“The Wickedest Couple”

<Ester Appleberry Side>

” “Doooooryaaaaaa!!!” “

────GOSHA!

…A poignant sound of a fist, an O-Punch, sinking into a face echoed through the dungeon.

It was as if a rose that had bloomed majestically had suddenly fallen to the ground.

Ah… elegantly fleeting, blood-pumping and flesh-dancing, the end of such a moment…

Truly, all things are impermanent, are they not?

“Gah… ah…!”

Carol’s <Physical Enhancement> magic wore off, and he collapsed to the ground from his knees.

“Th… That was a good <Hard Fist>… I can’t stand anymore…”

“<GG>, as they say.”

“<Yeah>… My loss…”

After our O-Taiman—our one-on-one fight—his entire body was in tatters.

His face was covered in bruises; I doubt even a well-used punching bag would be this beaten up.

But… I feel he has become a bit more of a handsome man than when we first met.

“Indeed. Then, I shall take my leave.”

“…? Ain’t ya gonna deliver the <Execution Finisher>?”

“For a ‘Young Lady,’ true <O-Power> is loveliness and elegance… A bird does not muddy the water as it flies away—I am not so unrefined as to rain on the parade of a settled <Brawl>.”

I declared this flatly.

—Mm, nailed it!

This is exactly the Young Lady I aspire to be!

Ester Appleberry shall depart elegantly!

Thinking this, I turned my back to Carol and began to walk away, but—

“…………Heh, wait a sec.”

Staggering unsteadily, Carol stood up.

“You really are <Cool>, you know. ‘Respect’… that’s a word that oughta be dedicated to someone like you.”

As if squeezing out the last of his strength, he straightened his two legs and stood firm upon the earth.

“But y’know… Since Joshua entrusted this route to me, I can’t just go home saying ‘Yes sir, okay sir’ after being shown mercy! I’ve got my own <Outlaw’s Pride> too!”

“You…”

“If you understand my <Heart>, you bastard—then settle this properly and deliver the <Finisher>!”

…………

…Yes, yes.

I understand. I understand perfectly.

That righteous spirit to put your body on the line for a <Buddy>.

You, too, possess a “Maiden” within your heart.

I shall acknowledge it.

Carol Pahuins, you are also a splendid “Young Lady”—

In that case, as a fellow “Young Lady,” there is only one thing I can do for you.

“…Very well. Please accept this.”

Grit. I clenched my right fist tight.

And then—with full power imbued with my “Heart,” I punched Carol with everything I had.

▲ ▲ ▲

<Willem Barrow Side>

“Rowen Sterajian-kun, dead! Elfriede Schwarz-san, dead!”

“Peroni Garçon-san, dead! Carol Pahuins-kun, dead! Class F remaining: nine! Class C—remaining: two!”

Instructor Paula shouted with truly crisp articulation.

Seeing the exam progress displayed on the magic projection screen before my eyes along with her words, I—no, most of the nobles present here were dumbfounded.

Because the scene entering our eyes was just… just too hard to believe.

—Ah, no.

There is one person accepting this spectacle straightforwardly.

“Giggle… Whatever are you so surprised about, Father?”

My daughter Olivia, sitting in the adjacent seat, spoke with a truly boastful look on her face.

“Did I not say so at the beginning? That in this exam, Class F would win 100%.”

“…The exam is not over yet.”

“Are you saying Class C can turn it around from here?”

“…”

“Surely a wise man like you, Father, has realized it by now? That this spectacle was not accidental, but inevitable.”

…I do not believe Class C’s movements, or their original strategy, were shallow or careless.

Considering that the condition for victory was the “Capture of the Flag” and not the annihilation of the opponent, dispersing their forces is understandable.

Wait, rather than taking the risk of being surrounded and annihilated by moving as a group, the success rate of the operation increases significantly this way.

Sacrificing one person as a diversion at the start was not bad either.

With a small number of pawns, in sudden combat, instantaneous judgment is required—.

In such a situation, Joshua tried to secure a perfect victory.

He likely intended to show it to me.

The sight of Class C trampling Class F completely.

Not moving the two people, including himself, from their own base was likely not due to arrogance.

It was because he thought that if he didn’t win with that much margin, Willem Barrow would never acknowledge him.

In fact, I certainly expected a “complete victory” from him.

Against a class led by that “Lowest, Worst Baron,” anything less would be out of the question… or so I thought.

…However, Joshua’s calculations backfired in the worst possible way.

Everything. In every aspect, Class F surpassed Class C.

Strategy formulation, coordination between students, individual combat ability—and unity.

Ideal.

Class F is an ideal team of the elite few.

Clearly, every single student is moving toward “one goal” with body and soul.

But I cannot believe that is for the superficial result of victory.

Why can they create such a cohesive organization?

For that “Lowest, Worst Baron”—why—

“Father… right now, you must be thinking this in your heart. ‘Is that Baron Odrant truly the Baron Odrant I know?’ —Correct?”

“…”

“I thought the same thing when I first met him. That he was far too different from the rumors. However, one’s essence eventually manifests as ‘form’.”

“Are you saying Baron Alban Odrant is a wise ruler with innate talent?”

“No, rather than a wise ruler, he is likely a ‘Tyrant.’ Besides, everyone in Class F is not moving solely for Baron Odrant.”

—Olivia, why do you have that look in your eyes?

As if—watching over “hope.”

“Those children are united for the sake of the ‘bond’ between Baron Odrant and Letitia. For that irreplaceable love known as the bond of husband and wife.”

“Olivia…”

“You too, Father, must have felt it once. The love of a married couple with Mother, who has now passed on.”

“…………Such ancient history… I have already forgotten it.”

“Is that so? Then, those two shall remind you.”

Olivia, who had been glancing at me, returned her gaze to the magic projection screen, and said,

“…Especially Letitia. She should be dedicating a flawless, ‘ideal conclusion’ to you, Father.”

▲ ▲ ▲

<Joshua Ryduan Side>

—Teacher Paula’s voice echoed through the dungeon.

Her bright, crisp voice, which felt almost chilling, informed us of the death judgment of six of my classmates.

“…………You’re kidding, right?”

Next to me, Martin muttered.

Wearing an expression of disbelief, of impossibility.

“Why…! How could they be defeated so easily…!”

“…I see. So villains are destined to be exterminated in the end—is that it?”

In contrast to Martin, who was fiercely shaken, I inadvertently let a smile spill from my lips.

I had a touch of anxiety.

Perhaps—

But, if it’s those two—

Every time such thoughts crossed my mind, I deceived my own heart.

Let’s believe in Class C, in all my classmates.

I told myself that.

Besides Baron Odrant and Lady Letitia being exceptions, Class C members surely couldn’t be inferior to the other Class F members—

Because until this very day, I had trained them personally.

However—what colossal conceit that was.

“We were the inferior ones. It’s just that every single member of Class F was stronger than all of us—that’s all there is to it.”

“H-Hey Joshua…”

“But not yet. It isn’t over yet.”

—The outcome of the exam has been decided.

But the battle is not over.

“We still remain. Isn’t that right, Martin?”

“! …Ah, right, that’s right!”

Both Martin and I were born into the station of “Knights.”

Though there is a difference between Noble Knights and Career Knights, possessing the same pride and ambition does not change.

Then, the action we should take is not surrender.

It is to “seek life within death.”

“…We two knights shall now sally forth. Objective: the enemy camp, capture of the flag—Let us struggle until the bitter end.”

A charge against the enemy camp.

For a knight, there is no greater honor.

Though it would have been perfect if we had warhorses.

Besides—you think it’s not over yet either, don’t you?

Hey, Baron Odrant.

Because the settlement between you and me—has not yet been reached.

Together with Martin, I began the march toward the flag guarded by Class F.

Just the two of us, playing the sound of defeated army boots.

But—it happened just as we started to move.

“—Oi, where do you think you’re going?”

As if arranged beforehand—that voice stood in our way.

▲ ▲ ▲

“And here I came all the way out here for you. Searching for you after passing each other would be a pain, you see.”

“! Baron Odrant…!”

Joshua looked genuinely surprised upon seeing my face.

Is it really that unexpected?

That the “King” would march into the enemy camp where the “King” resides.

For me, it actually saves the trouble and makes things easier.

“…I am happy, that you would come to meet me yourself.”

“If I didn’t go to meet you, you would have come to meet me anyway. Besides, this battle was originally a fight between me and you.”

—Ah, that’s right.

It turned into a grand event of Class F versus Class C, but originally, this was a dispute between me and you.

A conflict between Alban Odrant and Joshua Ryduan over Letitia.

The midterm exam is nothing but a facade, a demonstration to show Duke Barrow.

In the end, you and I have to settle this.

One on one, sword against sword, face to face, deciding the winner and loser.

Otherwise, you wouldn’t really be satisfied, would you?

No, you couldn’t be.

Neither me, nor you.

“…………You’re right. Certainly, this is a battle between men over a single woman. In that case—”

“Ah, wait a sec.”

“?”

“If the most important ‘witness’ isn’t here, it won’t feel right. …Right, Letitia?”

“Yes—I shall witness the battle between you two firmly with my own eyes.”

From behind came the voice of my princess.

—Letitia Odrant.

My wife, the only woman I love, and my most important person.

She appeared majestically, accompanied by her guard knight, Leonil.

“—! Lady Letitia…!? Weren’t you protecting the flag inside your own camp…!?!”

“Oh my, so you assumed that after all. That ‘Alban treasures me so much he wouldn’t move me from the flag’s side’—that ‘I must have been entrusted with the lookout role’.”

She walked up to my side and said,

“Unfortunately. Immediately after the exam started, I headed with Leonil to your camp—in other words, right here. Since then, up until this very moment, the two of us have been hiding.”

“…! T-Then, are you saying you were right beside us the entire time…?”

“That is correct. Leonil and I were simply waiting within your reach. Without doing a single thing.”

“In other words, we, Class F, were effectively protecting the flag with ‘eight people.’ A state of being one person fewer than you lot in Class C.”

Winning a battle with more people than the opponent isn’t interesting at all.

Besides, Duke Barrow wouldn’t acknowledge that, would he?

I can’t stand being told “You only won because you had more people.”

That’s why Letitia, in order to show off to Duke Barrow, anticipated Joshua’s strategy and thought up an “ideal way to win.”

—First, intentionally fight with fewer numbers.

Or rather, win against Class C while daring to have “personnel who do not fight at all.”

To appeal that we achieved a victory that was completely effortless and total.

“Good work to you too, Leo. Thanks for protecting my wife Letitia.”

“No thanks needed. If becoming the sword of the ‘King’ is the role of the ‘Knight,’ then protecting the ‘Queen’ is also the role of the ‘Knight’.”

Leonil said with a smile.

…Actually, we debated a hell of a lot over who should be the “do-nothing role” as Letitia’s guard.

Really, we debated suuuuper hard.

Honestly speaking, I wanted to take that role and be with Letitia, but she scolded me saying “That’s no good.”

Because we had to perform even a little to show Duke Barrow that “Baron Odrant is different from the rumors.”

Initially, Letitia said “Wouldn’t Shanoa be good?”, but I firmly refused.

It’s not that Shanoa is bad, but considering the one-in-a-million chance, I was anxious unless it was someone with the strength to protect her alone.

I want you to understand a husband’s feelings of worrying about his wife.

Husbands are always worrying about their wives, you know?

Really, seriously. From the bottom of my heart, seriously.

…So, as a result of our discussion, it was decided: “Then let’s go with Leonil.”

That made me anxious in its own way, but given Leo’s skill, he gets full marks as a bodyguard…

Plus, the fact that the second strongest person in Class F did nothing also serves as an appeal…

Well, since he protected Letitia properly like this, I have no complaints.

For now, all’s well that ends well—something like that.

—Next, the second point. Make me, Alban, and Joshua fight one-on-one without fail.

And in a situation witnessed by Letitia.

Losing one-on-one in front of the woman we are fighting over must not happen.

That involves one’s honor.

“Which one is suitable to be her husband?”

To decide that, there is no simpler method than this.

Besides, if Joshua loses in a situation set up this perfectly, even Duke Barrow will have no choice but to revise his thinking.

Well, in the end, it comes down to brute strength.

Joshua, making a face that said he was astonished from the bottom of his heart, said,

“…Don’t tell me you predicted everything from the start… taking even this situation into account…?”

“Everything going this perfectly is only because everyone in Class F worked hard. But—”

Softly, Letitia leaned against me.

“There is nothing impossible for us, the ‘Wickedest Couple.’ If I am with my husband Alban, we can overcome any hardship perfectly—We simply proved that.”

Letitia displayed a smile that was cute, beautiful, and yet fearless.

Seeing her like that, I also raised the corner of my mouth and grinned like a villain.

Seeing us as a couple, Joshua,

“…………Haha, ha… Truly, I feel like I might die of jealousy, looking at you two…”

He said something like that, muttering quietly.

That figure looked as if his spirit had broken somewhere, but—

“…Draw it, Joshua. You’re still gonna fight, aren’t you?”

“—Of course. This Joshua Ryduan shall not give up until the very end.”

He drew the sword from the scabbard at his waist.

I did, and so did Joshua.

“Martin, stand back.”

“A-Ah…”

The man who seemed to be his confidant stepped back.

—Joshua and I held our swords ready, facing each other as Letitia watched.

” “…” “

Silence.

Just a brief moment.

And then—we kicked off the ground at the exact same timing.

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