Kays Translations

Chapter 30- No secrets are allowed

The meeting was going on inside the magic ship, and a voice reached the ears of everyone gathered there.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon be at the Hanging Gardens.”

It was the voice of a servant of the Clausel family.

Next, the voice of the host, Lessard-sama, thanking the guests for coming echoed through the hall.

After a few more minutes, the magic ship began to descend and docked at the Hanging Gardens. One by one, the nobles were getting off the magic ship, including Richter Leonhardt.

After seeing them all off, Lessard finally exhaled.

“I guess that concludes our work for the day.”

Lessard thanks Ren and Licia for their help.

After that, they were supposed to head back to the mansion. However, Lessard’s suggestion changed their plans.

“How about a leisurely, light meal, just the three of us? It's a magic ship after all. There's still some food left, so why don't we have it and go home?”

“Yes, I would be happy to.”

“I understand. Please let me join you.”

Hearing this proposal, they readily agreed and joined the table to enjoy the evening meal.

The night view of Elendil from here was as beautiful as ever. The Grand Clock Tower, which had been the scene of a major disturbance last year, stood out with more lights than usual.

The meal with only those who knew each other well was a welcome relief from the fatigue of the day.

"Are you two going to get some rest tonight?"

“Yes, but I'm so tired I'm worried I'll oversleep.”

“Me too.... I was busier before the meeting, but strangely enough, I feel more tired today."

“That's the way it is. The real performance of anything is the most exhausting."

“Well, I guess you were the same way father.”

Unlike the previous standing buffet party, everyone was seated properly and at their own pace.

As they always do at a mansion, without worrying about the eyes of those around them.

“Speaking of which, father, we've been talking about Roses Caitas for a while.”

“Oh, that is truly a tremendous seal. I had seen it several times on business, but was it the first time for the both of you?”

Lessard would frequently leave Elendil on his magic ship and would see the seal from the sky.

But that was only two or three times.

Although Roses Caitas wasn’t far away once he got on the magic ship, the place itself is in the middle of nowhere. There is an old road, but it is in fact a road that is not used much except to go near Roses Caitas. It was in a rich natural setting with valleys, mountains, and lakes scattered around it. It was a rarely traveled route for magic ships.

"It seems to be crowded recently, but it will be crowded on the sixth day."

"What about the area around Roses Caitas?"

Licia asked, blinking repeatedly at Lessard's words.

Then Lessard nodded and explained the reason.

“The Elfen religion choir is going there to pray to the lord god Elfen for the salvation of all the souls who died on the battlefield.”

“I'm a little curious about the choir's song.”

“I'm curious about it too. The two of you might want to go and listen to it together.”

Licia looked at Ren.

Lessard said that the choir would go near Roses Caitas in the morning of the sixth day of the Great Festival of the Lion King. By that time, the work of the committee members will be more settled than it is today.

However, it was only a matter of if there was enough time and further opportunity on that day.

After finishing a light evening meal.

The three of them met up with Weiss, who was guarding the outside of the magic ship, and were about to head to the ground floor of the hanging gardens.

Just before they did so, Ren looked up at the dock door, which was not usually open, on the upper level of the place where the magic ship they had just boarded had docked,

“Verlich-san is still doing repairs at this hour.”

In that dock is the magic ship Lemuria, which Verlich had built long ago.

It had been half-destroyed due to poor treatment by the royal family that used to be there, and the plan was to work on it using the horns of the Asvar to make it an even better piece than before.

As Ren looks up at the entrance to the dock, Verlich peeks out from there. Apparently he has noticed Ren's presence. He looks down at him from several dozen meters above, unafraid of the height.

"OOHHH! Things are going great over here!”

“Thank you! But please don't lean over, it's dangerous!”

"Uh-huh? I don't really care about this, but I don't have a choice!””

Verlich smiled again and went back into the dock.

“You're looking good as ever, Verlich-dono.”

This time, on the way back to the mansion.

Everyone here, including Weiss, now walks into the hanging gardens and heads to the ground floor.

(The committee members job is going well and I even got to see Roses Caitas, even though I couldn't see it well.)

Ren straightened up, thinking that it had been a very nice day.

He knows he’ll be able to fall asleep tonight. The only question is whether he will be able to keep his strength up long enough to take a hot bath.

After all, it would be a terrible idea to fall asleep in the bathtub.

“Ren, you can't fall asleep in the bathtub, okay?"

“...... How did you know what I was thinking?"

“I always say it, but of course you know what I'm talking about since it concerns you.”

Licia said in a beautifully clear voice, "Be careful," she continued, holding up her index finger.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

----When Ren woke up in his room the next morning, he twisted his head.

He thought he had dreamed something, but he couldn't remember what it was.

“Hmm…I wondered what it was.”

He looked at the clock and saw that it was a little earlier than he usually wakes up. After getting dressed and walked out of the room, he met Licia.

(What's going on?)

Licia, too, seemed to be unable to make sense of something, or rather, she seemed to be thinking about something.

As a morning greeting, Ren approached her and called out to her.

“Licia-sama, is something wrong?”

"No... It's nothing serious.”

The way she says it bothers Ren, and he jokes about it with a laugh.

It really doesn't mean much, just a laugh.

“You didn't have a strange dream like I did, did you?”

“---- Eh? Ren you too?"

It was supposed to be a joke, but things changed a little.

Ren couldn't help but think, "Huh?" and the distance between him, whose eyes darted to a point, and Licia, who was surprised, closed. Unconsciously, they looked at each other half a step closer than usual.

“Can you remember what the dream was about?"

Licia shook her head without a pause.

“I don't know. But I'm curious about it, and I think I'm being weird....”

“I think I had a dream too, but I can't recall it at all. And yet that dream keeps bothering me ----."

But that's it.

He could only think that strange things happen.

In the first place, dreams are like this, and if you think about it normally, it would be crazy to dig deeper from here.

Ren and Licia smiled wryly while looking at each other.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The second day was less work than the first day, and there was more time to relax at the headquarters.

From the reports coming in from the various venues, it seems that the students of the Imperial Military Academy are winning well in each of the competitions and are successfully making a name for themselves as a prestigious institution.

Especially in the martial arts competition, all the representative students are winning.

After the second day, the third day was no different. By the fourth day, even though there were only quite a few fierce competitors left, it still remained the same.

Radius was still on his way to the headquarters as he had been the day before, sorting through the information in the carriage.

It was a carriage with a luxurious interior, as befitting a member of the royal family of a major power. Mirei was sitting next to Radius, and Estelle was facing him.

The open carriage windows let in the hot summer breeze. Even so, Radius was looking at the documents with a cool face, not relying on the coolness provided by his magic equipment.

When he eventually reached the square where the headquarters was located, it was no different.

“Your Highness, I'll be waiting outside, Nya.”

“I'm sorry.’

Normally, Mirei would get out of the carriage and Radius would follow. However, Radius did not do so today, and only Mirei left the carriage.

Estelle, sitting opposite him, says, "Oh?”

“What is the matter? Is His Highness on some other business?”

“Yes. Here.”

“Here in the carriage?”

Radius nodded and placed the papers he had been looking over next to him. Then he closed the window, snapped his fingers, and moved the magic tool. He didn't like the heat inside the carriage, so he produced a cool breeze from the magic tool he had installed inside.

Another sound pierced their ears. Estelle knew what it was.

“You seem to have got the sound contained... what's going on?”

A similar magical device was used when Ren and Licia were taken away by Jerukku a long time ago. It is used to manage the sound generated within the space where it is installed, and this time it is used to prevent any sound from leaking out.

Estelle looked at Radius with a mysterious expression on her face.

“What are you doing?"

---- And Radius said.

“You already know. I have arranged all this for you. You should know by now that I know a lot about you, Estelle.”

Radius speaks in front of Estelle, who has kept her mouth shut.

He speaks in a confident voice with no hesitation whatsoever.

“I see you were busy during the holidays, Estelle. But that's to be expected. The Lion King Festival will be held for the first time in a long time throughout the capital, and the Holy Lion’s Sanctuary must have been busy negotiating security measures.”

“...... Something like that.”

“Don't be modest. I understand that you have been busy. Everywhere."

Straight ahead, just making eye contact, but looking at him, she felt as if she were about to say it all.

Even if it has to do with the emperor's secret orders.

“Okay. Next time I'll say it a little differently."

Radius is still looking at Estelle.

“What were you doing in Elendil during the holidays?”

Estelle twisted her head at Radius' words without moving her eyebrows.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter