17
Chapter 17
"W-what is this? A list of people who witnessed Andre Gomes habitually assaulting Charles?"
"Yes. I'm told that your son, Andre Gomes, has been habitually assaulting Charles Jean Rochefort. Many students witnessed this, and this is the list of those students."
"This is nonsense! There's no way my sweet son would bully a thug like that!"
As Andre's mother shouted and tried to tear up the documents, Isabel spoke.
"That's just a copy. I have the original. Furthermore, according to witness accounts, the fight in the dining hall looked more like a duel than a one-sided assault."
Of course, it wasn't a duel, but if that's how the witnesses perceived it, who was I to argue? Isabel really is resourceful. She probably bribed them, just as she had tried to do with me.
"A duel, not an assault...?"
"Yes. They say Charles Jean Rochefort used a wooden sword while your son wielded a real sword. Moreover, it's said that your son's injuries were more of an accident, caused by glass shards that happened to be on the floor."
"T-that's a lie. I don't believe it."
"But that is what the witnesses are saying. Now, I have a proposal. What would you like to do? If we settle this now, I will provide a generous 50 ducats for medical expenses and compensation. However, if you insist on punishment..."
Isabel said in a threatening tone.
"Then we shall have to put every effort into uncovering the absolute truth."
"...!"
Andre's mother looked shocked. However, her shock came from a completely different direction than I had expected. After staring at the floor in silence for a while, she spoke.
"Why...?"
"Why what?"
"That boy is a fallen noble, practically a commoner. I heard he's a nobody who barely avoided failing his grades. Why are prestigious nobles from the Russell and Poitiers families protecting someone like him?"
That was it. The point that shocked Andre's mother wasn't that her supposedly "sweet" son was actually a villain. Rather, she was shocked that a nobody had such powerful backing. Is this just how nobles are? I was sick of this aristocratic culture where backing matters more than right or wrong. Then, Isabel spoke.
"Mr. Charles Jean Rochefort is..."
Everyone leaned in to hear Isabel's next words. Even from Dian's perspective, she must have wondered why Isabel was protecting Charles. What was the relationship between them?
"My friend."
Everyone was stunned by Isabel's declaration. Isabel Poitiers was an aide to the Princess and came from a prestigious family, whereas Charles was merely from a fallen noble house. It was the moment Charles officially gained a powerful protector.
-----
In the end, Andre's mother gave up on punishing Charles and accepted the 50 ducats. Both Charles and Isabel were satisfied. However, there was one person who was far from pleased: Andre Gomes, the victim of the incident.
Andre had been unilaterally beaten by Charles, wounded in front of everyone, and failed to secure any significant punishment against him. Because of this, rumors began to circulate among the students that the Gomes family wasn't as powerful as once thought.
Conversely, rumors started to spread that Charles had some kind of secret advantage. Even though Andre was a delinquent, he was still a capable swordsman, yet Charles had beaten him so decisively and walked away without any penalty.
The prevailing sentiment among the students was that Charles had a hidden ace up his sleeve, and therefore, he was not to be trifled with.
"I think I've set a proper example."
Charles smiled with satisfaction. His school life was about to become much more comfortable.
"Did I handle that correctly?"
Isabel de Poitiers asked as she walked alongside Charles.
"Yes. You did exactly what I wanted, Isabel."
"Since you started this so suddenly, I wasn't entirely sure. I would have appreciated a heads-up before you caused such a scene."
"I assumed you'd be capable of that much improvisation."
Yuria Russell simply followed them, looking bewildered and unable to wrap her head around their conversation.
"What on earth are you two talking about?"
"Ah, well..."
Isabel began to explain their deal to Yuria: that in exchange for Charles forfeiting the final match against Her Highness, Isabel would act as his backing—which was why she had helped him with the Andre situation. Upon hearing the details, Yuria pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Isabel, you...!"
"Calm down, Yuria. Everything worked out in the end."
"But Her Highness does not wish to win in such a manner!"
"I know that. Her Highness wants to win on her own terms. That's exactly why she needs people like us."
I nodded at Isabel's words. Princess Leonia has her own set of rules; she wants to win by her own design. She doesn't want to steal the world—she wants to seize it. But being a monarch means occasionally having to step into the mud. There are times when victory cannot be achieved through fair means alone. That is why a realist is needed to get their hands dirty on behalf of the sovereign. That person was Isabel, and that person was me.
"Charles! Are you truly alright with this? Do you not wish to face Her Highness in a fair and square fight?"
"I did, at one point."
"Then why in the world did you succumb to Isabel's offer! You could have easily turned her down!"
"Ah, you've got the wrong idea..."
Yuria had one thing wrong.
"The offer to be my backing in exchange for forfeiting wasn't Isabel's idea—it was mine."
Yuria looked shocked. With a face full of betrayal, she muttered that there was no one in the world to trust and returned to the dormitory alone.
"My apologies, Charles. Yuria is a bit naive."
"I know."
I'd played as Yuria Russell several times; how could I not know her personality? Not just her personality—I knew everything from her upbringing to her family relations.
"It feels as if you've known us for a very long time."
Oops, did I make it too obvious? I need to be more careful about hiding my game knowledge.
"That's impossible."
I smiled, and Isabel looked at me with a complicated expression.
-----
"Vacation is coming up soon."
It suddenly occurred to me that it was already July. Break would start in a week.
"Do you have any plans for the break?"
"Why? Do you want to spend the vacation with me?"
*Shring.* The sword slid up from Glacia's scabbard.
"I'm sorry."
I apologized quickly, and Glacia sheathed her sword once more.
"I was just wondering if you would continue to employ me during the break."
Right, come to think of it, Glacia pays her tuition and living expenses with the money I give her. If I stop paying, she'll be in a tight spot.
"Then please stay with me during the break. I'll make sure you're well compensated for your services as my guard."
"Is that really okay? All I've done for the past two months is beat up Andre."
It was reasonable for her to think so. Although she was called my guard, she rarely had anything to actually do.
But Glacia didn't realize one thing: simply having a sword genius like Glacia Ehrenberg by my side was enough to ensure that no one would ever dare touch me.
"Don't worry. You're doing more than enough, Glacia. I'll keep you employed during the break, as long as you're okay with it."
Glacia looked slightly touched. She was usually so expressionless that I hadn't noticed at first, but after spending every day with her for so long, I felt I was beginning to understand her.
"But will that be alright? I'm heading up to Crotea for the break. If you want to continue as my guard, you'll have to come along."
"Crotea? Why all of a sudden?"
Crotea was a castle in the northwest of the Empire, ruled by Dian de Valboa. It was quite far from Charles's hometown, making the mention of it completely unexpected.
"You know there are signs of war breaking out in the north, right?"
"I've heard. That the Crown Prince is leading an expedition to the north..."
That was correct. The Crown Prince, who boasted the most powerful force in the world, would attack Grand Duke Kronor, the defender of the north, to expand his territory. That was the original plot of the game.
"I plan to participate in that battle."
I intended to join the conflict as a temporary strategist for Dian de Valboa. One of the rules of Arcadia Academy stated that students could be mobilized as knights during wartime, and by utilizing that, I should be able to join the fray. This was my chance to make my official debut as a real strategist.
At those words, Glacia frowned and spoke.
"You realize how dangerous it is, don't you?"
"Yes."
"On a real battlefield, hundreds of cavalrymen charge at you, swinging spears from horseback. Are you truly confident you can survive?"
"I won't be going that far onto the front lines."
I was going there to act as a strategist, after all.
"Besides, as long as I have you, I'm sure I'll be safe."
"There is a surcharge for battlefields."
"How much?"
"A base fee of 25 ducats plus a surcharge of 25 ducats, for a total of 50 ducats."
This woman is determined to bleed me dry. Does she have any idea how much 50 ducats is? It's enough to buy a small house in an ordinary city outside the capital. However...
"Deal."
It was a fair price for my life.