◇◇◇◇
The next morning.
I slipped out of Elmia’s room and returned to my own.
Then, I rang the bell to summon Nicoletta.
“Good morning. As you requested, Ferris will be serving as your attendant today,” Nicoletta said, presenting Ferris.
“F-Ferris desu. P-please take care of me,” Ferris said, standing before me nervously.
As always, the maid uniform was short, her shapely legs revealing a glimpse of her knees.
She wore no makeup, yet her wide, sparkling eyes were captivating, like those of a small, adorable animal.
“Ferris, Nicoletta has told you everything, hasn’t she?”
“H-hai! About my duties, hai, I have a basic understanding…”
Ferris replied uncertainly.
I wondered if she would be alright, as she was trembling quite a bit.
“It’s alright, I won’t scold you for minor mistakes. Just relax,” I said.
“Hoh… I-I understand.”
It seemed that physical size and mental fortitude were not proportional.
Well, I would observe her for the day.
“Regarding today’s schedule, the next heads of various noble houses will be arriving at the Imperial Capital,” Nicoletta said.
“I see.”
It seemed they were gathering one after another for tomorrow’s noble conference.
The current heads were generally busy, so they would arrive on the day itself.
It was customary for the next heads to arrive a day early to discuss the arrangements.
“Elmia should be handling that. Ferris, we’re going to the training grounds,” I said.
“Hai! Eh, training grounds?”
◇◇◇◇
Training grounds.
Here, not only I, but many Military Officials were training.
Cooperation training against Naia.
Coordination with citizen soldiers, how to deploy barrages, confirmation of formations against Stella-Class.
Such training was not accomplished in a day, and it continued even now that a ceasefire had been decided.
Ominously, the Court of Justice had remained silent from yesterday until this morning.
Then, there was the Tsujigiri.
And Elmia’s situation.
A vague unease was slowly tightening around my neck.
“Hmph.”
I swung my sword for the first time in a while.
Before grasping the pipe, I had been thoroughly trained in swords and spears, so even now, my body moved on its own when I held a sword.
It was an incredible display of muscle-headedness that I couldn’t have imagined in my previous life.
A circuit must have been formed that made my body move when I held a weapon.
I swung my sword to clear my mind of distractions.
I really wanted to spar, but I couldn’t find an opponent.
“Working hard, Sharka,” a voice suddenly called out from behind.
Turning around, I saw a white-haired old man standing there.
That old man was the person I had been waiting for.
“Ojiji-sama, and…”
Behind him was a young man in his mid-twenties.
“Lord Eukraine.”
“Yo, Sharka, you seem to be doing quite well.”
Ojiji-sama was a martial arts master who had served House Ortenos for a long time.
I had always been especially fond of Ojiji-sama since I was a child.
And Eukraine was a member of the Nevilim family, my senior disciple.
“It’s been a while, both of you,” I said.
“Hmm, having experienced your first battlefield, your face has changed,” Ojiji-sama said.
My mother had said the same thing.
“Have I become that much more handsome?” I asked.
“Wahahaha, you’ve become quite the talker. I’m proud to see my disciple’s growth,” Ojiji-sama said, laughing happily.
“I always thought Sharka would show his true colors someday. I never imagined he would defeat a Hero of the Union, let alone a ‘Stella’,” Eukraine said, sounding impressed.
“…Has that story spread as well?” I asked.
“It is said that there are thirteen Heroes who call themselves Stella, but no one knows their names. It seems that all the nobles targeted by them either disappear or are unknowingly manipulated by the Heroes,” Eukraine said.
“…You seem to know a lot about them,” I said.
Eukraine seemed to have more information about the Heroes than I knew.
In terms of position, he was just a regular guardian like me.
I wondered why he had so much information.
“I investigated various things when I was in the Imperial Capital. They have a lot of Hero-related incidents over there, so they seem to have a lot of information that we don’t know,” Eukraine said.
“Have you been to the Imperial Capital, Lord Eukraine?” I asked.
“Yeah, once about ten years ago. If you go to the academy, Sharka, you should check the library. You should be able to find a lot of the information you’re looking for there,” Eukraine said.
“I understand. I’ll go,” I said.
I had one more thing to do after going to the Imperial Capital.
I was secretly pleased to have obtained some useful information.
“I heard Roa has been doing well too, huh? You brothers are both incredible. I wish Encante would learn from you,” Eukraine said.
Encante was the next head of the Nevilim family and was only eleven years old.
He was the same age as Roa.
The way he was lovesick over Elmia made me a little worried about his future.
“…Lord Encante will improve from now on,” I said.
“I wonder. It’s not good to not have a sense of urgency when his peers are doing so well,” Eukraine said.
“…”
Eukraine said with a cold smile.
Among my senior disciples, Eukraine was the one who especially embodied meritocracy.
Regardless of family status, he tended to look down on those who were inferior in ability.
I thought that in itself was a matter of differing opinions.
If anything, I was closer to Eukraine’s way of thinking.
However, if the conversation led to elitism, I might reconsider how I interacted with him.
After the conversation had settled down, I turned my gaze to Ojiji-sama.
“Sharka, it seems you killed someone from the Court of Justice…?” Ojiji-sama asked me with a serious face.
It seemed that the matter of killing Fluga had already been reported.
“Yes, I am very sorry that this has happened. However, the Court of Justice has already crossed a line. And I intend to pursue all responsibility for this with the Lanecki Family,” I said.
“I’m sorry for putting a burden on you… We should have been the ones to act,” Ojiji-sama said.
“Ojiji-sama, what exactly happened in the past? What were the circumstances that led to this situation?” I asked.
“That is…”
Ojiji-sama began to speak hesitantly.
Immediately after the usurpation incident sixty years ago, Illumina escaped the Imperial Capital with the Shield of the King and fled to the Lanecki Earldom, which was a faction of the Royal Family.
Illumina called on Lanecki to try to rebuild, but there was one troublesome thing.
The eldest son of the Lanecki Family at the time was infatuated with Illumina.
The eldest son pressed Illumina to marry him, and Illumina agreed.
However, Illumina realized that she could not overcome this difficult situation with the Lanecki Family alone, so she headed to the Imperial Capital and wished to switch her allegiance to the Imperial nobles.
There, another troublesome thing happened.
The First Imperial Prince at the time fell in love with Illumina. And he said:
–If you want to become an Imperial noble, bear my child and make that child the head of the family.
The eldest son of the Lanecki Family protested against this, but he could not compete with the Imperial Family.
Illumina had no choice but to accept.
Eventually, Illumina became pregnant.
It was with twin boys.
Both had white hair and golden eyes.
The family members rejoiced at the birth of a legitimate heir who possessed the characteristics of the Ortenos Royal Family.
It was strange that an heir was born who did not inherit any of the Imperial Family’s characteristics, but as promised, Illumina was allowed to have a small territory in the eastern part of the Empire with her two children and was allowed to call herself the Marquis of Ortenos.
Illumina had, in name and reality, restored House Ortenos.
However, there was someone who complained about it.
It was the eldest son, who had already become an Imperial noble and was now the head of the Lanecki Earldom.
The moment the Earl of Lanecki saw Illumina, whom he had dreamed of marrying and had been infatuated with, return with the children of another man, he was furious.
And he forced her to choose: “Become my wife again if you don’t want to be destroyed, or become a slave if you don’t want to.”
Illumina eventually chose the latter.
The former had the potential to turn the Imperial Family into an enemy.
The Earl of Lanecki, who was not chosen, had the “Insignia of Orthodox Shackles” engraved on House Ortenos with hatred.
In the end, Illumina’s will was not reflected anywhere.
She was raped by the Imperial Prince, forced to bear the child of an unwanted man, and then enslaved by Lanecki, whom she had thought was an ally, out of spite.
–Then, about a dozen years later, Illumina and her son Lualark died in the Demon Beast Disaster.
It was an unrewarding story.
She overcame a time of humiliation, and just when things were about to get better, she finally fell halfway.
I could understand why my father didn’t want to talk about it.
“…Please, don’t hate Illumina-sama. She entrusted Ortenos to the future,” Ojiji-sama said.
“How could I hate her? …Was there any salvation for Illumina-sama?” I asked.
Until now, I had been taught that she was a heroine who had moved between the Imperial Family and the Lanecki Family.
But in reality, she was a tragic princess at the mercy of the times.
“Lady Illumina was never in despair. She rejoiced more than anyone at the birth of Ulgool and Luaraak, and wholeheartedly enjoyed their growth. She held hope that Ortenos would be reborn stronger.”
“Even if… Grandfather and I were of the bloodline of the Imperial Prince who defiled Lady Illumina?”
“…Yes, that’s right.”
I was bothered by the way Grandpa glossed over his words.
Is he trying not to worry us about being descendants of a rapist?
Or perhaps…
“Grandpa, I’m sorry for making you talk about painful things.”
“It doesn’t matter. Perhaps what Lady Illumina was waiting for was someone like Sharka, who could bring about change.”
“…You overestimate me. I just want to live peacefully with my future bride.”
Grandpa smiled wryly.
“You really are a changed man. Sharka, how about a sparring match for old time’s sake?”
“Yes, I’d be delighted.”
◇◇◇◇
“Haa…”
I finished training with Grandpa and the others.
I’m holding back my power more than usual.
I fought assuming the weakening I’ll experience when fighting Lanecki, and it turned out to be quite good training.
“L-Lord Sharka, here’s a towel.”
“Thank you.”
Ferris hands me a towel.
If it were Nicoletta, she would just wipe my sweat off without hesitation, but it seems she’s still reserved.
“Do you always train with that much intensity?”
Ferris is peering at my face with interest.
It seems Ferris wasn’t frightened by the intense training where our blood and flesh fly around.
“Yeah, well, more or less.”
“I didn’t know. I thought nobles didn’t do that kind of training…”
It’s quite a rude way of putting it, but I don’t dislike her honesty.
“If I don’t become strong, I can’t protect my family and my people.”
It’s undeniable that it’s lip service, but it’s also true.
Right now, I really wanted to raise Ferris’s favorability.
“…How admirable.”
“Does Ferris dislike nobles?”
“N-No, it’s not like that…”
Ferris looks down and hesitates.
“It doesn’t matter what you think. I’ll protect Ferris and Ferris’s family too. So you can rest assured.”
“Y-Yes.”
I try to reassure Ferris, imprinting on her that I’m not an enemy.
◇◇◇◇
After leaving the training grounds, I walked down the corridor and saw the courtyard.
In the center of the courtyard was a gazebo-like structure with a roof.
I could see a beautiful girl and a young man there.
From a distance, they seemed to be surrounded by flowers, chatting amicably, but Elmia’s expression was stiff.
She seemed to be forcing herself quite a bit.
Seeing this, I felt a dark emotion welling up inside me.
“Is that Lady Elmia? And who is the other person…?”
“…It’s Jilga.”
“Isn’t that Lady Elmia’s fiancé…?”
“Yeah.”
Perhaps because I had just heard about what Illumina had gone through, I couldn’t help but feel murderous towards Jilga.
I sent him a sharp gaze for a while.
Ferris must have noticed something was wrong with me, seeing my reaction.
Just then, a Stella-Class woman came walking towards us from the front.
“Oh, isn’t that the foolish Sharka-san?”
Purple wavy hair and a pointed hat.
A short, revealing tube top dress that exposes her shoulders.
Her breasts are so ample that they seem about to spill out with the slightest movement.
“Lady Carlotta. So you’ve already arrived here.”
“Yes, I just got here. I was bored and looking for someone to talk to. The only ones who are interesting to talk to are Lord Dinoren and Sharka-san.”
Carlotta said, giving me a sidelong glance.
“Then you should look elsewhere.”
“Oh, how cold. Over there… are Lady Elmia and Jilga-san. They seem to be getting along so well, I’m envious.”
At those words, I grit my teeth.
“Oh, it seems like you’re not very happy about that.”
“Lady Carlotta, please refrain from speaking based on your own assumptions.”
“It’s not an assumption. I understand Sharka-san’s feelings very well. But as a member of House Ortenos, you can’t go against Lord Jilga. You should give up, you know?”
“…”
Carlotta speaks while twirling around cheerfully.
As if she’s enjoying the failure of someone’s love life.
“If that’s the case, how about this—why don’t you become enamored with me? You’re not the head of the family anyway, and you’re not that attached to Elmia-san, are you? I wouldn’t mind you either, as you are now, Sharka-san.”
Carlotta said, approaching me and touching my lips.
Every gesture and tone of hers is irritating.
I want to violate her and make her cry.
“I’m not interested in fickle women. Lady Carlotta, didn’t you just get engaged to Lord Dinoren? It would be fatal for the next head of the family to have a scandalous reputation so soon after the wedding.”
I said, shaking off her hand.
“Fufu, that’s not true. Lord Dino is certainly a wonderful person, but perhaps because he’s a protector, he’s a little lacking. I, too, want to have the kind of emotions that Sharka-san directs towards Elmia-san directed at me.”
Carlotta is currently sixteen years old.
But her gestures and tone are seductive.
Erschein is a matriarchal noble family, so perhaps she’s being educated in that aspect as well.
“Then you should change that suggestive attitude. It would be good to know now that there are people who find it repulsive.”
“Oh, is that so? I’m quite confident in my body, you know? So I can tell exactly where you’ve been looking since earlier.”
Carlotta said, pulling down her tube top and exposing her breasts.
The recoil from pulling it up made them bounce up and down three times.
Her large, pink areolas and disproportionately small nipples were slightly assertive.
“Sharka-san—do you like this kind of thing?”
Carlotta flaunts her breasts, lifting them from below and shaking them.
She probably has a fetish for exhibitionism.
Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked at me with a bewitching expression.
(Muu…)
In terms of size, they’re smaller than Evelyn’s, but larger than my mother’s.
I don’t really want to see them.
I don’t want to see them, but it’s hard to look away.
(More importantly, this is bad. What if Elmia sees this?)
Just as I thought that, I sensed someone approaching.
Carlotta must have thought it was bad too, as she quickly pulled up her tube top.
“…Brother?”
“Oh my, Sharka-dono, are you having a secret rendezvous with Lady Carlotta in a place like this? As expected, even the hero of Bangwall is not to be underestimated.”
Elmia calls my name with a Noh mask expression.
Her complexion is not good.
Next, Jilga said with a sneer, as if mocking me.
“What were you doing with Carlotta?”
I hope she didn’t see anything?
“We were just having a little chat, right, Lady Carlotta?”
“Y-Yes. That’s right, it was really just a chat, a chat.”
Carlotta’s eyes dart around, and she twirls her fingers.
Her face is red, and sweat is starting to appear on her skin.
(Why are you so flustered…?)
It’s as if our daytime rendezvous has been exposed.
…Is this it? She doesn’t mind me knowing about her exhibitionist tendencies, but she doesn’t want other women to find out?
Elmia’s eyes narrowed.
And she has an expression as if she’s about to erupt.
“…Kuhaha, well then, Elmia… I hope you make the right decision.”
Jilga left Elmia with those cryptic words and turned away.
Elmia’s expression also showed agitation.
“Elmia, what were you talking about with Jilga?”
“…It’s none of your business, Brother.”
“Of course it’s my business. Did he say something to you? If so, I’ll…”
“I said it’s none of your business!”
Elmia raised her voice.
Her emotions surged like a storm, and Magical Power pierced my skin like needles.
“…Brother, what were you talking about with Carlotta?”
“It was really just a greeting, there was no ulterior motive.”
“Carlotta, is that true?”
Elmia suddenly changes her target to Carlotta.
“H-Huh?! W-Well, yes, that’s right. Sharka-san and I are, by no means, in a suspicious relationship!”
(This is hopeless.)
I’m starting to suspect that she’s an agent to sabotage my reputation.
Eventually, Elmia starts to shed large tears.
It was as if something that had been stretched taut had snapped.
“Elmia…”
“…Please, leave me alone for a while.”
With those words, Elmia ran off.
She had a very troubled expression.
There’s no doubt that Jilga said something to her.
So, she happened upon the scene of me and Carlotta together, and her emotions just broke down, is that it?
“Oh dear, it seems we’ve stumbled into a rather messy situation…”
Carlotta’s words passed through my ears in vain.
“…Was this Jilga’s doing?”
“Huh? No, it wasn’t! Why would I listen to that clingy man?”
I suspected a conspiracy, but Carlotta didn’t seem to be involved.
Is she just an idiot?
It seems that in my eagerness to crush the enemy before me, I had somehow neglected Elmia.
(Seriously, what am I doing? Father even warned me about this.)
Come to think of it, it might have been from this moment that Elmia and I started to drift apart.