Legend of the Continental Heroes Chapter 40

I actually didn’t plan to continue.
Well i guess I was wrong.

This morning is the graduation day, I’m currently 15 years old.
The graduation exam was a match against 3 different teachers, you need at least a win to pa.s.s. My result is 1 win, 1 draw and 1 lose. It was difficult….

Let’s talk about the others.

Sara-Malinowska.
She’s antic.i.p.ated to graduate as the 2nd highest scorer in cavalry department. She didn’t graduate as the highest scorer because the theoretical cla.s.s is holding her back. She’s still the same reckless as ever but i guess it’s counted as a strength in cavalry department. She’s currently 17 years old. In my previous live she would be a JK (Jos.h.i.+ Kousei High School Girl) now. The tension is rising. Also somehow, every time we meet each other at school a right straight came flying. I won’t say why.

Rasdotaw-Nowak
He will be graduating from the Transportation Department. He neither have good or bad results, everything is average. The person said “It’s good that it’s average”. I don’t know what he means. He’s currently 21 years old, a good young man. Still a virgin. It’s not like there wasn’t any encounter but he himself refused them. Unexpectedly diligent aren’t you.

Emilia Vistula.
She will graduate from Swordsmans.h.i.+p Department as the 3rd highest scorer. At the graduation exam she killed someone for the 1st time in life, or so the rumor said. I don’t know if that’s the truth, it’s a delicate issue so I can’t really ask her. It seems like she succeed in making some connections, well internally she’s the 1st daughter of a duke after all.

Maya-Warta.
She will graduate from the Swordsmans.h.i.+p Department as the top scorer. A highly efficient onee-san that received swordsmans.h.i.+p department final exam and police department final exam at the same time and pa.s.sed them. 22 years old. It seems like the relations.h.i.+p with the princess is good, she always protects Her Highness so that no bad insects can get close. Scary as usual.

Well that’s how it is.

The 123rd graduation of the Kingdoms’ Military School, total of 125 people. At the time of enrollment, there was more than 180 people. About 40 people or so drop out of the school voluntarily and about 20 people died from accident during training or war casualty.
The school teachers said that the number of deceased and drop outs is a lot higher than usual. Of course it’s because of the Silesia-Calrsberg war. It seems like there’s a lot of students who were killed in the war or forced to drop out due to injuries or stress from the war. If you think about it like that, it’s quite amazing that 125 people were able to graduate.

Now, the problem is where will we be a.s.signed to. Starting from a warrant officer i wonder how long it will be until i can partic.i.p.ate in strategic level meeting…. un, it will probably takes about 30 years I think. At the shortest. Sara and Her Highness will definitely start from 2nd lieutenant. I definitely losing the start dash.
Where we’re a.s.signed to will also decide our fate. I would be dead soon if I’m a.s.signed as a guards captain in some remote area. Ah, but perhaps someone who graduate from tactics department won’t be a guard captain. Perhaps as a staff officer in some base?
While thinking about such thing, I walked along the corridor and almost b.u.mped into someone. That was dangerous…

“Ah.”

It’s Sara. To not notice before we’re this close, I wonder if my eyesight is getting bad.
As expected Sara is angry. It looks like she will scream “To not notice and almost b.u.mping to me, do you want to get hit!” As always it’s easy to tell her feeling from her face.

“Y-yoo. Congratulation on graduating at the 2nd place, Sara.”

For the time being I’ll flatter her.

“….Is that sarcasm?”
“I don’t think there’s any sarcasm in that words.”

The sarcastic one is you though, even though I graduated it’s easier to find my name if you look from the bottom instead of the top. Why you ask? Un, it’s because of the martial arts lesson…

“Hmph. It seems like the teachers can’t really judge.”
“It’s because I can’t defeat them.”
“Did you do it seriously?”
“I did.”

After all I don’t know if it’s because of the difference in experience or a hara.s.sment to me that’s a pheasant.

“Ara, what are you 2 doing?”
“Emilia, it’s been a while.”
“It’s been a while Your Highness. Also Warta-san.”
“What do you mean [also].”

The 2 elite from Swordsmans.h.i.+p department appeared. The number 1 and 3rd, this humble self wont probably win against there 2 even if it’s a hand-to-hand combat.

“For the time being Warta-san, congratulation for graduating as the top scorer.”
“Aah. Thanks. Congratulations to you to for graduating without any red mark.”
“Thank you very much.”

It won’t be funny to drop out in the 2nd term of the 5th year so i was desperate.

“It’s really been awhile since all of us were together isn’t it. How many years ago was it.”
“I don’t know. There were times when 2 or 3 people were together but it’s really been a while since all 4 of us together.”

Because there’s no phone or e-mail, there isn’t a lot of opportunity to meet when our cla.s.ses are separated.

“If Radek is here we will have 5 people.”
“Did you called?”
“”!?””

Before I knew it Radek is standing behind me and Sara. What’re you a ninja?

“Like I said? [it’s been a while since we all together]”

The princess is giggling a bit when she said that.

“So, what’s everyone doing?”
“Nothing special. We only meet by chance.”

It’s too much of a coincidence, this must be a plot of someone… or not. Rather it’s strange that this never happened at all for 4 years.

“Well, everyone must have some stories to tell, let’s not just standing around in the hallway. Let’s go to the cafeteria.”

“Radek where did you a.s.signed to?”
“Probably the transportation corps or supply corps. Other than that, probably desk works. Preventing soldiers to die from hunger in the front line is my duty.”
“Then, we have to praise Radek every time we eat then.”
“Stop it, it’s revolting.”

We moved to the cafeteria and talk to each other. How was the cla.s.s, the exams and what will we do in the future.

“As for me, I’m wondering where will Emilia-denka will be a.s.signed to.”
“Me?”
“Aah, the condition that His Majesty gave was to serve in the military for 10 years right? However by the time it ends, you’ll be 25 years old already. The marriageable age might pa.s.s.”
“So it’s that…. I don’t know though.”
“His Majesty is very concerned about Emilia-denka. I’m sure he will interfere in the personnel affairs to a.s.sign you to the Imperial Capital.”
“My father said he won’t intervene with my school result though?”
“It’s the [School result] not the [Personnel affairs] though, do you understand?”
“Such thing might happen.”
“What’s that. Obnoxious isn’t it.”
“Sara, to say that about His Majesty the King is….”
“It’s alright. But Sara-san, you might be charged with lese majeste if someone heard, be careful when you said that.”
“….Understood.”

Sara is the type who will say what he think. Radek is also one though. In some way that is good , but you need to be careful that you might stressed out people around you.

“Talking about lese majeste, I just remembered. Radek-san, Jozef-san. Can I ask you something?”
“….? It’s alright.”
“You can ask anything.”

Question from Emilia-denka is it, how unusual.
Her Highness breathed in deeply and says.

“For you commoners, what kind of people are the n.o.bles and royals?”
“……That’s an extremely extraordinary question to ask.”
“I’ve always wanted to ask this but never got a chance. Even if it’s bad please answer it. Please answer freely. I don’t mind if it’s impolite or rude.”

Even if you said that, I’m not that remarkable that I can critize the n.o.bles in front of the Princess though….
While I was wondering if I should answer honestly, Radek started talking.

“I don’t know about the royals but, the n.o.bles are both customer and rival.”
“I understand customer but what do you mean rival?”
“Nn, that is…”

I’ve heard this story before from Radek, it was about the time when a n.o.ble took over a deal right before it finished.

“It was a certain n.o.ble, probably marquis. He ordered some jewelries made in Ostmark. My father went to Ostmark to buy it because the commission was pretty good.”

But, in the end the jewelry can’t be sold to the marquis. It’s because a count that bordered the Ostmark took the jewelry. “It was confiscated under the pretext that the import report was incomplete.”

“Of course my father protested it but the enemy is a Count. And so the protest wasn’t listened. The Count who took the jewelry pa.s.sed it to the Marquis instead of my father. Of course the reward goes to the Count hand, Marquis trust on the Count goes up and the trust to my father fall down.”

Because the advance payment was good they avoid large deficit. However a fallen trust can’t return easily.
Radek told Princess Emilia about that honestly.

“….Is that so.”

Her Highness looks dejected. Well, it;s like knowing the bad things that your relative did.

“So that’s my opinion. Jozef, I leave the rest to you.”
“To leave it to me in such situation….”

Is someone heard, won’t we be thrown to the frontline immediately? I’m worried.
I don’t think I can also lie to Emilia-denka in her face. What should I do.

“Jozef-san, please tell me honestly.”

Emilia-denka firmly said that.
Honestly is it. In normal situation I would have to defend the n.o.bles though.

I guess I will say it honestly. If you think about it, this is an opportunity. Perhaps Her Highness can reform them directly.

“The n.o.bles are the harm of society.”
“Harm is it?”
“Eeh. At lest, unlike Her Highness they don;t try to fulfil their n.o.bles Oblige, if we didn’t pay tax because of that or voice our dissatisfaction, private army will come to stop all of us.”

I avoid saying that they will kill us. In the end it’s the same thing though.

“I’ve heard about [n.o.bility is an inst.i.tutional thief group] in before. Those who don’t have the wisdom and ability will inherit the position only because their blood, they collect tax from the populace. They fill their worldly desire with the collected tax. For us commoners it’s an injustice.”

Well some of them do have wisdom and ability,but they can’t really do anything to.
For example if the Princess or His Highness said ‘We have taken all the budget given by the court but it’s still not enough so lets raise the tax!’. If such thing happened, they can’t do anything.

“…..”

Her Highness fell silent. This is bad, I need to do a follow up.

“However, there are some who try to do the n.o.blese Oblige like Your Majesty, Like the n.o.bles who become the s.h.i.+eld of the people and loved by the people.”

The Counts of Silesia was such family for generations. To protect the people from the tyranny of the “Continental Empire” they raised a rebellion. The current royalty seems tp have forgotten that traditions, or perhaps it’s because the n.o.bles around them are s.h.i.+tty.

“……thank you.”

When Her Highness answered briefly, she smiles a bit.
Her highness has also grown isnt she. Well it’s normal. After she’s 15 years old now.

“well. let’s emd the gloomy talk here! Emilia,Jozef and Radek why talking about such thing after not meeting for a while!”
“Ah, sorry Sara-san.”
“Don’t use san!”

I was. .h.i.t after a long time because of that. Satisfaction~.

“Then, let’s raise the mood by talking about different topic.”

Warta-san said so. Un un. After all talks about politics and sports are not good.

“Let’s talk about what happened with Her Highness in the swordsmans.h.i.+p department, tell us about your heroic stories.”
“Well, it’s not a nice story.”
“Please stop, it’s embarra.s.sing.”

Warta-san is squirming. A 22 year old adult is.

“To all 5th grade students. this is the princ.i.p.al.”

? Communication magic from the princ.i.p.al? it’s been a while isn’t it. Since the day before war with Carlsberg….
Could it be.

“there’s an urgent matter. All members to gather in the 1st auditorium now.”

…..The 5 of us look at each other faces. With a tense face. We probably remembered about that day.

The real graduation exam is about to start.