I Have Too Many Superiors - 5
The enmity of a powerful man is a dreadful thing. Excessive favor from one, on the other hand, is merely awkward. Fortunately, I have yet to earn enmity dreadful enough to count — but the awkward favor is currently being poured on me by the duke sitting right in front of me. A duke fretting over my marriage prospects? Where else on earth would you find a situation like this?
Far easier as a conversation partner was the Golden Duke, who stuck to clean, purely professional deals and then parted ways. With that man, if you input A, you reliably get B. With the other dukes, inputting A leaves you with no idea what will come out the other end.
"I hear people are marrying later these days."
"Yes, I've heard something of the sort myself."
First I was hearing of it.
"My own daughter married right around Karl's age, as it happens."
"I remember. I was quite surprised when I heard the news at the time."
"Haha. Imagine how her father felt."
The Duke of Victory had slipped the Crown Princess into the conversation and, by a roundabout route, jabbed me with the message: You're not late yet, so you ought to start thinking about it. At least he stopped short of saying anything more direct. That much was a mercy.
But was the Crown Princess's marriage really a fair point of comparison? She was a miracle case — she had married the First Prince for love, not politics, at a time when he had not even been named Crown Prince and was still being beaten half to death by the Second Prince's faction.
That unforeseen match flipped the entire succession struggle. Just when the Second Prince's victory had seemed all but certain, the First Prince's stock rocketed upward. And then, as if on cue, war broke out in the North. Had the Duke of Victory fallen on those northern fronts, the Second Prince would have been invested as Crown Prince without question.
"Dear me. I've kept a busy man far too long."
"Not at all. It is an honor to spend time with Your Grace."
I had been lost in the nightmare of a parallel world where the Second Prince became Crown Prince — a scenario so foul I would rather have bitten my own tongue off than live it — when the Duke of Victory's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Talking of this and that had eaten more time than I expected.
"Ah, Your Grace. I have something for you."
"Hm? For me? Good heavens — you came up in such a hurry. When did you even have time to bring a gift?"
His tone said you really didn't have to, but of course he looked thoroughly pleased. An unexpected present always is.
I drew the notebook from my coat, tore out a page dense with names, and held it out to him. It looked like a shabby gift on the surface, but for the Duke of Victory it would be more than satisfying.
"There are a great many outstanding students at the Academy. The Empire's future is truly bright. No doubt another blessing of His Majesty's grace."
"That is wonderful news indeed."
Looking thoroughly gratified, the Duke of Victory took the paper. It was the list of prospective civil servants I had compiled the day before the Intelligence Director's spectacular betrayal — and from it I had pulled the names of those who seemed especially well suited to the military.
The students themselves had no idea they were being recommended, but I had no doubt they would be delighted. A direct recommendation to the head of the entire armed forces? Chances like that barely come once in a lifetime.
"Thank you, Karl. Just thinking of the Imperial Army filled with such spirited young people makes my heart race."
"I feel the same, Your Grace."
If I occasionally slipped the military side people who fit them, they would, in turn, occasionally slip me people who fit the Audit Department. Mutual aid. A beautiful arrangement.
"I should take my leave. May you remain in good health."
I had delivered the gift. Time to go, before lingering any longer made me late returning to the Academy.
"Karl. One last thing."
"I am listening."
I turned back at the voice that caught me just as I opened the door. The Duke of Victory wore a small smile.
"You need not worry about me. I am only now returning to its rightful owner something I was never meant to keep."
"...Thank you, Your Grace."
"Think nothing of it. Go well. When you next come to the Imperial Capital, come and see me."
The matter of the 6 Swords — something I had never quite managed to raise to his face. Separate from my own private joy, elevating the 6 Swords was bound to chip away at the Duke of Victory's prestige. That was why I had kept silent to the end. And then he had brought it up himself, telling me he was fine.
I bowed and left the Deputy Commander's office. I had thought today would be the day I paid back a little of my debt by gifting him a few prospective subordinates. Instead the debt had only grown. At this rate I would go bankrupt before I even managed the interest.
Having just left a benefactor I could not hope to repay, I was greeted by a pack of bastards who clearly expected me to pay them some interest of my own.
Ah! The Blooming Academy Life of Your Twenties!
The instant I opened the door to the Director's office, that rag of a banner filled my vision. Its presence was so deranged that even when I forced my eyes away, they kept dragging back to it.
That thing is still here?
I was certain I had torn it up and thrown it out. Tenacious little bastards. They must have dug the scraps out of the trash and resurrected it. I should have burned it, not torn it.
"Ah, Director! You're back!"
As I stared blankly at the banner, the First Section Chief's voice came from beside me. I turned. He was standing there, a bottle of liquor in each hand, grinning like an idiot. Smiling? He thought this was funny?
"We were so disappointed we had to party without you last time, so we decided to do it again!"
"Without me..."
As I recalled it, I had shut the entire party down. These bastards must have thrown one anyway the moment I was gone. Who exactly was that party for? The guest of honor wasn't even there, you lunatics.
"Ta-da! For the Director, a whole bottle instead of a glass!"
I looked down at the bottle the First Section Chief was cheerfully thrusting at me. Quietly, I took hold of it, then lifted my gaze to the top of his head. If I cracked this bottle over his skull, would he die? Could I calibrate it just short of lethal?
"Who knows when you'll be back again if you leave now? Have a proper drink before you go."
The Second Section Chief had appeared out of nowhere, snickering. If I stabbed him in the gut with a broken bottle, would he die? And how, exactly, would I keep that non-lethal as well...?
"Come on! Let's drink!"
The Second Section Chief shoved his glass forward with a shout, and the First and Third Section Chiefs slid in as if on cue. They looked thoroughly delighted. A glance into the corner showed the Deputy Director and the Fifth Section Chief holding glasses of their own but barely breathing. As expected — the Audit Department's few remaining scraps of conscience. If even those two had joined in, I might genuinely have lost my mind.
"...Fine."
I forced down the urge to overturn the whole room then and there. If I started rampaging now, I would only be late getting back to the Academy. If they had planned this on purpose, they were bastards. If it was coincidence, they were idiots. Which of the two were my subordinates, exactly?
Wrestling with that question of identity, I clinked glasses just enough to get away with it and slipped out. Any longer and my blood pressure would have put me on the floor. And even after I left, they kept right on drinking. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed they had simply wanted to drink and used my convenient appearance in the Imperial Capital as an excuse to set the table.
They were always knocking it back at the drop of a hat anyway.
The Audit Department is one of the few offices where drinking on duty is permitted. We spend our days colliding with nobles and waving blades around, so the stress is considerable — and this is the Empire's idea of consideration for that. Stay sane if you can; if not, at least drink while you work.
Of course, the Audit Department is full of people who are not entirely sane even stone-cold sober, so the consideration is rather wasted. They would have managed just fine without the liquor.
Just before I returned to the Academy, one piece of good news and one piece of bad news found me.
The good news: no summons had come from the Imperial Family. After meeting two dukes in a row, I had half-expected the Crown Prince to call for me as well. Thankfully he seemed busy enough that he had no spare time to summon me. Feeling pleased about something like that left me with a faint twinge of self-loathing.
The bad news: the Intelligence Director had gone to ground. Since I was already in the Imperial Capital thanks to him, I went to the Intelligence Department in person to deliver my protest face-to-face instead of through a proxy. He was out, they said. The bastard. He must have sensed me coming and run for it.
"I will escort you to the Academy."
In the end I went to the Magic Tower empty-handed, and a teleportation mage was already waiting for me. The Demon Duke must have given word in advance. I could head straight to the Academy without wasting time hunting anyone down. If only it had been this easy on my first assignment — I would have been spared the motion sickness. Unfortunately, the Magic Tower had been absurdly busy around then.
"Director. Her Grace the Demon Duke asked me to pass on a message."
"What is it?"
"She said, 'I won't interfere, so handle it as you see fit' — and that you would know what she meant."
Those were the mage's last words before returning to the Magic Tower. The moment I heard it was from the Demon Duke I tensed, but it was far more ordinary than I had feared.
Luise was her disciple, yet the Demon Duke had taught her without ever revealing her identity; even so, the bond of teaching was not something to ignore. And now that I happened to be the advisor of the club Luise belonged to, the message was clearly a request that I look after her a little. Hardly a difficult ask. Luise was already under my care to begin with.
Honestly, the real relief was that she had not decided to fly to the Academy herself to look after her one and only disciple. When she had mentioned taking a teaching post at the Academy, I had felt my heart drop out of my chest. With the Demon Duke, it is nearly impossible to tell a serious statement from an idle remark. A casual "we should grab a meal sometime" has a way of becoming an actual dinner appointment.
Why is this day so long?
I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed. Subjectively it felt as though each duke had cost me three full days, and yet the day was not even over — the sun had not set. My body was fine. My mental stamina was another matter entirely.
I could barely remember why I had been dragged to the Imperial Capital in the first place. Because Luise had used the Demon Duke's signature magic? In truth it was hardly that serious — maybe the principal and I had simply overreacted. A romance-fantasy heroine was allowed to use a powerful spell or two. I clearly lacked sufficient romance-fantasy sensibility.
Damn it.
The fact that I was thinking nonsense like that meant I really was exhausted. Maybe I would catch a little sleep in the clubroom. The members would not care what I did either way.
Before I could forget, I took out a communication orb and contacted the principal. I needed to report my return and at least share what had happened. He was probably still fretting over what sort of relationship Luise and the Demon Duke might have.
I'm tired.
I wanted to rest. Today, more than any other day, I just wanted to rest.