Chapter 226
(Kyle Calendar Year 512: Age 19)
Lecture Time
Translator : PolterGlast
Leaving the Royal Palace, I headed for the Academy. I
sent my bodyguard, Carla, ahead carrying
a message for Yuka-san and my sister to wait in the salon.
When I arrived, tea had been prepared. As soon as I took my
seat, I spoke to the two of them even as the server was pouring the tea.
"Now then, I have something to discuss with you two.
Are you hiding anything from me? The key figures of the Kingdom were holding
their heads in despair."
I started in lecture mode first. Even if it was to fulfill
my request, dragging in someone who shouldn't be involved. Triggering the
rampage of a tomboy. I need to give them a stern talking-to.
And regarding the Magic Knight Order, it seemed
likely that neither of them had told their fathers yet. Count Gorman
aside, if my father knew about this, he would have been making a huge fuss by
now.
"Um... Brother, there's a reason for this..."
"No, Chrisia-san. In this matter, we must have
caused Takuhir-sama a great deal of trouble. This is my responsibility.
I am truly sorry."
"So, does that mean you two incited that...
tomboy?"
At my words, the two turned pale. They probably thought it
was disrespectful, but that didn't matter to me. Chrisia looked like she
wanted to say something, but I stopped her and continued.
"Honestly, I am filled with disappointment this time.
It is true that the Royal Capital is a place swirling with schemes. I think there is an aspect where you two were swept up by
that tomboy, but still, it's disappointing."
"Yes, it ended up like that as a result, and we are
truly sorry."
"War is not a game! If we fight, someone will surely
get hurt, and some comrades will surely lose their lives and never return.
Moreover, as women... fundamentally, I am worried about your safety more than
anything. Even if you survive safely, what will you do if you bear scars on
your body or heart that never fade for the rest of your lives?!"
"Yes, we have no words to reply. However, volunteering
and the matter of Her Highness are completely separate. We wanted to be of use
in the next battle, even just a little... Because we knew that Takuhir-sama
alone was burdened with something huge and worrying about it."
"Do you two understand the terror of what it means for
Mages to fight in a group battle? It's completely different from fighting the Empire's
army! When hundreds of fireballs or lightning strikes rain down from the sky
all at once, what will you two do? Do you have the means to defend against
that? Even if the tomboy herself is skilled with a sword, such things are
useless against that! And in the unlikely event that the Muscle-Brain Girl gets
hurt, do you truly understand that the consequences will extend not only to you
two but also to your respective Count families?"
"Well... we don't mind being scolded, but regarding Her
Highness Clarice..."
"Yuka-san! To begin with, you two are different
from a Muscle-Brain Swordsman who was mistakenly born a woman! What will you do
if it comes to a sword fight? Just imagining such a situation makes me..."
"Brother, stop!"
Chrisia, looking
panicked as if unable to endure something, cut off my words. Confusion and a
moment of silence. And that was quickly broken.
"Fufufu, even the reputed Demon Territory Count
worries this much about his wife and sister. Isn't that a good thing?
However... before lecturing, don't you think it would be good to listen to
their story first?"
Hm? Who is this?
Come to think of it, why is the serving maid still here even after finishing
serving? And what's with this condescending tone?
"Chrisia, it seems your brother doesn't know the
story of when his own father proposed to his mother?"
"Yes... Your Highness."
Hm? What's the story of Father's proposal? I've never heard of it. Did something happen?
Wait... Chrisia! What did you just say?
"..."
Except for the maid laughing amusedly, everyone froze in
place.
Though still retaining a childishness that one could safely
call a beautiful girl, she exuded a dignified atmosphere, and her fearlessly
smiling eyes expressed the strength of her will.
"I
believe this is the first time we have met, Lord Demon Territory Count. I
am the tomboy Muscle-Brain Swordsman mistakenly born a woman, Clarice Kyle. I have heard about the Demon Territory Count from
my father for some time. Today, I wanted to hear stories from the Demon
Territory Count, the trusted confidant my father boasts of, so I forced
these two into this. Although the plan was to keep my true identity
concealed until the very end, I started to feel a bit sorry for them. Do
forgive me."
"..."
No, that's...
Even though I didn't know, I really messed up.
Who was it! Who called her a Muscle-Brain Gorilla Princess!
Her clothes are a maid's, but from every angle, her appearance overflows with a
noble atmosphere; she is a splendid princess...
I realized anew that I had been so absorbed in talking to
the two of them that I had neglected to observe my surroundings.
More importantly, please stop with these pranks. Or rather,
her blatantly using feminine language towards me... is that sarcastic
retaliation for my slip of the tongue?
"P-Please forgive my rudenessss!"
Reflexively, I dropped to my knees on the floor... no, I sat
in seiza and bowed my head to apologize. Yes, in full dogeza
style.
"Fufufu, prostrating to someone in a maid outfit, you
look exactly like your father. Should I call this 'like father, like son'? I
was too mischievous this time as well. Let's call it even with this."
Did my father also prostrate to my mother when proposing? And what's with the maid outfit?
Never mind that. How to patch up this situation is the top
priority right now.
"Then, I shall gratefully
accept your generosity, pardon me. While
putting shame upon shame, I dare to ask. Why did Your Highness volunteer for a
dangerous battlefield? I hear you do not listen to those around you admonishing
you, and His Majesty is quite troubled. Considering your position, did you not
think that many would be pained by this?"
"Oh my, such a counterattack? At first, I thought you
were just a worrier, a common type of man, but to ask me that so boldly... you
really are an interesting person."
"I apologize. I am an uncouth person unfamiliar with
noble customs."
"Well, regarding the matter of the Royal Command
Mages this time... are you aware that initially, no people gathered at all,
and these two were struggling?"
"No, I didn't know at all."
"I got to know Yuka-san, and subsequently Chrisia-san,
through learning the crossbow. They didn't tell me anything, but seeing their
state, I could at least guess their distress."
At Her Highness's words, the two hung their heads silently.
Looking at them gently, she continued.
"Are you not painfully aware, Demon Territory Count,
that among the Mages and upper class of this country, there are very many fools
who have no sense of crisis regarding this national difficulty and the current
situation? I myself know that my father the King and the Minister of Foreign
Affairs have struggled terribly with this matter until now. That is
why."
"But for something involving Your Highness..."
"My role is to become a symbol to gather people
(Mages), and to urge them to have the resolve to perform duties equal to the
power they were given. In this country, there is also a teaching that those who
stand above others should take the initiative and go to the battlefield. I hear
that my father's first battle was also against the Empire, back when he
was still a student at the Academy. Then I am merely fulfilling my duty
as royalty. You needed to gather military power urgently, did you not, Demon
Territory Count?"
No wonder His Majesty and the Old Raccoon can't
handle her. Setting aside gender, it was already clear that this Princess was
quite a character.
"You thought that far ahead... I apologize for my
thoughtlessness and sincerely thank you for your help to these two.
However..."
"I understand what you want to say. But with this, at
least a reasonable number of people in the Kingdom will get serious and
work desperately. Is it wrong for me to play a part in saving the Kingdom?"
"I don't think it's wrong. Hearing your inner thoughts,
I feel a bit relieved myself. But please promise me just one thing. Please take
care of yourself, and make it a major premise to retreat depending on the
situation. If I were the enemy army, I would target the Mikoshi (Your
Highness) first. If the Mikoshi is lost, that army collapses. Only
because the Mikoshi exists can allies wield their power to the fullest..
I want you to understand just this."
"Understood. It helps that the Demon Territory Count
is quick to understand. But... you know the term Mikoshi? I thought it
was a word left by the first King Kyle
known only to royalty."
"..."
Did I do it again?
When I talk formally, words I used to use just slip out. Wait, just how much
has His Majesty or the Old Raccoon told this Princess about me?
I feel like... she's seeing through me... or is it my
imagination?
"First, Yuka-san, Chrisia, I'm sorry for
getting angry without knowing your struggles. I deeply apologize. And now, I
will talk about the real purpose of coming to see you two today—the response
going forward. If you don't mind, Your Highness, would you like to join
us?"
"Yes, by all means! Thinking I could hear that story, I
went out of my way to dress like this. So the visit wasn't for the purpose of
lecturing after all?"
"Yes, of course. Then, once again... I will state my
plan for future response. Regarding the formation of this Magic Knight Order,
officially, we will respond as if it is against the Griffonia Empire.
Therefore, I am thinking of conducting training mainly in the Ishtar
area. Your Highness, I apologize for the inconvenience in the unfamiliar
frontier."
"Brother, not Teigoon?"
"Right, there are two reasons. First, for training
2,300 soldiers, Teigoon is cramped, and we can't conduct large-scale
magic exercises. Second, to deceive the enemy. If they know there is a corps of
300 Mages, the opponent's moves will change. Ishtar is the furthest
frontier, and since the movement of people other than insiders is limited, it
is easy to conceal information. Regarding this matter, we need not only the
enemy but also the enemies within our allies to let their guard
down."
Reacting to the words "enemies within our allies,"
Her Highness Clarice smiled fearlessly. She probably has various
thoughts on that too.
"We start in three months. After the next regular
meeting ends, we depart the Royal Capital, ride to Teigoon, and
from there go to Ishtar via Aegis. Once training is over, I
intend to have the students return to the Royal Capital temporarily, but
the main unit will be stationed in Gaia. Watching the war situation, we
will rush to the western front without passing through the center. This way, we
can deceive the eyes of the west too."
"I see. Using the route the Imperial Army's left
wing aims for!"
"That
is correct, Yuka-san. Furthermore, I
will be entrusting you with several pieces of classified weaponry. I had
intended to forgo their use if there was no one I could fully trust. However,
with Her Highness serving as Supreme Commander and with the two of you joining
the campaign, I can entrust them with peace of
mind."
"That is something to look forward to. Hearing about
the battle with the Imperial Kingdom of Istria from Margrave Hamish,
my heart was dancing. I wonder what kind of classified weaponry there
are this time?"
Wait, this Princess has heard about that too? And to be
interested in such things... Really, I can only say she was born with the wrong
gender.
"Oh my? Could it be that the Demon Territory Count
was thinking something rude again?"
"Brother, please be careful, you're easy to read
because your thoughts show on your face immediately!"
"..."
I had no words to return.
"Also, this is important, and something I've asked the Old
Raccoon as well. Since everyone will be moving on horseback, I think the
Mages need a reasonable amount of riding training. The Minister of Military
Affairs is supposed to arrange the horses."
"That is true. Setting aside Mages who are often from
noble backgrounds or related parties, many of the 1,000 archers are volunteers
from the subjects, so they are likely amateurs at riding..."
"And one more important thing. I want detailed
information on all 300 of these Mages. This is urgent! I intend to send back
those deemed useless on the battlefield or not obedient to instructions
immediately, but if I have detailed information in advance, we can use the time
effectively."
"Yes, we are already gathering that information. Everyone's attribute, ability, family background and
affiliated faction, and personality too... Though, as the ability scores are
based on evaluations by Chrisia-san
and myself, I do feel a slight sense of unease regarding their accuracy."
"Eh?"
I let out a slightly strange voice. That isn't something
that can be prepared so easily. Surely Yuka-san and Chrisia have
been preparing ever since I spoke to them before.
I was grateful anew for their excellence.
We held several other meetings that day, and I left the Academy.
My resolve
to shoulder the burden of the Princess
was now unavoidably set. There is no
room for hesitation. Fortunately, the possibility that she is an extraordinary
person, surpassing my imagination, has also come into view.
But at this time, I had absolutely no idea that the two of
them were harboring one more significant secret.
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