Especially considering the fact that I was to enroll at the Magic Academy. Mastering mana control was every student’s main goal. Meanwhile, I was off to the side still confused by the mere concept of mana. I was being asked to master something that I still had trouble believing in.
I mean, magic being a thing in the game world makes sense to me, but could I confirm it with my own two eyes before we move on to actually learning how to use it? Please?
“I know you’re worried too, brother. Isn’t that why you brought me to the capital a month ahead of schedule?”
Alexei paused before answering. “Regardless, your health is more important than any of that. If you’re concerned about your grades, I’ll handle that for you. Don’t worry about it.”
Hey, hey. Now I’m wondering how much Ekaterina took advantage of Alexei’s influence in the game.
“Even so, I truly wish to study, brother! The history book I borrowed from you yesterday was so fascinating!” I exclaimed.
Before turning into a soulless worker bee, I used to be a bit of a history buff. Truth be told, I preferred historical novels over the serious history books, but I still loved history! I’d loved the book he’d lent me. I genuinely wanted to know more!
“Also, I’ve found a goal for myself! I need to study a lot if I want to make it happen,” I said with determination.
“Oh, a goal? What is it?”
“I want to study enough to understand law, history, and the ways of the world, so I can help you with your work, brother!”
My words took Alexei by surprise; he stared at me open-mouthed.
At seventeen, Alexei was already a duke. In my past life, I hadn’t dwelled much on the setting, but I’d realized something over the last three days:
Isn’t being a duke way too much work?! He’s a student, CEO, and prefectural governor all at once!
He’d done his best to stick by my side these past few days, but an unending number of documents for him to check and decisions for him to make streamed in regardless. I’d overheard him discuss the production of the duchy’s mines (isn’t owning mines crazy?) and the matter of a tax exemption for a village that had recently suffered a landslide. The bad quality of recent imports, which had prompted Alexei to request refunds, had also come up.
The craziest thing I’d heard brought up was a huge dragon that apparently appeared in the forest sometimes, preventing people from harvesting the four-hundred-year-old black dragon cedar trees that grew in the deepest part of the forest. My brother had been asked to approve a budget increase for patrols, as well as to sign a report explaining why the black dragon cedar exports would be delayed.
Unbelievable monsters straight out of fantasy books mentioned alongside mundane paperwork and budget increases bewildered me. One thing was for certain, though: Alexei was absurdly busy! But he still managed to get everything done?!
I suspected he’d crammed everything there was to know about the dukedom into his brain. If you gave him the name of a village, I bet he could list the exact location, topology, population, and local production. He was also prepared to face emergencies at any time and had cultivated an array of skills to deal with trouble and lead the territory through hard times.
Is there anything he can’t do?
A seventeen-year-old being that competent was almost unfair. He reminded me of Uesugi Yozan, a wise feudal lord of the Edo period, who’d taken over his territory at a similar age.
All this responsibility is no joke! He’s got a death flag looming over him!
Talented individuals always ended up with the most work; Alexei was no exception. Just as I’d made up my mind to lower the flags that threatened the Yulnova family, I’d noticed that yet another danger menaced my dear brother: overwork.
Give me a break. How am I supposed to deal with that danger?! It’s even more insidious than the others!
That’s what had prompted me to declare I’d help Alexei in the future. Considering the pleased smile on her—my brother’s face, he probably didn’t take me seriously.
“You’re such a kind girl, Ekaterina. You don’t need to worry about my work.”
“The first step is catching up with the other students,” I continued, ignoring what Alexei had said. “I promise I won’t exhaust myself so please, brother, help me find good tutors. I’m scared to enter the academy at my current level of knowledge. Please...”
I tilted my head to the side, looking up at my brother with my biggest, wobbliest puppy dog eyes. As I’d expected, my devoted brother readily nodded and promised to find me tutors by the following day.
Yes! Still, I’m pretty sure no one but you would fall for the villainess’s puppy dog eyes, so I’ll make a note not to use that technique on others. If anything, they might cringe.
Now that that’s settled, I just have to work hard enough to gain the knowledge of an average student!
“Welcome home, young master.”
It was two days before Ekaterina was set to enter the Magic Academy. Alexei, who’d just returned from the imperial palace, felt a pang of irritation at the form of address.
“Don’t ‘young master’ me,” he snapped at his trusted confidant, Boris Novak.
“Forgive me, Your Grace,” Novak said, unbothered.
While his short black hair had started graying, the fifty-three-year-old man still boasted a firm and muscular body. He’d administered the Yulnova Duchy for years and had served as Alexei’s closest aide and advisor since Alexei was a boy. He’d taught him everything there was to know about running a territory, and continued to support it in both public and private affairs alike. Novak’s teachings had been so instrumental to Alexei’s growth that one could say the current duke had only turned into such a fine young man thanks to him.
Their closeness was also the reason Alexei didn’t bother concealing his irritation—Novak was the only person to whom he showed such emotions.
“How was the ducal meeting?” Novak asked.
“Same as ever. Magna was his usual testy self.”