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I know there are a few people who really wanted to read this chapter sooooo… sorry for not even beginning to work on it until late Sunday night!! ^-^;;; This took so long that LJ changed XD
Anyway, my schedule is going to be weird so I might not be able to devote Fridays and Saturdays to this. We’ll see what happens~
Oh, I forgot if I mentioned this before, but people switch in between saying Adalbert’s name in a human fashion (Adalbert von Grantz) and a demon fashion (von Grantz Adalbert) and even leave the 'von' out sometimes. So far, Yuuri has used both ways, but he only uses the human way in this chapter.
I got the picture from this chapter from Portrait of a Demon King.
Chapter 7
The five men surrounded the box covered with a green cloth and stood lost in thought.
There is one more person than before. To be precise, they lost one person and then gained two. After safely carrying the box out of the temple, Stefan Fanberlain left. The reason was, of course, the ball that was held a while ago. If he did not quickly return and escort Cecilie, that beauty would be offended.
“That lady is a spirit of a rose that has accidentally fallen on the plain, so it is dangerous to not be by her side. If lower class and vulgar people call out to her with their worldly words, she will be put into a panic at once and pearly tears will spill over her cheeks. Ah, my frail maiden, Cecilie. I will hurry to your side immediately!” (1)
Two of the men muttered ‘is that so?’ to Fanfan who was bursting with energy even when retreating from the battlefield. The last person interjected ‘she’s beautiful, but not weak.’
Chevalier, knowing the former queen’s charm better than anyone else, decided to stay behind with ‘Team Carrying-the-Box’ in order to complete their mission. If some random man at the banquet approached her, he did not think that his mistress would be in danger. As a woman who appreciated both art and comedy, she’d be able to make a drunkard into a work of art. She’d wrap him up in her whip and tie him into a tangled mess.
“… Aesthetic,” said Chevalier absentmindedly as he was lost in his imagination.
“Mr. Chevalier. Hey, Mr. Chevalieeer. Please think seriously. We have to bring this box all the way to a sealed place.”
“Ah, sorry.”
Even Dacascos, whose only trait he could brag about was his youth, was starting to feel the fatigue. Like in his voice, and in his joints, and on his greasy scalp.
“At any rate, good work everyone. It must have been difficult to get the extremely dangerous box from the temple since security was stepped up for the tournament.”
At His Highness’s words of appreciation, they felt slightly guilty. Compared to the numerous military operations they had participated in so far, this mission was in a fairly easy category.
If someone leaves, someone comes. After Fanfan left early, His Highness and Josak came running. Muraken-san, the Twin Black Great Sage, was supposed to be far more knowledgeable about the evilest, worst weapon, the ‘End of the Wind,’ than they were.
For example, the best temperature to store it at or what year its expiration date is. He should have known countless helpful ways to handle the dreadful, large box.
“Even so, this thing stinks. Was it not being stored well?” Murata asks.
No one was willing to say it was because of insecticidal paint.
“Your Highness, tell us if you would. How do you intend to bring this box back to the Great Demon Kingdom? Things will change once we get out to sea, but it will take three days at top speed to get to the harbor. If we go on land through Big Shimaron, I believe we will need some skillful camouflage, but…”
“Hmm, that’s right, huh? I agree with you, Captain Sizemore."
For a while now, Dacascos was completely distracted by His Highness Muraken’s clothes.
Even though it was not only the middle of winter but in a forest behind the temple, he was wearing evening clothes with a frilly collar. They were clothes that were laden with pleats and ornaments that even his wife within the Great Demon Kingdom wouldn’t wear nowadays. Isn’t he cold?
More importantly, was he planning on going to the ball dressed like that?
If he had a rose in his mouth, he might look like a shady dancer.
“Uh, Your Highness, you know, in the meantime can you come back to the assembly hall?”
Even Josak who came with him was wearing an outfit that left Dacascos’s mouth hanging open.
Women’s clothes? Or maybe it’s his own special technique that causes enemies to flinch back just by looking at him.
“I followed you because it would be dangerous for you to go walking around by yourself, but… I’m worried that His Majesty might do something annoyi-… perform a deed that commoners would never think of. I informed His Excellency Wolfram about the situation before I left, but despite appearances he’s like that too… Oh, honestly! To think guarding His Majesty and Your Highness at the same time would be so difficult!”
“Yeah, leaving Shibuya and Lord von Bielefelt together will be a lot more fun~.”
“That’s not what I-”
“Shh! Get down!” At the taciturn Chevalier’s warning, everyone simultaneously crouched down. A group of soldiers ran down the muddy road up the slope. “… It’s alright. We weren’t seen.”
“Even so they seem to be in a hurry. Those soldiers were so lenient when we were trespassing. Apparently they noticed the box was missing and they are desperate to get it back,” muttered the Captain as he rubbed his thinning hair at the back of his head. Getting the box to the harbor had become much more difficult.
With half of the continent being territories of Shimaron, finding an unmonitored route is impossible.
“But His Highness Belal II still doesn’t think that this has been stolen. The only thing that was reported missing upstairs was the Demon King statue with an elephant head.”
“What did you say!? Y-Your Highness, I’m making it perfectly clear, but the one who pocketed that silly statue was Lord Fanfan! We absolutely do not think that Demon Kings of the past had an elephant head like that…”
“You don’t have to make excuses. No one would consider that to be mockery from a retainer. Besides, even though Shibuya hates tigers, he doesn’t hate elephants so your worries are irrelephant.” (2)
… The snowy wind grew more severe.
Punmaster Murata didn’t mind at all that things turned awkward.
“That reminds me, you said that the box was mistaken for a coffin near the exit, right?”
“Yes, that is right. A man with a splendid beard and physique was brought to tears. Honestly, these youngsters nowadays, the only thing mature about them is their bodies. From a veteran’s point of view, there is nothing more shameful than that…”
The old man’s complaints continued on forever.
“Come to think of it, I’ve seen that somewhere. I ran across a funeral for a child. I definitely heard that a white box this size was a coffin for a boy,” Murata said as he brought his fist down to strike his palm. The dull thud echoes through the forest. “It’s not the flashiest of plans, but how about we keep carrying this around as if it were a coffin?”
“I believe that is also an excellent plan, but… will they honestly believe that? No matter how idiotic the Shimaron soldiers are, eventually they will notice that something from the treasure room has gone missing. If that happens and then we try to bring a coffin of a similar shape out of the country… even if it would be imprudent, they might check the contents of the box…”
“Hmm, that’s the truth. They absolutely will. Okay then, we’ll make this even more realistic and inside we’ll put a dead child-”
The four demons were at a loss for words. There was only a paper-thin difference between the danger of that smart human and him, but the Great Sage was also a ruthlessly critical thinker!?
“-dummy or something… it won’t work. In the first place, we can’t put things inside of it.”
Everyone present was immediately robbed of their strength.
Struck with extreme doubt, Dacascos felt the box through the cloth. Even the metal supporting the four sides was completely rusted. There was a sturdy lock hanging from the metal joint on the tightly closed lid.
“Your Highness! I have a question.”
“What is it, Dacascos?”
“Um, it’s a bit unrelated, but what is inside the box? It doesn’t make a noise if I shake or kick it, but is it really empty?”
“That’s a good question. However, don’t kick it again. If the brittle wood breaks and it gets destroyed, it will be quite the problem.” Murata knelt down on the snowy slope and placed his ear against the object in question covered in green cloth. “You see? It’s not making a noise now. It’s empty. There really isn’t anything in there. But you absolutely can’t look inside. You’ll seriously regret it so much you’ll cry.”
“Wh-what does that…”
“It means that there are many things in this world that you would be better off not knowing about. Okay, next person.”
“Then, Your Highness, if I may suggest something presumptuous. How about we disguise it as part of the madam’s vast amount of luggage? The amount of clothes chests she brought was quite considerate. It will be like the saying ‘a tree in the forest, a bear in the sand.’”
“Ah! That’s good, excellent! Although this is the first time I heard the bear part. Um, who were you?”
“Chevalier.”
“That’s right. It’s because you hardly ever say anything. Well then, that’s an awfully wonderful idea, but there is one major problem. That would be that Lady Celi’s boyfriend is a businessman through and through.”
Everyone was dumbfounded.
To doubt Fanberlain who had helped them collect the box despite his family’s position in Shimaron. He had undertaken the responsibility of leading them to the treasure room without considering the danger to himself. Fanfan was also the one who used money to deal with a number of the guards. And it was all for Lady Celi. Long live free love.
“According to what I’ve heard from you all, Fanfan was a businessman from birth, right? That’s what I’m worried about. If Big Shimaron had the ‘End of the Wind,’ then his business wouldn’t be necessary because of the power imbalance. Therefore, he helped with its recovery. Yeah, I get that. The reasoning is solid. However, if we entrust him with the box and have him hide it amongst Lady Celi’s luggage, I wonder what he’ll do. It’s a rare box. It’s one of only four ultimate weapons with a terrible power in the entire world. And he is a businessman through and through. He’s such a businessman that ‘business spirit’ is written on his heart.”
“If it was me, I’d sell it,” Dacascos blurted out.
“Right?” Before giving everyone a moment to stop, Murata placed a foot on the box. “If I were from a genius business family, I’d secretly switch it out with a copy. And then, I would sell it to countries that want to fight with large countries but don’t have enough military strength or countries that have money but not enough soldiers. And then I wouldn’t have only taken over the market, I’d be set for life. Businessmen never make pointless investments. Oddly, I have a good nose for schemes for getting rich quick. There are an endless amount of people who would be desperate to have this box. Stefan Fanberlain is worthy of trust, but before that he is a businessman. Therefore,” the heel of his foot bunches up the cloth a bit. The pure white body gets wet with snow. “I would not trust the box to Lady Celi.”
“Shh! More soldiers!”
They all crouch down at once. Murata carefully reaches out his hand and readjusts the twisted cloth. The white box will probably be very conspicuous in the dark.
“Ehyaaa!”
The human at the back of the line tripped in the snow and fell over and unluckily rolled down the slope. He crashed into a cedar right in front of the demons and was passing out from the pain while hugging his knees. The squad kept running and seemed to have abandoned their injured member.
Murata slowly stood up and stared at the young man writhing around on the ground.
“Your Highness, he’ll see you. Your Highness!”
“Can someone take off their sock?”
“Huh? What are you going to do with a sock?”
While he was handing over his warm, wool sock, Sizemore watched the Sage’s hands.
When he got closer to the young Shimaron soldier rolling about, Murata stuffed the sock into his mouth. The one who panicked was the captain.
“Your Highness, if you’re going to gag someone, please use a handkerchief, a handkerchief! Please don’t use a sock off of an old man’s foot. Please show a soldier compassion!”
“Alright, we found a corpse! Mr. Dacky, run and get Flynn Gilbit as fast as you can!”
Not knowing what was going on at all, Dacascos ran off to the dance hall.
------
(1) The ‘spirit of a rose’ (bara no sei / 薔薇の精) may or may not be a reference to a short ballet called Le Spectre de la Rose (the spirit of the rose) where a young girl comes home from her first ball, falls asleep, drops a rose she got as a souvenir on the floor, and then the spirit of the rose comes and dances with her while she’s still asleep... That sentence was almost as bad as one of Conrad’s XD
(2) In my defense, this pun was supposed to be stupid XD The original Japanese pun was elongating the sentence ending of ‘zo’ to ‘zou’ which is the word for ‘elephant’ (zou / ゾウ). So, the Japanese sounded like ‘… he doesn’t hate elephants, you knooow?’
*.*.*.*.*
The former demon covered in mud and snow was gazing into my eyes that were a different color because of contacts.
“Is it true? Do you have Julia’s…”
“Hey, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The hands he had placed on my shoulders suddenly grip tightly. But, they immediately slacken and he apologizes in a low voice.
“That’s not my intention. I don’t intend to hurt you. The injury to your neck… I don’t think you’ll forgive me for that, but…”
“Like I said, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Actually I want to ask questions. Weren’t you unable to keep fighting!? Why are you in a place like this completely alright?”
I get my back away from the cold, stone wall and push against his chest with all of my strength. Getting away from him when he staggered backwards, I ran blindly down the dark hallway.
I was completely stunned. I had no ability to think calmly.
What do I do!?
There’s no one here now. There’s no one here to help me.
Once I started running, I realized it would have been smart to run back into the dance hall. No matter how irrational the man, he wouldn’t do anything reckless with that many people watching. But, I had already run pretty far in the opposite direction and going back now would be dangerous.
He’s definitely coming after me.
His eyes said he wouldn’t let me get away.
When I came to a stop, I remembered his dirty arms and glittering blue eyes and all the hair on my body stands on end.
My ankle is starting to hurt from my intense fatigue. My heart and pulse speeds up and my breathing quickly becomes difficult. In order to get more oxygen to my lungs, I suppress my gasping and take long breaths. In this empty and deserted temple at night, even the stagnant air was heavy.
“…!”
The sound of military boots on the floor was coming closer.
Even though he was supposed to have been severely injured, his footsteps are fast and strong. If it’s just for a little while longer I can run, but eventually the hallway will end and I’ll be cornered with no place to escape to. My pursuer’s footsteps are rapidly getting closer.
I ready myself and push my body into a recess in the wall and hold my breath to wait him out.
The footsteps of the silhouette against the light of the snow slow down and approach carefully. It seems like he’s holding a light as the surroundings turned faintly yellow. My neck started to hurt. A heat spread from the injury that was stretched and felt like it was about to open.
Only the sound of my beating heart was reverberating loudly.
“Are you there?”
My breath stops.
“Hey, is someone there? Give up and come out.”
It’s not Adalbert’s voice. Apparently it’s a Shimaron soldier on patrol. I heave a large sigh in relief and come out of the recess in the wall. There’s no reason the security would chase me, but I still timidly step out into the hallway with my hands raised.
“I’m not anyone suspicious…”
The petite, middle-aged soldier looks surprised after seeing my outfit.
“Are you a guest at the ball?”
“Well, kind of.”
It seems like he doesn’t notice that I am a victor in the tournament. (1)
“Why were you heading in the exact opposite direction?”
“I was looking for the toilets, but I got lost.”
It’s a common excuse, but it’s an effective one. The soldier puts on an exasperated smile and lights the way for me.
“Is that so? I apologize for startling you. Thieves have apparently gotten into the treasure room and they’ve even mobilized our forces to look for them.”
“Thieves?”
“Well, they’ll probably be caught real soon, but… A bathroom was provided right next to the staircase. If you wandered all the way out here you must have been lonely. Shall I escort you?”
It happened when the soldier turned to look back at me. Someone’s shadow floated up in a corner that the light didn’t reach.
“Watch ou-!”
I reflexively reached out. The lantern fell out of the soldier’s hand and rolled after he collapsed onto his bottom and collided with the wall.
A heavy sword swung down in the air vertically and a thick clang rang out when it hit the floor.
A man’s pale face was illuminated by the dying flame.
It was Adalbert.
I let out an awkward scream and turned around the corner we just passed and ran up the long staircase two steps at a time. I pull my body forward by grabbing onto the hand-carved railing, pass by the dance hall in three strides, and continue climbing.
I doubt he’ll give up just because I went up the stairs.
Panicked at the sound of what was certainly footsteps coming after me, I push open the nearest extravagant door. I slide my body through the gap into this dark room that I don’t know who owns. Even while knowing it was useless, I make sure to not make any creaking noises as I lean back against the door and close it as quietly as I can. I reach around behind me with my fingers and slide the latch into place.
For a little while, I leaned against the thick, engraved doors. Until I catch my breath. At least until I catch my breath. Locked in the room, I breathe in a deep lungful of the moldy-smelling oxygen.
Eventually my eyes get used to the darkness and I can look around the room.
The room seems to be fairly long, but there isn’t much distance between myself and a window. The light from the moon and the snow is just barely shining through the small window that was high enough up on the wall to also be called a skylight. The bookshelves taking up the entire wall were packed with truly old-looking books.
“… A library..?”
I carefully step away from the entrance and approach the table in the center of the room.
There is a book someone was in the middle of reading that was left open on top of it. Perhaps they were making a manuscript as there is also a bundle of paper, an inkwell, a plume pen that you often see in fantasy stories, and a stone paperweight on the table.
In the erratic light from the ceiling, I try reading the letters on the open page. As usual, I can’t read it by sight. I close my eyes and concentrate on the nerve endings in my fingertips as I try to feel the discrepancies in the paper quality.
The parts covered in ink were slightly smoother than the blank spaces. As the paper is coarse, I can discern the shape of the letters against the fuzzy surface.
Continent, rule, three royal families… The influence and population in the continent ruled by the three royal families… not including the three kingdoms in the western peninsula…
With just this one part of this thick book, I can’t tell what kind of book it is. I give up and lift my fingers and let them rest on the bundle of blank sheets.
“… Weller…?”
The writer must have a heavy hand as the shape of the letters was imprinted into the page below. I skip over the stone with my cold index and middle fingers and the words clearly jump into my mind. It was like a preschooler or elementary school student jotted down basic information in a list.
The Three Royal Families – Rahy, confined to present-day Small Shimaron colony, Garshon (Then, Garcione). 24 years after imprisonment, Vilmos Rahy’s death confirmed. Lineage ended.
Cont. – Gillesby, defeated after the battle at Present-day Big Shimaron eastern end of Sommers (Then, Zomarce).
Cont. – Belal, acknowledged defeat during the battle at Present-day Big Shimaron agricultural area Col Nilzon. Survivor Paige Belal confined to May Island in the ocean of the Northern Bridge of the Gods. According to a special report, transferred to the royal capital 20 years later and changed family name to Weller. 5 generations confirmed afterwards. (2)
This is probably the fates of the royal families that held power in this land before it became the territory of Shimaron. Why Lord Weller’s name was part of this was a question I couldn’t answer with my terrible history skills.
“… Changed the family name to Weller? To Weller… Wait, if it used to be Belal, then why were His Majesty and His Bearded Highness whatever-generation both calling themselves Belal..?”
They were giving their children and grandchildren a name of a family that they themselves had destroyed.
And then, what is this special report? Were they brought to the royal capital and and forced to have their name changed because of that?
“After the change to Weller, five generations confirmed… Then somewhere in here Conrad’s father is…”
I remember the words that Conrad said in the middle of the arena.
‘This has been my land from the beginning.’
This was what he meant? Although, I’m not sure if I’m understanding it properly or not.
A sound like a large tree breaking rang through the room and brought me back to reality. Those sturdy looking doors to the library were now broken with the plain wood on the inside exposed. With the next blow, the latch came flying off before the doors could.
The doors burst open, hit the wall, and bounced back with the force.
“… Why are you running away?”
I met the gaze of the heavily breathing man and felt goosebumps pop up all over my body.
“O-of course I’m running away!”
“When did that…”
“Even if you ask when, it is difficult to explain.”
“Well anyway,” I got angry while facing Conrad’s back because he wouldn’t turn around. Maybe it was because I was more relaxed because there was no one listening, but my voice was gradually getting rougher. “Anyway, how did you survive that explosion!? It’s ludicrous that you’re in perfectly good condition after that!”
“I apologize if I hurt your feelings.”
That wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear.
“Why are speaking so formally!? Explain properly, how you survived. Why did you disappear and why is your arm back to normal? Why did you leave me… why are you suddenly working for Shimaron…”
After securing his leg, Conrad placed a splint against Adalbert’s elbow.
“I am not necessarily working for Shimaron.”
“… Then are you the subordinate of His Majesty and His Highness!?”
Perhaps feeling cold, Conrad puts on the jacket he had cast off. Now that I couldn’t see the bandage on his arm or the injury on his back, I honestly felt relieved.
“Well, you did not come to ask me.”
I suddenly became enraged. I clench my powerless fist with the intention of somehow landing a good hit on him. Lord Weller stood up straight and gave me his familiar smile. It was a gentle expression that anyone would love and was steeped in good nature.
“Even though I waited for you.” He grabbed the sleeve of his plain, white clothes and playfully tugged on it. “I prepared an answer that you wanted and put on this… dress suit that I am unused to.”
It was the wrinkled jacket that he had thrown on the floor. However, when he put it on it became a uniform.
“You were there?”
“Yes, I was. I saw you dancing with a lady. You were good. It made me proud. I was the one who taught you how to dance, after all.”
“Then why didn’t you call out to me!?”
Conrad’s silver-flecked, brown eyes narrowed as he smiled broader.
“I am far beneath you in social status. It would be unnatural for me to call out to you. I said so, did I not? From now on, I would strive to… not call you ‘Your Majesty.’”
I was hit with an icy thrill as if I had stuck my head into a snowdrift. My eyelids, my nose, the lining of my throat, all of the soft parts hurt.
It was the same as if Lord Conrart Weller had declared that he was no longer my friend.
“… You’re brainwashed, right?”
Noise came through the broken door from the hallway.
“You’re being controlled, right!? Or that Beard guy got a hold of some weakness and is threatening you so you have to work for him, right!?”
Guards who were securing the area and people who liked seeing the misfortune of others all came running together. A woman with eyes wide with curiosity shrieked somewhat gleefully.
“A feudal lord of a Shimaron territory seems to have suddenly collapsed.”
Who!?
“Go. The lady is in a terrible state.”
“Conrad.”
I held out my right hand, believing that his left hand would grasp back. I thought I would try to gamble on one final possibility.
“Come.”
Lord Weller slowly shook his head.
“… No.”
My gamble failed.
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(1) There was a pun here that I took out. I vaguely remember making a footnote about this before, but a ball and a fighting tournament are pronounced the same in Japanese (butoukai), but are written with different kanji. So, the original exchange went ‘Are you a guest at the butoukai (舞踏会 / ball)?’ and then Yuuri comments ‘It seems like he doesn’t notice that I’m a victor of a different butoukai (武闘会 / tournament).’
(2) Pronunciation note! The last ‘e’ in Garcione, Zomarce, and Page is not silent (kind of like the ‘eh’ in meh) and the ‘g’ in Paige is hard. So, pay geh. Also, the ‘c’ in Zomarce is like the ‘c’s in Cecilie so it sounds like Zomartseh. These humans with their complicated names!! XD
(3) So the original joke was Yuuri yelling ‘Matsuzakaaa!’ and then correcting himself to say ‘massakaaa which is like saying ‘nooo waaaay.’ Basically it was a pun on how the name Matsuzaka (referring to Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Seibu Lions) sounds similar to ‘masaka’ (no way! It can’t be! You don’t say!) I looked through a list of other well-known players on the team and Hiroshi Ohshita was the only one I could think up a pun for~
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