Bumpkin VS Midget

Mireille

Sebastian went, leaving me behind to fend for myself in this vast library. My gaze timely falls on the neatly arranged books and their titles.

'Prisoner of conscience'

'The political philosophy'

'The incessant corruption'

'Hope and despair'

'The influence-peddlers'

And so on. The books arranged in the wooden brackets seem to be never-ceasing.

"May I help you?" an amiable, taught voice tears up my muddled thoughts. I turnabout to face the person and unexpectedly, the person has a stout and husky built. His hefty looks oppose his gentle tone. His height is of an average man, neither too short or tall. His skin is dark, but lighter than my dark yellow hair. His hands are occupied by some brief booklets. He must be a library duenna, given his distinct attire accompanied by his thick glasses, which doesn't suit his buff body. If I must say, he could be a good fit for the hand-to-hand combat rather than this.

"How may I help you Sir?" his repitative question brings me back from focusing on his appearance.

"Uh.." I hesitate while I contemplate what to answer.

"I can help you with geography, politics, physi-" he starts rambling about the different courses.

"Your appearance contradicts with your work" I heedlessly respond him.

I blink a few times, looking at the baffled person in front of me, wondering what wrong I did. That's when my words hits me, 'Your appearance contradicts with your work'.

Now, that's a very rude thing to ask someone you just met. And too bad, I just asked it. I'm itching to give a good punch to myself for forgetting my mannerisms, but save my breath, I'm against the pain.

"I get that a lot" he retorts with a constrained smile. I know he must be forcing himself to be polite, because his face says 'So do you'. True-blue, I can't deny it. You don't see a male knight carrying a long sword while having a face prettier than most females. No lie, but it's off the beaten track. I shrug at my remarks.

"Then" he calmly speaks "request me if my help is required" forsaking his constrained smile and putting on a placid expression, he starts walking away from me. He shows no sign of annoyance, that just shows how accustomed he is to my remark.

I don't plan to call him, I'm hoping to exit the library after a quick glance. I whirl around taking a good look at the many books, hoping to see if anything catches my attention. The man had some history books with him. History about the Fier-castel empire. Frankly, I have my share of knowledge in many courses, and Feir-castel history is no different. The empire started out as a small territory and as John I descended to throne, it began to expand a great deal into an empire, after the next of kin followed his legacy. The books will only wrap-up the royal blood with adoration. I had attach weigh to these hot air words if I, myself were to witness the "noble" acts of the Feir-castel family. After all, 'Eminence' isn't so fond of benevolence and philanthropy.

I take a seat before the writing desk Sebastian showed me, while eliminating my insolent thoughts on the present jurisdiction. I stretch out my arms taking the support of the chair and do the same with my legs. After a period of hushed groaning, my limbs finally relax from the preceding undertakings. Lazing on the chair, my idle gaze falls on the cluttered pile of open books, scribbled notes, and what not. Deciding to upset the tower of books, I take a skim glance over the books. 'Distribution of current power' one of the scribbled notes read and undoubtedly, it catches my attention. I impulsively bounce from the chair as enthusiasm whirls inside of me. Nothing can be more amusing than a hungry rat race for power. As I sway in my thoughts, I carefully try to pull out the note from between the many books.

SLAM!!

A sudden loud bang on top of the book pile, which makes me halt my attempt at pulling out the notes, draws my alarmed gaze to a random, uncalled-for individual.

A short, slender man or should I say, a teen, is standing in my front, leaning on the book tower at the desk. He looks like another duenna, given his attire. The bulky person earlier wore the same clothes. He has an oval-rimmed eyeglasses with a thin beaded thong supporting it. His earlier manner was indeed blundering, but he might just be a haughty young lad, trying to learn about the world. Admittedly, he looks much educated than a normal teen.

"Umm.... Care to move your hand? I want this note" I vaguely state, unimpressed at the past event.

"Who allowed such an unfilial person inside!?" the boy yells at me, holding a scorn on his face.

Unfilial? Me? Isn't he the one shouting in a library? Or did I say something to upset him? I'm irked by his insolent behavior towards me, but I don't really think a haughty, green brat is enough to disturb my cool.

After few seconds of thinking, I re-adjust my words and say "Can you please withdraw your exalted hand from these unkempt books, my inner guide lacks the proper knowledge of these discomposed books and is very willing to learn" if it is eloquence, I have it covered. Is it is sarcasm, I have it covered.

I could make out his flushed cheeks. A sensation of triumph adorns my face though I mask it with a composed look. I don't want to be cross with a young lad, I'm maintaining my cool no matter his rude behavior to someone elder than him. His height may only reach halfway my shoulders and getting riled-up over some trifling matter is not my cup of t-

"..... Bumpkin" the boy starts rambling about nonsensical stuff minutes after shrugging off his embarrassment "You are that bumpkin Ron informed me about. The bumpkin who fought Sir Davidson. No wonder, a Bumpkin like you won't know the etiquette to not pry in someone else's notes and stu-"

"WHO are you calling a “bumpkin”!? And however did you use that word for four freaking times!!" I exhibit all my burning anger with my maximum voice despite being in a library. Just so he know, this brat rubbed the wrong way.

"That will be you, Sir!" the boy yells back, repaying my heated comment with his own loud argument and his ridiculing tone "No one I know is from some unknown, forlorn outskirts"

"Oi brat! Liste-"

"Huh!? WHO are you calling a brat? I'm a skilled, educated twenty two years old elite graduate from the University of EPE!"

"Oh my, that means you are just a midget?" it is now my turn to ridicule him. I curled my lips at him, a sneer plastered over my face. My mocking tone combined with my expression should be so aggravating to him "And here I was thinking you are some cheeky brat, turns out you are a saucy midge-"

"How dare you call me a “midget”!? You-.... you-"

Oh ho, he's hesitating what to call me? So cute. A little 5'4 midget with flushed and puffed cheeks trying to argue with me. Sure, my schem- no, humble mind thinks it's so cute.

"You wild illiterate Bumpkin!!"

Illiterate?? Me?? "You impudent midget, I always received gold in my studies! Be it geography to philosophy, I have everything covered!" I blurt out after listening the word “illiterate”. 'Illiterate' and 'Me' can never go hand in hand. Mistaking me for an ignorant bumpkin is a big no-no. I did live in Asrak, together with Aunt, secluded from the Aristocracy. And I don't have much knowledge about it. But I'm, indeed, well-taught. And I'm also a fast learner, so I'll catch up with every detail soon enough.

"That's great! Then let's see just how much you can answer before embarrassing yourself!"

"Oh perfect! You better prepare an apology letter beforehand" soon enough, the furious shouts we were exchanging now change into a heated questionnaire.

It hasn't even been a whole one hour since Sebastian left and here I am, exchanging hostile arguments with this midget!?

"The theory of Soul?"

"Given by Aristotle, His discussion centers on the kinds of souls possessed by different kinds of living things, distinguished by their different operations"

"Give the formula for a light ray incident on a water surface"

I could make out a smug smile on the midget's face but little does he know, I'm prepared for it. Snell's law is a new concept and it's not so popularly taught in detail like the Galileo laws. The basic idea for Snell's law is....

"With the help of Snell's law. Where the incident angle multiplied by incident index equals refracted angle multiplied by refractive index"

"“Thinking: the talking of soul with itself” who said this?"

"Soc-"

"Soc?" he tilts his head, as if encouraging me to answer. I don't know if I'm right of wrong, but... What I know is, I can't remember his name!! Soc... Socks?

Here goes nothing... "Plato"

"Tch" I can hear 5'4 midget cursing under his breath and it most probably means, my answer is surprisingly correct. I have never seen God being so kind to me.

"“DIEU, dans sa bonté, a fait, un beau jour,

Apollon, qui dirige le lyrick lay,

Et lui a donné le pouvoir d'appeler et de nommer à volonté,

Comme le père Adam, avec une compétence primordiale” complete these lines?"

"“Dit-il, allez, donnez des noms qui plaisent à l'oreille;

Dans chaque mot, laissez apparaître le son le plus doux.

Cette ancienne loi prouve alors, de droit divin,

NOUS sommes souvent les sponsors de la lignée royale”"

Sir Jean de La Fontaine was my favorite poet. There is no way I will not answer his poems.

"Are planets in motion?... "

"Of cou-"

"Then, how are you standing still?"

"Because....." why? How am I standing still? Isn't it because we are created in such way? Utter confusion is forming inside of me, but I must not show it to this 5'4 midget. Doesn't matter if my face is lifeless right now. I need to save my face by any ways and mea-

"MONROE!!" a harsh, resounding call disturbs our little 'examination', it is followed by a violent slaming sound of books thrown on a table. The 5'4 midget jolts his head to the direction of the voice. The bulky duenna is now standing at three desks length and passing us death glares. *Instinct alert* my hand slides down to the scabbard of my sword.

"Am I interrupting some cordial discussions, Monroe?" the bulky duenna sheds his glaring expression and accompanies it with a pleasant smile, which looks so forced that it's making me winch. He addressed the 5'4 midget, who is staring at him with an absent mind. His name must be Monroe, but it matters not to me. I plan to call him 5'4 midget anyway.

"No, definitely not cordial. Just a useless babble" the 5'4 midget blurts, giving me a last scowling glance before turning and walking away.

"I apologize for his rudeness. Please overlook it this time" the bulky duenna apologizes in 5'4 midget's stead. An apathetic look he has right now suits him more than a guilty look he should have right now.

"As it appears, you may not need my help. Please help yourself" he adds, signaling one hand towards the vast books while the other is directed towards the exit. In pretext, he's asking me to shut up and read or get out of this library if I continue this racket.

Unable to focus, I scribble some words on a note and leave it beside the books pile before exiting the erudition library.

I'm now humming on my way back to my room, it'll soon be lunch anyway. I have to study about the motion of planets and living beings. I need to hurry if I need to make it in time for lunch. The strudel I asked the maids beforehand should be cooked by now and ready to eat. Stuck in my thoughts, I leave my past encounters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That was the new knight recruit? The one who won to Master?" Thomas asks, utterly shocked by this piece of news while he is arranging some scattered books.

"Sir Davidson should have been lying in a bed due to his previous injuries instead of having a match. There is no way a flimsy feminine person could defeat that brute strength. You should be knowing it better then anyone" Monroe retorts, trying to ease his worried co-worker "wonder what his excellency is thinking?" He sighs, walking to the desk with the present piled up books "will Earl Barrack return to his books? These are some important docum-" he halts his relentless babble when he spots a torn-up paper with unclear writings 'what's this?' he asks himself at finding the note.

«“I'm hoping I can claim my wager at the earliest. Also, as generous as I can get, I'll send you some exercises which can help you gro- help you increase your height and don't forget to intake a lot of proteins, you may already know this since you are a graduate from EPE. Then, hope it works. You don't need to be awed by my manners, I may be late to say, but I received a gold in mannerism.

IOU

Bye, 5'4 midget!!”»

After reading the note, his face became a burning red as a heated up wave of anger flashed on his face. 'That pretty Bastard' he cursed internally. He understood what 'wager' meant, that bumpkin wanted an apology from Monroe so that he could be looked down on while that bumpkin will be puffed-up and bragging. And his 'advice' on increasing one's height only made Monroe's blood boil. 'A Graduate from EPE?' what that knight meant was that Monroe must have already researched on every possible way he could have increased his height. But what Monroe least expected was for someone to call out to him and reveal his secrets. But what Monroe hated the most was the mockery and scorn that bumpkin showed. It was exactly the same as the only person Monroe admired, the only person deserving of being called “His excellency”, the same person who is also called “Rapacious Eagle”, the one who goes by the name Duke Allen Barnhart Ferdinand.

"Hmm.... I never thought you had such a friendly relationship with that pretty knight" Thomas remarks, peeking at the note.

"NO WAY!" Monroe responds while shouting, affirming the doubts of Thomas.

'They're definitely closer' Thomas knew it isn't easy talking to Monroe with his anti-social personality. But that pretty knight easily made Monroe a walking screwball. That moment, Thomas decided to stay away from that Knight.

* * * *

A/n

«After all, 'Eminence' isn't so fond of benevolence and philanthropy.»

I was planning on using “success” instead of “eminence” since Mireille wanted to convey that the royal family's success was probably achieved by dirty and hidden tricks and not by some benevolent and kind acts. I did wish to condensate the acts related with success in one sentence, but not every success is a long run of malice and stuff- sometimes the road to success actually involved benevolence. So, since the context is royal family, the success for them will be fame and power while their people continue a squirrel game by following the Royal fam. Well... using “Eminence” kinda solved the problem.