Chapter 155: Cut From the Same Cloth

- Abelis Academy City, Paranzol Forest, Several Months Later - Rose's POV –

With the ending of my Celebration of Birth party I turned 6, or 12 years old by Earth standards. I’d long since stopped thinking about most things from the perspective of my old life, my age being one of those things that I had to actively think about to compare between the two. Honestly, if I didn’t have memories of that tragic life, I’d have thought that I’d always been the person I am now. To be fair I had proof in the existence of Karen but previously she’d confided in me that she’d considered whether this life had been a dream but, thinking about it another way, that previous life could have actually been the dream. Although such a thing was unlikely since reincarnation was an established fact of this world and its history, on top of the existence of Summoned Heroes...

To be honest, I had never really thought that my current life, nor the old one, was a dream. It’s why I’d been surprised by Karen’s admission. Either way it was something that I now thought back on, mostly on the video games, when I faced off against something that looked to be pulled straight out of a fantasy RPG game that was currently looking at my group of friends as if it were a three course meal, a Chimera.

Today had begun normally. As second year students we were required to have a minimum of 5 quests as an adventurer under our belt every quarter. This requirement was exempted for those that failed the qualification, but they were also at threat of failing out if their other grades did not offset their lack of combat ability. Nobles were, primarily, the students at the Academy and as Nobles, they each had a responsibility to take part in war when called to. A Noble that couldn’t fight was only half a Noble, according to some. Of course, that wasn’t always the case, those with exceptional minds could participate in tactics or logistics to maintain their honor but primarily it was combat ability that determined the amount of glory you got as a Noble. As a Ducal heir I was mostly exempted from frontline battles, my life was considered more important in the hierarchical society that I was born into, but I’d still be expected to have a high level of combat ability and, considering that my power was close to that of a Summoned Hero I’d likely be used as a secret weapon in case the Church was hiding another one somewhere. Although I’d feel better if it were one of my grandparents or my father that fought instead as I’d seen their power firsthand in the case of my grandparents and heard of it secondhand in the case of my father. Mother...? Well, I’d heard that she was powerful but compared against the absolute monsters that my grandfather and grandmother were, she had a long way to go. Although father was unable to fight against her, so she certainly had a bit of a tough side.

I’ll get back to that later but for now... A giant Chimera is currently bearing down on us!

[Rose and Argent! Distract the lion and snake heads with physical attacks!] - Malaise

[Got it!] - Rose

[I’ll protect you!] - Argent

[Shade and Karen! Attack the main body to wear it down, limbs and anything you can get without getting too close!] - Malaise

[...mmhmm.] - Shade

[You got it!] - Karen

[Urz and Veronica! Use ranged attacks to take out the goat head, it can cast magic so be careful!] - Malaise

[R-Right!] - Urz

[I never thought a goat would be my first!] - Veronica

[I’ll prepare large scale offensive magic! When I give the signal get away!] - Malaise

Giving us our instructions for the coming battle I briefly note that Argent keeps pace with me as we rush ahead. Nodding to the girl beside me I split off to distract the lion head while she, the snake head. Opening with a mighty punch to the side of the head that tried to bite at me I succeeded in knocking the Chimera to the side, dazing the King of Beasts as the other two heads tried to go for my off-balance body. Trusting my friends to deal with those I focus on preparing for another strike as, exactly as planned, the goat head was hit by two incoming ranged attacks while the snake head was blocked by a thin sword sharp enough to scrape off a few scales.

Quickly coming up on the finally recovered lion head I put as much strength as I could into an uppercut to the jaw, the resounding crack as its jaw was forced closed echoing through the clearing. Thinking I had broken a few teeth I barely reacted in time to a swipe from the lion, the claws nearly reaping me from my second life. Using my long tail to pull myself back from the frantic Chimera I noticed that Malaise had finally finished her spell and the beast erupted into a column of flames, its terrified screeching dying down after almost a minute of being char broiled.

[W-Why the hell was a Chimera this far from the Inner Forest?!?] - Veronica

[Yeah! We nearly died!] - Argent

[I am... unsure. But regardless of the why we need to inform the Adventurers Guild, if another one is roaming the forest it could seriously injure someone.] - Malaise

[First was that damned Hellhound and now this one? You think something powerful is driving them out of the forest? That’s usually the convention in novels right Rose?] - Karen

[Convention? Novels? H-Have you read books about this?] - Urz

[Ah... well yeah, we have many books about these kinds of things back on our previous world, although they’re all fictional...] - Rose

[Well at the very least we’ve defeated an A-Rank monster, right?!? Do you think we’ll get promoted?!?] - Argent

[I mean considering we’ve been in the Adventurers Guild for less than a year that’s unlikely, but it will certainly help our grades. Regardless we should get back to the Academy, we’ve already finished our gathering quest and the presence of a Chimera this far out in the forest means we’re unlikely to be allowed back in for the foreseeable future.] - Malaise

[Ah... They usually raise the danger rating of an area after something like this huh?] - Karen

[Was that also in those novels you spoke of?] - Malaise

[Yes, actually!] - Karen

It was always surprising to me how closely isekai novels mirrored this world. It was almost like this was all a novel and some third-rate author was writing an escape fantasy...

But that was ridiculous. Probably had to do with transfers to Earth instead.

- Abelis Academy City, 1st Year Dorm Rooms - Persimmon de la Sanguis's POV –

I was terrified. It’d been several months since my newest friend, Rose de la Amchier, was accused of being the Demon Lord publically only to be proven innocent by illegal revealing of her Status. In that time, I’d become a little closer to both her and her friend group and was generally around far more people than I’d ever regularly seen in my entire life. Because of this I only had a panic attack like 3 times per day!

Regardless I was always nervous when meeting new people and Rose had introduced me to the last of the Ducal heirs that I hadn’t yet met, Alice de la Serpanis IV. The girl, similar in size to me, seemed to be staring down at me, her eyes boring into mine. It was terrifying.

[N-N-Nice to meet you L-Lady Persimmon de la Sanguis-s! Ow!] - Alice de la Serpanis IV

[A-A p-pleasure to m-meet you as well, L-Lady Alice de la Serpanis IV! - Persimmon de la Sanguis III

[And I, am Rose de la Amchier, both of you have met me of course.] - Rose

- Abelis Academy City, 1st Year Dorm Rooms - Rose's POV –

She bit her tongue. She totally bit her tongue! Ahem! Moving on from the two adorably trembling creatures in front of me, I was asked to introduce 2 out of the 3 heirs to the Ducal houses. The last one, that Manchen brat, was still absent from the Academy, apparently until she was considered a proper lady that could show herself outside. At least according to Auntie.

Apparently Aunt Laura had assigned an extremely strict tutor for the two cousins to get them back on the “right” track, Alice had quickly gained a passing grade, although I’d been told that she was too timid, but Minerva de la Manchen had instead gained a few more months of indoctrinati- training, I mean training. Regardless though I had initially been confused by why she hadn’t just arrested everyone involved and it had been a surprising person that had told me it was a bad idea. Veronica, channeling some kind of Princess knowledge that had been hidden until now, said it had to do with the minor houses. According to Malaise, who backed up her assertion, Ducal houses were generally the ones that kept the minor houses within their territory in line. The crown, Queen Laura, was generally too busy to deal with all the requests and territory disputes between everyone lower than a Duchess or a Marchioness. Anyone of the rank of Countess, Viscount or even lower was so far lesser in rank than the Queen that it was unlikely they would meet her more than once or twice in their lifetime, let alone having their disputes personally taken care of by the Monarch. Although looking at it pragmatically it was the numbers of them that made such things matter in the first place. While the number of Duchesses might be in the single digits and that of Marchioness in the low to high teens, the amount of nobles of lower ranks could number in the dozens or even hundreds. It was simply too many for any single person to deal with. So, naturally, a hierarchy developed where the lowest ranking noble would go to the one directly above them for most issues and the next above them and so on with only the most pressing and important issues being dealt with by the Queen herself.

It was honestly something that I’d not dealt with myself and barely seen. My own experience with what Papa and Mama did on a daily basis was limited at best. It was something to think about if I decided to take up my family name as a Duchess myself, something that I doubted possible both because of personal temperament and the fact that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to defeat my Draconic Grandfather coming to take me under his wing in a few years.

Regardless, I was to help these two get to know each other and also myself since Auntie was planning on me marrying her son. Honestly, I wasn’t interested. Before I’d been reunited with Karen, I might have changed my mind eventually, I wasn’t even sure what I was truly attracted to (outside of sexy slime girls), but with her in the picture and now having an actual shot at sapphic love, I was pretty much set of exactly who I wanted in my life. Although if I knew Karen, and I most certainly did, I was likely to be involved in a harem, with her at the center, at some point. Pfft! I get reincarnated and, instead of making my own harem its far more likely that I end up a part of one instead. Of course that would be how it turns out!

[Well! Now that we’ve done the introductions, I’d say it’s time for some tea and snacks, I understand you have a new personal maid, Alice?] - Rose

[M-M-Me? R-Right, yes. Her Highness Queen Laura de la Anguis felt that it was necessary to restructure our household and appointed a maid of her choosing.] - Alice de la Serpanis IV

[And how’s that working out for you? Are you missing your old maid? I’m quite attached to Annabelle so I can’t imagine having to separate from her like that.] - Rose

[H-Honestly? I-I'm quite relieved...] - Alice de la Serpanis IV

[R-Relieved? Why is that? Ah! I apologize for interrupting your conversation!] - Persimmon de la Sanguis III

The trembling of the two heirs intensified when I directly addressed them, it was like chihuahua levels of adorable! To be honest, I figured that the two of them were somewhat similar in their apparent timidness, so I wanted them to be friendly with each other. Perhaps if they befriended each other, they might even gain a bit of confidence, but I was also worried about whether they would enjoy their schooling if they spent every waking hour trembling at the mere mention of a stranger. As adorable as that was to imagine.

[N-No, I apologize for... umm...] - Alice de la Serpanis IV

[Why don’t you both calm down and continue your story?] - Rose

Both of them looked at me for help, I’d only meet Alice a few times, most of them after the whole Celebration thing, but in that time she’d latched onto me for some kind of stability. I think, even with how her cousin treated her, she was the type of person that needed someone familiar nearby to even somewhat function. And honestly, Persimmon was pretty much identical in that respect, although hers was a result of her condition rather than bullying.

[Sorry...] - Alice and Persimmon

[It’s fine. You were saying that you’re relieved? Why is that?] - Rose

[W-Well my last maid was a-appointed by my mother, she’d always yell at me to be more confident, and to represent the Serpanis Ducal House with pride... N-Not that I didn’t like her or.... anything...] - Alice de la Serpanis IV

Ah... I guess she has a complicated relationship with both her mother, and anyone connected to her family. The sad way that she ended made it seem like she really does love her mother and yet hates the way she treats her... I heard about how her mother took credit for all of the chaos from Auntie as well so that has got to complicate her feelings as well. It's like the person you have equal amounts of love and hate for suddenly treated you with the selfless love that you’ve always been missing from them and now you’re unsure how to think about them. Honestly, she’s somewhat similar to my old self. Before my sister’s suicide attempt, I had a somewhat complicated relationship with my parents, one that, if something similar to Alice had happened to me, I would have been just as confused. And I had no idea what to do about that...

[Y-You’ve had things like that happen to you too?!?] - Persimmon de la Sanguis III

[You as well? Was your family demanding?] - Alice de la Serpanis IV

[M-My grandmother. She said I wasn’t fit to inherit the family name because of my illness... she was right...] - Persimmon de la Sanguis III

[No, she wasn’t!] - Alice de la Serpanis IV

[E-Eep! I-I'm sorry!] - Persimmon de la Sanguis III

[I-I mean, no she wasn’t right. Your grandmother wasn’t right. She was... umm...?] - Alice de la Serpanis IV

[She was just trying to protect you. Right?] - Rose

That was surprising. Honestly the way these two were I’d kind of expected a spiral of negativity to occur. Instead, the more timid of the two had vehemently disagreed in a way that scared both the target and the one that had done it. The way they both jumped was adorable, but also a little sad. Unfortunately, it seemed her mouth had spoken before her brain had caught up with it and she glanced my way with pleading eyes. I couldn’t not help, and honestly, after hearing some more details of Persimmon’s relationship with her family, I was fairly confident that I was correct. By all accounts, while her grandmother was harsh towards her granddaughter when it came to the inheritance, she was, in every other situation, extremely loving. According to my father she was even called a granddaughtercon by some of the maids that took care of the household. Apparently, she was currently in a deep depression after her granddaughter had left the house and had refused to eat unless she could hear her precious granddaughters voice. Papa had even joked that he might be able to pitch a formal alliance with the Sanguis house if I was able to convince the young lamia to call back home on an Image Stone.

[R-Really? She doesn’t think I’m useless?] - Persimmon de la Sanguis III

[I’m sure that’s not true! R-Right?] - Alice de la Serpanis IV

[I’m sure of it. In fact, if you don’t believe me, you should call her after we’re finished here. I know she’ll be happy to hear your voice.] - Rose

Yes! Mission accomplished. With the song Smooth Operator playing in my head, what I remember of it (not much to be honest), we spent the rest of the tea party getting to know each other completely missing the warm looks coming from each of our personal maids.