34
The capital of Calipher, Alpensard.
With the war looming, Duke Helian was moving busily.
“What’s Albad’s status?”
“We are currently gathering information!”
“And what about Beccabia?”
“They seem to be observing the situation for now!”
His expression was uneasy. If only he could, he looked as if he wanted to get rid of everything right away.
A steward approached him and whispered.
“Your Grace, someone is eager to meet you urgently.”
“Ugh, I’m busy now! Tell them to come back later!”
“They mentioned… meeting them will allow them to see you. Do you have an idea who it might be?”
“…!”
Thud! Helian threw the stack of documents he had in his hand.
“Let them in. And take a break for a while, have everyone else clear out.”
“Understood.”
Alse’s expression as he entered his office also looked very bitter.
Alse spoke abruptly.
“I never knew you all could be this foolish. A war with Albad? Are you joking?”
Helian dropped his head.
“I have no words even if I had a hundred mouths. I never expected things to turn out like this.”
“Hmm. It seems the situation progressed without your consent, Your Grace.”
“Yeah. It was quite a complicated situation.”
The background of this war lay in the power struggle within Calipher.
The factions divided between Salleon and Helian. Although the two factions had reconciled, they were still keeping each other in check behind the scenes.
“After the Poldic Battle and the Three Lords’ War, the importance of the military has increased, as you are well aware.”
“Of course.”
“Our faction had far more influence over the military. Salleon’s faction was just stepping lightly.”
The Salleon faction wanted to increase their influence over the military. By doing so, they could naturally strip away Helian’s faction’s power.
“It’s not easy to pull off such a move all of a sudden. But there’s one thing, a new variable.”
“A variable?”
“One of our factions with influence over the military. Marquis Milias attached himself to the Salleon faction.”
“…!”
Marquis Milias, who outmaneuvered the Helian faction.
“Surely not.”
“Yeah. It must have been the incident at the party with you that triggered it. That foolish fellow. Well, I could understand that much… But the real problem is that they, who gained control over a part of the military authority, incited the king to start a war. Those fools! They must not have known the price to pay if they were to lose!”
“They must have thought they could win. The objective situation is clearly favorable.”
“Damn it!”
Duke Helian couldn’t hide his anger.
Alse shrugged his shoulders.
“If the conditions are right, I might lend you my strength. This is not something that happens often, right?”
“Thank you, but there’s no place for you in this war.”
Due to special circumstances, Caliper’s army was divided into three: 40,000 troops from the Helian faction, 30,000 from the Salion faction, and 10,000 directly under the royal family. A total of 80,000 troops.
“Our army is under Dugnan’s command. Your presence would only bring confusion. Besides, in the Salion faction… Wade is said to take the lead.”
“Me? That’s unexpected.”
“Not you. Casper Milius. The one impersonating you.”
“hahahaha! That’s truly surprising. Giving him the lead?”
“He’ll probably change his name. After victory, he’ll claim he wasn’t Wade. Others will call him that. It’s a way to cover up his deeds, using Wade’s name to gain credit.”
“Quite clever. But can he really build up such a record? Not to speak ill, but Casper’s skills are mediocre.”
“Mediocre… You seem to highly regard him?”
“He’s known as a prodigy. Among his peers, he stands out.”
“A prodigy among his peers. It’s amusing how you put it. Well, it seems they have their ways regarding that. Leaving Casper as a decoy while the strategists of the Salion faction plan the war.”
“And the royal family’s troops?”
“Prince Avilan will lead them. They’ll handle supplies from the rear, so their role is minor.”
A war sparked by political issues within the Caliper Kingdom.
Alse nodded, acknowledging there was no room for him to intervene.
“I hope for victory. May no sparks reach even a noble like me.”
“I share that hope. But if things take a turn… “
“We’ll talk about it then. Your Grace.”
“Indeed, let’s hope that conversation never comes.”
Alse left the study.
The Helian Duke sighed deeply before busying himself with work once again.
* * *
Since there was no room for intervention, all I could do was watch the war unfold.
Usually, during major wars, even cadets were called up, but this war mainly involved noble soldiers, so cadets were not summoned.
I returned to the academy, hoping for the best.
After just two days, chaos had erupted at the Rainfall Academy where I had returned.
“Monster!”
“hahahaha! Take that, you vile creature!”
Trash flying towards Estelle. She just stared at her desk, enduring it.
‘Kids will be kids.’
I was bitter inside, but there was nothing to be done. Children’s psychology was all quite similar.
No matter how many times you tell children to mature, it doesn’t always sink in.
Yet, what truly fueled my anger was for a different reason.
“You, too, get lost!”
“What do you know about nobility! Slaves like you belong together!”
Yumir, who was assisting Estelle, was also being targeted by trash.
I felt like my sanity was slipping away in an instant.
Yumir was someone more precious to me than anything else. Especially after learning the hidden truth about Als, that feeling only grew stronger.
Yumir remained indifferent, whether or not things happened, but I couldn’t stand it.
“Hey, what are you doing right now?”
“Huh!?”
I grabbed the arm of the guy throwing the trash and kicked him, sending him flying.
Thud! The guy tumbled on the ground.
“Who do you think you are!”
Although a big guy came charging at me with his face turning red, he had no chance against me.
I dodged his reckless punch and kneed him in the solar plexus. Then, I grabbed his collapsing body and threw him away.
“Didn’t I say I’m a cadet? If you knew and still dared to pick a fight, that’s bold of you. Or should I say, stupid.”
“Gah! Ugh!”
“Stop this despicable behavior now. If you don’t want to see worse next time.”
“Do you… Do you know who I am?”
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“Who are you? Are you a prince or something?”
“What…?”
“If not, then keep your mouth shut.”
The classroom fell into silence. The students who had been throwing trash together wore puzzled expressions.
Sitting down, I let out a sigh.
“I acted out of character.”
It was a behavior befitting of Eo Niana. Yumir seemed to know that too, sending me a reproachful look not to do it again.
Whenever Estelle was mentioned, he had been giving me the stink eye since I beat him up.
“Lord Als…! You don’t have to do this for someone like me!”
“Pardon?”
Can he see it that way? We’re strangers now, Yumir and I.
“Oh… I see. I must have lost my temper unknowingly. I’ll be careful next time.”
However, whether this show of force had an effect or not, those who used to throw trash at Estelle or Yumir no longer dared to.
In addition, Estelle started actively engaging in conversation with me. It seemed he was gradually coming to believe that I truly didn’t care about appearances.
A guy from the Crossing who had taken a beating from me was glaring at us, but… Even if he had some backup, he posed no threat to me.
Since that incident, Estelle and I naturally started spending more time together, to the point where the term “pair” almost slipped out.
It wasn’t a bad situation for me.
I could also provide mental support for Estelle, and thanks to her sticking around, I was spared the nagging from other troublesome girls.
I had become immune to the stench emanating from Estelle.
“Are you… alright?”
During lunch together, Estelle asked cautiously.
“What do you mean?”
When I looked around, pretending not to understand, Estelle spoke with effort.
“That’s… because of my… scent… does it not upset your stomach?”
“Oh, if that’s the case, it’s fine. You said you don’t mind in the first place. And it’s not your scent, it’s due to illness, isn’t it? Estelle’s scent will surely be fragrant.”
“Uh…! Yes, yes….”
Above all, recently, meal times had become enjoyable, and the tension had risen.
It was because Eonia had taken over responsibility for my meals since Yumir went to Estelle.
Eo seemed to have a style of only making foods I liked, so unlike Yumir, who forcibly included healthy foods, the meals were splendid.
Yumir frowned upon seeing my lunchbox filled with meat and all sorts of stimulating sauces.
Unable to bear it any longer, she said to me, “Iline. How about trying a balanced diet?”
“What do you mean? It’s like you know about my meal preferences, just like you’re talking about Remi.”
When I retorted, Yumir, unusually, put on a stern expression.
“Hmm~ I wonder what delicious thing I should ask Eo to make tomorrow.”
“Uh…!”
Yumir, unable to decide, just rolled her feet.
At that moment, as if determined, Estelle spoke up.
“Why… does Lord Alce treat me so well?”
“Do you need a separate reason?”
“Yes, otherwise, I cannot understand. Lord Alce, unlike me, is admired by many, so I can understand. How others look at you. It’s okay not to care about someone like me.”
“hahahaha… that’s all meaningless. It’s like looking at a well-made doll.”
Anyway, Estelle seemed to want a reason. She couldn’t just understand with sympathy alone.
Although there was a reason as she thought, I decided to beat around the bush since I couldn’t reveal it.
“It’s an investment for the future.”
“What?”
“If you become a great beauty when you get sick, then naturally, I gain a connection with a beauty.”
“Huh, what’s that.”
She seemed to understand that I was beating around the bush, and she chuckled without finding it unpleasant.
“Then, for Lord Alce’s sake, I should hurry up.”
Estelle showed a positive attitude towards treatment.
It seemed like the mental care was fitting well.
“Was there some clue about the illness? You look good.”
“Yes, recently I found out the cause of my illness. It seems like I found someone who knows about the medication.”
Eo had found someone related to the Kurabel Empire.
‘Was she called the Empress of the Kurabel Empire?’
She was said to be someone like Eo’s mother, essentially leading the Kurabel Empire.
The meeting with her was scheduled in the near future.
“That’s good. Don’t treat me like a stranger when I recover and become beautiful, okay?”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
That’s how it was around the end of lunch.
“Hey! That guy over there!”
A group approaching, pointing towards me.
It was the guy who had beaten me up last time. His name was probably Hubert.
Next to him was a sharp-eyed man, as if he had brought along an acquaintance.
Judging by his attire, he seemed more like an active-duty officer in Crossing than an academy student.
“So, you’re Iline. Yes, you hit my brother.”
“And?”
“My brother must have done something stupid, so I understand why you got mad. But throwing the first punch means you did something just as stupid. Do you understand that?”
Who would have thought he’d come back with such a petty retaliation?
Feeling no worth in engaging, I signaled Yumir to chase him away, but…
“What do you mean by that? I don’t quite understand.”
Yumir said that and turned his gaze calmly.
Yumir was acting adorable! He seemed to be making a cute protest about something related to side dishes a while ago.
“hahahahaha!”
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. They seemed to take it as mockery over there and narrowed their eyes.
At least they seemed to have some sense of reason. If a Crossing military officer randomly picked on a Caliper Academy student, it would cause a commotion.
“Tsk, words won’t work, huh? You, a cadet, right? Fine. I’ll personally handle you at the upcoming cadet joint training. There’s no malice. Just, if you like throwing punches so much, feel free to use them as you wish.”
“Well, then I guess I’ll have to skip the academy that day.”
“What?”
“When was that again…”
“You little…”
Although the opponent came out politely, it was ultimately unreasonable. If he wanted to discipline someone, he should have been stricter with my brother, not me.
Then Hubert spoke as if he had been waiting.
“Then do that? If you’re not there, those two over there will have some business. Pffhahahaha!”
“…Hey. Don’t cross the line.”
“Ugh! Come on, bring it on!”
“Fine. Okay. I’ll go to that joint training or whatever. Is that settled?”
“Hah, hah! Alright, be prepared, Iline!”
Unlike the spirited Hubert, the brother seemed troubled. Seeing this, I realized where the right and wrong lay.
“I think I’ve been listening to my brother too much. I’ve given him a proper scolding about this guy. Still, make sure to participate in the training. It will surely be a good experience for you too.”
As they left, Estelle grabbed my arm with a desperate expression.
“You don’t have to go to the training. If by any chance something happens to Alst because of me…!”
“Huh? Oh, it’s okay. That won’t happen.”
It seemed like Hubert’s brother also understood the situation to some extent. Even if he was sincere, he didn’t have the skill to harm me.
Despite reassuring her several times that everything was fine, Estelle couldn’t seem to relax.