'I have to talk to him.'
It's because I need to find out why he doesn't want an older or same-aged wife in order to persuade him.
But before that,
"Welcome, Baron Amolang! I've been eagerly waiting for you!"
"Hello, Knight Commander."
A man about a head taller than me looked down at me with an observing gaze.
"I heard you're somewhat skilled with a spear."
"I've only learned the basics."
"Hmm. We'll see if it's humility or not. Use this spear."
Swoosh!
The Knight Commander threw the spear in his hand to me.
"Are we sparring?"
"But not with me. I'm clumsy at controlling my strength. Vice Commander, be his opponent."
"Yes, Commander."
Unlike the gorilla-like, burly Commander, the Vice Commander was slender like a cheetah.
"Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you."
"Then, without holding back..."
Swoosh-
I thrust the spear from a distance as far as possible for exploration.
A basic thrust.
However, the Vice Commander dodged lightly by twisting his waist and aimed for my waist with the spear shaft.
'I underestimated him!'
His intention to use the spear like a club, not utilizing the sharp blade at the end, was evident.
In that case!
"Ha!"
I took a step forward and closed the distance between me and the Vice Commander.
I swung the spear in a large arc to attack before it could reach my side.
"Ho?"
The Vice Commander, who let out a light exclamation, took a step back.
"Where...!"
From the moment I faced him, I had a feeling that I couldn't beat this man, no matter what I tried.
The time, effort, talent, and experience I've accumulated are incomparable. It's different from dealing with the despicable bandits.
So,
'Somehow, just one hit!'
I could never have made such a bold charge if I wasn't confident that he wouldn't kill me.
"Boring."
While retreating without losing his composure, the Vice Commander, who gave advice, twisted his wrist holding the spear.
'What-?!'
As the spear tip drew an '8' and rotated, the spear shaft suddenly struck my ankle.
Could I avoid it?
I had to, even if I couldn't.
"Ugh...!"
However, it was too fast, and I ended up allowing it to hit my right ankle.
'I'm still fine!'
Maintaining my balance with the long spear, I took a step forward with my left foot, avoiding the spear shaft!
"Ho?"
The second exclamation followed.
With the determination to land a hit on the leisurely Vice Commander, I barely closed the distance.
'At this distance!'
I thrust the spear, confident that even an excellent knight couldn't avoid it.
"Watch your tongue."
"What- Ack?!"
The blunt end of the spear, which had smoothly rotated 180 degrees, struck my chin.
Thud!
If he hadn't warned me beforehand, I might have bitten my tongue.
However, with my vision shaking and experiencing a mild concussion, I couldn't continue the match.
Thump.
"I lost."
I surrendered, sitting down on the dirt floor of the practice field.
"Hmm. It's not everything, but you're at the level of elite soldiers from our country who fought in battlefields for about two years."
"I see."
I wasn't disappointed or discouraged by the Vice Commander's impartial evaluation.
The reason I could defeat the bandits before was that my physical endurance was exceptionally better than others.
An ordinary person who has never fought before couldn't become a great fighter with just a few days of basic training.
"...You're calm."
"Should I not be?"
"Hmm. The Commander received his Viscount title from Duke Somac purely based on his skill. But since you, Baron Amolang, are not a warrior..."
The Vice Commander turned away with a bitter smile, trailing off his words.
"Can I learn? Can I become stronger?"
The Vice Commander, who had stopped at my question, looked at the observing Commander and answered.
"Ask the Commander."
"Ah!"
I should have asked the person in charge!
The Commander, with a slightly displeased expression, spoke in a provocative tone.
"Baron Amolang, you seem more like a civil official than a military officer... But if you still want to pretend to be a military officer, go ahead and run ten laps around here right now."
"...Understood."
Wobble.
I slowly got up with my body still struggling to maintain balance due to dizziness.
'I have to do it, even if it's hard!'
To avoid being killed by the male protagonists, I must become stronger no matter what.
* * *
War! Murder! Politics! Training!
In a romance fantasy novel that deals with heart-wrenching love between men and women, what am I doing?
For the first time, I, who had been off-genre for a while, walked the right path.
"Viscount."
"I said I don't want to!"
Viscount Somac was annoyed.
"Why don't you like older or same-aged women?"
"How many times have I told you that I would be killed if I say that!"
"I will keep your secret."
"How can I trust you, Baron Amolang?"
"Look into my eyes. Do I look like a person who would deceive you?"
"Oh! I can see it very well! Your eyes are full of schemes!"
"Hmph."
The reason I became convinced that he has the qualities of a 'king.'
It's because the novel author gave the protagonist's fiancé the ability to 'read people.'
Why give him this great talent?
Of course, it wasn't for a good intention.
'It's ridiculous.'
A fiancé has the right and justification to slap the faces of men lurking around his fiancée.
But if he does this, the protagonist cannot freely meet and date other men besides Viscount Somac, right?
So, the author made the fiancé give up on the protagonist.
"Baron Amolang, are you planning to sell me to someone?"
"I'm not selling you! I just want to introduce you to a nice same-aged lady."
"This time, I can feel your sincerity."
"......"
He made the character notice the extraordinariness of the men targeting his fiancée and feel burdened by the marriage.
Only for this development!
The author gave the fiancé the best talent that a ruler could never miss.
"Let me ask you one thing."
"If I answer, will you tell me why you don't like older or same-aged women?"
"Listen and judge."
"Hmph. What is it?"
"If I marry that same-aged lady, how much benefit will there be for the Somac family?"
Family over love.
This way of thinking is also the 'trashy personality' that the author gave only to the fiancé, thinking it would hinder romance.
'Very good.'
A heart that values the whole over trivial emotions!
This is also essential to become an excellent king.
"It's insurance."
"Insurance?"
"The young lady of Chimac, who was thee fiancée, also knows the future like me. We need a countermeasure for this."
"...I understand."
"Then?"
"Sigh... I'll tell you. Although you already know, despite being the eldest son of my family, I am the youngest. I only have sisters."
"Could it be...?"
As a fellow man, this was expected.
"Baron Amolang, I want to hear the word Oppa.'"
"......."
His expression was so serious that I couldn't laugh.
"...But for the sake of my family, I can endure not having a wife who calls me Oppa."
"You're quite determined."
Holding back.
I stomped on the opposite foot with my heel to suppress the laughter that was about to burst out.
"So who's the person?"
"It's Lady Ann Milrina."
"The third daughter of Count Chimac, huh..."
"You know her?"
"I know her. I, who didn't want a same-aged wife, had to beg my father and pleaded with him. So, I delayed the marriage with various excuses..."
"Another daughter was born to the Count’s family."
"That's right. It was really fortunate. If she hadn't been born, I would have had no choice but to marry someone my age. I didn't expect the marriage to get so tangled up, though..."
Viscount Somac, who had been making me laugh, finished with a bitter smile.
"Valentine."
"Cough! Wh-Why does her name suddenly come up?!"
"Viscount, you'll hear the word Oppa a lot from this side."
"...Would she call me that? Wouldn't she look at me with eyes of disgust like my sisters...?"
"Become a king. Then no one will be able to despise you."
"A king... That's right. If I become a king, I can order wives to call their husbands Oppa.' If they disobey, it's a death sentence."
"......"
I became slightly worried about whether it was okay to make this man a king.
* * *
No matter how much I know about the future, it takes a considerable amount of time to establish a kingdom.
'That's difficult.'
I'm worried about my real body, and I can't know the future after the novel is completed in two years.
So, what should I do?
The answer is in the original novel.
"A ball?"
"Yes."
I answered with strength to Viscount Somac's reconfirmation.
"What's the reason?"
"Having a large territory doesn't make you a king."
"Do you want to gather talent using the ball as an excuse?"
"That's right."
"Baron Amolang, I think you're oversimplifying things."
At Viscount Somac's remark, I recited the names I had memorized in reality.
"We must invite these people and become close to them. Viscount Brokolin, the Prime Minister of the Military Kingdom, Duke Tropican, the Supreme Commander of the Knight Kingdom, Archbishop Bulgarity of the Holy Kingdom, Baron Pimaang, the Governor of the Empire, Viscount Bitcoin, the wealthy businessman of the Empire..."
"None of them are easy characters."
Viscount Somac swallowed a groan, listening without even taking a breath.
"I carefully selected them."
"Baron, I apologize for doubting you. But what's the reason for inviting them? It's doubtful if they would come."
"They will definitely come."
I looked into the Viscount's eyes and spoke in a confident tone.
"Hmm. Was it written in the book about the future that they would attend the ball?"
"No, it wasn't."
"...If that's not the case, I'd like to hear the reason why you're so sure they will come."
A very good question!
To answer that, I mentioned the name of the woman that Viscount Somac hated the most.
"Angelina Chimac."
"Hmm?"
"What do you think of her?"
"I'd like to strip that arrogant woman, who is called the jewel of the kingdom, and hang her on the castle gate."
"......"
I should be careful not to let the two of them meet.
'Stripping the skin...'
It's an actual torture method from the Middle Ages, but if one experiences such a horrible ordeal, it would be difficult to lead a normal life even if the patient wakes up from the dream.
"Why are you asking?"
"It's because they also have similar thoughts like you, Viscount."
"...Really?"
"Really. Viscount Brokolin's son, who he was proud of, abandoned his family for love, and Duke Tropican, who is unparalleled in martial arts, kills his daughter's fiancé. Archbishop Bulgarity of the Holy Kingdom is turned away by his disciple, who he raised like his own child, Viscount Bitcoin's daughter is divorced, and Baron Pimaang's son betrays..."
Total chaos!
On the surface, there's no wrongdoing by the protagonist. All those handsome men just followed her because they liked her.
As evidence, the protagonist occasionally refuses their advances. But since she has a kind heart, she can't say harsh words...
It produced numerous ambiguous relationships.
And this is the result!
"There are many nobles who have seen their sons become strange or their daughters cry because of Angelina Chimac."
"How sad. They must be very heartbroken."
"That's right."
"Should I invite them to share their pain and comfort them?"
"Oh! That's a brilliant idea, Viscount!"
"Good! I like it very much!"
In the novel, the author intentionally downplayed or didn't mention this negative content at all.
But I'm not a reader, am I?
I plan to dig into the dark aspects that the author has deliberately avoided.
"Your Grace."
"Is there more?"
"Please also take care of the powerless commoners who couldn't be invited to the ball."
"Ah! I almost made a big mistake! Is there a separate list?"
"Of course."
Let's start a gathering of victims transcending borders!
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