Chapter 45: Harvesting Celery
By the time the entrance exam concluded, evening had already settled in.
Leaving the grounds of the academy, Rest began his walk home through the streets of the Royal Capital. The area was deserted; as the interviews ended, candidates dispersed in the order of their numbers. Since Rest had a later number, he found himself returning home much later than the others.
(Viola and Primula must be worried about me. I should head straight home without any detours…)
“…Do you need something from me?”
“…You noticed, commoner?”
Since he exited the academy, Rest had felt a presence trailing behind him. When he turned around, a boy emerged from the shadows of a nearby building.
“You’re…?”
Cedric… no, it was Celery Boy. With eyes filled with hatred, he glared at Rest as if he were the enemy of his parents.
“You embarrassed me earlier! Don’t think a mere commoner can mock someone of the Brute Count House and get away with it!”
“What a ridiculous grudge…”
Rest hadn’t intended to humiliate him. He had simply scored six times higher than Celery Boy right after he had boasted about his own high score.
“That’s what I’m saying! You think I’d let this slide? You’re going to pay for this!”
“…So? Were you just waiting around to complain?”
What a foolish boy he was. If he had that much time to waste, he should be studying or working instead.
(He feels like a downgraded version of Cedric… It’s almost impressive how pathetic he is…)
“Take this!”
“…!”
With a shout, Celery Boy hurled something at Rest. He braced himself for impact, but it turned out to be a glove.
“It’s a duel! I’ll kill you!”
“Seriously? You want to duel over something so trivial…”
Dueling was a privilege reserved for nobles. What was a mere commoner like him babbling about, even if he was a branch of a count’s family?
“Shut up! If I say it’s a duel, then it’s a duel! Die!”
Without waiting for Rest’s agreement, Celery Boy directed a spell at him. Reacting swiftly, Rest cast a defensive spell.
“Thunder Bolt!”
“Earth Shield!”
A wall of earth surged from the ground, absorbing the lightning strike launched by Celery Boy.
“That pile of dirt won’t last long!”
Celery Boy shouted as he unleashed another bolt of lightning. The second spell shattered the Earth Shield, but Rest was no longer there.
“What!?”
“Your magic isn’t bad… You’re just like your foolish brother in that regard.”
“Gah…!?”
Using the Earth Shield to distract him, Rest quickly maneuvered behind Celery Boy. With a swift kick to his legs, he grabbed the boy’s head and slammed it into the ground.
“Ugh…!”
“Game over. I win, right?”
“No way… How could someone of the Count’s bloodline be defeated by a commoner…!”
“But you’re a commoner too. Don’t be ridiculous…”
Pressing Celery Boy into the ground, Rest sighed. Why were these wannabe nobles so obsessed with their status and lineage? Pure nobles like Viola and Primula, as well as Yuri whom he met today, were all generous towards those beneath them.
“…Thinking I might be classmates with you makes me anxious about school life.”
“Damn it… Do you think you can get away with this…!?”
“Hm?”
“I’m connected to the Count’s family… If I tell the Brute Count, you’ll be finished in no time…!”
Lying on the ground, Celery Boy glared up at Rest with malice.
“Neither you nor your family, nor your girlfriend will escape unscathed… I’ll have all of you imprisoned for insulting a noble…!”
“Oh, Rest. There you are.”
As Celery Boy spat his curses, a third voice interrupted. A carriage had stopped on the road, and a girl peeked out.
“I was starting to think we missed each other since we hadn’t crossed paths.”
“Viola? What are you doing here?”
The carriage bore the emblem of the Rosemary Marquis House. Viola leaned out of the window, smiling as she spoke to Rest.
“We decided to dine at a restaurant in town. My father and mother are with me. I was looking for you to pick you up.”
“Rest-sama, how did the exam go?”
Primula peeked over Viola’s shoulder, her face filled with concern.
“Oh, it went perfectly.”
“Thank goodness… I’m relieved.”
“Of course, it’s my Rest we’re talking about… By the way, who is that boy?”
Viola turned her gaze toward the boy pinned down by Rest.
“W-What!? The emblem of the Rosemary Marquis House…!?”
Celery Boy’s face turned pale, his teeth chattering. Just moments ago, he had boasted about being of noble blood, but the appearance of a marquis’s house had clearly rattled him.
“A stranger I met during the exam. He challenged me to a duel, so I took him down.”
“Well, a duel is quite serious.”
“Sir.”
As the sisters stepped back, the head of the Marquis House, Albert, stepped forward.
“You there. If it’s a duel, you must be of noble blood, correct? Identify your house.”
“Uh… um… that is…”
“…Hurry up. Don’t waste my time!”
“Y-Yes! I’m from the Brute Count House!”
Under the pressure, Celery Boy hurriedly introduced himself. Once Rest released him, he scrambled to his feet and bowed toward the carriage.
“Hm, the son of the Brute Count, is it? I don’t recall any boys your age in that house…”
“N-No… I mean… I’m a branch of the Count’s family…”
“Oh? Then what is your family’s noble title?”
“…None.”
“So, you’re a commoner? How is it that a commoner dared to challenge one of my house?”
The right to demonstrate justice through dueling belonged to nobles. The challenged party must also be noble, and while they could appoint a representative, they could not refuse.
“A commoner forcing a duel upon a member of my house means you’re committing assault.”
“N-No, but… I’m of noble blood, and I’m allowed to use the name Brute…”
“Even so, you’re still a commoner, aren’t you? Am I wrong?”
“Ugh…”
Celery Boy fell silent. Albert’s words were entirely logical, leaving him with no retort.
“…”
“…Well, it’s fine. I’ll be lodging a formal complaint with the Brute Count regarding this incident.”
“W-What…?”
“We’re about to have dinner as a family. I don’t want to be bothered with any more unnecessary matters. Rest-kun, get in the carriage quickly.”
“Understood.”
Rest cast a sympathetic glance at the dejected Celery Boy before climbing into the carriage. Inside, the Rosemary couple sat side by side, with Viola and Primula facing them.
The two girls smiled and patted the seat between them. Rest took his place there without resistance.
“Now, let’s go.”
Albert instructed the driver, and the carriage began to move. Leaving Celery Boy sprawled on the ground, it rolled away mercilessly.