The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

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“That’s strange… The informant clearly told me that my letter was delivered properly.”

As Shione opened her drowsy eyes and began to press me harder, it seemed she wasn’t about to let go of the suspicions hanging over my head.

I firmly closed the entrance to the command tent. I had no idea what was about to be said, but this military command tent was essentially infused with sound-blocking magic. Shione wouldn’t have brought this up right after everyone else had exited for no reason.

Thinking that, when I faced her again, the tenacity in her expression caught my attention.

‘…No wonder I felt a chill down my spine.’

I wondered if my instincts had warned me of danger just to this point.

Still, I had written my letter during what felt like a fleeting moment of peace. If I spoke from the heart, Shione would surely understand.

“This feels a bit unfair.”

“Unfair, you say?”

“It was clearly written in my letter that I must receive a reply, so I sent it right after writing it in that very place. I even made an effort to write legibly despite my terrible handwriting.”

“Hmm…”

“It seems there might have been a mistake on our informant’s end. And, knowing Shione, can’t you tell just by looking at me whether I’m lying or not?”

Finally, after enduring her scrutinizing gaze one more time, I managed to clear my name.

“Well… you don’t seem like you’re lying. The road connecting the Central Fortress and Kisia Fortress has indeed become dangerous with monsters. So it’s understandable that the informant could be delayed.”

“It seems the Erosion Zone has increased. I’ve heard that monsters tainted by magic have been coming down frequently.”

“Even so… it’s a shame that I couldn’t read your letter.”

“Well, we can discuss that now.”

Thanks to that, I managed to dodge a bullet and we ended up discussing the recent trivial matters.

How was the Special Mission Team doing? How were the soldiers from our Baron Family? We shared the atmosphere of each fortress and cleared up any built-up chatter.

I then asked Shione the question I was most curious about.

“Just like I did, you must have executed several operations during the time we were apart. Can I hear about them?”

What kind of tribulations had she faced, to make her atmosphere be so cold, to the point where it felt sharp?

As if disgusted, Shione shook her head in response.

“The previously scouted route suddenly became eroded, and our small scout team was attacked by monsters in an unusually bizarre manner. Especially in the case of the Central Fortress, there were many hindrances. I ended up having to go out a lot for purging the erosion zones.”

So erosion zones are appearing. Of course, Adelhaite wouldn’t sit still with Shione around.

Shione had not only prevented the emergence of erosion zones with her magic but had also removed several of them.

“And that’s not all. There were other families moving with the Special Mission Team… It was more frustrating than I expected. They don’t know much about magic, and when I’m not around, they just talk to Diolia about things that aren’t feasible.”

Due to frequent battles and having to wrangle allies who struggled to communicate, it seemed that the mood had grown sharp, contrary to usual battles.

Even with just what I heard, it seemed like they were facing some pretty troublesome situations.

But thanks to that, Ainel and Diolia got what they wanted. It seems Shione’s much-desired abilities have matured even further.

‘Shione learning to judge, decide, and take responsibility without me.’

In meetings as well, while the demands and clear points from the Special Mission Team were mostly proposed by Shione alone, rather than giving in to me, she sometimes even insisted on the practicality of the Special Mission Team.

“You must have had a tough time.”

“Tough? Well… our Special Mission Team fought well, so we managed. But since I’m no longer with complete strangers, and I can now move with Ray, I can finally relax a bit.”

“In that case, I’ll have to step up my game as well. I can’t say our soldiers are as skilled as those from the Special Mission Team yet, but we’re definitely not weak. You can expect a lot from us.”

“Hmm… It seems Ray is starting to feel like a head of a family now?”

Shione gave my arm a playful tap as she said that.

If she says I’m starting to feel like a head of a family, it’s because there was something I also desired from Ainel’s side, just as much as Shione did.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“After all, dividing the bases was something Lady Ainel expected.”

“…Mother?”

“It seems the Count wants to treat me as a Baron rather than as the deputy commander of the Special Mission Team. As such, I must show my capabilities as a Baron during this opportunity. It’s also a great chance for me to shed the nickname of a mere puppet Baron.”

“She wants to treat you as a Baron… Surely, there must be a reason for her to want that…”

Shione pondered for a moment.

Even while deep in thought, she took advantage of the closeness from slapping my arm and grabbed my hand to enjoy its warmth.

The more she delved into her thoughts, the more I felt her grip on my hand tighten.

‘…Could it be.’

“Shione?”

Shione crushed my hand tightly, as if trying to wring out water from a cloth.

A tingling pain shot through me, and as I looked down at her, she abruptly let go of my hand and backed away.

“Rather than a deputy commander, as I said earlier… Were you trying to lead into that marriage talk we had last time!”

Shione’s outburst began again, one that she hadn’t shown in a while.

‘I thought she had changed a lot, but I guess I was mistaken.’

Still, Shione remained the same in front of me.

—

After joining the Count’s House, we finished a brief meeting, and our advance began once again.

In the end, the two brigades moved apart. Although it was disappointing not to have Shione and Diolia beside me for what felt like a long-awaited reunion,

There was no shortage of conversation thanks to the now familiar leaders and our soldiers.

“I’ve heard the Special Mission Team from the Count’s House is something special… Seeing them all covered in blood certainly sends chills down my spine. I guess it’s true what they say about the knights from prestigious families being on another level.”

As the lengthy march continued until we arrived at each fortress and supply base,

We needed something to keep us entertained on this boring and exhausting road. We had already bragged enough about the last battle, and now the most enjoyable topic of conversation for everyone was the Special Mission Team.

Having achieved a great victory in their first battle, they were engrossed in comparing themselves to the Special Mission Team.

“Speaking of which, didn’t our Baron also rank up to Deputy Commander of the Special Mission Team? Plus, when I asked the knights earlier, it seems that our Baron challenged their commander and ended up fleeing without putting up a fight.”

“…The commander of the Special Mission Team? Huh, while I certainly sensed our baron’s talent, I didn’t think she was strong enough to the point of beating their commander.”

“And how about others in the Special Mission Team? They say the absence of our Baron leaves a big gap. Since we have someone like him leading us, shouldn’t we outperform them moving forward?”

“Even so, they have the Master, Shione, don’t they? That’s still uncertain.”

“And I’ve heard that Shione’s archery teacher is our Baron.”

As expected from the robust women on this side,

Talks comparing the strength of the Baron House and the Special Mission Team began to spread. Eventually, amidst the conversation, it resulted in me and Shione being considered on the same level. The leaders took a backseat, and the conversation shifted to Hanelrn and Diolia, who were clearly seen as rivals.

“I think Commander Hanelrn might be stronger. Before joining us, she was active as the royal family’s sword, wasn’t she?”

“Well, listening to that, even with that noted, it’s too early to compare with our Commander Diolia. Diolia is a knight of caliber coming from both the Great Forest and the Kalia Marquis Family.”

“Come on, you two really gotta stop getting all heated about this. We’re definitely going to be facing combat from here on out. Ultimately, the one that gets the most achievements in the next battle will stand tall, right? But…I really hope Commander Hanelrn is strong, being from the Baron House.”

Listening to the excited voices coming from the forefront, all three leaders were together.

Among them, Hanelrn asked with a stern voice.

“Baron, if the soldiers’ conversation is displeasing to you, I can have them quiet down right away.”

“Is there really a need for that? It’s the only entertainment for this long march. While we shouldn’t allow insults, it’s fine for now. Plus, thanks to that, I think the fear of battle has diminished considerably, hasn’t it?”

“Indeed… what you say has merit. It seems those who were previously averse to battle have disappeared.”

“Ah, but if the commander feels uncomfortable, please do put them in their place.”

Thus, Hanelrn quietly thanked me for my consideration and declined, while Teia and Dorothy tried to hide their pleased expressions.

I, bypassing Hanelrn, took in the sight of the two while shrugging my shoulders.

“In that case, I pose this to you, Commander. What do you think?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you were to face off against the commander of the Special Mission Team, what do you think would happen?”

“…That’s a challenging question.”

Hanelrn’s usual poker-faced expression suddenly broke.

“I can’t deny that Senior Diolia is an extremely talented knight… but the truth is that my scores in every year at the academy were higher than hers.”

“Oh?”

“Of course, Senior Diolia graduated first and has gained various experiences, however, before becoming a knight of the Baron House, I also participated in operations as a member of the royal knights. It wasn’t a long time, but I do have that experience.”

“That’s quite interesting.”

“Naturally, you can’t judge who is stronger without having a match to see. I believe I, Hanelrn, would not easily lose to her─”

…I see our knight commander doesn’t take losing lightly, huh?

While I was shocked to discover this new side to her,

In the end, Hanelrn couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Ha…!”

“Ugh, Hanelrn, you’re talking way too much today. The Baron is waiting, you know.”

Shaking her head and feeling embarrassed, Dorothy and Teia burst into laughter at Hanelrn’s winding words.

At their remark, Hanelrn bit her lip in silence, momentarily feeling a sense of embarrassment.

Soon after, a horn indicating the advance was sounded from the direction of the Special Mission Team up ahead.

“Then, I believe we should confirm that strength through the results of the upcoming battle. I’m sure everyone thinks the same.”

“Right, Baron.”

“Too bad for you, Hanelrn. Our mages are well prepared, so it’s unlikely the knight commander will have the chance to shine.”

“…Teia, Dorothy. Don’t underestimate seasoned knights.”

Goals should be grand in scope.

Thus, my goal was to ensure that the morale and spirit of the soldiers in our Baron House became as robust and deep as that of the Count’s Special Mission Team.

To achieve that, it was only natural that we would need dazzling victories and accomplishments, just like the Special Mission Team.

“Everyone, get into the formations we discussed for battle.”

“We will follow the Baron’s orders!”

At least the commanders already matched the Special Mission Team in terms of robustness.