Interlude
“So? What’s the meaning of this?”
“That’s awfully abrupt of you, Allucia.”
In a room with nobody else present, Allucia turned sharp eyes to the man sitting before her. It was the day after her arrival in Flumvelk. As the knight commander and the one in overall charge of this expedition, she’d requested a private meeting with Flumvelk’s lord, Margrave Warren Flumvelk.
She’d wanted to broach the topic on the day of their arrival, even if she’d had to do so late at night, but from a social perspective, that would’ve been far too impolite to the host of the upcoming party. She’d somehow managed to put it off for a day and had rushed to him in the morning.
There were no guards or maids—they were genuinely alone. That was why Allucia had forgone any and all greetings and had cut right to the chase. It was precisely because she was so transparent that, while Warren had criticized her verbally, he didn’t feel any animosity toward her.
“About your sister,” Allucia clarified briefly, taking a seat on the guest sofa.
“I see.”
Warren remained calm, his expression and tone unchanging. She was referring to Warren’s one and only little sister, Shueste. And the reason Allucia was being so quiet—yet clearly showing her indignation—was because Warren had been the one to temporarily assign Shueste as Beryl’s partner.
Allucia understood the logic behind it. Beryl had never experienced the stormy seas of noble society. It was obvious what would happen if they tossed him into a party on his own. He was not only liable to make some kind of verbal promise or commitment on the spot but even three or four. That was exactly why he needed someone experienced with him to ward off the bugs. Allucia had meant to take that role herself, even if she’d had to force the issue. If not for Warren’s meddling, it would’ve been a simple matter to convince Beryl.
Allucia’s current state of mind was rather complex. She knew Warren had no ill intent, but at the same time, he was aware of her feelings. That said, she was disappointed with her inability to make any use of the absolute advantage she had—he already knew about her adoration for him as his former pupil. Warren had no way of knowing that part, though.
“But were there any other good options?” Warren asked. “I couldn’t think of any.”
“That’s true, but still...”
Allucia really did understand the logic behind it. That was why she couldn’t criticize Warren’s decision. And when the reasons were explained to her, she couldn’t deny them. Still, logic wasn’t enough to convince her emotions. She was in a strange state as both a woman and as the accomplished commander of the Liberion Order.
“Well, I get how you feel,” Warren said. “You’re worried Master Beryl will get snatched away from you, right?”
Allucia responded with silence. That was exactly the reason. She couldn’t deny the possibility that Beryl might not only enter a relationship with another woman but suddenly marry her too. That wasn’t only limited to Shueste either.
He wasn’t exactly recognizable on the streets, but Beryl’s skill and name were famous among those in the know. For someone of such prowess and character, it was still a bit insufficient, but his accomplishments were sure to continue piling up. If so, it was safe to assume his fame would shoot through the roof.
That would naturally lead to Beryl becoming connected to more and more people. And this was fine if it stopped at simple acquaintances, but there were sure to be those who hoped for more. Among those, there were also going to be plenty of unmarried women.
Allucia wanted to build Beryl’s fame and status into an unshakable rock, spreading his name far and wide as the foremost swordmaster not only in Liberis but on the entire continent. This plan was still underway, but the path itself was clear now. Through this, she wanted him to find happiness—that was unmistakably her true intention. It largely didn’t matter if she was there with him for it. That was also...supposed to be her true intention. At the very least, it was right now.
“But I think it’s fine if Master Beryl and Shueste get married too,” continued the margrave. “In fact, I’m half hoping for it.”
“Warren!”
“It’s only natural when considering the future of the kingdom and my lands.”
Allucia grew angrier, but even when faced with her intimidating aura, Warren’s stance remained unwavering. He took a sip of his tea—something he’d prepared himself—and returned a sharp gaze that was in no way inferior to hers.
He didn’t possess the same skill with a sword as the commander of the Liberion Order. However, when it came to the battlefield of nobles, he’d survived far more carnage and was capable of demonstrating strength of an entirely different nature.
“Shueste is actually a fine sister, despite my calling her inept when I first introduced her.”
Shueste was a sister Warren could take pride in. She was his one and only little sister, so he admittedly doted on her quite a lot. Still, even without the biased opinion of an older brother, Shueste was extremely good at navigating the tides of society.
She’d been born with terrific looks and had a graceful and charming personality. Her wit was quick, and she had a natural talent for not only preventing anyone from hating her but also for getting others to like her. Among all of Warren’s siblings, she was the best at manipulating an interaction by uplifting the other party and bringing them into the conversation at her own pace.
Her initial favorable impression of Beryl during their first meeting had been real. To Shueste, Beryl was her father’s fellow student and her brother’s instructor. She’d learned of his temperament and skills from the two of them, so from the start, she never would’ve hated him.
But that was only one facet of it. She was tremendously good at getting others to like her and looking like she was fond of them at the same time. There was a calculated precision to her behavior, but she possessed the shrewd technique to make it seem like there wasn’t.
The reason she hadn’t been blessed with a marriage proposal to date was simply because there hadn’t been anyone suitable for her. Gisgarte’s and Warren’s standards for her spouse were extraordinarily high. Shueste also had enough value to match their standards.
Warren believed Beryl would be a suitable husband. Shueste also thought Beryl to be a fine person after meeting him for herself. Naturally, there was an aspect of self-interest in this, as a noble house and as the eldest daughter responsible for continuing the family line. Still, Warren truly wanted Beryl to have a partner suitable for his prowess, and he was certain Shueste fit the bill. He was also confident Beryl would cherish her.
“Allucia, what do you believe the worst-case scenario here is?” Warren asked.
“Master Beryl’s bloodline coming to an end,” she answered after a long pause, an expression of anguish on her face.
“So you do get it.”
These two shared the same opinion that the end of the Gardenant line would be the most frightening outcome. Beryl Gardenant was both an outstanding swordsman and instructor. His father, Mordea Gardenant, was also a terrific swordsman. There was no doubting the latent potential for the blade in their blood.
At present, only Allucia, Warren, his personal pupils, and a few others who were close to him knew of this. But one day, when he became famous, the importance of his bloodline would soar. It was out of the question for him to have no heirs when that time came.
Of course, this conclusion ignored Beryl’s own desires, but as the commander of the Liberion Order and a margrave—both of whom were responsible for protecting the kingdom—it was an extremely natural decision. They had different standpoints on it, but their misgivings were ultimately similar to Mordea’s.
So, they had to somehow preserve Beryl’s blood for the future. His partner didn’t necessarily have to be Allucia. If anything, the eldest daughter of House Flumvelk had more than enough status to suit him, and it was only natural for Warren to back her.
Furthermore, Beryl was no longer young. The time when he could no longer father a child was closing in, and this spurred their decision. On paper, he had a daughter in Mewi, but she wasn’t his flesh and blood. Even taking into account her aptitude for magic, she was simply an adopted child. Only Allucia knew about this part, though—Warren had no way of finding that out yet.
“I know you adore Master Beryl,” Warren said. “But this and that are different matters.”
“I...understand.”
Allucia yearned for Beryl. That was the truth, but she didn’t think she was indispensable to his happiness. She didn’t have to be the woman by his side. That was what she believed. No, that was what she had believed.
If those were her true feelings, she would’ve commended Warren’s decision. These two were good friends, and though there was some distance between them, they both possessed status and authority. Shueste wouldn’t treat Beryl with disdain, and Warren would never wield his authority to do evil. It was far more realistic and idealistic than having Beryl marry some random stranger. But Allucia honestly couldn’t accept it. She’d known that this emotion had existed inside her, but it was far stronger than she’d expected.
Warren’s tone suddenly changed. “Allucia, earlier I said I was only half hoping.”
She returned his gaze with a look of confusion. He was no longer making the face of a margrave. He looked at her as a swordsman, an old friend, and as a fellow pupil of the same man.
“The other half hopes you’ll marry him,” he finished. “Even now, I think that.”
Warren was speaking the truth. He’d been taken by his father, Gisgarte, to the dojo in Beaden. Allucia had attended the dojo at pretty much the same time. The two had devoted themselves to swordplay, but the difference in talent between them had been so cruel. Even with Warren’s quick wit with the sword, Allucia had been far better. He would be lying if he claimed he wasn’t jealous, but he was capable of making a clear distinction between himself and others. So, the two had spent their time there amicably.
In the end, Warren and Allucia had been honored with farewell swords a year apart, after which he’d returned to Flumvelk. Immediately following that, he’d lost his older brothers one after the other, had officially married the fiancée he’d had since before attending the dojo, had succeeded Gisgarte, and was now the lord of Flumvelk. His life had gone through many ups and downs.
Still, he’d spent his adolescence with Allucia, and he didn’t have to worry about his family or status around her. He trusted her as a good friend and truly wished for her happiness.
“At any rate, I think it’ll work out either way—Master Beryl could marry you or Shueste,” Warren said teasingly.
“H-How can you say that?!”
He really was fine with it either way. His sister’s happiness was important to him, but so too was his friend’s. He was also sure both of them could make Beryl happy. As a noble, he was confident in his eye for people.
“I mean, when I sent the invitation, I was completely under the impression that you and Master Beryl were already in such a relationship,” Warren added. “At worst, I thought you’d just be engaged, and yet, look at you now...”
“Erk!”
His clear sarcasm shook Allucia’s steel spirit. Even though this involved Beryl, it was very rare to see her shaken up so badly. Not even Henblitz or Surena could get such a reaction out of her without significant effort, and the latter got along with her about as poorly as possible. In a sense, this was Warren’s unique privilege.
Warren had always planned to push Shueste on Beryl—that is, if Beryl had still been a bachelor by the time they reunited. However, Warren had assumed that Allucia would’ve made some progress with Beryl after appointing him as special instructor.
In summation, being half hopeful was how he truly felt—without a shadow of falsehood. He was fine with Shueste snatching Beryl away or Allucia being stirred into action by the attempt. Either way, the outcome would work in Flumvelk’s favor. They were both excellent choices.
“So, that being the case...” Warren said, gulping down his tea and getting serious again. “I’ll support Shueste as best I can, and if you try anything, I’ll support you too. If there’s something I can do to help, I’ll cooperate. However, I want to avoid anyone else making a pass at him. That’s the gist of it.”
Allucia paused in consideration, then answered, “Understood.”
“But what do we actually do? Simple seduction is unlikely to work with Master Beryl.”
“He doesn’t even see his pupils as the opposite sex...”
“Figures...”
This was something that had Warren stumped too. If simple seduction would be effective, he could just have Shueste wear something risqué and get Beryl in bed—even if she had to force him. That would’ve worked had the charms of the female figure been enough to get the job done. Due to Warren and Gisgarte’s education, they didn’t hesitate to resort to such methods.
However, while that would be fine if it succeeded, failing would make Beryl question Warren’s morals. As his former pupil, Warren wanted to avoid that. It was extremely likely to fail too. Besides, if seduction had been possible, Allucia would’ve won him over by now by being the closest person in his daily life. Even without a friend’s bias, Allucia Citrus was a perfect woman in terms of appearance, character, status, and ability.
If Beryl wasn’t swayed by her, then who in the world could they set him up with? Even a margrave would find it nearly impossible to locate an unmarried woman who was more perfect than Allucia. Paradoxically, this was also why Shueste had a chance of winning him over.
“Well, if we conform with time-honored traditions...the element of surprise?” Warren suggested.
Allucia tilted her head. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, you’ve never really shown your side as a woman in front of Master Beryl, right?”
“That’s true...” she answered a beat later.
“Huh? You seriously haven’t? What have you been doing all this time?”
“Qu-Quiet you.”
Show a side of yourself that they don’t normally see. That was a technique for winning over the opposite sex that had worked since time immemorial. Warren had brought it up idly, but he’d thought that Allucia surely would’ve already tried it.
He looked at her with seriously reproachful eyes. “Okay, then let’s start with that,” he said. “You have a dress ready for the party, I assume. What’s it like?”
“You want me to describe it...? It’s a subdued black dress.”
“Way too weak. Let’s find a real dress for you. We don’t have time to have one tailored, but I’m sure we can find something.”
“Huh? But...”
“No buts. You keep that up, and Shueste really will get ahead of you.”
“Erk...”
“Too much cleavage won’t work—it’s too crude... The back... Hmmm, open that up, and... Red. It’ll accent your skin and hair.”
“I feel like black works for that too...”
“It’s not unexpected enough. I’m saying that the usual you is no good. Oh right, let’s change your hairstyle while we’re at it. I’ll make preparations.”
“But...”
“No buts.”
“Right...”
And just like that, a strategy meeting unfolded between Margrave Flumvelk and the commander of the Liberion Order. The goal was the utterly trivial task of seducing a single man, but to these two, it was a priceless chance to have a fun chat with an old friend without having to worry about their statuses.
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