104. Let's Change Our Minds
“Pffft!”
The first sensation was a suffocating tightness in my throat and a faint sting of pain. Then came the crushing wave of shame for letting out an alien word in front of others. And finally, the pure fury that the culprit was none other than the Four Idiots.
What in the world was going on? Had my brain finally short-circuited?
So I seized Schlippen’s arm where he was gripping my collar, slammed him to the floor, and then turned the rest of the ridiculous situation into a proper beating for the remaining idiots.
“Kyaa!”
“Kwaak!”
“Oof!”
“Keroak!”
“You damn hydras! What the hell are you doing? Especially in front of a guest and a junior.
If it had been Selena, Eloise, or even Lab, I could have understood. We were already close, and if something embarrassing happened, we could laugh it off together.
But this time the one standing in front of me wasn’t any of them. It was Lepia. A member of the Kingdom of Lasquer, a nation that had been snarling at our empire for centuries over dominance.
If the Empire’s top nobles pulled something like this in front of her, it would be mortifying.
“But! We did it for you, Karl!”
“What nonsense. You damn friends.
“Whoa! You can’t do that, Marquis Friedrich! You already have a woman you’ve promised the future to—how can you be thinking of another?
What are these idiots babbling now? Thinking of another woman? Me?
“Maybe you got a head injury from being slammed to the floor?”
“No!”
“Or did you take drugs for lunch?”
“Not that either!!
“Why are you saying nonsense? Why would I have another woman? I have Selena.
From any angle, there is no woman who can surpass Selena in my eyes.
I confessed first, and although the process was… well, after going through various things we grew close again. Moreover, we suffered for three years for each other, and above all, despite being rejected once, I accepted her confession without hesitation.
So no matter what, I can definitely do this. No matter how many women surround me, the first one is Selena. If I break that, even if the Goddess of Light strikes me with lightning, I won’t have a word to say.
Honestly, pushing away a woman who endured the academy master’s tree and more would make me innocent even if I got beaten to death.
“...But, Karl. You seemed to be getting along too well earlier, right?”
“Yeah. Senior this, junior that. Anyone could see you were taking care of her.
“You two agree too?”
Curious, I asked Alexander and Joachim. They hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
Hmm. So the reason these guys did that was because they thought I was cheating on Selena?
The intention itself wasn’t bad. Yeah. I’ll admit that coldly.
But you damn kids, there was no need to yank my tail like that and drag me along, was there?
“I want to make this clear. It’s none of what you think.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Where should I start? Well, first, do you all know what kind of person my father is?
At my question, the Four Idiots nodded and immediately answered.
Lasquer’s military expert. Knight crusher. Kingdom’s nightmare. Names like that poured out. It would be better if they called him Baba Yaga from the Lasquer side.
“Anyway. Father said a princess came from Lasquer. He said since my maternal family has some connection with father, he would look after them to some extent.
“The Marquis Friedrich has a connection?”
“You didn’t stomp and crush them?”
“...”
This reality where I can’t say no is really sad. As the saying goes, those who gather together are similar, there must have been a reason my mother married my father.
Truly, the place where my father beat me so hard I couldn’t breathe was Lasquer. And among them, the place that beat me the hardest was my maternal family—Lepia’s.
But when they were being beaten, now they want me to look after them? I, of course, and the Four Idiots couldn’t understand at all.
“Well, men become close while fighting. It seems Marquis Friedrich wanted to take care of the granddaughter of the place where he was both enemy and friend.
Joachim, who escaped the confusion first, comforted the other guys.
As expected of Joachim. When there’s no presence, but when comforting or persuading the guys, he comes out like a ghost and has effect.
“Wait a minute. Karl. So, does Princess Lepia know that you are the son of Marquis Friedrich?
“I just found out.
“You weren’t surprised or scared at all?”
“...Not particularly?”
I thought I would be scared at first. But no. Rather, I was amazed?
The son of Baba Yaga became the hero of the Empire. There was a reason my maternal family feared and respected him.
Explaining these parts to the guys, Schlippen and Wilhelm were the first to understand.
Then Alexander and Joachim also said they could understand if they were Lasquer knights. They said they heard that they gave good evaluations to those who resisted the unresolvable enemies.
“But be careful, Karl.
“Yeah. Even if we understand, Selena might not.
“That’s true. So, I need to talk about this part...
Wait a second. Up to there.
“Hey. You four. Stop right there. Halt.
“Eh?”
“Say what you said again.
“Be careful?”
“Not that. The next one.
If I didn’t mishear, it seemed like I heard correctly.
“Eh... You’re saying that even if we understand, Selena might not?
“Yeah. Exactly that.
Immediately, I pulled out a dagger from my pocket. It was almost blessed by the First and Fourth precincts of the Bright Light Church, a guy close to sainthood.
“That’s strange. I haven’t told Selena about this. Why do you guys speak with the confidence that Selena knows everything?
“Eh, eh?”
“Is it my misunderstanding? If it’s a misunderstanding, tell me quickly. Or, how far did I blow? Honestly, answer.
Let’s see. The reactions... Alexander and Joachim didn’t know what the hell was going on at all.
These guys aren’t scammers who eat lies for breakfast. They’re protagonists whose emotions show on their faces. So those two are excluded from the suspect list.
“...Honestly, are you going to get angry?”
On the contrary, Schlippen who said that and Wilhelm nodding next to him.
These guys are obviously the culprits. You can see that their faces can’t hide the tension.
Hahaha. Guys. You don’t deny it even if caught. You weren’t bad kids.
For you, I’ll prepare two merciful options.
“I don’t know about that. I can choose whether to gently poke or gently cut.
“Both are not liked?!”
“Me too!”
“Both are not liked, and you told Selena that?
“Hey, Karl! So, I didn’t say anything to Selena!
What is this? Did I hear wrong now?
“I only told it to the elf! Eloise-senpai!
“...”
Option change. I’ll cut it a little painfully. Come here. You damn things. Come here!
*
Since ancient times, the Kingdom of Lasquer has been called the Kingdom of Knights. Knights were the foundation of this country.
From nobles to common citizens, people loved strong and honorable people. They loved the invitation to be the founding king and knight king the most.
But to yearn for what it means to be a knight and to live honorably is not something anyone can do.
It’s not because they think those are the highest glory and want to live that way. Because anyone can’t do it. No matter how much you want to be like that, it’s hard to do so—that’s the reason for intense yearning.
Sometimes it is necessary to be more ruthless. There are times when you have to choose something else rather than protecting honor. Even if not knightly, there comes a time to walk a different path.
That’s exactly why the current Lasquer is experiencing chaos incomparable to before.
“I don’t know if this is right. The princess has driven out the crown prince...
“Ehehe. This person. The crown prince can’t even move. Then, can he inherit the throne? That’s not right, is it.
“If not, isn’t it too much to drive out all the others...
The chaos in the royal family was not at a level that could be resolved by just knightliness, honor, and such things.
So the 2nd princess showed the unseen sides and pushed strongly.
As a result, the chaos in the royal family subsided to some extent, but instead the chaos in the kingdom increased.
Whether this situation matches the name of Lasquer, the Kingdom of Knights, the nobles and the people started to watch the situation.
For the 2nd princess’s side, it was frustrating. Would they have wanted this? They had no choice.
It wasn’t something received from the king like the crown prince, but something to be seized with their own strength, and there, you can’t find knightliness or honor.
To take it, you don’t draw the sword at the same time, but attack first. To not be pushed back, sharpness is more necessary than honor. Knightliness doesn’t help at all.
“Rather, wouldn’t the 5th princess be better? She kept neutrality till the end, right.
“The 5th princess didn’t interfere like a knight, but the 2nd princess took the gap and completely crushed the 5th princess’s forces. I don’t think this is right.
It might have been just a casual remark. It might have been just complaining.
But to the faction that had just taken power, the 2nd princess, it looked like a serious threat.
If the 5th princess had any other thoughts, there might be another civil war.