Chapter 60
Gerard Rubelius.
He was Rinoa's guard knight in the original worldline, before I interfered.
But after losing to me in a spar, Gerard couldn't bear the shame and disappeared without a trace.
I thought he'd broken away from the original story's flow for good, but then he appeared before me again.
And in a student uniform at the Royal Academy, no less.
I wasn't the only one thrown off by his sudden appearance.
Even Gerard's crimson eyes, fixed on me, were full of confusion.
“Wretch, what are you doing here?”
“No, that's what I want to ask. Why are you here?”
“Leon, do you know him?”
“Unfortunately.”
Does someone as diligent as Leon really need to know a person like this exists?
“Speak properly, wretch. Why are you here?”
“I'm here as the young lady's guard knight... I came as her familiar.”
“A young lady?”
After looking around, Gerard soon spotted Rinoa behind me.
She paid the whole situation no mind and quietly filled her plate with food.
“Long time no see, Gerard.”
“Why are you here, young lady...?”
“Why? Is there some reason I shouldn't be at the academy?”
“Ah, n-no. Not at all. I didn't mean it that way—I was just surprised.”
Gerard immediately cowered before Rinoa. He was the very definition of bullying the weak and fawning over the strong.
“Th-this... is this wretch really your guard knight, young lady?”
“Yes.”
“How in the world...! ...Why is that?”
“Because he's exceptional.”
“Him, this wretch?”
“At least, I haven't seen anyone better than him so far.”
Hmm... Hearing Rinoa praise me right in front of me is incredibly embarrassing.
“After losing that spar and disappearing without so much as a word, and now you have the gall to show up here? You've got one hell of a thick hide.”
“That is...”
“Oh my, who do we have here? Isn't this the famous young lady of Edelheid these days?”
Then a bright voice slipped into the murderous atmosphere.
A female student with golden hair like shimmering waves.
'I know her too!'
A typical obnoxious girl character who torments Elodie, the pitiable heroine.
It was Victoria of House Cromwell, a magical family renowned enough to rival Edelheid.
In the original, she formed an implicit alliance with Rinoa, bullied Elodie, and vied for the seat beside the prince.
Back when it was a game, her personality was so shitty that I got annoyed every time I saw her, but seeing her in person, my first reaction was that she was fascinating.
“I came because there was a commotion. Did my guard knight do something wrong?”
“Guard knight?”
“Yes, a guard knight. Gerard is serving as my guard knight, you know. Right?”
“...”
I get what's going on.
Gerard left Edelheid and joined the Cromwell count's house as an apprentice knight.
After that, he kept working there, became Victoria's guard knight, and enrolled in the academy just like in the original.
'So this is that unchanging future or something?'
Still, I have to admit he does have one thing going for him: ambition.
Just look at how desperately he claws his way back to where he belongs.
“It's nothing. If anything, Gerard bumped into this girl and cursed at her.”
“Hmm, that's really nothing. That's just his everyday routine.”
Victoria nodded with a smile, as if she understood the situation.
“Still, you can't go causing trouble on the very first day of enrollment. Isn't that right, Gerard? Hurry and apologize to the young lady.”
“...”
“Honestly, what a pain. You're not a child anymore. You've gotten taller, but you've never matured, then or now.”
Apparently, this wasn't the first or second time she'd dealt with him.
'Come to think of it, were they childhood friends?'
That was why the way they spoke felt more like friends than like master and knight.
Victoria stepped in front of Elodie.
“I'll apologize in that idiot guard knight's place. Your eyes are truly beautiful. Which house are you from?”
“I-I'm Elodie! I'm a commoner!”
“A commoner...?”
That was the moment Victoria's eyes narrowed.
After looking Elodie up and down, she let out another deep sigh.
“Ugh, this is unbelievable. You were with a noble lady, so I naturally thought you were a noble too, but you're a commoner? What is this, some kind of trap...? Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Even if you bowed your head and apologized right now, it still wouldn't be enough, and yet you dare to expect an apology? Just because you're in the same space, do you think that makes you a noble too?”
Victoria's attitude toward Elodie flipped on a dime. It was because she had thought Elodie was a noble, only to find out she was a commoner.
“No need to apologize, Gerard. No one apologizes for bumping into a pebble by the roadside, do they?”
“Yes, young lady.”
Gerard had kept his mouth shut the whole time, but the moment his mistress backed him up, he answered eagerly.
What a perfect duo.
Startled by the sudden contempt, Elodie fumbled around helplessly.
Victoria's contemptuous gaze toward Elodie now turned to me and Rinoa.
“Even the mighty Edelheid has been driven into the dirt. I know you're short on talent, but appointing a slave as a knight? Honestly.”
“You can't compare to the Cromwell count's house, though. You rummage through other people's trash and drag it around as a so-called guard knight.”
“...What?”
Victoria's fake smile cracked wide open.
Rinoa, unconcerned by her reaction, added with an expressionless face.
“If you beg me sincerely, I can throw out a few more. How about it? They'd probably perform better than that one.”
“Y-you, right now...!”
Wow, so I'm actually getting to watch these two fight.
It feels like watching a hidden route. This is insanely fun.
But I was the only one who could enjoy this situation.
The daughters of a ducal house and a count's house were having a staring contest. No one, not even a professor, would dare get between them.
There was only one person who could mediate this: someone of higher rank than those two.
“How about both of you stop there?”
Aiter stepped in at just the right moment.
“Your Highness...”
“It's been a while, Lady Cromwell. You didn't attend the last banquet, so I was quite disappointed not to see your face.”
“I was unfortunately ill that day... My apologies.”
“No need to apologize. Still, seeing how widely your lovely voice is carrying, it seems you're well again. Truly a relief.”
In plain terms, it meant, “Your voice is ridiculously loud, so shut your mouth.”
Fortunately, whether she understood it or not, Victoria answered with silence. She seemed to know she'd done something embarrassing.
“I understand there's conflict between you two, but I do think arguing in a place with so many eyes on you, especially a dining hall, is a bit much.”
Quick-witted Victoria nodded and replied without delay.
“Your Highness is absolutely right. Here, I, Victoria of House Cromwell, will first—”
“Then how about we make it a duel trial?”
“An apology... pardon?”
Aiter continued, not even bothering to hide his excitement.
“A duel trial, I mean. I think it's a very good solution.”
The Royal Academy was filled with students from all over, and disputes happened just as often.
So the academy encourages duels between students.
It's a way to prove the martial arts and magic they've honed in real combat and to measure each other's achievements.
A very wholesome and excellent educational system that fans the flames of scholarly zeal through competition.
'...Yeah, that's bullshit.'
The bigger reason was that they didn't have the guts to get involved in nobles' disputes, so they were basically telling us to handle it ourselves.
What irresponsible educators.
“And both young ladies happen to have excellent guard knights with them, don't they?”
Aiter said that while glancing back and forth between Gerard and me.
Ah, don't tell me this is going to be another—
“A knight's strength is their master's honor. There's no need for the young ladies themselves to get worked up over this; moving to the training grounds and ordering those two knights to duel would fit the academy's principles and be far more elegant. Am I wrong?”
Yep. You're wrong.
I wasn't doing anything and was quietly keeping my mouth shut, so why are you making me fight?
You both know how to use magic.
You two deal with it yourselves.
But the onlookers, who had no reason to care about my inner thoughts, nodded in admiration at the prince's neat solution.
Aiter shrugged at me. It was obvious he was saying that because he wanted to see my skills.
“Your Highness speaks nothing but the truth, a hundred, a thousand times over.”
Victoria was the first to take the bait.
“A duel trial? I never thought there'd be such a neat solution. I'll accept.”
“I refuse.”
“Refuse? Young lady, are you seriously trying to back out and run away now? Were you really that pathetic?”
Rinoa tilted her head slightly.
“I'm not very fond of wasting time.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because Leon will obviously win. Won't he?”
Rinoa looked back at me, blinking innocently.
Just looking at that shameless mask of hers made me let out a dry laugh. She really was world-class at getting under people's skin.
When she was my opponent, she was annoying, but as our teammate, there was nothing more reassuring.
“I agree with the young lady. Honestly, this routine would be fine once or twice, but it's the same thing every time I go somewhere, and I'm sick of it.”
This wasn't just lip service; I meant it sincerely.
I really want to stop doing this. At this rate, I'll end up fighting everyone I meet.
“But since I believe enlightening the ignorant is one of a noble's duties, I'll accept just this once.”
“Hah, let's see how long you can keep running that smug mouth of yours.”
Aiter smiled faintly.
“Good. Then it seems both sides have agreed, so shall we move? It makes for a fine appetizer before the meal.”
Led by Aiter, the group moved out together.
I stopped Rinoa as she naturally tried to join the crowd.
“Why?”
“Don't ask me why. Why are we doing this again? You know I'll win anyway.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you accept?”
“Because it's fun?”
“...”
Through the bond, I can roughly tell what state of mind she's in.
Rinoa was only pretending to be indifferent; she was enjoying this situation more than anyone.
She must have had so much pent-up frustration that she couldn't help getting swept up in the cathartic release.
If she were a web novel reader, she'd do nothing but gorge on revenge stories.
“Crush her without mercy. Make sure Victoria can never lift her face in front of me again.”
Rinoa turned on her heel and walked away at an unhurried pace.
The dining hall, which had been bustling with people, emptied out in an instant.
Elodie couldn't leave my side, fidgeting restlessly.
Her downcast eyes looked like they might burst into tears at any moment.
“I-I'm sorry. Because of me, Leon got dragged into this for no reason...”
The moment I saw that, I changed my mind.
Rinoa was right.
'That crazy bastard Gerard. How dare he insult Elodie?'
You're dead again today.