Late at night.
After the banquet ended, I received guests in my room before heading to bed.
“Are you really Regif Habsderk, who lived in the Demon World for ten years and then returned to the surface?”
“Do you think I am?”
“Of course not, right?”
The guests were none other than my classmates from the special class, led by Yunia.
They hadn’t been able to propose or discuss much in light of the sudden turn of events but clearly had things they wanted to say.
“Now that you’re the son of the Marquisate of Ludvecia, you’re officially a noble, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“So, how many wives are you planning to have?”
“Is there some imperial law stating how many wives a marquis can have?”
Yunia seemed particularly interested in the rights and restrictions of nobility, especially regarding marriage.
“Our Empire doesn’t have such laws! There are no limits to polygamy!”
“So, if I inherit the Marquisate, are you suggesting I transfer the entire territory to the Empire of Di Ercy?”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
“Don’t worry, Evangeline. Just because I’ve suddenly become the heir of the Ludvecia Marquisate doesn’t mean I plan to change the dynamics overnight.”
Evangeline seemed curious about the power that came with the position of the Marquisate heir.
“Does this mean you’ll take over management rights for the Demonic Land as well, Phoenix?”
“Eventually, yes. For now, Marchioness Ludvecia still oversees it, but I’ll take over in due time.”
“If I wanted to secure a permanent hunting ground, I should probably start making a good impression now.”
“You don’t have to wait for the future, Miss Ludmila. If you ask nicely, I might consider it now.”
Ludmila, like other noble families, showed interest in lands where hunters could operate.
People had their unique areas of interest—
“Then, Phoenix.”
“I heard that Seia Ludvecia is among the new first-year students. Is it true?”
“…And are you really planning to marry her?”
…Sometimes, their interests aligned perfectly.
“Marriage, huh? That’s a rather heavy topic to bring up out of nowhere.”
“You said you’d build a harem, but don’t you think discussing marriage already is a bit too soon?”
“Do you?”
“Do you, really?”
Sitting on the sofa, Yunia puffed her cheeks and pounded the armrest with her hands.
“I think it’s far too early for marriage! We haven’t even graduated yet!”
While Yunia’s words could be interpreted in many ways, I decided not to probe into what she meant by ‘we’.
“I think so, too. But, to be honest, I’ve been considering marriage since ten years ago.”
“What?”
“If I only wanted to date casually, I would’ve been flirting with one woman after another by now. But because I intend to go through with marriage, raise a family, and do it properly, I’ve always approached the subject with caution and sincerity.”
To clear up one of Yunia’s and the other classmates’ misunderstandings.
“I’ve actually thought about marriage for quite a long time.”
Marriage itself interests me—especially in this world.
‘It’s not like modern marriage, after all.’
Unlike modern times, where marriage equals risk, the risks here are simpler.
They depend mostly on how much the wife nags her husband.
In this world, particularly the Bread Academy world, societal complications about marriage are less severe.
‘Though not nonexistent, those issues can be managed based on how much wealth and peace of mind one has.’
Modern marriage risks often stem from selfishness or lack of maternal instincts, as seen with groups like Vinyudan.
Not all women in this world are like that, of course.
But women involved with or affiliated with Vinyudan tend to be dangerous.
Avoiding such women makes it easier to have harmonious marriages and even resolve fights effectively.
—Honey, I’m sorry. Do you want to touch my mana pockets?
In the Bread Academy world, this place is, to some extent, a utopia for men.
While not devoid of realism, the idealistic elements outweigh them.
Thus.
“Given the current situation, it wouldn’t be strange to graduate, marry one—or even multiple—women the next day, and hold a wedding right after the ceremony.”
I have no aversion to marriage.
Putting a ring on someone’s finger, dressing them in a bridal gown, diving straight into the bedroom for a honeymoon baby-making project—it’s all on the table.
“So, are you saying you’ll do that first with Miss Seia?”
“That’s exactly what we need to discuss. Calm down for a moment, will you?”
Since Yunia boldly brought up Seia, I stretched out my hand to the three and pretended to take a deep breath to calm them.
“Marchioness Ludvecia did suggest that I marry Seia and have children with her.”
I couldn’t deny it.
“But that’s merely a suggestion. I’m not ‘Phoenix Habsderk’, but rather, I’ve taken on the role of ‘Phoenix Ludvecia’.”
While some might argue there’s no difference, those familiar with both families would say otherwise.
“If I were still Phoenix Habsderk, I’d have to marry Seia—she’s my sister, after all, returned as her older brother, Regif Habsderk.”
“…”
“But as Phoenix Ludvecia, I have choices. I can marry her, but I don’t have to.”
Does he have to marry?
No.
“But you haven’t declined, have you, Phoenix?”
Yunia’s half-lidded eyes pierced through me.
“Have you declined?”
“…”
“I thought so. You haven’t, right?”
“Well.”
It was an obvious statement, but—
“I haven’t immediately accepted the proposal, but is there really a reason to outright reject it either?”
When it comes to the prospect of marrying Seia, there’s no longer any reason for me to firmly reject or cut ties.
“It’s not as if I’m still carrying Regif Habsderk’s blood, where having a child with Seia Habsderk would trigger some curse of Habsderk and bring about catastrophe.”
Back when I was Regif, there was a very clear reason to refuse.
Marrying Seia and having children would have carried the tremendous risk of inciting the “Habs Apocalypse”.
But now, my body is entirely composed of ether.
At the very least, there’s no risk of passing down some ‘hereditary disease tied to the Habs bloodline’ to any potential child.
“Also, there’s a major misconception you all seem to have.”
“What is it?”
“Even if I do find Miss Seia appealing and think about marrying or having children with her…”
Most likely, that’s true.
“Isn’t it possible that Miss Seia doesn’t feel the same way about me?”
“Uh…”
“Why are you assuming she’d automatically agree to marry me? Just because Marchioness Ludvecia commands it? Any student entering Esdinas Academy would certainly have the right to refuse such orders, even if they come from her mother.”
“…Then.”
Yunia asked hesitantly, her voice softening.
“If Miss Seia outright rejects you, would you give up trying to court her?”
“I wouldn’t give up entirely, but I also wouldn’t cling to her, begging her to notice me if she truly dislikes me.”
As long as things don’t escalate toward catastrophe, it’s not my place to meddle in who Seia dates or decides to be with.
“Logically, wouldn’t it be odd for someone to suddenly embrace a stranger who’s merely filling the role of her dead brother? Wouldn’t that kind of person feel rather off-putting to me as well?”
Even if I am Regif Habsderk, for someone to favor me just because I took on his place as her ‘brother’ feels… disconcerting.
“Don’t you agree?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Exactly. So how about we calm down and shift our focus to discussing the upcoming training?”
“Sure. Whew, I was so tense.”
Yunia said, letting out a sigh of relief as she smiled faintly.
“For a moment, I thought you’d say you were planning to take both the Marchioness Ludvecia and Miss Seia together as your wives.”
“Oh, no. That’s not the case.”
“What?”
“I’m not saying I insist on marrying a mother and daughter together, but I wouldn’t necessarily mind if such a situation were to occur in a harem.”
“…”
“But honestly, would that ever happen?”
It’s an absurd idea.
“They’re Habsderks, after all.”
No matter how much I might be Regif Habsderk—or at least used to be—there’s no trace of the original Regif left in my current self.
* * *
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Marquisate
A quiet hum filled the dim chamber.
Standing before a giant magical orb, larger than a human, the Marquis of Ludvecia clad in a nightgown channeled her magic into the sphere.
“Daughter?”
[…]
“Would you care to hear your mother out for a moment?”
[…What is it?]
Beyond the orb, the face of a blonde girl with puffed cheeks appeared, her expression irked.
[If you’re going to make decisions without consulting me—]
“Both Mom and Yurha think there’s merit to this idea. If you also agree, we’ll have a consensus.”
[…What’s the basis for this?]
“All instinct.”
The Marchioness chuckled softly and gestured toward her eyes.
“No matter how well someone disguises themselves, they can’t hide their true nature.”
[…]
“Or, if you prefer, we could test it out. See if Phoenix, our new son, … says something similar to what he told you in the past…”
Smile.
“Maybe he’ll cast a hypnosis spell on himself, insisting that he shouldn’t love you romantically.”
[…What did Master say?]
“Unfortunately, the White Sword Saint has kept her lips tightly sealed.”
The Marchioness smirked bitterly.
“Despite her own connection from ten years ago.”
[Master tends to be less emotional about such things.]
“Even so, she seemed to have some certainty. Why don’t you confirm it yourself after the field training ends?”
[And if it turns out to be true?]
“Well… if it’s true, maybe what was said in jest might actually become reality. That our son, through all his trials and tribulations, returned as a gallant figure to make his sister into a mother.”
[…Hmph.]
Seia Ludvecia snorted and stretched her hand toward the orb.
[Otherwise, I’m leaving home.]
Click.
Beep, Beep, Beep—
