Chapter 6

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I present to you chapter 6! There are some emotional things that happen! Not much else to say at the moment ^-^;;

I got the picture from this chapter from Portrait of a Demon King.

Chapter 6

      The peculiar group of four nervously pressed up against a wall.
      “Th-th-th-this has gone really bad!”
An innumerable amount of guards were running through the hallway. Dacascos took his eye away from the keyhole and turned to his other three companions. He could still see a distinct, round afterimage in his right eye.
      “This is bad. It can’t get any worse than this. It’s like the time I messed up at my wife’s parents’ house.”
      “I see, Mr. Dacky’s wife is a daughter of excellent parentage. Then her cheeks must surely be the color of red tea as if she is about to be vexed and her lips are like the crimson of a fish egg in the deep ocean.”
      Even in times like these, Stefan Fanberlain was not failing to provide words of praise for women.
      “Are you complementing my Blin? Ah, I have to write that one down as soon as possible.”
      Sizemore muttered ‘don’t do it’ to himself, but Dacascos, lost in thought in his mental notebook, did not hear the words from Sizemore’s heart.
      “Leaving that aside, the problem is how to get past these elite guards.”
      The first half of the journey was so easy they didn’t even think to be worried about going back. The treasure at their feet was covered by a green cloth. It appeared to be an icebox for drinks at first glance, but with security like this they wouldn’t be able to avoid interrogation and if the guards removed the cloth and looked at the box, that would be it.
      After all, right before they carried it out, there were huge white letters spelling ‘End of the Wind’ written right on it. Just like a child’s toy chest. As an emergency measure, they painted the whole thing white with nearby paint. The letters were hidden, but now it smelled strongly of paint.
      “… Is this really the armory toilet? It’s so foul-smelling I feel like it’s bad for my heart.”
      “Yeah, but this thing isn’t a box of candy so we can’t just go carrying it around with the name written right on it, Captain. Ah!”
      A bug fell out of the air right in front of Dacascos’s face.
      “If there are this many pursuers then that means that this Demon King statue must be quite valuable. Fufufu, I’ve gotten some faith in my appraisal skills. Then I shall bestow this statue upon Cecilie. She deserves works of art that have true value!”
      “But its head is an elephant from any angle,” Sizemore commented. Using his good common sense, he wondered just why someone would give the previous Demon King a statue of a Demon King. But as expected, the voice in his heart did not reach. “However, everyone, we cannot stay in this room doing nothing. Our mission is to deliver the swapped box to His Majesty’s group. We can’t stay stranded here forever.”
      “That’s right. To see Cecilie’s pleased face as well, we must deliver this to our client.”
      “Yeah, a field trip doesn’t end until we get home!”
      There was one person who was always easygoing: Dacascos.
      Waiting for a break in the foot traffic, they sneak out of the room. They make a beeline for the side entrance. Even though they want to get out as fast as possible, since they aren’t soldiers they’ll stick out if they run inside of the temple. Now they need to persevere and creep forward.
      Every time they pa.s.s someone, they fear that they’ll ask about the box. However most of the pa.s.sersby were indifferent and there was no need to put them to sleep.
      Finally the side entrance came into view. They could even see the darkness outside through the gla.s.s.
      Snow was still falling, but the seats were filled with drunken spectators celebrating. In the light of the now fewer torches, the workers on the grounds were starting to clean up.
      “Ah, Captain, Mr. Fanfan, just a little farther. Just a little farther and we’ll get out of this te-”
      “Hey,” a giant soldier that came around the corner calls out and stops them with one hand.
      “I-is there a problem, Mr. Soldier?” Sizemore answers as their representative. All of them are staring at the ground. Half of the soldier’s face was covered in a beard so the Captain was frankly a bit jealous. He was a man with quite the strong hair roots.
      “About that box…”
      Ack!
      When they look, Fanberlain’s hands had gotten under the cloth and the white surface was peeking out.
      “That box, who’s lost, eh?”
      “When you say l-… o-… st…”
      “The casket you know, yeah. It’s white so it was a boy, right? How sad, yeah. He was still so little…”
Half Beard Man’s face crumpled up and he looked like he was about to cry any moment. Appearances can be deceiving. He was apparently a kind soldier who loved children. Be that as it may… The four of them were secretly relieved. To think that the box would be mistaken for a boy’s casket. So the reason that no one had accosted them and they made it to this point in one piece wasn’t because of their successful plan. They had just been mistaken for a funeral procession.
      “Oh, it’s sad huh, yeah. Children’s funerals are really painful huh, yeah. My younger brother died in the war when he was ten, you know. He was in a pure white casket just like this one yeah, yes… s.h.i.+maron burned the whole village you know, yeah… Actually, actually I hate war, you know. The ones who always get hurt are women and children yeah, yes. But now I’m a soldier for the country that killed my brother, yeah… I can’t ever face my ten year old brother who burned to ash, you know.”
The soldier blew his nose in a handkerchief and then balled it up and stored it away again. Then, he took out an insect husk and placed it on top of the green cloth.
      “If it’s alright, I’ll give this to you okay, yeah. My little brother loved laughing cicadas yeah, yes. He loves playing pranks, but if you meet my little bro on the other side, have some fun with him okay, yeah.”
      The soldier sniffled once again and walked away with his shoulders slumped. The four watch the yellow-clad figure leave and once again pick up the box.
      “I kind of feel bad because we tricked him,” said Dacascos.
      “Yeah.” The soldier had said that his village was burned and the women and children died. Sizemore’s post was on the sea so he had little opportunity to encounter civilian casualties. Those who did battle on the sea were mostly battles.h.i.+ps and attacks on civilian transport s.h.i.+ps were forbidden. “… It is painful for children to get involved.”
      “I of course do business even in war,” Fanfan said in a strained voice as he pushed the door open. He was holding down his anger. His voice was the complete opposite of when he was praising beauty. “I do not want to introduce an inelegant weapon like this into battles between countries. It was written in the Sward News that the eastern earthquake was caused by a box similar to this one. Also that the damage to the river and harbor and the castle town was enormous. A weapon that destroys beautiful things is not something that humans should use.”
      The white ice crystals fluttering down in the darkness land on top of the box one at a time.
      “… I wonder what His Majesty thinks.” Sizemore lifted his face to sky and gazed at the stars that had doubled in number.

      What settled the matter wasn’t Norman Gilbit’s speech or His Highness Belal’s broad-mindedness but the brief comment of the head referee from the final match who was invited to the victor’s dinner.
      “If the wish of this person is not granted, the International Refereeing Alliance will not stand by.”
      Even in a foreign world with swords and magic, this special NGO, the International Refereeing Alliance, seems to be quite influential. Even the chief power in Big s.h.i.+maron could not defy the words of the chief referee.
      After a meal that left me still hungry, I hurried over to the side of the chief referee.
      “Thank you, referee! I can’t even express in words how grateful I am.”
      Mr. Stubbly twisted his lips into a broad grin. “It was a rather amusing fight. For the first time in a while I had fun overseeing a match.”
    “No, Mr. Stubbly, that’s really too much…”
      Especially since I hardly remember any of it.
      “The split personality under the mask was quite the entertaining plot twist. However, I think it would be safe to avoid playing an excessively grandiose character from now on. Isn’t claiming to be the Demon King because you can use magic a little bit too simple? Oh, but I promise I won’t reveal your special ‘Mr. Change-y’ fighting style to anyone. Please be at ease. Referees are under a pledge of confidentiality, after all.”
      “… Confidentiality…”
      Mr. Stubbly placed his middle and index finger against his temple and bid me farewell as if he were saying ‘see ya!’ In any case, the International Refereeing Alliance is incredible. The International Express Referee is incredible. He named my fighting style ‘Mr. Change-y.’ That was amazingly fast.
      “M-Mr. Change-y…”
      After dinner, we were led out into the main hall in the temple and the atmosphere naturally changed into a friendly party.
      I hadn’t heard that there would be these kinds of festivities so I had wanted to get to bed as soon as possible, but the people in charge of the ceremony filled with s.h.i.+maronians who were in high spirits for some reason would not allow the guests of honor to be excused. It seems that they were from regions that were turned into territories of s.h.i.+maron. They gave us their blessings for defeating the s.h.i.+maron mainland in the final contest as if it were their own victory.
      I hurriedly wash my body in a barrel with a hole in it (an easy way to experience life as a trainee monk) and put on the clothes that the host country provided. According to my general knowledge up until now, the team jersey was okay for the farewell parties and social gatherings in international games.
      That being said, tonight I was in the hands of a stylist and was lectured severely with girly words.
      “Huuh? Black? Did you say black!? Hey old lady, did you hear that? Did you like, hear that? You absolutely just cannooot wear black nowadays. Black is like, the color that the big, super terrible king of the demons wears, you know? You’ve got such a cute face so black is out. Okaaay, let’s get these gla.s.ses and hat off of- uwah!?”
      After seeing the color of my eyes and hair, she (he?) fainted for a full five minutes with her eyes wide open. Both of her hands were spread wide open next to her face as if frozen in surprise and she was motionless. Thinking I should grab the opportunity, I dug out a green knit from the closet on my own. It looks warm. Although as I was putting my legs into a pair of stretchy pants, the stylist couldn’t take it anymore and recovered.
      “…. Nooooo waaaay! Hey, do you wear knits like that all the time? Ugh, I can’t believe it. Look old lady, look. It’s unbelieeevable! A lame outfit like that with jet black hair is unforgivable!”
      After saying that to the female a.s.sistant, she walks over while swaying her thin hips. Without even asking, she pets my hair and peers right into my face.
      “Oh myyy, they say that it’s a forbidden color, but now that I look at it it’s gorgeous. Beautiful. Manly… Spellbinding… But that hair might, like, throw everyone at the banquet into a panic. Although I wouldn’t mind being taken down! But if you’d like, should I dye it real fast? Chestnut or light brown. Hey. Old lady, bring the metal basin! It’s aaalright, Mr. Manly. I won’t tell anyone about your hair color. After all, like, those in the beauty industry are under a pledge of confidentiality.”
      Even stylists take pledges of confidentiality! Naturally, the green pants I picked were rejected and they laid out an ivory tuxedo on the bed for me that was embarra.s.sing just to look at. On top of that, there were five extra layers of lace on the collar and sleeves and an excessive amount of ornamentations were added to it. I reluctantly put the suit on and I was thrown out into the banquet.
      In the blink of an eye, I was completely surrounded by dressed up n.o.bles and rich people.
      “You’re the leader of the Caloria representatives, aren’t you? Unfortunately I was unable to watch in the stands and instead watched from the seats designated for n.o.ble visitors, but… that snow in the final match was amazing!”
      “I was wondering what sort of person Norman Gilbit was and it turns out he is unexpectedly childish and cute looking. Hey Lord Norman, what did you wish for?”
      “Honestly, the wish of a gentleman is obvious.”
      “If it’s like I imagine, he’s quite the precocious child.”
      World Peace, becoming an official catcher, my team’s victory. Those are my personal wishes, but they might be too obvious.
      Wondering why only women were surrounding me, I noticed that the men had gathered into their own corners in the room and were completely absorbed in gossiping about the region that had beaten s.h.i.+maron.
      “Wa.s.s wrong, Yuuri. Arentcha gonna drink anythin’?”
      Wolfram was wearing a dark green tuxedo. So we’re tuxedo buddies. Unlike me, Wolfram is a certified pretty boy so no matter what outfit he wears it looks good on him. Even so, it’s a surprisingly simple and normal outfit for him.
      “That looks good on you, Your Excellency Wolfram.”
      “Youuu too… bwahaha! Look at that frilly collar!”
      “I shouldn’t have shown you.”
      When I turned around I saw Josak coming over. His long arms were exposed from his shoulders down and he had dangerously high slits all the way up to his thighs. As I stared in disbelief, he started flirting in a husky voice.
      “Oh Your Majesty, if you stare so intently I might get a bit daring~."
      “Wh-why are you in women’s clothes…”
      He was wearing a rouge and dark red dress that went well with his undone, orange hair. Gurrier suddenly turned serious.
      “I was having withdrawal. To be honest, I couldn’t wear filthy and boring men’s clothes to a magnificent banquet. Ah but Your-… you Lord Norman look nice. If Lady Celi finds you, she’ll absolutely eat you up… Oh, Your Majesty, do not take food from any plate that no other guest has eaten from. Designate me as the poison testing lady.”
      “Understood.”
      The hall was so bright you wouldn’t think it wasn’t electricity. There were lights that gave off various colors and they reflected off of the polished, stone floor making the scene as dazzling as the middle of the day.
      I’ve been to a party once before. It was a small c.o.c.ktail party on a boat.
      At that time there weren’t any n.o.bles or social rankings so I could easily greet everyone.
      I was even the partner for a sweet young girl’s first dance.
      As a baseball brat from j.a.pan, I hadn’t learned those so-called ballroom dances. It was because of Conrad’s impromptu dance training that I managed to get through that night.
      “……”
      I almost said his name and heaved a self-deprecating sigh. I completely ruin the meticulous hair style I had by threading my fingers through my bangs.
      A performance by something like a piano started. At every measure a new instrument joined in and the solo performance became its own little orchestra. This place will probably also start changing into a ballroom. There were even a few impatient couples standing near the orchestra who were starting to sway.
      I was leaning against the pale yellow wall with an empty gla.s.s in hand. It’s been over a week since I had had a proper night’s sleep. It was all I could do to not yawn.
      Now that I think of it, what sort of costume was Murata forced into? That fake blonde hair of his was fading and was about to become an unidentifiable color. He couldn’t find his color contacts anywhere in the room. I wonder if he’s the only one who got to stay cooped up in his room and is relaxing in luxury. If so, I won’t forgive him. We’re lacking sleep too. I wonder if I should go find him.
      s.h.i.+fting my gaze to the front of the room, I caught a glimpse of s.h.i.+ning silver.
      “… Flynn?”
      The gla.s.s that I had unconsciously let go of hit the floor and I heard it shatter. Pus.h.i.+ng my way through the people chatting amicably with each other, I head to where the silver hair glittered.
      The wife of the victor and representative of Caloria was surrounded by unwelcome n.o.bles and was standing there bored.
      “Flynn!”
      After looking back and forth twice before finding me, her expression brightens all at once. It was so excessively happy that I slowed down.
      “I’m relieved, Captain. I got separated from that lady.”
      “You came here with Lady Celi? Anyway, didn’t I say to stay on the s.h.i.+p because it was dangerous? Despite me saying that, why did you brazenly come all the way to the capital? Well, I’m not mad. I’m not mad, but...”
      “I’m sorry… but I wanted to see you off so I pleaded with the captain and Mr. Dacascos to let me tag along as they ran parallel to you.”
      “Well, I guess it’s okay if nothing happened to you.”
      “It was quite pleasant. At least until I came here.”
      She lightly clenches her white-gloved hands and twists her mouth into a humble smile.
      Flynn Gilbit’s thick, silver hair is done up in the back and her smooth white neck is exposed. The tufts of hair on each side of her head hung down all the way past her shoulders to her chest. The several partial augite stones hung around her neck changed color depending on the light.
      Her peac.o.c.k blue dress was a little loose so her b.r.e.a.s.t.s didn’t fill it out. Despite that, it went well with the color of her eyes and looked so good on her that there was nothing better for her to wear.
      “… Is that by any chance Lady Celi’s?”
      I shouldn’t have asked that. At that question that ruined the mood, Flynn answered without hesitation while laughing.
      “Of course. There is no way that I would have something as fine as this.”
      “It’s my favorite color.”
      The silver showed up nice on blue. If Her Majesty the Previous Demon King Lady Cecilie were here, she would say ‘My, Your Majesty, in times like these just give a brief comment’ and would have given me an excellent pa.s.sing grade. Women at dances are always waiting to hear those words. Very short and simple.
      “… Ah, Flynn… Come over here.”
      I grab her arm wrapped in a silk glove and lead her over to the window. On the other side of the gla.s.s, the snow is still falling. We looked down at the now deserted arena lit by the moon in the cloudy sky and a few torches. Just a few hours before, I was floundering around out there.
      But now everything was over.
      We were victorious.
      “We won,” I said after grabbing both of her hands and bringing my face to her level.
      “I heard. Congratulations.”

      “Why are you being so respectful all of a sudden?”
      “So, did you get your wish? Did the owners.h.i.+p of the box officially become yours?”
      “No, there’s something you have to see. Umm, here. I wonder if this signature is okay.” I grasp the folded paper in my inside pocket. It was thick and bulky and I got frustrated as I tried to pull it out. “Here it is.”
      Not telling her what it was on purpose, I handed her the official doc.u.ment. Flynn removed the glove on her dominant hand and unfolded the paper with thin, white fingers. Her eyes got wider the more she read and her hand holding the paper started to tremble.
      “… This…”
      The blood ran out of her face from excitement. It seems she’s at a loss for words.
      “We received Caloria.”
      “… Captain, that…”
      “So you’re still calling me Captain.”
      I feel like I just had a huge success with my secret baseball trick. My cheeks relax against my will and I can’t even pretend to be a cool guy anymore.
      “But you know, right here, this signature is in my writing of unidentifiable origin so it probably doesn’t look much like the real person’s. Would you mind saying as his former wife that since he’s ill he can’t move his hands as well as he wishes?”
      “You wished for Caloria?”
      “That’s right.”
      Flynn’s voice was tearful. She’s been living in severe conditions for a long time so this is likely the first time in a while that she’s been dressed up perfectly, but sadly it doesn’t look like she’ll be able to avoid tear streaks.
      “Caloria is… free?”
      “Yes.”
      The female feudal lord thrust the paper back at me and covered her face with both hands. As she lowered her head, her silver hair smoothly draped around the line of her jaw. After trying to speak and failing a few times, she finally regains her voice.
      “… Thank you.”
      “Yeah. Don’t cry.”
      “I don’t… know what to say.”
      A rude guy pushed his way between us while the two of us were talking little by little as we practically leaned against the window. He had lots of hair peculiar to the soldiers here, but he was wearing a tuxedo like me. He was young, manly, and tall. He also seemed to be quite polite with ladies.
      “Excuse me, may you invite me for a song?”
      Saying ‘invite me’ to a girl seems to be a s.h.i.+maron-style dance invitation.
      Flynn gently wipes her tears with her glove and rejected the young n.o.ble.
      “I’m sorry, I won’t invite anyone.”
      “Well, then invite me… I’m bad though,” I say.
      Leaving the annoying man behind, I grasp Flynn’s hand and lead her into the hall. At the brightly lit center, there were already quite a few people enjoying a waltz.
      “Captain!”
      “I’ve been meaning to say this for a while.” Truthfully, I have no knowledge of dancing. That’s not it. “Truthfully, I’m not a captain. Did you know?”
      She gave a small nod.
      “I’m not really an important soldier. I’m a wimp that hasn’t fought in battle.”
      The music suddenly changes to a slow tempo and everyone around us starts to get closer to their partners.
      ‘In a cheek to cheek dance, well, if you just sway like this then it will work out.’
      I remember the words of my dance instructor.
      Flynn looked down and pressed her face into my shoulder. Her voice was so tender, I couldn’t make out her words.
      “… to me.”
      “What?”
      “Why are you so kind to me?” From her neck down, her back was trembling. “I mean, I tried to sell you to Big s.h.i.+maron. And before that, I was the one who gave away the Wincott poison and paved the way to your friend being shot. Despite that, why are you so kind to me? Caloria’s freedom… you’ve even… given me that.”
      “Who knows? I don’t even know why.”
      “You’re,” she started. While still lightly grasping my hand, she wraps her other arm around my back. Our ears and cheeks touched. One of our ears was hot and one of our cheeks was cold. “You’re like a G.o.d.”
      It was her true feelings that came spilling out with a sigh.
      As if I was speaking into the back of her neck rather than into her ear, I revealed the ident.i.ty of the mystery man.

      Actually, I’m the Demon King.

      For a moment, Flynn’s body trembled severely. But that was it and she didn’t scream in panic or curse and loathe me.
      The two of us were in the middle of the floor not dancing, not sensually letting our hearts dance, but simply standing there holding each other. The men and women pairs around us and the pairs of two men and the rare pairs of two women were happily brus.h.i.+ng their cheeks together, swaying their bodies merrily and dazedly gazing into each other’s eyes.
      We stood there looking over each other’s shoulders in opposite directions, but still all we saw were people continuing to dance.
      “You’re probably…”
      The colors of the clothes and hairstyles and dance steps were different. The people we were watching were different. But, we were still looking at the same thing.
      People continuing to dance around us.
      “… I think Flynn Gilbit is already bound to Caloria.”
      “Yes.”
      “More than to a new lover that will appear later, future husband candidates, or even more than to Norman Gilbit who lost his country and died… I think you’re more bound to Caloria than them.”
      “That’s right… I am already… married to Caloria.”
      The two of us watched the foreign countries dancing around us. Watching the cheerful and vigorous countries around us dancing, the unease was unbearable.
      “I’ll do whatever foul deed to protect that small world. Whatever cowardly thing. I don’t care what I will be called for that or how people treat me," Flynn said.
      We are always uneasy and sometimes need the arms of another.
      However, it is for this reason that those arms are not those of a kind lover. They have to belong to someone who lives the same way, those of a comrade.
      “Flynn.”
      “What?”
      I held Flynn Gilbit close, but what I poured into my arms was not love. It was the praise of a good fight and accepting a teammate and the ‘good fortune’ that we enjoyed.
      This is probably the answer.

      “Caloria is in your hands.”

      That’s where it has to be.
      Flynn lifted her face from my shoulder and slightly narrowed her tear-soaked eyes. Her reddened nose and ears were painful to look at, and when I tried to touch them I was gently brushed away.
      “Dance. Like everyone else.”
      “Okay.”
      “You’re not bad at it at all.”
      “Really?”
      “Really.”
      Thinking this was like a quiz, I clumsily moved to the ba.s.s as I let out a breath. Caloria’s leader wrapped her arms around my neck and her silver hair swayed right beneath my eyes.
      “When I get back, I’ll conduct a grand ceremony.”
      “A ceremony for who?”
      “For you, of course.” The tear streaks on her cheeks were still there, but Flynn was smiling in her normal, stout-hearted way. “Your funeral, Norman Gilbit.”
      “A funeral!? I haven’t even gone through my coming of age ceremony and all of a sudden I’m getting a funeral?”
      But by doing that, Caloria’s sovereignty will formally pa.s.s over to Flynn Gilbit. I feel bad for those children, but Norman Gilbit won’t come back alive. The previous feudal lord had left this world.
      “Your Majesty,” said the new leader of Caloria as she left my arms and her face turned serious. “Please return what I have entrusted with Your Majesty.”
      “Come on, don’t call me Your Majesty! What kind of teasing is this!? I don’t really care about ‘Captain’ or ‘Crusoe,’ but you can just call me Yuuri.”
      “Then Yuuri, you must give that back to me.”
      I grasp the silver mask I had shoved into my back pocket. After lightly tapping it and spreading it out, I handed the husband’s legacy back to his wife.
      “I warmed it up. Because it’s winter.”
      “With your b.u.t.t?”
      It was the reverse Has.h.i.+ba Hideyos.h.i.+ battle plan. (1)
      Flynn gazed at the mask nostalgically and gently caressed the silk embroidery. After that, she removed both of her gloves and traced the coloring around its eyes and the hemming around the mouth with her bare fingers.
      “This is goodbye.”
      A shock pierces my heart. I thought she was talking about me.
      “I will bury a doll with this mask on according to custom.”
      “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea too.”
      “Your Majesty.”
      “Like I said-”
      She gave me a push as I tried to complain.
      “No, Your Majesty. Hear me out. Please hear what I have to say.”
      “Hey…!”
      Caloria’s leader, Flynn Gilbit, lightly bent at the knee and lowered her head. My hand that she had grasped with both hands was wrapped up in the mask.
      “If my land had a million soldiers and mountains of gold, I would not hesitate. But now the citizens and the land are starving. I don’t know how to express my grat.i.tude or even what I should send in recompense to your country.”
      Thinking this might be a new dance pose, those around were peering at us. However, they soon grew bored and returned to their song.
      “… But I promise just this and this is definitely not mistaken.
      Caloria will forever be an ally to your country. And I will forever be your friend.”
      Flynn smiled gracefully and placed her lips on the back of my hand. I easily get swept up in the mood, so I imagined a sparkling tiara on her head.
      “Please forgive me even though I cannot be called a servant.”
      “I forgive you… Or actually, I don’t. I don’t want you to be my servant! Stand. Stand up, Flynn. Face the future… Come on, don’t crouch down. You’re making a scene.”
      At that moment I finally felt several gazes upon me. They weren’t from the people dancing nearby. Those people were completely indifferent. They were engrossed in politics and dancing. Then the gazes were probably those of my guardian Josak and my overseer Wolfram. Looking around in all directions… over there. The third son was standing by the southern window visibly disgruntled. He had a gla.s.s in each hand and both of them were empty.
      “Flynn, Wolfram is over there so go have a chat with him.”
      “Eh? But I… don’t really get along with him…”
      “It’s okay. You’ll definitely get along. Despite appearances, he’s actually a really good guy. It’s good to build up friendly relations.h.i.+ps, no? He’s that s.e.xy Queen’s son so he’s a former crown prince of the demons.”
      Josak is probably around somewhere too. Either by asking him or doing it myself, it would be bad if I didn’t find Murata soon. I don’t care if he’s sleeping in his room, but I want to make sure. He’s not held up while getting changed and if he were in the room we would have run into each other by now.
      I hope nothing has happened to him…
      “Muuuraaata! Murakeeen! Muuuramuraaaa!”
While humming as a way to cover my unease, I press through the sea of people. Near the entrance to the main hall there were two golden statues of G.o.ddesses (and completely naked without their single leaves). Why didn’t those thieves who forced their way into the treasure room steal things like these?
      As soon as I took a step off of the opal stone floor and entered the man-made, stone hallway, a hand reached out of the shadow of a door and grabbed my clothes.
      “Was that true?”
      With my arm getting bent up behind me by the wrist, I gave a short cry by reflex.
      “Ow!”
      The strength in the person’s hand immediately lessened. I’m dragged to a dim corner of the hallway, but the strength used is different than before. It’s strangely lessened to cause me less pain. The long fingers holding down my shoulders are pretty much just placed there.
      “Sorry, I didn’t intend to hurt you. How is your neck? Your throat, has the blood stopped already? Hey, tell me. Was that true?”
      “Why are you, no way, why are you here…”
      Remembering my injury, I cover my bandage-covered neck with my hand as if to protect it. The person placed their hands on my shoulders, sunk to his knees on the ground and peered up at me.
      Perfectly arranged features with a high nose bridge and a firm and robust body. It was Adalbert von Grantz with his blue eyes even more dazzling than usual.
      His mud-covered, blonde hair was plastered to his cheek and forehead. His clothes, hair, and even his shoes were soaking wet and he was dirty all over.
      In an impatient manner unlike him, he lightly presses on my shoulders and pushes me against the cold wall.
      “Please tell me. Is it true?”

      “Are you really the reincarnation of Julia?”

------

(1)    Has.h.i.+ba Hideyos.h.i.+ is one of the names that Toyotomi Hideyos.h.i.+ a.s.sumed. He was a daimyo who lived during the 1500’s and is considered one of the great unifiers of j.a.pan. I’m not entirely, 100% sure what Yuuri meant here, but I’m guessing it might have something to do with the fact that he just broke a piece out of a country as I’ve never heard of any b.u.t.t-warming stories about this man XD

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