Chapter 19: The Duke of Austroheim

—Finally, the day had arrived.

There was only one thing I had to do—use this debutante ball to make Father acknowledge my relationship with Yous.

Frankly, just becoming an S-rank adventurer wasn’t enough status.

If my rank were just one step lower, if Yous and I were the opposite genders, the people around us would’ve accepted us without question. Father, too, would’ve deemed it sufficient.

Regardless of our personal feelings.

To force that acknowledgment, there was one thing Yous and I had prepared.

But how effectively we could stage it depended entirely on our approach.

It was just like theater.

No matter how brilliant the script, it was the actors who brought it to life.

Anna once said that the audience sees the script through the protagonist.

So then, who was the protagonist today? Whose mouth should speak our script?

Yous said the foundation of persuasion was forcing a choice.

Then, what was the choice they wouldn’t want forced upon them?

And finally, the leader said—

At the very end, what pushes someone to a decision is emotion. And what stirs emotion is sincerity.

So then, who was the one we had to direct all of this toward?

—The enemy of this stage, the protagonist, the one we had to persuade.

Father.

There was no one else.

But that was an incredibly difficult task.

Needless to say, as with all romances across social divides—

Father had outright opposed my relationship with Yous from the very beginning.

---

"——And who might you be?"

Amidst the gathering of nobles in this social setting, I stood out like a sore thumb.

Among men clad in meticulously crafted armor and women adorned in elegant yet dazzling attire—

There was one woman who stood halfway between a lavishly dressed young lady and a seasoned noblewoman.

—That would be me.

"Oh my, you should know me, Lady Anna. I am—Rinaria Austroheim. Your comrade, the one who fought alongside you through countless adventures."

Even as I spoke, the way the words left my mouth made my skin crawl.

Is this really me? What kind of joke is this? No wonder all eyes were on me.

This was the ball celebrating our party, "Bronze Star," being promoted to S-rank.

Of course, the rest of the party was dressed up too, but honestly, they looked more like they were being worn by their outfits than the other way around.

Couldn’t blame them—every last one of them was a commoner. They’d never even imagined setting foot in a place like this.

Except for me—Rinaria Austroheim, daughter of the Duke of Austroheim.

"W-wait, wait… Austroheim… Austroheim!? As in the Austroheim!? …Wait, you mean this!?"

—As she said this, Anna pointed downward.

No surprise there. After all, the mansion we were currently in was one of the estates owned by House Austroheim.

The key detail was that this wasn’t the main residence. Well, of course—we weren’t in the royal capital or even the Austroheim duchy right now.

"My, my, everyone. This is a gathering of nobles—it wouldn’t do to cause too much of a scene, would it?"

My, my?

What the hell was my, my?

…I surprised even myself, but it seemed skills drilled into you long ago could be polished back into shape with a little effort.

This kind of demeanor was something I’d been forced to learn before I ever became an adventurer.

"I-I’ve got a ton of questions, but is it… okay!?"

"Yeah—we’ve got wind magic making sure no one overhears us, so just act like usual."

I replied to Anna, who had reflexively slipped into polite speech, in my normal tone.

At that, she let out a relieved sigh—

"What the hell is going on!?"

"Here’s a hint: A love across social classes. Hiding our identities as adventurers. The play Bronze Star."

"A-ah… Whaaaat!?"

Anna immediately connected the dots—that Yous and I had been adventurers hiding our identities while struggling with a love that defied social status—and promptly freaked out all over again.

"I-I had no idea!?"

"No way anyone would connect that rowdy Rina from the tavern with a noble lady."

The rest of the party chimed in with their own reactions.

Well, I had put in the effort to keep up appearances.

"...I think the biggest reason is Rina’s sense of money and social awareness. She never tripped up on that stuff at all."

"Yeah. I’m just that good at adapting, so I had all that covered."

Lie. It was all thanks to my past-life knowledge.

Normally, my sense of money would’ve been completely busted, and people would’ve noticed something was off.

Differences in upbringing always showed through.

No matter how much you tried to cover it up, if you hadn’t actually lived in that kind of society, it’d eventually come out.

Father probably thought that no matter how rough around the edges I was, I wouldn’t have picked up those kinds of habits.

And yet, somehow, five years passed, and here we were—S-rank. Surprise, surprise.

"Anyway, I’ve gotta go mingle with the nobles for a bit, so don’t worry about me too much. Today, the ones who’ll be standing in front of everyone to speak are the leader and me."

"Um, so... what you're saying is...?"

"Like we told you before coming here—as long as you all keep up an indifferent attitude and just enjoy the food, there won’t be any problems."

"Even if you say that..."

The revelation of my true identity must have been too much of a shock for Anna and the others.

The only ones who took it in stride were Sonariya and Parareya, the married couple.

In this state, telling them to just eat and drink without paying too much attention to the nobles was probably asking too much.

Honestly, it would’ve been better if I never had to reveal myself to them at all.

But there was one unavoidable reason I had to do this.

To put it bluntly—I had to drive a certain point home.

"Just one thing from me. Like I said earlier, my relationship with Yous is one that crosses social boundaries. So—"

—But I was a second too late.

No, more likely, he had been waiting for this exact moment to arrive.

"Pardon me. Might I have a moment?"

Before I knew it, a towering figure stood beside us.

A man whose sheer presence rivaled even the leader’s.

Easily over two meters tall, his massive frame could be described as nothing less than a mountainside. His muscles strained against the seams of his formal suit, radiating an overwhelming aura of intimidation.

But the most unsettling thing was his expression.

A face so severe it wouldn’t be out of place on someone who had killed countless men.

For a split second, it was hard to believe he was even human.

And yet, there he stood—a man who carried himself with the unmistakable bearing of nobility.

"Y-You are...?"

Anna, unable to help herself, blurted out the question.

Damn it... They’re being overwhelmed.

I knew he was terrifying, but to think even A-rank adventurers—true battle-hardened professionals—would freeze under his gaze...

"I am—Drestred."

The man didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow as he spoke.

"Drestred Austroheim."

—And with that, he declared his status, loud and clear.

The air itself seemed to vanish from the room.

This was the head of House Austroheim.

The overwhelming dignity of one of the kingdom’s highest-ranking nobles.

Everyone was swallowed by his presence.

The shock and silence that followed were even deeper than when I had first revealed myself to my party.

—This is bad.

Without hesitation, I stepped forward and offered a noble’s greeting.

"It’s been a while, Father. Rinaria Austroheim has returned."

"So I see."

He brushed it off as if it were nothing.

No good. The atmosphere isn’t budging.

Because Father was treating me like I didn’t matter at all.

"A pleasure to meet you, the next generation of heroes. I’ve heard much of Party 'Bronze Star’s' exploits."

"Th-That’s..."

The leader wasn’t here—he was off mingling with the other nobles.

Yous wasn’t here either—he was still getting ready.

Which meant there wasn’t a single person here who could properly respond to Father.

Except for me.

"Father, allow me to introduce them."

I cut in.

Father’s piercing, scrutinizing gaze locked onto me.

"This is Party 'Bronze Star'—the brave adventurers I’ve had the honor of fighting alongside."

I wasn’t making any mistakes in my conduct.

There was no reason to hide my identity anymore.

I had prepared for this moment precisely so I wouldn’t have to.

The groundwork wasn’t fully laid, but the stage was set.

Here and now, I had to be the one to face Father.

This was a duel.

Father had appeared here to deny me as an adventurer—to tear me away from Yous.

And in turn, I had to buy time, protect my comrades, and hold my ground—even before our real preparations were complete.

If I showed even the slightest hint of unworthiness, Father would never acknowledge our relationship.

He wanted to reject it.

And if that happened, our adventure would be over.

I had broken my agreement with Father by revealing my identity and standing here.

He would order me back to the estate.

And having broken my word, I would have no choice but to obey.

Unless Father acknowledged my relationship with Yous.

Which was why I had to strike first.

Even if he was my father, I wouldn’t allow him to openly disparage an S-rank party in public.

I wouldn’t let him deny them as a way to deny me.

—This was a gamble.

Right now, my magic prevented our voices from reaching the surrounding nobles.

They could see us, but they couldn’t hear what was being said.

The key was that, in this moment, I was not Rina of Bronze Star—I was Rinaria, daughter of the Duke of Austroheim.

I had only revealed my true self to my party.

To every other noble here, I was just another lady of high birth.

If Father exposed me as an adventurer in front of everyone, it would be over.

If it became known that the duke’s daughter had run away to become a lowly adventurer, our reputation would be ruined.

Of course, House Austroheim would take damage as well—but even so.

If Father truly didn’t want to acknowledge my relationship with Yous, that would be his best move.

All these schemes would mean nothing.

It would be nothing but my forced defeat.

I had been certain he wouldn’t do it.

Father was a rationalist—I doubted he’d resort to something so emotional.

But still, it was a gamble.

And—the result was...

"Rinaria. You—"

Just as I expected.

...

"Just how much trouble have you caused for them?"

But his response was even harsher than I imagined—

A blade of words, carving straight into my heart.

"A duke’s daughter, running away from home and imposing herself upon such a noble party. How much of a burden were you? Pathetic beyond measure. I’m disappointed, Rinaria."

—That’s right.

Father hadn’t exposed my disgrace.

But the words he chose instead were frigid, cutting—deliberately pushing me away.

"—That’s not—!"

And above all else, they were utterly rational.

"...Father!"

I shot Anna a sharp glance, cutting her off before she could speak.

She was furious at the insult, but—

No. No matter what, she can’t.

"What? Do you have something to say? Abandoning your duties as a noble, tarnishing the achievements of S-rank adventurers—heroes, no less—is nothing short of shameful. I can’t help but call it disgraceful behavior. Not just as a noble… but as a human being."

—This bastard.

He was provoking my comrades by belittling me.

My magic ensured our voices wouldn’t reach the surrounding nobles.

But if they raised their voices loud enough for their anger to show—that would be different.

The appearance of conflict would spread.

And precisely because the content wouldn’t be heard—

"Your actions have inconvenienced many, even damaging the dignity of House Austroheim. Do you truly believe someone like you has the right to bear its name?"

Father’s insults wouldn’t reach the crowd.

Only my comrades’ reactions would.

"You are the lowest of the low, Rinaria. If you have any sense of shame—"

Damn it.

He was trying to force us out—without even making himself the villain.

By framing us as unworthy of being S-rank adventurers.

"Apologize to them at once and leave. That is the least you owe them."

This bastard—

I could feel the fury radiating from behind me.

Ah, but—

Yeah.

This is exactly the kind of man he is.

This is Drestred Austroheim.

And he is the one who has to acknowledge me and Yous.

The greatest obstacle standing in our way—right here, right now.