I became something called an honorary baron.
Unlike a true baron, I don’t have the obligations of a noble, but the benefits are pretty minimal too.
It’s kind of hilarious that I outranked that lousy old man in an instant, so maybe having a title isn’t so bad after all.
Well, I have no intention of getting involved in politics or serving at the palace.
Anyway, November arrived before I knew it.
The academy has finished its first term, and now there’s a two- to three-week break.
As I may have mentioned before, this place follows a system similar to Western schools. Specifically, the first term runs from September to November, the second from December to March, and the third from April to June. July and August are long vacation periods.
So, the first term has ended, and we’ve got a bit of a break.
However, nobles don’t get to rest.
Noble students use this autumn break to attend parties in the capital.
Parties.
Autumn is the harvest season.
By late November, at the end of autumn, the crops have just arrived in abundance in the capital.
This all started when the king at the time held a party to celebrate the harvest. Now, every year around this time, nobles from all over the country gather for a grand party.
Also, since so many noble children gather at the academy, it seems this is the perfect opportunity for their social debuts—basically, a coming-out party for the rookie noble kids.
Of course, it’s a hassle, so I’m not going!
“Please, you’ve got to attend! Please, please! This is a request from Fran-chan!”
Francis dropped to her knees in a bow.
This woman… she’s really gotten good at groveling lately.
Her groveling skills are impressive.
“Ehhh? But I don’t wanna~!”
When I said that and acted reluctant, Francis clung to me, half-crying.
“Please! If you don’t attend the annual autumn party, it’ll be a huge problem!”
“Huh? Why? It’s not like it concerns you, Fran-chan.”
“You’re my partner, aren’t you?! And it’s not just me! Yuki and Grace also chose you, remember?!”
Hmmm?
“So, if I refuse to attend… Fran-chan will be talked about as the woman who got dumped by her partner…?!”
“That’s right! So please, help me out!”
Well, well… things are getting interesting.
The fact that I can humiliate poor little Fran-chan with just a flick of my hand… that’s some top-tier entertainment.
Fran-chan is cutest when she’s wailing and clinging to me like this.
It’s the ultimate moe element.
“Please! It’s already bad enough with my position because I’m your partner! If you don’t come, I’ll get bullied!”
“Oh, nice!”
“No, it’s not nice! And if I get looked down on, you’ll get looked down on too!”
“I don’t really care. If there’s a problem, I’ll just use force to wipe them out.”
“Please! Stop that!”
Hehehe, bullying Fran-chan is so much fun!
“If people start calling me the woman who got dumped, I might get looked at by other men… and then I could get assaulted…!”
What?
“My Fran-chan, getting assaulted?! I won’t stand for that!”
“U-um… yes, exactly! That’s why! Please, help me, darling!”
“Alright! I’ve decided! I’ll attend that autumn party and completely ruin it!”
“Don’t ruin it!!!”
Conclusion.
Fran-chan was just too pathetic and cute, so I decided to attend.
I’m accompanied by Ada, Fran-chan, Yuki, and Grace.
…Still, I can’t believe that in this country, they’re still eating with their hands.
I can kind of understand why Catherine de’ Medici was so disgusted.
I couldn’t handle how gross it was, so I set up a cooking station right next to the party venue and decided to make my own food.
In fact, I went ahead and spread out the dishes I made on an empty table.
I was curious to see how the chefs and other nobles would react.
“W-who is that guy…?”
I got the expected stares of disbelief.
Yeah, that’s about right.
“Aah, I’m standing out way too much…”
Poor Fran-chan!
“Oh, this is delicious. I quite like this.”
Yuki, unconcerned, is happily devouring the fried chicken I made.
“U-uhm… I… uh…”
Grace is panicking.
As for Ada and me? We’re just eating normally.
Fried chicken is the best.
Nothing beats freshly fried food.
Then, a few noblemen start walking toward us.
“You…”
I think this every time, but could they stop using that pronoun? What is this, Dark Souls?
I’m really not interested in turning this into some gross backstab battle with fatal daggers.
“What is it?”
“You must be Exus von Xanadu, correct?”
Ah, right.
Since I became a noble, they told me to come up with a name.
I reflexively answered ‘Xanadu.’
I’m planning to create a paradise, after all.
No, no, it has nothing to do with that long project that was overshadowed by the World Wide Web.
“That’s right.”
“I’m Alzar von Klein. It seems you’re on good terms with my daughter…”
Oh, great. A bald old man with a red Kaiser mustache shows up, clearly pissed off.
“F-Father!”
Fran-chan screams.
So, this mustachioed guy is Fran-chan’s dad.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Francis… Quite the remarkable young man, she says…”
Oh, he’s shaking my shoulder—full power.
If I were any weaker, my shoulder would’ve shattered.
Is this guy looking down on me? Should I kill him?
Just as I was thinking that…
“…Hmm? What’s this…”
The mustachioed old man starts examining my clothes and accessories closely.
“…I see. My apologies. It seems you’re not just some ruffian.”
Oh?
He must’ve noticed the quality of my suit.
According to Fran-chan, the suit I’m wearing is worth as much as a mansion in the best part of the capital.
“May I sit next to you?”
“Ehh…”
“Thank you. Excuse me.”
Ugh, he sat down.
Even though I said “ehh…”?
Can’t this guy read the room?
“Hmmm? You use these metal tongs to serve food that’s already been portioned out onto your plate?”
Fran’s dad seems surprised.
Well, yeah, since in their world, they’re still cutting up meat with knives and eating it with their hands.
Gross.
“But, carving the meat is a task for the superior. It’s symbolic, a reward of sorts. Distributing the meat to the others is the duty of the superior. What do you think of that?”
Huh?
So, he’s saying it’s the superior’s job to decide how much tasty food the underlings get?
“That’s stupid. I take whatever I want, whenever I want. And as long as my subordinates serve me, they’ll never go hungry. So they should just take as much as they want.”
As I said that, I snapped my fingers.
Instantly, more fried chicken poured onto the plate from the fryer next to me, automatically cooking away.
“Ha… haha! You’re an interesting boy! To satisfy your followers so thoroughly that they don’t even need to divide the food!”
Seems like he likes me now.
I don’t really get how these old-timey nobles think.
“Come on, everyone! The food Xanadu made is delicious!”
Fran’s dad started calling over more of his friends…
