Chapter 633: Daily Life
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 633: Daily Life
Under the plane tree forest, all was silent.
Daylight filtered through the gaps in the canopy, creating a boundary of light and shadow that separated the two men.
Milne shifted his face slightly away from the direct sunlight, squinting as he scrutinized the man sitting on the bench in the shade.
Doubt.
That was his first reaction.
This man looked as if he had just returned from being ruthlessly ravaged. He looked frail, his steps were unsteady, and he could barely stand straight. Was this really the Duke’s son, Muen Campbell—the man Seviel had repeatedly warned him to be wary of?
But his doubts were quickly dispelled. That handsome face, the source of countless tabloid scandals; that signature golden hair; and that noble grace that inadvertently leaked from his every gesture—all of it confirmed his identity.
This was Muen Campbell.
His greatest enemy on this trip, the fiancé of the Imperial Empress: Muen Campbell.
And this "greatest enemy," the Empress’s fiancé, with the Empress herself about to arrive to observe the exchange event... looked like he had just crawled out of a woman’s bed. At such a critical moment, had he really spent the entire night indulging in lewd debauchery?
How foolish! How pathetic!
He had no vigilance, no sense of crisis, and no grasp of the big picture. He was nothing more than an idiot who thought his position as fiancé was unshakable, a fool who used his status to do whatever he pleased. Did he truly believe a dignified Empress would simply turn a blind eye to such behavior?
Based on Milne’s understanding of "Emperors," the higher one sat upon the supreme throne, the less they could tolerate being insulted.
Furthermore, how was Muen Campbell’s current behavior any different from the rumors of the playboy who juggled countless women, immersed himself in lust, and accomplished nothing?
Thus, following his doubt, Milne felt a different emotion: displeasure.
"You've deeply disappointed me."
Milne pushed himself off the tree he was leaning against. With his arms still crossed, he spoke to Muen in a cold voice:
"Seviel held you in such high regard. I thought you would be an opponent worthy of my full strength, but I never expected... you would be so pathetic."
"Huh?"
Muen, suddenly insulted out of nowhere, blinked in utter confusion.
"It seems I overthought things. You might not even be qualified to serve as my stepping stone!"
Milne let out a cold snort, flicked his sleeve, and turned to leave. "I hope you can struggle a bit harder. Don't let this game end too easily, or I won't feel even a shred of joy in my victory."
"...Huh?"
Watching Milne walk away after dropping those parting shots, Muen scratched his head, feeling more bewildered by the second.
Setting aside whatever nonsense that guy was spewing...
"Seriously... who the hell are you?"
He didn't even know the guy, yet he’d just run up, acted all cool while saying cryptic things, and then bolted before finishing the conversation.
Was he some mental patient who had escaped from an asylum?
Didn't he know that was a great way to get punched?
Muen shook his head. Though it was bizarre, he chose not to lower himself to an idiot's level and prepared to head back to the dormitory.
But he had only taken a few steps when another voice called out.
"Junior Muen."
This voice, however, was very familiar, and the person approaching was certainly no idiot.
"Senior Fanny?"
Muen looked with surprise at the pretty senior walking toward him. He paused for a moment, then smiled.
"It’s been a long time. What are you doing here?"
Fanny, a high-year student who had interacted with Muen many times and had even participated in the Saintess Trials alongside him, greeted him warmly.
"Long time no see. As for why I'm here... it’s just a coincidence. I was passing through."
Fanny tilted her head toward the path behind her. The end of the trail led directly to the academy’s residential area, so a chance encounter here wasn't strange. In fact, if today hadn't been a special occasion where most students had rushed off early to see the excitement, Muen would have run into many more students along the way.
"Are you also heading to the exchange event?" Muen asked. Fanny was among the elite top tier of the academy, so it didn't surprise Muen that she had been chosen to participate.
"Yes."
Fanny nodded and replied with a smile, "But I didn't expect to run into the two most high-profile figures of this international exchange right here at the same time."
"The two most high-profile figures?"
Muen was stunned for a moment, then realization dawned on him.
"Ah, so that moron just now was the Kingdom’s Seventeenth Prince? No, wait—if he’s the Seventeenth Prince, then his behavior isn't that hard to understand. I guess he’s barely above being a moron."
Muen rubbed his chin.
Was he trying to scout the enemy?
But... he picked a bad time.
He couldn't possibly think my head is filled with nothing but black stockings and thighs, could he?
"Junior Muen, you really didn't know who he was?"
Seeing Muen’s genuine ignorance, Fanny’s expression turned peculiar, and she couldn't help but chuckle. "He is your 'love rival,' after all. Word is he came specifically to compete with you for the Empress. You should probably pay a bit more attention."
"Haha, I've been a bit busy lately. I really didn't have time to find out what this Milne guy looks like."
Muen laughed along. "As for love rivals... I’d consider it my loss if Celicia even spared him a second glance. So, that guy doesn't really count."
"Calling Her Majesty by her given name so casually..."
Fanny raised an eyebrow, her expression becoming meaningful.
"I remember you used to be the same way with little Liya—I mean, Her Highness the Saintess..."
"Cough, cough-cough!"
Knowing that this topic was dangerous, Muen quickly cut her off with a dry cough and changed the subject.
"By the way, are you alone, Senior Fanny?"
Muen looked around her. "I remember that whenever you're at the academy, you usually have a tail following you..."
"No, of course I'm not alone. There's also..."
"And us, too!"
The bushes beside Fanny began to rustle violently, and three cute little heads covered in leaves suddenly popped out.
"Good morning, Mr. Muen!"
Muen jumped. Even with his heightened senses, he hadn't noticed that there were people hiding in the nearby bushes—three of them, no less.
This level of concealment was terrifying. Who would have thought these three cute little girls were only first-years?
"You guys are..."
After a moment of surprise, Muen’s memory flipped through its pages, and he quickly recalled the names of the three girls.
"It really is you three. The ones who used to cheer for me... Emma, Amy, and Alva, right?"
"I can't believe my idol, Mr. Muen, actually remembers our names! Ah, our lives are complete!"
The Three Little Ones clutched their flushed cheeks, looking so excited they were about to faint.
Fanny gave Muen an apologetic smile, then walked over and delivered a "ruthless iron hammer" punch to each of their heads.
"How many times have I told you? Can you please fix this habit of crawling into bushes?"
"Ouch! Fanny, what are you talking about? This is our hard-earned stealth technique! As paparazzi—wait, no, as loyal fans, how could we not master stealth?" Emma clutched her head and shouted indignantly, "And I'm the Club President!"
"Exactly, exactly!" Amy chimed in. "This is an essential skill, not a habit!"
"That's right! Fanny actually hit the President! That's too much!" Alva joined the protest.
"You, the President, don't seem to do any actual work! And the rest of you—what do you do besides cause trouble?"
The veins on Fanny’s forehead throbbed. She gave each of them another bonk.
It was clear that even though it had only been a few months, her attitude toward these three had become significantly more irritable.
It seemed she had been "tortured" by them quite a bit in her daily life.
"You guys really get along well."
Watching this "harmonious" scene, Muen instinctively wore a gentle, "doting uncle" smile.
The smile brightened his handsome features, and the sunlight accented his expression, causing the Three Little Ones to daze out again.
"Can... can we take another photo?" Emma asked.
"Don't use it for anything weird," Muen warned.
"Don't worry, I'm only going to make a few hundred copies, and then... Ah! It hurts! Damn you, Fanny! Why did you hit me again? If you dare hit me one more time, I'll punish you in the name of the President! Aaaah!"
"Don't listen to their nonsense. They already have more than enough candid photos."
Fanny pulled back her fist and grabbed the excited trio to keep them from running wild. She then bowed apologetically to Muen.
"Sorry. These three haven't seen you in so long, they're a bit over-excited."
"It's fine."
Muen waved it off. "I was just a little startled. The last time we met, they were so shy. But now..."
Muen glanced at the energetic trio. Recalling how bashful they had been when they first met him, it was as if they had evolved from being socially anxious to being social butterflies. Their level of cheerfulness was on a completely different level. Muen was genuinely surprised.
"Hmph, hmph! Nowadays, I have to preach the doctrine to so many believers every day, so of course... mmmph mmmph!"
"Believers? Doctrine?"
Muen looked confusedly at Emma, whose mouth had been clamped shut by Fanny. "What does that mean?"
"Haha, nothing. This little girl has recently started worshipping the Goddess, so she accidentally lets religious talk slip out sometimes." Fanny worked hard to maintain a smiling explanation.
"You don't need to worry about it, Junior Muen."
"Is that so?"
Muen felt like something was off, but he couldn't really press the issue. He could only nod in agreement.
"The Goddess is indeed a good object of faith. Holy Light is very useful."
"Right... Well, we'll take our leave then. Junior Muen, you also need to..."
Fanny gave Muen another peculiar look. "You should probably do some preparation in advance. After all, you have to fight someone today."
"Haha, true..."
Muen scratched his head awkwardly. Even Senior Fanny could see his current state... It seemed Her Majesty the Empress had really put him through the wringer last night.
"Then, goodbye, Junior Muen."
"See you in a bit. You guys too."
"Mmmph! Mmmph!"
"Alright, stop embarrassing yourselves. Let's go."
"Mmmph..."
The voices faded into the distance.
On the path where leaves rustled and sunlight fell in fragments, Fanny dragged the three girls away at a brisk pace, leaving only a faint sense of indignant grief in the air.
Muen watched their retreating backs, suddenly struck by an indescribable feeling.
"So this is what they call 'daily life.' So leisurely and quiet. It’s like I’ve suddenly become an old man; everything has slowed down."
He let out a soft whistle, filled with genuine joy, wishing this moment could last a little longer.
"It’s quite nice."
*
"So this is what they call 'war.'"
At the pre-arranged duel site, Hertz looked up at the bustling crowd of spectators. Thinking of the great feat he and his students were about to accomplish, a fierce fighting spirit suddenly ignited in his chest. Even his hunched back straightened significantly.
"It makes the blood boil, as if I've grown decades younger... It’s quite nice!"