kscans

Chapter 23 - Chapter 4: Second Half, A Depopulated Area

Okay, wait a second. The most imposing one, the blonde fourth-year, is Hilda, a grand duke's daughter. Does that make her a grand duchess? The next most important looking one, the slender boy with glasses, is Leonardo. The prime minister's son. I see, he really has the air of a bureaucrat. The black-haired girl, Zeldia, is the daughter of the great merchant Calest, and the other one with the same hair color must be Theodore, the heir.

Quasi-royalty, high nobility, and a major merchant family. A very shady lineup.

They say birds of a feather flock together, but all the girls on their side are quite well-endowed. As for our group, well, Rilka is about average. No, no, there’s an age gap to consider, so her future potential is… Besides, we have a landslide victory in the cuteness department. In terms of beauty, we’re at least their equals.

As for the guys, sorry for dragging the team down.

"These are the ones who are voicing objections to the student council's decision."

In the hallway where the two groups of four students faced each other, it was Theodore who broke the silence. Just moments ago he was being deferential to Alfina, misunderstanding that she was our backer. He’s so easy to read. Still, as a fellow believer in self-preservation, I can sympathize with the way he skillfully pointed only at me and Rilka.

"Oh? I cannot simply let that pass."

The boy with glasses glared at me quietly while I was still trying to sort out the names on my mental roster.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"There seems to be a misunderstanding. I was simply asking Calest-senpai to instruct me on the mechanics of the Shoken Festival. And for the sake of my own education, I would be grateful if you could tell me. What is the reason for this year's rule change?"

The academy is a microcosm of this country, a place that prizes precedent. There must be a reason for such a drastic reform.

"There ought to be a suitable price for such a valuable opportunity for each company to appeal to the nobility. Furthermore, the fees paid for those rights become a donation to the academy. This year, we have collected more than double the usual amount. I believe this is something you commoner students should be rejoicing over."

The upperclassman with glasses spoke condescendingly. The big companies that paid the location fees are commoners too, though. It doesn’t seem to offer any advantage to the nobles, so I suppose it’s all about building a record of achievement for the student council. A reputation earned here apparently has a long-lasting impact. That's only natural, I guess, since all the future elites are gathered in the kingdom's one and only school faction.

"Thank you. I understand the implications of the rule. However…"

I put on a troubled expression. Leonardo looked at Hilda. Her magnificent blonde head gave a slight nod.

"Speak your mind. The student council listens to the opinions of its students."

"Yes, fundamentally I have no questions or complaints. Even from my position as the son of a merchant family, small as it is, financial power carries great weight in the real world of business. A rule where those with more funds have an advantage is one that reflects reality. It is precisely because we are students, who can recover from failure, that experiencing the disparity in financial strength is so important. I believe it is educationally sound."

I said what I said. The idea of everyone holding hands and crossing the finish line together is absurd. The ideal of comparing everyone by the same standard has its merits in an educational setting, but there are important lessons that cannot be taught that way. One cannot learn from failure forced by circumstances.

When you consider the ultimate goal of survival, that is, self-preservation, the main point is to 'utilize' your abilities according to the situation. 'Comparing' them has no intrinsic meaning. It's pointless to say after you're dead that you could have survived if only the environment hadn't been so harsh, or if you'd just been in a normal environment. That's reality.

Students here graduate at eighteen, which would be high school in Japan, but they enter society immediately after. And even then, they're three years behind the average person.

"That is correct. The rule change was made with that very perspective in mind."

I framed it for him as being realistic and wonderful. Leonardo looked surprised for a moment before nodding haughtily. I hid a smirk.

With that, this rule change has become purely for educational purposes. For an educational institution, that pretext is a powerful one.

"However, what about its actual implementation? If this is for 'education,' then it is meaningless if one cannot participate. Shutting out students who lack funds for the sake of experiencing financial disparity means the education itself cannot take place. Is this not different from what you seniors 'intended' with this rule change?"

I asked Leonardo. The expression vanished from his elitist face.

"Are there students who wish to participate but cannot?"

Alfina interjected with perfect timing. Leonardo's face twisted. We didn't plan that, I swear.

Regardless, I was flipping the argument from one of raw commercial logic to the idea that commercial logic is merely a means to an end, for education. Now, let's see how the son of the kingdom's top bureaucrat responds.

"…I see, that is a reasonable point of view. Indeed, perhaps the commoner students became a bit too heated in their efforts to secure better locations, leading to a somewhat extreme situation. It's possible we were too hands-off, thinking we should leave it to the commoners since they are the ones building the stalls," the student council vice president said, adopting an air of perfect neutrality. He's a quick thinker, it seems. But that quickness is allocated entirely to self-preservation. That makes him an easy opponent for me to read.

"However, changing a rule once it has been decided also has its drawbacks."

"I agree. If the rules are constantly changing, it ceases to be educational."

I affirmed his point, pressing my advantage. Of course, my words had a double meaning. I was also implying that they were the ones who had suddenly changed the rules in the first place. In other words, I was letting them know I wouldn't back down easily.

"…Then let us do this. The classrooms that have been assigned cannot be moved. However, the academy has other spaces available. How about we hold a new bid for those locations, open only to the participants who were unable to secure a spot? Lady Hilda."

"That is an excellent idea. I will permit it."

Hilda, who had been observing our exchange, said this without a change in her expression. Zeldia's face flashed with frustration for a moment, but she quickly masked it with a smile. She’s still hiding something.

"Please wait. The other spaces besides the classrooms, all the remaining spots are very small…" Rilka said. I see. Apart from the grand auditorium and the library, the classrooms are the largest spaces. And they need more than just space for the shops. After all, half of the participating students and many of the guests are nobles. They’ll likely need cloakrooms and preparation areas as well.

"That is where a small company can demonstrate its skill, would you not agree? Your family's business is not even a third the size of our company. Are you saying you cannot conduct business under these conditions?"

"She is right. Considering the time we have left, any further changes would be difficult," Leonardo said, nodding to Zeldia. This is the limit. Pushing any further would endanger my own self-preservation.

Besides, why am I, someone who isn't even participating, negotiating as if I’m the representative for the mid-sized companies? By the way, even the smallest of them is far larger than ours. I was supposed to be here to gather intelligence on the conflict between Calest and Kenwell.

"Thank you very much, seniors. I have learned a great deal from this."

Suppressing the questions bubbling up inside me, I began to prepare for our withdrawal. But the other half of the leading pair, the most powerful person here, turned her gaze on me. Her beautiful face remained serene, but the coldness in her eyes was the kind one reserves for an insect.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Ricardo Vinder."

"Ricardo… Ah, you are Alfina's dance partner."

Hilda mentioned Alfina's name. A bad feeling crept over me. A very bad feeling.

"As a friend of Alfina, I am sure you will put on a wonderful display. I look forward to it."

Wait, how did the conversation get here?

"Please wait. I did not take part in the bidding, so I am not qualified to participate."

"Hmm? You interfered to that extent with no intention of participating? Is this not perfect, then? A new bid will be held thanks to your opinion, so you can participate," Leonardo said, pushing up his glasses.

"N-no, even at a reduced fee, the cost would be a great sum for the Vinder Company's finances. Opening a stall at the Shoken Festival is far beyond our family's reach. If we were to do anything, the most we could manage is a food stall in the courtyard."

"A food stall?"

"Lord Leonardo. This person is the son of a petty merchant. A food stall is…" Zeldia whispered into Leonardo's ear.

"Heh heh. It seems you have not yet shed your backpack peddler mentality. What shall we do, Lady Hilda?"

"As I said, since he is a friend of Alfina's, we can hardly ignore him. The courtyard is under Alfina's supervision, so it is a perfect fit. Add his name to the list of participants."

"As you wish."

Everything was decided in a flash. I don’t need special treatment based on connections. A single, lonely stall will surely operate at a loss. Harassment from a grand duke's daughter and the prime minister's son is no laughing matter. I came here to observe the conflict between commoner students, so how did I end up being viewed like a guinea pig by high nobles?

The shock was like a reconnaissance squad suddenly finding itself on the front lines.

However, another phrase had caught my attention.

"What do you mean, supervisor of the courtyard?"

"Yes, Lady Hilda has assigned me a role as a Shoken Festival officer. Hilda-senpai is in charge of the school building, and Leonardo-senpai is in charge of the east gazebo. The courtyard between them is my responsibility, or so I am told," Alfina said, as if it were nothing. But when I glanced over, I saw Clau's face was tense.

"Huh? But there's nothing in the courtyard…" Rilka said. Another part of the picture was becoming clear. There is nothing in the courtyard. If anything, there will only be my single food stall. Nobles don't even recognize a stall as a proper shop. They wouldn't stand on the ground to eat a meal.

"Until now, we have been considerate not to interfere with the work of the Sanctum. However, I am pleased to hear you have been gracing the academy with your presence more often recently. In that case, it is only proper that you bear a responsibility befitting a member of the royal family. The courtyard should be a suitable first role for you."

I see, so they assigned her an "easy" place. But how does someone forced to supervise a place no one cares about spend their time during the festival?

Primogeniture ensures the First Prince's position is secure. The Third Prince has become a great hero thanks to the monster flood. And she is the fiancée of the Second Prince, caught in the middle. The daughter of the same grand ducal house, and from a despised bloodline at that, who holds the title of princess. They were relieved when she was pushed off to the Sanctum, only for her to make a name for herself by prophesying a monster flood.

That profile of her flashed through my mind in an instant, based on the look she gave Alfina and me. Could it be? For the sake of your own pride, which is worthless to anyone but you, did you drag Alfina… and me into this?

Is she another one of those types who has a twisted understanding of survival of the fittest? A human is stronger than a fish, so they can catch and eat fish. That is the law of the jungle. I don't know if it's right or wrong, but it's fine.

But if she believes that a human can simply command a fish to leap from the sea, turn itself into sashimi, and arrange itself on a plate, then she is sorely mistaken.

I glanced out the window. The courtyard, huh? At school festivals in my old world, that was prime real estate. And right now, there are plenty of small companies desperate for space.

"Thank you for your consideration, Hilda-senpai. I will gratefully accept the use of the courtyard."

"Yes, I look forward to it. I wonder if I will see something so rare that it will leave me in awe."

"I will do my utmost to meet your expectations."

"Do your best."

As I bowed deeply, the two of them turned on their heels as if their business was concluded. The two from Calest shot me a hateful glare before quickly following after them.

"Senpai…"

"Vinder, you…"

The two girls looked at me with exasperated expressions.

"A reconnaissance in force is still a form of reconnaissance…"

It’s just that the opponent I provoked turned out to be the enemy's main army.