The Sister and the Knight's Relationship
"...They rejected it."
"A predictable response."
The reply from the Primal family was a rejection. Unlike the vague refusals from other nobles, it was blunt and direct, even adding a warning that if they tried any more schemes, the Primal family wouldn't hesitate to make enemies of the Reinhardt family, no matter who they were.
"Honestly, it's a miracle they didn't declare war outright."
"...You've got me there."
Minel gave a wry smile as she skimmed the letter I'd received and handed it back to me.
"I'll pass this on to the young lady. Even she went too far this time."
"Yeah?"
Even Minel wasn't taking Ceres's side... Objectively speaking, all the blame lay with Ceres in this mess. Her selfishness had pushed two of the empire's great houses to the brink of enmity. If it escalated to war between them—no, even just a fight—who would take responsibility? Sure, it seemed trivial, but history was full of massive battles and wars sparked by petty incidents. Especially when nobles or royals were involved.
"Nobles are prideful by nature."
Feuds starting from personal insults that ended in murder? You could find stacks of them just flipping through the history of any ordinary kingdom, let alone the empire.
The Primal family had held the neutral high ground, prioritizing reason over noble instincts, which was why disaster had been averted. But if something like this happened twice...
"As much as I hate to think it, it might not end until one house is destroyed."
"Probably. And I wouldn't be able to see the young lady anymore..."
Minel's face darkened in a way that didn't suit her as she said it.
That? I want to know too.
I'd been personally close with Minel even in the past. We'd survived enemy lines together during wars and shared plenty of drinks amid the chaos. But whenever Minel reflected on her past, her benchmark was always Ceres.
The young lady made me a bouquet. She always came to check on me after tough knight training. She slept beside me whenever I couldn't sleep at night.
It went on and on—Minel's entire life revolved around Ceres. And back then, I thought that was great...
Curious? Yeah. But I didn't want to force it out of her. Conversations are give-and-take, but sometimes you sense the other person deliberately avoiding a topic. Most people poke at it out of curiosity, but I held back.
Monkish? Nah, back then, aside from those four, I just treated everyone as regular friends, so I didn't obsess. Curiosity was there, but I didn't want to risk awkwardness by prying. Better to leave it unsaid.
Our breakups were always sudden—no time for deep talks. I'd die, she'd die, or we'd part abruptly, fleeing chaos. My life was one incident after another; clean goodbyes were rare. As family head, we never even crossed paths.
"Anyway, I'll get going. Thanks from the heart, Lian."
"No problem. And if you can, keep Ceres out of my room. With things as they are, I can't predict what might happen."
"Got it."
With that said, nothing major should happen.
Prophecy or what?
Three days had passed since the Ceres letter incident. Plenty of drama, but it all wrapped up nicely in the end. I'd successfully blocked Arian from contacting Lena, Zenovia had stopped picking fights, and we'd even rescued our crown prince from the Reinhardt family's clutches.
Yeah... it all ended well, right?
"...Life never lets me catch a break."
⊳ Arian Primal
⊳ Lian Primal
⊳ Minel Iris
I knew about the dungeon exploration mission. But not now...
And why was the team random this time?
"Tomorrow is the dungeon exploration. Normally an evaluation for the second semester, but a new dungeon has opened, so we've decided to assess it there quickly."
The absurd reason drew murmurs from the students, but I'd already given up. This was the Arcade Academy—who ran it by normal standards anyway? A smooth academy life would be the real surprise.
"Teams are random."
No explanation needed, huh? Figures.
At least no Prin or Ceres... Small mercies. I'd hoped to team with Rain, but no changing fixed teams.
"Rain's... with Spear?"
"Yes, thankfully someone we know, so I'm relieved."
Rain exchanged glances with Spear and bowed in greeting. Their friendly vibe was heartening.
"And young master... with the young lady and Miss Minel?"
"Pretty much."
Minel was fine. The issue was Arian.
I didn't know the details of what Arian did in this dungeon eval—just that she shone, befriended Lena, and through her, connected with demons or devils.
"The goal in the dungeon is to survive three nights and four days. Any team that clears it fully gets top marks automatically; others judged by criteria."
Hearing Professor Terion and reading the handout, I quietly closed my eyes.
This dungeon probably wasn't the one I remembered. The old one was the Minotaur's Tomb, born from a spirit rising from the corpse after Hero Theseus slew it. But Theseus had mapped the maze, and we'd handled the spirits enough times. No info would apply here. Time gap meant a different dungeon anyway.
"We need a strategy meeting."
So I called Arian and Minel, but...
"Makes sense. Best to aim for top marks."
"......Whatever."
They were off in their own world. Way too much.
"...Frontline: Minel. Mid: me. Rear: Arian."
"Solid. Balanced."
"Right. How about gear distribution?"
"Gear???"
Arian frowned, tapping the desk.
"A mage like me has to carry stuff?"
"Obviously, Arian Primal. We're frontline fighters running around—inefficient for us to haul heavy loads."
"Won't that tank the team's mobility? With less muscle, I should carry the least."
"Nonsense. Lian and I wear medium swords and light armor—mobility-focused. Loading us up dooms the team."
"Then pack minimal. Sleep rough for three nights. I don't care if I bomb this eval—unlike some, I didn't scrape into S-grade by the skin of my teeth."
"Ugh... Unlike brother Lian, this sister's rotten from the head down. Can't trust my back to her. Might miscast and hit me instead—wonder if she can even fight."
"Oh yeah? Good worry. Was pondering how to fireball your back myself."
Time to mediate.