19-3 Part 3
Flames and Signatures
- Vinegar -
Translator : PolterGlast
That is that. This
is this. Not knowing that we would be confronted with an outrageous fact the
next day, we arrived at Erin Port. Loading by the Hez Company and
the beastmen began immediately. I tried to help with the work too, but as
usual, I was kicked out of the site along with Carral.
「See
you later, Yumil. I'll borrow Shinza for just a bit, okay.」
「Yeah,
take care on your voyage too. Not just Ashley-kun, but take me to the
Coastal Provinces next time as well.」
And one more thing,
the top-secret information that I intended to accompany her to the Coastal
Provinces had leaked to Yumil. You talked, didn't you? I turned my eyes
to Carral, but Carral didn't look apologetic in the slightest.
「Sure, Yumil
is highly welcome! Let's go shopping together when I get back!」
Carral and I
moved away from the busy pier and changed our location to the outskirts of the
port. By the way, most of the jade that was on the coast here was collected and
used for the port's decorations. Rather than being scraped together and just
turned into money, it's probably a satisfying way to be used for the jade as
well.
「Sorry?」
「What
are you talking about?」
「About
earlier. I ended up telling Yumil.」
「It
seems so. I'm surprised you two are closer than I thought.」
The outskirts of the
port were dim, and I couldn't see Carral's face clearly. If I removed
the lens covering my dragon's eye, I could see in the dark, but I felt like we
wouldn't be able to share the same night if I did that.
「Shinza,
you're indifferent to your own position, but you're a Prince-sama, for the time
being, you know? Even if someone like that says they want to tag along on a
voyage, I can't make that judgment all by myself...」
「Is
that what triggered you two becoming close?」
「That's
right. Yumil will make the best wife if she gets married. I guarantee
it, she's such a good girl that I'd fall for her if I were a guy!」
「...The
conversation jumped. But I understand well. The good thing about Yumil
is that she's not like a noble.」
「Ahaha.
She'll say, 'You're the last person I want to hear that from, Ashley-kun!'」
I was happy that my
close friend Carral and I made a mutual friend. It's this kind of era
where tomorrow is unseen. Friendship gave me a sense of security. But...
「Carral,
depending on the situation, I don't know if we can meet again. When you return,
I might have been assassinated.」
「Yeah...
that's true.」
「But
even so, we must protect our respective posts. Until the time to pull out
comes. Let's definitely meet again, until the day you return, I will struggle
in my own way.」
「That sounds exaggerated even for you, Shinza. ...Did something
happen?」
Ever since I parted
with Father in the paradise, maybe I've been acting a little strange too. That
incident thrust upon me that parting with people comes suddenly. I wanted to make
sure I had no regrets.
「I just
want to have no regrets. Make sure to come back, Carral Hez.」
「I'll
come back even if you don't tell me! Let's eat kebab sandwiches at Auntie's
shop again!」
Carral jumped
into my chest, wrapped her arms around my torso, and squeezed tight. Just like
that surprise kiss from before, I could have avoided it if I wanted to. But it
seems I didn't.
「Yumil's
former fiancé ran away from her, she said.」
「I
know.」
「Why
don't you take responsibility for her?」
「I
sympathize with her on that, but it's not my responsibility.」
「Haa...
That's no good, you have to be kinder to Yumil! See ya, Shinza!」
Wondering what she
was thinking, she took both my hands. She wrapped them around her own back one
by one, making me embrace her. Her closing her eyes and soaking in the warmth
lasted only for a moment. I followed Carral with my eyes as she
distanced herself like an arrow, and watched over the ship as it left the port.
Carral's warmth won't disappear from my mind. It seems I was enough of a
mama's boy that I can't laugh at the second son Julius either. Even
though I intended to ride on that ship too, the fleet left a trail and
disappeared. With my dragon's eye that can see in the dark, I saw it off for a
long, long time.
◆ ◇ ◆
Looking around, it's
almost dawn. The eastern sky, where the Imperial Capital towers, is
lighting up pale blue.
「She
has gone.」
「Yeah...
When the bright Carral departs, it gets lonely.」
「Oh my,
I wonder if this is a good tendency...」
When I looked back,
not only the old man but Yumil was there too. The ship probably wasn't
visible to their eyes anymore. I also returned my dragon's eye to normal.
「Shinza-sama,
what do you intend to do from now on...?」
「Who
knows. We can't join the political strife and scatter chaos around either. For
now, we probably have no choice but to build up our strength.」
「Yes.
Your father also avoided the conflict back then and took shelter in the
frontier. If you wish, I don't mind if you chase after Carral-sama right
now. However, I will never leave your side again.」
「You
can't just run away from this now, though.」
It's just as Yumil
says. The secret society, the Shadows of Bergelmir, has been born, and Georg-aniue
and Atomina-aneue are doing their best. When we flee to the frontier,
those two will be with us.
「However,
where on earth did Sigrun disappear to...」
「Ashley-sama,
Yumil-sama is fine, but I will absolutely not accept that person!! That
rascal, the other day she put vinegar in my tea!! Why are you laughing, I, who
am like a father to you, was humiliated, you know!?」
That really is an
outrageous woman... But just by imagining it a little, the image of the old man
spewing out tea popped into my head, and I ended up laughing.
「Ashley-kun,
you overlook that person's faults way too much...」
「Absolutely
right, that one is absolutely no good!」
I never dreamed that I, who was locked in a tower and only yearned for the outside world, would end up walking such a life. I'll stay in the Empire just a little longer and try struggling for the sake of the people who have been good to me. Above all, I want to avoid a situation where I won't be able to eat that kebab sandwich for the rest of my life as much as possible, after all.
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