I Don't Pay Taxes!
I Don't Pay Taxes!
Aether stepped between us with a casual air.
"We meet again, Young Lady. And you too, Slave Knight."
Renoa was startled by his sudden appearance for a moment, then bowed with discipline.
"Renoa, the second daughter of Edelheid, greets the Imperial Prince."
"You don't have to greet me so stiffly. This isn't high society. Both you and I are just students here."
"But..."
"I'd prefer it if you didn't make me repeat myself. I feel like I've said this hundreds of times today alone."
Aether gestured with his head over his shoulder. Behind him, numerous students could be seen.
They were all children of nobility who had entered the Academy specifically to form a connection with the Prince.
Even though it was only lunchtime, Aether's face was thick with exhaustion.
It was clear how much he had been hounded by them.
"I understand, Your Highness."
"The title 'Your Highness' is unnecessary too. My name is enough."
"Then, Aether-nim."
"As expected of an Edelheid. I like how straightforward you are."
Aether nodded with satisfaction. His gaze then shifted to me.
"Nice to see you, Slave Knight. Your name was Irion, right?"
"Uh, yeah. Nice to see you too. We meet again."
"...Huh?"
Time seemed to stop for a moment.
Then, Renoa turned her head toward me with terrifying speed.
"Are you insane? This is the person who will become the Emperor in the future. The one who will become the father of all subjects."
"He said to be comfortable. And to be honest, even if this person becomes the Emperor, he's not my father."
"What?"
Renoa's eyes widened in significant shock. Her green eyes, swirling with a mix of horror and anger, felt intimidating.
But even so, my argument wasn't wrong. Even if I get shot, I'm going to run through the meadow.
"I don't pay taxes."
"......What?"
"The duty that every imperial citizen possesses has not been given to me. In other words, as a slave, I am not a subject."
"That's..."
Don't you know that rights come from duties?
Conversely, duties only function normally when rights are granted.
I am a slave with neither duties nor rights.
I'm not even treated like a human being.
Therefore, I am not a subject, and the Emperor is not my father either. If I had to put it into words, he's closer to being a landlord.
"Well, if you were to release me from slavery by imperial decree, the story would change, of course."
"Are you really crazy? Why are you being like this?"
Renoa looked back and forth between me and Aether. The way she couldn't stay still and was fidgeting was quite cute.
That's why I asked who told you to keep me. How about it, don't you want to let me go right now?
"I apologize, Your Highness. This guy occasionally loses his mind like this and spouts nonsense. He wasn't usually this bad, but he must have truly gone mad..."
Just as a flustered Renoa was pouring out excuses like rapid-fire.
"Pfft. Puhu-hu-hu-hu."
"...Your Highness?"
"Puhahaha! Hahahahahaha!"
Aether began to laugh out loud heartily.
"Right. You're absolutely right. If you don't pay taxes, you're not a subject! That's very accurate. Don't you think so, Young Lady?"
"......"
"You don't have to look so serious. I have no intention of charging him with lèse-majesté. In fact, since he made me laugh like this, I should give him a reward. Is there anything you want?"
Aether spoke jovially, even wiping away the tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes.
"Please set me free."
"So he says. He wants to be released from slavery; will you do it?"
"That's..."
"Is it difficult? Even if it's a request from me, the Prince?"
Silence fell.
It felt as if the surrounding air had frozen cold in an instant.
A request coming from the Prince's mouth was, in fact, a threat akin to an imperial decree that could not—and should not—be refused.
"......Aether-nim."
Renoa, who had been silent for a moment, lifted her head high. Her flustered expression had vanished without a trace.
"Didn't you just say so yourself?"
"Say what?"
"That this is the Academy, not high society. That both Aether-nim and I are just the same students here."
Aether's eyes sparkled with interest. Renoa continued her words without backing down an inch.
"According to Academy regulations, the seizure of property without a justifiable reason is strictly prohibited. I have no obligation to release my slave."
Aether blinked as if caught off guard for a moment, then burst into laughter once again.
"Haha! I lost, I lost. To think I'd be tripped up by my own words."
Whoa.
I was genuinely surprised just now too.
Is this the same Renoa who used to beg and cling to the Prince? My heart is truly swelling with awe.
If she were the girl I knew, she would have kicked a mere slave away like a bug, calling it an opportunity to catch the Prince's eye.
But now, she's saying she won't release me even if it means refusing an imperial decree.
'Should I be happy about this, or not?'
It's puzzling.
"I'm sorry, Irion. Since your master is putting up such a steel wall, even I, the Prince, can't do anything about it."
"That's a shame. I'll aim for the next opportunity."
"As for the titles, you can use whatever is comfortable. I'll give you special permission."
"I'll do so while reading the room depending on the situation."
Anyway, my plan to escape by using the Prince ended in failure.
I had to pay the cost for attempting to escape. Seeing Renoa's ferocious gaze, I'm definitely going to get an earful later.
"More importantly, won't you introduce the young lady standing next to you? I recall seeing her in the lecture hall."
Aether's gaze passed us and landed on Elody.
"Eh? Me?"
"Yes. You."
"I am called Elody."
"Elody. It's a name as pretty as your eyes. Are you perhaps a commoner?"
"Yes."
Wow, I'm actually seeing the two protagonists talking right in front of me.
It's like a scene from a game.
"A noble, a slave, and a commoner. It's a very fascinating combination. If it's alright, won't you let me join too?"
"No, I'd rather not."
I answered immediately.
It's not that I dislike you, but not right now.
"An unexpected rejection. I didn't anticipate this at all, but this is also a fresh experience, so it's not bad. But why? Everyone else wants to be with me?"
"That's why I don't like it. Because people will flock here just to see you. Like they are right now."
The Prince and the Young Lady, the most talked-about freshmen this year, were together. And I had my own share of fame as well.
In terms of recognition, we were undoubtedly the strongest in the Academy. Because of that, people were surrounding us in a circle, watching.
I didn't feel great, feeling like a monkey in a zoo.
Above all, being with Aether could potentially become dangerous in many ways.
"But I'm sorry, what should I do? I wasn't asking you."
"Pardon?"
"What does the Young Lady think? May I accompany you?"
"It is an honor for my family to be able to be with Aether-nim."
Aether nodded with satisfaction. He shot a smirk toward me.
"Since the master has given permission, the slave's opinion is of no importance at all. Isn't that right?"
"......"
And so, Aether joined the party.
Prince 1.
Noble 1.
Commoner 1.
Slave 1.
There were no overlapping positions; it was a well-balanced mix.
'Is this the Bremen Town Musicians?'
I don't like this combination.
In the Bremen Town Musicians, the one who suffers the most is the donkey carrying the ones on top.
In this case, that would be me, the slave.
It's hard enough with just Renoa, but you want me to take care of two more?
And those two are the key figures, Aether and Elody?
Nothing is going my way.
"Hmm, there are a lot of people in the cafeteria."
As lunchtime arrived, we headed to the cafeteria located within the Academy.
Everyone must have practiced their sprinting for lunch, as the cafeteria was already bustling with many students.
"Please have a seat comfortably. I will bring enough for Aether-nim as well. Elody-yang?"
"I'll go! Irion-nim?"
"...Yes."
"Let's go together, just the two of us!"
"Oh, if we're going together, let's go right away."
As expected, I only have Elody.
Compared to her, look at those two.
Ordering subordinates around as if it's natural.
"In the Academy, there should be no distinction of rank! Making a classmate do a shuttle run for food..."
"Ahem. My legs are a bit weak, you see."
It seems even Aether dislikes standing in line for food.
"Then let's go, the two of us, Elody-yang."
"Okay. I wanted to talk more with Irion-nim anyway."
I thought I'd finally get some private time with Elody thanks to that.
"Aether-nim, could you wait here for a moment?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm uneasy about sending just those two. I think I should go along and supervise them."
"Are you telling me to stay here alone?"
"It won't take long. Let's go."
This was another strange sight.
I thought only I, the slave, would be going, but instead, Aether, the Prince, was left alone.
Aether, who had been staring blankly, soon realized the situation and stood up with a dry cough.
"Ahem, as expected, one should take care of their own portion. Since this is also an experience, I should try it myself."
"No. Why is the person with weak legs getting up? Just stay seated."
Sitting alone in a crowded cafeteria.
You should experience that at least once in your life too.
We left Aether to hold the table and went to get the food.
The cafeteria was buffet-style.
You could put whatever dishes you wanted from the many options onto your plate.
If you were a student enrolled in the Academy, it was naturally a free meal. I wasn't sure if that applied to me, who entered as a familiar, though.
"Are you telling me to put the food on the plate myself right now? Does this even make sense?"
"I agree. Why did the Imperial Prince even come to a place like this?"
The nobles, who had been treated like precious treasures their whole lives, each grumbled a word of complaint.
For those who had never even washed themselves or dressed themselves, it was a culture shock of a different kind.
"Wow... There's so much food. You're saying we can eat everything here?"
In contrast, Elody.
She had a heart that knew how to cherish even the small things. This is why commoners are better than nobles.
Elody was excitedly walking around, looking at which dishes to eat. Then, she accidentally bumped shoulders with someone.
The food on the other person's plate spilled, staining their uniform.
"Ah, I'm sorr—"
"Where the fuck are you looking when you're walking?"
It was before Elody could even apologize. A male student poured out profanity in a harsh voice.
In that moment, the surrounding air froze cold. Everyone stopped moving as if time had come to a standstill.
'Who the hell is swearing at Elody?'
I was about to take a look at that face.
Crimson hair.
Eyes that looked like flowing lava.
Even the fierce impression.
"Gerard?"
"...Lowborn?"
The former apprentice knight of Edelheid.
It was Gerard, who was originally Renoa's escort knight.
Wait, why are you here too?