Chapter 403: Lux and the King’s War of Words
Sensing the killing intent, I instinctively turned toward Siana beside me… but,
By then, there was no trace of it, and all that remained was Siana kneeling on one knee with her head lowered.
…Was that just my imagination?
The killing intent lingered in my mind, but there was something else weighing on me even more.
So I turned back to His Majesty the King and voiced my question.
“Your Majesty, what did you mean by what you said earlier…?”
That a member of a count’s house shouldn’t be allowed to achieve such results.
I couldn’t understand what he meant, so I asked, but the King replied without any change in expression.
“I meant exactly what I said. For someone of a count’s house to surpass those of ducal or marquis houses and place second in academic examinations or swordsmanship tournaments… do you not understand the meaning of knowing your place?”
“In social or business settings, I can understand situations where, as someone still a child, I should avoid interfering with adults. But rank has nothing to do with academic ability, nor should it matter in swordsmanship. If anything, in both exams and tournaments, holding back instead of giving it your all would be more disrespectful to others.”
“Do you truly believe it is right to disgrace those of ducal and marquis houses with such self-centered reasoning?”
If this had been me before entering the noble academy, I would’ve surely shrunk back at such words from the King.
But after enrolling and meeting so many people,
And maybe because Siana was here beside me now, I didn’t feel intimidated at all.
Rather… those people believed in my potential, so there was no way I could falter here.
“When you face something seriously, it’s only natural to not want your opponent to hold back. At the very least, it’s not something that can be dismissed as merely personal thinking.”
“Facing something seriously? What of it? What matters to us is only the result. Whether the opponent held back or not, victory alone brings prestige.”
“That strays from the very essence of academic exams and swordsmanship tournaments…”
“In fact, though I hear you didn’t face her directly, the young lady of the Ashwell ducal house, who placed just below Florence and yourself in the swordsmanship tournament, must have been deeply pained to lose in rank to someone of a mere count’s house.”
“Huh…?”
Ashwell-san was hurt because she lost to me in the tournament rankings…?
“The Ashwell ducal house stands just below the Florence ducal house. Losing only to Florence, a fellow ducal house, would be one thing, but as you yourself said, to be outranked by someone of a count’s house in something she devoted herself to so seriously, her dignity as a member of a ducal house must have…”
“Excuse me… but Ashwell-san actually praised my sword at the tournament, and since then she’s been cheerful and has maintained a good relationship with me, so I don’t believe she was hurt at all.”
“W-what!?”
Recently, Ashwell-san, who had apparently finished her lecture earlier than us, even came over during our swordsmanship class to watch me practice, calling out cheerful praise in a loud voice.
She still seems to argue with Florence-san from time to time, but the two of them appear closer than before, so it’s safe to say she’s far from being hurt.
As I thought that, the King spoke in outrage.
“E-enough! Th-this discussion is irrelevant!! More importantly, there is a grave and unforgivable matter concerning you!!”
“An unforgivable matter… what is it?”
“There is no need to ask! It concerns Elizalina!! Despite being of a count’s house, you have dared to seduce a member of the royal family, Elizalina, which is utterly unacceptable!!”
With that, the King raised his hand and gave a signal.
“…!?”
Then, dozens of soldiers appeared, surrounding Siana and me.