Chapter 93: A Sunny Promise
Zacharian Empire Calendar, Year 152, August 25th.
Marquis Rosham Territory.
The capital, Bagram.
Rosham Plateau.
Also known as the Northern Lands, this plateau is covered in thick snow during winter.
In spring, flowers begin to peek out, and in the warmest summer months, pale blue Blue Nigella bloom.
–All that has form will eventually crumble.
That is the law of the plateau.
Life in the highlands is harsh for the Dust, and surviving from autumn through winter is a major problem.
If the commoners disappear, the nobles suffer.
But if the nobles do nothing, the commoners die.
Due to these constraints, the commoners and nobles have built a unique relationship, unlike in other noble territories.
Past noon.
In the sunny meadow, young boys and girls ran through the flower field.
Their attire was too elegant to be that of commoners, so it was clear they were nobles.
“Hurry up, Rokina!”
“Wait for me, Vito!”
The boy called Vito ran ahead, and the girl called Rokina followed, lagging slightly behind.
Rokina la Rosham.
A beautiful girl with pale blue hair and snow-white, finely textured skin.
Her attire was a long-skirted dress, rare for female nobles.
As the girl walked, blue petals danced around her, making her look like a fairy.
Vito blushed as he watched his childhood friend, growing more beautiful each time he saw her.
“…It’s been a while since we came to Azure Hill together like this. Come to think of it, you were the one who told me that the view of the villages from this hill is beautiful, right, Vito?”
“…Don’t remember.”
Vito answered Rokina’s adorable question curtly.
“The weather is really nice. The breeze feels good, and the Blue Nigella are so cute.”
“…Hmph.”
“…I think you should be a little more considerate of me, Vito.”
“…It’s fine, isn’t it?”
Vito looked away, acting embarrassed.
It seemed like he was hiding his embarrassment, but to some, it might appear rude.
Rokina pouted, dissatisfied with Vito’s indecisive attitude.
“I turned down the engagement with Ortenos for your sake, you know?”
“Shut up… I know.”
Thin clouds began to cover the sun.
Light streamed through the gaps, sparsely illuminating Azure Hill.
“It’s because I thought I could trust you more than some bean sprout with suspicious rumors that I don’t even know…?”
“…I, I see.”
“…Hey, what did you mean when you said, ‘Choose me over someone like that’? Or… was it just a tease?”
Rokina asked Vito anxiously.
“Huh?”
Vito just couldn’t be honest with Rokina.
Male nobles were sensitive, and before they became young men, they tended to hide their feelings for the young ladies they liked.
Acting like some noble family’s son, desperately trying to win a lovely bride, was actually quite rare.
“Haa… I have a bad feeling.”
“…”
Rokina sighed unhappily and sat down with her knees pulled up to her chest under a large tree on the hill.
Vito made a face as if he had bitten into something bitter when he saw Rokina like that.
“…I’m sorry.”
Vito struggled with embarrassment, but in the end, his desire not to be disliked by Rokina won.
He sat down next to Rokina and apologized.
“Hehe… It’s okay. You’ve always been clumsy, Vito.”
Rokina decided to forgive him, considering that Vito had honestly apologized.
Vito’s heart ached as he saw Rokina smile so fleetingly and radiantly.
It was Vito’s ego that had forced the engagement with Ortenos to be stopped.
The sense of loss he felt when he learned that his childhood friend Rokina would suddenly disappear was immeasurable.
“…If Father hadn’t tried to offer Rokina up, things wouldn’t have become so complicated.”
“Sorry, I made things difficult…”
“No, I was happy that you turned it down, Rokina.”
“I’m kind of scared of outsiders, and I feel more at ease with you, Vito… so I still don’t regret choosing you, you know?”
This girl was usually timid, but she was straightforward about the things she decided.
She was completely different from the indecisive Vito.
Vito felt an overwhelming affection for the girl who had chosen him.
“M-Me too!”
“Whoa!”
Vito leaned towards Rokina with too much force.
Rokina was surprised and fell backward.
The girl was now lying on her back on the meadow.
“…gulp”
Vito swallowed hard as he looked at the girl’s defenseless figure.
Her small lips, lightly made up with bright red lipstick.
It was hard to tell because of her dress, but the girl’s figure had curves that were hard to believe for a thirteen-year-old girl.
“…Vito?”
“…Rokina.”
Before he knew it, Vito was on top of Rokina.
He was drawn to the small girl’s lips in front of him.
Rokina closed her eyes, ready for what was about to happen.
–The moment their lips were about to touch.
“Hey, you two, the meeting is about to start…!”
A voice called out from the foot of the hill.
The two were startled and quickly stood up.
“Oops, did I interrupt something?”
A girl with the same blue hair as Rokina, but slightly taller, was grinning as she looked at Rokina and Vito.
Her older sister, Velokia la Rosham.
The second of the four Rosham branch family sisters, and one of those who supported Rokina and Vito’s relationship.
◇◇◇◇
Bagram Castle.
In the conference room, several Stella-Class nobles were gathered, with Magic Lamps lit.
“So, Torbin, what’s the situation with Ortenos?”
“Unfortunately, I was turned away at the gate…”
A middle-aged, burly Stella-Class man sitting at the head of the table spoke to a stern-faced Satellite-Class Military Official named Torbin.
The rugby player was Marquis Rosham.
Torbin was the eldest son of the Gadareta House, a leading knight family, and was mainly in charge of diplomacy.
He was the Military Official who spoke with Sharka at Bangwall.
“…Why?”
“It seems they didn’t like our attitude when we visited Bangwall last time. After the Ceasefire Talks, we weren’t even allowed to enter Bangwall.”
“They refuse entry for something like that? Is Sharka not very magnanimous?”
The middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table commented.
In fact, Sharka had banned them because he was angry with their attitude.
Under the guise of not being looked down upon by his subordinates.
“How about Ortenatris?”
“I was able to meet with Lord Radnock, but it wasn’t promising. The eldest son of House Ortenos may already have someone else in mind.”
Torbin had been working hard to make the marriage proposal with Sharka a success, following Marquis Rosham’s orders.
The relationship with Sharka was Torbin’s failure, but the relationship with Radnock was extremely poor because House Rosham had once unilaterally broken off a marriage arrangement.
“Were we beaten to the punch? Ortenos’s cooperation is necessary to strengthen the Northern Alliance. …Rokina, it was because you sent a letter of refusal to Ortenos without permission that the marriage with Lord Sharka disappeared! I heard he’s a Demonbane Warrior, isn’t he?”
“…!”
“Father, please don’t blame Rokina…”
Rokina cowered, frightened by Marquis Rosham’s words.
As a noble specialized in combat, his Intimidation was extraordinary.
Vito tried to protect Rokina, but he couldn’t continue.
He wanted to say that he was the one who made Rokina do it, but Vito didn’t have the courage to take responsibility.
“That’s right, Rokina likes Vito, so leave her alone. Even Uncle wasn’t very enthusiastic, calling him a bean sprout.”
Her older sister, Velokia, defended Rokina.
Velokia was dressed like a noble lady, wearing a miniskirt.
“Velokia, be quiet. If Sharka is a Demonbane Warrior, that’s a different story. We need to bring him into the Northern Alliance at all costs.”
“Hmph, why are you in such a hurry?”
Despite the fact that the other party was the head of a noble family, Velokia’s language was casual.
This was allowed because Velokia had earned a certain level of recognition in the family.
“Next year, the Grand Feast held in the Imperial Capital, is where we must show our position to the Imperial Family.”
“The Grand Feast… isn’t that where the Crown Prince is decided?”
“That’s right, we need to solidify our intentions with the Northern Alliance, including future matters. We also needed to let the war-crazed mad dog Ortenos smell a sweet scent.”
From the perspective of House Rosham, House Ortenos was like a barbarian who had been at war with the neighboring Kingdom of Naia for decades.
They were always short of manpower, and the demand for wombs was sky-high.
And unfortunately, all of those predictions were correct.
“If it’s a sweet scent you’re after, how about me? I think I have the kind of body men like.”
Belokia said, striking a seductive pose, though it looked somewhat comical.
“Haa, if only you had a bit more allure like Rokina, Sandra would be the one to advance the marriage talks with Sharka.”
Belokia let out a dissatisfied “Ehh.” With her tomboyish personality, her three sisters, including Rokina, thought Belokia could live on her own just fine. By the way, Sandra is the fourth daughter of a branch family, and Rokina’s younger sister.
“…I heard that Lord Ulgool might have been sealed away.”
Rokina’s father, the head of the branch family, changed the subject.
“That story, huh? Lord Ulgool, the God of War, has been the driving force leading Ortenos until now. That’s a big loss.”
As a noble who also lived by the sword, Marquis Rosham held Ulgool in high regard.
“Isn’t Sharka the one to fill that role? …Honestly, I find it hard to believe that Sharka is a Demonbane Warrior.”
Sharka was a young man of thirteen this year. Torbin’s report said, “I saw the Demonbane Ray,” but he couldn’t quite believe it.
“You should trust what Torbin saw. But even if Sharka is a Demonbane Warrior, he can’t possibly fill Ulgool’s shoes. Also, this is top-secret information, but I heard he’s going to the academy with the next Elmia. For three years, Ortenos’s military strength will be reduced to less than half. Marquis Ortenos must be tearing his hair out.”
Marquis Rosham, as the head of his house, expressed sympathy for Radnock, who must be facing similar problems.
“I see, that could be a bargaining chip.”
“Indeed…”
The two heads nodded in agreement.
“…So, about who to send to the academy from the Rosham region this year…”
Marquis Rosham looked at the head of the branch family, seeming somewhat hesitant.
“…Well, there’s no other choice. Rokina, you will be entering the academy this autumn. Head to the academy in two weeks.”
“Eh!”
“What!”
Rokina and Vito were speechless at the words of the head of the branch family. The academy was essentially a system for the royal family to control the nobility. In other words, the children sent to the academy served as hostages to prevent noble families from rebelling.
“Father, why does Rokina have to be sent to the academy! Usually, you just send a few people from the vassal nobles, right?”
“That won’t do this year. The royal family is planning to send a student this year. Therefore, the person we send must be of appropriate status.”
“T-Then, me too…!”
“You want Vito to participate too? That’s impossible. You’re the next head of the family, we can’t afford to let you indulge in trivial social games.”
Although the academy was a place of learning, it was believed that the nobility’s true purpose was socializing. For House Rosham, one of the four great Marquis houses of the empire, the central government’s thinking, which was too far removed from war, was extremely lukewarm and contemptible.
“But Ortenos is planning to enroll two people, one of whom is the next head of the family, right? Then shouldn’t we do the same?”
“The circumstances are different for Ortenos and Rosham. They have their own complicated reasons.”
“Guh… But…”
There was only one reason Vito was backing down this far. He was worried that Rokina would be taken by another man. This was the difficult part of educating the next head of the family. How to reconcile his infatuation required a delicate touch. Marquis Rosham decided that it was necessary to scold him once now.
“Enough, Vito! You must unite Weskenil and Ortenos as the leader of the Northern Alliance from now on. Have some awareness as the next head of the family!”
“…Yes, I’m sorry.”
Seeing Vito’s clearly unconvinced expression, Marquis Rosham offered him candy next.
“Don’t worry, I’ll approve your marriage to Rokina when she returns from the academy.”
“Ah, thank you very much.”
Lowering and then raising. And just like that, a situation was created where only Rokina would go to the academy without any concessions. Marquis Rosham moved on to the next topic before he could be argued with.
“The next agenda is… Tch, those Tsetia kidnappers…”
Thus, the gathering of nobles at Bagram Castle passed.
◇◇◇◇
Two weeks later.
It was a clear day.
The sunlight was warmer than usual.
There were several times when Vito tried to argue after that, but Rokina somehow reached the day of her departure for the academy.
“…Then, I’ll be going.”
Rokina was terrified of entering the academy. She was suddenly thrown into a place with unfamiliar male nobles other than Vito. For the introverted Rokina, it was extremely unsettling. Above all, she was most afraid that Sharka, the person whose marriage proposal she had rejected, would be entering at the same time. She had also received information that he was the same age as her and possessed the power of a Demonbane Warrior, and that he had accumulated many military achievements that were unbelievable in the East. She was afraid of what he might do. Rokina’s head was already full.
“Rokina, it’s a promise. When you come back, let’s get married.”
Rokina blushed at the words of her childhood friend, who had a rare look of determination in his eyes. She felt a little better.
“Yeah!”
Rokina smiled like a saint. And so, Rokina set off on a carriage to Zakrian City, where the academy was located.
She had no idea what kind of encounters awaited her there—.
────────────────────────────────
Important notice from the author
Kakuyomu-sama has warned me that the previous episode, “Episode 91: Intense Love *,” violates the rules and needs to be revised.
I sincerely apologize to Kakuyomu-sama and the readers for the inconvenience.
Therefore, “Episode 91: Intense Love *” will be changed to the “Morning After” version around 22:00 on March 23rd (the title may also be changed).
After that, “Episode 91: Intense Love *” will be released only to supporters in the “Recent Notes” section to protect minors.
- “Why not post it on Nocturne?” I’m thinking about responding to the many voices saying this.
I apologize again for this response.
I will revise it while maintaining the ingredients as much as possible.
However, thanks to your favorable reception, I intend to continue this route, so I would appreciate your continued support.
Salsa’s hips
Edit