Sword, Magic and Academic Society

......What kind of joke was that?......

I did hear that she was connected to the Dosperior family, but oh my god, the little sister of the family head? What went on in her head that she decided to marry that no good father of mine?

I was thoroughly floored at the revelation, though Godorfun-sensei's expression didn't even flinch in the slightest.

"Oh goodness, now that's news to me. Is he correct?"

No, why don't you look as if Randy-san just dropped a bombshell news?! And don't ask me that!

Damn, what a barefaced liar! I’ll never believe that he didn't at least have some inkling of this!

He definitely played his cards well...... Most likely he was leaving everything over to my judgement.

Well, I didn't have any reason to stop him, and Randy-san already seemed to have come to a conclusion, so it wasn't like there was a better option out there. He also wasn't giving off an unsettling vibe, and most of all, there wasn't much I was privy to about my mother despite being her son after all.

"......My mother's name is indeed Cecilia, but whether she's your actual little sister or not is something I can't clarify. I did hear from my dad that she was from the Dosperior family but have severed her ties with them due to some reasons. Though my mother has never talked about herself and I also didn't bother asking her. Well, is there any problem?"

"......Hmm. Sure enough, her circumstances are indeed shrouded in some kind of mystery. But as for your question, I swear to you in my name that we have no bad blood between us. And if possible, I would like you to relay a message to her for me— your brother is beyond happy knowing about your survival, Cecilia. A miracle no less. I would not be asking you to take on the obligation of the Dosperior family after you’ve made up your mind, but it would gladden my heart if you can meet this brother of yours. Even a letter will suffice if that's not possible. Yes, that is all."

What's with that lack of animosity? Now I was feeling even more anxious… for different reasons. I mean, I did prepare myself for some unpalatable power play to roll out.

As if he had seen through my heart, Randy-san had another bitter smile on his face.

"Let me guess, you must be thinking 'is that all'? That maybe you expected a more grimy, nasty familial feud that's typical of noble society, and that maybe it's going to be another sick situation, right?"

I nodded in awkwardness.

"You would have to appreciate the effort of your mother and Sir Godorfun for this. They had been protecting you all this time for sure. And now, your presence has reached the point where neither me nor any prominent noble could lay their hand on you easily.

Dosperior would have pulled some tricks and played some dirty moves to bring you into our faction should we come to know about your existence even just a bit earlier. At the end of the day, you're just the third son of a rural viscount family. There's no lack of the string we can pull without anyone in our way. Even if it's not something I wish for, it's impossible to ignore the situation as a major power and I wouldn't have been able to stop it from happening either.

However, you have leaped too high in a short period of time. His Majesty has personally asked to meet you, and along with the happening of the Rising Star Cup, any tricks would have been impossible at this point. It's no wonder you're His Majesty's right hand, Sir Godorfun. Is everything in the name of the promise you made with your close friend, and my father, Vardi?"

Randy-san looked at Godorfun-sensei with a slightly reproachful glare, who just muttered 'What might you be talking about?' while maintaining his iron mask.

Seeing that, Randy-san exhaled saying 'There's no winning against you' and tugged me into a hug.

"We, Dosperior, have been preserving our bloodline to maintain the absolute mana manipulation talent that runs in our blood. Perhaps because of that, we haven't been blessed with a lot of kids. Even if we don't talk about that, our blood is also prone to suffer from mana collapse, an incurable illness where the afflicted can't live past the age of 17.

It's really a miracle that my adorable sister has managed to subvert the tragedy and grow up to be a capable adult, much less to see my first nephew as well. This brother's truly glad for her. It's a pity that I can't claim you to be a member of the Marquis Dosperior force due to the power balance running in this kingdom, but I should be able to support you from the shadows."

......Huh, was mom about to die from a disease? I’ve never heard about her having a frail body......

Besides, his backing was unnecessary for me, though I couldn't say it out loud seeing how Randy-san's eyes were tearing up like a doting relative looking at his long-lost family member.

"Thank you very much. I’ll send a letter to my mother."

Knock-Knock

I just said that when the door was opened after a series of knocks and a man in his 20s walked in. His eyes, too, bore the same resemblance as mom and Commander Randy.

"It's Eddy. His Majesty is ready for the audience... father? So it's just as we guessed......"

A second later, a man in his 50s walked in after him while draped in a gold-embroidered wine-red velvet mantle as if it was just another piece of clothing for him.

He was the 58th kind of the Yuglia Kingdom— Patrick Arthur Yuglia.

◆◆◆

After Eddy-san, Captain Randy's aide, left the room, His Majesty broke into a hearty laughter.

"Gahahaha! Imagine my surprise walking up to a scene of Randy hugging Allen Rovenne while crying... So that's the circumstance, I see. I guess it's my fault to disrupt the emotional reunion. I can wait for a while longer in the corridor if that will suffice."

His Majesty Patrick pointed at the corridor with a jovial expression.

Heh, he's quite a candid king......

Maybe I was paying a bit too much attention to the details to hide my nervousness, but that just broke my image of him.

"I-I’d be damned for that! It's deplorable of me to insert my personal business while on duty. This deserves punishment."

As Randy-san lowered his head, His Majesty Patrick waved his hand.

"Come now, pardon me from such boorish dealings. Your earnestness is your charm, but also your weakness. Besides, this person is present here as well, granting a punishment would bring nothing but further troublesome buzz should it leave these walls.

Anyway, Randy. If this person has indeed inherited the blood of your Dosperior family, then you must have assessed his caliber as the family head, right? How would you describe him?"

Eh, you're asking that? Please, the match has already become a black history for me, so it would be great if you could talk about it in my absence...... I only feel depressed about the victory, nothing more.

"......His talent definitely doesn't lose to our family members, and no one would be able to lift their fingers in doubt at the authenticity of our claim should we announce him as one of us. Well, it's what I would expect from my prodigious sister. Where his ceiling lies is something I couldn't determine yet, however—"

Randy-san took a short pause while pursuing his lips, as if he found it hard to convey the next words, and continued.

"I can sense the visage of Aeolus-sama, whom we Dosperior has been waiting for generations, in him."

The name that followed dumbfounded not only me, but even His Majesty and Sensei.

Aeolus— he was extolled as the legendary emperor for unifying the whole continent in the far past. In fact, he was the only figure to achieve that feat in the annals of history.

But how in the world did flipping a skirt with wind bring the name of that legendary emperor on the table...?

His Majesty flashed a faint troubled expression, then shifted his gaze to me and dropped another flabbergasting statement.

"I see. So, Allen Rovenne. Does thyself feel a yearning for the throne of this kingdom?"

......Would they allow me to leave if I excused myself here?

I swiftly denied the possibility of his ridiculous question in a split second.

"N-Never in my life! I would really implore His Majesty to refrain from such jokes as they're bad for my heart!"

I mean, there might just be four people here — me, Godorfun-sensei, Captain Randy, and His Majesty — but those words were not something that should come out of the King even as a joke.

However, resting his crystal-clear blue eyes upon me, His Majesty asked back in response to my statement with a curious face.

"Why do you say so? Dragoon clearly favors you, and I heard that you're also good friends with Zatsinger and Levarance. Now you also have the support of the Dosperior. It shouldn't be that difficult for a being of your caliber to reach for the throne if you can utilize these cards of yours well, no?

Well, aside from the extreme aspect like a coup, you have more than enough worth to be adopted into the Yuglia family with talent comparable to 'God's Eye' Aeolus. If anything, if you are ready to lead this nation, and if you're more than worthy of it, I shall hand over the throne myself without any hesitation, gleefully too.

So I will ask you again, Allen Rovenne. Do you have any interest in the throne, and the backbone to become the king?"

I demand but a simple answer without deceit or falsehood. I felt his crystal clear eyes were conveying that.

One wouldn't have been able to guess he was the same person laughing so jovially like an amicable uncle a moment ago from his current dignified expression. Or maybe, that was who he was, the 'King' of this country bearing an obligation to bring prosperity on his back.

I took a deep breath and expressed myself in a clear-cut fashion. It was past the point to care about wordings or anything like that.

"I have no interest in the throne. I have no interest in becoming someone big. I only want to charge head first into the things I’m interested in and walk freely wherever I want. This is all that I want from life, and my conviction will never change. Leading the nation isn't a joke, so pardon me for being unreliable."

Even when I declared my intent, His Majesty kept his gaze on me.

But that line was absolute for me, and I, too, stared back into his eyes.

It should have been around 5 seconds since our stare-off when he finally dispersed his dignified expression and returned to his amicable vibe.

"......Pfft. Gahahaha! Uh-huh, so I was turned down. Being able to grasp your own 'way of life' at this age is truly commendable. Indeed, this is more in the line of someone with Aeolus’ caliber!"

Can we drop that comparison, please......

I knew that was all just to test me out, but I’m really serious that this might actually give me a heart attack, for real.

I lost my energy to argue and plopped my head downward.