by Dojyomaru
They say school is a microcosm of society.
Perhaps that means we can say that the academic scenes which Tomoe and her friends experience are a microcosm of the Kingdom’s society.
The authoritarianism of the Royal Academy has crumbled, and now those with skill and talent are welcomed. The children of the knights and nobility actively vie to build a connection with people of talent, and those who might be called prodigies. When they step out into the adult world, I think the Kingdom will change even more than it already has.
Now then, I’m sure those of you following me on Pixiv will already realize this, but this volume has been separated out from the story set in the Mercenary State, Zem, which originally was part of the same chapter as it.
There were a lot of places where I cut corners in the characterization during the web version of the Zem Arc, so I am taking the opportunity to rework it for the book edition. There is a need to write a lot of new content to make it a full volume, and that requires more time than usual, so please forgive me, as I suspect the next volume will take longer than usual to come out.
Now then, I give my thanks to the illustrator Fuyuyuki, to Satoshi Ueda for the manga adaptation, to my editor, the designers, the proofreaders, and everyone who now holds this book in their hands.
This has been Dojyomaru.
Bonus Short Stories
Encouragement for a Hard Worker
“...How does it look?”
Inside Prime Minister Hakuya’s work room, the girl from Malmkhitan, Yuriga Haan, was standing in front of her teacher, Hakuya. He looked at the piece of paper she had handed him, then sighed.
“With your current grades...” Hakuya said, returning Yuriga’s test paper to her. “It’ll be difficult for you to get into the same class at the academy as Little Sister and Sir Ichiha.”
“I... see.”
With the academy’s entrance examination, which would determine their class assignments, fast approaching, Yuriga was gauging her placement with a mock exam that Hakuya had put together. Because classes at the academy were divided by their results, Tomoe and Ichiha were seen as shoo-ins for the class for students with excellent grades. For Yuriga, though, it was uncertain whether or not she would be able to get into that class with them.
“There’s really no need to strain yourself to get into the same class, is there? You’ll be together at the castle either way, so you’ll only be separated during class time.”
“I-It’s not like I don’t want to be separated from them!” Yuriga turned her head to the side peevishly. “...Sir. I just can’t accept Tomoe and Ichiha getting ahead of me.”
“Is that so?” He could sort of tell that Yuriga was putting up a strong front from her tone, but he knew she would stubbornly deny it if he pointed that out, so Hakuya decided to let it slide. “But if you want to raise your grades any more than this in such a short time... it’s going to be a lot of trouble, you know?”
“I am prepared for that.”
“...Very well. Let’s increase the amount of studying you’ll do,” Hakuya said, as he plopped his hand down on top of Yuriga’s head. “But you mustn’t push yourself too hard. If you ruin your health, Little Sister will be sad.”
“I-I don’t really care how Tomoe feels about it, but... Okay,” Yuriga responded, sounding a little like a tsundere.
After that, Yuriga studied like mad, even late into the night—to the point where Tomoe and Ichiha were worried she was straining herself too much.
Yuriga was once again sitting at her desk studying away, when a sudden knock came at the door, breaking her concentration.
“Y-Yes?” Yuriga called out, slightly shocked. “Come in.”
The door opened, and Souma and Liscia came in.
“Sir Souma? And Lady Liscia, too? What brings you here so late at night?”
“Well, Hakuya tells us you’ve been studying hard,” Souma responded to the suspicious Yuriga with a smile. “That’s why I’ve fixed you a late-night snack. You know, to help encourage you. But I felt like a man shouldn’t be visiting a girl’s room late at night, even if she is just a child, so I had Liscia come, too.”
Souma showed her a tray with a rice ball on it. That must be the midnight snack, Yuriga thought.
Standing next to him, Liscia let out an exasperated sigh. “Souma always worries about the strangest things.”
“I mean, Fuuga entrusted us with caring for her. I’d be in real trouble if any untoward rumors started going around.”
“Well, sure, but...”
“Um... Thank you for your consideration, Sir Souma,” Yuriga cut in. It was going to be a bother for her if they started having a marital spat in her doorway, after all. Liscia shut her mouth and Souma smiled, bringing the tray over to Yuriga’s desk and leaving it there.
“This takes me back,” Souma commented. “When I was studying at night, my grandma would bring me snacks, too. It feels a bit different from dinner, doesn’t it?”
“You studied at night, too, Sir Souma?”
“Yeah. Because this world’s only source of stable light is lightmoss, studying at night isn’t all that common, but in my world, it was bright even in the dead of night. Besides, the year before being summoned here I had entrance exams, too... That’s why, well, even if this is all I can do, I wanted to say, ‘Keep it up,’ Yuriga.”
“...Right. Thank you.”
Once Yuriga thanked them, Souma and Liscia left the room.
When they came out of the room, Tomoe was standing next to the door.
Patting Tomoe on the head, Souma said, “I gave her the rice ball you made.”
“Thank you, Big Brother.”
Tomoe had wanted to do something for Yuriga who was working so hard, and she turned to Souma and the others for advice. Making this late-night snack was Souma’s suggestion.
And so, she made the rice ball. If Yuriga knew it was Tomoe who made it, she might be too stubborn to accept it, so Souma and Liscia, the king and queen, gave it to her instead; that way she couldn’t refuse.
I want us to be in the same class, too, Yuriga, Tomoe thought as she looked at the closed door.
Those Who are Nameless Have Stories, Too
In a dark room, inside a building, within the Royal Academy, a number of people were gathered.
“Everyone, tomorrow is the day that he will grace our academy with his presence.”
“President! Has the day come at last?!” one of the individuals asked excitedly.
The young man in glasses whom they had called “president” gave a big nod and replied, “Yes, our Monster Research Society is about to make a giant leap!”
These were the students enrolled in the Monster Research Society, MonSoc for short.
As the name would indicate, this was a campus group dedicated to the research of monsters, but because of how creepy their subject of choice was, they were often looked at with disdain by other students. In the caste structure of this school, it was fair to say that they were at the very bottom. However, with the publication of one book in the royal capital, that had begun to change greatly of late.
Hakuya, the prime minister of this country, had worked with Ichiha Chima, an exchange student from the Duchy of Chima in the Union of Eastern Nations, to make major waves in the field of monster research. Their result: The Monster Encyclopedia. Before now, the research of monsters had been taboo. But because of the direct connections to national defense and the economy, this book, which included drawings by Ichiha that even a layman could understand, became an overnight bestseller (but not really, because it was mostly being lent out, not sold).
With the importance of monster research having become widely known thanks to the Monster Encyclopedia, MonSoc had seen its own existence reevaluated. The fact that this club, which had only been joined by nerdy guys before, now had female members, was one sign of that... Incidentally, those female members watched the president and the other excitable guys with exasperation.
“Tomorrow i
s the entrance ceremony, and they say that our god, Sir Ichiha, will be there! We must invite him into our society, no matter what it takes!”
“But President, the competition between clubs and societies for new students is intensifying. How can an indoorsy group like us compete?”
Ever since Souma took the throne, the knightly and noble classes had changed their values, upsetting the basis of authority at the academy that had existed up until that point as demand grew for personnel who were specialized in one particular art. This applied to the clubs and societies as well, and was exactly why female students had joined MonSoc.
“...Yes. That certainly is a problem,” the president said, crossing his arms and groaning.
One girl who had been watching them up until this point raised her hand. “President, if I were to talk to him, I think I could manage it.”
The president adjusted his glasses and asked, “What do you mean to do, Sara?”
“There are some kids from my house who are on the athletics teams. With their help, I believe it would be easy to secure one new student.”
The female student known as Sara was the daughter of a noble family of middling importance in this country. Based on her blonde hair, slightly gaudy clothes, and her lineage, it was honestly a mystery what she was doing in this club.
“Hmm, but are you certain? I’m sure the athletics clubs want new members, too,” the president said, concern rising in his voice. “Is it all right for their members to support us? Besides which, relying on influence like that is frowned upon at the academy now. Won’t this be trouble for you?”
“The athletics clubs want people who are actually athletic,” Sara replied, waving her hand. “He may be highly capable, but like the rest of you, Ichiha’s not that good at physical exercise, right?”
“Yes, most likely.”
“In that case, the athletics clubs shouldn’t want him. If I let them know I’ll be borrowing their members in advance, I think it should be fine.” Sara stood up. “That being the case, President, I’d like to go negotiate immediately, so please come with me.”
“N-Now? I’m, um, not emotionally prepared for this...”
“You want to bring Ichiha into the club, no matter what, right?”
“...Yes, okay. Let’s go.”
And so, the two of them left the room. As they were walking down the hall together, the president tried talking to Sara, “You know, I’m quite happy to see a talented person like you joining MonSoc.”
“No, no. I joined for my own benefit, so don’t worry about it.”
“Your own benefit? Are you aiming for Sir Ichiha, perhaps?” the president suggested.
“Ahaha. I may come from a noble family, but I’m not about to do something as above my station as going after a VIP from another country,” Sara said, wiping the corner of her eye. “Though, I do have instructions from the family to stake my claim on any gentleman I find interesting.”
The president crossed his arms and groaned. “Hmm. I wonder if anyone has been up to your standards.”
“...Yes. Well,” Sara said with a suppressed chuckle. “Have no worries, I’m marking my territory now.”
Those without names have their own stories, too.
Roroa and Mini Roroa
“Squeee! Lady Roroa! You’re Lady Roroa, aren’t ya?!”
“Wh-What, why’re you shoutin’ all of a sudden?”
It was the day Tomoe had brought her friends to the castle. When Lucy saw the object of her admiration, Roroa, she started bursting with excitement, and immediately took Roroa’s hand.
“I’m a big fan! Let me shake your hand!”
Then, without waiting for a response, she began vigorously shaking Roroa’s hand. There were a number of things that happened afterwards, but once it had all settled down, Souma and his five queens, and Tomoe and her four friends, all had tea together in one big group of eleven.
Naturally, Lucy sneakily grabbed a seat next to Roroa.
“Ohhh, Big Sister Roroa.”
The way Lucy was fawning over her put an uncharacteristically troubled look on Roroa’s face.
“Nobody’s ever called me Big Sister before. It feels kinda funny.”
“Then how about Big-Sister-in-Law Roroa?”
“Who’re you plannin’ on marryin’?! Neither me or Darlin’ have a little brother, y’know?”
“Well, how about Momma Roroa?”
“You’re gonna marry my kid?! How big an age gap is that gonna be?!”
“I figure I’ve got a pretty wide strike zone.”
“I don’t care! I’m not givin’ my kid to just anybody!”
“I’m not just anybody. My family runs The Cat’s Tree.”
“I know that much!”
“Oh, yeah, come to think of it, you have an older brother, right?”
“Huh? Well... Yeah, I do.”
“If I were to get hitched with him, maybe I couldn’t be your little-sister-in-law, but you’d be mine, huh? Lady Roroa as my little sister... I could go for that, too.”
“No, you couldn’t! Nuh-uh... Maybe I oughta take this girl down, here and now, for my big brother and big-sister-in-law’s peace of mind?”
“I’m just kiddin’ about all of this. I’d really rather you be my Big Sister.”
“Urgh... After all this back and forth, I’m thinkin’ maybe I’m ready to just accept that.”
“If it means you’ll let me call you Big Sister, I don’t mind bein’ your little brother!”
“You’re gettin’ a sex change?! Do you really need to go that far?!”
“Hey, now, ya never know. I know how I look, but maybe I’m actually a boy in girls’ clothin’.”
“A cross-dressin’ boy?! Those exist?!”
“The opposite does, too, y’know? Ichiha has a cute face, doesn’t he?”
“Ichiha’s a cross-dressin’ girl?! You know... I’d buy it.”
“Hold on, you two!” He hadn’t been able to get a word in edgewise up until now, but when they started calling him a cross-dressing girl, Ichiha finally couldn’t take anymore and spoke up. “Who are you calling a cross-dressing girl?! I’m a boy!”
“Oh, but Ichiha would look good in some of my clothes...” Tomoe muttered.
“Even you, Tomoe?!”
Being that she was someone who he got along with, Ichiha became visibly depressed. When she saw that, Roroa gave Lucy a light poke in the head. “Hey, your joke went and got Ichiha real sad.”
“Nyahaha! Soooo-ryyyy.”
“Are ya really? I dunno, I’m not convinced.”
“I am, okaaaay? My regret runs higher than the mountain fold, and deeper than the valley fold.”
“Origami folds?! That’s some paper-thin regret!”
“I’m just tryin’ to paper things over here.”
“See, you’re not really that sorry at all!”
“Jeez, Big Sister Roroa, you’re so needy.”
“Me?! I’m the bad one here?!”
“...You two really are in sync,” Liscia cut-in with an exasperated sigh. Everyone nodded in agreement.
“If you told me she was Roroa’s sister, I would believe it,” Aisha said. And Souma followed up with, “She’s like a mini Roroa.”
Roroa’s eyes widened in surprise. Then, slamming her hands down on the table as she stood up, she jabbed a finger in Lucy’s direction. “Huh? I’m like this?”
“You didn’t realize? Well, I do find that part of you annoyingly cute, you know?” Souma said.
“Drop the annoyin’ bit! I thought I was the lovable type!”
As Roroa was reeling in plain shock, Lucy moved up right next to her. “I love ya. I even keep a tiny shrine to Lady Roroa on the shop’s premises.”
“That’s some overbearin’ love! It’s already turnin’ into a religion!”
“Oh, is Lady Roroa a cute goddess?”
““““““““““She’s a queen!”””””””””” everyone there retorted in unison.
<
br /> Incidentally, because this exchange was so funny, Souma would later decide to start this world’s first comedy program featuring Roroa and Lucy, but... that’s another story.
In Velza’s Room
Velza had a room in a girls’ dormitory on the grounds of the Royal Academy.
“So you’ve been living in the dorm, huh, Vel?” Tomoe asked.
“Yes. My family home in the God-Protected Forest is quite far from here, after all.”
Today, Velza had invited three of her friends: Tomoe, Yuriga, and Lucy, to come and visit her room. This was because, when they found out Velza lived in the dorm, Tomoe and the others had said they’d like to see her room there. Incidentally, because there was a strict “no boys allowed” policy in the girls’ dorm, Ichiha had been unable to come.
Lucy chuckled. “Well, knowin’ how pretty Ichiha is, if we tried dressin’ him up in girls clothes, I’d bet he could’ve gotten in, wouldn’t you?”
“Ahh, that’s for sure. I think he’d make a real beauty.”
“...Give the poor kid a break.”
Tomoe ended up agreeing despite herself, but Yuriga played the straight man role.
Looking around the room, Lucy said, “Still, it’s more normal than I’d’ve expected.”
“So, what kind of room were you imagining?”
“Weeeellll.” Lucy snickered. “Seein’ as you’re a dark elf, Velie, and they’re famous for bein’ incredible archers and all, I was expectin’ to see a bow and arrow, along with heads from all the animals ya hunted.”
“Honestly. This isn’t the officers’ academy. There are rules banning weapons here, so I left my favorite bow and quiver at home.”
“...So ya do have them then.” Lucy smiled wryly at the matter-of-fact way Velza mentioned it.
Now it was Tomoe’s turn to ask a question, “I don’t see a kitchen. How do you eat?”
“In the cafeteria. Meals are prepared for students who live in the dorms.”
“Hmm. The same as Ichiha and me then, huh?” said Yuriga.
Since they lived in Parnam Castle, it was common for them to eat at the cafeteria there. Because they were foreign guests, they could have asked for room service, but it was boring eating alone, so they went to the cafeteria. Tomoe and her family occasionally joined them, so dinner could get quite lively there.