The mock battle was over. Rest had won.
Rest let out a long breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow amid the cheers of the crowd.
"Whew... That was close..."
Toya Cattleya was a genuinely formidable opponent.
If he had blasted him away with powerful magic from a distance, he might have been able to defeat him easily.
But... fighting him in close combat had been quite tough.
If it had been a chaotic melee with friend and foe mixed together, he might have been done in.
"I'm surprised... I never thought I'd actually defeat Toya..."
"Yes... I'm very surprised. Even if Toya is the weakest of the brothers, to think he'd be defeated by a sixteen-year-old boy..."
"........!"
An intense presence approached from behind.
Turning around, he saw Toya's two older brothers. Vareiya Cattleya and Carius Cattleya were looking down at Rest.
"...Sorry, big brother."
"........"
Toya, kneeling on the ground, apologized remorsefully.
Vareiya gave his younger brother a brief glance and raised his right hand high.
"!"
"Well done, Count Clover! You managed to defeat my brother!"
For a moment, he thought he was going to be hit.
Vareiya clapped Rest on the shoulder, commending him on his hard-fought battle.
"It's no wonder that Marquis Rosemary recognized you as his daughter's husband! I never imagined a teenager could possess such close-quarters combat ability! This is truly— Magnificent!
—that's what I call it!"
"Having a magician as excellent as yourself join our side is a great reassurance. We'll be counting on you in this battle."
It wasn't only Vareiya. Carius also offered words of praise.
Rest, who had been seized by a strange tension, finally relaxed in relief.
"Th-thank you… I'm honored."
"It was a fierce fight. You must be tired… go and get some rest."
"Your room is prepared. I'll have someone escort you right away."
He had thought he might end up fighting both Vareiya and Carius… but it all ended rather anticlimactically.
"Alright, everyone, give it your all just like Count Clover!"
While praising Rest, Vareiya also spurred on the other soldiers.
Guided by a soldier from the fort, Rest left the square.
○ ○ ○ "I see… so that's the man who subjugated the magic beast Sabnock. Count Rest Clover, is it."
In the square where Rest was no longer present, the brothers of House Cattleya spoke quietly to one another amidst the knights and soldiers who were testing their strength against each other.
"Even though he's a magician, he has enough power to fight us Cattleyas head-on… We mustn't underestimate him."
"Rather, I'm relieved he can at least hold his own. It means our beloved little sister's eyes weren't faulty."
Carius said this to Vareiya, who had his arms crossed and was grumbling.
The four brothers of House Cattleya. They all shared one thing in common: they doted on their little sister, Yuri.
Thanks to the duel, they learned that the man Yuri had taken a liking to wasn't just a flashy playboy whose only talent was sweet-talking women. He was a man with substance and potential.
While that was a relief... they still couldn't help but feel about halfway disappointed.
"I'm really sorry... If I'd won, I could've objected, saying, 'There's no way we can give— Yuri —to a weakling like that...'"
Toya grit his molars in frustration.
Yes... that was why the brothers were so bitter.
They loved their sister. From the bottom of their hearts, they doted on her to an almost painful degree.
As their late mother's only keepsake, and the sole girl among the five siblings, Yuri was an angel, a princess, a butterfly, and a flower all in one.
If they could have it their way... they would have wanted her to stay safe and sound under their care for a few more years.
However, their sheltered little flower had flown the nest of her own accord.
It was bad enough that she had moved out, but she was even living with a man.
When they learned of this, the brothers had planned to abandon their work and positions to launch a raid to take her back.
If the mansion Yuri was staying at hadn't been connected to House Rosemary, things might have even escalated to war.
"Since Father has approved of our angel's marriage, we can't drag her back by force... not without a just cause. That's why I wanted a reason to openly oppose the marriage."
"I'm sorry..."
"No need to apologize so many times. It just means our princess has a good eye for men... Let's just wait and see for a while."
The three of them looked at each other and let out a heavy sigh.
They resented Rest, but... they were still warriors at heart.
They wouldn't stab him in the back amidst the chaos of battle. Inwardly, though, they wished they could.
"However… if he shows a disgraceful performance in this war, I'll take Yuri back even if it means going against my father's wishes!"
"Of course. We will protect our princess!"
"I won't lose next time… absolutely!"
The brothers hardened their resolve and swore to each other.
If Rest proved unworthy as Yuri's husband, they would mercilessly bare their fangs.
For now, Rest had passed the first hurdle, but the Cattleya brothers' trial for a son-in-law was far from over.
Rather, the real test was only just beginning.
———————————————— Volume 1 of the book is now on sale from Sneaker Bunko!
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