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Noel Estellia and Orcus Estellia.

I was surprised by their visit, but it wasn’t something I hadn’t thought of at all. I was just shocked that the royal family had taken action directly; I had expected that they might send someone from the imperial family to Sarham at least once.

The engagement between Edelweiss and Kraus.

It’s the engagement of two great noble families that boast significant power in an empire that could say there’s currently no nation to rival it. As the lesser house, I knew best what kind of power Kraus wielded. If he put his mind to it, he could easily take half of the southern territory of the empire and declare a separate kingdom without lacking in leadership.

So, what about Edelweiss? Given that the northern people find it hard to survive without magic, it might be even easier for Kraus to grasp the north than to take control of the south.

Of course, this is an extreme example; with the existence of Altair as the deity and the history of unity as one nation under the empire, declaring a separate kingdom would undoubtedly earn them the label of heretics. But I reiterate, this is merely an example; even if it doesn’t end well, one can understand the influence both families have within the empire.

No matter how powerful a force may be, if it cannot be controlled, it serves no purpose.

The Estellia imperial family would surely come to confirm whether there was any other meaning behind my engagement with Elena. The truth is, this engagement started as a drunken conversation among friends, but it might appear to others as something of great significance.

It was a matter that had almost passed by without mention in the original story, and knowing that neither my father nor Duke Joachim had any particular intentions behind it, I wasn’t worried about it.

The problem, however, was that Orcus and Noel had come directly here.

The emperor is a count of the empire, but in a way, sending the first in line for the imperial throne and the princess into what could be the heart of enemy territory is quite the gamble. I couldn’t understand it.

If those two were to be taken hostage, how would things be managed? Kraus may have been quietly sitting around for a long time, but I couldn’t guarantee that the incidents I previously mentioned wouldn’t happen. The emperor surely understands this better than anyone else.

Then, even if they were to be sent, shouldn’t at least one of them have stayed in the imperial palace?

“Make friends…”

The truth my father had shared with me echoed in my ears.

“What kind of nonsense is this…”

“Damian?”

“It’s nothing, Elena.”

It seems that what I said in my head slipped out of my mouth unintentionally. Thankfully, it seemed that besides Elena sitting closest to me, no one else had heard. I awkwardly dodged Elena’s questioning gaze and turned my attention to those sitting across from me.

Orcus and Noel.

Those two entered the banquet hall just minutes after Alphonse arrived here.

The moment Orcus stepped into the banquet hall, he locked eyes with me. After staring at me for a few seconds, he smiled and took his seat. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to be pleasant, but the moment I saw that smile, I felt a knot in my stomach.

For some reason, he just felt unlucky. At any rate, he wasn’t the sort of person I wanted to be involved with.

Orcus was a steady man, showing no signs of wavering even at the moment he sat down.

Had he spoken with my father beforehand? Perhaps that’s why he casually addressed my father while sitting across from a sword master, a man capable of taking his life at any moment.

Noel, sitting beside him, didn’t say anything, but her sparkling eyes were telling everyone exactly how she felt. From Noel’s perspective as a knight, a sword master was nothing short of an ideal figure.

I thought Orcus would at least show some signs of being cautious around us, but he was very adept at hiding his emotions.

Then again, unlike the others, Orcus was a character who thrived not on brute strength, so I didn’t expect him to show his thoughts easily.

I doubted my father’s honesty, but the matter of what Orcus was thinking was entirely different.

Being a naturally suspicious guy, he would surely try to test me at least once. If I were to give him some strange leverage here, who knows how things might twist in the future. Although right now, with my father present, it didn’t seem likely, I remained alert to any questions Orcus might ask.

The conversation between my father and Orcus didn’t hold much significance. It seemed more like a formality. After exchanging a few brief words, Orcus turned back to me, smiling as he spoke.

“By the way, Prince Damian. As far as I know, your age is the same as mine, right?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I am sixteen this year.”

“Then you will also enter the academy the same year as me. Oh, were you perhaps not planning on attending the academy? Though, as I’ve heard from Noel, someone of your caliber might not need to take classes.”

“That’s too flattering. I do plan to enroll in the academy.”

I shook my head at Orcus’s question.

Estellia Academy. Named after the royal family, it’s a strict institution that carefully selects its students, but as an aristocrat of the empire, one essentially qualified for entry.

Of course, while eligibility is granted, it’s not mandatory that one enrolls, but typically, without special circumstances, most young nobles would attend the academy. The reasons include building connections, or perhaps attracting talented individuals to their families, among various complex motivations.

I too was hoping to enroll in the academy for such reasons.

“Why is that? What could you possibly learn there?”

Orcus posed his question again, raising an eyebrow at my response. Given that he had rolled around the imperial palace for quite some time, he certainly couldn’t be oblivious to the fact that it wasn’t necessary for nobles to enroll at the academy.

I recalled what my father had said to me before they arrived and replied, “There are reasons for attending the academy that aren’t solely to learn something. For instance, to make friends…”

And once again, as I locked eyes with Orcus, he seemed pleased with my answer, flashing a smile and nodding once more. His reaction suggested he hadn’t given it much thought, and thankfully, it seemed we could move past this without any issues.

And please don’t do that. It’s irritating.

“Exactly. What you gain at the academy isn’t just education, my dear count. By the way, have you discussed that matter in advance?”

“I haven’t yet.”

“Then it’s best to mention it now.”

What is it? Is there yet something else remaining?

Orcus shifted his gaze back to my father and muttered something unclear. However, my father seemed to understand and promptly answered Orcus’s inquiry, responding to me only with a smile. Looking at that smile, my father’s earlier words echoed in my ears.

Could it be…

“I’ve heard that there’s a hunting tournament being held in the south a few days from now. It has been quite a while since the imperial family visited the southern region, so His Majesty has commanded that this time, along with participating in the tournament, you also conduct an inspection.”

Well, there it is.

It seemed my father’s comments regarding the emperor’s desires were indeed sincere.

With just about a week and four days until the hunting tournament, it was evident that the two siblings from earlier were sure to remain at Kraus’s place for at least that long. It was practically impossible to become friends overnight, so didn’t that mean they stretched their stay here under the pretext of participating in the tournament?

What on earth gives them the confidence to pull this off?

Did the emperor have some means to restrain my father and Duke Joachim?

Orcus’s face, as he spoke to me, appeared somewhat bittersweet.

It wasn’t surprising since his field of expertise lay in magic, unlike Noel, and although there were no regulations preventing a mage from participating in the hunting tournament, this particular tournament, held in the spring, focused on hunting animals rather than monsters, aiming for pure martial prowess among the nobles.

In other words, to participate in this tournament, he would have to wield a bow or arm himself with weapons.

“However, I have one concern. You see, I’ve never actually been hunting before…”

“Whaaaaaaaaa!!!”

Before Orcus could finish his sentence, cheers erupted in the banquet hall. Everyone’s attention shifted from Orcus to him as the sound resonated through the hall. After a moment, silence fell over the banquet.

It would only make sense that the one cheering at his words was none other than Noel, who had come here with Orcus.

Having snapped back from that moment of joy, she seemed to realize that everyone was looking at her and, in an attempt to avert the gaze directed toward her, she lowered her head and said, “Ah, I’m so sorry… I just got so excited…”

What? Why on earth are you reacting like that?

Didn’t they come here together? Why are their responses so different?

Baffled by Noel’s reaction, I turned my gaze back to Orcus. As our eyes met again, he immediately looked away, and with a chuckle, he diverted his gaze. However, the red tint on his ears indicated that Orcus, too, seemed to be embarrassed by Noel’s reaction.

To shake off the earlier incident, he continued to laugh brightly. Just as his laughter was starting to fade, it seemed he thought of something he hadn’t said, or perhaps wanted to change the subject, and he turned back to me once more.

“Ah, uh… congratulations on your engagement. Prince Damian, Lady Elena.”

“…Thank you.”

How quick he is to speak.

 

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