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There was this custom in the Dragoon territory. All the noble families within its influence would gather in its capital, Dragreid, to partake in a periodic assembly.

The core agenda of such assembly was generally information exchange, adjustment of personnel at the local level, petition for the construction of new roads, and other similar things.

Unlike the colorful, buoyant spirit that could be felt in the social life of the Royal Capital at the start of April, for the bottom rung of the aristocrats like the viscounts or barons, this season was usually a fateful one in lots of aspects like their kid\'s schooling and employment. This assembly was the perfect place for them to gather information for things like bureaucrat posts, so for their family\'s interest, a good amount of such nobles participated in it.

Typically, the assembly would be held somewhere around spring, a month or so after the entrance ceremony. However, with a tumultuous time visible on the horizon, Marquis Dragoon couldn\'t open his schedule to leave the Royal Capital, which he had visited to participate in the countermeasure meeting for the war. Subsequently, the assembly was thus shifted a month later. Basically, it was held somewhere two months after the entrance ceremony.

Dragried was quite close to the Royal Capital and located in the northwest region of Dragoon territory.

The nostalgic townscape of Dragreid was colored in the southern region’s peculiar reddish-brown tiled roofs with the buildings built with similarly colored bricks and stones, faintly reflecting the visage of what was once a hotspot for rare ores.

Bellwood Rovenne, the head of the Rovenne family, and his wife Celia Rovenne had arrived at Dragreid the morning of the day the assembly would be held.

Also typically, when it was time for the assembly, they would arrive at noon a day before, lodge in a familiar inn, and go out for a stroll as a married couple in the maze-like capital laced with narrow alleys, stone-built staircases, and glittering red neon sign fashioned paper lanterns. And then at night, they would relish the local cuisine in one of the Dragreid city\'s not-so-high-class restaurants. This was something they both looked forward to, and that should have been the same this year as well, but—

"Phew. It seems like the cheating allegation against Allen has been cleared, but this assembly will still be a rough ride. I would have normally walked in pompously, with a high nose if he had gotten into Class-E, but......"

"And what’s stopping you from proudly walking in right now? He crossed that narrow road that thousands of other aristocratic families couldn\'t. Even the Dragoon family is unable to have more than 1, or even at best 2, kids qualify for Class A of the Royal Academy. A parent saying that they’re troubled due to their child\'s efforts is truly unbefitting."

Though he knew his wife\'s words were right, Bellwood just had a hard time accepting reality.

Bell was completely aware of Allen\'s prodigious talent in body-strengthening magic, and he could confidently say that Allen could easily beat others in a battle of wits as long as he could focus. But to say that his son could best even the cream of the crop of this kingdom’s future generation was something an average countryside Viscount like him could never have imagined. Especially not when there was this 700-year-long trail of saddening history that their family had.

And the cherry on top — another shackle that limited his outlook to a frog-in-a-well — was that Rose, who was reputed as a wonder child even in the Dragoon territory, couldn\'t surmount that wall either. He was sure this was the wall a bygone countryside noble’s family like them could never cross. And yet, it just so happened that his adorable, youngest child easily broke through that and landed himself in the fabled Class A. This was truly a bizarre turn of events that was hard for him to understand.

"...I really don\'t know how I should answer any incoming questions. Even Schord is gathering unbelievable attention that Grimm had to stay at home to take care of the house."

"The Schord’s visitors have mostly been reduced to a drizzle, and Grimm is going to be the head of the family in the near future either way, so leaving him is just practice. Besides, Schord himself had worked to an unprecedented degree in the closing months along with Allen. His duty as a tutor is finished with the youngest child, so the rest is to let him do whatever he wants to do. And you, my dear, should just follow the motto of the Rovenne family, \'Humble and Steady\'. Just have faith in Allen and let him deal with things no matter what you hear, or rather, this is simply the only option— this is the reality that you have to accept."

"...You\'re right. It\'s a waste of time to expect any detailed information from him, and there has been no further letter after the one informing us of his result.

...But there\'s this \'Please refrain from boasting about my result to everyone in case I pass. It would be too embarrassing if I somehow had to leave the school for any reason.\' that sounded ominous which he left behind at the dinner before his departure. I just pray that his qualification is real and he doesn\'t drop out of school no matter what happens..."

Long story short, the Rovenne husband and wife arrived at Dragreid making sure to shrink their accommodation duration as short as possible to escape from the annoyance that would come knocking at their door.

◆◆◆

With the capacity to easily serve a thousand people, the reception hall of Marquis Dragoon\'s family was typically the venue for assembly. In one word, it was truly a ‘vast’ hall.

With red-tone brick as its backdrop coupled with stone engravings, the Viscount carriage had just arrived at the carriage porch of the grandiose reception hall. The Viscount repeatedly chanted the \'Modest and Steady\' motto in his mind while praying for this day to pass safely, and got down from the carriage.

Though, he had just gotten down when a hulking man with a scar running down his right eye wearing heavy-looking armor who had been lying in wait, suddenly bellowed at the Viscount.

"So you\'re Bellwood Rovenne?!! You country bumpkin of a Viscount sure have guts to besmirch the honor of the renowned Count Abenil, ehhhh! I take it that you\'re prepared then?!"

The man was none other than the head of the Abenil family renowned for their spearmanship, Count Nix Von Abenil, the instructor of the Abenil style spearmanship and one of the three generals of the Dragoon family’s personal army. And right now, he was ruffling his pea-green hair and exuding a raging aura.

"Huh? I sullied the honor of the renowned Count Abenil family? I have no inkling of having done any such transgression."

Anyway, there was an urgent need to sort out the situation, and thinking so, Bell unconsciously asked.

"Great, so you damned fox are now taking me for a fool... Do you think you can keep that dull face even after noticing my spear?... Fine, I’ll show this world your true color!"

Count Abenil said and loosely held his rustic, cross spear at waist level. Then, he thrust his spear at Bell, who was still rooted on the spot.

"......Why aren\'t you trying to dodge?"

Count Abenil asked skeptically, his spear stopping just a hair’s breadth away from touching Bellwood\'s face. As for Bell, he burst out in laughter hearing the question that couldn\'t be any more misdirected.

"Ahahaha! There\'s no why or what, I’m just a hick viscount who knows nothing besides his bureaucratic work and gardening hobby, you know? I don\'t even have a shred of warrior\'s talent, and the best I could do is twist my waist like stiff wood. What\'s the point of escaping when I couldn\'t, right?! Oh goodness, I never knew Your Excellency had an exquisite sense of humor!"

"......I’ve never seen someone proclaiming their martial incompetency so proudly… You really are a bizarre man. I thought for sure I was going to see you disgracing yourself by pissing your pants from being unable to dodge… What was it, <Unceasing Prudence>? I wanted to check for myself who this no-name loudmouth Rovenne family was to have ruffled the Royal Capital with such bold claims, and to deal with it if it turned out to be an embarrassment for the Dragoon family… I gotta say, you got some nerves of steel there."

"Your Excellency overpraises me. I would have surely pissed my pants if Your Excellency had released even a bit of his bloodlust. As a matter of fact, even I am surprised at how our family has so many roughnecks… It’s just that Your Excellency clearly lacked a threatening intent that I was sure that this was a trick from you. True bloodlust is just like, you know, right? It was just the other day my wife caught me ogling a cute girl I recently hired from a nearby bakery. The bloodlust she released was like that of a thousand-year-old demon. Believe me when I say I had to run for my life in the town for one whole hour while wetting myself. Wahaha!"

"Fufufu, what\'s funny about it? Bell."

Fwoomp

A step late, a walking mass of bloodlust got down from the carriage, its mouth curving into a cute smile resembling that of a young girl while a heavy scimitar rested on its shoulder. While it was sheathed, just the weight alone could blow away any normal person with a swing.

""Eeek.""

The crowd of onlookers who had been watching the play with gossipy looks let out shrieks seeing that bloodlust.

"R-Right. You might have nerves of steel but you’re rotten to the core, man. Take me as an example, my eyes have never wandered off from my wife to another woman. Heed my words, a man should settle on a woman and offer her everything."

Count Abenil proclaimed while fleetingly glancing at the woman behind him, apparently his wife, Countess Abenil.

"A true man indeed. You should also learn from Your Excellency, Bell!"

"C-C\'mon! That\'s not fair. Your Excellency! Even I have heard about the exploits of your true spearmanship back at the pleasure quar—"

"Shut yer trap, fool! My wife is my everything after marriage! If anything, it\'s just you\'re rotten! Anyway, my lord has tasked me to guide you. So get your ass moving!"

And that was how the curtain on Bellwood Rovenne\'s — whose motto was to be <Modest and Steady> — periodic assembly event opened.

T/N - Wow, truly an apple doesn\'t fall far from the tree huh. Like father, like Son. Knows well on how to run their mouth. Also, the foreshadowing starts from the last (5th chapter from this one), Damn, the author should have added this arc before truly.

E/N - This is way too late. Well, better than never I guess. And the foreshadowing is most likely in the next chapter. Also, an interesting fact is that Count Abenil is the father of Parry, the antagonistic boy in Vol. 1. Like T/N said, like father like son and we got 2 examples in 1 chapter.