Original subtitles

My father has taken ill.

Father, perhaps I should lead the next engagement...

Raven Louvent Age 36

No! How many times must I tell you?

But you shouldn't be fighting in your condition.

Ars Louvent Age 9

Given the current state of things, I must.

A year ago, the governor of Missian passed away of illness.

In his will, the governor named his younger son, Vasmarque, his successor.

But the elder brother, Couran, insisted his brother had forged the document.

Couran, long considered the lesser son,

had been making a name for himself in battle,

so quite a few retainers began to believe he should inherit the throne according to custom.

The province of Missian has thus been torn asunder,

split between those supporting the elder brother and those supporting the younger.

Taking advantage of the situation,

the neighboring Province of Seitz has pressed its offensive.

I'll need to take to the battlefield after all.

We'll arrive in Lamberg shortly.

But with this rain...

No, no.

I believe the heavens are on our side.

Ars.

There's a far more urgent matter you should be thinking about.

Why are you acting so confused?

I'm talking about the betrothal, of course.

B-Betrothal?

Whose betrothal?! Mine?!

Yes.

When was that arranged?!

I don't remember exactly.

Didn't I tell you about it?

N-Never...

This letter arrived the other day.

As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World

As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World

Terrible news!

Heya, Ars.

I received a letter from my betrothed!

Your betrothed?!

I thought you were gonna marry me, Ars.

Now's not the time to be joking around!

This is the first I've heard about the betrothal, too!

Lord Ars? W-We have a visitor claiming to be your fiancée...

Episode 5 The Storm Arrives!

What do I do?

In my last life, I never even had a girlfriend...

How should I act?

What kind of person will she be?

What a pleasure this is, Lord Ars.

I'm Licia Pleide.

I'm simply delighted to meet you!

Th-The pleasure's all mine...

She's so beautiful!

Leadership 5/10 Prowess 5/10 Ingenuity 45/73 Diplomacy 77/100 Ambition 80

Licia Pleide 10 Female

And I'm betrothed to her?!

Did I seriously luck out h—

A Diplomacy of 100 and Ambition of 80?!

This girl's kind of terrifying!

Why is her Ambition so high?!

She looks so sweet and gentle...

Wait. That could all be an act to try to make a good impression.

Could it be... she's here to depose me?!

With my father incapacitated, I'm the only one who can stop her evil plans!

I won't let you fool me!

Er, is there something on my face?

I'm sure he's simply struck dumb by your beauty, my lady.

My!

You're making me blush.

She's adorable!

Well, let me show you the estate.

A-A Malkan?!

Jean.

Haven't you heard of Rietz?

Tales of his battlefield exploits have reached even our lands.

You shan't speak ill of him.

Apologize right now.

I-I beg your forgiveness!

I-It's okay...

Welcome to our home, Lady Licia!

Oh, how lovely!

What a wonderful gesture!

Thank you so much!

My name is Licia Pleide.

It's my utmost pleasure to meet you.

Your mansion is astounding!

I can see all the hard work you put into it!

The meat here is positively delicious!

Y-Yes, it is!

It's suw we caught with a method called "trapping"...

Lord Ars, I'm afraid you have some sauce on your mouth.

Pardon me!

My communication skills are nil, but she's keeping the conversation going.

She's great at communication, she's quick-witted, and her etiquette is masterful.

And above all, she's utterly beautiful!

If not for my Appraisal skill, I'd be head-over-heels by now!

I passed through the city of Lamberg on my way here.

It's a wonderfully lively place, isn't it?

Thank you for saying so.

If the weather were better, I'd show you around myself.

I'm sure you'll still be able to.

Licia...

Can you control the weather?!

Perish the thought, Lord Ars!

I was watching the clouds' movement from my carriage.

I could tell it was merely a passing rain.

Now that it's cleared up, please show me around the town!

Rosell, what do you make of the girl?

She's very beautiful and well-mannered.

But she kind of... scares me.

You've got good instincts, kiddo.

I feel the same way.

That girl smells dangerous.

Let us go!

R-Right!

Very dangerous.

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

Hey, it's Lord Ars!

Oh? And who might this be?

Good day to you!

And this is...

My betrothed, Licia.

My, how delightful!

We must tell the others!

And throw a celebration!

I can't tell them she might be a threat to our domain...

I told you, that's not what you said!

I never ordered that crap!

What's going on here?

It appears to be a dispute over a magistone order.

The furniture maker ordered flame magistones,

but the wholesaler brought sound magistones.

That's what you get for only making a verbal agreement.

I-I see...

As the next lord of these lands, I should try to settle this.

But if I fail...

What an incompetent boob!

Lamberg is as good as mine!

I can't afford to fail!

Well, listen to that.

A fight, is it?

Charlotte?!

How 'bout I stop it for you?

One hit from my magic would clear things right up.

Oh, you mustn't!

Huh? What's your problem?

Butt out, kiddo.

Wait... Are you the famous mage called Charlotte?

And what if I am?

I'm such a fan of yours!

Your spells are absolutely divine!

May I please shake your hand?

W-Well, if you insist...

What's with that look?

Oh, nothing.

Excuse me, Lord Ars.

Would you perhaps allow me to handle this situation?

What? But...

And if I do succeed in resolving it, would you do me a favor?

A-A favor?

You've done it now!

Pardon me, you two.

Please don't be so angry. Such rage will only ruin your handsome faces.

Who...

Who the heck is this kid?

I am the betrothed of Lord Ars, the next lord of House Louvent.

My name is Licia Pleide.

It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

His betrothed?!

Hey, good for him!

Nice to see he's got such a pretty young gal.

Our Lord Ars is growing up!

Th-Thank you...

I happened to hear of your plight.

Sound magistones, was it?

Would you be willing to sell them to House Pleide?

We're unable to mine sound magistones in our territory.

We consider them quite precious.

I'm willing to offer quite a high price for them.

Meanwhile, we have a volcano from which we mine many flame magistones.

We could sell you our excess for a very reasonable price.

Wouldn't that just solve everything?

At least...

That's what Lord Ars suggested.

Lord Ars...

You're willing to help us even with petty disputes?

That's fantastic!

Brilliant! That's our future lord!

I'd like to make one request to prevent such things from happening again.

Even when negotiating between friends, please write up a contract.

Yeah, I'm so sorry. It's just such a pain sometimes...

I know.

But let's all do our best!

Thank you so much, Licia. You were a huge help.

I'm just glad to see everyone's settled down.

Her diplomacy is definitely next-level.

I'm sorry to make you walk around so much.

Not at all!

I learned so much, so it was time well spent!

I admit you did okay back there, but that doesn't mean I accept you.

What's this "betrothed" crap, anyway?

Must think you're pretty hot...

Lord Ars?

That favor I mentioned earlier... May I share it with you now?

Here it comes!

I'd like to ask you a question. Will you answer me truthfully?

Of course!

What sort of person do you like?

What kind of question is that?

I don't know...

I can't figure out what she's after!

No, she's too smart. I can't outthink her.

So I'll just have to meet her head-on!

I... I...

I like people who speak their minds and hide nothing from me!

Very well. I'll keep that in mind.

As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World

As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World

That evening, we ate an extravagant meal Rietz prepared for us,

and Charlotte put on an amazing magic display that everyone enjoyed.

I never did manage to find out what Licia was after...

She's staying the night, though, so I'll pick up again tomorrow.

Please keep quiet!

Er, are you aware this is my room?

If you got the wrong room...

I didn't.

I had someone show me the way to your room,

then I slipped out later.

But why?!

To see the look of shock upon your face!

She's totally messing with me.

On our way home today, did you not say you prefer girls who speak their minds?

I did.

So I came here hoping to have an honest conversation.

Alone in a room with a girl at night...

Thank you for the tea.

What should I do?

It's quite delicious.

S-So, what did you want to talk about?

I wish to know what you think of me.

Wh-What do you mean?

I have a special talent for telling how people feel just by looking at them,

even if they're trying to hide it.

The emotion you conveyed when you first saw me...

was suspicion.

Entirely understandable, as we'd only just met.

But I pride myself on my ability to put people at ease with a few minutes' conversation.

And yet everything I did only seemed to deepen your suspicions of me.

Then in the end, you said that you wished to know my true feelings.

What is it about me that you distrust?

Her observational skills are really something else.

Maybe that's been making her feel uneasy.

She probably never dreamed someone would be able to see her stats...

I could probably just dodge the question. But...

Licia.

I have the ability to see a person's abilities, aptitudes, and level of ambition.

You have an incredible talent for diplomacy

Diplomacy 77/100

and far more ambition than most people.

Ambition

It inclines me to think that your actions are entirely calculated,

and that you have some kind of ulterior motive.

I mean, I don't know if you'll believe me, of course...

A-Ambition for what?

I don't doubt you in the slightest.

In fact, that explains everything about your behavior.

You really believe me?

Yes.

It is true that I have ambition.

Wh-What is it you're after?

Must I say it?

The only ambition a woman might have

is for an amazing man to fall in love with her at first sight.

Please, say something!

Th-That's wonderful!

Oh, shoot!

Her statement and expression were both so cute, I ended up staring...

But she's right.

The best path to survival for a lord's daughter is to marry a powerful man.

Which means being betrothed to the lord of a weak domain, like me, must be less than ideal.

For the first time, I can tell exactly what you're thinking.

It's true that House Louvent's territory is quite small.

If you'd proven yourself to be an oaf,

I'd have done whatever was necessary to break off our engagement.

But spending time with you today changed my mind.

I believe I do wish to marry you, Lord Ars.

B-But why?

The fact remains my territory is small, so...

It's only small for now.

You have great promise, Lord Ars.

The events of today confirmed for me that House Louvent will prosper in the future.

I'm just surrounded by amazing people...

They're always doing so much for me.

That's precisely what I mean.

The people of Lamberg truly adore you.

When I introduced myself as your betrothed,

I could tell that they were as happy for you as they would be for their own family.

It made me realize...

You're loved for who you are, without even trying for it.

That may be the most important ability in a lord.

I've come to love you just as deeply as the people of Lamberg do.

Th-Thank you...

I should return to my room now.

Goodnight!

That was the stupidest response possible!

Who the heck says "thank you" to that?!

For the first time, a girl told me she loves me...

Who'd have thought her ambition would be something so charming?

And she did honestly speak her mind with me.

She didn't even question my Appraisal skill.

O-Oh, what a foolish thing I've done!

Sneaking into a gentleman's bedroom? How utterly disgraceful!

And then I fled in sheer embarrassment...

My face must have been as red as could be!

But...

This is the first time I've told someone how I truly feel.

The world of nobility is an awful place.

Everyone lies. No one says what they really think.

They don't hesitate to take others down to ensure their own position or power.

I always hated my ability to sense such sentiments among them.

Until one day...

She used to be the lowliest of nobility.

And now she's married her way above even us!

If a strong man with political power falls in love with you at first sight,

you can escape this awful world of scheming and plotting!

From the moment I realized that,

I started to treasure this ability I previously hated so much.

I'd already seen the worst,

so I learned to say things I didn't mean.

I initially had no interest in marrying into the minor House Louvent.

I needed to wed into one much stronger.

My intention was simply to make a good impression and form a favorable bond.

And yet... not only did I fail, I even made him suspicious.

Despite my best attempts at conversation,

despite repeated uses of my killer smile,

his suspicions only deepened.

I couldn't tell what he was thinking, either.

But...

Er...

The roads in Lamberg aren't the best.

It must be hard to walk in those shoes.

No, it's quite all right.

Hold on just a minute!

Take this.

This salve will help if you get any blisters.

You might not need it, but take it just in case you do.

Lord Ars is kind.

His kindness is boundless, not tied to anyone's rank or position.

The people of his domain treat him as they would their own families.

Ah... what a beautiful world that is!

I want to be a part of it!

I'm enchanted by him.

Then I told him how I really felt, and he accepted me just as I am...

Oh, God, I truly am grateful to you for giving me this power!

I finally know how to use it!

Lord Ars is strong and able.

But I'm sure his kindness will lead him into trouble.

That's why I want to stay right by his side,

and should anyone hinder the beautiful world he's building...

I'll crush every single one of them!

L-Lady Licia?

After Licia left, we began exchanging letters.

I've never had a pen pal, so I'm always so nervous when writing her.

Dear Licia. Have you been well?

I was glad to hear the flower seeds I gave you are growing.

I'm sure they'll blossom beautifully by next spring.

These are flowers that bloom here.

You said they were beautiful, so...

Why, thank you so much!

You truly are kind, Lord Ars.

No, not at all!

You still haven't responded to my declaration of love.

Oh, well, er...

You need not do so immediately.

I'll do my best so that you fall in love with me at first sight.

E-Er, I—

But I've made up my mind to marry you, Lord Ars.

There have been fewer skirmishes lately, and life has been quite peaceful.

The succession dispute over the Missian governorship has reached a lull for now.

Also, something wonderful has happened!

My father's illness has abated somewhat.

It could be because he's less worried about going to war.

He may be able to walk around the gardens soon.

I hope I can introduce you to him properly next time.

Perhaps over a meal...

The next time we meet, I will tell you.

I think I want to marry you, too, Licia.

I wish life could remain this peaceful forever.

Lord Ars.

Rietz... That's a rather unnerving expression.

I'm afraid you'll be facing a rather difficult trial.

But I have faith that you can overcome it.

Next Time The Face of a Warrior

Next time: "The Face of a Warrior."