The Engagement War (1)

Stormrock Fortress had been rebuilt after two long years. The newly constructed fortress was designed so that the gate-opening mechanism could never be operated at a commander's sole discretion.

Andrassy County, ravaged by the war, regained its vitality thanks to the fortress reconstruction project. Count Andrassy wrung every last coin from his swollen tax revenues and founded a knightly order. He named it the Stonewall Knights and swore eternal loyalty to me, Iden Esterzy.

With Count Andrassy's declaration of support following Count Abaro's, the succession had tilted completely in my favor.

Though in truth, there had never been much of a contest to begin with. Mabel had been seized by Kalman and dragged off to the capital, and Chris, after his trial, had been imprisoned in the Tower.

Chris was convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment. Mabel, meanwhile, had yet to even stand trial.

For two years, I had done my utmost to fill the void my father left behind. My primary duty was holding the fortress against the demons.

Whenever the fortress was secure, I descended to the holy city to wade through the backlog of official duties. The days passed in a blur too frantic to blink through.

On the rare occasions I found spare time, I hunted for Demon Duke Ragnor. But after returning to the Demonic Realm, the creature had vanished without a trace. I even set my duties aside and infiltrated the Demonic Realm myself, yet came away with nothing. All I heard were rumors that strange things were stirring around the 'False King.'

And so I….

…was studying ways to save my father, together with Kaspar. Pill alchemy can raise the dead, he insisted — surely it can save one living man.

"Happy fifteenth birthday, my young lord."

Lily handed me an armful of flowers.

"These are from the third daughter of Count Shaveth's house. The gifts have been stored away separately."

"Handle it as you see fit."

I removed my hat and gloves and sank deep into the sofa. I had only just returned to the ducal castle after wrapping up the northern expedition, and my whole body felt as though it were melting with fatigue.

The duchy ran the same under me as it had under my father. The lord shoulders all the toil, and the subordinates reap the credit.

High society, too, was humming along as briskly as ever, and the people went about their livelihoods without a care.

Well….

Better for one person at the top to suffer than for many below him to.

"My lord, this time I really cannot let it pass."

Lily drew a single letter from within the bouquet. It was a deep pink, signed on the front in small, darling handwriting.

"You must consider why the young lady swallowed her shame to send you flowers and a letter."

"I don't even know who she is."

"The third daughter of Count Shaveth. Rumor has it she's a great beauty."

"Which is exactly why I keep telling you I don't know who she is."

Weariness dripped thick from my voice. And it wasn't just my voice — I genuinely was weary. Every single time I returned to the ducal castle, I was ambushed by courtship letters flying in from across the entire Empire.

"If you don't know her, then it's time you started learning. Maintaining good relations with the nobility is also an important duty for a lord's proxy."

"Can't I maintain perfectly good relations without courting anyone?"

"My lord."

Lily planted her hands on her hips.

That is what romance looks like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠— Commander Thalia and Vice-Commander Vitten. You, my lord, are past the age for romance."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"You must get married."

So she wanted a political marriage. Among the trifling duties nobles performed in exchange for wielding immense power, marriage was one of them. No natural meetings allowed — you were expected to bind yourself to whomever your family chose.

"Why now, of all times?"

"Not 'now' — you're already late. Most people are engaged by fourteen. Besides, it's been fifteen years since this castle had a mistress. We cannot leave the ducal castle to languish in desolation any longer. Neither I nor you can stand in for the lady of the house."

"Still, not without Father's permission."

"And when His Grace the Duke wakes, do you think he won't be terribly disappointed that you failed to do, at your age, what you ought to have done?"

…That argument actually held water. Father had always carried a quiet regret about not being able to look after me. If my own collapse at the demons' hands was the reason I never married, I suspected he would regret it for the rest of his life.

"In any case, later."

My head understood, but my heart wasn't ready.

"My lord…!"

"In exchange, leave the letters behind. I'll read them."

Lily sighed and spread the letters across the desk in a neat row. Once she left the room, I picked one up and read it.

I set the letter down the moment I finished the first line. I had just spent six months in the Demonic Realm soaked head to toe in monster blood.

And what had I been doing six months before that? Sitting in a courtroom, debating whether to grant inheritance rights to an illegitimate child. Before that, I'd descended into the Subterranean World and slain a colossal worm-like monster.

What on earth about this version of me had these people fallen for? More likely, they'd simply come of age and their families were pressuring them to snag a duke's son.

I poured myself a drink and tossed a round, bumpy-skinned fruit into the glass. The beverage hissed and burbled up a froth of bubbles.

I'd tried mixing the poisonous herb Chris used to guzzle day and night into sparkling wine. It stung going down — which, I had to admit, was a reason to drink something that wasn't even good for you.

Leaning on the poisoned drink, I worked through the night. Weary as I was, I couldn't simply crawl into bed. The duties of a lord's proxy stood piled to the ceiling.

When morning came, Uncle Ruka requested an audience.

"Hardly ever see your face these days. Are you at least resting?"

"I sleep quite well."

I lied on purpose. He was one of the precious few who, along with Lily, genuinely worried about me.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"While you were away, I gathered the nobles' consensus in the name of House Rein."

Ruka held out a sheet of stiff black paper. Upon it were listed the names of every vassal sworn to House Esterzy.

"For the stability of the Esterzy Duchy, the elders and vassals have all agreed that the lord's-proxy arrangement can continue no longer."

A weary smile crossed Ruka's face.

"I told you I'd make you Duke. It took a full three years."

"…"

The paper was a petition of consent — a pledge that I should inherit the dukedom.

"If it weren't for those pigheaded legalists, the process would have been far shorter. No one could oppose it — you are the lawful lord's proxy and the savior of Andrassy."

I held the petition in silence for a long moment, then handed it back to Ruka.

"The time is not yet right."

"Not yet right? You know as well as I do that the ducal seat cannot be left empty forever."

I did know. But receiving the title this way was not the picture I had wanted.

"I need time to think."

"…Very well. Judge wisely, I beg you."

Ruka pressed no further and withdrew.

I rose from my seat and climbed to the second floor of the ducal castle. The corridor there was guarded heavily by knights.

"My lord."

I walked steadily down the hall, accepting the knights' salutes. At its end stood a single firmly sealed door. I opened it and stepped inside, and there lay my father in his bed.

He breathed on, eyes closed, his face drained of all color.

My only family.

I did not want to carry his absence with me into the next stage of my life.

But I knew such feelings were a child's whim. Before I was one man's son, I was the one responsible for millions of subjects. They desperately needed a sun they could trust and lean upon. And that sun had to burn hot enough to overcome the barrenness of the North.

I quietly withdrew from the room.

When I returned to my study, a welcome face was waiting.

"Colin!"

Colin somehow seemed more hale and hearty with every passing year.

"Heheh, it's been a while."

Stroking his white beard, he held out a packet of cookies to me.

"I stopped by the market on my way here. These were your favorites as a child — though I can't say for certain they'll still suit your taste."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"I still love them."

That, too, was a lie. At some point I had lost my taste for sweets. But Colin was another of the few who cared for me sincerely, and I had no wish to pass up the chance for this kind of small talk with him.

"Now that I've paid my bribe, I suppose I may make my request."

"Petitions are welcome any time."

We traded playful smiles.

"Your foothold in the Subterranean World has grown quite large, hasn't it? Large enough to be called a village now."

"It has."

Srudal had served as Underground Expedition Captain for all three years. His exploration radius now reached several dozen kilometers inward, and his reports arrived on a monthly schedule.

"And so… it was completed a short while ago."

Colin lowered his voice for dramatic effect.

"A diocese of the Subterranean World."

"Oh."

I did not bother hiding my surprise.

"The first diocese ever established underground on the continent, they say. I've come to ask that you grace the opening ceremony of the priests' residence with your presence."

"That residence isn't under your charge, is it, Colin?"

"No, a very young and ambitious priest. He declared loudly that he has no need of sunlight, hahaha."

"Good. If the timing works, I'll attend without fail."

I had grand ambitions for the Subterranean World myself. Unlike the northern woodlands, too barren for farming, mushrooms — a substitute foodstuff — grew thick and fast down below without light or water.

After a stroll with Colin, I saw him off at the castle gates. However vigorous he looked, that was only the surface — within, he too must be weathering every ailment of old age.

Yes… even Colin cannot stay by my side forever.

It was when the thought reached that far that it struck me. People flow on with the turning of the seasons — and I alone, I realized, had been refusing to grow up.

Even after seeing Colin off, I paced the garden alone for a long while. The moment I returned from the walk, I went straight to Lily.

"Lily, you remember every marriage proposal that's come in, don't you?"

"Of course, I've kept them all carefully stored away — in case you ever changed your mind, my lord. But surely not… have you made your decision?"

"I have."

"Oh, wonderful! Well done!"

Lily clapped her hands in delight.

"Draw up a list of the matches that suit me. Rank them not by family, but by Awoken Ability."

Her joy did not last long.