I’m an Ordinary Returning Student at the Academy

[Translator - Angel Dust]

[Proofreader - Prototype]

Side Stories 27

This, this is unbelievable. How could this be?!

This must be a dream. Right? It has to be a dream! There's no other explanation!

"Hey, Karl! A dream?! That's quite an insult!"

"Yeah. We only did it because you kept nagging us to find girlfriends."

"No, no. But still! You guys actually found women?!"

Marriage, childbirth... While I was busy with all that, each of my four friends found a beautiful lady by their side.

Some were introduced, others made the first move.

But one thing's for sure, these aren't just casual flings.

They'll probably get engaged soon, and before long, they'll be married, right?

"Hold on, Karl. Why are you calling them 'sisters-in-law'? We are not married yet, so you should call them by their names."

"Oh my god. This is insane."

Shulifen, this guy. He was saying he'd die alone, wasn't he?

And just a few months later, he's found a woman and is all lovey-dovey?

"So, who exactly is this lady you're seeing?"

"She's the daughter of a count I've known for a long time."

"Huh? Shulifen, you bastard. You said you just met her!"

"Heh. The joke's on you."

"..."

Are these guys still playing tricks on each other even after becoming Marquises and Counts?

When are they ever going to grow up? This is driving me crazy.

"Wilhelm, what about you?"

"I... ah, wait. I will talk about it later."

"Just spill it, you idiot. The rumors will start circulating in society soon anyway. You don't think a Marquis dating a woman would go unnoticed, do you?"

After my (not-so-gentle) prodding, Wilhelm finally spilled the beans.

Similar to Shulifen, he's also dating the daughter of a family he's known for a while.

The difference is that they just met recently, but they hit it off quickly because they had a lot in common.

"I know roughly what's going on with Alexander and Joachim."

"Huh? What? Karl, you knew?"

"My father told me recently. There's been some talk in society about the two Counts. Not bad rumors, but something about good news coming soon. That's about it."

"...Wow. We've only been together for a little over a month. Word travels that fast?"

Word travels fast? What are these guys even talking about? It's ridiculous.

"Fast? It's the opposite. You guys are Marquises and Counts, so the news came out later than usual. Normally, the rumors should have started exactly half a day after you started dating."

"They're not your 'sisters-in-law,' Karl! We're not even married yet! You should call them ‘Older sister’"

"So what? They're my friends' girlfriends, that makes them my sisters-in-law. And anyway, they'll be married soon enough. Let's not overcomplicate things, alright?"

And how dare they even suggest calling them 'older sisters'? That would imply you guys are older than me!

No way. They're all sisters-in-law, and you guys are below me in the hierarchy! Even if you're Marquises and Counts!

We shared a few drinks and laughs, and time flew by.

It's scary how quickly it goes. It feels like just a moment ago, but when I look back, so much has happened.

"What about our niece? How's Luen?"

"After our trip to the Holy See, I jokingly called her 'Saintess', but if she ever wants to join the church, I'll definitely stop her."

"Of course. As the eldest daughter, she should inherit the county."

The Church would be disappointed to lose Luen, who wields light and performs miracles.

But what can they do? My eldest daughter has to become a countess after me!

"What about the second one? Marien, was it?"

"Yeah, or you can call her Mary."

"What are your plans for her?"

"I think it wouldn't be bad for her to spend some time with her mother's family when she's a little older. She's half-elf, so she'll need experience in elven society."

Eloise says she doesn't care about any of that.

But as a father, I want to give Marien both options.

Whether she wants to live as a human or an elf. That's the least I can do.

Of course, whether she's human or elf, she's still a citizen of the Empire.

Recently, all elves were officially recognized as part of the Empire.

The south is now like an autonomous city for elves.

"Is Luen alright? I heard that when there's not much age difference between the first and second child, the older one can feel a great sense of loss at having their love taken away."

"Whoa, what? Shulifen, you actually have a sensitive side?"

"Wilhelm, you're dead. Want to put your Marquis title aside and have a serious duel today?"

"Bring it on. You're terrible at swordsmanship. I could beat you with one hand."

Wow. I'm afraid these two will be like this forever.

Maybe they should have a son and a daughter each and get them married.

Then they'd become in-laws, wouldn't they? Now that would be a sight to see.

"I'm a bit worried about that too, but I'll just have to give her more love. And actually, Luen seems more wary of her older sister than her younger sister."

"Older sister?"

"What are you talking about? Your eldest daughter is Luen, where's the older sister?"

"She exists. To be precise, she's a cousin."

At my answer, the four of them nod as if they've just remembered something.

From Luen's perspective, there's only one person who could be her cousin.

"Does the Crown Princess still visit often?"

"Too often, it's a problem."

"Khehehe. You should be thankful to His Majesty. This would definitely be a topic of gossip elsewhere."

What does he mean? I tilt my head, and Alexander shrugs and continues.

"The current heir to the throne and the future emperor is getting too close to his maternal family. This could easily be seen as the rise of a powerful maternal faction. Surely there must have been some internal discussions about this?"

"Actually, I'm worried about that too. Of course, I'm not saying your family would do that, Karl."

"There's a precedent, you know. That's what we're saying."

Listening to them, I think it's definitely a possibility.

But there are two reasons why it's completely irrelevant.

"It would be funny if a guy who's been awarded the Medal of Honor, twice, becomes a powerful maternal figure."

"Uh, yeah."

"If someone who's been recognized by the Church and is being considered for Sainthood did that, I'd be cursed even in death."

"...I think you'd be cursed for at least a hundred years."

"Right. That's it. Everyone knows. For the sake of the legacy I've built, I could never do that. And it's not just me. At least until Luen's generation, we'll have to be the most loyal subjects of the Empire."

Therefore, they have no reason to worry about me or my family becoming a powerful maternal faction.

"His Majesty is aware of that, so he doesn't stop the Crown Princess."

...Or maybe he wants to stop her, but as always, she's his first child, so he can't.

"Ugh, I didn't want to get into such a heavy topic."

"Same here. I hear enough of this at the Imperial Assembly every day. Let's change the subject."

"Yeah. Third sister-in-law. Aren't you having a third child, Karl?"

"I am, but Lav's due date is still a long way off. Actually, there's something else that's more of a problem right now."

The last wedding. The problem is, it's a bit different from the previous weddings.

"Lefia. Ah, that's right. Lasker."

"Why are you all so worried? She gave up her title as princess, didn't she?"

"That's one thing, but marrying someone from another country is quite complicated."

Giving up her title as princess means giving up her right to the throne.

As a result, neither Lefia nor her future children can claim the throne.

Maybe in a few hundred years, when everything becomes a distant memory, things might be different.

But that's one thing, and her noble bloodline remains unchanged.

Lasker can't just ignore Lefia's wedding.

The current Queen is Lefia's half-sister, so surely she wouldn't do that?

"It seems like the last wedding will be the most spectacular."

"...The fact that you're saying that, Joachim, makes me suddenly nervous."

"What did I do? I'm better than Shulifen and Wilhelm."

"True. Those two have cursed mouths."

The two of them, aware of their loose lips, stayed quiet.

Anyway, the last wedding of my life is just around the corner.

"Good luck with that, you bastard. You're making me give wedding gifts four times."

"Hey, why don't we get married four times too?"

"Shut up, Shulifen."

Right. Shut up. It's not like it's a good thing to have multiple marriages.

One crazy guy with four wives is enough.

"Hey, Hydras. Quiet down for a second."

"What's up?"

"Do you have something to say?"

Yes, I do.

"Thank you, guys. For everything."

"...What's with the sudden sentimentality?"

"Karl, did you eat something wrong?"

"Did someone spike the food at the Count's estate with drugs?"

...Guys, can't we just feel a little bit of emotion?

When I say I'm grateful, you should just shyly accept it!

"Are you trying to ask us for a favor or something?"

"That's it. You got it."

"Ugh. You're the only Count who can boss around Marquises and Counts."

"So, what is it this time?"

I'm reminded once again. My friends. My four damn friends.

Sometimes I wonder if they're really nobles, but they're still fun guys.

"Come on, what is it! What are you trying to get us to do?!"

"Don't even think about brushing it off with cheesy words!"

"Seriously, what is it? Explain, Karl."

"It's not anything weird, right? As long as it's not that, I'm in."

Oh dear. Our four idiots. I never get tired of them!

[Translator - Angel Dust]

[Proofreader - Prototype]