Chapter: 65
It may sound cliché, but the Dukes who appeared throughout the Empire’s 300-year history were all remarkable individuals. They had either extraordinary personal abilities, incredible influence, or both. And the current five Dukes all fall into that last category. The future of the Empire is looking incredibly bright!
As the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor’s Office, which is practically part of the Emperor’s entourage, I met with the five Dukes far more often than other civil servants. Could it be because we all share the commonality of being at the Emperor’s beck and call? My luck really stinks!
Anyway, this wasn’t a situation where I was simply summoned to the capital but rather a rare incident where I needed to head straight to the Duchy of Boyar, their home turf. This was a sudden curveball, especially for Marghetta and the Student Council.
“This is a document sent from the Duchy of Boyar.”
“Can I take a look?”
“Of course!”
With that agreement, I read the document. Mailing from Boyar, or as I like to call it, ‘Golden Dukedom,’ the contents brimmed with the Gold Duke’s intentions.
Wow, how consistent!
Reading this actually eased my mind. As suggested by the nickname ‘Gold Duke,’ this noble is a person who wields money like a sorcerer! If he’s smiling, you can bet he’s scored a huge profit, and if he’s making moves, it’s always to boost his earnings, like some over-enthusiastic merchant!
In that light, the reason this school trip destination was set to the Duchy of Boyar was easy to grasp. Apparently, the Gold Duke built a brand-new resort there, and he wanted to promote it while invigorating the local economy benefiting from noble students! A win-win!
“It’s definitely the Gold Duke I know.”
“Right? He’s always reliable like that!”
The Gold Duke being the Gold Duke. If it were some odd little village chosen for the school trip, that would raise eyebrows. But Duchy of Boyar? It’s already famous as a resort and one of the economic centers—students would absolutely love it!
“I wanted to go somewhere nearby, but that didn’t pan out.”
Yet, I could sense a faint exhaustion in Marghetta’s bright tone.
There are indeed two victims of this school trip: Me, who’s done everything possible to avoid running into any Dukes, and the Student Council, which has to plan the logistics for moving hundreds of students and staff to the southern edge of the Empire! For them, who aimed for a moderately closer territory, this sudden turn of events must feel like an unexpected lightning strike!
And of course, given the Gold Duke’s nature, he probably didn’t just throw in a whim but had slyly helped the Academy behind the scenes. So now the Student Council has to play nice. Even if the Vice President is a Duke’s daughter, it’s no match for the Duke himself!
“If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”
“Fufu, thank you! I’ll be calling you anytime, so stay ready!”
For just a second, a familiar gleam passed through Marghetta’s eyes, her gentle smile reflecting the plight of a pitiful civil servant forced to shift gears due to higher-ups’ whims.
The Civil Servant Princess!
I felt an odd mixture of admiration and pity. Poor princess, suffering through problems she shouldn’t even have to deal with! If it were one of the managers in this spot, I would have at least given them a pat on the back.
Marghetta tilted her head in response to my gaze and looked rather pitiable on this day.
It seemed they were publicly announcing the location of the field trip today!
“It’s my first time seeing the sea!”
“Really?”
I nodded at Louise, whose enthusiasm was contagious. To be that thrilled over seeing the sea? Maybe a bit naive, but considering the Empire’s vast territory, it made sense. The land is outrageously huge, and with only carriages available for travel, it can be a bit of a hindrance!
Of course, there’s teleportation, but that’s not available for everyone. Honestly, unless you put your heart into it, someone from the inland might never see the sea their entire life!
“Well, you wouldn’t really go to the sea unless it’s necessary. I’ve never been either.”
“Me neither! What a coincidence!”
Interesting, I learned things I wasn’t particularly eager about. Erich never ventured far outside the territory, and Tannian had grown up in the Holy Kingdom, which is also inland. Even Ainter, who stayed quiet, had spent his entire life within the Palace’s walls.
“So none of us have been to the sea?”
“I have! But that was only to check tsunami-stricken areas…” sfx: dramatic gasp!*
“Does work count? I’ve been there for a union meeting once.”
It seemed the two princes were yanked around on business matters a lot. I might forget their tales, but they were a part of the royal family, so those international dealings are pretty much a given. The odd one out had to be Ainter, stuck in the palace.
After hearing from Lutis and Lather, Louise’s gaze naturally fell on me.
“I’ve only been there for work as well.”
Easily predictable! So I jumped right in. The sea? Yeah, I’ve been there a few times all for work. I vividly remember the time we chased some smugglers who were trying to smuggle forbidden goods out of the country. It turned into a wildly fun game of tag all over the Empire!
Ultimately, we couldn’t stop them from boarding a ship, so we went ahead and sank their vessel along with the stolen goods. Talk about a bummer! Watching valuable items go down into the depths was painful! Of course, the smugglers deserved it—catching them alive would’ve only led to executions anyway!
“So this will be the first time for all of us to have fun together, then?”
Louise started rifling through her bag and pulled something out. A thin blue booklet popped out in front of us!
“Ta-da! It’s the pamphlet for the Duchy of Boyar!”
Why is that even here?
Feeling utterly confused, I glanced at Erich, who happily filled in my questions.
“A pamphlet? Where did you get that?”
“I saw it at the library with Irina last week! They had plenty of copies!”
No matter how you slice it, they must have shoved those pamphlets into the Academy’s library right in time for the field trip! This was an effort to ensure students know beforehand what to expect in Boyar, pushing them to scope out where to spend their cash.
What a crafty little move…
With noble visitors flooding in, of course, he wouldn’t want it to be a waste! The Gold Duke, what a piece of work!
“Oh, so that exists, huh?”
“Knowing about a place before traveling isn’t half bad.”
As soon as five guys had a flimsy excuse to crowd near Louise, it was somehow exasperating! Wasn’t it a bit much for six people to huddle around a tiny pamphlet?
“The Duchy of Boyar is located on the southern coast of the Empire and has been a thriving center of maritime trade since the Apels era.”
Before I could even start suggesting they give her some space, Louise’s voice rang out as she began reading aloud.
After momentarily witnessing Louise’s reading session, I figured out that those guys weren’t interested in the content at all! Even Villar would likely give the same half-hearted response. No matter how engaging she tried to read it, those dudes were shamelessly staring at her!
“Development of vacation facilities began two generations ago…”
It struck me as slightly pitiful seeing Louise read earnestly, almost like a kindergarten teacher reading a story to five mischief-makers. Kids usually fall asleep during storytime, but these guys? What were they even doing?
I silently observed this scene and spotted Erich’s beaming face. What’s so entertaining about this? That dimwit should’ve taken the time to read or bring something else from the library!
Is there possibly a sixth character lurking around?
Lately, I’ve found myself pondering. Five people, and they couldn’t make proper progress with anything! Is this the real deal? What if a mysterious ‘sixth’ appeared to instill a sense of urgency? But adding more would just be another headache!
As I mulled over this perplexing dilemma, the remarkable reading session had an unexpected lull. Someone was talking, but somehow no one was actually listening.
“The best casino on the continent?”
It looked like the concept of a casino was alien to our innocent noble lady. She blinked a few times before darting her gaze my way, looking understandably flustered.
“Oh, all kinds of nobles gather at resorts, so if someone sets up a proper casino, the income can be quite substantial.”
“Is that so?”
She awkwardly chuckled, clearly grappling with her reaction to the word ‘casino.’
Wow, she really grew up all innocent!
Maybe because the original author was a modern-day person, the perception of gambling in this medieval-Europe-inspired world isn’t exactly rosy. As a result, even within the nobility, you end up with somebody as innocent as Louise!
And the reality is that the casino in Duchy of Boyar isn’t exactly an honorable establishment. Honestly, it’s just an ATM for the royal family!
Oh yeah, I’ve used it once or twice myself!
Sometimes civil servants passing through Boyar during business trips would win some cash. However, casinos are fundamentally built so that the house always wins, meaning most visitors end up losing.
So, loyal nobles go there, lose some money, and that cash heads straight to the Emperor! Some of what goes to the Emperor ends up branded as ‘special budgets’ for the Special Service Agency or the Prosecutor’s Office. A little portion gets distributed as my salary, which I then happily lose back at the casino!
Wait a minute, is this a bizarre cycle of cash flow?
Am I losing my own money to the casino, or am I merely returning funds that didn’t belong to me in the first place? Confusing much!
“Don’t stress about it; there are plenty of other fun spots to enjoy.”
I quickly added that, hoping none of these kids would find themselves tangled up in the strange snare I’d dived into! At least I received my paycheck—losing cash at the casino is game over for them.
“Yes! I plan to spend time at the beach!”
“If it’s the sea, the beach is the way to go!”
“Right? I’m so looking forward to it!”
From the way they reacted, it seemed like there was no cause for concern. More than that, what’s with Erich going on about the beach when he’s never even set foot there?
“Whoa! They say there are many unique fruits too!”
As Louise’s reading resumed, I discretely fiddled with the communication crystal tucked away in my pocket. The students might appear to be thrilled, but there are loads of preparations that adults managing affairs need to handle.
Just think about it: sending key figures all the way to the southern edge of the Empire instead of the Academy’s vicinity. We need the combined forces of all three countries to allow passage to Boyar.
The world outside the Academy is a dangerous place!
The very idea of setting foot outside was fundamentally flawed from the start! Perhaps sending students into a treacherous world is something we should really rethink…
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