Sword, Magic and Academic Society

"I really have no words to express how thankful I am for your help! Thank you very much!! I hope you'll pardon any inconvenience we may have caused you!"

Olivia-san, Yuukas' elder sister, repeatedly bowed her head.

I was a bit surprised when I saw her. As far as I had seen, the order of beauty in this world was a notch higher, which could put my previous world's standard to shame. However, Olivia-san wasn't a beauty of that caliber... probably.

She had light green hair just like Yuukas, but I could see some freckles over her healthy, fair skin.

Anyway, returning to the topic, stopping by that shop to purchase Yuukas' favorite croissant paid off. She probably thought that he might be hovering around one such shop, and was carefully examining the food stalls when she reached that croissant shop and suddenly heard about us.

"As I said, you don't have to be sorry. What are we knights for if not to help out the people, no?"

"You're too humble, even I know how impossible it is for a Knight Order member to look after a lost child, and even more so to search for their guardian together. The bakery uncle, too, was surprised when he heard the gist of the situation. It typically ends with people leaving the situation to the police, I know that much."

"Well, I was just sightseeing and happened to have free time in my hands. And if you ask me, it was fun for me to meet someone from another nation and enjoy the festival together while eating. Am I right, Yuukas?"

I said while lightly tapping Yuukas' head. Olivia-san puffed her cheeks and glared at Yuukas.

"Good grief. Here I had my heart heavy with impatience, thinking what if you couldn't find a way home and might be distressed in a corner or some good for nothing fella took you away. And what do I see here? You, happily eating ice cream. Return all my feelings!"

Olivia-san took the ice cream from Yuukas and ate it with a snapping action.

"Woahhh~ what's with this ice cream? So delicious~!!"

Ahaha, I guess she was someone who wore her heart on her sleeve like a child. Though she was slightly older than me.

"Anyway, since you're now together, you should continue your tour. I have work to attend to, so I must take my leave here. Bye, Yuukas, until fate brings us together again."

'Ah, wait...' I was just about to stand up when Yuukas stopped me. Then he turned to glance at his older sister and asked nervously.

"Say, esteemed sister. Do you mind if I give my name here? I mean, it's such a coincidence we happened to meet and become friends, so...... Also, if you don't mind, would you tell me your name too, Sir Knight?"

Olivia looked exasperated.

"Yu, you haven't told your benefactor your name? There's nothing to be suspicious about, so you should do that uprightly. And Sir Knight too, I can't believe you're going without leaving your name....... How would we be able to thank you otherwise?"

Olivia said and gave a slight push to Yuukas' back.

"Err, thank you very much for your help. I'm Yuukas Rudeon, from Justeria. It would be great if we can continue to be friends!"

Eh, really? Now that was what I call truly unexpected. After all, Rudeon of Justeria's ancestry could be traced back to the Roldeon family, one of the 'Original Five', and they have strong blood ties. They were so famous that even normal citizens of foreign nations like me had heard of their name.

Until around 400 years ago, the Roldeon family ruled the Roldeon Kingdom, now Justeria. However, the Roldeon family was a biased and oppressive ruler who advocated noble supremacy and their favoring the nobles ultimately became the catalyst for an uprising as the kingdom was then democratized, and they adopted a parliamentary system.

So the current Justeria didn't have noble hierarchies or titles, but the Rudeons were as famous as this kingdom's dukes.

The actual Roldeon family was forced to dissolve following the country's democratization, and they could no longer function as one big family.

"That shouldn't even be a question, Yuukas. We're friends, after all. My name is Allen. However, I don't have any status to proclaim my name in front of your distinguished family heritage. I'm just the third born of a rural Viscount family.

By the way, can you please drop the honorific 'Sir' when you call me, Olivia-san? I'm nothing more than a temporary rookie, so it felt itchy to be called that. Speaking of which, I believe two good people of a family as distinguished as the Rudeon shouldn't be here just to sight see, right? It's even more unthinkable for two kids of said family to walk around alone so carelessly and even get lost. Just how in the world did you fall into such a situation?"

A bitter smile appeared on Olivia's face when she heard that.

"Well... I guess Allen-san should be alright then?...... Hmm, Allen? Where have I heard that name?... Whatever.

You may have already guessed it, but the relation between Justeria and Yuukas is truly at its worst point. The cause is our internet politics, so I'm really ashamed over that fact, however, Justeria as of now is in shambles. It's currently being split into two among the democratic people who are proclaiming that we shouldn't forget their initial motto when the nation was founded and the status supremacists who support reinstating the nobles..."

◆

I see, to summarize the whole story from Olivia-san---

The Grand Justeria, located on the western side of the Yuglia Kingdom, might have adopted democracy at their founding, but there was no way for ordinary folk to suddenly become masters of politics. It took a lot of twists and turns, but they eventually formed a senate that included the New People house, which widely recruited people on equal terms, and the group of sensible ex-nobles as they collectively managed the parliament.

In line with their founding spirit, the New People House was given a higher status in the senate, though the senate in itself eventually started losing its ground in the long flow of history.

Just when the balance was already tipping at a dangerous level, a 'third party' suddenly jumped into the fray and received support. The Revival of the Noble Houses faction further seized authority in their hands with their support (Olivia-san may not have said who that third-party was, but it should definitely be that scummy blood-supremacist Rosemieur Empire).

The same 'third-party' further instigated them by spreading the word that 'Yuglia is the enemy'. The Yuglia Kingdom might have more than a thousand years of history, but compared to the 'Original Five', Yuglia's royal family's history was quite shallow and there was also the fact that even commoners could rise in the ranks if they held exceptional caliber, much to the disdain of the 'third-party'. Anyway, following the winds of instigation, the hardliner faction was now voicing out that they must go to the war if they wanted to restore noble supremacy, and had been taking Justeria for a stupid ride in their wake.

The father of Yuukas and Olivia-san might have hailed from a prestigious background, but he had earned his position among the New People House with his own hands, however, the bunch of incompetence Restoration of the Noble Houses faction was obviously not amused by the setting.

Due to this, Justeria was now divided into two factions--- one that supported and advocated for the spirit of democracy, much like the Rudeon family, and opposed the movement of war. The opposition was a noble supremacist faction, who were trying to restore the noble hierarchy and advocate a nation must be governed by a noble parliament.

The official reason behind their arrival in Yuglia was that Olivia-san had been invited to participate in the <Rising Star Cup>--- an event that would be held tomorrow where the youngsters representing each nation would be testing their mettle against each other. Though, needless to say, their father was currently using this as a pretext to hold a meeting behind the scenes in hopes of turning this wave of war around.

◆

So, the current Justeria was seized by such undercurrents.

But if you asked me, forming a senate while advocating for democracy and granting certain people vested rights was in itself fundamentally flawed, but I guess there must have been some circumstances that couldn't be avoided at the founding.

It was always better to avoid creating vested rights if possible, after all.

After all, power was a strong drink that could easily stop people, and by extension the nation, from developing further.

In that sense, the Royal Academy, which gathered talents solely on the basis of an individual's abilities rather than lineage, was an essential gear that propagated the urge to constantly strive to be better.

Frankly, I didn't see how a war against the Yuglia Kingdom was linked to the revival of the noble houses in Justeria, but then again, if they were so easily instigated, then asking for some brain from those fools was just a waste of time.

"I see, I think I have the general gist of the situation now. It might be strange for me to say this, but should you have really revealed this to me? I am, well, from the nation that might go to war with Justeria, and a knight, though still a trainee. I have no authority or say in any way, just saying."

Olivia-san, however, nodded with conviction.

"I know and feel that to be correct. I refuse to believe this nation's intelligence department hadn't gathered that much information already, after all. Besides, the Rudeon family discourages the war, and that must be cleared beforehand.

Our esteemed father held the system of the other nations in high regard, but he also believes that protecting the democracy of Justeria is the just path. The rumors that the 'entire' Justeria is advocating for war against Yuglia is spreading among the populace here it seems, so I want to spread the truth to as many people as possible."

Ah, her words had weight. With no concrete information sharing or communication technique, the weight that rumors held could even topple the best of the best in this era.

"It was also our esteemed father's plan for us to look around the festival. He always respected how Yuglia had so beautifully created a society with both the nobles and commoners being on the same spectrum.

'Step out and quietly watch the society of this nation with the festival now ongoing. Even I had come here to visit this festival by sneaking away from grandfather and that had been an eye-opener,' he said. He's always like this, saying nothing can beat the experience of watching novel things with your own eyes and feeling it with your being. And well... we had been too absorbed in our sightseeing that I lost sight of Yu."

Olivia-san with a hint of embarrassment.

Heh, their father had quite an open and avant-garde outlook. I didn't see this coming since, you know, while he may be from a nation that adopted democracy, he was still born of a prestigious family and this world still had traces of a feudalistic outlook.

With the past history I had read about in my past life, the end was ever so apparent.

I also didn't mince my words as I said my truthful impression.

"Your father sounds like a wonderful person. He sounds like a person who I would call 'someone walking a step or two ahead of their time.'

Anyway, I can't delay any further. I have to go now, but don't forget to enjoy the festival, alright? Oh, right. I would recommend giving the steak skewer from the 'Lizard Fang' shop a try. It's just a bit ahead from here. Their secret spicy sauce is incredible! Ah, see ya later on another occasion."

I said, put on the 'plump' mask on my face and left my seat.

◆◆◆

After Allen's figure had disappeared among the passersby---

"What was the deal with that mask...... What an eccentric person. I thought the kindness was all just a facade to get into the good graces of the Rudeon family, but he didn't even know that, and neither did he show any hint of sucking up after hearing it as well.

Though, a connection with the talented ones of the Knight Order was something we wished for as well, but how easy was it for him to say 'see ya later', as if there would be a chance to meet again."

Yuukas, next to her, nodded in agreement.

"I also felt it. He's quite an... enigmatic person. By the way, esteemed sister, what did Allen-san mean by father being 'someone who walks ahead of his time'?"

Olivia pondered for a moment before shaking her head.

"Hmm~, I don't get it either. I don't think suggesting their kids to go out in secret and have fun at the festival is anything worth exaggerating at this point. Wait...... It's as if he was suggesting there would come a time when ordinary folks would be in command of governance...... No way, right? He's also a noble of this kingdom at the end of the day, after all......"