By Zephyria 
In the third week of November, it snowed.
Even the high walls of the Withrow Duchy could not block the white snow falling from the sky.
The servants, who had been busy clearing the pouring snow for about two hours after it began, received the Duke of Withrow’s stern command to stop their pointless work and come inside to rest, and moved towards the warm fireplace.
Some murmured worried words, thinking of the knights who had not yet returned, but these were knights who had left with the intention of spending the winter in the mountains. They comforted themselves by saying that the knights must have taken tools like Artifacts to withstand the cold, which soothed the worries of those concerned.
The garden and the martial arts training ground alike were thickly covered with white snow, like a down comforter.
As training outside became impossible, Hugh and Elvin gave us strict warnings to stay within the ducal residence, stating they had their own business to attend to, and then left. We didn’t know what they were going to do, but since we had no intention of going out in such weather, we decided to obey them obediently.
Thus, the remaining three of us gathered in one room to spend our time.
I was easily captivated by the snowy landscape, something I couldn’t see in the capital. In the quiet drawing-room, I half-opened the window and leaned against the windowsill, gazing into the distance. Ruben quietly drank tea and flipped through a monster compendium, while Benjamin sat on a comfortable sofa, oiling his sword to pass the time.
Lately, Benjamin Claudian had been unusually listless.
He was usually someone who busied himself with various tasks on his own, so I hadn’t been too worried, but the exceptionally sensitive Ruben subtly hinted at it, and I finally found out.
Looking again, Benjamin’s usually quiet eyes and expression were the same as always, but his mouth was strangely downcast, and I wondered what was wrong.
We sat together for about two hours, having coaxed him to join us when he wanted to be alone. Benjamin, who had been examining each dagger, glanced at Ruben once, then at me, and then said something unnecessary.
“I hope I’m not disturbing the time you two have together…”
“What nonsense is that?”
Before I could cut him off, Ruben gently soothed Benjamin in a kind voice.
“How could that be? We’re not training separately, and on such dreary days, being alone only leads to unnecessary thoughts. It’s better to be together.”
“…Yes.”
Ruben had been noticeably more amiable lately.
His original way of speaking was gentle, and his movements were graceful. His body, now agile from consistent training, carried a powerful stride with the energy of the Azure Sky. I knew that if he was lovely and precious in my eyes, he would be so in others’ eyes as well.
I inwardly sighed, thinking, ‘This child is trying to charm not just me, but others too.’
Unlike me, who attributed Benjamin’s low spirits solely to the dreary weather and turned my gaze back outside, Ruben closed the book he was reading and moved to sit in front of Benjamin.
Even though I tried not to pay attention to what they were doing, my ears perked up.
Ruben opened his mouth again in his still gentle voice.
“Young Lady Philodendor is doing well, I’m sure.”
“…Yes. She probably is.”
Hearing Benjamin’s lukewarm reply, I looked back at the boys, puzzled.
Benjamin, who had stopped cleaning his sword, looked at Ruben for a moment, then folded the cloth the other way and meticulously wiped the oil from his sword with slow movements. However, Ruben did not open his book again, nor did he look away.
He watched Benjamin quietly and spoke again.
“I’m saying this because I want to help. Once Young Lady Philodendor returns after finishing her work at the Magic Tower, we won’t have another chance to gather like this, just the three of us.”
“…”
Marianne? Why her?
I blinked in confusion, but Benjamin let out a long sigh and put his sword away.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Mmm… A little. I don’t think Young Lady Philodendor knows yet, though…”
“…Knows what?”
What was I the only one not to know this time? I asked, puzzled, and both their gazes turned to me.
Ruben seemed about to answer, so I looked at him, but he was only looking at Benjamin.
Thinking Benjamin might tell me, I looked at him, but he covered his face with both hands and hunched his shoulders.
After exhaling a few times as if he were boiling over, Benjamin murmured.
“…I wish everyone in the world were like Michael.”
“No, that’s a bit…”
Ruben quickly retorted, then, startled, glanced at me and quickly corrected himself.
“…Indeed.”
I waved my hand, telling him to stop this ridiculousness.
This didn’t seem like a conversation that should be overheard, so I closed the window and sat on the sofa. It was the seat opposite Benjamin, next to Ruben. Ruben gave me an awkward smile, then sat up straight again and looked at Benjamin.
Benjamin, without lifting his head, managed to force out his voice.
“I… like Marianne.”
“Huh?”
What?
Unlike me, who was startled, Ruben was simply smiling faintly.
I wondered if I should probe further into this matter, but I was someone who often discussed my own concerns with Ruben, even in front of Benjamin. It was true that lately, the two of them rarely had time alone, and there were some things that were embarrassing to talk about, so I hadn’t brought them up… but it wasn’t something I couldn’t hear.
After a moment of deliberation, I finally asked.
“…Since when?”
Benjamin let out a deep sigh. He covered his face with his large hands and his shoulders shook slightly. The words he spat out, one by one, were hard to distinguish whether they were petulant or shy.
“Around Michael’s first Hunting Festival… That’s when… I think it was. I’m not sure, but…”
“Ah.”
Sometime very early on, when I first met him, we had talked about Benjamin’s ideal type. What had Benjamin said then? He liked strong people, didn’t he… I thought he would find a partner among swordsmen, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
After all, Marianne was a strong person.
She was upright and unyielding. She was bold and spirited. She was also beautiful and cute. She had a particularly lively demeanor, but most of that boisterousness was for the consideration of others. Recalling Benjamin and Marianne playing together, they seemed like a very well-matched pair.
However, Benjamin let out a long sigh.
“…But Marianne has someone else in her heart… and that person has the opposite appearance to me, so I lack confidence.”
“…That’s…”
Of course.
That guy… what was his name? He had hair that shimmered with a clear sky blue or light green. He had a pale, slender appearance and even wore glasses. Marianne had described him as being like milk.
Compared to him… Benjamin was like a brick or a stone wall. Dark, large, and sturdy. To my eyes, he looked manly and handsome, but he didn’t fit the criteria of the beautiful man Marianne always sang about.
Benjamin’s voice continued weakly.
“…Besides, even if she wants to reject me, we have to spend several more years together, don’t we? So I have no intention of telling her. And you certainly don’t need to help me.”
Benjamin pressed and stroked his face with his fingertips, trying to compose his expression. But this time, even I could see the corners of his mouth drooping. Every word the boy spoke was laced with a sigh.
“At least I should wait until she takes off that ring, shouldn’t I?”
“…”
Right…
Even while putting on and taking off various Artifacts, Marianne still wore the silver ring on her left ring finger. It was made by a girl who was the successor of Grimsvein. Marianne did not hide the meaning she had imbued in that ring.
She had said it meant she had succeeded in a Marriage by Plunder.
Just as she had told me, she would have told the same to the other children. Marianne was confident in her feelings. She had repeatedly said she would take off the ring when she no longer liked that scoundrel with the flashy face and no longer found him handsome.
Ruben, instead of me, who could only stammer a response, comforted Benjamin.
“Yes. Still, I will cheer for you. I… think you two are very well-matched.”
“…Thank you.”
A moment later, I also patted Benjamin’s shoulder a couple of times to comfort him.
It was a bright midday, with only the soft crunch of footsteps on the snow-covered ground in the distance. We shared a moment of silence, and then each returned to our own tasks. My heart felt restless with this awkward youth.
❖ ❖ ❖
That weekend, Duke Felice Withrow summoned the new recruits of this term.
Even though they were new recruits, they had spent half a year clearing monsters around the Dunmel Canyon. They were elites who had honed their skills sharply at Shierun Academy. They were not to be underestimated simply because of their young age.
Due to the annihilation of the children who went with the 3rd Platoon, the number of new recruits had decreased from thirteen to eight. Of these, Marianne was in the Magic Tower, so there were only seven present at the gathering. Duke Withrow, already aware that Marianne was in the tower, did not search for her anew.
Gathering them like this again made the empty seats feel hollow, and it stung.
Duke Felice Withrow had the children sit in comfortable seats instead of making them stand. They exchanged simple nods to confirm each other’s well-being. The quiet greetings replaced the clamor.
Felice Withrow, watching us quietly, smiled bitterly and made a painful joke.
“…Well, I wish we had gathered like this for a farewell before you left.”
The children smiled bitterly.
However, they were all strong-willed. They soon composed their expressions and lifted their heads. No one present was unaware that the Yuil Mountains were dangerous.
Although Felice maintained a consistently gentle tone, she did not forget what she had to say.
“Half a year has already passed since I first met you. After the new year festival, you will embark on your second expedition. Death is a certainty given to all living beings in this land. How is it, are you afraid?”
“No.”
Andy Spooner was the first to answer. All the other children agreed in silence.