"There's two ways to solidify your legacy in this world. Do something to the benefit of mankind and be known as a saint or sow enough chaos that you can only be remembered as an inhuman demon. Me? Well, that depends whether you know me as the owner of the Sparkies food franchise or the owner of MediCorp."
- Carl "Spark" Haymayer Jr., Militant Confederation of Atlanterra
Spoken during an interview about him patenting the cure for the "Twik" plague that spread from infected Sparkies budget burgers.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
While not exactly scandalous, Jonathan's involvement with the previous imperial inquiry made him the topic of conversations across the Imperial academy where rumors abounded about how he is "an arrogant prick who speaks far too high for his measly station" or that he is a "nobody about to be struck down from his high horse".
Day by day, such were the conversations that propped themselves out in the open and even with him being within earshot, the students continued to tattle about him without a care if he's going to hear their increasingly scathing words… At least until a festival began in the academy.
"Gwah—!!!"
"Stop the fight! Winner, Jonathan Bougainvillea!"
Almost two months after becoming a baron, and a week after his participation in an imperial senate inquiry, Jonathan participated in the Imperial academy's spring festival as his class's representative in the swordsmanship tournament.
"—!"
"A-A-Ah— I surrender!"
"Stop the fight! By way of surrender! Winner, Jonathan Bougainvillea!"
With powerful strikes, well-polished techniques, and an unrelenting fighting spirit, he rose through the brackets quickly where either by way of surrender, bringing his opponent out of bounds or simply being outmatched by him, Jonathan had an unscathed record in the competition.
"T-That guy—!"
"Hmph… Looks like he's not all bark and no bite after all."
By the end of the first day where the final list of competitors was decided, Jonathan led his bracket as its second to the top contender with the one taking the highest place being someone that he didn't fight and got the position by default through having more wins.
"Hey! You must be the hotshot that I've been hearing about all day… Haha! That's quite the performance out there, bro! By the way, the name's Quill, Quill Preve."
"…My name is Jonathan Bougainvillea."
While he was cleaning his competition sword, one that has its edge blunted and covered with magic enchantments to make it as safe as possible, he was approached by the guy who took the top spot who spoke to him with an overfamiliar tone. Although he kept his guard up, Jonathan decided to respond calmly to him.
"Bougainvillea, huh? You must be the new baron who was transferred in the Advanced curriculum campus. Heh, are you wondering how I got to know your name and stuff?"
"I don't. Given that the people who hang around here a lot usually like to prattle about the lives of others, I hardly believe that I didn't become their topic once where they dragged my entire identity through the mud."
"T-That… is quite rough, yeah?"
"…I don't really care. It's not like anything would change if I do." As he replied with that, Jonathan sheathed his blade and stood up to leave but was interrupted with another question from Quill.
"Hey, what are your plans for the tournament? You know, what place are you aiming for, are you looking for someone to sponsor you in creating a sword school or anything like that?"
"Well… I guess I'll win."
"You'll win?" Surprised with his blunt answer, Quill turned to Jonathan with a questioning expression.
"I'm here already anyway so I'll just finish what I started. I'll go and win this."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You can't just say that and walk away, my dude! Are you actually serious about doing this?!"
"Well, yeah. I don't really have a reason not to now, don't I?"
"Y-You don't? Are you listening to yourself?! There are over 600 competitors in the entire school! Even if you win in the second and third set of brackets, you'd still likely fight over 100 opponents by the time you enter the quarterfinals!"
"Sounds awesome to me, I don't see a problem."
"You—"
Utterly shocked with Jonathan's nonchalant behavior about his ridiculous goal, Quill broke the character that he tried to use to approach Jonathan cautiously, as he tried to warn him of how impossible it is.
"Look here, Preve… I chose to participate in the competition to make my class adviser to shut up about me belonging to three clubs or student organizations. I didn't really care about making it this far until I saw that everyone that I fought back there were those losers who has nothing better to do than spread bulls*** behind my back."
"B-But I thought you didn't care…?"
"That's true. I didn't really care about it. However, I'm not one to pass up an opportunity to place some knuckle-sandwiches inside some horribly prattling mouths, especially when they're getting too ridiculous with their claims."
"Ehh? Ridiculous how?"
"Go ask around… that's if they're willing to talk about it again after I beat them up."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Later that night as I was winding down by having a cup of Puer tea in the living room while reading a book that I brought home from the academy's library, Martha sat down at the other seat of the tea table to talk with me.
"I expected you to be asleep already given your busy and tiring schedule."
"Oh please, young master. It's a shame for a professional maid to rest before her master."
"You say that, but you look oh-so-ready to turn in for the night."
Unlike her usual outfit of the Bougainvillea manor's maid uniform, Martha was dressed in her cotton night gown and her hair was untied and lacking its usual set of accessories. I noticed too that the light make-up that she uses has been washed off from her face, exposing her natural beauty.
"Well then… let it out. Speak as Martha Robinson, my friend and caretaker rather than my maid." As soon as I said those words, she sighed out a long breath and immediately reached for my ear which she pinched tightly. "Oww, oww, owwie…"
"Jonathan, you rascal. I told you not to go and wreck your entire competition just because you can." She said and let go of my ear, but instead of stopping, she proceeded to use the same thumb and finger to pinch my cheek instead.
"Geez. I was in a competition, you know. I gotta do my best to make sure that I— AHH—!!!"
"HUH?! "Do my best", my foot! You didn't even give some of them a chance to swing their sword once!" She exclaimed after tightening her pinching on my cheek, making me howl in pain.
Moments later, she finally let me go but kept up a feisty expression afterwards.
"Martha, I already explained to you that I needed to participate to keep my class adviser out of my back. I'm already satisfied with belonging to the general literature club, and I don't want to join the other student organizations either."
"What's so bad about joining another club? Aren't they meant to help you gain and polish your skills and let you meet more people to befriend and compete with?"
"That's exactly why I am avoiding it."
"Huh? How is that supposed to be a bad thing?"
I looked at her keenly and she understood that what I was about to say is something that I am entirely serious about.
"I don't blame you for not knowing this, Martha, but the Imperial Academy is not an educational institution… or at least, that is not its primary function."
"What do you mean by that, Jonathan?"
"…Unlike the imperial basic education system afforded to everyone in the empire regardless of their social status, which only teaches reading, writing, basic arithmetic and basic magic, the Imperial Academy is not something that you undergo by choice, it's compulsory for every noble house above the peerage of "Knight" to send their children here in the capital regardless of how much strain it would put in their finances."
"But why? Why is it compulsory, if it leads to those houses with little to spare financially, to basically suffer?"
"Because that's what the empire needs. It needs those who has the means to mount a rebellion and push their own agendas to be under their control, because if they aren't, Ostadonia might as well be a house of cards facing a super typhoon." While I was telling her all of that, I picked up the newborn direwolf pup that was sleeping near my feet and placed it on my lap to pet it lightly.
"You see, the imperial academy's main purpose is to not only make the imperial capital such an important place for the empire by focusing much of its technological, infrastructural and cultural achievements within it, but also to force nobles to handover their heirs to the empire's immediate reach for a short period of time, something similar to holding them hostage against their family… or at least that is what it would appear in its simplified form." As she listened intently, I continued on my explanation.
"In truth, the nobility's connection to the capital isn't limited within the 6 years that they spend in the imperial academy… all that they learn here, the connections and relationships that they make, the comforts that they experience and even their fondness for it that ends up making their homelands a pile of rubbish in comparison, is something that that lasts their entire lifetime… case in point, every noble heir from the fringes of the empire."
Once I said that, Martha gasped in shock as she finally understood what I meant.
"Since it is also set in imperial law that all official business between nobles can only be done in the capital, that would mean that the leader of the noble house also must regularly be in the capital. With that, they can easily take either the house master or their heir and execute them, effectively cutting off their entire noble house's lineage."
I've known about this from Marquis Kazuto. He said that once west and east Serafina has been reunited through him who comes from both the Taiga and Regalia houses, it's likely that he and his future heir would be under the same system since none of those two noble houses has nothing for the imperial government to use as leverage against them.
This is the reason why I didn't want to form that many connections in the academy. Because I know that I would be forced into responsibilities that would last a lifetime and failing on them would mean a great loss to me.
"Even though it is as such, it doesn't mean that it's all bad…"
"Jonathan?"
Still, that doesn't mean that the imperial academy is something to avoid like a plague. While it might be a tool for entrapment, the imperial academy does provide excellent education and training as a noble beyond what is available in the imperial basic education system.
"Martha, I know it's still a few weeks away, but here's your birthday present."
"H-Huh?" While she was surprised with my words, I pulled out a folded piece of paper between my book's pages and handed it to her. "T-This is—!"
"In two weeks, the College of Health, Arts, Sciences and Magic are going to open their gates for enrollment. I've already reserved a spot for you in the entrance exam."
"B-But why… Why did you—?"
"I knew that you've wanted to attend the university and earn at least an associate's degree… Well, we will be here for the next few years so why not go and get a bachelor's or even a master's during that time?"
"That doesn't answer my question! W-why would you want me to attend college? I'm just a Knight house's third daughter so I definitely don't have the credentials to go there by virtue of my social position… and more than that, the tuition for college education is—"
"Leave those troubles to me, Martha. I can handle it. Just focus on getting to where you want to be… besides, I'm going to need as many capable hands and sharp minds that I can get."
As I said that, I let down the direwolf pup before I stood up and looked out of the window to look at the busy capital's streets.
"For what reason?"
"…I made a promise to father that I need to complete before things become so untenable that it becomes impossible."
I am a baron now, independent from my house and basically capable of doing whatever I want because of Gunther and the wizards… but if I want to get to where I promised my father that we would be, I need to move fast and ferociously.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Back in east Serafina where the Fenris Bougainvillea barony has carved their own cut in the newly recognized Bougainvillea Viscounty, the work of mining out and refining magisteel to be sold as the principal source of income of the territory is underway.
"Careful now, careful now!"
"Okay… flip it over slowly. Let the machine to handle the weight."
Sitting between the standards of being rudimentary and decent, the previously small-scale methods of the territory in casting molten magisteel ore into usable bars has disappeared completely as soon as several dedicated workhouses was made by House Dahlia. Now, the daily output has reached nearly half a ton of material and its quality is good enough to be mistaken to have come from Boreas or Atlanterra.
*Fwwweeeeeeeeeet—!!!*
"Oh! There goes the whistle." Spoke one of the workers as they heard the shrill tone of a whistle from the supervisor of the factory which was followed by his voice.
"Aight! It's time to hit the chow hall, boys! Let down any hangin' crucibles and turn off the machines! E're going back before it's time for crumpets!"
"""Yes, chief!"""
As one by one, the workers turned off the machines they were using to refine the magisteel, a man entered the factory to talk to the supervisor who greeted him with a curt tone.
"Seems like a busy day, isn't it, chief?"
"Ay! Lord Gray! Welcome to the first factory, what brings ye to our lil' shack?"
"Nothing much, just running an errand for lord Jonathan. He said that he wants to give you guys something to express his appreciations."
"A-Appreciations? Ahahaha… I ne'er understand much since we're just workin' to let our lassies and kiddies to survive. Wha' did the baron send over anyway?"
"Ahaha! You'll know soon, let me lead you back to Stella then. I brought an ox-drawn cart with me, so you guys won't get tired."
Half an hour of travelling later, the men saw Stella village and noticed that something was going on in its village plaza.
"W-wow… wazzat all that racket about?" one of them spoke out as he heard music and cheering coming from within the village. Once they entered the village square, a man carrying a mug of ice-cold, foamy beer greeted their group.
"Oh! The folks from the first factory, huh? Ahaha! Ain't you guys quite diligent to work even though it's a holiday?"
"A holiday?! Oi! We ne'er heard anythin' like that! And e'redya got that grog?!" the factory supervisor asked the drunk man after seeing the beer that they only heard about and never tried before.
"This? Wahaha! The folks here said that they've made them a bit ago after they've set their toes here. Trust me brother, it really is as good as they say it is! Gulk! Pwah! Darn! That really hits the spot!"
As they saw the man down another large gulp from the beer, the workers from the first factory looked around for a bit until they were greeted by a young woman wearing a green dress and had her hair braided the same way as the other women around her.
"Ah! Thank you for coming gentlemen! Come on, we still have empty tables for you!"
"A-Ah, yeah! Come on, boys!"
Walking past the bustling crowd who are merrily eating, drinking and dancing along with the cheerful music, the men finally arrived at the table they were led to and sat down.
"I wonder what's the occasion… Ey! Is there something today that ya' Lunarians have today?" the factory supervisor asked one of his men who is wearing a circle necklace with three etched faces, a religious item of the Lunarian sect.
"None. Except for Saint Lorainne Day, which is just a spring-cleaning day after winter ends, there's no holidays for the entire spring season."
"Hmm… What about national holidays?"
"None too. The nearest one is still two months away and it's the victory day of the Turkman tribes."
While they are wondering what this celebration is for, a young man pushing a cart stopped beside their table and with smooth, calculated moves, slid out several plates of fried fowl, spiced meatballs and other scrumptious food, followed by large mugs of chilled, foamy beer.
"Yoo! This quite the spread, young'un!"
"Are ya sure that this is all free? Even I can only dream of havin' all of this once in a lifetime!" the men nervously asked the young man who answered back after a chuckle.
"Ahaha! It's all free of charge, sirs. If you want to thank someone, give it to Baron Jonathan. He said that he wanted to thank all of you for diligently working for the future of all of us."
"The young master?! He's the one who called this feast?"
"Yep! So, enjoy the day and have your fill, folks! We've got more than enough to go around!"
Once they heard that, the excitement in the hearts of the men turned to overt joy as they picked up their beer mugs and loudly clanked them together with a cheer.
"""To the young Baron! CHEERS!!!"""
At the large veranda of the village chief's house, a table filled with the same dishes and a variety of liquor being attended by a woman who isn't wearing her usual outfit of the Bougainvillea manor's maid uniform. Instead, she is wearing a white dress that accentuates her figure along with a wide-brimmed hat.
"Chief Dahlia, I'm surprised you are not down there with the others." mused a young man carrying a half-filled beer mug who sat at the chair across her.
"Today is my day-off, sir Gray. I have to apologize that I don't have enough energy to socialize down there with the villagers." Spica replied to Gray before assembling a small dish filled with ham and cheeses for him to try. "Seeing that you've finally come here, I assume that the men from the first factory is the last of the invited?"
"They are… Since they work outside of the old border, it took some time to bring them here. Good thing that they were patient enough to follow my invitation although they are already starving."
While Gray was enjoying his beer and the contents of his charcuterie plate, Spica closed her eyes while humming along with the music that the musicians below just started to play. It had a sweet melody and a calming tempo, one that sounded pleasing to the ears and enough to drown out the worries on one's mind. Along with Spica's humming, it captivated Gray's attention and as if hypnotized by it, asked her a question.
"What… song is that, Spica-dono?"
"Hm? Ahaha… It's a very special song for us Dahlians. I believe you know the truth that before swearing fealty to lord Jonathan, we are a people who were trapped at a dungeon here in Mt. Akira?"
"Yes. Baron Bougainvillea told us that before and said that it's something that we are to be wary about when conversing with your people. That if there are things that would be common sense for us, it wouldn't be the case for you, and that we should tread carefully regarding the subject of dismissing or easily accepting the loss of loved ones to unceasing wars because that isn't the same case for those under your House."
Gray thoughtfully spoke and it made Spica smile that despite being easily dismissed as just a ferocious and heartless fighter, Gray has a gentle nature beneath his warrior spirit.
"You're right about that… and this song has a special place for us because of our shared past. Its name is "We will bloom again", a song hummed by mothers to lull their children to sleep as well as a song that is sung as the final burial rite of us Dahlians."
"That is…" a bit surprised about that revelation, Gray unwittingly mumbled before cutting his words off.
"While that is usually where it is sung, it also acts as our connection with our ancestors. Never in its existence was the song ever changed in any form and its message has never been interpreted in a different way."
"Really? Why so, Spica-dono?"
With that question from Gray, Spica showed a sly smile as she tipped her wineglass to her lips to drink the rest of it.
"You will know, sir Gray… You will know."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
In the imperial academy, even the ongoing spring festival didn't mean that all classes were cancelled to accommodate the festivities and competitions. One of these classes is the MagiTech classes in the Advanced Curriculum campus that was declared to still be held as the need for MagiTech workers began to rise up as demand for Logical Calculators rose with the beginning of the war in Silesia.
"And because of that, much of the designing and production of LogiCals and CCUs still remain within the borders or the overseas factories of Marl Kah's Flores Corporation. Currently, the sixteenth iteration of the Mabini-pattern LogiCal, utilizing the level ten Bayanihan architecture process, remains the cutting edge of—"
Although he is actively writing down notes for the complicated lesson of his class, Jonathan was also looking at a sheet of paper which contains the bracket he belongs to in the swordsmanship competition, and it annoyed him as soon as he realized what was wrong about it.
"Damn… I knew it. That Quill Preve guy is nothing but trouble."
His thoughts were a mix of annoyance and disappointment. He already knew that Quill won first place over him because he faced easier opponents and bought the surrender of the others who needed the money more than the glory. What Jonathan didn't expect was that instead of representing their bracket as its champion alongside the other champions of the other preliminary brackets, Quill would bow out of the competition due to a "family emergency", forcing Jonathan to take on his place.
"Well, it's not like it's impossible for me to win. It's just that this is bound to get annoying sooner or later."
Jonathan spoke to himself while looking at the names in the champions' bracket which is filled by those who bear surnames that belong to renown martial artists and sword masters. As for the reason why he said that it will eventually become annoying, it's because of what these kinds of people usually bring along with their fame.
"Fans, most of which are either girls who shriek their names or men who idolize them to the point of worship, are the worst that I would face here. I'm already getting tired from thinking about it."
While he's considering all of this through the eyes of his personal concerns, there is one more reason why he sees his upcoming battle as troublesome but something that he cannot avoid, and it concerns his closest friend here in the imperial academy.
"Haah… I know you told me that I shouldn't trouble myself with your concerns, but I really can't avoid it now, can I? Damn, this is going to be a huge mess."
True to his words, his first fight later that afternoon went that exact way.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"You got this Junpei!"
"Wipe the floor with his face!"
"Come on, bro! I bet my entire monthly allowance on you!"
"""Junpei! Junpei! Go, go, fight, fight! JUN—PEI!"""
From the audience stands, his legion of fans shouted cheers, with some women even having a full-blown cheerleading group just for him.
"KYAAAA—!!! GIVE ME A CHILD, JUNPEI!!!"
"Hey! Who shouted that?! Stop it before you get called by the guidance counsellor!"
There was even someone who shouted such a daring thing, only to be shortly reprimanded by a teacher who was nearby.
After all of that commotion, my opponent finally entered the ring. With a long, glossy black hair tied in a high ponytail and a very handsome face that seem almost mythical, I understood why all of his fans are so enamored with him.
"Heh! Sorry about that… My fans seem to not get enough of me."
"…I can see that. I expected some cheering for you, but I didn't expect having your own personal cheerleader group."
"Ahaha! That's their own thing, although it does get embarrassing sometimes, I don't want to ruin their fun either." After giving me a plastered smile all this time, he finally took a more serious expression while still having that smirk that now looked dismissively smug. "I wanna ask you this before they ring the bell… you can still surrender now."
"And why do you think that I have to?" I asked without breaking my composure.
"You're going to lose… no, let me rephrase that. You have everything to lose and nothing to win by not surrendering to me. I believe you already know who I am, and which esteemed family I belong, yes?"
"I do. The Motomiya clan of Tenka, renown for their Motomiya tachijutsu and holding the honor of being among the Six Heavenly Blades of Tenka."
"Good, good… Well then, ready to give up?" he asked with a smug expression and tone, truly believing that the pressure that his ancestral background and surrounding fans is enough to pressure me to force me to surrender…
What a f****** joke.
"Quit giving me that bullsh*t, draw your sword. I didn't come here so you can galivant around, saying that you can beat me in front of the one you invited here." I responded after I drew out my sword as the bell rang.
"Heh… Trust me buddy, you're making a huge—"
*BYAAAA!!!*
Before he can finish his words, I charged forward with my body boosted up by physical enhancement spells and my blade glistening with the runes that made it heavier and duller as it sensed that without them, I can easily kill my opponent.
"Khh—!!!"
"Huh, seems like the Motomiya blade style isn't as half-bad as you previously displayed." I mused after he successfully locked blades with me and redirected the enormous force that I carried with me into the ground where he is standing.
"H-How… How did you—"
"I'm not as arrogant as you pampered and pompous brats are. I'm proud to say that despite being born a noble, everything that I ever desired and landed in my hand, I bought with my blood, tears and will. You say that you can beat me? Think again!"
I pushed his blade away from mine, staggering him for a split second which I used to land a heavy punch that caved in his torso for moment.
"BU-HAK—!!! Gih!"
Seeing the change in his expression as soon as he realized that he can't afford to lay back against me, he gnashed his teeth stained by a bit of blood that he coughed out from my punch and took a sword swing to me.
"That's more like it! Come on! Show me what you've got, silk pants!"
We clashed blades that constantly flickered with the glowing of runes that desperately tried to make sure that we won't land a killing blow. Both of us are in the same level of power and skill, and it was apparent that one would either slip up or tire out eventually.
However, I'm not planning to be the one who'd do that.
"HYAAAH—!"
"Heh! You fell for it!" I shouted after I parried his slash, leaving his torso wide open once again for the flurry of punches that I doled out, peppering his body with attacks that has none of our competition swords are capable of inflicting on him.
"GWAAAHHH—! Gih—!"
He winced in pain, and it was caught by one of the commentators who asked the expert in their panel.
"W-Whoa! Those blows look dangerous! Are those legal strikes, sword master?!"
"Yes, they are. As long as they are not enhanced by a spell that causes a secondary type of damage such as being enhanced by fire or wind magic, they're accepted as part of the competitor's personal martial arts."
"Is that it? Still, contestant Bougainvillea are doling out so many of those haymakers that contestant Motomiya can barely get a swing in or deal a counterattack!"
Around the arena, his fans who were cheering so much for him earlier are now panicking after seeing their subject of praise being forced to take the backfoot for the first time in his career that is untainted by a loss.
"G-Get back at him, Junpei!"
"Quit holding back and bring him down!"
"UWAAAHHH—! Not his face! Please not his precious, handsome face!"
After he managed to raise his guard, I jumped back to gain some distance and Junpei's stepped back to reassess his situation.
"Haah… haah… haah! You b*st*rd… how dare you embarrass me like this—!"
"Not my intention but none of my problem either… It's your fault for underestimating me by thinking that I'm going to be similar to those pushovers that you used to fight, or the greedy or desperate that you are always happy to throw several wads of money to..." I raised my sword and made it clear to him that I'm not one of those people. "Too bad for you, I'm not planning on ending my rise to the top here where I'm going to leave you in the dust."
"GRRRRRRR—!!! You better prepare yourself, you damned hick!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Jonathan… You…" At a private lounge of the arena's ringside seats, Chiori was seated, watching Jonathan's fight that showed a side of him that she has never seen before.
"Argh! This guy is wrecking up Junpei!"
"Damn it all! At this rate, I'm going to lose my bet!"
"C-Can someone stop him? He's going to wreck him at this rate!"
Around her, even the previously calm and composed high-ranking noble heirs rose from their seat after seeing that Junpei is being pummeled a hairbreadth away from losing the fight.
"Hey, Hiiragi-san! You and that b*st*rd know each other, right? Can you tell him to lay it off against Junpei before something bad happens?!"
"I-I…" Being forced by the others to intervene in the battle, Chiori stuttered for a moment, believing that Jonathan is indeed being too brutal in this fight. However, she thought deeply for a brief moment before deciding to remain seated.
"W-What are you doing, Hiiragi-san?! Did you forget that Junpei bought you that seat because—"
"I know… and seems like he's paying dearly for it now, isn't he?"
"T-That—!"
Faced with her serious expression that did not hide a sliver of her hostility or annoyance, Chiori continued to watch the fight between the man whom she considers as an irreplaceable friend and the man who conjured this elaborate plot from the very start.
Yesterday, right in front of the hundreds of students in the school cafeteria, Motomiya Junpei who belongs to the elite nobles of Ostadonia, offered a VIP seat to Chiori in today's swordsmanship tournament.
By all means, Chiori wasn't even the little bit interested in accepting it, but given that his offer of being in a private lounge in the arena would mean a short respite from her other suitors, she accepted.
It was only when Jonathan entered the ring that she realized what all of this is about. This isn't just an offer that Junpei made to earn her affection. It is also one where he wants to show Jonathan, who is known to be her closest male friend in the academy, pathetically beaten black and blue to Chiori in order to force her to stop on the condition of accepting the underlying engagement proposal of his words.
"D-Damn it! Why aren't they calling this fight off!? Junpei is gonna die there!!!"
"Come on! This isn't good! Someone tell the referee to throw in the towel for him!"
Too bad, Jonathan was just too strong, and Junpei underestimated him too much. Instead of showing off his strength, Junpei is now on the receiving end of a beating that is nearing the point of being life-threatening.
"KH-! How dare you—!" Coughing up blood and filled from the neck-down with bruises and gashes, Junpei charged towards Jonathan one last time with his sword on hand.
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU, BASTAAAAAAAA— GYAK—!!!"
However, instead of getting one last attack towards his opponent, what met Junpei was a spinning back kick to the chest, launching him back and out of the fighting ring where he landed right at the table of the three commentators.
For a moment, the entire arena was silenced before the referee who finally snapped back to his senses, declared the end of the duel.
"S-Stop the fight! By way of elimination! Winner, Jonathan Bougainvillea!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
A while later behind an unused school building, Chiori confronted Jonathan about what happened earlier in his fight.
"Oi… did you do that for me?"
"…No." he answered but averted his eyes from her.
"Look at me while you're answering! Tell me, did you do that for my sake?"
"…A little bit, yes."
After the truth was spoken, Chiori raised her hand which made Jonathan to instinctively raise his arms to protect his head, but Chiori's fists didn't hit him, and it made Jonathan to look at her and her guilty-looking expression.
"Jonathan… I already told you to not trouble yourself with me. You know that I don't like making trouble for others, right?"
"Don't say that. It's my own choice to include that part in my reasons to teach him a lesson. I think you already know that some people are conspiring to drop me a peg or two here in the academy, I'm just returning the favor to them."
While Chiori still felt troubled with having Jonathan involved in her struggles with her suitors, she was relieved to have her friend around who has her back all the time.
"Alright, let's make this water under the bridge. In the first place, I just accepted his offer so I can have some respite from those weirdos who's always hanging around me, waiting for their chance to propose or give their "confessions" to me. Now that they saw that they can't use you as leverage to get to me, they'd likely leave you alone."
"Right, but that doesn't mean that they're going to stop pestering you."
"As I said, that's my problem, leave yourself out of that."
Just as she said that, an elderly woman dressed in a Tenka garb called a Kimono, approached her from behind Jonathan and requested Chiori's attention.
"Hiiragi Chiori-himegimi, we apologize for interrupting your conversation with Baron Fenris Bougainvillea, but you are being called back to the mansion immediately."
"…On whose orders?"
"Your honored grandfather, Hiiragi-koushaku-sama."
Even Jonathan was quite startled after hearing that the head of Chiori's clan called for her to come home as soon as possible.
"I understand. Let me give my proper farewells to the Baron before we go."
"As you wish, my young lady."
As her attendant left, Chiori mellowed out slightly from her prim and proper self in order to properly say goodbye to Jonathan.
"Hehe… Seems like trouble is afoot back at home. It's connected to the war in the east, no doubt."
"That's what I'm thinking too… well, sounds like this wouldn't be a goodbye that would be short."
"Right. Well then, goodbye and take care of yourself, Jonathan."
"Mm… Take care too, senpai. Hang in there even if the going gets tough."
After Chiori walked towards a carriage bearing her clan's crest, her attendant from before approached Jonathan and gave a bow that he deftly gave back.
"Although it doesn't come from the Hiiragi clan, I thank you greatly for helping out my young lady in swatting away those rascals hanging around her ever since the rumors of her planned engagement came out."
"That's what friends are for… If I can't help her out with even just that, what's the point of calling myself her friend."
"Ahehe! I'm glad that she has someone like you around her, Bougainvillea-danshaku-sama. If not, it's likely that her heart would've been broken a long time ago."
Hearing that comment from her, Jonathan asked the old attendant a question.
"…Why does the Hiiragi clan need its female members to get married already? I heard it's not just her, even her sisters, half-sisters, adoptive sisters and female cousins are being matched one-by-one with influential nobles, some of which didn't even had their knowledge until the very engagement ceremony."
Jonathan knew that it's not something that the attendant can answer given that it's a very sensitive information about another noble family, but he still believed that she would at least give him a clue… and she did in the form of a poem.
"…The old cherry blossom, stubbornly holds to its branch, hindering the coming of a new bud and the cycle of life and death."
As the attendant left along with the carriage, Jonathan sighed after realizing what the old lady meant to say in all of that.
"I see…" he thought. "So, Ostadonia is no longer as stable as it wanted itself to appear, huh?"