In the end, it was me who got taken away.
Originally, Cain was the one who should have been reprimanded, but now the focus had shifted to me.
Moreover, it wasn't Jane who took me, but Pascal.
With a brief "Come with me for a moment" and a smile, Pascal led the way.
It was an order I couldn't refuse.
Pascal opened the door to an empty classroom, closed it behind me, and cast "Whisper of the Wind."
This atmosphere... it feels strangely familiar.
Instead of the podium, Pascal sat on a random desk. It suited him oddly well, with his youthful face and physique.
Thinking back, it was true. The first time I met Pascal was when he participated in class as a teacher.
We had a dangerous spar when he mistakenly thought I could use Aura, then I pretended to be controlled by him to deceive the monster Kraken, and then there was the day the devils attacked the Imperial Palace and the Zodiac gathered.
Every encounter with Pascal has been during a crisis.
"There's so much I'm curious about."
Pascal said with a smile. There wasn't a single cloud in that smile, so I couldn't tell what he was feeling.
So this is how people can hide their emotions. Pascal's smile grows more impenetrable with each passing day.
"I heard you were the one who stopped the devils when they attacked the Imperial Palace. You were also in charge of the operation during the Imperial Palace meeting, and the power you used to defeat Belphegor, how you obtained it, why Constel hid it... There's so much I want to ask, but."
Sigh. Pascal let out a sigh.
"I have no choice but to repeat the same old story."
"...That we should postpone it for later, right?"
"Right. That's not what we're going to talk about today."
Pascal's eyes met mine. Even within his smile, his eyes were cold.
"So, what is it about? What that girl named Cain just said."
"...After Cain was captured, I spoke with her in the prison."
I had no choice but to briefly explain the situation to Pascal.
The things I had said to persuade Cain.
After listening to my story, Pascal's eyes dimmed. He seemed lost in thought for a moment before opening his mouth to ask me.
"What do you think, Frondier?"
"...I've never thought of killing His Majesty,"
Pascal shook his head.
In this world, people are divided into royalty, nobility, and commoners.
However, it's not as strict a hierarchy as it was in the Middle Ages.
The very possibility that I mentioned to Cain, that Aster could overturn the caste system if he became the protagonist of the war, already means that the caste system of this time has weakened considerably. ŔâℕỌᛒЕṨ
The fact that the Indus group received support and the existence of Constel itself, an educational institution where all castes gather, are also evidence of this.
But the weakening of the caste system and its complete abolition are entirely different matters.
For some, the caste system is of utmost importance.
"Actually, there have been discussions about that in the Imperial Palace before."
"Yes. It was Her Highness Sale's words. At that time, His Majesty's health was not good. It was a time when Her Highness Sale was being considered as the next emperor."
Sale. Philly's second daughter.
Unlike the first and third daughters, who greatly resemble Philly's black and white sides, Sale is ambiguous in both aspects. She prefers to take a step back, which naturally led her to develop an observant personality.
Sale, in her own way, took a step back, observed the whole picture, and suddenly spoke.
─There are many people in the Empire who are better than me.
"...That's very much like Her Highness Sale."
"Yes. The moment I heard those words, I felt a chill. When I discreetly asked her later, it was just as I had guessed. It seems Her Highness Sale was thinking of abolishing the caste system if she ascended to the throne as emperor."
That's probably true.
The reason I judged that the caste system would disappear was also because of the possibility of Sale becoming emperor.
"What do you think? Frondier. Should the caste system be abolished?”
I closed my mouth for a moment.
As a matter of course, for someone who lived in the original world, the caste system is fundamentally difficult to accept.
However, considering the current situation of the Empire, I can't just blurt out anything.
If I try to abolish the caste system now, there will be tremendous backlash from the nobles and the Imperial Palace, and besides, that's not the real problem.
The barrier will collapse.
Currently, a system is in place where each noble protects their territory and maintains an army to guard the barrier. If the caste system is destroyed now, there will be no one left to protect the barrier.