Chapter 149: Is This for Real?(1)
Chapter 149: Is This for Real?(1)
As has become my routine lately, I had a weekend meal scheduled with my older sister, Nicole. Somehow, it had turned into a weekly tradition, and since it wasn't a bad arrangement, I made sure to visit every week.
Nicole was also scheduled to graduate from the Academy soon and be assigned to a knight order, so I needed to see her while I still could. Although nothing was set in stone yet, I expected her to be posted somewhere prestigious, much like Dave.
Adelia, on the other hand... her situation was a bit complicated due to her status. It was impossible to predict whether she would return to her kingdom immediately after graduation or be assigned to a knight order here.
If she returned to the Ters Kingdom, a horrific family environment awaited her; if she stayed and joined a knight order here, she would essentially be seen as a traitor to her homeland.
She didn't show it, thanks to her naturally bright personality, but as graduation season drew nearer, Adelia’s heart was bound to grow heavy with conflict.
"So, you still don't know where you'll be stationed?"
"Yeah. Dave got picked up early by the Navy Knights, but I'm still in the dark. In my heart, I’d love to follow Father into the Navy Knights, but it’s not that simple. Apparently, Dave was a special case. Usually, they conduct internal tests. I expect I’ll have to go through that too."
We were at a restaurant we frequented after training sessions at the training hall.
I had asked Nicole, who sat across from me, about her post-graduation plans. She answered nonchalantly, but the slight furrow in her brow betrayed her nerves.
"I’m sure you’ll get in, Sister. I heard only those with exceptional skill and grades can become teaching assistants for the Martial Studies department."
My fiancée, Mary, who was sitting beside me, encouraged Nicole while elegantly slicing her steak. Her face was radiant, and her skin seemed to glow even more than yesterday.
As I mentioned before, we hadn't left each other's side since last night. Now, she was joining the meal with Nicole, sharing in the pleasant conversation.
For the record, Adelia had tactfully bowed out. She claimed there was no room for a third party when family was talking. Nicole had told her it was fine and that she should join us, but Adelia had flatly refused.
The look of pure envy she gave us before we parted still lingered in my mind. It didn't feel like she was pushing us away; rather, it felt like she lacked the courage to take that one step forward.
As I’ve noted recently, Adelia has definitely grown closer to us, yet she still tends to hesitate at times.
"That may be true, but the field is a different story. I’ve heard the entry requirements for the Navy Knights, and just listening to them makes me feel lightheaded."
"Ah, I’ve heard of those too. Don't they make you train for an entire month without proper sleep?"
"That’s right. But that’s not all. Not only do you get no sleep for a month, but you also have to forage for your own food. And the instructors launch surprise attacks at any given moment. You have to struggle just to survive because you could actually die if you let your guard down."
Is that something a person—no, a human—can actually do? The answer is yes. At least, for a human born and raised in this world.
I’ve lamented before about how humans are the weakest race here, but that’s only by this world's standards. Compared to my previous life, they are absolute monsters. In a world where people can defeat elephant-sized monsters even without mana, nothing is impossible.
Even I, who have only received basic knight training and am practically a civilian, can easily lift a hundred-kilogram sack of wheat. Nicole, on the other hand, could probably toss it around like a baseball with one hand.
Still, the entrance test Nicole mentioned was considered harsh even by this world's standards. There was a reason the Navy Knights were the ones tasked with guarding the border regions.
"Speaking of which, what’s Dave up to these days? Any news on him coming home for leave?"
"From what I hear, he’s not coming until he sheds his apprentice tag. It’ll probably take a few more months."
It varies by order, but generally, one must serve for a year to be promoted from apprentice knight to junior knight. During that year, the order determines whether the recruit is fit for military life before deciding on the promotion.
In other words, my poor older brother, Dave, was essentially a private for an entire year. Since military life involves absurdities regardless of time or place, he was likely suffering through his days even now.
The letter he sent last time was a real masterpiece.
Was it two weeks ago? I still remember the contents of the letter Dave sent. He said he had volunteered to carry the heaviest food supplies for a march, only to get chewed out.
The reason was hilarious: he figured the food would get lighter as they ate it. The kicker was that he completed the three-hour march without eating a single bite of the food.
Seeing that, I realized that the military is the same everywhere.
"By the way, what about Adelia? Where is she planning to go?"
"Oh..."
Mary, who had been chewing her steak, swallowed and asked about Adelia’s future. While Adelia found Mary a bit difficult to deal with, Mary actually thought quite highly of the optimistic girl.
You could tell by the fact that Mary called her "Sister" and spoke comfortably with her despite Adelia being a commoner. It was quite funny how Adelia was the one who felt awkward about it.
Upon hearing the question, Nicole didn't answer immediately but glanced at me.
Did Nicole know that Adelia was a bastard—specifically, a royal bastard of Ters? Or was she being cautious of Mary because of Adelia’s peculiar behavior?
Whatever the reason, Nicole seemed hesitant to answer.
"I... I don't really know about Adelia either. She’s so unpredictable that I can't tell if she has a plan or if she’s just going with the flow. Still, her skills are on par with mine, so she’ll adapt well wherever she goes."
"I see. But she is a commoner, right?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Her speech and actions are definitely those of a commoner, but her appearance and her manners at certain times feel more like a noble's."
Just as Mary said, Adelia often acted flighty and casual, making it clear to the world that she was a commoner. However, that was just her outward behavior; if you watched her eat or caught her in certain moments, she possessed the innate grace of a noble.
Honestly, her looks alone were beautiful enough to pass for a noble as long as she kept her mouth shut. Furthermore, her sky-blue eyes, reminiscent of a clear day, gave off an air of mystery.
Mary hadn't spent much time face-to-face with Adelia, but she possessed an instinctual ability to see through people's true nature. Therefore, she likely suspected that Adelia’s background was anything but ordinary.
"Well... let's just say she is for now. Don't ask any more than that."
"Understood."
When Nicole gave that ambiguous answer and firm request, Mary accepted it coolly. She probably decided there was no need to pry since she wasn't particularly close to Adelia anyway.
As Mary went back to quietly cutting her steak, Nicole watched her with a complicated expression. I could see worry and concern reflected in Nicole’s golden eyes.
What kind of worry was making her look like that? I hoped it wasn't anything too serious.
"Anyway, you're graduating this year and taking the Navy Knights' entrance test, right?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I’ll have a test before graduation. The Navy Knights manage the border regions, so even apprentices are often deployed on missions immediately. It’s a bit of a different case."
"Then I guess we won't be seeing each other's faces much longer."
I asked with a hint of sadness. First Dave, and now Nicole—the time I had left to see them was dwindling.
Nicole gave me a warm smile at my question and spoke as if to reassure me.
"You're an adult now. And I’ve been one for a while. It’s only natural that we won't meet as often, so don't be too sad."
"It’s still sad. Dave left so suddenly. You won't do that, will you?"
"Of course not. I’ll be leaving for the entrance test exactly one month from now. We can meet one last time then."
"You’ve been at the Academy for five years, right?"
"Yeah."
"Weren't there any fun stories from your time here?"
As a teaching assistant for Martial Studies, Nicole had to stay at the Academy longer than most. She must have enjoyed various events and festivals.
Nicole was a true martial artist who dedicated herself to training every day, but she was still human and bound to get stressed. To relieve that stress, she must have sought out various forms of entertainment.
Moreover, I had heard from Adelia that Nicole was incredibly popular among the Martial Studies students. Honestly, even as her younger brother, I could see she was beautiful and possessed formidable strength.
She was a woman who perfectly fulfilled a man's fantasy, so there was no way she wouldn't be popular. I was certain of it.
"I was curious about that too! Did you ever have a boyfriend, Sister?"
"Wh-what? A b-boyfriend?"
Nicole was visibly flustered. Her eyes went wide, and her face was a mask of panic.
Seeing her reaction, Mary didn't stop and pushed even further.
"It makes no sense for someone as beautiful as you not to have a boyfriend. Even if you didn't have one, surely you've received confessions?"
"N-no. I’ve never received a confession like that. Really."
Nicole waved her hands frantically, her cheeks flushing red. You didn't need Mary’s intuition to tell she was lying.
Sensing she had caught her, Mary wore a mischievous grin and pressed harder.
"Liar. Who confessed to you? We’re family now, so it’s okay to tell us, right? It’s not like anyone else is listening."
"I... I’m telling the truth..."
"Do you really think a lie like that will work on me? Just tell us one story about a confession you received."
"I’m curious too. You almost never talk about your personal life."
"Honestly... why are you two, who are about to get engaged, so interested in someone else's personal life?"
Nicole asked, sounding exasperated.
"Because other people's stories are more fun! We already have our own story, don't we?"
"Hah... seriously..."
Nicole was immediately deflated by Mary’s blunt answer. She pondered for a moment, let out a deep sigh, and shook her head.
It was a sign that she couldn't tell us.
"I’m sorry, but I can't. I have received confessions, but they’re... a bit unpleasant."
"Unpleasant?"
"It wasn't just one person; four people confessed to me. At the same time."
"Whoa..."
Mary and I gasped in unison. Nicole wasn't the type to lie about such things, so it was highly likely that she really had been confessed to by four people at once.
Just hearing that made me think there was an extraordinary story behind it. If I used that as material, I could probably churn out a romance novel in no time.
As if remembering that day, Nicole muttered quietly with reddened cheeks.
"Grown men... there’s nothing more pathetic than men fighting over a single woman. I got so annoyed that I told them I’d date whoever could beat me in a duel. But even with all four of them attacking at once, they all lost. Shouldn't a man at least be stronger than me?"
"Aha! So your type is a man stronger than you, Sister?"
"Wh-what? N-no! That’s not what I meant! I’m just saying! At the very least, a man should be strong enough to protect a woman!"
Having accidentally revealed her preference, Nicole shouted out excuses in a panic. It was a reaction far removed from her usual strict demeanor. That was how flustered she was.
I watched the struggling Nicole with a fresh perspective and joined in on Mary’s teasing.
"Sister, I’m really weak, though."
"Hey... excuse me, Author Xenon? You’re saying you’re weak when a single word from you can move the world? There’s a limit to how much nonsense I can take. I said 'strength,' not 'martial power.'"
"Then how about my older brother? He’s from a ducal house and the future Duke."
"Enough. Stop it. Once I join a knight order, I’ll probably have to half-give up on marriage anyway, so what’s the point of a boyfriend? You two provide more than enough romance for me. You are being careful with contraception, right?"
Nicole tried to change the subject, but I figured it was best to stop the teasing here. I had a feeling she might actually die of embarrassment if we pushed any further.
"Of course we are. We have plenty of medicine left, so no problems there."
"Good. Make sure you don't end up like our parents because of a 'mistake.'"
"From what I can see, it wasn't a mistake; it was intentional."
"Hmm... honestly, I agree. There’s no way they would have given you all those contraceptives otherwise."
Nicole nodded in agreement, then suddenly remembered something and asked me.
"By the way, Isaac. When is Volume 13 coming out?"
"Volume 13? I’ll probably send it to the publisher in about three days. Why do you ask?"
"You mentioned before that Albenheim was imposing censorship. Did you really write about Albenheim being invaded?"
"Of course I did. I can't change the story just because that country wants to censor it."
I didn't care if Albenheim censored it. They would be the ones suffering the loss, not me.
As for profits, I had already earned more than enough, and Leort and Lina were helping me out bit by bit. I was currently in the process of moving the funds I had left sitting at the publisher to my mansion.
Come to think of it, they said Elves visited the publisher.
I had already heard through a letter from my father that Elves had visited the publisher. They claimed there were things they needed to verify and asked for the letters Xenon—that is, I—had sent so far.
Fortunately, the publisher handled it well, and the Elves retreated. However, my father had no idea why Elves from Albenheim, and from a prestigious family at that, had come looking.
Though it was just a guess, it was likely a situation caused by Arwen accidentally delaying the processing of the speech. I had sent word through Siris, so I expected to hear back soon.
"I’m just a little concerned. Usually, writers lose their confidence when their work gets censored. You’re not like that?"
"Not really. Besides, the Xenon Biography is read more by humans than Elves anyway, and I’m just writing it as a hobby. If they censor it, it’s their loss."
"Exactly. Sometimes Elves can be so dense. Trying to censor such a beautiful culture—there’s bound to be a backlash. There’s no way the Queen would do that, so it must be the Elder Council or the noble families acting on their own."
Mary chimed in supportively. As expected of a Duke’s daughter, she was well-versed in the politics of other nations.
Nicole looked relieved that I wasn't bothered, but she still couldn't shake her worry and asked cautiously.
"Still, just in case, don't write anything too overtly negative. Every sentence you write has a huge impact on the world. You’ve seen it yourself by now, haven't you?"
"Of course I know."
I continued, speaking as if it were no big deal.
"It doesn't even faze me anymore."
*
A few days later.
[Shock! The pride and symbol of Albenheim, the pollution of the World Tree's roots, was actually in progress!]
[Unlike the novel, it is not the work of demons, but the lingering effects of the Demon War from 3,000 years ago. The current pollution level of the roots is a minor 26%, but the speed is increasing, suggesting they would have been completely polluted in the near future.]
[The priests of Albenheim united to perform a purification ritual. Fortunately, the pollution was not severe and was healed immediately.]
[Could it be that the Xenon Biography even prophesied this?]
"... ..."
No way.