0% The Academy suddenly became noisy. Everything seemed normal when I arrived this morning, but students and faculty alike were busy whispering about something at some point.
What was going on? I did take a quick nap during break time, but did something happen while I was asleep?
No way.
I quickly shook my head to dismiss the embarrassing thought. The shame of being labeled as a clueless noble who slept through important news was something I couldn’t bear.
Thankfully, a closer look told me only a few people were whispering, suggesting the gossip hadn’t spread too widely yet.
So what was it? What rumor was spreading? Couldn’t someone let me in on the secret?
“Erich!”
I heard Sarah’s voice from behind just as I was seriously considering asking someone directly.
Quickly turning around, I saw Sarah breathing heavily as if she’d run all the way here. She wasn’t exactly in top health yet, so what was she thinking, running like that?
“You’ll collapse at this rate.”
I sighed softly and patted her back as her breathing gradually stabilized. Seeing her beaming smile afterward, I couldn’t bring myself to scold her.
Right, let’s think positively. Maybe Sarah, who used to have difficulty moving around, had now improved to the fitness level of an average person who lacked exercise. If anything, running like this might eventually award her with a normally fit body.
“What’s the matter? You’re supposed to be in class, aren’t you?”
Anyway, now that Sarah’s complexion had brightened, I asked about her business. It must be pretty urgent for her to come all the way to the training grounds where the Swordsmanship Club was having practical exercises.
“C-Carl oppa is back.”
“Hyung?”
Though she stumbled over her words a bit from not having fully caught her breath, I had no trouble understanding her. It really was urgent business.
That said, it was unexpected. Hyung did contact me yesterday saying he’d return today or tomorrow, but I thought he’d be busy with imperial matters after returning from the North. I’d expected him to deal with things in the capital first and come tomorrow instead.
Did he finish early?
Or maybe there wasn’t much to do as I expected.
Either way, it wasn’t a bad thing. Hyung had returned safely after a long journey; of course I’d be happy to see him.
So that’s it.
And I only understood the commotion after hearing that hyung had come back. It was widely known that the North, which was a trouble for the empire, had been embraced by the empire due to this war and that hyung dealt with the North’s traitor.
The academy’s excitement made perfect sense, considering that the top contributor himself had returned.
...That also explained why I kept feeling people glancing at me earlier. Since approaching hyung directly was intimidating, they had turned their curiosity toward the more approachable younger brother instead. I’d experienced this countless times since entering the academy—so many times that I’d become numb to it.
“Thanks for letting me know.”
I rubbed the back of my head, still tingling slightly from all the stares, and thanked Sarah. If I hadn’t heard in advance, I might have been surprised to see hyung in the club room. That would’ve been an ugly scene for a brotherly reunion.
“You could have just told me comfortably through the communication crystal.”
I asked. Why run over here when there was a perfectly good communication crystal at hand?
Sarah flinched at this reasonable point, but quickly smiled and shook her head.
“I need to move like this to get healthier.”
“That’s true.”
I accepted it since it was logically correct.
***Louise and Irina disappeared as soon as club time started. They were walking around with gloomy faces and worrying about hyung until recently, but apparently, they could move at lightning speed when they wanted to.
The two who vanished like the wind were, of course, found in the club room. Except what greeted me was not exactly an ordinary scene. In fact, it was rather strange.
What’s this?
Opening the club room door, I could see three heads of different colors gathered in one place. Was this what the three-headed watchdog from the scriptures looked like? It’d definitely be intimidating to have three pairs of eyes staring at someone at the same time.
Of course, it wasn’t a three-headed watchdog, but simply Louise and Irina sitting on hyung’s lap.
...Is this really normal?
The people sitting there actually seem embarrassed.
“Ah, Erich.”
Amidst all this, hyung, the only one looking confident, waved and welcomed me. It had clearly been months since we last met, but he acted as though we’d spoken just yesterday.
“Have you been well? I’m glad you look healthy.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his calm greeting. He was the one who’d gone off to war, yet he sounded like the one checking on me. Anyone watching would think I was the one who went to war.
Still, I was glad to see this reversed greeting. It was just so him. If he had made a fuss about being happy to see me, it would have felt strange. Moreover, his usual calmness made it feel real that he had returned safely.
“Of course I’ve been well. Seems like you’re not injured, either?”
Saying that, I looked at hyung’s lap. Judging by how easily it supported two people, he seemed perfectly healthy.
“Oppa, I can get down now if—“
“No way. You just sat down.”
However, Louise flinched and pleaded with hyung in a pitiful voice at my gaze, begging to be allowed to get down.
She could’ve just gotten down herself, but then I noticed hyung holding her waist. No wonder she couldn’t escape.
“Irina is sitting quietly. You enjoy it, too.”
Irina was wearing a faint smile when I turned to her, unlike Louise. She seemed resigned, or maybe she simply liked this situation.
However, as if Louise had absorbed Irina’s shame, she kept trying to persuade hyung.
“But showing this to other people is a bit...”
“We were already showing it to other people.”
Hyung pointed calmly across the room, and I followed his gesture to find my four other sisters-in-law gathered nearby, watching intently.
I hadn’t noticed because I was so focused on the three-headed watchdog I saw when I entered.
“B-but they’re family, not just random people!”
“Once you marry me, Erich will also be family.”
At that, Louise shut her mouth, momentarily speechless. Even from my perspective, this petty argument was turning surprisingly entertaining.
But wasn’t it a bit much for hyung to flaunt his affection in front of his younger sibling, especially when Louise had once been my first love?
It wasn’t like I had any lingering feelings, but it felt a bit strange. If he were my younger brother instead of my older one, I probably would’ve punched him in the gut by now.
***Starting with Erich and Sarah, other club members began to gather one by one.
Each time, Louise’s face turned bright red as she struggled more fiercely, but of course, I didn’t let go. There was nothing strange about lovers showing skinship. If anything, I owed her extra attention after being away for so long.
“Looks like we don’t need to ask how you’re doing.”
Tannian said with a gentle smile after seeing the scene. It was a polite way of saying, ‘I guess you’re fine since you’re flaunting your affection right away.’
“I’ve heard all about your heroic exploits, hyung. Truly, Enen must be protecting you. How about making a generous offering soon?”
“I’m pretty sure Enen would prefer I continue looking after you instead of donations.”
“Ah, that’s a good point.”
Tannian chuckled softly at my joking rejection of his playful suggestion.
Actually, I’d been half-serious. If Enen had any conscience at all, he’d prefer me watching over Tannian during the disasters of last year over a pouch of gold coins.
“Indeed, Enen would value a saint more than mere money.”
Rutis, who was standing nearby, burst into laughter and agreed.
Don’t you dare laugh, you bastard.
If we changed the subject from Enen to Armein, the same would apply to you.
“Anyway. Congratulations on your safe return, Advisor.”
“Thanks.”
Still, Rutis’s congratulations instantly erased the curses bubbling up in my heart. Unlike Erich and Ainter, who were imperial citizens, Lather, who lived on the opposite side of the continent, and Tannian, who was friendly with the empire, Rutis had every reason to feel uneasy about the Empire’s recent victory.
A stronger Empire meant a potential threat to Armein. And now that the northern border was secure, many of the forces the empire deployed to guard against nomads would move to the Armein front. As a prince of Armein, Rutis naturally wouldn’t welcome this change.
Yet he still congratulated me wholeheartedly as a club member, so I decided to forgive his troublesome antics from last year.
“But is your lap okay? Even if the ladies are as light as feathers, you seem to be keeping them there for too long.”
“They’re feathers, so it’s fine.”
“Ahem, I see.”
Louise turned even redder at this additional comment, but I decided to let it slide because she looked cute.
***I stepped back slightly after congratulating the advisor. While the Empire’s growing strength was something I should carefully watch as a prince of Armein, it was only natural to celebrate the safe return and victory of someone I’d known personally for nearly two years.
It’s a strange thing.
And I smiled slightly as I looked around the noisy club room, which was so different from yesterday.
The club had brightened up immediately after his arrival. Outsiders who’d followed him here, members laughing together amidst the noise, and others drawn to this lively atmosphere... it was amazing how drastically things could change simply by one person returning.
Is it because the fence is back?
Yes, ‘fence’ was indeed the best way to describe the advisor.
Louise had created and maintained the club from the beginning, of course. We’d joined because of Louise, making her essentially the pillar of our club.
However, it was the advisor who kept us from straying from the club. He remained a fence even after Louise rejected me and even after other members joined. When that fence disappeared, the sheep inside scattered, but they’d gathered in one place again now that the fence was back.
Only the advisor could do this.
My gaze briefly landed on Lady Elizabeth, the temporary inspector who had visited recently. I couldn’t help but recall the days she’d spent here as the acting advisor.
...
Ah, no wonder the advisor had become so tough after always having to deal with subordinates who doubled as his lovers.
It’s impressive.
But I didn’t envy him. Originally, heroic achievements were only impressive when viewed from afar.
“Ah, just a moment.”
Just as I was developing this strange new respect for the advisor, he pulled a communication crystal out of his pocket while still holding Louise and Irina firmly on his lap.
What impressed me even more was how he managed to take it out without loosening his grip on Irina’s waist. If he’d used the hand holding Louise, she probably would’ve escaped immediately.
“Executive Manager of the Prosecutors’ Office, Carl Krasius, speaking.”
— Carl.
“Ah, Father.”
The Advisor naturally took the call. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but perhaps because of the close distance, I could hear the conversation—
Father?
I was a bit surprised at how familiar he said that. As far as I knew, the advisor and Erich had always had a somewhat awkward relationship with their father.
Did they reconcile during the war?
Then I remembered that the advisor’s father had also gone to war. It seemed like the awkward father-son relationship improved in those special circumstances.
— When are you thinking of coming to the territory?
“I was thinking of going this weekend... Is something wrong?”
— I can’t go back until you come.
“Pardon?”
— I’ve been kicked out by your mother.
“What?”
...Well, maybe their relationship had improved a little too much, but at least it was still better than the awkwardness from before.