Chapter 90: Arden, the Renowned Household of Swordsmanship (2)
x6ze02The most influential household of the south was the Dunareff, whereas the representative one of the east was the Arden, without any question.e0WVY
3acRThey were the guardians of the far east.AXrnh
iKCIn the west of the El Rath Kingdom were both Xeruem and Zeon, the two sacred chapels of two religions, while the south had fertile lands as well as a trade route with the archipelago underneath.KK90TId
THiNOn the other hand, the east and the north were the cause of distress for the kingdom, but were lands that had to be protected.isPDKbB
ScqKqIn the north was the North Kingdom, the union of barbarians, as well as wicked demons. The east had touching borders with the empire of pagans, but the biggest problem was the endless horde of demonic beasts that tended to come from the barren lands of the far east.j5TD
MBkC6The north and the east of the kingdom had never been peaceful since the establishment of the kingdom.VBn8E6
SlVCx0cNot a single time.DrX
ztKzjHAnd if the citizens of the kingdom were asked about why that was possible, they would all shout out the name of the Arden family.tCWra
dON“Captain Lunia has returned!!”1XHPamu
tC6gGIThe front gates of the main family opened along with a sonorous roar as hundreds of Arden’s disciples welcomed us in.jerA
z4Z“Welcome, Captain!!”SVv1Rv
waT“Welcome back, Captain!!”i2sL
m9Y7vSeeing hundreds of people bending their backs at once was an impressive sight that you wouldn’t even see in movies.4iZRT
wrM“Hmm…”I14q
guWiEven though I said hundreds, that was only when I was counting the ones wearing black uniforms. There were workers repairing the buildings and roofs as well as servants which added up to an incredibly large number.A6r
jOXSv3The one that spoke to Lunia before anyone else was an old man who looked like a butler. Despite his slim body, he was definitely not a normal person which could be proven by the Chinese war sword hanging on his waist.XG2qf
sitQjJ“Captain Lunia. Thanks for your work in hunting demonic beasts.”1Msl1G
RMc“How are the other groups?”xBv
3qBUvp“All the groups have returned except for Groups 13 and 19.”xnbEeX
yXC“Send a messenger hawk and see what is going on. Have groups with fewer casualties on standby.”jy6bpUt
35R“Yes Captain. And…”IbiG9u
Lq7KXThe old swordsman wearing butler clothes turned towards us. To be exact, he was looking at Alicia who was standing right next to me but Lunia opened her mouth before he could say anything.iTYoo
rRfAj“They’re her friends. Guide them to a place to stay at.”mnRzN3S
O1daJqb“Understood.”U857o
M1niL“Alicia. You come with me.”l2Li
jTowLv“Aht. Okay…”fVFFLM
KhMBqdWith an intimidated look on her face, Alicia followed after Miss Lunia who was still giving off a chilly aura. Yuel seemed bugged by that sight, and asked after tugging at my sleeves.p8sXm
4Ml“Where is Alicia going?”b4KyjNt
bCs“This is her house so she probably has her own room.”1cF
MJ93I“…I see.”UWrl4K9
nAH“Esteemed guests, please follow me.”54JZSP
F4fadWe followed the butler to the guest rooms and unpacked our belongings in our designated rooms.CgjCb
wHaemEATwo hours later, I was resting at the given room when the same butler came looking for me.hYscHz
sp6hx“Mister Korin Lork. Captain Lunia is looking for you.”54HN
T4jRight, I was waiting for it. There was the talk about marriage, and there were a lot of things I wanted to ask her.zqMdIQG
FHt“This is Captain Lunia’s building.”ar2VXM3
vcMR5Her house was as tranquil and rigid as herself, but the garden, ponds, and the antique pieces of artwork decorating the corridor indicated the position she had in the Arden family.16R5Z
b7hShe was one of the successor candidates. If Alicia wasn’t there… no, even with Alicia there, Lunia was pretty much already set in stone as the future family head.IZFJCv
YwD“You’re here.”5hbCXuF
R24YELunia was standing firmly and behind her was her house that would come out in a palace in Korean historical dramas.ZZ7Thb
BZjRAs always, she was a very upright person. Her long hair was falling down in a straight line as if they were being supported by metal frames, and despite the abundant lines of her body that couldn’t be hidden with a martial uniform, she still reminded others more of a grand general ruling over the world than a soft lady.EVohQWy
wXJcQs“Why don’t we sit.”Q7Wm8U
PZs“Sure.”3hiQ1o4
MSaqI sat down on a cushion in front of a small table and so did she, before picking up a teapot and pouring its content onto the pre-prepared cup.fmE
hs3uOTt“So, I heard you’re almost 18.”H3S0U
4p4P42“I am the same age as your sister.”1rEG7
0rgm1o8“I will ask just in case. Are you married?”u6mpme
mCS“Umm… Of course not.”WoaE
lbGJcHX“I see.”jdnE
v31oHPicking up her own cup, she drank her tea. It was such a simple set of movements but even that was void of any noise.RFI
HzlUww“If you do not have a partner yet, what do you think about marrying me?”dThRbG
HllrH“…Are you serious?”vHC
eNl6n“Do I look like someone that would spout falsehood?”fMO1IQ
vj7She wasn’t… I had known this person for over 3 years and I had never seen her tell even the smallest of lies.tTYJ4qH
I183b“Objectively speaking, you are a magnificent seed. Your martial talent, as well as your hard-work are exceptional. And your face, well, I would say it’s not bad according to my standards.”ydZ
MbRz“I didn’t know you cared about appearance as well.”1ijA
Gd8q“I am also a woman. Of course I would be interested in the face of my spouse that would embrace me at night… Do you by any chance have sexual dysfunction? That would be slightly problematic.”z2XWz
PYCCe3“Please…!”2D53N
pJ16cTSNoona! Aren’t you a bit too straightforward?hsQyFjy
tm9KSa“What exactly is your intention? If you are suddenly asking for marriage, you should explain the reason to me at the very least.”PMfOGV
QbX5vzn“Hmm. I thought boys your age are so healthy they think about marriage just from touching hands. If a woman at my level asks for your hand in marriage, I believe it would be normal to accept it at once.”fP0CC
M8p“Most teenage boys are stupid, but they are not stupid enough to decide about marriage just like that.”dxS1O
CWPaq“Really?”vYuj
p1N9“…For the most part.”ygxm8
MEa4Well… Lunia was indeed a beauty. Her body resembled that of a top-notch model and the abundant feminine lines of her body made her both cool and beautiful.Iur9wHo
OKlkJbHowever, this was different from that. Marrying into the family as the son-in-law was a totally different story.gOkTS
WmC“Have you heard about Alicia becoming the Captain of the 5th Sword Squad?”vW9fP
frt“Yes, I did.”cX0uF
8gncpThat was in the newspaper that I read before getting on the wyvern. Even Alicia didn’t know about her own promotion but she had to become one because it was personally declared by the Sword Emperor, the previous family head, who still had an absolute position in the Arden family.5YBra
W3Tr7z“That senile old man suddenly showed up and declared to make Alicia captain over the 5th Sword Squad.”sPXd
LkMI had a rough understanding of the situation after hearing that.EHb5
WKuH0s“Well, it was only a matter of time after beating me in the Sword Challenge. I was going to make her go through a procedure and let her take over the 2nd or the 3rd Sword Squad, but…”ueh
SMsJIt was unfortunate timing – Garrand the Sword Emperor, who lived by himself in seclusion away from other people, suddenly showed up and appointed Alicia as the captain of the 5th Sword Squad.gK6Hx
TwiMRIiAnd that just happened to be when there was a reporter in the Arden family.anfHsz
Rc2eH“But how is Alicia becoming a captain related to you proposing for marriage?”S7f
Ei7wY“The old man left immediately after saying that, so my supporters started fretting over it. I’m sure you would understand as the one who gave advice to Alicia and came up with that cheeky plan.”xyXd
vLQI had a rough idea of what was going on.KaL
phJTBefore, Lunia’s position in the Arden family was matchless. Even though both Lunia and Alicia were successor candidates, Alicia was far from her level in both legitimacy and skill.K8xeywT
TLLgHowever, Lunia’s social position must have started wobbling after her defeat, because she, the alpha of her group, had lost and was no longer at an advantage in terms of skill.hKWpU2d
Ipy0aea“Political marriage… is it?”HKY5k
xe2e3j“Exactly. Currently, there are many ongoing talks and proposals with the rich families of the east and famous swordsmen.”Jv4
FHaOFRZ“Recovering the previous position with a political marriage. It is definitely a strong political move.”svueDPp
tr3f“However, I do not like that. I am too good to be treated like an item in the marriage market.”4XW
vXEfdZl“Is that why you want to fake a marriage with me?”fwL
yrQWY“That is exactly correct.”2v0
xbBIluI understood what was happening, but there was still an unresolved question in my mind.x2l
t7Qnpx“But who would dare force you, Lunia Arden, to marry someone?”1evx
G0JHow could there be someone who could coerce that heaven-defying Lunia Arden to have a political marriage?4M0US
tgkXju“My mother.”a6P
p0iokX4“Ah…”dFqb
69roUIrAlthough there was the saying that no parents in the world could win over their children, the opposite was also true.Brl
E8N****XOAZX
NbSaAlicia was stormed by visitors immediately after she unpacked her belongings in her room.i5By6H
yAmt9O“Miss Alicia! I am Blah Blah Blah and I run a dojo in the village under Octagonal Mountain!”4DotaS
njJWK“Miss! Do you remember me? I saw you back when you were very young; you have grown so much!”q2C
kRr8RcIt was her first time seeing all their faces and she was also very unfamiliar with the expressions on their faces.aC2vlGb
tigXQKYAlicia was the result and proof of an illicit affair that wasn’t even from a concubine. That was why her presence was barely ever acknowledged in the Arden family.Q7Ci0
bVP2WThe atmosphere had changed ever since the Sword Challenge with Lunia, and even in the summer holiday, she had seen a few expectant people but it wasn’t to this degree. As for why they were being so explicit with their approach, she could only think of one reason.ueqDDk
IhSVGq“It’s probably… because of grandpa.”YHQ8S
6QGj6GHe was like the emperor of the Arden household. Sword Emperor Garrand – it was by his sudden demand that she had been appointed as the captain of the 5th Sword Squad.NlNbX
iUFB0e“What is he thinking…?”2ud
KEl4It had been like that all along. Garrand had ignored all the objections and had forced Alicia to become a successor candidate. It was ever since that day that she, the nuisance of the family, had turned into more of a nuisance that was ignored and disregarded.Ugl7Z
QNp“Miss. This is a sword we made at our smithy…”QDyr2a1
6gs84– Thud!aEs
VpzIt was then. Someone walked into her room after pushing the door wide open.WTj9I
Q1jRShe was a beautiful lady with jet-black hair and a sharp pair of eyes that resembled obsidian, who gave off a similar aura to Lunia.8Nl0QM
tHm“L, Lady Sophia…”LMa9
l5aHM5oSophia glared at the merchants and dojo instructors that were visiting Alicia. She, the blood-related mother of Lunia Arden, was the lawful wife of the current family head, Jade Arden.KWmshx
gRPy“Do you have any more business?”aF4G5b
vty“N, no we do not!”9RPnZ
in3wGAfter receiving a glare from her, the uninvited guests hurriedly left the room. Before long, it was only Alicia and Sophia that were inside the room.5yg4
vYNNHVM“M, mother…”lBpd3
GbC“Right. It has been a while.”1lk0S
Wi0iXIHer dark eyes turned to Alicia and she spoke with a voice that was as apathetic as her eyes. Ever since the beginning, Alicia couldn’t help but shrink tremendously when being on the receiving end of her gaze.8L5
9gawQ3“I am sure you have heard it. Father has appointed you as the captain of the 5th Sword Squad.”6CKKyjF
V6s7gq“Yes… but I…!”jOjTx
mQCSZnw“Father’s commands are absolute in Arden. It will not be reversed by something as trivial as your opinion.”FEkW
ph4GXniThere was no hint of condemnation nor criticism in her voice. Sophia simply stated facts with a composed voice.x66L
nbU“As the captain of the 5th Sword Squad, you shall push yourself for the glory of the family and the protection of humanity.”GUleImx
iYwGqAfter saying that, she placed down a sword.ermLJa
j3tIEU– Clink!LeU
9JaB9PIt was a large single-edged sword that was so long that it was only a little bit shorter than Alicia herself.nvk
yZeUa“That is the Commander’s Sword, the symbol of a captain. Choose members of the household at will; command them and distinguish yourself during your stay.”Vhs
t7sr“…Okay.”mGAO
lY8cAlicia didn’t refute. Or rather, she couldn’t. The attitude of obedience and submission that was engraved into her from childhood was always there.sfKe5tb
31cAqDIn spite of knowing that these people would never accept her until the end, she still obeyed them.sCLtZ
bJb****JUzhD7d
i18TzxrAlicia stumbled out of her room.dAF
TcpVt9Staying in her room would only make her meet more uninvited guests, and she thought training with Korin would be a better option.MhQxW
GQnKvWalking out of her building, she was headed to the guest rooms when a familiar voice echoed from somewhere nearby.HhC7i6
bKD“Good. I will be waiting for a positive reply from you then.”CASdVn
raEy“Well… sure. I guess it’s not a bad thing for me.”XMN79
moYRl“Ah…”XBP3C
l1yMQeThose were the voices of two people she was very used to. After realizing that it was a conversation between her older sister and Korin, Alicia quickly hid herself unconsciously.XnN
GANqttLShe then carefully looked at Lunia.acZGeie
8UdrgHHDespite her usual cold and indifferent expression, the corners of her lips were faintly pointing up and her dry voice seemed more excited than usual. That was the slight show of emotion that Lunia showed very rarely when talking to someone she was fond of.4fQ
Cuz『Korin Lork. How about you marry me?』ZOHr
5IuCHAlicia suddenly remembered what her sister suddenly said. That sentence which suddenly came out of context seemed just like what Lunia would say.9YPVxf7
34KDNWas there a reason? Probably, because there was no way her older sister would have talked about something as serious as marriage without any proper reason.H8F
4JgFzS5But did that mean she didn’t have goodwill for Korin? That was probably not true.U5tCU
kBOX0HSomething Alicia felt during the prac test of the interim exam was that Lunia was harboring both curiosity and goodwill for Korin.Hyyub
eOMBW2Respect for a warrior who reached a certain threshold as a swordsman, as well as her long-time wish for the Domain. Putting aside all that, Lunia wouldn’t have given such a proposal if she wasn’t interested in the man called Korin.Rqt
5eJi35o“…That’s fantastic.”y1y
vMxH2uAlicia liked both of them.nhwmr8
BhHd1Lunia was her older sister of admiration, who had been like a mother to her when she was young. Although there was an unwanted conflict between them right now, she sincerely hoped for her happiness.FkZOm
jGzkKorin was also a special person to Alicia.BqxS
UeNjzHe had trusted her talents, pushed her forward and helped her survive against her older sister’s followers.bOvs
HZ3fA marriage between the two of them, meant that her two favorite people would be becoming closer than anyone else.m1g
jVIE‘They look good together as well…’yvF
Rw2gLunia was the future successor of the family who led forth the swordsmen of Arden with her innate leadership and charisma, whereas Korin was an exceptionally skilled warrior and a good person.XcMssB
6tYYUnlike herself who was lazy and cowardly.MZZA
n73Those two were an amazing pair and it was a combination of her favorite and respected people. It was great that the two of them would be forging a deeper bond.EEiK
ybFShould she support them then?sayS
H37vUyShe wasn’t sure.IYfTR
NmhlzKvIt was probably either because she was too happy or because of how sudden everything was, but Alicia was feeling restless and fidgety.DTF2fXo
b7yM****QJ8DT
5HWkGP3 days went by after our arrival at Arden.NBZlA
ijCMeanwhile, Yuel was busy collecting information about the ‘Forest of Demonic Beasts’ beyond the borders of the kingdom from the spirits, and Alicia was busy running around greeting everyone. It seemed that there were a lot of things for her to do like finding members and other administration work.gMpV
e1aWhat was I doing in the meantime, you ask?PSOX
TKjtiu“Was today an enjoyable day? The actor’s voice was even better than I expected.”Uct
3wAMc4n“The catchphrase that it was the voice of heavens wasn’t that much of an exaggeration, was it?”CnD
7Qa“More importantly, Korin. I want to know if you enjoyed it.”YFBEp
Kf75“Umm… yeah. It was a new experience and it was fun.”bhHRq
JgeUS“Hmm, that is good then. All that matters is your enjoyment.”38yZ
Aj88Dy“…”Urb
X0ZgtOn the way back to the main buildings, we were walking past the servants that were sweeping the gardens. They stole glances at us but Lunia didn’t care a single bit about them and kissed the back of my hand.sKdA
y6jSA“Today was another enjoyable day.”St34P
NoGj“…Isn’t kissing on the back of the hand something I have to do as a man?”vkDHMq7
beN“Hmm… I guess I did what I usually do to ladies as a habit. I will lend the honor to you next time.”dq6Uk
ClgMAs expected of a renowned hero; she was closer to a gentleman than a lady.zEoPH
po9J– Oh my oh my…!NL9P
Br7tyqLThe people nearby created a fuss after seeing that but Lunia didn’t seem to care.M82
WWP“I will see you tomorrow. There are a lot of things I have prepared for you.”47U
fvJa4Q3 days after coming to Arden; I was being fervently seduced by Lunia.vk9xI
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