Chapter 29: Chapter 27: Justification
Verner and his group immediately headed to the headmaster's office to question him.
Under normal circumstances, students weren't allowed to barge into the headmaster's office without having been summoned. It certainly wasn't a good look for anyone to try the stunt the group had just pulled. Good grades weren't everything, after all—rude students often wouldn't be allowed to join the saint's side after they graduated, because they'd risk behaving in inappropriate ways around her.
While some offenses could be forgiven if the students remained on good behavior for the rest of their education, barging into the headmaster's office out of the blue and demanding to speak to him certainly wouldn't be. Doing such a thing meant kissing any chances of becoming a knight goodbye. Most would agree that such punishment was perfectly reasonable. If students were rude enough to intrude on their superior in the academy, who was to say they wouldn't try the same thing with their next superior—the saint—after they graduated? Such behavior was simply unbefitting of a knight.
Verner and his friends were well aware of the fact, but that did nothing to deter them. They wanted to get to the bottom of things, and fast.
"Father! We'd like to ask you something!" Aina exclaimed as soon she opened the door.
The headmaster was surprisingly calm. He didn't seem upset or mad in the least, as though he'd expected them to show up all along.
He looked at each of them before saying, "Very well. Come in and close the door."
"What? Um... Yes, of course."
Aina was a bit thrown off by his reaction—she hadn't expected him to take their intrusion so well. Still, she closed the door, just like her father had asked.
Fox let out a sigh, then smiled before speaking again. "It would seem the only people worthy of becoming knights are the seven of you."
Instead of getting mad and scolding them for their terrible manners, the headmaster had praised them. Verner and his friends were frozen in place, their brains unable to keep up with his unexpected reaction.
"Why are you so surprised? It's true that manners are important—very much so. Under normal circumstances, I would have expelled all of you for barging into my office unannounced. I wouldn't want anyone with such rude habits anywhere near our dear saint. However, people who refuse to act when the saint is in trouble are even less suited to become knights. It would seem most have forgotten why the knights even exist," he lamented, setting his elbows on the table and resting his chin in his hands. His piercing eyes regarded the seven people in front of him once more. "I have a pretty good idea what you'd like to ask, but I'll hear you out anyway. What is it you wish to know?"
"Why hasn't Lady Ellize come back? What's going on? That's what we want to know," Verner immediately replied.
Fox's eyes turned softer at Verner's decisiveness. He'd long lost this sort of youthful ardor, but he respected it. Verner was still wet behind the ears, but he had the right mindset. Fox was of the firm belief that knights ought to worry only about the saint—they shouldn't allow themselves to be distracted by less important things. It made him want to put this young generation of knights-to-be to the test. He wanted to know what answer they'd come up with.
"Lady Ellize is fine. She's currently at the saint's castle. The only issue, if any, is that she's not allowed out."
"Then—"
"Let us call it 'house arrest.' No, perhaps 'confinement' would be better suited. The royals have come to the conclusion that Lady Ellize should not be allowed to roam freely. They decided that it was better for her to survive instead of giving her life to defeat the witch," the headmaster explained.
This was the very conclusion Verner and the others had reached earlier. They couldn't confidently condemn the royal families' decision, though. After all, deep inside their hearts, they'd all thought that maybe, just maybe, the families had been in the right...
After they'd heard from Dias what sort of fate awaited Ellize, they couldn't help but think that maybe it was better if she didn't fight the witch. They wanted nothing more than to give up and let the next generation deal with everything. Yes, the next saint could take on that duty...
"I'll be honest with you—I couldn't bring myself to oppose this decision. I wasn't the only one either... The remaining members of the saint's guard were the same. We were so scared of losing Lady Ellize that we betrayed her instead..." Fox wore a sad smile as he spoke, as if he thought what he was saying was ridiculous.
While Ellize would be confined inside the castle for the rest of her life, the royals had no intention of treating her badly. They'd do everything in their power to accommodate her wishes and allow her to lead the most comfortable life in the world. They'd given their word to the knights who'd proceeded to convince themselves that surely, Ellize would be happier like that...even if she didn't know it yet.
"I didn't know what the right choice was," the headmaster continued. "We trapped her like a bird in a cage with no regard for her feelings. However...birds are safe in the comfort of their cage, are they not? They're doted upon. As long as they give up on their freedom, they can obtain peace... Is that truly so terrible? Are birds truly happier when they're free to soar in the sky even though they risk dying at any point? I don't know."
He shook his head at his own question, then looked at Verner, John, Fiora, Supple, and Eterna once more. His expression shifted to one of envy.
"No... I suppose I'm only finding excuses for myself..." he said after a pause. "It's not that we refused to oppose the royalty—it's that we couldn't. The commoners among you might not understand, but I'm not only a knight. I'm also a nobleman, and I carry the fate of my people, my family, and my servants on my shoulders. So do the other knights. The five of you are exceptions."
Everyone in the room was fully aware of that fact. They'd entered the academy based on their exceptional personal abilities, but most of the students hailed from noble houses. While nobles were given the best possible learning environment from birth, commoners struggled to survive. As a result, all of the current knights were either nobles or blood relatives of noblemen. Thus, they'd been unable to defy the king.
"The saint is supposed to have a higher authority than the royals, but as I'm sure you've guessed already, that is only true on paper," Fox explained.
"In practice, the royal families hold the power while the saint serves as a symbol...right?"
"Exactly, John. You're sharp."
While no one usually dared to voice it out loud, everyone knew that the royals had never relinquished their authority to the saint. How else could they have declared the previous saint a criminal and hunted her down? How else could they have locked Ellize up?
Saints were nothing more than symbols. They stood at the top, but they didn't rule over anything at all, nor did they have any subjects. Thus, in the case of an emergency, the words of the monarchs and nobles—the ones who truly held all the political power—carried greater weight than those of the saint. They only pretended to revere the saint as the realm's greatest figure to avoid criticism.
If anything, Ellize, the current saint, had already taken up too much space. As far as the royals were concerned, her voice was too influential. There was a world of difference between her and the previous saints that had been nothing more than mere puppets, sacrificial pawns meant to deal with the witch.
"I have a fancy title as the previous head of the saint's guard, but at the end of the day, I'm nothing more than a viscount—the lord of a small territory. If the king wanted to destroy my house, it'd only take him a few days. If that happened, my people, all the servants who work at my estate, and my family... They'd be left to fend for themselves. I-I couldn't choose Lady Ellize over my own interests..." he finally admitted. His arms were crossed, his nails dug into his skin, as if to punish himself. It was plain to see how guilty he felt, how deeply he regretted making such a choice.
If the royals' actions had truly been deplorable, if they'd tried to hurt citizens and Ellize, Fox and the others surely would've found it in themselves to oppose them, even if it meant that their houses would be destroyed.
However, the royals had anticipated that and had given them a way out—a justification. Everything they were doing was for the good of the saint! If she was left alone, she'd just get herself killed! She had to be stopped and protected. If it were put that way, Fox and the others could hardly oppose the monarchs' actions. The royals had prepared the perfect justification. Deep down, though, they all knew it was nothing but an excuse, a lie they could tell themselves to cope with the guilt. Still, it was exactly what their wounded hearts needed.
They didn't want Ellize to die. They'd seen how hard she fought every day to make their world a better place. The idea that the only thing that awaited her at the end of her path was death was unacceptable. It was even harder for those who knew she was fated to turn into a hateful witch and subsequently destroy her own legacy.
The knights wrestled with their guilt and loathed the fact that deep down, they thought this solution was for the best. Verner was just as confused; his thoughts were a mess.
After a while, he finally asked, "What about Miss Layla?"
Even though he'd just asked the question, he felt like he already knew the answer. He'd seen how she'd reacted when Dias had told them the truth.
"I told you the remaining members of the saint's guard were just like me," he confirmed. "Layla's pretending to be a hostage. No one could ever hope to hold Lady Ellize against her will, so we needed to create a situation where she'd accept her confinement..."
Layla had used Ellize's concern for her against her. It was the greatest betrayal of all—something Layla was all too aware of. However, Ellize was just that important to her. She was ready to commit the greatest of offenses if it meant her saint would live.
She's lost all reason, Verner thought.
The battle between her loyalty and her fear of losing Ellize had made her irrational. King Aiz's proposition had come at the perfect time.
"What do you think the right choice is?" Fox asked, looking right into Verner's eyes.
He'd made his decision and had acted accordingly to trap Ellize. Even though she'd lost her freedom, she'd still live a comfortable life within the walls of the castle. There was no need to have her fight anymore. He'd convinced himself that this was the best path for the world and Ellize alike.
Supple—Ellize's most devoted believer—was the first to speak up. His face was ghastly pale because of his Ellize deficiency, but his voice was steady and lacked any hesitation. "A Stil's bird will live five years in the wild, but twenty in captivity. They always live longer in curated environments and under supervision. I believe you're in the right, headmaster. Losing our glorious saint is out of the question. If confining her is what it takes...then surely, it is for the best. If she dies...this world would be worthless to me."
Verner got the impression that Supple might've considered the possibility of locking Ellize up ever since he'd learned the truth. He didn't care about the world, only about Ellize. Thus, he'd naturally reached that conclusion. Even if thousands of people were to die as a result, Supple wouldn't bat an eye. They were only alive because saints had been sacrificing their lives up until now, so it was only right that they died for Ellize. As far as he was concerned, the life of one special person was worth more than those of everyone else combined.
"I think you're both wrong!" Eterna exclaimed. "You're ignoring what Lady Ellize wants! She should be the one to decide what's best for herself!"
Her opinion was sensible. Regardless of what they all thought, one thing was certain: they were completely ignoring Ellize's will.
Verner nodded and took a step forward. "I'll go save Lady Ellize," he declared. "However, we're up against the king. If we do this, we won't be able to become knights—hell, we'll become wanted criminals. That's why I won't ask any of you to accompany me. Make that decision for yourselves."
He couldn't bring himself to ask his friends for help. He'd be essentially telling them to give up on their dream and to break the law. Despite that, Verner didn't hesitate for one second. He'd been saved by Ellize, and he'd long resolved to repay his debt. He didn't care who he had to turn into his enemy to achieve that.
"I-I'm sorry... I don't know..." Marie said weakly.
She was frozen in place, unable to follow Verner. Aina, John, and Fiora were the same. They wanted to take a step forward, but their legs wouldn't listen.
It was only natural. They were ready to fight the witch, not their king. Marie and Aina were especially lost—they were nobles, after all. Even if they were to make up their minds and decide to walk down the path Verner had offered, they wouldn't be the only ones to suffer. As they thought of their families and their people, their bodies froze.
In the end, only one other person stepped toward Verner.
"I'll come with you," Eterna said. "I'll worry if you're alone."
Eterna had decided to accompany Verner out of concern for him, rather than for Ellize. Her friend was hot-headed, and if she didn't follow him, he'd get himself in trouble. She felt frustrated that he was ready to give up on everything for another girl, when he never paid her any attention...but she still couldn't leave him alone. His stubbornness was one of the things she liked about him, after all.
"As for myself, I will head to the saint's castle and offer my cooperation to the royals," Supple said. "It looks like we'll be enemies this time."
He wanted Ellize to live, and he was ready to do anything to achieve his goal. Thus, he would not be on Verner's side this time. Verner nodded quietly, then the three of them left the academy without saying another word to each other.
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Okay, so I've been thinking this for a while, but...isn't this exactly the life I wanted?
I'd been placed under house arrest for a week now, and I was currently laying on my bed.
I don't have to move a finger and people take super good care of me!
While the royals had strictly prohibited me from going out, they wanted me to keep my status as the saint. As such, we'd remained on friendly terms, and they made sure to grant my every desire.
I wasn't forced to work. I could spend every day lazing around however I liked. It was the most perfect life a NEET could ask for. I even had a perfectly good excuse: I was being kept here against my will!
Yup! Not my fault at all! Gee, I really, really wish I could be an active member of society, but I can't go up against kings now, can I? I'm being forced to take it easy in bed! How horrible! I sure wish I could give it my all for the good of the people! Seriously, I want to work as hard as a corporate slave, I truly do! Alas, I cannot! Woe is me! Yeah, right!
NEETs only ever had one worry: people urging them to work. Thankfully, everyone around me wanted me to stay quietly cooped up in my room.
I pretended to be heartbroken, though, just for the sake of it. I'd often gaze at the horizon, standing pitifully in front of my barred windows with a melancholic expression on my face. Naturally, my thoughts usually didn't quite match my expression. I mostly wondered about the menu, to be honest.
I often asked random-traitorous-knight-1 if the world was still at peace or whether people were suffering because of the monsters.
Truth be told...being a captive princess really wasn't all that bad. It was great, even. I loved having a good excuse to be a lazy NEET.
In games, princesses usually stayed put in their cells until the hero came to rescue them, even if they were super strong themselves, right? Even if they weren't bound by collars or shackles, they always quietly waited for the hero in their luxurious room—um, I mean cell—right?
What do you mean, there aren't any heroines like that? Of course there are! How about that blonde princess with a pink dress who keeps getting kidnapped in every game? She can use magic and destroy her enemies with a frying pan! She just chooses not to!
She was even proficient at healing magic, so she was technically much more suited to fighting alone than the hero! Whenever she was playable, she was always fully capable of rolling her sleeves up and doing all that action stuff. Hell, I even remembered an entire game where she was the one rescuing the mustached hero!
Girl, if you're that strong, just deal with the villain on your own! You can totally win!
Not to mention the villain in those games was an absolute idiot! He was stupid enough to build bridges over lava, then wait until the hero showed up to break them with an axe.
Who does that?! Is he looking for an original way to kill himself?
All the princess really needed to do was sneak up from behind, then collapse the bridge while he was still on it. Problem solved!
I was pretty sure I wasn't the only one who'd wondered about that while playing those games. However, now that I found myself in her shoes, I totally got it. Being a captive princess was amazing. You were basically served the best justification for being a lazy bum on a silver tray!
I was living in NEET paradise! It was such a good time that a week had passed in the blink of an eye. There was no need for me to hurry—nothing major would happen at the academy until after the winter holiday, so I could laze around until then.
Now that that's settled, let's relax some more!
I intended to make the most out of my long-awaited NEET era.
Oh, wait! I should pretend to pray for a while to drive the point home that I absolutely do not want to be here! O God, O Buddha, please bestow upon me some nice chicken for dinner...
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Okay, enough praying, time to roll in bed! I'll rest for another week or two before I start thinking of escaping. WHAT?! Someone's here to save me?! NOOOOOO! Gimme a break!
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