Chapter 155: Love for One’s Comrades. And Then, Arrival.
Sunlight filtered gently through the forest canopy, scattering shifting patterns of gold and green across the wide road. The air was crisp and fragrant with dew, and the cheerful warbling of small birds echoed through the trees, weaving a melody befitting a perfect morning.
Just before the carriage was set to depart, the guard knights of the count’s household stood in a neat row, heads bowed deeply.
“We have caused you great trouble…!”
Their voices trembled with shame.
“I told you over and over that everything would be fine. But no one believed me.”
Alice turned her face away in a huff, puffing out her cheeks in exaggerated indignation. The early sunlight caught the faint flush on her face, making her look less like an offended noble lady and more like a sulking child.
The truth was, the knights simply could not bring themselves to trust in Ryu and his companions’ strength. Out of consideration for their anxiety, Ryu had reluctantly agreed to let them escort the carriage partway.
At night, the carriage would become invisible. No one should have been able to detect it.
And yet, because the knights had pitched their tents nearby, the entire area had looked like a military encampment. That, unfortunately, had attracted the attention of a band of brigands who styled themselves as “knight hunters.” They had taken one look at the clustered tents and assumed easy prey.
The attack that followed had ended swiftly.
Sensing hostile intent, Ryu had stepped out of the carriage and resolved everything before the knights could properly react. To put it bluntly, every precaution the knights had taken had backfired spectacularly.
“As the Viscount said… we became nothing more than a burden…”
“Don’t dwell on it,” Ryu replied easily. “I understand the desire to protect one’s lord. I’ve got a few rather heavy knights of my own.”
He cast a brief sidelong glance at Stingray.
The woman in question tilted her head innocently.
It seemed she had absolutely no self-awareness.
“Besides,” Ryu continued, raising his voice just enough to command attention, “this time we have with us the legendary genius lecherous swordsman who shook the entire continent — the great star of Hinomaru, Sakamoto Ryoma-sama. You can rest easy and see us off with confidence.”
“““““Yes, sir‼”””””
The knights saluted in perfect unison.
This was where they would part ways.
They intended to borrow a wagon from a nearby village and transport the corpses of yesterday’s brigands to the capital for identification. If bounties were attached to the criminals’ names, all the better. Any reward money, of course, would be transferred to Arden.
And so, at last, the magic carriage set off in earnest.
“Axel! Starting today, you may run to your heart’s content!”
“Brrr!”
The obsidian horse snorted proudly. At long last, he would be able to display his true capabilities.
Inside the carriage, however—
“Just now, I distinctly heard the words ‘lecherous swordsman’ from outside,” Ryoma said slowly.
“You imagined it. You self-conscious samurai.”
“Self-conscious samurai… self-inflicted samurai… My list of absurd nicknames grows ever longer…”
He slumped slightly.
(Dejected Ryoma-sama… precious. Ryu-sensei, you’re too good.)
The yandere count’s daughter was present as well, silently reveling in the scene.
“Come to think of it, Ryu-sensei can be overly kind,” she said thoughtfully.
“Oh?” Ryu replied.
“Your handling of our knights just now was too lenient. If it had been my father — Count Blanc — there would have been a reprimand followed by a salary reduction and revoked holidays. They are guards, yet their actions invited enemy attention.”
She spoke matter-of-factly, though in truth Count Blanc would still be considered rather merciful by noble standards. In harsher territories, such failure could result in immediate stripping of knighthood.
“In my domain,” Ryu said with a faint shrug, “we suddenly start wars with neighboring territories or drag newly formed battalions straight to the western front. I push them hard on a regular basis. If they betray me or commit crimes, I remove them physically without hesitation. But if they make a mistake while trying to serve me… a warning is usually enough. Frankly, I can just clean up the mess myself.”
“What an utterly un-noble way of thinking…”
(You’re too kind, Ryu-sensei. At this rate, I’ll worry about you.)
This time, however, the knights in question belonged not to Ryu’s house but to a friendly allied family — Count Blanc’s men. That made matters different. They were not his subordinates to discipline freely.
Esther suddenly climbed into Ryu’s lap, seized his cheeks, and stretched them sideways.
“Well, this creature called Ryu is fundamentally gentle — so long as no one lays a hand on his kin. Uryu uryu.”
“………………”
His cheeks elongated absurdly.
Dragons, after all, were beings capable of destroying nations individually. Yet all of them chose to live together upon the same floating island, bound by an almost excessive sense of camaraderie.
Not long ago, when the fourth son of the Duke Blake household, Klim, had set his sights on Lena, Ryu had nearly erased the entire ducal house from existence. It felt almost nostalgic now.
“That part of you is one of your charms, Onii-san!!!”
“Gyau!!!”
(Ryu-sama is the best! Go, siscon dragon!)
“Um, Ryoma-sama… just who exactly is Ryu-sensei?” Alice asked quietly.
“You are learning swordsmanship from him, and yet you have not inquired?”
“He doesn’t teach me swordsmanship.”
“…Then why call him ‘sensei’?”
“He serves as the homeroom instructor for our magic class. It’s simply a habit. We barely interact one-on-one.”
“Magic class instructor? Do you mean to tell me Ryu is teaching at the Imperial Academy⁉”
“Yes. You didn’t know? Even though you call him your best friend.”
“I did not know, I tell you‼”
Ryoma rushed over to Ryu, who was currently being contentedly fussed over by his wives — his face and hair toyed with like a prized pet.
“Ryu! You are an academy instructor?”
“Oh. Didn’t I mention that?”
“You did not! And I am your sworn friend!”
“Sorry, sorry. I received a heavenly mandate to become a magic instructor. It’s temporary for now.”
“What ‘heavenly mandate’? You simply wished to legally peek at your sister’s academy life, so you went through the Empress and forced your way into a teaching position.”
“One could phrase it that way.”
His cheeks stretched again.
“Kyah♡ Oh my, Onii-san…”
As an instructor, he could conveniently observe both the Loli elf, pharmacology professor, and Lena of the student council up close. Two birds, one stone.
“What exactly are we being made to watch?” Alice muttered.
“I know not,” Ryoma replied solemnly. “Only that we are being toyed with.”
Witnessing early-morning marital comedy had left both of them with severe heartburn.
◇◇◇
“Come now! At this rate, you’ll never receive instruction from Ryoma-sama! Alice-sama!”
“Ghh… everyone in Arden is formidable!”
“An opening‼”
Stingray expertly manipulated her rapier, twisting Alice’s longsword as though winding thread around a spindle. In one smooth motion, she disarmed her opponent. The blade clattered to the ground.
Alice raised both hands.
“I—I surrender…”
““““Ohhhh~!””””
Applause rang out.
“I may look like this,” Stingray declared proudly, “but I was appointed the youngest battalion commander in the Arden Order of Knights! What is one prodigy to me?”
She cast a pointed glance toward Ryu, as if to say, You saw that, didn’t you?
“As expected of my battalion commander. Well done.”
“My deepest gratitude!”
“Like a well-trained puppy,” Esther observed.
“Stingray-san is beautiful and cute — unbeatable combination,” Lena added.
“Indeed. Arden appears to gather fine knights,” Ryoma nodded.
From a young age, Stingray had run away from home, wandering the Empire as a solo adventurer and clawing her way up to C-rank through sheer field experience. After returning to Arden, she had endured war as a battalion commander. No matter how much of a prodigy Alice was, she could not yet match that lived experience.
Thus it had been decided: Stingray would train her first.
(I was hoping for one-on-one lovey-dovey training with Ryoma-sama…)
But to have Alice cross blades with Ryoma from the outset would be akin to an ant challenging an elephant.
At minimum, she needed to graduate from ant status. Ideally… perhaps evolve into a small reptile.
She understood this all too well.
(I have to work hard until Stingray-san acknowledges me!)
The harsh daily training continued for roughly a week.
◇◇◇
Axel was an estimated A-rank obsidian horse.
Not merely an A-rank magical beast — but one blessed directly by the dragon Ryu. Even while pulling a carriage, he could easily traverse the distance from the Empire’s capital to the entrance of the Gran Federation within a single week.
“…So that is the Gran Federation.”
“You say it with such emotion, though we flew over it before,” Esther pointed out.
“As long as I am with Onii-san, anywhere is fine!”
“The holy land of adventurers! The nation of dungeons! And home of the Northern Hero’s party! I’m so excited!”
(I won’t lose to the two official wives… I’ll win Ryu-sama’s heart too!)
“Is this your first time here as well, Ryoma-sama?” Alice asked.
“Indeed. My first.”
“Then I’ve claimed your first time.”
“What nonsense are you uttering…”
“Jokes aside, please take care of my sword training after we enter.”
In fact, the day before, Alice had finally defeated Stingray in a mock battle.
“Understood. I look forward to it.”
(Her growth rate is truly terrifying…)
“My first time will finally be taken by Ryoma-sama…”
“Cease at once, Alice. Should others hear you, I shall be arrested.”
They arrived at the border checkpoint.
Between the Astoria Empire — one of the continent’s great powers — and the neutral Gran Federation, known as the heart of the continent, rose an immense and imposing inspection gate. Its scale required no elaboration.
Yet with the head of a noble house present, procedures moved swiftly.
“You are Viscount Ryu Arden of the House of Arden, and your party.”
And then—
“Welcome to the Gran Federation.”