The headmaster seems at least three decades older after this question. "To be honest with you, Duchess, we have as much as nothing. Every lead we had, led us into a dead end," he politely informs me. His voice is laced with a tired sigh.
I would love to sigh as well but that would be unbecoming of me. I hoped for a bit more information. Either way, I would have to start at the beginning. Just to make sure I don't miss anything important. So it's fine. Not ideal but it is fine. It might take longer than I had anticipated though it won't change the outcome. The culprits, I will find them. One way or another. A Black doesn't stop halfway. Another set of intrusive thoughts I don't know if they are mine or caused by the world skill. Maybe even something else.
"Okay Sir that's unfortunate. Despite that I will do everything in my power to find and stop them. Therefore I would like you to send me everything you have to my manor, no later than this evening. I will sight the information and keep you updated as the case processes," I order him, maybe not the way I would have normally put it but the system seems to keep a tight leash on my wording. It seems instinctual to speak like this. Resigned, he nods.
* * *
I leave the office of the headmaster to go to class when the Game Interface pops up. "Main Quest updated," it reads. A second notice reads: "Side Quests updated." I opened the Quest Menu.
QUEST-LOG
Main Quest:
Find the Culprit responsible for the ongoing murder series in the Pentastar High School. (Rewards 1'500 EXP, 4 SP, 2 SKP)
Sub Quest(s):
Examine the first three victims. (300 EXP)
Find a lead. (500 EXP)
Capture the culprit. (1000 EXP, 1 SP)
Side Quest(s):
Meet the students council and become a member of it. (Timed Quest; Time left 13 h 46 min)
The time limit for my side quest is midnight meaning I need to finish it by the end of today.
* * *
Such troublesome quests. As we walk down the hallway to get to my classroom. Dame Alessia is no more, no less then three steps behind me. It's the proper distance to keep between a Guardian Knight and their protegee. This is something I actually knew before. Being interested in medieval stuff was so worth it. We stop before an wooden door with a big silver handle. I knock on the door. Shortly after the teacher opens the door.
The person I see before me is a relatively young man. He has a pair of glasses on his nose and seems like those scholars of old. Or at least how they where described many times in my old world. Long robes long light brown hair bound in a low ponytail. I also notice some ink stains on his hand. Before I drift to far of in observing him I focus my attention back to what the teacher is telling me.
"You must be Miss Black. I was informed you would arrive today. I am Mister Datura. Please come in and introduce yourself to the class," the he says. I answer him with a polite nod. As step into the room I stand before my class for the next few years. "This is our new student, please be nice to her," is what the Mister Datura tells the class before I have to introduce myself.
* * *
So for which image should I aim? Because going as I understand my role here wouldn't work. I mean a Duchess is the next highest in rank to the royal family. Like Chancellor of a modern nation. As if anyone would tell me anything useful then. So a bit roleplay should help it. The question just is:
The kind one, the arrogant Lady or the quiet antisocial?
Hard question all have advantages and disadvantages. Being seen as kind would let them assume I am friendly but also naive. If things went of the rails they could consider me a pushover. Like I am easy to bully. I can't let that happen. Never not in a thousand years. I had enough of that in my prior world. It would be harmful to my future as the Head of the Ducal House of Black. So this one won't happen.
Playing the arrogant Lady could be helpful for this case and focus the enemies on me. But it would also be harmful later on. No one would like to work with me. If I choose this option people would think that I am self-centred and ignorant as well as hard-hearted. There is also the possibility that some things slip right through my fingers because eyewitnesses might be unwilling to share information with me. Information are crucial in this stage of the case.
So I will go with the last option. It's not the ideal choice but it has to be done like this, for now at least. "Yo, My name is Lukida Aneseris Black. I will be your classmate from now on," I tell them and wait for Mr. Datura to tell me where to sit. Greeting done Kakashi style always wanted to do that.
Instead of telling me to sit, he asks me: "Don't you want to add something?" I simply shake my head. I have said everything I need. But the next question reminds me that I forgot something which is for me completely normal "So you won't introduce this person to us?" he points at my aunt who is still standing behind me. She is always with me like this and I usually don't have to introduce her. It seems like now I do.
She truly is an imposing figure. Her hair like mine reminds me of the mane of a lion. Her gaze is cold, intimidating and calculating of possible dangers nearby. She is a tall woman around 2 m and her posture says all about her strength. Alessia is a person who looks like someone that could kill you in seconds while you drool over her beauty and grace while doing it. I mean she could but that's not the point right now.
I sigh internally. How I should handle this? I want to be seen as antisocial, a short but still polite response should do. "This is Dame Alessia Iris Black she is part of my protection detail," I explain in the shortest polite way known to me. The Mr. Datura has no other option than to accept my answer, at least for now. He tells me to sit down in a free place in the third row of seats.
The classroom is built like a lecture hall in the universities of my old world. In total, there are five rows so I am sitting in the middle of the height. Alessia is still behind me and stands there even after I sit down. The people behind me can still see the board so this shouldn't bother them too much.
* * *
The first lesson of the day is History. The Kingdom I am now living in is called Corax and is led by the five Main Lines that founded it around 250 years ago. The Main Lines refers to the Royal family and the four Ducal Houses.
Every Line has a task assigned to them which their Head of House has to fulfil. My task as the head of the Ducal House of Black is to assure that the laws of the Regent are followed. Which means essentially that we are like the police forces in my old world. Of course the head doesn't have to shoulder everything alone they can delegate tasks to the members of their house and their Knights.
Our Knight Order is like investigators and trained military in one. The other Houses also have Knight Orders and those specialise in fighting and the additional duties the family has. For example, The Ducal House of White must uphold the economy of Corax. So they are basically the bankers and the tax collectors for the nation. I won't go into more details right now since they differ from the bankers and tax collectors known in my old world and I don't want to be reminded of the structure of society we had there since forever.
Our teacher tells the story of the founding of the nation and how their descendants are still leading the nation. He tells the story in a way you would believe everything is fine and the Ducal Houses wouldn't struggle to keep the order in place. Not because they want to be in their positions but because they have to be. Without the houses, this society would break down completely in a few days.
Why? Because society is not built to function without those five pillars. The Royal family leads and sets the rules. They also deal with diplomatic issues, like the contracts with the foreign lands. The Blacks are the house that deals with the criminals, investigates and gives the records to the council of the five pillars so they can be judged. In the case of a death sentence, they become the executors.
The Reds are the guardians, the one that protects the nation from the inside as well as from the outside. The Whites as said before are the pillar of our economy so they deal with the things connected to that. Last but not least, the Blues, are our Healers. They literally make up every hospital and teach us about medicine and health. There is no medical knowledge that isn't in one way related to them or their teachings.
So yeah without those families there would be no one that could step in fast enough to deal with the same duties in the same way those five families do. Not being arrogant there it's sadly a fact. The other noble houses are vassals of the five families and have duties connected to their liege. The commoners in the domain of their Landlord can take the entrance test to join the Knight Order even if they fail that test they will be tested for other jobs in the Knight Order besides Knight if they chose to do so.
The structure of this nation is like a pyramid but based on the duty they have to take. The more responsibility the higher the standing. The way of thinking here in this world is: when someone is responsible they will take what is needed to fulfil it, so they are given power as a tool to fulfil responsibilities. Everyone that abuses power will be brought down very soon because no person under that person would stand for it. That is at least the thought behind the entire system. But as we know humans are humans so that works more or less as it should. There are parts of society that don't like the way it works.
There is a large influx of information as I listen to the lesson I have a light headache right after but it fades soon. I sigh lightly rubbing the base of my nose to ease the tension. At the end of the lesson, the teacher draws the Pyramid of Society. I write it down in my notebook even though I know the structure thanks to my World Knowledge Skill.
Royal Family (Golden Raven)
Black Family| White Family| Red Family| Blue Family (Ducal Families)
Night Family| Shadow Family| Star Family| Moon Family| Sun Family| Summer Family| Rain Family| Ocean Family (Earls)
Cereus Family| Amaryllis Family| Pentas Family| Datura Family| Lotus Family| Peony Family| Hydrangea Family| Coral Family (Baronets)
Common Families (like the Bullstades or the Ricardos)
After noting that down, the lesson ends and the break starts.