Give Us an Education

Everyone visited a public bathhouse together to wash off their sweat.

Yohane, having entered the men's bath, quickly scrubbed himself clean and sank into the hot water.

Cleanliness was the foundation of human relations.

It was also effective at preventing disease.

It was said that since this culture had been properly established, the incidence of epidemics had dropped significantly.

It was all the result of a bath-loving emperor of the time indulging his hobby, but in the end, it had taken root as a truly wonderful part of their culture.

He browsed the shops nearby while waiting for the women to finish their bath, checking the trends of the Empire's prosperous city.

True to the region's abundant silver mines, most of the accessories were made with silver.

And the craftsmanship was impressive.

Compared to Spartia, which boasted exceptionally fine metalworking, the designs here tended toward simplicity, but silver rings that made the most of the metal's luster were stylish enough for everyday wear.

He planned to stock up on food supplies for the return trip, but perhaps it wouldn't hurt to pick up a few things like these as well.

While Yohane was browsing the street stalls, someone tugged at his hem.

"Um, sir. It's about time…"

"Hm? Oh, right."

It was Orleans.

Her face was slightly flushed, perhaps warmed from the bath.

"Here. This is for you."

He handed a small pendant to Orleans.

They'd be parting ways soon.

He'd bought it as a memento, or perhaps a keepsake, of this trip.

If not for Orleans, he'd never have come here in the first place.

The trade deal with the duchess had been quite an ordeal, but it had yielded substantial profit.

Orleans stared at the pendant for a long moment.

Then she looked up at Yohane's face.

"What is this?"

"It's a pendant. You wear it like this."

Yohane took the pendant and placed it around Orleans' neck.

It was a simple pendant, just a chain of silver links, that suited Orleans' blue hair nicely.

"… It's beautiful."

"It is."

Orleans had probably never had a chance to dress up before.

Given her birth and upbringing, that was simply how things were.

As a serf, her clothes were sturdy but nothing more.

Cosmetics were a world entirely beyond her reach.

Yohane regrouped with the women and headed for the ducal estate.

They'd cleaned up at the bathhouse, so there was no cause for any social offense.

They were announced at the gate, waited briefly, and then were admitted inside.

The soldiers still seemed to be in a state of heightened alertness.

Even though the Fire Dragon had departed, standing down from full alert wasn't something that could happen overnight.

Must be tough for them, Yohane thought as they proceeded.

The room they were led to was a reception parlor.

Inside sat an exhausted-looking duke.

He was seated in an ornate chair, puffing on a pipe, fatigue plainly written on his face.

He might not have slept at all since the previous day.

"You're here. I've just managed to catch my breath. Have a seat."

Following the duke's instruction, they sat down.

A maid prepared their drinks and withdrew to the wall.

The duke dumped sugar into the tea that had been prepared for him and drained it in one go.

"About yesterday's incident—I'd like to hear the details."

He was referring to Orleans' negotiation with the Fire Dragon.

The fact that the Dragon had departed made it clear the talks had succeeded, but that was where things had left off.

Why the Fire Dragon had come.

The specifics of the covenant.

And the fact that the monster wellspring's seal was coming undone.

Yohane relayed the information, choosing his words carefully.

One wrong phrasing could easily shift blame onto Orleans.

The duke listened in silence throughout.

When Yohane finished, silence settled over the room.

Purple smoke drifted from the pipe.

The duke tapped the ash from his pipe into a glass receptacle.

A sharp clink echoed through the room.

A heavy sigh followed, and he covered his face with his right hand.

"Good grief. Trouble has a way of piling up once it starts. Still, it's better than a Fire Dragon."

His voice was weary, yet it carried weight.

He had to be approaching old age, but there was no sense of decline about him.

That fortitude must have come from his years of experience as a great noble.

"Understood. That will do."

The tension in the room eased ever so slightly at the duke's words.

Yohane let out a quiet breath of relief.

It seemed he'd managed to secure the duke's acceptance.

"Well then, we'll be—"

"Wait."

The duke's voice stopped Yohane and the others as they moved to leave.

"You, the serf. There was talk of giving you a reward, was there not?"

"Yes."

"Name what you want."

"… I want education for my people."

The air that had just relaxed tightened back into tension.

That the serfs received no education was deliberate.

Whether slaves or serfs, if you only needed them for simple labor, it was more convenient for them to have no knowledge.

Knowledge bred discontent.

Ignorance meant they never grew dissatisfied.

And this had been the policy of every successive lord.

In other words, this was nothing less than a direct protest against the duke.

The duke stared at Orleans in silence.

"She's just a child, so—"

"I am speaking with this serf."

Yohane tried to intervene, but the duke wouldn't have it.

"Do you understand what that request means?"

"I knew nothing until sir brought me along. My world was that estate and nothing else. But now I know a little more."

Orleans showed no fear of the duke.

Was it because she knew so little that she had no instilled fear of a nobleman of his stature?

"I don't mind working for you, Duke. We've been paying our harvests as required. But please, don't let that be all we ever are."

"Hmm…"

The duke fell silent.

A long silence.

Yohane heard himself swallow.

"It seems one cannot keep humans caged forever. However, this exceeds the reward owed to you. If so, further merit is required."

That was what the duke said.

And the next words were easy to predict.

"If you can do something about the monster wellspring, I will grant your wish."