It Seems the Demon King Has Returned to a World Where Gender Roles Are Reversed - Chapter 64

 Chapter 64 :

Silence hung in the air.

“W-Wait a second…”

Anita, the first to snap out of it, shook her head and sighed. She turned to Hazel and asked,

“…What did I just hear? It sounded like something absurd… Did you just say something about asking him to marry you?”

“Oh, you heard correctly.”

“…Are you serious?”

Anita stared at her in disbelief. Hazel, crossing her arms, nodded calmly.

Seeing this, Ragna sighed and spoke up.

“This is ridiculous. Is this some new kind of harassment? Why would you suddenly bring up something like that?”

“Harassment? Oh, I’m quite serious.”

“…That’s what makes it weird. Just yesterday, we were growling at each other, practically fighting. And now, a day later, you change your attitude and ask me to marry you? How am I supposed to take that seriously?”

At his words, the others around nodded in agreement. Even Anya and Liche, standing by Hazel’s side, found themselves nodding unconsciously.

“I see. Perhaps I didn’t explain myself clearly enough.”

“Yeah, at least give me an explanation I can understand.”

“It was a line I chose after much thought, you know.”

“It was so blunt it was almost deafening.”

“Fancy words aren’t necessary between us, don’t you think? A straightforward relationship suits us better. But anyway, that’s beside the point.”

“…”

“In any case, I have no intention of retracting my words. And naturally, there’s a reason for it.”

“Then could you hurry up and explain that reason?”

“No need to be so impatient I was going to explain. The reason I brought up marriage… it’s because you’re a capable male knight.”

“Capable?”

“Yes.”

“…Is that the only reason?”

“Is another reason necessary? A capable male knight is a vital key to a family’s prosperity. As someone destined to lead and elevate my family, isn’t it natural that I’d want you?”

“…”

Silence fell between them. Anita, listening to the exchange, nodded as if she understood.

“I see, so that’s how it is…”

“W-Wait, Annie? What does that mean?” Seria asked.

“…Well, Seri… To put it simply, Hazel here…”

“…”

“She’s after Ragna’s body.”

“…!”

At Anita’s words, Seria’s face turned pale. Liliana shouted sharply,

“No! Don’t say weird things to Seri, Annie!”

“But isn’t that the most fitting explanation? All she wants is Ragna’s body, right?”

“…I wouldn’t put it so crassly, but it’s not entirely inaccurate,” Hazel admitted.

Children born from male knights often possess exceptional abilities.

Thus, noble families arrange matches with male knights to ensure their lineage produces even more talented descendants.

This has nothing to do with affection or love.

So, despite her reluctance, Hazel nodded.

But Ragna looked at her with an even more puzzled expression.

“…I don’t get it. Capable? Me?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“…That can’t be right. There are plenty of male knights with better qualifications than me. I don’t know how great the Granstig family is, but surely someone like me, who’s failed four marriage interviews, isn’t the only option for a spouse?”

“Y-Yeah, exactly!” Seria chimed in, agreeing with Ragna. Even the two girls by Hazel’s side, Anya and Liche, nodded and tried to persuade her.

“Indeed, Lady Hazel. To take a man like this as your spouse… It’s absurd.”

“Lady Hazel could have far better men than this crude, unimpressive person. To choose someone like him would be a disgrace to the family!”

“…Sorry for being so crude,” Ragna muttered sarcastically, clearly offended by their barrage of insults.

But the girls paid no mind and continued trying to convince Hazel.

However,

“…Haa.”

Hazel let out a light sigh at their words.

“Be quiet.”

“…!”

“Are you saying you don’t trust the judgment of Hazel Granstig?”

“N-No, that’s not what we mean…”

“I don’t trust it,” Ragna interjected. “From our first meeting, you were squawking nonsense like a sick chicken.”

“W-Wait, Ragna?! That’s a bit harsh…” Seria, flustered by his rudeness, tried to stop him.

No matter how bad their history was, that was too much.

As if to prove it, the two girls near Hazel glared at Ragna with daggers in their eyes.

But Hazel took his sarcasm in stride with a calm expression.

“Indeed, I was in the wrong that day. I apologize again for that. I was a bit blinded by the issue with Seria Brandzburg.”

“…”

Hazel shot a glance at Seria, who frowned and glared back.

“And perhaps that blinded me further. Hearing that you failed four marriage interviews, I underestimated your worth.”

“No, I don’t think you underestimated me…”

“No, I was consumed by anger back then. That’s why I couldn’t see clearly.”

With that, Hazel let out a soft sigh.

She recalled what happened just yesterday.

__________

Due to armor damage on both golems, the duel was declared a draw. But in truth, it was Hazel’s complete defeat. She had arrogantly looked down on Ragna and acted unreasonably.

Yet she fell into his trap and was thoroughly defeated.

She had been outsmarted by her own arrogance. By the time she came to her senses, it was too late to turn things around. In a state of panic, she flailed and ultimately collapsed from exhaustion.

“When I came to… Yes, I was furious. Furious at falling for such a shallow trick.”

“…”

“But when I thought about it calmly, it was all necessary for victory. It was my own hubris and carelessness that led to my defeat. The rules and etiquette I thought were obvious were, in the end, unnecessary in a duel. It was a painful lesson, one I’ve taken to heart.”

“Lady Hazel…” Anya and Liche looked at her with concern as she spoke calmly about her feelings.

“But thanks to that, my eyes were opened. And I had no choice but to acknowledge your skill.”

“…Skill? I didn’t really do anything. I just ran away.”

“Honestly, I think the same,” Anita added, looking at Hazel. “All he did was run around. Judging his skill based on that seems like a stretch.”

Indeed, all Ragna had done in the duel was flee. Sure, he threw his sword mid-escape and engaged in some close combat at the end, but it was hard to call that golem-handling skill.

But Hazel shook her head, refuting Ragna and Anita.

“No, that’s exactly what matters. I heard you reached that level of movement in just one day.”

“…Well, yeah, I guess, but…”

“No one adapts to a golem’s movements that well in just a day. Even if you had immense magical power, I pride myself on being among the top in our year.”

Hazel’s confidence wasn’t mere bravado.

Her dagger-class golem’s maximum operational time was about 50 minutes a performance that easily surpassed the first-year training requirements and placed her among the top of her class.

“To outlast my operational time means it’s not just about having similar magical power. That alone doesn’t explain it. The only explanation is an innate, exceptional ability to control magical power.”

“…”

“And to adapt to a golem’s movements in just one day of training, then use that to devise an impromptu strategy that’s what I call high skill. What else would you call it?”

“…”

Hazel’s clear and reasoned judgment flowed from her lips.

The atmosphere around them grew calm.

Anya and Liche, who had been trying to dissuade Hazel, fell silent, listening to her words.

They weren’t convinced, but they couldn’t outright say she was wrong.

Choosing a spouse for a noble family required careful consideration.

This was something they knew well.

Indeed, male knights were excellent marriage prospects.

But even among them, there was a hierarchy.

If that weren’t the case, there wouldn’t be marriage interviews or gatherings of male knights at the academy.

In short, even a male knight could be discarded if deemed unworthy.

For example, someone like Eric, born with a weak body and minimal magical power, or someone too bulky to properly operate a golem, or someone with innate magical talent but utterly lacking in control, unable to wield it properly.

Above all, the amount of innate magical power and the ability to control it were almost absolute criteria for judgment.

“Hmm… So that’s how it is…” Anita muttered, her expression uneasy.

By those two criteria, Ragna was indeed a prime candidate among male knights.

And the proof was in his duel with Hazel. Others watching from the stands might not have noticed, but Hazel, facing him directly, couldn’t have missed it.

“…”

At Hazel’s explanation, Ragna fell silent, letting out a soft groan.

One day of training wasn’t something he’d chosen. It was due to unavoidable personal circumstances.

Unlike the women, Ragna’s magical power didn’t recover naturally.

It relied on an artificial recovery process using a magic circle within his body.

As a result, his recovery was significantly slower.

Using magical power recklessly could lead to a shortage on the day of the duel, so he had avoided using it.

It was a decision based purely on practical circumstances. But being misunderstood for it was problematic, and explaining it was even more so.

Moreover, his high skill in handling magic was only natural for a former archmage who had once risen to the rank of demon lord.

“And,” Hazel continued.

“And?”

“Hmm, yes. Personally, I also admire your intense drive to win. The mindset of doing whatever it takes to defeat your opponent, to secure victory.”

Her smile carried a hint of intoxication, almost enraptured.

Perhaps that was what had captivated Hazel.

The intense killing intent, strong enough to make one feel death’s approach.

Experiencing that in the midst of chaos would naturally twist something within a person.

“W-Wait! That’s not—” Liliana tried to protest.

“Stop, Liliana…” Anita quickly covered her mouth and whispered in her ear.

“…What are you going to do, talking about the Rondgren family’s curse to others? You’re not planning to spread that around, are you?”

“…”

Realizing her mistake, Liliana’s expression hardened. Hazel tilted her head, looking at them curiously.

“It’s a misunderstanding!” came a voice from Ragna’s side.

Hazel turned to the source.

Seria, standing beside Ragna, shouted in protest.

“R-Ragna… has experience handling golems before! That’s why he could move like that!”

“Hmm, is that so? But wasn’t he discovered by Lady Karen while working at a lumberyard? There are no golems at the Steiner estate, so he shouldn’t have had any experience with them.”

“W-Well… he did! He used a golem to prove his abilities at the lumberyard!”

“…Oh, I see. That makes sense. Hmm… But the lumberyard he was at is a facility of the Duchy Union. They wouldn’t have dagger-class training golems there, would they?”

“W-Well…”

“…Perhaps a long sword… No, a short sword-class golem, then?”

“…!”

Seria’s flustered expression made Ragna sigh.

Hazel smiled and nodded.

“I see… That makes it even more intriguing. A man operating a short sword-class golem…”

“I moved two steps and then fell flat on my face,” Ragna added.

“Oh, really? But what matters is that you moved it. Plenty of people can’t even move a finger on a short sword-class golem. Hmm, I might have gotten lucky here.”

Hazel responded cheerfully.

Ragna clicked his tongue lightly.

Things weren’t going as he’d hoped.

Hazel’s words were absurd, but her eyes showed she was serious. Still, he couldn’t play along. So, he deliberately spoke in a sarcastic, provocative tone.

If it were the old Hazel, she would’ve taken offense.

But the current Hazel seemed different, unbothered by his attitude. Only the two girls beside her glared at him with displeasure.

“Hmm… Still, something feels off…” Hazel mused, frowning and tilting her head.

Anita asked, “What’s that, Hazel?”

“It’s your attitudes. No matter how I look at it, you all seem to dislike the idea of me having Ragna.”

“That’s…”

It’s because of Seria… But they couldn’t say that. It was a secret they had to keep. Anita trailed off, and Liliana avoided her gaze. Hazel frowned, then seemed to realize something.

“Hmm… Aha!”

She clapped her fist into her palm.

“…I see, that’s how it is.”

“…?”

“So that’s it. You’re all after Ragna too… No wonder you’ve been sticking so close to him.”

“W-What are you talking about?!” Liliana exclaimed, horrified.

Anita, equally stunned, stared at Hazel.

“Hm? Was I wrong? If so, there’s no reason for you to interfere with me, is there?”

“Well, that’s…”

“…Sorry, but I can’t explain why. We have our own reasons, and we can’t just hand Ragna over so easily,” Anita said, stepping forward.

When Ragna glanced at her, she winked at him.

“…I see, Anita. So, someone from a branch family dares to challenge the main family?”

“We’re only related by blood, nothing more. And I haven’t exactly received anything from the main family. Or are you suddenly acting like the main family now?”

“Hmm…”

Hazel looked at Anita with displeasure. Anita and Seria met her gaze without backing down.

“…Fine. If that’s how it’s going to be, I have my own plans.”

“Hmm. What are you scheming this time?”

“Hmph, I won’t resort to such petty methods.”

“Sorry, but we’re not accepting any duel challenges. Unlike Ragna’s case, we’re not going to let it slide so easily.”

“Oh, I didn’t think you’d let it slide so easily either, Anita. But letting things drag on like this leaves a bad taste.”

“…”

“I know… How about we settle this officially at a tournament?”

“A tournament?”

“Yes.”

“…You don’t mean the Martial Festival, do you?”

Anita frowned slightly as she asked. Hazel nodded in response.

“Exactly. Let’s settle it at the Autumn Martial Festival, two months from now.”

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Translated by Reversalnovel.web.id