Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou

Chapter 460

Myuu’s Spring Vacation First Part

*Fidget, fidget*

Inside a chalk white palace, in its grandest hall──the throne room, there was a girl who was being very fidgety.

She had beautiful blonde hair that was tied into twintail and chocolate skin, with jade colored eyes. She was the little queen──Koone de Shelt Synclea.

She was sitting snugly on a luxurious throne made from carved chalk white stone. She was wearing a beautiful pure white dress with golden embroidery and sash. On her head was a crown that was modeled after flowers.

Several streaks of light shined in from the skylight. The building structure was set up so that the lights intersected orderly to prevent easy access into the throne room.

Therefore, it was as though the small queen was being protected by the sunlight. It was a beautiful scenery that would take anyone’s breath away, like a single page that was drawn from myth.

However, that mysticism was,

「……Koone-sama. Please do stop swinging your feet back and forth like that. It is unseemly.」

「……uu」

Reduced by half because of the feet that were moving restlessly under the table that was placed in front of the throne, something that originally shouldn’t be there.

Koone let out a small whine awkwardly after being chided by the head of civil official──Bruitt who was a grandfather so old he was constantly trembling as though he was going to break into pieces anytime.

In exchange, it was her toe tips that were visible from her beautiful high laced sandals that were curling in and out next.

「Your hands are also frequently stopping since some time ago.」

「It’s just your imagination. Koone declared that it’s just Bruitt’s imagina──」

「You have not finished even half of the scheduled work though?」

「……」

Even the former mischievous princess who was feared (?) by the masses as the “chaos princess” and “chaos in three seconds appearance” couldn’t go against “everyone’s gramps” who had supported Synclea for more than half a century.

Especially because he was now monitoring her harshly compared to when he was being lenient to her when she was still a princess.

「As I thought, this work should be returned back to the office if your majesty is unable to concentrate here.」

「K-Koone’ll do it! Just you watch! Koone’ll do it right here! With dignity! As befitting a queen!」

Koone hurriedly tensed up her expression and began to look over the paperwork before her.

Old Bruitt shrugged his shoulders seeing that, as though to say 「Good grief……」. But, his eyes that normally always looked closed were faintly opened right now. The eyes behind them were filled with gentle light.

That was because he understood why Koone went out of her way to bring the table to the throne room to work here just for today while being oddly restless.

Bruitt had interacted with the royal sisters like a grandfather ever since they were still baby. He understood Koone’s feeling like the back of his hand. That was why he couldn’t help but smile warmly.

「Koone-sama.」

「What is it Bruitt? Koone is doing her work properly and precisely just as you can see. It’s truly a work ethic that made even Koone fascinated with herself. Koone is truly a capable woman! The cool Koone! Koone is singing her own praise that everybody won’t be able to help themselves from feeling respect──」

「Surely you will be able to get along with them if you simply act normally rather than putting on appearance poorly like this.」

「!?」

Just as he said, Koone who was singing her own praises while twirling around her feather pen to act out the Cool Koone froze still.

Her eyes wandered around. She was looking shaken like field commander who noticed a hole in her plan just right before the mission began.

「Though it cannot be helped for your majesty to be so enthusiastic when there is finally a prospect that you might be able to make some friends your age who you can interact with as your equal.」

「K-, K-K-K-, Koone isn’t enthusiastic or anything though!? Because, Koone is cool after all!」

「I hope, this will not end up as simply fruitless effort.」

「I-it won’t mon!」

Her twintail was shaking wildly. Her tone was also going out of order. It was keenly showing just how far away the inside of her heart was from being calm.

In fact, Koone was terribly nervous.

It was to a degree that she couldn’t sleep ever since several days ago. She was thinking too much that she even ran with some eccentric behaviors.

For example, she suddenly wanted to change her attire with something sexy that exposed a lot of skin before the maids stopped her──

She put on cosmetic on her own to make herself look far more mature, which caused the maids to scream──

She kept rearranging her room to look mature (in Koone’s standard), cute (in Koone’s standard), or intellectual (in Koone’s standard), before in the end she declared 「Let’s create all the rooms rather than just one!」 which troubled the maids greatly──

「Flimsy coating like that will only get exposed right away.」

「Don’t call it flimsy!」

In any case, it seemed that Koone was anxious to show off her good side at the people who would come visiting today.

It was only natural.

It went without saying who those visitors were.

「The child called Myuu and also the child called Hinata aren’t anyone normal!」

One person was the beloved daughter of that demon king. The other one was the sole daughter of a prestigious clan in the home country of the hero who saved the desert world and also the strongest caster.

「Rather it might be Koone who aren’t equal with them-」

「You too are the queen of a nation you know?」

「Just that might not be enough! My, you want to become our friend with just this much, do you know what is your place? If they said something like that, Koone’ll dive into the oasis! Koone is convinced that Koone’ll dive and won’t go back up ever again!」

「I think that someone who say such thing will not be able to build a relationship of equal friendship in the first place though.」

Bruitt sighed deeply while saying 「I’m very worried」, even so Koone-chan only screamed 「Aa, in the end, will Koone be able to match such amazing girlsss!」 without listening to him at all.

It seemed that she was too fixated with being “equal” that she became all twisted like this instead.

The “Cool Koone” that she herself proclaimed couldn’t be found anywhere anymore.

There was only the figure of eight years old there, being extremely nervous while facing the prospect of being able to make an equal friend for the first time in her life and plunged into a stream of unpleasant delusion instead.

「Well, more importantly──」

「More importantly!? Even though this is the crossroads that will decide whether Koone will become a loner queen or not, to say that there’s something more important──」

「Be quiet. Friend is also important, but please do not forget that this is also an auspicious day where the hero and the previous queen are returning home.」

The hero of salvation who took down the Dark King──Amanogawa Kouki.

The people of the capital who knew of his great feat naturally already knew that the foreigners who came to the rescue of various places in the country were his friends.

Naturally the number of people who wanted to offer their thanks en masse to such saviors was beyond counting.

However, the people in question went off to other world, GO! Right after saving this country.

Kouki returned to the desert world once after that together with Hajime and Kousuke, but from the start Hajime and co also came here in a hurry after receiving Liliana’s notification. In addition, the three took one week until they returned to this desert world.

Because of that, Hajime and co wanted to go back quickly. Kouki also took advantage of that to go back with them, so he could only participate in the simple victory celebration.

For many people, especially the people in other regions, far from being able to offer their thanks, they were unable to even take a glimpse of the group of saviors before they returned to their original world.

In addition, there was also the knowledge of the world in general that the hero had taken Moana as his wife.

The people who couldn’t offer their thanks and blessing to the savior could only feel murky inside. It didn’t matter that they had just obtained a historical victory when the main star wasn’t present. It was like a masterpiece painting that lacked its highlight, or like a feeling of hesitation whether it would be alright for them to honestly celebrate their heart out in such situation.

「Perhaps that person dislike standing out, but that is exactly why, we have to prepare a welcoming ceremony that will not put burden on him as much as we can. Not to mention that at this occasion, it is the trip of your majesty’s friend candidates that is their original objective. We must prevent any impediment from hindering their plan to sightsee all over our nation.」

*Blab blab, blab blab* Old Bruitt’s lecture (?) continued on.

Koone pouted her lips.

「In a sense, this will be Koone-sama’s first grand event since your coronation. This is a good chance for the new queen to display that her capability shall be sufficient to lead the new era no matter how young she is. Conversely if any screw up happen, it will only worry Moana-sama unnecessarily, and even more than that the people who Koone-sama is most concerned about will become disillusion──」

「Aaa geez, my bad! Yes, it’s Koone’s fault for not focusing, Koone acknowledge it!」

Hand over the paperwork about the welcoming ceremony! Koone said with a puffed up cheeks while holding up her right hand.

Bruitt nodded in satisfaction and handed the related documents while opening his mouth to give additional explanation about the content──but right before he could.

「BAAAAAAAAMMM I’m home, Koone-sama!」

「Hii!? What is ittt!?」

The magnificent double door of the throne room was pulled wide open.

Just in case, the door was set so it opened toward the aisle to make it harder for intruder to barge in. And so it couldn’t be kicked open like with Kouki’s room some time ago.

Even so, when a three meter door got pulled wide open with a force that caused a gust of wind to be created, even Koone who tended to destroy door to open it (actually it was Synclea royalty’s bad habit that they had tendency to destroy door) got surprised.

Koone skillfully jumped up on her throne. The person who made such flashy entrance that might be perceived as attack if they were unlucky entered inside the throne room with imposing, no, rather it should be called as impudent gait despite being in the presence of the queen.

「Lilin! How many times I need to tell you to knock first before you understand! Or rather, what is the guards in front of the door doing!?」

「They let me in when they saw it’s me.」

Guardsss! Koone glared at the two royal guards who were looking anywhere else but at her while quietly closing the door.

「Or rather, for Koone-sama of all people to tell me something like 『Knock first』……fuh」

「Why did you laughhh!? Indignation! Koone is feeling furious seeing that look of contempt!」

Koone’s face turned red and she jumped on the table and protested in a bad manner.

Ahead of her gaze was a beautiful girl with brown hair that was tied into twintail and almond-shaped eyes that were filled with unyielding spirit──Lilin Stohl.

She went into an audience with the queen wearing slightly dirty battle attire which was an unthinkable attitude. She was also carrying a jute bag on her shoulder with some strange specks of stain on it.

How to put it, she really had this presence on her. The presence of a warrior. Even though only half a year had passed since that final battle, she had become like a veteran warrior who had continued to fight for decades.

「Once again, I have returned back. I’m glad that I make it in time for the ceremony. Also I have two reports for her majesty.」

「A-acting like nothing happened-」

「Ah, here, a souvenir.」

Old Bruitt was massaging his forehead while sighing. Meanwhile the jute bag was placed right under the feet of Koone who was still continuing to stand imposingly on the table with a bad manner. The bag made a heavy sound when it touched the floor.

Right after that, the string was untied and rolling out from the bag was──

「Hyoe!?」

「Whoops, that was dangerous, Koone-sama.」

A severed ox head with strange shape. Its eyes were hollow and the one of the horns on its head was broken.

It was undoubtedly a “Dark Being”. This young female warrior who only had her beautiful appearance going for her apparently went out of her way to bring the head of the remnant “Dark Being” she hunted as proof of subjugation.

Koone was so surprised that she stumbled down from the table and fell. Lilin caught her with wind blessing art that she casually executed chantlessly. She was also skilled despite her age before this but, it seemed that her skill in blessing art had also been rising dramatically even further.

She moved Koone back to the throne with unexpected gentleness while continuing her report still with a tone like nothing had happened.

「One of the leaders of the ox-head type, “The Embers Amid” has been taken down as you can see. Their force has already been destroyed too. Though just in case, I have ordered the regiment to continue patrolling the region in question.」

「I-is that so. Or rather, you don’t need to go out of your way to bring its head here……Koone won’t doubt Lilin’s report even without that you know?」

「A warrior’s worth is decided by the head that they manage to take.」

「That, is more the thinking of a savage rather than a warrior──」

Lilin leaned her upper body forward for quite far. Her eyes snapped wide open. Scary. She was staring fiercely at something. Koone swallowed back her words.

「Restrain yourself, Lilin. You are in the presence of the queen herself.」

「Sir-. My apologies.」

Lilin-san straightened her posture with an enchantingly sharp movement after Old Bruitt chided her. 「Why is her attitude this different compared to with Koone……」 Koone’s gaze became a fixed staring.

「Lilin, aren’t you working a bit too much? It was Koone who listened to your wish to go to the frontline and released you from the duty of royal guard to participate in the mopping up of the enemy remnants but……you don’t need to stay in the battlefield until the last moment like this……」

「I’ve been given the great chance to become the regiment commander. Banzai for having a lot of subordinates. I’m extremely motivated, desu.」

Yes, actually Lilin had accomplished a great success in her career if one only considered the promotion in rank that she had been given.

It was already amazing just being able to join the royal guards when she was still so young, just 16 years old, but then she got promoted to be a regiment commander. In the kingdom’s army, a regiment consisted of the most number of warriors after a division and a brigade.

But, there was nobody who objected to that exceptional promotion.

When Lilin was given permission to participate in the battle to mop up the enemy remnants as a mere foot soldier because of her burning desire, it was said that she performed spectacularly.

Everyone else filled with great happiness from witnessing the end of the historic war. But not Lilin, it was as though she had completely forgotten such happiness and sniffed around the locations of the “Dark Beings” who attempted to scatter to the wind and hide themselves. Like a hunting dog, she went hunting for the head of the enemy leaders like mad.

Lilin practiced 「You, are the boss of this pack aren’t you? You’re the boss right? Then leave behind your head-」 in real life, to a degree that made the veteran warriors to regard her 「T-this girl is a battle maniac-!」 in fear.

She had continued fighting almost without any rest ever since that day of final battle. Her combat strength also continued to increase in proportion to that. With that she astonishingly performed distinguished military service, received conferral of honors, climbed in rank, and finally there was no other choice but to appoint her as a regiment commander.

Koone who was the one appointing her was the one who was the most creeped out. Perhaps the position as royal guard was serving as her collar? She wondered. It felt like it was her who released this mad dog to the wild.

「Certainly, remnants of the “Dark Beings” are still numerous out there. There is no guarantee that a new Dark King won’t be born from among them. However, the fact is that the power structure is heavily leaning toward mankind right now.」

Therefore, she wished that Lilin wouldn’t be too reckless. Everything would be lost if Lilin collapsed from working too hard. Koone unspokenly appealed like so to Lilin.

「Just why in the world are you in such a hurry? Or perhaps, you are still feeling concerned that you couldn’t participate in the final battle except at the last stage?」

She corrected her posture on the throne and stared straight toward Lilin.

The figure of the eight years old who was alternating between happiness and anxiety about making new friend not long ago wasn’t there. Although it had still only started to bud, there was definitely the dignity of a queen there. The dignity of a kind queen who was worried for her object.

In respond to Koone’s worry, Lilin closed her eyes for a moment──then she began to start talking quietly.

「Even now, I’m still seeing that day in my dream.」

「That day?」

「That day we rushed to reinforce Arquette while resolving ourselves to find only rubbles there. Where we found the figure of Kouki-san who still continued to fight even while unconscious, standing on top of the underground storehouse in front of thousands of Dark Beings.」

「Lilin……」

That day, Lilin saw the figure that should be called as the true warrior in Kouki.

The true warrior wouldn’t let even a single finger touch the people who had to be protected.

No matter who the opponent was, no matter how many of them were closing in──a true warrior was immovable.

Koone made a troubled expression after guessing what Lilin was trying to say.

「In other words, you want to be strong like Kouki-sama──」

「To be honest, it made me wet.」

「………………………………….Hm?」

「Even now, I got wet every time I remember that time.」

「…………………………..Hmm?」

「Even that time when I was nursing Kouki-san who was confined to his bed, I almost couldn’t hold back my desire to assault him.」

「……」

「I’m a warrior, so I have no intention to leave this country. The frontline is where I belong, nowhere else. But, that’s exactly why! The day I can be reunited with him like this is the day where I need to have him embrace me no matter what! With my head held high like this!」

「Bruiittt~, Koone, can’t understand what is this girl is saying~」

「Please do not worry. It is simply a drivel that Koone-sama has no need to understand.」

Lilin-san clenched her fist tightly while stressing that she wanted to say that she had climbed to reach the height of warrior as high as she could, gather achievements, climbed to a suitable position, so that she would be able to be reunited with her loved one confidently and declared I’m worthy for you, I have worked really hard, that’s why make love to me as reward!

She was polishing herself with warrior-like thinking. She increased her status and strength to obtain the opposite sex who she desired! Something like that, it was already far manlier than even some random men wasn’t it……Koone and Bruitt wanted to make such retort.

A sigh escaped.

「Koone got the feeling that it’ll be dangerous to let the current Lilin meet with Kouki-sama. ……Koone think that there will be bloodbath with Onee-chan like this.」

「True that.」

「Eh? Koone-sama? Bruitt-sama?」

「Rather, appointing her to a new post and immediately banishing her to far away right now is……」

「Preposterous! Just what had I done to deserve such treatment!?」

「I’m talking about what you might do after this and how scary it’ll be!」

Koone said that with a fixed stare. Lilin’s expression turned into a look of aghast. She staggered backward before her shoulders dropped in dejection.

「I-if that is-, your majesty’s-, command then–」

「You don’t need to look like it’s the end of the world like that.」

It seemed that she was still a loyal subject deep down like before.

Lilin’s way of speaking had become really casual compared to before the final battle, but in actually, that too was for Koone’s sake.

Koone and Lilin couldn’t possibly have a completely equal relationship with their position as king and retainer. But, at the day of the coronation, when she saw the resolute expression of the little queen who had to shoulder the country this early, she naturally pledged her allegiance to her. Along with that, sensing the small loneliness deep inside those eyes like when she sent off her big sister, Lilin resolved herself that she would become a retainer who Koone wouldn’t need to hold back as much as she could.

That was why, if it was Koone’s order than she would even discard the reunion with her loved one that she had been awaiting all this time where each day felt like an eternity. She would try to obey even while looking like she was going to vomit blood.

Koone somehow sensed Lilin’s feeling about that, but as expected she still couldn’t hold back from looking exasperated seeing Lilin looking like she would shed tears of blood anytime now.

「Lilin. It’s scary when your eyes are bloodshot like that. Koone is just joking so calm down.」

「……Koone-sama, in this world, there is joke that is alright to say and joke that isn’t alright to say you know?」

「Y-you’re exaggerating. Koone think that you’re too exaggerating! That’s why, don’t approach while glaring fierily like that……」

「This isn’t an exaggeration. Even Koone-sama should be able to understand my feeling.」

「Eh, no, feeling?」

「That’s right! Koone-sama is also in love with Kouki-san right?」

「That’s, well……even Koone is idolizing him you know? Koone also have a debt that Koone can’t possibly pay back to him.」

「Right, right, that’s right isn’t it. Koone-sama should be filled with lewd dream every night, wanting to be embraced by him right at that moment.」

「Koone isn’t thought!? Just what are you saying so suddenly!? Lilin you pervert! Koone isn’t someone indecent like that!」

「Lies! Koone-sama is lying!」

「Nya, nya-nya-nya, nyath’s your basis saying htat-」

Old Bruitt checked the time in his pocket watch before he started tidying up the paperwork quietly. It seemed that he was completely shutting out the vivid girls’ talk of the two girls.

At the side was the heavily shaken Koone-chan. Lilin knew that Koone was a girl with only superficial knowledge about sex but, the way Koone was shaken, guess she hit the bull’s eye……then, this was the time to attack! Lilin pointed her finger sharply like a detective who was determining the culprit.

「It’s obvious from seeing at your expression! It’s woman’s instinct!」

「That’s not a real basis at all! In the first place Koone sent out Kouki-sama and Onee-chan while wishing for their happiness you know? That time, when Kouki-sama decided to go back, Koone was even resolved that it might be impossible to meet them again for decades──」

「That is that, this is this. After all people are free to dream. Koone-sama’s expression when I talked about Kouki-sama is indecent. It’s oozing out.」

「Whose face you’re calling indecent! Quit it already or Koone will take this as lese majesty──」

「I heard that recently, Koone-sama listened to lewd stories from the maids in order to increase your superficial knowledge in that area or something. The head maid(Anneal) got angry and interrogated her subordinates you know? An eight year old girls know things that she doesn’t need to know. Who told herrr! Like that.」

Because, even though she had been resolved to not be able to meet them for long, after that, things like “Fairy Key & Ring” to form gate for moving between worlds were created after their return from the summoning incident, and now they could meet normally anytime they wanted to meet……

In that case, it could be said that it couldn’t be helped wasn’t it, she was also in the age where she was getting interested with real romance, not just with the story in book……

Koone was lining up excuses in high speed like that inside her heart, however, she saw that she was in disadvantage and instantly decided to retreat.

「……Bruitt. As expected, let’s do the work today in the office! Koone cannot concentrate here! There’re also the guards who simply allow rude person to pass through!」

Koone jumped down from her throne while huffing angrily to cover up her embarrassment.

She immediately headed toward the door to escape, but then she turned around when her hand was on the door’s handle.

And then, with a bright red face,

「K-Koone, really never have anything like indecent──」

「My beloooved-, Koone-taa~~~nn!!! Onee-chan come to meet youuu-!!」

The throne room’s door was pulled wide open once more. It really did well enduring all the abuses it received. Its endurance was though it was claiming, I’ll be troubled if you group me up together with the run-of-the-mill door yeah.

Well, putting that aside, if the door was opened heartily like that while someone was putting their hand on the knob behind it, it didn’t need much imagination to picture what would happen to the small Koone-tan.

「Abaraah!?」

She got strongly pulled toward the corridor and pitched forward. Her face dived toward the floor. *Slam-* A painful sound resounded.

Next an atmosphere that was silent like a grave was spreading.

The queen of the nation had just tumbled down face first on the floor artistically. Her posture that had her hands stretched out straight in banzai stance looked a bit beautiful. Her twintail was spread out with miraculous symmetry, to a shape like a golden stag beetle.

A second passed.

「KYAAAAAAAAAH, KOOOOOOOONEE-TAA~~~~~~NN!!」

「Mugya!?」

The culprit who dealt such blow to the nation’s queen screamed while falling on her knees. Then she pulled Koone-tan to her voluptuous chest and hugged her with all her strength. Koone-tan’s face was completely buried and a small scream leaked out.

「Who dares do something like this! Unforgivable! Onee-chan will render judgment to the culprit!」

To repeat, that Onee-chan was the culprit.

「E-enoouggghhh-, playing around!!」

「Haguuh!?」

Koone clenched her right hand with only the second joint of her index finger protruding out. She then hit her sister’s side like that.

As expected from the queen of this warrior country despite being a non-combatant herself. The former queen was sweating rivers while crouching down and muttering 「A-amazing, Koone-tan. You have, improved」.

Koone who was released from the restrain was crouching on all fours while breathing roughly. She glared at her big sister who hadn’t changed from before, even so she was going to greet her with 「Welcome home」──but she realized.

Good gracious, why was her sister here again?

Naturally, because she was scheduled to return home today.

By herself?

Of course not. She was with others. Yes, she was together with the people who Koone wanted to look good for and gave as much good impressions to as she could.

「Aa~, Koone. Long time no see?」

「……」

Sure enough, when she looked up she saw Kouki there. He was looking a bit awkward, perhaps because Kouki who had the great specs of the hero which included great hearing might have also heard the conversation that happened behind the door just now.

In addition, a mature woman with only beautiful appearance but seemed to be sick somewhat was sending her a gaze of sympathy. Anneal who must be the one who showed Kouki and others the way here from the room where the “Fairy Ring” was set up was covering her face with both her hands. She couldn’t bear to see the happening right now.

Koone’s cheeks were twitching uncontrollably.

When her gaze lowered down slo~wly, there were the two people who she had been eagerly awaiting right there.

Myuu and Hinata.

They were blinking in surprise. But, a second later the two looked and nodded at each other as though to pull themselves together.

And then, they approached Koone who was starting to wordlessly open and close her mouth with who knew what kind of emotion. The two kneeled so that their gazes were in the same level and each of them take a hand of hers.

「Nice to meet you, Koone-chan! Myuu is Myuu! Myuu have been looking forward to meet you all this time nano!」

「Nice to meet you, Koone-chan. My name is Fujiwara Hinata. It brings me much joy to be able to meet you!」

Myuu’s expression burst into a radiant smile, just like the sun.

While Hinata was graceful, as though to say that this was the model of being ladylike.

The two of them together greeted her with deep affection and great happiness.

As though to pretend that they hadn’t seen anything.

Even though she had thought up a lot of ways so they could see her as a friend that they could be proud of, when the time actually came, she made her entrance with face dive & crawling on all fours. And then, the two girls in question treated her with concern like this.

Painful. Their kindness was so painful that she couldn’t bear to stay in this place.

*Kyuu~~~~~~~* It was obvious how blood rushed into her face from shame. Her mind was already becoming completely blank.

And so,

「……ple」

「「Ple?」」

Koone yelled the honest feeling inside her heart without even being aware of it herself.

「Please restart from beginning one more timeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-!!」

The small queen of the desert country and, the demon king’s beloved daughter and, the strongest onmyou girl’s meeting ──

TAKE 2.

Of course, everyone firmly pushed down the retort of 「There’s no point isn’t it?」 back to the bottom of their stomach seeing that.

.

AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.

Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.

Perhaps this chapter feel a bit short, but for Shirakome the ideal chapter length is around 4000 words, so the future chapters will be around this long too (I’m not saying that I’ll be able to do it). Best regards!

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