After the meal ended, the students had free time before bed as the day’s schedule was finished. However, for Jay, who was a professor, the day wasn’t over until he submitted his report. Jay submitted his report written without a single lie to Vinoshu and waited for an answer.
“How is Student Valli doing?”
“He’s suffering from the octopus……”
Vinoshu nodded, but her face showed no emotion like regret. Jay spoke very carefully.
“It’s…… my fault that he’s suffering like this……”
Jay thought that Vittorio’s situation had worsened due to his hasty actions. He thought that if he hadn’t reached out, octopus wouldn’t have appeared on the menu so excessively.
To Jay’s words seeking leniency, Vinoshu replied sharply.
“Your fault?”
Then she tossed the report she’d been reading onto the desk with a thud. At the displeasure carried in that action, Jay stiffened his body with tension.
“Professor Doe. I can’t say you’re without fault.”
“……”
“But ultimately, all of this is being done because it’s necessary.”
Vinoshu gestured for Jay, who had been standing stiffly, to sit in a chair. Jay sat obediently in his seat and waited for Vinoshu’s words. Vinoshu stared at Jay silently for a moment.
Though he’d become a bit more presentable than on the first day, his appearance was still utterly clumsy and didn’t feel like someone who belonged at Connubium. But since he’d already been hired by this school, measures had to be taken to prevent such incidents from repeating, at least for the short period. That was Vinoshu’s job.
“The provision of an aversion diet to Student Valli is entirely a request from his family.”
“His family……?”
Vinoshu nodded to Jay’s puzzled face.
“What this school provides is classes to create prudent brides and grooms. On the surface, that’s all it is, but……”
Normally, there would be no reason to provide students with food they fear to that degree. Vinoshu’s words also blatantly implied there was more than just that, hidden circumstances.
Only then did Jay realize that this school’s purpose wasn’t simply to create prudent grooms and brides. Jay was surprised and unconsciously opened his mouth slightly.
“That’s right, taming. The ultimate goal of this school is to tame the students.”
“……Taming?”
“Making them gentle and prudent so they can’t rebel. In other words……”
Vinoshu interlaced her fingers and coldly declared.
“Preventing acts of treason is the ultimate goal of this school.”
“Trea, son……”
Jay felt a shock as if he’d been struck hard on the back of the head. Jay knew well the obsession of those with power. Because fratricide wasn’t uncommon even among nobles, not just royalty.
However, Jay Doe’s setting was that of fallen nobility. According to the setting, the Doe family was already in a state where they couldn’t be called nobility. No one competed in bloody competition for the position of head of a completely ruined family. It was even more so because it was a situation that couldn’t be revived through the marriage market.
In other words, this was the first time the ego called Jay Doe had experienced such things so closely. I couldn’t help but laugh, pleased by Jay’s shocked appearance.
“Growing and strengthening one’s family through marriage is the duty of all children. However, the story changes if they have foolish thoughts where they’ve married. In fact, such incidents happened frequently in the past. Professor Doe, if you’ve learned history, you know this.”
“……”
“Providing education that prevents them from even having such thoughts—that is this Connubium.”
Jay couldn’t escape from the shock after hearing what Vinoshu was saying. It was natural that he couldn’t continue speaking. He’d merely thought with brief consideration that the school tormented students, but he hadn’t imagined that even their families would be complicit.
Then it could be said that not only Vittorio but all students attending this school were thoroughly isolated. Jay clenched his hands, covered in cold sweat.
“Though the Valli family’s request was strong, the other students are no different. Generally, the goal is to tame through fear. Of course, Professor Doe, your useless actions did make the intensity a bit stronger for the first time in a while.”
Vinoshu continued speaking without emotion. To her, the current situation was nothing more than something ordinary. No matter how cruel an act, if you encounter it frequently, it becomes routine.
But not for Jay. He spoke in a trembling voice.
“Why, why didn’t you tell me sooner? If I’d known……”
If you’d told me, it wouldn’t have gone this far……! I muttered internally the words Jay had swallowed. My voice was artificial like a poorly skilled theater actor.
Vinoshu stared at Jay. His shaking eyes bore the light of resentment, whether from receiving considerable shock. Vinoshu frowned slightly.
“There were other outsiders besides you.”
“……”
“No matter how much I told them, they never understood at once. They’d show useless sympathy.”
Her shadowed face contained faint contempt and disgust. Jay thought this school was terrible, but Vinoshu, who was a member of this school, loathed Jay, who was an outsider. Because to them, they themselves were normal. In a narrow well, their law was the truth.
Jay ultimately closed his mouth. Because he too had acted like the previous outsiders. In fact, even now, wasn’t he helping Vittorio while trying not to get caught?
Though others might not know, I could tell. Even if Jay had known all of this, he surely would have eaten at least some of Vittorio’s octopus.
“Everyone came to their senses only after seeing results like this. I thought you were the same. In fact, didn’t you understand perfectly like this?”
“……”
Vinoshu smiled with small satisfaction. Because she’d only shown an expressionless appearance until now, Jay was flustered. Because he couldn’t understand why she was smiling. It was impossible for characters fundamentally different to understand each other.
Jay’s words were blocked and he gaped.
“Still, I’m glad you’re not stupid. If you’d touched a student’s diet again…… who knows what would have happened this time.”
“……Yes.”
“Well then, I’ve received today’s report well. Go ahead and rest now.”
“……Thank you for your hard work.”
Jay creaked out of the room. His pale hands and feet turned cold and trembled. Jay couldn’t believe a place like this was a school.
Outside, there were other private schools attended by nobles and public schools that commoners could also attend. Since the nations of the Ritsa Continent were generally thorough class-based societies, as long as one was a commoner, even with education as high as nobles, they couldn’t succeed greatly.
Given such reality, school was greatly revered among commoners. Because just attending school could prove wealth and leisure to commoners. There were not a few commoners who struggled desperately for a dragon to emerge from a stream.
But nowhere else was there a school like Connubium. If there had been, there would have been a huge incident long ago. Jay thoroughly realized why only nobles, imperial family, and royalty could attend Connubium.
Maintenance of solid power.
Recalling the many people who looked up to Connubium, Jay momentarily couldn’t contain his disgust.
“Haaa…… I should have just done something else.”
Jay regretted his decision to come to this school. However, he couldn’t undo a decision already made. It was worse because he’d already even drawn up a contract.
“If my family hadn’t collapsed, would I have attended this school too?”
He let out an empty laugh and returned to his room. His back looked as desolate as a fallen leaf. Only I watched that appearance, laughing with pleasure.
* * *
I secretly took out the food bundle the professor had given me in my room. When I unwrapped the paper, there was a small sandwich inside. The soggy appearance from several hours since it was made rather decreased my appetite. But because I hadn’t eaten a proper dinner, my stomach growled, appealing its distress.
Tears filled my eyes and they glistened. I was so pathetic for being unable to eat octopus just because of an old incident.
I’m from the maritime nation Ripinum Kingdom. To be from a country abundant in seafood yet unable to eat octopus. Among those from Ripinum Kingdom, it was a ridiculous thing.
If not for that incident, this wouldn’t have happened. Without realizing it, I put strength into my hands. The sandwich Jay had worked hard to make was wretchedly crumpled.
“Valli?”
“Ah, uh. Wh-why, why?”
My roommate who shared the same room called out in a puzzled voice, perhaps seeing my gloomy appearance. They seemed to worry about me, but not everything could be judged from the outside.
Connubium made all students except A-rank share dormitories with others. They were roommates but at the same time informants. When a student in the same room did something strange, they reported that behavior to the dorm supervisor. If you reported bad behavior, you received praise and merit points. When merit points accumulated, your rank went up.
Cowardly, but it was behavior taken for granted at Connubium. Instilling distrust even in the comrades you lived with and brainwashing them that there was no one to trust. That too was Connubium’s purpose. Making them unable to rely on anyone and unable to request help from anyone.
Ultimately, if you received high merit points and became docile, Connubium stopped all cruel education and treated students politely. Students who experienced that could never rebel again.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Y-yeah…… I’m, I’m o-okay. Ah.”
I hurriedly fled to the bathroom, avoiding my roommate’s gaze.
