Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Open Class (1)

The interior of the Clementine family carriage, which I ended up riding on the way to school, gave off a neat yet luxurious atmosphere.

I could tell that the taste of Zeras Clementine, who was sitting across from me, had been strongly reflected.

[ Hmm... To think that Zeras has already grown this much... ]

What was fascinating was that Sierra, who was holding onto me, remembered him as well.

Judging by her mutter, it seemed Zeras had been making his name known across the continent since he was young.

“Now, then, could you tell me what you liked about my daughter? As Yuri’s father, I very much want to hear it.”

Zeras’s sudden question followed, and the one who opened her mouth first was Yuri, who had been fidgeting with her fingers.

“I-I told you, he is just a friend...”

“Even if he is a friend, there must be parts of you he likes, no?”

Zeras answered Yuri’s words and stared at me again.

At this, I opened my mouth.

“...I think Miss Yuri’s considerate and kind side is charming. She has also taken care of me a lot so that I could adjust well to academy life.”

At my quiet, honest answer, Zeras glanced at the bandage around my eyes.

“So that is how it was... our Yuri...”

“...”

Yuri seemed burdened by this situation and turned her head toward the window.

“Though she is my only precious daughter, I did not think she would be able to adjust well to the academy. This child has had quite a temper since she was young, you see. Until I received the letter saying she had made a friend, my worries were mountain-high.”

Zeras, who had said that, uncrossed his arms, slightly lowered his head, brought his face closer to me, and continued speaking.

“...Then when would be good for the engagement?”

“Engagement...?”

“Father...? No matter what, speaking about engagement in a carriage is...”

At Zeras’s rather outrageous statement, Yuri and I both fell into doubt.

“If the place is the problem, we can make a formal occasion.”

“No... That is not...”

Zeras glanced at Yuri, who trailed off, and his gaze became completely serious.

Then he spoke to me as if whispering.

“...It is nothing else. Yuri must carry on the line.”

““...””

“This is an extremely important matter for Yuri, no, for the family as well. Whether you handle a sword or a spear, what sort of person you are, is not so important. You, a ‘man,’ have been liked by Yuri Clementine. That is all. You said your name was Zeto. Zeto Clementine... I think it has a fine ring to it.”

At last, Zeras leapt far, far ahead of himself and gave an impassioned speech.

“A fine ring...? What even is Zeto Clementine...”

Of course, if I truly married her, such a surname would be attached to my name.

[ Engagement...? To think he dares try to steal my disciple before my eyes. Zeras, is your life truly so cheap to you...?! ]

Sierra, her gaze fierce and murderous, jabbed a finger toward Zeras.

The problem, if one could call it that, was that this cold voice rang only inside my head.

“Father, still, why are you suddenly bringing up an engagement?! I told you Zeto is my friend...!”

“Yuri, you know the situation as well, do you not?”

At Yuri’s shout, Zeras answered firmly.

“...”

Yuri could not give any answer and lowered her head deeply.

Her expression did not look good.

“This is... probably because of that matter.”

I knew what they were talking about.

Even without that, it was one of the problems I would have to resolve later.

However, Yuri would not want to be forced into an engagement with me.

It could be resolved without going so far as an engagement.

If resolving it failed, if nothing was done, the “Clementine family rebellion” would occur.

If that happened, Yuri would no longer be able to attend the academy.

But I had no intention of letting such a thing happen.

It was clear that it would be an unhappy thing not only for Yuri and me, but even for Zeras.

...It was somewhat complicated, since it involved interfering with the succession structure of a kingdom, but I had prepared a perfect plan for it.

It was when I was wondering what answer would be good.

The carriage stopped.

We had arrived in front of the academy’s main building.

Soon, the coachman opened the carriage door, and Zeras offered his farewell.

“We have already arrived. It is a shame we could not speak at length, but I hope we can speak again next time. As for what we discussed today... let it go in one ear and out the other.”

“...Yes.”

I lowered my head and bowed politely to Zeras, then got off the carriage.

Judging by the fact that Yuri did not get off, it seemed she had somewhere to go separately with Zeras. Since they were members of the four elemental families, perhaps there was a gathering early in the morning.

Like that, I got off the carriage and parted ways with them.

The entrance to the main building was still crowded with many people.

“To think something like this would happen from the morning of the first day of open class.”

It seemed it would not be strange no matter what else happened from now on.

I shook my head slightly, emptied my thoughts, and moved toward the main building.

***

Inside the carriage where silence lingered after Zeto got off, Zeras was watching his daughter Yuri, who was silently looking out the window.

Soon, Zeras looked at her with pity and opened his mouth.

“The First Prince’s pressure is becoming fierce. I do not know how far I will be able to endure.”

“...Even so, you tried to drag Zeto into it.”

“I was certain you liked him...”

Zeras said that while stroking his beard.

The First Prince wanted to marry Yuri.

The Clementine family belonged to the Kingdom of Therasia, and the man who would become that nation’s “crown prince” had taken interest in his daughter.

This was a troublesome matter.

In truth, ever since Yuri was young, many engagement requests had lined up.

Wealthy financiers, powerful nobles, promising young knights.

From the Clementine family’s perspective, already possessing sufficient wealth, power, and strength, all they needed was for her to be able to carry on the line. Yet those who approached them must each have approached her carrying different desires.

To them, marriage was not the fruit of love, but a tool and a means.

Zeras wondered if that had become poison.

The time his daughter often began venting anger must have been around then too.

Late as it was, he had been refusing all engagement requests without exception.

Because he felt he had been doing something terrible to his precious daughter.

But the First Prince was a different matter.

If that side ever made an official request, it would be difficult to refuse easily.

For now, he was somehow smoothing it over, but there was no telling how the situation might change.

“Still, he seemed like a good child.”

Zeras broke the silence and began speaking.

“...Did he?”

“What did you like about him?”

Zeras asked that while gently stroking Yuri’s hair.

“...Who knows. I only felt comfortable with him.”

Yuri said softly.

She did not deny that she liked him.

Zeras thought as much.

Because the expression Yuri had worn while looking at that boy named Zeto was a face even he, as her father, had never seen before in his life.

It was only unfortunate that because his eyes were impaired, he could not recognize it.

“Hmm...”

Zeras let out a low hum and thought.

He hoped that, if possible, his daughter would marry someone she loved. Just as he had.

He was prepared to give up many things in order to protect his daughter from the First Prince.

He had the conflict with the royal family in mind.

“If they block the Clementine family’s path... I will simply burn everything away.”

***

Although it was called open class, it was completely different from ordinary classes.

In the enormous stadium also called the Colosseum, all the academy students and the outsiders who had come to the academy sat in the seats.

Open class was practically a stage where academy students showed their abilities to the world.

Nobles made their families known, and commoners without families made themselves known.

Nobles aside, commoners especially had to use this opportunity well.

To put it simply, they could obtain better jobs.

“The first day is combat against monsters, was it?”

There would also be sparring between students, but whether sparring or fighting monsters, this time, combat would continue inside this place with protective magic applied.

They did not use illusion magic, despite having it.

After all, even if it was an illusion, the families who had come to see the students would not want to watch a scene where a student’s neck was cut off.

Among the audience seats surrounding the Colosseum, at the place that could be considered the upper seats, the fairly elevated “VIP seats” located near the center, I could see important figures gathered.

There, the faces of Headmaster Juliut Klaus and Chairman Hubert Graham were visible.

Moreover, this year, since all the heads of the continent’s four elemental families were attending, the VIP seats were rather crowded as well.

“I do not see the Saintess.”

For some reason, the Saintess was not visible.

I thought I would at least see her face this time.

“By now, she must have already met Antony...”

Well, I expected we would meet someday.

However, the Saintess had a special ability, so as someone hiding many things, I had to be especially careful when conversing with her.

I had a countermeasure in mind.

Her ability was simpler than expected.

It was while I was thinking about the Saintess that the students nearby began murmuring.

“They say the Sword Saint came.”

“The Sword Saint?”

“Who? Which one is the Sword Saint?”

“Probably the person over there.”

As the Sword Saint appeared in the VIP seats, the host in the Colosseum was announcing the Sword Saint’s entrance.

[... ]

Sierra, floating in the air, had already been observing the Sword Saint for some time.

She said nothing.

She was merely glaring fixedly at the Sword Saint.

Before sitting down, the Sword Saint suddenly stood in front of the VIP seat railing and looked toward where the first-year students were.

At this, the first-year students began cheering.

“Sword Saint!!”

“Kyaaah—!!”

“The Sword Saint looked at me!”

“He looked at me, dumbass! Sword Saint—!!”

In the middle of this chaotic situation, I glanced toward Kaen, who was sitting on the side where Class C was.

Among the cheering students, Kaen’s eyes were round, and she was shaking her head fiercely.

Perhaps because Kaen’s hair stood out so much, the Sword Saint soon naturally turned his head slowly toward where the other grades were.

It seemed their desire not to reveal their relationship was still valid now.

Soon, Yuri, who had been watching the Sword Saint, opened her mouth.

“...This is my first time seeing him in person.”

“Who would not say the same? He never shows his face anywhere to begin with. When I asked Father, I heard Headmaster Juliut specially invited him.”

Amon caught Yuri’s mutter and answered.

Even they, as members of the continent’s four elemental families, were experiencing seeing the Sword Saint’s face for the first time.

“How many years has it been since he appeared at an official event...?”

Considering the Sword Saint’s nature, it made sense.

Eisel, beside me, was not even looking at the Sword Saint.

It was not simply that she had no interest in the Sword Saint... she was glancing at me.

She had been feeling like that ever since we met in the flower garden.

The Tear of the Dead could not possibly have been touched, but had hugging her itself been a careless mistake?

Soon, the Sword Saint standing before the railing turned his head smoothly and scanned the Colosseum.

In the middle of that, he suddenly raised his head and looked into empty air.

I felt great doubt at the Sword Saint’s action.

To others, it would merely look like he was looking at the sky... not an especially strange movement, but I could tell.

The Sword Saint’s gaze had turned toward Sierra, who was floating in the air.

“What...?”

Could the Sword Saint also see Sierra...

...That made no sense.

Then was this a coincidence?

He should not have divine power on the Saintess’s level, nor be as familiar with demonic energy as Daidros. So why did it feel like he was looking at Sierra?

***

“Sit down now, Chris. It is about to begin.”

Juliut said this to Chris, who was standing before the railing and looking into empty air.

However, Chris did not answer easily.

Unlike when he wandered around in shabby clothes, the Sword Saint was dressed in an elegant uniform Juliut had prepared.

Juliut and those in this place who knew the Sword Saint thought this.

The Sword Saint’s eccentricities remained as ever.

But Chris himself was not actually being eccentric.

He was feeling doubt as he looked into empty air.

Soon, Chris let out a hum.

“Huh...”

Chris’s voice drew the attention of the others sitting in the VIP seats.

“Is something the matter?”

Juliut, who was at least able to speak to the Sword Saint, asked.

“...It is nothing. Forgive me.”

Soon, Chris turned his back, answered Juliut that way, and headed toward his seat.

Even so, Chris’s doubts did not vanish.

Chris sat in his chair, rested his chin on his hand, and deliberately sank into thought.

“It was an extremely dense killing intent. To feel killing intent from empty air with no one there... How strange. Have my senses perhaps grown dull?”

That was right.

Chris’s absurd senses.

The danger-detection ability of a veteran who had faced countless assassins.

It had detected the killing intent of Sierra, whom his eyes could not even see.