A Bizarre Triangle (2)
My lips were thick with stale breath as I stepped out of the classroom.
"Haaaaah..."
World that saddles me with trials like this. May all things turn to ash.
But no matter how deeply I sighed, my breath didn't suddenly turn into a dragon's blaze scorching the campus, nor did a teaching assistant pop up crying, "Oops, I wrote it wrong!" to fix the slate. All that existed was the vision I'd glimpsed through the curtain of time: me committing high treason against my lord and his wife...
The carefree princess followed behind, tossing in a few words.
"You don't need to worry about it that much, do you? It's the kind of thing that happens once in a while anyway. We can just proceed as usual."
"...That's true, but..."
Our margrave wasn't the type to fret over every little thing like that. Still, knowing it didn't stop it from gnawing at me. It wasn't something I could just go to the professor about and get erased, so I'd have to do it anyway.
And besides... there's someone right next to me who absolutely won't forgive half-hearted effort.
I had no intention of slacking off, and the situation didn't allow for it anyway. So I'd prepare diligently, but...
"Come to think of it, Your Highness, have you ever tried a many-versus-many mock battle?"
"No? I've never had the chance."
"Well, same here..."
In the game, I'd done it a few times for fun, but since entering the academy, there'd been no opportunities, just like she said. So this would be a first for both of us.
And that meant...
"If we're doing this properly, we should divide roles beforehand, right?"
If it were solo, I could just manifest whatever popped into my head at the moment. But with two minds at work, our thoughts might not align. Sure, syncing up without much coordination would be ideal, but anyone could see we weren't close enough for that.
"Roles?"
"We can't scout the terrain or battle situation ahead of time, but we could decide who's targeting whom, or how we'll deploy and start. Something like that."
In a game, you didn't need such divisions. It was just a game— one player goes standard build, the other spams all-cavalry for laughs, or it devolves into 1v1 tournaments despite the 2v2 label. No big deal.
But obviously, that's not what the professor wanted to see.
"It's about collaboration, after all. Crushing them with raw skill is fine, but playing to the evaluation criteria is the smart move, don't you think?"
Not that this wisdom came from experience with a stack of supplementary assignments because I half-assed it on game instincts. Probably.
Of course, our princess shot me a look like, You're one to talk.
"Hmm. If that's what you want, I don't mind... So, do you have any ideas?"
"No, I was planning to hash it out now. We need to discuss it anyway, right?"
She pondered my words for a moment. What nitpick had she latched onto this time? Her lips curved into a sly smile.
"Oh my, so it's a social invitation after all? Just the two of us?"
"Pardon?"
"It's quite bold coming straight from a gentleman. Hmm, what ever shall I do..."
How does it always twist into that?
"...Let's call it a study session."
At my excuse of an explanation, a muffled chuckle escaped her covered mouth. The usual teasing, meaningless as ever.
I tried to brush it off, but she slipped past me, turning her head as she went. Her long lashes fluttered, stirring the air.
"Then, may I pick the spot? Or do you have somewhere in mind?"
"The chapel if nothing comes up. Can't think of anywhere else."
"Shall we go, then?"
I had nowhere else to be, so if she knew a good place, no reason to refuse.
But what she led me to was an annex right next to the library—a building I'd never set foot in during my four years at the academy.
"Uh, what is this place...?"
"A guest parlor attached to the library."
With that casual remark, Her Highness opened the door and strode in like it was nothing. Even the guards didn't bat an eye at her visit.
"If it's for guests, doesn't that mean students aren't allowed?"
"Who would visit the academy library?"
"Er... no idea?"
"Then the question: Who's the academy's biggest benefactor?"
"...His Imperial Majesty?"
"Correct. And if someone's donating that much, they're guest enough, right?"
Beaming, the princess declared she'd use the parlor as family of the academy's top patron.
Come to think of it, she acts more relaxed around people now, but she is the emperor's daughter...
I always called her "princess," but she didn't hang out much, and as the semester wore on, she often went solo. Maybe that's why it hadn't fully sunk in. Sure, crowds buzzed around her giggling, but I'd never seen her take the lead in mingling.
She just acted differently from the typical highborn lady.
Actually, I don't think I've ever seen her with close friends...
Was it because she was a tiresome iron mask who hated pandering, or just pursued her own interests single-mindedly?
...She did have friends, right?
"Why are you standing there dazed? Sit comfortably."
"Yes..."
I didn't voice the rude thought that she suddenly seemed like a war otaku and quietly took a seat, setting down my bag.
"So, you were mulling something over on the way. Got any proposals?"
"A few."
Sorry to my margrave, but...
"Our main opponent will be the daughter of the Baiken grand duke. My lord will likely end up in support."
"More pragmatic than I expected?"
As she made a surprised noise, I pressed on.
"You pick up on things after spending time around them. His sense of responsibility is impeccable, but he quickly hands off anything he's not confident in."
"So he'll leave frontline command to Lady Erna and handle rear support?"
"Not necessarily the rear, but... And that Lady Erna, as you saw..."
"She cleaved a mounted knight in one stroke? That scene was so intense, it's still vivid."
Yeah, the balance in this team battle was a mess. From what I'd observed, the princess had the top mock battle scores—no contest. I was just keeping pace to honor our deal. Meanwhile, our margrave occasionally landed lucky punches, but his record was otherwise lackluster. We'd studied together, raised his basics, but cool-headed calls still eluded him.
In the end, the real threat was his future wife... the wildcard whose stats could swing unpredictably.
Command aside, her martial prowess—I doubted anyone in the academy could match it. Hell, maybe not even continent-spanning war heroes.
Even in a mock battle, she's the type to crush skulls barehanded...
That's why I flinched every time our eyes met—not without reason. She was the pampered jewel of the Harpagri clan, strongest among northern beastkin lineages. Rumors said she'd slain a dragon solo, fitting for the Baiken grand duke's heir. A freak of strength who casually diced armored knights and shattered formations alone.
Daily feedback: "No one else can do that—don't even try imitating her."
That monster-in-law was our margrave's future lady of the house. Sure, compared to legends like Guan Yu slicing through ten thousand for the enemy general's head, or the Lion-Hearted King retaking a castle in slippers with under a hundred men, she fell short...
But neither I nor the princess could beat her in a straight swordfight...
Especially against mock troops normalized to average stats.
Of course, as an individual, she had limits... but how much we could avoid her sway would likely decide the match.
"So? What's your proposal?"
Princess Charlotte leaned forward slightly, waving off the details, her hand cutting the air.
The table wasn't wide, so facing her brought us close—close enough for a strangely pleasant scent, forcing me to fan my face reflexively.
"W-well, first off, I'd like to propose... that Your Highness act as my cavalry commander."
"Me?"
"Yes... You're great at everything, but you excel most at that one thing."
Pinpointing the optimal moment to commit troops, reading the battlefield's flow in an instant. Just as Erna's prowess was "do not imitate," I saw Charlotte's timing and snap judgment as inimitable talents.
"While I hold the center as long as possible, Your Highness sweeps with cavalry—that seems best."
"Logical, sure..."
She gazed at me, then smiled faintly. When I tilted my head, puzzled, she leaned back, eyes narrowing playfully.
"You put on all that timid act, but your proposals are always outrageously bold. How many could ask an imperial to lead their forces?"
"It's a mock battle lecture. And I'm fighting my own lord anyway."
"Ah, so the burden of battling the margrave outweighs ordering around an imperial?"
"Don't put it like that—you leave me speechless... Have mercy."
As I pleaded, she—laughing as always, meaning nothing by it—brushed a golden strand falling across her cheek and murmured.
"...Lucky."
I had no clue what she meant. She shook her head briefly after, then stood.
"Where are you off to?"
"Just checking for useful books. I've only read beastkin war tales as epics, but references couldn't hurt."
"Fair enough..."
Awkward from the mood shift, I stood too.
We had four days. Assignments were done early. And I didn't hate reading.
"Speaking of, have you read The Tale of the Boar Children among beastkin epics? Of the war stories I've seen, it's the best—"
She beamed at me, chattering excitedly as we headed for the library, opening the annex door.
"Watch out—!"
"—Huh?"
Maybe she wasn't familiar here; she missed the sunken step near the door and stumbled.
"Eek...!"
It wasn't a high step—no real injury from falling. But instinct and fact are different. As her body pitched forward, I thrust out my hand, yanking her shoulder harder than needed.
Hard enough that her bound hair lightly tickled my nose bridge.
"...You okay?"
"..."
Exhaling, my breath naturally tickled her hair, brushing my lips.
Well... in an era without shampoo, how good could hair smell?
"Th-thanks."
"..."
At least sweeter than this sudden awkward air.
"Shall... we go borrow those books?"
"Yeah..."
Vowing to tell her to watch her step next time, I fanned my flushed face from the freak accident and walked on.
I ignored the lingering heat on her pale ear—she didn't turn, so couldn't hide it anyway.