Arc-7 Ch-33
151
Chapter
Excitement
2026
“What?”
“You were the one who told Father you'd accompany him. I was planning to say it myself originally.”
While talking to my twin brother, who was the same age as me, I loaded bullets into the spare magazine one by one.
For ordinary adventures or dungeon exploration, people usually packed spare clothes, food, drinking water, and similar things into their backpacks. But what we were doing this time was invading and occupying a dungeon, which meant combat was the main focus, so the necessary items were completely different.
We only needed the bare minimum of food and water. Medical supplies like ointments and pills couldn't be forgotten.
Instead of clothing and cooking utensils, we carried a ridiculous amount of weapons, ammunition, and explosives.
If I mishandled any of these, I'd definitely go straight to the underworld. My body probably wouldn't even leave any pieces behind.
Whenever we handled dangerous equipment, the feudal army instructors and the Royal Academy teachers always warned us to be careful. Even so, I'd been continuing my conversation with Lionel the entire time.
Maybe it was because both my mind and body were strangely excited about my first real battle. Or maybe I was desperately trying to hide the terror of possibly dying.
“If I'd been the one to tell Father I wanted to accompany him, there probably wouldn't have been much complaint.”
“No, if a daughter of the Earl family was about to be put in danger, any normal parent would stop her.”
“That’s exactly why adults think girls should just have tea parties with their friends. That's also why female students bring porters along to adventure classes. Someone should ask Saint-sama to punch them for that.”
I paused stuffing items into my backpack and checked how it felt for a moment.
If the center of gravity of the load was off, the backpack would dig into your body and hurt while you carried it. Because of that, new recruits who had just joined the Bartfort feudal army were always taught the proper way to pack their gear.
This time combat was the priority and we would be using bullets. Father and the sergeant said the load would gradually get lighter. Even so, it was better to be prepared just in case.
When I slowly lifted the backpack onto my shoulders, it felt like my own weight had doubled. I'd once heard that the backpacks soldiers carried during marches weighed as much as a small child.
There probably weren't many noble young ladies who could carry something like this. Among the students at the Royal Academy, it was probably only me.
“Father agreed, but Mother was angry. She said, ‘Why does Ariel have to be like this?’”
“My bad, but I'm worried about Mother in my own way.”
“Aren't you secretly thinking, ‘Now that Mother has become small, I can do whatever I want!’?”
“…I'M NOT THINKING THAT AT ALL. THAT'S COMPLETELY OFF THE MARK.”
“I think Ariel should get better at lying.”
“Shut up. Anyway, I just hate it. The empty pleasantries and flattery people at tea parties and evening gatherings throw around without meaning even a fragment of it in their hearts.”
“So that's why you're doing something this reckless?”
“If I achieve some merit, Mother's complaints should decrease, right? After all, the Bartfort earl family rose through military achievements.”
Since I was little, Mother had constantly lectured me with things like “Be more ladylike” and “Behave in a way appropriate for a Earl’s daughter.”
But even when people told me that, it never really clicked, so there wasn't much I could do about it.
Of course I knew most girls were physically weaker than boys. But there were definitely girls who were stronger than boys too.
Ever since childhood, my body had been sturdier than my twin brother Lionel’s. I'd never suffered any serious illness, and in the Bartfort territory I wasn't known as the lord's daughter. I was known as the boss of the neighborhood kids.
It wasn't like I preferred girls over boys or anything like that, and I at least had enough common sense not to cause trouble for others.
[T/N- Nooo it's totally okay to like girls, Atleast better than that incest sh!t Lionel have , and possibly your future romantic plotline. Well I am not pushing for gl I just prettttty grossed out with the other possible alternative.]
I was simply a rare girl who preferred adventure games over playing house.
To put it simply, if they'd let me make a living doing what I was good at, I'd behave properly both at home and at the academy.
Unlike my brother Lionel, who was treated as the heir, and unlike my younger sisters Roxanne and Melanie, who possessed the proper manners and specialized knowledge expected of young ladies.
My ideal was Saint Olivia-sama. Even so, if I entered the temple, I could already picture the future where they'd immediately say I had no aptitude and send me back home.
In short, instead of becoming a pawn in a political marriage, I wanted them to let me become an adventurer or a soldier.
If Father and Mother approved, I'd behave myself until I graduated from the academy. And if someone flexible enough appeared, I'd sign the engagement certificate right this moment.
“First of all, Father is overprotective toward his own children. It's amazing he managed to serve as an advisor to the kingdom army with that personality.”
“Don't speak too badly about Father. It just means he's worried about us.”
“But while saying things like ‘Whether noble or commoner, capable people should be given positions suited to their ability,’ he still stops his own daughter from becoming an adventurer or a soldier. Isn't that typical two-faced behavior from a court noble?”
“It can't be helped. Girls like Ariel who can easily lift such a heavy backpack are rare. Especially young ladies who've never held anything except pens and utensils.”
“You think my head is worse than yours, don't you? Muscles don't get strong unless you train them deliberately. Besides spending time with friends, I also go to the academy club to train.”
“Please stop. The complaints from the guys who lost to Ariel end up coming to me, and if bad rumors spread, your marriage prospects will disappear.”
“I don't want a man who can't beat me and then runs to Father and Mother to tattle about it.”
If they were frustrated about losing, they should've used their heads or trained their bodies and challenged me again.
Their personalities were rotten. When they couldn't win, instead of thinking about making an effort, the first idea that came to mind was badmouthing someone behind their back.
Why was it that at the Royal Academy the difference between those who could do things and those who couldn't was so extreme?
Still, the male students were better. When it came to the female students, their lack of motivation was on an entirely different level.
Seeing female students flirt with male students just to make them carry their luggage during adventure-related practicals, or hire porters to handle everything outside of class, gave me a headache.
If you were weaker in strength, at least show some spirit!!
It made my head hurt whenever I saw them chatting at tea parties about “women’s social advancement” or “improving male-dominated society” without showing any real determination or even the slightest genuine gratitude.
I’d heard that the Royal Academy had been even worse back when Mother and Aunt Dorothea attended, but I wondered how someone like Olivia-sama managed to gain recognition in such an environment.
“I thought that once Olivia-sama became the Saint, female lords and female knights would gradually become more active throughout the kingdom…”
“You’ve got the order wrong. Female lords were only recognized as a temporary measure to protect widows and orphans who’d lost their husbands or fathers in the war. After more than ten years had passed since the war ended, it was only natural that public opinion shifted back to the idea that male lords and knights were better after all.”
“That’s exactly why there were hardly any young women trying to become soldiers or knights. All those female lords were just for show! And female adventurers got called vixens who used their feminine charms to snatch the scraps left behind by men!”
Even though they claimed to be raising the next generation of guardians for the Holfort Kingdom, the kingdom army wouldn’t even grant an interview if the applicant was a woman.
It was all because that generation of women only cared about gossip and luxury while pushing female supremacy. They loudly complained about everything but never took any real action.
In the present era, aiming to become the next Saint at the temple was actually considered one of the better options. Most girls simply lamented that they could no longer live luxurious lives now that the female-supremacy policies had been abolished.
It felt terribly unfair that girls who had genuine motivation but weren’t recognized by those around them and spent their days feeling depressed were treated exactly the same as those who had nothing they wanted to pursue and simply lived lazily.
“This is a good opportunity. If I help Father during this incident and restore Mother to normal, surely there won’t be any more complaints.”
“Using Mother’s condition as part of your plans for the future makes you a terrible daughter…”
“Shut up! Then why are you accompanying Father?”
“It’s similar to you, Ariel. I also want to become stronger.”
“You’re going to become the lord, so strength should only be secondary. I need to prove my own strength, but you’re smart, so even if you’re weak you won’t have any problems, right?”
“…Things can’t stay the way they are now.”
The determination in Lionel’s eyes as he answered was strong. Ever since the time we were still in Mother’s belly, I’d known that once he reached this state, he wouldn’t bend no matter how much he was lectured or even hit.
This guy was weaker than me in fights, but he was the kind of man who absolutely refused to admit defeat.
Even when he knew he couldn’t win, he would cling stubbornly and keep fighting until the opponent eventually gave up from exhaustion.
He had always been someone I could beat with brute force, yet he ranked at the very top of the list of people I never wanted to fight.
If he kept clinging on, more and more people gathered around as time passed, and Lionel would gain their support. Most people preferred someone who desperately tried their best over someone who was strong but arrogant.
“I’m Father’s son. I’m the son of Leon Fou Bartfort. If I’m weak, no one will acknowledge me.”
“That’s not true. At least your reputation is better than mine. I’m crossing a dangerous bridge because I want to fulfill my own wishes, but for you, Lionel, there shouldn’t be any problem becoming the lord even as you are now.”
“Father became a lord noble through military achievements. If his son is weak, I’ll be compared forever. For nobles to survive, we can’t allow our ancestors’ honor to be tarnished.”
“But Father says our ancestors spent ages without titles, basically as half-knights or commoners. On the contrary, life actually became harder after they became barons. That’s what we heard from Grandfather and Grandmother’s stories about their hardships.”
“That’s exactly why I have to work hard so we won’t be called upstarts.”
“…Honestly, just make sure you don’t do anything too reckless. I don’t want Theresia blaming me for failing to protect my twin brother.”
“She’s misunderstanding things because she was made my fiancée from the moment she was born. There are plenty of more suitable partners out there in the world.”
That comment really made me want to punch this foolish brother of mine straight in the head.
He didn’t understand at all why Theresia adored him so much just because their engagement had been decided by our parents. He also didn’t understand why female students at the Royal Academy kept begging me to introduce them to him.
Our appearance resembled the Redgrave family more than the Bartfort family, so people often said we looked more like Mother or Uncle Gilbert.
As long as someone had decent looks, they attracted attention from the opposite sex at first. The boys who got to know my personality either ran away, turned hostile, or stubbornly kept challenging me.
Lionel was too serious and gloomy, so conversations with him never flowed smoothly. Even when he was surrounded by girls his age at tea parties, he earnestly explained predicted question trends based on past exams.
The women who left the room carrying textbooks and notes had eyes like dead fish, you know? If you’re going to talk about such profitable topics, you should actively include me too.
“Even so, it doesn’t have to be today, does it?”
“If I don’t do it on the very day I made up my mind, I know I’ll just keep putting it off. If I overlook this incident, I’ll end up making excuses and running away forever after that.”
“I don’t think anyone who was there would call you a coward just because you were the first one to say you wanted to accompany Father.”
“I’m just cornering myself. Even now, part of me regrets it and keeps wondering if this was really the right choice.”
“Stop deliberately putting yourself through hardships like that. You’ll age faster.”
Lionel had low self-esteem. He’d been like that since we were children.
He was definitely outstanding compared to others his age, but his humility went beyond modesty and turned into self-deprecation, which was honestly annoying and exhausting.
He could perform better than average in both academics and sports, yet he deliberately compared himself to the absolute best and fell into depression.
And it was obvious from his behavior that the person he compared himself to the most was Father. He thought no one had noticed, but the perceptive members of the family had known for a long time.
He firmly believed that if he didn’t achieve more than Father had at the same age, he had no value. Why did he deliberately choosing to live in such a difficult way?
Our genders must have been switched back when we were still in Mother’s belly.
If Lionel had been born a girl, he surely would have grown up just like Mother, a traditional, high-achieving, model noble lady.
And if I had been born a boy, I could have become a knight or a soldier. Since I’m clearly not suited to be the lord, I would’ve made Leah the heir and lived however I pleased.
For twins to possess talents and desires that were complete opposites, God must either be incredibly spiteful or terribly careless.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
While I was absorbed in conversation with Lionel, I heard knocking at the door.
I had been so caught up talking that I completely forgot I was still in the middle of packing my bag. I hurriedly stuffed the spare heavy firearms and magazines into my backpack.
When the door opened, the person who appeared was a tiny Mother staring up at me with a stern expression. Being glared at by those sharp eyes awakened memories that had been carved into my body since early childhood, and I couldn’t bring myself to act tough.
She was smaller than me even though I was fifteen, and she looked about ten years old. Even so, wasn’t she radiating some sort of invisible pressure or aura from her body?
Compared to this Mother, no matter how ladylike Roxanne and Melanie acted or how much knowledge they showed, it really drove home the fact that they were simply ordinary girls their own age.
“…What do you need, Mother?”
“Don’t be so guarded. I’m not here to stop you at this point.”
“Really? Your face says otherwise.”
“I’ve already been persuaded this much by Leon.”
He must have argued with her quite fiercely.
Still, the fact that she had come to accept us going with Father meant she had truly been convinced.
Despite all her complaints, Mother could never refuse when Father asked something of her. Why a talented woman like Mother had fallen for Father’s easygoing personality had always been one of the great mysteries of the Bartfort family.
Mother-sama looked at my backpack, approached it, and tried to pick it up.
She seemed to put quite a bit of strength into it, but the backpack didn’t even lift off the desk.
Its size and weight were completely different from a normal adventure backpack. She probably wouldn’t be able to lift it unless she had the strength to carry our youngest brother Dylan on her back.
Mother, who hated giving up, shook her body several times while trying to lift it, but it was useless. What exactly had she come here for?
“Damn it. It really is impossible.”
“You can tell that just by looking, can’t you? At your current size, Mother, you’d collapse before even leaving the house if you tried to carry it.”
“Please don’t push yourself. I’ll do my best not to become a burden to Father.”
I helped Mother-sama up after she fell over like a turtle that couldn’t right itself. She staggered slightly before straightening her posture again.
She had such an imposing presence, yet her movements were adorable. What even is this? This must be how she charmed Father, which explains why our family ended up with so many children. Mother is incredibly cunning.
“In the previous war, I couldn’t even see Leon off when he left for the battlefield. And now I find myself having to see off both my son and daughter as they head into battle. It seems I really am a useless woman when it truly matters.”
“No one thinks that at all.”
“To think I’d be comforted by the very children I gave birth to… I never imagined a day like this would come until the time you inherited the family headship and we retired.”
“So in the end, you came here because you still had more complaints?”
“That’s not it. I have something to give you.”
Mother took out a cloth-wrapped package from the bosom of her adorable dress. She slowly unfolded the white fabric, revealing an ornament made of processed metal and ore.
I remembered seeing it many times when she was with Father. For something a countess wore, it looked quite plain and old. Even I, who knew very little about such things, could tell it had almost no monetary value.
“You should take this with you. Some form of divine protection will surely safeguard you both.”
“Ah, I’ve seen this many times before.”
“What exactly is it?”
“It was before Leah was even born. Leon had it specially made as a charm to pray for my safe delivery.”
“…Normally a charm for safe childbirth doesn’t look like this.”
“That’s true.”
“Don’t underestimate it! It’s true that it was made for safe childbirth, but its effect is real! My magic was even boosted through attribute enhancement!”
“Why would a charm meant for safe childbirth have that kind of protection attached…”
“Probably because Leon made a large donation to the temple, so they put in extra effort.”
“Our parents flirting right before we depart… Could we save that kind of conversation for when we have more time…”
“That’s not what this is! Take this so you can return safely. It definitely won’t be useless.”
Mother-sama wrapped the charm in the cloth again and held it out toward us. I could clearly feel how worried she was about us.
This is troublesome. When she does something like this right before we leave, I don’t know how I’m supposed to react.
I truly want to save Mother, but if I try to prove that I possess enough power that Father and Mother can’t interfere with my future, it’ll make me look like a childish brat.
Not knowing what to do, I glanced at Lionel. He was looking back at me.
I tried to think of something clever to reassure Mother, but words like that don’t come easily.
“…Then I’ll take it.”
“Handle it carefully and don’t break it. You must return it.”
“I won’t treat your precious item roughly.”
“That’s not what I mean. You must return it to me alive. If it comes down to it, running away is fine.”
“Please stop. When you say things like that, it makes my resolve waver.”
Mother, who was now shorter than us, desperately stretched herself upward and reached out her hand.
I bent down, and just like when I was little, Mother stroked my head again and again.
At that moment it truly struck me that the small girl standing in front of me, performing the exact same gesture from my old memories, was indeed Mother herself.
Remaining wrapped up in this heavy and sentimental atmosphere made my resolve waver, yet I simply couldn’t bring myself to stop it.
I fully understood in my head that this operation was dangerous. If this turned out to be the last time I saw Mom’s face, it was only natural that I’d feel reluctant to leave.
“…I’ll see you off until you leave the house. Your preparations are complete, right?”
“Yes.”
“Of course.”
After answering, we left the room. Since the house was small, I spotted Father immediately. He was sitting in a chair with a sour expression, probably because persuading Mom had been such a hassle.
While thinking that, I noticed Leah behind him. He was puffing out his cheeks in obvious dissatisfaction while the sergeant tried to calm him down.
I’m hardly in a position to criticize others, but the siblings of the Bartfort earl family really are a gathering of problem children.
“What are you doing, Leah?”
“I told Father I wanted to go with him too, and he refused!”
“…Well, yeah. Of course he would.”
“Brother and Big Sis got permission! I can contribute too!”
His words only made Father’s expression grow darker, while the sergeant looked completely at a loss.
Yes, of course that would happen.
It’s true that Leah is a boy, so if he continues growing he’ll probably become stronger than me someday. Out of all the children, he resembles Father the most.
I understand why he wants to go along since he admires Father more than anyone else, but there’s no way that would be allowed.
Lionel and I received proper training in the Bartfort territory and have actual dungeon exploration experience through the Royal Academy’s classes.
Leah trained with us as well, but he won’t enter the academy for a few more years and has never experienced real adventuring or dungeon diving.
Adding one child who would definitely be useless to the two who might already become burdens would leave even Father completely helpless.
“Stop it, Leah. I’ve already explained this to you several times.”
“Mom, but…”
“Don’t cause Leon any more trouble. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“…………”
Ah, this is going to be difficult to settle.
Among the six siblings, the one whose personality resembles mine the most is Leah. Even so, the differences in our age and gender create gaps that can’t truly be bridged.
Despite all the complaining, Mom and I share a certain level of mutual understanding because we were both born as the eldest daughter of our respective houses.
We argue frequently, but we also hold ourselves back and show consideration for each other. Leah is still a boy with plenty of childishness left, so he probably doesn’t notice those subtle differences.
He’s usually a bit more obedient, but with Mom reduced to this small size in this kind of situation, she can’t keep him under control.
That leaves us stuck in this quagmire. There’s no one who can properly persuade Leah, and no one who can mediate between Father and Lia.
On top of that, Mom is already exhausted and can’t fully soothe Father either, so his mood continues to worsen. Fine then. I’ll be the one to settle him down. After all, the person I fight with most in this house is Leah.
Just as I started walking toward him, someone else reached Leah before I could.
Once again, it was Lionel. He has stood out quite a lot during this entire incident.
“Leah, you understand how dangerous this mission is, right?”
“Of course! That’s exactly why I want to help Father and Mother!”
“From here, Father, Ariel, and I are heading to the dungeon. I want you to stay behind and look after the house.”
“I don’t want to stay behind!”
“Listen carefully, Leah. It’s not only Mother who has shrunk. Roxanne and Melanie are here too, and so is little brother Dylan.”
“That’s…”
“Are you saying you can’t protect Mother, your little sisters, and your little brother? Is that what you’re admitting?”
“That’s not it!”
“Then you’ll do your best to protect the house until Father, Ariel, and I return, right?”
“…Okay, Brother. I’m sorry, Father.”
“If Father and I don’t return, you’ll become the next Bartfort Earl, Leah. You’ll have to act responsibly.”
“I don’t want to become the lord. I just want everyone to come home safely to the mansion.”
“I feel the same way. Father and Mother feel the same too, right?”
“…Well, yes.”
“Leon, being scolded by your own child… how pathetic.”
Somehow the atmosphere in the room settled down nicely. This was clearly Lionel’s achievement.
It irritated me that it felt like I was the only one not maturing, so I lightly stepped on his toes. His thick military boots didn’t even receive a scratch.
Ignoring Lionel’s puzzled expression, I headed toward the front door. Father and Lionel, who had been moving slowly, hurried to follow behind me.
“Well then, we’re off, Mom.”
“Everyone, come back safely.”
“Understood.”
“Sergeant, I’m counting on you for protection. Respect Angie’s wishes as much as possible, but prioritize lives. If necessary, escaping the floating island or surrendering to the enemy will be left to your on-site judgment.”
“Yes, sir! Understood, my lord.”
The atmosphere had turned intensely grim. The thought that we might soon be fighting for our lives filled me with fear and anxiety.
Yet deep inside, I couldn’t stop the excitement rising within me. A heat I had never felt before surged through my entire body.
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Author's Note
┻━━━━━━━━━━┻
This chapter was written from Ariel’s perspective.
As a character, Ariel emphasizes Angie’s adventurous nature and her ferocity while downplaying the “noble lady” aspect.
Surprisingly, she has an accurate understanding of her own reputation when it comes to romance, so she has no particular desire to marry and can live while fully devoting herself to her work.
She represents the new generation of women born from the social changes within the Holfort Kingdom in this story.
Next chapter: the current situation in the royal capital. Many original characters are scheduled to appear.
And happily, the Mobuseka Republic Arc comic adaptation begins today in Dragon Age!
Two chapters are being published at once. Each character gets their moment, and Angie even makes a small appearance!
P.S. At the requester’s request, illustrations were drawn by JJuneジュン様, MAGIKFLAAN様, and 白様.
Thank you very much.
JJuneジュン様 Pixiv（NSFW warning）
MAGIKFLAAN様 Pixiv（NSFW warning）
白様 Pixiv（NSFW warning）
I would greatly appreciate any opinions or impressions. It would be a wonderful encouragement for the future.
~~~End~~~