Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Brother's Grand Entrance
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"You! Come to the military department!"
"…Brother."
"I'm listening."
"Y-You're not getting motion sick?"
"Do you know where this brother of yours is stationed?"
I knew that, of course. The Imperial Army's 1st Cavalry Division. The empire's sharpest spear.
A place where they spent more time in the saddle than on solid ground.
But that was one thing. Reading letters in a rattling carriage and writing personal replies to each one was a whole different beast.
"I'm saying it makes me queasy just watching. Can't you just head back to division HQ, read them there, and reply later?"
"That wouldn't be polite. When people put in this much effort, the right thing is to reply as soon as possible, don't you think?"
He wasn't wrong, but every single one of those replies was a rejection anyway.
Not even a clean cut, either—he wrapped them up as gently and circuitously as possible.
That was exactly why the young ladies couldn't give up on him.
Whether he knew how I felt or not, Brother was fully absorbed in his letter-writing.
Was he managing a harem or something? No way.
To him, even composing these replies was just "work."
He was probably itching to finish this up quick and dive into the next task.
Suddenly, I felt sorry for all those young ladies who'd poured their hearts into those letters.
"Hoo."
How much time passed like that? Eventually, Brother finished replying to every last one.
He wasn't just copy-pasting the same thing, was he? There was this thing called "copy and paste," after all.
I'd never actually read his replies, so who knew.
"It's a relief there weren't as many this time as last."
"Ah, yeah… sure."
Brother seemed genuinely relieved, but why did it feel like he was provoking me?
I'd never even gotten a scrap of paper from a girl, let alone a love letter.
Ah, now I was pissed. Always surrounded by grimy soldier boys calling him a war hero!
…Hoo. Calm down. Complaining here would just make me look like a total loser.
He had every right to that attention. Me? I was still a greenhorn. A rookie.
"Make sure to put in a good word with Mother for me. Tell her official duties come first for this brother."
No! Damn it! Even a rookie had limits! I couldn't hold back anymore!
"Easy for you to say. I'm the one fielding her worries every damn day—me. She's gonna blow up for real one of these days."
"What can I do? As an imperial soldier, worrying about the nation is…"
"Brother. A man who can't care for his family can't serve his country. Great things start with the little ones! Listen to me for once!"
The ancient sages said it best: cultivate virtue in self, regulate family, govern state, pacify the world!
So please! Introduce me to a sister-in-law already?! Get married! Give us some nephews!
"That's a fine saying. Something they taught you at the academy?"
"Huh? No? I just came up with it."
"Really? It's pretty good. I might have to borrow it sometime."
"Do whatever… Wait, changing the subject again."
This time, I wanted a straight answer. No, I needed one.
Mother would grill me the second she heard I'd seen him.
I was sick of her endless grumbling about "When the hell is your brother getting married?"
"Think about your age, Brother. You're thirty-one now. Other guys have kids already—what are you doing? You're not just any soldier. You're a Reinhardt, heir to the Kenes Marquis Family. What the hell?"
"Is that what's worrying you? Afraid this brother might kick the bucket without an heir?"
"You don't mean…"
"Don't worry about me. If that happens, you've got my back, Richi. You take the marquisate and lead the family."
Whoa, what kind of insane bullshit was that?
Was the Reinhardt family some village landlord? Was the Kenes marquisate just a backyard plot?
This wasn't about willingness. It was impossible from the start.
I wasn't selling myself short, but that was straight-up unfeasible!
"Brother. Don't even joke like that. I'm getting serious here."
Luckily, he seemed to realize he'd gone too far.
Scratching the back of his head apologetically was proof enough.
"Division Commander, sir! We've arrived at the academy!"
"So we have."
With that, Brother suddenly thrust something toward me.
I didn't need to look. The replies to those love letters, obviously.
Normally, I'd take them, but not today. Hell no, not today.
"Do it yourself."
"…Hm?"
"You're telling me to deliver them again, right? No way. You hand them over personally this time."
Hand them over yourself and see for yourself. How many women were swooning over him.
Some with just a five-year gap, others a full ten!
At this point, he had to realize how serious it was and just get married already!
"If you're short on pocket money or something…"
"Division Commander, sir. Cut the nonsense and get going."
Up ahead, all hell had already broken loose just from his arrival.
The first faces I spotted were those girls who'd shoved love letters at me earlier.
Freshmen, seniors—no matter. They'd all turned into giggling schoolgirls.
At least they were keeping some noble dignity by not screaming their heads off.
Off to one side were those who admired him as fellow officers, not lovesick fans—the Officer Department guys…
Wait. Wasn't that Lester and Michel? What the hell were they doing in the mix?
You guys weren't writing him letters too, were you?
"Hrng."
Grunting under his breath as he surveyed the scene, Brother steeled himself and stepped out of the carriage.
What happened next… well, I'd seen it too many times to bother describing.
"Division Commander, sir!!"
"Young Master Douglas!!"
Chaos, pandemonium, and ruin. Wait, not quite the last one? Whatever.
The academy—full of noble heirs and ladies at best—was in absolute uproar.
Three generations of war heroes, the empire's number-one bachelor (age aside). No wonder.
He was practically a legendary Pokémon sighting.
See that?! That's my brother! My brother!!
"You came?"
"You here to see my brother too?"
"Nah? I came out to celebrate you getting dragged to the War Ministry over the weekend."
Calling mockery a "celebration"—what a cute way to put it.
Should I punch him in the solar plexus again or let it slide? Tough call.
"So, what'd he say? They're slotting you right into the military?"
"Wouldyoushutthefuckup…"
I shot Enter a glare, and the bastard just snickered and slung an arm around my shoulders.
"Little Richi's enlisting soon?"
"Does the Imperial War Ministry look like a joke to you? Ridiculous."
"You're that pissed, so you must've heard something like that, huh?"
This guy was a demon. Enter knew me too damn well.
"Heard the War Ministry's swamped with budgets and wars, just like Finance."
"Ah. So, don't wrestle with budgets at Finance—come suffer at War instead?"
…It was annoyingly spot-on, so I couldn't even argue.
"You've got a point. The military guzzles the biggest budget slice. Always short-staffed, too. Handle that, and the front lines can focus purely on fighting without worrying about supplies. And you won't face the same frontline pressures you've always griped about. Looks like the perfect spot for you, Richi."
I had to admit it. On that front, Enter was dead right.
Burden or not, I was a Reinhardt. That wouldn't change till I died.
I'd been handed an opportunity no one else could touch. Time to make use of it.
And that potential would shine brightest in the military.
Victory wasn't just about smashing enemies on the front.
Soldiers needed food and water, weapons to wield, clothes to change into, medicine for wounds, horses and wagons for mobility, roads to travel them, the money underpinning it all, and the people's cheers to keep morale high.
Plenty to do from the rear. More than plenty—it overflowed.
But they were short on hands. No solid core to hold it together.
Could hardly be helped. All the aces were out on the front lines.
"Division Commander, sir! Could you maybe give a lecture on the last campaign…?"
"W-Well, if you have time, perhaps join me for—"
…Smack in the middle of pure chaos. Lecture requests, date invites.
If his aides and soldiers hadn't been there to shield him, he'd have been torn apart.
"Students! Back off! Penalty points! Clear out now!"
The commotion only died down once the instructors rushed in.
Trailing them were a few professors—and even the chancellor, whom I'd only glimpsed at the entrance ceremony.
For reference, the academy chancellor outranked ministers in the hierarchy.
The Education Ministry ranked low in the executive branch, sure… but still above other department heads.
Seeing that guy huffing and puffing his way over was pretty shocking.
The Reinhardt war hero showing up out of nowhere? Yeah, that'd do it.
"Richi."
Enter, who'd been quietly watching beside me, nudged my arm.
"You still hate being a war hero like that? Think you could say no even in your dreams?"
"Of course… fuck. Might wanna try it in my dreams, though."
What kind of lunatic turns down cheers like that?
I just feared those cheers turning to mocking jeers at a fall.