Chapter 33

"Whatcha talkin' 'bout, man?"

That's what I wanted to say.

And I actually said it.

What Avignon said was that absurd.

Marry me and Resliza?

What the hell is that supposed to accomplish!?

Marriage is, you know...

Making a vow of love before God and becoming husband and wife, right!?

It's a pretty standard thing, but it was so absurd that I had to confirm it!

"What are you talking about? This is the grand plan that crushes all problems with a single stroke. It turns everything to dust and minuscule plankton."

It would turn the entire situation to dust and minuscule plankton.

"…If you think about it, it might not be such a bad idea."

"Even the king!?"

I'm actually considering Avignon's crazy idea!?

"Look at the situation carefully, Ryuuya. First, about Resliza. If she can finally belong to someone, the problem will be solved. The villain's goal is to marry her and become a member of the royal family."

"Indeed..."

In other words, this strategy is only possible because Resliza is single. If she were to marry some random guy, it would all be for nothing.

People are only supposed to be bound to one person in their lifetime (in theory).

"Right, in that sense, we should hope Resliza finds a wonderful partner as soon as possible."

"Here's where you come in, my lord."

"Why me?"

I understand that early marriage would be an effective strategy for Resliza, but I don't understand why I should be the one to marry her.

"Let's consider the problem from your perspective, Ryuuya. To prevent the church from causing trouble, if you don't want to use force, you'll need the support of the country, right?"

"Right..."

I'm a pacifist, you know.

If things can be resolved without bloodshed, that's the best. I understand that power, not just military might, is necessary for that.

Relying on the king means relying on power.

It's uncomfortable to rely on someone's favor, but if it can prevent violence, maybe it's the better choice?

"But to do that, I need to become a noble, right?"

"I also need a justifiable reason to exercise power. Helping a complete stranger is a weak motive."

Yet there's someone who stubbornly says, "I don't want to be a noble!"

I'm sorry, I'm being selfish!

"Let's think of another strategy. Not all who are close to the country are nobles."

"Huh?"

"Isn't there a stronger bond in a different form? For example, if you become a true relative of the king, you can act both officially and privately."

For example...

"The king's son-in-law."

"Wh-What!?"

Resliza is the king's real daughter!

That's why she was targeted by the Liber and faced forced marriage proposals.

"If Ryuuya marries Resliza, you'll be my son-in-law! No matter what anyone says, I'll use all my power to protect you!"

"Father-in-law, calm down...!?"

Who calls me 'father-in-law'!?

"But if that happens, won't I become a noble anyway?"

"No, just marrying the king's daughter doesn't grant you a public position. Usually, the king's daughter marries a king or prince from another country. Giving a noble title to such a person would be considered disrespectful."

However, forming a strong alliance with the royal family is undeniable.

If I were in such a position, even the church wouldn't dare to interfere.

"Being close to me is a much better deal than being made a noble! This ghost girl is a master of divine strategy and demonic tactics!"

"I'm a spirit, don't underestimate me, old man!"

The king and Avignon are getting along!?

If this continues, the situation will flow according to their whims, and I'll be swept away!

I don't want to be swept away by the situation, so I have to speak up.

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on, hold on, hold on!"

"What is it?"

Even their tone of voice is similar!

But I won't stop asserting myself!

"That's out of the question! No matter how effective a means it is, if the most important thing is ignored, it's no good!"

"The most important thing? What is it?"

"It's the person's will!"

Marriage is something that two people who love each other do to share their future.

What's needed is love!

It's definitely not something to be done for political or strategic reasons.

"What about you, my lord? Don't you want to marry that knight girl?"

"Ah, let's put my feelings aside for a moment... Resliza's feelings are important too, right...!?"

She was originally someone who was forced to marry against her will.

By the hero Liber sent by the church...

While Liber himself was eliminated, as the king... or rather, Avignon... said, the church could send a new candidate to infiltrate the country's core.

It's already bad enough that Resliza has been pitied, but to force her to marry again to thwart the church's plans is too much!

"The king said he doesn't want to force Resliza into a political marriage and wants her to be with someone she truly loves, didn't he?"

"That's true..."

The king, caught off guard by the sharp question, flinches.

"Would this be considered a political marriage? I trust Ryuuya enough to entrust Resliza to him..."

"The most important thing is her feelings. No matter what others think, if she doesn't like me, marriage is out of the question!"

I said it.

The most important thing in marriage is not one's position or income, but whether they love each other!

"In that case, there's no problem, right?"

"Huh!?"

Avignon suddenly said it, and I tilted my head, wondering what he meant.

"Proof is more important than words. I've called the knight girl here."

"Wait, you're calling her?"

It's strange to discuss marriage without the person involved.

◆

"Lord Ryuuya! You're here!"

Resliza, who was in the same castle, came immediately when called.

Did she run? Her chest was slightly heaving.

"I'm sorry, Resliza. You must be busy with the aftermath of the battle."

"No, it's thanks to Lord Ryuuya that we were able to get through the battle. It's only right to show respect to those who have earned it!"

Resliza said, out of breath.

What is it? She seems much brighter than before?

"…My lord, do this."

"What do you mean?"

"You're slow. Use the eyes I shared with you to look at that girl."

Ah.

The ability to see through someone's parameters.

I don't usually use it. It feels like invading someone's privacy, so I only use it on opponents in battle or to gauge their abilities.

But in this situation, I don't really want to use it... but I have to?

Fine. I've seen Resliza's parameters before, so seeing them again should be okay.

So.

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【Name】Resliza

【Type】Human

【Gender】Female

【Age】21

【Lv】35 (←31)

【Skills】General Virtue Slash

* Skill Description: Releases a holy-attribute slash. Power increases by 20% for each subordinate under the user's command (no upper limit). Activation condition: Sword equipped.

【Affinity】♥♥♥♥♥ (← )

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There were some changes in her parameters when I saw them again.

"Her level has increased...?"

The changes are indicated in parentheses, making it easy to see.

Her level has increased from 31 to 35.

Did she gain experience from the recent battle? If I consider the 30,000 monsters she helped defeat, it seems low, but her skill was powered by the strength of 7,000 soldiers.

If that power was distributed among all 7,000, it seems reasonable.

And one more thing...

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【Affinity】♥♥♥♥♥ (← )

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What is this?

I've always been curious about what 【Affinity】 means.

It's not a parameter that appears in my own parameters or on guild cards...

"【Affinity】 is a parameter that indicates the degree of like or dislike."

Avignon explained with a knowing look.

"Goodwill, trust, hatred, murderous intent... the degree of various emotions directed at others is represented by marks and their number. The target of these emotions is the person looking at the parameters."

"So it's about me...!?"

When I looked at Resliza's parameters before, the 【Affinity】 section had no marks at all.

In other words, she had no particular feelings towards me when we first met.

But now, there are five heart marks.

What this means is...!?