By Zephyria 
Marianne jumped up and pointed her finger.
“What is there to lose! Did the Second Prince say that? If he was going to do that, he should have been more careful from the start!”
It looked like fire would erupt from her mouth. Her demeanor was that ferocious.
I glanced over, hoping Jenny might try to calm Marianne down, but she merely grabbed the wine glass in front of her and downed it in one gulp. It was obvious she wholeheartedly agreed with Marianne.
The gazes of the others were also sharp. Hesitating, I sighed and spoke.
“It’s not that… It’s just that there isn’t a same-sex marriage system yet.”
“…What does that have to do with anything?”
“Even if I stay by Rubel’s side, everyone will just think of me as a close acquaintance. No one will think of us as lovers… I don’t want Rubel to have to explain himself or be flustered about it.”
“…Ah.”
“Besides…”
“He doesn’t seem to have the leeway for it either.”
I am twenty now, and Rubel is twenty-three.
Three years ago. When Rubel was talking about the plan to establish a regional academy, he said something. He said that by the time he was twenty-five, he could tackle marriage laws, that he would rewrite the laws so that he could marry me.
But that was only possible when the Emperor was alive and well.
The First Prince was wary of power being dispersed. Therefore, there was no way the regional academy construction could have proceeded smoothly during the few months the Emperor was gone. Even if Richard hadn’t interfered and they had accepted students normally, the first graduates wouldn’t have emerged yet.
The fact that Rubel had taken care of my family separately was evident from their reactions. Shayden still said Rubel must like me. Rubel never hid his affection for me from my friends and acquaintances.
Despite that, the citizens of the Empire naturally expected Rubel’s partner to be a woman.
What if I was causing unnecessary scandal for Rubel? The wicked thought ignited and wouldn’t die down. Dark worries rose like soot, smearing back on no matter how much I wiped.
I emptied my glass again. Benjamin, noticing, refilled my next one. He asked with a troubled tone,
“The Prince being involved with Michael… we can let that slide, assuming it’s not known to graduates our age or the Nobility Yearbook department.”
“Mm.”
“What does Michael have to lose?”
“I do.”
Each word was a struggle to utter. Knowing I would be scolded, I opened my mouth.
“…My life?”
“What?”
Marianne raised her fist to her head, but I waved her off to stop her.
“No, that’s not what I mean. I’m about to stand at the forefront of the battlefield…”
“…You became a Grand Sword Master. Don’t you have confidence?”
“The opponent I’m fighting is the god of this continent.”
After uttering the words, I paused for a moment, but no one in the room was surprised. It was easier to speak if everyone already knew. Hoping my voice wouldn’t betray any sense of grievance, I explained as calmly as possible.
“This time… I was lucky enough to spar with a Dragon. It was quite chilling.”
“…Did you lose?”
“No, I won, but.”
How could I explain this to children who knew nothing of fighting?
“I won because there were so many restrictions.”
“Restrictions?”
“Fighting in human form. Not harming the humans nearby. Not dispelling the shields set up for humans. Using only a sword without magic in the beginning. And…”
“And?”
I clenched and unclenched my left hand.
“Not killing each other.”
“….”
“Of course, it was fun. But I don’t think I experienced the full extent of Spiritus’s true power. The more I recall that spar, the more I think that.”
“What?”
“If the opponent had truly intended to kill me, there would have been countless opportunities.”
Killing an opponent and subduing them alive are vastly different.
What if she had dropped her Polymorph and remained in her dragon form?
Of course, my sword would have pierced her head first. Still, it wouldn’t have been a fatal wound.
The memory of fighting Bel Vifer’s illusion still remained vivid. That black dragon moved relentlessly even with dozens of swords lodged in it. I wouldn’t think of withdrawing from combat just because a needle was stuck in my hand. That’s what a difference in physical size meant. Even if it hurt and was agonizing, I wouldn’t die.
And what about the magic that healed me at the end?
My body was injured multiple times in that spar. Spiritus was too, but she could recover her body throughout the fight. She simply chose not to.
I might have the upper hand in the initial stages of the fight, but beyond that, it was uncertain. I don’t have the ability to self-repair my body. So, if that fight had been a real battle instead of a spar, and if it had continued for days, I certainly wouldn’t be here.
So far, I have swallowed one-third of the Ninth God’s fragments.
Through that, I’ve come to know how powerful gods are. Even in human form, they are not human, and in the form of life, they are not life. They don’t live; they exist. Therefore, it felt like swinging a sword against nature, which cannot be returned to nothingness.
Even if I were to shatter the Ninth’s Origin, could I withstand it without being consumed?
Distressed, I looked down at my empty wine glass. This time, Damian refilled my glass.
“The legalization of same-sex marriage has already been brought up as an agenda item in the Imperial Council several times. Among our generation, perceptions have changed a lot, and once the Second Prince becomes Emperor, it won’t be a concern anymore.”
“….”
“Nevertheless, I understand your hesitation when you intend to go to the battlefield prepared to die.”
“…Yes.”
“But I hope Michael will be honest with his heart. Because I believe the shorter the time until death, the less regret there should be.”
Ivan, who had remained silent the whole time, raised his glass.
“Let’s toast.”
“To what?”
“To the Second Prince’s arduous romance.”
“….”
That was typical of him.
“To it!”
“…To ittt.”
“It would be better to just say ‘to a happy romance’.”
“Hah…”
As my friends laughed and echoed, I also laughed hollowly and raised my glass.
Benjamin had felt awkward with his family whom he hadn’t seen in a while, so he didn’t want to go home, and I told him to come to the inn too. The other friends also wanted to meet the god, so I nodded and said I’d talk to him. The bittersweet taste of the clear liquor numbed my tongue, making any food I ate taste bland.
While I was just nursing my drink, Marianne grumbled again, pouting.
“Even so, Michael is too much this time.”
“Why again?”
“No matter what, tomorrow is the Second Prince’s birthday…”
“Yes?”
My glass fell with a loud clatter.
I frantically counted the days.
The day we rescued the knights from the Grimsvein mine was October 18th. The next day, the 19th, we entered the dragon’s lair, and departing that very night, we arrived at the Grimsvein front lines the day after.
We rested for a day, and the next day I sparred with the Dragon. That same afternoon, we arrived at Demon Port and met my family. After treating Asdel, we stayed at the villa for three more days. We moved closer to the capital and traveled for another three days by carriage to meet Rubel.
And another day has passed, so today is…
October 30th.
Jenny, who was sitting next to me, grabbed my arm with an uncharacteristically fierce demeanor and shook me. Seeing the worry and shock on her face, my chest felt cold, as if standing under a mountain stream.
“Did you forget? Really? You weren’t pretending not to know?”
“No… it’s just that, a lot has happened in the meantime.”
“You’re hanging out with us right now! Of course, the Second Prince will hear about it!”
“….”
I had no words to say, even if I had ten mouths. I just swayed with the shaking.
❖ ❖ ❖
We immediately tidied up and moved to the Eldos Merchant Guild’s capital branch.
The streets of Sierren’s capital were a spectacle of light. With such a large population, people were out day and night. However, most shops open at night sold cheap trinkets. I couldn’t find a suitable gift for Rubel.
Still, it was fortunate that one of my friends ran a shop. If it weren’t for Ivan, I would have been sitting there in a daze, unable to find a gift needed for tomorrow.
I followed Ivan, who opened the closed warehouse door and turned on the lights. Every time the children’s laughter was swallowed, I felt a pang of indigestion.
“Wow, that sobered me right up.”
“As soon as it’s dawn tomorrow, send a telegram. Ask if you can meet him.”
“No, just go see him in the morning with flowers. We have to pretend it’s a surprise, what else can we do?”
“But that’s not polite…”
I asked hesitantly, but it earned a big laugh.
“It won’t be out of line! It won’t be out of line! Are you crazy, seriously?”
“Marianne just saved Michael’s life.”
“Right! We’re marking this down as a debt!”
“…Yes. Please do. I will repay it.”
We were all excitedly choosing a gift for Rubel.
Without a moment’s hesitation, all the children went to the jewelry display and picked out items. Watching their excited backs, I looked at various gems among them. To me, they all looked like beautiful stones sparkling in similar colors, so I was at a loss for what to choose.
Leaving it to my friends, I stood with my hands behind my back and surveyed the surroundings.
“Blue would be best, right?”
“Yes. Looking at Michael, a ring might be too much yet… A necklace? A bracelet?”
“How about a brooch? Would it be too expensive?”
“Is price the issue?”
Rubel must have many kinds of jewels; would he even wear something I gave him?
Listening to the children chatter, I nudged Ivan’s shoulder. He seemed to have the best eye for merchandise among them, and as the owner of these items, he would likely explain them well.
“How about this one?”
“…A music box? It’s not bad… but the Second Prince has been an adult for eight years now. It doesn’t have detachable gems of good quality, and the finishing is a bit… for a birthday gift.”
“Ah. Is it usually a gift for young children?”
“I suppose so. It’s fine as a gift for a day that isn’t an anniversary.”
Demian, who was pondering between a bluer gem and a less blue one, suddenly asked.
“Did you not give the Second Prince anything for his birthday last year?”
“No, I did… give him something.”
“What was it?”
“A belt with many Mana Stones attached…”
Marianne, engrossed in looking at the jewels, suddenly turned her head towards me. Wouldn’t her neck hurt if she turned like that? Flustered, I stammered, but the child shrieked.
“A belt? That, you know, the one the Second Prince has been wearing since the Widdrow Duchy?”
“Yes.”
All my friends’ gazes turned cold. I must have done something wrong again. I felt quite disheartened.