Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Knights! Officers! Friends!
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Staying long at headquarters isn't good for anyone. Not for me, not for my father.
So after a brief chat, I returned straight to the academy.
The time it took? Hmm... at most an hour or two? Truly a blink of an eye.
"Richi! Richi!!"
"As expected of Reinhardt! Already heading to headquarters!"
"That's right! You really are a war hero!!"
But damn it, to these guys, that blink of an eye must've felt like an eternity.
"Calm down, will you! How many times do I have to say it was nothing?!"
"You won't even tell us what happened, and we're supposed to believe that?!"
"Uwooo! Hear, hear! Hear, hear—oh!"
"So when do you become an officer! Straight assignment to headquarters, right!!"
Damn it all. To clear up this misunderstanding, I'd have to explain why I went to headquarters and why my father summoned me. But if I did that, the teasing would be even worse.
'Marriage proposal? Marriage?! Yaaay! Our little Richi is getting married!!' Or something like that.
I could see it clear as day. Those bastards—nobles, no less—acting like that. I just don't get it.
Why do guys turn into complete lunatics the moment they get into military stories? Is that why?
And headquarters my ass. I'm heading straight to the front lines, you idiots.
I'm gonna go cut loose with Erwin, the future war hero and great protagonist!
You lot can spin your tops on other fronts in the meantime! Keeheehee!!
"Disperse, all of you! I said disperse! Back to your places, now!"
The silver lining is that only my classmates are throwing this tantrum.
If the seniors joined in... Ugh. That would be a nightmare. Truly fortunate—
"Richi. Did something happen at headquarters...?"
"Aah! Not you too, seniors!"
Fortune canceled. It's not what you all think at all!
If you don't know, just stay quiet! Do you have any idea how much my stomach is churning here!?
A marriage proposal I knew nothing about was in the works! Got it?! Do you get how absurd this is!?
And the other party is Ariete, no less! That Clozen girl, the precious lady of the Kainel Dukedom!
The Victory Duke's youngest daughter, the knight among knights who dotes on her so much!
Even if it's coming from the Victory Duke's side, I don't wanna be the guy stealing his daughter!
'Right. Now that I think about it, I forgot to go see Ariete right after getting back.'
I need to meet her and talk this out. Figure out what the hell is going on.
Why Father and the Victory Duke think there's something between us.
I swear on the heavens, I didn't say a word or do a damn thing.
Which means Ariete must've said or done something to make it turn out like this.
I need to know exactly what happened so I can prepare for what's next.
"Richi!"
Speak of the devil. It's Ariete. She's coming over.
Lady of our ducal house? What the hell did you say and how, to get that reaction from the Victory Duke?
Marriage proposal? Seriously? My brother's not even married yet—what kind of marriage is this for me?
As a devout Yoo-gyo Taliban, the eldest must handle life's major events first, obviously!
And at the very least, you should've given me a heads-up. I was totally blindsided.
Even if it's not a big deal, I need to show some anger here.
She put me in a tough spot, so I have to... uh...
"I heard. You went to headquarters? What happened? Huh?"
Damn it. How am I supposed to get mad when she's smiling so brightly and prettily like that?
Spitting in the face of my laughing guy friends was easier than cold porridge.
Am I just another guy after all? Can't bring myself to do it to a girl.
"...The Victory Duke proposed a marriage arrangement."
And just like that, I ended up calmly spilling what happened at headquarters without thinking.
"Marriage proposal? From Father? To you?"
"Yeah. You and me. Thanks to that, my father got suspicious and summoned me, wondering if something happened. And thanks to that, I had to spill everything about us."
"Hmm..."
Look at that. Something's up. Definitely. That expression, that contemplation. Anyone could tell.
"Ariete. Be honest. What did you tell the Victory Duke? Why are Father and he suddenly taking our relationship so seriously?"
"I didn't say much. Just that I was interested in you."
"That's it?"
"Well, um... that I'd definitely regret letting you go. That I'd be pissed if someone else snatched you up?"
Damn it all. So that's what it was! Anyone hearing that would misunderstand!
I get why the Victory Duke suddenly proposed it.
Who the hell enchanted my youngest?! Huh? Let me see his face!
Oh? Reinhardt's son? The kid of my best friend?
My daughter has good taste! Yeah, him—I approve!
Crystal clear. That's how it went down in a flash—whoosh!
Father must've responded seriously with a 'Really?' of his own.
And so I became the star of a 'marriage proposal no one told me about.'
"Ariete. Saying it like that, anyone would misunderstand..."
"You really planning to end it as a misunderstanding?"
Ariete steps closer and throws the question at me out of nowhere.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. You really want to end it as just a misunderstanding?"
As she says it, Ariete suddenly stares right at me.
Looking back at her, my gut tells me I need to answer carefully.
The words I say now, the answer I give Ariete—
"...Let me correct that. For now, let's say."
Because Ariete isn't completely out of the question for me either.
Yeah. I'll admit it. I wanted to fool around with a noble lady too.
Years of being my brother's love letter courier were hell.
I hate being called a girl-crazed maniac, but I hate feeling this pathetic even more!
"Shall we? We've got plenty of time."
Ariete smiles, steps up beside me, and stands shoulder to shoulder...
Hmm. Why does it suddenly feel like a tiger sidled up and licked its chops?
Like I did something I absolutely shouldn't have. Like I stamped the wrong seal.
A sudden doubt creeps in. Was that answer really the right call...?
Imperial Army Marshal and Allied Forces Supreme Commander William Reinhardt.
News of his meeting with the Victory Duke spread everywhere in no time.
The reason was simple. A marriage proposal born from a minor misunderstanding was the main topic.
Otherwise, it was just exchanging well-wishes and reminiscing about old times.
But to those below them, it looked entirely different.
"The Supreme Commander and Victory Duke Excellency have met!"
"The giants of the officer and knight factions have held talks!"
"This must be their way of ending the rift between the two groups and fostering unity!"
Something neither the Supreme Commander nor the Victory Duke had any intention of doing—a complete misfire.
But before the two could even notice, things snowballed out of control.
"We must implement the decision those two have made at once!"
"Officers! Knights! Sure, pride clashes are fine, but know when to quit! If this keeps up, heads might roll for all of us under those two giants!"
"Unity! The military's top brass and the knights' focal point have had a frank talk! Naturally, we below must carry out that will! Any good ideas?"
Just days ago, knights and officers had been growling at each other nonstop.
But right now, they had to put that aside.
The empire's giants had decided it, so they had no choice but to obey.
"In the athletic tournament for boosting troop fitness, instead of officers and knights competing separately, mix them into teams, divide up that way, and compete!"
"Sounds good! Nothing unites people better than a common enemy!"
The Supreme Commander and Victory Duke grasped the situation days later.
They were utterly baffled, but they couldn't exactly set the record straight.
Admitting it was about their kids' marriage talk would set high society abuzz in seconds.
And well... honestly, it wasn't a bad outcome.
They knew better than anyone how their underlings bickered.
If it had a positive effect, who cared how it started?
In the meantime, the sudden wave of unity crashed into the academy too.
"The Imperial Army Marshal and Allied Forces Supreme Commander! The empire's knight among knights, the Victory Duke, have personally set the example! Knights and officers are destined to be comrades, so get along!"
"In that spirit, the Knight Department and Officer Department will merge for a massive joint training exercise. Be advised!"
At first, students from both departments thought it was a joke.
Of course, they had to drop that idea the next day when it was plastered on the bulletin board.
[Notice – Officer Department and Knight Department Joint Training]
"..."
"..."
They're really doing this. I might actually end up on the same team as those guys?
Joint training? This was a development I never could've imagined.
Reaching this point was shocking enough already.
But soon after, something happened that made even the two departments' joint training seem trivial.
"His Highness the Crown Prince, having heard of the Knight Department and Officer Department joint training at the academy, will personally come to inspect the proceedings!"
"Word is, he's hugely looking forward to it! He was thrilled at the news of the joint training between the two famously at-odds departments and expressed great anticipation!"
Things had blown up way too big. In a way neither the Supreme Commander nor Victory Duke had foreseen.
The Crown Prince, no less. Coming to inspect the academy's training out of the blue.
And since it wasn't bad, it was tricky to stop now.
'...How the hell did things end up like this?'
As one of the very few who knew the real reason behind it all, Richi could only let out an exasperated sigh. Nothing else to do.