Ch.223A Familiar Face (2)

There’s a saying that nothing is more pitiful than getting injured in the military. This statement is half true and half false.

For a soldier, their body is their entire fortune. Especially if they sustain injuries to parts that affect daily life, like arms or legs, their combat effectiveness drops dramatically.

So when someone in the ranks gets injured, they should be protected and allowed to focus on recovery. If they try to work in that condition? They should be scolded into stopping.

Needlessly pushing through an injury only increases the risk of worsening it, which would be a significant loss to the fighting force.

It’s normal to wait for complete recovery while focusing on healing, rather than berating someone for overexertion. Dragging them back to duty in that state is abnormal.

Unless the situation is absolutely dire, injured personnel aren’t typically brought to the frontlines. Yet I’ve witnessed countless instances in my previous life where even this simple principle was ignored, creating various controversies.

In that respect, the Empire of Minerva’s military, especially special forces like the Navy Knights, deserves a passing grade. According to Nicole, when she was injured near the end of the entrance test, the instructor told her she would pass anyway and should sit out.

In fact, the reason for her injury was something the instructor found satisfactory. While other candidates were exhausted, Nicole had conserved her energy and got injured while helping her struggling peers.

“It was just an accident. A horde of orcs suddenly attacked during a march. Fortunately, the instructors were prepared since monsters frequently appear in that area, but there were just too many of them. That’s how this happened.”

Nicole casually tapped her splinted right arm with her left hand, explaining in a nonchalant voice. She might genuinely be fine, but as her younger brother, I couldn’t help but worry.

And it’s her arm, no less. For a knight, that’s one of the most critical body parts to injure.

Even with first aid, she said the bone had completely snapped in half initially. She could have been left with a lifelong disability.

Perhaps noticing my expression, Nicole smiled slightly and slowly reached out to gently pinch my cheek.

“Don’t make that face. Even as an apprentice, I’m still a knight now. Knights must be prepared for unexpected situations anywhere, anytime. A minor injury like this is nothing. Getting injured in the first place means I wasn’t good enough.”

“Sister. The human body is much weaker than other races.”

“I know that. But I’m telling you not to worry too much.”

Nicole flashed a cheerful smile to ease my concerns. Thanks to that, I also curled my lips into a warm smile.

One way or another, she’s strong. She performed her duties as an instructor at the academy alongside Adelia Cross without issue and inherited excellent talent from our father.

Although she was injured, she passed the Navy Knights entrance test with ease, so as long as she’s careful, she shouldn’t suffer any further significant harm.

“If you say so, sister. Did you visit the mansion before coming here?”

“Yes. Quite a lot of interesting things happened while I was away, right? From the demon princess to the elf incident. It’s only been a month, but many events have occurred.”

“So you heard everything.”

It seems she’s heard about everything that happened while she was taking the entrance test. I probably don’t need to explain separately.

“But you seem to have changed a lot in that time? Your hair is longer, you seem taller, and are you wearing perfume?”

“It’s not perfume. I received divine power at the temple, and since then, I’ve had this scent.”

“Is that so? Then it must be the scent of lilacs. They say those favored by Luminus emit the scent of lilacs.”

A month is longer than one might think. In other words, just asking about each other’s recent situations brings out various stories.

Even though Nicole heard about the incidents that occurred at the mansion, I know nothing about her recent circumstances.

Thanks to that, I got to hear about what kind of entrance test the Navy Knights maintain and how difficult it is. The intensity was tremendous, just hearing about it made me shudder.

As a bonus, I also heard about my older brother Dave, who was the first to join the Navy Knights. It’s natural to be curious when there’s no news.

“Dave has already shed his apprentice status. Even within the knights, they’re pushing him forward as someone with a promising future. Father’s influence might play a part, but he’s steadily progressing.”

“I see. But why doesn’t he take leave? Tell him when you go back that the third child feels neglected.”

“Oh, you. I’ll relay the message, but taking leave will be difficult. The Navy Knights are an elite few, so each person is important.”

As I listened to her explanation, I quickly looked Nicole up and down. As befitting the Empire of Minerva’s strongest force, even their uniform was impeccable.

Moreover, the navy-colored uniform matched Nicole’s hair color, enhancing its elegance. The uniform alone is impressive enough to be a reason to join the Navy Knights.

“But the uniform is really cool. Don’t people admire it whenever they see you?”

“A little bit?”

Proud of herself, Nicole lifted her chin and preened. Being in the Navy Knights, her self-pride must be quite high.

And Nicole is fully qualified for that pride. From her time as an instructor, she’s been a talented individual with skills comparable to a knight.

I looked at Nicole with admiration before glancing at the clock. As we talked, 30 minutes had already passed, and it was past 4 o’clock.

It’s not good to stay in the dormitory like this, but it’s too early for dinner. Still, I want to spend quality time with my sister whom I haven’t seen in a long time, so I plan to have dinner together.

“How long are you planning to stay?”

“About three days before I have to return. It takes quite a while to travel from the capital to the border region.”

“That’s good. Then let’s have dinner together tonight. I’ll tell the others too.”

“No, just have dinner with your acquaintances tonight. We still have time tomorrow. Before that…”

Nicole trailed off slightly and began to glance at me furtively. She seems to be hesitating, wondering whether to speak or not.

At first, I was puzzled by her behavior, but I immediately understood when I heard what came next from her mouth.

“So… how is Adel? Is she fulfilling her duty as a guard knight well?”

“Ah.”

It was a topic related to her close friend and my guard knight, Adelia Cross. Judging by her reaction, Nicole seems to know that Adelia has feelings for me.

Perhaps the person with the most complicated feelings is Nicole. After all, I not only have Marie by my side but also Cecilly.

Moreover, even though I haven’t said anything, Leona Lions has proudly declared that she will become my wife. If Nicole heard about this, she would sigh and grab the back of her neck.

Still, since Leona is next in line after Adelia, she’s quietly waiting for now. I’m not sure when I’ll reveal my identity, but if things continue like this, there shouldn’t be any problems.

“…She’s fulfilling it well.”

“Th-That’s good. Even though she’s a bit wild, her skills are…”

“I’ve even received a confession from her.”

“I’m glad you acknowl— WHAT?!”

Nicole, who had been laughing awkwardly, exclaimed in shock. Her wide-open face and bulging eyes conveyed her emotions.

I flinched at her reaction before smiling sheepishly and scratching my cheek. After the duel with Hyria, Adelia expressed her feelings directly while seeking comfort in my arms.

Although I couldn’t readily accept due to the circumstances, the very fact that she confessed means our relationship has transcended the ordinary.

Even when we exercise together on weekends, the frequency of skinship has increased, and she’s showing feminine aspects she hadn’t shown before. She’s walking a tightrope but not crossing the final line.

“She, she even confessed?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my. What should I do…”

Seemingly quite shocked, Nicole covered her face with one hand and groaned. She might think Adelia has crossed a line.

Judging by her reaction, she seems to know about Adelia’s circumstances too. I had a feeling the conversation would proceed smoothly.

I quietly waited while Nicole was lost in thought. She must have her own complicated feelings, so I should give her time to sort them out.

After a while, Nicole, who had been moving her lips silently, slowly raised her head and looked straight at me.

All kinds of worries were etched in her sparkling golden eyes.

“…So, what are you going to do? With not just one, but two women in the picture.”

“What do you think, sister?”

“You might not know, but she’s willing to be a concubine if necessary. But given your personality, I’m not sure if you’d treat a concubine as such… No, before that, do those two know?”

“More or less.”

Marie, with her excellent intuition, has long noticed that the atmosphere between Adelia and me is unusual. She occasionally asks about Adelia’s well-being, which says it all.

As for Cecilly… she just doesn’t care. She’s satisfied just by the fact that we’re connected, regardless of whether the number of women around me increases or not.

She even suggested giving seeds to Kate and forming a connection with her. Though there are political reasons mixed in, she doesn’t mind if other women join my side.

“But you know, sister. If I connect with Adelia, I’ll naturally have to reveal my identity. Do you know that Adelia is an illegitimate child of the Teres royal family?”

“…Kingdom of Teres? Wasn’t she just a regular noble?”

Nicole asked with round eyes. I thought she knew this much, but apparently not.

“So you only knew half.”

“No, wait. Is she really an illegitimate child of the Teres royal family? That romanticist who only looks at his queen and doesn’t even take concubines?”

Nicole asked me with a slightly urgent voice. Fredrick, the king of the Kingdom of Teres, is well-known to the public as a romanticist.

Moreover, he’s implemented good policies, so from the perspective of the Teres citizens, he has the image of a good king.

But while he might genuinely be a romanticist, he’s disqualified as a father. Judging by the deep trauma engraved in Adelia, it’s highly likely that he didn’t intervene and just stood by.

When I nodded calmly, Nicole let out a sigh and gave a hollow laugh. Then, shaking her head, she spoke in a deflated voice.

“…That makes it more troublesome. If you reveal your identity, it will surely affect her too. They might try to use her. No, they definitely will use her.”

“Right. That’s why it’s hard for me to accept.”

“Oh… this is frustrating, so frustrating.”

Nicole pounded her chest with a thump! thump! sound, seemingly finding the current situation very frustrating. I was equally frustrated with my relationship with Adelia, but there was no clear solution.

First, I need to talk to Marie and further reveal my identity. The first step is already a hurdle, and as they say, there are mountains beyond mountains, so progress with Adelia is bound to be as slow as a turtle.

“So I’m saying we should wait a little. Eventually…”

“Wait after receiving a confession? Are you crazy?”

I tried to smooth things over but only got scolded. I closed my mouth with a start when Nicole glared at me with fierce eyes.

She stared at me, who had become as silent as a mute who’d eaten honey, for a while, then let out a long breath through her nose and abruptly stood up.

I was dumbfounded, not knowing what she was doing, when she asked me with an expression that seemed to say, “What are you doing?”

“Issac. As your older sister and Adel’s friend, I have one question. It’s a serious question, so I’d appreciate a proper answer.”

“Huh? Oh, okay. What kind of question…”

“Would you rather be a scoundrel who takes a concubine without his wife’s permission, or a trash who plays with a woman’s heart?”

Both choices are terrible no matter which one I choose. When I looked up at Nicole with a bewildered gaze, she spoke in a stern voice.

“Answer. My actions will differ depending on your answer.”

“No, don’t both of those hurt someone’s feelings?”

“You’re unnecessarily kind and won’t be able to push away someone who comes to you. At times like this, don’t hesitate indecisively, but push forward decisively. Either become a scoundrel who accepts all the women who like you, or become trash who plays with them as you please. Which will you choose?”

“I, I guess being a scoundrel is better?”

Nicole’s pressure is so intense that I can’t even argue. Listening carefully, being a scoundrel seems better than being trash.

At my reluctant answer, Nicole looked at me with cold golden eyes and then gave an instruction.

“Guide me.”

“Y-Yes? W-Where?”

“Guide me to Adel. Since it’s come to this, we need to see it through to the end.”

I have no idea what her plan is. With a dazed feeling, I got up and started guiding her as instructed.

Somehow, we ended up outside the dormitory, but I still don’t understand Nicole’s intentions. She’s just following behind me, exuding a chilly atmosphere.

‘But if I tell her about Leona too…’

I can’t bring myself to say that. No joke, Nicole might hit me.

No matter how much she loves her younger brother, she’ll correct what needs to be corrected. Though I’m not sure what she’s trying to correct.

With a mixed heart, we walked for a while. Finally, we arrived right in front of the dormitory where Adelia resides. As we reach the dormitory, the gaze from behind feels more intense.

Under the unspoken pressure to open the door, I swallowed hard and lightly knocked. Adelia should be waiting in the dormitory until I call for her, so she should be inside.

After a while, I heard a voice saying “Coming~” from inside, and then the sound of Adelia approaching the door. For some reason, my heart is pounding with tension.

Creak-

“Who is… Oh! Cutie?”

When the door opened, Adelia, dressed in a white shirt and shorts, greeted me with a bright smile. Judging by her immediate appearance, she must have finished exercising and was resting.

“What brings you suddenly… Huh?”

Adelia was about to ask me how I was doing when she noticed Nicole standing behind me and widened her eyes. Surprise and joy filled her sky-blue eyes.

Perhaps because she’s meeting a close friend after a long time, Adelia smiled even brighter than before, slowly walked out of the dormitory, and faced Nicole.

“Nicole! It’s been so long! But your arm…”

“Issac.”

“Y-Yes?”

Nicole called my name without even acknowledging Adelia’s greeting. Judging by her low voice, she seems quite angry for some reason.

Adelia also seemed to detect this subtle atmosphere, as she was worrying about Nicole’s injury but started rolling her eyes. She’s trying to assess the situation.

Thud-

Then Nicole forcefully pushed my back. She pushed so hard that I couldn’t help but collide with Adelia.

Fortunately, Adelia caught me, but the sudden close contact was inevitably embarrassing. As Adelia and I were both bewildered, Nicole spoke in a chilly voice.

“Now, both of you go inside.”

“S-Sister? Please explain what’s going on…”

“Yes, Nicole. What’s this all about suddenly?”

Adelia also asked with a confused expression, too surprised by the sudden situation. Sensing something ominous, she’s holding me tightly to protect me.

“Haah…”

Regardless, Nicole looked at both of us alternately and then let out a deep sigh. Then, pressing her uniform hat down deeply, she spoke quietly.

It was a tone and voice that mixed various complex emotions, something that can’t be easily explained in words.

“It’s too frustrating to watch. Really…”

Having said that, Nicole turned her back and slowly began to walk away.

“Whether you kiss, have sex, or do whatever, make a decision quickly.”

She adds one more thing at the end.

“I’m going to bow my head to my sisters-in-law.”

Adelia and I could only stare blankly at Nicole’s retreating figure.