Chapter 162: At That Time, in Amemiya’s Household

Translated by AmaLynne

“Father! How the hell did you get into a duel with Sam?”

In the dojo of the Amemiya family, Mizuki Amemiya was sitting on his knees, meditating, when he was confronted by the swordmaster, Kurando Amemiya.

“What are you thinking, dueling with Sam when you thought you had me under house arrest in my room for the past few days!”

Mizuki was forbidden to leave the room by the Kurando.

But the servant, perhaps out of his concern, or perhaps because he did not understand what Kurando was doing, told him that he had challenged Sam to a duel.

Unable to resist, he broke his father’s order and came to question him.

“And it was strange that Kotomi was nowhere to be seen. Where has she gone?

Mizuki had noticed that Kotomi had disappeared from the mansion.

Several servants were also gone, and she could not figure out what had happened.

When she visited Mizuki’s caretaker, she received an incomprehensible reply: “I heard that she is recuperating somewhere.”

“Sam is Lise’s fiancée, and he’s the one who will be Kotomi’s magic teacher, isn’t he? Even Father was happy about that, so why!?”

It was the first time that his father had voluntarily challenged him to a duel.

At least, that had never happened in the sixteen years since Mizuki was born.

He had been challenged to a duel by a man who wanted the position of Sword Saint, but never the other way around.

For this reason, he still could not believe his father’s actions.

Moreover, the fact that the person who challenged him to a duel was Sam was also a big surprise to Mizuki.

Why would he be dueling with a boy who had just arrived the other day as the fiancée of Lieselotte Walker, a student of his and a friend to Mizuki, and whom her father loved like a daughter?

“Are you trying to rob Lise of someone she cares about? How shocked will you be later when you find out that your father cut down Sam?”

“…………”

“Father!”

“……Mizuki. You and Kotomi must leave this country.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I will kill Samuel-kun tomorrow.”

When her father finally opened his mouth, what he said was neither an excuse nor a defense.

“So why is that, why would you do that?”

I would surely not be forgiven for taking my beloved away from Liese. Not only that. Samuel-kun is also the princess’s fiancée. If I had killed him, I would not be forgiven.”

“If you know that, why did you duel with Sam? It’s not too late for you to cancel it!”

She doesn’t understand why her father understands all this and still tries to cut Sam.

Even so, Sam is a court wizard and the most powerful wizard in the Skye Kingdom.

In other words, like Kurando, he is a direct subordinate of His Majesty the King.

If he were to kill Sam, he would be held accountable in some way.

This was different from Sam’s duel with Albert for the title of the kingdom’s most powerful man.

It was a private duel, not a duel approved by the royal court.

It is not that dueling is unacceptable, but the fact that a Sword Saint challenged a court wizard to a duel without any reason is the problem.

Moreover, as Kurando himself is aware, Sam is the fiancée of Princess Stella.

Killing him would surely cause a big problem.

“Kotomi will be back tomorrow.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m sorry to cause trouble for Mizuki and Kotomi. ――I have prepared a letter for you.”

“A letter? What letter?”

“As soon as Kotomi returns, take the letter to my birthplace in the Land of the Rising Sun and be taken care of.”

“In your father’s hometown?”

“I am a runaway from home, but if you bring this letter to them, they will accept it. With Mizuki’s skill with a sword, I am sure will be welcomed. As for Kotomi, if she has the talent of a promising wizard, she will not be treated badly.”

“Not so! Why don’t you just stop fighting Sam, father!”

Mizuki had always wanted to visit her father’s hometown someday, but she didn’t want it this way.

And it would be something different to leave her father behind and run away to the Land of the Rising Sun.

He was hesitant to go to a strange land with Kotomi, who was not only sick but still frail.

“I can’t do that.”

“I’m asking you the reason why!”

“――Mizuki, the reason I did not choose you as my successor is that I wanted you to live freely.”

“……What’s so sudden, such a thing?”

“I didn’t want to take over the family, I wanted to see how strong I could become with just one sword. I lived as I pleased, this life was fulfilling. I met my friends well, I met my loved ones, and my lovely daughters were born to me. I have no more regrets.”

“Father!”

Kurando said these words as if he was saying his final goodbyes, and Mizuki couldn’t help but raise her voice.

.

What Mizuki wanted to hear was the reason why her father was fighting Sam, not these words.

“What I regret is that I didn’t get to see you two in your bridal gown. Samuel-kun, if it had not been for this chance encounter with him, I would have loved him to marry Mizuki.”

Mizuki could not catch up with her father’s words.

If you regret it so much, why do you have to fight Sam?

Why doesn’t he tell why?

“The sword saint will be succeeded by Julian Michel-sama.”

“……That’s absurd. He doesn’t have the qualifications or the ability!”

It is not a matter of being inferior or not inferior to Mizuki in ability.

Of all the candidates for Sword Saint, the least competent person is Julian.

If this were yet another candidate, she would be able to force herself to accept it, even if she doesn’t understand it.

But with Julian, that is not possible.

“Nevertheless, if the royal court approves of him, that is. I have nominated him, but it is meaningless if the royal court does not recognize him as qualified to be a Sword Saint. I don’t know what will happen, and my duty ends there.”

“Duty? What do you mean, ‘duty’?”

“There is no such thing as duty in that house anymore.”

Mizuki repeatedly asked Kurando’s questions, but Kurando never answered until the very end.

“Do not let Kotomi know anything about this. She will not know anything, and tomorrow, when the duel is over, you will take her out of the country.”

“No!”

“Listen to me. ――That’s an order.”

“――tsk!”

Mizuki was surprised that her father gave her an order for the first time.

Still unable to accept the order, Mizuki repeated the words to Kurando, asking him to reconsider.

However, he did not hear his daughter’s words at last.

“Please let me unify my mind. I want to be ready for tomorrow.”

“Father.”

“Please step back.”

Kurando said and closed his mouth.

Mizuki still tried to speak, but when he realized that his father’s attention was no longer on him, he sighed heavily and left the dojo.

――Then came the day of the duel.

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