Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 87: Princess Liana Strolls Through “Noza Town”
“This is Layla, a girl I took under my protection.”
Deputy Commander Nona introduced Liana to the boy and girl.
Nona cast Liana a discreet glance, signaling her to follow their story.
While they were in town, Liana was to use the alias “Layla.”
“I’m Nona, a soldier assigned to patrol the highways. My superior entrusted me with escorting Miss Layla back to her parents. We stopped in Noza Town along the way, and…”
“It was so much livelier than I expected that I became curious, so I asked if we could stop…”
Liana picked up where Nona left off.
Liana’s hair had been dyed chestnut brown, and a hood covered her head.
She was dressed like an ordinary traveler.
No one would recognize her as Princess Liana.
Even so, speaking to unfamiliar people her own age made her nervous.
Liana had never before conversed with her peers as an equal.
Nevertheless, she forced herself to meet the boy’s and girl’s eyes and continued.
“I heard that an imperial princess was staying in this town… I wondered whether that was why it was so lively. Since we had come all this way, I wanted to ask the townspeople about her…”
Liana delivered every line she had rehearsed in a single breath.
When she finally looked at the boy and girl, the boy nodded with apparent admiration.
“What a coincidence.”
He leaned forward with interest.
“I’ve been waiting here because I wanted to see Princess Sophia too.”
“Is that so?”
“This girl and I came from a nearby town. We heard that Noza Town had become lively lately, so we came to look around for possible business opportunities.”
The tall boy glanced at the red-haired girl.
Looking slightly flustered, she replied,
“Y-yes. That’s right.”
“Then we heard that Princess Sophia would soon be returning to town, so we decided to wait by the gate.”
“Will Princess Sophia come through here?”
“Yes. That’s what the townspeople were saying.”
The boy was telling the truth.
When Liana listened closely, she could hear the surrounding chatter.
“Princess Sophia has gone to thank the soldiers for their service.”
“She should be back soon. I’d love to catch a glimpse of her.”
“They say she’ll return in about an hour.”
That was what the people around them were saying.
Apparently, the crowd at the town gate had gathered to await her return.
“It seems we still have some time before the princess returns,”
Deputy Commander Nona said to the pair.
“Would you mind telling us about yourselves while we wait? I rarely travel this far north, and I would love to hear about life near the border.”
“Of course, Nona-san.”
“Thank you.”
“In return, may we hear about you and Miss Layla as well?”
“About me?”
“About me?”
Nona and Liana exchanged puzzled looks. After a brief pause, the boy explained.
“I’m a craftsman. I make furniture and metal goods.”
“A craftsman?”
“Yes. So, if possible, I’d like to know what things are like farther south—especially in the imperial capital. Learning what people need and what’s currently popular would help me with my work.”
“I see. In that case…”
Nona glanced at Liana.
Liana nodded without hesitation.
She wanted to learn how the people of the town regarded Princess Sophia.
She didn’t mind sharing information about the capital in exchange.
“Very well. Let’s talk.”
“Then let’s find somewhere we can sit. We should be able to hear the townspeople’s gossip there as well, so it’ll be a good place for Layla-san and Nona-san to learn more about the town. The place is… um…”
“Ag—no, I know a place.”
The red-haired girl hurriedly took over for him.
“I heard there’s a shop nearby where we can have tea.”
“Thank you. That would be helpful.”
“I made sure to plan everything properly, just as my best friend advised me.”
The girl murmured shyly.
The two appeared to be very close.
(Had my sister and I been ordinary townspeople, could we have stayed together like this?)
With that thought, Liana followed the boy and girl.
“This place should let us hear the town’s rumors. I think it’ll be useful for you too, Nona-san and Layla-san.”
“There’s an empty table in the corner.”
They led Liana to an establishment that served as both a tavern and a teahouse.
Perhaps because it was still daytime, everyone inside was drinking tea.
The boy and girl sat side by side. The four of them sipped tea while listening to the townspeople around them.
“…That boy truly does seem to be a craftsman,”
Nona whispered into Liana’s ear.
“…He keeps examining the tools the townspeople carry. It must be an occupational habit. He clearly intends to gather information for his work.”
“…Commoners are remarkably capable, aren’t they?”
Liana murmured before taking a sip of tea.
The tea was mild and sweet, yet delicious. It was unlike anything she normally drank; somehow, it tasted of the bustle of an ordinary town.
Commoners lived this way, in a world she had never known.
And here, among them, her sister Sophia was adored.
So adored that people gathered at the gate simply to welcome her home.
Liana had no idea how such a thing had come to pass.
(I truly knew nothing at all, did I?)
Although this was her first time observing ordinary people so closely, she felt as though she had never truly understood them before.
The boy and girl across the table—commoners such as them—must speak about matters like these every day.
As he drank his tea, the boy took a sheet of parchment from his pocket.
He also produced a quill and ink bottle and began jotting down notes at intervals, probably recording the rumors he heard. He was diligent in his research.
Liana couldn’t imagine how he had managed to keep such a long quill and a bottle of ink tucked into his pocket.
The girl beside him, meanwhile, leisurely sipped her tea.
She looked perfectly content simply to have the boy beside her.
They resembled siblings, though they might also have been a young couple.
As Liana considered this—
“Princess Sophia-sama truly is extraordinary!”
A townsman suddenly raised his voice.
Liana’s shoulder twitched at the sound of her sister’s name.
Her expression tense, she strained to hear the conversation.
“This town has improved so much thanks to Sophia-sama.”
“I never imagined there could be a princess like her. I heard she went out today to thank the soldiers personally.”
“And she’s powerful herself. Apparently, she destroyed a magical beast with her magic.”
(That’s right. My sister fought the magical beasts…)
Liana had never known that side of Sophia.
But if the townspeople spoke of it so confidently, it had to be true.
Their conversation continued.
“When she defeated that new kind of magical beast, I heard Sophia-sama summoned a guardian spirit!”
“I heard that too. She called forth a presence so powerful that the magical beast fled in terror.”
(My sister summoned a guardian spirit!?)
Liana knew nothing about that. It sounded impossible.
Even she had never heard of such magic.
Yet the townspeople spoke of it as fact.
And they weren’t finished.
“This may only be a rumor, but they say Sophia-sama can talk to animals.”
“That’s why owls and cats gather around her.”
“She truly is a mysterious person…”
(My sister can speak with animals!?)
“The trading post at the border was only made possible because of her.”
“I never imagined trade at the border would become possible.”
“Even the Demon Lord’s Domain must acknowledge her power.”
(The Demon Lord’s Domain acknowledges my sister’s power!? The magical beast Gargarossa was defeated in moments, and even that terrifying Demon Lord recognized her!? Impossible!)
“I suppose that’s why Sophia-sama visits the trading post so often.”
“She seems healthier every time she comes back.”
“I even heard she discovered a hot spring there. Maybe that’s why she has so much energy now.”
(Has Sophia… awakened as a Hero?)
Liana froze with the cup still pressed to her lips.
Shattering magical beasts with light magic.
Summoning a guardian spirit.
Speaking with animals.
Making the Demon Lord’s Domain acknowledge her power.
Discovering hot springs.
Liana knew none of these things about Sophia.
Though they were twin sisters, it felt as though she were hearing about a complete stranger.
Of course, these were only townspeople’s rumors. They might not be entirely true.
Even so, there had to be some truth to them.
The people of this town were far closer to Sophia than Liana was.
(Archduke-sama… I still know nothing about my sister. How ignorant I’ve been…)
“Is something wrong, Layla-san?”
“Y-yes!”
Hearing her false name, Liana instinctively looked up.
The young craftsman was watching her with concern.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“N-no. I’m fine. The tea is delicious too.”
Liana shook her head and took another sip.
Nona, seated beside her, also looked worried.
“…I’m fine, Nona-sama.”
After reassuring Nona, Liana turned back to the boy and girl.
“Have you ever seen Princess Sophia?”
“Yes. Fortunately, I’ve had the chance to see her up close several times.”
“I see…”
“Is Princess Sophia truly the person the rumors describe?”
When Liana hesitated, Nona asked in her place.
She was evidently trying to help without revealing Liana’s relationship to Sophia.
“No… I think Princess Sophia is even more remarkable than the rumors suggest.”
“More remarkable?”
“She’s brave, intensely curious, and sometimes does things no one could ever anticipate. That’s the sort of person she is.”
“You speak as though you know her well.”
“My apologies. That was presumptuous of me.”
“No. I simply never imagined Princess Sophia was so approachable.”
“That’s only the personal opinion of someone from a neighboring town. Please don’t give it too much weight.”
The boy smiled as he spoke.
“Thanks to Princess Sophia, imperial soldiers now patrol and protect the border region. Travel from the neighboring towns has become much safer, and we’re truly grateful to her.”
“I-I also think Princess Sophia is a wonderful person! I respect her very much!”
The red-haired girl nodded vigorously.
To them, Liana’s sister was both approachable and worthy of respect.
Liana felt she no longer needed to ask anything else.
She understood that her sister possessed something she herself lacked.
“Then could you tell us about the imperial capital?”
The boy turned to Deputy Commander Nona.
“Your patrol duties must take you there from time to time, correct?”
“Y-yes. I report there once every few months.”
“Is the capital… comfortable for soldiers to live in? Are there any inconveniences, or anything you think could be improved?”
“The capital is the pride of the Empire,”
Nona replied.
“It’s the center of population and culture. Public order is good, and almost anything can be obtained there. Above all, it’s the seat of the Emperor. The information and technology gathered there are probably the finest on the continent.”
“I see.”
“Noza Town is becoming more populous, but it still can’t compare with the capital.”
“And what of the lands farther south?”
the boy asked.
“Is the war there still continuing?”
“There have been repeated skirmishes with the alliance of small nations. I can’t discuss the details, but…”
“Whatever you’re permitted to say is enough.”
“Why are you interested in such matters?”
“I’m a craftsman. When a country changes, what its people need changes as well. I want to anticipate those changes and make things that will help everyone.”
“That’s an admirable ambition.”
“…I agree.”
Before she realized it, Liana was nodding along.
The boy’s eyes shone. He clearly took great pride in his craft.
The girl beside him watched him warmly.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, Liana envied them.
“The southern campaign will end in an imperial victory. The Empire’s overwhelming strength will bring it to a close soon.”
After a brief pause, Nona continued.
“That’s what the soldiers are saying. It’s all I can tell you.”
“Thank you.”
The boy appeared satisfied.
He wrote something on his parchment while murmuring, “Then the next things I should make are…”
What he created might never move the nation, but his aspiration was noble nonetheless.
(Did my sister change through encounters with people like these?)
As she pondered that question, Liana observed the town.
The teahouse faced the main street, giving her an excellent view of the passing crowds.
Her sister had become an extraordinary figure, yet the town itself remained ordinary. The only unusual detail was the abundance of owls and cats.
Liana had heard that the people of Noza Town cared for them because they kept pests and rats away.
Two cats were sitting in front of the teahouse as well:
a small white kitten and a black kitten.
The white kitten stared at Liana and tilted its head, seemingly uncertain whether to approach her. The black kitten pressed its face close to the white one, as though the two were discussing the matter.
Sophia had always liked small animals. Remembering that, Liana reached toward the kitten.
The white kitten smoothly evaded her hand and headed toward the boy and girl instead.
Without hesitation, it leapt onto the boy’s lap and mewed something softly.
“…Huh?”
The boy’s eyes suddenly widened, and he looked at Liana.
“Is something wrong?”
“…No. It’s nothing.”
“Mew, meow, meow, meow…”
The boy and the white kitten both shook their heads.
“In any case, I think Princess Sophia will return soon.”
“How do you know?”
Had he asked the kitten?
As the thought crossed Liana’s mind, the boy looked outside.
“The entrance to town has grown noisier.”
“…Ah. I see.”
“Let’s go.” “Right.”
The boy and girl paid the bill and stood.
The young craftsman and the red-haired girl walked side by side, with Liana and Nona following them.
When they reached the main street, they saw a crowd gathering before the town gates.
(Princess Sophia will be back soon. I’ll see her… but what will I do then?)
Liana still didn’t know what she wanted to do after seeing her sister.
The Council of High Officials had forbidden Princess Liana from meeting Princess Sophia.
Archduke Kharon, however, had pointed out, “They never said you couldn’t enter Noza Town.”
Before they departed, he had added:
“Princess Liana is forbidden to visit Princess Sophia. But if Princess Sophia happens to discover Princess Liana and wishes to meet her, surely that presents no problem.”
That was what he had said.
The reasoning was outrageous, but Liana understood it as an act of kindness on the Archduke’s part.
“…Your Highness, it seems she’s almost here.”
“…Yes, Nona.”
Liana nodded at the whisper in her ear.
No matter what happened, she wanted to see her sister.
With that thought, she walked toward the town gates.
That was why she noticed the commotion a moment too late.
“Someone! Please, catch him!”
A woman screamed.
Liana instinctively turned toward the voice and saw the woman sprawled in a narrow alley.
Across the street, a man clutching a dagger was fleeing with a young girl tucked beneath one arm.
“A thief… He took my child! Someone, please!”
Copper and silver coins lay scattered at the woman’s feet.
The man had probably tried to rob her. When she resisted, he had seized the child as a hostage and fled.
“Stay back! Don’t come any closer, or else—!”
The man brandished his dagger.
Nona looked to Liana for permission.
Liana nodded, seized the dagger hidden beneath her robe, and sprinted toward the man.
(I won’t allow a criminal to run rampant in my sister’s town!)
But he was too far away.
If only someone could stop him for a moment. Just as Liana thought that—
“The patrol officers! Not Isaac—the patrol officers!”
A voice rang out from within the crowd, and the man holding the child froze.
The strength left his hand, and his dagger clattered to the ground.
As though sensing something terrifying, the man looked around wildly.
A heartbeat later—
“I won’t forgive anyone who hurts innocent people!”
The red-haired girl had already seized the man’s arm and pinned it behind him.
(When did she get there!?)
Liana and Nona had started running the instant they noticed the disturbance.
The young craftsman and the red-haired girl had been close by as well.
But how had the girl reached the thief before them?
Had she flowed through the crowd like water?
“Let go of me!”
The man tried to wrench himself free.
The girl didn’t move an inch.
Instead, she caught his other wrist with her free hand and twisted it behind him too.
“Are you all right?”
The girl smiled gently at the rescued child.
“That was frightening, wasn’t it? But you’re safe now.”
“…Yes.”
“We’ll hand this bad man over to the soldiers.”
With one fluid motion, the red-haired girl tossed the man to the ground.
She did it as lightly as though he were a paper doll.
Cold sweat ran down Liana’s back.
She had never expected to find someone so powerful in a border town.
“Patrol officers! Hurry, patrol officers!”
The cry echoed through the crowd.
Each time it did, the man’s body spasmed as though struck by a whip.
His face was contorted with terror, as if an enormous beast loomed over him.
Then—
“““Did someone call for us?”””
Perhaps they had heard the disturbance, because soldiers came running from across the street.
They were imperial soldiers, each armed with a spear.
“This man attempted to abduct a child. We apprehended him.”
“Oh! Our apologies. We should have noticed sooner.”
“In any case, we’ll leave him in your custody.”
The red-haired girl handed the man over to the soldiers.
The robber had ceased resisting.
He could do nothing but tremble uncontrollably.
“Thank you. And may we ask who you’re—?”
“I’m in a hurry, so I must be going. Farewell!”
With that, the red-haired girl darted into the crowd.
The soldiers who remained bound the man.
Then one of them raised his voice to address the townspeople.
“We apologize for our slow response! Our security force was only recently established, and communication hasn’t yet begun to function smoothly.”
The soldier bowed deeply.
Then all of them declared in unison,
“We serve directly under Captain Isaac.”
“We’re the Omowarisan Unit, responsible for maintaining order in Noza Town.”
“Princess Sophia and Captain Isaac authorized the unit’s formation in response to the recent influx of visitors. If you encounter any trouble, please come to our headquarters.”
After making the announcement, the soldiers dragged the man away.
The townspeople applauded as they departed.
(A public-order unit called the Omowarisan Unit… She even arranged something like this…)
As the trading post drew more people to town, criminals had begun to arrive as well.
That was why a unit had been formed to protect the townspeople.
It seemed Sophia had anticipated even that.
(Then were those two young people connected to the unit?)
That would explain why they knew so much about her sister.
It would also explain the red-haired girl’s terrifying speed.
(Has my sister truly been governing this town so brilliantly?)
Liana felt as though the ground beneath her feet were swaying.
She had understood nothing about her sister.
Once again, that truth had been forced upon her.
“Perhaps Princess Sophia discovered new talent here in the borderlands,” Nona said.
“Talent?”
“Yes. Otherwise, this town couldn’t have changed so drastically in such a short time.”
“Perhaps. But my sister must also have inspired that talent, mustn’t she?”
“…Your Highness.”
“Let’s go to the gate. I want to see my sister as she is now.”
Liana started toward the town gate.
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest.
She hadn’t had a chance to thank the two young people.
They had listened to her, taught her so much, and given her the precious opportunity to speak with ordinary people. The next time they met, she would be sure to thank them.
Not as an imperial princess, but as Sophia’s sister. She would make certain she did nothing to tarnish her sister’s name.
“Sophia-sama is here!”
A voice rose from the direction of the town gate.
A small carriage entered the town under military escort.
A girl in a dress waved from its window.
“…Is that… Sister Sophia?”
Without thinking, Liana rubbed her eyes.
Her sister seemed almost to glow inside the carriage.
Of course, it was probably only an illusion.
Sophia was merely smiling gently.
Even so, she seemed like an entirely different person from the sister Liana remembered.
Her eyes shone with vitality, and her skin was smooth and radiant.
The hand she waved to the people was steady and strong. Nothing remained of the frailty she had shown in the imperial capital.
Most striking of all was her expression.
She looked as though she expected to find someone dear to her, and her gaze swept the crowd. Of course, she couldn’t be searching for Liana.
Sophia didn’t know Liana was there.
And yet, their eyes met.
Sophia’s gaze stopped on the hooded Liana.
She tilted her head, puzzled.
Then—
“…Let’s go, Nona-sama.”
“…Are you certain?”
“…I can’t do this! I don’t know how to face my sister—or what expression I should wear when I stand before her now…”
Muttering those words, Liana turned on her heel.
She slipped through the crowd and escaped into an alley.
After Sophia’s procession had passed and the crowd thinned, Liana fled the town as though being chased.
“Is this truly all right, Your Highness?”
At the edge of town, Nona stopped.
She turned to look at Liana, who followed close behind.
“If Princess Sophia wishes to meet Princess Liana, it wouldn’t violate your orders. His Grace the Archduke said so.”
“…This is for the best, Nona-sama.”
Liana shook her head.
“As I’m now, I’m not worthy to stand before Sister Sophia.”
“But, Your Highness…”
“My mission is to investigate the new species of magical beasts. I must first fulfill that duty and produce results. Only then will I meet Sister Sophia.”
“That would be reckless…”
“It isn’t reckless!”
Before she realized it, Liana had raised her voice.
“As a princess of the Empire, I have accomplished far less than my sister. How could I face her with nothing to show for myself!? I need an achievement of my own. To earn one… I’ll take command of the investigation and subjugation of the magical beasts.”
“Are you truly certain?”
“Fortunately, no one discovered my identity. Sister probably didn’t realize who I was when our eyes met. If you and I remain silent, it’ll be as though Liana was never here.”
She wanted to accomplish something worthy of an imperial princess—something that could stand beside her sister’s achievements.
Once she had done so, she would be able to face Sophia with pride.
And fortunately, no one had discovered that Liana was here. Or so she believed.
“Excuse me. May I ask… are you Princess Sophia’s younger sister?”
Liana turned to find the boy and girl from the teahouse standing behind her.
The boy held the same white kitten they had seen earlier.
The kitten pointed one forepaw at Liana and mewed insistently.
The red-haired girl stood protectively beside the boy, watching Liana and Nona with such focus that she seemed ready to move the instant either reached for a weapon.
The boy bowed, then addressed Liana once more.
“Let me ask again. Are you Princess Liana Dorgalia, twin sister of Princess Sophia Dorgalia?”
“…Who exactly are you?”
Deputy Commander Nona reached for her sword.
At the same moment, the boy slipped down from the red-haired girl’s back. The girl kept a wary eye on Nona.
“Stop, Nona-sama.”
“Layla-sama… no, Layla-san?”
“You understand, don’t you? That girl is no ordinary person.”
They didn’t know the limits of the red-haired girl’s strength. Starting a fight would be unwise.
Liana’s instincts as a warrior told her so.
“What makes you think that?”
Liana asked in a carefully calm voice.
“I know of Princess Liana Dorgalia, but isn’t it rather rude to mistake an ordinary traveler for Her Highness?”
“I have a friend who knows a great deal about light magic.”
“Meow.”
“That friend says they can sense an exceptionally strong presence of light magic from you.”
“…!?”
“They say it’s the same kind of magic Princess Sophia possesses. Since no one else has magic like that, I concluded you could only be Princess Liana Dorgalia.”
“…You…”
“I’ve already informed Princess Sophia.”
The boy spoke matter-of-factly.
A horse was approaching from the direction of town behind him.
Two people rode it.
One was a soldier. Behind him sat a girl whose face was hidden beneath a hood and cloak.
She held the black kitten from the teahouse in her arms.
“It’s been a while, Liana.”
The girl lowered her hood while still on horseback.
Her skin was smooth and pale, and her cherry-blossom-pink hair was cut slightly shorter than Liana’s.
It was Liana’s sister, Sophia Dorgalia.
“…Sister Sophia.”
“Why are you leaving after coming all this way?”
With the boy’s help, Sophia dismounted.
Then she extended a hand toward Liana.
“Welcome, Liana. There’s so much I want to talk to you about.”
Sophia greeted her sister with a gentle smile.