Volume 2
Chapter 5
Playfully
Matching Strides, Smiling Amiably
Translator : PolterGlast
"Wait, wait! I'll
board, I'll board!"
"Please wait,
Ojou-sama!"
*Clang-clang*. The
tram rang its departure bell.
Saki, rushing from
behind the tram to catch up with it, took two or three steps up the stile and
jumped into the open tram doorway with all her might.
"O-Oopsie...
―Uh, hyah!"
"Excuse me,
Ojou-sama.
Your posture is a bit
collapsed, so please come inside a little more."
"S-Sorry."
Without the use of the
Aragamioroshi, Saki's physical strength is about the same as that of a
well-trained adult male.
Although she was able
to catch up with the tram, she was unable to withstand the momentum of the tram
and her posture began to collapse a little.
As a result, Saki's
back fell onto Akira's chest, who jumped in a beat later, and she ended up
making a strange voice that sounded a bit like a stutter.
There were not many
people on the tram, and several apparently well-dressed individuals were
looking at the noisy youngsters with annoyed gazes.
Saki, however, is a
young lady of upper-class nobility, as one can see. She did not blatantly
express her dissatisfaction, and her gaze silently wandered off to the side.
She had no intention
of causing any more trouble.
Akira and Saki sat
down in the middle empty seat, side by side.
―It was around 10:00 a.m., a little before noon, the
day before they were scheduled to visit the abandoned village occupied by the
[Holy Church of Guidance].
Saki and Akira, who
had finished their business at Kuga's mansion, hurriedly jumped on the tram
leading to the mooring port to accept Benedetta's invitation.
"Umm,
Saki-ojousama.
Are you sure we didn't
have to coordinate our schedule with theirs?"
"It's all right.
Since they don't
intend to adjust their schedules with us in the first place, let's just go to
disrupt theirs."
Although she accepted
the invitation, it was merely an acceptance of the invitation, and she did not
respond with an exact date and time.
The fact that they
didn't agree on the schedule is something that would normally be considered out
of the norm, but it's not something that can be complained about.
However, Benedetta's
contact with Akira was also something similar to absurdity.
A secret meeting with
Rindo. Saki's compliance with Benedetta's request would be a risk to her
reputation as well.
The reason for
disrupting the schedule was partly to get back at Benedetta.
"I understand.
......But I don't
think a meeting with the Rindo family would be beneficial to the [Holy Church
of Ariadne], so I wonder what their intentions are."
"Let's see. I
think the [secret] part is the key.
―It's just a coincidence, but I've been researching how
the people of the Western Continent have been expanding their trade."
Unequal treaties in
the name of contracts. A single piece of paper is all it takes to plant one's
flag in another country, and when the wind blows the flag down, the country is
conquered with a large army.
Akira's expression
turned sour when he heard about this scheme from Saki.
Rather than a
deception, it was more of an act of invasion with the cover of a contract.
Akira felt strangely impressed that Takamagahara had survived until now.
―No, this must be because the Kuga family was
exceptional.
The excellence of the
Kuga family was well understood by Akira through the previous conversation.
The fact that trade
with Rondaria has been carried out without excesses or deficiencies may be due,
in part, to the outstanding ability of the successive heads of the Kuga family
to arrange contracts.
"I heard that the
current Western Tomoe Continent is mainly focused on Baratush and Tsongma.
Baratush, in
particular, is a miserable place. The countries of the Western Continent are
carving up their territories for the sake of mines."
"Could their
attempts to meddle with Takamagahara be an extension of that ......?"
"That's possible.
Now that Baratush has
been dealt with, I think it is quite reasonable for the missionaries to reach
out to the unexpanded land of Takamagara, where the continent has not yet had a
chance to get its hands on it.
Vansuir, in
particular, must have invested a lot of money to establish its doctrine in the
mission, so it is possible to foresee that they would want to get their hands
on Takamagahara before Rondaria, which is a member of the missionary group,
does."
Based on the
information given by Saki, Akira tried to organize his thoughts in his own way.
There is no doubt that
Vansuir and the [Holy Church of Ariadne] have their sights set on the Dragon
Dens in Takamagahara in light of what they have done on the Western Tomoe
Continent.
However, to suddenly
reach out to a place so far away that it crosses the continent from west to
east would be beyond reckless.
And even if that were
the case, it would not be a reason for them to want to have a meeting with
Saki.
"Since the Kuga
family is not likely to move in any way, they asked for a different territory
to connect with......?"
"Yes. Or maybe
they will use the meeting as a pretext to spark a war."
Akira blinked his
eyelids at the disturbing words.
Not a meeting, but a
war. It seemed like a drastic change of thought.
"...... I
investigated what the Missionary had done in Tsongma.
A few years ago, there
was an incident in which the Tsonma followers made a fuss by burning down a
church that had served as a consulate for Vansuir.
As compensation,
Rondaria demanded that the Chintao territory become independent territory, and
decided to mobilize troops to fight against Tsonma, which was the initial
reason for the past Chintao war.
It is a well-known
story that as a result, Chintao was cut off from Tsonma and became the gateway
to Takamagahara and the ocean that stretched beyond it.
Indeed, the church
where Akira and Saki are now heading is also the church where the [Sacred
Church of Ariadne] is based.
The situation is too
similar to the extent that Saki's words are undeniable.
"Wouldn't it have
been better if we simply ignored the meeting?"
"I'm sure they
have at least prepared a plan for that.
The most frightening
thing is that we are involved in a situation that we have no knowledge of.
―Since that's the case, it would be safer to be
involved from the very beginning.
"......Indeed."
Saki glanced at
Akira's Rakuyō Zakuro and her own Shōjinbina.
She had already
studied the modus operandi of the [Holy Church of Ariadne].
The reason why they
set their sights on Saki, who is neither an envoy nor an emissary, is beyond
comprehension, but considering Saki's value, there must be enough weight in it
to spark a war.
If what she told Akira
was accurate, it is highly unlikely that the meeting will end peacefully.
In the worst-case
scenario, they would have to be prepared for a battle.
"―Well, we've
done all we can to prepare, so let's stop thinking about bitter stuff.
I've asked the people
at the inn to prepare a lunch box for us, so let's go sightseeing for a change
and eat it at the harbor."
"Yes!"
Saki smiled
mischievously as she lifted the persimmon-dyed cloth package.
Seeing her smile,
Akira stopped pondering and gave a big nod based on his appetite.
After getting off the
tram and walking for a while, there is no one else in sight on the shore
overlooking Kamotsu's largest mooring harbor, except for the fishermen casting
their line in turns.
As before, the two of
them sat side by side on a bench next to a stone lantern, perhaps for night
fishing, and spread out their lunch boxes.
"Whoa~. It sure
is big when I look at it again."
Akira let out a cry of
admiration as he gazed at the distant ships of foreign lands.
Akira is a boy after
all.
Frankly speaking,
there was no reason not to be intrigued by the majesty of a ship bearing the
winds of a foreign land.
"Are you
interested in ships, after all?
―Here you go, Ocha (Green Tea)."
"―Thank
you."
Akira nodded his head,
but a strange feeling of embarrassment overcame him as he wondered what he
should do if people thought he was being childish.
Perhaps sensing this,
Saki shifted her gaze to the lunch box without any further inquiry.
"You're welcome.
Hey. You know, you
don't have to be so polite to me.
Besides, Akira-kun is
a guy, and you're a year older than me."
"...... Please
spare me from that.
If I were to address
Saki-ojousama in such a manner, I would be scolded by Captain Asogi."
"Hmm.
Uncle Asogi isn't the
kind of person who cares about such things.
If he does, it's okay
as long as you tell him that I gave you permission."
In fact, Saki would
very much like him to do so.
Saki didn't know what
her father was thinking, but Kozaburo Rindo frequently reminded her of his
concern for Akira.
Not only that, but he
was always very enthusiastic and made sure that there were no conflicts between
Saki and Akira.
Perhaps encouraged by the
imperial decree from Kihouin, Saki also wanted to maintain a more casual
relationship with Akira.
"But, just
thinking being on the same footing as the Young Lady of one of the Eight
Families puts me in an awkward position."
"Even if you call
them the Eight Families, they're not that great when you're in my position.
―Here you go, Onigiri."
"T-Thank you.
―Umm, Ojou-sama."
"You see, I've
got one older brother and one older sister, so having a third one does not make
a difference.
―Here's soused mackerel and grilled chicken. Which one
would you like?"
It was a very
luxurious bento, catered by a long-established restaurant.
Although she knew it
was bad manners, her eyes were drawn to the colors of the bento, and her
chopstick tips danced around.
"T-Then, let me
try the soused mackerel.
―Not that, umm, Ojou-sama."
"Now, ...... for
the side dish...
―Which one do you prefer, the okara (soybean pulp) or
the spinach ohitashi?"
"I'll have the
okara, please.
......Is that really
alright?"
"Yup, let's eat.
......Eh, what is it?
―Ah."
There, Saki finally
looked around her and understood the current situation that Akira was concerned
about.
She leaned forward and
took care of Akira's meals in a carefree manner. If a third party were to see
this scene, what would their impression be?
The people who were
fishing in the surroundings were all looking at Saki.
They looked at her
warmly, as if they were seeing something indescribably sweet.
Saki, who had become
the center of attention, froze, refusing to comprehend the situation.
"......A young
lady of a noble family, I see. You seems to be quite fond of wifely manners,
huh?"
"Uwaa!?"
The old fisherman who
sat the closest to them spoke to them in a teasing manner.
Saki's cheeks flushed
with vermilion as he pointed out, in a sense, exactly how she was being
perceived objectively.
Both Akira and Saki
lowered their heads to hide their heated cheeks due to embarrassment.
Ha-ha-ha. Judging from
their expression, the people around them burst into warm-hearted laughter, as
they were convinced that the two of them were lovers.
"S-Saki-ojousama..."
"Come on, let's
eat.
I-It's a special lunch
box for a picnic, so it's a waste if we don't enjoy it.
―Ah, yummy!"
In an attempt to shake
off the reality that she had become a public attraction, Saki bit into the rice
ball in her hand with great enthusiasm.
The perfect amount of
salt and the careful sourness of the pickled plums.
The taste of the rice
grains spreading into her mouth, she forgot her earlier embarrassment and let
out a squeal of delight from her throat.
"Oh, it's really
delicious."
"Uu~, I wonder if
I can make something this good as well."
"As expected,
this must be the work of an expert.
Saki-ojousama, are you
able to cook by any chance?"
"Of course.
...... Even at Tenryo Academy, the primary duty of the women's department is
bridal training.
―It's just, I'm not particularly good at it."
She averted her gaze
and hushed up the latter half of her sentence.
To be honest, cooking
is Saki's weakest field.
Born as the daughter
of a samurai family, Saki was taught how to wield a naginata before anything
else.
She tried to defend
herself, saying that it was only natural, but all that was left was a miserable
aftertaste of how pathetic it was.
"Can you cook,
Akira-kun?"
"Yes. I can cook
miso soup, grilled fish, and stewed dishes in general."
"I-I see,
......."
Of course, so it
should be. Whether one is a man or a child, being able to handle a kitchen
knife surely is an essential skill required to live alone in a tenement house.
Although the question
was asked to change the topic of conversation, the result was that Saki
experienced a further sense of defeat.
It is nothing but a
shame for a woman to taste a losing battle in cooking after having made a fool of
herself.
―When I return to Karen, let's learn how to cook from
Setsuko-san.
Lately, she often
remembered Setsuko's face who always invited her to cook.
Saki secretly made up
her mind to do so and stopped thinking about it any further.
"―By the way,
Akira-kun."
"Yes?"
After finishing their
lunches, the two of them were enjoying the time that passed peacefully side by
side.
In the midst of all
this, Saki suddenly called out to Akira.
When Akira turned to
look at her, Saki's slightly serious gaze shot right through Akira.
"In today's
morning training, Captain Minematsu was wondering why you were so stiff.
―Is something wrong?"
"............Am I
that obvious?"
Akira was unable to
respond to Saki's question right away.
He tried to lighten
his tone in an attempt to divert the question, but Saki's gaze did not waver.
After some time,
Akira's shoulders slumped in resignation.
"...... It's
about my own future.
Is it really okay for
me to stay like this?"
"Staying like
this?...... Of course, it's fine.
Neither Tsuguho-sama
nor I have any complaints about Akira-kun."
"That's not what
I meant ......"
Saki, as someone who
is a member of the nobility, would surely not be able to understand Akira's
concerns.
Even as he spoke,
Akira felt an urgent impatient.
"I don't have any
reason to fight.
I didn't really want
to be a protector or to fight.
I just wanted the
permission to live in a corner of Karen, just as my grandmother had wished
for."
―You have to live, Akira. If you do, I'm sure one day
you'll understand why you have no spirit within you......
The last words of his
grandmother on her deathbed.
Thanks to those words,
Akira was able to endure the miserable days of simply breathing.
The days of gazing
downward at the ground. Like a starving hound on the side of the road, the very
reason why he had survived so long as a drill soldier.
Even though Akira
wanted to live in peace, he had never envisioned what would happen next.
Ironically, because
Akira had everything he wanted, he had lost the very reason for living from now
on.
For a while, only the
gentle sound of rippling waves breaking on the shore dominated the silence
between them.
Frankly speaking, it
was difficult for Saki to understand Akira's feelings.
Their positions were
different. Their values were different.
―Above all, she has never been so obsessed with
life."
"Yes, I certainly
don't understand Akira-kun's problems."
That is why she had no
choice but to respond honestly to Akira's heartfelt feelings.
"―But, what
Akira-kun's grandmother wanted, was it really just for Akira-kun to live?"
"Eh?"
"I don't know
Akira-kun's grandmother, but from what I've heard from you, she's a person who
thinks very much like a noblewoman.
I have a feeling that
such a person would not simply tell you to just live your life."
It was just a hunch.
But the personality of
Ugetsu Fusae that came from Akira gave Saki the certainty that she was not
simply seeking for a short-term solution.
She forced herself to
meet Akira's gaze, which was silent in confusion, with her own as she peered
into his eyes.
Saki's sincere gaze
shook Akira's emotions.
"Akira-kun, you
said you had no reason to fight, but maybe you just forgot.
―Just remember. What did your grandmother say?"
"That's
......."
―............ nto ......... shi ......................
Beyond the fog of his
memory, he felt he could hear his grandmother's voice.
Bo~o~o~oo. The foghorn
of a sailing ship that would be leaving the harbor brought the two of them back
to their senses.
They were so close to
each other that their breaths were making their eyelashes flutter.
"Ah ......"
"M-My
apologies!!"
No matter how much of
a commoner one of them may be, it is not an appropriate distance for an
unmarried man and woman to be so close to each other.
As if pushed apart,
the distance between the two separated from one end of the bench to the other.
Their faces were hot
as though lit by a fire.
Their cheeks were
stained vermillion up to their ears, and a wry smile naturally appeared on their
faces as they looked at each other.
"O-Ojou-sama,
shall we get going?"
"Y-Yes. Right, we
shouldn't be too late."
The two of them spun
their words awkwardly to cover up their emotions.
They stood up shoulder
to shoulder and left the place with their stride in sync with each other.
The two figures
blurred into the summer haze and disappeared,
―And then, on their backs, it looked as if a radiant
light breeze was blowing across.
―――――――――――――――
TIPS: About the
Chintao War.
Chintao War was a war
that was instigated to bring the territory under the jurisdiction of the
Western Continent.
Located on the eastern
edge of Tsonma (Shin Country), Chintao has a history of being developed as a
gateway to the great ocean that stretches beyond it.
While there are many
theories as to the origin of the war, the only thing that is clear is the fact
that as a result, Chintao has now become an independent territory on its own.
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