I spun on the spot, reversing our positions. Lightly, I placed my left hand against Hakurei’s neck. Her ponytail waved with the movement, as did its ribbon. Her sword was embedded into the stone of the ramparts.
Cold sweat poured down my face, but I managed a casual-sounding “Cool, I won again today. Are you not going to put on the floral ornament I sent you from the city?”
For a long time, Hakurei didn’t say anything. “I will,” she finally offered. “I’ve stored it away...” Her last words were muttered: “I wasn’t able to make him draw his weapon yet again.”
She had been in such a good mood earlier, but as she pulled her sword from the wall and sheathed it, nodding at my words, she seemed miffed. I turned my attention towards the young captain, who was staring at us with his mouth open. With a look, I signaled for him to do his job—this was apparently his first time seeing one of our mock battles.
Though his reaction was delayed, the arbitrator raised his left hand and, in a squeaky voice, yelled, “L-Lord Sekiei is the winner!”
The soldiers raised their voices in an excited roar and murmurs erupted from around the practice grounds.
“I knew you’d be able to do it, young master!”
“I can’t believe Lady Hakurei lost...”
“Um, Captain, why does Lord Sekiei want to work as a civil official?”
“Becoming one is his childhood dream. I’m sure he’ll give up on it soon.”
“If we have those two and General Chou on our side, then there’s nothing to fear from Gen!”
Ahh... I messed up again. If I wanted to become a civil official, then there was no need to win this match. Maybe I really was an idiot. Unsure of how I should feel, I looked down at Hakurei’s head.
“I sent you a hair ribbon from the city as well, didn’t I? It was a white-and-blue one that looked like it’d suit you. You wrote me a letter to tell me that you received the floral ornament, but did you not get the hair ribbon?”
“I did. It’s just that Keiyou is quite dusty during this season and I...I didn’t want it to get dirty...”
“Hmm?”
I couldn’t really hear her words as she trailed off and blinked at her in confusion.
“It’s nothing,” Hakurei finally added. “In any case, yes, I received the hair ribbon.” She crossed her arms and turned away from me, managing to look both miffed and maybe pleased at the same time.
Women are an enigma... I never understood them, even in my past life. I sighed.
“Silence!” Raigen’s severe voice rang out over the spacious practice grounds. In an instant, everyone stopped speaking and straightened their backs. The veteran general looked over the soldiers and then grinned.
“You’ve all witnessed Lady Hakurei and Lord Sekiei’s skills, yes? The Twin Stars of the current generation fight for us—for Ei! In due time we shall surely conquer the north, and when that time comes, it shall be us, the Chou army, who will stand at the vanguard! Everyone, train hard so you don’t hold them back!”
All of the soldiers raised their arms in salute. “Yes, General Raigen!”
I expected nothing less from Raigen and his years of experience. But, uh, I plan on being a civil official, not a military one, so it’s no matter to me...
A slender arm reached out to me and grabbed the collar of my uniform.
“Hm? Hakurei?”
“Your clothes are rumpled. Please get it together. You are a member of the Chou family, after all.” Hakurei’s voice was as calm as it always was, and there was no hint of anxiety in her blue eyes. In my opinion, she was the one who should get it together and care a little more about what she was doing. I was a healthy sixteen-year-old boy, and I could feel my heart start to beat faster at her proximity.
Will whomever she marries have to deal with her doing this every day in public? Surely, he’d die of a heart attack before reaching old age.
Even as I sympathized with my future brother-in-law, I changed the subject. “Uh... I can take a break later, right? I want to read my history book.”
“A book on the decline of the short-lived Tou Empire, the first country to unify all the provinces under a single flag? Did you purchase it in the city?”
“No way,” I said, “it’s too expensive for me. I managed to convince Meirin to let me borrow it from her. You remember her from my letters, right? I happened to rescue her when she was attacked by some pirates and...er, Lady Hakurei?”
The moment I mentioned Meirin—the daughter of a great merchant who helped me out during my time in the city—I felt the air grow tense. Gramps Raigen had been on his way to us, but he must’ve sensed the change in atmosphere as well, because he was quick to walk away. Hakurei’s hand on my collar tightened and she stared at me with eyes as cold as a blizzard. A chill ran down my spine.
“Yes,” she said. “I know. It was the story of how you had your first battle before I did, fought in a place I couldn’t have reached, wasn’t it? Now then, your break is over. It’s time to practice archery and after that, equestrianism.”
“Huh? No, I...”
“‘Yes.’ That’s the only answer you can give. Isn’t that right, Mister Freeloader, who broke his promise and only sent a single letter per month?”
I swallowed a strangled sound; she’d hit me right where it hurt. I looked around for someone to save me, but all of the soldiers were grinning at us and I was alone behind enemy lines. With a sigh, I held up my hands and closed my eyes. “Fine, fine. I just gotta go train with you, right?”
“You should have said that from the start. Let’s go.”
Too bad she didn’t let go of me. “D-Don’t drag me by my collar!” I followed along next to Hakurei, listening to the generals laughing at me. After a moment I added, trying to be casual, “Make sure you wear the hair ribbon and the floral ornament!”
There was a long pause before Hakurei answered. “When the time comes, I will. I swear it.”
“All right.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Despite how cool her tone was, I could hear a bit of shyness behind her words.
The warm spring breeze blew, ruffling my black hair and Hakurei’s silver strands.