Chapter: 586
I figured out the reason why the first prince, who clearly disliked me, suddenly became a warm-hearted guy not long after he left.
“It was probably the first queen’s orders. She must have told him to win your heart like that. It’s obvious. He even proposed a marriage arrangement to me.”
As soon as I heard the word “marriage arrangement,” I freaked out and stepped back.
What? Marriage!? With that punk?! Are you insane?! No way! I’d rather bite my tongue and die than accept such a thing!
“Just to clarify, I rejected that proposal because someone like you isn’t my type.”
“Aah. Is the inept prince also part of the same category as the clueless virgin? Must be similar, huh? Clueless, virgin, and inept—though I think he’s more talentless than you.”
After I threw that shade back at him, Arthur shut his mouth.
Why is he acting like this? Normally, he’d be fuming and throwing a fit right now.
“Oh. Now that I think about it, was that why Grandpa got mad in the middle of it all?”
[…I thought it was foolish. But yeah, I won’t let that idiot have you!]
If Grandpa hadn’t gotten angry, Benedict probably would have rejected it himself, spouting something similar to what Grandpa just said.
‘But still, it’s surprising that the first prince accepted the marriage proposal. He didn’t seem too fond of that guy.’
[Personal preferences have no bearing. Whether they like or dislike each other is irrelevant in aristocratic marriages.]
Grandpa explained that what mattered in marriages among nobles was the political intent behind them.
Those born into noble blood are treated as such simply because of their lineage, but they also have sacrifices to make.
Now, knowing the circumstances, I understood why the first prince restrained his feelings and approached me. If he was dependent on the first queen, he had no choice but to accept that fate, regardless of his feelings.
[The part you should be puzzled about is something else.]
‘What do you mean?’
[Lucy. You’re the only bloodline of the Alrn family. Thus, marrying elsewhere is impossible. If you leave, the Alrn lineage will vanish.]
‘Oh. So, it’s supposed to come from them?’
[Yes. The first prince must give up the throne he has basically secured and come to Alrn. Regardless of the first queen’s command, accepting that willingly is strange.]
‘No. If it’s the first prince, it wouldn’t be that strange. It’s hard to explain, but it’s not impossible.’
Ordinary people resist when they lose what they should have. The greater the loss, the more pronounced the resistance should be.
In other words, if a child grows up in such a miserable environment that they can’t learn to rebel, they’d have no choice but to accept the loss.
Grandpa seemed puzzled by what I said, but he didn’t press further.
[Well, there’s no need to worry. As long as you don’t desire it, the chance of that marriage happening is slim.]
‘Is it because of Benedict?’
[Yeah. If your father refuses the marriage arrangement, who would enforce it? He wouldn’t be able to bear witnessing his child’s unhappiness, even if it meant his death. So, the marriage won’t be mentioned officially, at least until you change your mind.]
So that’s why the first prince had such a disgusting smile on his face.
Was he trying to seduce me like he does with other young ladies?!
Eww! If this speculation is true, it means he’ll keep trying to charm me moving forward.
In my past life, I wished to be hit on by a girl at least once, but who knew it would happen in reverse?
The more I think about it, the more horrific it becomes. I could tolerate a love-struck airhead or a perverted apostle more than this.
[The most gentle solution to this is to wait for time to pass. When the public opinion shifts, that side will have to give up.]
‘So, I just have to watch the first prince’s attempts while I wait?!’
[There are other ways, but they’re a bit drastic. Are you okay with that?]
The moment I heard Grandpa’s words, my instincts shouted to wait it out.
His tone, filled with excitement, made me feel incredibly uneasy.
Since this came from the politically savvy Grandpa, the results should be favorable, but I have a feeling the events in-between will be quite tumultuous!
[Without a doubt, nothing harmful will come to you.]
‘That just means nothing harmful will happen to me.’
[What’s the problem with that? It’s their fault for approaching without understanding their situation.]
His strangely irritated tone made me chuckle, and I shook my head again.
‘It’s okay.’
I don’t like the first prince.
When I watched him from beyond the monitor, he seemed like a nuisance with an excessive amount of dialogue that interrupted speed runs, and even now that I’ve encountered him within the monitor while knowing his past, I still find him bothersome.
I sympathize with his unfortunate past, but that’s about it. I don’t consider him someone I absolutely need to save like Phoebe or Joy, nor do I see him as someone I need to protect like my friends.
However, strangely, I couldn’t be cruel to the first prince. There was this unexplainable urge holding me back.
Perhaps these feelings belong to Lucy and not to me.
What could have happened between Lucy and the first prince in the past?
‘If it gets to a point where I can’t find an answer later, I’ll ask then.’
So, I should postpone listening to Grandpa’s proposal. I’ll need to stop by that island again to find the hero’s traces anyway. Even after confronting Lucy’s past there, it won’t be too late.
*
Even after sorting out my feelings to some degree, I couldn’t help but wear a sour expression.
How could I look happy when a guy I only feel repulsed by declared he wants to charm me? In this situation, the only one who could maintain a smile would be Phoebe.
“The Church of the Lord will never approve of that marriage arrangement!”
I thought that, but Phoebe was also getting all riled up, veins popping in her neck.
Seeing her act so out of character made me tilt my head, but recalling the connection between the church and purity made me unconsciously accept it.
Don’t worry, Phoebe! That thing you’re anxious about will never happen as long as that pathetic god isn’t doing anything weird!
“So, why are you here, Hero?”
After the commotion passed, the Fairy Queen began to organize things.
“That fool knight has once again done something foolish, and I came to find him.”
“If it’s him, he’s swinging his sword with Lord Yuden at the center of the forest. But what foolish act are you referring to?”
“He must have disrespected the words of that muscle-bound god, you know?”
“…Muscle-bound god?”
The Fairy Queen tilted her head, clearly not understanding what I meant.
Hmm. Ugh. I don’t know how to explain it!
Phoebe, do you understand… Oh, you didn’t get it at all either. Arthur frowned too.
“Ugh, forget it. No matter how much I explain, you guys wouldn’t get it, so just follow me.”
Following the Fairy Queen’s guidance, as we arrived near where Frey was, I felt a tingle run down my spine.
This is definitely a warning like the one I got from my risk perception skill. What’s going on? Is there something dangerous inside? The dark idiot has already been smashed to bits long ago?!
Since the Fairy Queen was beside me, it shouldn’t be a big deal, but just in case, I raised my guard to the maximum. That’s when I heard Yuden’s furious voice from inside.
“Seriously! Control yourself! If I hadn’t been here, this forest would be a complete mess by now!”
“Isn’t it not a problem because you’re here?”
“AAAAH! This isn’t good! I need to hit you!”
“A sparring match? Sure! That sounds fun!”
“…Why aren’t you scared?!”
Listening to that breathless conversation from one guy, the tension wrapping around me naturally dissipated.
What’s Frey doing now? What if Yuden actually gets angry for real?
Ah, but if it’s Frey, he’d probably just laugh about getting beaten up. That guy isn’t your normal crazy person.
Curiosity led me to step out of the bush, and I could see the sword Frey was swinging.
Her blade cut through the air, targeting a very small area.
Even I found it strange to say, but that’s just how it was.
The sword, swung with all her might, targeted only the tiniest fraction of the vast airspace.
However, oddly enough, the phenomenon made by her delicate sword slash was anything but small.
Like Yuden’s sword that carved through darkness, Frey’s sword aimed skyward.
Compared to Yuden’s strikes, Frey’s shots were certainly rough around the edges.
But somehow, I had a gut feeling that the gap between them was going to close in an instant.
That’s the kind of talent Frey possesses.
“You again! How could you not understand my words…!”
“Lucy? It’s you!”
Ignoring Yuden’s rage with great ease, Frey skipped over to my side, asking how wonderful her sword had been.
So, I grabbed her cheeks and told her it’d probably work on the same level as the clueless folks, which made Frey giggle.
“What are you here for? Did you come to spar? I think I can finally surpass Lucy’s shield this time!”
“That’s not why I came, you empty-headed fool.”
“Huh? Then why did you come?”
“Why did you ignore the warning from the muscle-bound god?”
“Muscle-bound god? Oh! That god? I pushed him aside because he was hindering my sword practice.”
“The god of martial arts!? That voice that only reaches those with overwhelming talent?! You heard it and tossed it aside?!”
Arthur gasped loudly, utterly shocked by Frey’s nonchalant response.
“You ignored the voice that embodies the aspirations of all martial artists?!”
“Is that a problem?”
“Of course it is! Which crazy person ignores the voice of a god?!”
“Lucy might ignore it sometimes.”
“…Even though this girl is irreverent, she wouldn’t do that!”
“Don’t say such terrible things. Lady Kent. The lady is a noble person.”
That’s right! Sure, I sometimes think about ignoring it, but I wouldn’t actually do it!
If I did, who knows what sort of retribution would come back at me! Bolstered by Phoebe’s remark, I retorted in my mind that I should properly have a chat with Frey.
“Well, if Lucy says that, I understand.”
She seemed to genuinely want to converse with the god of martial arts. As I watched Frey tilt her head to the right and then the left multiple times, the Fairy Queen whispered to me.
“Um, Hero, would it be okay if I butted in on that marriage arrangement you seem to feel nauseated about? I’m really fond of love stories!”
“Sounds like a thing for a foolish, nosy hen, but wouldn’t you just keep quiet? You’d only smell weird if you tried to get involved.”
“Don’t worry about me regarding the first prince! You know I have Lord Erginius!”
Do I look like I’m worried about that? I shot the Fairy Queen a serious glare as she chuckled mischievously.
“I’m just joking. I’ll prepare a bit. Just in case it becomes fun.”
“You’re not planning something vile like you do with that auntie side of yours, are you?”
“Of course not.”
It doesn’t seem like she intends to sit still even when told not to.
That lady. Why is this person so gossipy, despite being over hundreds of years old?
I sighed in exasperation, instructing her to act sensibly when she suddenly got excited and nodded enthusiastically.
“I’ll do my best to make sure the marriage progresses as you wish!”
“…Marriage arrangement?”
“What do you mean? What’s that?”
“Marriage arrangement?”
Perhaps hearing the Fairy Queen’s voice, three pairs of eyes were suddenly fixed on me.
One was Frey. As she talked to the god of martial arts, she looked at me with an eyebrow full of doubt.
The other was the perverted apostle. Despite dropping everything he was holding, he was too busy staring at me in shock to even pick them up.
And finally, the airhead fox, who had effectively become my pet against its will, dashed to my face as if it were suddenly lively.
“Not allowed! Whoever it is, I won’t permit it! Lucy must belong to me! If not, better that she belongs to everyone!”
“I agree with that! The Lady’s beauty should be shared with the entire world! If the goddess doesn’t keep her, she cannot be given to anyone!”
“I’d rather see her in someone else’s hands than let him take her! Who is it?! Who’s neck should I chop off?!”
“It’s the first prince of Soladin. Lady Lina.”
“Thank you! Fairy Queen! I’ll rush to attack that guy immediately!”
“Please wait a moment! Lady Lina! I’ll use the connections I’ve built within the Soladin Kingdom to create public opinion! So, attack after we have a cause!”
After shaking off the airhead fox that clung to my face, I kicked the perverted apostle’s shin to shut him up.
[If you don’t solve this issue quickly, it’s not your life that will be at risk but the first prince’s neck.]
‘…Good point.’
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
