Chapter 38
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: The Triplets (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I headed to the garden with my younger brothers to show off some magic.
Since it was my magic I was demonstrating, I called Amelin, who had been teaching me, and Gillek also came to the garden after hearing the triplets had arrived.
"Greetings to Princes Riki, Ruki, and Raki."
"Gillek! It's been a while!"
"You're still shining as bright as ever!"
"Baldy bald!"
"Haha, Your Highnesses haven't changed a bit."
Teasing Gillek about his bald head was nothing new, even back at the imperial palace, so he just laughed heartily in response.
"It's been a while, Sir Hulan."
"Sir Hulan, good to see you. How about a spar later, if you're up for it?"
"I'd be delighted."
While the knight captains chatted among themselves, my brothers looked up at me with eyes full of anticipation.
"Bro! What kind of magic can you do?"
"Did you learn well from the mage lady?"
"Lady, does bro do magic good?"
"Y-Yes?! Um, well... His Highness is truly astonishing with his magic!"
"Everyone who teaches princes says stuff like that."
"Tell us yourself, bro!"
"I've been practicing hard, and now I can cast mid-tier spells without chanting."
"......"
My excited brothers suddenly went quiet and tilted their heads.
"Mid-tier magic?"
"Without chanting?"
"Bro, lying is bad."
Even in all our talks up until now, I'd kept my talents vague.
I'd only said things like my body got healthier, I built muscle quickly, I could use magic now, and I was getting good at it.
They probably thought my joining the Manlenesia expedition just meant I'd motivated the group a ton.
So their reaction made sense.
"It's true. Watch closely."
In front of my brothers, I cast a mid-tier ice spell.
Then a mid-tier fire spell.
The ice counterpart to Flame Tornado: Frost Tornado.
Whooooosh!
A glittering vortex of snow and ice shards whipped through the garden.
"See? Told you."
"Isn't the big-butted lady doing it secretly from behind?"
"N-No! But... is my butt really that big?"
"You saw it up close—you know she couldn't have cast it secretly."
"Bro, how long have you been learning from this lady?"
"About a month now?"
"Bro could only do mana bullets before, and now mid-tier magic after one month?"
"Isn't this even better than Michelle?"
"Michelle could do mid-tier faster than me."
"That's different from someone who was good from the start versus bro, who couldn't do it at all."
"It's like a mage suddenly beating a knight captain with swordsmanship."
"Bro, you can't just say stuff without shame."
"If Michelle heard that, she'd shove an advanced spell up your butt."
Even my own brothers sure knew how to hit where it hurt.
"Anyway, more magic! Show us other spells!"
"Alright, I'll show you every spell I can do, one by one!"
"Yay!"
"It's bro's magic show!"
They'd seen plenty of magic from Michelle or other mages.
But seeing me cast it made them so happy, and honestly, it felt great.
After I'd shown them spell after spell,
"Bro, this is seriously insane."
"Way better than Michelle for sure."
"The talentless weak bro turned into a talent monster when we weren't looking!"
They reacted a bit differently than I'd expected.
"Huh? Weren't you excited?"
"We were, yeah."
"But okay, no-chant mid-tier is one thing."
"When did your mana reserves balloon enough to keep casting them non-stop? We figured you'd show two or three and be done."
"You did over ten in a row~."
"Oh."
Listening to them, it hit me.
My mana pool had grown ridiculously too.
"Hey, big-butted lady."
"Ah, it's Amelin."
"You not shocked seeing bro like this?"
"......I'm used to it by now. Ha, haha."
"Whoa, look at her eyes."
"She gave up thinking!"
"Totally understandable!"
The brothers giggled together at Amelin's reaction.
While they laughed, Ridel approached me quietly.
"Master Aren, is this alright? Shouldn't we inform the three princes...?"
"I think it's fine with these three. They're mischievous, but... they keep their promises."
"Understood, if that's your will, Master Aren."
Then my brothers asked me,
"Hey, bro!"
"We got a question!"
"A question? Like how I got this way? Like I said earlier, it started when that black stuff came out of my body. No idea why."
"No, not that. Bro, are you..."
"......gonna go for the throne?"
I answered their question with total sincerity right away.
"Nope? Never even wanted to be emperor in the first place."
"For real?"
"Why?"
"All the other bros and sisters want it."
"You guys wanna be emperor?"
"Eh~ not really unless we have to."
"Seems busy."
"Too much hassle."
"Same here."
"Ah!"
"So you can keep it secret, right? I really don't wanna be emperor..."
"Yeah, the other bros and sisters would make life hell."
"Generic bro would be the worst."
"Lancelot bro might be even more ruthless! Bro's talents are insane!"
"Rune sis would come right over if she knew."
"Probably demand a fight first."
"Rune sis acts without thinking sometimes~."
"Hee hee hee."
They chatted among themselves and seemed to get where I was coming from.
"Got it, bro!"
"We won't tell a soul!"
"It'd make things annoying for you, and we'd have a harder time visiting too!"
"Thanks. So, how long you staying at the estate?"
"Mm~ about a week?"
"Any longer and you'd probably tell us to stop bugging you."
"Let's have a blast for that week, bro!"
"Sure, sure."
Playing around with their spirit summoning under the guise of fun sounded like a good way to test my skills too.
"Oh yeah, bro! You said you're learning swordsmanship from Gillek too, right?"
"Yeah."
"So, did you get super good at swords like with magic?"
"Nah, no way."
"You summoned more than just that tiny spirit with spirit arts, so maybe?"
Their doubts were perfect fodder for creating an opportunity.
"Of course I'm good with swords now. As proof... Hulan."
"Yes, Your Highness Aren."
"One bout, please. Let me show off my growth."
Bonus: I can pick up some of Hulan's secret techniques while watching up close.
Before heading to the training grounds at the estate, I remembered Honeyball, whom I'd left in my room, and my brothers' spirits, so I turned back.
Before I got close to the room, my sharpened hearing picked up the spirits conversing.
[How enviable. Being a weak spirit made it get named, strengthening the bond.]
[Honey.]
[Is your contractor's mana really that good?]
[Honey!]
[Honeyball, can I lend power to your contractor too?]
[Honey.]
[It has to ask on its own, huh. Ruthless, unlike its cute looks.]
'Did Honeyball brag about me?'
[Hm? Contractors incoming.]
[Honey!]
As I approached the door and opened it, Honeyball was right there.
[Honey!]
"Honeyball, have fun with the three?"
[Honey!]
Looked like it had indeed bragged about what a great contractor I was.
"Windy, listen! Our bro's gotten ridiculously amazing!"
[So it seems.]
"Did you have fun with Honeyball?"
[It was an enlightening time.]
"Wasn't thinking of eating it?"
[Contractor, how could one eat a spirit?]
"Had fun with Honeyball? Time to head back."
[Already?]
[We could stay longer?]
[It's a face we rarely see; we could stick around.]
"What's with these guys?"
"They always complain when we summon them for no reason."
"What's the scheme?"
[Scheme?]
[We just want to see more of the brother of a contractor who suffers because of their contractor.]
[We always sensed potential in him, and now it seems he's finally bloomed.]
"Huh? Jenos, you told bro he had zero talent and it was a shame—mmph!"
[Hahaha! Contractor, when did I say that?]
Looked like Honeyball had bragged about me a whole lot.
In the end, the brothers unsummoned their contract spirits, promising to call them again later.
At the sparring grounds, I drew my sword and faced off against Hulan.
Hulan stood before me with his usual spear.
He'd originally planned to use a training one,
but
"Sir Hulan, use your real weapon and go all out against His Highness. If you hold back, you might end up the one in serious trouble."
After Gillek's advice, Hulan opted for his actual spear.
"Hulan, do your best~."
"But don't hurt bro too bad!"
"Do okay~."
"My lord! I'll cheer for you!"
"Y-Yes, do your best, Your Highness!"
"We look forward to your performance, Master Aren."
"Looks like the busty ladies are cheering over there."
"Hulan~ don't go too hard out of jealousy!"
"Hahaha. Your Highness, I already have a wife I love dearly."
Hulan brushed off the brothers' teasing lightly and took his stance.
"Then, let us begin, Your Highness Aren."
"Please go easy... or not, Hulan."