While Johan was struggling to develop a cure for Transcendence Syndrome, Deus was diving deeper into his demon research, and Lobelia was simply idling away her time.
Meanwhile, Ariel Ether and Yuna Hermod were on their way to the Damus Territory.
“……”
“……”
More precisely, they were heading there together.
But despite sharing the same carriage, no conversation passed between them.
It was already autumn, yet the air inside the carriage felt frozen stiff.
“……”
Both of them reflected on their actions.
Admittedly, they had gone too far.
They had lost their tempers, gone on a rampage, and ended up putting Johan in a difficult position.
Yes, there was a need to reflect.
So they had spent a week thinking it over, planning to compromise once their punishment ended, and even preparing to apologize to Johan.
They counted the days like that.
But then…
“Ha…!”
Yuna let out a hollow laugh.
“Tch…”
Ariel clicked her tongue.
Neither of them could believe the situation they were now in.
They had reflected. They had even intended to apologize.
And yet, unable to control themselves in the meantime, they had gone and done something outrageous again?
At this point, the truth behind the rumors didn’t even matter anymore.
What mattered was this. Johan couldn’t be left alone. If left to his own devices, things would only spiral out of control, as this recent incident had proven.
“Lady Ariel, what do you think?”
“…About what?”
“What do you think Johan will say this time? He’s not an idiot, so he must already have some kind of countermeasure prepared to persuade us.”
“If it’s something convincing, then I’ll believe him.”
“And if it’s not convincing?”
“……”
Yuna nodded at Ariel’s lack of reply.
It was clear. Ariel was thinking the same thing as her.
“Well then, what should I do?”
Yuna smiled faintly as she gazed out the window. She had a rough idea of the moves Johan might make.
After all, no one understood Johan better than she did.
And because of that—
Maybe I should just flip the whole board over.
That thought crossed her mind as well.
***
When I finally returned to the mansion after a long while, I was greeted by the sight of bustling servants coming and going.
Preparations for the engagement ceremony seemed to be proceeding smoothly. At least I had arrived on time, so no disasters had occurred.
As I passed through the mansion gates and crossed the courtyard, I spotted a familiar figure. It was a woman with fiery red hair.
“You’re back.”
“Ah, Your Highness. Have you been well? After enjoying all the splendor of the Imperial Capital, I imagine this countryside backwater must have felt rather dull.”
“Don’t you think that remark underestimates me a little too much…?”
“I only meant that perhaps our hospitality here fell short.”
Well, compared to the capital, this place really doesn’t have much. Not even the kind of common criminals you’d find everywhere else.
For Lobelia, who spent her days cracking open the skulls of criminals and practically bathing in their blood, this countryside must have been unbearably dull.
Good grief, terrifying woman.
“So? Is the medicine finished?”
I pulled out a neatly packaged vial from inside my coat.
This little thing was worth an astronomical amount. Just announcing its existence would be enough to make me a rich man for life.
“Please keep this a secret.”
“A wise decision. I was worried you might let greed cloud your judgment, but it seems my fears were unfounded.”
“A little while ago, I might have.”
But the moment I stood before the Emperor, I had no choice but to make a vow to myself.
Do not get on the Emperor’s bad side.
That man was sharper than I ever imagined.
“This isn’t like the unfinished version of the Transcendence Syndrome cure. This one’s the real deal.”
The previous medicine I had made was essentially a limiter—
It suppressed the patient, preventing them from reaching the realm of an Archmage.
Because of that, they could never truly become Archmages, and worse, the imbalance between body and mind made them even weaker than in their prime.
But this time, it was different.
With this medicine, one could overcome Transcendence Syndrome and ascend to the rank of Archmage.
That meant the Empire, which officially had only three Archmages, could suddenly see them sprouting up everywhere.
The danger, of course, was that even those unprepared or unworthy might obtain such power.
This medicine’s very existence was perilous. Which was why the completed version had to remain hidden.
“If all someone wants is simply to live, then the unfinished version will suffice.”
After all, one doesn’t need overwhelming strength to live happily.
There were plenty of people who would simply be grateful just to survive.
But if I drew the Emperor’s anger the wrong way and the very existence of the Transcendence Syndrome cure was erased…
Would there be anything more regretful than that?
“It’s fortunate you’re such a commoner at heart. That’s one of your few merits.”
“I think so too.”
“Your mouth, however, is a flaw.”
“I disagree.”
“You never let the last word go, do you?”
Lobelia let out a quiet laugh, then patted me on the back.
Unlike before, she seemed to have controlled her strength this time. It didn’t hurt.
…Was that supposed to be praise?
Well, it didn’t feel too bad.
“Anyway, the two will be arriving soon, so make yourself presentable. The star of the stage shouldn’t look like a mess.”
“Ah.”
At her words, I rubbed my eyelids with my fingers.
I must’ve looked pretty rough after staying up all night working on the cure.
They’d be here soon. I should probably cover this up with at least a bit of makeup.
“Then I’ll go greet Father for a moment.”
“Go on.”
I bowed slightly to Lobelia, then made my way straight to Father’s office.
Glancing around as I went, I could see that the party preparations weren’t just in order…they were flawless.
Looked like Father had pulled some strings.
“Father, I’ve returned.”
I knocked lightly and opened the office door.
“O-Oh, yes, you’re… you’re back?”
“……”
He jumped as if he’d been caught red-handed at something.
“You brat, don’t just knock…wait for an answer first!”
And then he gets angry.
There’s definitely something going on. I’m sure of it.
“Just be honest with me.”
“About… what?”
“You must’ve done something wrong. Just come clean. They say it’s better to get it over with quickly, right?”
“Ahem, hmm…”
Instead of answering, Father quietly handed me an object.
A sleek, black, compact box.
It was the ring case I personally picked out for the engagement ceremony.
What is this? Don’t tell me… he lost the ring? With the ceremony right around the corner?
My heart pounding, I opened the case…then gasped the moment I looked inside.
“What… what happened here?”
The ring hadn’t gone missing.
In fact, it looked well-kept and polished.
The problem was… there wasn’t just one pair of rings.
“Why are there two pairs inside?”
“It just turned out that way.”
“What do you mean, ‘it turned out that way’?”
“Couldn’t match the schedule or the budget. So let’s just do it all at once. They’re both coming anyway. How are we supposed to hold separate ceremonies and keep it hidden from each of them?”
“……”
“And if you marry one first, what excuse are you planning to give the other in the meantime? Even if you manage to lie your way through it….what happens if they find out later? Son, you were right. Better to take the beating early.”
“Did you already prepare your excuses?”
“Mhmm.”
No wonder the words were flowing so smoothly.
It’s hard to blame him too much. I was the one who dumped the whole situation on him in the first place.
“Haaah…”
Yeah, not a single word of that was wrong.
“Want to pick out your coffin early too?”
“Son, that’s just disrespectful.”
“We’re all gonna die anyway. What’s left to be said? Be honest, do you really think I can go through with this ceremony?”
“……”
“Damn it, looks like I’ll be getting in the coffin before you do, Father.”
Forget the engagement ceremony. This was going to be a funeral.
How on earth did things end up like this? And the people around us… they just let it happen?
No way… wait a minute.
“Father.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m asking because I really don’t know. How do other people even know about all this? Did they… actually accept it?”
“Oh, they accepted it.”
“Huh, what?”
“I just told them it’s because you’re popular and capable… I’m sorry. I mean, I couldn’t exactly say your mother was selling off her son. So I tried to smooth things over by bragging about you a bit.”
“…Wow.”
He was always so harsh with me, but deep down, he must’ve been proud.
I’m touched. Really, I am. But still—
“Well, at least we won’t be lonely. Looks like you and I are both going into that coffin today, side by side.”
“……”
If this bloody engagement ceremony actually happens, I’m dead. Or worse, I’ll wish I were.
And if that happens, he’s dead too.
Specifically, once Mom figures out what’s going on, she’s going to tear him to pieces.
What a heartwarming father-son relationship.
“My lord! They’re here! The young ladies have arrived!”
“……”
“……”
“Come on now, why the long faces on such a happy day? Hahaha!”
At the head butler’s clueless, beaming smile, Father and I quietly lowered our heads with heavy expressions.
There was no time to mentally prepare.
But that’s just how life is.
Always brash and abrupt.
To avoid being swept away in the sea of life, the only option is to stay sharp.
Even if the sky falls, there’s always a hole to escape through.
Clutching the case with the two rings inside, I took a step forward.
***
In the distance, two figures came into view.
Ariel who seemed slightly displeased, and Yuna who was smiling as usual.
As she glanced around the decorated lord’s mansion, Ariel spotted me and perked up her bunny ears, as if pleased to see me.
But then she pouted, and the ears drooped.
She was trying to hide her excitement.
And Yuna…
“Hmm, this is entertaining.”
Still impossible to read what she was thinking.
“Ariel, thank you for coming all this way.”
“Johan, don’t you have something to say before that?”
The prickly bunny bristles.
She was clearly trying to intimidate me, but without magic, all those narrowed eyes do is make her look even cuter.
“Ahem!”
I immediately dropped to one knee.
From here on, I can’t afford to lose control. Not even for a moment.
“The reason I had you come all this way is simple.”
I pulled out the ring case.
Ariel’s eyes went wide like lanterns.
A proposal, right in front of the entire lord’s mansion.
Hmm, not a bad scene at all.
“Johan?”
If I could have just opened the case and shown only one of the rings.
Wow, what do I do? I racked my brain, but I couldn’t come up with an answer.
“Hmm?”
Ariel glanced around, then quietly grabbed the case.
No, I didn’t mean for her to take the whole thing…
She must’ve taken it that way because she’s so innocent.
“Um, Johan?”
“C-Could you please hold onto it for now?”
But seeing me struggle not to let go of the case, Ariel frowned again.
Think. Find a way out.
“…I understand that we can’t make our relationship public. A ring like this would just be a burden in the end, wouldn’t it?”
I hurled the ring case with all my strength outside the mansion.
No matter what, I can’t let both rings be seen.
Let’s call it a symbolic gesture.
“So I hope you’ll forgive me for expressing my feelings in this way.”
A proposal filled with lies.
I pulled out the completed cure for the transcendence syndrome from inside my coat.
Even Yuna can’t complain about this.
This medicine only has meaning for Ariel.
As for what to do about Yuna… I’ll have to think more on that.
For now, let’s resolve things with at least one person.
“Johan…”
Ariel’s voice softened.
Her hand trembled slightly as she accepted the vial, but a smile rose to her lips.
Looks like she was touched.
“Ariel, congratulations on your engagement. Though I suppose I’m a bit late saying it.”
“Your Highness…”
“I suppose there hasn’t really been a chance to celebrate, has there? But here, it’s okay for you to be a little honest, isn’t it?”
Lobelia stepped in at the perfect moment.
A flawless scene. Everyone watching let out a collective gasp.
Even Mother wiped away the tears welling in her eyes.
Good. Let’s keep it going just like this.
Just like this…
“Wow, there are two pairs of rings?”
In that moment of commotion, a voice rang out clearly.
There’s only one person in the world with such a distinct kind of timing.
And the fact that she chose to speak up now meant only one thing….she was set on ruining this moment.
When did she retrieve it? Yuna had gone and picked up the ring case I’d thrown away, opened it, and was now grinning.
“Johan, this one’s mine, right?”
Yuna took one of the rings from the case and slipped it onto her fourth finger.
Then, as if showing off, she held out her hand for everyone to see.
“So pretty.”
And with that same smirk, she asked,
“But why were there two pairs of rings in one case? Are there two engagement ceremonies today?”
“…Johan?”
Yeah. It’s over.
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