Doggone Academy

Damian had returned to his original state. Despite the chaos he had been through, he carried on with his assigned duties as if nothing significant had occurred.

He performed menial tasks, the kind typically done by maids or laborers. Even though he possessed combat capabilities that left the knights in shock and floundering, he diligently fulfilled his role. He had voiced his discontent with his role but never neglected the tasks assigned to him, no matter how unreasonable they seemed. That’s why no one could blame him.

“Here are the ingredients for the stew.”

Damian devoted himself to distributing the remaining food supplies to each group. It would have been better if he had remained consistently mad. Having seen his hunger for battle, the knights now found his current polite and composed demeanor all the more unsettling.

The knights gathered around a few fires, each group discussing the duel that had taken place.

“If it hadn’t been Sorel but rather Hans or Bruwell, they would have easily won.”

“The battalion commander or Nielrin himself would be far from enough.”

They dismissed the idea that Damian’s opponent had been careless or that their superiors couldn’t handle him, but they knew comparing Damian to the leaders was ludicrous. After all, he was just a first-year from Eternia.

“Eternia is said to take in only the most exceptional students from various nations.”

Eternia’s reputation had inevitably risen among the knights.

“That kid didn’t have a scratch on him. Do you really think with those reflexes he would have tripped over his feet like an idiot?”

“…”

“He tripped on purpose.”

“That’s going too far. He just got caught off guard.”

Some of the more combative knights loudly declared they would challenge Damian if given another opportunity, but they never specified when. The situation was uncertain, no one could guarantee victory, and with the title of ‘veteran swordsman,’ there was more to lose than gain by winning or losing.

This duel didn’t bring any significant changes to the guard’s original objectives. Winning and losing, fighting and getting hit were all in a day’s work for knights.

However, things didn’t continue exactly as before.

Nobody mocked Damian or underestimated him any longer.

When Damian passed by, the whispering soldiers fell silent. After all, causing a commotion could lead to a humiliating defeat, especially by someone so young.

The knights from the Imperial Royal Academy were mentally shaken for a long time, but they too soon had to accept it. If they messed with the kid from Eternia, they would be the ones with broken noses.

***

From early dawn, the guard was busy preparing to move. Soldiers crisscrossed the camp, carrying various items on their shoulders, dismantling tents, and organizing supplies. Amidst this activity, Damian approached Gerald, Vivi’s chief aide.

With a tone stripped of emotion as if he were reporting to an office, Damian said,

“I want to be by Lady Vivi’s side.”

“The basic procedures should be respected. Just as you wouldn’t go to the principal to change your schedule, you can’t just go up to the highest authority with complaints about personnel decisions.”

“I promised to protect Lady Vivi, not her chattel and employees.”

“Lady Vivi does not concern herself with the placement of soldiers, nor do I. The deployment of soldiers is the captain of the guard’s prerogative. Direct your complaints to him.”

This was the best kindness Gerald could offer.

“…”

Damian turned away without a word. He didn’t seem to have given up. Surely, he would come back again, both in the afternoon and the evening.

Gerald watched Damian go and mused. There was no personal gain to be sensed, nor did it seem to stem from some transient fighting spirit that evaporated with time. Damian could gain renown even without being directly by Vivi’s side, so what was driving this eagerness?

Without delving into his motives, it was impossible to know, and even knowing wouldn’t be enough to make use of Damian just yet.

Qualifications are needed to stand by the Lady’s side. Through grueling training and hellish journeys, one must prove their abilities to earn a place beside her. Moreover, the personal guard shares daily life with Vivi. There was no reason to risk the leakage of confidential matters related to the Lady by employing Damian.

Vivi wanted to put Damian in danger. That’s why there was such an effort to keep him from being entangled with her.

Gerald served and admired Vivi sincerely, but sometimes confronting her twisted side was painfully difficult.

***

The journey resumed. Due to the large number of people, they left the Grace Mountains later than expected.

Up until yesterday, they were within Eternia’s sphere of influence, so there was peace without threats like bandits or beasts. And around noon today, they entered the Duchy’s border. From that point on, safety was no longer guaranteed.

I sat in the rattling carriage in silence. The maids also kept their mouths shut, creating an awkward atmosphere.

The duel had provided a foundation for my position, but there were side effects.

The maids sharing the carriage with me had been uncomfortable around me since yesterday. They were the lowest rank, and after seeing me bloody from the fight, they were understandably reluctant to approach me. It felt like my efforts to befriend them had gone down the drain.

The guard was heading southeast. I hadn’t been informed of our destination, and the outside scenery didn’t provide any clues. However, judging by the direction, it was certain we were passing through Barvisia.

During the free time in the carriage, I pondered the events that might unfold.

I wracked my brain about the landscape in my dream, but nothing concrete emerged. If only I knew the location, I could roughly infer when the premonition might play out.

The crisis could happen as soon as tomorrow, or perhaps even tonight. I needed to secure a position by Vivi’s side as soon as possible.

Since our encounter in Eternia, I haven’t been able to speak to, much less approach, Lady Vivi.

I had to weed out those among the guard who harbored treachery and would betray the Lady. That was the most likely scenario.

And I had to push them aside to be by the Lady’s side.

The problem was Nielrin, the captain of Lady Vivi’s guard.

A powerful swordsman ranked among the top hundred in the Duchy. And he, too, was one of the pursuers in my dream.

That man was the greatest threat to me.

According to Vivi’s aide, the captain of the guard didn’t yet trust me.

Before an incident occurred, I needed to cross swords with him to gauge his strength. I wouldn’t use my magic sword, so victory was unlikely, but the value of the information I would gain was immense.

Even if I charged at him and demanded a match, would he ignore me? Surely if I kept rising from below, he wouldn’t be able to overlook me.

Making Nielrin unable to ignore me was my first goal.

***

A mounted messenger cried out loudly.

“Everyone to your places!”

The rotation of the carriage wheels gradually slowed.

Around the time evening approached, the carriage stopped at the entrance of a small village.

Makeshift fences made of intertwined branches. It was a small village of about ten houses or so.

Then the maids who were with me in the carriage filed out in an orderly fashion, as if trained.

I disembarked from the carriage belatedly.

The maids scurried up to the front of Lady Vivi’s carriage and waited.

One of the guards opened the door but, contrary to expectations, the Lady did not immediately emerge, instead taking her time.

Soon, a long and impeccably white leg stretched out from the carriage door.

Clearly, it belonged to the Lady.

Just as I wondered what was going on, a maid approached with a shoe and slipped it onto the Lady’s foot.

Only after her servant had put on her shoe did she step down from the carriage and set foot on the ground.

Vivi looked over the maids lined up with bowed heads and asked,

“Where’s the last one?”

“…?”

“There should be one more. Where is he lazing around?”

The maids exchanged confused and alarmed glances.

“Ah, Miss. If you’re referring to Polly, she was left behind in Rigved…”

“No, I mean the new worker from Eternia.”

Following her words, all the guards on patrol turned their heads to look at me.

Right, they wouldn’t be looking for the third-year Eternian senior who had joined the guard.

Then, aide Gerald called out my name.

“Damian! Come over here.”

Lady Vivi had publicly acknowledged treating me as if I were on the same level as the maids.

I calmly approached the Lady.

“You called for me, Lady Vivi.”

“Ah, there you are. It took you long enough. I hear you picked a quarrel with your colleague and caused quite a scene.”

“It was a legitimate duel.”

“Surely the tasks assigned to you aren’t just to brawl.”

“Likewise, doing dishes or carrying ingredients isn’t my job either.”

“You seem dissatisfied with your assigned duties. Why is that? Just a little longer and you would appreciate traveling by carriage. Weren’t you the one who requested to perform guard duties by my side?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Ah, my loyal captain of the guard insisted that you should not be included in the combat forces. I have considered his advice and agreed. It’s for your safety.”

“…”

“You haven’t proven anything yet. I can’t entrust you with critical missions. However, I’ll consider your request and propose a way for you to work beside me.”

An ominous premonition washed over me.

“From now on, you will bring me my shoes with the maids and personally fit them on my feet, any time from morning to night, if my feet need to work. As per your request, I’ll allow you to work beneath me.”

Silence befell the group. It was a humiliating offer. The knights of the guard tensed, gripping their swords, anticipating what my next move might be.

“I decline your offer. If the captain of the guard does not trust my sword, then I will prove my worth and earn my place.”

“I thought it a position befitting your background and abilities, but alas.”

Background. She must be referring to the fact that all the maids were orphans, implying that I belonged in that place as well.

Amidst this, a commotion broke out from the direction of the village.

“Let us see Lady Vivi!”

“We’ve been waiting for the Lady!”

The villagers, undeterred by the threat from the guard, insisted on seeing the Lady, pushing forward as if driven by poison. Even the threat of swords at their necks did not deter them; they tried to break through the guard’s barrier.

The conversation with Vivi fizzled out, and everyone’s attention turned to these outsiders.

Vivi shouted to the knight blocking the way,

“Let them through. I will at least hear what they have to say.”

The way was cleared, and several village elders approached the Lady and knelt before her.

The stench of not being washed for months was overpowering.

The knights poised their swords, ready to strike if there was any sudden movement.

The elders’ faces were creased and dirty, missing several teeth. They looked more like long-suffering famine victims rather than mere beggars.

The eldest looking elder spoke on behalf of the rest,

“Lady Vivi, wise and great Lady, I am the headman of this nameless small village. Please take pity on us. We’ve been waiting at the brink of despair, hoping only to see the Lady.”

Then he prostrated himself, bowing his forehead to the ground.

Vivi frowned. She was clearly displeased with the situation.

“I was told that no one lives in this area. How did you come to settle in such a remote place?”

“We are slash-and-burn farmers who were expelled from Barvisia.”

Barvisia, a territory of the Duchy but a forgotten land without any ruling lord. It was also the place we, the guard, had to pass through.

“What crime did you commit?”

“We could not offer tribute to the priest. We…”

“Yes, yes, so what are you trying to say?”

“We’ve moved several times to farm. For a year or two, there were no problems, but then, as if cursed, suddenly the harvest would fail. It was the same every time we moved. We toiled to clear the land, sow seeds, and despite all our efforts, the crops wouldn’t grow. We can’t move anymore, and we’re starving to the point where we might have to eat the corpses of babies who’ve died of hunger. Please, show us mercy.”

“…”

“Lead me to your village. I want to see the state of things for myself.”

The feeble elder shook as he stood and led the way into the village.

Vivi led the way, followed by a long procession of the guard.

The village was as silent as if plagued. In front of a crumbling house, a woman clutched a gaunt newborn, looking at the Lady with frightened eyes.

One by one, the villagers came out. They were all skeletal, the contours of their faces starkly visible. They were severely starved, and the children, lacking strength, didn’t even cry.

Vivi’s face was obscured by her long-brimmed hat, so her expression was indiscernible.

Suddenly, Vivi stopped and turned around. Then, unexpectedly, she issued an order,

“Release the surplus grain here, immediately.”

***

The guard set up camp at the village entrance. Even if they released the spare food, it wouldn’t be enough to satiate the starving. If starved people are fed too much too quickly, they risk dying. However, they managed to make do with thin porridge. Even that seemed to satisfy them greatly.

The villagers received enough grain to prevent starvation for several weeks.

Vivi seemed to have a well-functioning sense of compassion, which was unexpected.

Was there some political calculation I was unaware of? With many witnesses, this could turn into a good anecdote.

Whatever the reason, Vivi didn’t stop there.

“Bring out my golden goblets!”

Then a servant fetched a rectangular wooden box from the supply wagon. When opened, it revealed about a dozen golden goblets.

“I’ll award these cups to those who promise to leave this land and settle in Rigved.”

The gold goblets were more than enough to establish a new life in Rigved.

The village headman knelt and thanked her profusely.

“We will never forget this kindness, even in death.”

Simply releasing the food would have been enough to create a commendable tale. There was no need to be so generous to the forsaken people of this land. Vivi appeared to be compassionate and accommodating, quite different from the stubborn and luxurious impression she had imprinted on me.

The maids genuinely respected her, too.

Perhaps she was only harsh with me.

***

In the dead of night, I was awakened by the sound of a stranger’s footsteps outside the tent. They were too light and cautious for a soldier on watch, as if trying not to reveal their location.

Silencing my movements, I rose from my bedroll and cautiously collected my sword.

As I emerged from the tent, a dark silhouette crouched and moved toward the edge of the village. Why would anyone move so secretively?

My intuition whispered that I shouldn’t miss this.

I followed the silhouette quietly.

The dark figure stopped in front of an imposing, lone tree on the outskirts of the village.

Someone was already waiting there, a tall and sturdy silhouette.

The moonlight glinted off silver armor. It looked familiar.

I closed in slowly to overhear their voices. One of the silhouettes was a maid I recognized.

“Nielrin… are you saying…?”

If it was Nielrin, then he was the commander of the guard.

“Absolutely… it’s a secret. The Lady’s… must never be disclosed… if you do… you die.”

It seemed like a crucial matter was being exchanged, but it was difficult to catch the specifics with my hearing. A maid meeting with the commanding officer in the middle of the night was suspicious enough.

I moved closer to hear more of their conversation.

Suddenly, Nielrin drew his sword and looked in my direction, muttering,

“A rat has crept in.”