The atmosphere at the western gate area of the Astoria Kingdom's capital was suddenly enveloped in a silence laden with shock. Everyone who had accidentally overheard the conversation between Allen and the guard soldiers instantly froze where they stood.
Not a single civilian, merchant, or adventurer there could fathom such a mind-boggling fact. Arvin Vedegra, a noble descendant so deeply respected and simultaneously feared, had just married eight other men in a short span of time while traveling to the Victoriaz Kingdom to participate in the inter-kingdom tournament.
For them, even by the standards of a high-class nobleman who typically had many concubines, it was incredibly extraordinary and borderline absurd. Having twelve spouses, all of whom were male, was a phenomenon never before recorded in the social history of any nobility. Not to mention, rumors of internal conflicts, power struggles, and bloody jealousy usually served as absolute shadows haunting a household with many life partners.
Amidst the silence and whispers that slowly began to creep through the air, a young woman from the crowd of citizens suddenly took a step forward. Her curiosity seemed to have overcome her common sense and her fear of the Vedegra family's social status.
"Do you all truly never fight with one another?" the young woman exclaimed with a voice that broke the silence, her eyes staring at Allen with pure curiosity. "I mean... for instance, is there any jealousy, a struggle for affection, or perhaps some of you spouses fancy each other and are having a forbidden relationship behind Young Master Arvin's back?"
Hearing the question blurted out so bluntly and boldly, everyone around the gate spontaneously turned their sharp gazes toward the young woman. They held their breath, shocked by her audacity. However, at the same time, it was undeniable that they all felt extremely curious about the answer to that daring question.
Instead of feeling offended or angry because his personal life was questioned in public, Allen and Alrian reacted to the contrary. The two people who had become the center of attention merely exchanged glances for a moment, then smiled very gently at the woman who had asked.
"Never at all." Allen answered honestly, his voice flowing as calmly as clear river water. "Even if there was a minor spark, it only happened once when Alrain and Ordion argued and almost clashed."
The open answer that came out of the pink-haired youth's mouth provoked an even greater reaction. The woman, along with dozens of other pairs of ears listening intently, became increasingly swept away by curiosity.
"What was the reason they both ended up clashing like that?" the woman asked again, a little braver after realizing that the nobleman had no intention of punishing her.
"Just a trivial matter. It happened because Alrain's cooking lesson schedule had to be delayed since Ordion took up a little time." Allen replied with a soft chuckle, beginning to recount the incident inside their mansion without any burden. "When the tension between the two of them worsened and the atmosphere began to heat up, our husband immediately came and stopped the commotion. He firmly forbade us, no matter the reason, to fight with one another."
Allen let out a soft sigh, a highly affectionate smile etched increasingly clear on his face every time he remembered the figure of his husband.
"He was not angry at all, did not yell, and only spoke very gently to the two of them." Allen continued his story. "However, all of us who were there, without the slightest hesitation, immediately fell silent and followed whatever he said without daring to argue."
"How could that be?" a man from the ranks of adventurers who had been listening all along chimed in, feeling intrigued by the dynamic of the noble family's story that was far from violent.
"Because we know for certain that he always does his best for the happiness of us all fairly, without a single one of us feeling neglected."
Hearing that, the young woman who had first asked spoke up again. "Can Young Master Arvin Vedegra truly be fair to all of you? Twelve people is not a small number."
"Yes! He is always extremely fair to us in every matter." Allen answered without the slightest pause, implying an unshakable conviction. "That's why I said earlier that not a single one of us feels neglected, whether in terms of material things, attention, or affection."
Everyone in the courtyard of the capital's western gate listened intently to every single word that came out of Arvin Vedegra's first spouse. Their hearts were slightly touched seeing the sincerity radiating from Allen's eyes.
"That's why none of us ever have disagreements that trigger major fights, let alone dare to think about betraying our husband's sincerity." Allen continued his sentence, providing an absolute conclusion to the very first question. "There is only him in the eyes of us all."
Amidst the crowd's awe, a middle-aged woman carrying a vegetable basket on her arm mustered the courage to ask one question that perhaps represented many people's thoughts on noble arrogance.
"But, Young Master... was any one of you ever forced unilaterally to accept Young Master Arvin Vedegra as your husband?" the middle-aged woman asked in a careful tone.
"None!" Allen answered firmly, yet still maintaining his politeness. "We all decided to become his spouses purely out of our own desires. In fact, I can guarantee that if he desires someone but that person rejects him, he would never intimidate, exploit his noble status, let alone force that person to accept him."
The answer Allen provided so straightforwardly and without hesitation successfully left everyone in the area around the capital's western gate astounded and at a loss for words.
There were some of them who felt completely convinced by that extraordinary romance story. However, quite a few still found it incredibly difficult to believe. They found it too hard to believe that reality not without reason. It was all purely because the name Arvin was closely attached to the Vedegra family. A high-class noble family that was most feared, known for its strength on the battlefield, and highly respected not only within the Astoria Kingdom's territory, but its reputation also echoed across the entire continent.
In the midst of the silent situation that struck the crowd, Alrian, who had merely been standing alongside while smiling all this time, turned his head toward Allen. The green-haired youth briefly glanced at the shadow of the sun that was beginning to rise higher.
"Allen, it's getting late into the day." Alrian said in a gentle tone, giving a warning to his family member so they would not waste any more time. "It's better if we immediately go and carry out the mission given by our husband before the sun gets too scorching."
Hearing what Alrian had just said, Allen snapped out of his long chat and responded with a firm nod. He then looked toward everyone who was still crowding around him.
"In that case, our chat ends here. The two of us must go." Allen said in a friendly parting tone. "We must immediately explore this western forest to search for the herbal plants exactly as our husband has ordered."
The young soldier who had previously acted presumptuously now swiftly stepped back, bowed respectfully, and gave a wide path for the two youths.
"Please go ahead, Young Masters!" the young soldier answered in a very polite tone. "Please be careful when the two of you are inside the western forest over there."
"Of course we will, thank you!"
And then, Allen and Alrian walked side by side crossing the inspection post boundary. They left the crowd at the capital's western gate behind them and slowly began to step forward, penetrating the lush trees of the forest ahead of them.