Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, wishing you a joyous Christmas filled with love and warmth!
And here’s the chapter. Enjoy~
ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 71 – I Think Prior Notice is Necessary for Everything
It was their first time back in the Royal capital after two weeks. It was as busy as ever, but still a beautiful city that welcomed Ain and Chris.
Had the conversation with Chris been a dream from last night? Ain thought so as the atmosphere had changed so drastically.
“We’re finally back, aren’t we? Ain-sama.”
“It’s been two weeks, but… it feels like I’ve been gone even longer.”
Ain has adjusted to life in Ishtalika… the royal capital, so much so that it’s not surprising to think it’s completely his home now. He hadn’t been back to the royal capital for two weeks, but he felt as if he had been on the road for a much longer time.
After getting out of the car, they moved quietly and inconspicuously to the carriage.
The carriage had already left from the castle and arrived at the White Rose, so there was no need for him to wait.
Since Dill and the others weren’t around at the moment, Ain was also carrying his own luggage, which he didn’t mind because it gave him the feeling of having traveled.
“It’s a hassle to put the report together, though.”
“It’s like a job, you know. I have to make a report, too, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to join you.”
“I’d appreciate it… I’ve never done this before, so I’d like to learn as I go.”
She clenched her fist in front of Ain. It was just an excuse, but Chris was glad she could be of some use.
“The report and… the rest, like taking care of that pesky magic stone.”
“I suppose so. We should contact Majolica-san when we get to the castle.”
Ain looked at one of Chris’ packages. It contained the Red Fox magic stone he received from Oz.
The two have two concerns. The first was whether the magic stone would somehow get out of control, and the second was whether the two people in Ain would get out of control. In particular, they were worried that Dullahan would lose control.
“Right now, though, I have to trust Elder Lich.”
“Can we trust her…?”
Ain has met with the Elder Lich. Whether that could be called a meeting was questionable…
So Ain could trust the Elder Lich compared to Chris.
“I think it’ll be alright. Maybe she just dominated Dullahan.”
“Ku…kukuku… even after becoming a magic stone and being further absorbed by Ain-sama?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Chris laughed as she put her hand over her mouth, trying not to be rude.
Even after being absorbed, he was still dominated by his wife? One could only laugh when such a thing was said. Should they be saddened by Dullahan’s pettiness or envious of Elder Lich’s competence? That’s what crossed their minds.
“We must have arrived by now. Shall we go in?”
“Y-yes, you’re right… Let’s go to the castle right away.”
The carriage arrived. But Chris still couldn’t stop laughing. Did she hit a nerve? Seeing Chris enjoying herself made Ain smile.
“…Well, it’s finally time to go home.”
The word “home” sounds simple enough, but Ain’s home was a castle, so it’s not very normal. But it’s definitely home to him, so there’s no mistaking it for home.
＊＊＊
What to do after arriving at the castle? Ain enjoyed the ride while discussing such matters with Chris.
Of course, it was a familiar sight. It was the same route he took to school and the same route he always took when he went from the castle to the city. But for Ain, who loved to walk, the view of the city from the carriage was not bad at all.
“As always, you can leave your luggage where it is.”
“Hmm. Okay.”
The luggage that Ain had brought in would be carried to Ain’s room by the servant. Therefore, Ain left the carriage empty-handed.
It would not be very good for him to carry his luggage by himself after arriving at the castle.
“The duel will take place the day after tomorrow, so I can’t take my time, can I?”
“You’re right. But you should get a good night’s rest tonight.”
“Huh?”
“If you get sick, that would be more of a problem.”
Ain has not yet asked how he would get to the place where the duel would take place. It was somewhat predictable that he would take the twins through the river, but he didn’t know much about the situation, for example: would Ain get to the location by road?
“Don’t we have to have a meeting about the duel or something?”
“I wonder what you’re worried about… Don’t worry. We will take care of everything.”
“I’m a concerned party in this matter, aren’t I?”
“You don’t need to bother with such a “trivial” matter. Please understand that we only ask you to be present at the end of the process.”
Yes, trivial matters…
He was surprised that Chris didn’t think it was as important as he thought it was in his mind. Rather, Chris had forgotten that she was being treated as a prize, hadn’t she? Ain even thought about it, but Chris’ answer was different.
“….Why do Sea Dragons only appear every 100 years? And why are they treated as a national disaster class? Think about it.”
Indeed, Ain was aware of it. Could he defeat it again? If asked, he would shake his head with all his might. It was the result of so much luck.
And the black dagger made by the Elder Lich was no more. It would be difficult to find a way to obtain it. Even if he had absorbed some of the Sea Dragon’s magic stone, it would still be the same.
“Of course I understand. I understand what you are trying to say, Chris-san. But the twins are just children.”
“I have received several reports about the twins from Katima-sama. Have you seen them recently, Ain-sama?”
“Yes. I have seen that they are growing well.”
“Um, as for the rest…”
“I haven’t read that.”
The best thing was that the Sea Dragons were living a healthy life. With that in mind, he only looked at their physical condition and growth… but did not look at much else.
So he would just reply that he hadn’t looked at them.
“In case you’re wondering, for the twins, Ain-sama is their parent…”
“I’m a little sorry… B-But, you know, that’s just it. Does that mean there’s something special about them?”
“…Since we’re here, I’ll just say that you can look forward to the real show.”
Chris put her forefinger to her shapely lips. Ain thought it was supposed to be a secret or something, but… it was his fault for not reading the report carefully. He decided to keep it in mind.
The lips, slightly deformed by the index finger pressed against them, were somehow unfair.
“It’s kind of frustrating.”
“W-well, there is nothing to worry about, Ain-sama. So I ask you to get some rest and write a report regarding Ist. And the magic stone of the Red Fox… please just think about that.”
“What do you mean? Before the duel, I’ll just be led to the place. Is that what you mean?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
Chris said with a smile. Ain finally agreed and said, “I see; I really don’t have anything to do.”
“After that, there are a few things to do, such as holding the ‘thing’ back, but don’t worry about that.”
“O-oh…”
The tone was different than usual, but perhaps the conversation has already gotten that far. It was likely that Warren and his group had already decided what to do once Viscount Sage had been arrested.
“But I was thinking…”
“Yes?”
“It’s possible for me to get out, isn’t it?”
Because he’s Named. He could swim, so there should be no problem, right? Ain then spoke.
Ain said something about a duel. He set the conditions, like monsters in the water, but he could swim, so it’s okay, right? That’s what he thought.
“…Sigh…how did you get that idea… We need to rethink your education…”
Ain exhausted Chris as soon as they returned to the royal capital. Chris held her head. For Ain, it was meant as a dark joke, but she was saddened that she did not take it as a joke at all.
“Y-you didn’t laugh…”
He said to Chris, full of sadness, but she answered without hesitation.
“Ain-sama? I can’t laugh, can I?”
I see, so it is bad, huh?
Ain understood that he could not use this joke because of Chris’ simple words. He had planned to use it in the future if it was funny, but he decided to discard the joke here and now.
“We came while talking about something strange, didn’t we?”
“Ain-sama? Were you aware of it?”
“Well, a little.”
“…Could it be that I was being played with?”
Chris finally realized. Hearing this, Ain looks at her with a smile on his face.
“Let’s go. I’m sure everyone is waiting for us!”
Chris looked annoyed that she avoided saying something. But Ain was pleased to see that even in her knight’s uniform, she still showed so much of her Chris-ness.
The carriage then stopped at the castle grounds, and the door was opened by Martha, who was waiting outside.
“Welcome home, Ain-sama. His Majesty, Olivia-sama, and… Everyone is waiting for you.”
“Thank you, Martha-san. …I’m home.”
When he got out of the carriage, he was relieved to see the usual scenery of the castle.
It was a long way from the Magic City of Ist. He felt a sense of regret to leave Ist, but the royal capital was still the best place for him to be.
＊＊＊
Ain was greeted by many people, and of course, Olivia and Krone were among them.
They had not seen Ain for a long time, so they wanted to talk to him slowly. They thought so, but they were put on hold by Sylvird.
The official report would come later, but it was necessary to make a short report first.
So now Ain was taken to the conference room, where he gave a short explanation so as not to take too much time.
In the room were Sylvird and Warren. Then Chris and Ain joined them. Lloyd was off duty today, which was unusual, and he was surprised at the new fact that the King’s personal bodyguard had a day off…
“But I was surprised. I didn’t think you’d recognize my subordinate…”
“Partly because I’ve seen him so often.”
The topic of conversation was that Ain had noticed Warren’s subordinate. That day, he had an argument with Viscount Sage during the day and ended up changing his destination to the Magic Arena.
“But he was a unit leader, you know.”
“A unit leader?”
“Yes. I organized the forces into groups of several people. He’s the leader of one of them.”
“Um… That sounds like something I shouldn’t have noticed that easily.”
He did not specify how many subordinates he had, but he was still one of the most powerful people in the covert unit that Warren had. That was the identity of the man Ain had noticed.
“No, it’s more a matter of being noticed. So don’t worry about it.”
“That’s right, Ain-sama. …Well, I didn’t notice it, and it’s not for me to act proud…”
Chris, unlike Ain, did not notice Warren’s man. For her sake, it had to be said that if she had been a little closer, she certainly would have noticed him. She would also have noticed an attacker from a distance.
“It was just compatibility, I’m sure. So cheer up, Chris-san…”
“…I have nothing to say about Warren’s subordinate since I left everything in his hands. But I’m glad to hear that your trip to Ist was productive.”
“Yes, it was. But, Grandfather. Please ask Majolica-san to join us as soon as possible. I still don’t feel safe with the Red Fox’s magic stone.”
“I know. Rest assured that it will be kept under strict guard.”
Ain was relieved to hear these words. When his grandfather, the King, told him that, he could rest easy.
“Also… Even though he says he doesn’t want it, the royal family should thank him as well.”
“Of course. As I often say, reward and punishment. Those who have done well deserve to be rewarded accordingly.”
“That’s a relief to hear. In any case, I don’t think it’s a good idea to just ask for help.”
“I will make a full assessment of the matter later.”
“Thank you very much.”
Thanks to Oz, many things had become clear to him. The day he was to return to the royal capital, he even prepared the Red Fox magic stone, which he had not expected. It was unthinkable for Sylvird not to do something about it.
There will probably be some flexibility for Oz personally and for his research.
“And Ain. I need to offer you some rewards as well.”
“Can you please put that on hold?”
“…I knew you would say that.”
“I don’t want anything in particular.”
To tell the truth, Sylvird wanted Ain to ask for some rewards right here and now. Frankly speaking, withholding a reward for Ain did not seem to me to be inviting something bad or troublesome.
However, giving something by force was also not allowed according to Sylvird’s beliefs.
“Well, that’s fine. But please don’t think of using it for anything troublesome.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“…Shouldn’t you have said ‘yes’ instead?”
“It’s not in my nature to lie.”
The older he got, the stronger Ain became. At best, he grows up to be royal; at worst, he grows up to be shrewd.
“Oh, Your Majesty. As someone who has raised him for many years, I am pleased with him.”
“You may think so, Warren. I cannot be so pleased.”
“I am reminded once again that he is indeed Olivia-sama’s child.”
The expressions of Warren and Sylvird were contrasting. But Ain getting stronger was not all bad. It’s good that he’s slowly learning his strengths as a royal.
“So, Grandfather. About Viscount Sage…”
“Oh, that’s it. Ain doesn’t have to worry about anything; all you have to do is be there that day.”
“I heard the same thing earlier.”
Sylvird said the same thing as Chris. Aren’t they taking it too easy? Everyone was so uninterested in Viscount Sage that Ain couldn’t help but think so.
“Anyway, this is how it turned out… We were able to expose the injustice. Of course, Ain will be rewarded for this.”
“Well, you can put it on hold, can’t you?”
“…You want to cause unnecessary trouble, don’t you?”
Although it was an unintended consequence, it was a good thing that Ain was the catalyst for exposing Viscount Sage’s injustice.
“Actually, Ain-sama. Viscount Sage was connected to another noble and committed several other wrongdoings as well. Therefore, we have to arrest the other noble in a separate case.”
“You mean it was all black?”
“Yes. That’s right. This is actually quite an achievement. That said, Your Majesty, you are in trouble again…”
If he thought like that, he might think about using it somewhere else. After all, he could do whatever he wanted twice.
As for Ain feeling bad about making his grandfather worry too much, well, it’s too late for that.
“Well, I’m going to use one of them for something, Grandfather. I’ll let you know as soon as I can. Is that okay?”
“No problem.”
“Ah, yes…”
Maybe it was because he had one less thing to worry about. Sylvird answered more cheerfully than before. There was a slight feeling of mischief in Ain’s heart, but he kept it to himself, thinking that it would be bad for his grandfather’s heart.
“I’ll at least explain the plans for the duel, Warren.”
Ain felt that he had been left out of the duel, even though he was a concerned party. Finally, the schedule for the duel was announced to Ain.
“Yes, leave it to me. …Ain-sama does not need to prepare anything special. You will leave the castle tomorrow evening. I will prepare a carriage for you to travel long distances so you do not have to worry about the journey.”
“Huh? What about the twins?”
“The twins will be traveling along the riverbank, so I thought they will be able to see the carriage that Ain-sama will be riding in. We will take a few breaks, but we will be there the morning after tomorrow, so we will not be late for the duel.”
The duel was scheduled for the morning after tomorrow. If he would not be late for it, it would be a relief.
“I see.”
“So until we arrive, all you have to do is rest in the carriage, Ain-sama. If you want, you can continue working on your report.”
“I really feel like I just have to go. I’ll organize the reports and other similar things, like Warren-san said.”
After listening to the explanation, it seemed that Ain really didn’t have anything to do. Just show up and leave the rest to them. What was this VIP treatment if it was initiated by him? Warren, perhaps noticing Ain’s thoughts, continued his explanation.
“What Viscount Sage did has become something that we as a country have to deal with… So it’s only natural that this is the way it will go.”
“Hmm… then it can’t be helped?”
“Yes. So, I hope that Ain-sama will talk to the twins. I think they will do their best.”
“Of course. After all, I got them involved in this.”
How could he not feel sorry since it involved the Sea Dragon Twins, who had nothing to do with it at all? When he thought about the possibility of injury, he also thought about the fact that he was thoughtless.
“Still, it’s not easy to meet them in the wide ocean, and it’s their favorite food…”
“Well, that’s okay, Ain. There is no danger that Ain thinks there is. …Well, Warren. You still have more to tell me, don’t you?”
“Still… Oh yes, of course! Ain-sama, we have decided to assign someone to be your close aide… Although it will be in the form of an assistant, I would like to bring the matter to your notice.”
Warren was the Prime Minister, but a position like how Warren was to Sylvird? Ain thought so. No, it’s more than that, it’s the first time he’s heard about it, even if such an important thing was decided suddenly… However, since the decision had already been made, there was no way he could say anything about it.
“If it were possible, I would have wanted you to inform me first… Grandfather.”
“It was decided while Ain was in Ist.”
“Eh…”
Ain was not a shy person. But as an assistant, they would spend a lot of time together, wouldn’t they? Thinking about it, he thought it would be nice to have someone who wouldn’t have a hard time with that. As the crown prince, he didn’t want to complain too much about it, but Ain also had his own dislike for people.
“Please wait a moment, Ain-sama. I will bring the person to you now.”
Warren left his seat.
“Is the person in the castle?”
Ain had no choice but to ask Sylvird as Warren left the room.
“Umu. And as a matter of fact, that person will be in charge of preparing the wagons for tomorrow’s long-distance journey.”
“Isn’t that a heavy load to carry all of a sudden?”
“According to Warren, nothing was too much trouble. Everything went well, and I was told there were no problems in the final stages of the project.”
“This person must be very capable.”
“It is only natural since this person will be serving the Crown Prince, is it not? However, in my opinion, this person is excellent and has no complaints about serving so close to the Crown Prince.”
The Crown Prince of a country as large as Ishtalika was Ain of Ishtalika. Of course, the selection process was very strict, but it was only natural that a particularly talented person would be assigned to a position with the Crown Prince.
“Hey, Chris, have you heard about this?”
“No, just like Ain-sama… I didn’t know about it either.”
“I see. So it really seems to have been decided recently.”
He doesn’t think that Chris would bother to lie about it. So he was really convinced that this selection was a recent decision.
“Thank you for waiting, Ain-sama. I brought your new assistant, Ain-sama.”
Warren went back to the conference room. He closed the door once, and the assistant seemed to be waiting in the hallway.
Ain would like to be introduced to the new assistant as soon as possible.
“Then can you introduce me, Warren-san?”
Ain replied to Warren quickly, even though it took a few tenths of a second longer than usual. Since he felt nervous when he had to wait, he wanted the introduction to be quick.
“I understand. Then… you may enter. Introduce yourself to Ain-sama.”
As Warren said this, the door opened softly, and a woman entered. She appeared in a glamorous outfit, looking like a secretary but not forgetting her femininity.
A familiar scent and hair color. And with a voice he had heard many times before, she greeted Ain.
“From today, I will serve at the side of Crown Prince Ain. I am Krone August.”
‘Her clothes are different from when she greeted me earlier, aren’t they?’ Ain thought. Did she change her clothes? It created some internal confusion.
“…Yes. For now, it doesn’t matter if it’s someone you don’t mind being around,” he decided on his own.
Today, too, Krone made a perfect gesture of gratitude towards Ain.