Maseki Gurume – Vol 5 Chapter 8 Part 2

It’s Ko-Fi’s Supporters’ chapter (91/113), enjoy~

ED: Lonely-matter

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Part 2

 

According to the previous report, Heim’s group would be arriving soon.

As reported, Ain, who had arrived a few days earlier, said, “Ah…” and noticed the approaching fleet.

He was standing near the front of Princess Olivia, taking in the sea breeze as he watched.

Of course, he would not go out of his way to get in front of Heim’s group. He didn’t want to talk to them or see them until the day of the meeting, so he just stared at them.

 

More than ten minutes had passed.

Heim’s fleet finally docked, and people were gradually coming down.

“──There he is.”

Even from a distance, he could tell immediately.

He noticed that Logas appeared looking the same as before and that Grint had become more mature than when they had met back in Euro.

As they got off the ship, a young man dressed in luxurious clothes soon appeared behind them.

The young man with blond hair and a well-defined face is a man that Ain had also seen before.

“The Third Prince… Tigre.”

He walked out with Logas and Grint in tow.

After checking out the harbor, they began to look at the Ishtalika battleships lined up directly across from them. They seem to be talking about something, but as expected ── it is hard to hear at this distance. When Ain listened closely, he could hear their conversation as if they were next to each other.

The previous Ain could not have done this. Perhaps this has something to do with his growth as a Demon King.

“Hmm…! They’re only big. They’re not much of a threat!”

“You’re right! If you have the courage of Heim, that will not even be an obstacle!”

After Tigre, Grint was the first to show his confidence. His gaze and gait are sluggish, but his tone of voice is strong.

Perhaps because of the arrival of an unfamiliar ship, the Sea Dragon twins approached with interest.

“Kyuru…?”

“Gyauu…?”

“H-hey! What the hell are those…?”

“Kyu?”

“Gyau, gyau…”

The twins appeared on the water’s surface and raised their voices as if they were discussing something. They looked at each other at their own pace, completely unconcerned about Tigre’s anxiety.

The Knights of Heim then stood in front of Tigre to protect him, albeit with fear.

Logas stood at the very front, drew his sword, and held it ready.

“Your Highness, please step back.”

“U-umu! I will be counting on you!”

──But what a big monster. As Logas looked at the twins’ huge bodies, he tried to see how strong they were.

However, the twins didn’t seem to do anything at all. When both sides were in a stalemate, a person from Ishtalika stepped in.

“El, Al! His Highness is calling for you!”

The owner of that voice was Dill, Ain’s personal bodyguard.

“Kyuaa!?”

“Gyauaa!”

When the twins heard that voice, they dove into the water with great force.

But when El surfaced once more.

“…Peh!”

As she left, she spat water at Heim’s ship.

For the Heim’s people, it would have looked like a simple splash of water. But to Dill, it looked different.

It was obvious that she spat on it…

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience. The two of them are monsters raised by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and they are not harmful to people.”

At this point, he pretended he hadn’t seen what El had done.

Relieved to hear the explanation, Grint glared at Dill with hatred.

“…Father, that is the man who I fought with back in Euro.”

“Oh, so that’s the man called Dill.”

Logas put his hand over his mouth and observed Dill’s figure.

He had always been interested in the man who his son, who had never had a worthy opponent,was completely defeated by. Now that he had seen him, Logas was convinced that Dill was a strong man.

“I will show you the facilities on the island. This way, please.”

Dill continued on his way, unconcerned about Heim’s group’s agitation. Tigre, however, was offended by Dill’s lack of apology for the twins.

“Wait. My father and brother haven’t come down yet.”

He wondered if the king of Heim and the first prince, Layfon, were still on the ship.

“You should guide those two who are still on the ship as well.”

“After I’m done showing you around, perhaps the people of Heim themselves could show them around.”

This is what it means to be helpless. Dill made no attempt to show any consideration for the situation.

“Kuh…! Oh well! So, is the rude crown prince coming?”

“I don’t know. There is no such thing as a rude crown prince in Ishtalika.”

If it hadn’t been for the word “rude,” the answer would have been satisfactory.

Apparently, Logas wanted a definite answer and let out a small sigh. Then he spoke to Dill on Tigre’s behalf.

“I would like to ask you something, Dill-dono.”

Dill stopped and looked back, unlike his reply to Tigre.

For those around him, Dill appeared to be standing calmly, but inwardly, he was torn between his desire to curse and abuse Logas in front of him.

“How can I help you?”

“…May I?”

“Go ahead. Do not hesitate.”

“──Is it true that Olivia is here too?”

“It is disrespectful to call her by her name. It would cause undue consternation for a nobleman to address Her Highness the Second Princess of our country in such a manner.”

He responded with a firm attitude.

“Oh, yes, you’re right. I apologize for my rudeness.”

Logas apologized sincerely.

If it were a matter of fact, that one apology would not be enough to make up for it. But considering the current situation, Dill also decided that it was best to hold back.

But it was disappointing. Dill didn’t expect him to apologize so straightforwardly, and he was surprised inwardly.

At the same time, he was relieved that Chris was not here. The moment Logas called Olivia’s name, she would have thrust her rapier at him with unbelievable speed.

“To answer your question, Her Highness the Second Princess is also here.”

“I see… Can I meet her?”

“Obviously, that is not possible. Please understand.”

“…Can’t you manage to convey a few words to her?”

What exactly is he going to tell her now? Dill looked at Logas, who persisted, and thought.

“It’s not something I can judge, at least not yet.”

He was about to settle down and avoid saying anything.

“Well, then Ain──.”

It was then that Dill’s hand nearly reached for his sword.

“──Mm!?”

Logas also saw the action and immediately reached for his sword.

Unconsciously, Dill regretted that he had almost grabbed the sword and dropped his face. He put his hand on his chest, scoffed at the fact that his heart was beating louder than he thought, and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

“Logas-dono, Ain-sama is our crown prince. You are not allowed to call him by his name either. I’m sorry, but I will refrain from answering any further questions from you, Logas-dono.”

This was for Dill’s self-preservation. He could not stop his hand from grabbing his sword in the face of any more disrespect.

“……I will continue to guide you. This way, please.”

In the end, Dill managed to regain his composure and took the group to the center of the island.

 

──Now, Ain has been watching what’s going on so far.

“As I expected.”

His cheeks twisted in anticipation of the turn of events. He rested his cheek on the railing and looked down at the surface of the sea.

When he saw the faces of the twins who had just arrived, he was torn between wanting to reprimand El for her behavior and wanting to praise her for a well-done action.

At any rate.

“It’s going to be a troublesome meeting.”

He looked up at the sky, wondering what would happen next.

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

In the evening, Ain and Krone were walking away from the port.

“Fufu… the breeze feels nice.”

Krone’s hair swayed in the sea breeze. Now she is illuminated by the madder-red light reflected in the sea and is as beautiful as a scene in a famous painting.

“Anyway… what happened to you to suddenly decide to walk outside?”

“Well, I don’t know why.”

It didn’t make much sense, but Ain tried to be slightly amused.

“I have to face my mother too, you see. You were worried about me, weren’t you, Ain?”

“I-if you knew, you don’t have to ask!”

“Fufu, I’m sorry. I was just so happy.”

Then she walked with her arms behind her back and looked up at the madder-red sky.

“I thought I’d feel a little more reserved because we’re family. But it wasn’t.”

“…..”

“I guess I was already more of Ishtalika than I thought. Maybe I’m heartless; I don’t know. But the only thing I think about now is Ishtalika.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“I expected Ain to say the same.”

Now it was almost indifference. But he could not always do so because of his troublesome relationship and Tigre’s insatiable desire for Krone.

This is why Krone is getting tired of it.

“The most troublesome thing is that the prince is here.”

“Do you think he’ll say anything?”

“Of course, he will. I think he’s going to say he will take me home. Warren-sama was also worried about this and said, ‘If there is any kidnapping or similar acts, we will destroy Heim before returning.'”

It can’t be helped but to think of it as a way to get a little something for nothing.

But with all the maritime forces here, it’s not surprising that they could do that. They can contact the home country on their way to the port town of Roundheart and call in their land forces as well.

In the first place, with the current difference in strength, there is no way they can kidnap Krone and return to their homeland.

“Hey, hey.”

Suddenly, Krone approached Ain, trying to joke with him. She bent her body into a crooked shape and started walking happily.

“Would you like to call me ‘my Krone’ during the meeting, as you did before?”

“Kuh… w-what a nostalgic story.”

“Don’t you want to do that?”

She looked up at Ain with an upturned gaze.

“…I-if there is a possibility, I might do that.”

“Possibility? I’d be happier if you told me for sure.”

Then Krone stopped right in front of Ain.

She leaned her body against his chest and wrapped her hands around his back to keep him close.

“Why don’t you tell me?”

She repeated the same words again.

The distance between them was closer than at any time before. It was as if they were sharing the sound of each other’s heartbeats rather than hearing each other’s breathing.

“──Krone.”

Ain spontaneously calls her name.

He wrapped his hands around her back and gently pulled her into a hug. He didn’t feel embarrassed, he didn’t show any signs of dismay, and finally, he pulled her into a strong embrace. In the end, he hugged her tightly, as if this was a natural thing to do.

“…Yes.”

Krone insisted on puckering her lips and slowly closing her eyelids. Her glossy lips were tempting Ain to pull her closer.

The distance between them ─── where they could see every single eyelash and their lips overlapped by a few more centimeters.

──It was supposed to be, but it was interrupted.

At that moment, a voice they didn’t want to hear came into their ears.

“What the heck is that Dill guy?”

“Y-Your Highness! Please calm down…!”

It was the voice of Tigre and Grint that came from a distance. The situation was so bad that Ain and Krone involuntarily stiffened their bodies.

“I think this might be the first time I’ve ever felt like losing my temper like this.”

Ain complained and lifted Krone up lightly.

In the so-called princess carry position, he walked quickly toward the thick trees. If they found him here, there was no telling what they would say, and it would be too much trouble.

Even though he had come for a walk out of concern, he regretted that he had been a bit rash.

“Will it be okay here?”

“…..Y-yeah.”

After hiding behind a tree, he tried to put Krone down, but she had her hand around Ain’s neck.

“I need you to be quiet for a moment.”

He said this in close contact with her, and Krone’s body twitched.

“I really don’t like the people of Ishtalika. The crown prince and the guards…”

“You’re right.”

Unaware that the crown prince was nearby, Tigre continued to complain.

“And also the crown prince’s assistant!”

Krone listens closely to the word “assistant.”

“Did something happen to his assistant?”

“What, you don’t remember? I’m talking about the assistant with the neat little handwriting. I hate everyone who has anything to do with the crown prince.”

“I understand how you feel, Your Highness.”

“…Hah, I guess it’s no use complaining.”

Tigre didn’t seem to notice Ain and Krone hiding behind the trees.

Eventually.

“Let’s go back! We’re going to have a discussion in order to defeat them at the meeting!”

“Y-yes!”

The two of them came like a storm and left like a storm.

Even though she was sure that they had left, Krone did not move from Ain’s side. She just kept breathing quietly on Ain’s chest.

Soon, however, she rubs her face against his chest and then opens her mouth.

“Hey, do you think my handwriting is weird?”

“I think it’s beautiful, and Warren-san said so too.”

“…Yeah, I know. I was assigned as a substitute writer, so I had to redo each letter several times to make sure I wrote it correctly.”

As expected, Krone was annoyed by the insinuations that came from the interruption.

“I told you he was a troublesome prince, but he’s one I never want to deal with again. …Ain, turn your cheek to me.”

“My cheek?”

He turned his cheek, wondering what it was.

And then, Krone’s lips came right up to it──.

It touched Ain’s cheek lightly.

“Hmm…”

This must have been something she could not compromise on.

The atmosphere of a moment ago has disappeared, but she kissed Ain’s cheek. It was just a touch for a few seconds, but the warmth and touch on his cheek was not his imagination.

“…..”

Krone then buried her face in Ain’s neck.

“I-I’ll hold off on this for now…!”

Neither of them could get into the mood they were in a few minutes ago.

So this is the limit. It’s not like the “Goddess Blessing” of the sea dragon incident, but the passionate feelings are even more intense.

Ain felt so much love for Krone that he continued to hug her gently.

 

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