“This… this…” The dwarf Asta had her mouth wide open.
“Oh my goodness…” The healer Maryuu covered her mouth with her hands.
“‘One strike to finish it…Lucky Boy… My nickname for him was way off the mark,” the werewolf Neze muttered to herself.
At some point, the Amazon warrior Iska had uncrossed her arms.
When she looked at Mizuki, her eyes brimmed with fierce fighting spirit.
Captain Alise was even more energized, clenching her fists in excitement.
“That is not like any ability we know. It is not magic, nor is it an adventurer’s skill. It is a kind of pure technique pushed to the absolute extreme.”
“A style of swordsmanship none of us has ever seen before.”
“Hahaha! I really want to try fighting him. I wonder how it feels to face that head on.”
Ryu kept her eyes on Mizuki, the corner of her lips curving upward into a faint smile.
Mizuki really won.
The boy who had been running around so clumsily last night actually possessed such formidable sword skills.
Now, Kaguya cannot back out of this engagement!
Thinking of this, Ryu suddenly felt a strange twinge in her chest.
“Strange, Kaguya lost, so shouldn’t I be happy? Why do I feel like this?”
Mizuki tossed the wooden sword to the referee Lyra, walked up to the stunned Kaguya, and offered a hand.
“Let’s introduce ourselves again. I am your fiancé. My name is Mizuki. Also, it is time for us to discuss the wedding.”
Wedding?
Kaguya’s mind was completely blank, her ears buzzing.
She never thought she would lose.
Ever since she learned about this ridiculous engagement yesterday, she had envisioned countless ways to end this farce cleanly.
In every scenario, she had emerged victorious.
Yet now, this man named Mizuki had used a sword technique beyond her comprehension, a skill she could not even reach, to shatter all her excuses.
A loss meant honoring the bet.
Was she truly going to marry the man standing before her?
Kaguya looked down at Mizuki’s outstretched hand.
It was the very hand that had executed those three breathtaking slashes.
A gentle smile remained on his face, showing neither arrogance nor the sneer of a victor.
In the Far East, women were often treated merely as subordinates to men.
For some reason, Kaguya suddenly felt that he did not seem quite as annoying anymore.
At the very least, his swordsmanship commanded genuine respect.
Her devotion to the sword made the bitter anger in her heart quietly recede, replaced by a much more tangled, complicated mess of emotions.
Subconsciously, she lifted her arm.
Before she could process what she was doing, her hand came to rest lightly in Mizuki’s palm.
He clearly wielded supreme swordsmanship, which usually required years of grueling practice and left behind rough calluses.
Yet Mizuki’s hand was smooth and remarkably warm.
Warmth spread outward through their clasped hands.
Kaguya’s heart skipped a beat, and a blush crept across her cheeks.
“Oh ho!”
“Look, look! Our ice cold vice captain is blushing!”
Lyra’s sharp teasing shattered Kaguya’s daze.
Alise sprang up dramatically, drawing her rapier and thrusting it high into the air as she struck a flamboyant pose, declaring with great passion:
“In the name of justice! Bear witness to this historic moment! The challenger has claimed victory with unmatched sword skill, winning the heart of our vice captain!”
“From this day forward, our brigade of justice gains one sweet, loving wife!”
“What nonsense are you shouting!” Kaguya snapped her hand back like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her face flushed crimson.
“I just… I honor my losses! This is basic manners!”
“Oh? Honoring your loss?” Iska sauntered over, winking playfully.
“Doesn’t that mean you accept the engagement? Leave the bridal makeup and styling to me, then!”
“That’s the spirit!” Neze cheered.
“When are we having the wedding banquet, Kaguya?”
“Will there be enough roasted meat tubes at the feast?” Asta asked around a mouthful of food, chewing constantly.
Surrounded and bombarded from all sides, Kaguya found herself completely unable to counter their remarks.
After all, she had stated herself that she would accept whatever happened if she lost.
Seeing Kaguya on the verge of a breakdown, Astraea, the goddess of justice, stepped in at the perfect moment.
Wearing a gentle smile, her tone remained clear and firm.
“Kaguya, the duel is finished, and a promise must be kept.”
The goddess gave her final word.
“As for when to hold the wedding,” Astraea glanced between Mizuki and Kaguya, “you two may discuss that together.”
With that, she brought her hands to her cheeks, mimicking the sentimental expression of a mother watching her daughter get married, and murmured.
“Oh dear, I haven’t even had the chance to teach Kaguya how to be a proper wife yet, and she is already leaving the nest. It truly breaks my heart.”
“Lady Astraea!” Kaguya felt like she was losing her mind.
She looked around at the knowing, mischievous grins on her friends faces, overcome with utter embarrassment.
Then, her eyes landed on the only person who maintained a cool demeanor, though a slight smirk lingered at the edge of her lips.
No, I am not suffering through this alone.
Kaguya’s eyes brightened.
She lunged forward, grabbed Ryu by the arm, and hauled her before Astraea.
“Lady Astraea! You should teach her instead!”
Kaguya pointed at the bewildered elf and announced loudly, “This clueless elf is far more suited to being a gentle housewife!”
“Huh?” Ryu froze, completely lost.
The entire courtyard fell quiet for a split second before erupting into roaring laughter.
“Hahaha! Kaguya, you’re really trying to drag Ryu down with you!”
“Ryu? A sweet housewife? She won’t even let anyone touch her, and she scowls all day long! Hahaha, I can’t even picture it!”
The yard descended into lively chaos, and even Mizuki chuckled.
“All right, all right. You girls have patrol duty later, so let’s head in for breakfast first!”
Goddess Astraea announced with a bright smile.
“Food! Time to eat!”
Asta was the first to react, wiping drool from her chin and sprinting toward the building.
The others dropped their teasing and followed her, laughing all the way inside.
However, as they passed Kaguya, Alise and Iska traded a quick look, suddenly grabbing Kaguya by both arms.
“What are you doing!”
Before Kaguya could pull away, her companions shoved her backward.
“Come now, vice captain! The match is over! You should walk beside your fiancé, so we won’t get in your way!”
As Alise pushed her, she turned back and tossed a cheeky wink at Mizuki.
“That’s right! You need to start building affection right now!” Neze yelled from ahead, pumping a fist to cheer them on.
In a few quick moments, the crowd forced Kaguya and Mizuki to lag behind the rest.
Fuming with irritation, she glared fiercely at their departing backs.
“Those awful troublemakers…”
With no other outlet for her frustration, she turned her annoyance toward Mizuki.
She shot him a quick, awkward glare, then hastily averted her eyes, far too flustered to look him in the face.
“Good food is worth the wait. It makes no difference if we go in a little later,” Mizuki remarked casually.
Behind him, Haruhime stood frozen in place.
She watched Kaguya being pushed toward Mizuki, and seeing the two of them standing side by side, she suddenly felt utterly lost.
Master Mizuki had won.
Lady Kaguya was now his fiancée.
What did that mean for her?
Was she still Master Mizuki’s attendant?
Should she keep following right beside him like before?
Now, the person standing at his side was Lady Kaguya.
Would it be improper if she tried to follow along?
Haruhime’s fox ears drooped weakly, her small hands clutching the hem of her robe so hard that her knuckles turned pale.
She lowered her gaze to her toes, feeling completely out of place, as if isolated from the bright and bustling world around her.
Perhaps… she should just disappear out of sight?
Just as Haruhime was swallowed by bitter uncertainty, Mizuki gently took her hand and offered a warm, reassuring voice.
“Haruhime, just stay by my side like you always have. Nothing changes.”
“My future wife isn’t the petty type, after all.”
Hearing the word wife, Kaguya visibly stiffened.
She whipped her head around and glared at Mizuki.
“We are not married yet!”
Mizuki replied in a natural tone, “We could be, whenever we want, right?”
“How about I talk to the goddess right now and we hold the ceremony tonight?”
“You!”
Kaguya was rendered speechless by his boldness, her cheeks flushing crimson once again as she spun away.
Mizuki smiled, leading Haruhime forward as they quickly caught up.
“Kaguya, have you ever heard of marrying first and falling in love later? We have plenty of time to grow close!”
…
Inside the hall, Maryuu, Celty, and Noin had already headed into the kitchen to prepare the meal.
Meanwhile, the werewolf Neze and the Amazon warrior Iska flanked the doorway like two guardian statues, keeping a vigilant watch on the dwarf Asta.
“What are they doing?” Mizuki asked Kaguya curiously.
Before Kaguya could answer, Alise, lounging in a nearby chair, let out a chuckle and explained quietly:
“That’s the special anti-Asta perimeter.”
“Even though Asta is petite and small, she has the biggest appetite out of all of us.”
“If we don’t watch her like a hawk, she will definitely sneak into the kitchen and snatch the food before anyone notices.”
Caught in the act, Asta pouted and protested, “I wouldn’t do that! I promise, I won’t sneak anything this time!”
“Oh, please!”