Volume 1 Chapter 2 Genderbend Female Knight, Informed About Her Advancement
"Advancing education?"
"Yes, Eleonora. At the age of 16, nobles attend the Polina Holy Optical Academy in the capital."
"But I'm busy, and I can read and calculate. I have proxy lord duties. Going to school now seems pointless."
"Therefore! Stop speaking like a knight, Eleonora!"
"Being busy is good, though."
Eleonora laughed and rolled up the documents.
The documents contained ordinary matters: fishing revenue, permission for trapping, and festival budget.
If this were a senior noble's territory, there would be more important issues. But for a minor knight's domain, these are typical.
"The academy isn't just for studying! It's also a place for socializing, and you might find a marriage partner!"
"I've said before, Eleonora, I won't marry or have children. It's 12 years until Amerigo becomes an adult. If a woman becomes the proxy lord and gets pregnant, it would be too troublesome."
"But it seems that the kingdom's nobles are legally required to attend the academy from age 16."
Eleonora's eyes narrowed at those words. It seemed impossible for all nobles to attend school.
Even with dormitories, poor nobles far away would struggle to pay for the trip to the capital. Most local education for successors is quite basic.
Families with many children, especially sons, are difficult. Considering the risk of rebellion, extra education for boys isn't desired. However, ordering nobles to attend school is still an issue.
(It's like being a hostage or doing rotational service. They can't just send the noble ladies and gentlemen alone, and if they bring attendants, it costs more. Is this to weaken the power of the royal family and build a power base for the next king? It's irrelevant for local knights like us.)
More importantly, she thought, pressing er temple, is the travel expense since taxes are limited and she wants to use them efficiently. She plans to pave the road connecting the rural village and the fishing village and build a resting place at the midpoint, but it costs money to arrange stones and wood.
There is no extra money in the knight family; all is allocated for specific purposes.
"But you know, Mom. Isn't it a waste to spend on tuition and accommodation? The country or the world won't change just because I didn't go alone."
"I don't know because neither I nor Sir Lamberto have been to the academy, but are you going against His Lordship's decision?"
"...It's painful to hear that, but it's not like a month or 2 would be enough, right? Leaving the territory for a year seems unwise."
"Three years is a long time, so..."
Phyllis fell silent at Eleonora's point; anyone could see that leaving the territory for such a long time would be troublesome.
"Then, it can't be helped. I'll send a letter proposing to attend the academy. I'd like you to send a deputy governor until I graduate."
"A deputy governor? But I'm not sure if I can greet him properly..."
Eleonora almost said that one shouldn't expect much from a farmer's daughter, but she held back. There was no point in provoking a fight when the law had already decided, and there would be no legitimate means of protest left.
"Mom can return to the master's place, and take Amerigo with you. I'll have my say before I go to the academy."
"Then, who will you take as your retainer? It wouldn't be good for the Kamitafira family's reputation if you don't take someone."
"Father has risen, so we don't have that kind of thing in our house. Ah... was there a girl in the village about the same age as me?"
"Mara, Nicoletta, Cecilia, Simonetta, and Francesca, and Roberta."
The pen made a scratching sound as she wrote down the names, and then she rolled a dice.
"It landed on 6, so I'll take Roberta."
"Are you sure about such a random choice?"
"It's fine, because it's Roberta. It's a name that can fight even in the worst town."
"Are you really sure?"
Eleonora stood up, pretending the joke did not land. Eleonora stretched and her bones creaked.
"Well, I'll go tell Roberta to come next year. It's better to have a year to prepare than to be told to come suddenly."
"Explain everything properly, and say the Kamitafira family will handle the preparation funds."
"I know, I know. I won't make the villagers work without paying them."
Eleonora prepared to go out, opened the entrance, and squinted at the sun.
"Well, I'm going to Machiki village."
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