The Conqueror from a Dying Kingdom, page 26
Boys were treated coldly by witches, which may have explained why Myalo was so willing to insult his own family.
For a smart person, it didn’t always matter what their family’s line of business was or where they’d been born. They’d often find a way in life without needing the approval of their family members. Even if Myalo cut ties with them and was thrown out of the Knight Academy, someone with his intelligence was sure to find a way to get by.
In the case of a certain meathead, if he ever became a wretched vagrant orphan forced to rob stores as a means of finding food, he’d probably just freeze to death by the roadside come winter. The two were nothing alike. Myalo would likely rise to greatness once he found a merchant willing to accept him as an apprentice.
“So that’s the true nature of witch families?”
I’ll have to reassess my opinion of them. I took them for prestigious families of bureaucrats in respectable positions, like cabinet ministers. I guess you can’t always get a good understanding of things just by reading a few books.
“That’s right,” Myalo said. “The Ho family is far grander.”
“You think so?”
I wonder. I guess we’re amazing in our own way. Even Rook, for all his flaws, takes his job seriously.
“Yes. The histories of chieftain families are filled with honor and glory. Witch families act as though they’re special, but they do nothing of benefit to anyone.”
Maybe Myalo’s a fan of my family?
“Well, I appreciate the compliments.”
“You’re next in line to be head of your chieftain family, aren’t you? You have such a wonderful future ahead of you.” Myalo’s eyes almost sparkled. He must’ve really looked up to knight families.
“That’s assuming my cousin doesn’t find herself a good husband.”
That possibility still hadn’t gone away. While Sham was at school, she could fall for a talented and capable prince on a white horse, like a fated encounter from a book.
“Oh, I doubt that will matter. Given how gifted you are, I’m sure there’ll be no need to consider other candidates.” Myalo was showing a surprising amount of knowledge about my family.
“The thing is, I don’t actually want the role. If another candidate steps up, I’ll happily step aside.”
“Huh?” Myalo froze for a moment. “B-But didn’t you play a pivotal role when your father was chosen as successor?”
Is someone spreading rumors? That scares me. How’d Myalo ever find that out?
“Only because the other candidate was worthless trash. He might’ve taken revenge on us if we hadn’t completely crushed him there and then.”
“B-But...isn’t your incredible academic performance the result of you working hard to be a worthy head?”
I’m not working hard; I’m being worked hard. Not that it’s all that arduous. I guess I could refuse, but then what would I do instead?
“I’m going along with the arrangement because I’ve got time on my hands. I was originally planning to become the manager of a bird ranch, and I still haven’t given up on the idea.”
“A r-ranch manager? I can’t tell whether you’re serious or making a joke.”
“It’s no joke. You don’t think managing a ranch is a good job?”
Managing a ranch is a great job.
After living in the Ho family’s manor for a few years, I’d started to think that being a knight might not be so bad. I’d even started to hope for it. But even with the passage of time, I was still incredibly reluctant to become head of the family. I’d watched Rook in the role, and it didn’t look like fun. I didn’t consider him unfortunate, but he didn’t appear any happier than before.
On the other hand, we had much more cash to spare, as well as the privilege of being courted by high society. Also, Suzuya no longer had to wash clothes in cold water with her bare hands. But these things weren’t direct causes of happiness. Rook, Suzuya, and I all preferred our old life, I was sure of it. Managing a bird ranch seemed like such a better fit for Rook and me, to the point that I considered us more fortunate back then.
I wasn’t about to abandon my responsibilities after going so far to create this path for us, but if someone exceptionally talented appeared to take my place, I’d happily step aside.
“Uh... Well, yes, it certainly is. But don’t you want the position? You’ll be the head of a chieftain family.”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
My talk with Carol went just like this. All that stuff about, “You were born to a chieftain family and yet you possess none of the dignity of a knight. You’re a disgrace.”
Most boarding students were probably living aimlessly while following their parents’ instructions, so my attitude wouldn’t particularly bother them, but Myalo was the second or third highest-ranking student. He must’ve worked hard to get there. Much like Carol, he’d achieved so much by taking pride in all of his hard efforts. He might’ve even been the top student if I hadn’t been here, so I had to choose my words carefully.
“It’s not that I don’t want the role, it’s just that being a ranch manager felt like a better fit. Anyway, it all depends on my cousin.”
“Oh... Well, it’s really none of my business, but I think you’d be well-suited to headship. And not just because you can study—you’re courageous too.”
“Am I? I think I lack determination.”
If I was courageous, my past life wouldn’t have turned out how it did. I was trash who let authority figures control me, and then I turned into a shut-in because I couldn’t get over being dumped by a woman. Hardly courageous.
“To be honest, the chances of my cousin finding herself a boy like that are slim. More than likely, I will be the head of my family someday.”
That wasn’t to say that there weren’t any boys out there who’d want to marry Sham. There’d certainly be no shortage of men wanting to get together with her for her family’s status, but that was no good. Unless Sham married for love, she’d be unhappy.
The potential groom also had to come from a suitably high-status knight family and needed to possess the unmistakable potential to become a much better leader than me. Also, they couldn’t be trash like Rakunu—I had to be sure that they’d leave Rook his territory and let us live in peace. The odds of someone meeting all of those criteria were astronomical. I doubted that such a person existed anywhere. That meant that the chances of Sham’s husband becoming head of family weren’t just slim, they were close to zero.
Given that I understood all of this, I probably shouldn’t have been telling people I didn’t want to be the head.
“Y-Yes... Indeed...” Myalo’s eyes were glazed over and lifeless.
Why is all this such a big shock for him?
Ordinarily, entering the royal guard would be the most ideal future for someone like Myalo. He’d be so detached from matters of chieftain family headship that he had no need to worry about it. I could only assume that he loved chieftain families so much that the idea of someone not wanting to be in charge of one was unthinkable to him.
“How about we talk about course schedules instead?” I suggested. “It’ll be nice if we’re in the same classes.”
“Y-Yes, let’s do that.”
V
Myalo and I had made and submitted our schedules together, and now it was the following day. I’d spent the night before in the dorm and on high alert, watching out for any attempted attacks from Dolla.
Although it wasn’t a national holiday, the academy was closed. The new academic year would begin when the academy reopened from a long vacation tomorrow, and there’d be an opening ceremony the day after that.
I woke up early and descended the stairs to get breakfast. The smell of fresh bread baking already filled the air in the dinner hall.
But when I entered, something didn’t seem right. There was a strange tension in the air. The mood should’ve been lethargic since everyone had just gotten up, but people were talking excitedly, as though something had gotten them worked up.
I soon realized why. A very conspicuous, blonde-haired girl was having breakfast in the dining hall. It was Carol, the princess. The dorm’s ten-year-old boys were all sitting some distance from her, as if they had no idea how to approach a girl of such dazzlingly noble birth. Nonetheless, they took great interest in her as they ate.
Carol’s gaze met mine the moment I came down the stairs, and she more or less scowled at me. I half expected her to say hello, but she didn’t, so I thought it best to avoid her. I chose to eat my perfectly ordinary breakfast as far away from her as possible. It wasn’t long before I’d finished eating.
I got dressed and ready to head out, taking great care to avoid waking Dolla, who was still sound asleep. I left while it was still early morning and took the same route I’d taken after being sent home the other day. I soon arrived at the Ho family residence.
I hadn’t been told exactly when my family was leaving this morning, so I worried I might’ve been late. Apparently I’d made it just in time, though, because the line of soldiers that were meant to escort Rook and Suzuya home were just about to set out.
“Hey. What’s up, Yuri?” Rook was surprised to see me appear unannounced. He jumped down from the carriage.
“Good morning. I walked here hoping I might see you off.”
“Oh. Did you sleep well?”
Before I could answer, Suzuya called my name as she hurriedly climbed down. Moving so quickly in the long skirt she wore was dangerous.
“Mom.”
“Thanks for coming. Do your best at school,” she said as she hugged me tight.
“I will. And you take care of yourself. Dad, I didn’t have any trouble last night, so I think I’m going to be okay,” I reassured him. I knew my words would put Suzuya at ease too.
“All right,” he replied. “Just don’t overdo it. Though I’m sure you’ll be fine whatever happens.”
“Yes, I think I’ll manage.”
“If it’s too much for you, just come home. It won’t be any trouble for us at all,” Suzuya said.
“I know. Could you let me go now, mom?”
I don’t want everyone thinking I’m some weird momma’s boy.
Suzuya released me like I’d asked.
“Both of you take care of yourselves,” I said while waving them off.
They set off with their procession of guards back to Ho Province.
Since I had the day off, I decided to spend the rest of it having fun.
That said, my only hobby besides taking care of eagles was going for walks, so I was just going to go on a stroll. Rook had already shown me all the impressive sights the capital had to offer, so I just planned to wander aimlessly and explore the various streets.
My brand-new Knight Academy uniform stood out too much, so I changed into some other clothes that I’d packed before I’d left the dorm earlier. I hid the bag I’d used to carry my clothes in a patch of long grass. I managed to slip through the busy front gate while the guards were changing shifts, which left me free to explore the city.
I went along while examining Sibiak’s stone buildings. Despite everything Myalo had said about witches running this place and making life tough for everyone, the royal capital appeared to be thriving. The stores allowed people to enter and leave freely, and food vendors had their wares on display in the front windows. This sort of setup wouldn’t have worked in a crime-filled city. At the very least, law and order here was sufficient for businesses to operate safely.
Either Myalo had been exaggerating—a certain level of order and economic stability was necessary for the witches to ensure their profits—or they feared the queen stepping in if they took things too far. It was hard to guess the answer just from seeing the streets. No doubt I’d come to understand things much better after living here for over ten years.
I was getting further away from the Ho residence as I walked the streets, taking whichever turn took my fancy. I continued for some time. Sibiak had the layout of a planned city, and everything was so neatly arranged that I couldn’t get lost.
I already knew that the streets became less safe further away from Royal Castle Island, especially in the western areas where the slums were located. That was why I headed east instead. More stores began to open for daily business as I strolled around.
A store soon caught my eye—a cutler that sold weapons. My habits over the past few years must’ve shaped my interests. I entered to take a look.
I was surprised to find folding knives out on display. I picked one up and noticed that it didn’t even have a locking mechanism—it folded back into the handle easily when a little pressure was placed on the back of the blade. Such a tool might’ve been useful for turning fish into sashimi on a chopping board while out fishing, but it would be a terrible idea to use this thing in a fight. Even if it was all you had with you, the impractical design meant that you’d need more than a few spare fingers.
Hunting knives were also being sold alongside meat cleavers that a butcher might use. There were no tools with gut hooks; the type used for skinning animals. I imagined those would sell well, but then other stores would just copy the design. I abandoned the thought and left the merchandise behind.
The storekeeper looked concerned about seeing a child wander in to play with the knives, so I didn’t stay long.
I walked a little further and found a store with various large piles of charcoal out front—black, white, and rounded pieces made from large branches. When I got closer, I caught its distinct, powdery scent. I didn’t know much about the stuff, but it looked suitable for daily use around the home. I assumed that the black and white types had different uses.
There was also a store that appeared to sell old clothes that had been re-dyed. Outside, an eye-catching indigo cloth declared, “We Re-Dye Clothes” in white letters. The merchants here were finding ingenious methods to draw in customers, just as they did everywhere else.
I walked further and found a tavern where several burly men sat out front drinking. That made me wonder whether I’d wandered into an unsafe area. There were various other stores besides the cutler, charcoal seller, and old clothes store, but they were all for commoners and their goods didn’t look high-quality. I didn’t feel like hanging around in case someone tried to steal my coin purse, so I decided to stick to looking around the stores in the safer areas until I became more familiar with the city.
I’d been heading to the southeast, rather than the west, but this looked like a downtown area. I turned around and began retracing my steps.
I’d only gone twenty meters or so before I heard a strange racket coming from a narrow alleyway. What sounded like a young girl screamed things like, “Waaaaah!” and “Let go!” Then there was a clatter, as though something had been kicked over. It sounded like someone being abducted.
So that kind of crime happens around here too. How horrible.
My family ruled over Ho Province, not royal territory. Sticking my nose in where it didn’t belong—in other words, around here—would be like getting involved in another family’s business. I decided that rather than dwell on what was happening, I’d pretend not to notice until I found someone to report it to.
But I just couldn’t resist sneaking a glance into the alley where it was all going on. That was when I saw something that could only mean trouble—a mess of disheveled blonde hair.
✧✧✧
“Let go of me!”
“Hey! Cover her mouth!”
Maybe it’s just someone else with blonde hair? I wondered. But no, it was Carol—sparkling brand-new Knight Academy uniform and all. What’s she even doing here? It’s enough to give me a headache.
When I thought about it rationally, I realized that we were unlikely to have bumped into one another if we’d left the academy separately, so she’d likely followed me. What I really wanted to know was what she’d been thinking when she’d decided to do that.
A large hat had fallen from her head, so she’d presumably made some effort to hide her blonde hair. Unfortunately, wearing such a well-tailored hat in a region where barely anyone wore new clothes just made her stand out more. Plus, she was easy to kidnap because she was a child. She might as well have painted a target on herself.
“Ngh... Waaaah! Someone help!”
“Shut it.”
Smack! One of the men—there were four in total—struck her with his palm. It connected with Carol’s soft cheek as she screamed and struggled. He’d hit her full force. It must’ve hurt.
Wow, he got her good. I’ve felt like doing that myself sometimes.
“Mnngh, mnnngh!”
In the short period that Carol had been stunned by the slap, a dirty rag was forced into her mouth to gag her.
Well... I can’t just leave her.
The smart thing to do might’ve been to walk off like I didn’t care, then return to tail them back to their den. But I worried about how the kidnappers might react when they realized Carol was a princess. There was every chance they’d decide to kill her. Abducting a princess and then holding the kingdom ransom was a crime way beyond mere kidnapping. They’d be hounded to the ends of the earth. But the dead tell no tales, so killing her would lower the chances of them being identified.
I might’ve been able to discover their lair and inform the authorities, but Carol could be dead before anyone had time to rescue her. I couldn’t pay the ransom myself either. I’d happily leave it to the royal family to fork over—maybe it would teach them to be more careful in the future—but I’d regret leaving her if she was killed. In fact, I was only guessing that they planned to hold her for ransom. I couldn’t be sure they weren’t a bunch of pedos who just wanted to have their way with a young girl.
In any case, it would be too risky to take my eyes off them while they had Carol.
“What are you looking at, brat?!” one of the men yelled when he noticed me leaning against a wall and calmly analyzing the situation.
