Chapter 11

The dangerous graduation ceremony, where a single misstep could have killed dozens, thankfully went off without a hitch. Thanks to Reshu keeping her promise to Milian not to smile at all. While the graduates were busy making their final memories, the two finally caught their breath and headed to the willow tree behind the schoolyard.

“Aren’t you an idiot? Seriously, aren’t you? Treating people like hazardous materials!”

Because of Milian’s ‘If Reshu laughs and I get distracted, who knows what’ll happen’—a kind of threat—Reshu spent the whole day without even pretending to smile. Even as she massaged her cheek muscles on the verge of cramping, Milian just smiled brightly.

“You can smile now.”

“I can’t, my face feels frozen.”

“I like it when you smile.”

“Of course you do, who wouldn’t. You even banned smiling at graduation.”

“Oh, I’m joining the Crimson Flame Knight Order.”

Milian’s words were as casual as announcing he’d have bread for dinner, and Reshu froze before replying.

“…What?!”

The kingdom’s three greatest knight orders were Crimson Flame, Azure Sky, and White Night. Among them, the Crimson Flame Knight Order guarded the northern border, where as many people died or were injured as gained honor.

“W-what are you talking about? You’re good enough for the White Night Knight Order! Weren’t you planning to join and serve His Majesty the King? It’s safe and honorable. You could easily join!”

“That’s true.”

“Then why?!”

“Promotion is slow in the White Night Knight Order.”

Reshu was surprised that Milian cared about things like promotion. Unable to hide her complicated feelings, she asked,

“You’re joining Crimson Flame for promotion? Sure, there are more chances to earn merit there… But why? Was your dream to make a name for yourself?”

“Not really. But now I need to.”

“Why?”

“I have to marry you, Reshu.”

Milian spoke as if it were nothing. Reshu’s mind went blank for a moment, then her face flushed red. Strictly speaking, it made sense. Reshu was the only daughter of the Celestien Duchy, while Milian was a collateral from a rural Viscount family. If things continued, there would surely be opposition when planning their future.

Reshu didn’t care, but Milian would want to earn merit and build fame to gain proper status and be acknowledged. He wouldn’t want to be someone lacking for Reshu.

Still…

Hearing both ‘I want to marry you’ and ‘I’m leaving for a far-off land where we won’t see each other for years’ at once, Reshu was left speechless, her face burning. Finally, she managed to say,

“You…! You idiot!”

Reshu turned and hurried ahead, forcing Milian to chase after her.

“Reshu. Are you mad?”

“What do you think?”

“Don’t you want to marry me?”

“It’s not that… No, but how can you just say something like that out of nowhere! It’s only been a day since yesterday’s talk!”

“But you’ve liked me for a long time, haven’t you? Isn’t that right?”

“T-that…! That’s not the point! And that’s not the only problem! What are you going to do if you join the Crimson Flame Knight Order?”

“I’ll come back alive.”

“You don’t really like me, do you?! Don’t you think you’ll miss me?”

“I like you. A lot.”

Milian answered firmly. As Reshu was lost for words, Milian continued.

“So I’ll become someone worthy of marrying you, Reshu, and come back. Let’s live together.”

As they talked, the two found themselves standing under the willow tree in the garden. Reshu exhaled and turned to look up at Milian. They had come here because Milian had asked to speak to her privately.

“So, what did you want to say? Tell me.”

“This.”

Milian took out a small envelope and handed it to her. Seeing what it was, Reshu tensed. It was the letter addressed ‘To Reshurka.’ Milian had written dozens of drafts for this letter, crumpling and tossing many away. Having seen him in the library, Reshu knew how hard he’d worked.

‘So, what was inside?’

The confession letter completed after discarding so much stationery—what kind of words would Milian Enokten, always at the top of composition class, have written? Curious and expectant, Reshu carefully opened the envelope. The words were brief.

‘To Reshurka.

I have something to tell you.

When the bell rings, meet me under the willow tree.

Milian.’

Just then, a deep, gentle bell rang from the west bell tower. Dong, dong. It was the evening bell, signaling the end of the day. A soft breeze blew, and her heart thumped.

“Um, I was going to write a long letter. But no matter what I wrote, it felt like it wasn’t enough, so…”

Milian hesitated, looking at Reshu. For a moment, all hesitation and shyness vanished from Milian’s eyes. His green eyes shone clear. Milian reached out and gently touched Reshu’s cheek. Then he leaned in.

This time, the kiss lasted a long, long time. In Milian’s warm, broad arms, Reshu was held close. Milian kissed her as if handling the world’s most delicate and precious thing—carefully, yet with yearning. Then he whispered.

“So, what I’m saying is, I like you, and I want you to go out with me.”

Everything was a complete mess, nothing happened in the right order. First they slept together out of the blue, then the confession came the next day, and now the proposal was thrown in before even dating. Yet Reshu didn’t dislike this about Milian.

“I’ll give you three years.”

“…Huh?”

“I can’t wait any longer than that. How am I supposed to live without seeing your face? Within three years, whether you slay the head of a monster or do something to make your name known, come back. Otherwise, I’ll go to someone else.”

Pretending to be cold on purpose, Reshu saw Milian’s eyes widen and tears welling up again. Surprised, Reshu quickly wiped away the tears at the corner of Milian’s eyes and corrected herself. At this rate, it was impossible to tell whether Milian was weak for Reshu, or Reshu was weak for Milian.

“Hey, I’m kidding. Don’t get hurt rushing things… I hate waiting, but if something goes wrong and I never see you again, that would be the worst.”

Milian soon smiled brightly through wet eyes and said,

“I’ll come back. Wait for me.”

With Milian’s words, Reshu gave a wicked smile. Reshurka Celestien, who had never once failed to get what she wanted, had absolutely no intention of quietly waiting for her lover to return, gazing at the sky in longing.

Reshu had always been torn between two career paths. One was to become a court mage, receiving royal support, dedicating herself to research, and also serving as a bodyguard for the royal palace and royal family. It was, in every way, a solid and flawless path.

The other was dangerous, uncertain, and required mixing with eccentric oddballs, spending sleepless nights under her eyes in pursuit of so-called great discoveries.

At the southernmost tip of the Kingdom, there was a warm coast with a snow-capped mountain that rose abruptly and was covered in perpetual snow. Deep within that mountain, where only the chosen could enter, was a mysterious research facility known only by rumor, called the ‘Mage Tower in the Snowy Mountains.’

‘You think you’re the only one who can make me worry? I’ll make you worry too.’

If Milian headed to the northernmost frontier, Reshu would go to the southernmost reaches—driven by childish pride and competitiveness.

“By the way, did I mention? I decided to accept the invitation sent from the Snowy Mountain.”

As expected, Milian was surprised.

“Really?”

“I mean it.”

“Did you even make the mage’s oath?”

“Yes.”

It was a lie, decided on a whim, and she hadn’t gone through any official procedures yet, but Reshu lied anyway. She wanted to see Milian fuss over her future. But Milian’s reaction was—

“So I’m leaving, and you’re leaving too. We were thinking the same thing. We really do resemble each other. Have a good trip, Reshu.”

Milian said this with a bright smile, as if his only thought was, ‘I’m happy I thought the same as Reshu.’

‘This! This idiot…!’

Reshu wanted to stomp hard on Milian’s foot. But raging at thin air was pointless. It was Reshu’s mistake for momentarily forgetting how clueless Milian could be.

‘Even if the Mage Tower is dangerous, it’s just a matter of drinking the wrong potion and getting a stomachache! But still! Is this something you should talk about like you’re just seeing someone off for a neighborhood stroll?!’

Plus, now that she thought about it, her impulsive decision to enter the Mage Tower did nothing to benefit her. What if Milian returned in just a year or two, faster than planned? If Reshu had stayed quietly in the capital, they could have met right away. But once someone entered the Mage Tower in the Snowy Mountains, they couldn’t step outside for three years.

If Milian managed to make his name and return, but Reshu was gone, he’d be left waiting, twiddling his thumbs.

“…Fine.”

“Hm?”

“…Now that it’s come to this, I’m going to make a great invention…!”

Even in the Kingdom, where magic was dazzlingly advanced, there was still one thing that couldn’t be solved with magic: long-distance information transmission.

There were plenty of mages who could summon fire, water, or lightning with ease, but for some reason, when it came to information, even a few simple sentences would get distorted or lost along the way. So the Kingdom still relied on traditional couriers or carrier birds for communication. The invention of a magic for transmitting information was considered nearly impossible, and few dared to attempt it.

But now, the academy’s unrivaled genius mage had a powerful reason to make that magic a reality. To exchange sweet letters with her lover, who would be far away in a distant land.

…This is said to be the origin of the ‘Text, Voice, and Image Transmission Magic’ that later shook the history of the Kingdom.

<Must Pretend to Be Unable to Move!> FIN