Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Proposal
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It's been two years since I started living in this world.
Changes were coming to me now that I was fourteen.
The biggest change was physical.
My height, which had been around 160, shot up rapidly to nearly 180, and my frame was filling out.
My appearance had become almost identical to the Als I knew from the game.
A mild-mannered golden-haired young man.
Even in this world, such looks weren't common. Whenever I went out on inspections around the territory or to Leglam, where the academy was located, eyes would follow me from all directions. It was quite awkward.
I wasn't thick-skinned enough to enjoy the attention.
Then, inevitably, it happened.
One morning, Father said to me,
"Als, you've received a marriage proposal."
The dining table fell silent in an instant.
"A marriage proposal!?"
The first to react was my eldest brother, Max.
Among nobles, engagements were often set around ages thirteen to fifteen, but that was limited to prominent families.
Such talk never came to a baron's family on the frontier.
Max was twenty-eight this year and still had no suitable proposal.
In that situation, a proposal coming to me was bound to make him jump.
"Who's the other party? Which family proposed to Als?"
"It's the House of Count Izebein."
"Isn't Izebein the family I proposed to? Father, is there a mistake? You must have misread a proposal meant for me!"
"No, they specifically named Als. It seems they saw him in person in Leglam."
Proposing marriage just from seeing him.
While I sat there dazed, unable to follow, Mother asked Father on my behalf.
"But dear, as Max says, that's strange. The only unmarried daughter in the House of Count Izebein is Miss Jenison, isn't she?"
"That's right."
"And Miss Jenison is twenty-six this year. That's why Max, who's around the same age, proposed to her."
Hearing it laid out like that, it really was odd.
"It's no mistake. They even asked us not to mind the age difference, so they definitely meant Als."
Silence fell over the table once more. I could see Father was troubled too.
The other side's intentions were obvious.
They wanted to marry off their daughter, who was past marriageable age. She took a liking to me, and with my decent looks, they figured they could use her in high society after marriage. Having a much younger husband or wife was seen as a kind of status symbol there.
"I'd love to turn it down flat, but we have to consider their face."
The other side was a count's family wealthier than ours. Rejecting them outright carried risks.
"So, Als, how about taking a class?"
"You mean groom training?"
"No, not that. What do you think about trying butler training?"
"Butler training...."
"It's not like I'm saying become a butler for real. Just take the class."
That would effectively nullify the proposal.
No matter how past her prime she was, a count's daughter couldn't afford the scandal of pursuing a marriage with a kid taking butler classes.
"Where is it?"
"At Duke Salleon's estate. The intermediate academy you'll attend starting this year is there too, so boarding won't be an issue. If you're not keen, you don't have to go...."
"No, I'll do it."
"Good decision. Don't worry too much, though. It might even be a good opportunity. You can study at Duke Salleon's estate. They'll have way more books than here, the ones you like."
The butler training was decided without my really intending it.
'I wonder if the Als in the game took butler training too.'
There was nothing about Als's boyhood in the game, so I had no idea if this was part of the story.
***
Gransel, the third city of Caliper, known as the City of Silver.
Father, who came with me, explained the city while cautioning me.
"I'm saying this out of concern, but don't do anything to upset your elders. We're just lowly nobles here to impose on them."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Good. Let's go."
Father seemed pretty tense himself; his steps were stiff.
Duke Salleon's mansion was so grand that comparing it to ours was embarrassing.
The attached training grounds were jaw-droppingly huge, and even the annex where I'd stay was far bigger than our entire estate.
After walking quite a ways, we arrived at a magnificent drawing room and met Duke Altiore Salleon.
He was a lean old man with sharp eyes. Father said he'd been a famous general on the continent in his active days.
"Greetings for the first time. I'm Als Chaising Ilrain. I've long looked forward to meeting Lord Salleon."
I couldn't take my eyes off Altiore's every move.
'This old man's incredible.'
Even in his衰ed state, an unmistakable fighting spirit emanated from him. Having recently started training in martial arts, I could sense it.
This grandpa was strong.
"Oh ho."
Altiore narrowed his eyes with interest.
"First time I've seen one. A boy who won't look away from me instead of my granddaughter."
"Pardon? Ah...."
Only then did I notice the girl sitting demurely beside Altiore.
From my perspective, there wasn't much to remark on her.
"Introduce yourself. If you really become a butler, you'll be attending to this child. Better rack up some points early. Haha!"
I had zero intention of becoming a butler. Still, greetings were in order.
"I'm Als Chaising Ilrain."
"I'm Erina Eggle Salleon. Just call me Erina."
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Erina. I look forward to working with you."
"...."
Her gaze appraised me, thick with contempt.
'Come to think of it, Father mentioned it.'
Besides me, plenty came to this butler training with other motives.
Simply put, noble sons volunteered for butler training to woo the duke's young lady.
If they succeeded in forming a connection, great. If not, they still built face time with the duke's daughter and networked for high society.
No loss either way.
That's why not just low-succession nobles like me, but even higher-ranking heirs came for the butler classes.
If she knew their intentions, her scornful look was only natural.
***
My stay at Duke Salleon's estate turned out convenient.
Forget the butler training; I could commute on foot to the intermediate academy just five minutes away while imposing on their mansion.
A blessing compared to the two-hour carriage ride from our territory.
'The butler training's boring.... But the commuting perk outweighs it.'
Plus, Gransel was a big city with plenty of entertainment.
I couldn't move freely now due to the curfew for butler training, but once it lifted, I planned to explore Gransel.
"--Ilrain. Als Ilrain! Are you listening?"
"...Ah. Yes. I am."
The academy instructor sighed through his nose.
"I get you're new to intermediate academy and it's unfamiliar, but focus."
"If it came across that way, my apologies. I was still listening properly."
"Is that so? Then, Cadet Officer, explain the war that led to the Tullang Trade Agreement."
"The Battle of Joak? The war between the Kingdom of Pensilon and the Erevenia Kingdom at Joak in 721. Erevenia suffered a major defeat. In the aftermath, Tullang--under Erevenia's thumb--launched independence movements and signed broad agreements with other nations. That's the Tullang Trade Agreement."
"Wrong."
The instructor nailed it shut firmly and gestured to another.
"Miss Salleon, if you would explain instead?"
"Yes."
The girl who'd been called on corrected it lightly.
"The Battle of Joak began in 724. Also, Tullang didn't sign the trade agreement for independence; it was for a gradual merger with the Pensilon Empire."
"Correct. Everyone, applaud Miss Salleon."
Clap clap clap! Applause and murmurs rose here and there. Gransel's prodigy daughter. Salleon's treasure.
Whatever, not my concern.
But I decided to correct the error.
"May I say something?"
"What is it, Ilrain? No need to mind answering wrong. It was a solid answer despite the mistake. You can sit."
"No, I wasn't wrong--she was. I feel a bit bad since she said it so confidently.... But a mistake's a mistake. The Battle of Joak did start in 721."
The instructor furrowed his brow.
"What are you saying? As Miss Salleon said, Joak was in 724. The 721 war was the Battle of the Decan Plains."
"Yes, and the Decan Plains were part of Joak back then. The administrative split happened in 729 during Pensilon's territorial reorganization after becoming an empire. Strictly speaking, the Battle of Joak started in 721, right?"
"Uh...."
Now the instructor was flustered.
Being an economics teacher, he wasn't up on the details.
"Plus, Tullang wanted independence--you can tell from later events. After the trade agreement, they formed independence forces, clashed with Pensilon's army, and in the process, Delton and Erevenia mobilized troops against Pensilon like a joint front. That wasn't merger behavior. Pensilon, the final victor, called Tullang's independence army Erevenia's puppets in their histories, but that's not true. Later context shows otherwise. Above all, histories from other nations consistently state Tullang sought independence."
"That's...!"
"Could be. You probably only referenced mainstream Pensilon histories."
"I-I'll check with the history teacher later. Sit down for now."
"Yes, sir."
Murmurs rose again.
Who's that guy? Cadet officer, so he should know. He just luckily knew that one detail well, etc. Unlike the girl who'd gotten all praise before, the evaluation was lukewarm.
The girl who'd presented stood there stunned, like a duck egg on the Nakdong River.
The instructor sorted it out in her stead.
"Sorry. Seems I skimped on my research. Miss Salleon, please sit."
"...Yes."
She bit her lower lip, glaring at me fiercely for a moment.
Other kids' stares stabbed too, but whatever.
I half-ignored the boring lecture, planning my outings.