Questions and Answers with Lady Grace

Author: Iwashi-zukushi
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3388fm/38/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

“Now then, once more, Asha.
I had you come today for no other reason.
I wish to hear about the education you received.”

After some time of this and that in a bustle, Lady Grace said it in a settled voice, as if nothing had happened.
The content itself was as I had expected, so I nodded.
…That my neck moved quite jerkily and not well was surely because I had been made to wait too long. That was it.

“Yes. I presented myself thinking it might be so.
I would be glad if it is of even a little reference.”

I bowed my head again.
Yes. To be honest, I thought it a true honor.
That she is an incredible beauty is there, but that is almost extra.
This presence that can stand even with the Demon King, this charisma. And more than anything that firm attitude.
And yet a soft atmosphere that does not give a sense of pressure.
Ah, I found myself thinking, surely one would be happy ruled by a king like this.

…Ah, the Demon King is a fine king too, that is also certain!
Just a slightly different type, really, really!
I followed up toward somewhere.
…Auh, that Dorothea laughed, kusu, was it because she had read my feelings?

At any rate, being able to talk about education was, for me as well, certainly a welcome thing.
I was thinking I would like to talk about soap and hygiene somewhere as well.
I had thought about what I ought to say, at least.

“I am the one who is glad to meet you.
I heard from Her Majesty that the education you received is most interesting.
Today I would like you to tell me in detail what education you received.”

As she said it she smiled at me, calmly.
…Yes. I naturally think she would like. A different type of charisma from the Demon King’s, after all.

“Yes. As you will.
It will be a long talk; may I ask your forbearance?”
“Of course. Please let me hear it at leisure.”

And while the talk proceeded between Lady Grace and me.

“Say, Dorothea. Might I perhaps not have needed to be here?”
“Not at all. As the one responsible you must hear Asha’s talk and give your approval.”
“I see, that is so… no, wait, why is it premised that Asha’s talk will go through unconditionally.”
“What a strange thing. There is no way Asha would give a talk that would not satisfy Your Majesty.”
“Well, that is so, but…”

A low master-and-servant comedy was unfolding between the Demon King and Dorothea.
Or rather, when had I obtained that much trust from Dorothea…?

And more than anything, trusted that far, I cannot give a sloppy talk!?
Do your best, me. You have to do your best!

“Then I shall begin by explaining the structure of the education I received.
Basically, all the people of the nation, when they turn six, enter school.
Or rather, they are put in. Sending them to school was stipulated as a parent’s duty.”
“…Yes? From six? All the people, that is, commoners as well, and moreover, it is a duty…?”

Yes, yes, intense from the start, probably.
In this world there is no proper system of education to begin with.
Especially among commoners, not being able to write or read letters properly is fairly a matter of course.
This may be the largest gap, perhaps.

To be precise, that world, too, was in a similar situation around the Middle Ages to the early modern period.
In Japan, temple schools of the Edo period beginning in the seventeenth century, perhaps.
In Western Europe, from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century, a Christian saint, Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, educating commoners in a school-like form is said to have been a forerunner.
Well, that La Salle, at the time, suffered persecution of the a noble teaching commoners! sort, and died stripped of his priesthood in the place he had withdrawn to.
It seems it took more than a hundred years for that evaluation to be revised, so it is not a history one can smug about to people here.
I remembered this talk because a cousin who went to a school run by a religious order called the De La Salle Brothers had spoken of it with heat.

“Yes, from six. To be precise, even younger… from around three, one could also go to a place called a nursery or a kindergarten, to receive still more basic education and to acquire sociability.”
“…Three? That is about when toddling has only just ended, is it not…”
“To say more, there were facilities that would take children a few months after birth… but those, I think, were hard to call educational institutions.”
“I see… already, at this point, it is shocking enough.”

Lady Grace muttered, putting a finger to her brow as if she were dizzy.
In fact she was probably being assailed by a sensation like vertigo.
For better or worse, it would have been nothing like what she imagined.

“I shall continue the talk.
From six to twelve is elementary education.
From twelve to fifteen, secondary education. Up to here is compulsory education.
The minimum knowledge and cultivation demanded as a member of the nation, one learns here.”
“…I have almost lost even the will to be surprised, but… you received a full education until fifteen…
And moreover, that is the minimum…
And next is higher education, education only the chosen receive, I take it.”

Yes, you would think so.
Here, sixteen is adulthood.
People begin helping from around five or six, and by fifteen most are already working as full adults.
But, you see…

“I am sorry. In fact… it is true that from fifteen to eighteen is the period of higher education…
But in my time, there was already something close to compulsory.
Those who went on to higher school exceeded ninety percent, I believe.”
“Please wait. It is higher education, is it not?
And almost everyone received it, you say?”
“That is so.”

I nodded at Lady Grace, who was looking at me as if seeing something she could not believe.
Or rather, it is really the fact, so it cannot be helped. I am sorry.
Well, not everyone can graduate… I will omit that.

“From there one can go on to a university, where one receives still more advanced, specialized education… but this, as one would expect, is not everyone.”
“Th-that is so, isn’t it. However you look at it, that would be…”

I am sorry, Lady Grace, I am sorry.

“Even so, I had information that more than half go on to that university.”
“More than half!? Um, Asha… no, that is not a face that is teasing.”

As expected of the Demon King’s wife; her eye for people seemed sure.
I could only nod back, heavily.

“Those who go to university, about fifty percent. Besides that there were junior colleges, where the time to acquire is relatively shorter, and vocational schools where one can learn specialized technique; including those, it exceeded eighty percent, I believe.
University is four to six years. Highly specialized learning such as the medicine I studied was six years.
The other schools about two years. If one learned all of it, one would be from twenty to twenty-four, I suppose.
To be precise, from there one can remain as a researcher further.
For that, one may say there is no upper limit.”

Of course that is if one does not spend years as a ronin, but.
If I talked that far it would run long, so I omit it here.

“You learn for that long a period… then you would obtain considerably high learning, I suppose.”
“…In theory. Unfortunately, going had become too much a matter of course, and there were parts that had become hollow.”

That’s how it is… probably there are people more suited to acquiring artisan technique without receiving higher education, and even those people go.
Germany, I was fairly sure, divided roles relatively early like that.
Yes, it is only a division of roles… but somehow in Japan the title of university graduate held too much sway.
Not what you can do, but what title you hold, what position you are in, seemed too heavily valued.
It does no good to say so now.

At my words Lady Grace’s expression was somehow complicated.

“What… that is, somehow… a wasteful story.”
“Yes. I believe it is exactly as you say.”

Higher education, or education beyond that, is the entrance to the theories that had shaped that world, and what lies beyond.
If one learned it and put it to use, possibilities ought to have spread in various ways.
But people who spent it idly, without thinking so, were many. A great waste, I think.

“At any rate, with this I think you understand the structure in outline, and how much effort was put into education.”
“Yes. Already, at this point, more than enough.
But we have not touched the crucial contents at all yet, have we?”
“That is so.
As for the contents as well, I think you will likely be considerably surprised.”

Lady Grace nodded back.
Now then, the rest, I thought, when Dorothea’s figure entered my view.

“If I may.
Lady Grace, Asha, are you not thirsty from the long talk?
Would you like something to drink?”

She called out at a timing when a pause had come.
And moreover, with probably freshly brewed tea on a tray.
…Wait, when!? Is this the skill of a capable secretary!?
I was staring at her profile as she set the tea down, and she showed a somehow shy smile.
…Yes. A sharp beauty making a cute face like this is against the rules, I think.

“By the way, Dorothea, is there none for me?”
“Ah, I am sorry. Your Majesty had not spoken at all, so I thought it unnecessary.”
“Is that not far too rough a handling, even so!”

Yes. The Demon King is not truly angry either. It is probably a side she shows only before people she is close to.
I am glad she shows it in front of me.
That I felt a little melancholy as well—why was that.

At the Demon King’s words, Dorothea bowed her head, quietly.

“I am sorry. I shall brew some at once.”
“Y-yes… you are oddly obedient…”
“By the way, will the used leaves do?”
“They will not, will they!?”

I-I see, Dorothea was a person who could make this sort of joke as well… quite unexpected.
I was thinking that as I watched, when.

Dorothea, about to go brew the tea, stuck out her tongue, small, pero, and winked.
…Dammit, cute! I thought, and could not let it out in words or on my face.