Chapter 149: Shall I Make You My Husband?
Waking up to a sudden noise, an unfamiliar ceiling entered my vision. A shape like looking at a slatted board from behind… Ah, right. I slept on the bottom bunk of a bunk bed yesterday. After that, we got pretty lively with our roommates until late at night, didn’t we…
Letting my gaze wander further, I saw Idiot just leaving the room, a wooden sword in hand. He’s probably heading for morning training. I should go too…
I couldn’t spare much stamina for training while traveling for the Off-Campus Training Exercise. Today’s a day off, so I don’t need to worry about stamina, and I want to check my sword skills for the dungeon crawling starting tomorrow.
For that, first, I need to wake up Rouge, who’s sleeping using my left arm as a pillow…
Rouge, who was supposed to be sleeping on the top bunk of the same bunk bed as me, had, as expected, snuck into my bed at some point. Dressed casually in a thin shirt and half-pants, she was pressed close, and her body heat and heartbeat felt even closer.
Her defenseless sleeping face didn’t seem like that of someone of the same sex at all. I really don’t want our roommates to see this… My left arm is also numb and nearing its limit. I feel bad for her, sleeping so peacefully, but I have to wake her up.
“Rouge, wake up.”
“Ngh… Hugh, I like you…”
“……I like you too.”
“Hauh…!? Wh-Wha, huh?”
Rouge snapped her eyes open, sat up, and looked around. Then, she blinked her eyes rapidly for a while.
“Morning, Rouge.”
“Ah, yeah. Morning, Hugh. Hey, just now, about me—”
“Shh. We need to get changed before the others wake up, right?”
“Ah, okay. ……A dream?”
Rouge tilted her head, took out her clothes from her luggage, and began to change quickly in bed. I turned my back to her, keeping an eye out to see if any other classmates were waking up. Fortunately, the others still seemed to be sound asleep, and Rouge managed to get changed without issue.
“Thanks, Hugh. Sorry for always making you worry about me.”
“It’s no big deal. More importantly, I’m thinking of going for morning training now. If you’d like, why don’t you come with me, Rouge?”
“Eh, really? I want to go!”
“Alright, let’s go then.”
I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief at Rouge’s reply. If it were our dorm room, it’d be one thing, but I’m worried about leaving Rouge alone in a room with other guys. I don’t think anything would happen, but I’d probably be too restless to focus on training.
We snuck out of the room quietly so as not to wake the other classmates, and walked side-by-side down the inn’s corridor, enveloped in the early morning silence. Did Idiot head to the inn’s backyard, I wonder?
“Still, last night was fun, wasn’t it? I never thought Brown-kun and Ann-chan’s relationship would have progressed that much.”
“I often saw them together, but to think they’d actually get engaged.”
Our classmate Brown is the son of a baker in the Royal Capital, a student of commoner origin. Back when our classmates were divided and feuding between the Prince Slay Faction and the Prince Brute Faction, he was sort of in a representative position for the Prince Brute Faction.
Ann, on the other hand, is the only daughter of House Traji, and was one of the female students in Idiot’s entourage. She, too, holds a representative position among the noble-born students in our class.
The reason those two ended up engaged was apparently because, during the Mock Group Battle where we fought divided into the Prince Slay Faction, the Prince Brute Faction (and us, the Prince Lucas Faction), Brown protected Ann and got pinned under a fallen tree.
Ann’s parents, Count Traji and his wife, were reportedly so impressed by Brown’s brave actions that they visited Brown’s family bakery to thank him directly. Brown’s parents, who received them, seemed quite flustered, but apparently offered the Trajis the best hospitality they could.
The Trajis, in turn, took a liking to that, and an exchange between the parents began without Brown and Ann’s knowledge. After that, Brown’s family bakery was designated as purveyors to House Traji, the Trajis visited the shop regularly, and their interactions continued, leading to their engagement being decided quite naturally.
A verbal agreement between parents. Moreover, with an engagement between a noble and a commoner, a difference in status, the individuals involved were apparently greatly bewildered. Brown, in particular, had intended to inherit the bakery but ended up marrying into a count’s family, and was reportedly at his wit’s end.
“But he didn’t seem entirely displeased, did he?”
“He even came asking me and Idiot-san to teach him noble etiquette.”
Since the etiquette a Backwater Poor Noble like me could teach is limited, I left that part entirely to Idiot, the current head of House Hortness, one of the kingdom’s most prestigious noble families.
Idiot sighed at me as if to say “good grief,” but he congratulated Brown and Ann on their engagement and promised not to spare any cooperation. Being the caring guy he is, he’ll probably listen to Brown’s concerns sympathetically.
“An engagement, huh. How nice…”
Rouge glanced up at me with eyes brimming with expectation. Brushing it off with no comment… no, that’s not right. That would just be running away from her. That said, confessing right here and now would be too impulsive, so I tightly squeezed the hand of the girl walking beside me.
“Um… Just wait a little longer, please.”
“Can I look forward to it?”
When I nodded silently, Rouge giggled and squeezed our joined hands.
“Okay. But if you make me wait too long, I’ll take Hugh for myself, okay?”
“That… sounds exquisitely troublesome.”
“Right?”
As I continued towards the courtyard, still holding hands with Rouge, I soon heard the sound of wooden swords clashing from a little way ahead. It seemed training had already begun.
Idiot sparring with Alissa-san. That’s what I thought, but when I stepped into the courtyard, Alissa-san was nowhere to be seen. The one facing Idiot was Ryugu.
“Haaaaaaah!”
Against Ryugu, who attacked with a single, powerful burst, Idiot calmly assessed the sword lines and parried. Idiot, who possesses the «Chevalier» Skill, is incredibly strong in defensive battles. In terms of defense alone, his swordsmanship talent rivals that of Alissa-san or Roan-san, who holds the Skill of the kingdom’s strongest Knight, «Sword Master».
Ryugu, who was pressing such an Idiot, was also an excellent Rank B Adventurer. His sword lines, likely forged in real combat, were sharp, and with his unconventional, free-flowing swordplay, he wasn’t giving Idiot an opening to counterattack.
My current Skill is «Ignition», so I can’t tell for sure, but… Ryugu probably isn’t using any Skills. Does he not possess «Swordsmanship» type or «Physical Enhancement» type Skills, or is he deliberately not using them? Either way, to be able to fight on par with Idiot like that without Skills is nothing short of amazing.
“Amazing, Hugh!”
“Yeah… Huh?”
Was it my imagination? Just for a moment, did Ryugu’s figure blur…?
Immediately after I felt that doubt, Ryugu’s wooden sword was sent flying by Idiot’s counter. Ryugu spread his hands in a gesture of surrender. His expression looked somewhat satisfied.
“As expected of Idiot-san. With my swordsmanship, I don’t think I could match you even after decades.”
“If you had been serious from the start, the outcome would have been different. It’s unpleasant to be praised for winning an unfair fight.”
“I apologize. But I was happy to be able to fight with you. Thank you very much.”
Ryugu bowed deeply to Idiot, then nodded to us as he passed by, and left into the inn.
Idiot, watching his retreating back, folded his arms and snorted “Hmph.” He looks unusually displeased. Was he frustrated that Ryugu held back against him…?
“Morning, Hugh. So Rouge came today too.”
Idiot, noticing us, exhaled once as if to switch gears, and approached us looking like his usual self.
“Yup! I thought I’d get some exercise for a change.”
Rouge made “shh, shh” sounds while throwing punches like she was shadowboxing. I thought for sure she was just going to watch, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.
“You don’t mind, Idiot?”
“Of course not.”
After that, the three of us trained in swordsmanship.
As expected, Idiot is quite good at teaching others. Rouge, who said this was her first time properly learning swordsmanship, improved visibly before my eyes.
In the academy’s swordsmanship classes, she had just been swinging a wooden sword around, but in about thirty minutes, she became reasonably proficient at handling a sword.
“She might have more aptitude for it than you, Hugh.”
“Don’t just state the facts like that…”
Rouge’s good reflexes often surprise me. She doesn’t have «Physical Enhancement» like Lecty; this is her natural ability… A huge difference from Lily, who’s terrible at exercise.
I wonder if having a slender figure makes it easier to move your body after all…?
“Hugh, were you just thinking something very rude?”
“No, no. Of course not, hahaha.”
…I should stop thinking about unnecessary things. If I carelessly provoke him, he looks like he’d attack me with that wooden sword as is.
After I’d been swinging my sword for a while, Alissa-san came to the courtyard. She wasn’t in her usual rough attire for training, but was wearing the armor of the Royal Knights Order and had a real sword at her hip.
Did something happen…?
“Hugh, Idiot, training even while traveling, you’re so diligent, ssu ne. And today Rouge is with you too, ssu ka?”
“Morning, Alissa-san! Hugh and Idiot-kun are teaching me the sword!”
“Go easy on her so she doesn’t get hurt, ssu yo…?”
“Okay!”
Even Alissa-san, who’s usually spartan, probably thinks it’d be bad if Rouge got injured. If the worst happened, her neck would literally be on the line.
“By the way, Alissa-joshi. That’s quite the imposing outfit you’re wearing. Is there some kind of problem?”
“Nah, it’s not really what you’d call a problem, ssu kedo ne. It’s just, there’s been a slight change in schedule, so I was going around the rooms to let you know, ssu.”
I see. It seems Alissa-san came looking for us since we weren’t in our rooms. What on earth could this schedule change be?
As I was wondering, Alissa-san let out a somewhat exasperated sigh and told us.
“It seems the lord of this town (Viscount Drephon) is inviting Prince Lucas and the Royal Academy students to a luncheon, ssu yo.”
I’m back! Starting today, I plan to update at the usual pace!
However, I have a constitution that’s weak to heat, so I might have to take another break for about a week. Thank you for your understanding.
Now then, thank you for 6 million page views!
Pre-orders for the first volume, releasing on June 25th, have started in various places.
Additionally, pre-orders for a limited edition with a B2 tapestry have started at Gamers-sama, so please check it out via the link in my activity report!
(*Sample images can’t be posted on the activity report as they might get banned.)
Sorry, Lucretia, please get naked for my royalties…!