Jamil says, “It’s important to teach hierarchy” (which is why he would teach a parrot to say “Master”), and there are many examples in the game of Jamil’s respect for upperclassmen and figures of authority: he says that, one of the reasons why he would select Jack to go with him to a deserted island is, “He’s a rarity at our school—someone who actually respects their elders.”
This respect for social hierarchy was possibly instilled in him by his parents, whom we hit Jamil for not intentionally losing a game to Kalim, call him foolish and then flatter Kalim all in the same conversation, with Jamil reflecting, “My very first memory as a child was seeing my family bow before Kalim and his parents,” and, “Kalim’s parents were far more important than mine. Therefore, Kalim was more important than me,” possibly resulting in him not merely participating in hierarchy, but habitually thinking in those terms.
There seems to be a tension between Jamil’s resentment of hierarchy and his adherence to it: frustrated by the system that keeps him beneath Kalim, he still consistently treats a person’s position within that hierarchy as determining how they ought to be treated, even when doing so disadvantages him personally and even when the person is not Kalim: part of Jamil’s stress during the Firelit Sky event seems to come from Malleus being royalty, and when Malleus says, “Judging by the look on your face, you seem to think I’m a nuisance,” Jamil responds, “NO! No, not at all! You honor us with your presence!”
When Malleus is quiet during a car ride Jamil asks, “Oh no, have we inadvertently offended you somehow?,” and he hurries to Malleus’ side with an umbrella when Malleus goes to inspect a fountain (“It would be terrible if we let the prince of Briar Valley go around sopping wet”).
Malleus casts a barrier to protect only himself from the water, getting Jamil wet in the process.
Jamil is rendered momentarily speechless when one of the first things Najma says to Malleus is, “That’s some strange headwear you got going on,” and tries to call her off when she goes to Malleus to crack open a coconut (“Malleus Draconia, being treated like a glorified nutcracker…”).
When Malleus orders ice cream the vendor teases him by dangling it in front of him and then yanking it away, causing Jamil to panic and apologize with, “АAАННН! I am SO SORRY, Malleus. It’s supposed to be a bit of fun, but I must apologize for their rudeness! I implore you to overlook this!”
Jamil possibly expects other people to understand and observe social hierarchies as well: when a textile vendor tells Malleus, “Hands off the merchandise. That item is well beyond a student’s allowance” Jamil silently thinks, “How could he talk to the heir apparent of Briar Valley that way?!,” revealing Malleus’ status as royalty to the vendor and cautioning him with, “I suggest you watch your tone,” as though assuming that the vendor’s behavior would naturally change once he understood Malleus’ rank. He is proven correct, with the vendor responding, “Why didn’t you say something sooner, Jamil? Give me a moment to get you some tea. And allow me to offer you some souvenir coasters as well!”
During Glorious Masquerade Ruggie comments on Jamil’s idea to trick Noble Bell College students into sacrificing themselves to the firelotuses, saying, “You get some real messed-up ideas,” and Jamil responds, “The Noble Bell student council president started this. It’s only fitting that subordinates clean up the mess their leader made.”
While Malleus is shopping during Firelit Sky, Jamil offers to hold his bags and wait outside. When reuniting with a familiar vendor from his childhood Jamil says that, while he only there to do his job as Kalim’s servant, giving Kalim’s school friends a tour, “Even if I wasn’t on the clock, I’d still make sure the upperclassmen from my school were taken care of.” The vendor responds, “So you’ve finally learned to respect your elders. Never thought I’d see the day!”
Jamil has a voice line of, “Trey-senpai helped me with the dishes. He said it was his gift, but I still feel bad about receiving help from an upperclassman.”
Jamil is polite towards Dr. Finkelstein during NBC, saying, “I look forward to working with you. The same goes for all of my upperclassmen, of course,” leading Trey to notice that Jamil is the only second-year student.
Jamil’s internalized ideas of hierarchy are not limited to he himself always needing to be deferential: when Floyd awakens from his dream and begins raging Idia suggests that Jamil approach him, and when Jamil asks, “What? Why me?,” Ortho responds, “Do you want to send in the underclassmen instead?,” which convinces him.
After learning of the opportunity to play a game against Malleus during New Year Sebek quietly says, You want us to turn against our liege, when we’re his vassals?,” and Jamil reflects, “I shouldn’t be surprised they’d think twice about fighting their superior.”
After Crowley declares that the VDC group will be living at Ramshackle Dorm for a training camp Jamil does question why, but rather than argue he follows with, “If this is a mandate from the headmage, then I suppose that’s it. I wouldn’t want to defy that and make myself look bad in the process.”
After Vil reveals that Idia is a member of the family that runs the Jupiter Conglomerate, Jamil says, “I never imagined Idia was one of them,” and, “Still, it’s odd that someone in his position would attend school without any aides…” maybe applying the same assumptions about social status that he learned from his own experience: someone from a wealthy and distinguished family would presumably have servants accompanying them. Jamil then follows with, “Of course. That explains why the school granted special permission for Ortho to be present.”
When Ortho offers a chance to play a video game to Jamil at STYX Jamil refuses, suggesting that Vil—his senpai—do so instead.
Jamil seems capable of distinguishing between someone’s rank and their competence but formal rank might be what determines his initial behavior, a point of contention between himself and Leona during Book 6 when he insists on protecting Leona and going into dangerous areas alone. Jamil explains to Leona, “You’re the second prince of the Sunset Savanna and a housewarden. It only makes sense that I should take point.”
Leona loses his patience when Jamil insists on carrying the thunder spear on his behalf, and after seeing Leona take the lead against the Phantoms of Tartarus Jamil reflects, “He’s got more than magical talent, too.
He also has a vast breadth of knowledge and calm judgment. He might be a housewarden, but he couldn’t be more different from my own,” and Jamil seems to have a poor opinion of housewardens in general, saying during NBC, “I know that housewardens don’t do much in the way of hands-on work.”
In Jamil’s dream of Book 7 Ortho describes him as “nouveau rich and haughty,” but he still seems conscious of the guest-to-host hierarchy, apologizing on Kalim’s behalf when he has the visitors hold food for him and magically levitating it so that they will not be burdened (“What kind of staff makes their boss and guests do the work?!”).
The Kalim of Jamil’s dream is a deferential, polite and humble servant, promising Jamil, “As long as you stay here, you can be a ruler forever.”
In a deeper level of Jamil’s dream he has replaced Kalim as housewarden, seizing the highest rank in Scarabia, and is plotting to remove Crowley so that he might have the highest rank in the school. After he awakens, however, Jamil declares, “Giving commands or receiving them… Simply swapping those positions is missing the whole point. I’m the one who decides things.” (Jamil deciding that what he wants is freedom from defining himself as above or below Kalim at all?)
The hierarchy between Jamil and Kalim in the real world is discussed outright in Book 7, with Jamil refusing to speak casually with Kalim and instead using keigo, saying, “I have addressed you in an overly familiar manner since we were young, because you permitted me to do so. But now that I have asserted that I have no friendship with you, I considered it appropriate to correct my demeanor.”
Jamil eventually convinces a reluctant Kalim to order him to “stop talking all deferential and stuff” (“I am your retainer. If my superior orders me to change my demeanor, I shall correct it at once”), only to refuse Kalim’s request: You’re the one who told me to act like a friend.
When a friend doesn’t want to do something, they say no.” Kalim responds, “Isn’t that unfair?!,” to which Jamil says, “Unfair? Look who’s talking. You don’t want to give me orders as my superior, but you don’t want to take no for an answer as my friend? You can’t have it both ways. So? Will you order me to stop being a friend and be a retainer instead?,” and Kalim concedes (“Okay, you’re right. That wasn’t fair of me. I’ll learn from my mistake!”).
Azul comments, “And here I thought you weren’t the type to take an interest in money or influence,” and Jamil responds:
“I thought so, too…until I saw the dream Malleus gave me. Having everyone in town kneel before me, getting to put a foolish ruler in his place from atop an elephant…that felt incredible! Of course everyone wants to be special. To be better than everyone else. Our dreams were exaggerated and distorted in weird ways, but they were still our wishes, in part. Once someone has a taste of nectar, they can’t help but want to taste it again. That’s just human nature.”
Azul asks, “Are you actually planning to take over the Asim family?,” and Jamil responds, “Who could say? Sidestepping the question of whether I’d carry out a takeover in reality, a man’s allowed to dream, isn’t he?”
