"It is my pleasure to announce the engagement of my daughter, Sara Ciel Rosenberg to the Hero of Altfode Kingdom, Count Rudel von Bradford."

*Applause*

Night fell, the engagement ceremony or party was near one of the roots of the sacred tree.

Mr. Randolf introduced us. I was dressed in an elegant suit with sack while Sara at my side wore an elegant dress that matched her eyes.

She was clinging to me, I could tell how happy she was.

The guests were clapping with excitement, or so they seemed.

Most of them were relatives from the Rosenberg Household who came out of obligation more than anything else.

They came to greet me and Sara to congratulate us.

I could feel all their hypocrisy when they said.

"Congratulations, Mr. Hero."

"I'm happy for you, Sara-sama."

"You make a nice couple, I always knew it."

Among them the ones I enjoyed their presence the most were the six great nobles.

Even that idiot Randy was present.

The look on Jude's father's and Linus' face having to bite their lips is better than feeling Lecia's breasts on my face.

Well not so much, but it feels like seeing their faces with their gazes down.

I couldn't help but smile mischievously.

Sara pinched me.

"Rudel, don't be rude to the great nobles, from now on you will be related to them."

Four people approached me.

They were Sara's family and a knight behind Mr. Randolf.

Lady Marian was the first to congratulate me, her dress covered her breasts, but the size was perfectly marked.

"Sara, Rudel-kun, congratulations. With this you are now both engaged. As your mother it makes me happy to see you both."

"Rudel, from now on feel free to call me father."

That made me cringe, it reminded me a bit of the fact that I will now be tied to Liam forever as his mom is my lover.

The knight behind Randolf as I recall was named Baltort, he was staring at me with a very serious face, could it be because his lady is now my fiancé?

The last member of the family was in the background, with his arms in his pocket, Romeo congratulated us.

"Congratulations... aneki and Bradford-san."

Sara was replying to Romeo for calling me as if I was a stranger.

"Romeo, Rudel is now part of our family, treat him with more respect."

I certainly understand Romeo as calling a stranger by name just because he became his sister's boyfriend is weird.

I said to Sara.

"It's okay. It doesn't matter what he actually calls me."

"No, Rudel, Romeo should learn that you are now part of the family and it is rude to be called that."

Sara seemed very serious about him calling me by my name.

"Whatever, I already greeted you so I'm going to go eat."

With those words, he turned and left.

His parents tried to call him, but there was no answer.

"I'm sorry."

His mother was saying to me and instead I said.

"No problem, I'll look for a day to spend time with him."

"Hahaha, you're already part of the family."

Randolf was glad that I was part of his family. Deep down, this family is better than mine.

◇◇◇

"Not bad at all."

Romeo was at the snack table eating some desserts.

He hadn't smiled in a long time.

He took more food and went to one of the roots to sit down to eat in peace.

"It's a good chance to take a break from college, I'll take this day to relax a lot."

Romeo after entering the university did not have a single free moment, this small moment in his life was happiness.

Then he heard some voices.

It was the other great nobles gathered together. They were drinking alcohol or snacks.

"The food is good as beer. I guess that's the one good thing about coming!"

Cliff exclaimed after finishing a pitcher of liquor.

Next to him Linus who was drinking modernly replied.

"No doubt. To take the bad taste out of the mouth of having to put up with that count from now on."

Wenz who was eating something spicy also commented on that.

"But Acting Chairman is doing it to get that lost item, right? Then it's a small price to improve our country on an industrial level."

(Besides that, you guys are the ones who are annoyed with him.)

Lucian was the one who broke the good mood there.

"But still this is the third time the Rosenberg’s have suffered because of Randolf."

"Third time?"

Linus was asking since he didn't know, Cliff who was in a good mood told him.

"This is the third time, now they will be related to that brat. Their blood will get dirty hahahahaha."

"The first was when Beatrix left him at the altar for that commoner."

"He was partly annoyed with her as he was, leaving a great noble for a commoner. Ruin befell them by punishment from the sacred tree itself."

"The second time was..."

Randy completed what Cliff was about to say.

"That worthless son."

Romeo who was placidly eating, stopped after hearing Randy mock him.

"Not only did they call off his engagement to the little future priestess."

"I also heard from a relative that he is the student with the worst grades, hahaha."

Linus who didn't like Randy's way of talking, supported him in his own way.

"Certainly, Tom has told me that they are both in the same classroom. Despite the fact that Tom sometimes misses because he goes to play with the girls, his grades are better than Romeo's who attends daily."

"Isn't that because he's still a young boy who can't handle the pressure?"

Lucian spoke to him.

"Normally it would be like that, but the brat himself said he was too good for the academy. So he sought what he sowed."

"Yeah, yeah, that."

Randy rose from his seat as he spat out scraps of food.

"Even my Doug who is a good for nothing gets better grades than him, hahahaha the Rosenberg’s are getting cursed every time."

"Don't say that, hahahaha."

Cliff as the others started laughing.

Romeo gritted his teeth, just as he was about to leave, Randy said the straw that broke the camel's back.

"I always thought Randolf was going to disinherit him because of how useless he is. I've even though the engagement to his daughter was the excuse to make that brat the next head of the house and not his son."

"Who knows, maybe that's just the way it is and they wait for the exact moment to tell him, hahaha."

"You're so horrible Cliff, hahaha."

Romeo bit his lip so hard it started to bleed.

He was upset about what they said about him, but what made him angriest was about his sister.

(They say my sister planned to get engaged to that count from abroad to take away my future?)

(Even if it's as you say... I won't allow it!)

(My sister nor anyone else will take away what is rightfully mine!)

◇

Of all the people I was greeting, a boy with turquoise hair and brown eyes approached me.

It was the first time we had spoken, but I knew him, it was Lugh.

"Sara, I'm happy for you."

"Thank you, Lugh."

He looked at me.

"This is the first time we've met, I've heard a lot about you, I'm Lugh from Lunor Household."

I already knew that, but I introduced myself anyway.

"A pleasure, Rudel from Bradford Household, barons of the Kingdom's countryside."

"You really were from the countryside, that's amazing."

"Is it really?"

"Well, I never thought of someone from the countryside being able to cause so much damage, I don't say that to offend you, but as a curiosity."

"Just between you and me, I'm kind of glad you beat up the great nobles."

"Lugh!"

Lugh was a good boy despite Sara's nagging.

I asked him something that had me very curious.

"Excuse me Lugh."

"Yes?"

"Why are you here?"

It seemed a bit odd for them that he would ask something like that, but with a gentle smile he told me.

"It's not unusual for the great nobles to have congratulated you, the heirs have to as well."

"But I don't see anyone but me around, just Romeo, but he's your brother-in-law so it's only natural that he's here."

"Hey, hey, you forgot about me."

An animated voice came from behind us.

Looking to see who it was, a mysterious young man stood behind Lugh.

"...Z ack."

Lugh said with a lump in his throat.

(So he's Zack, huh? He looks different than I imagined.)

Erselica said Zack was a rebel, but this kid only has rebellious his hairstyle and his ear piercings.

But there was something weird, Zero was hovering on Zack's shoulder.

"Zero, what are you doing here and why aren't you with Diana?"

"Good to see you again, Rudel-sama. Congratulations on your engagement."

"Thank you... answer the question!"

"Can we talk in private? There are people involved."

I asked Sara and Lugh to excuse us and we went to a remote part.

◇◇◇

The moment Sara and Lugh were left alone, she said to him.

"Congratulations on your engagement to Diana, I would have liked to go, but I'm sure she didn't want to see me."

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"There wasn't."

"Huh?"

Lugh ducked his gaze.

"There was no such engagement. We invited only family members since I wanted it to be special, I had everything ready, but Diana didn't show up, she... she sent me a letter that she was training with Zack and that after she got back we would formally engage."

"I heard she came back today but she never came to see me, she went straight to her room and stayed there all day."

"S-Sorry, I guess me and Lucy's thing with Rudel has her like that."

"I'd like to think so..."

Lugh clenched his hands as he watched Zack.

◇

"So, you're an adventurer, right? I heard that people in the kingdom became noble by conquering dungeons and getting their treasures, I really admire you guys!"

Zack seems to be the kind of guy who gets excited to meet people, I remember in my previous life there were those kinds of people, since I'm not a social person, he would invade my personal space.

"I-It's like you say, in fact, to get this guy I entered one and survived."

"Unbelievable, it's the same as Diana and me!"

"I can imagine."

Zero was explaining something I never asked him.

"Diana-sama said she didn't want to come. But Zack-sama was supposed to come so I did since he's also my Master."

"Huh?"

Zack, I and Ixion made the same expression.

"Is that so weird?"

"No, no, you never told me that, I thought Diana was your Master?"

"Oh, I see! My fault for not clarifying, at the time I scanned them to register you, you were also present. So you were registered as my Master as well."

"Wow, that's good. I guess in addition to Grappler I now have two missing items."

"Grappler?"

I asked, he nodded.

"I have an armed unit too, yours was Battler wasn't it? I'd like to one day have a friendly duel to see which one of us is the best."

This guy says he just found a lost item and wants a duel, isn't he a bit of an idiot like those five?

I better not even find out if he knows how to fly it, but he doesn't look like a bad kid.

"Rudel, it's time."

Sara came up to me. It's about time.

You may be wondering "Time for what?". Well it turns out that for the engagement to be official, the sacred tree must give us its blessing.

"They're calling me, see you."

I said goodbye to Zack and Zero and went straight to Sara.

◇

We arrived at the appointed place. It looked like a small temple to worship from my previous life.

We were supposed to stick our hands inside the roots so that a green light would indicate that everything was going well.

The guests were also gathered for this moment.

"Ready? I'm very excited."

"Me too. Although this is a very rare custom."

We put our right hands where Sara said.

It felt slimy. I hoped this would be over quickly.

"What is that!"

But the voices of the guests were strange. Not just them, the color of the atmosphere too.

As I raised my head, I noticed how the light that was blue turned red. What was the meaning?

Mr. Randolf and his wife stared at us as did the other guests.

"There's something coming out of one of the roots!"

Someone shouted. I looked in the direction where they were pointing and noticed that a tumor-like object was growing, as it finished sprouting it turned into a black rose petal, it was not the only one.

Several protuberances were coming out of different areas, Ixion notified me showing me a video.

"Master look, in the body of the sacred tree something similar but bigger is coming out."

The video showed huge black roses coming out of the top. I could not believe my eyes.

I looked at Sara to ask if she knew its meaning, but she was smiling for some reason.

Mr. Randolf came over to me and took our hands away.

"The engagement is postponed! I call an emergency meeting for the great nobles!"

The situation was very strange as it also gave me a bad feeling.

◇◇◇

The six great nobles gathered in an emergency room.

Linus protested what had happened.

"Acting Chairman, do you have any idea what that means?"

No one knew what happened, but Linus was angry with Randolf, so he took the opportunity to criticize him.

Lucian came to Randolf's defense.

"Linus, don't you dare talk to the Acting Chairman like that. No one knows what's going on, so don't try to blame him."

"I'm not blaming him, I'm just saying that this is very strange and that it happened just today makes it stranger."

"Even if it does, your tone is very unpleasant."

Lucian was taking this opportunity to be in favor of Randolf, Linus could already tell he was against him.

While they were discussing about the strange phenomenon that happened. Randy came with a big book that he placed on the table.

"Gentlemen, don't argue, I have the solution."

They all looked at Randy as they never imagined that he would say that.

Randolf gave him the floor.

"Please enlighten us, Herring-dono."

He flipped through the pages looking for something.

"I remember when my father was alive, he made me read this book, I'm sure you all have it in your homes, sorry for taking it without permission Acting Chairman."

"No problem, go ahead."

"Right. I remember in one of those pages, I saw something strange. As you may know, this book is written from the first generation of our houses."

"So... here it is!"

Randy finished looking for the page, he showed them all a drawing similar to the one they saw on the roots of the sacred tree.

"It's certainly identical, it even has text on it."

They all moved closer to read, Linus said in amazement.

"The sacred tree is angry!?"

"It seems this happened several centuries ago, a couple upset the sacred tree and it cursed Aster with a plague. The black roses are proof that a disease will befall us... this is serious!"

Cliff said so astonished that his cigar fell to the ground.

Randolf was starting to sweat, Randy noticed and flashed a wicked grin before reading.

"It says this is the curse of the sacred tree, it happens when a couple has broken the law, so they have a week to be punished before the sacred tree punishes all of Aster with a plague."

"The punishment is..."

What Randy said, made Randolf's heart stop for a moment.

"Sacrifice those involved from the top of the sacred tree."

Everyone looked at Randolf, who wasted no time and said.

"M-Must be a mistake! My daughter─ Sara...! She hasn't broken any laws!"

"But her fiancé has."

Linus threw cold water on Randolf with that clarification.

"The betrothed of Miss Sara─ the guardian, is a man who since he arrived has disgraced not only the great nobles, but also our traditions as customs. He has even got the priestess on his side, all this made the sacred tree angry."

"W-Wait Linus..."

"Not only that, Exner, he was also going to get engaged to the Rosenberg’s' daughter, such a thing must have made it angrier."

Cliff added adding fuel to the fire.

"In that case, gentlemen, I think there's only one thing to do."

Randy said taking it all for granted.

"G-Guys, wait a minute... she's my daughter!"

"But the sacred tree chose her, Acting Chairman. That means she's just as guilty as that rascal."

Randolf stepped back, did something he had never done before.

Kneel to them in a position called dogeza.

"Please, I beg of you. As a great noble, as head of the Rosenberg’s of the six houses, and most of all... as a father... please have mercy."

There was a moment of silence, Randy was the one to break it.

"All those who agree to sacrifice the Acting Chairman's daughter along with the guardian to prevent an epidemic, raise your hand and say 'no objection'."

"No objection. It's nothing personal Randolf."

Expressed Cliff raising his hand and fuming as if he actually cared what he said to a father being one.

"No objection. Sorry Acting Chairman, but this is for the sake of the sacred tree. It is divine justice for the sins committed of that count and his daughter for supporting him."

Said Linus looking seriously at Randolf.

Next was Wenz, due to the pressure of three great nobles seeing him.

"N-No objection. Sorry Acting Chairman."

Next was Lucian who sided with Randolf.

"I refuse. You guys are horrible, you should understand the Acting Chairman's feelings."

(Waah, good thing these guys raised their hands. I was scared no one would.)

(Really the situation is bad and if it says in the book to sacrifice, sorry Acting Chairman.)

Randolf at that moment understood his meeting with Alisa.

◇◇◇

"I will be frank Acting Chairman-dono, I don't want you or I to waste time."

"Rudel's lost item will belong to our children, if you think you will be able to access it by bribing Kingdom officials you are mistaken."

Alisa and Randolf were in a room with no one but them inside. She was drinking her tea after saying that to him.

Of course, Randolf understood that.

"I understand, Miss Bismarck. I understand that you don't want Rudel's lost item technology to be used for evil."

"But you are wrong about one thing. I won't use anything vulgar like bribery or threats. I will simply use political marriage for it."

Alisa gave Randolf a stern look.

"Hoh? So you really are using your daughter for a political marriage."

"Marriage is like that. I love my wife, but we came together through an arranged marriage."

"That's why I don't see anything wrong with a political marriage."

"That's not the problem. But in using your daughter, I remember my father did the same thing twice, both times I suffered, but then I ended up with Rudel."

"But your engagement to the count is a political arrangement."

"It is. But I love him, and that's why I won't hand over Ixion's technology to you, if you think of using your daughter as a political tool, you'll really regret it."

◇◇◇

"I-It can't be..."

Randolf understood Alisa's words too late. Randy smilingly raised a wooden mallet.

"With that said, from now on the countdown to the sacrifice begins."

*Strike*

(Bea... Calvin... is this your revenge on me?)

(Am I finally being punished for the crime I committed ten years ago?)

Rudel and Sara's sacrifice was now official.

◇

"What's wrong Sara?"

Mister Randolf left together with the great nobles for a meeting.

While Sara and I were sent to a waiting room.

She was looking out the window for some reason.

I was talking to her, but she was not reacting.

When I touched her shoulder, she said.

"Rudel, in a week."

"What?"

She turned to look at me and went running to hug me.

"Rudel!"

That surprised me, I was going to hug her until I noticed Ixion spying on us through the window.

Get away.

"Rudel..."

Sara named me as I was about to tell her "what was going on" she said.

"In a week we'll see each other again."

"Huh? Sara, what are you talking about? I'm here."

"No, Rudel will be back. He told me."

When she raised her head, her green eyes were dull.

"He told me this would happen, I didn't believe it, but it did."

"The black rose is proof that Rudel will come back, we'll be together the three of us. In a week, the two of us will jump from the top of the sacred tree and we will be forever together, so Rudel told me."

"Sara... you're scaring me."

No kidding, what she said gave me goosebumps.

Jumping?

From the top of the sacred tree?

Sara, I don't want to be rude... but do you consume just in case weird foods?

"I don't understand what you're saying, you must be going through a bad time or some weird bug bit you, but Sara. Neither you nor I will jump off the top, that's suicide."

"...... Why?"

Sara's cheerful face distorted.

"Why would you say that?"

"You're telling me lies again, why do you do it? Tell me, why?"

"Sara, listen─"

"Why!"

She placed her hands on my neck, she didn't use magic power and she didn't belong to the bodybuilder club like Chlust, so why was her grip so strong?

Sara was lifting me up. I couldn't breathe.

"Why do you want to lie to me again!"

"I love you. You don't know how much I love you! And you want to lie to me again to leave my side!"

"I even let you have Lucy and two fiancés! I don't care who you have by your side as long as I'm there too!"

"If you're not going to be by my side... then I won't wait a week to die together!"

Sara's hands squeezed my neck so hard that I ended up passing out.

But before my consciousness faded, I heard Sara scream. "Rudel wake up! Sorry, I used too much force! Rudel!"

As at the same time Ixion disappeared.

Don't run away idiot... help me please.