Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Sellea
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Sellea
Lie down.
That was the command spat at me by Sellea, the Second Princess, as she pointed to her own bed.
My reaction to that was, naturally...
"Yes?"
A question.
For a mere 14-year-old girl—a princess, no less—to tell me to lie down on her bed.
This inspired more terror and confusion than any sordid thoughts.
"Lie down. There's something I want to try."
"...May I ask what you're planning to do?"
"The mysteries of the human body."
"...?"
I'm deliberately avoiding thinking in that direction, but why is she being so ambiguous?
Fortunately, her next words cleared up my misunderstanding.
"I'm incredibly curious about the holy power you Holy Kingdom folk use. Just by believing, it grants holy power, letting you wield vital techniques like defense, enhancement, and healing. So I want to learn more about that holy power."
"Ah, I see."
In the game, she just came off as a tomboy princess, but she turned out to be a girl with surprisingly deep thoughts.
As expected of a princess?
Still, I had to say what needed saying.
"Princess, I have a question."
"What?"
"In that case, wouldn't someone other than a Holy Knight like me be better? There are bishops around, so if you requested their cooperation for academic research..."
"I hate old folks. They keep treating me like an immature kid."
Isn't that spot on?
"You just thought 'Isn't that spot on?'!"
"...No, I didn't."
How did she know?
As expected of a princess.
Sellea pouted up at me, then snorted and yelled.
"Hmph! I'll be 15 soon—an adult! I'm basically all grown up!"
"If I may, at 14 you're still quite young—"
"You're 15 too!"
"Ah."
Now that I think about it, yeah.
Even after living so long in this world, my time on Earth makes me keep mixing up my age.
'Add my past life and I'm mid-thirties...'
But no one else knows that, so to them, I'm just a freshly minted adult at 15.
"Ahem. Have you tried asking the Hero?"
Thinking about it, Ruin was basically my upgraded version, right?
He must have visited the imperial palace too.
When I asked, Sellea's eyebrows twitched to a quarter to four.
"The Hero! That jerk!"
"Pardon...?"
Flapping her arms like a baby chick, she unleashed a barrage of words.
"I was super excited when the Hero showed up and rushed to meet him, but he's a total womanizer who only had eyes for my big sister! Then when I called him to my room for holy power research help, he said he wouldn't trust his body to some milky kid! Argh...! Makes me mad all over again!"
"Ah..."
I could only smack my forehead.
'Ruin, oh Ruin...'
How do you get cursed out by everyone you meet?
Please, just once—make someone praise you.
After sighing inwardly who-knows-how-many times, Sellea planted her hands on her hips and declared to me.
"So! You're going to be my holy power textbook!"
"Hmm... Yeah, sure. No problem."
Judging it harmless, I agreed to her request.
"Then, first... take it off."
"Yes?"
I instantly sensed this wouldn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ At first, she examined every inch of my body.
"Ooh... Such firm muscles. Thanks to holy power?"
"Haha... It's complicated. Holy power does promote physical growth. That's why I trained daily, and ended up like this."
"Hmm... So that's what growth promotion means. I want to know exactly how it works—how did you train normally?"
"Nothing special. At first, I hunted monsters right up to the brink of death."
"Huh...?"
"My first foes were goblins. After gaining holy power, I took them down easily. Next came hobgoblins—fewer in number but stronger. Then I cleared a goblin village solo, followed by duels with orcs. Then orc knights, orc generals, orc kings... Unlike goblins, orcs were scarce, so somehow I wiped out their settlement."
"...How old were you then?"
"Two years ago, so thirteen."
"Incredible..."
Sellea stared at me, eyes sparkling.
She kept asking about my training regimen after that.
Goblins to orcs, orcs to trolls, trolls to wolf-type beasts.
That was the end of monster-based training; the rest came from workouts.
"And now as a direct Holy Knight?"
"I train every morning in the training grounds. Both the Holy Kingdom and imperial palace have excellent facilities."
"Amazing! Do all our knights train like you?"
"Probably. Or maybe some go even harder. I have little time because I guard the Saintess, but the Imperial Knights have more freedom to focus. Especially Sir Adel..."
"Adel? The knight big sis has her eye on?"
"Ah, yes. Sir Adel is someone I truly admire, so the other knights must learn a lot from her too."
"I see... Big sis really has good taste."
Sellea met my eyes with a smile.
"I'll become someone who can help big sis like that too!"
"That's a great mindset."
Nothing brings a smile like a kid's earnest words.
I unwittingly grinned like a dad, when Sellea's face suddenly fell.
"...Hey, Is."
"What's wrong?"
"If I believe in the Goddess... even if big sis doesn't, will she help big sis?"
"Pardon?"
"Big sis looks so tired lately... I want to help even a little. But I'm not as capable as her..."
"...Is the holy power research for that too?"
"Yeah. One of the ways I'm trying to find to help her."
What a sweet kid.
As if agreeing, Ia suddenly burst from my pants pocket.
"Kyaa! What the—"
As Sellea startled and toppled backward, I caught her by the waist just in time.
"Ia, jumping out like that—"
As I started scolding the sudden intruder, Ia shifted to human form and placed a hand on Sellea's head.
And then.
-Pat pat.
She petted her.
"Wh-what?!"
Sellea panicked.
Ia smiled at her and said,
"Caring for someone... is good."
Her speech was still clumsy, but she petted Sellea approvingly.
Sellea froze for a moment, then flushed red and shoved Ia away.
"I'm not a kid!"
-Thud.
I caught the tumbling Ia the same way.
"Is... nice..."
I ignored Ia nuzzling my face in thanks and turned to Sellea.
"Princess, that's truly admirable."
"Uh, y-yeah...?"
"Even at your young age, you're studying holy power to help your sister. Not just anyone could do that. Truly impressive."
"...I'm not a kid—"
"No need to act all grown up. You're at the age to play and have fun. Being mature is fine, but it's okay to relax sometimes."
"...But then big sis will get tired. Dad already regrets telling her he misses her."
"Pfft, that's such a cute, age-appropriate idea."
"Argh...! You're only a year older than me!"
"Whoa, hold on! Ack!"
Her reaction was so cute I teased too much.
Unable to take it, Sellea lunged and bit my left shoulder.
"Ow!"
"Eek!"
Royalty must have strong bite force—it stung more than expected.
Even left a mark.
"...Stop teasing me! I'll study holy power even harder!"
"Haha, got it..."
And so, Sellea continued inspecting my body.
She started poking my muscles, had me demonstrate holy power, then ordered enhancements...
"Wow! So high!"
Before I knew it, I was giving the 14-year-old a piggyback ride—shirtless, no less.
This looked way too weird; never let anyone see this—
That instant.
-Knock knock.
-Sellea, it's your sister.
First Princess Bellatrix had arrived.
"Sis! Let her in!"
"...!"
'Clothes first...!'
I hurriedly threw on my shirt from the bed and buttoned it up fast.
'Good.'
This should paint me as a kind Holy Knight just playing with his little sister.
With that thought, I opened the door.
"...H-Hello."
I faced Bellatrix, who waited with a smile.
"Hi, sis!"
Sellea greeted her from atop my head.
Bellatrix's gaze flicked between Sellea and me piggybacking her.
"...Sorry."
She immediately apologized to me.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Meanwhile, in Ariana's room.
"...Why isn't Is coming?"
Is was overdue, so Ariana opened her door and stepped out.
And right then.
"Ah."
"Ah."
She bumped into Ruin, standing in front of Is's room.
"...Slept well—"
"First thing in the morning and I see something nasty..."
-Clank.
"...Fuck."