Chapter: 396
Ruthlessly serious, Rutis showed up. And when I heard his proposal, I felt like my brain just short-circuited.
‘This dude’s lost it.’
No, he was definitely more than just lost—he was off the charts nuts, and here he was, standing right in front of me.
I knew he was crazy, but I didn’t expect it to be to this extent.
‘Is this a dream?’
Sweat trickled down my spine as I looked at Rutis. I’d sensed something was off when he suddenly approached me with that grave expression, but this was a level of absurdity that shattered all common sense.
“Are you serious?”
After a brief silence, I hesitantly opened my mouth, hoping for him to crack a joke or that I had misunderstood.
“I am serious! With the magic department coming in strong, the swordsmanship club can’t just sit back and lose!”
‘What the hell?’
Tragically, what I heard was correct, and he was no jokester. But what did he mean “we can’t lose”? When did the swordsmanship club and the magic department start a competition? Sure, I brought my second sister-in-law from the magic department over, so I expected the swordsmanship club to recruit a heavy hitter, but I didn’t want this kind of situation to unfold.
‘You want to recruit my brother?’
Yet again, Rutis proposed inviting my brother to the four-person match, just like last year. I wondered what kind of drugs he was on to come up with such an idea. Obviously, the guy who invited my brother last year didn’t plan on it, but here we are.
‘…He’s the only option I have.’
If we were to pick the pinnacle of swordsmanship in this continent, it would indeed be my brother. There’s no one else who could match the second sister-in-law’s prowess in magic than my brother, the sword master himself.
Still, this whole thing was absurd. Ever since he lost an arm demonstrating Sky Cleave last time at the academy and didn’t pick up a sword after going off to war, my brother hasn’t been wielding a sword. Even if he had an excuse to pick it up, he’d always come back injured, making the sisters-in-law’s stares unbearable.
‘No way.’
A chill ran down my spine. If I got swept up in Rutis’s words and invited my brother, that day would be the last of my life.
There’s no arguing that my brother can’t participate while the second sister-in-law does. She’s never been hurt, while he has. That’s a solid enough argument.
“I want to live peacefully with my sisters-in-law.”
So I shook my head resolutely and turned him down. It sounded a bit like grasping at straws, but it seemed to work; Rutis hesitated for a moment.
Yeah, if you have a conscience, you wouldn’t push further. You’d be graduating and leaving soon, but I literally have to face my sisters-in-law for decades.
So it’s not the time to get on their bad side, especially if I’m not going to flee to another country.
“Surely, the Teacher won’t get hurt in a four-person match, right? As long as he doesn’t cleave the heavens, it should be fine?”
“He’s come back before presumed unharmed to serve in the military.”
Rutis, still clinging to some hope, fell silent at that.
My brother is the kind of person who gets injured even when he thinks he won’t. Seriously, who would’ve thought he’d come back from the four-person match saying, “The students were so passionate I lost an arm.”
“I can’t help it.”
Rutis muttered bitterly as I let out a sigh of relief. It seems even that lunatic understood—thank the heavens.
“I’ll make the sacrifice.”
…
What?
“Sacrifice?”
“Yeah. As you said, it might be tough for you to persuade the Teacher, but if I step in, the aftereffects should be less severe.”
What a confusing statement. Rutis, being a prince, had a point, but…
“I think it’d be better for a sibling to persuade him rather than a mere club member. But if my sibling can’t step up, then I have to!”
Upon hearing that, I stood there gaping.
Just listening to it sounded like a noble stepping in to deal with something rough, but knowing the situation, it sounded like inviting disaster.
Why though? Why was he so desperate to invite my brother, knowing full well the sisters-in-law’s disapproving gazes?
“As you know, the relationship between knights and mages historically is quite rocky.”
Did Rutis pick up on my puzzled looks? He smiled and continued,
“And Armayne is the kingdom of knights, while Yuben is the kingdom of mages.”
‘Ah.’
Only after he said that did I see Rutis not as a crazed fool but as the Prince of Armayne.
This year, quite a few foreigners enrolled to support their country’s prince. This means that factions in the academy have split into Armayne supporters of the sword and Yuben supporters of magic.
Among them, the Yuben faction—those mages—successfully recruited the legendary Duke of Magic for the four-person match. To be honest, Rutis didn’t do much in that process, but as the prince of Armayne, it’s only natural he needs to act.
‘Poor dude.’
In the end, as a royal, he has to meet the expectations of his faction. That leads to some sympathy toward Rutis, as it’s both exhausting and pitiful.
Of course, feeling sorry doesn’t mean I have to help. I want to survive, after all.
Time passed, and soon it was club time.
“No way.”
‘As expected.’
My brother flat-out rejected Rutis’s invitation to the four-person match.
“Last year was strange; I’m here to oversee the academy. Even if I can bring in external participants, I shouldn’t join myself.”
“Is that so?”
Only after hearing the decisive no from the person involved did Rutis show an expression of resignation.
“Besides, isn’t it a bit wrong for a married couple to fight?”
That comment hit hard. This wasn’t just a contest between swords and magic; it could potentially turn into a marital dispute, causing Rutis to give up completely.
Well, Rutis was merely making a polite gesture for his faction; he didn’t genuinely want my brother to join. So, hearing that their marital spat could happen, he had no reason to force it.
“My apologies for making an unreasonable request. You’re set to become a minister soon, so it wouldn’t be good to get tangled up in unnecessary trouble.”
Rutis’s laughter as he apologized made the sisters-in-law, who were subtly shooting him disapproving glares, soften their expressions. The guy who made an unreasonable proposal apologized, and my brother refused, so we didn’t have to bother with it any further—
“Instead.”
My brother’s voice cut through Rutis’s laughter.
He stared at the ceiling as if pondering something before roughly raking a hand through his hair and spoke again.
“Joining the four-person match is too much, but I can participate in a different way.”
“Eh?”
At that moment, the atmosphere in the club room completely shifted. Rutis, catching an unexpected opportunity, looked excited while the sisters-in-law suddenly felt uneasy about my brother’s upcoming antics.
My feelings leaned more toward the latter.
‘What the hell is he thinking?’
What kind of crazy stunt is he planning to pull now?
*
When Rutis asked for my brother’s participation in the four-person match, my first feeling was more resignation than anger.
‘So this is how it unfolds.’
The situation I didn’t want to happen was indeed unfolding. I suppressed my frustration and sighed lightly.
– I heard the Minister of Justice is participating in the academy event. Is that true?
“Yes, Your Highness. It is.”
Yesterday, upon hearing that Beatrix was joining the four-person match, the Crown Prince directly contacted me.
While I felt slighted that he referred to me as the Minister rather than chief, I let it slide seeing the Crown Prince’s serious expression. At least he didn’t seem to be joking.
– If the Duke of Magic participates, the mages will go wild. But the knights will be equally stirred up.
Hearing that was both annoying and dreadful. Dealing with just the mages is a headache, but if the knights join in as well, it’s going to be chaotic.
Yet I couldn’t just ignore those unpleasant words. Negative predictions have a way of coming true. It seemed like life is more about doom predictions hitting accurate than any happy fantasies we might concoct.
– Still, to prevent the Duke of Magic from participating, you should remember that there have been instances where ministers attended academy events.
“…My apologies.”
That wording sounded like an undeniable reproach: ‘If you hadn’t caused trouble last year, we wouldn’t be in this mess.’ I lowered my head sheepishly. It was undeniably my fault.
No, technically it was Erich who caused it, but it was still my responsibility. I should’ve just knocked Erich out cold and stopped his participation then.
– Thus, the knights will want the Minister to rejoin if they wish to contend with the Duke of Magic.
“I’ll try to persuade the Duke of Magic—”
– No. If you revoke now, only complaints from the mages will grow.
The Crown Prince’s last words resonated in my ears.
– This year, the empire’s celestial decree stands solid. It’s the year where the nomads, after such a long time, finally embrace the empire, indeed a joyous year.
“Yes, Your Highness. We will showcase that the celestial decree belongs to the empire across the entire continent.”
– Therefore, we will elevate the might of the empire to honour this achievement.
Those words felt peculiar. We were discussing the four-person match, so why was he suddenly talking about celestial decrees and elevating our might?
– In the empire, there is a mage who commands respect from all other mages; the entire continent knows that great mage is the pillar of the empire.
“Yes, indeed, it’s a blessing to the empire.”
– And now another figure has emerged, revered by all knights; soon, the entire continent will recognize that knight as the pillar of the empire.
As my confusion gradually morphed into uneasiness, I quickly realized he meant me. What does he mean ‘they will recognize me’? It sounds as if he’s implying they currently don’t. If they see me rolling around like a dog, how could they not be aware?
– The Minister shall refrain from participating in the event, but shall celebrate it. Showcase your prowess in front of the masses and the heights they yearn for before the knights.
But only after hearing that did I understand.
The Crown Prince wanted me to put on a performance. If I couldn’t dissuade Beatrix from joining, then let me dazzle in a glamorous display. I would join the opening or closing ceremony and demonstrate my prowess.
It’s madness. But if Beatrix’s participation captures everyone’s attention, and if I, the knight of the empire, also demonstrate my skill—then yes, they will view the empire as having both the Grand Mage and the continent’s greatest knight.
‘Damn it.’
I felt bitter. I got dragged into this mess again, the very thing I wanted to stay away from.
At least I’m not being forced into the four-person match. But still, I’m not happy about it.
‘Please…’
As I watched Rutis break into a delighted smile, I quietly prayed.
Please, Crown Prince, let me live long and well.
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