MaruMA:Volume07:Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Right after the interrupted match below resumed, Josak was disarmed by Big Shimaron's second representative's weapon and his axe went flying away. He was clearly different from before and his movements lacked enthusiasm. He didn't have time to pick it up and he slowly raised both of his hands up to around his shoulders.

“…Ah…”

Only low sighs could escape Flynn as her vocal cords were bound up. Her tears from her pain had long since dried and there was no strength left in her arms and legs. The reason for this was the lack of oxygen circulating throughout her body. Her fingers were continuously struggling in vain against this.

“Look carefully, an outstanding soldier is throwing away his pride to save someone like you. This is hilarious. That man is a true warrior. Women and children would never know this, but he’s a real man who survived the harsh battlefield!”

To a soldier, surviving Arnold had a truly special significance.

“Despite that he's willing to suffer unimaginable humiliation to save a single worthless woman like you... The principles of that kid with black hair and black eyes are truly strange. They're so bizarre, it hurts to even try to understand. Well whatever, if they keep going like this and lose in the third round, then I’ll feel… guh!?”

Flynn’s throat was suddenly freed and a huge amount of oxygen came flowing in. The string had broken. With her throat freed, Flynn fell to her knees. When she looked up with her hazy vision from the new tears in her eyes, she saw Maxine staring at the door with a pink whip encircling his sword arm and neck.

At the end of everyone's startled gaze stood an unrivalled beauty in a gallant pose. She had long hair falling in loose waves and near transparent white skin. Her green eyes reminiscent of the bottom of a lake were sparkling with a sense of justice.

“You scoundrel, release her at once! If not my whip of death will dance! I’ll never forgive those who defile objects of beauty!”

“Who are you?! Also, warn me before you attack next time!”

Without paying attention to that latter part, the woman entered the room with an elegant gait and her whip in one hand. The curly hair she was proud of reached her waist and shone with a golden light and her weapon which she was also rather proud of was made of a seductive pink leather. The whip was a rare gem crafted by a skilled artisan that was light, narrow, long, and durable and could be freely manipulated in mid-air.

“I’m the beautiful lady soldier who will fight as long as there is love – Cecilie! What do you think? I’ve already handed the plans for a novel to Anissina, but she’s too busy with her experiments and won't write it for me. I really want to be a hero to all the children too! ”

Although it was a pretty good portrayal of herself, there's no originality in her catchphrase. After spinning around once, she placed both hands behind her head. This was the standard sensual pose. As usual, her outfit had an audacious cutout and it was revealing her entire back.

Maxine, who had his hand trapped by the whip, said something he never should have said, “Who is this gaudy, exhibitionist, old hag from?”

“… What did you say…?”

Everyone present was frozen in shock.

Before Sizemore could help him with a long explanation of 'please wait this man is more interested in little girls and he’s got a psychological problem and you don’t look like an old hag in the least and you definitely aren't gaudy!' Lady Celi had made her counterattack.

“I wonder what you said, I couldn’t hear yoooooouuuuu!”

The whip lashed repeatedly at Maxine's entire body faster than the eye could see. Since the time between each lash was so short, the victim’s cries of agony were all monosyllabic moans like ‘gya!’, ‘gyu!’, and ‘gyo!’ The moans were accompanied by the sound of his clothes tearing.

It was all Maxine’s own fault, since he had gone against the rule of ‘When cooking rice, first boil over low heat, then boil over high heat, and then don't anger the King or make her cry’ (a popular saying in The Great Demon Kingdom). No one was willing to stick their nose in when someone angered the ex-King.

“…..Ung, Gaa, Gugh! Ugh!”

When the rhapsody of whip lashes finally ended, the man collapsed on the ground as if something was stuck in his throat. You almost want to put a 'Tune in again next week' at the end. However, the man lying limply on the luxurious rug looked a lot like a mop.

He had been atrociously beaten up.

“I just stepped out into the hallway to see why the beverages hadn’t arrived yet. And then what did I see? Why if it wasn't a villain bullying a girl! I’ll never forgive those sort of despicable acts. Beauty is indeed a sin, but that’s no reason for someone to strangle you.”

She kicked lightly at the unconscious figure on the ground with the tip of her pointy boots.

“Beautiful flowers have thorns. If you must hold it in your hand, you have to improve your manliness, not your skill. Here, Chevalier.”

After she handed her whip to the golden haired youth who had followed her, he tied Maxine up skillfully. It seemed that he was rather experienced in these matters.

“Th-this, Your Previous Majesty Lady Celi? Why are you here….”

The Previous Demon King pressed her index finger against her lips, and shushed him.

“Please don’t refer to me with such an unromantic title. I am now a supporter of free love. I gave up my social position and authority. There is only love, beauty and a noble heart left in my hands and body!”

Coming from the lips of anyone else, these words might be revolting.

However, it sounded completely convincing coming from her. The only ones able to resist her charm were her sons.

“I was invited here by a friend from Shimaron. It's a battle between soldiers with blood flying and dancing flesh so you would think that it would be better to get a seat down below closer to the action...”

Chevalier whispered to his mistress with a smile as he was bending over “My Lady, this is because the World’s Best Fighter Tournament prohibits women from entering the arena.”

“Yes of course, I was enjoying myself in the VIP seats. Although I won’t be able to feel the sweat of the competitors, it's very comfortable to be sheltered from the wind and snow. Oh, you’re Bakascos from Gunter's place! You’re the handy soldier who does everything, aren’t you? Like clearing a clogged drain or servicing the gutters on the gazebo.”

“Ah, yeah, ahhno, ohyon!”

He didn’t dare say that it was actually the Qracian Waterworks that did that. Sizemore, who’d never had many opportunities to meet Her Prior Majesty before, was anxiously hanging his head as if he was about to kneel at any second.

“Um, who was this man with the kappa head again? Oh well, you don’t need to be so formal. I’m not Cecilie von Spitzweg now, I’m the hunter of love, Celi. Just forget all those annoying formalities when we’re in this country.”

Cecilie’s attractive rosy lips were curved in an alluring smile. When she leaned the top half of her body forward, a fleeting glance of her cleavage peeked out.

“Uhbhya!”

“Captain, Captain Sizemore! There’s a red waterfall trickling from your nose!”

“No no no no, no! It’s not like that! No!”

“It’s alright! Captain, nosebleeds are the sweat of the heart. More importantly, what do you think of my outfit? I tried to wrap myself in light, yellow-green colors to reflect early spring.”

Of course, it was her curvy and beautiful body that was wrapped within those clothes. The Warrior of the Sea was in an embarrassing and pitiful state after the pheromone attack of the Sexy Queen.

A chuckle could be heard from behind her that sounded like a laugh someone could not suppress. It seemed that her favorite companion, Chevalier, was not the only one accompanying Cecilie on her journey for free love.

A human with thin eyes pressed his face against her golden hair. Although his looks weren’t anything special, he was such a refined man that it was borderline disagreeable. His clothes were monochromatic and he wasn’t wearing any excess adornments. However, judging from the superior material and the perfect measurements of his clothing, someone could see their true worth at first glance. He had short, chestnut brown hair with specks of silver in it, proving that he was not a soldier. Based on human years, he would be a middle aged man between thirty or forty years old.

Although the two looked very compatible, they were actually lovers with an unbelievable age gap.

“Oh dear, my beautiful lady, didn’t I just praise your outfit? I said that although this thin silk reflecting early spring is beautiful, you yourself are several times more beautiful than all the newly emerging trees, leaves or blossoms! Or as a man bewitched by the first time by true love, was what I said too plain for you?”

“Oh, of course not, Fanfan. You're so adorable. Your words take me back to my youth.”

Fanfan?! This middle-aged gentleman who would look good with a mustache has such a cute name?!

“What are you saying, my beautiful nymph of spring? You’re a maiden of eternal youth.”

She's had three children, though.

Sizemore had to swallow his blood from his nosebleed and desperately endure after hearing this torrent of unabashed praise. He wants to roll about on the ground and skin himself alive. A type of man not found on the seas!? Humans are scary.

On the other hand, Dacascos, who had been mistaken for a plumber, suddenly remembered Lord von Christ’s dramatic and agonizing diary. If tens of thousands of copies of that book had been sold, that probably meant that women were susceptible to words like that. The next time he made his wife angry, he'd try it out since he'd have nothing to lose. For the time being he writes down a similar phrase in his mind's notebook. ‘Your head will always be Spring’… A horrible tragedy is in his future.

“Oh, what’s the matter with you two? Your mouths are wide open. Oh right, I’ve yet to introduce Fanfan to you. This is Stefan Fanberlain. He has a large business in Shimaron.”

Ah, so that's where Fanfan comes from. If that's his real name then that's his name.

The middle-aged gentleman made a small noise and kissed his elder lover’s forehead. The soldiers get goosebumps on their arms.

“My business isn’t large at all. My love, you’re exaggerating too much. Compared to your sublime beauty, my trivial business isn’t worth the ground under your feet. The difference between the two is like the stars sparkling in the sky and the grass sprouting from the earth.”

Although this comparison was plainly inappropriate, Lady Celi was giggling happily at his words. It seems that Her Previous Majesty was in a good mood.

“And, who is this adorable lady? What country is she from? The color of your hair is very beautiful. What flower is your hair oil made from?”

“…Tha-, uh…”

Her voice wouldn't come out right. The perceptive Chevalier immediately got some water for Flynn from the next room. After she slowly let it flow down her throat, her voice finally returned.

“Please forgive me for sitting so improperly on the floor… I’m Flynn Gilbit from Caloria… then….you are?”

“Me? I’m Cecilie, the hunter of free love! Please call me Celi. That man is a disgrace to all men for inflicting pain on someone as pretty as you. Why did this happen, Flynn? Was it hatred stemming from love? Had another man fallen for you? Ah, beauty is a sin. It makes everyone of the opposite sex a prisoner just like this.”

“Um, Lady Celi, Lady Flynn and Maxine aren’t jealous lovers. Their relationship is much more muddied than that.”

“What, Bakascos? You’re saying that their relationship is even muddier?! Ah, so then maybe both of them have their own families…Kya! How passionate! Flynn, tell me everything! I could give you advice. If you don't mind me…oh!”

Maxine, who had been ensnared by the ex queen’s whip, moaned on the ground.

“Oh no, what have I done?! I forgot all about the gentleman I overpowered!”

“Gentleman!?” yelled Flynn in a near shriek. Anger was causing her to shiver. “That man is a filthy beast!”

“Really? A beast… that sounds a bit exciting… well, gloomy-looking men aren’t really my type…however, he looks pretty cute when he’s being whipped! Ufu, should I step on him?”

“Ugh!”

“Ufufu! You beasty beast! It's alright if I step on you, right?”

Dacascos started to tremble. There were three people in The Great Demon Kingdom who should never be angered: The True King, Lady Celi, and Miss Anissina.

“But ma'am… Lady Celi, we should inform the Captain about this as soon as possible. He still thinks I'm being held hostage! He might end up losing the third match as well. The one fighting the next round is probably… the Captain himself...”

“Who's the Captain? Oh right, who's up next? By the way, Flynn, did you see my gallant son? Wasn’t he cute? I was the first one who gave him a sword to play with back when he couldn't sleep without a teddy bear and was still toddling around. His father was against it because he was still young, but one night he stabbed his favorite grey teddy bear with a short sword… Oh no! We should inform everyone below that you’ve been released. Alright, let's do this!”

Cecilie ran lightly to the window and untied the spring-colored silk around her shoulders. She then waved it elegantly in the direction of the Calorian team's resting area.

“I say Bakascos, this is a rare opportunity so please pour me a glass of wine. I’ve been waiting so long for the beverages….but why did the two of you become beverage vendors? Were you displeased with the army's salary? How sad, having to carry around such a heavy box cooler.”

“The box?!”

Flynn, Sizemore and Dacascos all raised their heads simultaneously and gazed at the counterfeit box covered by the green cloth. It was still in the spot that they had left it when they entered the room.

• .*.*.*.*

“Mother?!”

The third son jumped to his feet upon seeing the woman who looked exactly like himself. Murata and I, thinking that his waist would hurt him, had automatically reached out to support him.

“Don’t force yourself to stand up, Wolf. You’re acting like a first-year student on his first school visit, getting so excited about seeing your mother…

Mother…? Lady Celi?!”

I reflexively looked up and saw a beaming Lady Cecilie von Spitzweg standing at the very spot where Flynn had been pressed against before. With her enticing, onion-green gown, she really was the Sexy Queen for whom spring had arrived earlier than for others. Murata was squinting his eyes so hard wrinkles were forming between his eyebrows as he mumbled, “Oh, so that’s her.”

“Why is Mother in Big Shimaron…”

“Well Wolf, there’s only one possible answer. I know you don't want to accept that, though.”

The newest lover of this supporter of free love was a businessman in Shimaron.

“Your mom’s probably enjoying love with a man younger than you are. Anyway, Lady Celi being so happy probably means that Flynn Gilbit is safe now. No matter how cheerful Lady von Spitzweg is, she probably wouldn't wave around a scarf next to a hostage being strangled.”

“Don’t say bad things about my mother.”

“I didn’t say anything bad.”

However, this could be counted as good news. Although I still felt bad about Josak being forced to lose on purpose, we still had a last glimmer of hope. At the moment, we were 1 to 1. If we could somehow get a tie in the third match, we might be able to get an extension. It wasn't written in the rules so I don't know how many rounds the competition could be extended for, but at the very least we could extend the time before we lost.

I had been ready to get down on my knees to convince Josak, but to my surprise he agreed without hesitation. He stood in front of my disappointed self while brushing off the snow on his blade.

“It’s not necessary to apologize. I’m your soldier; I’ll obey whatever orders you give me.”

However, after skillfully acting the part of the loser and sighing as he sat on the bench, I saw that his feelings on the matter were different. His back was bent so far over, his forehead was touching his knees.

The one who was feeling agitated right now was actually his opponent Adalbert who was savagely yelling at the referees that his opponent had purposely lost his grip on his weapon to lose. It wasn't the attitude of a winner. However, there was no way the judges would discredit the match. The people of Shimaron were cheering and waving their yellow flags with all their might. They couldn't have a rematch at the expense of the audience's mood. We in Caloria had one last chance. It was all thanks to Lady Celi for rescuing Flynn, so we should take advantage of this opportunity.

As long as the competitor for the third round gave a good performance, we would have a chance at being the champions.

“Everyone, let’s look forward to the performance of our third representative! If he can at least manage to get a tie, the results for this competition can be re-...”

Everyone present was silent and looked extra gloomy with their eyebrows fallen down. Three pairs of eyes fixed on me.

The third representative is me, isn't it.

“Uwah! This is bad, this is bad, this is bad! What do I do, Murata?! What can I do, Wolf?!”

We saved an outrageous wildcard for the end.

“As a last resort, you can forfeit.”

“I can’t do that, I cannot do that. We made it this far! And the problem with Flynn has been settled so this is our opportunity to fight to our heart's content! But then we retire in the last round? That's such a waste!”

“Then you’ll have to go out there, Your Majesty,” Josak muttered dryly with a look of bitterness still on his face. “Anyway if you’re in danger, Your Majesty, His Excellency and I won’t watch quietly. Even if we lose our qualifications for breaking the rules, we’ll run out there to protect you if necessary. Since they don’t have any hostages left, we’ll be able to start a killing spree without need to worry about anyone else. We'll slash them up. We'll tear them apart. And all in mere moments.”

“A-are you angry?”

“I'm not angry.”

Even Wolfram sitting with his legs crossed was nodding. It seems that he agreed with tearing them apart.

“Even if you order me not to kill anyone, it won’t be of any use. To us, the difference between the importance of Caloria's victory and Your Majesty is too great. So, if Your Majesty wishes to go out, His Excellency and I won’t stop you.”

An audience of fifty thousand people was before me. They were looking forward to a full-scale bloodbath involving real weapons. I might not get away with just an injury.

But.

I bit my lip and gripped the metall baseball bat I had chosen.

But there was just one last step.

Just one last step to get 'something.'

The biggest miracle in the sixteen years of my life could happen today. And anyway…

“Shibuya, I told you so before, right? That you should get used to being protected.”

Murata was about to push up his glasses with his index finger, but then realized that he wasn’t wearing them.

“Is this the conclusion you've made after listening to my advice?”

“There's a whole list of sentences with ‘I told you so.’ You told me before that there’s a special relationship between us too, didn't you. You said that you had the ability to aid a powerful king. Even I think that using this power I can't control when I don't know what will... make it explode is careless. I understand that. But if I can somehow win with that… we could use our power ogether-”

“No!” Murata was shook his head vehemently after cutting me off. “It's too dangerous. Even if the snow is on your side, this is human land. And a shrine is just next door! No one can predict what accident could happen next! Like I'll let you do something so dangerous… if you're so determined to participate, I won’t stop you. That’s what you want me to say, isn’t it? You actually want me to say ‘I thought this would happen’ in place of someone else.”

“Yeah. Please say that.”

I rolled my neck around a few times to release the tension in my muscles. I had to practice swinging this new bat a few times before actually using it. I won't say that Murata's worries were baseless, but I felt a lot better than earlier. It seems that the gods in other kingdoms didn’t have that big of an effect on me.

My friend was running his hand through his hair, which had darkened in color from being wet, and he looked strangely annoyed.

“I give up, I won’t say anything else. I never thought that things would turn out this way…Please, Shibuya, just don’t get hurt. I’ll teach you a secret move! Listen carefully, if you’re in any danger you should attack the vital spot of your opponent. Do you know where that is?”

I’d unconsciously pressed against the spot in question. Of course I knew the weak spot of every male in the world, but to ask me to kick my opponent in the crotch… this reminded me of the time a stray ball had hit me there, so I pressed my hips tighter together. That wa with a cup on. Just thinking about it made me break out in a cold sweat.

“Promise me, don’t pity the opponent no matter who it is. If the time comes, use any means to protect yourself.”

“Murata, why are you being so specific? It's like you know the strengths of all of the opponents already. They might have done the same thing we did and saved their weakest man for the end... ”

The whole arena was vibrating with the cheers and feet-stamping of the audience. It seems that the third representative of Big Shimaron had prepared himself. The vibrations felt like the tremors from when a part of the powers from that box had been released.

Uneasiness, a fighting spirit, and tension were making my stomach hurt.

• .*.*.*.*

“According to what you said…”

Cecilie von Spitzweg, Flynn Gilbit, Captain Sizemore and Dacascos were quite literally holding their heads together and having a conference. Chevalier had went to toss the trussed up Maxine outside and was making Stefan Fanberlain wait outside the door. They couldn’t let a businessman from Shimaron overhear their plan to get the 'box' back.

“‘The End of the Wind’ is in this shrine?”

Everything was news to Lady Celi, who had been away from her kingdom for quite some time. Flynn, Dacascos and Sizemore had told her everything except for what had happened to Lord Weller. It wouldn't be right for them to take on the important task of telling her about the death of her son. Her third son, His Excellency Wolfram, was just downstairs, so they thought it would be better for a family member to carefully break the news.

They also didn’t tell her that his arm was used as an incorrect key and had ended up destroying Caloria.

The previous Demon King wrinkled her eyebrows in a cute way that didn’t resemble her actual age in the least.

“Then, His Majesty… to Flynn he’s the Captain, right? He entered the World’s Best to get that, didn’t he? But His Highness asked you to substitute the real box with this counterfeit before the competition ended… why? I wonder if he's betting on them not being able to win…”

Cecilie had cocked her head to the side, but she had her index finger pressed lightly against her parted lips in a very ladylike look of surprise.

“No, wait a minute. You said His Highness!? Why is the Twin Black Great Sage coming up in your story? No one could have possibly met him. Not even that, no one even knows where he is... Bakascos, are the hair and eyes of His Highness both black? Is he really, really as beautiful as in his portrait?”

Being gripped by the shoulders and shaken by a beautiful woman was making the low ranked soldier confused in more ways than one.

“N-n-n-no, his hair was a strange golden color, and his eyes were a strange blue.”

“Eh? How could that be? How could you say something that destroys the fantasy of a young woman?”

“But, but, but His Highness really looks like that.”

“Um, anyway ma'am you’ll be able to meet with Mr. Crusoe after the competition… For now we would like to borrow your intelligence and power in order to get the box…”

The calmest one in this situation was Flynn. But that was because she had no idea about how big of a deal it was for the Demon King and The Great Sage to be together.

“But Flynn, I’m not that familiar with the layout of this shrine so I don't think I would be of any help in switching the box out. I mean, you can’t force a woman to use her delicate arms to battle with soldiers, right?”

An image rose simultaneously in the minds of the three people listening: a shrieking whip, Maxine beaten to the ground, completely messed up. Unaware of what they were imagining, Lady Celi suggested something completely unexpected.

“I'll ask Fanfan if you want. I think he’d definitely help.”

Everyone responded with a resounding “Huh!?”

The two demons were groaning, wondering if Lady Celi had been driven crazy by love, while Flynn looked helplessly at everyone in turn without any idea what to say. In the meantime, Cecilie walked over to the door and brought her young lover inside.

“Fanfan, can you please help us? I believe you’ll help me, won’t you?”

“Changing the box… ‘The End of the Wind’ with a counterfeit, is it? That’s such a bold plan.”

It's useless, there's no hope left. Now that the nonsensical plan had been unveiled right in front of a citizen of Shimaron, it was all over. He's going to go straight to the guards and they're all going to get thrown out of the shrine. All three prepared themselves for the worst. It seemed that there would be no alternative but to abandon this task and wait for an opportunity to escape. Sizemore made this decision for everyone else since he was the oldest amongst the three.

“Alright.”

“Retreat! Lady Flynn, Dacascos, retreat no-… what did you say…?”

The elegant and gentle man shrugged lightly and revealed a smile that implied ‘There’s no help for it’.

“My love, my irreplaceable beloved made this request. There is no way I could deny her.”

Huh?

“So please don’t weep with those beautiful eyes of yours. Your wish is my command.”

Huh??

“My beautiful Cecilie, please don’t cry. Please grant me the honor of fulfilling your every wish.”

Huh!?

He looked like he was about to fall to his knees. The three novices in lovewere stunned into silence by this unexpected development. Sizemore was anxiously scratching his right arm.

"But Lord Fanfan, you’re a businessman from Shimaron, aren’t you? Doesn’t helping us do something harmful to Shimaron make you a traitor to your own country?”

Stefan Fanberlain gave a warm smile and said something a soldier would never be able to even imagine.

“If this country possessed the most powerful weapon in existence and took over the world in the blink of an eye… then our existence would becomeutterly meaningless. Listen, I’m a born businessman. Swords, shields, bows, arrows, steel, iron - they’re all items I wish to sell, and if possible, I hope to deal in business with multiple countries, not just one. Alright, shall we go, foreign visitors? I'll be able to lead you to your destination and help with a few of the guards, but I'll leave the rest of the quarrels to you.”

This type of man, from a certain perspective, was the most dangerous one of all. But they would have to believe in his business spirit and cooperate with him for now. If the plan worked, maybe everyone might believe in free love as well!

“We should bring Chevalier along as well. He should be back any time now… Flynn, you can’t come.”

Cecilie beckoned towards Flynn Gilbit, who had been preparing to leave with the group of men.

“You should rest here for a while. You’re exhausted and you just went through a painful experience. Stay and watch the competition with me. It’s nice when it's just us girls.”

After seeing off the men who were headed to the inner sanctum of the shrine with the box, Cecilie and Flynn locked the doors of the VIP room. The former king sat on the long couch near the window and sipped elegantly at her wine. Since Flynn had less experience with places like this, she looked rather ill at ease.

“Are you worried about Fanfan?”

“No, ma'am. It’s not that… It’s… I don’t suspect your lover…”

“Oh! It’s alright, please call me Celi.”

She placed her fair and delicate hand lightly on Flynn’s tightly clenched fists which she had placed on her knees.

“Flynn, believe me, there won’t be any problem with him. He’s a born businessman. I can guarantee that his words before weren't lies. Stefan has always lived according to his own principles. He’s chosen to stay true to his own family rather than his country. But I’m different.”

Cecilie suddenly looked out of the windows and murmured to no one in particular the words within her heart.

“… I won't ever do wrong by my country… never again…”

The white darkness was spreading outside of the windows with the heavily falling snow and the light of the torches. None of the competitors or referees were in the center of the arena. Quickly returning to her usual, light tone, she tossed her golden hair back.

“By the way, Flynn, do you have a lover? How many times have you been married?”

That's not something you do over and over again.

“…I’ve been married once before, but my husband left before me.”

“Oh my! Then you need to find yourself a new lover as soon as possible! What about my Chevalier? Even though he doesn’t speak much, he’s very considerate and he can do just about anything. Oh, or maybe you already have someone else you like? Tell me, what’s that person like? Older than you? Actually someone younger is also very cute. I recommend it!”

“No, I’m already… married to Caloria.”

Denying the name that she briefly heard deep within her ears, Flynn managed to give a self deprecating smile. This had all been for the sake of her beloved land, for that small world that she and her husband loved so much.

“I see. You’re so noble to resist temptation. I think a woman living for her duties is very beautiful.”

Lady Cecilie von Spitzweg raised her wine glass to the height of her chest, then stopped.

“By the way, Flynn, I've ruled over a country before too.”

“Eh…”

After learning of the high rank of the person before her, Flynn jumped up from her chair.

“Ah, I don't mind. Didn’t I tell you? I'm just a hunter for free love. Now I understand perfectly what kind of a person I am. But you know, at that time I didn't know who I was. I wasn't suited for politics and I didn't think that I would be able to understand them or rule properly so I left everything to my brother. My brother Stuffel was different from me and he had ambitious plans for governing the kingdom. But…”

A drop of red liquid spilled from her tilted wine glass onto her lap.

“But now I truly regret what I did… you must remember what I said.”

Cecilie gripped Flynn’s hands firmly in hers.

The two had been born in different lands to different races and in different circumstances. How long they had lived and how long they would continue to live differed greatly. Even so, their blood was transmitting something similar between them through their skin.

The fate of a woman who ruled over a single kingdom for a fleeting moment in the long history of their world.

“Whether it was because of our bloodlines, the will of the people or prophecy, a twist of fate put us where we are. It doesn’t matter how someone becomes a king… a ruler of the people, that person always has a reason. You can't forget that and let everything slip away from you while you leave it in others' hands. Flynn, remember this, you have a reason for becoming a ruler. Find that. And then, devote your body and soul to protect your country with your own hands.”

“…I know.”

“You should never do what I did… Ah, but this is different. A female ruler with many loves is wonderful as well, no?”

That moment of soul-searching revelation was drawn to a close with the voice of a teenage girl.

Cecilie pressed both hands against the glass window and with her forehead pressed against it, gazed downwards.

“There are so many men down there, there must be someone suitable for you! Why don’t you try finding a possible lover for yourself before the competition resumes?”

“No, Lady Celi, I can’t!”

“It’s alright! You should happily accept the good intentions of older women… Ahh, this is no fun! I can’t even make out their features clearly from this height… oh right!”

Cecilie opened the luggage belonging to her companions and took out a palmsized cylinder. Unfolding it to it’s full length revealed it as a delicately made silver telescope.

“I forgot to try using this. This is a magic-powered telescope that my friend Anissina made for me! See, here? There's a magic element embedded here so you can comfortably enjoy the view in any land. Plus it has a night vision feature so you can even count the number of eyelashes someone has in the dark. This comes in handy for enjoying gentlemen secretly, but it seems like it would be useful for watching the World’s Best as well.”

“Enjoying… gentlemen?”

“Wait, let me see first…why is His Majesty wearing that strange mask? It completely ruins his cute face…”

Flynn didn’t feel angry that the object her husband left behind was being described as ‘that strange mask.'

Lady Celi grabbed the telescope and looked at the dark resting area for Big Shimaron.

“I was shocked when I saw Wolfram come out, but the second representative for the other side being Adalbert was surprising as well. I didn't think that I would see other demons in this far away country…ah!” (Cecilie)

“What is it?”

The lady sitting beside her instantly paled. She seemed tongue-tied as her speech became unclear and her voice was trembling so much that her words couldn't be made out.

“How could this… Your Majesty The True King, you are so…”

How long are you going to keep burdening that child?

• .*.*.*.*

My overly optimistic hope had been instantaneously obliterated by shock. The first thing to appear out of the Big Shimaron resting area, situated in a blind spot, was the glint of a sword. After that, the shadow of a tall man could be seen getting to his feet. A glimpse of brown hair typical of the people of Shimaron could be seen in the light of the torches as well as half of his face. Although I couldn’t be sure because of the distance, his eyes should be the light brown typical of most of the people on this continent.

I…we forgot to breathe.

“…Conrad..?”

Lord Conrart Weller’s left foot slowly stepped onto the snowy ground.

“Damn it!”

At first, my knees were shaking so hard, it felt as if the ground under my feet had turned into a swamp and I was slowly sinking into the mud. Then I uttered a meaningless cry and stamp my feet into the unstable ground. Thinking that it was the reason that I was having trouble breathing, I toss aside the mask. While I was desperately fighting through the sludge, I realize that it isn't a swamp or mud, but snow that has piled up high. Murata was calling my name. Wolfram, unable to run, had stood up and was commanding Josak to go. The things I couldn't have possibly seen happen behind me jumped into my field of vision like a panoramic camera.

Damn it, you had me so worried!

I was running while clenching my right fist, thinking that I should punch him before anything else. I was nearly there, he was right in front of me. I swung my right hand up in a grand gesture and took one final step forward.

“Ooph!”

Although Lord Weller hadn’t budged an inch, my vision suddenly became a blur of grey and I realized I had fallen right into the dirty snow. I fell. How could I fall down at a moment like this?!

“It’s been a while, Your Majesty… are you alright?”

Conrad, who was smiling his familiar faint smile, took off the glove from his hand that wasn’t wielding his sword. His non-dominant arm. I gripped his offered hand without hesitation and got to my feet unsteadily. Although my knees and chest were soaked through, there was blood flowing through my hand and it was warm.

“…You’re alive.”

“Yes, I’m alive.”

Josak, who had run through icy cold water to approach us, had stopped at a distance away. I could see him gripping his axe tightly in his hand and it made me incredibly confused. Why did he need to have a weapon?

This is Lord Weller. You know him too, don’t you? This is Conrad.

His eyebrow still had that old injury, and there were those silver flecks in his eyes. There was that nice, unwavering smile that made everyone love him. I'd forgotten to call out his name, but my gaze dropped to our still linked hands. This is a hand I'm used to holding. These are fingers I know well. This is the left hand that he had always clumsily shoved into the baseball glove.

“… You have your left arm!?”

“I do. Although regrettably, this... isn't the arm that’s held you in the past. I also have both of my legs. Do you want to feel them, just to be sure?”

“How, why!? How can this be? Then that arm that Maxine got hold of was a fake and someone else's arm?”

It was someone else's arm, an accidental resemblance. That's impossible. That was definitely his arm.

“Your Majesty!” It was a strained tone of voice you hardly ever got to hear from Gurrier. “Please back away from him!”

“What's wrong with you, Josak? Conrad was alive. You should be more honest about how you feel…”

“Listen Your Majesty, please back away from him. He’s the third.”

“The third wha-….”

“Look at the clothes he’s wearing. Step away from him, he’s the third competitor!”

Lord Conrart Weller was wearing clothes of a color very unlike him. It was a uniform in a yellow and white that seemed like it would make fighting skirmishes in the jungle incredibly difficult. It was a uniform I had seen so much I had come to hate it even before I got here.

The ones who were wearing them were all Big Shimaron soldiers.

“Why are you wearing that!?”

The blood rushed to my head and the pulse at my temples throbbed strongly.

So strongly it hurt.

“Why are you wearing those clothes!? Why is this… why are you in himaron…”

Lord Weller gave me a nonchalant answer as I gripped his clothes by the collar.

“This has always been my land.”

My fingers felt as if they had been frozen by ice and I couldn't move them.

My close demon friend who had the blood of a human king flicked the snow off my cheek with his left hand.

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