第２８８堀：注意すべきこと (Part3)
Thanks to this mutually beneficial relationship, the Academy receives funding and material support, while the various nations are able to secure a relatively stable supply of capable military assets—even if they don't quite reach the level of Magic Sword Users.
Though those capable of using magic are few, there are still a decent number if you gather them from all the nations. Since they churn out graduates every year like clockwork, they don't bother tracking every student's footsteps or gathering detailed intelligence on them. It’s time-consuming and largely pointless.
To Popuri and her staff, even the "Single Numbers" are nothing more than the top-performing students who graduate each year. It’s common for the children of high-ranking nobles to attend, and since Samantha’s father mentioned he was a student here too, it wouldn't be surprising if the kings of the five nations—excluding the Beastman lands—were all former students.
"Well, I remember Inis quite well. It’s rare for a princess to attend, after all. It was quite a struggle at first. Her royal guards would complain about our merit-based system and intimidate the students she was meant to duel. I suppose that’s to be expected when you're guarding a princess, but it forced me to step in and tell them that if they didn't like it, they were free to leave the Academy. We had quite a few run-ins..."
"…Judging by that tone, is the princess a troublemaker?"
"Not at all. If anything, she’s a battle-junkie. The same type as Seraria or Deryu. That’s exactly why her guards had such a headache. She’s been swinging swords alongside soldiers since she was a child; scrapes and bruises were a daily occurrence, and she’d break a bone at least once every two years. Well, in this day and age, it wouldn't be strange for a large-scale war to break out at any moment, and border skirmishes are an everyday affair. When King August accompanied Inis to her enrollment, I told him, 'I won't go easy on her,' and he readily agreed. Though, no matter how much he accepted it, I imagine the guards who were with her must have had a rough time."
"That… sounds like a real pain for them. So, I get that she’s like Seraria and Deryu, but what about her political sense?"
"I don't think there’s a problem there, either. She loves a good fight, but she’s also a capable commander. She understands what it means to stand at the top, so I don't think she’ll do anything reckless. If, by some chance, she does something stupid, you have my permission to use my name and beat some sense into her."
"Beat some sense into her…?"
"I’m the type who says what I mean, so it just means she won't resort to underhanded tactics when it’s not a battlefield. If there’s any problem, it’s Cleena’s master."
"Cleena’s master?"
"Yes. You’re going to report that you’ve married Cleena, right? That girl has the greatest talent among all our graduates. Her raw ability doesn't quite match mine, but she has a strangely sharp intuition. You should choose your words carefully. Even if you try to bring him into the fold, he’s a Court Magic Advisor. He’s quite skilled at interpersonal negotiations. Well, he is an old man now, though."
…Strangely sharp, huh? I have to consider the possibility that he possesses an appraisal-type skill like Labyris. Maybe I should try to bait him.
"…Hmm. Agreed. Master can be strangely sharp at times."
As Popuri and I were talking, Cleena approached from behind.
"I was an orphan to begin with. I was on the verge of dying in the wilderness when Master found me. He asked if I’d like to study since I had a talent for magic, and that’s how I ended up here."
"I see. I never thought that old man had any interest in women, so I was surprised when he introduced Cleena as his granddaughter, but that’s how it was, then?"
"Hmm. But Master is definitely family to me."
"…I see. That’s good, then. Honestly, I told him to go make some friends when he enrolled her. I see now. That old man was so focused on teaching Cleena magic that he forgot to teach her how to make friends or learn basic social common sense. Well, he’s a single man raising a child, so I suppose it can't be helped."
"…It’s embarrassing to think about. Now that I’m older, I understand the importance of friends and connections to the world. But at the time, I thought studying was how I repaid Master’s kindness, and I found the world of study itself fascinating, so I buried myself in it."
"I’m sorry, Cleena. If I had known, I would have dragged you out by force. I thought the 'making friends' part was just a joke. You were improving your skills so rapidly, after all…"
"The Headmistress has nothing to apologize for. I thought friends were unnecessary. But as I spent every day at the Academy, I realized there was no one around me. It was then that I tried to get along with Eoid, and eventually, I was able to marry Yuki. I’m completely satisfied."
"Haha. Well, in the end, you got a great man and plenty of friends, so there’s no problem."
"Hmm. This is fate."
Saying that, Cleena hugged my arm. Her chest is flat, but I don't have a hobby of discriminating based on size, and it makes me happy that she’s so affectionate. It really is nice… She’s still mostly expressionless, but compared to when we first met, I can clearly see the changes in her.
When we first met, she handed me a pair of freshly-worn panties, and I nearly panicked because I had no idea what she was thinking. I almost got branded a pervert, too. Ria stepped in and cleared up the misunderstanding, and then we got married… so I guess it worked out?
Anyway, that’s beside the point. Since Cleena is here, let’s discuss her master.
"Cleena, I need to report our marriage to your master and establish some sort of connection, but if his intuition is as sharp as they say, it could get complicated. What do you think we should do?"
"Hmm. Leave that to me. I am well aware that Yuki and the others' circumstances are not things to be spoken of lightly. I will speak to him first and quickly place Master under our designated protection. He is a research fanatic, so if I bring him an enchanted staff from Weed and tell him that he needs to be under our protection to learn its secrets, he will agree without a second thought."
"…So he’s a research nut?"
"That’s right. Even if his intuition is sharp, once we bring him into the fold, he’s ours. He won't think of rebelling once he sees our military strength and technological prowess."
I see. I’ll let Cleena handle the negotiations and just chime in when needed. As for the princess mentioned earlier, there shouldn't be any issues. And if things get troublesome, I have permission to use force.
…I have a bad feeling about that, but I hope it ends without any problems.
"Oh, I can see it!! That is the royal capital that August boasts of!!"
Vixen called out, moving toward the head of the Wyvern, Wai-chan, in the opposite direction from me. Though it was still small, what lay ahead was a massive city spreading out in a circle with a castle at its center. At a glance, it looked no less impressive than Zilba or Enaria.
"Lady Amanda, there is a military facility to the front-right of the capital. Please head there!!"
"Understood. Wai-chan, please."
*Gyaaaah.*
Wai-chan let out a cry in response and shifted its course to the right. There, surrounded by walls, was a facility where people were lined up in perfect formation on what looked like a parade ground—they looked like tiny specks, but they were clearly in the middle of some kind of training. They’ll probably notice us soon and start making preparations.
"Well, the air travel is over."
"Hmm. It was fun."
Cleena smiled at me as she said that, and that alone made the flight worth it. Now then, the leisure time is over, and it’s time to get to the tedious work.
The relaxing journey is finished. Now, I just pray that everything goes smoothly in August.
Wait, it’ll go fine, probably!!