Chapter 195 - [END]
[END]
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: Oath (Complete)
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On the day of the inauguration ceremony, the miracle performed by Eloise had an enormous effect.
It had been decades since Nut, the Estate Lord, had taken his seat, and the miracle of the estate lord had faded from the minds of the territory's residents. Since it took a long time to recharge after a single use, it had to be employed judiciously—and Nut had never once used it during his reign.
The memories held by the older generation had grown dim, and the young had only heard tales of it, never witnessing it firsthand. They spoke of the tremendous authority granted to the estate lord.
To the youth who dismissed these as the ramblings of old fogies, the visual spectacle of an enormous lightning storm engulfing the entire territory was staggering.
Staggering enough to instantly restore the authority that had been tarnished by the two young heirs who should have succeeded him.
Of course, that didn't mean Eloise had suddenly become an exemplary estate lord.
She still struggled with handling judgments against criminals or mediating disputes—dealing with people, in other words.
That responsibility fell to Arsen as her proxy.
"...The defendant Inul is sentenced to five lashes and fifteen years of hard labor in the mines."
Five lashes was little more than lip service; it was tantamount to a death sentence.
The lashes were delivered with a whip twisted from tough magic beast hide, swung with full force by a well-trained soldier—enough power to tear flesh and shatter bone.
Even if one miraculously survived, the severe aftereffects combined with mine labor meant they would almost certainly die before serving their full term.
"Mercy, milord! Five lashes will kill me! Please show some compassion!"
"Serves him right!"
"Make it thirty! No, just chop his head off!"
"You're too harsh! He was drunk—that's all! Go easy on him!"
As the verdict was handed down for the man who had beaten someone to death while drunk, the spectators cheered and jeered in a cacophony.
From the highest seat in the courtroom, Arsen—clad not in armor but in judicial robes—raised his hand, looking down upon them.
In an instant, the courtroom fell silent.
With a single gesture, he shifted the atmosphere entirely. Then, in a low voice, Arsen declared,
"Inul already has three prior convictions for assault under the influence, and the alcohol was not forced upon him—he drank of his own volition. This is therefore judged as intentional murder. Crimes committed under the influence will serve as a guideline for future cases—take note. The trial is concluded. Those with objections may file a formal appeal later."
He paused briefly, and when no one spoke, Arsen nodded and exited the courtroom first.
Removing his cap, he let out a sigh.
"Hoo..."
A primitive judicial system that relied more on common law than statute law, and even then, heavily on the personal opinions of the presiding judge.
One of the areas in Belluan that needed reform.
To that end, Arsen had referenced the Second Age's legal systems from the library, had them copied, and instructed the administrators to revise them.
Of course, laws varied by nation even then, and many clauses were obsolete by modern standards. Building a proper legal framework would take time.
'That wraps up all thirteen trials for today. Next on the schedule...'
"Sir Arsen."
Lost in thought, Arsen turned at the call. The middle-aged knight, Palato, grinned and waved.
"You seem busy as ever today."
"Unfortunately... There's a mountain of backlog. If I want any real rest, it'll be months of grinding yet."
"Hmm."
Since Nut had collapsed a year ago, hundreds of trials had piled up. To avoid rushed judgments, they were even resorting to truth spells.
Of course, such spells would need strict regulation in the future—at the very least, once magic became more widespread among civilians.
Studying Second Age precedents carefully would help minimize the pitfalls.
"Lately, folks I know have been hounding me about it—how things are progressing with your marriage to the Estate Lord."
"I wonder why they don't just ask me directly."
"Guess they don't have the guts. They don't want to risk offending you by asking her and getting the wrong idea. Since I'm on friendly terms with you, they figure I can inquire casually."
"No one angling to marry the Estate Lord themselves?"
"I'd love to commend anyone that brave, but sadly, no takers."
Normally, becoming the estate lord's spouse was a direct path to the heart of the territory's power, something everyone dreamed of.
But with Arsen holding absolute military control and handling much of the actual administration, no one dared meddle in the estate lord's marriage and risk crossing the real power holder.
Even if she was an unmarried beauty of unparalleled grace.
The great Sir Arsen.
The protagonist of a fairy-tale saga: venturing west with the current estate lord, returning with a magical potion that cured the previous lord.
The mighty warrior who felled the tyrannical Ramun Knight with a single spear thrust.
Up to that point, he was merely an object of admiration. But Arsen's subsequent actions were the issue.
Wielding his overwhelming might, Arsen rooted out and punished those who had exploited the civil war's chaos to amass wealth or commit crimes and cover them up.
And as these crimes were disproportionately committed by the powerful...
To those offenders and their kin, Arsen was a monstrous figure lurking in the closet—utterly terrifying.
Someone they never wanted to tangle with, even in dreams.
"I see."
Arsen shook his head slightly, looking uncomfortable. Palato asked with a puzzled expression,
"You don't seem thrilled?"
"It's a bit awkward, to be honest."
Arsen cut it short there, but under Palato's inquiring gaze, he sighed and explained.
"Eli—er, the Estate Lord—has lived practically isolated as a mage all this time."
"That's true."
"And she's still young. I'm worried that proposing now might block her from meeting someone better once she's more mature."
As a mage, Eloise's path to love had been blocked from childhood.
And Arsen had monopolized that position, claiming her affection almost exclusively.
He had long felt guilty about it.
She deserved the right to meet more people and choose her partner—and he felt like he'd stolen that from her.
"Plus, given the territory's situation, she might feel pressured to accept my proposal. Even just proposing feels coercive... and that's uncomfortable."
At that, Palato—who had been listening—suddenly doubled over laughing.
He laughed so hard tears welled in his eyes.
A few passersby glanced over at the sound, then hurried away.
After a long bout, Palato caught his breath and said in a cheerful tone,
"What an adorably naive thing to say. You always act like an old soul, but you've got some youthful corners after all! Zenovia would've teased you mercilessly for a decade if she'd heard this."
Arsen merely cleared his throat awkwardly at Palato's words.
He couldn't reveal that Zenovia had harbored similar worries—a personal secret.
Wiping tears from his eyes, Palato grinned and offered advice.
"Mark my words: in the Estate Lord's eyes, there's only you. Affection drips from every glance. I never imagined you'd miss that."
"Well..."
"I can't read minds, but she's undoubtedly longing for your proposal. Though her personality means she'd never ask first."
Arsen nodded silently in response.
Then, after a brief hesitation, he asked,
"You mentioned your marriage was political, Sir Palato."
"Indeed."
"Never a time when you doubted your love for your spouse?"
This was another worry weighing on Arsen.
He certainly cherished Eloise. She was likely the most precious being in his world.
But he couldn't confidently say it was romantic love.
Ironically, while quick to read others' feelings, Arsen struggled to ascertain his own.
In response, Palato countered with a question.
"Well, now I'd like to ask you. Imagine this: even if you don't marry her, the Estate Lord must wed eventually—to produce an heir for the territory. Could you stand idly by as she takes another husband? And it might not even be just one."
Belluan marriages were monogamous by default, with exceptions: estate lords and knights, regardless of gender, permitted polygamy or polyandry.
A tradition hoping for as many exceptional offspring as possible.
"I believe jealousy is the essence of love. That desire for their attention solely on you. That possessive wish they share not a shred of affection with anyone else. I want my wife's love for me alone—so I give mine likewise. Don't you feel the same?"
True to his word, even in Belluan—where knights' indiscretions were overlooked—Palato kept no mistresses, no affairs. A devoted husband.
Unlike love marriages like Kamin and Zenovia's, political knightly unions rarely satisfied with one partner.
His advice thus carried deeper weight.
Arsen imagined it: Eloise embracing another man. Laughing with him. Kissing him.
Seeing Arsen's clenched fist, Palato grinned.
"Now you look ready to kill. Isn't that enough?"
Arsen nodded firmly.
"Thank you for the sound advice."
* * *
"Hoo..."
Eloise gazed at the sky through the open window, sighing. She looked like she could use a cigarette right then.
A maid beside her asked cautiously,
"M-Milady? Is something bothering you...?"
"No. Leave me alone for a bit."
"Understood."
The maid bowed respectfully, her posture radiating deference.
As the door clicked shut, Eloise peered down from the window.
At the knights' training grounds.
No matter how hard she strained her eyes, no bright golden-haired knight was among those training.
'He hasn't come? The papers said the trials ended earlier... Maybe something came up?'
As she debated using the earring to check, a voice came through first.
[Eli.]
[Yeah?]
[I'm at your door. Can you come out for a sec?]
Eloise glanced at her desk.
Papers still piled high, due by end of day.
Already struggling to focus and falling behind—if she went out and chatted, it'd spill into tomorrow.
After a moment's thought, she replied decisively.
[Of course.]
* * *
Hoo—her breath formed a white plume in the wind.
"It's getting cold."
"Yeah. It's midwinter, after all."
The two leaned against the railing on the estate lord's residence rooftop, overlooking the territory at a glance.
The sun was setting, dusk settling over the land.
After standing silently in the chill breeze, Arsen spoke first.
"...How's work?"
"Pretty good. Getting the hang of it. You? Papers said you handed down a death sentence today."
Arsen shook his head at her words.
"Not quite death... but yeah, close enough."
"They said it was too harsh—asked me to talk to you."
"Who?"
"The administrators."
Arsen chuckled wryly at the reversal—usually, they begged the real power behind the throne, not vice versa.
Eloise smiled along, then said,
"Well, I trust you made the right call."
For a moment, only the wind whistled.
"Eli."
"Yeah?"
"Can we talk for a bit?"
Eloise nodded readily, and Arsen began in a calm tone.
A tale from long ago, before his birth in this world.
Of a planet called Earth, location unknown.
He was born there, met many, enjoyed much, and died.
And of the second life granted him.
She listened silently as he shared a story untold to anyone in this world.
Only at the very end did she ask cautiously,
"So... you're saying you're one of humanity's ancestors from far away, before they came here?"
"It's possible, but... probably not. There was no mana or magic where I was from. Since their civilization is magic-based, maybe Earth is out there somewhere in distant space."
By the time he finished, the sunset had faded; stars now embroidered the sky. A sea of countless lights, rarer on Earth.
Likely, this world's humans had sailed that starry ocean long ago to reach here.
"You're taking it better than I expected."
"I was shocked. But... you've always been so mature, with such unique thoughts. It makes sense if that's why."
As she spoke, Eloise shook her head slightly.
"But why tell me now? I'm grateful you trust me with your secret."
"Well."
Arsen paused, steadying his breath.
Then recited calmly,
"Because to the woman I want to marry, I want to reveal everything honestly."
Silence fell.
From his pocket, Arsen drew a small box.
Inside were two rings, embedded with rare gems—crafted secretly by Luden at Arsen's request.
"It's a custom from my homeland. You bind each other with these rings. Slip them on the ring fingers and swear eternal love."
He explained, then tentatively offered one ring.
"Will you marry me?"
Eloise stared blankly for a moment, then covered her face with her hand. Moisture laced her voice; her expression was easy to imagine.
"Ah, wait... Just a sec, hold on."
Wiping away tears, she extended her hand to Arsen. It trembled with emotion.
Moments later, a matching ring adorned her left ring finger.
"Was it that upsetting you cried?"
At Arsen's teasing tone, Eloise replied in a voice thick with sobs.
"I was anxious, that's all."
"About what?"
"Well..."
Hesitating, Eloise confessed honestly. She'd worried he saw her as a child and wouldn't propose. But proposing herself risked it seeming like pity acceptance.
As nominal estate lord—higher in station—she could propose first, but lacked the courage.
"You always seemed to see me as a kid. So I worked harder. To prove I'm a proper adult, that I can pull my weight."
At her words, Arsen instinctively reached out and stroked her hair.
It was too cute—her desire to seem more mature.
"Ah, don't pat my head..."
As she grabbed his hand, a electric thrill stopped her words.
Before long, they gazed silently into each other's eyes.
"Ah..."
Their faces drew closer; Eloise gently closed her eyes.
A warmth, sweet and soft beyond measure.
The green moon in the sky smiled warmly upon the knight and lady swearing eternal love.
-----
Hello, this is WatermelonPeach.
A story that felt quite long to some, short to others, has come to an end.
My goal from the start was a satisfying ending, but I doubt it'll please everyone.
Next week, I'll return with a few side stories.
For those who felt the main story a bit lacking, I'll make sure they're packed with plenty.
Thank you all, and I love you!
A land corrupted by toxic energy, overrun by cannibals and monsters.
A half-ruined fantasy world where society clings to safe zones.
The tale of knight Arsen adventuring in search of dreams and hope.
[Fantasy][Slightly Apocalyptic][Reincarnation][No Status Window]