Chapter 70: CH 69

After arriving at the academy’s student cafeteria, Reina and Paul entered the dining hall that was reserved for the members of the nine households. And perhaps because it’s still a bit early for lunch, the only people there in the exclusive dining hall were the two of them.

As soon as they sat down at a table, Paul propped his chin on one hand and examined Reina’s face.

“Hmm. Why has your face turned gaunt since the last time I saw you?”

A friend was a friend, even though they were always at each other’s throat, quarreling with each other. Holding a fork and a knife in his hands, Paul cut the food in front of him into bite-sized pieces as he asked.

“What’s troubling you, Reina?”

Eating the slice of meat that Paul gave her, Reina answered with a mouthful.

“I hate attending school.”

At the declaration that sounded just a smidge too confident, Paul burst into laughter.

“Really, what’s troubling our dear Reina this time?”

That question had many possible answers.

With how many times she and Lehman kept bumping into each other, she’s scared of this terribly ill-fated relationship. And now that Paul, her only friend, would be gone from the academy as well, she’s lonely.

And to make matters worse, the seduction attack she had launched at Ethan was ruined.

‘No… It’s not exactly ruined, it’s just that he already hates me from the very start! That’s how it is… Haa.’

There were so many answers she could give to that question alone, but she couldn’t just dump all that on Paul unprompted.

So, instead of speaking her mind, she answered with something else.

“Just like you, I want to do something, too.”

Paul’s eyes widened in shock. The most indolent grasshopper in the world just said, ‘Just like you, I want to do something.’ This very sentence came out of Reina Chantra’s own lips!

“All of a sudden?’

“Yeah. I’m gonna have to start working for the household after I graduate anyway.”

The Pluntria Empire’s government was structured in a different manner compared to any other empire. By far, what’s setting them apart was the ‘central aristocratic system’.

To cut it short, some of the empire’s most powerful households—which includes the nine households—had enormous fiefdoms throughout the empire.

Given that they had to govern those estates, they tried not to leave their territories unless something out of the ordinary were to happen. Even so, given that the imperial family had the blood of dragons coursing through their veins, if they so wanted it, they could even bring an entire continent to ruin with just one breath. So, what could the imperial family possibly need?

The answer is… human resources! People who’d lead the empire! More importantly, people who were well-educated! Slaves that would run the country for them so that they wouldn’t need to lift even a single finger…!

Ah, wait. No, not slaves. Nobles!

That’s the reason it’s very encouraged within the empire for the aristocrats to participate in political matters. Although, if some of them ever get the wise idea of rebelling even just a little, the imperial family could just wipe them out then and there.

Now, here lies the question.

Since the nobles had firmly planted their butts on their seats like this, how the heck could they be dragged out of their territories?

The dragonfolk imperial family, whose default mood was annoyance cranked up to the max, sought to overcome this instinct and strived hard to find the answer.

And after a long period of contemplation, they finally discovered the truth.

The very truth that encompasses time and space.

“Rather than discounts, penalties will make people move.”

Realizing this noble truth, the imperial family immediately put it to action.

“From this year henceforth, if you are from an aristocratic family, you shall serve in public office for a certain period of time.”

Sure enough, the nobles protested.

But, well, they couldn’t really protest for real because they’re absolutely terrified of the first emperor. Just, y’know, a teeny tiny protest?

“Sire…?”

This small, feeble, pathetic outcry would embarrass the nobles for generations on end.

“O-Our ears have perhaps gone bad … But Your Majesty, may we humbly ask for you to repeat that, please…?”

“That’s not going to work with me. Just come up to the capital and work.”

“……”

“You don’t want to?”

“Uh… It’s not that we don’t want to…”

Watching the nobles hesitate to answer like this, the first emperor smiled benevolently at his subjects and offered an alternative. As if he was being awfully generous.

“If you don’t want to, then cough up the taxes.”

Ah, by the way.

The first emperor had a nickname.

‘The Unparalleled Thug’.

“Or, if you don’t want to pay taxes either… Hmm, do you wanna play with fire?”

Blessed Shower (a.k.a. a one-way ticket to death), taxes, or mandatory service at the public office. The dragon-descendant emperor made them choose.

In the end, it was thanks to this that the empire’s government was being run in a different manner compared to how other countries did it.

First, the empire’s nobles would stay at their respective territories from childhood to just before their coming-of-age, and their education would be up to their grandparents.

Then, after their coming-of-age ceremony, they would come up to their townhouse at the capital and enter the academy. At the same time, their parents would take them under their wing and teach them the ins and outs of working as a public official.

Finally, after graduating from the academy, they would start serving in earnest as civil servants themselves. Their parents would retire around the age of fifty to seventy, and by that time, the noble child would have reached the level of a regular civil servant or perhaps a minister (a position reserved to the nine households). At the lowest level, a regular civil servant ranged from ranks one to three.

Of course, the retired parents would also… Go back to their estates, govern the territory as the head or elder of the household, educate the new generation, live comfortable lives as slaves… no, uh, as nobles…

This never-ending cycle of slavery… no, scratch that. This thorough~ and well thought out~ societal structure was brought to life thanks to the efforts of the great, dragonfolk imperial family.

If the nobles wouldn’t pay taxes, they might just receive a breath of fire. So, as mere human beings, what could they possibly do, huh. Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. The only choice they really had was to drop to the ground and grovel diligently.

“Mmh, if that’s what’s troubling you, then how ‘bout you apply for an internship?”

“Internship?”

There’s that kind of set-up here?