Chapter 79

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Garnet's Sword Training
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In the corridor, Marin, whom he had run into, came dashing over with a delighted face. The butler Sebas gazed at her as though she were his adorable granddaughter.

“What’s the matter?”

“Butler— no, Master. There’s something I’d like to ask of you.”

“Why are you speaking formally again?”

“Because right now is the time I’m asking a favor of my master.”

Marin gave a shy smile.

“Ask anything of me.”

“If you happen to meet Lady Garnet Adria, could you pass on that message from before? Since it’s from her mother, I think the lady would be pleased. And maybe have a little chat with her too. The other cousins seem to be adjusting bit by bit, but she alone feels a little left out.”

“Oh dear. I hadn’t paid it enough attention. My apologies.”

“No, Master! And, um, if the lady asks you for any favors, it’d be great if you could grant them as much as possible.”

“Of course.”

* * *

“Why do you want to learn the sword?”

“Because I want to protect. I want to protect my big sisters and little sisters.”

Garnet’s clear green eyes shone with fierce determination.

The butler Sebas let his wrinkled lips droop and nodded.

“That’s a fine goal. Very well. Luckily, there’s a good senior around, so shall we start tomorrow?”

“Yeah! I wanna do it!”

Garnet answered energetically.

* * *

Ah— I don’t wanna do this.

“Why are you here?”

Garnet, who had arrived at the training grounds early in the dawn following the butler Sebas, stared at Marin in bewilderment.

“Oh! Lady— no, Junior Garnet! You’re here?”

Marin raised both hands high as if to welcome her.

“Junior?”

When Garnet shot back sharply, Marin beamed and called over the red-haired man beside her.

“Yubis. In the knight order, seniors and juniors are based on entry order, right?”

“Of course.”

The one called Yubis chimed in with a mischievous grin.

“See? I trained first, so I’m the senior, and Garnet’s the junior.”

Marin pointed to herself once, then poked at Garnet for emphasis.

“Is this the knight order?”

Garnet didn’t back down and rebelled.

“Since the former vice-captain of the knight order is our master, we have to follow those rules. Right, Master?”

The butler Sebas, who had been watching from behind, twitched his lips to hold back a laugh.

“There are rules, yes.”

At the butler’s words, Garnet looked up at him with aggrieved eyes.

***

The butler quickly averted his gaze.

“Now, now. Hear that, Junior Garnet? Ten laps around the training grounds.”

“Why ten laps?”

“Swordsmanship comes from stamina. I’m up to fifteen now.”

Marin puffed out her chest proudly and boasted.

“Hmph. If I do more than fifteen, then I don’t have to be your junior?”

Garnet threw down the gauntlet at Marin with blazing eyes.

Marin smiled confidently.

“Sure. If you do more than fifteen, we’ll do that.”

“Great.”

“Starting from here.”

The man called Yubis drew a line on the ground with his scabbard.

Garnet pouted and moved to the spot he indicated.

Up close, he looked tall and broad-shouldered, but about the same age as her peers.

“Hmph. Got it.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Yubis slung his sword over his shoulder and replied half-heartedly.

Nothing about this sits right with me.

Garnet glared straight ahead with a surge of anger. I’ll finish fifteen laps in no time!

“Pant, pant, pant.”

No way.

After eleven and a half laps, Garnet collapsed onto the ground. Marin and the red-haired man, sitting under a tree, whispered to each other.

They’re definitely making fun of me.

Garnet used her anger as fuel and stood back up.

Her heart wanted to race far ahead, but her legs felt glued to the ground and wouldn’t move.

Move, you stupid legs.

Garnet slapped her thighs and walked slowly. As she inched forward bit by bit, she drew closer to the group chatting while seated.

“Impressive, right?”

“That’s basic.”

“I couldn’t do that from the start.”

“That’s because the young lady has less stamina than a puppy.”

“What? Puppy? Hey, puppies have tons of stamina. They don’t rest!”

“Nah, newborn pups. Not the grown ones.”

“What? You wanna taste my fist for saying I’m worse than a newborn pup?”

“Wow, anti-violence.”

Garnet averted her bleary eyes. She wanted to pretend she didn’t know the two bickering childishly.

She wanted to pass them quickly, but her legs were too heavy. It was her first time feeling her body not obey her will like this.

“Lady Garnet. How about calling it a day?”

A kind, angelic voice came from somewhere.

Garnet whipped her head toward the voice. The butler Sebas was looking at her pityingly.

“Can I stop?”

“Of course. Pushing too hard on the first day means you won’t make it tomorrow. Like someone we know.”

At his last words, Marin’s fake cough sounded.

Soon, Marin stood and approached Garnet.

“Eleven laps is impressive, Junior Garnet.”

“……Eleven and a *half* laps. Senior.”

Where are you trying to shave off that half?

Garnet gritted her teeth and emphasized the half.

“Right, eleven and a half. Good job. Let’s get along from now on.”

***

“Hmph. Sure.”

Garnet snorted again, irked by Marin’s kind smile for no reason.

* * *

After finishing her dawn training, Marin had breakfast with her mother and headed to the second floor.

Perido, neatly dressed, emerged from his room holding Dia’s hand in one hand and firmly gripping a pastel bag in the other.

“Good morning, Teacher.”

“Hello, Teacher.”

“Good morning, Dia, Perido.”

Glancing inside the room, Garnet wasn’t there.

She was probably groaning in bed from the dawn training.

Rubiana peeked out from between the doors.

“Hello, Teacher.”

“Hi, Ruby. We’ll meet in the library after lunch.”

“Yes!”

Hearing Rubiana’s bright reply, Marin took Perido’s hand from Dia.

As she walked while chatting with Perido, they soon arrived at the duke’s office.

The office was bright as ever today. On the table in front of the sofa that had become Perido’s designated seat, snacks were piled high.

Perido, letting go of the hand he’d been holding, stood before the duke and took a deep breath that made his little chest heave.

A look of tense determination, as if he’d made up his mind, spread across the child’s small face.

Not understanding, Marin inwardly cheered for Perido’s cute face.

“Hello! Uncle!”

“……!”

The duke’s eyebrows shot up then came back down. He seemed startled by the unexpected form of address.

“Big sis Ruby said you call him this.”

“……I see.”

The duke replied slowly.

Perido grinned proudly, as if he’d accomplished a great feat. His now-plump cheeks bulged as he smiled.

Marin, watching from behind, found Perido so lovable that her fingers itched.

I wanna pinch those chubby cheeks.

She was so proud of the child who had mustered the courage just to say that.

“Teacher, I’ll sit here and draw. You do your work, Teacher.”

Perido went to the sofa, sat obediently, and picked up the paper on the table.

“Thanks, Perido. Report to Uncle Perido, then let’s draw together.”

“Yes!”

Olive, standing behind with a pleased expression, handed Marin a report.

As Marin read down the report, her eyes sparkled.

Opal had finally emerged into the world.

“This is the report on the Nylon Territory silver mine. We have eliminated all the tunnel monsters that appeared intermittently. The ores judged as low-grade were collected and appraised. According to the appraiser, they are very beautiful gems unlike any seen before. The appraised ores are enclosed—please evaluate them.”