Side: Yuki

"—And that's what happened."

I sank deep into the sofa and let out a long sigh.

『I see. Until the negotiations and information gathering are complete, it's probably best to keep those five Holy Sword Wielders stayed under your custody.』

『Agreed. I could go over there if needed, though...』

The people on the other end of the call were Seraria and Taiki-kun.

I was currently reporting to them that we had arrived safely at the territory of Samantha's father—that is, the Duke—and explaining the situation regarding the Holy Sword Wielders.

"There's no need to push yourselves that far. Rather, I need you two to coordinate with the Academy Headmaster—well, inform her of the situation, gather information on Cleana's country, and prepare so we can move at a moment's notice."

『Understood.』

『Got it. But still, I'm surprised they actually gave up that much information.』

"Well... they were either hopelessly naïve or convinced they'd already won."

『Already won?』

"Yeah. They said that even if they lost, the attacks on Cleana's country, the activation of monsters around the Academy, and the triggering of a massive stampede were all progressing simultaneously. They boasted that even if we defeated them, it wouldn't stop."

『『......』』

Incidentally, as they made that grand victory declaration, the Holy Sword Wielders were in the rather bizarre posture of being held motionless by the scruff of their necks by miniaturized small beasts.

『How should I put it... I almost feel sorry for them. The moment they handed us that information, the game was basically as good as over.』

『They're completely serious, though. Cleana-san's country might still face some danger, but activating the monsters around the academy is impossible for them now.』

"Well, our foundational strength was completely different to begin with, and there's no reason for us to match their pace. If we play along with them, we'd lose. We'll make good use of this information and shut down all of their plans before they can move."

Exactly.

This wasn't some battle manga where you wait for the enemy to make the first move.

Since we already knew what they were planning, we'd crush it before it happened—That's standard practice in any world. If you know a terrorist organization exists, have evidence, and know they're preparing a mass-casualty attack, no country simply waits for them to act.

Sure, in movies and stories, tragedy makes the tale shine—but in the process, ordinary people have their lives ruined. By stopping it here, we minimized the damage to the utmost limit.

This is just a routine public safety operation that won't earn us any special praise, but realistically speaking, it's far better than being heroes and heroines who only shine on top of tragedies like in movies and stories.

『Well, that's true. Our goal isn't to exchange fire and defeat the enemy in a flashy fight, and anyone who complains that this situation is "boring" is practically telling ordinary citizens to go die. Not to mention, it would mean putting our own lives at risk, so spare me that nonsense. Minimize casualties, Avoid war whenever possible—that's every nation's basic policy. War is the number one way to weaken national power, after all. Besides, the Holy Sword wielders' affair was just a side issue for us anyway.』 (Taiki)

『Indeed. We only investigated them in the first place because they seemed closely tied to the cause of the mana depletion; they were never the primary target themselves. Well, we never rated the Holy Sword wielders as that big a threat to begin with, so this worked out conveniently, didn't it? It became one of the reasons we could connect with The Academy and Rhodei.』 (Seraria)

"Sigh... Reality isn't as simple as defeating the enemy and calling it a day, though."

『Right. Cleaning up afterward is the real nightmare. Besides, from the perspective of our Earth nations, the Holy Sword Wielders are basically a terrorist group, so it's not even a proper war. They were only somewhat useful for gaining information on Headmaster Poppuri and his predecessor, and for establishing a line to Rhodei. In fact, for us, the Holy Sword wielders aren't even the final boss.』

Taiki-kun is right.

For us, investigating the cause of the mana depletion on this continent comes first; slugging it out with the Holy Sword Wielders was never the goal.

For now, we were only prioritizing them because they seemed to hold the most information on the mana depletion and possessed the most immediate influence.

...What comes after this is the troublesome part.

Although we've captured the majority of the Holy Sword Wielders, we can't restrict the movements of the nations themselves.

With the large-scale mana gathering magic circle currently active, we absolutely cannot afford to let large-scale conflicts erupt between nations. We don't even know what will happen if too much mana accumulates.

As mentioned before, if a Kaijuu King is born, that might actually be the better outcome... But it wouldn't be strange if a massive explosion involving contamination occurred—something like an accident at a power plant.

Anyone who knows the situation and still wants to take on the Holy Sword Wielders or other nations head-on is beyond an idiot—they're actively suicidal. Therefore, to prevent that, we need to actively build ties with other nations and closely monitor their movements.

That's why our activities on this new continent aren't about physically eliminating enemies, but rather taking action to ensure those enemies don't engage in combat—Basically, political maneuvers.

...Why did I have to spend my time managing political affairs on another world's continent?

『Ever since we got a grasp on the state of this continent, things are getting busy. Truly no time to rest.』 (Seraria)

"Yeah. With the 'no combat' restriction now in place, setting up the dungeons might have been a mistake."

『I wonder about that. The monsters around the Academy still haven't become active, and thanks to the dungeons, we can travel between Jilva, Betan, Enaria, and Lancer Magic Academy almost instantly. I'd say it was the right call.』

『Agreed. Just as Taiki says, you haven't done anything wrong. Hunting in the Academy Region has already begun, and no problems have arisen. Besides, even if a problem does occur, it's not necessarily our fault.』

"If two countries inside the magic formation start fighting, everything could end. And we still don't know exactly where the critical point is..."

Well, it's 400 years' worth of accumulated mana.

If someone triggers an explosion using that mana, it'd be like setting off a powder magazine packed with dynamite.

Mana doesn't chain-detonate easily by nature, but if you connect it with formulas, it becomes a convenient substance you can use freely. If the mana activates in a destructive direction by mistake, it would cause an unimaginable catastrophe.

『Ah, speaking of dungeons, Yuki-san. Shouldn't we at least establish teleportation points in each country? Relying on wyverns every time we head to Rhodei is not just a pain, but leaves us a step behind in emergencies, doesn't it?』

『I agree. Since we've already started thinning out the mana around the Academy, it'd be dangerous if we couldn't regroup immediately whenever something happens.』

"Hmm... I feel the same way. I've been thinking about this as well, and not being able to regroup quickly is indeed too risky. Still, before we do it, we'll strengthen surveillance around the Academy so we're prepared for anything."

『That goes without saying, of course.』

『Indeed.』

"I'll look for a suitable base tomorrow. If I ask the Duke through Poppuri, he'll probably be able to introduce us to a suitable property."

Hearing this, Seraria and Taiki-kun opened their eyes wide and clapped their hands.

『Ah, I almost forgot. Did you talk to the Duke about Samantha?』

『Right! I wanted to ask about that too, Yuki-san! How did it go? Did he challenge you to a "I won't give you my daughter!" duel!?』

"Not yet. After reading about the monster activity from Poppuri's letter, Samantha's father immediately moved to mobilize troops."

『Ara? How impressive. But it's pointless, right? The cause was captured before he could mobilize them, so it's a waste of money, isn't it?』

『Not necessarily. It functions as a public safety operation too, and it's not like monsters are completely absent.』

"Besides, Poppuri already provided funding to cover the operation, so it should be fine."

『Ara? With that much favorable treatment, won't the duke become suspicious? He might think the Headmaster made a mistake and allowed monsters to spill out from around the academy.』

"I doubt it. Samantha said her father was one of Poppuri's former students, right? I don't think he'd make statements that slander the Academy. He also seems to understand how troublesome Poppuri can be."

『Make sense.』

『I see. More importantly—what do you plan to say? Are you going to say, "Please give me your daughter!!"?』

Tch—I couldn't distract them.

"Even if you ask me that, I've actually never had experience with this sort of thing before..."

"WHAT!? What are you talking about when you're surrounded by all those beauties!?"

"No, no—I mean asking for someone's daughter's hand in marriage. I'm used to proposals and confessions, but my wives either came as minders or were slaves I took in. Even if I were to ask for someone's daughter's hand, my social standing is technically higher than theirs, right?"

『Ah, so that's what you mean.』

Right.

None of my marriages involved respectfully asking a father for his daughter's hand.

Some declared themselves my wives on their own, some became my wives before I realized it, and some had to be married for political reasons. In every single case, my position was higher than theirs, and it was they who had requested to become my wives.

Regardless of how they acted, that was the underlying dynamic.

『Ara? Why are you looking at me like that?』

"No, I was just remembering back when you married in, Seraria."

『It was very romantic, wasn't it?』

"......"

You were in cahoots with Labyris and the others back then.

At first, you were only supposed to monitor me.

"So yeah, I have no idea how to go about asking. What's the proper etiquette on this continent anyway? Do I need a betrothal gift or something?"

『...Oh crap. I never brought one when I proposed to Airi.』

Taiki-kun, that's a bad move.

Well, his mind was probably entirely consumed by the greeting itself.

...It can't be helped. Though "it can't be helped" isn't really an excuse here.

『It's fine, Taiki-sama. After Taiki-sama's confession, your subordinates brought various things including the betrothal gifts.』

Good thing his subordinates were competent.

『Ahh, I don't know either. But Samantha didn't mention anything specific, right?』

"I haven't heard anything from her."

『In that case, you can just treat this visit as a formal introduction. You can exchange formal betrothal gifts another day.』

Ah, looking at it that way works too.

Since we'll be meeting multiple times anyway, there's no need to finish everything in one go.

『Well, I understand your anxiety, so since Jessica and Cleana from the new continent are right beside you, why not ask them? It might serve as a good reference.』

True.

They happen to be standing guard right here, so I might as well ask.

"So, do either of you know anything about marriage customs?"

First, I turned to ask Jessica, who served as a knight in Jilva.

Well, she's still a Jilva knight, but she's already part of the Weed faction now.

"...I'm sorry. I've attended weddings before, but only as a guest. I've never actually prepared for marriage myself."

"Hm? Don't you have stories about how acquaintances got married?

"I've heard plenty. But they were all commoners. Usually, one person simply says, ‘Will you marry me?' and the other says yes. Betrothal gifts are a noble custom. Ordinary commoners don't have that kind of financial leeway. They handle their own affairs themselves. There might be a modest meal, though..."

"That feels a bit different from our situation, doesn't it?"

"Yes. So I'm not quite sure. The only marriage proposal I've ever experienced was yours, Yuki. It made me immensely happy, and everyone celebrated it grandly. As for me, I was completely satisfied."

"I see. If Jessica's happy, that's good. Come to think of it, I didn't have the presence of mind to think about those things at the time... Sorry."

"No, please don't mind it. I'm sufficiently happy."

I guess I'm not all that different from Taiki-kun after all.

With Jessica, I basically just forced my own way of doing things onto her.

"What about you, Cleana? Do you know anything about the customs surrounding weddings or greeting the parents?"

"...Sorry. I don't know."

Well, Cleana was entirely focused on her studies, so it's understandable she wouldn't know.

She probably had zero interest in marriage until now anyway.

"...B-But."

"Hm?"

Uncharacteristically, Cleana's lips were trembling.

Normally she speaks in a monotone, but right now she seems nervous.

"I... want one too."

"Eh?"

"...A wedding... Like Jessica and Seraria had... I-I... want to wear that dress too."

At Cleana's words, everyone present opened their eyes wide in surprise.

『Of course!! All right, Cleana, once we get back, we're taking your measurements for the dress!』

"Indeed. Cleana, what kind of dress would you like?"

"In my opinion, a dress with red accents matching Cleana's hair would look lovely..."

Seraria immediately contacted Narjia-san, while Ria and Jessica pulled out wedding dress brochures from their item boxes to show Clina.

『...Women sure have endless energy, don't they?』

"...You got that right."

Well, it is a wedding dress, a once-in-a-lifetime event, so it shouldn't be treated lightly.

Cleana is a girl, after all.

...In the end, I didn't gain any useful information regarding marriage customs.

Just as I was thinking that, the door to the guest room opened, and Samantha stepped inside.

"Yuki-sama, thank you so much for waiting. Would you be willing to meet with my father now?"

Ah. The main event has arrived....

『Ara? Make sure to give a proper greeting, okay?』

『This is your time to shine as a man, Yuki-san.』

Damn it, easy for you guys to say as bystanders.

"It's fine. So, where do I need to go?"

There wasn't exactly an option to refuse.

"Um... Father is extremely busy because of Headmaster Poppuri's letter. He's currently organizing troop mobilization, so he'd like to meet you in his office."

"Understood. Please guide me there."

That explained why I'd been kept waiting.

In any world, paperwork has to be handled before anything can move forward.

It's not as simple as reading an official letter, shouting orders, and calling it a day. In this world, paperwork matters.

...More importantly, how did Samantha even managed to tell him about me? Surely she hadn't just dragged me here without warning him first, right...?

She probably mentioned me in her letters, but handling paperwork that could affect not just the people but all of Rhodei, and handling her daughter's marriage partner, can't be the same level...

...The more I think about it, the more anxious I get.

This is definitely scarier than fighting...

"Samantha, I know the Duke is busy, but were you able to talk to him about me?"

Better to ask now.

Depending on his mood, I might need to adjust how I approached this.

"Yes. It is a matter of great importance to me, so I properly discussed it with Father."

She really was fearless.

...Oh man, he looks swamped with political work; I really want to say "let's do this another time."

Damn, is this how everyone feels when proposing marriage...?

Despite my inner turmoil, time marched on relentlessly, and before I knew it, Samantha came to a stop in front of a pair of grand doors.

Confirming that I had stopped behind her, Samantha knocked on the door.

"Father. It is Samantha."

Samantha called out, changing her posture, and an immediate response echoed from inside.

"...Samantha, is it? Come in."

What an unbelievably deep, rugged voice.

Judging by the tone, he must be a stern, imposing old man!

"Pardon us."

"Excuse me."

Following Samantha, I stepped inside.

Inside the office stood a massive executive desk placed near the window, with a reception table and sofa set arranged in front of it. Books were tightly packed along both side walls.

It was, in every sense, a textbook nobleman's office—It looked almost identical to the offices Seraria and Rurua had set up.

My own office consists of nothing more than a system desk with a computer and papers—completely devoid of decoration.

More importantly.... The real issue was Samantha's father.

If I had to describe him in a single phrase: a Kaiser mustache.

Yes, a magnificent Kaiser mustache.

He stood around 180 cm tall, sharing the same blonde hair as Samantha, though his was cut short, giving him an athletic appearance.

For someone with a daughter Samantha's age, he looked remarkably youthful. While clearly matured, there was zero sense of physical decline. He possessed a physique that looked ready to sprint into action at any moment.

To put it simply, he was a handsome, mature gentleman fit for an exclamation of admiration.

"...Samantha. Is he the 'fine gentleman' you spoke of?"

"Yes. He is the person worthy of receiving my devotion for the rest of my life."

Samantha spoke with a smile, but her father observed me meticulously from head to toe, scanning up and down.

The intense sharpness in his gaze made me feel exceedingly uncomfortable... Are these the eyes of a parent scrutinizing whether a man is worthy of being entrusted with his daughter?

"...Forgive my rudeness. I express my gratitude for escorting my daughter safely on her journey. I apologize for the delayed greeting, but I am Samantha's father, Rosso Sui Hughes."

"Not at all. Thank you for taking the time to meet me amidst your busy schedule."

Phew, thank goodness he isn't the "I won't give you my daughter, bastard!" type.

If he approaches this normally, I can proceed with peace of mind... If he had challenged me to a duel, I wouldn't have known what to do.

Should I throw the fight to save her father's face, or show my true strength and claim a decisive victory?

"......"

"......"

Silence fell between Duke Hughes and me as we stood there.

"U-Um? Both of you?"

Samantha voiced her confusion breaking the quiet.

Immediately, a butler—who looked every bit like a classic "Sebastian"—attending at Duke Hughes's side leaned down and whispered into Samantha's ear.

"MIlady, the conversation cannot begin unless you introduce him first."

"Ah, m-my apologies! This gentleman is Yuki-sama, the leader of the mercenary group that escorted us all the way to Rhodei."

"Thank you for the introduction. I am Yuki, leader of the mercenary group. Currently, like Samantha, I am a student working hard on magic studies at the Academy. I have come here today to ask for your permission regarding my relationship with Samantha."

Rather than trembling in anxiety, I'll just say it outright and get it over with.

Once the momentum is built, the rest will flow naturally.

Now, how will her father-san react?

"...Strictly speaking, we are the ones in a position to request this. A connection to Jilva and Enaria is something we deeply desire. If such a connection can be secured through someone like Samantha, I have no reason to refuse."

...Did he just declare his daughter a mere political tool right in front of her?

Isn't that a problem long before we even discuss giving permission?

Samantha herself looked shocked, her eyes welling up with tears.

I need to step in and handle this carefully.

"Pardon me, but that line of thinking is incorrect."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I want Samantha. As my partner for life, status and political advantages are strictly secondary. Please do not assume that bringing tears to Samantha's eyes will net you what you want. Do not think of her as 'someone like Samantha'—understand that it is only because it is Samantha that I am here."

I stated firmly, locking eyes with her father.

"Do you truly hold my daughter in such high regard? If you wish, I could even arrange a marriage interview with the Rhodei royal family for you, you know?"

"Samantha is the one I want. I ask that you understand this."

As if I'd voluntarily involve myself with royalty.

That would guaranteed drag me into a mountain of troublesome affairs.

"......Sigh."

After a brief pause, her father let out a breath, smiled warmly, and spoke.

"What a relief, Samantha. It seems he is a gentleman who sees you for who you truly are."

"Y-Yes! Yuki-sama is the absolute finest husband, who evaluates me properly!"

I see. So her father said that on purpose for Samantha's sake.

Samantha was already replying through tears, her eyes bright red.

"...As you can see, she is an ignorant, unruly daughter, but please take good care of her."

"No, it was precisely because of her foolishly honest nature that I was able to meet her."

...Though it began with her throwing us out of the academy.

Back then, my intention was to use her as a disposable pawn to gain an upper hand against the Academy.

To be completely honest, I had no intention of getting deeply involved.

"Still, to think you are the man from that 'recording'... Truly worthy of being called the Hero of Enaria. Not only that, but even Headmaster Poppuri dances in the palm of your hand. Frankly, I'd happily marry my eldest daughter to you as well if it meant strengthening our ties."

"Eh? Recording? Hero of Enaria?"

"Hm? I was shown the scene of your proposal to Samantha. And regarding the 'Hero of Enaria' title, it's understandable that you might not know. The incident in Enaria was caused by Rhodei's war faction acting independently. Had your group not stopped them, Enaria and Rhodei might already be at war. Because of your actions, every major noble in Rhodei knows who you are—your origins, your wives' abilities, the strength of your mercenary company. Thanks to that, we also uncovered the warmongers within our own nation. Allow me to express my deepest gratitude."

Saying this, her father bowed his head deeply.

Ah, so that's how it is... By resolving the incident in Enaria, I had indirectly settled Rhodei's internal problems as well.

In that case, the pro-reconciliation nobles of Rhodei would naturally jump at any chance to establish a connection with us. It was a perfect opportunity for them as well.

"Wait, setting that aside! What do you mean by 'recording'!? ...You saw the proposal scene?"

Exactly!

The political motives of various nations don't matter right now!

What matters right now is her father's statement about watching my proposal scene!

What on earth does that mean!?

"Eh? Well, it was recorded using this... 'camera', was it called? It is a wonderful device capable of capturing the scenery of that moment. I would love to introduce it to our country... Ah, wait, no. Is it this button?"

Her father pulled out a handycam—a video camera—from somewhere and was asking Samantha how to operate it.

"Yes, Father. That one is the start button."

With Samantha's confirmation, that video began to play.

Yes, the very scene where I confessed to Samantha.

A painfully familiar sight.

I had called her out to the Academy's courtyard, and the two of us were facing each other.

『Um, I heard you called for me?』

『Yeah, there's something I wanted to talk to you about.』

『Something to talk about?』

『Ah—first off, let me say that it's completely fine if you reject me. It won't ruin our relationship or anything.』

『?』

...Past me, why are you being so roundabout!?

Or rather, stop broadcasting my embarrassing black-history moment to the world!!

However, my body refused to move to stop it.

And for good reason—before I knew it, Samantha had wrapped her arms around me from behind.

Damn it, pulling away by force would be easy, but now that her parents have acknowledged her as my wife, there's no way I can treat her like that.

『Haa... Samantha, will you marry me? ...I won't lie. There are practical reasons and political motives behind this proposal.』

『Eh?』

Samantha looked delighted for a split second—only for her expression to immediately fall.

Well, yeah, because I literally said I needed her for my own ends.

You idiot!! Pick your words more carefully!!

Helpless against my past self, the video continued to play. Yes, that footage was already a thing of the past.

『But if you'll allow it, I hope we can grow to love each other from here on. No couple starts out perfect, and I hope the two of us can work together to build a family that anyone would envy... Well, hearing this from a guy who already has other wives probably sounds absurd, though.』

You ruined it completely, past me!!

And after that completely ruined confession, Samantha, with tears streaming down her face—

"...happy."

She mumbled something, hugged me more tightly, and the video ended.

"""......"""

Silence reigned over the office.

Just kill me already!!

Where? Where in that confession was there anything worth praising!?

And where in the world did Samantha find a reason to accept my proposal from that!?

No matter how much Seraria and the others pulled strings behind the scenes, that should have ruined everything!!

"Iya~ what a magnificent proposal."

"Ehh, Which part!?"

I blurted out a knee-jerk retort to her father.

However, her father simply smiled with a satisfied expression and answered smoothly.

"All of it. In marriages between nobles, love is hardly something one can expect. Mutual exploitation is the norm. People marry simply for the mutual benefit of their parents. Yet, despite knowing this, most marriage proposals are nothing but hollow declarations of 'I love you' masked behind fake smiles—devoid of true heart. But Yuki-dono was different. You faced her prepared to incur her resentment, risking insult by admitting there were benefits and calculations involved, yet within that honesty, you spoke of finding love together. Could there possibly be a statement that shows greater consideration and respect for the other party?"

Eeehhh?

So you're saying my honesty was what made it good?

"Truth be told, my marriage with my wife was a political one as well. We lined up shallow, plated words without any real heart behind them, leaving only the formal shape of marriage, spending days merely sharing a bed for a while."

That sounds miserable...

When neither side wanted it, sharing a bed must have been nothing but awkwardness.

"However, it was only after our son was born that my wife and I truly came to love each other. It was indeed a political marriage, but I was deeply moved by the sight of my wife desperately giving birth to my child. I felt sorry for being such a husband. It was late, but I asked if she would live life together with me, if she would support me by my side. Finally, I came to love my wife, motives and calculations included. Well, thanks to that, we have four children, including Samantha. My wife even tells me that my nights are too intense and that I should get a mistress."

Her father scratched his head with an embarrassed laugh.

As we were talking, the door to the administrative office opened, and a beautiful woman who looked like an older version of Samantha stepped out.

"Honestly, speaking such embarrassing things in front of Yuki-dono!! Please forgive my husband's shamelessness."

"Ah, no. Umm, by husband, you mean..."

"Yes. I am Viyu Hughes, the Duchess of Hughes... Please take care of Samantha."

Viyu-san said so and immediately bowed her head.

But treating a beauty like this as bed-only... Noble marriages must be even more twisted than I thought.

In any case, I need to answer her.

"Yes. I intend to do my best together with Samantha."

"Yuki-sama..."

Samantha starts crying again beside me, overwhelmed with emotion.

However, seeing that, Viyu-san immediately raised her head and glared at her daughter.

"What do you mean, 'Yuki-sama...'!? This man has proudly spoken on your behalf this entire time, yet all you can do is stand there crying!? A man worthy of marrying into the royal family has chosen you! If you continue behaving like this, you're not worthy of him. I'd oppose this marriage myself. I shall prepare an even better partner for Yuki-dono."

"Mother!? T-That's..."

"Then, as a daughter of House Hughes, give Yuki-dono an answer and attitude worthy of him."

Ah—I kind of understand now.

The vibe of this ducal family.

"Yes! I—Samantha Anne Hughes—vow to support Yuki-sama and live by his side!"

"Louder!!"

"I—Samantha..."

They're the hot-blooded, passionate type.

Like the "Get fired up!!" kind of people.

* * *

After Samantha and Viyu-san's declaration lesson ended—

"By the way, Samantha, I'd like to see that confession one more time. May I?"

"Yes! Of course!"

"Umu. That confession truly is a fine one." the Duke chimed in.

And so, completely ignoring me, my confession screening session began once more.

Geez!! Enough already!!

Hey, butler-san over there, stop them!!

I sent him a desperate gaze, but the butler merely offered me some tea and shook his head side to side.

Just kill me already!!

My desperate wish never came true.

Instead... They ended up watching my confession a grand total of five times.