Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Queen Falls for Baseball - 4
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"Good!"
Prostia shouted.
It came right as the Eagles' runner touched home plate.
"Wow! Prostia, you're amazing!"
"It's not me who's amazing—it's those humans running out there."
Elisian waved her cheering stick, her face lit up with excitement.
The two of them were completely absorbed in the game.
"That guy's hitting really well!"
"Right? He's a candidate for Rookie of the Year this season."
"Rookie of the Year?"
"Yeah. It's the award for the best player among the rookies entering the pros."
Prostia's explanation.
Elisian listened, her eyes sparkling as she focused even harder on the game.
I watched them from the side.
Something feels off.
Honestly, the game wasn't holding my attention.
I kept getting swept up in stray thoughts.
The story Elisian had told me.
The frozen village.
The illusion.
Prostia from back then.
She froze it to buy time to cure the plague.
I understood that much.
But...
"Strike!"
"Good!"
Seeing her smile so brightly like that stirred up an odd feeling every time.
As if it still didn't feel quite right.
Is she really the same person?
The cold queen Elisian described—the same one giggling over baseball?
"Master."
"Yeah?"
"What's wrong? Not having fun?"
"No, it's not that."
"Then cheer with us!"
Elisian shoved a cheering stick into my hand.
With beauties flanking me on both sides as I cheered, it probably looked pretty glamorous to anyone glancing over.
But inside, I just felt frustrated.
"Hmm."
I shook the cheering stick awkwardly.
Prostia glanced my way.
"Not fun?"
"No."
"Liar."
"... "
Prostia turned her head and added,
"You don't have to force yourself to enjoy it."
"It's not that."
"It's fine. I get it."
What should I say?
I pondered for a moment. How could I get her to open up about herself?
After agonizing over it, I decided to just be straightforward.
"Baseball's great, but I want to hear your story."
"Hmm."
Prostia turned to face me.
"Your story. What Elisian told me is only part of it."
"... "
"Why it ended up like that. Why you fell into nihilism."
I looked Prostia straight in the eye.
"I want to know."
Prostia hesitated for a second, then nodded.
"Alright."
Prostia sat down.
Then she took my hand.
"What're you doing?"
"Just stay still."
Prostia's blue eyes locked onto mine.
In that instant—
Something surged into my mind.
Images. Memories.
Prostia's memories.
It was a snowy day.
Prostia was twelve years old.
Before she wore the crown. Before she became queen. The girl was merely a princess of the kingdom.
"Sister!"
Her little sister came running up.
"Practicing magic again today?"
"Yeah."
"Sister's magic is so pretty. Like snowflakes."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah! I wanna be just like you."
Her sister's eyes sparkled.
To live up to that, Prostia raised her hand.
Tiny crystals floated into the air, glimmering.
"Wow..."
Her childhood in the north was cold, but never lonely.
Her talent was beautiful, and the people around her were kind.
Everything seemed to be flowing smoothly, happily.
Until that day.
The change came abruptly.
"The demon army has invaded!"
The urgent report arrived.
"His Majesty has fallen in battle while holding them off!"
Prostia's father had died on the battlefield.
Now the throne had to pass to the heir.
The subjects turned to Prostia.
A twelve-year-old girl.
But the kingdom's strongest mage.
"The princess must take the throne."
"I..."
"Please."
Unable to resist their desperate pleas, Prostia accepted the crown.
It was unbearably heavy.
The first battle.
Prostia was trembling.
"It's okay, sister. You can do it."
Her sister's words.
Remembering the encouragement from her sole remaining family, Prostia stepped onto the battlefield.
She raised her hand.
Ice surged upward.
The monsters froze solid.
"We won!"
"Long live the princess!"
She was already stronger than her father, so battle came easily.
If that fight had been the end of it, could Prostia have remained happy?
The battles kept coming.
Once.
Twice.
Ten times.
Prostia fought. And she grew stronger.
Far too strong.
"Princess, watch out!"
A knight shouted.
Prostia swung her hand like always.
Creating ice spears and launching them.
Just like always, the spears pierced the monster.
But—
"Guhk...?"
The knight was impaled and frozen alongside it.
Prostia froze too.
In horror at what she'd done.
"H-Hurry, heal him!"
"It's no use. He's already..."
The knight—who'd looked so young—died just like that.
Her hands began to shake.
I killed him.
After that, Prostia's magic kept harming her own allies.
It was too powerful. Impossible to control.
"Careful! The queen's coming!"
The soldiers started avoiding her.
"Don't get close. You'll freeze to death."
"She's scary..."
She heard the whispers but pretended not to.
She had to fight.
Had to protect her country.
That was her duty.
From that day on, Prostia changed.
"Your Majesty. You need to sleep."
"No."
"But it's been three days straight now..."
"I'm fine."
Prostia stood alone on the training grounds.
She raised her hand and formed ice.
Smaller. More precise.
Sweat soaked her white hair, plastering it to her forehead, but she didn't stop.
I have to control it.
She had to master this cursed power.
So she'd never kill anyone precious again.
A month passed that way.
Prostia practically lived on the training grounds.
Form ice, shatter it, form it again.
Repetition.
Endless repetition.
She could now create smaller, more precise ice crystals than before—but it still wasn't enough.
All-nighters. Skipped meals. Total devotion to this one thing.
She had to become the kingdom's greatest shield—and its sharpest spear.
I have to be perfect.
No mistakes allowed.
Not a single failure.
About half a year later—
Word came that the enemy's main force was marching on the capital.
Their lull in activity had been building to this.
Prostia clenched her fist.
This time, I'll protect everyone.
By the time Prostia arrived, the battle had already begun.
Allies and enemies tangled in chaos.
"Your Majesty! There are too many of them!"
"I know."
Prostia surveyed the battlefield.
Thousands.
No—tens of thousands of monsters.
This called for large-scale magic.
But...
Can't hurt allies. Target the rear ranged units first. Take them out, and the tide turns big time.
Prostia drew a deep breath.
Raised her hand to the sky.
"Clouds of frost."
Mana erupted. The sky darkened as clouds formed.
"What the hell is that?!"
"It's the queen's magic!"
Something was taking shape within the clouds.
Thousands of razor-sharp icicles.
Prostia murmured,
"Fall."
The icicles poured down.
The rain of death from the sky effortlessly massacred the ranged unit.
Good. Just like this.
She could see their numbers thinning.
Right then—
"...!"
A wind blew. A wind that shifted the clouds, dragging them off course.
Why a fierce gale on a clear sky all of a sudden?
Around this time, winds usually blew from the opposite direction.
"Ahh... I see."
In the end, it was all meaningless.
No matter the effort, no matter the defenses—what had to happen would happen.
That was the law of the world.
The heavy ice clouds lumbered forward.
Toward the tangle of allies and enemies.
Prostia gripped my hand even tighter.
"Can't go on... I'm already too cold. So..."
"... "
"Will you share your warmth with me?"
I'd originally wanted to ask what happened between us back then.
But...
"Yeah."
"Thanks. You're as warm as ever."
Seeing Prostia's face, right on the edge of breaking into sobs, I couldn't bring myself to ask.
If I had to say something, though—this is what I wanted to tell her.
"Don't blame yourself so much."
"... "
"They probably knew it was unavoidable too. And above all, you gave everything for them."
At my words, Prostia managed a pained smile and rested her head on my shoulder.
"You said the exact same thing back then—and now."
"Thanks?"
"No. I love you."