My name is Robia, and I am a student at the Galgard Noble Academy.
I don’t mean to boast, but I pride myself on being the most skilled individual in the entire academy when it comes to attack magic. And I don’t just mean I am the best among the students. I mean the best in the academy, period.
In other words, I am superior even to the instructors.
No, truly, I’m not trying to brag. I am well aware that there is always someone better out there. The world is a vast place, after all.
Take my older brother, for example. While I may surpass him in attack magic, I cannot even hope to match his proficiency in any other field of magic. It was because he taught at this academy that I chose to enroll here, yet for some reason, he was suddenly transferred to a different school.
It was quite a disappointment. I believe the place was called Ifuls Academy? Since it’s a newly established institution, perhaps my brother was headhunted for his talents. When I look at it that way, it makes me feel a bit proud of him.
But I digress. My point is that I recognize there are those more talented than myself. It was while I was lost in these thoughts that a friend’s voice reached my ears.
"The one from the rumors might just threaten your position, Robia." (Translation: I heard those Beastman Three Brothers everyone is talking about are also quite talented with magic. I wonder which of you is better? I’m curious to see.)
...I, too, was a bit curious. However, I had no intention of picking a fight. It didn’t really matter which of us was stronger—unless, of course, he intended to ask for my hand in marriage.
Then, right before my eyes, one of those Beastman Three Brothers engaged in a duel. He emerged victorious in the blink of an eye.
His opponent was Irene.
...Irene lost?
Irene was one of the few magic users in this academy whom I truly acknowledged. While I was her superior in pure attack magic, I was no match for her when it came to the seamless combination of magic and swordsmanship. Yet that very same Irene had been defeated without being able to do a single thing.
That was impossible.
...Ah, he must have used some kind of trick. But wait, it looked like Irene was the one who initiated the duel. If he accepted the challenge on the spot, he wouldn't have had the time to set a trap.
Does that mean he prepared in advance? For what purpose?
The answer was obvious. Irene had long made her conditions public: anyone who wanted her as a wife had to defeat her in a duel first. Only then would she even consider talking to them.
...That beastman... judging by his looks, he was just a boy. You can’t always judge a demon’s age by their appearance, but you can tell by the way they move. He was undoubtedly younger than my own little brother.
And yet, he was quite the tactician, wasn't he? To go to such lengths of preparation just to win Irene over.
...It left me feeling a bit miffed. It was true that Irene was a beauty, and her bust was certainly larger than mine. But if he was looking for a wife at this academy, shouldn't he have made an approach toward me as well?
Had he heard of my strength and fled? It was a plausible theory, but it was a shame for someone so young to lack the ambition to aim for the very top. As his senior at the academy, I felt it was my duty to give him a little "education."
"You there, boy. Ready your staff."
That boy turned out to be the man of my destiny.
I never imagined we would meet in such a fashion. It was a complete blunder on my part to be so shaken that I couldn't propose to him immediately. Because of that delay, I was now facing constant interference from Irene.
I will not forgive her. He is my husband.
He isn't my husband yet? Oh, don't worry about such trivial details. It is a future already set in stone.
Currently, that husband of mine was engaged in a friendly conversation with Konegit. While Konegit was the daughter of a major merchant and technically a commoner, she was one of the few allowed to attend this noble academy. Her expertise in economics was rumored to be the best in the school. Even Lady Hou Leg, the financial head of the Four Heavenly Kings, had recognized her talent, and people whispered she would join her staff after graduation. In fact, despite still being a student, she supposedly traveled to the royal castle almost every day to assist with work.
That girl was making a rare appearance at the academy today, and she was acting far too familiar with my husband. Honestly, I wonder where she managed to sniff out the rumors about him.
Still, I didn't panic. My husband wouldn't be swayed by the temptations of a girl like her.
Hm? She was handing him something. A lunch box?
I see—a handmade lunch. How sly.
However, she was in for a disappointment. Did she not realize how exquisite the meals my husband prepared were? A half-hearted attempt at cooking would only have the opposite effect... Wait, he was eating it happily!
Unbelievable! Was her cooking really that good?
Ah—wait! That meat in the lunch box... I knew it! It was killer rabbit meat! One of the rare, confirmed facts I had on my husband was his fondness for it.
Gunuunu. She was clever. Even though the supply had supposedly increased recently, killer rabbit meat was still a high-class delicacy. To think she managed to get her hands on it. Even I had been struggling to source some for myself.
By the way, Irene, you’ve been standing next to me for quite some time now. You have something to say to me, don't you?
No, not about the clash between our subordinates, or the time you "borrowed" the bath. Yes, that's the one.
First, we must thin out the number of rivals. We can settle things between us after that.
While it was a predetermined future that he would become my husband, I never expected the road to get there would be smooth. But the steeper the path, the more the flames of love would burn.
"Wait... those three aren't actually brothers?"
This won't do. I really need to start paying a little more attention to things other than just him.