Prologue: Genius Go Home
Back before the war between the Gran Chaos Empire and the Great Tiger Kingdom, in the room with Parnam Castle’s broadcast jewel...
“Huh?! Don’t come back?!” Empress Maria’s little sister, Trill Euphoria, practically screamed.
This was because the person on the other side of the broadcast, her other sister, Jeanne, had insisted she not return to the country. Up until now, Trill had always been threatened with being dragged back to the Empire any time she caused trouble for her beloved Genia and Ludwin. Being told not to come back? This was a first.
The projection of Jeanne nodded solemnly.
“You heard me, Trill... The Great Tiger Kingdom has its sights set on our country. We expect a great war in the near future. I intend to risk my life to defend our sister, but...things could go awry. Stay in the Kingdom, under their protection.”
“I couldn’t! Perhaps there’s nothing I can do to come back, but I detest the idea of staying here in safety while my sisters are fighting! Ah! I know! Let’s turn to Sir Souma for help! I’m sure he would—”
“Trill!” Jeanne shouted. “We can’t get another country caught up in our problems. Even you must know that.”
“I still can’t accept it! Did we not form an alliance with Friedonia precisely so that they could assist us in times like this?!” Trill asked, tears forming in her eyes. “Positions, duties, blood—none of that matters! Surviving is the most important thing! If all the country does is tie you two down, then let it be taken by those who want to have it!”
“Trill... I actually quite like the way you think,” Jeanne said, smiling gently. “And because you’re like that, I want you to live life to its fullest. I’m sure Sister would agree. This isn’t about ensuring our bloodline’s survival; it’s because I want you to lead the life you want to lead. I want you to have the freedoms we didn’t, okay?”
“You can’t mean that!”
“Bye, now... Trill.”
With that, the call was cut. The room’s silence was deafening. Trill stood there, dumbfounded for a time, but eventually, great tears began to roll down her cheeks.
“Wah... Wahhhhhhhh!”
Trill ran out of the room, bawling her eyes out. As she ran, not even wiping her eyes, she raced through the corridors of the castle to her carriage, which immediately carried her to the Maxwell-Arcs family’s dungeon workshop. Hours later, once she arrived, she found Genia inside the log house that had been built there and leapt into her arms.
“Huh? Tri— Blargh!”
“Big Sister Genia!!!”
Genia had no response. Trill’s flying tackle-hug had knocked her lights out. For a time, Trill continued violently shaking Genia. Eventually, Ludwin arrived—much too late—and pulled Trill off.
Thirty minutes later...
“I’m sorry, Big Sister, Lord Ludwin. I shouldn’t have let you see me acting like that.”
Finally settling down, Trill apologized to the two of them while drinking the tea that Ludwin had served. She’d cried her eyes out, and seemed dejected. The disconnect between this and her usual, cheerful self concerned Genia and Ludwin.
“Uh, right,” said Genia.
“So, what in the world happened?” asked Ludwin.
“Well, you see...”
Trill told them about the conversation she’d had with Jeanne. After listening, Genia didn’t know what to say to the despondent Trill. Ludwin, meanwhile, seemed to be thinking about something.
“I see... That explains why His Majesty...”
“Lord Ludwin?”
“Ah! Oh, it’s nothing, Madam Trill,” Ludwin said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “This may sound like an empty reassurance, but...I’m sure Madam Maria and Madam Jeanne will both be fine. There are plenty of people who want to help them.”
“Ah! I-Is this country already doing something?!”
Were they moving to save Maria? Trill had been about to ask, but Ludwin raised a hand to stop her.
“Any knowledge I have is confidential, so there is nothing I can say.”
“I... I see.”
“However, I will do everything in my power to ensure that it does not end in a result that would make you cry. I’ll be away from the house for some time, so you’re welcome to stay here in my absence,” Ludwin said before rising to his feet. “Genia.”
“Yes, yes.”
“I’m heading to the castle now. I won’t be back for some time. Look after the house and Madam Trill while I’m gone.”
“Sure. Do your best out there, Big Brother Luu.”
Ludwin made a dramatic exit as his petite wife saw him off. Trill shed tears of gratitude as she watched him go, now confident there were people who would fight for her sisters.
◇ ◇ ◇
Now, we return to the present. Some time after the Gran Chaos Empire and Great Tiger Kingdom had fought their war...
“So, why are you still here?” Genia said, puffing up her cheeks.
“Because I want to be with you, of course, Big Sister,” Trill replied, unfazed.
With the war over and Maria and Jeanne both confirmed safe, Ludwin returned home, and the Gran Chaos Empire was reorganized to become the Euphoria Kingdom, but Trill was still staying in Genia’s house. Up until she knew for sure that Maria and Jeanne were safe, Trill had acted meek and timid, but now, she was already back to her old shenanigans.
“Sir Ludwin told me to stay in this house.”
“It was only as long as he was away, right?”
“Oh, my. Was it?” Trill put her arm through the loop Genia was making with hers and leaned in to touch their cheeks together. “Hee hee, Big Sister~♪”
“Enough. Big Brother Luu, help me.”
“Give it a rest, Madam Trill.”
As Ludwin was watching the two of them, a wry smile on his face... There was a sudden knock at the door to the log house.
“A guest?” Genia said, cocking her head to the side.
About the only people who visited them down here were Merula, Trill’s research buddies, or the members of Souma’s family. And if it was Souma’s family, they’d have been notified in advance.
“Hm? Yes, come in.”
“Excuse me.”
The door opened to reveal a beautiful woman. It was Maria Euphoria, former empress and future third secondary queen, who had chopped her blonde hair short. Trill let go of Genia’s arm as her eyes widened in surprise.
“Big Sister Maria?! What brings you here?”
“I heard I could find you here.”
Maria walked over, a smile on her face, and came to a stop in front of her sister. Trill’s face twitched as she got a vaguely bad feeling about that smile.
The corners of Maria’s mouth turned up even further. “Now then, Trill.”
“Wh-Whatever could it be, Big Sister Maria?”
“It’s time to go home!” Maria told her, sounding like a town loudspeaker in the evening.
Trill blinked. “Erm... By that, do you mean...to my house in Parnam?”
“No. To Valois, the city of your birth.”
“The Imperial capital?!”
“We’re a kingdom now, so it’s the royal capital.”
Maria was ordering her to return to the Euphoria Kingdom.
“The joint research project to create a drill has produced results, and your fellow researcher, Taru, has returned home as well. It is about time you went back to Valois. We need someone to teach people in the Euphoria Kingdom to use the newly developed technologies.”
“That’s not fair...! Ah! I know! I have my duties as ambassador to the Kingdom to attend to...”
“I’ll be taking over that job.” Maria cut down any further arguments before Trill could make them. “We’ve adopted what’s effectively a ‘two countries, one nation’ arrangement. I can act as a bridge between them.”
“Uh, but aren’t you busy, Big Sister Maria?”
“When I am away, Sir Ginger’s wife, Madam Sandria, will fill in for me. She originally came from the Empire, and she still has family in the Euphoria Kingdom.”
It looked like there was no escape. Maria had run the Empire for a long time, after all. Trill was never going to be able to beat her in an argument like this. As she fell silent, at a loss for words, Maria took her hand with a gentle smile.
“Big Sister Maria?”
“Come along, Trill. It’s time for your triumphant return. You’ll be supporting Jeanne from now on.”
“N-No fair! Big Sisteeer!”
Trill desperately reached out to Genia for help, but...
“Yes, yes, your big sister’s right here. And you have another one in Valois,” Maria said, pulling her along by the hand as she left Genia’s house.
The Euphoria sisters came suddenly, and left the same way. Genia and Ludwin watched, dumbfounded, as it all went down.
“I don’t know what to say... It’s like a storm just finished blowing through,” Ludwin murmured once silence returned.
Genia smiled wryly at that wording. “It sure is. But now...”
“Genia?”
Genia pressed herself against Ludwin’s arm. Due to her small stature compared to his, she had to use her whole body to wrap herself around his arm.
“Heh-heh, now the two of us can finally enjoy some alone time.”
“Uh... Y-Yeah, I guess so, huh?”
The handsome second-in-command of the National Defense Force nodded, turning a bright shade of red.
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