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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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-Which is the strongest nation on the continent?
To this question, most people, excluding those with fervent national pride or a cynical worldview, would answer with one voice:
The Barhardt Empire.
Formerly known as the Kingdom of Barhardt, this nation rose to imperial status during the Hegemony War, subjugating the three kingdoms of Morian, Sphero, and Nahat as vassal states.
During the Judgment War, it valiantly resisted the Ivesthan Empire’s invasion and pushed them back beyond the Ural Mountains in the east, earning the title of the strongest nation on the continent.
The “Great Emperor” Ludwig Barhardt, who led them to these victories, abdicated seven years ago, entrusting the throne to his son and dedicating himself to establishing a new educational institution.
It was only natural that when the Academy he created opened its doors, talented individuals from across the continent flocked to it.
“Who the hell just shoved me!!! Was it you!?”
“Huh? Why are you picking a fight, you crazy bastard? You wanna go?”
“Who’s scared of you!?”
“Come out here, you son of a bitch!!!”
Uh, hmm. Well, that was natural, I guess.
“Bargain prices!!! Brand new weapons, fresh from the Fergus Workshop, are waiting for the heroes who will write a new legend!”
“My, my wallet! My wallet’s gone!!!”
“Why isn’t that bastard here? He’s way past the meeting time.”
“Oh, damn, my stomach, ugh!”
“I’ll guide you!!! Just 50 copper coins to guide you anywhere in the city! What? Expensive? Then find your own way!”
………….
“Isn’t this a bit too chaotic?”
“Even the dogs look bewildered. Look.”
I followed Regret’s gaze to a dog desperately dodging the feet of the bustling crowd.
The difficulty level seemed on par with some heavy bullet-hell shooting games.
I tentatively held out my hand. The dog cautiously approached and…
…feigned jumping into my arms before rubbing against Regret’s leg, wagging its tail.
“Hey, what the—”
“Even dogs can tell a greedy bastard apart, I guess.”
“No, it’s more like its sense of smell is terrible if it can’t distinguish a human weapon disguised as a girl.”
“What are you talking about? It’s being submissive because it knows I’m dangerous. Look, it’s perfectly calm even when I pick it up.”
“If you put it like that, I can’t really argue with you.”
I looked at the dog, held in Regret’s arms like a stuffed animal. Was it even breathing?
Regret and I were currently in the Armathia territory, home to the third largest city in the Sphero Kingdom and the Midas Trading Company branch under my name.
Thanks to the ridiculously simple entrance requirements—no status restrictions, no background checks, and a modest entry fee for any aspiring student aged 15 to 30—a massive crowd had gathered from all over the continent.
This city was one of the preliminary testing sites established throughout the continent to manage the influx of applicants.
The increased crowds meant increased profits for the trading company, and more money in my pocket, which was a good thing.
Anyway,
“Why isn’t she here yet?”
Theo Midas’s younger sister, my half-sister, whom I was supposed to meet in front of the testing site, was nowhere to be seen.
“Did she get lost?”
“She’s not a child… But with this crowd density, it’s possible.”
It was inconvenient not having phones.
While the price of a portable communication magic tool wasn’t an issue for me, those required prior registration between devices, so they weren’t very convenient.
Just as I was considering contacting Theo Midas, a different kind of commotion caught my attention.
At the center of the disturbance was a girl.
Her slightly bluish silver hair, adorned with ribbons, flowed past her waist. Her attire, a white garment accented with black belts and cuffs, gave a neat impression from the front, but a closer look revealed a rather daring design that exposed her shoulders and back.
Her exposed white arms and feminine figure contrasted with her cheerful, almost innocent smile, reminiscent of a flower bud about to bloom.
‘Oh, she’s beautiful.’
Her appearance was enough to draw admiring glances from those around her.
Regret was just as beautiful, but she rarely bothered with such things.
During her mercenary days, a feminine appearance would only have caused trouble, and she seemed to have retained her preference for practical clothing.
Oblivious to the attention she was attracting, the silver-haired girl looked around as if searching for something.
It seemed like she was looking for someone…
…Wait.
“Isn’t that her? Your sister?”
“Well, half-sister, but I think you’re right.”
Unlike Theo, who had ordinary blond hair, she had bluish silver hair, but their smiling faces were quite similar.
Her outfit seemed a bit too flashy for an apprentice priestess, but there was no rule that religious figures had to wear plain clothes.
‘Come to think of it, she entered the temple to learn magic, not because of her faith.’
What should I call her? A fashion priestess?
She seemed to have spotted Regret and me, and started walking straight towards us.
“Excuse me, are you Mr. Chrom Midas and Ms. Regret?”
I nodded, and the girl bowed with a bright, flowery smile.
“My name is Fiore Midas. Pleased to meet you.”
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While waiting for our turn after receiving our waiting numbers, Regret and I talked with Fiore.
“I’m sorry I’m late. I was forced to watch a ridiculous play, and it took a while to get away.”
“A ridiculous play?”
Regret asked, and Fiore nodded.
“Three men, who looked like they’d lived their lives half-heartedly, started hitting on me with cheesy lines. I tried to ignore them, but they blocked my way.”
“Oh? And then?”
“Then, a greasy-looking blond man suddenly appeared, chased away the thugs, and asked if I was alright.”
“Greasy-looking blond, like Chrom?”
“Hey, why are you dragging me into this?”
I protested at Regret’s remark, and Fiore shook her head.
“He had the same blond hair, but his was like a gaudy, over-the-top crown, while yours is lighter, like… gold leaf. It’s different.”
…Was that a compliment?
“Anyway, it was obvious they were working together, judging by the way they exchanged glances. So, I told him…”
Fiore paused, then mimicked her expression from that time, a bright smile that somehow exuded a chilling aura.
“‘Thank you, self-proclaimed knight whose name I don’t know and don’t care to remember. It seems like you enjoy playing pretend. I’ll be sure to attend your performance if you ever become the lead in a comedy.’ He froze like a statue, so I just left him there.”
A brief silence followed, and Regret turned to me.
“Is there some ingredient in your family’s blood that makes your personalities so eccentric?”
“…Different.”
I couldn’t answer immediately.
The unsettling thought that it might be true, considering Bern Midas, crossed my mind.
Honestly, wasn’t I the most normal one?
“Oh, by the way, we should decide on how to address each other. May I call you ‘Chrom Oppa’?”
I considered Fiore’s question for a moment before answering.
“It’s fine, but I’m not planning to hide my Midas surname, so it might cause you trouble.”
“I don’t mind. I feel the same way.”
Fiore replied immediately.
“It’s better to be upfront about it from the start than to try to hide it and have it used as a weakness. I think it’s a wise choice.”
Hmm, in that aspect, she was definitely Theo’s sister.
“By the way, why are you going to the Academy? You seem to have prepared thoroughly, even learning magic at the temple.”
“Because it seems interesting.”
Fiore’s eyes sparkled.
“An emperor who shook the continent and was worshipped as a god by his people. An educational institution created as the final task of such an emperor’s life. It can’t be an ordinary place, can it?”
Knowing the truth, I could only smile wryly.
It wasn’t an ordinary place, but it wasn’t the kind of place that could be described with such simple words.
I asked,
“But precisely because it was created by a hero renowned for war, it might be a bizarre place beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. And that is much more dangerous. It’s a cliché, but your life might be at risk. Are you sure about this?”
“I may not look it, but I’m quite capable, you know?”
As she clapped her hands together, a crackling sound, the characteristic sound of magic, reverberated.
The way she released magic without any preparatory movements indicated a considerable level of skill in manipulating it.
“Besides, I’ll be with my reliable oppa and a dependable bodyguard. I don’t think there will be any problems.”
At her nonchalant reply, I chuckled.
I didn’t know how sincere she was, but she was certainly an interesting half-sister.
“…Numbers 270 through 279! The ten individuals who are called, please proceed to the passage inside!”
Now then. Let’s see the results of two years of preparation.
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