Chapter 136
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Founding Festival
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"If you keep this up, there'll be no food!"
"Gimme food, nyang!"
I headed toward the source of the noise and found Chayuri Floridel bickering with Kim Chur.
Chayuri had his hands on his hips, lecturing the little guy for all he was worth.
"What are you two doing..."
To be honest, I was so tired I considered just ignoring them and heading inside.
But I couldn't, since Kim Chur was my familiar... no, Grandis.
And the two of them were blocking the entrance to the boys' dorm like a pair of stubborn boulders.
Good thing it was vacation and no one else was around.
"Husband, nyang!"
"Ian! You're back already?"
"Something came up, so I rushed back from the Archmage Duke's residence. I'm still going with Yuuna-senpai tomorrow as planned. Anyway,"
Kim Chur looked up at me with a nyang-nyang whine.
This was her 'pet me' face.
I stroked her head and asked,
"What were you doing? Why were you fighting?"
"We weren't fighting. I was just..."
"Yuri-nyang said no food, nyang!"
"That's because Chur wouldn't listen!"
"Not listening to Yuri-nyang! I'm mad, nyang!"
"Whoa, whoa, calm down, Chur. Didn't I tell you not to use your powers without my permission?"
"Holding back for husband, nyang! Otherwise I'd be mad, nyang!!"
I was relieved Chur listened to me.
At first, I thought she'd smash everything if she didn't like it, since she was Grandis.
I'd repeatedly drilled it into her: no using powers without my permission unless her safety was at risk.
Fortunately, she'd kept to it so far.
"Sigh... So what happened?"
"Chur kept disturbing your sleep, so I was just letting her know she couldn't do that."
"Sleeping with husband feels good, nyang!"
"I also explained that you're not her husband. Chur doesn't understand what 'husband' means."
"I do, nyang!"
I pressed my throbbing forehead.
I could guess the kind of conversation they'd had.
"Chur's still young. The dorm room's too small for two, but I felt bad making her sleep on the floor. And she's outgrown the cat cushion now that she's bigger. No space for a cat house either."
"Hmph, nyang!"
"Th-that's...!"
Chur shot Chayuri a triumphant glare.
Chayuri looked shocked.
"Th-then how about applying to switch dorms?"
"Switch dorms?"
"There's a large room for students with big familiars."
"Oh? Something like that exists?"
"Perfect timing with vacation. You can apply now. Then Chur won't need to share your bed."
"Nooo, nyang!"
"Sounds good, let's do that."
A big room for large familiars? Excellent news.
Chur protested for some reason, but a bigger room was obviously better.
"Don't like Yuri-nyang, nyang!"
"Hmph. I lost my chance because of Chur too."
"Hmph, nyang!"
Bicker bicker.
I left the squabbling pair and headed inside the dorm.
I had no idea what they were talking about, but staying there was giving me a headache.
Instead, I went straight to the dorm office and applied to switch.
"Submit your familiar registration and we'll measure its size. That'll do it."
"I'll grab everything now."
The process was simple.
I fetched Chur's registration from the corner of my room.
"Everyone's gone for break, so if it weren't for Chur, I could've gone all the way this time!"
"Food, nyang! Hungry, nyang!"
Bicker bicker.
They were still at it.
No clue what they were saying, but it was noisy.
"Chur, need to measure your size, so change back."
"Don't want big room, nyang!"
"Do this and I'll feed you. Grilled fish."
"Nyang!"
Pewf-
The promise of food had Kim Chur shift to beast form instantly.
After measuring, they said I'd get a new room next semester.
"Wahhh-nyang~"
Nom nom nom.
After that, we all ate together at the cafeteria.
Kim Chur devoured three times my portion all by herself.
She was still growing, it seemed.
They said she'd eat less once she hit stable adolescence.
"Sorry, Chayuri. I dumped her on you without thinking."
I felt bad for him too.
Leaving a big eater like her for days.
If we'd gone to the Founding Festival as planned, he'd have dealt with her for nearly two weeks.
"It's fine. Food's just a matter of buying more. The problem's elsewhere."
If not the food, then what?
Either way, leaving Chur with him longer seemed problematic.
And he couldn't enter the boys' dorm, so taking care of her was tricky.
I'd told her to go to his room if hungry, but he wasn't always there.
He hadn't registered a familiar, so he couldn't officially keep her in his room.
"Maybe I should take Chur to the Founding Festival after all..."
I'd left her at the Archmage Duke's place because of uncertainties there.
But maybe I could bring her to the festival.
I'd seen mages walking familiars in outer cities sometimes.
After eating, I went to find Yuuna again.
"Of course. Familiars are legal in the Empire. Just submit the registration ahead, and VIPs can bring them too."
"Got it. Thanks."
"Chayuri's at the academy too. Thinking of inviting him along—what do you say?"
"Oh. Can you?"
"Sure. I can invite one junior. He's direct lineage, so the palace won't object."
And so, it looked like Chur and Chayuri were coming too.
"I'm good."
"Why? it'd be fun seeing the festival together."
"I made excuses to my family even during break. There'll be Floridels at the festival—if I run into them, it'll be trouble."
Chayuri declined the Founding Festival.
He still seemed wary of the Floridel main house.
Makes sense—his mother was killed by the Archmage Duke.
Skipping home for break but gallivanting around would look bad.
"Got it? No polymorphing at the festival unless I say so."
"Nyang."
I warned Chur not to polymorph on her own there.
A familiar turning human would draw massive attention.
Hoping she'd obey.
Anyway, the next day, Yuuna, Chur, and I headed to the capital.
***
"Ooh... A cat with such beautiful fur..."
"And this big? Never seen one. Sell her as a familiar?"
"No, so buzz off."
"Tch... Mages are all the same..."
Chur drew a ton of attention upon arriving in the capital.
Her beast type was the [Black-Scaled Slasoni]. As Grandis, she looked cooler than average.
Passing nobles all stopped to stare.
Didn't seem like they actually wanted her as familiars.
Nobles go nuts for expensive stuff—probably that.
I shut them all down cold, of course.
"Sorry, Ian. Did I keep you waiting?"
Soon Yuuna emerged from the palace.
This was a garden inside the palace.
Upon arrival, Yuuna had gone into the inner palace to greet the royals.
I'd been touring the garden, and that's when the nobles swarmed Chur.
With Yuuna back, they scattered.
"No, it's fine. The garden's beautiful."
"Hehe, right? Where to first?"
"You okay guiding me?"
"I've got nothing else. Pre-festival eve tonight, main event tomorrow. I'll show you around first."
The Founding Festival lasted a week.
Basically eating, drinking, and partying.
Nobles feasted day and night in the palace.
Commoners in the capital below enjoyed performances and festivities everywhere.
I had a guest room in the outer palace, but no plans to stay all seven days.
Leave midway, probably.
"Can we tour the capital?"
"Sure. The palace gets stuffy."
I wanted to see the commoners' city first.
Too many nobles inside made it uncomfortable.
Palace later—festival vibes now.
"It's really a festival..."
"Yeah? Life's improved for imperials since the historic expansion."
Yuuna gave a faintly bitter smile.
Something felt off.
I knew the current Royload Empire was the largest in history.
Decades ago, massive expansion wars.
But prolonged wars impoverish commoners.
Improved lives from war? Weird.
"Recovered from war damages fast, huh."
War-loving kings ignore commoners.
They'd temper wars if they cared.
Massive expansion costs a fortune.
Even post-war, such prosperity under that emperor seemed unlikely.
Must be one hell of an emperor.
"His Majesty loved war. If healthy, he'd still be fighting. Plenty of unclaimed land on the continent."
Empire vast, but not whole continent.
Obvious. Archmage Duke alone proves it.
More wars might've clashed with him historically.
"Wasn't it the current emperor who did the expansions?"
"Right, but he's been ill for over a decade. Brother Arthur's handled real governance since."
Post-war consolidation by the crown prince.
Explains the prosperity.
"Must be highly respected, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"Most support Brother Arthur. He pours expansion taxes into welfare without stint. Imperials enjoy unprecedented abundance."
"Welfare?"
"Yes. Heavy taxes from expanded territories and nobles too. Redistributes to all imperials. Starting with capital-adjacent cities, expanding."
"Whoa... Progressive."
"Progressive. Apt word. Hehe."
Shocking.
Nobles caring for commoners in this era?
Not hard to grasp, though.
Nobles throw lavish pointless banquets daily.
Skim a bit, commoners thrive.
"Nobles must hate it."
"Big backlash at first. Not much now."
Wonder how much resentment's bottled up.
Yuuna added flatly.
"Can't voice complaints?"
"Post-policy tax hikes hit provincial lords mostly. They hoarded under central noses."
"Makes sense."
"They rebelled first. But funds go straight to domain folk. Domains side with palace. Lords refusing taxes face massive backlash."
"Hm..."
Got it.
Crown Prince seizes from corrupt lords, gives to people.
People flip to palace instantly.
"Not just domain folk. Local lower nobles, knights—benefits spread."
"Strong provincial lords weakened, power more balanced."
"No room for complaints. Whatever happens."
This guy's practically preaching equality.
No wonder revered as sage king material.
"Not many shops. Mostly outsider merchants or festival stalls."
"Empire merchants pay heavy taxes. Shops dwindled."
"Trading caravans must boom then."
"Outsiders pay taxes selling here too. Patrols enforce."
"...? Then who sells?"
"That's why shops shrank. Palace distributes basics as welfare. Rations? Expanding items slowly."
Yuuna smiled blankly.
Hm. Truly commoner-focused crown prince. That's all.
"Ah, wanna see the Imperial Magic Corps, Ian?"
As we finished touring and headed back to the palace, Yuuna asked.
"Allowed?"
"Yeah. Academy cadets beg for tours. Hehe."
Imperial Magic Corps. Intriguing.
Elrim wanted in post-graduation.
Big promotion unless from major mage houses like Archmage Duke.
"Please."
I followed Yuuna to the Corps grounds.
Mages in crisp uniforms trained something.
"Practicing magic for festival shows, including eve."
Makes sense. Performance art.
Founding Festival boasts imperial might too.
Showcasing Corps power.
Mages in formation fired spells in sequence.
Vivid magics crisscrossed spectacularly.
"Ooh... Cool."
"Hehe."
We watched blankly for a while.
Suddenly, screams and chaos erupted.
Boom-
"Gaaah!"
One mage botched, hitting nearby comrades.
"Th-that's bad, right?"
"B-big trouble?!"
Even Yuuna panicked.
Most around were injured.
Those spaced out were fine, but the botcher's neighbor was near death.
"Captain! Captain, big problem!"
"What! Which rotten bastard made this moronic fuckup!"
A mage rushed off somewhere.
Returned with a grandpa in the flashiest uniform.
The Corps captain, apparently.
"What're you idiots standing around for! No one calls healers? Gotta spell it out, you worthless shits!"
Captain kicked mages, yelling.
Then checked the worst injured.
"Rotten... Needs weeks off even with heals... Which fucker did this idiotic shit!"
"S-sorry!"
"You rotten fuck!"
Thud- Thud- Thud-
The botcher was a newbie apprentice.
He got beaten bloody, chewed out by the captain.
"Rotten... Eve tonight, now short a spot... Ngh..."
Spot open now.
Direct hit victim needed recovery.
As we gawked,
Captain's scanning gaze hit me.
"...Hm?"
Our eyes met.