episode_0066

000

Even if it is the academy, an educational institution where the repository of knowledge and the light of wisdom never go out.

It’s not as if students and professors pour their time into studying and research without any holidays.

It usually operates as an educational city and becomes the exclusive property of students and faculty, but

On weekends, people flocked from surrounding villages and cities.

Especially, near the dormitories and residences of students located on the outskirts of the academy,

It was quite noisy due to the frequent comings and goings of relatives of students who came to see their families after a long time.

If it were Laila before meeting Cleon, she would have cast a soundproofing barrier over the entire mansion,

Closed all the curtains on the windows, and even forgotten to eat,

She would have waited for this weekend to end quickly in the dark underground workshop, absorbed in research.

However, the weekend she spent with Kuon was very different from before.

When morning comes, she naturally wakes up because of the scent of the meal she prepared.

Perhaps it’s because she always wakes up at a fixed time, no matter how late she goes to bed the night before.

Laila spent less time racking her brains at her desk until late at night.

“Haaahm… Good morning…”

When Laila yawns loudly and goes down to the mansion’s living room,

Sasha was already there, having finished preparing for the morning.

She was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting her clothes, wearing a cute decoration on her head that she hadn’t seen before.

“Good morning! Laila!”

Sasha turned to her voice after hearing Laila’s voice.

The tail and ears were still there, but she was still a cute and cheerful girl.

“Yeah. Sasha. What’s that new hair accessory?”

When Laila pointed to Sasha’s head with sleepy eyes,

Sasha smiled shyly and touched the hair accessory characterized by a red berry-like jewel and a green ribbon.

“Yes. Actually, a friend from the same department gave it to me as a welcome gift.”

“You’re still a social butterfly. You said you were going to hang out with those friends today, right?”

“That’s right! I’m meeting them at the commerce department’s free market.”

When Laila nodded vigorously, her hair shook up and down accordingly.

“Be careful at the free market. There are a lot of dark-hearted guys in that department, so there are some who rip you off.”

Laila said that and turned her head to look for Cleon and Kuon, who would have woken up first.

Then Sasha seemed to understand Laila’s intentions and said to her.

“Cleon is in the room with Kuon. I heard there’s an important event today, so they’re getting dressed…”

“Huh? Ah. Today was the day I was supposed to pretend to be Aruru’s lover.”

Laila scratched her head with a slightly awkward expression.

It had already been three days since everyone decided to persuade the top students, but

The only one who had achieved any significant results was Cleon.

For some reason, the top student in the archery department hasn’t been seen for the past few days.

Kuon’s theology department also only shook their heads when Laila’s name was mentioned.

Laila, the most famous and notorious celebrity in the academy, was out of the question.

Laila looked back and forth between the meal prepared on the table and the upper floor where Cleon’s room was located for a moment.

She moved her feet and went up the stairs again towards Cleon’s room.

Knock knock. When the knock rang, Kuon’s answer was heard from inside.

Laila roughly answered and opened the door.

There, she saw Cleon in a suit that she had never seen him wear before.

“…Where did you get that suit?”

A neat black outer garment, a white shirt.

And black pants, just like pitch black.

“Finally, your whole body is only white and black.”

When she said it as a joke, Kuon burst out laughing.

“Yesterday. Aruru sent it to this mansion. I don’t know how she knew the measurements…”

Cleon adjusts his tie as if he is a little uncomfortable.

He had never worn a suit in his life, so he had no idea how to wear it.

Kuon was also a country girl, so she didn’t know much about men’s suits.

But she was helping him, thinking that it would be better than Cleon putting it on alone.

“Hmm…”

However, Laila looked at it and thought something was wrong.

She walks closer to Cleon and smoothes out the wrinkles on his shirt and adjusts his clothes.

Then, she lifts her heels and adjusts his tie.

“Okay. Like this… Yeah. That’s it. Clothes make the man, after all.”

“Does it look strange?”

At Cleon’s words, Laila took a step back and put her finger on her chin, looking at him from top to bottom.

“Not really? Um~ If it were my taste, I would have made the color navy blue instead of black.”

Kuon also nodded as if agreeing with Laila’s opinion.

“Are you familiar with suits?”

“Top students were often called to various places as representatives of the department. So, I often saw other guys wearing suits.”

At Cleon’s question, Laila shook her head.

“For reference. The person who gets the most invitations to balls is Aruru Tromae, who you’re about to meet.”

Regardless of gender, Laila added.

“…For reference, Laila…”

“Huh!?”

Laila threatened Cleon, with a vein popping out on her forehead at his nonsense.

Cleon unconsciously swallowed his saliva and stopped talking.

“…It’s been years since I’ve been to such a place. The last time I went was 4 years ago… I guess. I don’t even get invited anymore.”

There was a hint of sadness in Laila’s expression as she avoided eye contact.

Would it be better to avoid mentioning it any further?

Kuon and Cleon nodded, thinking the same thing.

“The restaurant where you’re meeting Aruru today seems to be quite luxurious. I heard you can only get in with an introduction from an existing customer.”

At Cleon’s words, Laila looked at him with cold eyes, saying, “Heeh.”

“Let’s go together later. With Sasha and Kuon too.”

“You’re paying.”

“… Okay.”

With those words, Laila gave a mischievous smile and turned her body.

“But you mustn’t forget the original purpose. The goal is to get Aruru’s `consent`.”

“I know. I’ll come back with good news.”

001

There was a luxurious carriage running along a well-maintained street on the plain.

On top of the body made of light yet strong material,

The Tromae family’s symbol of the Trinity Hero, three crossed swords, is decorated, and

Splendid gold lines are attached to various parts of the body.

Several hours by carriage from the kingdom’s capital.

The human inside feels almost no vibration due to the influence of magic, but

The carriage, pulled by well-trained thoroughbreds, moved its owner to its destination as if walking on clouds, even without such magic.

“Haa…”

And the sound of a sigh was heard.

Inside the carriage was a man who looked to be about 50 years old.

His entire body was well-trained and he was quite large.

His hair, which was originally gold, had turned white due to excessive kingdom affairs, but

Along with his neatly trimmed beard, it showed that he did not pay much attention to appearance.

He was a warrior far from vanity.

The clothes he wore were also the uniform of a kingdom minister with a red base and white stripes.

The clothes with gold decorations on the shoulders maintained a perfect angle and showed not a single wrinkle.

The medals on his chest allowed one to easily imagine how many times he had saved the kingdom.

Percis Tromae.

He is the current head of the Tromae family and the father of the hero Aruru Tromae.

He was the second hero produced by the Duke Tromae, and

He could be said to be a senior official of the kingdom, having retired as a hero and currently serving as the Minister of National Defense.

The reason why he was sighing repeatedly in a situation where he should be excited to meet his precious daughter was twofold.

The first was the existence of the `man she is dating` that his daughter mentioned in her letter.

The story about the man changed every time she sent a letter, so he had already noticed that it was a lie.

However, the fact that she was so uninterested in marriage that she would lie to her father was

An attitude that could not help but be worrying as the next head of the family.

In addition, there was a small feeling of guilt towards the man who would become her liar’s assistant and come to meet him at his daughter’s suggestion.

And the thought that he might unconsciously draw his sword and cut him down.

And the second.

The issue related to the death of the Sword Saint Talcheck continued to hover around him.

Talcheck, a hero of the kingdom who belonged to the intelligence agency and freely roamed the kingdom to a certain extent, making a great contribution to maintaining public order, died.

His daughter – or rather, the special strategic weapon, Holy Sword.

The artificial Holy Sword, Iona Chevalier, was also trying to leave the kingdom’s intelligence agency.

Two of the four heroes had disappeared.

One belonged to the church, not the kingdom.

The other was an unpredictable wanderer.

Although he did not intend it, as Talcheck, who had contributed to the kingdom’s peace, disappeared,

Odds and ends were trying to raise their heads here and there.

Thanks to that, there was a meeting of ministers yesterday that did not reach a conclusion.

Even today, a holiday, after the long-awaited reunion with his daughter,

He had to return to that stuffy royal castle and have pointless conversations with bald men again.

“I hate it…”

He muttered in a voice like a lament and looked out the window.

Only a wide-open plain.

When he was young, he ran across this plain on horseback,

He defeated the empire’s soldiers with Talcheck.

He protected the kingdom with Lesia.

Now that the war with the empire was over and he had become the Minister of National Defense, following in his father’s footsteps,

The family had prospered even more, and the kingdom had become peaceful, but

His soul as a warrior was only growing old.

002

Around noon, Cleon was waiting for Aruru and her father at the appointed place.

Originally, her mother was supposed to come with them, but there was an unexpected accident, so only her father was coming.

And the place where he was waiting for the two of them was the most luxurious restaurant in the academy.

Cleon was guided by the manager to a private room and sat down first.

It was a place with more splendid decorations than any restaurant Cleon had ever visited.

Not only the tables, but also the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

The music that could be heard even inside the room was the performance of the “orchestra” he had seen while coming here.

He was told that Aruru would pay for the cost, so he wasn’t worried.

But when he thought about visiting again with his friends later, the state of his wallet came to his mind.

It was fortunate that he had arrived a little earlier than the appointed time, following Laila’s advice.

Because he thought it would take some time to adapt to the atmosphere of the restaurant.

“The gentleman is already here.”

When the door opened with the voice heard from outside,

Aruru appeared in a red dress.

Her hair was down long, unlike usual, and

A blue earring in the shape of a small sword on her ear was eye-catching.

The shape of the dress was sleeveless, so although there was fabric covering her chest and back,

Her shoulders, the top of her sides, and her armpits were largely exposed.

As for the legs, her right leg was exposed as it was, making it easy to move around even though it was a dress.

Of course, she was embarrassed to show her bare legs, so brown tights took their place.

She wore black silk gloves on her hands.

The beautiful patterns decorated as they came up to her wrists.

It was hard to imagine her usually holding a sword in that hand and swinging it fiercely.

Aruru Tromae as a “girl” rather than a “warrior.”

However, her confident demeanor and the slightly upturned corners of her lips

Even without holding a sword, she still faced Cleon with her beautiful appearance.

“Sorry to keep you waiting?”

“No, just now… Was it on purpose?”

At Cleon’s answer, recalling their previous conversation, Aruru chuckled and sat next to Cleon.

“My father will be here a little later. It seems like there are more guests than he thought, so it’s taking him some time to find a place to put the carriage.”

“I see…”

He wondered if something might have gone wrong and Aruru’s father might not be able to come.

But it didn’t seem like that was the case.

“…Hehe, your face is stiff, Cleon. You’re completely different from usual.”

“Sorry, it’s my first time at a place like this.”

At Cleon’s words, Aruru widened her eyes as if a little surprised, and then raised the corners of her lips again.

“Unexpected? I thought you were a theology professor, so you’ve already had relationships with many women.”

“I don’t deny that part… But I’ve never had the experience of being introduced as a lover to someone else’s family.”

“Heeh, so I’m your first.”

Cleon felt a bit uncomfortable with Aruru’s attitude, as if she was teasing him.

He knew that she didn’t mean to, but

At that time, the regular and neat footsteps of a man could be heard from outside.

“He’s here.”

When Aruru said that and stood up from her seat, Cleon also stood up from his seat, following her.

And an elderly man appeared as the door opened.

As he had heard in the story, he was a dignified figure with a large frame.

He wondered if he was about the same height as Talcheck.

“It’s been a few months since I’ve seen you in person. Have you been well, Father?”

Aruru naturally opened her mouth and went closer to her father.

Then, she moved her arm and pointed to Cleon with her hand, and continued to speak.

“This is the academy’s lecturer, Cleon, who I’m currently dating.”

“…Nice to meet you. Percis. I-”

“Your Excellency!!!”

The moment Cleon was about to speak, a thunderous voice rang out from Percis.

He was looking at Cleon with wide eyes and speaking.

“I will not hand over my daughter to the Black Horse Clan!”

003

An awkward silence flows in the room.

The meal had not yet been served, but only the wine glasses filled with aperitif wine

Were placed alone on the table.

Aruru somehow calmed Percis down and made him sit down.

But he still couldn’t understand or calm down, and was looking at Cleon with eyes that seemed like he would devour him.

Then, when he opened his mouth-

“Aruru. Do you know that I fought against them in the war with the Empire, and yet you brought this man here?”

Percis’ voice seemed to be suppressing his boiling emotions somehow.

But Aruru responded in a voice that did not lose its composure, as if she had expected his reaction.

“Yes. I know very well. Your heroic tales have been my favorite stories since I was a child.”

“Um, is that so…? That’s not it! What on earth are you thinking?”

To Percis, it seemed that Aruru was only trying to tease him.

The Black Horse Clan was the same clan as the Sword Emperor, who spread tyranny in the Empire and threatened the world.

The power they possessed was easily stained by “evil,” and it was not known when a figure like the Sword Emperor would appear again.

“If you ask what I’m thinking, my head is already full of Cleon, and I’m not thinking about anything else.”

“Have you been brainwashed!?”

“Hehe, no.”

Aruru was talking to her father, Percis, without taking a single step back.

Cleon thought that it would be helpful not to open his mouth unnecessarily, so he quietly listened to the two of them.

“What’s so good about this man compared to the noble young men of the kingdom?”

“He is strong. Stronger than any swordsman I know.”

“Don’t just say whatever comes to mind. Besides, do you think the family’s son-in-law will be decided solely on the basis of swordsmanship skills?”

“But I think that’s the most important criterion.”

The two of them were not narrowing their differences of opinion in this way.

In the end, it was Percis who couldn’t stand it and raised his voice.

“Hey! Was it Cleon? I already know that you’re going along with my daughter’s lie. But even if it’s not a lie, I can’t approve of you!”

Even if you say that to me.

That was Cleon’s honest impression.

If you know it’s a lie, shouldn’t you just take Aruru away?

He had the same thought, but if he did that, he would not be able to get Aruru’s consent to use the “Stone Sword.”

Aruru had told him to leave most of it to her.

But should he say something here after all?

As he thought that and glanced at Aruru,

She was looking at Cleon as if she was expecting something.

“…It doesn’t matter if I don’t get Percis’s approval. I think her choice should be respected.”

At that slightly arrogant remark, a vein popped out on Percis’ forehead.

Aruru, on the other hand, smiled with satisfaction and looked at her father.

“All choices of nobles come with responsibility. And that responsibility cannot be resolved on an individual level.”

“So you’re restricting her?”

“I’m doing what I think is best.”

“Among the children I know, there is a child who developed her own life to escape from a restricted future. She is much younger than Aruru.”

“That’s irrelevant!”

In the end, Cleon, like Aruru a little while ago, got a little heated up and talked to Percis.

Percis, who was gradually raising his voice, finally couldn’t stand it and stood up from his seat.

“…I could have sympathized with an average man for going along with Aruru’s lie. But you’ve gone too far.”

“… …”

“Aruru, do you hate what this father has decided so much? Did you prepare this man to make me angry?”

“No. It’s to make my father happy.”

“What are you-”

The next moment.

The ceiling collapsed and several people in red uniforms appeared.

Cleon and Percis were embarrassed by the sudden attack, but only Aruru seemed to know about it in advance and pulled out her earrings.

The blue jewel in her hand emitted a light of magic and transformed into Arondight.

“…Could it be that you knew about it in advance?”

Cleon took out the red sword that she had asked him to hide with illusion magic, as she had asked him to do.

“Hmm~ I felt like something was watching Cleon all along. I didn’t expect it to be the Execution Department.”

Percis regretted his actions of leaving his sword in the carriage.

At the same time, Cleon and Aruru stood back to back to protect Percis.

“Then, Cleon. Shall we dance a little early?”

“… … You’re such a tomboy.”

The two said that and charged at the Execution Department in front of them at the same time.