Oran Knight is out (2/3 chapters for today)
Sudden Turn of Events (1): Information Provided
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Bowman Deran Baxwal was coming to our academy.
The one who brought this information was Roy-kun. Gathered in the clubroom at his call, the first words that came out there were about Baxwal’s arrival. The source of the information was Roy-kun’s father, who serves in the palace.
“Actually, the delegation members for the Academy Competition have been decided. The news about Baxwal came up in that announcement. In the end, they actively informed us from their side, so that helped.” (Roy)
“They actively informed us?” (Rick)
Rick-san tilted his head, and—
“In other words, they’re saying, ‘Such an important person is coming, so you should be aware of them’.” (Roy)
Roy-kun let out a wry smile.
Roy-kun’s family wanted to use his achievements to advance their household. Though, the person himself didn’t seem particularly interested in that. Leaving that aside…
“Baxwal is part of the delegation? He’s not the delegation leader, is he?” (Saxon)
Saxon asked with a serious expression. A known advocate for continuing the war, Baxwal would undoubtedly be the worst choice as the leader of the peace negotiations with Solar.
“No, it’s completely different. Baxwal isn’t even a member of the delegation.” (Roy)
“What do you mean?” (Saxon)
“As expected, the current Crown Princess isn’t foolish enough to include a militaristic noble in the delegation. But at the same time, she doesn’t have the resolve to completely ignore the demands of the military nobles. So, Baxwal and his faction forced their military into the delegation, posing as a security force. Moreover, instead of guarding the competition venue, they’re taking charge of security inside the academy, where the secret negotiations will be held. On top of that, another influential military noble household, the Fasel Household, is also sending troops.” (Roy)
“I see. Two of the five major military nobles are making a move.” (Saxon)
Saxon looked convinced.
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t Saxon’s family, the Parady house, also participate?” (Ratt)
Ratt-kun asked.
“No, at least I haven’t heard anything. It’s possible they’re keeping it from me, but if there hasn’t been any word at all, then, they’re probably staying out of it, just like during the Zalard-sensei incident. Maybe the royal capital judged that having three military noble households involved would be too much? Or maybe they’ve gotten some leverage over the Deran house and plan to keep their hands clean…” (Saxon)
“What about the Bell Household?” (Saxon)
“Nothing on my end either… At the very least, there’s no talk of Rita-san being captured, and Follett-san is still serving at the royal palace as usual. Officially, the capital is acting like nothing’s happening. I also don’t think our house will participate in the delegation.” (Maria)
“By the way, the leader of the peace negotiation delegation is Virager-sama of the Bordo Household.” (Roy)
The Bordo house, from what I heard, was a noble house on par with the Bell house—one of the Five Great Aristocratic Houses.
“Follett-san is coming, right?” (Heinz)
Heinz asked Roy-kun.
“He’s coming, but he won’t be attending the negotiations at the academy. He’s only attending as the guest of honor for the Academy Competition.” (Roy)
“…That’s strange.” (Heinz)
“Strange? Why?” (Frank)
Frank asked with a puzzled look as Heinz furrowed his brows.
“The one who planned this Academy Competition’s scenario is probably Follett-san. As you all know, the one supporting Rita-san, who was working toward a ceasefire, is almost certainly Follett-san. That’s why they forced this place to be the meeting ground, even if it was a bit aggressive.” (Heinz)
At that point, Lites joined in.
“Oh, I see. Now that you mention it, the current owner of this academy is the Crown Princess’s younger brother. It makes sense for him to personally come forward.” (Lites)
“Exactly. From what I hear, Follett-san has been disliked by the military nobles and has been kept away from major events. If the meeting were held somewhere in our country, Remnos, there’s a high chance he wouldn’t have been allowed to attend in the first place. But here, it would actually be unnatural if he didn’t attend. After all, he’s practically the lord of this land and the Crown Princess’s direct younger brother. If he’s absent, the other side might even suspect something is going on.” (Heinz)
That person had even considered something like that when making his moves.
“Follett-sama is truly impressive. But he made a crucial mistake in the end.” (Roy)
Roy-kun’s words were harsh, but they were true. If he was only there as a figurehead guest of honor, he wouldn’t be able to participate in the negotiations. Meanwhile, Baxwal’s private soldiers would be lurking inside the academy. There was no telling what might happen.
“Then… does that mean the delegations of both countries could be attacked by Baxwal’s soldiers, degozaru?” (Hana)
Hana’s concern was met with Roy-kun’s denial.
“No, even Baxwal wouldn’t be that reckless. If he did something like that, he’d become the sole villain, and the Deran Household would be crushed by both nations. If he’s going to act, it’ll be through a more indirect method…” (Roy)
“What could he be planning…” (Sonia)
Sonia clenched her palms anxiously.
“The Academy Competition is only a week away… The related personnel will start gathering two days before, so we only have five days left.” (Lux)
I murmured.
“If something happens, it’ll be after the key figures arrive. The worst-case scenario is if it happens during the competition. Since both we and Catrap were chosen as representatives, we’ll be tied to the venue.” (Saxon)
As Saxon said this, everyone’s gaze naturally turned to Roy-kun.
“I could have my Blue Shell team remain on standby at the academy, but… Is it really a good idea to involve them in this? I trust my team, but spreading our situation too widely at this stage isn’t a great strategy.” (Roy)
“Then, should Catrap withdraw?” (Ratt)
“Hmm, that’s not a good move either. It might draw even more attention.” (Roy)
Roy-kun dismissed the idea, and Ratt-kun scratched his head with an awkward smile.
“Well, five days is enough time to come up with countermeasures. Let’s continue gathering information.” (Heinz)
With Heinz’s words, we called it a day.
—
*Today’s Diary*
The Academy Competition is just around the corner.
If all goes well, a ceasefire agreement will be signed while we’re competing, bringing peace.
I hope it goes smoothly, but… it probably won’t be that easy.
We don’t know what Baxwal is planning, but I should consider all possible scenarios.
If only Rita-san were here, she’d be a great help. In that sense, Baxwal’s harassment has been a complete success. Though, he probably doesn’t even know about us, so he wouldn’t see it as harassment at all.
This notebook I’m writing in is also running out of pages.
I should buy a new one soon.
—
Looking back now, we were still just children. We didn’t truly understand the terror of our enemy. Somewhere inside, we had an overly optimistic outlook. We would come to realize this the next day.
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