His Majesty.”
I had gotten permission from the king to keep the dragon through the headmaster. Dragon tamers were valuable and usually belonged to the state, but I received the kind treatment of getting an exemption for that as well. I was even asked if there were any concerns about my school life—for those at the top, at least, this country was the best.
As for my joke earlier, the part about the egg being my child wasn’t completely wrong. Dragons incubated their eggs by pouring magic energy into them. The more magical energy that was poured into an egg, the stronger the hatchling would be, so dragon parents would spend their time pouring magic into the egg to the point that meals became a constant necessity—which is why, in the Montford Barony, they were uncharacteristically attacking livestock.
Upon hatching, the baby dragon would recognize the entity that it received the most magical energy from as its parent, even if that entity was a different species. In other words, if a human were to incubate a dragon egg, the dragon would recognize that human as its parent. It was said that monsters could never fully bond with a human, but dragons were the only monsters that had the possibility of obeying people.
That being said, it was extremely difficult to obtain a dragon that was comfortable with humans. Eggs were already difficult to find, and even if you found one, pouring more magic into the egg than the original dragon parents wasn’t something that could easily be done. The fact that the Kingdom of Valschein had only tamed two dragons was proof of that.
In the game, the egg was affected by Alicia’s magical energy and thus produced a light-type dragon. That dragon grew big enough to fly the party members around. Yes, I had intruded on the event where you obtained a method of travel. I figured there were no restrictions like in the game, where you could only travel to places you had visited before, so it was extremely enticing to me. I wanted to fly. It was a convenient travel method, and if necessary, it would surely be helpful in providing an easy escape from the kingdom.
“I don’t know how to say this, but...there’s something ominous about it, to say the least,” Patrick said, looking at the egg as he spoke.
Well, that’s kind of mean.
It was true that the egg, which had turned jet-black after I had poured so much magical energy into it that I was concerned about it exploding, was giving off an intimidating aura.
“Don’t say something so terrible to my child. It’s so cute,” I replied while hugging the egg. At first, I had thought of my future dragon as a convenient taxi, but after carrying it with me all day, every day, I started to care for it. It was going to be born through my dark magic, so it was the same as my own child—I wasn’t going to treat it badly because it was classified as a monster.
Patrick raised his brows. “Cute?”
“Yes, I’m sure this dragon will be adorable once it’s born. Oh, right, I need to think of a name.”
“I see. So you’re not trying to bring about the world’s strongest dragon,” Patrick said, sounding a tad weirded out.
What in the world is he talking about?
“It’s my child, so of course, it’s going to be the world’s strongest dragon,” I stated.
“Ah, I see. Well, I hope it hatches safely,” he responded with a tired look before getting up and leaving. Patrick only made that face when I did something wrong, but he usually took the time to correct me. I wondered if I had said something ridiculous without realizing it.
Some time passed, and I was now known as “the dangerous person with the egg” by the new students at the Academy. It was around this time that I noticed the egg moving from time to time. Considering how much time had passed, I figured it would hatch soon—maybe even as soon as today or tomorrow. I invited Patrick over in hopes of sharing the touching moment with him.
“Welcome. Now that I think about it, this is the first time I’ve invited someone to my room.”
“Th-Thanks for having me.”
Patrick was obviously flustered as he entered my room.
Maybe it’s that boy thing, where he’s embarrassed because he’s in a girl’s room. No way, I can’t imagine him thinking of me like that.
We talked about what we did during the break while watching over the egg. It eventually got too late, and we were about to give up on it hatching today, but then, the egg showed signs of movement. After a moment, cracks began to form, and the egg started swaying.
“You can do it!” I cheered. The egg began moving more aggressively in response, and eventually, a jet-black claw shot out. “Yay! We did it, Patrick!” I glanced over to find him wearing a solemn look of determination.
I didn’t think you would take the birth of my child so seriously...
Patrick must have been nervous. “Those sharp claws...” he started muttering. “I should’ve said something earlier. I’ve never even heard of a cute dragon. You’re going to be disappointed.”
“Huh, what did you say?” I asked, barely paying him any attention. “Oh, wait, look! It’s breaking more of the shell! Keep going! You can do it!”
Once its hand freed itself, everything happened quickly. The dragon hatchling broke through the shell and came crawling out. I was so moved that I was frozen in place.
After a beat, Patrick began speaking gently. “Um, I know you were imagining a cute dragon, but I think a sca—I mean, cool dragon, isn’t so bad, so—”
Patrick called it cool, but to me, it was more...
“Cute!”
What a cute dragon!
The hatchling was about as big as a medium-sized dog, with a large mouth and large eyes. Its appearance felt divine. Naturally, its body was jet black, like my own hair and eyes. Children take after their parents, after all.
“I guess if you think it’s cute, then it’s fine. I do think it’s kind of celestial, though.”
Patrick was saying something, sounding muffled, but I couldn’t hold back anymore and hugged my child. The hatchling’s face was buried in my bosom and purring like a cat.
“Patrick! It’s purring like a cat!”
“It sounds more like it’s growling...”
I continued petting my hatchling while thinking about a name. I had been brainstorming about it this entire time, but I couldn’t come up with anything good.
“Your name will be... Hmm...dragon, ryu...” I thought out loud.
A name that’s just based on those words is probably too simple.
“That ‘Ryuu’ name sounds good,” said Patrick.
“Huh? Ryu is... Oh, right.”
Patrick had provided a great idea. In this world, the Japanese word for dragon, ryu, didn’t exist. I liked the sound of the name Ryuu. I didn’t know how to tell dragon sexes apart, but I was under the impression that he was a boy, so it was perfect.
“Ryuu. Your name is Ryuu.” I wasn’t sure if he understood my words, but Ryuu happily yelped while breathing fire. I fanned the fire he breathed right into my face away with my hand and steeled myself to discipline him. “Ryuu, you can’t breathe fire inside the room.”
He yelped once more, this time without breathing fire.
What a good boy!
The problem was he also shot black lasers from his eyes, which I had to twist my neck to dodge.
“That was bad too. Well, Patrick, I should put Ryuu to bed, so let’s call it a day.”
“Wait, are you planning on keeping the dragon in this room?” Patrick asked from the far corner he had moved to, where he was making himself small.
When did that happen? Maybe he’s not good with animals.
“Of course. We’ll share a bed until he gets bigger.”
Ryuu was probably going to get too big to fit in the room, but that was a bridge I’d cross when we got there.
“I see. I’m sure you’ll be fine, but don’t die, okay?” Patrick said before leaving the room in a hurry.
The next morning, I woke up to Rita screaming. I shot up, wide awake and worried about what had happened, only to find a Ryuu that was now much larger than me, fast asleep.
They say that kids grow fast, but I didn’t think it was to this extent...
For now, I was happy that my child was healthy and growing. The next issue I would rack my brain over was how I could get Ryuu out of the room.
◆◆◆
I later found out that hatchlings grew from the magic energy given to them by their parents. It had become a habit of mine to pour magic energy into the egg as I slept, which led me to carelessly do the same with Ryuu after he hatched—it was no wonder that he grew to be larger than me overnight.
After managing to get him out through the window, I decided to look for a living space for Ryuu. I had already gotten permission from the king to raise a dragon, so surely it wouldn’t be an issue for the Academy to prepare somewhere for him to sleep.
“We have to figure out where you’re going to live,” I told Ryuu. “You’d probably prefer somewhere close to my room, right?”
Ryuu barked in agreement as he walked alongside me in the Academy courtyards.
He understands what I’m saying? Is my child a genius?
I watched him as he leisurely strolled along on all fours while his large wings made short continuous flaps.
He’s too cute!
“Aaah!” The sound of a girl screaming resonated throughout the Academy courtyard.
What’s going on?
“Ryuu, this might be dangerous. Get behind me.”
I cautiously checked my surroundings with Ryuu hidden behind me. I found the student who screamed in a part of the courtyard not too far away, but no signs of what may have caused her alarm. Having heard the same cry, other students and teachers arrived on the scene, wondering what had happened, only for them to scream simultaneously.
“Waagh!”
“Aaah!”
What is everyone so afraid of? There’s some unknown danger nearby, and I need to protect my child!
“Dragon! There’s a dragon!”
It appeared that a dragon, one of the strongest monsters of this world, had appeared at the Academy. I squinted up at the sky in search of the dragon but couldn’t find anything. Patrick had also made his way to the courtyard and was slowly making his way toward me.
This is no time for such leisure, Patrick!
“Whoa, I didn’t know that dragons could get so big in one day.”
“It seems that a dragon has appeared at the Academy, but I can’t find it,” I worriedly explained.
“What do you mean? It’s right behind you.”
What? But behind me was just Ryuu, my lovely, adorable dragon hatchling.
Oh.
“I see,” I said, relaxing. “Everyone was making a fuss about Ryuu.”
“It’s normal to make a fuss over a dragon. Anyways, I’m surprised he got so big.”
Screaming after seeing a cute animal isn’t normal, it’s just startling. I wish they wouldn’t do that. But I guess I understand where they’re coming from.
“Well, I guess he is that cute. It’s possible that we’ll soon be seeing Ryuu rise in popularity.”
Patrick looked baffled. “What?”
“Ryuu!” I turned to my baby excitedly. “Everyone’s offering to play with you!”
Before I knew it, more students had gathered to see Ryuu.
They must all be animal lovers, and all animal lovers are good people.
Ryuu took off running toward the other students, hoping to play with them.
He has so much energy!
“Aaah! Run!”
All the students immediately dispersed into the buildings surrounding the courtyard.
Huh?
“Why is everyone running?” I wondered aloud.
“Stop him, Yumiella!” Patrick shouted. “Bring Ryuu back!”
“Ryuu, come here!” I called.
I guess some people are afraid of animals. I’m an animal lover, but I can accept and respect their feelings.
Ryuu came running back, his long tail wagging rapidly.
“What do you think?” I asked Patrick while keeping my eyes on my hatchling.
“What? Oh, about Ryuu...right. I’m not sure about him being cute...but he seems like a good boy. But it’s dangerous to let him play with people so—”
Before Patrick could finish his sentence, his mouth had been obstructed by Ryuu’s. Actually, it would have been more accurate to say Ryuu’s mouth was obstructed, given that Patrick’s entire head was now inside it.
I’m so jealous. I wish that was me.
Patrick must have been happy that Ryuu was being so playful with him because of how much he was yelling and flailing around.
“Ryuu, I think that’s enough,” I cautioned. “Your drool’s going to get all over him.”
Ryuu, my very smart boy, listened and let go of Patrick.
“Are you okay?” I asked Patrick. “Are you the kind of person who cares about getting drooled on?”
“I’ll just be glad that I’m alive,” Patrick said shakily. He got up and stumbled away before eventually sitting down on the ground.
I decided it was time to play with Ryuu myself. I wasn’t sure what dragons did for fun, but moving our bodies around would probably be a good time. However, before we could play, someone else appeared in the courtyard, getting in the way of our family fun time.
She’s annoying even now that we’re second-year students.
“Oh, Yumiella! Are you also out for a morning stroll? I’m...oh?” Eleanora was walking toward me but stopped in her tracks after noticing Ryuu. After silently staring up at Ryuu for a few seconds, she suddenly gasped loudly.
Don’t yell, please. What if you scare him?
“Who is this cutie?!” she squealed.
Oh, I didn’t take Eleanora for an animal lover. I thought prima donnas like her usually hated animals.
“His name is Ryuu. And yes, he’s cute, isn’t he?”
“May I touch you?” she asked Ryuu. After getting his permission, Eleanora gently petted his jet-black neck and chin. Ryuu let out a rumbling purr and seemed to be enjoying it.
“He’s truly adorable. Why don’t you all come closer?” Eleanora said, calling over to her entourage. The girls, who had been watching from a distance, aggressively shook their heads in refusal.
“Many people seem to be afraid of dragons. I think there’re only three people who are okay with him.”
“Isn’t it just two people?” Patrick—one of the three people—corrected.
I see. As his parent, I don’t count.
Ryuu appeared to have taken an interest in the brooch Eleanora had on, getting close to it and sniffing around.
You like sparkly things, Ryuu? You’re quite the fashion connoisseur.
“Oh, are you interested in this?” Eleanora asked. “I see we share a fondness for gemstones.”
Along with the brooch on her chest, Eleanora was also wearing a necklace with a large gemstone on it. Frankly, I didn’t understand the appeal.
“Here, Ryuu, go and get it!” Eleanora took off her brooch and threw it with all her might. The brooch painted a beautiful curve as it flew through the sky.
Huh? Is it okay to just throw it like that? Isn’t it expensive?
Ryuu followed Eleanora’s instructions and made a beeline for the gemstone around her neck, chomping onto Eleanora’s head like he did with Patrick.
I’m so jealous!
“You went for the gemstone on the necklace! You’re so smart, Ryuu!” I cheered.
The girls in Eleanora’s entourage all screamed at the sight.
If you’re so worried about your boss, you should come save her.
“All right, Ryuu, that’s enough.”
Eleanora gasped for air. “I thought I was going to die!”
Die? That’s an overreaction.
Despite her words, Eleanora looked somewhat proud.
“The world is a vast place, but I must be the only daughter of an aristocrat to have been nibbled on by a dragon!” she said while hugging Ryuu after escaping his bite.
“Yes, after all, most people die after being bitten.”
If Ryuu had seriously tried to bite Patrick and Eleanora, they would have lost their lives. On the other hand, a dragon that playfully bites... Well, what was better than that?
“Surely Sir Edwin will notice me now!”
Hmm, I’m not so sure about that.
It was eventually decided that Ryuu would stay in a warehouse on the outskirts of the Academy.
It’s a bit of a distance from the dorms, but I’ll be sure to visit frequently.
◆◆◆
I was now a second-year student at the Academy, something I had completely forgotten about amid Ryuu’s hatching. In other words, there were students here now who were a year younger than us.
Those students knew nothing of the various things I had done at the Academy. In other words, those relationships would be formed with a clean slate.
I hope I can utilize my past mistakes to build good relationships with my juniors. It’s fine if they’re a little cocky. I’ll accept them as they are. I can do that as their elder. Even if they say something about my black hair, I’ll let it slide.
With virtuousness in mind, I was prepared to welcome the incoming students, but something seemed to be off with them. Upon seeing me in the halls, they would step to the side and freeze up, and if they saw me in the courtyard, they would run into the building.
“Did I do something to the new students?” I asked Patrick one day after classes. He was officially my go-to when I was struggling with something.
“I don’t think you did anything to them directly, but...” he trailed off.
“I did something to them indirectly?”
“Well, Yumiella, you’re pretty famous. Most of the aristocrats in this kingdom know who you are. Even if they didn’t, there was still that incident with Ryuu.”
Things were better now, but everyone in the Academy had overreacted to Ryuu. I could understand being afraid of a dragon, but Ryuu was just a hatchling, so there was no need to be so afraid of him. I was also unhappy with the fact that Eleanora was the only one who agreed with me.
My classes are done for the day. Maybe I should go see Ryuu. I should invite Patrick as well!
“Are you free after this?”
“Sorry, I have something.”
Patrick seemed to be busy ever since the end-of-year party. He seemed to be traveling outside of the Academy, but he wouldn’t tell me where he was going. I was worried because he would sometimes return with injuries.
“What’s going on with you lately? If you’re mixed up in some trouble, I’d like to help you.”
“A little longer. Just wait a little longer,” he said with a serious look. “When the time comes, there’s something I want to tell you.”
What does he want to tell me?
Patrick began to act differently around the time we became second-year students, but the only things that happened around then were the end-of-year party and Ryuu’s birth.
Oh, I got it! It must have something to do with Ryuu.
“I might be wrong, but I think that what you want to tell me and what I’m thinking are the same thing.”
“What? That’s... Wait, no. I want to be the one to say it,” Patrick sputtered as his face turned red.
I could completely understand how he felt. After all, I was also slightly afraid.
“It could end up being fun, or it could end up being painful. But I think we should just take this leap rather than stand still.”
“Okay. You’re right,” Patrick agreed, looking determined. “Let’s say it at the same time, then. Yumiella, I...”
“Patrick, I...”
We have the same feelings. It’s okay.
“I want to fly on Ryuu!” I said, actualizing my desires at the sky I yearned for.
Wait, did Patrick just say something different?
His words had been drowned out by my own, and I missed what he had said.
Patrick spoke again first. “Fly...like through the sky? Riding on Ryuu’s back?”
“Yes! I’m a little afraid, but that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to try it on your own before me, though. That wouldn’t be fair.”
Ryuu had been growing quickly and was now about the size of a house. On top of that, he was able to fly without anyone having taught him. Seeing Ryuu like that could only lead to a single thought—I wanted to ride on my dragon’s back and fly through the sky. It was what anyone would dream of. Patrick must have been going to visit Ryuu on his own and had gotten injured playing with him a few times.
“Um, I don’t particularly want to fly.”
I was lost. “What? Then what did you say just now?”
Patrick averted his eyes. “I’m surprised that you’re scared of flying,” he said, blatantly changing the subject. “I thought you weren’t afraid of anything.”
I guess it’s pretty embarrassing that I thought we were thinking the same thing. But I was the one who made that mistake, so it should be more embarrassing for me.
I decided to go along with the current topic, putting aside what Patrick really wanted to say.
“I’m a bit scared of falling through the sky,” I admitted.
“I think that’s scary for anyone. Unless you’re some veteran wind mage, it’s hard to control your body in midair.”
“Right? I can’t help but think about what would happen if I fell where someone was standing. Even if I’m all right, it would be dangerous for the person I landed on.”
I would most likely be fine if I fell from high up, but that wasn’t the case for the people I’d be falling on. The thought of something bad happening to them scared me so much that it kept me from flying.
“Oh, so you weren’t scared for yourself.”
“It’s okay, though. I think I’m going to try it out right now.”
There was no time like the present. I decided to head to Ryuu immediately.
Patrick said he had plans, but he tagged along. Perhaps he was interested in flying after all. We walked side by side and arrived at the Academy warehouse that was now his home.
“Ryuu!” I called out.
Ryuu poked his head out from the doors of the warehouse, which had been widened after some rushed construction. Upon seeing my face, he happily waddled toward me and rubbed his head against my side.
Ugh, he’s just too cute!
“I was thinking you could give us a ride today,” I said to Ryuu. “Just let me know if it’s hard to fly.”
Ryuu yipped in response, as if telling me to leave it to him, and he flapped his large wings, showing me that he was willing and excited.
“Shouldn’t you hold off if you’re worried?” Patrick chimed in, spoiling our fun. He looked up at Ryuu. “Couldn’t you use a saddle or something to secure yourself to him?”
“It’s okay. I feel like I can do it now!”
“Based on my experiences, you’re the most dangerous when you’re confident. There’s no doubt about it.”
Wow, I didn’t realize I was so untrustworthy to him.
If I waited and got a saddle like Patrick suggested, who knew when my first flight would be? A saddle for a dragon would probably require a custom order that would take quite a while to be finished. I went ahead and jumped onto Ryuu’s back.
“Let’s go Ryuu! We’re going beyond the sky today!”
A few minutes later, I was free-falling through the air. The cause was my own over-excitement. I looked up at Ryuu as I fell, who was now quite far above me, in hopes of getting his help. He gave me a confused look as if to ask what game we were playing now.
It looks like he won’t be of much use.
I wasn’t sure if it was due to his instincts or because of how I usually played with him, but Ryuu seemed to perceive me as an individual who was much stronger than him.
“Maybe I can at least change the trajectory of my fall,” I muttered to myself.
If I continued on my current path, I would crash into the commercial area of the Royal Capital. I tried to think of somewhere that was an open space with no people and decided on the Academy grounds. There were many buildings near campus, but the area where Ryuu lived was relatively empty.
“Maybe if I just shoot out some magic energy...” I mumbled, mind working.
This might have been easier if I could use wind magic, but unfortunately, I only had dark magic at my disposal. I decided to release a concentrated burst of pure magic energy to the side in an attempt to change the trajectory of my fall.
It was extremely inefficient, but my spur-of-the-moment plan went surprisingly well—I was now falling straight toward the Academy. The speed of my fall began to increase, but it seemed like I would reach the Academy with no issues. To be certain, I continued to make small adjustments by firing horizontal bursts of magic energy.
“Oh, wait, couldn’t I have just pointed the burst downward?”
I had only been thinking about landing somewhere away from other people, so I had completely forgotten that I could just decrease my speed using my magic energy the same way. But as the thought occurred to me, it was too late. I crashed into the ground with a thunderous sound.
A cloud of dirt billowed around me. I was able to change the direction of my body at the last minute and land on my feet, which kept my uniform safe, fortunately.
“There’s so much dirt in the air.” I coughed. “And my shoes are ruined too...”
Well, that was quite the experience.
I sat on the ground without giving it much thought.
“Yumiella! Are you all right?!” Patrick called while running over to me. He had most likely witnessed my fall.
“I’m okay. The only victims were my shoes,” I joked, pointing at my shoes.
“Hold on. I’ll carry you in a second.”
“What? Wait, I can walk. It’s fine!” There was no need to be so worried.
So quickly that there was no moment to stop him, Patrick scooped me up and held me bridal style. I flailed my limbs around, but it didn’t seem like I would escape. I mean, I could probably escape if I thrashed with all my might, but I didn’t want to hurt Patrick, so I held back on all my movements. This moment brought my weakness to light—even though I had the brawn, I was light in weight.
“Where does it hurt? I’ll take you to the infirmary right away. No, wait, if we used Yumiella’s recovery magic, you could just... Where’s Yumiella?”
Are you really that flustered? You’re holding me.
It took quite a while to calm Patrick down after all of that. Apparently, the story of how Patrick ran around the Academy carrying me bridal style immediately spread throughout the student body.
“Hey, why did you get so panicked?” I asked when he had calmed down.
“Sorry, I just thought you got hurt, and I couldn’t help myself.”
“There’s no way I would be hurt after something like that. You worry too much.”
“You need to care for yourself more. Everyone else might not think it, but you’re human too.”
Huh? People don’t think I’m human?
I felt like he said something vaguely terrible to me, but I let it go since Patrick was the only one who worried about me like this.
I need to be grateful to him.
◆◆◆
My second summer break was already here, and I was visiting Craftsmen’s Row in the Royal Capital to pick up my custom-made saddle for Ryuu. I didn’t think it was necessary, but after being pushed by Patrick to do so, I decided to have one made.
Being a custom order, it took quite a while for the saddle to be completed. In the meantime, I had been practicing my magical energy bursts and had now gotten to the point where I could gently land even if I was flung into the air, which made the saddle even more unnecessary.
As I wandered through a street lined with food stalls on my way to Craftsmen’s Row, a man came up to me and began walking alongside me.
Is he hitting on me?
“Don’t respond and just listen,” he spoke quietly, staring straight ahead. “I’m an agent from the Kingdom of Lemlaesta. I have something to discuss with you. If you intend to listen to what I have to say, keep going straight and enter the restaurant on the right. It’s the two-story building with the red roof,” he said before abruptly walking away from me.
Yeah, I obviously knew he wasn’t hitting on me. Regardless, what do I do?
Lemlaesta was a neighboring kingdom and close to Patrick’s home, the Margrave of Ashbatten’s mark. I expected that an agent from a potential enemy kingdom would make contact with me at some point, but it felt like they were too late. Perhaps there were some mitigating circumstances, or maybe this was more than just a simple extraction.
My curiosity beat my sense of danger, and I decided to enter the designated restaurant. It looked quite expensive for an establishment in the Commoners’ Quarter—perhaps aristocrats secretly visited here as well. Upon entering, a server guided me to the second-floor room in the very back. I found myself getting excited at the clandestine nature of it all.
Inside the room, there was an ordinary-looking man with no standout features seated at a table. He gestured for me to sit down.
“You must be Yumiella. Thank you for coming here today. I’m from the Kingdom of Lemlaesta. Please, call me Linus.”
“Here’s the menu. Order whatever you’d like,” he insisted.
It seemed like it would be on him, so I decided to order as much as I wanted. I didn’t have any financial troubles, thanks to the magic stones I collected and sold from monsters, but now that I had a big child to care for, there was no harm in being a little frugal.
“I’ll have the stewed pork bung.”
A stewed dish like this was probably prepared ahead of time, so it would be ready right away. It was the perfect meal to order, given the situation, but I also just wanted to eat something with bold flavors for once.
“O-Okay. I’ll go put in the order,” he said with a troubled look before exiting the room to place the order with a server.
Did he think I was implying that I would eat his intestines or something?
“Don’t people usually order a cake or something?” I heard him mutter from the other side of the door.
Ah, I see. That’s completely my fault. Sorry about that.
Linus came back shortly with the stew.
“Thank you for the food,” I said happily. “Oh, I’ll be listening while I eat, so you can go ahead and start talking.”
A secret meeting with an agent from a neighboring kingdom while eating stewed pork bung... Any way I look at this, the whole situation sounded like a joke. The atmosphere was now vapid, but Linus began to speak.
“Let’s see, where should I begin? I’m a secret agent currently residing in the Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Valschein. There are a few of us here, including the man who spoke to you earlier. We’ve known about you since you entered the Academy, and we’ve been collecting information about you and researching you.”
Researching me? Come on, I’m not some new species.
“As a result,” he continued, “we came to the conclusion that it would be extremely difficult to welcome you into our kingdom. You don’t seem to have any interest in titles or wealth, and even if you were to leave this kingdom for some reason, there’s no reason you would go to the nearby Kingdom of Lemlaesta.”
So that’s why they hadn’t contacted me. I wonder why they decided to take action now.
“However, the higher-ups back in our kingdom weren’t satisfied with that. It seems that certain aristocrats are meddling as well, so after the dragon, I couldn’t hold them off any longer. The guys back home are always just giving out orders from the comfort of their own homes...”
The latter half devolved into Linus venting about his job.
I was at a loss for what to say and decided to throw some words of appreciation his way.
“Um, thank you for your hard work...?”
“I have to ask; do you have any interest in coming to the Kingdom of Lemlaesta? We’ll give you anything in our power.”
“What will I be forced to do in exchange?”
“I believe you’ll be in the military.”
If I’m in the army, this kingdom will be my enemy. On top of that, Patrick’s home would be the battleground.
“I politely decline.”
“Of course you do.”
It seemed Linus expected my response because he didn’t appear to be disappointed in the slightest. He was an agent of a neighboring kingdom, so I had mentally prepared for something wild, but things weren’t going as I had hoped. If anything, this was failing to meet any of my expectations.
I did start to feel bad for Linus, so in a sense, he might have succeeded at his job.
“There’s one more thing I’d like to ask,” Linus stated. The main purpose of our conversation was over, but it seemed he wasn’t done. “It’s for my own curiosity,” he added.
“What is it?”
“What is your reason for staying in this kingdom? We assumed you would run off to somewhere far away within six months, especially since the discrimination toward black hair is particularly horrible in this kingdom.”
He was somewhat right. Immediately after entering the Academy, I had plans of hiding who I was and then going to live in a kingdom far away. So what had led me to my current situation? It was truly baffling.
No, I know the truth. Things probably changed after outdoor training at the Academy when I met him.
“I’m here because I need to defeat the Demon Lord. It’s a global crisis, after all.”
That’s a lie. If they know that I care about him, they might take him hostage.
“What? The Demon Lord should only attack this kingdom, though.”
The Demon Lord’s target is just the Kingdom of Valschein? I’ve never heard anything about that. The king and headmaster seem to know something about the Demon Lord, but do they know about this too? I guess there’s the possibility that Linus is mistaken.
“What does that me—” I started to ask Linus, but it appeared I was too late. “Looks like we’re out of time,” I told him.
I could hear the sound of armor clanging outside the restaurant. They were probably Valschein soldiers. I expected they would come, but it seemed this kingdom had also assigned an agent to me.
“Out of time?”
“There will be people entering this establishment. They’ve blocked the back door as well. I think you can escape if you go out the window and over the roofs.”
It wasn’t long before Linus moved. He immediately did as I said and jumped out the window.
He turned back for long enough to say, “Thank you very much. I’ll be sure to return this favor one day,” and then he was gone.
I wanted to ask him more about the Demon Lord, but I also didn’t want to see him again. However, this interaction was fruitful. Thanks to Linus’s question, I was able to realize my feelings for him.
Even if he was just talking to me out of pity, even if he was just dealing with the problem child out of a sense of duty, he spoke to me. We had trivial conversations and laughed together, he put himself in danger when a monster attacked me, and he genuinely worried about me when I fell off Ryuu. He treated me like a normal girl.
That’s who Patrick was, and I probably liked him.
◆◆◆
At an elementary school in the countryside, there was a girl who was the only student in her grade. The student closest to her in age was a boy two years older than her. He would happily listen to what she had to say and even help her study. That girl’s first love would no doubt be that boy.
“I think my situation is similar to that girl’s.”
“What? Similar to who?”
“I think she’s just mistaken familiarity for love because she hasn’t interacted with very many people.”
After letting Linus, the secret agent from a neighboring country, escape, I left the restaurant using the same route. Upon returning to the Academy and calmly analyzing my thoughts, I came to the conclusion that my belief that I liked Patrick was a misunderstanding on my part.
I was currently discussing those thoughts with Patrick, but I left out the preamble because it was embarrassing. Naturally, he had no idea what I was talking about and had questions.
“I’ll ask again. What are you talking about?”
I finally mustered up the courage to say what was on my mind. “Um, about how I want to be friends with you.”
“You didn’t even think of me as a friend until now?” he asked, sounding dejected.
“What?”
“I thought of you as a friend.”
What a statement of inner beauty. Actually, he was good-looking inside and out. No one is good on the inside and on the outside. There must be something wrong. I won’t be tricked!
“J-Just so you know, I won’t invade Lemlaesta,” I tried to assure him. “If needed, I can offer some protection to your mark.”
Patrick’s home was along the kingdom’s border. My utility value must have been priceless to the Margrave of Ashbatten.
“Your trust issues run pretty deep, huh? I guess it’s the fault of those around you. It’s kind of embarrassing to have to spell it out like this, but I won’t ever try to use you for your powers. I know you would run away if I tried to pull something like that, and I don’t even want to do something like that in the first place,” he declared. He stared straight into my eyes for a moment before his face turned red, and he turned away. “Even if you somehow dropped down to level 1, I’d stay with you.”
“That’s okay. If that happens, I’ll just grind back up from level 1.”
“That’s not what I... Never mind,” he sighed.
I only said the thing about grinding back up again to hide my embarrassment. But I felt like he already knew that which was also embarrassing.
In an effort to change the subject, I pointed to the bulletin posted in the hallway.
“Hey, look. It’s the results of the midterm exams. You’re at the top again, Patrick.”
“So are you. After all, you at least know how to study.”
My eyes flashed. Was he implying that studying was the only thing I could do?
There were two exams a year at the Royal Academy—one right before summer break and one at the end of the school year. The questions they asked usually covered topics about the kingdom’s history and laws, so it was extremely easy. I was able to pass both of the first-year exams with ease, and I was able to score almost full marks on this midterm exam.
Patrick and I looked at the names of the top performers while continuing our conversation.
“Maybe they’re being considerate by not posting everyone’s results,” I wondered.
“There would probably be a lot of issues if people thought that an heir to a powerful family was stupid.”
The top scorers were me, Patrick, Prince Edwin, and Oswald. It was basically the same lineup as the previous year.
“I guess there’s no bonus for getting good grades on the exams.”
“It doesn’t affect the career exams to become a high-ranking official after graduating either. Students from lower-ranking families also cut corners so they can go unnoticed.”
I was intrigued. “What? I didn’t know about that. Maybe I should make mistakes on purpose too. I don’t want to attract any negative attention.”
“Aren’t there other things you should be considering if you don’t want negative attention?” Patrick asked incredulously. “Also, I think it’s more convenient for you if people think you’re sharp.”
Just as Patrick said, there would be too many inconveniences if people thought I was simpleminded. There were many who would try to deceive me and pull me into their camps.
“Hold on. Does that mean people think I’m smart?”
“Well, exam scores aren’t everything,” Patrick replied immediately.
Isn’t that something someone with bad grades would say?
I glared at Patrick out of the corner of my eye, which he pretended to ignore and proceeded to change the subject.
“Did you know that if your grades are bad enough, you have to take a makeup exam? Apparently, they inform the students who need to take it secretly.”
“Isn’t that just a rumor?”
Rumors couldn’t be trusted, especially when there were rumors going around saying I was planning to run the kingdom behind the scenes or train my dragon to rebel against the kingdom.
Even if they really did makeup exams, I couldn’t imagine a student who would be stumped by those questions. It must have just been a rumor after all.
“That is true,” Patrick said, acknowledging that the information was unconfirmed. “Even if it was confirmed, it’s not anything you would ever have to deal with.”
◆◆◆
I completely forgot about the dubious existence of the makeup exam, and the following day, I was summoned by Eleanora. Usually, she would tell me what she was inviting me over for, whether it be for tea or to talk about accessories, but it was never anything serious.
However, this time was different. All she told me was that she “needed to discuss something of extreme importance.” I usually came up with some excuse to turn her down, but this was too out of the ordinary, even for her.
After school, I arrived at the parlor that Eleanora frequented and nervously opened the door. Eleanora and a few members of her entourage awaited me inside.
“Yumiella! You’re finally here!” Eleanora exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. She took my hand and led me to my seat.
“Hello,” I replied cordially. “So, what did you want to discuss?”
Her family led the radicals of this kingdom—an important fact that I would come close to forgetting quite often. Thus, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what could come out of her mouth.
After swiveling her head around to check her surroundings, Eleanora leaned in close to me.
Ugh, I knew it. It’s something awful that can’t be openly talked about. I’m going to be dragged into a war that’ll divide the country, won’t I?
“Could you help me study?” Eleanora whispered into my ear.
“What? Study?” I asked without thinking.
Is that code for something?
“I misspoke. You may help me study.”
“Um, what exactly do you mean?”
All she did was make her statement go from semi-polite to condescending.
Eleanora seemed frustrated that I still didn’t understand what she wanted. “I’m saying I want you to help me study so I can pass the makeup exam!” she blurted.
What was the point of being quiet earlier?
“The makeup exam? You want me to help you study?”
“Precisely. Aren’t you at the top of the class?”
It appeared the makeup exam existed after all. On top of that, a student who needed to take the makeup exam also existed.
Couldn’t she just have her entourage help her? They’re always together anyways. I don’t really feel like tutoring.
“Um, how about having them help you?” I asked, gesturing to her entourage.
“That’s impossible because I have the best score out of all of us.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
I looked over at her entourage, only for them to awkwardly avert their gazes.
“Lady Eleanora, did you look at all of their answer sheets?”
“No, I just asked them what their scores were,” Eleanora said, tilting her head in confusion. The girls turned pale at her response.
Ah, I see what’s going on here.
Her entourage probably self-reported lower scores than her out of consideration to Eleanora. I could see why students would cut corners, like Patrick explained yesterday. If it got out that any of these girls were top performers, it would surely be a disaster.
“I guess I’ll do it...” I sighed. “I just have to look over your studying, right?”
“That’s right! You know, there aren’t many people who can help me study.”
With how intense I anticipated this discussion was going to be, I felt like something small like this would probably be fine to help with.
A short while later, I was keeping my promise and helping Eleanora out.
“It says here that three generations ago, our ruler was King Cyrus,” I read out to Eleanora.
“Wait. Then, who is Douglas?”
“He was the king before Cyrus.”
This prima donna was catastrophically bad at studying. Most people could pass an exam if they could memorize key points, but even memorization seemed to be difficult for her. My ability to speak formally began to crumble as well—even her entourage left in fear of her exploding at my insolence, leaving me alone with Eleanora.
If you’re going to claim you’re in her faction, shouldn’t you at least be able to handle this much?
“You seem to have a good grasp on recent history, Lady Eleanora.” Strangely, I wasn’t even being sarcastic.
“Of course I do! It’s about Sir Edwin’s father and grandfather!”
It appeared she had no trouble recalling information on topics that she liked.
Now that I think about it, she always talked about tea and perfume in such detail. Such long details...
“Could you possibly remember things if they were related to His Highness?” I could feel my brain working.
“Of course! I know everything about Sir Edwin.”
I think “everything” might be an exaggeration. It’s honestly a little gross how much she likes the prince.
“Maybe we should just relate everything to His Highness and remember it that way? King Cyrus was the grandfather of Prince Edwin’s grandfather.”
“Oh, he was? So that makes him...Sir Edwin’s great-great-grandfather, right?”
Why are you surprised? That’s how royal families work.
There was a lot wrong with Eleanora’s perception of things.
After coming up with this new method, Eleanora made great progress with her studying. Whether it was history or law, if I forced my explanations to relate to Prince Edwin, Eleanora was able to memorize everything in no time.
“Who successfully completed the large-scale irrigation of Matlock?”
“Um, it was Sir Edwin’s great-grandfather’s younger brother, so... It was Prince Cliff!”
“That’s correct.”
That was actually the one problem even I couldn’t answer on the last exam. Her passion for what she liked was incredible.
Eleanora ended up passing her makeup exam with flying colors, almost getting full marks on the history portion.
“It’s all thanks to you, Yumiella! Thank you very much!” she said with a smile.
I had to admit, it didn’t feel too bad to be thanked with a genuine smile like that.
“Let’s study together for the next exam as well!” Eleanora beamed.
I have to help her study again? Is this going to continue until we graduate?
My short moment of feeling good dissipated, and I was instantly downcast.
I feel like I’m only taking losses here.
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