Chapter 6: The First Day
It's been two years since the formation of Shadow Garden. Despite their efforts in rooting out the Cult of Diabolos from Midgar and everywhere else across the known world, not a soul knows their name and existence. They continue to thrive in the shadows, unnoticed and unseen by all.
That is about to change.
X x X x X x X x X
"You look stunning, Lady Rose!" Margaret beams at her friend and princess.
Rose Oriana, princess of the Oriana Kingdom and second year student of the Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy, as well as the Student Council President. In the past two years since her arrival in Midgar as part of a cultural exchange and her betrothal to Prince Cid, her beauty somehow grew by leaps and bounds. She no longer wears her hair in pigtails and lets them freely cascade past her shoulders in carefully styled ringlets, and her body has filled out nicely to the point it is not remiss to think she is one of the most beautiful women in the world. At least, that is what her suitors would no doubt say.
For Rose, beauty is subjective. Her appearance matters little to her, for her value is entirely on virtue and character.
"I'm lucky to have a splendid retainer and friend," Rose smiles in gratitude. "Still, don't you think this is a little over the top? It's not as if there's a royal ball being held at school."
"Perhaps, but today is the day Prince Cid attends the academy? It's only natural you should look your best around your fiancé!" Margaret insists. Her smile grows mischievous. "After all, you never know when some other sexy vixen might come and take your man away from under your nose~"
The blonde-haired princess sighs. "Margaret, please…"
Although she knows her friend is teasing, Rose nonetheless takes her words to heart. The two are betrothed to one another per the promise made between kings, Rose is keenly aware things can change at any moment. Her father's letters have become increasingly scarce as of recent, and their contents spoke of an ongoing argument that's been going on since he decided they should strengthen their ties to their fellow kingdom. Rose doesn't understand why her mother is so adverse to the marriage or why she insists on promising her to Perv Asshat. The only reason she can think of is that, like some of Oriana's nobles, Reina Oriana also holds Cid's status as bastard child in contempt.
It pains Rose to think ill of her mother. She doesn't want to believe she is that cold-hearted. It's for that same reason Rose hopes to arrange a small family dinner with her parents and Cid, if only so she can prove to Reina her betrothed is a wonderful man with great promise.
Still…
Margaret's teasing words about some other woman coming and stealing Cid away from her sticks in her mind. Unfortunately, Rose knows why. Much to her chagrin, her fiancé is well-acquainted with some beautiful woman. In addition to Victoria, who Rose considers her greatest enemy in terms of beauty and personality, he has two other girls in his employ. Natsume Kafka was hired on two years ago, and in that time, she's easily become one of the most sought-after ladies in the palace in large part due to her buxom figure that she has little qualms in showing off and using to her advantage. She's lost count of how many servants have been enraptured by her beauty. Thankfully, Cid is one of the rare few who remains free of her wiles and clutches.
The second girl is Claire Pendragon, who Rose considers both rival and friend. Despite being the same age, she passed the Knightsworn Exam with flying colors and became Cid's personal knight. Within two years, she created the Order of the Dark Knights. Rose has never heard of any noble house by the name of Pendragon, and she's heard Claire was found by Cid in the seedy outskirts of the capital city. Despite her low birth, Claire's abilities and magic have solidified her reputation in the Midgar Kingdom, and her reputation was raised even higher through her companionship with Rose and Iris, the latter supposedly having frequently gone to Claire for repeated training bouts.
Claire is a serious woman who takes her position as Cid's knight very seriously. The palace nobles even refer to her as the Iron Maiden for her blatant refusal toward courtship and staunch loyalty to the prince. This earns her both Rose's admiration and envy. She recalls one point in time when she challenged Claire to a spar out of curiosity, wanting to see how powerful she was.
Rose is no stranger to defeat, but her loss against Claire Pendragon can only be described as a "rout". Even calling it a 'fight' is being generous in her opinion. She's never seen power or swordplay. It is not the "common sword" that relies on skill and effort, but it is not an official swordstyle used by any country, at least not one she recognizes. If she did not know any better, Rose could swear Claire created her very own swordplay. If she did, calling her a "prodigy" would not be remiss.
The two got along quite well for the most part, with Rose often inviting her over for tea parties. She has an ulterior motive for that, of course. She wanted to gauge and understand Claire's character, to see whether she is using Cid for her own gain. Thankfully, and much to Rose's relief, Claire is not a bad person.
That said, she is perhaps a little concerned over how…obsessed(?) the knight is about her charge.
Rose looks at herself in the oval mirror and gives her reflection a once-over. Reaffirming that Margaret does excellent work, she grabs her sword and clips the sheathe to her belt. "I'm off," she announces. With a confidant stride, she flips her hair and walks out the door.
The Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy awaits!
X x X x X x X x X
"Remind me, why are going to school together?"
"It's easier this way, and it helps me make sure you won't flake. We can't have you skipping your first day."
"Come on, I'm not that bad…"
"With all due respect, Your Highness, you skipped out on Lord Codwell's lessons thrice in a row."
"Et tu, Claire…?"
This sucks. This really freaking sucks. I'm not sure which is worse, the fact that I'm already off to a horrible start on what is perhaps the most important chapter in my life as the wallflower prince or that Claire is sticking to her character and ganging up on me with my cousin. It's unfair, I tell you!
As you can probably guess, it's been two years. Me and Alexia are now fifteen-years-old, which means we're to attend the Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy, a prestigious institution inviting nobles far and wide to hone their swordsmanship and magical talent to become world-class spellswords. Claire, who is seventeen, would be a second or third-year student at this point, but since she's already recognized as a knight, there's no reason for her to attend. She's only coming with because she's my bodyguard.
While it sucks that Claire is really dedicated to her now role, I can't say it's a bad thing. You would think that, after two years, the girls would get tired of playing around, but they've stuck to their guns and continue to play with me. It probably helps we really are shadowbrokers fighting an unseen enemy. I still have no clue who or what the Cult is, but the girls are convinced they're the Cult of Diabolos I made up years ago for the sake of making myself sound cool and live out my fantasy as an eminence in shadow. In those two years, the girls have also taken to expanding their respective roles.
Alpha is still the de-facto leader of Shadow Garden and my second-in-command, but she's also a huge workaholic. I can't remember ever seeing her take a day off. I think she's the type who's married to her job, which is kind of sad to be honest. She could easily snag a hunk with her looks, but if that's her choice, so be it. Beta is still my maid, but Shadow Garden's recent activities frequenly have her leave the palace, so she has Theta act in her stead. Theta herself has also become freaking popular in the palace to the point where even married men are throwing themselves at her.
I should be concerned about having such a heartbreaker hanging around me, but nothing she's done has made me super concerned or reflect badly on me, so I guess it's fine.
Gamma heads an intelligence operation of some kind and has more or less become Shadow Garden's residential spymaster. Out of everyone, she's the second most hardcore larper in our group. She makes reports in that weird "ancient language" Alpha made up, but she also makes reports in a language I can thankfully understand. They're so freaking detailed, I honestly mistake them for actual intelligence reports. Oh, and she's also more or less become Delta's keeper. I'd like to say Delta has gotten better and smarter, but unfortunately, that would be a bold-faced lie. Delta is still as dump as a sack of bricks, though she's become an absolute powerhouse in the meantime.
Claire, or rather Epsilon, passed the Knightsworn Exam and became my personal knight. Honestly, I was shocked when I heard the news. The way I hear it, she beat the crap out of her instructor to the point the poor shmuck had to be sent to the hospital for treatment. This seemingly one-sided slaughter earned Claire her knighthood, and she wasted no time in declaring herself to me. In that same time, she took to creating her very own knightly order. To my immense approval, she even gave her order a badass name!
Personally, I would have called them the Order of the Black Knights, but I have no intention of ripping off Master Lelouch vi Britannia, the king of all eminences in shadow.
As confidant as I am in my acting skills, even I doubt I could ever replicate the sheer spectacle and showmanship that is Zero. Anyways, where was I? Oh, right. Shadow Garden.
Zeta went on to create her own commodity store. I don't remember all the details as I was busy trying to figure out how to tick off item #32 in my Cool Things An Eminence In Shadow Should Totally Say Bucket List, but I think it was because she wanted to secure additional funds to accommodate Shadow Garden's increase in manpower now that we had a shit ton of subordinates and lackies. I signed off and became her financial supporter, seeing as it was the least I can do.
Eta is our residential chief engineer and scientist. Wait, sorry. *ahem* Mad scientist. I know I've thought of some weird, crazy, and whacky experiments (I still don't have the heart to tell Alpha she was my guinea pig), but Eta takes it to the next level. Seriously, I don't even understand half the stuff she comes up with! I am pretty curious about her improvements to the slime suits, though.
As for the Numbers, I haven't really paid as much attention to them. I'm half-certain they're with Shadow Garden because we're not just playing but also fighting an actual cult. I mean, we're no Hero's Party like in video games, but we're the next best thing.
Come to think of it, Zeta mentioned wanting to introduce me to two new Named Numbers when she has the opportunity. She sounded really eager to show off the fruits of her labor.
All in all, things have been pretty good. In my case, there hasn't been much need for improvement. The palace nobles still hate my guts, and my private tutors don't think much of me. For all intents and purposes, my masterclass act as a wallflower is paying off!
The academy, however, is what will truly put my skills to the test. Needless to say, I was looking forward to it!
…emphasis on was. Alexia, as always, has to be a party pooper. I mean, seriously, what better way to establish myself as a wallflower than by being late to class on the first day!
It's tyranny, I tell you!
"Don't pout," Alexia giggles when she sees my put-out face. "It's not like it's the end of the world. Don't be so nervous. You'll be fine."
Eh? What do I have to be nervous about? What do you think I am, the protagonist?
The carriage pulls a stop as we arrive at the front gates of the Spellsword Academy. Some students pause when they see us disembark. Many of them are immediately drawn to Epsilon due to her knightly attire, which is little more than a polished black breastplate with gold trims and matching bracers with greaves mixed with a jet-black skirt with a dark red hem and a black turtleneck shirt-and-jacket combo. Given her reputation as the Jet Black Knight, I think everyone and their mother in the kingdom knows who she is. Alexia also receives a few googly eyes from the male students, much to the chagrin of some of the second and third-year female students who promptly smack their boyfriends upside the head.
I get a few looks, but nothing that really screams awe and amazement. I'm nothing short of average in their eyes.
My first steps as an academy wallflower have begun.
"Cid!"
Aaaaaaand now they're dashed.
A gold-haired beauty with matching gold eyes approaches the carriage with a beatific smile. The academy uniform, despite its simplicity, only serves to highlight her budding figure. Every male, student and otherwise, can't take their eyes off her. Some stare in naked lust while others look on in admiration. Such is the power of a shoujo protagonist and main female lead, much less the Student Council President and princess of a kingdom.
The downside to having such a cute girl for a fiancé? Earning the ire of several hot-blooded males who will no doubt come after me in the hopes of stealing her and establishing their superiority.
God, I hate this arranged marriage. I know it works out for my character, but it's still a pain in the ass. What makes it worse is that Rose isn't a horrible person! She's a total sweetheart, i.e. perfect waifu material who is otherwise wasted on a wallflower, much less a mob character.
Damn you, King Raphael, for bringing me such misfortune!
"Rose," Alexia smiles as she and Rose exchange pleasantries. "It's great to see you again. I heard you were elected as the Student Council President this year!"
"Lady Niles thought it would make a good learning experience for me," Rose says with all the grace and poise expected of a princess. "She's been very patient with me. Truth be told, I'm rather quite nervous. The academy is amazing, but sometimes it can be awful rowdy."
"I don't think you'll have to worry too much," my cousin assures her. "Right, Cid?"
I nod. "You'll do fine. There's nothing you can't do, after all."
Rose's cheeks turn scarlet. "Y-yes! Thank you very much, Cid."
Alexia snickers in a Cheshire-like manner. "My my, flirting this early in the morning? How bold~"
I roll my eyes. That wasn't flirting, it was an honest compliment.
X x X x X x X x X
In the northern regions past the territories of Midgar, Iris and a small band of soldiers make camp for the night. Their most recent excursion ended, and they are on their way back home. The purpose of the excursion was to hunt down and kill some monsters threatening the borders between Midgar and the Velgata Empire. The reports claim the monsters were herded, but Iris couldn't trust that information until she verified it with her own eyes. This is also why the excursion lasted longer than it should, much to her chagrin. Had she stuck to the plan, she could have seen Cid and Alexia off to the Spellsword Academy, if not drop them off herself.
"I can't wait to get back home," Iris hears one of the soldier say with a bright smile. "I can't remember the last time my daughter cooked me a nice warm meal. I've never been so glad to know she takes more after her mum than me."
"A shame she'll probably never get herself a lover with you for a father," another jeers jokingly. His cheeks are red as he waves around a mug full of ale. "I've never met such an overprotective father in all my life!"
"Oh, piss off!"
Laughter and cheer erupt across the camp. Iris allows herself to smile, but only for a moment. Her mind is still occupied by what they discovered in their excursion.
"A penny for your thoughts, Princess?" Iris looks over her shoulder and sees one of her knights approaching her; a dark-skinned elf with heterochromatic gold-and-silver eyes and a laurel marking on the right side of her face. Despite her lithe frame, she could easily pass for a man if she wore the right clothes.
The red-haired woman smiles wryly. "Am I that easy to read, Olga?"
"You've been wearing that face since we investigated the monster stampede." Olga looks at the horizon. The azure sky above with the lush green forests sprawling as far as the eye can see create an otherwise lovely picture. "Not that I blame you. The implications are worrying."
"So you noticed it as well?"
The elf nods. "Hard not to. Those monsters aren't native to this area."
Just as Olga says, the monsters Iris and the others were tasked to kill before they could reach any frontier settlements did not originate from Midgar territory. As she is no expert in monster breed, she does not know where they are originally from, though she is fairly certain that are from the regions of Velgata.
Why would monsters from Empire territory come here to Midgar? Iris wonders to herself. Did they escape some super predator, or were they driven from the old habitat?
It was times like this she wishes relations between Midgar and Velgata were better. Although both countries are on friendly terms with each other, the Empire is an otherwise neutral state of power that rarely involves itself with the world at large. As a whole, the Empire's sole focus is to improve itself and its warriors. The Seven Spellblades are the main reason for their fame and reputation, as each member is said to be of considerable strength and ability. Iris still remembers their newest member Annerose from the Founding Festival and how she defeated Zenon, a renowned knight and accomplished swordsman.
Iris understands to a degree why the Empire continuously strives to improve its martial abilities, but she can't help but wonder if the people in charge are all muscle-brains obsessed with power and nothing else. The only saving grace she can think of is their close ties to the church, though her thoughts about the state religion is complicated. She thinks back to their visit to the Holy Land of Lindwurm some odd years ago when she took Cid with her in the hopes of getting him away from the palace for a while. She came to regret that decision when she saw the "show" a bishop of the church put on in the town square.
"If we assume a monster or a third party drove the monsters here, we should also consider the possibility they might make their way here as well," Iris reasons to Olga. "I'll need to speak with father about improving the Border Guard. It might be a good idea to assign some knights as well."
"Should we ask Claire if she'd be willing to lend one of her Dark Knights?" Olga suggests.
Iris nods. "It wouldn't be a bad idea. Speaking of, Olga, I have a favor to ask. You're friends with Claire, is that right?"
"I would not consider us friends, but we're well acquainted with each other," the elf replies. "Why do you ask?"
"I want to know if she's willing to agree to an inter-Order training session."
Olga's face pales and starts sweating profusely. "Y-you can't be serious."
Iris almost laughs at her knight's fearful expression.
Against all odds and expectations, Claire Pendragon aced the Knightsworn Exam, and in spectacular fashion if rumors are to be believed. In two years, she even managed to sanction the creation of the Knightly Order of the Dark Knights. Although comparatively fewer in number than Iris' Scarlet Order, they are easily one of the most well-known and accomplished orders in Midgar. It was thanks to them that crime in the capital city dropped to an all-time low.
Iris was not so proud that she could not admit she was wrong, and in fact apologized to the younger girl for clearly underestimating her. Her opinion of Claire shot through the roof when she saw how she not only took her role as Cid's personal knight seriously, but also confronted his detractors behind closed doors. The palace nobles still speak ill of him, but they now knew better than to speak so openly whenever the Jet Black Knight roams the halls. To Iris' immense approval, the Dark Knights themselves also display nothing short of respect and courtesy toward Cid himself, with some often filling in for Claire when she was not present to defend him for any reason.
The strength and quality of the Order of the Dark Knight eventually earned Iris' curiosity and asked Claire if she could participate in one of their training sessions. She almost immediately came to regret that decision; after a grueling experience that saw her and a few others plastered on the ground to the point of nearly voiding their stomachs, Iris rarely trained with her new friend. It did, however, inspire her to train her own Scarlet Order to greater heights, much to their chagrin.
Speaking of Claire, Iris recalls how her intense devotion to her duties also spawned a few curious rumors in regards to how overzealous the young woman took her duty, with some joking how she acts more like an overbearing sister than a knight.
This, of course, only strengthens Iris' suspicions. She mentioned her private thoughts to Alexia once when she watched how Claire interacted with their sibling. After observing them herself, Alexia also came to agree with her. Neither confronted Claire to confirm their theory, if only because of how awkward that conversation will be.
After all—
How the hell do you ask someone if they are someone's long-lost half-sibling?
X x X x X x X x X
The first half of my first day at school ends with remarkably little fanfare. I had no idea what to expect from the Spellsword Academy, so I let my imagination run wild. To my immense disappointment, however, it's way too much like my old high school back on Earth. Then again, it is the first day so maybe I'm being too hasty.
Nothing really interesting has happened, except for a few mild observations. For starters, I've taken notice of who I should observe in the hopes of improving my wallflower act. So far, we've got Skel Etal, Po Tato, Kanade Doe, and Suzuki Hope.
Skel and Po are the classic mob characters. They act like class clowns and barely pay attention to the lessons. In fact, they spent most of the first period ogling another classmate by the name of Christina Hope and the teacher. Unsurprisingly, the latter caught their leering and punished them accordingly. Nothing beats the classic act of standing out in the hall while holding a pair of water pails!
Kanade Doe is also the perfect example of a mob character in female form. I am not ashamed to say I almost failed to notice her; the only reason I did was because I bumped into her on the way into the classroom. Her presence is so miniscule, it's amazing. I almost blabbed and asked her for pointers, so I instead took to watching her technique from a distance. It also helps that she's the daughter of a baron, so she's basically at the bottom of the noble totem pole.
Suzuki Hope is a blend of the mob and studious archetypes. People don't pay close attention to him because he's a total bookworm with a dorkish looking face. I think he's related to Christina since they share the same last name, but I'm not sure what his standing is with the Hope family.
The reason why these people are of interest to me besides being mobs is namely because of their candidacy. Candidates for what, you might ask?
Simple! The Council of Mobs! A coalition of losers and background characters absolutely nobody gives two-shits about! A club by the faceless, for the faceless!
…plus, it helps create the illusion I have a "social circle" so my nosy cousin and knight won't give me too much grief.
Bastard I might be, I'm still a member of the royal family, so I know right off the bat some of these people might not be willing to associate themselves with me. There's no way a bunch of background characters will put themselves next to someone who has a foot in the spotlight. I'm not deterred, though. I have a foolproof backup plan, and my ultimate last resort.
The DOGEZA. I.e. the ultimate culmination of begging to ever exist in Japanese culture. I've spent months as Minoru Kagenou mastering this legendary technique, and it has never failed me! This is a technique capable of bringing tears, the ultimate weapon of breaking down even the most sturdy of anti-social defenses.
As we start our break period, I take this moment to observe and plan my attack. I'll try my luck with Skel and Po, first. With any luck, they—
"Hey! You're the assholes from this morning who peeped on us!"
…huh. I didn't know we were allowed to bring real swords with us to school. That's good to know. Wait, is murder actually allowed on campus? I'll have to look into that. If they survive, I'll talk to them.
Moving on!
I look on the other side of the lunch room and find my next targets. Better yet, they're grouped up. It looks like they know each other or at least well acquainted. That makes things easier, then. I befriend one of them, I can befriend them all.
Smiling, I make my way over to them. Before I can call out and greet the three, however…
X x X x X x X X
"If it isn't doe-face!"
Kanade shirks back. A spark of indignation flares in her chest for a moment before she douses it. Christina and Suzuki both look up and glare at the small group of second-year students who rudely insults her. Kanade doesn't recognize most of them, but the apparent ringleader who stands at the front is someone she knows very well.
Jacques Merde is the son of a archduke, who's territory coincidentally sits next to her father's. As the daughter of a baron, Kanade is technically of lower rank than Jacques and is expected to serve him as a vassal. Such has always been the relationship between the houses of Merde and Doe. Kanade never had a problem with the arrangement at first, though her tune quickly changed when she realized how much of a utter prat Jacques is. Even as a child, he was narcissistic and rude. He is the sort of person who rides on his father's coattails. It did not help that his father is directly employed at the palace.
Kanade's relationship with Jacques is one of reciprocated hostility. Despite her father's best attempts, she could not find a single reason to bow her head or accept the idea that this was the sort of person she is expected to aid and serve. Likewise, Jacques came to despise Kanade for her defiance and plain looks. Every meeting involves barbed words and insults. "Doe-face" is remarkably tame, even by his standards.
"Did the academy lower its standards?" Jacques laughs scornfully. "I could have sworn we didn't accept trash."
Suzuki Hope narrows his eyes. He opens his mouth and rises from his seat, only for his cousin to place a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Christina knows whatever they say is useless. The look on her face makes it clear she doesn't like Jacques as much as Kanade and Suzuki do, but like them, she has no means to retaliate or speak against him.
"What do you want, Jacques?" Kanade asks tiredly. She doesn't understand why the duke's son bothers her so much. Does he just enjoy getting a rise out of her or something?
The blue-haired nobleman smirks as he makes a flamboyant gesture before placing his hand on his chest. "I'm simply giving my fondest greetings. As your senior, it is my duty to look after my underclassmen, namely to ensure you know where it is you stand."
"My, how caring of you," Christina remarks. "Such unexpected kindness from one of Eliza's lapdogs."
"Jealousy is such an unbecoming trait, Christina."
The pink-haired girl glares. "What's there to be jealous of? For the son of a archduke, you're surprisingly lacking in brains. I really do feel sorry for your father, having a son who lowers himself for a marquess."
Kanade quietly snickers as the arrogant look on Jacques' face melts into a look of irritation. The best part is she knows no matter how hard he denies it, everyone plainly recognizes how enamored and smitten he is with the Student Council Vice-President. In her opinion, it's a match made in heaven because of Eliza's poor attitude, but it's all the better because of the difference in social standing. A marquis is lower than a archduke, no matter what Jacques claims. Mentally, Kanade applauds her new friend for striking a nerve.
Jacques bares his teeth, his left hand reaching for the sword at his hip. It's a training sword, but even a dull blade can be made dangerous with mana. Even Kanade, who's mana manipulation is slightly above average, knows this. She's not surprised Jacques resorts to intimidation and physical violence. Even so, she worries he might take it too far as she sees the look in his eyes. For a moment, she hears the 'click' of his sheathe and—
"I thought I recognized that hair. It's been a while, Jacques."
A handsome young man with raven-black hair and crimson eyes shows up at the table. The badge on the lapel of his blazer tells Kanade he's a first-year student like her. Trailing behind him is a woman with the looks of a third-year and similar features, albeit with a cold countenance and clad in light armor. A black sword sits at her hip.
Jacques' face immediately turns into one of shock and disgust. "Y-you! What the hell do you think you're doing here, you bastard?!"
"What do you mean?" the boy asks innocently. "I turned fifteen a month ago and met the minimum mana requirement. Alexia's here too, if you're curious. It looks like you're doing well!"
Kanade recoils as waves of revolting hate pour from Jacques' trembling body. If looks could kill, the boy would be dead a thousand times over. Who is this teen to inspire such cold hate from someone who constantly looked down upon others?
"You—!"
"By the way, is the archduke still angry with you?" the boy asks with a sheepish smile. "Again, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of him."
The blue-haired nobleman's face turns apoplectic. The students of the cafeteria including Kanade and her classmates look on in interest and fear.
Jacques howls in the boy's face as he draws steel. "You fucking brat!" Before he even has a chance to strike him, the woman steps between them. With one hand, she seizes the mana-infused training sword and grips it tight. With the other hand, she brings her black sword to Jacques' neck. It's custom-made with dark red jewels embedded along the flat surface. Branded on the hilt of the sword is an emblem of a crown with jagged thorns surrounded by seven swords.
The Order of the Dark Knights?! Kanade recognizes the emblem immediately. There's not a soul in Midgar who hasn't heard of the famed knightly order. What's a Dark Knight doing here at our school?!
"Do you know who you are pointing your sword at?" the woman says coldly. "Show some respect."
Jacques freezes on the spot. His flunkies are similarly caught flat-footed, unsure what to do. By now, the amassed crowd watches with baited breath. They have no idea who the woman is, but they just witnessed her chastise the son of an archduke and stop his sword dead in its tracks. It's at this point the archduke's son realizes his reputation is now at stake. If he backpedals now, he'll be humiliated and become a subject of ridicule.
He grits his teeth and glares hatefully at the black-haired teen. "And what exactly is there to respect about him? Tell me, miss knight, do you know that boy is the Bastard Prince?"
Shocked gasps echo across the cafeteria. Kanade's hands fold over her mouth.
The Bastard Prince has been the talk of the kingdom for as long as she can remember. It would be easier to list the number of people who didn't know about Cid Midgar, the nephew of the king and cousin to the Scarlet and Silver Princesses.
Before she has time to process this information, a cold sense of dread suddenly suffocates the air. Suddenly, Kanade realizes Jacques Merde just signed his death warrant. The Dark Knight's deadly calm face erupts into a visage of pure rage and goes from a Valkyrie to a jet black demon who prepares to swing her sword and claim the head of a blasphemer. The oppressive aura she exudes prevents anyone from stopping her. None of them can. Kanade, quite frankly, doesn't want to.
"That's enough, Lady Pendragon," a calm voice cuts through the aura of impending doom.
The Dark Knight's sword is but a hair's breadth away from cutting Jacques' neck when it abruptly stops. A beauty with gold hair and eyes, a second-year student, walks onto the scene with a teacher at her side. Kanade recognizes him as Zenon Griffey, one of the academy's spellsword instructors.
"I know how protective you are of my fiancé, but murdering the son of an archduke is a bit beyond the pale," the gold-haired woman says. The knight huffs but relents, releasing her grip on Jacques' sword and removing hers from his neck, returning it to its sheath. Kanade gapes at Jacques' sword when she sees the numerous cracks in the middle. How strong was she to nearly break a sword with her bare hand?!
"Ah, P-Princess Rose—"
"Please do not address me so casually, Jacques," Rose Oriana interrupts Jacques' pathetic attempts. She's smiling, but her eyes are ice cold. "While I do not quite understand what warranted you drawing your sword on Cid, the fact remains you attempted to harm a fellow student."
"B-but…"
"No buts, young man," Zenon scolds the noble. "I'll be contacting Archduke Merde about this shameful display of yours. Regardless of your reasons, a noble should have better tact than this."
Jacques lowers his head in defeat, though not before giving one final look of seething hatred at Cid Midgar. He clicks his tongue and storms out of the cafeteria with his flunkies, who hastily chase after him with their tails between their legs. Zenon proceeds to disperse the crowd of onlookers while Rose speaks with Cid, his knight, Kanade, and her friends.
"Is everything okay over here?" the princess of Oriana asks in concern. "Things were looking awfully heated toward the end there."
"We're fine, miss president," Suzuki says with a relieved smile. "Jacques was being an ass is all."
"He's always had a bit of a problem with me," Kanade confesses. "Christina and Suzuki just got caught in the crossfire this time."
"Regardless, I'm glad thinks didn't get very far." Rose purses her lips in thought, glancing at Jacques' retreating form. "If I remember correctly, he's friends with Eliza. I'll need to have a talk with her about Jacques' behavior."
The knight scoffs. "I doubt it'll do much good. Trust me on this, Rose, arch families are as arrogant as you can get."
Rose sighs wearily. "Believe me, I'm very much aware."
"In any case, I'm glad you guys are alright," Cid says as he looks at the trio. "I'm Cid, by the way. It's nice to meet you."
"T-the pleasure is ours, Your Highness!" Christina nearly trips over herself in her rush to bow. "W-we are so sorry for that disgraceful display!"
"Why are you apologizing? You were just defending yourselves is all."
Kanade looks at the prince in befuddlement. There are all manner of rumors about Cid Midgar, many of which decry him as being woefully plain and average compared to his far more successful cousins, she always thought of him as a scornful, bitter person. How can he not be when he lives in a den of wolves and snakes who won't hesitate to pounce on any weakness they see? The palace nobles, arch one and all, are the highest-ranking noblemen in the kingdom, many of whom hold seats in the royal court. There are many there who value the importance of 'noble purity' or some other bullshit.
In such hostile territory, it would not be hard to imagine how embittered someone might become. Kanade is certain that, behind Cid's cheerful smile, is the face of a young man who deals with ridicule and harrassment. Jacques Merde is simply one of the many nobles he's had to deal with.
Why did he confront him instead of just hanging back? Wouldn't he just paint a bigger target on his back?
While Jacques is unpopular, Kanade has no doubt there are some people in the academy who hold similar views as the palace nobles. Once news starts to spread, it will only be a matter of time before everyone learns the infamous Bastard Prince is a first-year student here at the Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy. It would've been easier to simply hang in the background, but Cid chose to deal with Jacques personally. It certainly wasn't out of the goodness of his heart, so what was it?
The answer was simple in Kanade's eyes.
To humiliate.
In the royal palace, challenging Jacques would invite nothing but trouble. In the academy, however, a person's noble title and lineage matters little. Here, your deeds, merit, and ability are what determine your standing and influence. Yes, some noble children might take this opportunity to strengthen political and social ties with each other, but as far as the school is concerned, your noble house means nothing. Jacques would have little in the way of support within the school, meaning Cid could fight him on an even playing field.
Behind that veneer is the mind of a schemer, a dastardly villain who will use each and every opportunity presented before him to knock his enemies down a peg.
"Is everything okay? You've been awfully quiet now, miss…?"
The dark-haired girl realizes someone is talking to her. When she returns to reality, she finds the prince standing in front of her with a worried expression.
Kanade smiles. "Sorry, I was just lost in thought. I'm Kanade Doe." She offers a hand in greeting and in friendship. "It's nice to meet you, Prince Cid."
"Call me Cid, please." He shakes her hand.
She likes him already.