Wait. Who is this guy?
I turned to Lanmia and Luchirs, but they both paled and shook their heads. I took that to mean he was an older student they didn’t recognize. His tie was black, which meant he was in the highest grade. I didn’t know anyone in the top grade. The middle child of Colny’s family and one of her elder brothers—Loksusad, or Loks—had just entered his fourth year, and I didn’t think this guy was one of Loks’s acquaintances. If he were, I’m sure he wouldn’t have been so darn rude.
The rude upperclassman hadn’t left in our confusion—he was standing next to our table imposingly and wouldn’t move. I really wanted him to hurry up and go somewhere he wouldn’t be a bother.
“Someone unremarkable as you could use my protection. Become my underling.”
Whaaat?
Come on, where did this third-rate line come from? He was really loud too, so everyone nearby was looking at us. This definitely wasn’t the sort of attention I wanted. Just as I was wondering what to do, I heard a much more familiar voice.
“It’s barely midday and I hear someone kicking up a fuss in the cafeteria. Once again, I find you, Reswell.”
It was Loks, with a tinge of annoyance on his usually soft smile. It sounded like this guy was a repeat offender.
The young man called Reswell turned away from Loks in disgust. “That’s what I want to say. You again, little Aspozat?”
“I’ll remind you I have a name: Loksusad.”
The older student scoffed. “You’re a second son! Nothing but a spare for your older brother!”
Wow. What a thing to say in a place full of second and third sons.
Whoop, hold on.
Not far away from our table, I spotted the third prince. He was the third son of the royal family. He was watching with a bitter expression, but the upperclassman hadn’t noticed. I didn’t see any reason to tip him off, but Loks went and spoiled it.
“The second son is only a spare for their older brother, you say? So would you say the same thing about my contemporary Prince Lumers? By the way, are you aware that the third prince is present as well, just over there?”
“Wha?!”
Even this guy seemed to understand that slandering the royal family was a bad idea.
“R-Remember this!”
That was, uh, a pathetic move. Don’t worry, I won’t remember a second of this.
I was confident I could pass this man in the hallway and not recognize him. After all, the student body was pretty sizable!
After he left, the quiet cafeteria burst into chatter.
“Whatever was that all about?”
“Wasn’t he that son of Viscount Nogdeid?”
“Ah, the less than competent one.”
“I hear it frustrates him, so he’s always going around acting high and mighty.”
“Oh, how disgraceful. Do you suppose the viscount plans to let this continue?”
“He can’t do much because the great-grandfather will interfere.”
“Ahh.”
There was quite a lot of information circling around. While I concentrated on picking up what I could, Loks came up to us.
“That was a real disaster, wasn’t it, Lera?”
“Not at all. Thank you very much for coming to my aid.”
“That’s such a formal way to thank a friend,” he said with a snicker.
Hardly. Even in Peylon we’re taught the value of formalities.
Since he was here, Loks decided to join us for lunch, and I could practically see the hearts forming in Lanmia’s eyes.
“Do you know that guy from earlier?” he asked.
“No, I just pieced things together by listening to the chatter.”
“Oh, that’s how. You know some convenient magic.”
He he he.
“Just to be sure, I’ll give you a less jumbled version,” Loks said, his voice lowering to a near whisper. “His name is Reswell. He’s the oldest son of Viscount Nogdeid, and set to inherit the title. Now, this is the important part: Viscount Nogdeid and his house are fairly high in the noble faction hierarchy.”
“Even though he’s a viscount?”
“That’s right.”
It wasn’t absolute, but having a higher status did make it easier to go up the faction rankings. Simply put, a viscount would usually land somewhere in the lower-middle or upper-bottom rungs. Was there a reason he was so high up?
As I wondered about this, Loks said it outright. “There’s a reason he’s so high up.”
“I figured there was.”
“So you noticed that. Well done.”
Loks, I greatly appreciate the praise, but I’m not sure how to feel about you patting my head like I’m a child. Not to mention I’m getting some looks of burning envy.
Still, I let him pat my head. I liked the way he was so gentle about it. Loks’s brother and the oldest son of House Aspozat, Winville, or Ville, always put too much strength in his hands when he did it. I couldn’t be sure if Loks noticed the looks we were getting, but he continued on.
“It’s a poorly kept secret, but the current Lord Nogdeid’s mother is the secret child of Syvel, the current head of House Bilbroza, which is the leading house of the noble faction.”
“Secret child.”
“A child he had with a woman of low status. I guess this isn’t a nice way to put it, but he shoved that child off onto House Nogdeid. However, by forming this connection with House Bilbroza, Nogdeid flew up the faction ranks, so you might say it was a good deal for them.”
I paused to wonder how that daughter (though I guess she was too old to be called that) they married off—that is to say, the mother of the current Lord Nogdeid—felt about it all. Though it was sort of a heavy subject, Loks clapped his hands and shifted the mood.
“Now, this part is what we’re here to talk about. Reswell, Lord Bilbroza’s great-grandson, just tried to stick his nose in Lera’s business. Is that a coincidence or not? What do you think?”
“It’s the latter, isn’t it? But why would someone from the noble faction try to insert themselves into my life?”
It couldn’t be a coincidence. He said “become my underling.” What era did he walk out of? Actually, maybe that didn’t sound all that out of place in this school, but I didn’t think many guys had girls for lackeys. Generally, people here surrounded themselves with flunkies of the same gender.
Speaking of which, that guy probably didn’t have any flunkies. If he did, then they should’ve been with him. Perhaps he didn’t get a lot of respect. Listening to people whisper about him, I had a feeling that was the answer.
Loks smiled at my question. “Surely he’s doing it because your house is part of the royal faction, don’t you think?”
“Loks, are you trying to dodge the question?”
He glanced to the side.
I’m going to take that as a yes.
The dorm was fairly peaceful this early in the new school year. The new students were desperately trying to make friends, while older students were using all their brain power on their new classes. It might’ve been the calmest time of the year. I had the day off, and was hoping to spend it hanging around my dorm room.
“Maybe I should start planning out the Peylon amusement park.”
I was planning on building a permanent amusement park in Peylon. Of course I planned to get Lord Peylon’s permission, but I had to at least have it all thought out if I wanted that to happen.