"So, the answer I’m putting forth for now is—"
—a date!
And so, on my day off, I invited Alicia out and we headed into the city.
Back during that whole Dark History Video Incident, I had promised her that we would go on a date once things settled down. The question was whether to do it before or after the Sage Festival.
If I waited until after the festival, the planned Nation-stealing Contest would already be in motion. Regardless of the outcome, the city was bound to be in total chaos.
Basically, it was now or never.
"Hmm, I suppose it has to be Chinese cabbage."
"Cabbage is a great choice. It’ll be ready just in time for hot pot season."
They grew relatively quickly, and with Alicia’s current skills, she could use chantless earth-attribute magic to prepare incredibly high-quality soil. Growing them would be a breeze. We could eat hot pot together this winter.
Besides, when you really thought about it...
Barriers, wars, Sages, Saints, Heroes...
To be honest, the internal squabbles of the Royal Capital's nobility had nothing to do with me right now. If it were a problem involving Alicia, I’d risk my life and work my hardest, but if it was just my problem? I could simply choose not to get involved.
The high-ranking nobles clearly didn't want me interfering anyway, so why not just give them exactly what they wanted and step back?
If the Nation-stealing operation by both Houses of the Marquess succeeded, or if the Duchy attacked the moment the barrier vanished, Wendy would end up dead alongside Edward. They had asked for my help for that very reason, but no matter which path I took, it felt like I’d end up being dragged into things by that Baldy eventually. I decided I earned a little breather first.
I figured I’d give Alicia my report while enjoying our time together.
"I'll take this, this, and this for the vegetables we'll need this week..."
"Alicia."
"What is it? Oh, look at these tomatoes! They’re wonderful. I’ve heard the produce lately has been exceptionally good. I wonder if it’s the fertilizer? They must be using something high-quality."
I took the vegetables from her as I spoke. Dressed in casual clothes for our trip to town, she didn't look like a high-ranking noble at all.
"You're right, it's probably the fertilizer. The ashes of those mages contain a massive amount of mana, so they work wonders for the soil."
"...I’ve lost my appetite a bit, but I suppose you have a point. The mana density is probably why nature is so lush in the Yudina Mountain Range, too. So, what was it you wanted to say?"
"A coup d'état is going to happen during the Sage Festival. What should we do?"
When I casually dropped that into the conversation, Alicia paused for a brief moment before turning a smile toward me.
"...Why would you say something like that so suddenly?"
"...Uh, are you mad?"
The expression on her face was a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. She radiated a terrifying aura, as if she were carrying the spirit of a demon on her back.
"I'm not mad. But why now? This isn't the sort of thing you bring up while we're out buying vegetable seeds, is it? Not in a place crowded with people..."
After scolding me for a while, Alicia let out a long sigh and returned her gaze to the vegetables.
"Well, you don't lie to me. So I know it must be the truth."
"Yeah."
Nodding, I told her everything that had happened recently—every detail of the Throne Usurpation Operation planned by House Pentagram and House Slash, and how they intended to use Patricia as their figurehead.
If my only goal was to keep her away from danger, I didn't necessarily have to tell her. But when she had told me not to go far away, I promised her I wouldn't. Therefore, it was important to let her know exactly what I was up to.
"Haa... I thought something smelled fishy."
Upon hearing the information, Alicia let out another sigh.
"It was already strange for Patricia Kindred to suddenly go study abroad in the Duchy after moving so aggressively at the Academy."
Even if there was technically a temporary truce, it was even stranger for her to be returning from that same Duchy right as the Sage Festival began.
"When I went to see the 3rd-year Treasurer regarding Student Council business, he was fanatically devoted to her. It was as if he were possessed."
Having seen that her influence had permeated not just the high-ranking first-years but even the seniors, Alicia had already sensed that Patricia’s goal wasn't just a simple social climb.
"So she was making those preparations behind the scenes, using her relationship with Edward and the others as a shield. To be able to maneuver that much on her own in such a short period... It’s no wonder I lost that duel."
Alicia went quiet after that.
"I heard there was third-party interference in your duel, Alicia."
Like Jelasis, for instance.
"Besides, if you didn't die, you didn't lose."
"A loss is a loss. Besides, I don't think I had any chance of winning against her at the time. But that doesn't matter anymore."
Alicia looked at me directly.
"What do you want to do, Ragna?"
"Me?"
"Personally, as long as you and Mariana are safe and the Brave Territory isn't affected, that's enough for me. I know you're working behind the scenes to protect me, so I won't complain."
She looked up at the Guardian Barrier visible through a gap in the shopping district's arcade.
"It’s not a problem I can solve myself, so I’ll respect your opinion and follow your lead."
"My opinion, huh?"
"Even if I put a collar on you, you're just a little puppy who'll wander off for a walk however you like, aren't you? Fufu, well, that’s just a metaphor, of course."
"I'm not a puppy! The Braves are Cerberus incarnate! There are even legends saying we wouldn't let go of an enemy's throat even if we were reduced to nothing but a severed head!"
"It was a metaphor!"
It was actually a true story, though. It wasn't a joke—the Brave Triplets once bit down as severed heads and held on until the enemy general bled to death.
"Well, just do as you like," she said, laughing as she stroked the old scar at my hairline. "I’ll follow you wherever you go."
Alicia really was a great woman.
Initially, I had only stayed near her to prevent my own ruin, but protecting the smile of this exceptionally wonderful woman had become one of the primary reasons I fought.
"In my mind, they can go ahead and usurp whatever they want. My priority is my daily life with you—and dates like today!"
I couldn't exactly say, "Sorry I'm late for our date, I was busy participating in a coup." Being late was a woman's privilege; a man was supposed to be the one waiting.
Speaking of which, I had been the one to finally gather the courage to ask her out today. Last time, Alicia was the one who told me we were going on a date, so being able to say it myself this time felt like real progress.
"...Wait, this was a date?" Alicia asked, tilting her head.
"Huh?"
The realization that she was truly puzzled sent a wave of despair through my heart. She didn't even think it was a date!?
"Oh! A date. Right, of course. This is a date. Since we always come here together at this time to buy groceries, I just followed along without thinking much of it, but you're right—this is definitely a date."
Alicia tried to fix the situation in a panic when she saw the look on my face.
I suppose I should have seen it coming. There wasn't much of a "date vibe" coming from her while she was meticulously inspecting vegetables. It felt more like a married couple doing their weekly shopping on a day off.
"W-Well, we can just treat it like a grocery run that turned into a date! We can change plans whenever we want, so why don't we go eat lunch together? Please? I heard about a great hidden gem from Mariana the other day."
Alicia took my arm and pulled me along.
I was painfully reminded that the only places I could actually "escort" someone were monster-infested mountain ranges or deep dungeons. I really didn't want to end up on the Useless Man Route.
Incidentally, I couldn't bring myself to talk about the Hero, the Sage, or the Saint during our walk. I was a little afraid that knowing the truth might change the way she looked at me.
Even a Brave has things he’s afraid of.