Chapter 44: The Start of the Hunting Festival
Handing someone a handkerchief was meant as a gesture of encouragement. If she were a participant herself, there would be no need for her to give one.
And if Aracila, as a mage, managed to win the hunting festival…
Wouldn’t that be an external achievement good enough to put Travis in his place?
In terms of magical research, Travis was on par with her.
But when it came to combat—he wasn’t even worth comparing.
He couldn’t even keep up with the tip of her toes.
He had never accomplished anything outside the Mage Tower. Since he never stepped into the field, all he did was stay locked inside, conducting research and inventing magical tools.
If I win the hunting festival as the Mage Tower’s representative, it’ll shut everyone up.
She wouldn’t have to embroider a handkerchief for Damian, and she’d earn a significant achievement to present to the Tower.
A perfect opportunity.
“Paula, there’s no rule saying women can’t participate in the hunting festival, right?”
“Huh? No, not that I know of. But why? Don’t tell me…”
Seeing her friend’s horrified expression, Aracila grinned.
“How could I possibly send my husband to the hunting festival alone? Just like you said, I should participate as well.”
“I meant you should come watch, not compete!”
“When’s the deadline to submit the application? I need to sign up immediately.”
Half ignoring Paula’s words, Aracila called for Audrey and ordered her to gather information about the application process.
Paula pressed her fingers against her temples and shook her head.
“There are plenty of couples who attend the hunting festival together, but you two will be the first to compete as a pair.”
“Really? Great. I love being the first.”
Having already made up her mind, Aracila smiled brightly.
—
Aracila officially submitted her application to participate in the hunting festival.
When she informed Damian, he merely raised an eyebrow and said,
“That does suit you better, Madam.”
That was all.
He didn’t try to stop her or dismiss her decision as absurd.
But the real problem arose elsewhere.
Once news spread that they would be the first married couple to compete in the festival, the event gradually turned into a mage versus knight showdown.
“I heard Lady Vandemir is competing as the Mage Tower’s representative. Could she be the first woman to win?”
“Come on, but Sir Vandemir is competing too. Knights are naturally better at hunting than mages.”
“I don’t know. They say Lady Vandemir has quite the talent for combat magic.”
“Still, I’d bet on Sir Vandemir winning. He is a Swordmaster, after all.”
This external buzz naturally spread within the Mage Tower and the knightly orders.
Aracila’s junior mages and the Red Hawk Knights relentlessly pressured their respective superiors to win.
“Senior! Just because he’s your husband, you must not go easy on him! You have to win!”
“Commander! Even if she’s your wife, you must not hold back! This is your first festival—you have to win!”
At first, neither of them cared much about the competition.
But after hearing these comments over and over again, a subtle sense of rivalry began to stir within them.
After all, they belonged to two of the most competitive factions in the Setron Empire—it was impossible for a competitive spirit not to ignite.
The competitiveness that had been buried beneath their contract marriage slowly began to surface.
—
“How is your hunting festival training going, Madam?”
Damian, returning from his own training, encountered Aracila at the entrance.
She, too, had arrived home late due to her preparations. She nodded absentmindedly.
“Eh, it’s going okay. What about you?”
“Oh, I’ve just been casually swinging my sword here and there in my free time.”
Their conversation sounded exactly like two academy students who had pulled all-nighters to study, only to pretend they hadn’t when asked by their friends.
“Well, good luck, Damian.”
“Hmm, I don’t think it’s anything worth that much effort. You too, Madam—do your best.”
“I wouldn’t say this is something that requires that much effort either.”
After returning to their respective rooms—Damian to his study, Aracila to her bedroom—both had the same thought.
I need to train extra starting tomorrow.
—
The Day of the Hunting Festival
As the couple traveled by carriage to Panther Forest, where the festival was to be held on the outskirts of the capital, an odd tension filled the space between them.
Damian stole a glance at Aracila.
Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and she wore a dark blue checkered hunting outfit.
Her pale nape was left exposed.
In her hand was an unusually long and massive staff, one she rarely carried. The large, blue mana stone embedded at its top gleamed under the light.
She came fully prepared.
Meanwhile, Aracila discreetly observed Damian from the corner of her eye.
His hunting attire, in shades of black and gray, accentuated his already well-built physique.
His neatly swept-back hair fully revealed his sharp, symmetrical features.
Her gaze narrowed as she took note of the hawk-engraved sword at his waist.
Isn’t he a little too dressed up?
With his face and body, he’d look good even in rags—so wearing fitted hunting gear made him seem even more polished.
“Are you sure you’ll be able to run in that outfit? Won’t it tear if it gets caught on a tree branch?”
Breaking the silence, Aracila spoke first.
It was her way of saying, That’s too impractical—tone it down.
“Your boots look rather uncomfortable, Madam. Be careful. You might trip while walking.”
Damian replied indifferently.
In other words, You’re one to talk—don’t trip and embarrass yourself.
Their gazes met in midair, and sparks flew.
I’m going to win this.
I’ll be the one taking the championship.
Strangely enough, these two, who always seemed to clash, were actually quite well-matched as a couple.
Near the entrance of Panther Forest, numerous tents had been set up.
The greater a family’s prestige, the larger its tent and the closer it was to the imperial family’s quarters.
This year, participants and spectators alike were arriving in groups, filling the area.
Since the hunting festival was hosted by the imperial family, all the most renowned nobles were in attendance—including, of course, the Ducal House of Vandemir.
Aside from Damian, Oscar had also been confirmed as a participant.
“Oscar, have you been practicing your hunting? Since Damian is participating this year, you’d better not embarrass yourself.”
Duke Vandemir shot a sharp look at his eldest son, who was lazily strolling over. Oscar, in response, subtly hid behind his mother and answered,
“I’ll try my best, Father.”
“Don’t try—bring results! I don’t expect you to win the golden laurel, but at least place in the top three!”
The winner of the hunting festival was awarded a golden laurel crown made of pure gold.
Meanwhile, the queen of the festival, who received the most impressive hunting trophy, was gifted a flower crown woven from everlasting blooms.
The Duke was well aware that his eldest son lacked the swordsmanship talent of his younger brother.
That was why he didn’t make the absurd demand for Oscar to beat Damian.
He simply pressured him to achieve results that weren’t too far behind.
Even that was an excessive expectation for Oscar, though.
“If Damian wins, he’ll surely dedicate his prize to his wife. That would make them the couple crowned with both the laurel and the flower wreath. If that happens—”
“That would be quite wonderful.”
A warm voice interrupted the Duke’s impassioned speech.
Startled, the Vandemir family turned their heads to see Marquis Hugo and his wife standing there with bright smiles.
“It’s been a while, Duke. Duchess.”
“…Yes, indeed. Have you been well?”
The Duchess greeted them reluctantly.
The Marquess, elegantly linking arms with her husband, nodded gracefully.
“Oh, we’ve been doing just fine. How about you, Duchess? I heard the Grand Duchess injured her leg on her way back to the ducal estate. That must have been exhausting to care for her.”
At those words, the Duchess’s lips twitched as if she had a thousand things to say.
The Grand Duchess, who had hurt herself while trying to strike Aracila, had taken out all her rage and frustration on the Duchess instead.
Despite being confined to her bed, the old woman had been more energetic than ever, making the Duchess’s life miserable.
She had even lost weight from the stress.
As a result, her resentment toward Aracila deepened with each passing day.
Even though the one tormenting her was the Grand Duchess, she blamed and despised Aracila instead.
However, she couldn’t let that bitterness show in front of Aracila’s parents.
So she had no choice but to force a smile.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Thank you for your concern.”
“There’s no need to thank me. Now that our children are married, we must always look out for one another.”
Despite her gentle and unassuming demeanor, the Marquess exuded an undeniable air of strength.
Bringing up the Grand Duchess so casually, despite knowing the tensions between her and Aracila, proved that she wasn’t someone to be underestimated.
The Marquis, standing tall beside his wife like a docile giraffe, suddenly let out a hearty laugh.
“Haha! By the way, I’m delighted to see that the Duke and Duchess think so highly of our Aracila and Sir Vandemir.”
“…You think we do?”
The Duke frowned, utterly perplexed.
We despise them. How could we possibly be seen as admiring them?
With the same sunny expression as his second daughter, the Marquis beamed and continued,
“Didn’t you just say you were hoping for Sir Vandemir to win, so they could receive the laurel and flower crowns together? We feel the same way.”
“……”
The Duke had actually meant that such an outcome would be unbearable.
But now that his words had been twisted into support, he was left speechless.
He couldn’t exactly deny it outright, either.
After a brief struggle, he finally forced out a response.
“Well, there’s no guarantee Damian will win. He might not even make the top three. It would be wise not to get your hopes up.”
He subtly tried to push Oscar forward as a potential winner, adding,
“Oscar is also competing this year, and there are many other strong contenders.”
It was an attempt to suggest that Oscar could be a viable competitor.
But Marquis Hugo, assuming the Duke was merely being humble, laughed heartily.
“Oh, come now! We have a Swordmaster and a mage in the competition—why the unnecessary modesty?”
“……”
“Of course, I understand. You don’t want to pressure your children too much. But when you’ve raised such outstanding children, you’re entitled to be a little proud.”
The Marquis’s words were perfectly chosen to make the Vandemir family as uncomfortable as possible.
Yet, strangely enough, there wasn’t even a trace of malice in his tone.
For the first time in his life, the Duke realized that dealing with someone without ill intentions was more difficult than dealing with someone with them.
The Vandemir family barely managed to maintain their strained smiles.
Fortunately, at that moment, Aracila and Damian arrived at the forest.
Spotting them conversing with Iris and Adrian, the Marquis and Marquess ended their conversation with the Vandemirs.
“Well then, we’ll be on our way. See you again soon.”
Just before leaving, Marquis Hugo gave Oscar’s shoulder a couple of light pats.
“You’re competing in the festival too, aren’t you? Do your best.”
Oscar, irritated but unable to pinpoint why, had no chance to respond before the Marquis—smiling as cheerfully as ever—left with his wife.
Meanwhile, the Vandemir family stood there, fuming in silence.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
the marquis took ”kill them with kindness” to seriously
thanks for the chapter