Since the day of that party, the circumstances and relationships surrounding Amy and me had changed dramatically.
Tenma's elation at the party had spread rumors throughout the academy that Amy had become his girlfriend. When the King later officially recognized Amy as a future queen candidate (future crown prince's consort candidate), it stirred up all manner of controversy among the nobles. Some even protested to the King, objecting to Amy's status as a commoner. However, those nobles who had opposed her solely because of her status were told about the method I had proposed to the King, and they fell silent. That method was:
"So Amy is going to become a child of the Oturi family and then be adopted into Eliza's household... In other words, Amy will be my sister-in-law in the future?"
That was the idea. One of the key factors in noble marriages is the "connection" between families. So first, Amy would be adopted into the Oturi family — which, despite having commoner status, held influence over the royal family and multiple noble houses — and then, to supplement her family standing, she would be adopted into the Sylfield Count's family, Eliza's birth family. From there, she would marry Tida.
Since they hadn't formally exchanged engagement vows yet, it was almost settled that the adoption could wait — but at Eliza's strong insistence, the procedures were carried out right away.
When I brought this up with Karina and the others, I expected they might balk at the idea of sending Amy off as an adopted daughter, but their answer was surprisingly straightforward. It was:
"Wait, really? That's okay with you? Please, we're counting on you!"
Or something to that effect. Karina and the others had apparently also been thinking that if Amy were
to marry into the royal family,
she would need to be adopted into some noble household, and in that case, they were wondering if they might request the Marquis Samons family through me.
Feeling somewhat deflated, I returned to the Royal Capital, only to find that Eliza had caught wind of the story from somewhere and come charging into my estate. Shortly after, Eliza's father arrived as well and tried to apologize for Eliza's rash behavior and take her home. But Amy was close friends with Eliza, and if she became an adopted daughter of the Sylfield Count's family, then in the near future she would be the next Duke Sanga's
sister-in-law. In terms of forging family connections, Eliza argued that the Sylfield Count's family was the ideal choice. I consulted Maria-sama about it, and after considering Eliza's argument as having genuine merit, the decision was made for Amy to be adopted from the Oturi family into the Sylfield Count's family.
Some nobles criticized this adoption arrangement, claiming the royal family was "shuffling things around for their own benefit." However, Maria-sama frequently hosted tea parties and shared the story with the noble ladies who attended, framing it as "the heartwarming tale of a commoner girl marrying the man she loves." As a result, the positive narrative spread throughout the Royal Capital before the criticism could gain traction. Incidentally, there were apparently plans to turn this story into a book once Amy and Tida officially got engaged or married.
As for other changes, several female knights and guards were selected from the Royal Guard and the Knights Order to serve as Amy's bodyguards, and a knight garrison was established near Karina and the others' home. However, in their case, it was part of the overall strengthening of Seigen's security, so they weren't on alert around the clock.
As for me, I ended up frequently attending parties involving the Sylfield Count's family and the Duke Sanga's family.
This was partly to signal that the Oturi family, the Sylfield Count's family, and the Duke Sanga's family were cooperating with regard to Amy. Those parties were attended by acquaintances from the Royalist Faction — such as Marquis Samons, Cain, and Lion — as well as acquaintances from the Neutral Faction (nobles I'd met during the previous coup attempt). By having those acquaintances spread the word about the parties, the story that the three families were on good terms and backing Amy was disseminated widely. As a result, even nobles who harbored ill feelings toward Amy found themselves unable to act rashly. Still, there were some nobles who kept looking for weak points to attack, but since the three families maintained a solid relationship, there were currently no cracks in the alliance.
"So it's just Tenma today?"
"Yeah. Grandpa said it was too much hassle and that he'd just relax at home. The women said something about preparing for the future and took Amy out shopping."
Up to now, the parties I'd attended had all been fairly casual affairs, but there was a possibility that I'd need to attend more formal ones with female company in the future, so they were going to buy dresses for those occasions. The reason Amy was taken along was similar — they'd been told it would be a good idea for her to have some outfits sent from the Oturi family as well.
"By now, Eliza should have joined them, I imagine."
"...So that's why she said she couldn't attend today?"
Today's party was hosted by Albert, centered around inviting young nobles he knew. It was ostensibly being held in his capacity as the next head of the Duke Sanga family, so Eliza should have been at his side. However, she had effectively chosen her newly acquired sister over her future husband.
In normal circumstances, this would likely have been a significant issue, but since it was all people they knew, it had become a laughing matter. Albert had probably judged that it wouldn't cause any real problem and then boycotted the event. Well, he'd probably get an earful from his father when he got home.
"Come to think of it, what was written in that letter Albert received back then?"
"Back then?"
"You know, when we were both getting scolded by Lady Maria."
I was referring to the letter Duke Sanga had handed to Albert after they were reprimanded by Lady Maria over Primera's matter. At the time, it was too awkward to ask about, and I'd forgotten about it, but now I figured it was fine and asked lightly...
"Ugh..."
Albert's face turned pale, and he began to tremble. Worried that other attendees might think I'd done something to him if this continued, I casually steered him towards an empty room.
"Calm down, Albert. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to force yourself."
"No, you're right... Actually, this does concern Tenma too, so I should probably tell you."
Hearing that it concerned me, I immediately felt uneasy. I didn't want to know, but I also felt I had to hear what Primera had said...
"Let me say this first: the cause wasn't Primera's letter. Also, nothing at all bad about Tenma was written in her letter."
That made me feel a bit better. But if that wasn't it, what about it concerned me?
"The sender of the letter wasn't just Primera... Besides Primera, there were letters from her two older sisters as well."
The eldest and second daughters of the Duke Sanga family were married to earls in the Royalist Faction, respectively. Apparently, it just so happened that both of them had matters that required them to come to the Royal Capital at the same time, and they had returned just before we came back to the Royal Capital.
"In truth, they had both planned to wait until I returned, but their husbands' families are up north... They couldn't wait because of the snow."
Right before she returned, Primera's letter had arrived, but since she couldn't meet Albert directly, she left the letter behind.
"That letter was mostly filled with anger towards me, but it also demanded that I hand over information on Tenma. I think she wants to know if I'm a man worthy of Primera. They shouldn't be able to move during winter, so if they do come, it'll be after spring when the snow thaws."
Apparently their two older sisters doted on Primera, and they were supposed to come verify me in person. There probably wouldn't be an immediate charge, but they'd definitely come someday, so she told me I should at least be mentally prepared for that.
After that, I heard a few more stories about the sisters, and once Albert had calmed down, we headed back to the party together. Several participants asked why we had suddenly disappeared. However, when Albert explained it was about the Ootori family and the future of House Sanga, no one pressed any further.
"Hm? I thought it felt cold — looks like it started snowing. At this rate, we might want to end the party early."
It was still just a light flurry for now, but judging by the sky, a heavy downpour could begin at any moment.
"Good call having this be a daytime party. This might end up being the heaviest snowfall of the year."
Sure enough, just as Albert had predicted, the snow began to intensify, and the party was officially brought to a close. The participants departed in their respective carriages, leaving the Duke Sanga residence behind.
I stayed until the very end to see off the other participants, emphasizing the friendly rapport I had built with Albert, and then decided to walk back to the estate on foot. Albert offered to send a carriage out of concern for the accumulating snow, but while the ride there had been fine, the return trip would be a hassle — and if I was alone, I could always just fly back in the worst case — so I politely declined.
"It's really chilled down. Good thing I changed before heading back."
Party attire wasn't practical for walking through snow and would get dirty, so it might have been a bit impolite, but I had changed back into my usual clothes before leaving. On top of that, I wore a coat and was warming the air between my clothes and the coat with magic, so I wasn't worried about freezing — but at this rate, it would take over an hour of walking before I could get home, so I decided to use Flight Magic to fly back. Normally, flying within the Royal Capital could result in penalties, but I'd chalk it up to an emergency situation in a heavy snowstorm and hope to be forgiven.
And so, I immediately took to the air, heading for the estate. However, if I went too fast, the snow hitting my face would be more painful than cold, and visibility was terrible, so I made safety my priority on this aerial journey. Well, calling it a "journey" might be stretching it.
After flying for a while, just as the estate was about to come into view, I suddenly felt an ominous presence.
"Where's that coming from?"
I scanned the direction where I'd sensed the presence, but between the snow, I couldn't pinpoint the location. I immediately used Search to identify it, and—
"On the opposite side of the estate from here… Amour and the others are fighting! The opponent is…"
Led by Amour, the members who had gone shopping today, along with Eliza and the two escort knights assigned to watch over Amy, were battling someone. However, Jeanne, Aura, and one of the escort knights had kept their distance from the attackers, forming a tight defensive perimeter around Amy. But excluding those four, the three who were actively fighting — Amour, Eliza, and the other escort knight — were being pushed back by the assailant. At this rate, the attacker could break through the three of them and charge at Jeanne's group at any moment.
"Who's the enemy?!"
I increased my flight speed and had the battle in my sight within five minutes. I used Appraisal on the opponent Amour and the others were fighting. The one they were facing was…
"Chaos Mysailes…"
The one I had fought at the martial arts tournament I first competed in,
Former
was the champion of the martial arts tournament.
Amour's Side
"I got something good."
I don't really care much for clothes, but Jeanne told me I'd need some for adventuring with Tenma's party, so I tagged along — and I actually found something good. Well, it's not clothes but a dagger... Since I don't really know how to pick out clothes, I had Jeanne and Amy choose for me. I told Aura not to bother from the start, since she'd probably joke around and bring back something weird. More importantly, this dagger was made by a real craftsman — there's no way I could've afforded it at that price! ...Probably.
"Amour, since we all came out shopping together, how about we stop for some tea?"
Aura probably suggested it, but I'm all for it. So I immediately nodded at the proposal. I mean, Tenma's sweets are probably better, but if I tell Tenma about sweets I've eaten elsewhere, that'll light a competitive fire and he'll surely make something even tastier.
With those expectations in my heart, I followed Aura into a café, but...
"Not great!"
"Truly, it didn't live up to the hype."
"Amour, Miss Elisa, we're still in front of the shop!"
The taste was a real letdown. Honestly, Jeanne's homemade sweets are better, hands down. When I told her so, Jeanne blushed, but someone pushed me along and steered me away from the front of the shop.
"When I was taken to the royal castle, someone who worked nearby told me the food here was amazing, but... it wasn't as good as I'd expected."
Aura was saying the same thing and Amy was nodding along, so it seems everyone except the two knights shared the same impression. The knights wore confused looks, as if they couldn't figure out what was wrong with the shop — but that's probably because they've never had Tenma's sweets before. If they tried the sweets Tenma makes, they'd understand right away.
"Um... it looks like the snow is picking up, so should we head back soon?"
I was trading impressions about the sweets with Jeanne and the others when Amy timidly made that suggestion. Sure enough, the snow did seem to be getting heavier — and for someone like me who grew up in the south, it was a bit much... or rather, now that I'd noticed it, I suddenly really wanted to get home.
"Mmph, it's freezing! Let's go home!"
I'll head home quick, take a nice hot bath, and drink cold milk! ...Why is cold milk after a bath so good, even on freezing days? Well, as long as it tastes good, that's all that matters.
"Bath! Bath!"
Chanting "bath, bath" as I walked toward the manor, I heard Jeanne and the others quickening their pace to catch up.
"W-Wait... everyone, stop!"
Leading everyone, I turned the corner and immediately spotted a suspicious man heading straight for us. He wore ragged clothes, his face hidden behind a filthy cloak—the very picture of a vagrant. But while you might see such people on the outskirts or outside the Royal Capital, I'd never seen a vagrant wandering these streets before. More importantly, something about him felt wrong.
"Emmy, stay back!"
It seemed Eliza had also noticed the man's odd behavior. She immediately pulled Emmy back and moved to stand beside me.
"Amy, you too! Drill magic is dangerous in the snow!"
"It's not a Drill, but you're right. I'll provide support. Leave the front line to us!"
As Eliza stepped back, one of Emmy's guarding knights moved forward. With another knight, Jeanne, and Aura already surrounding Emmy, this one would handle subduing the man. Jeanne and Aura had drawn their weapons, ready to summon their Golems at a moment's notice. But the street wasn't wide; if they brought them out carelessly, they might obstruct our vision and make things more dangerous. They understood that, so they were judging the right moment to act. If this were a wide road, they would have summoned their scorpion-type Golems and ordered Emmy to flee with them.
If this man had turned out to be just a vagrant, it would have been a problem, but just as I suspected, he was an attacker. Almost as soon as we formed our Formation, he drew a hidden sword and charged.
"He's fast! But..."
The man feinted an attack at me, then lunged at the knight beside me. The knight, however, saw through the feint, dodged the blow, and countered. The man barely managed to block the knight's attack, but—
"Hmph!"
My own attack sent him flying backwards.
"Mistake. If I'd had a Bardiche or halberd instead of a spear, that would have finished him."
I'd been using a spear a lot lately and had pulled it out instinctively. But in this situation, a weapon that could cleave through might have been better. Still—
"He doesn't seem that strong, so it's fine."
He was reasonably tough, but fighting normally, I wouldn't lose. I alone would have been enough, and we also had Eliza and the guarding knight here.
"Air Ball!"
As the man struggled to his feet, Eliza cast a spell. Timing it with her attack, the knight lunged forward and slashed the man.
"Hmm, that should do it!"
The knight's blow was the finishing strike, and the man collapsed into a pool of his own blood. Well, he was barely alive, so if we applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and keep him from dying, the guards could take him away for interrogation.
The knight who delivered the final blow seemed to be thinking the same thing as he moved to bind the man. But just then...
"You've... got to be kidding me."
The man pulled a suspicious vial from his chest and downed it in one gulp. When he produced the vial, we all assumed it was something dangerous—an explosive or a poison—and reflexively leaped backward. However, once he drank the contents, the knight judged it to be either a suicide potion or some kind of recovery medicine and rushed toward the man, intending to either restrain him quickly or make him spit it out. But the potion the man had drunk was neither poison nor a healing draught—
"Guh!"
It was something with an effect none of us had ever seen or heard of. The man, who should have been on the verge of death, rose to his feet and punched the knight away with his bare hands. His body had grown to more than twice its original size, muscles bulging grotesquely.
"Drill, pull back further! Jeanne, Aura, Golem—Huh?"
I drove my spear with all my strength toward the man's brain, aiming to crush him along with his arm... or so I intended.
"Gurk! That... that hurts, damn it! You're gonna pay for this, you bastard!"
The man blocked with his hand, caught my spear, and swung both it and me along with it.
"Whoa!"
I was about to be smashed into the ground, so I released the spear and put some distance between us.
"If it's come to this, I'll cleave you apart!"
Having lost my spear, I drew the Bardiche instead and sent the Golems summoned by Jeanne and Aura toward the man, waiting for an opening to strike.
I thought he'd surely create some gaps if attacked by several Golems at once, but almost all the Golems I sent were broken apart by two or three punches. The worst cases were shattered in a single hit.
"Now!"
I hadn't expected them to be destroyed so easily, but one of the Golems lunged from behind the man, grappling him and holding him still for just a moment. Seizing that opening, I closed in, swung the Bardiche high, and—
"Nngh!"
I brought it down with everything I had.
"Tch! Close!"
My full-power strike severed the man's right arm as he tried to guard and tore a deep gash into his right leg. And yet, I—
My
I was struck from behind and sent flying. I'm pretty sure the blow shattered the bones in my arm this time. I know I need to run right now, but the pain makes it impossible to move properly.
"Get over here!"
Eliza is firing off Air Ball after Air Ball, but the man keeps advancing toward us, eating every spell that hits him.
"Your arm... it's growing back..."
From where I'd severed it, something like bundled tentacles was sprouting and forming into the shape of an arm. The leg wound was closing too, with muscle swelling up to seal the gash.
"Everyone, run..."
The man reached me and slowly raised his re-grown arm overhead. In the corner of my vision, I could see Eliza running toward us, but she wasn't going to make it in time.
The man's arm was raised to its full height above my head. I'd already given up and squeezed my eyes shut when—
"Get away from Amour!"
I heard Tenma's voice ring out with fury, and the man's right arm was sliced from his body once more.
Amour's Side — End