The Declaration
Gape, gape.
"Pfft! Puh-hihi."
Heni worked her mouth open and shut like a Magikarp. She clearly wanted to deny it, but her conscience refused to let a single word of protest escape her lips.
Fortuna pointed at her and burst into a wicked little laugh. Jun followed with a snort of his own, then pressed on, determined to knock his disciple-slash-little-sister's pride down a few pegs.
After all, crushing a disciple-slash-little-sister's ego was the sacred duty of a master-slash-big-brother.
"Getting a few love letters and confessions from the boys lately must have your confidence skyrocketing, huh?"
"Ugh! H-how did you know?!"
"Uncle Robin told me."
Every time a boy confessed to Heni, Robin would get drunk that night and make a complete scene. How the man had found out about it was anyone's guess, but it certainly hadn't been through any respectable method.
"That idiot dad of mine!"
Heni seemed to share the same thought; she ground her teeth and scanned the surroundings. Right on cue, a presence that had been hanging by a thread at the edge of their senses vanished. No way… right?
"Anyway, if you want to appeal to me with your charms, try again after you've become prettier than me or as mature as Fortuna. Got it?"
Jun made a show of throwing back the hood of his robe. Fortuna immediately struck the exact same pose Heni had used earlier to flaunt her femininity.
Boing, boing.
The pose was identical, but the destructive power was incomparable. How could anyone compare a flat plain to a towering mountain range, after all?
"L-Linda unnie! They're bullying me!"
"There, there. They're being so mean, aren't they?"
Squish, squish.
"…Unnie, you're the worst too!"
"Hm?"
Unable to bear the misery and sense of defeat, Heni threw herself into Linda's arms for comfort—only to receive betrayal instead. She pawed at her own utterly flat chest, visibly wilting.
Her pride thoroughly crushed, Jun felt deeply satisfied.
"Haaah∼. Sorry for teasing you, Oppa. So put the hood back on already. My heart feels like it's going to explode."
"She's right. Jun's face is way too dangerous."
At the two women's urging, Jun wordlessly pulled the hood back down. The pair, who had been sneaking glances at him with flushed faces, let out sighs that were half relief and half regret.
"Jun Oppa's face is… really nice to look at, but afterward I lose all confidence in my own looks, so I don't want to stare too long if I can help it. You feel the same, right, Unnie?"
"Mm, sorry to Jun, but honestly, same here."
"You're both plenty pretty. Have some confidence."
He meant every word. Heni was a beauty with a cat-like face and a slender figure; Linda was a beauty with a dog-like face and a voluptuous figure. If the two of them had been the same age as Leon, they never would have pressured Jun into cross-dressing like this.
If they keep asking me to dress as a girl, maybe I should suggest moving Heni's coming-of-age ceremony up a whole year?
"Hehe. Thanks."
"O-Oppa saying that doesn't make me happy at all, you know!"
Linda smiled openly and offered her thanks; Heni flushed and tsundere'd her way through a denial. Opposite reactions, yet somehow that made them feel even more natural together.
I hope they can stay together forever…
Jun! Jun! That's foreshadowing!
Ah, almost slipped up. Thanks, Fortuna.
Having nearly jinxed them into a bad ending, Jun gave a small shake of his head to clear the thought.
Thud! Thud!
"Haaah!" "Die!"
As if to help him along, the sound of impacts and battle cries rang out. Jun's gaze turned toward the noise.
"Are those two also ditching singing practice?"
"No. The nun teaching the songs told anyone who already knows them to go play nearby until the others memorize everything. Jun, did you just come straight here without even hearing that?"
"…Haha."
"Honestly. You can't do that."
"I was wrong, Noona."
Jun admitted his fault at once without trying to deny it. Linda was extremely strict about things like this; denying it would only get him scolded harder. But if he showed genuine remorse, she would soothe him gently as if nothing had happened.
Truly a woman perfect for a wife. What a waste to give her to anyone else.
"More importantly, Oppa—no, Master. Help me out a bit."
"With what?"
"There are a few runes I don't know. Teach me those."
Heni held out the magic book she had been reading. Jun took one look and heaved a deep sigh. She had said "a few," yet nearly every other line in the book was underlined with "don't know."
Well, I guess that can't be helped.
The magic book Heni was currently reading covered the intermediate fire-attribute spell—Fireball. Unlike lower-tier magic, intermediate spells came with special effects, which meant far more difficult runes. Even noble-born mages rarely managed to learn even one before the age of fifteen, so the fact that a mere thirteen-year-old was reading even a single line was already impressive.
When I first started teaching her, I was worried sick…
Yet contrary to those worries, she had awakened her mana core in just one year and was now properly beginning intermediate magic. She possessed far greater magical talent than the people around her realized. Her talent for aura was no slouch either; she was sure to grow tremendously.
The problem, of course, was that she intended to use that power for someone else's sake. She would follow him when he left for the capital as well.
Just as Jun was privately lamenting that fact—
"Fuck!!!"
A thunderous curse that perfectly voiced his inner thoughts rang out. The women jumped in surprise, but Jun calmly turned his head toward the source as if he had expected it all along.
"…"
Donald lay sprawled flat on the ground, staring blankly up at the sky, as though he had poured every last emotion into that single curse.
"Haaah∼. Haaah∼. That was really close, Donald."
Even while panting for breath, Leon encouraged him with a bright, refreshing smile. As expected, the victor of their fierce spar was Leon.
"Whew∼. Ah, Jun. You were here?"
Spotting Jun sitting in the shade, Leon waved cheerfully and walked over. Jun waved back.
"Yeah. Came for singing practice, currently ditching."
"Haha. You can just come with us later."
Leon answered with that same refreshing laugh and, despite plenty of other spots, deliberately sat right next to Jun.
"You're getting sweat on me. Move over."
"So what? The weather's cool anyway."
"Whatever. Just don't get any closer. And take these already."
"Ah. Thanks, Linda Noona."
Leon accepted the towel and water bottle Linda offered, wiped the sweat streaming down his body, and quenched his thirst. Once he had mostly dried off, he beamed brighter than ever and shoved his face right up against Jun's neck.
Fortuna, who had slipped into Jun's collar the moment Leon approached and gone into full alert mode, scowled hard.
"Hello, Fortuna."
"Hmph!"
"You're ignoring my greeting again. Why do you always do that? It's almost five years now."
Leon made a pitiful face at Fortuna's cold shoulder and looked to Jun for help. Jun only offered a bitter smile and refused to intervene. This was the karma of Leon's own choices; he had to endure it himself.
"You already know why the chest monster acts like that, so why even ask? Disgusting bastard."
Donald, who had approached the shade at Linda's call, saw Leon's behavior and openly displayed his revulsion. A cold silence settled over the group.
After a moment, Linda—who had been watching both Donald and Leon carefully—spoke up cautiously.
"Donald. What is that supposed to mean?"
"What? Noona, you still haven't heard anything from this guy? Hey! Leon! You said you'd tell the two of them yourself!"
"…"
"Why can't you say it?!"
"Donald Oppa. Stop getting annoyed and calm down. What on earth are you talking about right now?"
At Heni's question, Donald's fierce glare shifted from Leon to Jun. The rage that had filled his eyes moments earlier was replaced by gratitude and guilt.
That prideful bastard… looking at me like that?
Jun puzzled over it for a second, then reached a conclusion.
"So you heard. What I've been doing all this time."
"I heard it from Master—no, from Father Leonard this morning. That you've been cleaning up all the piles of shit that damned imperial prince brat has been dragging in."
"I didn't think he'd tell you lot. Preparing for a few days from now, I suppose?"
"Yeah. He said a whole flood of them is coming in a few days and told us to lend even one hand if we can."
It was a reason that made sense. Yet Jun could neither accept it easily nor simply rejoice at the extra help.
I just wanted them to live without a single worry for as long as I could still protect them…
These were kids who would soon follow Leon to the capital and suffer like dogs for years. He had at least wanted to give them that much.
"I-Imperial prince?! I thought it was just some high-ranking noble house. Wait, more importantly—what piles of shit?!"
"Donald! Jun! Leon! What is going on?! Explain already!"
At Heni and Linda's urging, Jun turned to Leon.
"Want me to explain? Or will you?"
"…I'll do it. I said I would."
"Alright. Then…"
Leaving the rest to him, Jun rose from his seat. Then—
"Hey, what's with those eyes? It's creeping me out, so let's have a match."
He provoked the big guy who was still staring at him with those completely unfitting eyes.