Kays Translations

Chapter 23- What we talked about after school

As the three of them were captivated by what Radius was doing.

“Nyahahaha! All three of you are amazed at His Highness’ ability to handle paperwork!”

“Mm. I was able to arrange a schedule that was quite impressive. Today, I will try to finish one of the tasks that are to be completed just before the Lion King’s Grand Festival.”

Radius wrote down “tour of merchants” in today’s itinerary.

It is true that such work has been scheduled for some time. ……

“The Imperial Academy will provide food, drinks, and other supplies for the representatives of the Imperial Academy. Of course, the academy will confirm this, but the committee members will also check it.”

“In other words, double-checking is the safest way to ensure safety, Nya!”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“I’m curious about something—-why did you choose today to do that job?”

I ask, assuming there is a good reason for the sudden change of plans.

Then Radius turned his head to Ren and spoke with the same lack of hesitation as before.

“I’ve only had one day when I could take my time to work, and that was today. The point is, if not today, we won’t be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the castle town either.”

“……Oh, no wonder.”

Ren, who knows Radius well, is the first to notice and tells Licia and Fiona, who were still twisting their heads.

“It seems that the committee members are to enjoy the atmosphere of the festival a little ahead of the others.”

“We’ve been working hard until today. It would be forgivable to be a little greedy. I have some work to do during the Festival of the Lion King. If I work again today, I won’t be punished if I enjoy myself a little first.”

“In other words, we can enjoy the bustling castle town while touring the merchants’ halls, right?”

Radius nodded again.

“Since the stalls for the Lion King Festival can be opened from this afternoon, not only students of the Imperial Military Academy, but also students from various schools will head there.”

This is the first time in four years that the Lion’s King Festival has actually been held. The excitement is obvious from the way things have been going so far.

Radius had been working hard as a member of the executive committee to get rid of all the work he could do, and he had set aside some time in the afternoon to work and have fun.

Radius started walking with Mirei,

“If you need directions, ask the two of us. I’ll go do some work over here. I’ve got all the paperwork over there for you to review.”

“Umm…okay.”

Ren let out a pitiful voice as he saw Radius off, leaving behind a few words.

On the other hand, Radius who left the room, walked outside.

Once he was alone with Mirei, he let out a short sigh.

Then he touches on something he didn’t tell Ren earlier.

“We have work to do too. Not only the work of the executive committee, but we have to do the usual work. I’m not going to miss what you’re doing behind my back.”

“I am aware of that, Nya.”

The two exchanged such exchanges in secret and left the academy.

Without knowing what they were talking about outside, Ren saw them walk off and turned his attention to Licia and Fiona.

What shall we do?”

According to what Radius had left out, it seemed that the schedule of the tour of the trading company had been left up to them.

Hearing Ren’s voice, the two began to discuss the matter.

“How about going from here? If we go this way next—-and then here —-“

“Fiona-sama, this way you can look around the stores on the main street.”

“Oh, yes!”

When Licia suggested a route that would make it easier to see and visit the stores on the main street, Fiona nodded her head and said, “Certainly”.

The two did not disparage their work. The girls had given the highest priority to touring the shops, and Licia’s suggestion was simply the best plan that took that into consideration.

“Ren, are you okay with this?”

“Is this okay with you, Ren?”

In the end, the two of them decided on the route before Ren could interject.

He had intended to leave it to them from the beginning, since the paper contained the names of trading houses and facilities that Ren had never heard of. The two had sensed from his mood that Ren was planning to do this, and they were going to ask him to make a decision after deciding on a certain amount of plans.

And Ren’s reply?

“Let’s go with the idea both of you came up with.”

Ren didn’t know the shortest route to where they should go anyway.

It was better to leave it to their judgment, no matter how far they went.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

While going out to the castle town and visiting the merchants, they stopped at a stall as a matter of course.

But they were reluctant to have fun because of their status, so Ren looked at his watch and suggested that it was time to take a break.

They were thirsty and hungry. After taking the two of them around a few stalls, they sat down on an empty bench.

“This is delicious, Fiona-sama”

“This one too. You can have some too, Licia-sama.”

“Is that okay? It’s very tasty. Please have this one too, if you like.”

“Thank you very much. This one is sweet and delicious too.”

Ren gazed at the castle town while watching the two of them having fun next to them.

The town is still bustling —- as it has always been in the past, but today it is even more so. I saw students from some school skipping class and going out to the town.

—- The afternoon passed quickly, and the three of them returned to the academy shortly before evening.

Just as they were thanking Radius for his arrangement, Ren takes his seat.

(Ah)

There was a document that he suddenly found that required Klonoa’s signature.

Perhaps Ren overlooked it and forgot to ask her.

“I’m sorry. I’m going to go see Klonoa-san for a minute.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Okay. We’ll do a little work over here.”

After parting with Licia and Fiona, I headed to the dean’s office.

Not a few people were watching the scene, and the place was as lively after school as it had been in the past.

Ren continued to walk across the crowd of students.

A few minutes later, standing in front of the dean’s office, he knocked on the door and was immediately answered by a cheerful voice, “Come in!” came the cheerful reply.

“Excuse me.”

Ren greeted her and entered the room to find Klonoa resting on the sofa.

“There was something I needed your signature on.”

“Of course! I’m always willing to do my best for you, Ren-kun!”

He handed over the document to Klonoa who muttered “Hmm” while scanning through the document.

The voice of Klonoa reaches Ren, who has been busy with his own work.

“I won’t be able to be there much during the Lion King Festival, so if you need help, ask one of the other teachers.”

These words came out of the blue, but she wanted to tell Ren as soon as possible because he was still working as a member of the executive committee. She stopped once, looked at Ren, and said in an apologetic voice, then went back to her work.

Ren was surprised at what she had just said,

(—-come to think of it)

Klonoa said that during the Festival of the Lion King, she also had work to do at the Legend of the Seven Heroes.

“If it’s work you need help with, we, the executive committee members, are there too.”

“……I have a job to meet with royalty and nobility from other countries, can you help me?”

Ren gently turned away.

Klonoa moves ahead of me as I turn away and our eyes meet.

“Ha-ha-ha! I’m just kidding! It’s okay! We adults have to do our best, too, or we’ll be sorry to Ren and the others who have worked so hard until today! Don’t worry, you guys enjoy the festival!”

“I’m sorry. But if it really looks like it’s going to be tough, we’ll be there too —-.”

Hearing this, Klonoa gets up from her seat.

Akane-red sunlight illuminated her profile as she came before Ren. Her beauty, which could easily be described as mysterious, took Ren’s breath away as she met his eyes.

“—- nyu-fu-fu-fu.”

Klonoa suddenly reached out her hand and patted Ren’s head.

“Eh! What is it all of a sudden?”

“Ren looked so cute with his serious face, so I just went for it.”

“….”

“Hahahaha! But, Ren-kun, I’m not kidding!”

Klonoa extended her index finger and poked the tip of Ren’s nose.

Ren’s eyes crossed as he looked at those fingertips, making Klonoa laugh.

“You’re too concerned about the adults! So don’t worry about my work! You shouldn’t underestimate a grown-up’s power!”

“No, I’m not underestimating you, I’m just trying to help you.”

“… You’re really cute, Ren-kun. Compared to when we first met, I’m already shorter than you, but maybe I should take you back to the Imperial Capital after all.”

“I already live near the imperial capital, though.”

Chuckling, Klonoa changes the subject when she finishes signing the papers Ren brought.

“Ren-kun, Ren-kun.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I know this is out of the blue, but how has your hard swordsmanship been going since then?”

Not so much when you put it that way.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that he was hitting a wall with the praise, so Ren was at a loss for an answer.

This is especially true since my own personal swordsmanship hasn’t produced very good results either.

Klonoa looked into the depths of Ren’s eyes as if peering into them, lost for an answer, and then said,

“Hmmmmm. It seems like that mysterious power is growing.”

“—-“

That’s it. Come to think of it, Klonoa said the same thing in Clausel.

Ren asks with a slightly flustered look.

“K-Klonoa-san… what is this mysterious power?”

“I mean the power you’re hiding, Ren-kun?”

Klonoa said with a calm expression.

“It’s okay. I haven’t told anyone.”

“…… Um!”

“You’re wondering how I knew. The answer is simple: I’m just a bit more sensitive about a lot of things. I just don’t know all the details.”

“…… You’re not really able to read people’s minds, are you?”

“No, I can’t.”

The other party is Klonoa Hyland, who is considered one of the best magicians in the world.

It’s no wonder that she can do things that he doesn’t understand, and Ren calms himself down by thinking that he has said the strangest things here.

“Have you told Licia and Fiona about what kind of power it is?”

“No. It’s hard for me to tell them because it’s a strange power of mine…. I used it when we fought at the Grand Clock Tower, but I never told anyone what it really is.”

“If that’s the case, why don’t you just tell me already?”

Klonoa said plainly.

It was enough to leave Ren blank.

“For the time being, Ren-kun, you had something on your mind and kept it a secret, right?”

“That’s —- yes.”

When he was born, he kept his skills secret, not revealing them to anyone or going to a skills evaluation, because he thought they were used by Ren Ashton. After he came to live in Clausel, he reasoned that being open about his skills would also expose my weaknesses. This is not a lie, and in fact, it is this aspect that has helped him gain everyone’s understanding.

Klonoa looked at Ren with a gentle expression on her face.

“You’re right that you’ve kept this a secret for a long time. But I think it would be good for your future to think about it for a while.”

“What do you mean…..?”

“If it’s someone you can expose your weaknesses to, don’t you feel comfortable talking to them?”

Klonoa’s words mysteriously sunk into Ren’s heart.

Ren is not the same Ren he used to be, and the change in his feelings and thoughts makes him listen quietly.

“I think it’s going to be harder than you think to live with the secrets you keep from the people you love.”

Klonoa’s profile is illuminated by the evening sunlight.

The mysterious appearance and voice of the girl.

“How about a little reflection after you’ve settled down after your work as a committee member and the Great Festival of the Lion King?”

“Right? I will.”

Hearing Ren’s reply, Klonoa smiled gently.

She then took out her wand and waved it above Ren’s head. His mind was enveloped in a comforting feeling that soothed and calmed him.

In addition, he felt as if his body, tired from training, had also been healed.

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