The academy was extremely busy. The reason was that a large number of nobles had been purged.
Nobles who refused to participate in the war with the principality without reason were summarily stripped of their status. The same applied to nobles who had not participated with various excuses.
Their territories and assets were confiscated, and afterward they were given unprofitable lands under the pretext of a land reassignment.
"How like a kingdom aiming for centralization."
It was Angie who made a troubled face at Cleare's impressed tone.
"Is that sarcasm?"
"Unlike that twisted Luxion, I'm honestly praising it. Are you worried about rebellion and revenge?"
Those who had been stripped of their noble status. Those whose titles had been revoked. Those whose rank had been lowered. There were many dissatisfied people within the kingdom.
"...That's true. I'll be careful."
At Angie's words, Cleare carefully observed her expression.
"You have the face of someone who knows she's hated."
"I am a noble's daughter. I know that just being alive earns hatred. But this time, the number of people who hate me personally has increased."
"Though I think it's unjust resentment."
Among those purged were the followers who had betrayed Angie.
Students who had been nobles, but whose families had lost their status, becoming mere commoners.
The students who had laughed at Angie's groveling were no longer seen at the academy from the spring.
The number of current students had decreased considerably. There were even fewer new students, and a slightly lonely atmosphere hung over the academy.
"That's true. But who knows what they might do. I've told Livya to be careful as well, but I'm a little worried."
Angie aside, I don't think Livya is used to being hated by others.
"I'll take care of that. More importantly, you two are separating today?"
"It would be awkward for me to join the new student gathering, wouldn't it?"
The new students Livya is interacting with are fellow commoners.
Several have enrolled, and Livya is looking after them. It seems the plan is to increase the number of general students next year.
"Indeed, it would be awkward for others."
"You certainly don't mince words."
Watching Angie resume reading, Cleare thought.
(They distance rebellious elements from the center, accept non-noble students into the academy and educate them—in ten or twenty years, those students will be doing the work of lower-ranking officials.)
Even in the chaos, the Kingdom of Holfart is still maintaining the country.
The royal palace seemed quite busy, and Angie's father, Vince, was working at the palace and hadn't returned to his territory.
(That's a bit interesting. I know, let's take a peek at the palace. Master told me to find dirt on that Roland.)
From Cleare's perspective, Leon, trying to get something on Roland just to annoy him, was too petty.
But he was an important master who carried the genes of the Old Humanity.
To answer Leon's wish, Cleare decided to sneak into the palace.
"I'll step out for a bit."
"Okay."
Leaving Angie's room, Cleare blended into her surroundings, disappeared, and flew to the palace.
◇
Inside the palace, it seemed incredibly busy.
Officials had dark circles under their eyes and worked with pale faces.
There were mountains of documents just to organize, and on top of that, nobles who couldn't accept their punishment showed up almost every day.
The military was also busy dealing with resisting nobles, and in addition, they were busy with the capital's reconstruction.
"Indeed, in this state, it would be difficult to protect Marie and the others."
Looking into the queen Mylene's room, she saw the queen herself sitting at her desk.
Around her, maids were sorting documents.
Clarice's father, Bernard, brought new urgent documents.
Mylene, looking at the stack of documents, showed no sign of surprise.
"Your Majesty the Queen, please check these first."
"Is there something wrong?"
"Nobles who oppose the confiscation of their territories have risen up."
Nobles who had been sitting on the fence got angry at the kingdom's response and rose up.
Even hearing that, Mylene did not panic.
"Immediately dispatch the forces on standby."
While checking the documents, she ordered the fleet of airships on standby to sortie.
"What about their treatment?"
"If they surrender, we'll forgive them with a land transfer."
Cleare was excited.
(Oh? She's going to push those who defied them into barren territories to develop them, perhaps? If it goes well, they might be seized in the future.)
"If they don't surrender?"
"...Handle them cleanly. They shall serve as an example. We must not allow any more fools to rise up."
Seeing Mylene more dispassionate than she had expected, Cleare grew curious.
(I guess she can't let her guard down because there's always a chance of a comeback. She's certainly working hard behind the scenes... Huh? Where is the king and what is he doing?)
Floating lightly, she followed Bernard out of the room.
◇
In the busy royal palace, Roland was enjoying tea with a woman.
"Your Majesty, you're such a liar~"
"Hmm~ His Majesty doesn't lie. I'm amazing. Even that little shit—I mean, the hero who saved the country, Leon, doesn't disobey me."
"Really~?"
The woman spoke in a drawn-out, coquettish voice, and they held hands, talking with smiles.
Unlike with Mylene, the guards around him were performing their duties as guards.
"It's true. If I got serious, I'd crush that brat in an instant. If I weren't in the position of king, I'd be the hero right now—"
"Oh, that's an interesting story."
It was a slightly gaunt Vince who entered the room where Roland was seducing the woman.
"I have something to discuss with His Majesty. Young lady, I'm sorry, but could you excuse us?"
The noble's daughter, who had come to bring her father's change of clothes, hastily stood up when Vince arrived, bowed, and left the room.
Roland stretched out his hand wistfully.
"Ah, wait! ...Vince, that's cruel. She was such a pretty girl who seemed a bit loose in the head."
"Aren't you the one who's loose in the head, Your Majesty?"
Vince roughly sat in a chair and glared at the king.
"You seem to be having quite a good time, Your Majesty."
"Does it look that way? Even so, I'm worried about the country. The only thing I can do is leave an heir. I'm working hard for that."
"I'd like you to move your hands rather than shake your hips."
"I've left it to Mylene. Besides, work should be left to capable people. That's more efficient. I'm fortunate to have excellent retainers."
His attitude was as if seducing women was his job.
To put it another way, it sounded like a conversation akin to:
"Is the food you eat without working delicious?" "Watching you all work desperately while I eat is the best!"
Vince smiled while a vein popped on his forehead.
Cleare thought he was being dexterous.
"--That's good. I'm glad to be called excellent. Now, I'd like to ask one thing. The matter of promoting my daughter's fiancé."
Cleare grew excited.
(Oh, this is a chance to hear the reason for Master's promotion. I can guess, but what was the truth?)
It would be more unnatural not to promote Leon, who served as supreme commander in the war with the principality.
But at his own request, it had been decided to prepare a different form of compensation.
"That matter? As I said before, promoting him was more natural."
"Ignoring his wishes, you mean?"
"As king, I simply prioritized the country. Besides, some duke was desperately trying to bring in a promising young man. I wanted to get in the way."
"--My daughter is already engaged. I'd appreciate it if you refrained from any clumsy advances."
"Bernard agreed with me in the end, you know."
"So you used my daughter's marriage as bait to bring him around."
"Why don't you try to understand the feelings of a father who thinks of his daughter? As a father with a 'precious daughter' myself, I can understand Bernard's feelings well."
"How dare you—"
Already, there was movement over fighting for Leon.
(It's like a soap opera. This is exciting.)
Imagining the future, Cleare predicted that Leon's surroundings would be lively for a while.
And,
('A precious daughter,' huh... This seems worth looking into.)
She had also found Roland's weakness.