Southern Alliances and a Coming-of-Age Ceremony
The southern region was dominated by the Franz and Boran territories. Franz lay beneath the Great Mountain Range, while Boran controlled the main road leading to the capital. Between them, these two fiefs claimed most of the South. Of course, there were plenty of other domains besides ours. Travel farther down and you would reach the sea; beyond the Müller Territory flowed a mighty river. But families like the Franz usually kept to themselves within our own borders.
Even in this age of peace, our long military tradition meant we were always watching our surroundings, forever looking for openings. That habit had earned us plenty of enemies over the years. Many nobles who still clung to tradition and honor, much like my father, maintained a quietly hostile stance toward us. No matter how strong a count-level mage might be, one hand cannot block ten. I had no intention of losing easily, but if enough landed nobles came at us at once, even we would struggle.
At least the Boran family had stood back-to-back with us since my grandfather’s time, so we remained fairly close. Count William had known my father for decades and was a man I could trust. That said, we never let our guard down completely.
Unlike the reclusive Franz, the Borans actively cultivated friendships everywhere. It seemed to be a family trait—most of them were lively, outgoing people. They loved building connections and throwing banquets, regardless of gender, and they held their liquor remarkably well. One old saying in the South went: never boast about your drinking in front of a Boran. Since they also controlled the largest highway to the capital, people naturally gathered there. I suspected the Boran domain was the largest and most vibrant in the entire southern region.
Fitting their character, they hosted balls or banquets nearly once a month. Other nobles frequently chose Boran as the venue for their own gatherings. Only now did it strike me how perfectly Franz and Boran represented the classic introvert and extrovert.
While my thoughts drifted, Chloe picked up the earlier conversation again. “Regarding your outings, my lord, I believe the number is four.”
“Where did you hear that?”
“From Head Maid Lena, my lord.”
Hmm. That made sense. As my closest aide, Chloe would naturally memorize every detail about me. Still, four seemed off. No, three was wrong too. I had attended a handful of small gatherings, though even those barely reached double digits.
“I’ve been to Boran banquets and a few events in the capital.”
“The capital.”
For a brief moment, Chloe’s eyes sparkled. Interesting. She had an interest in that sort of thing? To the young, the capital was like a glittering hotspot—though the comparison felt strange. It was essentially the equivalent of Seoul from my previous life. Still, Franz had its own distinct atmosphere, and I preferred it. The capital was too crowded; it made my head spin. The actual population might be similar to Franz, but the constant flow of merchants and travelers created a huge difference. Boran was on another level entirely.
“Is it true there’s a continental martial tournament held in the capital?”
“Huh?”
Was there such a thing? The question caught me off guard. That was what she wanted to know?
“It’s the tournament every knight dreams of! It’s famous because Knight Commander Hans entered and took first place. I heard it was discontinued, but rumors say it’s being revived.”
“I… see.”
Her eyes were positively gleaming. She really was interested. But with magic power determining strength, wouldn’t the gap between participants be too vast?
Chloe’s gaze sparkled even brighter as she explained. “Of course, regulations account for that. Participants are given magic stones containing identical amounts of magic power. The contest tests control over that power along with swordsmanship.”
“Ah… so that’s how they use them.”
Magic stones in that way. Using them would wreck their durability, but I supposed a capital-sponsored event could afford it.
“There are unlimited-class rules as well!”
That would be chaos. Any titled noble entering would completely break the balance. …I really shouldn’t have said that out loud.
“Anyway, what Lena mentioned probably only counted the larger banquets hosted by the family. I attended a few more of the smaller gatherings Boran held.”
“Is that so? That’s unexpected. Then do you maintain close ties with any particular nobles?”
Chloe’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. Even my own closest aide thought this way. It was almost shocking. Of course…
“Not really.”
“Ha.”
Her cool gaze stabbed right through me. The look clearly said, “It’s because you find it bothersome, isn’t it?” That hurt. All right, yes, it was bothersome, but I had still made some connections as a noble, hadn’t I?
“At least I attended several gatherings hosted by Lady Irina. I met a few nobles there, though I wouldn’t call any of them close friends.”
It had only been a small affair arranged by a young lady—fewer than ten people. The number sometimes changed, but it remained an intimate group. The participants were direct heirs from the South’s most prominent families, all around the same age. I had probably been one of the older ones. I still remembered it clearly. I had been so young then… and so annoyed that I hadn’t paid them much attention. Still, we had at least exchanged names. The names… hmm. I only remembered the girls.
“When you say Lady Irina, do you mean Irina Boran?”
I nodded while my mind wandered elsewhere. “She’s a cute young lady.”
Though not formally engaged, the family circumstances made it practically the same, and we both understood that. We had kept in touch because of it. The Boran family’s lively nature could be exhausting, but Lady Irina’s spirited personality had always seemed charming to me. Count William, on the other hand… Every meeting he would push drinks on me. As a child I had dodged them skillfully, but eventually I got caught. My young body couldn’t handle it; I passed out immediately and woke up the next day feeling like I was dying from the hangover. Damn it.
“Irina Boran…”
I noticed Chloe muttering to herself with a serious expression.
“What?”
“She wasn’t your fiancée… right?”
“Strictly speaking, no…”
Father had said there was no need to rush a marriage with Boran and told me to consider it carefully. But when I thought about Müller, it did seem like the marriage would happen eventually.
“Now that I think about it, have you never met her?”
“How could I have, my lord?”
That was fair. Chloe had only recently become a knight and had spent all her time in Franz. Lady Irina had never visited here either.
“What kind of person is she?”
“Hmm.”
I thought for a moment. We hadn’t met often, but since she was practically my fiancée we had spoken many times.
“She was younger than me but very spirited. She must have grown quite a bit by now. Her sky-blue hair and eyes are striking. Even as a child she would look me straight in the eye and speak clearly. I remember it well. …Her coming-of-age ceremony must be soon, right?”
Tsk. Of course there would be a coming-of-age ceremony. I would need to check the exact date. They wouldn’t hold it during the war… would they? Leaving my post wouldn’t be terribly dangerous, but the bigger issue was that right now I was the only one free to move. If things worked out, I could attend as the family representative. Our family didn’t hold such ceremonies, but for most nobles it was the perfect chance to invite guests, introduce their successor, and expand their network. Boran would definitely hold one.
“…No, the timing is rather tight.”
The real question was when the war would end. Our current plan placed the conclusion around harvest time.
“I suppose I must attend.”
“Ha.”
A sigh escaped me at Chloe’s words. After the war, my brother would remain in Müller. Father would return, but I could hardly send the man who had personally commanded the campaign right back out again. It looked like I would be the one going. Normally we would simply send a letter and gift, or my brother would attend…
“Your expression looks rather grim, my lord. This is a chance to see your fiancée, yet you appear almost pitiful.”
Was it that obvious? Meeting Lady Irina herself wasn’t the problem. Seeing a beautiful girl was actually pleasant. The real issue was the journey. Honestly, leaving the territory only brought inconvenience, so I disliked it. Of course, with servants attending to my every need the trip would be incomparably comfortable compared to what commoners endured. Still, it was outside our borders and therefore bothersome. No matter how advanced the carriage, there were limits. Bugs appeared. I couldn’t bathe properly. In my previous life I had never cared for hiking or camping either.
Rattle!
While we talked, the carriage drew steadily closer to the outer wall—a place even farther than the adventurers’ guild. Through the cloth-covered window I watched the people outside.
“Ah… I’ll think about the coming-of-age ceremony later.”
“It doesn’t concern me, my lord.”
Easy for her to say. If I went, she was coming too. …Anyway.
Creak!
“We have arrived.”
“Good.”
Following Chloe’s announcement, I looked outside. Countless people streamed through the massive castle gates.