Chapter 147

His mouth was dry, and cold sweat broke out on his palms. Trying his best not to show his nervousness, Reynard looked at the four men sitting in front of him.

Marquis Carthia and Yurina’s three older brothers. He usually wasn’t nervous whether the other party was a nobleman whom people couldn’t properly look at, or a knight who was considered one of the best in the empire.

But just the fact that they were Yurina’s family made him tense.

Yurina had volunteered to come along, but she couldn’t muster the courage to follow after the words of Marquis Carthia asking her to wait in the room. Even if it weren’t for the Marquis, Reynard would have sent her back.

“This is my job.”

He didn’t propose without being prepared for this much.

The twins, Edwin and Justin, glared at him as if they were ready to kill him any moment, but they didn’t say anything. It was thanks to Yurina’s persuasion.

Of course, it’s not to say that they fully accepted him, but not opposing him was a start.

The real problem was the remaining two.

Marquis Carthia, scrutinizing Reynard with a stern face, and Riggs Carthia, sitting with an inscrutable expression.

“It’ll be harder to persuade brother Riggs than father.”

Before Reynard went into the drawing room, Yurina whispered quietly into his ear.

“There are many times when I don’t even know what brother Riggs is thinking. And once he gets angry, he’s scary. That’s why the little brothers try not to provoke Riggs brother’s temper.”

Upon seeing it, it certainly seemed to be the case.

Reynard, with his fists clenched, was about to speak about the marriage. But Riggs, who had been silent with an emotionless face, spoke first.

“Do we need to hear the story, father?”

Then he rose from his seat and bowed to the Marquis.

“I’ll excuse myself first.”

Reynard blankly watched Riggs leave the reception room with an elegant stride. The twins followed him with excited expressions.

He was rejected before he even started the conversation.

In other words, it wasn’t worth listening to his story.

* * *

Surprisingly, persuading Marquis Carthia wasn’t difficult. Perhaps because the Marchioness had already persuaded him, he calmly listened to Reynard’s words.

The things Reynard toldtThe Marchioness, such as his sincere feelings for Yurina, and his promise to keep her safe no matter what, Marquis Carthia calmly listened and then asked a few questions.

What would he do once he was granted the title, where would he live, those sorts of questions.

“The Crown Prince suggested that I join the Imperial Knights, but I don’t want to. I want to join the academy as a professor and raise the next generation while doing research.”

Reynard had no interest in Curtis’ implied request for him to serve as his escort.

He didn’t want to get entangled in politics with the imperial family, and above all, he didn’t want to face Curtis.

However, as he spoke, he was worried. He was concerned that the Carthia, who had been loyal to the imperial family for generations, might not appreciate his different approach.

Contrary to his worries, Marquis Carthia didn’t seem bothered at all.

“Raising the next generation, huh? Good. The Empire has been feeling the need for magical development. Your skills will be more beneficial to the Empire than joining the Imperial Knights. And there will be no need to get tangled up in unnecessary matters.”

Rather, he seemed to welcome his decision.

“And I plan to set up a mansion in the capital. Even if I receive a fief, most of the time will be spent in the capital, so don’t worry too much.”

After hearing this, Marquis Carthia was silent for a while. After a long silence, he nodded, indicating that he had listened to the story.

That was the end. There was no approval, no disapproval.

Reynard wondered if he should persuade him more actively, but Marchioness Carthia and Yurina reassured him. The Marquis had already given his permission.

So, the only one left was Riggs Carthia.

But he wasn’t an easy opponent. He was against their marriage to the extent that he refused to listen to their story.

If he had fussed and raged like Edwin and Justin, it would have been easier to persuade him. But how could he persuade him when he wouldn’t even give him a chance to talk?

Reynard visited Riggs several times after that day, but he avoided him for various reasons.

He even considered sending a gift that he might like, but Yurina opposed.

“He might think it’s a bribe. Then he’ll be more opposed.”

Then what should he do? After a few days of contemplation, Reynard went to the training field with a wooden sword.

Riggs, who was watching the knights’ duels, looked at Reynard because of the buzzing sounds around him.

Was it unexpected that he came with a wooden sword? Riggs couldn’t ignore Reynard and watched him approach directly.

“I heard that knights communicate through swords.”

It was something that Aiden said. He didn’t understand when the magician’s apprentice insisted on dueling while talking about the knight’s qualifications, but now his words seemed useful.

“I won’t say much.”

Riggs, who had been staring at Reynard’s serious face for a moment, didn’t signal and picked up a wooden sword himself.

In the presence of the knights of the family, including the twins, the duel began.

Reynard clenched his teeth and took Riggs’s descending sword. Unlike Edwin’s sword, which didn’t hide its emotions and swung wildly, Riggs’s sword was calm and refined.

However, contrary to appearances, the power of the descending sword was stronger than Edwin’s, as if the emotions were embedded in the sword.

It’s a much stronger power than when they dueled a few times before. Just deflecting it once made his wrists numb.

When he dueled with Edwin a few days ago, he didn’t counterattack on purpose to soothe his anger and just took his sword. Today, unlike that day, he intended to actively participate in the duel.

However, Riggs didn’t give him a chance to counterattack and kept pressing him. He seemed to be more aggressive than when he was dealing with the same knight. He began to feel overwhelmed just by barely taking the sword.

But he couldn’t back down like this. Reynard gritted his teeth and stared straight into Riggs’s blue eyes, which were pushing his clashed sword with power.

Among the spectators holding their breath, the sound of wooden swords colliding was heard in the training field. Yurina, who seemed to have heard the news and rushed over, was sandwiched between Justin and Edwin, looking anxious.

Reynard reflexively smiled at her and took the sword attacking his waist. The collided wooden swords slipped and made a chilling noise.

How much time had passed? When he could barely open his eyes because of the sweat, there was a gap. Reynard didn’t miss the gap and stabbed the wooden sword.

Riggs’s reaction was slow. He hurriedly tried to protect his flank, but before that, the tip of Reynard’s wooden sword touched his side.

There was a chilling silence as if a mouse had died. Everyone was stiffened without any reaction to the unbelievable result.

But only one person.

“I must admit your tenacity. After all, you survived in a strange land where you didn’t know anyone and even graduated early.”

Riggs, the only one who put his sword away and respectfully greeted as a knight.

“I look forward to working with you.”

He tapped Reynard’s shoulder and left the training field.

In fact, anyone who was watching, including Reynard who actually dueled, would know.

This wasn’t a match that Reynard won. Riggs gave him a break.

Reynard stared blankly at Riggs’s retreating back, remembering Aiden’s voice.

“I told you, didn’t I? A duel feels more sincere than a hundred words! You did well to learn the sword, just as I said.”

If Aiden had been watching this scene, he would have been smug.

Yurina, who had been watching from afar, ran over and wiped Reynard’s face with the sleeve of her dress. She didn’t say anything. She just looked at him and smiled lovingly.

Edwin and Justin, who followed her, clicked their tongues and shook their heads.

“Brother, really. If you were going to lose so easily, why did you waste time till now?”

“Exactly. If I knew this, I would have dueled him myself. I didn’t even get to duel with him because of you. I’m still not over it.”

When Yurina silently turned around, the two men scratched their heads in guilt.

“The weather is nice.”

“Exactly. It’s too nice to be dueling.”

Then they hurriedly left the training field following Riggs.

* * *

[Hey, congratulations! The news has reached here!]

Suddenly, the booming voice of Aiden Tessie echoed in the room.

Yurina, who was tasting various kinds of desserts to be served at the wedding reception, was startled and turned toward the sound.

Reynard, with a grim expression, slapped down the card he was holding. Simultaneously, the voice shouting ‘Lucky you!’ abruptly cut off.

“What was that just now?”

“It seems they’ve invented something strange at the academy. This kind of thing wasn’t around when I was there.”

“What is it then? Isn’t that a letter from Aiden?”

Yurina, who had approached, picked up the card, only for Reynard to hurriedly snatch it from her hands.

“Don’t open it. The voice will start again.”

“The sound came from this card?”

She asked, hardly believing, but he nodded without hesitation.

“Yeah. It seems to be a card that transmits sound. I’m not sure how it works, but as soon as you open it, you can hear the voice.”

“Ah, I’ve seen something like that.”

Reynard raised an eyebrow as if he didn’t believe her.

“You’ve seen it? Where?”

“Ah, not in real life, but in a novel…”

Yurina, thinking of a magic school fantasy novel she had seen in her previous life, trailed off.

“But, can’t we read that? It seems like it contains our wedding news.”

“Uhm…”

Judging by his hesitation, he wanted to read it, but he was hesitant because of the sound magic that would start again. Yurina watched him and then covered her ears with both hands.

“I’ll do this. This way, it won’t hurt my ears as much. So, open it quickly. I’m curious too. There might be news from other people.”

“He’s not exactly a meticulous type to share news about other kids…”

Reynard glanced at Yurina, who was covering her ears tightly, and unfolded the card. Then he threw the card to a corner of the room.

Aiden’s voice filled the room again.

[Hey, congratulations! The news has reached here! Lucky you! While I’m struggling to write a thesis, you get to be happy!]