Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Operation (1)
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Finally, Ceria stepped into the arena.
My little cutie’s fox ears twitched as she spoke.
“So, how far did you two get yesterday?”
“…”
“For the record, this is the ninety-seventh time I’ve asked.”
Hurry up and answer.
Or else I’m going to stress-eat all the ice cream!
She threatened her master with that kind of fervor, even keeping a tally of her questions.
Hey! Kids don’t need to know about that!
For someone who detested public displays of affection, she certainly had a keen interest in *that* kind of stuff.
“Hmm? But I’m older than you.”
She was right. She was my senior.
My opinion hadn’t changed, but I had a feeling I’d eventually yield to the girl’s curiosity.
“It’s a bit difficult to just tell you, but if you do me a favor…”
“What kind of favor?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
Only then did she nod in agreement.
Just in time, the match began. Her opponent was a ranker in the 60s.
The outcome was already decided, but I couldn’t completely relax.
I just hoped she wouldn’t get hurt, not even a little.
I cheered for Ceria in my heart.
“Well, the A-rank matches are definitely worth watching.”
The B-rankers couldn’t even compare to this level of skill.
Just as Aruru said, every moment was spectacular.
Once you reach A-rank, you’ve shored up your weaknesses.
All your abilities are well-balanced, so you don’t go down easily.
It meant you could hold your own against any opponent to some degree…
“So, how was I?”
“…”
The girl beamed beside me.
It hadn’t even taken her five minutes to defeat her opponent and return.
Seriously, why is she so strong?
Of course, I already knew that, but…
Weren’t you supposed to be hiding your true strength?
“Watching you work so hard made me think I should step up my game too.”
My fiancée was perfect in every way.
The beautiful way she spoke made her all the more lovable.
As I basked in my contentment, Aruru looked at Ceria.
“Good work. By the way, I was wondering… Mmph!”
I shoved a piece of butter-grilled squid into her mouth.
She accepted it readily, as if delicious food took priority over everything else.
My little cutie.
Is it okay to play dirty just because you’re cute? Is it?
As if she understood, she quieted down.
Right, this wasn’t the time for this…
The progression of the tournament wasn’t that important.
What caught my interest were the people who had come from outside.
An elite knight order from some kingdom.
A special mercenary group composed of powerful individuals.
A massive merchant guild that held the continent’s economy in its hands.
They were already making their moves.
I could clearly see them trying to sweet-talk the A-rank students.
Why wasn’t anyone even glancing my way?
I won the B-rank tournament, didn’t I?
Well, it wasn’t that they were ignoring me; there was a good reason for it.
The fact that I was the heir to the Crodain Family.
Since I already had everything, I was excluded from their recruitment and sponsorship lists.
The ultimate silver spoon, you could say.
I was certainly born into the right family.
A knight order was a monster that devoured money.
Even high-ranking nobles who were fairly well-off struggled with the cost.
But the Crodain Family had more than enough resources to maintain a staggering four knight orders.
And they were all fully staffed, with the number of knights alone reaching two hundred.
They also employed a considerable number of mages and commanded an elite force of ten thousand soldiers.
They had faced the Demon King’s army with that power.
It was only natural for the family’s prestige to be so high.
Jace’s delinquent behavior was the only stain on their record…
And because of that, I still had to be careful.
What’s the point of having a rich family if I can’t use the money?
-I’m in need of some funds. Could you send about 100 million… no, 300 million?
If I sent a message like that, I felt like I’d be disowned on the spot.
My family was powerful enough to part with a billion without a second thought, but…
-That boy. He’s lost his senses and fallen back into his debauchery. Not a chance!
I could roughly predict that kind of reaction.
It was because their trust in me had been broken once.
What was it like when Jace had been perfect?
He probably could have asked for ten billion, and the response would have been something like, ‘Hmm, it seems my eldest son is planning something. I suppose I should look forward to another amazing achievement.’ They would have supported him without hesitation.
“…”
Ah, this is so unfair!
I’m a rich young master, but I can’t even ask for an allowance!
I was at least set to become an A-rank, so I had managed to save the bare minimum of face.
Since my trajectory was steadily upward, they would surely acknowledge my position as heir…
“Ahem, so this is where you were.”
“—!”
The old knight, Hector.
A vassal of my family, he had appeared out of nowhere to greet us.
“It’s good to see you, Hector.”
Ceria greeted him with a warm smile.
Hector chuckled heartily and praised her.
“I saw your match, my lady. The spirit with which you relentlessly pushed your opponent… it was truly magnificent.”
“Oh, it was nothing. I just learned by watching Jace.”
It was all too natural.
Anyone watching would think they were a grandfather and granddaughter.
Well, what’s good is good.
Ceria was destined to become the lady of the Crodain Family.
Seeing them treat each other with such courtesy simply filled me with satisfaction.
“By the way, what business brings you here this time?”
I had been wondering the same thing.
He might have come to secure A-rank students, like the other families…
“The students’ skills seem to improve with each passing year. I can already see some promising talents.”
Yeah, I’m not falling for that.
The Crodain Family wanted for nothing.
Their reputation for having the strongest knight order…
And the rumors that they guaranteed the best treatment…
Meant that applicants from all over the continent flocked to join, even if they did nothing.
If you were to survey the students about their future careers…
‘Hoping to join the Crodain Knight Order’ would likely be the overwhelming majority.
Hmm, in that case, shouldn’t they be trying to get on my good side?
I’m not one for flattery, but I might enjoy it a little.
Racking my brain, I recalled…
There had indeed been a group of followers fawning over Jace.
But Jace, disliking that sort of thing, had gotten rid of them all.
“…”
He’s not helpful at all.
A person needs to have some human flaws!
He was so moral through and through that people were sharply divided into those who liked him and those who hated him.
In any case, Hector had clearly come to see me.
I guessed he was carrying a message from the Family Head.
“And this young lady here is, perhaps…”
He had finally noticed Aruru’s presence.
For the record, the term ‘young lady’ wasn’t strange at all.
She was an adult, after all.
Meaning, my little cutie had finished growing.
It was hard for a human to tell.
But Hector had a wealth of experience from his long life and a keen eye. Moreover…
“Ooh, he called me a young lady!”
“…”
He was shrewd enough to see right into the little lady’s heart.
Just as human girls were pleased to be called feminine, beastkin weren’t much different.
In the beastkin villages, she might be treated like a goddess by the males.
But unfortunately, the academy was full of humans, so the reality was that she was treated like a child.
Given the circumstances, she couldn’t help but wag her tail.
Aruru even stopped her snacking to focus on the conversation.
“You’re the hero candidate, Aruru, are you not?”
“Yes, that’s me!”
“And what is your relationship with the young master?”
“My boyfriend, who pays for all my food?”
“—??”
“The one who soothes my body and soul when I’m lonely and desolate…”
“—!!”
The old knight’s expression turned to one of pure shock.
He looked like that despite all the trials and tribulations he’d been through.
Meanwhile, Ceria was interrogating me with her eyes.
Even though she knew it was a misunderstanding, there was a hint of ‘what if?’ in her gaze.
H-Hold on!
She wasn’t making things up entirely, but still, nothing happened!
A pet is another member of the family.
It was no different from a cat snuggling into your lap.
I calmly stroked my little cutie’s head.
In response, she showed me the clear bond between owner and pet by flashing an innocent smile.
“Aruru is my comrade. We are fostering a sense of fellowship in preparation for the day of the final battle, until we become heroes and defeat the Demon King.”
Ah, so that’s it. I understand now.
The girl and the old knight seemed to dismiss their suspicions.
That’s how deep the trust and respect Jace had built was.
My little cutie.
Why are you nodding along too?
Her expression was one of, ‘Oh, I had no idea!’
To change the subject…
I looked at Hector and asked him directly.
“I’m curious about the family’s situation.”
The Family Head’s will was absolute.
He cared for his son, but from his perspective, the family was more important.
“Well, I was actually planning to just let it slide…”
“—??”
“Let’s move somewhere else first.”
Tsk, this old man is making me nervous.
We immediately moved to a deserted area on the outskirts.
I urged Hector with my eyes, as if to say, ‘hurry up and tell me.’
“You seem to be doing well already, so I didn’t think there was a need to say anything.”
“—??”
“I heard the news. You won the B-rank tournament.”
“I did, but?”
“You’ll soon become an A-rank… and that’s enough. The Family Head’s message was to produce results before the year is out. In my judgment, you will be forgiven.”
He finished with a benevolent smile.
The reason he was only telling me the Family Head’s message now was probably that he had intended to omit it because the contents were a bit harsh.
Ah, I misjudged a loyal vassal!
When I become the Family Head, I’ll have to double his salary.
Or perhaps throw him a grand retirement ceremony, given his age.
“You’ve become unbelievably strong.”
That much was true.
When we met in the forest, I was nothing but an incompetent.
A green newbie who couldn’t even handle Sword Ki.
I had come this far in just two months.
I still had a long way to go, but it seemed he held my efforts in high regard.
“This is only the beginning. My goal lies much higher.”
“Of course, it should. I believe in you. I will be sure to convey the young master’s bold ambition to the Family Head.”
“—??”
Huh? Convey what?
I didn’t say anything.
“You said you would become a hero. Taking the hero candidate, Miss Aruru, as your comrade shows your sincerity.”
“…”
Wait! I just made that up on the spot…
It’s a problem if you take that as a man’s ambition.
But it was too late to take it back now.
How could I ignore the look of pride in this loyal vassal’s eyes?
I changed my approach.
It would be better to fight fire with fire. If they were going to misunderstand anyway, I might as well double down!
“Do you think she’s the only one?”
“By that, you don’t mean…”
“I am currently in the process of drawing in three or four other hero candidates.”
“—!!”
The elf girl. The saintess. The princess…
I wasn’t sure about the others, but those three were possibilities.
Hector’s eyes widened.
He seemed to have understood the meaning perfectly.
I had recruited almost half of the hero candidates.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, his expression changed.
“They all seem to be female students.”
“…”
You have a fiancée, is this really okay?
He looked at me pointedly with that kind of sentiment.
To deal with it, I feigned ignorance and muttered.
“For some reason, the male students seem to dislike me.”
He nodded as if he understood completely.
With the young master, that’s certainly possible.
He was always oblivious to the envy and jealousy of other men.
I could feel him thinking something along those lines.
That’s how dense Jace was to the gazes of those around him.
“In any case, I’m sure the Family Head will be pleased as well.”
Not only have I overcome a difficult situation…
But I’m also painting a bigger picture. He was moved by this fact.
With this, the Family Head’s opinion would surely never change.
“You must have gone through a lot until now. Are you alright?”
“I don’t consider it a hardship. This whole process is for the glory of the family. It is my duty.”
“—!!”
The old knight had dedicated his entire life to the family.
There was no room to doubt Hector’s loyalty.
His love for the family was greater than anyone else’s.
“So, about that…”
“Please, say anything!”
As expected, he couldn’t contain his excitement.
Mentioning the ‘glory of the family’ had been effective.
It felt like he would grant any request I made right now.
“I’m in need of some operating funds.”
“…”
Hurry up and give me the money!
I had unintentionally ended up looking like I was shaking down a loyal vassal…
But that fact didn’t bother me in the slightest.
Because it was clear that today’s investment would return to me dozens of times over.