Ch.166166. Just Accept It

Was it the effect of the gift?

The imposing demeanor of Alkine’s father, who had been swinging his sword with killing intent just moments ago, seemed to have softened considerably.

“…It would be difficult to talk here.”

“Ah, shall I move things for you?”

“No, that’s fine. I’ll have the servants clean up. Let’s change locations first.”

His response to my words was already markedly different from before.

Gifts really are the best.

I brought so many things that are difficult to even see here, let alone taste. Moving them might be an issue, but storing them shouldn’t be too difficult.

“Now that we’re here, I have to ask. How exactly did you make it to the North? It must have been quite difficult, especially with just four students traveling together.”

As we moved to a more comfortable setting for our conversation, that topic inevitably came up.

Since Alkine had agreed to explain this part, I watched as she provided the explanation.

“Celia… no, the Imperial Princess can use high-speed flight magic, so we had her help. As for supplies needed during travel, as you just saw, everything was stored in a special subspace, so there was no problem.”

“Wait, wait a moment, Alkine. High-speed flight magic? Isn’t the Imperial Princess only a first-year?”

“By that logic, I’m only a third-year myself.”

“…Yes, that’s true. But even with high-speed flight magic, to travel this distance, the mana… though I suppose that wasn’t an issue since you made it here…”

“Don’t think too deeply about it. Just accept it. It’s easier that way.”

While Alkine, who was technically my senior(?) in this field, tried to calm her father’s confusion, Celia, the source of that confusion, was peacefully drinking the strawberry milk I had given her.

When his gaze turned toward me, she mischievously handed me the milk to drink, which was truly wicked of her.

Of course, I put it back in my inventory instead of drinking it, as that would have made the situation even more awkward.

Thanks to that distraction, the conversation about our travel method passed without further scrutiny.

But then the main topic resurfaced.

“Alkine.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Are you serious? About this… well, peculiar young man.”

“I am serious.”

“…I see. Understood.”

Ugh, it’s quite awkward to have this conversation right in front of the person in question.

It’s extremely embarrassing, you know?

So I tried to avert my gaze, but then I became the next target.

“Are you serious about her?”

“I am.”

I answered without hesitation.

To be honest, if this had happened a little while ago, I might not have been able to answer so confidently.

But… I don’t know. I’m gradually starting to accept it. To embrace it.

Despite my confident answer, his expression remained displeased.

“Hmm.”

It was understandable, really.

For all my confident answering, I had two other women beside me.

And not just any women—an Imperial Princess and a Saint. A lineup that not only matched Alkine but might even outshine her.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t concerned.

He was probably worried that his daughter might end up being neglected.

But there was no way to prove otherwise, so all I could do was wait for him to trust me.

While I was giving him time to gather his thoughts and maintaining silence… it seemed we had a visitor.

In most situations like this, the Duke could have declined, but after hearing who it was, he reluctantly accepted, suggesting the visitor was someone of importance.

Who could it be? There weren’t many people in the North that would concern the Duke.

That curiosity was quickly resolved.

On the way to meet the guest, the Duke brought all of us along.

“Duke! Is it true that the Duke’s daughter has found her match and brought him back…?”

The visitor was a large man with a build similar to mine. His appearance… was close to what you might call a “passionate character.” The type that would likely have quite a fan base.

He began questioning with a somewhat excited tone as soon as he saw the Duke, but then his eyes met mine.

…Who is this? I really don’t know. Was there someone like this?

With looks like that, he could have been a main character without seeming out of place.

“I apologize. I once promised that any young man from the North whom I acknowledged would have a chance to meet my daughter…”

The Duke stepped in to explain where this guy had suddenly appeared from.

It seemed that during Alkine’s absence, he had been looking for suitable men for her.

He might be a doting father, but he was practical in that regard. Quite different from the Emperor who seemed intent on making Celia an old maid.

Anyway, if he had the Duke’s acknowledgment, he must be quite remarkable… but I really had no idea who he was. It really showed how little the game had focused on the North’s storyline.

Well, game talk aside.

This whole situation seemed quite absurd to Alkine herself.

“Why would you do such an unnecessary thing…”

It must have been strange to learn that someone had been chosen as her potential match without her knowledge.

From what I gathered, there was no intention to force them together—it was more like “this is the caliber of man I find acceptable in the North, so meet him once.” But that distinction didn’t seem to matter much to Alkine.

However… while Alkine found it absurd, she didn’t openly object and just stood there quietly.

The truth was, if I hadn’t interfered and disrupted the proper order of things, Alkine would have returned to her family home alone after graduating from the academy.

Then, as her father intended, she might have met this man at least once, for better or worse.

She seemed to recognize this, which was why she couldn’t bring herself to object to her father’s judgment.

But! However! In the end! Somehow! Things had turned out this way.

Alkine had returned with me, some commoner guy who had rolled in from who knows where!

Somehow word had spread, and this man who heard the rumors seemed quite perplexed.

Understandably so—if the rumors were true, the Duke’s matchmaking plan had fallen apart, and this man, chosen by the Duke, would lose his chance to meet Alkine.

That would be quite disappointing for him. After all, we’re talking about a ducal family.

And not just any duke—the Northern Duke, whose power rivaled that of the royal family.

Because I was with the Imperial Princess, who possessed untouchable power, and the Saint, who held special authority, I hadn’t fully appreciated Alkine’s status… but objectively speaking, she was far above my station.

Not only that, but the Duke’s daughter was both strong and beautiful.

…Strong, huh? I’ve been wondering lately if it’s really a good thing that everyone I meet is so powerful, but anyway, it was clear that meeting Alkine would be an opportunity this man wouldn’t want to miss.

No wonder he rushed to the Duke’s mansion upon hearing a mere rumor.

But it was already too late. The opportunity had long been lost, thanks to my appearance at the distant academy.

“…I see. So the rumors were true.”

Perhaps realizing this upon seeing our gathered group, the man’s voice dropped slightly.

Still, as someone chosen by the Northern Duke himself, he didn’t act irrationally despite the situation.

“Duke. Did you acknowledge this man?”

He simply asked this question, calmly and directly.

And… the Duke answered with a nod.

“I see…”

Then there was nothing more to say.

If this man had received the same acknowledgment as himself, then the choice ultimately belonged to Alkine.

From a quick read of his thoughts, that seemed to be the conclusion he had reached.

He was a man of character. At least the Duke seemed to have a good eye for people.

I thought that would be the end of it, but the man who had made eye contact with me earlier looked around at everyone standing beside me and carefully spoke again.

“Duke. May I ask one last question?”

“What is it?”

“Is the reason you acknowledged that man the same as the main reason you acknowledged me?”

The Duke seemed to find that question difficult to answer.

Understandably so.

The main reason was surely combat ability, but all I had done was dodge and parry. It’s debatable whether we had properly faced off.

However, since the greatest power in the North comes from martial prowess, denying that would also be strange.

“It is.”

The Duke finally answered.

At that, the man who had asked the question grinned and approached me, extending his hand.

Assuming he wanted to shake hands, I took it, and he began introducing himself.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Brun Gart.”

“I’m Ludion.”

“If you don’t mind, would you care to spar with me?”

So he gets right to the point.

True to his Northern roots, his competitive spirit is no joke.

As soon as he heard the Duke acknowledged me, he wanted to test his skills against mine.

But I had neither reason nor need to refuse.

“That would be fine.”

I accepted lightly, but strangely, the Duke standing beside us seemed more anxious.

“Um, is that really necessary?”

“If my eyes don’t deceive me, one of these ladies is the Imperial Princess, and the other is at least equivalent to a high-ranking clergy member. Am I correct?”

I answered that question in the affirmative.

Lilith’s face must not have become widely known yet, as he didn’t recognize her as the Saint, but since it was close enough, I let it slide.

“To think someone who could bring such distinguished people all the way to the North would also receive the Duke’s acknowledgment. I must prove that the world isn’t unfair.”

He was saying that he needed to at least prove himself superior in combat.

“…Do as you wish.”

The Duke seemed to want to say something, his lips moving slightly, but he gave up and said that instead.

He had properly taken Alkine’s advice: “Don’t think too deeply about it. Just accept it. It’s easier that way.”