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Vol 01 Chapter 35: Elopement

A little south from the Adernian Peninsula, there was an island called Triskelia.

Further south from that island lay the country of Pofenia. It was a republic governed by a senate of nobles.

Pofenia was a great maritime nation, with significant economic disparities between the nobles engaged in maritime trade and the commoners involved in agriculture and livestock farming. The distinction between nobles and commoners was stark and clear.

To give a specific example, the political participation of the commoners. Only nobles could become members of the senate, and commoners could neither become senators nor vote.

There were also differences in the amount of land and slaves that nobles and commoners could own.

Moreover, nobles and commoners couldn’t marry each other. It’s important so it should be said twice. Nobles and commoners couldn’t marry each other.

Alexios Barca was a noble of Pofenia. Born into a family that had produced numerous military figures, he himself was a soldier.

His first battle was at the age of twelve. Since then, he achieved many military exploits and began commanding a unit at fifteen. Having participated in numerous naval and land battles and secured victories, he was now, at twenty-three, one of Pofenia’s leading generals.

Anyone who saw him for the first time always took notice of his right eye. He wore an eyepatch over it.

He had been wearing an eyepatch over his right eye since he became aware of himself. This had given him the nickname ‘The One-Eyed Knight.’

Handsome, strong, with a promising future, and moreover, he also had a striking appearance. No woman would ignore such a man.

Numerous daughters of Pofenian nobility had made advances toward him… And he had rejected them all.

He even rejected arranged marriage meetings set up by his family with a single phrase, 「Not interested.」

When asked why he did not marry, he said, 「I’m not interested in women. I prefer beautiful boys.」

◇

In Pofenia, there’s a magician named Melia. She had no surname, being a commoner.

Her companions were three in number.

A wolf-dog, the offspring of a wolf and a dog. An owl, about fifty serika (fifty centimeters) in size. Lastly, a giant hawk that reached a length of one hundred twenty serika (one hundred twenty centimeters).

Her hawk was unmatched in aerial combat and was highly valued for its keen eyesight.

Though only twenty-two, she had made significant contributions to the Pofenian army and was called ‘The Falconer.’

She received marriage proposals almost daily. Naturally, no man would ignore a magician seen as having a promising future, especially if she was a beauty.

It was said that the talent for magic was hereditary. Therefore, she was highly sought after.

But she had continued to refuse all marriage proposals. She even turned down proposals from wealthy commoners who could potentially be elevated to nobility.

Someone asked her why she did not marry.

「I’m not interested in men. I love animals.」

◇

Late at night. The crescent moon, the symbol of Pofenia, shone brightly in the night sky. While most Pofenians were asleep, two figures were sneaking around.

Alexios and Melia.

「I’ve missed you, Melia!!」

「Me too, Alexios!!」

The two shared a hug so intense it seemed like sound effects would accompany it, and then they kissed each other. The considerate crescent moon seemed to brighten their surroundings more.

After about five minutes of affection, they got down to business.

「A ship heading to Triskelia will dock at the harbor tomorrow morning. Once we arrive in Triskelia, we’ll move on foot to a Kirisian colonial city there, and from there, take another ship to the Adernian Peninsula. Sounds good?」

「At last. I’ve thrown my reputation and become known as a pervert who likes bestiality, but now our dream will be fulfilled.」

「Yes, I also had to pretend to be a homosexual.」

They laughed together.

The two met during the war. Melia was dispatched as the exclusive sorceress for Alexios’s unit.

They were immediately drawn to each other and fell in love… But they were a noble and a commoner. Marriage was impossible.

They truly wanted to marry, but even as a concubine, marriage was out of the question. Pofenia legally forbade polygamy. Even if it had been allowed, the principle that nobles could not marry commoners meant they wouldn’t have been able to marry anyway. If their relationship became known, they would be separated. So, they lied.

But recently, even those lies began to become ineffective. So, they planned to  ‘elope.’

Firstly, eloping within Pofenia itself was out of the question. They considered the overseas colonial cities of Pofenia as an option, but the couple’s distinctive appearances made them stand out, so they discarded the idea.

The second option was the Persis Empire. An eastern superpower that had destroyed Pofenia’s former suzerain state. Thus, Pofenia and Persis were not exactly enemies.

The Persis Empire protected Pofenian maritime trade, so the two nations had built a good relationship. Therefore, there were many ships heading to Persis, making the success rate of their elopement high.

However, it was too far. The courage needed to seek asylum in a place with a different language and culture was significant.

Thus, Kirisia was considered as the third option.

Pofenia and the Kirisian city-states had poor relations due to competing in maritime trade, and Alexios had also fought against the Kirisian army. Therefore, they deemed risky to flee to the mainland of the Kirisian states.

So, they thought of seeking asylum in a Kirisian colonial city on the Adernian Peninsula. The Adernian Peninsula was quite rural, and it was unlikely many people would know their names.

That was their reasoning.

「But is it really okay? I don’t care much for my family… but you have a proper family, don’t you?」

「What are you talking about now… I’m supposedly into bestiality, remember? Who else would marry me other than you?」

「Ha ha, that’s true. Only you would marry a supposedly outspoken homosexual like me.」

They were determined.

The next day, news that a nobleman and a commoner woman had vanished swept through Pofenia.

A large-scale search was conducted by the Pofenian army and wanted posters were circulated in every city within Pofenia, but they failed to find them.