Sword, Magic and Academic Society

Having been pressed for an answer by Marquis Dragoon and with all escape routes shut, Bellwood looked at the raging old lady (Marquis) in front of him with a rather laidback expression— which was basically him trying to escape from reality.

The most that crossed his mind was 'Hmm, that's quite an impressive display of intimidation but it's a candle compared to my wife's wildfire-like anger’. He had basically stopped thinking of any excuse at all.

Well, in truth, he didn't have any particular deep conviction like his wife said. It was indeed true that the Rovenne family had a 'magnanimous and free-will focused' motto when it came to marriage. But then again, what other option could they have as hick nobles with one foot in the commoner's rank than to look for a partner by themselves. Being a run-of-the-mill lower-rung noble was their reality.

It was quite easy to say 'It would be our honor' for him, but that would be going against their values. The kids have been raised with a 'find your partner by yourself' principle after all. And even if he did ignore that, his wife next to him would never acknowledge it.

The words "You should simply act on the motto of Humble and Steady" his wife had spoken in the carriage on the way here suddenly resurfaced in his mind.

'Humble and Steady, huh? What was even there to be humble about in their current position?’ Such were his thoughts. Besides, his empty stomach was also straining his sanity.

The constant sweet smell of bread tickling his nose was like an enchantress playing with his mind. He really didn't care about anything anymore.

He looked at Meria and sharply shook his head.

"I am just a laid-back failure of a noble who doesn't really care about the rise and fall of his family. Decide what? I don't have the acumen to settle on our family's fate. So everything is according to the will of our excellent kids!"

"......So you have made up your mind huh, Bellwood? There's no turning back after, you know?"

"That would never happen… or so I that’s what I want to say, but someone like me just lives in a pool of endless regret! Wahaha!"

The Viscount closed his words with that and stood from his seat, turning his back toward the only person he shouldn't have. He no longer had the guts to look at the later proceedings of the meeting after this event.

Following Bellwood, Celia left her seat nearly at the same time, as if they had long thought of that.

"Hold your horses. Our discussion hasn't yet ended."

Meria stared daggers at the Rovenne couple.

"However, the rats in my belly can't hold on any longer."

Bell said while lowering his eyebrows, his expression twisted deplorably.

"......You really have nerves of steel to not only bite back but to even have no shame in making that shameful expression due to hunger. Truly, a good-for-nothing.

Moonlit, your territory is supposed to be next to the Rovenne's right? Have you noticed any change in their wheat yield in the last 10 years?"

Hearing his name suddenly being called out while the venue was shrouded in deathly silence with everyone's breath caught up in their throats, Moonlit hurriedly scrambled to answer while lowering his head almost to the level of the table.

He also had received the right to sit in this chair following his son’s, Theode, enrollment to the Royal Academy’s Class E.

"Yes. We had a particularly good yield lately with the weather showing less of its whimsical side.... That said, the results we got from the crop seeds of the Rovenne the year before the last were certainly substantial despite some issues, so we had lately replaced all the seeds we have with those we harvested later on. We’ve seen approximately a 30% increase in our yield."

Meria nodded and then flung the Rovenne's wheat tax records that had the details about their yield increasing by 3% each year at the crooked nose man who was belittling Bellwood's research earlier.

"How long will it take to deal with that smell?!"

"Yes! Considering our current research stage, three years — including this one — should be sufficient!"

"I will allocate the research funds. But I better see a semi-annual detailed report!"

"Certainly!"

"And another thing. The daughter of Marquis Levarance has taken quite an interest in your son as well, and considering the assignment news, it's without a doubt that every major power, including the royal family, may want to tie the marriage knot.

I want the report about which family proposed marriage before answering at my table! No motto of your family has anything against that, right?"

The venue was filled with chatter.

Bellwood turned to glance at his wife with his usual laidback expression.

"If you can uphold the promise."

Celia said with a smile. Then, Bellwood shook his head.

"I truly apologize, but I don't think that rambunctious fella would ever consult us in advance no matter how many times we warn him. If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to marry someone the next instant.”

Meria's head hung down in thorough disappointment at his words.

"Never have I seen a noble like that. Goodness... But aren't you the head, at least?"

“Humble and steady is the Rovenne family’s motto."

Bellwood said triumphantly.

"You can at least cut this old lady who’s simply worried about the love of her granddaughter some slack, can't you? An excess of greed would pull the carpet from under your feet without even realizing when!"

A broad smile appeared on Celia’s face as she replied, "But isn't it greed that Your Excellency would like to see from us?"

Then she turned her back on her just like her husband. On the way out, Bell casually picked up a piece of bread from a plate.

◆◆◆

After the noble's gathering event. Having moved to the Marquis’ residence, Meria shouted at the steward following her.

"Gird and Abenil should still be here, right? Call them now!"

In just a few minutes the two appeared. Meria crumpled the investigation report about the Rovenne couple she had been carrying and stared at Gird, the intelligence department head, with a mocking smile.

"Celia Rovenne is apparently of commoner origin, a model wife who stays behind her husband's shadow, whose smile is like that of a young girl’s, and a mild-mannered beauty— that's what you reported, remember?"

Then, even that mocking smile vanished from her face as she lashed out.

"What commoner, what mild-mannered?! She's a king's vassal! Had I known about her twenty years ago, I would have deployed any means necessary to adopt her into the Dragoon and raise her as my successor. I specifically ordered you to gather every little information about the Rovenne, how embarrassing it was for me when someone suddenly appeared in our territory and I know nothing about them! Do you have buttons for eyes or what?!"

Gird, in a kneeling position, didn't say anything— or rather, he couldn't say anything.

Viscountess Celia had never appeared in public ever since the Rovenne family had started gaining attention. Even the attempt to scout Schord was all done through the intermediation of the Viscount and the eldest son Grimm.

When the only way they could dig up the past information of someone who appeared out of nowhere was either through investigating or guessing, it was certainly a bit stringent to blame them for the lack of information. The steward thought so and decided to intervene.

"Your Excellency. I have also gone through the background report of the information department and I believe the report up to that point stood correct.

It is certain that the Viscountess had hardly done anything to stand out after her wedding to the Rovenne family, even in social events, she had upheld that 'everything is by my husband’s wish' with no other remark, and today's event as well as several other people's testimonies cemented that fact.

However, the issue about the Viscountess' past before her marriage… Every single record from the Royal Academy to the Aristocratic School or any other institute for the last 40 years has been thoroughly investigated but nary a single information that matches her was ever found.

Maybe she was a foreigner who had been wed to this kingdom's noble family? That possibility was also investigated, but no records were found as usual. Putting together all these facts, the only logical explanation is that the Viscountess is a commoner who couldn't attend any school in her childhood due to her family's circumstances. However, looking at the regal manner the Viscountess had displayed today, this theory appears to be no longer viable.

Most probably, the Viscountess had been once a noble who couldn't attend advanced schooling for some reason and was later removed from her family's registry. And that family most likely had to have substantial status as well, or else it's a bit hard to cultivate that sort of regality— that’s my conclusion.

It's really a mystery why a person of her caliber decided to adopt that lifestyle... On the other hand, the investigation has only been going on for two months. None of the other camps could possibly have more data. If anything, the Dragoon family is lucky to have a face-to-face dealing with her. To put a gag order on what transpired today in the venue is truly a far-sighted decision, Your Excellency."

'Hmph,' Meria harrumphed and took her seat.

"A gag order on such a large gathering is nothing but a temporary aid. It's only a matter of time before the rumors start circulating. And Nix.

Your attitude shows that you noticed something in that Viscountess that we couldn't. All your ferociousness simply disappeared in front of her like a cat suddenly becoming so quiet and meek, huh? So, what's your impression of her?”

"......I had swung my spear at Viscount Rovenne the instant we met, but that guy's expression didn't budge even a bit. And his answer when I asked why was 'my bloodlust was just a pretense'. This was what made me think 'he isn't just some random conman,' so I decided to look at his conduct carefully. I think his claim of being inept at martial arts is indeed not wrong.

...I can't say if it was the effect of 'Unceasing Prudence,' or his wife, but he wasn't fazed even by my empty threat."

Meria passed the crumpled report in her hand to Nix.

"This is Bellwood's score back in the Aristocratic School. Now that I look at it, his results in the life science field were indeed outstanding. I can't say for sure, but he's probably the type of person who only excels at certain fields— the so-called gifted person. It's not exactly stated, but there are a lot of these people who face problems in society due to an unbalanced aspect of their brains.

He certainly has nerves of steel, but any lack of reaction over his son passing the glorious Class A of the Royal Academy, and even at our intimidation made it clear that he apparently doesn't care due to his nature. That's why the qualification to the Royal Academy is only equivalent to 'Claubia Forest Mountain Range's protection' to him. However, it's just that his son has no heart to care about that, which is why Bellwood has no interest in his son’s academy life as well.

Wouldn't a parent normally try to persuade their children to take on the path they want them to take? Well, Bellwood surely hasn't tried anything to make it happen. He's already at the age to have some dealings with society but I believe his thesis or anecdotes from his time in school would surely reveal this in the investigation.

Well, no need to waste our breath on him. He isn't the type to make any effort in society unless someone notices him and makes use of him, so all that matters is if I can make him do my bidding. Anyway, what about Celia?"

Hearing the analysis about Bellwood, Nix recalled his appearance. Certainly, his attitude of laying low or even his laidback appearance in front of Her Excellency wasn't something that could be dismissed simply as a carefree personality. And his wife—

"...I couldn't gauge where the Viscountess's limit lies. To be frank, I don't think I can win against her at all after seeing the quality of bloodlust she had let out while quarreling with Bellwood when he mentioned giving the bakery's staff an ogling look.

The Viscountess's presence had nearly vanished when my wife called the Rovennes a group of cowards. Her face was so pale as if her heart had stopped beating, and there wasn't even a hint of mana being released from her, which would typically happen when breathing.

I can't give an accurate measurement of her strength, but had she decided to go all out, none of us would have been able to stop her for sure is my conclusion. Honestly, I was only thinking about how to safely evacuate Your Excellency in case that madam decided to explode."

"......That bloodlust was definitely intentional. After hiding away in the shadow of her husband, she probably judged that it would be impossible to hide any longer now that her son was practically a star...

Anyway, she probably guessed that trouble would occur in today's meeting for sure, and that's why she decided to suppress you first to have a slight upper hand.

One doesn't need to have a 'martial heart,' but it's impossible to cultivate that caliber of bloodlust without power. Gird, thoroughly investigate all the noble houses in this kingdom, especially the ones that have earned military exploits. The key to the Rovenne is none other than her."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"And speaking of their family… The second son of the Rovenne family, Beck Rovenne, is enlisted in our private army, right? I will assign him under you, so keep an eye on him."

"As you command."

"Truly tantalizing... Each and every one of them is so out of the norm and they want to say that 'Humble and Steady' is their family's motto? They have completely taken me for a fool, haven't they!?"

Meria shouted, however, none could answer her question.

T/N - The arc might have come to end but the exposition have yet to end. Pace has just started to speed up.

E/N - This mini-arc is finally done. Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of the last few chapters but Celia’s mysterious background is indeed intriguing like the translator said which made up for it. Excited to learn more of that.