Chapter 36
"Referee! That's a foul, isn't it!?"
"It's something I regularly use, so there's no issue. Hold out for five minutes, Celes."
I wasn't the only one left speechless.
Father, apparently unaware as well, protested to Uncle Ruget with a pale face.
"Then... begin!"
Clicking my tongue at Rick's merciless signal to start, I readied my sword—but I was too late.
"......"
"You're within my attack range."
The moment I heard the sound of slicing wind, a blade appeared before my eyes, and I instinctively raised my arm.
Gritting... came the sound of blades grinding against each other.
I wanted to parry it, but it was too heavy, and my body gradually started to sink.
I can't win in a contest of strength...
"What's wrong? Ready to surrender already?"
"Damn it!"
Forcing my way sideways, I charged forward with momentum.
Using that momentum, I aimed a knee strike at Uncle Ruget's stomach, but he used his raised leg as a shield and dodged it.
"......Ugh!"
I immediately leapt back to gain distance, but failed to block the next downward slash, lost my balance, and rolled onto the ground.
His sword swings were so fast I couldn't even blink, and honestly, my arms were already useless.
"Almost five minutes?"
"Two more minutes."
The title of Colonel in the National Army is no joke...
I brushed the dirt off my pants, tossed my sword to the ground, and pulled out my sub-weapon from my waist.
"Heh..."
I snorted at Uncle Ruget, who looked amused as he watched me, lightly bounced on the spot, then dashed forward without any preparatory movement. I deliberately didn't dodge the sword swinging toward my head, and instead struck his arm mid-swing with the hilt of my dagger.
—Then I threw the dirt I'd been clutching at Uncle Ruget's face.
"......What!?"
I expected him to turn his face away, but he only narrowed his eyes.
I was supposed to use that opening to press the dagger to his neck, but instead, I was easily thrown to the ground and had a sword pointed at me.
"Using your legs... that's cheating."
"Then ban legs next time. Good work, Celestia. Are you hurt?"
"......No, I'm fine."
Ending with a trip and a fall—how pathetic.
"As expected, the winner is Colonel Ruget."
With Rick's quiet declaration of the match's end, the onlookers left words of encouragement for me as they returned to their training.
"Celes!"
As I looked up at the sky with a small groan, Father rushed over and embraced me.
"Are you hurt? Anywhere in pain? ...Ruget!"
"This kind of thing is routine at military school. You signed knowing that, didn't you?"
"But still—"
"Brother. When it comes to Celestia, you should be more cautious."
As I watched Uncle Ruget coldly turn his back, I patted Father's shoulder as he lowered his gaze in contemplation.
"We need to get ready soon or we won't be able to leave before evening."
"......You're right."
"I'll see you off. I still have training, so please go ahead."
"Ah..."
"Father?"
"......I know."
Letting out a sigh at Father's absentmindedness, I took his hand and led him back the way we came.
Father will have dinner early with Grandfather and head to the city in the Tseli Count's territory before it gets dark. If all goes well, they should reach the Count family in about nine days.
In front of the gate was a single carriage bearing the Rotish family crest, with several dozen guards waiting outside the gate. It was a grand sight, befitting a lord's departure.
I was the only one seeing them off.
Grandfather and Uncle Ruget said they could meet anytime if they wanted, which felt a bit cold-hearted.
Somehow, I felt a little lonely... and found myself staring blankly at my feet.
"Celestia."
Called by my full name in a quiet voice rather than a nickname, I hesitantly looked back at Father.
It wasn't the usual Father smiling with softened eyes—it was a blank expression, distant and unapproachable.
"Do you want to break off your engagement with Floyd Armle...?"
It took me several seconds to grasp the meaning of those emotionless, monotonous words.
Has Father been thinking about it ever since Uncle Ruget criticized him...?
I pictured him consulting Grandfather over dinner and gave a wry smile.
To be honest, I'd been waiting for him to ask.
"An engagement before adulthood is considered provisional and can be dissolved. If you don't want it, we can nullify the engagement."
I slowly shook my head and looked straight up at Father.
A political marriage won't work unless both sides benefit.
When I became a lord, I gained the strong backing of the Marquis family, while Lord Floyd, unable to inherit a peerage, would benefit more from marrying into the Rotish family, which is treated on par with high-ranking nobility, rather than lowering his status by becoming a branch family.
—Besides.
"There was a reason for the early engagement, wasn't there?"
If nothing had happened, they could've just promised and made it official after adulthood.
"Did you hear something from your grandfather?"
"No. But I can guess as much."
"The mining operation near the border is being jointly conducted by the Rotish, Tseli, and Armle families."
"That mine is under a tense standoff between three nations over rights. If we mined it without permission, it could lead to war, couldn't it?"
"We've only touched the part on our side. The increased commotion around the fortress these past few years is because of that. But Slaylan and Dolce are probably doing the same."
"......So that's what the reconnaissance team reported?"
I raised my hand to prompt Father, who nodded.
"The mining is under the King's orders. To proceed smoothly, the families chosen to manage the site are Rotish and Tseli, who oversee the area. And because the current Prime Minister is from the Armle family, they became the third."
"So the excavation is being conducted from Taurus?"
"There's no need to build new facilities, and the city is protected by the National Army. Even though he's retired, both Father and Ruget are here. Plus, the Former Knight Commander will join next year. It's the perfect base, right?"
"Is the Prime Minister acting as a mediator with His Majesty the King?"
"That's part of it, but he's also preventing friction with the high-ranking nobles. We've discovered rare metals in that mine."
"It's that rare?"
"Yes. Without our approval, Father has already started using those metals to make weapons and armor. Since he always reports afterward, the Prime Minister is likely to storm in again soon..."
So that's what Grandfather was angry about yesterday when he mentioned the report...
Father furrowed his brow deeply and continued, "The engagement is related to this matter," making my head throb at the connection.
"If we're going to mine for decades, the families need stronger ties."
"I thought the engagement with the Armle family was just a form of future support..."
"We needed to establish it early to avoid proposals from other families."
"The Tseli family doesn't have any sons close to my age..."
If high-ranking nobles targeted the mine, they'd aim for me, the Rotish family's heir, rather than Lord Floyd, the Armle family's second son.
If we kept rejecting proposals, it would eventually cause friction. That's why they nipped it in the bud by arranging an early, even if provisional, engagement.
"So I never had a choice from the start, did I?"
"......"
"If I broke off the engagement with Lord Floyd now, would that cause trouble for you, Father?"
"It wouldn't matter."
If someone asked whether I loved Lord Floyd, I wouldn't know how to answer.
I had been captivated a few times by his charming smile... but I probably wouldn't fall in love with him anymore.
Still, it's not like I dislike Lord Floyd.
Now that I know this engagement is political, I'm not childish enough to throw a tantrum.
"The whole thing with Lord Floyd was your and Marquis Armle's mistake to begin with. Maybe I was also at fault for being vague at first, though."
"......"
"Please continue the engagement as it is. However, if Lord Floyd says through his family that he wants to dissolve the provisional engagement, please accept it."
"Celes......"
It's okay. I'm walking a different path than the one Mirabel foresaw.
"......Could you give this to Lord Floyd?"
I took out the letter I wrote last night and handed it to Father.
Without even facing Lord Floyd, my fiancé, I had told him we were over and ran away.
The next time I'd see him and speak face-to-face would be at next year's music festival.
So, before that.
"I wrote in the letter that I would be entering the military school instead of the academy. Lord Floyd may have already heard it from Marquis Armle, but I thought I should inform him myself, just in case."
"I'll have it delivered as soon as I return to the territory."
I didn't write any words of apology in the letter.
I was at fault too, but so was Lord Floyd.
We should apologize to each other face-to-face.
I watched the carriage leave through the gate, then turned toward the training ground to reset my mood.