Chapter 6: Dawn
"A toast to Lister National academy's victory!"
With Duchess Regan's toast, the victory celebration for the Freshmen Tournament officially began.
The venue was an eatery said to be the finest in Roman. To allow everyone to mingle freely, all the chairs had been cleared away, creating a standing buffet-style reception.
Seven students from S-Class attended, with only Dominic, Johann, and Josef absent.
Even though his severe injuries had been treated with Holy Magic, Dominic was resting back in his room. He had insisted on coming, but there was no helping it.
As for Johann and Josef, neither had shown up even after we won the tournament, but Duchess Regan knew where they were and had granted them leave to act freely.
In addition to our family and close associates—Ike, Sasha, Duchess Regan, Duke Fressbald, Zeke, Count Beetle, and Grey—there were also several nobles in attendance who seemed to have been invited to the Freshmen Tournament.
Shortly after the opening toast, Duke Fressbald stepped up onto the raised platform, drawing the attention of the entire room.
"Now then! As most of you likely already know, I have a major announcement to make!" Duke Fressbald declared.
Standing beside the Duke was a dignified man I was seeing for the first time today.
"On this day, the engagement between Karen of Ducal House Fressbald and Baron of Count House Reinhardt has been officially annulled!"
Looking around the room, not a single person seemed surprised by his words. Is this kind of thing a regular occurrence? Leaving my doubts aside, Duke Fressbald pressed on.
"This decision comes as the result of thorough discussion between Karen and Baron themselves," Duke Fressbald continued. "Naturally, we could not accept it immediately and held the matter in reserve until today. However, having found their reasons for dissolving the engagement thoroughly convincing, we have formally annulled it today. Rest assured, this in no way undermines our relationship with Count House Reinhardt. Standing side-by-side as we do now, I hereby declare that our cooperative bond shall endure for all time!"
Duke Fressbald clinked glasses with the man standing beside him. Ah, so he's Count Reinhardt—Baron's father.
After sharing a toast, Count Reinhardt stepped down from the platform, and Zeke and Sasha were invited up in his place.
Unlike her earlier casual attire, Sasha wore an elegant dress that exposed her delicate white shoulders, radiating an otherworldly beauty.
"Now then, I have one more announcement for you all!" Duke Fressbald boomed.
Duke Fressbald commanded the room's attention once again.
"The previous news may have been somber, but this next announcement is cause for celebration! On this day, our Ducal House Fressbald and Baroness House Febrant have officially approached Count House Bryant with formal proposals of marriage!"
Cheers of "Ooh!" erupted as the venue was filled with thunderous applause.
While Duke Fressbald spoke with joyous enthusiasm, Sasha's expression remained somewhat subdued.
She's no doubt thinking of Clarice, to whom she owes a debt of gratitude.
After all, Sasha knew better than anyone just how deeply Clarice and I were drawn to each other.
Yet on the other hand, Clarice's father, Grey, and her mother, Elna, were applauding Duke Fressbald's announcement louder than anyone else.
They undoubtedly believed that if the daughter of a great noble family like Ducal House Fressbald became my fiancée, there would be zero chance of us ever falling on hard times, ensuring Clarice's lifelong happiness.
Watching her parents, Clarice let out a soft sigh.
"I prepared myself for this, but it happened so fast," Clarice murmured. "I thought it'd be a bit further down the road."
"...Mm... lightning fast..."
Ellie chimed in, and the two girls exchanged gentle smiles.
"Hey, tell me honestly," I asked. "How do you two really feel about all this?"
What would I have done if they said they hated the idea? I knew it was a strange question to ask, but I couldn't help it.
"Well..." Clarice began. "Since we're on the subject, Karen actually consulted me earlier. She said she wanted to annul her engagement with Baron so she could take her feelings for you seriously. And Baron felt the same way on his end. I mean, look..."
So Baron couldn't bring himself to give up on Clarice, either.
"So we talked about a lot of things," Clarice continued. "She mentioned how marriage proposals are bound to keep pouring in for you from now on, given that you're the top-ranked student at Lister National academy—the one who defeated both Karen and Baron."
So if I hadn't taken first place in the rank evaluations... I started to think, but sensing my reaction, Clarice shook her head.
"Setting aside all the marriage proposals, Karen's heart was already swaying back during the dungeon exam. And honestly, I don't blame her. You were so handsome when you rushed in to save her, Mars."
I had just been acting on pure instinct at the time. Still, I didn't regret my actions for a second.
"So Ellie and I have been discussing it for a long time," Clarice said. "If you were to gain more fiancée candidates, what kind of girls would we want by your side? And Ellie's answer was..."
Clarice glanced over at Ellie. Without a trace of embarrassment, Ellie spoke up.
"...Ugly..."
Well, that certainly sounds like Ellie.
Smiling wryly at her blunt honesty, I prompted Clarice to continue.
"But then we realized that no matter what someone looks like, you'd always treat them with complete sincerity, Mars. So we thought it would be best to have people who would truly love and support you, just like when we welcomed Ellie. Keeping that in mind, we started watching Karen and Misha."
It turned out the two of them had been observing Karen and Misha for quite some time. I could never thank Clarice enough, considering she always put me first.
"And what's the verdict?" I asked.
"Well... unfortunately, neither of them has any real flaws!" Clarice replied with a smile. "We can tell how deeply they both care about you, Mars. Karen is the second daughter of Ducal House Fressbald, and Misha has connections with Duchess Regan. So we decided the two of them would be great. Plus, you don't dislike hard workers, do you, Mars? They're cute and charming, after all."
It wouldn't be fair if I was the only one who didn't give an answer.
"Honestly, I like both of them, but it's a different kind of affection from what I feel for you and Ellie," I admitted. "I just haven't looked at them in that light before."
I gave them my completely honest answer.
"Thought so," Clarice teased. "You're pretty dense, after all."
"...Yeah... dense..."
Even if they called me dense, there was no way I could notice when I had zero memory of being popular in my past life. Not to brag, but I could barely remember exchanging words with any woman other than my mother back then.
And right then, a thought struck me.
If even I'm getting inundated like this, wouldn't the man hailed as the greatest masterpiece of Lister National academy be getting far more marriage proposals?
Since he happened to be standing nearby, I decided to ask him directly.
"Ike-niisan? Haven't any marriage proposals come in for you?"
After all, I had never heard a single word about his marriage prospects.
Clarice and Ellie both let out a quiet gasp, leaning in to hear Ike's answer.
"Me? I'm not nearly as handsome as you, Mars," Ike replied, brushing it off with a gentle smile.
He tried to laugh it off, but that was absurd. Ike was the coolest guy I had ever met, and everyone at Lister National academy knew just how popular he was.
Realizing he couldn't dodge the question, Ike finally gave in.
"I've heard talk that a few proposals have come in. Father even told me I ought to marry a certain person, but..."
Ike was being unusually hesitant with his words.
"Mars, it might not be my place to say this, but Karen and Misha are truly wonderful girls. Even having only watched them over the past month, their dedication during the Freshmen Tournament made that abundantly clear. If you don't dislike the idea, please consider their proposals with an open mind."
As the charismatic icon of Lister National academy was called over by other nobles, he pressed his hands together in an apologetic gesture and departed from our side.
Just then, Zeke, who had stepped down from the platform at some point, approached us with Karen and Misha in tow.
"S-So that's how it is... You'd better treat me well, got it?!" Karen stammered, her cheeks flushed bright red.
While Karen stood there blushing bashfully,
"I finally got to repay you, Mars! I'm looking forward to being with you!" Misha chirped, full of energy.
Misha overflowed with bright, boundless enthusiasm.
Repay me? What is she talking about? I wondered. But then I remembered how, four years ago in the town of Ganal, she had promised to give me something extra special... Don't tell me this is what she meant!
...
Karen stood behind Clarice and me while Misha took her spot behind Ellie and me. The two of them lightly tugged on the hem of my uniform, as Clarice took my right hand and Ellie squeezed my left.
"Oho!" As gasps of admiration echoed from the crowd around us, Zeke took us in from up front.
"I certainly never expected to be shown up like this by my own son."
He offered a warm smile, while Maria chimed in with, "My apologies for my son's behavior," though she looked quite proud of me all the same.
However, Zeke's trademark sternness quickly resurfaced.
"Let me make one thing clear to you all: I believe taking a third or fourth wife is still far too early for Mars! At this stage, we have merely received informal inquiries from Ducal House Fressbald and Baroness House Febrant. While we intend to move forward with marriage discussions in good faith, keep in mind that nothing is set in stone!"
In other words: don't let it go to your head, and keep honing your skills.
Ultimately, just as Zeke had decreed, any immediate marriage with Karen or Misha was put on hold.
Should I ever prove capable of taking more than two wives, however, Karen and Misha were promised top priority.
As the hour grew late and the nobles began returning to their inns, chairs were brought back out to replace the standing-buffet setup.
The moment we finally took our seats, Clarice let out a tired sigh.
"I'm really not good at these kinds of events. I feel completely worn out."
Small wonder, considering every man who had approached her had been ogling her with a goofy grin—Baron's father, Count Reinhardt, very much included.
"Clarice, the more famous Mars becomes, the more of these gatherings we'll have to endure. You'll just have to get used to it," Karen said smoothly.
Having undoubtedly attended countless social functions like this before, Karen didn't show even the slightest hint of fatigue.
"Exactly! Besides, talking with everyone is super fun!" Misha piped up.
Measuring an occasion purely by whether it was fun or not was classic Misha.
As we chatted among ourselves, a young girl suddenly appeared before us.
To my surprise, she climbed right into my lap as I sat there and declared,
"I finally get to be with Big Brother Mars!"
It was Lina, wrapping her arms around my neck in a tight hug.
The four girls could only watch in stunned silence.
However, something bracelet-like dug painfully into the back of my neck.
When I took a closer look, I realized it was something very familiar.
Wait, what? Why does Lina have a Concealment Bracelet?
Curious, I used Appraisal on her.
【 Name 】 Lina Bryant
【 Title 】 —
【 Race/Status 】 Human • Eldest Daughter of Count Bryant Family
【 Condition 】 Good
【 Age 】 9
【 Level 】 3
【 HP 】 20/20
【 MP 】 55/55
【 Strength 】 8 【 Agility 】 8
【 Magic 】 19 【 Dexterity 】 16
【 Endurance 】 7 【 Luck 】 10
【 Special Ability 】 Water Magic D (Lv 2/13)
【 Special Ability 】 Earth Magic E (Lv 1/11)
【 Special Ability 】 Holy Magic G (Lv 1/5)
She had actually learned Holy Magic!
So Lina possessed an acquired aptitude for Holy Magic all along!
Hiding my shock, I set Lina down in a chair and slipped out the back of the tavern to get a breath of fresh air.
A moment later, Zeke followed me outside.
"Mars, did you use Appraisal on Lina?"
"Yes. What are you planning to do about her?"
Zeke stroked his chin thoughtfully at my question.
"Mm... I am torn. Even if we enroll her in Lister National academy, you will already be fifteen by then. She would be safe while you are attending, but once you graduate..."
He had a point. But letting her potential wither away in Almeria wouldn't be right either.
"Then why not rely on Brother Ike after I graduate? By then, I am sure he will have made quite a name for himself as an adventurer or noble."
"Ah... That would likely be best... but as for Ike... No, it is nothing."
What was that about? Does Father harbor some anxiety or distrust toward Ike?
"Mars, do not speak a word of this to anyone for the time being. Do you understand me!?"
Zeke pressed the point with an almost terrifying intensity. Was he telling me not to mention it to Ike either?
"...Understood. But couldn't we at least tell Clarice? She could listen to Lina's worries, especially since there are bound to be struggles unique to Holy Magic users..."
"Hm... That is true. Very well. Tell Clarice, but only her. Lina would certainly feel comfortable confiding in Clarice."
With those parting words, Zeke returned to the banquet hall. So he really didn't want Ike to know. A faint pang of loneliness washed over me as I watched his retreating back.
"What's wrong? What are you doing out here?"
Worrying when I didn't come back inside, Clarice had stepped out to look for me.
When I quietly explained Lina's situation and the subtle tension between Father and Ike, making sure no one could overhear, Clarice gasped in shock.
"Lina's situation is one thing, but I really want to find a way to help Father and Brother Ike too... They're always doing so much for us."
After talking things over with Clarice for a while, we returned to the venue. Most of the guests had already departed for their inns, leaving only the S-Class members, Lorenz, and Sasha.
And everyone was currently engrossed in discussing party formations.
"I've already gotten approval from Dominic and Minerva. I was thinking of inviting Johann and Josef next, but what does everyone else think?"
It seemed Baron was putting together his own party.
"Hmm. Johann is easy enough to communicate with, but ever since the Kamaitachi incident, Josef hasn't really tried to socialize. Even today, he doesn't seem like much of a team player."
The objection came from Minerva.
"Still, those two are remarkably skilled combatants," Karen observed. "They're calm, unflappable, and clearly battle-tested... Setting sheer power aside, they carry an aura remarkably similar to Mars."
Right—everyone except me had witnessed the pair in action during the Dungeon Examination. Karen's point made sense.
"Well, our party aside, aren't you all more curious about Mars-kun's party?" Minerva chimed in. "It's Mars-kun, Clarice, Ellie, Lady Karen, and Misha, right? The balance is completely absurd."
We hadn't officially finalized anything, but somehow it was taken for granted that the five of us were teaming up.
"Huh? What's wrong with the balance? Ellie and Misha in the vanguard, Clarice and me in the midguard, and Karen in the rearguard. Sounds like an ideal formation to me."
Minerva laughed and shook her head at my response.
"I don't mean combat roles—I mean the gender ratio! You're the only guy with four girls, Mars-kun. And those four are top-tier beauties and drop-dead gorgeous girls. I've never seen or heard of such a harem party in my life. You'll get picked on by thugs the second you step into an Adventurers Guild."
She wasn't wrong. Just walking around with Clarice and Ellie had drawn unwanted trouble; adding Karen and Misha into the mix was bound to multiply the headaches exponentially.
"Then maybe we really should have Karen and Misha sit this out—"
I glanced over at Karen and Misha, only for both of them to erupt.
"Wh-what!? What are you saying!? Dropping us from heaven into hell like this is far too cruel!" Karen shrieked.
"Exactly! You have to take full responsibility and accept us, Mars! Returns are strictly non-refundable!" Misha declared.
Watching the pair panic had everyone—Sasha included—doubled over in laughter.
"Alright, jokes aside, what should we call our party? Also, I'm thinking of asking Karen to serve as leader. If I take the lead, things will probably get messy, but with Karen, nobody would dare mess with us."
After all, very few fools would be stupid enough to pick a fight with the second daughter of Ducal House Fressbald.
However, not a single person nodded in agreement with my proposal.
"Well... I understand where you're coming from, Mars, but since we've dedicated our hearts and souls to you, we really want you to be our leader. Not that we have anything against Karen, of course," Clarice said softly.
Everyone, Karen included, nodded in firm agreement with Clarice's words.
I suppose coming this far, there's no backing out now.
"Fair enough. I'll take the lead, then. Now, let's figure out a party name."
Apparently, while we were outside, they had brainstormed a shortlist of candidates. Unfortunately, the options were utterly atrocious.
【 Mars Love 】
【 Every Day Is a Battlefield 】
【 Crotch Crushers 】
They possessed a hopelessly terrible sense for names.
No self-respecting adventurer would ever want to join a party named 【 Every Day Is a Battlefield 】, and 【 Crotch Crushers 】 had undoubtedly been Ellie's idea. Only Ellie shared a close enough bond with Clarice to say something like that with a straight face.
"Do you have any better ideas, Mars?" Clarice asked, clutching her head in desperation.
She looked at me pleadingly for help.
"Hmm... Back when I thought it would just be Clarice, Ellie, and me, I was thinking about calling us the 【 Three Apex Stars 】."
"What does that mean?" Clarice leaned forward, her interest piqued.
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she waited for my explanation.
"Well, I just figured that since Clarice, Ellie, and I come from three different nations—the Kingdom of Barcus, the Kingdom of Zarcam, and the Lister Federation—and there were three of us, it fit nicely."
I assumed it was out of the question now that we were five, but Misha's reason for rejecting it was even worse than I expected.
"Hmm, putting numbers in the name might be trouble later," Misha chimed in. "I mean, Mars will probably get a fifth wife soon anyway, right? Then we'd just have to change the party name all over again!"
"There will NOT be any more for a long time!" Clarice immediately snapped.
She shot the idea down instantly, though saying "for a long time" implied it wasn't completely off the table... And Misha was already acting as if her position as a fiancée was set in stone.
Ellie insisted that we ought to include the word "Gold" in the title, but we still couldn't reach a consensus. Just as I was about to suggest calling it a night, Clarice had a sudden realization.
"Hey, what about Party: Dawn? Doesn't it feel like the dawn of a legend?"
Her eyes lit up as she proposed it.
"I love it!" Karen's eyes shone with excitement. "It captures the feeling of Mars's name gradually spreading across the realm!"
She nodded enthusiastically.
It really was a fantastic name. It carried the nuance of ushering in a brand-new era.
With our party name officially decided, the victory celebration finally came to a close.
—The Next Day
Leaving Roman first thing in the morning, we returned to Lister National academy, where Party: Dawn alone was summoned straight to the Headmistress's Office.
"I have heard from Sasha. Your party shall be known as Party: Dawn, and Mars shall serve as your leader—is that correct?" Duchess Regan asked.
When I gave my affirmation, she informed us that the academy would handle our official party registration.
"Even so, I never imagined you were such an accomplished Wind Magic user, Mars."
So she saw right through Wind Clad (Sylphid), after all. In fact, she undoubtedly noticed my chantless Wind Cutters as well.
I toyed with playing dumb for a moment, but against Duchess Regan—whose total mana and Wind Magic mastery far surpassed my own—I had zero confidence I could pull off a deception.
"Yes... As you say, I am indeed a Wind Magic user."
Satisfied by my honest confession, Duchess Regan offered a graceful smile.
"To think such a fascinating spell existed... Living a long life truly has its rewards."
With effortless grace, she manifested Wind Clad (Sylphid) right before our eyes.
"This spell is marvelous. Beyond boosting physical attributes, the dense currents afford substantial defensive protection. Its main drawbacks lie in the difficulty of maintaining concentration and its extreme complexity. Among our students, perhaps only Misha and Johann possess the requisite talent to attempt it..."
Having analyzed the magic on the spot, Duchess Regan turned her gaze toward Misha.
"I've been trying hard too, but it just doesn't feel right..." Misha muttered.
As she rested her right hand on her hip, Clarice discreetly reached out and grabbed Misha's wrist.
Nice catch, Clarice. The last thing we needed was Misha unleashing runaway propulsion magic inside the Headmistress's Office.
"Now then, I have a question for you all. Which do you prefer—the mountains or the sea?"
We exchanged puzzled glances at the sudden query.
"Er... I suppose I prefer the sea," I offered.
"I prefer the sea as well," Clarice agreed.
"...Wherever Mars goes..."
"I am not much of a swimmer, but... the sea," Karen admitted softly.
"Whichever one is more fun!" Misha beamed.
Setting aside Ellie's and Misha's non-answers, the consensus was clearly the ocean.
Duchess Regan handed me a sheet of parchment.
"What is this...?"
"It is a request form for a Designated Quest," Duchess Regan explained. "Nobles who witnessed your spectacular victory yesterday are clamoring to forge connections with you all, and have flooded my office with formal petitions."
Huh... So this is the Designated Quest Ike was telling me about.
Glancing at the details, the request cited recent monster sightings off the coast and requested a subjugation party.
"You need not concern yourselves with the specific details of the mission. The client, Marquis San Marina, merely seeks to establish rapport with your party and host you in Resort City San Marina."
Asking whether we preferred the mountains or the sea, receiving our answer, and handing us an ocean-related task... Could the destination of this Designated Quest be...?
"Yay!!! San Marina! It's been ages since we went to the ocean!" Misha cheered in delight.
Her excitement exploded. So it really was a seaside trip!
"Party: Dawn will not be traveling alone, however. Naturally, Baron, Dominic, and Minerva shall attend, alongside the entirety of the first-year class and faculty members."
Wait, what? Is it really alright to travel with such a massive group?
My anxiety was unwarranted; yesterday's Freshmen Tournament had brought in donations far beyond our wildest expectations. Local lords along the route had offered to accommodate the students, while Marquis San Marina himself had volunteered to cover all expenses during our stay.
It showed just how thrilled everyone was with the tournament's outcome.
"Our departure is set for one month from today. Pray ensure your preparations are complete by then. The journey will last approximately two months in total from departure to return. Detailed schedules and guidelines shall be provided in due course. I shall instruct the faculty to notify the student body tomorrow, though you may inform your fellow first-years today should you cross paths. I leave the matter in your hands."
"Understood, Your Grace."
We bowed in unison and took our leave of the Headmistress's Office.
"The ocean, huh? I can't wait!" Misha squealed excitedly.
She was practically bouncing off the walls.
"Yeah. I'm going to go break the news to Gon and Carl, and thank them for cheering us on yesterday!"
"Then I'll come with you," Clarice offered.
"...Me too..."
"Why don't we just visit every single class while we're at it?" Karen suggested.
"I'm in! Let's all go together!" Misha agreed readily.
Our hearts beat with eager anticipation for the upcoming Designated Quest to San Marina just one month away.
Yet, on the very eve of our departure, Johann and Josef vanished without a trace—
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