Chapter 66

Although it may sound obvious, each of the dukes who have appeared in the 300-year history of the empire was an extraordinary figure. Either they possessed exceptional personal abilities, wielded formidable power, or both. And the current five dukes all fall into the latter category. The future of the empire is indeed bright.

As the head of the Inspection Department, which is essentially a direct subordinate of the emperor, I meet the complete five dukes far more frequently than other officials. Perhaps it's because we share the common trait of being at the emperor's beck and call? My official fortune is truly bleak.

In any case, being summoned to a duke's territory, rather than just to the capital, is an unprecedented situation. For the student council, including Margareta, it's a sudden variable.

"This is a document sent from the Boyar Dukedom."

"Is it alright if I take a look?"

"Of course."

With that, I gratefully read it. The document, sent from the Boyar Dukedom, was richly imbued with the will of the Golden Duke.

'Consistency like this is impressive.'

On the contrary, reading the document made me feel more at ease. As the title suggests, the Golden Duke is a man who rules over money and is obsessed with it. If the Golden Duke is smiling, it means he has made a significant profit, and if he moves, it's to make a profit.

In that sense, the reason the field trip destination was set to the Boyar Dukedom is simple. It's not that there are any hidden schemes; apparently, a new resort has been built in the Boyar Dukedom. They are promoting the new resort and working to invigorate the local economy through the presence of noble students.

"That's the Golden Duke I know."

"Right? He's always so consistent, it's reassuring."

The Golden Duke was just being the Golden Duke. If the duke had used his power to set the field trip destination to some remote village, it would be understandable, but the Boyar Dukedom is already a famous resort and one of the economic centers. It's a place the students would likely enjoy.

"I was hoping for a closer location, but it's a bit disappointing."

Margareta's voice, trying to sound bright, carried a hint of fatigue.

There are two victims of this field trip. One is me, who would prefer to have as little interaction with the dukes as possible. The other is the student council, which has to arrange the travel schedule for hundreds of students and faculty to the southernmost part of the empire. From the student council's perspective, which had planned to go to a closer territory, this must feel like a sudden bolt from the blue.

Moreover, given the Golden Duke's character, he wouldn't have made a random request. There must be a subtle reason, like the academy owing him a favor, which means the student council has to pay up. Even if the vice president, a noble lady, tries to hold her ground, she can't stand up to the duke himself.

"If there's anything I can help with, I'll do my best."

"Hehe, thank you. I'll call you if I need anything, so be prepared?"

Margareta's smile briefly revealed a familiar aura. The eyes of a pitiful bureaucrat who had to deviate from the plan due to a higher authority's will.

'Noble lady bureaucrat.'

I felt both novelty and pity. A noble lady who should be living a lofty life is enduring such hardships. If one of the ministers were in this situation, I might have patted their shoulder.

Margareta, tilting her head at my intense gaze, looked particularly pitiful today.

The field trip destination was apparently announced publicly today.

"I've never been to the sea before!"

"Is that so?"

I nodded appropriately at Louise's excited tone. Seeing her so thrilled about just seeing the sea made me think she was still quite innocent, yet considering the empire's vast territory, it made sense. The land is vast, but the main mode of transportation is still carriages.

Of course, there is the teleportation spell, but it's not something just anyone can use. Ultimately, unless one has a specific reason, a person from the inland will never see the sea in their lifetime.

"It's hard to go to the sea unless there's a specific reason. I've never been either."

"Me too. What a coincidence."

I heard information I wasn't particularly curious about. Erih, being a local, and Tannian, who grew up in the inland Holy Kingdom, had never been to the sea. Ainter, who had lived in the palace without ever leaving, had no such experience either.

"Then no one has been to the sea?"

"I have. It was for a visit to a region affected by a tsunami."

"Does that count if it was for work? I've been to the sea for a conference."

The two princes seemed to have been dragged around for various official duties. Although they might sometimes forget, they are still royalty, so external activities are inevitable. Ainter, who can't leave the palace, is a special case.

Ruthis and Lather's comments made Louise nod repeatedly, then she turned her gaze to me.

"Only for work."

I preempted the obvious question. Sea? I've been there. I've been several times on official business, but the most memorable was chasing smugglers who were trying to escape to a foreign country. It was an exciting game of cat and mouse across the empire, which I still can't forget.

In the end, I couldn't stop them from boarding the ship, so I sank it along with the ship. The loss of the goods was significant, but the smugglers deserved to die. Even if I had captured them alive, they would have faced the death penalty.

"So this is the first time we're all going for fun?"

Then Louise rummaged through her bag and pulled out a thin blue booklet.

"Ta-da! It's a pamphlet for the Boyar Dukedom!"

'Why is that here?'

Why is that here?

Feeling awkward at the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar booklet, Erih answered my unspoken question.

"Pamphlet? Where did you get it?"

"I saw it with Irina in the library last week. There were a lot of them?"

It's clear that they were deliberately placed in the academy library to coincide with the field trip season. The idea is for students to know more about the Boyar Dukedom before they arrive, think about where to spend their money, and come prepared. The Golden Duke, that relentless man...

With hundreds of noble guests descending, he wouldn't want them to waste their money. He's serious, the Golden Duke is really serious.

"Oh, there was that."

"Knowing where you're going isn't a bad thing."

As soon as the five boys had a reason to get closer to Louise, they approached like ghosts. But isn't it a bit much for six people to be huddled around a small booklet?

"The Boyar Dukedom is a center of maritime trade located on the southern coast of the empire, a place that has prospered since the Apels era."

Just as I was about to tell them to spread out, Louise's voice rang out. I couldn't stop her from reading it out loud.

While watching Louise's reading session, I realized that these guys aren't really interested in the content. Even if I asked Vilar, he'd say the same. No matter how much she reads, they're just staring at her face too obviously.

"Since the previous Boyar Duke, they have been developing resort facilities..."

I felt a bit sorry for Louise, who was reading so diligently, but it reminded me of a kindergarten teacher reading a storybook to five unruly children. At least the kids would fall asleep when a story is read, but these guys...

Quietly observing them, I noticed Erih's bright expression. Is he enjoying it? This brat should at least offer to read or get more from the library.

'Is there a sixth one?'

Lately, I can't help but have fundamental doubts. With five of them, none of them making much progress, is this really the right way? Do I need a sixth one to emerge and create a sense of crisis for them to make progress? But adding another one would be a headache.

While I was lost in serious contemplation, the miraculous reading session, where there were speakers but no listeners, paused for a moment.

"The continent's top casino?"

Our young noble, raised in purity, seemed unfamiliar with the concept of a casino. She blinked a few times and then turned to me, who was standing a bit away, looking a bit flustered.

"It's a resort, so all kinds of nobles gather there. If you have a decent casino, the income is quite good."

"Is that so?"

She laughed awkwardly, showing a slight aversion to the word "casino."

'Really grew up pure.'

Perhaps because the original author is a modern person, even though the setting is medieval Europe, the perception of gambling in this world is not very positive. As a result, even a noble can be as innocent as this.

Moreover, the casino in the Boyar Dukedom is not run openly. It's essentially an ATM for the royal family.

'I've used it too.'

Sometimes, officials passing through the Boyar region on business win money at the casino to secure emergency funds, but fundamentally, the structure of the casino is designed for the house to win.

So, loyal nobles go there and lose a reasonable amount of money, which then goes to the emperor. Some of that money is allocated to special departments like the Special Affairs Bureau or the Inspection Department, and some of it becomes my salary, which I then lose at the casino...

What the hell, this circular economy is messed up. I'm not sure if I'm losing my own money at the casino or if it's just being returned to me after being held.

"Still, there are plenty of other things to enjoy, so don't worry about it."

I quickly added this, worried that they might get caught in the bizarre cycle I'm in. At least I get a salary or budget, but if they lose money at the casino, that's it.

"Yes, I want to spend time at the beach."

"The sea is all about the beach."

"Right? I'm looking forward to it."

From their reactions, it seems there's no need to worry. More importantly, Erih, who has never been to the sea, is talking as if he knows it well.

"Wow, there are also many unique fruits?"

As Louise's reading session resumed, I subtly touched the communication device in my pocket. The students seem excited, but the adults, with various considerations, have a lot to prepare.

Just off the top of my head, the academy is not nearby, so the three major powers need to send key personnel to the southern end of the empire. At that distance, the three major powers need to get permission to enter the Boyar Dukedom.

'The world outside the academy is harsh.'

The very idea of going anywhere is flawed. Shouldn't we avoid sending students into a dangerous world?