Dias was no longer sleepy and happily took out the ointment and mixed it with water and swallowed it. In the past fifteen years, her education mainly came from the tutor hired by her father, as well as the supplements from Angelica and Corneille. She had never gone to school with her peers. Dias was full of anticipation for the new experience that was about to begin, but soon, when he got his masculine body back, he felt empty and cold, and the happiness also flowed away from his body. Gao Naiyi said with concern: "The doctor said that men are not as good as women in absorbing magic power, so after you turn back into a male body, you may feel weak, cold, depressed, and the burden on your heart will increase. If you don't feel well..." "It's okay, Pierre. I had to take this step eventually." Diaz forced a smile and looked in the mirror. "My hair has become shorter, the fat on my chest has disappeared, and that thing has grown back... Magic, it's amazing." At 7:30 in the morning, Corneille, who was full, and Diaz, who had no appetite, went out. The guards sent by the Male Management Department were waiting outside the mansion. Guards are a benefit given by managers to men - they enjoy free security services and are protected from attacks by lawless thugs who want to "get pregnant first and then get away with it", or from uncomfortable harassment; This is also the obligation of men - the dispatch of guards is mandatory, and men can only carry out permitted activities outdoors within the scope permitted by the guards. Disobeying the guard will be recorded, and the record will affect the male's rating, which is related to the man's future work, marriage, welfare subsidies and retirement issues. When Melusina was spreading common sense, Diaz asked how to prevent the guards from stealing from the targets they were protecting, and only a light laugh was heard from under the black veil. Now, seeing the figure of the guard, Diaz's doubts were answered -
She was a young dog-human girl with a bob haircut, about 10 centimeters taller than him (167cm), with black hair, sharp eyes, and a wavy stripe painted on her right cheek with oil paint. The most eye-catching thing was her animal ears and tail covered with black fur. There is reproductive isolation between canines and humans, and their estrus period is fixed. Hiring them as guards solves the problem of the guards possibly stealing from their employers. Cornell was more concerned about the guard's armament: the silver-white plate breastplate, the folding shield hanging on the left arm, the swift sword worn at the waist and the dagger tied to the thigh, all of which had energy fluctuations and were definitely not ordinary items. However, the dog-men came from the Federation, which was one of the three alliances. At present, the Duke of Alva was nominally a member of the royalist party. Such an arrangement made it difficult for Corneille not to suspect that the witches of Wetterland wanted to stir up trouble. "Greetings to you, Lord Dias Toledo, Duke of Alva." The dog-man female clenched her left fist and clasped it against her chest. "I am Polly from the Gray Claw Clan. I swear on the honor of my clan that I will protect you!" Dias was startled by Polly Grayclaw's alien etiquette. He wanted to return the favor, but the stranger triggered his social phobia. He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. Corneille had to intervene: "Hello, Lady Grayclaw, the Duke's safety depends on you." "Please call me Polly. Graypaw is not a last name." Polly was very respectful to Dias, but her attitude changed when facing Corneille, and she just nodded perfunctorily. Corneille had heard of the social culture of the dog-people. They were very respectful to those who were more noble than themselves, but were rude to those who were equal or inferior to themselves. It seemed that he was underestimated by this girl. The three of them came to the post station where the public carriage stopped. As part of the male welfare, Merida Comprehensive College paid the carriage company in advance so that the boys of the school could ride for free with the voucher. According to the safety procedures, Polly showed her ID and forced all the passengers in the carriage to get off and undergo inspection. The passengers were naturally dissatisfied, but when they saw Corneille and Dias, their dissatisfaction stopped abruptly. Three of them looked at Dias, three at Corneille, and three of them moved between the two. Dias hid behind Corneille as always, biting his lips in embarrassment at these fiery and rude looks. Polly seemed to have search-related abilities—a supernatural power system that aliens inherited through blood. After the inspection, she stared with her eyes wide open and put her hand on the hilt of her sword to make a naked threat. The passengers became obedient, but sneaking glances were inevitable. Dias wanted to sit on the upper level of the carriage, but for safety reasons, Corneille and Polly asked him to sit in the lower level. Polly's hand remained on the hilt of the sword, and Corneille's hand also did not leave the weapon out of a defensive state. Now, no one in the car dared to speak, and even breathing became cautious. After an arduous 35 minutes, when the carriage stopped in front of the comprehensive college, everyone felt relieved. "Waite...so scary." Diaz whispered. "Who said it wasn't?" Corneille saw Anne's figure and pushed Dias. "Go ahead. Your classmates are waiting for you at the school gate."
Chapter 8 Merida Comprehensive College After sending Diaz to the academy, Polly breathed a sigh of relief. This was her first time as a guard officer and also her first time to carry out a mission. Her fierce look was all due to her nervousness. Now, the lines of her face softened, and she asked Corneille politely: "Guards do not interfere with school affairs. My morning work is over. Let me check, the Duke will be out of school at 14:, right?" Corneille nodded and said that the male students of Merida Comprehensive College only needed to arrive at school at 8 o'clock every day. They had three classes in the morning, one class after lunch, and then optional additional courses. Considering that the transformation ointment has a limited duration, Dias did not choose any additional courses and can leave school after 14 . "Can you do me a favor?" asked Corneille. "what's up?" "I'm going to a party in the suburbs. No public carriage dares to take me without a male escort, so I hope Miss Polly can accompany me. Of course, I will pay overtime." The dog-men were the best mercenaries in the Federation. As long as they were paid enough, they were considerate and hardworking. So when Polly heard that Corneille was giving her money, her attitude immediately became friendly. "This damn place is like this, with a strange ratio of men to women, strange ethical relationships, and strange rules. Let me accompany you for a while, Mr. Corneille," she said. On the other side, Anne Genevieve lifted the hem of her skirt and saluted Dias. While Corneille still had the courage, Dias hurriedly returned the salute and introduced himself appropriately. "I think Mr. Toledo already knows that I have been appointed as your exclusive study partner by the school." Anne put a six-pointed star badge on her chest: "Mr. Toledo, although the school is safe, please try to move within my sight... If you have a companion you can trust, it's another matter." "No, I have no acquaintance, according to Miss Longueville. Well, are you from the Department of Male Management?" Anne shook her head: "No, it's just a school position. You see, there are more 'light blue' than 'black' in our school, and most of the 'light blue' are 'oak watchers', which may put pressure on male students. If the boys are nervous, the girls will also become nervous, and in the end everyone will just play by themselves and not communicate with each other, which goes against the school’s wishes.” Toledo nodded. The "light blue" and "black" Anne mentioned were the male and female uniforms of Merida Comprehensive College. The girls wore a dress with a white double-breasted top and a skirt that reached below the knees. They wore a short open-fronted top (bolero jacket) that only reached the junction of the chest and abdomen. The main tone of these two items of clothing was blue. The boys' school uniform consists of a jacket and breeches, with the main color being black. Like the girls' dress, the jacket is embellished with white double-breasted buttons. The lack of creativity makes people wonder if the school took kickbacks when bidding for the uniforms. What's even more bizarre is that both the boys' breeches and the girls' calves under their skirts are wrapped in bright yellow woolen stockings. This is also part of the school uniform and is listed by the school as a tradition that cannot be changed. "Oak Watcher" is the official title of witches. All witches will receive basic education in the academy, and then consider the matter of domain-specific magic according to their own career plans. Dias looked around and found that, as Annie had said, the light blue of the campus was like the ocean, and the black was the reefs in the ocean. There were multiple "waves" around each "reef". He was only accompanied by a female classmate, which was a special case. As if she had guessed what Dias was thinking, Anne smiled and said, “Don’t worry, even if I am a Longueville, I can’t monopolize Mr. Toledo. Your group members have already been decided - they are all Mr. Toledo's blind date, and we have been waiting for Mr. Toledo to come to the classroom and act with the group. Let me add: After entering school, boys will be assigned to groups consisting of multiple girls. This is to help boys adapt to female classmates and to help female classmates understand boys. There are many female students in the school. Before going to school, the only men they had come into contact with were their fathers. As a result, they have many abnormal fantasies and prejudices about men. The purpose of grouping is to correct this. Please rest assured that the interactions among the group members are rational and healthy, and I will do my best to ensure that Mr. Toledo has happy memories here. This is not just dedication, because our performance in getting along with the boys in the same group is also included in our performance assessment. Now that Mr. Toledo is here, we are finally starting to do this course. " "Sorry to keep you busy," Diaz said.
"Please hold your head up, Mr. Toledo. You don't need to apologize because you didn't exclude us subjectively, but unfortunately your illness caused inconvenience." "I'll come if I can," Diaz whispered. Anne led Diaz to the teacher's office to complete the admission procedures. Diaz looked carefully and found that he had not seen a male faculty member so far. No, it's not just school, Diaz thought about it, since he came to Waite, he had never seen a man working in a profession that was exposed to the public. "There's still some time before class starts. Mr. Toledo, please come with me. I'll introduce you to the group members and familiarize you with the classroom environment." Anne said: "I suggest that the introduction be brief and that you keep your eyes fixed on a certain spot in the classroom instead of looking at the students below. Mr. Toledo can recall the most important people and the happiest moments, and then Mr. Toledo will have the courage." Anne's friendly temperament and sincere advice greatly increased Dias's favorability. The last person who taught him in detail was Corneille. He unconsciously accepted Anne's advice and let his rhythm be controlled by her. Anne smiled warmly on the surface, but in her heart she looked down on the beautiful young man in front of her. If Dias still had any marriage value, apart from his title of Duke of Alba, it was probably only Corneille. That's a wonderful person. It would be extra fun to tie him into my life, she thought. There were only three boys in the lecture hall. They glanced at Dias and continued chatting without any intention of talking to him. Dias looked at Annie, who explained: "You are being envied." Dias was puzzled: "Why? I didn't do anything." "Because you didn't do anything, the best female students in the class, if not the entire grade, were assigned to your group, which naturally made them jealous. Mr. Toledo, Waite has completely different common sense. Boys work for a shorter period of time and are urged to get married as soon as they graduate and start their life as husbands. Therefore, the quality of their life depends largely on their wives' abilities and social status. The most perfect life is naturally to be chosen by a hexagonal woman who has excellent appearance, personality, conversation, knowledge, social status and ability. In college life, boys begin to look for such girls and fight openly and secretly for this rare existence. This may sound like bragging, but almost all of this year's hexagonal potential stocks are concentrated in your group, Mr. Toledo. You haven't done anything, but you have established a basic relationship of "blind date" with everyone. How can this not arouse jealousy? Therefore, the boys in the class will definitely isolate you, slander you, and exclude you, but please don't worry, as long as Mr. Toledo does his best, they can do nothing about it, because their marriage value is far less than yours. " "That's... a little too cold." Diaz said in a low voice. "I say these sincere words because I want to be your friend. Mr. Toledo, Waite has never been a gentle place." Diaz met the members who were assigned to the same group. Together with Anne, his five blind dates were all upper-class in appearance, conversation and family background. They welcomed his arrival in a friendly and cordial manner. Before April 4, Diaz felt that campus life surrounded by beautiful girls was exciting, but now it is boring. Because after his gender change, he is more beautiful than all the blind date candidates, so it is difficult for him to have any feelings for them. The bell rang and the students returned to their seats. The head teacher entered the classroom and introduced the transfer students to the students. Dias stood up, walked down the stairs, and belatedly introduced himself. Pairs of eyes filled with different emotions stared at him, causing his fragile heart to ache dully. His feet lost strength, and the air in front of him was condensing into a thick barrier. I have to pull myself together, he told himself, if I screw up, Pierre will be looked down upon too. He thought of Anne's advice, recalled the most important people and the happiest things, and finally overlapped with the scene of Pierre sneaking out of town to play on his ninth birthday. The warm feeling started from his heart, revitalizing his stiff body. He was in high spirits, or rather, he was pretending to be a foreign duke, but in Anne's perspective, this was the vitality that magic brought to Dias. A second Isabella Trastamara? Good, Anne thought to herself, the next hour won't be boring. Chapter 9 Isabella Trastamara "His Excellency Pierre Corneille, the envoy of the Duke of Alva!"
Federal-style mansions and country villas stand in the southern suburbs of Merida. The lawns that stretch to the end of the view are full of vitality and warmth. Birds circle in the air, curiously watching the commotion on the earth. Arches made of balloons, round tables piled with ice cream and cold beer, barbecues and flying kites, ladies dressed in gorgeous and retro styles, and guards in military uniforms... the outdated fashion brings people back to the old days. Corneille felt that he did not belong here, but everyone who came into his sight would stop and talk to him. At a time when the royalists were at a disadvantage, such a loyal and righteous man emerged. At least on the surface, the royalists had nothing but praise for him. Corneille was neither loyal nor traditional. He looked at the people in front of him as if they were zombies resurrected from a high-end coffin, but his incomprehension did not prevent him from greeting the people he met for the first time like old friends. The waiter announced his name. The attendees were tired of parties full of familiar people and were craving novelty and change. Seeing new faces was like sharks gathering at the smell of blood. The fastest "shark" was a servant of the Trastamara family. He saluted Corneille respectfully and invited him to have a chat in front of his "honor". Corneille strode with his head held high, and the crowd was divided in front of him. He came to the center of the picnic party, where the guards were well-equipped and the courtiers had old faces. They served a young woman wrapped in a gradient pink and purple flower petal skirt and holding a black double-headed eagle scepter. Isabella Trastamara, Queen of the Forest in the "Emperor" domain, former head of the Trastamara family, former Chief Archon of the Federation, and the last Emperor of the New Hathor Empire. She was born in 1189 as Irinan Trastamara, the first male heir to the throne of the New Hathor Empire, the predecessor of the Hathor Federation. He inherited the throne in 1204. What his father left him was a mess with boiling public resentment, heavy debts, powerful ministers with their own agenda, and the Three States Alliance pressing forward at the local level. Irinan had no great talent or strategy, and during his tenure, the imperial power declined rapidly. When opponents negotiated terms and decided to end the imperial system, Irinan succumbed to pressure in 1217 and announced his abdication. At that time, the local faction led by the Three States Alliance had the upper hand, but there were conflicts in the distribution of interests. The Trastamara family and its followers retained a large amount of land, wealth and army, which made the local faction dare not act rashly. As a compromise, the privileges of the Trastamara family and most of the nobility were recognized by the new Hathor Federation, and the last emperor Irinan became the chief governor of the federation. The local faction intended to boil the frog in warm water and gradually weaken the power of the former royal family and their followers. Unexpectedly, Irinan, who was regarded as a mediocre person, took a series of actions that were not like his style. He "invaded" Wette in 1224 and signed the Treaty of Merida that year, making Wette the tenth state of the Hathor Federation. People soon realized that the witches, who were troubled by the number of men, took the initiative to make a deal with Irinan. Local experts judged that Irinan was planning to hire the witches and return to the Federation to counterattack. The three-state alliance hurriedly used interest exchanges, threats and bribery to seize part of the fruits of victory before Irinan integrated Vette State, making it impossible for Vette State to serve Irinan as a whole. However, this was a major strategic misjudgment. After "conquering" Waite, Irinan Trastamara took drugs to change her gender, learned Waite's local magic and became a witch. Then, through the "Golden Bough Heritage", she became the king of the forest in the "Emperor" domain and appeared in the public eye with the new identity of Isabella Trastamara. Isabella, who became the queen of the forest, regained her youth. She brought the three alliances to the negotiation table and revealed her weapon - a young body that could give birth to offspring. She threatened the local factions that if they continued to use the boiling frog strategy to liquidate the Trastamara family and the royalists, she would not mind marrying other powerful countries on the continent to give them an excuse for military invasion. The leaders of the local faction knew that the Hathor Federation, which was in a key position, had always been coveted by other powers on the continent, and Isabella's marriage would legalize foreign military intervention. The local faction was forced to sign the Treaty of 1225 with Isabella, and both sides maintained the status quo and maintained a peace that was evenly matched and tense. However, the Republicans soon regained their position in Isabella's hometown. Isabella's existence put Irenan's eldest son Alfonso in an awkward position - not because of his father's gender change into a young and beautiful girl, but because of the right of inheritance. Alfonso's succession rights rested on his status as "eldest son of Irenán", and when Irenán became history and Isabella became the head of the Trastamara family, his succession rights were questioned. The doubt is not a big deal. If Isabella remarried and gave birth to a child, that child, as Isabella's "eldest son", would pose a threat to his inheritance rights. The fact that Irenan abandoned his wife and children to become the king of the forest itself shows her indifference to Alfonso. The desire for power made Alfonso and the Three States Alliance join forces, threatening Isabella with the possibility of a split between the Trastamara family and the royalists, and forcing her to sign an additional treaty to the Treaty of 1225.
The treaty stipulated that as long as the Triple Alliance did not violate the Treaty of 1225, Isabella could not marry and her children would not have the right of inheritance.