ăWhy did it come to thisâŠ?ă
I sighed at the sight before me. The aftermath of a gruesome battle stretched out before my eyes. Some âcorpsesâ groaned in pain, their shoulder or finger bones shattered; others trembled and coughed up blood. The lucky ones, barely managing to stay upright, used their blunted swords as canes, kneeling on one knee on the ground. Many others were also injured. While no one seemed to be fatally wounded, none of the injuries were minor either.
I was hurting all over as well. Although I managed to avoid taking any direct hits, I was grazed by sword tips multiple times. Even though the swords had been blunted, the strikes had the noblesâ enhanced power behind them, so they were enough to tear through my clothes and leave me with cuts. Sigh, this was one of my few decent outfitsâŠ
Why did things turn into such a bloody mess when I was just here to greet my political family? Well, thatâs becauseâŠ
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The first place that the sulky Serena guided us to was a room with a lavish interiorâprobably some sort of reception room. Could this be what they call a salon?
ăIâm glad you could make it. Come closer so I can get a good look at you.ă
As soon as we entered, I was greeted by a voice from the back of the room. Towards the back, in a well-lit area, several women⊠well-lit? No, this place should be close to the center of this massive structure, so there shouldnât be any sunlight. Then that light must be some kind of artificial sunlamp, right? So is this room a combination salon and sunroom? The concept of this room is rather confusing.
As I moved toward the source of the voice, I found three beautiful women. Maybe âgorgeousâ would be a better description? Each of them radiated a refined elegance. They seem older than Serena, so perhaps they are her sisters?
ăIâve brought him as promised, Mother.ă
ăMother⊠M-Mother!?ă
ăWhy are you so surprised?ă
Serena looked at me with a puzzled expression as I gasped in shock.
ăWhat do you mean, âwhyâ? When you say âMotherâ⊠does that mean sheâs your mother!?ă
ăYes, thatâs correct. This is Fatherâs first wife, Mother Anneliese, next to her is the second wife and my biological mother, Mother Hildegard, and the last one is the third wife, Mother Beatrix.ă
The three women Serena introducedâwho I initially mistook for her older sisters, but who are in fact her mothersâeach greeted me with grace and elegance. I quickly returned their greetings, but I was utterly shaken by the unexpected situation.
ăWas it really that surprising?ă
Anneliese-san, the first wife, asked me directly, so I nodded and decided to be honest about my impression.
ăIt was very surprising. You all look so young and beautiful. To be honest, itâs hard to believe youâre Serenaâs mothers⊠I almost thought you were her sisters.ă
When I glanced over at Serena after saying this, she had a stern expression.
ăThey are indeed my mothers.ă
ăI see⊠Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself. Iâm Captain Hiro, a mercenary. As for titles⊠I have a few, but which one would be the most appropriate? Platinum Ranker, Honorary Viscount of the Empire, or perhaps Gold Star recipient?ă
ăI think âPlatinum Ranker Mercenaryâ would be the safest choice.ă
ăWell then, there you have it. So, um⊠what should we talk about?ă
How exactly do you introduce yourself to the family of your fiancĂ©e? Especially when youâve brought along not just your fiancĂ©e but also another of your women and a maidroid? Is this even acceptable? Neither Elma nor Mei said anything about their presence here being a problem, so I hope itâs not entirely out of line.
ăStanding around talking like this isnât ideal, is it? My neck will start to hurt if I keep looking up at you like this. So, why donât you sit and tell us how you and Serena met and what youâve been up to together?ă
I nodded at Hildegardâs suggestion and, together with Elma and the others, took the seats offered to us. I began recounting how I met Serena and what weâve experienced together since then. Of course, I carefully glossed over details that I couldnât share, like my background and the matter involving the singing crystal.
As we talked, more people began to gather in the salonâSerenaâs sisters, or rather, her younger sisters.
ăHmm, interestingâŠă
ăI see.ă
ăHe doesnât look that strong, does heâŠ?ă
Serenaâs younger sisters seemed about the same age as Chris and Mimi, but looking at the mothersâ appearance I was losing confidence in my ability to judge someoneâs age. The anti-aging techniques of this universe are too incredible. Hildegard-san, for instance, is a striking beauty who looks a lot like Serenaâif someone told me she was Serenaâs older sister, I would have believed it without question. Still, Serenaâs younger sisters probably look their actual age⊠probably.
ăIf you judge by appearances, you might find yourself regretting it.ă
ăDo I really look that weakâŠ? If anything, I thought I leaned more toward the intimidating side.ă
I donât exactly have the friendliest of looks, and since arriving here, Iâve been working out regularly. My physique should be noticeably well-built, even through my clothes. Should I take my shirt off?
ăThe aura you give out changes a lot between combat and normal times.ă
ăIs that so? Well, I guess thatâs true. If I were on high alert all the time, I wouldnât be able to perform at my best when it really matters. But is the difference really that noticeable?ă
ăIt is.ă
ăYes, it is.ă
ăI think so, too.ă
Even Elma and Mei agreed with Serena. Is it really that different? Do I look that feeble when Iâm not in combat mode? Thatâs a bit of a shock, honestlyâŠ
ăHehe, you have a cute side, too.ă
ăIndeed. I was a little worried about what kind of person he would be when I heard he was a brave and daring mercenary, it seems my fears werenât warranted.ă
Anneliese-san, the first wife, and Beatrix-san, the third wife, seemed to agree on their impression of me. Being called âcuteâ doesnât exactly make me happy⊠what part of our conversation made them think that?
ăEverything is ready!ă
With a loud bang, the door swung open, and I turned to see who had entered. It was a ridiculously handsome man with blonde hair and red eyes. He was not only tall but also incredibly well-built, with a thick, muscular frame. This guy is a ball of muscle, no wonder Serenaâs sisters thought I look weak, compared to him everyone looks weak.
ăThatâs my brother, Leon.ă
Serena whispered to me. Ah, so this is the older brother. That makes sense, but why is he approaching me with such a big grin?
ăSo, youâre Captain Hiro! Alright, letâs go!ă
ăWait, wait, wait! Where are we going? Serena, could you please explain?ă
Leon grabbed both my shoulders, forcing me to stand as he started to drag me off. I resisted as much as I could, turning to Serena for some sort of explanation.
ăLeon-niisama, what is this all about? Where are you taking my fiancĂ©, and what do you plan to do with him?ă
ăA duel!ă
Leon declared, throwing an arm around my shoulders in a gesture that felt more like a headlock. Whatâs with this guy, heâs too intense.
ăYou have always turned down marriage proposals because your suitors couldnât match your skill with a sword. You, who were always so stubborn have finally decided on a fiancĂ©, however, the man you have chosen is a former commoner mercenary, even if he is a Platinum Ranker, there are plenty of people who arenât satisfied with this. So, Iâm going to duel him so he can prove his worth with the sword! Now, letâs go!ă
ăIs this one of those situations where I canât refuse?ă
ăJust give up.ă
Elma cut off my complaints while giving me a pitying look. Please tell me this is a jokeâŠ