Kays Translations

Chapter 21: I Never Thought It Would Come to This

Father wasn’t the only one staring at me now. Mother’s gaze was fixed on me too. Apparently, after hearing about the magic tool earlier, she’d locked on to me as well. Nobody warned me about this.

“I believe a strong knight order is essential to the defence of the Heine Margraviate. So, how about holding a martial-arts tournament?”

“A martial-arts tournament? The royal capital already holds a major one. People may not travel all the way here for another.”

Father put a hand to his chin and thought it over. It didn’t seem like he considered the idea hopeless, but it lacked a decisive attraction.

“Then… how about horse racing?”

“Horse racing?”

“Horse breeding is popular in this region, isn’t it? We could race the finest horses raised in the various districts. The spectators could also bet on which horse will win.”

“Bet?”

“That’s right. The money wagered would form a prize pool, which would be divided among those who backed the winning horse. We would earn money through admission fees.”

“What an idea.”

“Goodness.”

It would only be a simple win bet, but in a world short on entertainment, it ought to be plenty exciting. House Heine also had land to spare. Turning a corner of it into a racecourse shouldn’t be too difficult.

Father and Mother both began seriously considering the proposal.

“It sounds quite promising. It would entertain the people of the territory while showcasing our horses. If the quality of our horses improves, so will our military strength. We might even attract buyers from other territories.”

Lionel looked delighted. Come to think of it, horseback riding was one of his hobbies. Maybe he was already imagining the chance to acquire a particularly fine horse.

My own thinking was much simpler: if the races became famous, people would come to see them.

“Right. Let’s begin by holding a trial event for the knight order.”

“Agreed. It’ll also serve as riding practice, so the effort won’t be wasted.”

And just like that, the horse-racing proposal was accepted. First we would need proper rules. We could invite food stalls too; that might make the event livelier.

“Then I’ll leave the rules and administration to Julius. He already works well with the knight order.”

That was certainly true. I probably had the closest relationship with the knights, so perhaps I was the right person for the job. But what about my two older brothers? Wouldn’t giving me another responsibility create some strange rivalry? More importantly, why was anyone trying to make an adorable seven-year-old run an event?

“Uh…”

“Of course, you’ll have an adult supervisor. Lionel, will you take that role?”

“Certainly.”

“Good. Then let’s get started.”

“…Understood.”

If Lionel was officially backing me, it should be fine. The people of the territory would see it as an event run by Lionel rather than by a seven-year-old.

I couldn’t imagine the members of the knight order sabotaging it either. If anything, they were likely to throw themselves into promoting it. I needed to keep a firm grip on things before their enthusiasm ran away with the project.

I glanced at my two older brothers, but they were simply staring in bewilderment, as though they hadn’t managed to follow how the conversation had reached this point. They would understand once the plan actually started moving.

“Brother Alex, you visited the academy too, didn’t you? What was the academy in the royal capital like?”

It was an outrageously obvious change of subject, but I did it anyway. If this conversation continued much longer, I might be handed even more work. Better not to give anyone the chance.

“Hm? Oh, it was enormous. I think it was more than three times the size of the school in our territorial capital. There was even a church on the grounds.”

“A church? The campus sounds almost like a town.”

“You’re not wrong, Julius. There was even a shop on the grounds.”

At that point it wasn’t merely like a town. It practically was one. I suppose that was to be expected of a place where talented students and noble heirs gathered from across the kingdom. As a third son I would attend the school in the territorial capital, but the royal academy did sound interesting.

“You’ll be living in the dormitory, won’t you? What was it like?”

“Ha ha. Julius seems worried about dormitory life too. Cain asked me just as many questions.”

“I’m simply curious. Julius and I’ll never get to experience dormitory life.”

Brother Cain cut in. One reason he’d gone to the royal capital this time was to see the academy for himself. I, on the other hand, still hadn’t been to the royal capital at all. Apparently I was considered too young.

“The dormitory room was smaller than my room here, but it had a desk, chair, and bed. Every student gets the same furnishings.”

“Is that arrangement meant to erase differences in social rank?”

“Exactly. Even the princess will live under the same dormitory rules.”

“The princess!”

I raised my voice without thinking. I knew this was a kingdom, of course, but hearing about a real princess made the whole thing feel strangely vivid. Since I’d been reborn in another world, I’d like to see a princess at least once.

Beside me, Rosalia puffed out her cheeks a little. Why?

“I would have liked to see her, but I suppose I’ll have to wait until next year.”

“Next year? Is she in the same year as you, Brother Alex?”

“Yes. Perhaps I’ll even become friends with her.”

Now that was a dream worth pursuing. If Brother Alex became close to the royal family, House Heine might benefit enormously. I would have to encourage him to do his best.

“Julius seems unusually interested in princesses.”

“Naturally. I might be able to make a great deal of money.”

“I see–money. Julius is the sort who pursues reality rather than dreams.”

“Exactly. Dreams don’t fill an empty stomach.”

Everyone burst out laughing. With all of us gathered like this again, it finally felt as though the family had truly come home.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter