Rival (5)

Still, when I could actually use the ability properly, I'd had a certain confidence that I could resolve most incidents.

No matter how the situation developed, being able to cancel the situation itself and rewind to the outcome most advantageous to me was an enormous privilege. Frankly, even in other games or manga, a character with an ability as good as mine wouldn't be common.

The problem was that I couldn't use that ability right now.

The image I'd maintained thanks to that ability was hanging by a thread, and more than anything, without the ability, I was utterly powerless against the situation in front of me.

Was the Masked Woman watching me from somewhere even now, sneering at me?

Just thinking about it made my blood boil, but at the moment she didn't seem inclined to kill me. If her identity was one of the people I'd guessed, then nothing like that would happen in the future either... probably.

Though I'd have to be careful about how she'd tried to shoot Alice.

Thinking that way, you could even say the current situation was a very good one for me. I couldn't say what would happen if the Masked Woman charged at me, but at least if Lucas charged in, there were quite a few people who'd block him. Each one individually fell a little short of Lucas's skill, but if they all rushed him at once, I doubted even Lucas could win for certain.

That didn't mean the situation was truly free of 'any' problems, though.

"...... So, in other words."

Jaden wore an expression that was genuinely rare for him: 'thoroughly angry.'

"You're saying that you, you cur, spent the night with my younger sister?"

"Pardon? No, that's—!"

"How does that become the interpretation here?"

Unable to watch any longer, I ultimately interposed myself between Jaden and Leo and spoke. If I hadn't, Jaden had genuinely looked ready to draw his sword.

"You and that bastard were in the same place—"

"The Sword Saint was also present."

"Indeed. Even I wouldn't construe such a situation that way."

Even the Sword Saint, who'd been spouting extremely clichéd lines just moments before, spoke to Jaden with an expression of sheer disbelief.

"But he clearly—!"

"—I'd appreciate it if you'd stop repeatedly emphasizing the words 'spent the night.' Are you deliberately dwelling on that phrase right now? Do you..."

I swallowed the word 'pervert' back down my throat.

"...... Do you wish to see such a blemish on my honor?"

"I don't think there was really any need to cut that off mid-sentence."

Seeing Jaden say that as if he found it regrettable, I finally couldn't stop myself from pressing my hand to my forehead.

"...... Let me be perfectly clear."

I spoke, trying my utmost to keep my voice calm.

"Leo and I study at the same academy, in the same classroom, and we're also from the same student council. And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠since I'm acquainted with his sister Claire, I naturally have a personal connection with Leo as well. Even after this year ends, we'll be seeing each other for at least three more years, so that connection could deepen further."

"Aha!"

No, I meant, don't get angry about that. What were we, elementary schoolers who teased someone about dating a girl just because they held hands during the school trip's folk dance?

"A man and a woman being together does not automatically mean that kind of relationship. Do you... wish for every conversation you hold with a woman of another noble house at a ball to be bound together as a scandalous rumor?"

"......."

Jaden didn't answer.

Ah, right.

This guy wasn't popular with women, was he?

If Lucas was the type popular with women but utterly uninterested, this guy was the type interested in women but utterly unpopular. He was definitely described as handsome, yet for some reason women didn't really like him....

No, maybe it wasn't that strange. The lore was that every time he talked, he'd mention which arsenal's standard-issue sword handled well or how he'd distinguished himself on which battlefield, over and over.

In short, he was the type to talk about the military in front of women.

...... Was there also a setting that he'd never even properly danced with a woman at a ball?

"Unless it's an austere church-affiliated girls' academy, it's perfectly natural for a woman to hold light conversation with a man. There's no need for you to insert yourself into every single instance."

I turned my head and looked toward Leo. Leo wore a slightly moved expression. Well, it'd be shocking for a baron's son to be directly yelled at by an imperial prince. Considering he'd see it as an imperial princess personally stepping in to shield him, he had reason to be grateful.

"Has our conversation ever progressed beyond everyday matters toward romantic interest in each other?"

"No, of course not!"

"Even in the Sword Saint's cabin?"

"That is correct!"

At Leo's words, Claire also nodded her head vigorously. Jaden looked at the two of them, then stared intently at me again and spoke.

"Is that so?"

"It is."

'You idiot.' Naturally, I didn't let those words out of my mouth.

If I'd been in a situation where I could just use my regression ability, I might've said that line.

Though, given that I didn't have that ability, it was partly why things turned into such a mess.

Jaden slowly lowered the hand he'd placed on the hilt of his own sword. And before long, he let that hand hang down dejectedly.

Hmm, I didn't feel particularly sorry for him.

"And, more than anything."

As if intending to drive the point home, Alice, who'd been listening quietly to the conversation, opened her mouth.

"Who Sylvia marries isn't your business anyway. Would you react the exact same way if Sylvia brought home a man she herself liked?"

"Well, of course I—"

Jaden began saying that, glanced at me, and shut his mouth.

I prided myself that my expression was unreadable.

Only, how an 'unreadable' expression was interpreted varied depending on the situation and who was looking.

...... At least Jaden still didn't properly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠know the limits of my resources. That was fortunate.

*

And then, just like that, the crowning touch was added to an already catastrophic situation. No, why did people keep gathering? And the most important people in the empire at that. What was this, the Smash Bros.?

"Well, now."

It was only natural that Leo and Claire were horrified at that voice. Even if you didn't recognize that deep, heavy tone, there weren't many people living in the empire who didn't know the Emperor's face.

"I apologize for not coming straightaway when such an esteemed personage arrived."

Speaking that way to the Sword Saint, who looked nearly twenty years his senior, the Emperor was every inch the Emperor.

The Emperor's gaze, as he entered the training grounds, flicked toward me for just an instant. Seeing an amused smile form at the corner of his mouth, he seemed to be fully convinced I was scheming something.

Which was also true.

"Ho-oh."

And the Sword Saint, upon seeing the Emperor, also smiled at the corner of his mouth. Seeing him not even bow his head once, he wasn't one to be trifled with either. His refusal to yield to authority or anything else had appeared in the original work, so I suppose it was to be expected.

And then—

Boom!

The Emperor immediately drew the sword at his hip and charged at the Sword Saint.

How could a clash of swords produce an exploding sound?

Even without unleashing sword aura, merely swinging the two blades stirred a wind around them. It wasn't the violent kind that would blow something away, but it was sufficient to make hair and clothes flutter.

"......."

Dead silence.

Both the Emperor who'd swung his sword and the Sword Saint were looking at each other and laughing. Putting aside for the moment the question of whether either of those smiles even qualified as 'smiles,' neither of them seemed to particularly dislike the other.

"You're still hale, old man."

"Says the one who's done nothing but sit in a chair all this time?"

...... Huh?

Before I could even question that exchange, the two men sheathed their swords back into their respective scabbards.

And then they extended their hands, gripped tightly, and shook.

No, what?

It seemed I wasn't the only one thinking that. Not only Alice, but Leo, Claire, and even Jaden were staring at the two of them with wide, startled eyes.

"Well, this is something. I never thought I'd see you again like this."

The Emperor said that in a voice that sounded genuinely friendly for the first time ever.

"Nor did I ever think I'd come down to a bustling place like this."

The Sword Saint answered as if it were nothing.

...... Those ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠two knew each other?

No, I'd anticipated to some degree they'd be acquainted. But I hadn't anticipated it would be a close relationship. I'd only thought it would be the kind of relationship where a celebrity and someone of presidential standing were aware of each other's existence.

"On that point, you'd better praise your daughter. After all, I'm someone who was lured down here by her."

Urk.

When the Sword Saint said that, everyone standing in the training grounds looked at me simultaneously.

Ah, uh....

Well, I mean, yes, that was how it ended up, but....

I'd only intended to bring the Sword Saint by himself. I'd just meant to draw a little of Lucas's aggro and maybe have a conversation.

Why on earth did things spiral this far?

I'd had absolutely zero intention of setting up some kind of rivals' reunion.

Moreover, every single person looking at me wore an expression that said 'she's plotting something tremendous.'

.......

Even if the Masked Woman turned out to be my future self, or some other person close to me, it didn't matter.

Someday, when I met her, I'd beat her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠without fail until she was sobbing her eyes out.