Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: Raboa Grand Bridge
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Raboa Grand Bridge.
It was the long bridge connecting Tashin Island, where Orbenheim was located, to the Adrian Continent, serving as the continent's practical gateway.
In the old republican era, the bridge had been rigorously inspected to weed out dangerous individuals. After all, it bordered the Abyss, a perilous land.
"That tradition has been maintained to this day, with the South Republic Witch Association enforcing it with ruthless control."
Valensidis, the human black mage in charge of the team's briefing, explained.
"If you don't get your entry permit here, your entire continental journey will be deemed illegal. You won't even be able to stay in the cities."
"So what?"
"You're a guy with an uncertain identity... treated as dead. You absolutely won't make it across there."
"Ah."
"And that mute prince will be in danger too. I guarantee at least one or two brigade members are stationed at the bridge."
"I, I ha-have a d-disguise."
Prince Ovin Rigwind, who had been fidgeting with both index fingers, mustered his courage to speak, but all he got was Valensidis's icy glare.
"They've probably already seen through that. Do you think the assassins after you would fall for such an ignorant ploy?"
It was a cold, insolent response unfamiliar to royalty...
Yet Ovin responded with a frail, apologetic smile.
It was truly fascinating.
Three hundred years ago, he had seen Princess Grashan Rigwind on the front lines, and she had been unbearably arrogant.
"You talk like you're so great, but you're a criminal too. Same as me, with your identity all murky."
In response, Valensidis haughtily pulled out six IDs and seven adventurer tags with a flourish.
"Hah, unlike you incompetents, I can impersonate thirteen different people."
"Whoa! This guy's totally insane!"
"Hey, I'm dying of sleep here. How long are we gonna keep yapping? Get to the point already and let's switch shifts."
Rem's yawn-mixed voice came from right above his head, from a paulownia branch. He was standing watch as the archer.
"Right, Valensidis, you wouldn't bring this up without a solution."
"Of course, I prepared one before we left the Tershy Archipelago."
Valensidis promptly pulled a scroll and three IDs from his bosom.
Miria, who had been gently rocking the shyly smiling, soundly sleeping Aki, was called over.
As the two of us stood side by side, Valensidis unrolled the scroll and showed us its contents...
I had to doubt my own eyes for a moment.
"It's a marriage certificate perfectly forged with the Special Affairs Division's help from the Karsiko city hall."
"?"
"Your cover identity is Ted, a 26-year-old adventurer who hasn't been reported dead. You two married six years ago and had two kids."
"???"
"Eldest daughter Aki, second daughter Aru."
"?????"
"She kept going 'Aru aru' in her sleep, so we named her Aru."
Nen, cradled in my arms, let out a pleasant sleep-talk.
"Aruuu..."
Aru, huh?
How did they come up with such a cute name...!
Come to think of it, Karen-den had given her the name only after we left the island.
"Anyway, this goblin woman has traveled back and forth between the continents, so her identity is solid. The only way to tag along is through marriage."
"!!!!!!!!!!"
"To sum it up, you two need to act like a married couple—no, a family with two kids—when crossing the bridge."
Huh?
How did the story turn out like this?
Shocked, her mouth flapping open and shut without a word, Miria struggled to respond.
"No other way?"
"Nope."
"So I'm a married woman now? I haven't even dated a guy before?"
"That's right. What's the problem? That poor Rain Ludwig over there is obviously a virgin but has two kids."
Magic circle deployment, 5-star.
Rune formation. Fire, Field, Throw...
"It was a joke. Aren't those the runes for Cremation Blood Burst? If you activate it, you're definitely dead, so please stop."
Miria shot me a dissatisfied glare.
"You're okay with this? Even if it turns out like this?"
"Of course."
"You're really okay with it?"
Dumbfounded by my answer, Miria wore a puzzled expression.
But her being so shocked was the surprising part. We just have to act once when crossing the bridge, right?
It's not like we're actually becoming husband and wife. And above all...
"You get to be Aki's mom for a day, which you love so much."
Noticing her own dazed expression as she glanced down at Aki, or perhaps trying to hide it, Miria spun around.
"Yeah. If that's the case, I don't mind. I absolutely refuse to be your wife, but thinking of it as being Aki's mom isn't bad."
Heh, poor girl.
You're at best a day mom, but I'm dad for good... until I reach [Flame Myriad].
Bart, who had been training his muscles with a dragonbone spear in the nearby clearing, spoke up.
"How's Ovin crossing the bridge?"
As if in answer, a clatter of bones rang from Valensidis's entire body, and his form began shifting into a feminine one.
"I also have a cover as a witch."
And, absurdly enough...
Even his voice turned into a beautiful woman's voice. His skin took on the tanned hue typical of Republic folk.
So this is the master of counter-magic.
Valensidis glanced at Ovin and delivered his conclusion.
"Witches sometimes take in orphans as disciples. In that case, the witch's identity serves as the disciple's proof. We'll say I've taken a disciple. I'll teach you counter-magic starting now."
* * *
Solar City, Bara.
The kingdom's high and low ministers gathered in the inner palace used by the Solond royal family.
On the throne sat a five-year-old princess, flanked by Regent Predal and High Priest Lamesa standing at her sides.
"Prince Ovin's divine aura has been severed. He must have met with some misfortune somewhere. Or perhaps escaped beyond the continent."
At Lamesa's words, the ministers' faces paled. Regent Predal scowled.
"He never even qualified as a prince to begin with. When the kingdom's fate hung in the balance, didn't he steal all the wealth and flee?"
"Even as regent, how dare you speak such vile nonsense to the first in line to the throne!"
"Am I wrong?"
Supporters of the prince and opponents began shouting over each other, but Lamesa quickly raised a hand to quell the commotion.
"What matters now is discussing how the kingdom should proceed. I propose accelerating the Taesungjin Array plan."
It was a plan they hadn't been able to implement without the de facto king's—Prince Ovin's—approval.
Elamas had described it as an array to halt the spread of soul-loss disease, but its true purpose was hidden in the Abyss.
For four years, as soul-loss disease gnawed at the kingdom from within and without, Lamesa's divine prestige had soared through his miraculous healings across the land.
"As regent speaking for the king's will, I approve. What say you, Your Highness?"
A five-year-old child had no clue what was being discussed here.
The princess sat there only because she was the sole surviving royal bloodline.
All she had been taught was not to cry before her subjects. So she bit her lip hard, holding back the tears welling from fear.
Recalling her big brother's back as he promised to return someday and left.
"It seems Her Highness doesn't care much either way. If you oppose the high priest's plan, speak your mind now."
* * *
"We'll now begin entry inspection practice."
Clearing his throat to steady his voice, Rem questioned Rain first.
"Where did you two first meet, and what impression did you leave?"
"The Landkif adventurer guild inn. Crows were cawing like crazy. Corpses with eaten hearts were being controlled..."
This time, he turned to Miria.
"Of the places you traveled before marriage, which left the deepest impression?"
"Goblin burrow?"
A wrinkle formed on Rem's forehead.
"Where did you two first eat together?"
""Goblin burrow.""
The answer came in unison.
Rem closed his eyes tightly, then suddenly tore up the practice inspection papers Valensidis had made.
"Damn it! Screw the inspection. It'd be faster to just burn down Ranoa Bridge. Which lovers eat and date in a goblin burrow!"
They had no dating experience to begin with, so such pure answers were only natural...
"No."
Bart, the party's sole normal person, shook his head.
"If we assume they met as adventurers, this natural back-and-forth isn't bad. They'll think it's honest."
"No, even so... doesn't it seem weird to you, Aki?"
Aki startled, lifted her head, nodded mechanically, and replied.
"Abu, abu abu."
"?"
"Abubu bu."
No matter how he thought about it, it seemed like a brilliant idea, so Rain blushed and proudly stroked under his nose.
"I told Aki to pretend she can't talk."
"What kind of monster are you! Aki looks about seven or eight, and that works on her?"
"Doesn't it?"
"Plus, she talked fine at the World's Greatest Martial Tournament! What if they notice?"
"Ah."
"Abu?"
"Ung, ung, ung."
Shouts flew back and forth, but it wasn't the kind of bickering that hurt feelings.
No one could complain in front of Ovin, who was receiving instruction from that cheeky Valensidis.
"Can't even handle this?"
"Did you waste the kingdom's top education?"
"How are you still so inept? Was my explanation that hard?"
Surprisingly, Ovin—who must have grown up with the utmost pampering—didn't whine once, just kept bowing his head and earnestly seeking guidance.
He seemed quiet, shy, and above all, purely childlike.
That made the scene rather unpleasant to onlookers.
"Hah."
Rem, glancing at it, took a swig from his gourd in exasperation.
"That guy, pretty face aside, any girl he dates would dump him quick. He's exactly the neurotic type girls hate."
Strange, Rain thought.
He's got a black heart, but back in school, he was so kind to everyone.
No need to pretend anymore?
"..."
That was when Aki, who had been staring intently at Ovin's back, did something bizarre.
She suddenly grabbed Ovin's hand and bolted away from Valensidis!
As everyone watched dumbfounded, Rem whistled and clapped.
"Yeah, a lovers' elopement! That's what real lovers do. Better than the parents."
Love? Aki's love?
Aki marrying some filthy man? Leaving my side?
I'll never see that even after I'm dead and buried. Instead, I'll make sure dirt gets in that thief's eyes first.
"Magic circle deployment, 5-star... Celestial Flame Bombardment."
No sooner had the light beam formed in his palm than Miria smacked the back of Rain's head and shook her head with a sigh.
"What the hell are you doing... Focus on over there instead."
Where Miria's chin pointed was Valensidis. He was glaring distastefully at Ovin's back.
"What exactly do you hate so much?"
Rain, who had come to stand beside him, asked. Valensidis slightly lifted his chin.
"Everything. Status, talent, actions."
"What does that mean?"
"Starting with being royalty. Do you know the monarchies used by empires and kingdoms now are relics from the Abyss era kings?"
"Well..."
Honestly, he didn't know why the gods allowed humans imperial or monarchical systems. They made dragons rule the republic, so why?
"But you're hardly one to talk, dipping your hands in the Abyss for power."
"I turned to black magic precisely to fix that twisted order. To shatter the world's firmly entrenched foundations, I needed overwhelming strength."
Rain didn't ask what kind of life Valensidis had lived to reach that conclusion.
"So you treat him harshly just because he was born royal?"
"That could be it."
"Valensidis, you've really never met real royalty, have you?"
Instead, as dawn's light began illuminating the forest dew, Rain's lips curved softly.
"If Ovin were the kind of royal you imagine, he'd have snapped at your dogshit attitude ages ago, man."
"..."
"If he really only cared about his own safety, would a pampered young prince who lived luxuriously under the monarchy set out himself to find the flute? And now he's trying to return?"
Rain paused, looked at Valensidis's face, and continued.
"Hmm, I get what your rotten problem is. You need to raise a disciple."
"A disciple?"
Surprised by the unexpected suggestion—rare for the usually unflappable Valensidis—his eyebrows twitched.
"What nonsense. I'm no material for teaching disciples. I don't qualify. How could I raise one?"
"No teacher starts out perfect, Valensidis."
Back then, he might have thought the same as Valensidis.
That to teach someone, you had to be a grand figure first.
But now, having guided Tureina and taught Aki, he truly understood that lesson.
"Growing together with your disciple when teaching them... That's what Master said."
Ah, yes.
It really was just as you said, Aunt.
"Tureina told you that?"
"No. Someone greater."
Greater than Tureina?
It was around then that Ovin returned to Valensidis.
His downcast gaze wandered the ground with an ashamed smile.
"I, I'm s-sorry. P, please t-teach me a-again. I'll l-learn h-hard."
Having overheard Rain's words, Valensidis looked somewhat flustered by Ovin's attitude.
"You..."
Rain gave that hesitant back—that heart—a firm, encouraging slap to push him forward.
"Consider it a loss and try teaching him once."
To his distant junior three hundred years later, passing on the realization his old senior had reached.
"It'll be an irreplaceable experience in your life, for sure."