Say goodbye, loneliness - 6
Blackraptor
Not too sore, are you?
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"You look like shit."
Those were the first words that Marie and I exchanged when we saw each other again the following morning. She was probably exhausted from her ordeal the day prior, while I was exhausted from the attentions of three enthusiastic girls and one very pent up ghost last night.
I had waited for her with Julius and Kyle at the Academy gates. Surprisingly, Livia, Angie, and Clarice opted to be present for the occasion as well. She was being escorted by the Academy's Master of Tea and Gentlemanly Perfection. I gave him a deep bow as he walked past us and proceeded to make his way back to the Academy offices. Marie was wearing an Academy uniform set, likely provided by The Master.
"I heard what you did for me from the Queen. You really just go and do the first thing that pops into that head of yours, huh?" She had a grin on her face but I could easily see the tears she was holding back. She likely knew that her suffering from her former family was finally over.
"It's worked out pretty well so far." I answered with my own grin, getting choked up myself. She then decided to ruin the moment by being herself. Walking up close to me, she placed a hand on my chest and looked at me with upturned eyes.
"So, should I just call you Big Brother now~?" I flinched at the sultry way she asked that question. My salvation from the awkwardness came in the form of a pair of arms wrapping around me from behind, batting away Marie's hand in the process.
"You may be Leon's sister now, but please don't forget who he really belongs to." Livia stated in a sweet tone of voice that hid an obvious threat as she embraced me from behind. Angie and Clarice also stepped up to flank me and claim each of my arms.
"Ho~" Far from being intimidated from their united front, Marie just smiled and raised an eyebrow at the display. "So the three of you can learn after all."
Before anything could start between my sister and my lovers, Julius stepped forward and embraced Marie like it was the most natural thing to do. "I'm glad that you are back safe and sound."
"Thank you for bringing my situation to the Queen's attention, Julius. I knew that you would come for me." My sister's entire demeanor changed as she kissed Julius before turning to Kyle, who had also walked up to her. "Thank you for doing what I asked, Kyle."
And thus, Marie Fou Lafan returned to the Academy as Marie Fou Bartfort a few days before classes started up again.
…
"On one hand, I am baffled that you actually went and adopted that Lafan girl." Jenna started while sipping the tea I had prepared. She then hummed before continuing her thought. "On the other hand, that means that there is a chance that she might marry into the Crown. I'm not sure if I should praise you or laugh at you."
Both Jenna and Nicks were in my usual tea room as they were both very curious about the letter I sent back home about adopting Marie as my sister. By extension, she was their sister now as well after all.
"Congratulations on your engagement with Daniel, by the way." I said instead, making her choke on her drink while Nicks shook his head at her.
"How did you know?!" I grinned at the question and leaned back into my chair.
"I didn't. Thanks for confirming though." I poured as much smugness in my voice as I could. Jenna clicked her tongue and looked away, caught in my little verbal trap. There was a reason why it was a classic back on Earth.
"Cute. Our parents are working out the details, but yeah. Daniel will be my husband once he graduates." It was actually pretty cute how she blushed and smiled as she said that.
"You two are good for each other, I'm glad." I genuinely meant that too. It was great that a bout of madness from my friend managed to open an opportunity for them to find each other. Jenna looked like she didn't know how to feel about my words while Nicks just planted his forehead on the table.
"Great, that means that I'm the only one who hasn't found a partner yet." His lamentations made Jenna scoff even as I patted my older brother's shoulder.
"Have you even been trying?" Nicks groaned at our sister's question. That was when I finally noticed something different about Jenna.
"Where's Miauler?" I asked, making her blink.
"Oh, I terminated his contract after my engagement was finalized. It didn't seem like it was worth it anymore, so he'll probably be sold to someone else soon." She said with a wave of her hand. That made sense, I suppose. Then again, she was probably worried that Daniel would take her having a demi-human servant the wrong way now that they were engaged.
"Wait, Jenna's right. What have you been doing to find a bride?" I turned back to the more important topic of our brother's current relationship status.
"Okay, look–" Jenna cut off whatever Nicks was about to say.
"He hasn't been doing anything based on what I've managed to gather from the General Studies girls." She said with her eyes closed before drinking the rest of her tea and asking me for more. I rolled my eyes and poured her another cup. "He hasn't even taken advantage of the fact that he's the Doom Knight's brother."
"You've been spying on me?!" Technically, Jenna probably just asked around or had someone else do it for her.
"Nicks, you're graduating this year." I reminded him and he shrugged at me
"Unlike you, I'm not under pressure to find a bride as soon as I graduate." I mean, that was true.
"That doesn't mean that you should slack off either." I nodded and pointed at Jenna when she said that.
"What am I supposed to do?!" Nicks continued lamenting even though he was totally the cause of his own problems. It was like looking into a broken old mirror for me.
Jenna and I looked at each other as we both knew that he wouldn't make the effort himself. One silent argument between us later, I sighed and put it upon myself to try to find my older brother a match. I wondered if Deirdre would be interested since she did wish for a good man during the school trip.
It couldn't hurt to ask.
…
I was lying in bed with Clarice as we enjoyed each other's warmth. It was just the two of us that night as Livia said that she wanted some Angie Time before dragging the poor girl away to her bedroom. I wasn't about to complain as it gave me a chance to focus on giving a lot of affection to Clarice, which she very vocally appreciated. When I first saw all of her the night when the three girls jumped me, I was surprised at how fit she actually was.
"Defending ourselves and those we love using our bodies has been a tradition from my mother's side for generations." She said when I brought it up while admiring her perfect abs. Livia then demonstrated the best way to tease Clarice to make them ripple in a very hypnotic way.
"Are you sure you want to wait until we graduate before we get married?" I asked as she laid her head on my chest. It was a topic that had come up a few months ago, and something I asked as we relaxed. My engagements with her and Angie were back on track, while Livia just said that she was fine to get married whenever and just asked to have some time to let her family know about it.
Huh, I didn't know anything about Livia's family when I actually thought about it.
"I want it to be special, with all of us married to you. Together." Clarice answered while I was thinking. That was fair. It would probably end up a nightmare to plan for though.
"I'm fine with it. Will you be able to survive the wait though?" I teasingly asked as I stroked her side.
"Hey now, I'll already be a proper noble lady by then. That means that I can just visit whenever I want on the grounds that my beloved is the Doom Knight and there is nothing anyone can do about it." She growled out before rolling on top of me.
Ah, it seemed that Clarice could be pretty fearsome in her own right.
…
"What's the commotion about?" I asked Raymond and Daniel, who was going to be my brother-in-law in a couple of years, as we looked at a few billboards with a bunch of students looking at things posted on them.
"Oh, it's for the Academy's exchange program to other countries." Raymond answered to my surprise. Exchange program?
"We have that?" It was something that was never even brought up in the game at all.
"It's to promote good relations between the nobles of different countries. Those that sign up for it spend a year of their studies in whichever country they choose." Daniel started explaining while we walked closer to see which countries were offering exchange programs. "It's also used by houses to secure international ties with other noble houses if they can secure engagements along the way."
While we were looking at the lists, I noticed Marie standing by herself in front of one of the boards with a disgusted look on her face. I excused myself and walked up to my sister.
"What's wrong? You look like you swallowed a bug." Marie glanced at me and nodded towards the board she was looking at.
"Alzer Republic. It's promoting entrants for the exchange program with their Academy." I read out loud. I'd never heard of such a location before. Then again, I haven't heard of most of the countries in this world aside from the ones featured or mentioned in the game.
"Alzer is the setting for the sequel." My eyes widened at her words as an uncomfortable feeling settled in my stomach.
"You don't think that the sequel has already been going on while we're–" Marie interrupted me by turning around and starting to walk away. I quickly caught up to her as she started ranting.
"Nope! I don't want to think about it! One is enough!" She hissed out angrily.
"But what if there's another person with our circumstance there?" I brought up the possibility. If the two of us could be reincarnated, who was to say that there wasn't someone else in Alzer that was dealing with their own messed up Dating Sim scenario?
"Then they can deal with it. I won't go near that place or their blasted tr–fuck!" I blinked at how emphatic her curse was.
"What's wrong?" Because there definitely was something wrong for Marie to act out that way in public.
"There's a bad end in the sequel that I know of where the Alzer Sacred Tree causes the end of the world." She whispered while burying her face in her hands. With a possibility like that on the table, there was only one thing I could really say.
"Fuck."
…
"There are more of those stories from your world, not just mine?" Livia asked in surprise when I finished explaining what I learned about Alzer from Marie.
Speaking of.
"I'm surprised that you actually told them about us." My sister commented as she drank her tea. We were back in my tea room with Angie and Clarice also present alongside Livia. The school year was starting to wind down and there was a lot more free time allotted so students could prepare for the finals.
"Please don't phrase it like you're having a love affair with our Leon." Angie flatly told Marie, who just stuck her tongue out at her. Control broke stealth and floated between Marie and myself, clearly intrigued by the situation.
How poorly can the situation deteriorate if left to the worst outcome?
"I never actually got the seque–second story." Marie corrected herself, remembering what I told her about the analogies I used to explain things to my lovers. "I just heard from those who did about a bad ending where the tree goes out of control and causes all the floating islands in the world to fall to their doom. I don't know how exactly it can do that though."
Marie proceeded to tell us about the other things it could do. From providing infinite power for everything in the country to making sure that its defenders could never fail. The more we heard, the more ridiculous it sounded.
"I've heard of a holy tree in a far off land but Lea and I never actually went there to check. I certainly didn't know that it could be capable of such a thing." Anne chimed in, taking over from Livia for a moment, confirming that it was definitely something that had been around for a pretty long time. We were all silent as the clear threat loomed out in the distance with complete uncertainty on how it would turn out.
There is also the possibility that there is something else that is providing the miraculous effects and that the tree is merely a façade.
I groaned at Control's point as we already knew that things in this world were different from the game. Why couldn't it be different in the sequel as well? "Someone will have to go and check."
And from my track record, it probably had to be me. Then again, there was also Fanoss to worry about as well. Dammit! What the hell do I–
"I'll go." Marie suddenly spoke up, her back straight and her expression resolute.
"What?!" I yelled out.
"I'll sign up for the exchange program to Alzer and see if there are any fires that need to be put out." She confirmed my fears with a nod. Was she nuts?! She was the one who didn't want anything to do with the damn place!
"Alone?" Clarice asked, actually sounding worried for my sister. She didn't need to as Marie just scoffed and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Do you really think that Julius and the others would let me go there by myself? They'll obviously sign up alongside me." That made a lot more sense. The boys wouldn't stand for their love to go into a strange place without them. They would definitely be good enough to deal with whatever was there if Marie was herding them.
"Why do this though?" Angie asked, not sounding convinced. Her eyes widened at what Marie said next.
"Because I just got my big brother back and I am not going to lose him because of a fucking tree!" She snarled out with an expression that made my lovers lean away from her. For some reason, I felt really proud of her.
…
The Holfort Academy graduation ceremony was about as grand as I expected it to be. The families and supporters of the students who would be graduating were present as well as some representatives from the Crown. The King wasn't present but Mylene was there to give a speech to the graduates about upholding the values and ideals that Holfort represented.
The whole thing took up half the day, with the other half being a big feast. Minister Atlee was there along with his absolutely beautiful wife. It was clear where Clarice got her looks from.
"Please take care of our daughter. She means the world to us and she clearly thinks the world of you." Clarice's mother said to me before shaking my hand with a grip that was probably tighter than it should have been. The steel in her eyes made it clear that I wasn't getting a third chance if I messed things up with her daughter again.
Message received.
Clarice then led Livia, Angie, and myself back to her room for a more private celebration.
I wonder if all of these strenuous activities was actually helping me improve my stamina to pilot Black Getter? Probably something I should test at some point.
…
The school year ended for the rest of us a few days later. Clarice went back to her family's lands for now, promising to visit whenever she could. When asked what she was going to do with her sudden abundance of free time, she said that she was going dungeon diving with her mother. Well, that was definitely a side of her I wish I knew about earlier because it was really hot.
While Marie and the boys prepared to move to Alzer for the exchange program, I was called to the Palace by a messenger. Surprisingly, it wasn't from Mylene but from the king instead. Oh no, did he find out that I had been having an affair with his wife? The most recent time we had together was a week before Clarice's graduation where I told Mylene about my real circumstances as a reincarnate.
When I arrived at the audience chamber of the Palace, the king was sitting on his throne and was talking with someone else. Someone very familiar, who made my spine tingle in a familiar way. Why the hell was she here?!
"Ah! There he is! I would like to formally introduce to you Viscount Leon Fou Bartfort! Holfort's Doom Knight!" The king said in full bravado, obviously trying to look and sound impressive. The girl we met in the Southern Island turned to me, this time wearing a resplendent black dress befitting her actual station.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Viscount Bartfort." 'Gertrude' greeted me with a perfect curtsy.
"This is Princess Hertrude Sera Fanoss. She is here as part of the exchange program between the Academies and will be staying in Holfort for her second year of schooling." I was getting a sinking feeling as the king introduced her to me as well as explained why she was here. The bad feeling was confirmed with the next words that he spoke. "As you are both in the same year, I thought it brilliant for you to be assigned as her personal protector for the duration of her stay."
I stood stock still as the Final Boss walked up to me and smiled. "Fate has brought us together once more, Bringer of Doom. I shall be in your care."
Was it too late to keep Marie and the boys in Holfort?!
Those were the first words that Marie and I exchanged when we saw each other again the following morning. She was probably exhausted from her ordeal the day prior, while I was exhausted from the attentions of three enthusiastic girls and one very pent up ghost last night.
I had waited for her with Julius and Kyle at the Academy gates. Surprisingly, Livia, Angie, and Clarice opted to be present for the occasion as well. She was being escorted by the Academy's Master of Tea and Gentlemanly Perfection. I gave him a deep bow as he walked past us and proceeded to make his way back to the Academy offices. Marie was wearing an Academy uniform set, likely provided by The Master.
"I heard what you did for me from the Queen. You really just go and do the first thing that pops into that head of yours, huh?" She had a grin on her face but I could easily see the tears she was holding back. She likely knew that her suffering from her former family was finally over.
"It's worked out pretty well so far." I answered with my own grin, getting choked up myself. She then decided to ruin the moment by being herself. Walking up close to me, she placed a hand on my chest and looked at me with upturned eyes.
"So, should I just call you Big Brother now~?" I flinched at the sultry way she asked that question. My salvation from the awkwardness came in the form of a pair of arms wrapping around me from behind, batting away Marie's hand in the process.
"You may be Leon's sister now, but please don't forget who he really belongs to." Livia stated in a sweet tone of voice that hid an obvious threat as she embraced me from behind. Angie and Clarice also stepped up to flank me and claim each of my arms.
"Ho~" Far from being intimidated from their united front, Marie just smiled and raised an eyebrow at the display. "So the three of you can learn after all."
Before anything could start between my sister and my lovers, Julius stepped forward and embraced Marie like it was the most natural thing to do. "I'm glad that you are back safe and sound."
"Thank you for bringing my situation to the Queen's attention, Julius. I knew that you would come for me." My sister's entire demeanor changed as she kissed Julius before turning to Kyle, who had also walked up to her. "Thank you for doing what I asked, Kyle."
And thus, Marie Fou Lafan returned to the Academy as Marie Fou Bartfort a few days before classes started up again.
…
"On one hand, I am baffled that you actually went and adopted that Lafan girl." Jenna started while sipping the tea I had prepared. She then hummed before continuing her thought. "On the other hand, that means that there is a chance that she might marry into the Crown. I'm not sure if I should praise you or laugh at you."
Both Jenna and Nicks were in my usual tea room as they were both very curious about the letter I sent back home about adopting Marie as my sister. By extension, she was their sister now as well after all.
"Congratulations on your engagement with Daniel, by the way." I said instead, making her choke on her drink while Nicks shook his head at her.
"How did you know?!" I grinned at the question and leaned back into my chair.
"I didn't. Thanks for confirming though." I poured as much smugness in my voice as I could. Jenna clicked her tongue and looked away, caught in my little verbal trap. There was a reason why it was a classic back on Earth.
"Cute. Our parents are working out the details, but yeah. Daniel will be my husband once he graduates." It was actually pretty cute how she blushed and smiled as she said that.
"You two are good for each other, I'm glad." I genuinely meant that too. It was great that a bout of madness from my friend managed to open an opportunity for them to find each other. Jenna looked like she didn't know how to feel about my words while Nicks just planted his forehead on the table.
"Great, that means that I'm the only one who hasn't found a partner yet." His lamentations made Jenna scoff even as I patted my older brother's shoulder.
"Have you even been trying?" Nicks groaned at our sister's question. That was when I finally noticed something different about Jenna.
"Where's Miauler?" I asked, making her blink.
"Oh, I terminated his contract after my engagement was finalized. It didn't seem like it was worth it anymore, so he'll probably be sold to someone else soon." She said with a wave of her hand. That made sense, I suppose. Then again, she was probably worried that Daniel would take her having a demi-human servant the wrong way now that they were engaged.
"Wait, Jenna's right. What have you been doing to find a bride?" I turned back to the more important topic of our brother's current relationship status.
"Okay, look–" Jenna cut off whatever Nicks was about to say.
"He hasn't been doing anything based on what I've managed to gather from the General Studies girls." She said with her eyes closed before drinking the rest of her tea and asking me for more. I rolled my eyes and poured her another cup. "He hasn't even taken advantage of the fact that he's the Doom Knight's brother."
"You've been spying on me?!" Technically, Jenna probably just asked around or had someone else do it for her.
"Nicks, you're graduating this year." I reminded him and he shrugged at me
"Unlike you, I'm not under pressure to find a bride as soon as I graduate." I mean, that was true.
"That doesn't mean that you should slack off either." I nodded and pointed at Jenna when she said that.
"What am I supposed to do?!" Nicks continued lamenting even though he was totally the cause of his own problems. It was like looking into a broken old mirror for me.
Jenna and I looked at each other as we both knew that he wouldn't make the effort himself. One silent argument between us later, I sighed and put it upon myself to try to find my older brother a match. I wondered if Deirdre would be interested since she did wish for a good man during the school trip.
It couldn't hurt to ask.
…
I was lying in bed with Clarice as we enjoyed each other's warmth. It was just the two of us that night as Livia said that she wanted some Angie Time before dragging the poor girl away to her bedroom. I wasn't about to complain as it gave me a chance to focus on giving a lot of affection to Clarice, which she very vocally appreciated. When I first saw all of her the night when the three girls jumped me, I was surprised at how fit she actually was.
"Defending ourselves and those we love using our bodies has been a tradition from my mother's side for generations." She said when I brought it up while admiring her perfect abs. Livia then demonstrated the best way to tease Clarice to make them ripple in a very hypnotic way.
"Are you sure you want to wait until we graduate before we get married?" I asked as she laid her head on my chest. It was a topic that had come up a few months ago, and something I asked as we relaxed. My engagements with her and Angie were back on track, while Livia just said that she was fine to get married whenever and just asked to have some time to let her family know about it.
Huh, I didn't know anything about Livia's family when I actually thought about it.
"I want it to be special, with all of us married to you. Together." Clarice answered while I was thinking. That was fair. It would probably end up a nightmare to plan for though.
"I'm fine with it. Will you be able to survive the wait though?" I teasingly asked as I stroked her side.
"Hey now, I'll already be a proper noble lady by then. That means that I can just visit whenever I want on the grounds that my beloved is the Doom Knight and there is nothing anyone can do about it." She growled out before rolling on top of me.
Ah, it seemed that Clarice could be pretty fearsome in her own right.
…
"What's the commotion about?" I asked Raymond and Daniel, who was going to be my brother-in-law in a couple of years, as we looked at a few billboards with a bunch of students looking at things posted on them.
"Oh, it's for the Academy's exchange program to other countries." Raymond answered to my surprise. Exchange program?
"We have that?" It was something that was never even brought up in the game at all.
"It's to promote good relations between the nobles of different countries. Those that sign up for it spend a year of their studies in whichever country they choose." Daniel started explaining while we walked closer to see which countries were offering exchange programs. "It's also used by houses to secure international ties with other noble houses if they can secure engagements along the way."
While we were looking at the lists, I noticed Marie standing by herself in front of one of the boards with a disgusted look on her face. I excused myself and walked up to my sister.
"What's wrong? You look like you swallowed a bug." Marie glanced at me and nodded towards the board she was looking at.
"Alzer Republic. It's promoting entrants for the exchange program with their Academy." I read out loud. I'd never heard of such a location before. Then again, I haven't heard of most of the countries in this world aside from the ones featured or mentioned in the game.
"Alzer is the setting for the sequel." My eyes widened at her words as an uncomfortable feeling settled in my stomach.
"You don't think that the sequel has already been going on while we're–" Marie interrupted me by turning around and starting to walk away. I quickly caught up to her as she started ranting.
"Nope! I don't want to think about it! One is enough!" She hissed out angrily.
"But what if there's another person with our circumstance there?" I brought up the possibility. If the two of us could be reincarnated, who was to say that there wasn't someone else in Alzer that was dealing with their own messed up Dating Sim scenario?
"Then they can deal with it. I won't go near that place or their blasted tr–fuck!" I blinked at how emphatic her curse was.
"What's wrong?" Because there definitely was something wrong for Marie to act out that way in public.
"There's a bad end in the sequel that I know of where the Alzer Sacred Tree causes the end of the world." She whispered while burying her face in her hands. With a possibility like that on the table, there was only one thing I could really say.
"Fuck."
…
"There are more of those stories from your world, not just mine?" Livia asked in surprise when I finished explaining what I learned about Alzer from Marie.
Speaking of.
"I'm surprised that you actually told them about us." My sister commented as she drank her tea. We were back in my tea room with Angie and Clarice also present alongside Livia. The school year was starting to wind down and there was a lot more free time allotted so students could prepare for the finals.
"Please don't phrase it like you're having a love affair with our Leon." Angie flatly told Marie, who just stuck her tongue out at her. Control broke stealth and floated between Marie and myself, clearly intrigued by the situation.
How poorly can the situation deteriorate if left to the worst outcome?
"I never actually got the seque–second story." Marie corrected herself, remembering what I told her about the analogies I used to explain things to my lovers. "I just heard from those who did about a bad ending where the tree goes out of control and causes all the floating islands in the world to fall to their doom. I don't know how exactly it can do that though."
Marie proceeded to tell us about the other things it could do. From providing infinite power for everything in the country to making sure that its defenders could never fail. The more we heard, the more ridiculous it sounded.
"I've heard of a holy tree in a far off land but Lea and I never actually went there to check. I certainly didn't know that it could be capable of such a thing." Anne chimed in, taking over from Livia for a moment, confirming that it was definitely something that had been around for a pretty long time. We were all silent as the clear threat loomed out in the distance with complete uncertainty on how it would turn out.
There is also the possibility that there is something else that is providing the miraculous effects and that the tree is merely a façade.
I groaned at Control's point as we already knew that things in this world were different from the game. Why couldn't it be different in the sequel as well? "Someone will have to go and check."
And from my track record, it probably had to be me. Then again, there was also Fanoss to worry about as well. Dammit! What the hell do I–
"I'll go." Marie suddenly spoke up, her back straight and her expression resolute.
"What?!" I yelled out.
"I'll sign up for the exchange program to Alzer and see if there are any fires that need to be put out." She confirmed my fears with a nod. Was she nuts?! She was the one who didn't want anything to do with the damn place!
"Alone?" Clarice asked, actually sounding worried for my sister. She didn't need to as Marie just scoffed and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Do you really think that Julius and the others would let me go there by myself? They'll obviously sign up alongside me." That made a lot more sense. The boys wouldn't stand for their love to go into a strange place without them. They would definitely be good enough to deal with whatever was there if Marie was herding them.
"Why do this though?" Angie asked, not sounding convinced. Her eyes widened at what Marie said next.
"Because I just got my big brother back and I am not going to lose him because of a fucking tree!" She snarled out with an expression that made my lovers lean away from her. For some reason, I felt really proud of her.
…
The Holfort Academy graduation ceremony was about as grand as I expected it to be. The families and supporters of the students who would be graduating were present as well as some representatives from the Crown. The King wasn't present but Mylene was there to give a speech to the graduates about upholding the values and ideals that Holfort represented.
The whole thing took up half the day, with the other half being a big feast. Minister Atlee was there along with his absolutely beautiful wife. It was clear where Clarice got her looks from.
"Please take care of our daughter. She means the world to us and she clearly thinks the world of you." Clarice's mother said to me before shaking my hand with a grip that was probably tighter than it should have been. The steel in her eyes made it clear that I wasn't getting a third chance if I messed things up with her daughter again.
Message received.
Clarice then led Livia, Angie, and myself back to her room for a more private celebration.
I wonder if all of these strenuous activities was actually helping me improve my stamina to pilot Black Getter? Probably something I should test at some point.
…
The school year ended for the rest of us a few days later. Clarice went back to her family's lands for now, promising to visit whenever she could. When asked what she was going to do with her sudden abundance of free time, she said that she was going dungeon diving with her mother. Well, that was definitely a side of her I wish I knew about earlier because it was really hot.
While Marie and the boys prepared to move to Alzer for the exchange program, I was called to the Palace by a messenger. Surprisingly, it wasn't from Mylene but from the king instead. Oh no, did he find out that I had been having an affair with his wife? The most recent time we had together was a week before Clarice's graduation where I told Mylene about my real circumstances as a reincarnate.
When I arrived at the audience chamber of the Palace, the king was sitting on his throne and was talking with someone else. Someone very familiar, who made my spine tingle in a familiar way. Why the hell was she here?!
"Ah! There he is! I would like to formally introduce to you Viscount Leon Fou Bartfort! Holfort's Doom Knight!" The king said in full bravado, obviously trying to look and sound impressive. The girl we met in the Southern Island turned to me, this time wearing a resplendent black dress befitting her actual station.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Viscount Bartfort." 'Gertrude' greeted me with a perfect curtsy.
"This is Princess Hertrude Sera Fanoss. She is here as part of the exchange program between the Academies and will be staying in Holfort for her second year of schooling." I was getting a sinking feeling as the king introduced her to me as well as explained why she was here. The bad feeling was confirmed with the next words that he spoke. "As you are both in the same year, I thought it brilliant for you to be assigned as her personal protector for the duration of her stay."
I stood stock still as the Final Boss walked up to me and smiled. "Fate has brought us together once more, Bringer of Doom. I shall be in your care."
Was it too late to keep Marie and the boys in Holfort?!
