I stopped by my family residence to change into my academy uniform. After making sure to hide my face with a hat and an oversized scarf, I walked to the academy.
The streets weren’t dangerous. Ho family soldiers were positioned at regular intervals along the main roads, and patrols regularly passed down the smaller paths. They were all highly trained soldiers with integrity—they wouldn’t try to throw their weight around or extort money from citizens.
There were also commoners outside, who were walking around as normal. An acceptable level of peace and stability had been established, though there was still a sense of unease and distrust in the air as people tried to adjust to their new rulers.
I passed through the academy gate and headed to the school building. Although the Knight Academy was running as normal, I knew all classes would be suspended at the Cultural Academy. The director—Isabeau Marmoset—had been Vivila Marmoset’s elder sister, and she’d been killed during the recent disruption.
It was still unclear what would become of the Knight Academy. It would be home to many of the Bof and Noza family’s followers, and the curriculum was in sore need of an overhaul. A turbulent period of rapid change awaited that might bring a complete end to the Knight Academy, along with its classes on spear combat and outdated battle tactics.
I entered the building where lectures were held and headed for Ms. Ether’s office. When I arrived, however, I found six Cultural Academy students waiting in the corridor.
What’s going on? I wondered.
It would’ve made sense if they were waiting in line, but the students were scattered about. They watched me warily as I approached in my suspicious-looking outfit.
“Excuse me, what are you all doing?” I asked one of the students. “Are you waiting to ask questions?”
“We’re waiting for Ms. Ether Vino.”
Waiting for her?
“You mean she’s not here? Then where is she?”
“Where indeed. Maybe try asking politely if you want answers.”
She’s touchy.
I chalked up the student’s reaction to tension brewing between the two sides of the academy. There’d always been some hostility, but it must’ve reached a boiling point because of my tireless efforts to strip the witches of all authority. No doubt a major power shift had occurred within the school, as well.
Since this student looked at least my age, if not a little older, I decided I’d try being more polite. “I’d be grateful if you could tell me where to find Ms. Ether.”
“I don’t know where she is. That’s why I’m waiting here, of course.”
I should’ve figured that out. “So I see. Might I ask what business you have with her?”
My best guess was that everyone had questions about Terolish. That was the usual reason people visited her.
“Ms. Ether Vino was one of Yuri Ho’s teachers. I’m going to ask her for a letter of recommendation.”
“What?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
What do I have to do with anything? Ms. Ether certainly was my teacher, but still...
“What sort of recommendation? I’m one of Yuri Ho’s friends, by the way,” I quickly added. I’m the man himself, in fact.
“A recommendation to spare the life of my grandmother. And the others...” The girl looked at another student. “Well, we all have our reasons.”
The other student began talking. “My mother sent me here. Our family business is...”
I could see that the situation was complicated—enough that it had made Ms. Ether run and hide. Six people were waiting for her, and they were just the ones outside her office.
“Have any of you taken the Terolish language course?” I asked in Terolish.
“Yes, I have,” one of the girls farthest away replied.
The rest were blank-faced, clearly oblivious to what we were saying.
Just one...?
Ms. Ether worked here as a teacher. Anyone who wasn’t taking her lectures shouldn’t have had any business with her. She must’ve been the focus of attention since I hadn’t formed close ties with many others at the Cultural Academy. I could imagine how awkward it must’ve been for her, having unfamiliar students crowding around and asking for her help.
There were tons of people at the Knight Academy with some connection to me because of the expedition, but the Cultural Academy students probably didn’t like going there.
Lilly and Sham would’ve been alternative options, but they’d both fled to the south. That only left the two girls who’d helped me with the printing work. Students were probably going to them for help too, but I couldn’t imagine Pina talking to people about their problems. That just left Komimi. It was as though she was fated to a life of hard work.
“Do you have a question about Terolish?” I asked.
“Yes, but it seems I’ll have to wait in line.”
We continued to talk in Terolish. She was close to being fluent. She’d gone beyond broken speech and reached the point where she could hold everyday conversations.
“What sort of question?”
“This passage of text.”
The girl had a Terolish book with her that she must’ve borrowed from Ms. Ether. I’d already read it myself, so I’d probably be able to help.
I read the passage aloud. “Such violates the precept, but he who forgets compassion cannot follow the will of his master.”
“What precept is it talking about?”
“It’s referring to one of the ten precept hymns. Do you know them?”
“Oh, is it the one about the mendicant priest?”
“That’s right. The hymn of the mendicant order. I get why you’d be confused since it comes up out of nowhere.” This isn’t exactly easy stuff, is it?
The book was a collection of comical tales based on Yeesusism’s parables, written with the assumption that the reader was already familiar with the originals. Anyone reading this book first would just find it confusing.
“I get it. Oh, but what about this?” she asked, pointing to a word on the page.
“Nightcap? Oh... You’d better ask Ms. Ether about that one.”
“You don’t understand it?”
“I do, but...it’s hard to explain.”
“That’s all right. Please try me.”
Ms. Ether had looked very uncomfortable when I’d asked her about this same word in the past. Now the same burden had fallen on me. I wished the ink would disappear from the page.
“‘Little nightcap’ is a euphemism,” I began. “You know how prostitutes stuff cotton down there to prevent infections? Well, that’s what it refers to.”
“What?!” The girl shrieked in surprise and slammed the book closed. Her face turned red as if I’d offended her.
I hope this doesn’t count as sexual harassment.
“I’m sorry. I really should have left the explanation to Ms. Ether.”
“N-No. It was my fault for asking.” Her face was still red, and her shoulders were trembling.
It felt like I’d done something immoral. Worrying that I might be mistaken for some kind of pervert if I hung around, I decided to make a quick exit.
“I’m going to go look for Ms. Ether. Good luck with your Terolish studies.”
✧✧✧
Ms. Ether was sitting and praying on a small mat that she’d spread out on the wooden floor of a humble, unused classroom. It was next to the lecture theater she used for her Terolish course.
These days, there was a dedicated room for Kulatish lectures, but it hadn’t always been that way. In the past, there’d be an initial lecture session, followed by a short break, and then we’d come to this room where we could ask questions.
When Ms. Ether heard the door open, she stopped praying and turned to look at me. She rose from the mat and started backing away.
“Um...”
“It’s me.” I removed the hat and scarf.
“Oh, Yuri?”
“Yes, I came to say hello.”
“Oh, I see.” Ms. Ether remained in stunned silence, as if she’d never expected me to visit.
I bowed my head. “It seems I’ve caused you a lot of trouble.”
“No, not at all. I’ve been perfectly fine.”
Ms. Ether had been arrested by the second order on the night of the assassination and confined along with Tellur. After I’d made contact with Tillet, I’d asked her to determine Ms. Ether’s whereabouts. Having guessed that the witches were in league with the crusaders, I’d known they’d target her.
After gathering intelligence in the royal capital, Tillet had learned that Ms. Ether had been arrested, just as I’d expected. The heavy security placed around her had made it difficult to rescue her immediately. Since the witches were treating her well, we’d decided not to attempt a risky extraction. Instead, we’d waited for her to be moved out of the royal capital where her escorts would be more vulnerable to attack. However, the royal capital had fallen before the witches had had time to transfer Ms. Ether anywhere.
“Did you come here alone?” Ms. Ether asked. “It’s dangerous for someone as important as yourself.”
That felt a little rich coming from her.
“That goes for both of us. I needed to come back to see how things were at the Cultural Academy too. I would’ve had to step in if the girls were being mistreated.”
I took a seat near Ms. Ether as I spoke. Like everything else in this unused classroom, it was a little dusty.
Ms. Ether, likewise, picked up her mat from the floor and put it down on a bench before sitting on it.
“Were you unharmed when they captured you? You weren’t injured or...”
“I’m fine. Even while I was imprisoned, the room they kept me in was very comfortable.”
Ms. Ether had been taken to the royal castle, and the guest rooms they had there were probably a lot finer than her own home—though she had the money to live somewhere just as nice if she wanted from the royalties we paid her for the holy book.
“I see. Well, that’s good to hear.”
“I know things have been difficult for you too, Yuri. Your parents were... I-I don’t know what to say...” Ms. Ether looked as though she was genuinely grieving with me.
“Yes, well...” I didn’t want to bring the mood down, so I quickly changed the subject. “I went to your office looking for you. There were six students waiting outside.”
“Yes, I’ve been rather busy lately.”
“I think all of this trouble is because of me. I’m sorry.”
“Not at all. Though I don’t know why people keep appearing even when I refuse them. I feel bad, because some people still come to me with questions about Terolish. The problem is, when I try to help them, dozens of other students start lining up.”
Ms. Ether put her hand to her head, looking understandably stressed. Her glasses probably stopped her from putting her hand over her face.