The Betrothal Declared
The next day, the atmosphere in Benheim was chaotic.
The hunt festival, which was supposed to last for three days, had been cut short on its very first day, and the fact that black mages had infiltrated Benheim was laid bare for all the world to see.
Under these circumstances, ominous rumors began to circulate that Kaiden, the head of the Lucen family, was absolutely furious. It was only natural that the retainers and servants of Benheim were trembling with anxiety.
“Attention, everyone.”
Amidst the tension, Stern summoned all the key figures and retainers of the family to the estate's grand banquet hall. Standing at the head of the hall, Stern's expression was more solemn than ever before.
Just as everyone swallowed hard in the tense silence, Stern spoke.
“As you have all likely heard, an indelible stain was left upon Benheim's thousand-year history during last night's hunt festival.”
Stern's heavy voice echoed throughout the banquet hall.
“Beron, a former elder of Benheim, dabbled in forbidden black magic and conspired with spies inside our own house. Furthermore, he brought in external forces to target the heirs of both Benheim and Lucen. This is a grave act of treason against our family.”
Pausing briefly to catch his breath, Stern declared resolutely,
“Therefore, by my authority as the head of the family, I have summarily executed Beron and all other black mages within Benheim.”
A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Bewilderment and terror washed over the retainers' faces. If things went wrong, a bloodbath could sweep through the entire family.
Yet Stern remained unfazed and continued.
“However, cutting away the rotten branches does not mean we can rest easy. This is not merely a problem for Benheim.”
Stern's voice remained calm and steady.
“For centuries, Benheim has upheld the discipline of the magical world against the threat of black magic. The fact that they managed to penetrate the very heart of Benheim means their evil clutches have already reached the throats of the great magic families... It is a clear omen that the black mages, who have held their breath for decades, are rising once more.”
At those words, the audience fell into a suffocating silence, barely daring to breathe.
The rise of the black mages.
That phrase was more than enough to evoke the nightmare of the horrific war that had drenched the continent in blood centuries ago.
“Thus, at the end of this year, Benheim will convene the Grand Magic Alliance Council. We will place this incident on the official agenda and draw our swords to eradicate the black mages once and for all.”
The Grand Magic Alliance.
Even I, who knew next to nothing about the inner workings of the magic world, was well aware of it.
It was the collective name for the five great magic families of the empire, recognized by the Imperial Magic Society.
The Council was rarely convened in times of peace, but in the event of a major crisis that could decide the fate of the empire, the head of a family could summon it on their own authority.
For Stern von Benheim to convene the Council was tantamount to declaring war on the black mages—proclaiming that this issue was not a mere internal scandal, but a threat to the entire continent.
Clever.
Watching from a distance, I couldn't help but marvel.
Rather than simply exposing and purging Benheim's internal shame, he was using it as a pretext to seize leadership of the entire magic world. It was a calculated political move.
At the same time, it would strengthen Benheim's internal solidarity. It was a remarkably efficient and agile choice.
Sure enough, the anxious expressions of the retainers brightened visibly.
“As expected of the Patriarch! A magnificent decision!”
“The Grand Council! Now that Benheim has stepped forward, those black mages will tremble in fear!”
Just as the atmosphere was settling with sighs of relief, a voice cut through.
“Wait.”
A man with long red hair parted the crowd and stepped into the center of the hall.
Clad in the white uniform of Lucen instead of Benheim's black robes, the man was Kaiden Lucen.
“I congratulate you on resolving your internal family matters, but there is still one issue left to settle.”
Kaiden's snake-like eyes locked onto me, standing in the corner of the hall.
“The matter of accountability for the secret technique of Lucen that this lowborn bastard stole.”
The room fell dead silent, as if doused in cold water. The head of the Lucen family was directly targeting an external mage of Benheim to demand accountability.
And the accusation was none other than the theft of a unique magic formula.
Anxiety flickered in the eyes of the retainers.
“Accountability... Kaiden, do you truly wish to crush a promising young bud to that extent?”
“It is not a matter of that. Lucen's Sword Creation Magic is a source of pride passed down from our ancestors. Laying hands on it is nothing short of insulting House Lucen.”
“He is the boy who helped your daughter, Petra. Is it right to mistreat her benefactor?”
“Of course, I heard about what happened that day from Petra. I am grateful. However, public and private matters must be kept separate. Unlike Benheim, Lucen is not soft.”
“Then what do you intend to do with Raygan?”
“Since he has not yet reached adulthood, I will not demand his hand be severed. Instead, destroy his mana core.”
Destroy his mana core.
It was a death sentence that would end his life as a mage.
Standing behind Kaiden, Petra looked at me with a face on the verge of tears.
Meanwhile, I stared back at Kaiden with indifference, thinking to myself.
Lunia was right to some extent.
The epitome of incompetence that ruined Lucen.
A man steeped in magical supremacy, bloodline elitism, and authoritarianism.
The only reason this man is acting so aggressively is simply because he finds the fact that a lowborn like me copied Lucen's great magic utterly repulsive.
To him, magic must be a privilege reserved only for noble bloodlines. He cannot tolerate a commoner like me replicating their unique magic formula.
But Kaiden will never get to destroy my mana core.
“Accountability... Kaiden, you are making a grave mistake.”
“What?”
“You are currently pointing your sword at a member of the Benheim family. Would you have done the same if the boy standing before you were my son, Arno?”
“That is a meaningless hypothetical.”
“No, it has meaning.”
Stern stepped down from the dais and approached me. He then placed a firm hand on my shoulder.
Kaiden's eyes narrowed at that affectionate gesture.
“Because Raygan is no longer an external mage.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Since everyone is gathered, I shall formally introduce him here.”
Stern squeezed my shoulder, swept his gaze over the gathered Benheim retainers, and declared in a booming voice:
“Raygan von Benheim.”
“...!”
“This boy is betrothed to my daughter, Lunia, and has become the son-in-law who will carry the future of Benheim.”
A chilling silence fell over the room.
A shockwave far greater than when Kaiden had interrogated me swept through the banquet hall.
Not only the people of Benheim, but even the direct descendants of Lucen stared with their jaws practically dropping to the floor.
It was an action that defied all common sense. After all, a lowborn of unknown origins had suddenly snatched up the precious jewel of House Benheim.
“...What on earth... what do you mean by that?”
Even Kaiden's eyes widened in shock as his gaze darted back and forth between me and Lunia, who stood in the distance.
Lunia quickly turned her head away, seemingly embarrassed by the barrage of staring eyes.
“...Ha. Lord Benheim, have you lost your mind? Are you selling out your own daughter just to shield a mere lowborn?”
“Watch your tongue.”
Stern's eyes grew sharp. He cast a brief glance at Petra, who was bowing her head behind Kaiden, and continued.
“Selling her out? Children are not tools, Kaiden.”
“...”
“As a father, I only wish for my child's happiness. I simply brought them together because the two of them desired each other. My daughter's happiness is far more important than the family's profit or reputation.”
Kaiden's brow furrowed deeply, crumpling like a piece of paper.
“So, do you still intend to persist? Kaiden, you are currently demanding that I destroy the mana core of Benheim's son-in-law. If you continue to push this unreasonable demand, I will consider it a direct challenge to Benheim's authority.”
“...Lord Benheim, are you serious?”
“I am entirely serious. If Benheim's son-in-law continues to be slandered, it will become an issue between our two houses. In that case, I will have no choice but to lodge a formal complaint against Lucen at the Council at the end of the year.”
The moment the word "Council" was mentioned, Kaiden's face darkened.
The five great magic families. While Lucen proudly held a spot among them, its history was short, making it no match for Benheim.
Ultimately, Kaiden clicked his tongue and grabbed his cloak.
“...We shall take our leave.”
“A wise decision.”
Only then did Stern smile.
“In return, Benheim must take responsibility for hunting down the black mages behind this incident.”
“Of course, that is my intention. However, Kaiden, you might want to take a close look inside Lucen as well. Who knows if there are bugs crawling under Lucen's roof, just as there were in Benheim?”
Kaiden stared at Stern with narrowed eyes for a moment, then let out a deep sigh and nodded.
“...Thank you for the advice. I will keep that in mind.”
Kaiden left the banquet hall with Petra, followed by the direct descendants of Lucen. Once the outsiders were gone, all eyes naturally turned to me.
“F-Father... Were you being serious just now?”
Arno von Benheim was the first to break the silence. He stammered, looking as if he might faint at any moment.
“Of course I was serious. Do you think I would joke in a place like this?”
“N-No, but... it doesn't make sense... Raygan isn't even a noble...”
“He is about to become one.”
“...He's only been in the family for two months...”
“Two months is more than enough time to verify his worth. Arno, is it not true that you have received much help from Raygan yourself? Even during this hunt festival, who knows what would have happened without his assistance.”
“...Well, that's true, but...”
Arno's voice trailed off.
Yet his face remained pale, still unable to comprehend the situation.
Stern let out a bitter chuckle and placed a hand on Arno's head.
“Arno, I understand this is hard to accept. But we are family now. Besides, Raygan is your brother-in-law, so treat him well.”
“B-But... Lunia is...”
“Lunia agreed to it as well. So, there is no reason for us to argue any further.”
Arno whipped around to look at me.
His bewildered gaze seemed to demand some sort of explanation, so I shrugged and said,
“I'll be in your care, brother-in-law.”
“Who's your brother-in-law?!”
Arno flew into a rage at my words.
* * *
Sometime later, unable to bear the overwhelming stares, I practically fled the banquet hall.
The news of the engagement was bound to be a hot topic both inside and outside the family for a while.
“What a headache.”
Since I would be staying in the main mansion from now on, it meant I would run into the retainers much more often.
Just thinking about facing their sharp, critical gazes made my head throb.
“...Hey.”
As I walked down the hallway of the main mansion rubbing my temples, a golden-haired girl cautiously poked her head out from around a corner.
It was Lunia.
“Did you run away too?”
“Yeah. If I stayed there, my brother would have nagged me to death.”
“True. He looked like he was about to foam at the mouth and faint earlier.”
Lunia giggled as I agreed.
“Want to walk for a bit? I promised to show you around the main mansion yesterday. I'll do it now. You need to get used to living here anyway, Raygan.”
“Sure.”
I strolled through the main mansion with Lunia. Seeing the famous paintings and luxurious decorations lining the hallways, I could finally understand why she had warned me about getting lost.
The main mansion of Benheim was incomparably more luxurious and complex than the annex I had been staying in.
“That's my brother's room over there. You must knock before entering. If you don't, he'll throw a fit. And that's my room. You have to knock there too, or I'll get mad.”
“I don't think I'll have much reason to knock.”
“Just knock.”
“...Fine, I will.”
As we walked down the hallway and she continued her tour of the mansion,
I looked at Lunia and asked casually,
“Lunia.”
“Yeah?”
“Why... did you agree to the betrothal?”
This was what I was most curious about.
Stern might have done it for political calculations and the family's benefit, but Lunia was different.
From her perspective, I was merely a suspicious commoner who had somehow entered Benheim.
No matter how young she was, there was no way the Lunia I knew would fall head over heels for a teenage boy's clumsy confession.
“Hmm...”
Lunia stopped walking and placed her index finger on her chin.
“Well, how should I put it... I thought being with you would be fun?”
“Fun?”
“Yeah. It's only been two months, but so many things have happened since you got here. You knocked my brother down a peg, completely overhauled our mana cultivation methods, and even fought black mages. It's been pretty entertaining. I figured more things like that would keep happening if I stayed with you.”
Pure curiosity.
Compared to the Lunia of my past life, who had been crushed by the ruin of her family and consumed by vengeance, losing even her ability to smile, this was an incredibly lighthearted and trivial reason.
But.
I'm glad.
I truly liked the bright, innocent smile on her face right now.
It gave me yet another reason to defeat the Archduke of Demonic Magic.
“Ah, you smiled.”
My thoughts must have slipped onto my face.
Lunia grinned and poked my cheek. Feeling awkward under her touch, I pulled my head back, but...
“So, about you...”
Lunia leaned in toward me, her smile brimming with mischief.
“Did you really fall in love with me at first sight?”
“...”
I let out a silent sigh.
Knowing her personality better than anyone,
I was absolutely certain she would tease me with this for years to come.