The Otherworld Antique Bookstore is a Life-Risk Chapter 19

 

Chapter 19: The Royal Academy

 

When Bergana told me, "Just ask Tubai about that," I started working on securing picture books to display in the store. Somehow, I now find myself standing in front of the gates of the Royal Academy, colloquially known as "the Academy," adjacent to the castle.

When I tell the gatekeeper, "I'm here to deliver a letter from Merchant Berga to Mr. Tubai," he immediately lets me through, just like at the entrance to the noble district. Since the Academy is right next to the royal castle, I don't need a guide or escort, so I'm moving alone today.

Perhaps because I'm wearing the store's uniform that resembles a light blue maid outfit, the gatekeeper seems to think I'm a servant delivering a letter and encourages me with a "Good luck!"

The Academy is full of students wearing navy blue uniforms with red lines, making my light blue outfit stand out. Every time I pass by, I hear whispers like, "I wonder whose flashy maid that is?" As I approach the Academy office reception, I notice a small crowd gathering.

"Duchess Ijuin, I'm breaking off our engagement as of today. I will live for true love with Baroness Saionji."

"Oh, Prince Filty!"

"Hitomi, from now on, we'll always be together."

Hmm, it seems some dramatic event is unfolding, but I'd rather not get involved in noble squabbles. Besides, I need to pass through here to get inside. Excuse me, I think as I slip between the prince and the duchess.

After stating my business at the office reception, I'm shown to a waiting room. I told Tubai he could take time off until we start bringing in books, but what on earth is that old man doing here on his day off?

As I'm pondering this, the door opens, and Tubai enters with an elderly woman.

"I serve as the headmistress of this Academy. My name is Sophia Granblitz."

Why would the headmistress come here personally? But since she's introduced herself, it would be rude not to do the same.

"I'm Yuki, a merchant from White Trading Company."

"Yuki! My, it's you!"

Wait, what? "It's you"? Did I do something?

"Mr. Tubai, what's going on here?"

"Little miss, what do you mean 'what's going on'? I'm a board member of this Academy. Didn't Miss Berga tell you?"

"Board member?"

As if to drive the point home, the headmistress speaks up.

"Your Excellency, I mean, Duke Tubai Plucible is indeed a board member of our Calito Kingdom Royal Academy."

"Your Excellency? Duke?! Whaaaaat?"

I immediately prostrate myself on the floor. You tricked me, Bergana. Or maybe I should have realized when I was handed the letter... damn.

The noble ranks go from lowest to highest: baron → viscount → count → marquis, and only those marquis families that are especially favored or close to the royal family can become dukes... A duke is the highest rank among nobles.

"I had heard about you, but you're quite an interesting person, Your Excellency."

"Ain't that right? In town, I'm known as the demon boss who works this old man to the bone."

"Eeeek!"

"Now, now, little miss, no need to be so formal. I've retired and left all official duties to my son. Outside the noble district, I'm just old man Tubai."

No, no, that's not how it works. Even if he doesn't intend it, I know what hereditary nobility means. You can't just pass on your title to your son at will, Tubai. You'll be a duke until you die.

"You two, shall we move on with our conversation? Yuki, it must be uncomfortable staying in that position."

Gratefully accepting the headmistress's lifeline, I sit on the sofa.

"Hmm, the letter says you're looking for picture books and teaching materials for children."

"We don't have nearly enough to feature as the store's main attraction."

"I see, you want to increase children's interest in books. If there are more readers, books will sell, and the business will grow in the long run. It's quite logical. And the idea of creating books if there aren't enough is interesting too."

"So you came to the Academy to request this?"

"No, my superior Berga instructed me to consult with Your Excellency Tubai, so I just came to the Academy. I didn't have any particular ideas in mind."

"Drop the 'Your Excellency' and 'Lord.' If you're here on business, just plain Tubai is fine."

"I see..."

"There must be a reason why Miss Berga sent you here, and that might be your hint."

"Students!" All three of us exclaimed simultaneously.

"I heard from the mansion's butler that there were students who wrote poetry collections as a hobby in the past. Are there any such student groups now?"

"Yes, there are. I'll arrange for you to meet them after classes."

It's helpful that not only Tubai but also the headmistress is being cooperative with a mere merchant like me.

"Little miss, since you've come all the way to the Academy, let me give you a tour."

"Ah, thank you very much."

This is something I can't refuse, right?

And so, led by Tubai, what was supposed to be an Academy tour turned into a hands-on experience. To others, I apparently looked like a maid attending to the duke, which made me the topic of conversation among students for a different reason.

During the knight apprentice training, I got carried away and pinned down three students with joint locks and throws in hand-to-hand combat. But in the subsequent sword training, I was thoroughly beaten. In the magician apprentice training, I couldn't activate even basic magic, so I resorted to making snowballs and throwing them at targets with brute force, which made the students laugh at me. It was quite a spectacle.

The morning ended like that, and I had lunch in the cafeteria surrounded by students.

"So Tubai is really a duke, huh? All the knight apprentice students stood at attention and saluted him."

"Hmph, it's just stiff formality. Originally, I loved being surrounded by books, but as the eldest son of a military noble family, I had to replace books with swords to fulfill my duties. I've been holding back all this time, so now that I'm retired, I should be able to spend my time surrounded by books, don't you think?"

"It must have been tough in its own way. By the way, the food here is delicious. The bread is so fluffy."

"Of course it is. This meal costs five silver coins."

"Five silver coins..."

"Dinner costs up to twenty silver coins. It must be shocking from a commoner's perspective."

Yeah, I'm surprised. In this country, a decent company employee earns about forty silver coins a month, and even at a big company like White Trading Company, it's around eighty silver coins. The fact that here it doesn't even cover four days' worth of food expenses... Noble society is crazy.

In the afternoon, I was allowed to sit in on several lectures.

"Little miss, want to give it a try? I heard you got a perfect score on the Commerce Guild test, but the Academy's problems won't be so easy," Tubai said with a laugh as he handed me a test paper in the arithmetic lecture, which made me a bit fired up.

The problems included several linear and quadratic function questions, at a level that someone with high school second-year knowledge could manage. When it comes to calculus, there are many conditions and proofs that even I would find tricky, but these I can handle.

"If you can solve this problem, I'll recommend you as an Academy professor," the teacher was saying to the struggling students, but I quickly handed over my completed answer sheet to the teacher and left the classroom with Tubai.

The next place we visited was the Academy library. I had specifically asked to be brought here.

Being an academic setting, there are many serious textbooks, but there's also a fair amount of regular reading material.

Although they're called popular, the empire-produced books with their human supremacist propaganda don't seem very useful as candidates for our store. I wanted to learn about the reading trends of the students here, even if just a little.

"Mr. Tubai, I'll spend the rest of my time here. Thank you very much."

I arranged to meet the students I was supposed to see after school here, and parted ways with Tubai.

Now, let's browse some books.

 

* * *

 

In the reception room of the Calito Kingdom Royal Academy, Headmistress Sophia was questioning Duke Tubai while looking at the arithmetic answer sheet Yuki had left behind.

"Your Excellency, who exactly is that child? She got a perfect score on the difficult problems the arithmetic teacher had collected to challenge the students."

"Oh, a perfect score, you say? She may not have talent in swords or magic, but it seems she's first-rate in arithmetic."

"This is no laughing matter. We should immediately invite her to join the Academy. She shouldn't be working as a merchant. It's a loss for the country."

"Leave it be. That Yuki is Lady Laviola's new subordinate."

"My, Lady Laviola's?"

"In this country, Lady Laviola holds a position equal to the king, and her subordinates are equivalent to dukes, to be treated with the highest courtesy. If Yuki were to use that authority to pressure us, we would have no choice but to comply. However..."

"But judging from her behavior, she..."

"That's right, she hasn't been told anything. She looks up to the vampire Bergana, who should be her subordinate, as her superior, and runs around every day shouting about work."

"She's an interesting child, isn't she?"

"Indeed. I never get tired of watching her every day. And she has integrity as a merchant too."

"I understand, Your Excellency. I'll give up on her for now."

"There's no need to interfere unnecessarily with the students we're introducing her to. The little miss will manage on her own."

"Is that so? Then I too shall watch over her along with Your Excellency."

* * *

As I was rummaging through books in the Academy library, the bell signaling the end of afternoon classes rang. Soon after, I heard approaching footsteps, and then the door was flung open with tremendous force.

There's only me here, but let's be quiet in the library, shall we?

Two girls in student uniforms entered.

The girl in front, with sharp eyes, looked around and, confirming that I was the only one there, strode up to me with an annoyed look.

"You must be Yuki. How dare you summon me? What kind of education does your household give its servants?"

Ah, this girl thought I was a servant from some household based on my appearance.

"I am Yuki, a merchant. I don't know who you are, but this uniform is from my store. I'm not a servant from any household."

"Y-You don't know me? Hmph, you must be an unlicensed merchant. Haruruka, tell this little girl who I am."

The one called Haruruka was the other female student who came in with her. In contrast to this stern big-sister type, she was a soft and gentle girl.

"That uniform is cute. Where can I get one?"

"Haruruka, that's not the point. Introduce me!"

"Um, why don't you introduce yourself?"

"Tch, how impudent. You, just wait a moment. They'll be here soon."

In the end, this stern older sister and I ended up facing each other with our arms crossed, glaring at each other.

What is this situation?

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