The next morning, while I was buried in paperwork in the study, Alicia naturally came barging in to press me for answers.
"Ragna!"
She was a complete contrast to her former self; she seemed genuinely active, prompting Sebas to stroke his prized mustache while murmuring a curious, "My, my."
"Yes, I’m Ragna. Present and accounted for."
"What was that yesterday?!"
When I answered her, she slammed both hands onto my desk and leaned in close.
As usual, the manor’s windows were blanketed with Magic Insects, yet they stayed completely clear of her. She looked refreshed and invigorated. Well, it made sense. By making that vow, she had essentially gained a Dragon’s Protection. No matter how many Magic Insects tried to swarm her, they couldn't even get close. Whether it was a divine blessing or just a lingering scent, it didn't really matter as long as it neutralized the malice of the insects.
"What was what...? Well, I thought making a vow in the presence of a dragon was quite romantic in its own way...?"
Since she’d asked what "that" was, I assumed she meant the dragon and gave her an honest answer. Heroic Tales exist in this world too, and everyone knows about dragons. There are stories of Evil Dragons that sow calamity and Good Dragons that followed Heroes to slay Demon Kings. They are beings of immense power—terrifying, yet beautiful. They possess the intelligence to speak with humans and have lived since ancient times, making them unexpectedly knowledgeable about things long forgotten by man.
"Does that mean House Brave tames dragons?!"
Whether it was romantic or not didn't seem to concern her at all; she simply wanted to know why a dragon had been there.
"We haven't tamed him, per se."
"Quite so," Sebas added.
Since Sebas had been there when I first met Onyx, he knew the nature of our relationship perfectly and nodded in agreement. If I let her keep firing questions at me, my administrative work would never get done, so I decided to give her a brief summary.
"Onyx is a dragon who recently moved into the Brave Territory. He lives deep in that mountain range now. His arrival caused a massive monster stampede that gave us a lot of trouble, didn't it, Sebas?"
"Indeed it did."
When the dragon told me he’d moved here because someone in the neighboring country said there was better food on this side, I felt a surge of resentment toward our neighbors.
"Alicia, what do you think happens when a dragon suddenly appears in a land that previously had none?"
"...I suppose it would be disastrous, though it's hard to truly grasp the scale."
"Exactly. Disastrous. First, the monsters living in the mountains panic and flee. That wave of monsters hits the Brave Territory head-on."
While we were busy mobilizing soldiers and adventurers to suppress the riots, the neighboring country took advantage of the chaos and launched an attack. That was how my father was killed.
"It’s unforgivable to use a dragon as a tool for an invasion, isn't it, Sebas?"
"Truly, Young Master."
I’m sure Onyx knows that with great power comes great responsibility. When I told him he was being used as a convenient pawn for someone else’s gain, he flew into a rage and apparently used his breath to scorch the enemy's border fortress. One might think I was no better for egging him on, but I only told him after I’d already chased down and killed the enemy general myself, so it wasn't a problem. Hahaha, I really handled that well.
"...If you haven't tamed him, why are you two so casual with each other?"
"That is because Master Onyx acknowledged the Young Master," Sebas explained.
"That's the long and short of it."
Since there’s always a reason for a monster riot, I headed into the mountains to find Onyx and settle the matter. Naturally, even if you tell a dragon that his presence is causing monsters to swarm your land, they’re the type of beings to just say, "I know nothing of such trifles." From a dragon’s perspective, aren't we humans basically just lower organisms?
"But I had to do something, so we ended up fighting."
"I was deeply moved when the Young Master challenged him to single combat, fought to a draw, and earned Master Onyx’s respect," Sebas recalled.
"I nearly died, though. But thanks to that, I got him to the negotiating table. He promised the monsters won't riot for about a year, so it worked out."
That was the only reason I had the time to attend the Academy. He’d scorched the neighboring country for me and promised to periodically thin out the monster population. The only reason we can't develop the mountain range is because he’s currently occupying it.
"Dragons rarely make promises, but once they do, they keep them with pride. I think he’s fairly trustworthy in that regard."
That said, I wouldn't call him a "good" dragon. You definitely shouldn't make the mistake of trying to subjugate him; it would only end in disaster. He only came here because he’d eaten all the prey in the neighboring mountains and someone told him about a new feeding ground. As long as we keep things civil, he’ll probably move on once he’s cleared out the monsters in our range. Though I have no idea how many years that will take.
In the worst-case scenario, he showed an interest in human food, so if we bring him regular tributes and ask him to play nice, we’ll be stable for a while. I’m leaving the feeding duties to you, Sebas.
"...The scale of your life is so massive that I can't quite process it."
That was Alicia’s final verdict after hearing the story.
"Just when I thought I could finally look forward, I thought I was going to be eaten by a dragon. It was quite a shock..."
"Hahaha! Even if he tried, I’d protect you. I made a vow to a dragon, after all. Whether it's Onyx or any other dragon, I’ll keep you safe, so rest easy."
"...I feel like a fool for panicking. In this house... sigh..."
Alicia let out a long sigh as I laughed, looking utterly drained. Generally speaking, House Brave is the eccentric one, so it was fine for us to be the "fools," but since she was trying her best to adapt to this land, I kept that thought to myself.
"Lady Alicia, I was filled with nothing but surprises when I first arrived here as well," Sebas said. "Eventually, nothing will faze you."
"I-I see..."
It was a casual remark from Sebas, but it made me wonder—just how long has this guy been the butler for House Brave? His face hasn't aged a day since my earliest childhood memories. That’s the most mysterious part of all.
"Hand it over."
"Eh? What?"
I was just about to tell Alicia to head back to her room because she was distracting me from my work when she held out her hand.
"You said yesterday that you were short-handed, didn't you? I'm here to help."
"Oh!"
"In our spare time, I will teach you about the Academy. If I take you there as you are now, you’ll likely be expelled on the first day."
"Wait, really...?"
I knew I had some eccentricities, but was it that bad? I’m a noble from the Abandoned Land, so I expected some prejudice, but expulsion?
"I mean, Sebas has been teaching me the basics...?"
My job was to secure support from high-ranking nobles. I could manage a little brown-nosing if I had to.
"I have taught him formal etiquette," Sebas interjected, "but as I am a man of the older generation, I am unfamiliar with the current culture and trends of the youth in the Royal Capital."
"See?"
It was a bit of a blow to realize she genuinely believed I had a high chance of being kicked out.
"So, you’re saying you’d be embarrassed to walk beside me...?"
"That’s not it," Alicia said, looking at me as I stood there stunned. "I don't care about the opinions of others. It’s just... I suspect that if you are with me, people will look for any excuse to find fault with you. Even a minor mistake could be used as a pretext to force your expulsion."
"Hmm. In that case, you wouldn't be able to fulfill your vow, would you? Young Master, this is a wonderful opportunity. You should let Lady Alicia instruct you on the ways of the Academy."
"Fine, I get it."
I was happy to hear her say she didn't care about other people's opinions, but the thought of being an embarrassment was enough to motivate me. I would become a fine man worthy of walking beside such a beauty. This was a necessary step to protect her. Time to put in the work.
"The Young Master tends to do impulsive, outlandish things when his emotions get the better of him," Sebas added, "so I would be most grateful if you could keep him on a tight leash."
"Hey, Sebas, didn't it occur to you that saying that was incredibly rude?"
"It did."
"Hey!"
So he said it knowing exactly how it sounded. That makes it even worse.
"Lady Alicia, he also tends to neglect his studies using his lordly duties as an excuse, so I would be delighted if you could look over those as well."
"Now wait a minute, I do my work!"
Actually, thanks to my knowledge from modern Japan, my reading, writing, and math skills were beyond reproach. I was practically a child prodigy by House Brave standards. I doubted I’d need calculus in another world; it seemed unnecessary. Well, maybe it was, but I didn't think so. I’d had combat techniques and magic theory hammered into me, giving me confidence that was second to none. I’d even studied history and geography on my own because I’d planned to be an adventurer.
As I sat there grumbling, Sebas whispered in my ear.
"Young Master, this is a perfect chance for you to spend time together. Why not treat it as a review and go along with it?"
"Fine. I'll do it."
An "operation to deepen our bond through study sessions," huh? My heart fluttered a bit at the classic rom-com development. We would likely spend most of our time together at the Academy, too. Currently, we were essentially engaged, and since I’m the head of the house and we’re already living together, it felt almost like we were already married. I went from having no prospects to having an incredibly beautiful "wife" overnight? This other world isn't half bad!
The anxieties I’d felt at the start were gone. Life had become unexpectedly fun.
"Next. Hand it over."
"Ah, yes, ma'am."
While I was cheering internally, Alicia finished a massive stack of documents, walked over, and snatched a fresh pile from my desk. She handled numerical verifications and transcriptions with a speed that left me in the dust. Even with my modern basic education, I couldn't keep up. I fought hard to outpace her, but I couldn't even come close.
Is the education system in this world more advanced than I expected? Then again, some modern game company likely meticulously crafted this setting and scenario, so I suppose it’s all just convenient plot logic.