Chapter 78
Chapter 78
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: 9. Other People's Stories (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
#3 Their Circumstances: One Man's Recollection.
"Wait, I messed up!"
In a dark alley corner.
An ordinary-looking middle-aged man was pleading as he was grabbed by men in black clothes.
"Damn, another bust."
"Freaking hell. Get lost!"
"Yes, yes!"
One of the black-clad men roughly released the collar he had grabbed, and the middle-aged man who had been held scampered away in a panic.
"Damn it, Squad Leader. Is he really supposed to have fled all the way to some remote village?"
"Who knows. He could be living openly in the imperial capital by now."
"But even so, with Her Highness the Imperial Princess searching for him. No way he's in the capital, right?"
"Even someone with guts that big wouldn't dare."
The squad leader let out a deep sigh as he watched his squad members light up cigarettes while chatting jokingly.
"Anyway, if we don't find that guy soon, our lord really might end up dead. We've got to hurry."
"Squad Leader. Honestly, I don't get it."
The youngest member of the group, who had just lit his cigarette like the others, voiced his doubt while looking at the squad leader.
"The one we serve is the empire's one and only crown prince. No matter how much it is Her Highness the Imperial Princess, she can't just kill or spare our lord as she pleases, can she?"
The squad leader narrowed his eyes at the youngest and thought to himself.
'What the hell is this idiot?'
"Even as the rookie, isn't this guy in his second year? Who's his mentor?"
"S-Sorry!"
The squad leader patted the head of the squad member who hurriedly tossed his cigarette to the ground and bowed his head.
"Manage the rookie better. We're only overlooked because this is a small kingdom far from the empire. If he talks that recklessly inside the empire, I'll kill him myself."
"I'm sorry, Squad Leader!"
All the squad members except the rookie, who couldn't adapt to the sudden shift in mood, bowed their heads.
"Damn rookie. Listen up."
Seeing this, the squad leader tossed away his burned-out cigarette, put a new one in his mouth, and muttered.
"Engrave this well: the imperial hierarchy. Her Highness the Imperial Princess is number one, Arten Count is number two, and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor is a mere third."
"Squad Leader! That's lese-majeste!"
"That's why you're still the rookie, you fool. This is something His Imperial Majesty said himself, so it isn't lese-majeste."
"Y-Yes?"
The emperor admitting someone ranked above him.
The man called the rookie couldn't follow the incomprehensible story.
"Well, officially, His Majesty is at the top, sure. But our emperor hates doing work."
"Yeah, rookie. So most imperial affairs are handled by Arten Count, who commands the imperial guard."
"I get Arten Count, but why is Her Highness the Imperial Princess number one?"
"We don't know the reason either. But even our lord the crown prince understands it."
"No, ever since he became crown prince, he's been even more terrified of her..."
The rookie couldn't comprehend as he watched his seniors shake their heads.
"We just follow our lord's orders. So stop overthinking and find the guy named Ast. That's the command."
The squad leader sighed as the rookie nodded.
From his expression, he still didn't get it.
But the squad leader, who had served the crown prince for a long time, still couldn't forget that incident.
On a certain day when the tide of battle in the great hall was tilting toward the empire.
Amid the war and the fierce imperial succession struggle, a piece of intelligence arrived at the crown prince's camp.
It was that Ast, a key figure on the Imperial Princess's side, had vanished overnight.
Ast was one of the most symbolic figures on the Imperial Princess's side.
He had entered the imperial household as a servant, but the princess recognized his talent and promoted him.
A famous general who rose to high nobility at the fastest pace in imperial history.
To allies, the most reliable commander; to enemies, the trickiest one.
And such a man had vanished overnight?
The only one who could make that possible was the princess leading that army.
Thus, they concluded she had eliminated Ast for some reason.
Likely a power struggle.
Probably some incident where Ast, trusted by the soldiers, clashed with the princess over military authority.
And that conclusion shattered just three days later.
"Little brother, do you want to be emperor?"
The princess's camp, eerily quiet, was visited by the Imperial Princess herself.
Even with Lady Lea, called the Sword Princess, as escort, it was far too light a guard to enter the heart of the enemy camp during the imperial succession war.
"Are you surrendering, big sister?"
That was why not only their lord but everyone else thought the same.
With the key military figure Ast gone, the army's command was faltering.
Given time, they could recover, but with the great war engulfing most of the continent underway.
In such a situation, no one would miss the shaking of military authority, and the empire's top genius princess had realized it and come to surrender.
Everyone judged it that way, but she gave a completely different answer.
"Surrender? Who?"
The princess tilted her head, her expression adorably girlish for her age, but they couldn't be fooled by appearances.
Though only thirteen, even their genius lord who led an army described his own sister the princess like this:
"Compared to big sister, I'm still a fool."
The monster who called their monstrous lord a monster was the princess before them.
So they didn't let their guard down.
No. They never let their guard down. Or at least, they hadn't...
"Ah, is that it? You're misunderstanding like that?"
When Lady Lea, her escort, accurately guessed their thoughts and told the princess, she blinked in surprise.
"I see. You could think that way. It's absurd from my perspective, but others might see it differently. Yeah, in that case... I guess I need to remind you of your place?"
And at the moment she smiled sweetly while saying that.
"Ghak!"
"Ugh?"
"What are you doing, big sister!"
Someone clutched at their heart, unable to breathe.
It wasn't just him—everyone except the princess and Lady Lea!
"Little brother, little brother. Do you really think I'm fighting this succession war because of big brother Ignall or my cute little brother?"
They could only stare blankly as the princess approached their lord with graceful steps.
Despite desperate efforts, not a finger would move.
"I only joined the succession war because I needed someone to play with Ast, little brother."
Even as her finger nearly touched their lord's cheek, no one could move.
"Th-Then... what do you want, big sister?"
"I only want one thing, little brother."
At their lord's words, the princess smiled so gently that her eerily glowing red eyes were hidden.
"Ast. Just one."
With those words, they realized something was wrong.
If the princess spoke the truth, Ast hadn't been eliminated by her but vanished overnight due to some incident.
"A-And Ast... ugh... disappeared three days ago, didn't he?"
"Yeah, more precisely, he ran away."
"Ran away...?"
He ran away? The very man who achieved feats rare even in imperial history?
"Lately, every time I saw Ast, something felt off. Like an itchy feeling."
"Y-Yes?"
Their lord was flustered by the sudden sigh and lament, but the princess ignored it.
"So from before, whenever he messed up, I'd jokingly say if he kept it up, he'd have to marry me."
"What does that mean?"
Their lord was full of questions for the princess, but like them, he couldn't move a finger.
"Huh? Oh. He'd freak out and run away whenever I said that. It was fun. Anyway, about a week ago, I thought I'd actually do it. But he ran away."
What nonsense was this?
"Do it for real? What do you mean?"
"I've been saying it. Little brother. Marriage, obviously."
Imperial marriages involved all sorts of political elements.
Especially for those close to the throne, among the top three contenders, it was a national issue.
And the marriage of the woman closest to the throne, whom everyone coveted?
Even if Ast was one of the great war's heroes, the backlash from other nobles would be immense.
No, before that.
"So he ran away? That Ast?"
Desertion in wartime was a crime punishable by immediate execution without question.
And the general commanding an army did it. To escape marriage pressure from his superior!
And the war wasn't even over!
"Seriously, when a beauty like me offers marriage. Ast is so weird."
They all wore expressions more incredulous than the princess's genuinely baffled face.
They could barely nod, unable to speak except for their lord, in a situation where the princess's whim could end their lives anytime. Yet she spouted the most absurd nonsense.
"Is what you want really just that Ast? You don't even need the throne?"
"That's right, little brother?"
Their lord fell silent at the princess's innocent expression.
Then, as if deep in thought, he spoke with a serious face.
"What purpose do you have to toy with him like that and want him so badly?"
"Because I like him."
"Yes?"
That serious expression shattered in five seconds.
"It was just a joke, literally. I never intended to marry. But when he actually ran, I felt dazed. And after pondering for three days, I realized I like him."
The princess spoke so matter-of-factly, like a teenage girl sharing her love life.
But their lord said nothing, groaning to himself.
"Yes, big sister. I understand you want just that Ast."
After groaning for about two minutes, their lord sighed and spoke.
"But even if I understand, my subordinates don't. So if you truly don't care about the thron—"
"Here."
"I was trying to sound cool..."
He grumbled but took the document the princess offered.
"A Geass Roll with military authority as payment... What are you planning, big sister?"
"I'm trying to catch the runaway Ast, but this war is such a hassle. Just want to end it quick."
"I see."
He was reputed as one of the empire's top talents, and they'd never doubted it.
But at that moment, he began to doubt his own brain.
What did it mean? The princess saying she'd end the war, and their lord not denying it?
Even heaven-sent geniuses, but he, an adult, couldn't follow kids barely over ten years old!
"I'll think about it."
"I'll give you until tomorrow. If not, go to big brother Ignall or whatever."
As the princess rose, they could finally move a little.
"See you tomorrow, little brother."
They stared at the departing princess and Lady Lea without looking back, remaining motionless even after they left.
"What will you do, my lord?"
After a long time.
When asked if he'd accept the princess's offer, their lord gave a bitter smile.
"If I refuse, it's over, right?"
With that, he took the Geass Roll to the princess the next day.
"Alright, little brother. Shall we end the war in exactly three years?"
And she ended that impossible boast three months ahead of schedule.