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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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Time passed, and the day of the exchange arrived.
I hadn’t wanted to attend, but Shara’s report had changed my mind.
She had found someone… unexpected… among the attendees.
I had to see it for myself.
The students had gathered at the harbor, waiting for the ferry. This wasn’t just a simple exchange, it was something that the Academy was fully focused on.
“It’s nice to have a day off.”
“He’s still not here…”
“It’s… nothing.”
River stopped mid-sentence. She was likely wondering if I wanted to be carried again. I was irritated but I did not show it. I didn’t want to lose to her by asking to be carried.
It was an important event, even if most students didn’t care. The Headmaster himself had come to oversee the preparations.
Something was… odd.
Why was the Headmaster here? They were just students. Was it really that important?
“Look, even the Student Council President is here.”
“Is this our first time meeting him?”
“He’s harder to see than the Headmaster.”
The Student Council President, a figure shrouded in rumors, was standing behind the Headmaster, confirming what Shara had said. “So the rumors were true…”
“Rumors?”
Amy tilted her head, she could only guess. But then, the ferry arrived.
“Why aren’t they coming out?” someone muttered. The students from Clover Academy should have disembarked by now, but they didn’t. Instead, a single figure emerged.
It wasn’t a student. His clothes were too… extravagant.
A fanfare erupted from the ship.
“Announcing the arrival of Adolf Roang! Duke of the Fiern Plains, Protector of the Clover Kingdom, and Master of the Sword, the ‘Sword Saint’!”
The words caused a ripple through the crowd.
A man, clad in a dark blue uniform and a crimson cape, emerged. A jeweled sword hung at his waist, and his white hair was slicked back. His beard, long and well-groomed.
His face was lined with wrinkles. Masters aged slower than most, but he looked older than his true age, but that made him seem regal and dignified.
The ‘Sword Saint’, Adolf Roang, had arrived. The kingdom’s Master.
One of the eight Masters in the world.
“!!” Many of the students were surprised.
The professors, however, seemed grim. They had been informed.
I wasn’t surprised. I had heard from Shara.
The Sword Saint’s presence was… concerning. Normally, Masters couldn’t enter other countries without permission. They were living weapons.
Who would let a nuclear bomb into their heartland?
That’s why people like me and Wendy were hated. I always sent a letter when I went to other countries.
Why had the Empire granted him access? The students of Clover Academy followed behind the Sword Saint, forming a line. The Academy students cheered, mostly at the Sword Saint, but not everyone.
“River… are you alright?”
“Y-yes… I’m fine…”
River’s face had gone pale. Was her fiancé(e) among them? Shara hadn’t been able to find any information about her fiancé(e), or their engagement. It was completely off the records.
“…Do you want to go back?” I whispered.
“No… I’ll stay. I can’t draw attention to myself now. I’ll endure it.”
She didn’t want to leave. Not yet. She focused on the ceremony and I did as well. The Sword Saint approached the Headmaster.
“You still enjoy surprising people, Sword Saint.”
“I’m grateful for the warm welcome, Archmage.”
“Please call me by my current title, I am no longer an Archmage.”
“Ha ha, You will always be the legendary Archmage to me.”
They continued exchanging pleasantries. “Let’s see…” The Sword Saint looked around, searching for someone. His gaze swept across the crowd, his eyes sharp, searching.
River, who had met his gaze, gripped my hand, her fingers trembling.
I knew what it meant. She was afraid. “I… want to go back…”
“…Okay.” I didn’t ask why. There was no time for questions. We had to leave.
I took her hand and started moving through the crowd. Then… River’s hand was pulled upwards.
“Ha ha, there you are! I almost didn’t recognize you, you’ve grown so much!”
“!!”
The Sword Saint had spotted River. He lifted her off the ground, our hands separated. “L-let me go…!”
“What are you so shy about?! It’s because I’m so glad to see you! Is this the second time meeting after all of that time?”
River was confused and embarrassed. The Sword Saint seemed delighted.
“A-hem, Sword Saint, this is not the time nor the place, please focus on the event, you can do that after the event.”
The Headmaster, surprised, flew towards them using magic.
The Sword Saint looked around and said, “Ha ha, I’m sorry. I just got carried away, after seeing my fiancé(e) again.”
The Headmaster’s head tilted. “Fiancé(e)? You?”
“Yes, River Seymour. She’s my fiancé(e).”
The Sword Saint’s fiancé(e) was revealed to everyone.
The Academy was in chaos. If this news spread, the entire Empire would be in chaos.
“There seems to be some… issues here. I’ll be away for some time, I’ll leave the rest of the event to the student council president.”
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The Sword Saint’s announcement sent shockwaves through the Academy.
He had never revealed his fiancé(e). He was a Master, and Masters tended to be single. Some had even theorized that Masters lost the ability to feel… love.
No wonder Shara had been unable to discover anything, who would imagine he would be the fiance(e)?
“River… are you going to be alright?”
“I’ll be fine.”
After the ceremony, Amy and I were sitting, waiting for River. The ceremony had ended abruptly after the Sword Saint’s announcement. He had taken her away. ‘A Master… River’s fiance(e) is a Master…’
“The Sword Saint never left the Clover Kingdom… it’s strange.”
I had wanted to follow them, but River had insisted she was fine. But I was worried.
Then, River came running towards us, a smile on her face.
“Did you wait long?”
She was back to normal. Everything must have gone well.
“River! Are you okay?!”
“Sorry for worrying you. Everything is fine.”
“You’re engaged to the Sword Saint?”
“I didn’t know that he was… the Sword Saint. I only knew he was a noble from the Clover Kingdom. I met him ten years ago. I was surprised to see that he hasn’t changed at all.”
She seemed embarrassed.
Ten years… Masters aged slowly, it was possible.
“He said he would wait until I graduate. And he’s leaving soon…”
She seemed calm, but it was… unnatural. An arranged marriage, with an old man.
She must not have known that he was a Master, it was unlikely to happen otherwise.
She had been aiming to reach Expert level before graduation, to have a choice. It was unlikely she would agree.
“Yes. It’s fine now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes! We talked and we’ve settled everything. And we agreed not to meet each other again, until he gets back to the Kingdom.”
Her smile was genuine. They must have come to an understanding.
He wouldn’t be seeing River again. Not until she graduated. But… I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. River’s reaction… she had been afraid of him. Not annoyed, or disgusted, but afraid. She had claimed to have met him once. What had happened during that meeting?
“Are you sure you’re okay with marrying an 80-year-old man?”
“It’s… a family matter! Outsiders have no right to interfere. That’s especially true if one of them is a Master-level Expert.” She raised her voice.
“I’m not mentioning it again. And we won’t be seeing each other again. And the marriage… It’ll work out somehow. At least he’s strong… I thought he would be a wrinkly old man but…”
She refused to talk about it any longer.
She was right. It was a family matter. A marriage with the Sword Saint would elevate the Seymour family within the Empire.
He wasn’t a bad person. He seemed reasonable. But… was I an outsider? Someone who couldn’t interfere?
“….”
“Forget about this. Because of him, we have three days off! Let’s have fun!”
Was she really okay with this? I was worried. She took our arms and dragged us away, a cheerful smile on her face.
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[Your Text Here]
how suspicious 🤔