The Sun Is Hot, the Sky Is High, and the Greenery Is Lush - 1

My last school trip of a lifetime was over.

Truth be told, during the entire trip I had barely set foot near any tourist spots—spending the whole time shut away in the villa—but if that counted as travel, then so be it. I now understood, body and soul, exactly why the word “staycation” had been invented.

The only real regret was Rory and Rin, left to their own devices because of my and Trixie’s villa lockdown. Fortunately they had enjoyed a full and proper trip in our absence. The retainers had even treated them not as mere guests but as members of Trixie’s own family, so the two of them must have come away with warm memories of their own.

Yes—whether judged objectively or subjectively, the school trip had ended in perfect success. I could say that with confidence.

Only after the very last moment, however, did a little incident crop up.

“This is wine produced in Servette, and beside it is an artifact crafted by the previous Duke himself. Behind those are arms forged by Servette’s master smiths—quality fine enough to be supplied to the Imperial family.”

I stared blankly at the items the head butler indicated one by one. The moment he heard we were returning to the Academy dormitories, he had suddenly appeared laden with every sort ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of treasure.

Then he had pleaded with us to accept them, adding the earnest argument that, having already received gifts from the lord husband, how could retainers possibly send us off empty-handed?

What else could I do? Setting aside the fact that ordinary gifts had been rebranded as “bestowals,” any refusal would only lead to future wailing. Better to accept gracefully.

There’s more here than what I gave them.

Still, listening to the head butler’s endless explanations drew a wry smile from me. Items whose value already far outstripped the bestowal—no, the gift—I had given kept appearing: Servette wine, regarded in the Imperial Capital and the central provinces as equal to Boyar wine; an artifact forged more than a century ago by the previous Duke of Servette; weapons painstakingly crafted by the duchy’s finest artisans…

Astounding. All of this in exchange for a mere hundred pelts.

Even tributary trade was never this one-sided.

If a nation showered return gifts on this scale, it would go bankrupt.

“And that—”

“That will be enough. Thank you for the splendid gifts.”

I cut the head butler off before he could begin explaining the newest items the servants had carried in. Whatever those were, I could not take them as well. I had come merely to show my face to the retainers who had managed the duchy in Trixie’s stead, not to strip the Katoban household bare. I was no freeloading son-in-law.

“I’ll ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠receive the rest as wedding gifts at the ceremony.”

Of course a bare refusal would never have satisfied him, so I supplied a convenient pretext.

“In that case, it cannot be helped. We shall keep them carefully until then.”

The effect was immediate. The head butler’s expression, which had been ready to protest, softened at once; he simply nodded.

They say humans are creatures of adaptation, and it seemed to be true. The head butler’s loyalty, which had first left me flustered, was something I could begin to make use of—

“Then allow me to speak of the gifts prepared for Lady Luise and Lady Irina.”

Ah.

Apparently I had not adapted quite enough. I had never expected them to prepare presents for others at this exact moment.

When we reached the Academy dormitories, students were already boarding carriages one after another. And the nearest of them happened to be Erich. Perfect—I had business with him.

“Hey.”

“Oh, brother?”

At my call, Erich, who had been climbing into the carriage with Sera in his arms, turned his head. He looked full of questions, yet he held them back. Just as Trixie and I had spent heated days together, those two must have had their own share of events during the trip. Prying into another’s private life was rude even among family.

“Load these onto the carriage as well. They’re yours.”

I simply thrust the items at him. A silver-hued sword and two small boxes. Erich’s hands were already full with Sera, but she took them for him without being asked.

“What’s all this? Souvenirs? I’ve never seen a sword like this.”

As a martial man himself, Erich gazed at the silver blade with open admiration. Naturally it was new to him—swords of this quality were produced only in the exact quantities required for Imperial supply. This time they had specially forged a surplus.

“Gifts from the Katoban family. They heard that Trixie’s young master and the sisters-in-law had come, so they prepared extras.”

Even as I spoke, a quiet laugh escaped me. The head butler had prepared gifts for me, for Rory, for Rin—and then for Erich and Sera as well. He had even set aside something for Zenobia, who was not present. That degree of attentiveness, I supposed, was what made a true head butler.

Sera, who had been holding the gifts in a daze, instantly shifted her gaze the moment she heard “sisters-in-law.” More precisely, her eyes fixed on the small boxes she carried alongside the sword.

“Then these are for me and Zenobia unnie?”

“Yes. Do you have any other sisters-in-law I don’t know about?”

At my confirmation Sera’s face lit up with a brilliant smile. Overnight she had obtained the formidable title of “officially recognized wife of Erich by the ducal house.” Of course she was delighted.

I quietly turned and left them. Right now the kindest thing was to let Sera savor her joy without interruption.

“Half-rings…?”

Not long after, Sera’s voice drifted from behind me. I closed my eyes in quiet resignation. To think my own karma had now reached even my younger brother’s household—truly lamentable.

Rest is essential on long journeys. Even the finest carriage cannot eliminate every jolt, so one must stop every few hours for the passengers’ sake.

During one such halt I slipped down from the carriage and contacted my maternal grandmother. Shamefully, I had failed to reach her for several days.

The moment the communication sphere activated, Grandmother scanned my face this way and that with open worry. Then she exhaled in relief and smiled gently.

Her warm voice only made my head bow of its own accord. Ever since the Academy term began I had contacted her at least once every three days—yet the third day had been the very day we entered the villa. From that moment onward I had been so thoroughly occupied spending intimate hours with Karl that I never once reached for the communication sphere. I could not lift my face before her.

“Ah—yes. A little busy.”

After a brief hesitation I nodded. I had come to Servette because of Academy duties, and coming to Servette had indeed kept me busy. The explanation lacked detail, yet it was no lie.

Her successive smiles stabbed my conscience more sharply still. To fail even to contact the grandmother who cherished me as her only blood kin—if that was not unfilial, what was?

“Grandmother… there is something I very much wish to tell you.”

I forced my mouth open and changed the subject. Unless I shared good news, my conscience would never recover.

“I have decided on the wedding venues. We will hold the first ceremony at the villa in my territory, and afterward at Grandmother’s house.”

Her eyes widened for a moment; then a faintly complicated expression crossed her face. I understood. Though she had accepted that human blood ran in my veins and that I belonged to the human world, she herself had lived for centuries by elven ways of thought. To such a grandmother, the news that her granddaughter—barely past a hundred—was about to marry could only feel awkward.

Even so, she soon smiled again. She was clearly making an effort to match human common sense.

I was just about to close my eyes for a short rest when a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠familiar voice reached me.

I hear you’re getting married soon?

At the voice I had not heard in so long, my eyes opened again. Ever since the divine beast’s power had been transferred to the World Tree (pending promotion), she had fallen silent; I had not expected her to speak now.

Yes. We plan to hold it this summer.

I answered Eternal Blue Sky calmly. There was nothing to hide.

How did you know?

The elder was boasting. Seems your wife told her first.

Ah.

I understood at once. The moment the carriage stopped she had vanished somewhere—she had been speaking with my maternal grandmother.

Anyway, congratulations. It feels as though you only just married, and already a second wedding. Human time really is hard to get used to.

At that muttered remark I instinctively shut my mouth. Regrettably, my marriage pace was not short even by divine standards. By human standards, marrying once every half-year was pure madness.

Of course I did not correct Eternal Blue Sky’s misunderstanding. If she learned the truth she would only tease me whenever she grew bored.

…Hey, though—postponing it to autumn or winter instead of summer wouldn’t work, would it?

What?

The sudden proposal drew a startled reply from me. Honestly I would have preferred autumn or winter myself over a midsummer wedding, yet autumn fell in the middle of term and winter was crowded with year-end affairs and the New Year’s Audience. After the New Year’s Audience, moreover, I would have to hold a third wedding with Rory; there was simply no free time left.

I don’t think it would be possible.

R-right? Yeah… suddenly changing a wedding schedule is hard, yeah.

Her somewhat crestfallen muttering raised a question. Eternal Blue Sky often displayed tearfully human behavior for a goddess, yet she never spoke without reason. Fallen or not, a god remained a god.

Is something going to happen this summer?

I asked carefully. Even a street fortune-teller warning “Avoid a wedding that day” would have left me uneasy; when a goddess herself suggested postponement, ignoring it would have been stranger still.

Well…

At the direct question Eternal Blue Sky hesitated, then whispered cautiously.

In summer the World Tree will fully revive…

……

I quietly closed my eyes. Months earlier, when I had heard Constantina’s voice, Eternal Blue Sky’s wail had been unforgettable.

Why—why does everyone keep targeting only what is mine…!

A hollow laugh escaped me. She was trying to block the wedding because she feared that if the World Tree revived during the ceremony I would be stolen away by Constantina.

I’m a believer of the Dawn Church to begin with.

I know that! But you could still become my high priest for the second one!

Her desperate protest drew another hollow laugh. No matter how open-minded the age had become, double-majoring in religions was still a bit much.