I recalled a question Frau-sensei once asked.
"Student Gol. To whom does the word 'noble' refer?"
In the Demon Kingdom, the correct response was as follows: "Those who hold a noble title, their legal wives, their children, and those who hold equivalent positions."
The King was royalty, and thus was not included among the nobility. This was a trick question, so one had to be careful.
Noble titles referred to Dukes, Marquises, Earls, Viscounts, Barons, and Knights, along with those holding equivalent titles. Famous examples of equivalent positions were the Four Heavenly Kings and the Generals, though apparently, there were various others as well.
Now then.
The Galgard Noble Academy was, naturally, an institution for those associated with the nobility. The majority of the students were children of nobles, or the children of civil and military officials who served them. Consequently, a parent's title and social standing heavily influenced a student's interpersonal relationships.
The academy didn't try to eliminate that influence. Rather, they actively taught the nuances of those relationships and proper conduct, forcing students to recognize their responsibilities. The policy seemed to be that while they could claim all students were equal upon entry, a rigid class-based society awaited them after graduation, so there was no point in coddling them.
The etiquette teacher told us that they didn't believe in half-measures; they wanted us to work hard during our time here, treating it as a grace period where it was acceptable to fail. However, it was apparently an annual tradition for some students to let their status go to their heads because they were fawned over by those around them.
The boy Sil had just punched was one of those students.
"You lot. Who gave you permission to be here?" (Translation: "Hey, you haven't greeted me yet. What’s the meaning of this?")
He had suddenly confronted us with that. Honestly, I thought he deserved the punch. Or rather, if we didn't hit him then and there, things would only get more difficult later.
"I wasn't aware I needed your permission to be here. Consider that fist my greeting." (Translation: "Wait, our status is supposed to be higher than yours. Are you serious? I’ll use this punch to pretend I never heard that.")
"Wh-wha... That wasn't a half-bad punch... Hmph. I've taken a liking to you." (Translation: "I'm so sorry. I look forward to our future relationship.")
I wasn't sure if his legs were shaking because he was terrified of his mistake or because Sil’s punch had been unexpectedly effective. Either way, it didn't matter, but the number of people picking fights like this was increasing. It was a real nuisance.
When we enrolled, we were granted a status equivalent to Baron House Heads. It essentially meant that while we weren't actually Barons, we were to be treated as if we were. This happened after I delivered the letters from Frau-sensei and Yuri-sensei to the Academy Director. The Director had held her head in her hands for a while after reading them; I just hoped the teachers hadn't made any unreasonable demands.
Still, we intended to make full use of the status we’d been given.
Incidentally, the boy Sil just punched was the son of an Earl. A House Head of a Baron family ranked higher than the son of an Earl. This remained true even if he were the son of a Duke. A House Head was the person who actually held the title. Regardless of how prestigious the parents were, a person with a title outranked a child without one.
However, since an Earl's son had the potential to become the next Earl, it was common practice for even a Baron House Head not to act arrogantly toward them. That was how one navigated society.
But if someone of lower status or position clearly picked a fight, you had to accept the challenge. Being passive was the thing that would get you scolded most by the teachers. Retaliating later was also frowned upon. Setting aside the actual outcome of the fight, it was considered best to settle the matter on the spot.
The reason was simple: it protected one's authority. Any act of rebellion against the established noble hierarchy required an immediate response. Winning was ideal, but losing was fine too. The important thing was to demonstrate the resolve to resist.
"This mantle isn't doing its job," Sil said, pulling at the short cape on his back to show me.
He didn't need to show me; I had the same one. This short mantle was the mark of an academy student. Rank indicators were sewn onto the reverse side to display one's status clearly.
"Why the reverse side? If it's not on the outside, nobody can see it."
"It's a crime prevention measure. Walking through the capital flaunting your status is a good way to get targeted."
While the Royal Capital was generally safe, it wasn't crime-free. Frau-sensei had been very strict about teaching us to be cautious.
"We're having more trouble because people can't see it, though..."
"That’s just the other person's lack of attention."
Even if the lines were on the inside, you could tell someone's rank just by glancing at the edge of the mantle if you were paying attention.
"Lack of attention, huh... Maybe it's because the lines for someone equivalent to a Baron House Head look too similar to the lines for a Baron's relatives?"
Ah... that was a fair point. I’d have to consult with the academy staff member about that later.
Our basic schedule involved classes in the morning and club activities in the afternoon. We had planned to ignore the clubs and focus on building our house, but we ended up joining one anyway.
The name of the club was the Territorial Life Improvement Club. Its activities included hunting, camping, agriculture, construction, cooking, and sewing. Except for hunting, these were skills generally considered unnecessary for nobles, but it was better to know them than not. The club’s stated purpose was that territory owners could provide a better life for their people if they possessed such practical knowledge.
The four seniors and our two neighbors had formed it specifically so they could work with us. For some reason, however, I ended up as the representative. Well, they were helping us build the house, and having more hands for hunting made things easier, so I didn't refuse.
Regarding agriculture, Bron had negotiated directly with the academy a while back. While you could buy food in the Royal Capital, we couldn't always get what we needed in the right quantities. Plus, the flavor was subpar. He asked to borrow land for a field so we could grow our own.
He was immediately shot down with the claim that students had no business tilling the soil, but the problem was solved when he spoke to the academy staff member.
"While the food supply has been recovering recently, research into food production is essential for the future. Could you lend us some land for that purpose?"
I realized then that it was all in the phrasing.
We were granted a plot of land one hundred meters square right next to the block where our house was being built. I wanted to start immediately, but we had to begin with soil preparation. As we were working on it in parallel with the house, an upperclassman interested in farming approached us.
This senior was the child of a rural noble. Unlike the typical image of nobility, he had lived in a house no better than a shack and spent his days fighting the earth with a hoe. He said he missed the smell of the soil and asked to join the club. Since he knew more than we did, we welcomed him with open arms.
I was a bit shocked when this Agriculture Senior told me that we’d likely spend the entire first year just preparing the soil.
"Well, that would be a bit depressing, so why don't we set up a small kitchen garden? I'll go source some seedlings and seeds."
No one objected to that.
Oh, that’s right. Within the club, noble speech was forbidden. Setting aside hunting, there just weren't enough formal words to cover camping, farming, building, cooking, or sewing. You couldn't exactly have a conversation if the only thing you could say was "Do as you see fit."
As of now, the four seniors, the two neighbors, and the Agriculture Senior had recruited even more members. The club had ballooned into a massive group of over forty people.
I was happy the house was moving along, but while everyone wasn't there every day, they all showed up at mealtime. I didn't quite understand why.
And honestly, I was starting to wonder about the fairness of me being the only one cooking for forty people. The seasonings Uncle Galf had secretly given me were almost gone. I really needed to track down Michael's shop soon.