The Promise of Protection
Fortunately, the supplies had been preserved perfectly intact.
I turned to the group and spoke.
"Please keep it a secret from Father that Marie and I handled all of this ourselves, if you would be so kind."
"Yes, my lady," Sally replied.
"Sure," Kailin muttered.
Sally and Kailin agreed without making a fuss. I didn't want to cause Lucien any unnecessary worry.
He would eventually hear the details through the Guild anyway, but for now, I wanted him to rest easy.
I helped load the recovered supplies onto the new carriage. Damn, this stuff is heavy. Is Scarlet the only thing in this world that feels weightless?
"Please, do not overexert yourself, Lady Françoise. The soldiers will handle the rest," Sally urged, trying to stop me.
"Hmph! Even someone of my stature must lead by example to truly embody noblesse oblige, if you would be so kind!"
"What is she even talking about?" Kailin muttered, giving me a bizarre look.
In truth, I only did it because I had nothing else to do.
I strolled over to Marie, who was resting in the grassy field.
Staring at the clean-up crew, Marie spoke softly.
"To think there were actually Demonic Beasts..."
"I was rather surprised myself."
Though in my case, the goosebumps were from how perfectly they matched my own designs.
"Fran, what is going to happen to this world?"
"Well..."
I couldn't give her a straight answer. It wasn't as if I could just say, 'Eventually, the Demon Race will swallow this kingdom whole.'
But one thing was certain. I stood up, turned to Marie, and declared with absolute conviction:
"Marie, do not worry."
"Did we not just tear those Demonic Beasts to shreds together?"
"Y-yes, we did!..."
"I shall protect you, Marie. No matter what!"
Marie stared at me blankly for a moment before a soft smile bloomed on her face.
"Hehe. Yes!"
Kailin, who had been watching us with a thoroughly unimpressed expression, chimed in.
"Hey, Marie. Do you have any idea why you were the only one who could use magic back there?"
"What...? I-I don't really know either."
"You do realize those Demonic Beasts had deployed a magic nullification field, right?"
"Y-yes, but..."
"Kailin, that is quite enough."
I intervened, addressing her by name with a serious tone. I felt it was wrong to press Marie so hard on something she genuinely didn't understand yet.
"Oh? U-uh, right. Okay."
She seemed flustered by my unusually stern demeanor.
"It is more than enough that we defeated the Demonic Beasts and reclaimed our supplies."
"Yeah... I guess you're right for now."
"But I'm at a loss for what we'll do if more Demonic Beasts show up in the future..."
Kailin sighed. Don't worry, you've got me. I already have a pretty good idea of what kind of monsters will pop up next.
"Fear not! For you have me by your side! Ohohoho!"
Kailin let out a wry chuckle.
"You really live a carefree life, don't you..."
When we returned to the estate, Sebastian and Lucien were waiting at the main gate to greet us.
"We have successfully executed your orders, My Lord," Sally reported on behalf of the group.
"The culprits were Demonic Beasts, and we have successfully subjugated them."
"I see. You have done well. Are my daughters unharmed?"
"Yes, they are perfectly fine."
Lucien rushed over and pulled Marie and me into a tight embrace. Gack, his grip strength is insane!
"Thank goodness. Thank goodness you are safe."
"..."
A pang of guilt hit me.
I wrapped my arms around him, realizing once again that all my frantic efforts to save this family were ultimately for moments like this—to protect this warm home and preserve these peaceful days.
Lucien gently released us from his embrace and spoke.
"Now that our supplies have been recovered, let us hold a banquet tomorrow evening."
"Oh my, really?"
Lucien smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling.
"Of course. It has been far too long, so enjoy yourselves to the fullest, my daughters."
"!"
Kailin flinched slightly at the mention of the banquet, then hurriedly excused herself, claiming she had urgent business to attend to.
The following evening, I gazed out the window.
A long queue of carriages lined the path to the estate, all carrying guests arriving for tonight's banquet.
Among them were the children of families close to Count Albert, as well as various nobles we regularly associated with.
However, what made tonight truly special was the attendance of current students from Sancriat Academy and registered adventurers.
Though they were all of noble birth, it seemed Kailin had spread the word to the Guild. The rumors of our exploit had traveled fast, drawing crowds eager to catch a glimpse of the heroes of the hour.
And I, for one, was absolutely thrilled—albeit for a completely different reason.
Because today was the day I finally got to wear a formal banquet dress!
A magnificent, rose-red long gown adorned with gorgeous frills! My makeup and accessories were more meticulously styled than ever before. The corset was a bit suffocating, but I quickly got used to it.
I looked like the perfect noble lady, and I absolutely loved it. But I couldn't let myself get overwhelmed just yet.
Because Marie would be coming out in her dress any second now!
"Marie~ My shoulders are going to dislocate from waiting so long~"
"J-just a moment..."
Of course, it was the maids doing all the heavy lifting of dressing her, so I decided to wait patiently.
The moment the changing room curtain was drawn back, I was rendered utterly speechless.
She wore a deep teal gown, styled similarly to mine, with a long, elegant sash draped over one arm that created a breathtaking silhouette.
Standing there nervously, Marie asked with a blush,
"D-does it suit me?"
"A perfect ten! A ten out of ten!"
"R-really?"
Marie's face flushed bright red.
"Now, shall we make our grand entrance? To the ballroom~"
"Yes!"
Upon entering the ballroom, I immediately headed toward the dessert table, which was laden with delicacies Lucien had specially imported.
"C-could it be...!"
Long, slender biscuit sticks coated in rich chocolate. They looked exactly like Pepero!
To think I'd get to taste these in this world! I'm already looking forward to what other treats await me.
"Mmm~ This is absolutely divine!"
"It really is. Father has impeccable taste."
As we were savoring the new treats, a boisterous male voice boomed in my ears.
"Is it you? The culprit who has ignited the flames of this body's passion?"
"?"
A man with spiky red hair, slightly tanned skin, and golden eyes stood proudly before me.
"Ah, that person is..."
"Oh? Do you know him, Marie?"
"Yes. He is Lord Charles Langrend, the eldest son of Duke Langrend."
"Hahaha! Long time no see!"
He seemed to be an acquaintance. His incredibly confident expression radiated an easygoing charm.
"I heard the news! You took down Demonic Beasts, didn't you?"
"Yes, indeed~ It was all thanks to everyone's help, especially Marie's."
"Fran!..."
"Hmm! Humble as well! I like you already!"
Charles pointed a thumb at his chest. "This body was once an adventurer as well! Though currently, I am making a name for myself at the Academy!"
Oh, so he's a student who used to be an adventurer. In that case, there's something I want to ask about the entrance exam.
"Is that so? Might I ask how you gained admission?"
"The same way you will. As long as you have an adventurer license."
A familiar voice drifted over from nearby. It was Kailin.
Oh, a white silk one-piece dress! It suits her surprisingly well.
"Oh, Commoner. Your dress is truly magnificent!"
"R-really? Hmph. Anyway, just like you, applicants can get bonus points with an adventurer license to gain entry."
I already knew that from Sebastian... Is there any other crucial information?
"Is there anything else we must prepare for?"
"Aha! That is precisely why this body has brought vital information today! For the sake of my future juniors! Hahaha!"
Ugh, 'juniors.' He's already decided we're getting in.
The laughter vanished from Charles's face as he began to explain with a serious expression.
"As you may know, monsters have recently begun to run rampant, throwing the kingdom into utter chaos."
"Because of this, the Academy has decided to alter the format of the entrance exam."
"And what might this new format entail?"
"Indeed. While it originally consisted of only a written exam and a practical exam, a 'Subjugation Exam' has now been added."
"This exam is an extension of the practical phase, where applicants form teams with current students—like this body—to hunt down designated monsters."
A Subjugation Exam... So we just have to do exactly what we've been doing at the Adventurer Guild?
"Isn't that far too dangerous? There must be applicants who have never been adventurers..." Marie voiced her concern.
Marie spoke with deep worry.
"Hahaha! That is precisely why current students accompany you! We act as both your supporters and your examiners!"
"I see!..."
"Since you will be taking the Subjugation Exam anyway, this body volunteered so I could witness the strength of Lady Françoise and Lady Marie firsthand!"
Who does he think he is? But his sheer passion is so palpable that I can't help but feel a sense of kinship.
"Very well! Just make sure you do not faint from shock when you witness my power~ Ohohoho!"
"Hahaha!"
Finding their mutual enthusiasm amusing, Marie giggled softly.
Meanwhile, Kailin was wearing an incredibly uncomfortable expression.
"My? Commoner, does your stomach ache?"
"N-no, it doesn't! And stop calling me a commoner!"
Kailin hesitated for a moment before muttering in a tiny voice.
"...want to go too."
"Pardon? What was that?"
I genuinely couldn't hear her. What is she saying?
"I said I want to go too! I want to join!" Kailin blurted out, her face flushing.
Kailin shouted reluctantly.
"If Lady Kailin joins us, she would be an incredibly reassuring ally!" Marie said happily.
I didn't mind either. She was an S-class adventurer, after all.
"Hahaha! Indeed, the number of current students doesn't matter! I look forward to working with you, Lady Kailin."
"Oh? Is the Commoner a student at the Academy as well?"
"I am, but I don't attend very diligently. You know how it is," Kailin grumbled, shrugging her shoulders.
Is that the casual confidence of an S-class?
At any rate, if we performed well in this Subjugation Exam, our admission to the Academy would be practically guaranteed.
"By any chance, has the target for the subjugation been decided?"
"Ah, yes. I should mention that as well."
Charles said, popping one of the nearby pastries into his mouth.
"Recently, Oberta Village has been plagued by Wyvern attacks, throwing the area into chaos."
"If the Subjugation Exam is finalized, that location will undoubtedly be at the top of the list."
"A-a Wyvern?"
Marie looked slightly intimidated. Even I was caught off guard by a Wyvern suddenly popping up.
"A Wyvern is manageable. It's not some legendary beast out of a picture book," Kailin said reassuringly.
It was highly intriguing to see monsters I hadn't even designed showing up.
"Ohoho~ There is nothing in this world that my Scarlet cannot cleave!"
"Hahaha! That's the spirit of my future junior! I look forward to working with you, Junior!"
And just like that, my title became 'Junior.' I'll have to keep training diligently to prepare for this Subjugation Exam.
Suddenly, the orchestra took their seats. Raising their instruments, they began to play a splendid waltz.
T-this is...! An affinity event!
I took Marie's hand.
"Marie, let us dance together!"
"Hehe, yes!"
I led Marie to the center of the ballroom, our hands gently clasping.
"!"
Kailin looked utterly flustered, while Charles, seemingly catching on to the mood, laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! This body is quite the dancer as well! Shall I join in?"
"No thanks..."
"Ahem..."
In truth, I had never danced a waltz in my life, but Fran's muscle memory kicked in, making it effortless.
Under the glittering chandeliers, people spun around the floor like blooming flowers.
Under the dazzling lights, Marie's blissful face shone brighter than ever.
Ah, I wish this moment could last forever.
In the distance, I saw Lucien clapping along to the rhythm.
Yet, despite his applause, his expression seemed weighed down by deep, heavy thoughts.