5
Two years had passed since I started living in this world.
As I turned 14, changes were coming my way.
The biggest change was physical.
My height, which was around 160, had rapidly grown to nearly 180, and my skeletal structure was taking shape.
My appearance was becoming almost identical to Alse from the game I knew.
A mild-mannered, blond young man.
In this world, such appearance was not common, so whenever I went out to survey the territory or Legram where the academy was located, I would attract attention from all around, which was quite embarrassing.
I was not thick-skinned enough to enjoy such gazes.
But then, something unexpected happened.
One morning, my father told me,
“Alse, you have a marriage proposal.”
The dining table fell into silence instantly.
“A marriage proposal!?”
The first to react was my elder brother, Max.
In noble families, it was common for engagements to be arranged around the ages of 13 to 15, but this was usually limited to prominent noble families.
There had never been such a thing happening in the Marquis Izbain family.
Max, who had turned 28 this year, had no suitable marriage proposal.
So, it was natural for Max to be surprised by the marriage proposal directed at me.
“Who is the other party? Which family proposed to marry Alse?”
“It’s from the Viscount Aisbain.”
“If it’s Aisbain, isn’t that where I had put in the proposal! Father, isn’t this a mistake? You must have misunderstood the proposal that came to me!”
“No, they specifically named Alse. Seems like they saw Alse in Legram themselves.”
To put in a proposal just from seeing me.
As I couldn’t follow the conversation and was lost in thought, my mother asked on my behalf.
“But, that’s strange as Max said. If it’s the daughter of the Aisbain Viscount who has no spouse, then it must be Miss Jenison, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Miss Jenison is 26 years old this year. So, it was Max, who is of a similar age, who received the proposal.”
Listening to this, it truly was odd.
“I didn’t misinterpret. I was the one who pointed out Als after asking you not to make an issue out of the age difference first.”
Silence once again filled the dining table. Even my father seemed perplexed.
The other party’s intentions were clear.
They wanted to somehow marry off their aging daughter. In the process, their daughter fell for me, and with my appearance being somewhat agreeable, they intended to marry me off to utilize me in social circles. Having a husband or wife who is significantly younger than oneself is seen as a form of status in high society.
“I wanted to reject it outright, but I have to consider their pride as well.”
The other party was a prestigious Marquis family with a strong influence. It was risky to just brush them off.
“So, Als, will you take a lesson or not?”
“Are you talking about husband lessons?”
“No, it’s not that. I’m suggesting you take a butler lesson.”
“A butler lesson…?”
“I don’t mean for you to actually become a butler. Just try taking that kind of lesson.”
This way, we could automatically make the engagement that had been decided upon seem like it never happened. Even if the woman was an aging lady, it wouldn’t look good for a Marquis’s wife to engage in butler lessons with a young boy.
“Where will it take place?”
“At the Salleon Marquisate. Since you’ll be attending the secondary academy there starting this year, lodging won’t be an issue. If you really don’t want to go, it’s fine, but…”
“No, I’ll go.”
“You’ve made a good decision. But don’t worry too much. It might actually turn out to be a good opportunity. You’ll be able to study at the Salleon Marquisate. They’ll have more books you like there than here.”
The butler lesson that was decided unintentionally.
“I wonder if Als in the game ever took butler lessons.”
Since nothing came up in the game about Als’ boyhood, I couldn’t be sure if this was part of the story.
***
Gran Cell, known as Calipher’s Third City and the City of Silver.
My father explained the city to me like that, cautioning me.
“I’m warning you out of concern. Don’t do anything that might offend the elders. We’re just low-ranking nobles who have come to serve our debt.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good. Let’s go then.”
My father seemed quite tense, his steps rigid.
The Salleon mansion was embarrassingly grand compared to our own.
The size of the attached training grounds was enough to make one gasp, and even the guest house where I would stay was much larger than our own estate.
After walking for a while, we arrived at the grand reception hall where I could meet Altiore Salleon, the Marquis.
He was an old man with a dignified posture and a sharp gaze. According to my father, he was a general who had made a name for himself on the continent during his active duty.
“First, let me introduce myself. I am Als Chasing Irain. I have been looking forward to meeting Marquis Salleon.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off Altiore.
“This grandfather. He’s quite something.”
Despite his old age, his indomitable spirit was evident. Recently, as I started learning martial arts, I began to sense these things.
This grandfather was strong.
“Oh.”
Altiore narrowed his eyes with interest.
“I haven’t seen you before. A young man who can’t take his eyes off me, who isn’t my granddaughter.”
“Excuse me? Um…”
Finally, a girl sat down next to Altior, catching my eye.
I had no other thoughts beyond that.
“Go ahead and greet her. If you truly become a butler, you’ll have to serve this child. It’s best to earn some points in advance. hahahahaha!”
I had no intention of becoming a butler. Well, I should at least greet her.
“I am Als Chasing Iline.”
“I’m Erina Egol Salleon. Just call me Erina.”
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Erina. I look forward to working with you.”
“…”
A scrutinizing gaze directed at me. That gaze was filled with a deep sense of disdain.
“Come to think of it, my father said something like that.”
In this butler training, not only I, but many others came with different intentions.
Simply put, there were noble youths who volunteered for butler training to court the duke’s daughter.
If things went well and they truly made a connection, it would be ideal. Even if not, they could still build connections in high society by impressing the duke’s daughter in advance.
In any case, it wasn’t a losing situation.
That’s why not only nobles with low succession ranks like me, but also those with fairly high ranks came for butler training.
If this girl knew about such intentions, it was only natural for her to send a gaze of disdain.
***
Living in Salleon Duchy this time was fine for me.
Apart from the butler training, I could commute to the secondary academy just a 5-minute walk from Salleon Duchy mansion.
Being able to walk to school a distance that would take a carriage ride at least 2 hours from our estate was a blessing.
“Butler training may not be fun, but… the commuting benefits are far greater.”
Moreover, Granthel, being a metropolis, had plenty of entertainment options.
Currently, due to the butler training, I couldn’t go out, but once the ban was lifted, I planned to explore Granthel.
“-Line. Als Iline! Are you listening?”
“…Ah. Yes, I am listening.”
The academy teacher sighed.
“I understand you’re new to the secondary academy, but please focus.”
“If you felt that way, I apologize. Nevertheless, I was paying attention in class.”
“Is that so? Then, as a cadet, would you explain the war that led to the Treaty of Tuellan?”
“You mean the Battle of Joak? It was a war in Joak in 721 between the Kingdom of Pensilon and the Kingdom of Erebonia. Erebonia suffered a major defeat in this war. As a result, Tuellan, which was under Erebonia’s rule, initiated an independence movement and entered into extensive agreements with other nations. That’s the Treaty of Tuellan.”
“Wrong.”
The academy teacher firmly corrected and gestured to another individual.
“Miss Salleon, would you like to explain instead?”
“Yes.”
The girl who was pointed at lightly corrected.
“The Battle of Joak took place in 724. Furthermore, Tuellan entered into the Treaty of Tuellan not for independence, but to merge with the Pensilon Empire and form a friendly alliance.”
“Correct. Let’s give a round of applause to Miss Salleon.”
Clap clap clap! Applause and murmurs filled the room. Truly a gem of Granthel. The treasure of Salleon.
Well, that was none of my business.
I decided to at least correct the misinformation.
“Will it be alright for a moment?”
“What is it, Ilaine. It’s okay even if I didn’t answer correctly. It was a good enough response even if it was wrong. You can sit.”
“No, the mistake wasn’t mine, it was on the other side. Seeing them speak so confidently makes me feel a bit sorry… but… a mistake is a mistake. The Battle of Joak ended in 721.”
The Academy teacher furrowed his brow.
“What are you talking about? As Saléon stated, the Battle of Joak took place in 724. The war in 721 was the Battle of Decan Plain.”
“Yes, and that Decan Plain was part of Joak at the time. The division of territories happened in 729 when the Empire of Pensilon was established. So, strictly speaking, the Battle of Joak started in 721, right?”
“Uh….”
Now it was the teacher who was flustered.
Perhaps due to being an economics teacher, he wasn’t familiar with the details.
“Moreover, you can tell that Tuelang wanted independence from the subsequent events. After the treaty, they organized independence forces to fight against Pensilon’s army, and in that process, like a joint front, Delten and Erevonia also raised troops to attack Pensilon. The intentions of the side seeking a merger were clearly not there. The eventual victor, Pensilon, wrote in history books that Tuelang’s independence forces were Erevonia’s rebel forces, but the reality was different. Even by looking at the subsequent events, it’s clear. Moreover, the histories of other countries consistently describe Tuelang as seeking independence.”
“That’s…!”
“That could be the case. You probably only referred to the mainstream Pensilon history books.”
“I-I will verify with the future history teacher. Please, have a seat for now.”
“Okay.”
A murmur rose again.
Who is she? Isn’t it natural for a cadet student? She was praised for knowing that part in detail by sheer luck and so on. Unlike the girl who was showered with compliments, she received a harsh evaluation.
And as for the girl who had presented, she stood there dumbfounded, like a duck caught in the rain.
The Academy teacher stepped in to clarify the situation in her place.
“I apologize. It seems I was negligent in my research. Saléon, please have a seat.”
“…Yes.”
The girl bit her lower lip and glared at me for a moment.
Whether others noticed or not.
I was making plans for an outing while idly listening to the boring class.