Reborn in a Dating Sim: Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Chapter Thirty

Copper stood at the gates of the Academy. The past few days had been hectic to say the least. The fact that he had not only been promoted, but also allowed to remain in the school was well beyond his expectations. Of course there was the issue with the fact that all of the other students at the academy, except for the few friends he had, absolutely hated his guts. That mostly came from the fact that in the duel with the prince, and his friends, he’d be an incredible amount on himself. It was enough to put most of the other students into serious debt.

It was also enough that he understood a good number of the girls already treated him poorly because of his former status. Now he would be treated even more poorly because of what he’d done. The bright side to all of it was that he was at least friends with Diamond Tiara, Applebloom, Sunset Shimmer, and Primwood Prose. Which it was nice to see the student head of the newspaper club again. He watched as she held a teacup in her hand.

“Copper, welcome back,” she said as she took a sip of tea, “And also I’m sorry for what you went through. The official reports made it to Ms. Matilda’s desk. Of course she asked that I do an interview with you, and Artemis,” she said with a slightly lecherous smile, “And I’m glad to do so. Still, you managed to save three women, and all three of them are currently being taken care of at the temple out near the border region, right?” she asked before taking another sip of tea, “I mean that makes you a big damned hero.”

He shook his head, “I’m not a hero,” he corrected as he poured himself a cup of tea, “I just happened to find them. The captain of the Serenity is more of a hero than I am. His actions actually took care of the bulk of the pirates.”

He heard someone clear her throat, and he looked to see Sunset Shimmer, “Copper, you are being far too modest,” she replied as she took a delicate teacup, “In truth it was his idea to systematically search the island. If not for that I doubt that we would have found those three. Additionally his servant, Artemis, had the brilliant idea of how to handle the pirate personally. It was almost inspiring. The way she managed to get him to talk was something that I’d never expected to see work.”

“It was interesting,” Diamond Tiara stated as she stepped into the room, “Copper, do you mind if we join you?” she asked as Applebloom followed her, “It feels a little odd being back at the academy, and honestly I feel as though we should really be near one another. I do hope that you don’t consider us a burden.”

He smiled, “Not in the slightest,” he stated as he watched them move over, “I was just informing Primrose that I don’t feel like a hero. That what I did was something I believe any decent person would have done.”

“My Captain,” Artemis said from behind him, “It is not merely every single person that would have done what you did. In truth I feel that most of those that attend this academy would have simply left the island unexplored. They likely would have not seen a merit in going through and checking the grounds nor the house. I especially doubt that they would have finished hunting the monsters that had taken up residency so that there would be enough cores to operate the barrier for the island again.”

He wanted to believe that there were other people who would have done what he had done. He wanted to believe it wholeheartedly, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that it wasn’t the case. He breathed out, “Maybe,” he said as he poured Diamond Tiara and Applebloom a cup of tea apiece, “But I would like to believe that there are others who would have. Otherwise it says some fairly horrible things about the state of the species as a whole.”

He heard Artemis move, and he poured her a cup as well. He watched as she took it, “My Captain,” she said as she raised the cup up to her lips, “The state of the species as a whole is not something that you should worry over. Besides, I’ve already stated that I would gladly go to war for you. If you choose to change the structure of this kingdom, or the world entirely, then you merely need to say the word. I will gladly do so.”

The entire room went silent for a moment, but it was Primrose that finally broke it, “And that is how you can tell a servant that actually adores her master,” she said after a few moments, “Most of the servants are content with serving, and that’s it. The fact that she openly admits that she would go to war for you, it’s almost romantic.”

Copper took a moment to look at her, “Are you projecting a little bit?” he asked as he looked at Primrose, “Oh well, so, the interview, how do you want to do this?”

Primrose smiled at him, “Actually,” she said as she looked at them, “Since all of you are here I thought that I’d go ahead and interview all of you. I’d like to get the story from all of your angles, and then I’d love to get a sort of group consensus on what you think should be done to cut down on the pirate problem.”

“The simplest thing to do with the pirate problem is to hunt down the known clans and exterminate them,” Artemis stated, her voice calculating, “That would ensure that they could not cause more problems, and it would send a strong message to all that would dare consider going into piracy. It would ensure that the drive to become a pirate would be reduced and potentially removed completely.”

“There’s a few nobles that would find some issue with that,” Diamond Tiara said as she sipped her tea, “I only say so because there’s a noble family that allegedly has some connection to pirates. From what I understand their entire rise to power is because of their connections. They allow the pirates to operate from their domain, and in return they get a small percentage of what the pirates bring in. Nothing has been proven, and from what I understand the king and queen won’t investigate since the noble has managed to gift so many resources to the kingdom itself.”

Copper stood there and felt a sinking feeling in his gut, “Does this noble have a daughter that is currently attending?”

There was a moment of silence, “Actually yes,” Diamond Tiara stated, “From what I understand she’s a first year, much like the rest of us, and her claim to fame was that she was engaged to one of Prince Apollo’s friends. Of course that ended,” her voice sounded nice and acidic, “I feel sorry for the poor girl, mostly because I understand what it is like to have everything you know and love to be removed from you. Still, at the same time I feel that his separation from her might be the best thing.”

Copper looked at her, and took a moment, “I would have thought that you would have believed that he needed to have stayed engaged to her.”

She shook her head, “Eventually her family will be discovered. Their connection to the pirates will come out, and when it does it will ensure that everyone connected to them suffers. None of their power, their wealth, or their standing will do anything to save them. The same goes for anyone connected to them. Even though their engagement is over I am certain he will still be questioned when it comes to light,” she stated as she looked over the cup of tea, “After all, I am certain the king and queen will want to know why he didn’t report it before now.”

Copper stood there confused for a moment, “Wait, are you saying that even though he’s completely separated, and likely had little to do with her, that he’ll still be questioned?” he asked as he looked at her, “What if he’d only met her a handful of times?”

She shrugged, “I don’t think that it matters, not really,” she said as she finished her tea and then sat the cup to the side, “Since the royal family was so lax with trying to find a connection they will likely want to make an example. It will need to be one big enough to make the others understand that harboring pirates is a bad idea. In truth, their example, and what Artemis is suggesting, isn’t that far apart.”

“No it is very similar,” Artemis replied, “Which is why it would work. It would ensure that others would not follow in the same footsteps, and it would make all that live and exist from this point on understand the dangers of even considering such actions. It would be the final word in ensuring compliance.”

Copper looked at them for a moment, and then he shook his head, “Yes, it would be,’ he admitted after a moment, “And at the same time it will sow discontent. Think about it, what’s going to happen if people that just happened to be connected due to some technical reason get brought up on the same charges,’ he stated as he began to pace, “Say a family of merchants that happens to be connected because they accept the goods. Maybe they’re a bit looser with accepting items and articles and that is because they know that a lot of border nobles don’t always have the proper licenses to sell with. Maybe they don’t have the adventurer’s card, or they’re not connected with a guild specifically. Things that they need to be in order to legally sell to a guild or trading post.”

He breathed out as he turned to face them, “Sure, what they were doing was wrong, but they were doing it for the right reasons. Giving people a chance to make the money they need without going into debt to do so.”

Artemis looked at him for a moment, “My Captain, what you are saying is that there are those who could be connected, but are not truly connected. Is that correct?” she asked as she looked at him, “That didn’t truly fit into my calculations. I did not consider those that might just be trying to help others.”

Diamond Tiara nodded, “I see what you’re trying to say, and yes I will admit that I didn’t think about that kind of situation,” she replied as she looked at him, “But it wouldn’t change the kingdom’s stance on it. Even that hypothetical merchant and his family would be brought in for questioning. There is a chance that he, and his family, could potentially get out of any trouble with trading with either the pirates or the nobles in question, but they would still face fines for their actions. It would cost them a hefty sum of their profits, not to mention it could cause them to lose some of their standing.”

She gave a sad smile, “It is unfortunately the way the kingdom works. I am afraid that it truly is simply how things are.”

“And that makes absolutely no sense,” he replied as he looked at her, “Can you honestly say that it makes any kind of sense? Can you defend that decision knowing that it would condemning someone that really doesn’t deserve it? I mean don’t get me wrong I understand that the law is the law, but there has to be some leeway for cases where things are happening on the border. Things out there are little more wild and uncertain.”

“Ah understand what ya’re a sayin’,” Applebloom said as she looked at him while holding her cup of tea, “But ya cain’t be thinkin’ that the law can jest be dropped fer somebody that is tryin’ ta help folks. The law is the law fer a reason.”

He nodded, “I get that,” he replied before he looked at them, “It just seems to me that the law is unjustly biased toward the higher ranking nobles. Especially those that live in the capital. It really seems to be set against any border baron. Going through the process of getting a license is expensive. In truth the only way that I was able to do it was because of the treasure that I found. Even then it cost a hefty percentage of the treasure itself.”

Diamond Tiara looked at him for a moment, “Copper, do you think that maybe you are being just a bit dramatic?”

He shook his head, “Look, for the barons selling monster cores it could take months before they have enough to cover the license and enough to help them out,” he said as he looked at her and then at the others, “We’re talking literal months. It would take an exceptionally long time for them to make the kind of money that they needed. Even then there isn’t a guarantee that they could make enough. Sure, if they get strong enough monster cores it won’t take as long, but even then it does mean taking them to the capital to sell.”

He laughed a little, “Honestly, for most that is almost an impossible task. Those that do have airships more often than not have to allow their wives to use them to go to court. That is if they go to court. Getting a second ship is difficult, but it’s not impossible,” he said as he studied them, “I know, I’m beating a dead horse at this point, but I just wanted to express what kind of situation this is. I wanted to explain how unjust it all seems.”

As he looked at them he could see that his words hadn’t fallen on deaf ears. The look of uncertainty remained on Diamond Tiara’s, Applebloom’s, and Sunset Shimmer’s faces. Primrose simply nodded, and he believed that she had already knew what it was like for those out on the border regions. Applebloom’s life was different from their own in a variety of ways. Most of which revolved around her family either raising crops for their local lord, or becoming cannon fodder for the same lord.

In many ways the life of a simple commoner wasn’t exactly all peaches and cream. It was a hard life that rivaled the hardness of any border baron. The main difference was that there were commoners that were able to become adventurers. Doing so allowed them to work themselves into the ranks of nobility. The kingdom itself was built by adventurers, and so becoming a successful adventurer was the one way of becoming nobility without being born into it.

It was also the way that current nobility could rise in the ranks. For many it presented promise, but it was a promise that sometimes was unobtainable. Many would rather live their lives as they were. Governing their small domain, and never reaching for more. In several ways that was exactly what Copper wanted. He wanted to live a life where he didn’t have to deal with the responsibilities that came with climbing in status. Those who rose to higher ranks were expected to assist with any and all war efforts equal to their ranks.

A baron was expected to either donate food for the war effort, or they were expected to go to war themselves. At least that was at his Dad’s level. The level he was at he was expected to ensure at least one airship would assist with the war effort. The airship part was easy enough. Artemis could focus her main body toward the effort, and he knew that their side would win effortlessly. He looked toward those there, and he realized how skewed the power dynamic truly was.

Diamond Tiara was the daughter of a Duke. Her father was responsible for ensuring a large section of the army to defend the kingdom from any and all threats. She herself was being raised to help step into the role of helping to rule. Or at least she had been. Now she was settling into a role of being a member of the court. To help ensure the laws retained the status quo, and he could only hope that her experiences with him would change that toward the better.

Sunset Shimmer was the daughter of an Earl, and like Diamond Tiara she was meant for bigger and better things. Specifically she was meant to carry on her father’s business. She was expected to ensure that business dealings they had continued, and that their influence in the capital remained intact. Primrose was going to go into adventuring full time. That was exactly what she wanted for her life. His purpose was one that he was unsure of, but he knew that it was certainly going to be less than either Diamond Tiara or Sunset Shimmer. He would simply have to deal with his life as it came. He’d need to live as best he could, and he could only hope that his life would be one of a simple nature.

“You need to bring up your concerns to the court,” Diamond Tiara said after a moment, “I mean it. From what you’ve stated, the laws are set to keep those in the border region down. That simply cannot be allowed to continue. If you would like I will speak to my father and see if he can acquire you a place on the floor.”

He looked at her, and finally he nodded, “Okay,” he said as he stood there, “I mean I don’t mind to, but I’m not sure how well I’m going to be listened to. Especially if the court is full of women like Delicate Emerald.”

The mention of his mother’s name was enough to bring a sour look on Diamond Tiara’s face, “Ugh,” she said before she could stop herself, “I apologize, I truly do, but your mother is insufferable. How your father managed to hold on this long is beyond me. Which, that does remind me, isn’t Artemis going to go with Ms. Hothoof to the class that seemed to be the one that causes the change in the young women?”

Artemis nodded, “I am,” she replied, “It will be after the class begins. I believe it will be in two days’ time.”