Translator: Blushy
Editor: Sam
âNii-syama!â
âLei, Iâm back.â
Nii-sama got off the carriage.
âWhereâsh Giww?â
âGill went back home. But more importantly, I have good news.â
âOtou-syama!â
I apologise to Gill for Nii-sama saying more importantly, but Iâm sure the good news is about Otou-sama coming home. Nii-sama grinned and nodded in anticipation.
âI Heard that the Easter royals surrendered the castle straight away.â
âThath fashth?â
âYes, itâs pathetic.â
Nii-sama looked sarcastic and it didnât suit a 12 year old.
âThey insist that only the Third Prince is responsible for what happened, and that they had nothing to do it with. Even if that were the case, then the royal family would be responsible for not being able to control the Third Prince, so why did they think they could get away with it?â
âAi.â
I also thought the same as Nii-sama, but his thoughts were a step ahead from mine.
âBut I wonder if that was part of the Third Princeâs plan as well.â
âHish?â
âYes. I donât know him very well, but I donât think he would seek power in such a straightforward way. Above all, heâs not someone who would work under others.â
He didnât seem like he had any ambition to rule a country as a King, but more than anything, he didnât seem the type to follow anyoneâs orders. When he came to the royal capital as a messenger, I thought he looked like a chained beast even though he acted like a royal.
âHe thoow advanthage of thhe order?â
âYeah, thatâs what I think. Easterâs royals didnât really care if the mission was a success or not. They naively thought that at best, Kingdom would lose its authority, and that Kingdom would get rid of the Third Prince, who was like a thorn to them.â
Thatâs what the Third Prince said at that time. I pondered over his exact wording.
âIthâsh a pwoth devished by my counthry, he shaid.â
Nii-sama couldnât understand what I had said and tilted his head in puzzlement.
âItâs a... plot devised by his country. I see. So, he knew and went along with it.â
âAi. He ashwed me if i wanthed tho go withh him and thhath he can guaranthee my freedom.â
âSo, it is like that? He used their plot as a means to free himself from Easter. Which means...â
Nii-sama looked at me sternly.
âThe Third Prince, or rather, Cyrus, may be hiding in the city and accumulating power. Dammit.â
âNii-syama?â
âSorry, Lei. If he does come back, then it will probably be during our time. He could still do evil deeds in Frontier, like he did when he attacked you, even if heâs not interested in power. Itâs frustrating to think that weâre letting such a dangerous enemy at large.â
I didnât think that deeply, and I couldnât imagine the future like Nii-sama does. However, it was horrifying to think that he took the royal family hostage and locked us up for his own purposes and plotted for his own path to freedom first. Perhaps, he had an escape route in mind from the beginning.
âIth wouwd be nice if he wived peacefuwwy shomewhere elsesh.â (It would be nice if he lived peacefully somewhere else)
âYouâre so nice, Lei. I want him to die by the roadside, *cough cough*,â Nii-sama coughed and rephrased his words, âI hope he never comes out to the light of day again.â
I always get involved and end up in the middle of things, so I had no choice but to act with no time to worry. But it must be painful for Nii-sama and Otou-sama to be able to do nothing but worry. I reached out to Nii-sama with all my might.
âNii-syama. Ai.â
âDo you want a hug? Okay.â
Just as he had done for me when I was a child, he should just hug me and soothe his heart in times of pain and sadness. It makes me happy too.
âLei is so cute.â
âAi!â
Small people are cute. Babies who act humble and deny this are scary, so Iâll just agree with him.
Nii-sama seemed satisfied after holding me for a while. He put me down gently and smiled.
âSo, about the good news.â
âWhen? When wiww Otou-syama be bacw?â
âItâs not just Otou-sama, you know?â
âHansh?â
I wonder if Hans will be back soon. I feel like Natalieâs invisible ears perked up.
âUnfortunately, it doesnât seem like Hans will be back yet.â
Hans isnât going to be back yet. If so, then whatâs the good news?
âDidnât I tell you that Wester soldiers joined Otou-sama and the other Kingdom soldiers who are waiting at the border?â
âAi.â
I believed Nii-sama said that Wester sent a small number of soldiers to help. I looked up at Nii-sama in surprise.
âNo way.â
âYou probably spot on. Thatâs right, among those soldiers are Alistair and the other four. Theyâll be coming here with Otou-sama.â
âAwishthair!â
I promised Nii-sama that I would go with him to Wester this summer, but because Easter had done something uncalled-for, our fun summer holidays got spoiled.
But I might still be able to meet Alistair and the other hunters.
âOh, by the way, I heard Prince Hubert will be here too.â
âYou mawe him shound wiwe an exthra.â (You made him sound like an extra)
Bart and the others were incorporated to the small Wester unit led by Prince Hubert as a countermeasure against Hollows, and Alistair followed alone since Bart and the others were taking care of him. Otherwise, Prince Hu wouldnât have brought Alistair to the border where a battle could occur.
In that sense, I trust him. Although I wouldnât tell him that.
âNii-syama, Huu ish a good pershon.â
âI was only with him for a short time.â
I guess heâs saying that heâs reserving his judgement of Prince Hubert since they were only together for a short time. I thought of something interesting.
âWhich pershon ish bethther?â
âBethther? Better? Lei asked another difficult question.â
Nii-sama laughed troublingly.
âBut Iâm sure his reputation will improve in the future since heâs directly involved in cleaning up Easter.â
Nii-sama generalised. He suggested that the world would think that way even if he didnât. But I was surprised about something else.
âThe Four Marquishesh and thhe royaw famiwy canâth weave Kingdom.â
âLei, youâve noticed!â
Nii-sama picked me up, held me up high and spun me around.
âIn the end, this canât be settled without the Four Marquises or royal family. Lei, I believe that this is perhaps a good opportunity for the Four Marquises to be a little freer in Frontier!â
âWow!â
I donât really understand Nii-samaâs joy. Most people donât leave the country even if theyâre not a Four Marquis. But I guess thereâs a big difference between not going leaving even though you could and not going leaving because you canât.
âBut thatâs still a long way away. In the meantime, letâs prepare to welcome our Wester friends, Lei.â
âAi!â
I havenât had uplifting news in a long time.