Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Invitation
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◆
The wrap-up of the Death March went off without a hitch.
Originally, the subjugation force was supposed to handle everything on their own—that was the normal course of events. The only hiccup was the Black Omen suddenly rearing its head.
“Noisy affair, wasn’t it?”
Back at the academy for the report, Shea was yawning hugely as he said that.
Upon closer inspection, it looked like he was gritting his teeth to stifle a laugh.
“Some demon of a student comes blazing in like a comet and turns every last monster to mincemeat, they say.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Made quite the flashy showing, Carlyle Bellfast.”
“⋯⋯Dean.”
Carlyle replied in a voice that sounded ten years older, and Shea chuckled as he waved it off.
“No, no—if everyone’s saying it, what can I do? Looks like you really stood out.”
“⋯⋯Yes, I did my best.”
In truth, as Shea said, Carlyle could feel that his own level had risen considerably.
At this point, he was confident he could handle crises on his own to some degree, even without the Hero.
“That’s praise.”
The Dean said that as he tossed something Carlyle’s way.
“But I wouldn’t get too complacent if I were you.”
Catching it, Carlyle saw it was a small letter.
“You stood out too much, apparently.”
“What’s this?”
“You can tell just from the envelope.”
Flipping it over, there was a lion’s seal embossed in gold leaf.
⋯⋯The Imperial Family’s emblem.
“⋯⋯.”
Carlyle’s expression turned serious as well.
“It’s addressed to you. Inviting you as a special guest to the upcoming military parade. You must’ve been quite the hot topic.”
“The Imperial Palace military parade?”
“It’s the shindig commemorating the day the Emperor, me, and that damn fool smashed humanity’s great enemy.”
Shea sighed heavily, looking annoyed.
“The Emperor, princes, princesses, key figures from the Orthodox Church, the Black Lion Margrave, Grand Duke Chasefield—they all gather for the Empire’s biggest event.”
“⋯⋯.”
The lineup already reeked of trouble.
Names that made his head throb just thinking about the entanglements were all converging in one place.
“Sounds like a shitshow.”
No sugarcoating it would help.
“Spot on.”
The Dean grinned, propping his chin up.
“And a rotten stench is rising too.”
“Pardon?”
“Those Devil Worshippers you smashed in the capital last time. They’ve been lying low for quite a while. Gutsy enough to perform a demon summoning ritual in the capital, yet lately? Nothing.”
“⋯⋯They’re due to blow, is that the read?”
“That’s right. They’re not the type to play dead.”
All signs pointed to one thing.
“Stay on your toes, Carlyle Bellfast.”
A storm brewing.
In the capital, at this military parade, in the Imperial Palace.
Something was bound to happen.
“Well, I’ll be going too, so don’t worry too much.”
“Yes?”
“What? It’s a day honoring the feats me and the Emperor pulled off. Of course I’m going.”
“⋯⋯No. Honestly, all I’ve seen is you slacking while I do the work.”
“⋯⋯.”
Stung for the first time in a while, Shea scratched his chin instead of replying.
“But why do you look so worried? Your face has been grim since earlier.”
“You’re changing the subject because you’re on the back foot.”
Even as he said it, Carlyle responded in a sulky tone.
“It’s the Lady that’s the problem.”
“Your underclassman? Why?”
“She’s furious.”
Mainly.
Ever since she caught him in the middle of “that” with the dragon sisters while he was out subjugating the Death March.
She and Vespa had come looking and watched for a bit, but then she got pissed and headed back to Cradle early.
⋯⋯When Vespa, who’d come to tell him, asked if he was into collars and such, Carlyle had wanted to bolt right then and there.
“But she gets mad all the time.”
True enough.
“⋯⋯This time feels off, though.”
“How so?”
“It’s not just anger—”
Carlyle paused, deep in thought.
Searching for the right words. Something fitting.
Not exactly suited to Gray, but.
“—She’s sulking?”
“⋯⋯Why say it like that makes it scarier?”
“It is scary.”
Carlyle rubbed his face.
“When the Lady’s like that, you never know what she’ll do.”
Anger, he could soothe somehow. Gray was human-shaped fury, after all.
But.
Sulking meant she had some “expectation” of him that he hadn’t met.
“It won’t blow over until I give her what she wants.”
⋯⋯For real.
Not knowing what that was already terrified him.
◆
Gray Chasefield didn’t often feel surprise toward others.
Especially not when they hit the nail on the head from a completely unexpected angle.
[Something wrong?]
“⋯⋯.”
During their regular check-in call, Lionel’s gentle voice from the other end brought it up.
[You seem down. Kinda glum.]
“⋯⋯Dad, I’m the Hero. You think I feel stuff like that?”
She said it gruffly on purpose.
Partly to hide that he’d nailed it.
[Heroes are still human, Gray. Feeling emotions is natural.]
“⋯⋯.”
[Come on, tell me. What happened?]
⋯⋯He saw right through her.
And that fact itself wasn’t welcome.
Someone who always knew her thoughts—it reminded her of a certain guy.
“⋯⋯.”
Just thinking of him.
Made something surge up inside her.
Her already troubled mind churned even more.
“Dad.”
Impulsively spilling everything was probably because of that.
What happened in the Poheaven Margrave Territory. What that Carlyle guy did there.
[⋯⋯That guy’s out there doing that? Didn’t seem the type.]
“He’s always done weird stuff occasionally anyway. Whatever.”
Beyond Lionel’s bemused voice, Gray let out a huge sigh.
“⋯⋯Seeing that just pisses me off like crazy. I feel drained too.”
Why? She didn’t know.
Just.
It pissed her off.
Seeing him, in her absence, sticking to other people like that, piling up “experiences” she didn’t know about.
“Pisses me off. Don’t even wanna look at him.”
[Doesn’t seem like just annoyance, though.]
“⋯⋯Heroes can’t get all emotional like that. Gotta stay numb to handle crises better.”
[Yeah?]
But.
[Then how about never seeing him again?]
Lionel’s follow-up made Gray’s breath catch.
“⋯⋯What?”
[If you hate it that much, swap him out like before. Vespa alone should cover things at the academy fine.]
“⋯⋯.”
[From what you say, he doesn’t sound all that upright. As your father, I’m worried having a kid like that around you. Especially if it burdens your Hero duties like you say.]
“⋯⋯No, but still—”
[No. You’re not as forgiving on stuff like this as you think. I’ll go tell the young man myself.]
“Dad—”
[I’ll head to the academy tomorrow. He’s there, right?]
“—Dad. No. You don’t need to do that.”
[Still, keeping someone who does weird shit like that around you—]
“I said no!”
Huh.
Whoops.
Gray clapped a hand over her mouth, having snapped without thinking.
Her eyes shook wildly.
“⋯⋯.”
No.
No way?
Her?
The Hero? Gray Chasefield? Guardian of humanity?
Just because that guy might leave her side.
Because she didn’t want him getting distant.
⋯⋯She’d gotten genuinely mad at her father.
“⋯⋯.”
Gray held her breath, waiting for Lionel’s reply.
She’d never spoken to Dad like that, ever.
But.
[Gray.]
The response came with a strangely kind chuckle.
[Good news.]
“⋯⋯What?”
[That’s why you’re down. Feels like he’s being taken from you.]
“⋯⋯.”
[Really⋯⋯ good news. You’re being honest with your feelings. Wanting something for yourself. Haven’t seen you act spoiled with me once since becoming the Hero.]
⋯⋯Surprisingly.
She’d dismissed and scorned others countless times, wielding her emotions freely.
But Gray had never once taken the lead in “wanting” something.
Nothing else had value.
Nothing truly felt “good” to her.
Even as a girl who liked food, pretty clothes, and occasionally dressing up.
Since becoming the Hero, she’d never demanded any of it herself.
⋯⋯Heroes don’t have time for that stuff. Gotta discard the trivial.
Stand above others. Be superior. Be perfect.
[I’d never dream of pulling that Carlyle kid from you. He’s giving you exactly what you need.]
“⋯⋯.”
[That’s how it is. You get mad, annoyed, wilt a bit when the boy you care about flirts with other girls.]
“⋯⋯.”
[That’s how normal people live.]
Gray Chasefield.
Was learning normalcy from Carlyle Bellfast.
Gaining experiences Lionel could never provide.
Gray quietly lowered her gaze.
“⋯⋯The boy I care about?”
[Yeah. Natural at your age, no?]
“Does that mean I like him?”
[⋯⋯Can’t you tell?]
“⋯⋯.”
Like.
Like him.
Dunno.
No clue.
“Dad.”
[Yes?]
“What does it feel like to like someone?”
[⋯⋯]
A sharp intake of breath from the other end.
He’d never imagined those words from Gray’s mouth.
A stifled laugh followed soon after.
[Why not test it out?]
◆
“⋯⋯An invitation.”
Carlyle fiddled with the gold-leafed letter, muttering.
Just looking at it set his instincts screaming.
Something awful was coming.
[Well, the Dean said he’d go along, right?]
“That’s why I’m more worried.”
Shea, who’d been dragging his feet about leaving Cradle, volunteering to tag along was unexpected.
In other words.
⋯⋯Even someone that inert was sensing something off here and moving.
This invitation.
Was a first-class ticket into the tiger’s jaws.
“Gonna need to prep thoroughly.”
Saying that, Carlyle flicked on the recorder and got out of bed.
Whatever.
Gray would be up soon.
‘Even walking into the tiger’s jaws, I’ve got duties⋯⋯’
Couldn’t shirk them.
Changing the world starts with making the bed, right? Yeah.
The Lady had been off lately, but tending to her couldn’t be harder than heading to that nightmare palace, could it?
Thinking that, he opened Gray’s door.
Unlike usual, Gray spoke the moment she saw him.
“Hey.”
Weird. Carlyle tilted his head.
“Yes, Lady?”
“Let’s go on a date today.”
“⋯⋯.”
⋯⋯Any way to beam straight to the palace right now?
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