Ch.327The World’s NPCs in Uproar (2)

“…Not just the Elven Elder, but even the Princess. Was your brother really just a former ranger and adventurer?”

After hearing Gor’s opinion and the previously unheard story about Ragni being an assistant instructor at Neti, Grace, Ira’s friend whom we eventually invited to join us, asked me with a serious face after listening to our group’s story.

Well, I admit it sounds absurd even as I say it. A former ranger, even a so-called gold-ranked adventurer, dragging around an imperial royal as a slave.

“Ragni asked my brother to protect her. My brother is kind, so he couldn’t just leave her. It would have been the same if my brother had been a knight or had any other profession. Nom nom.”

Ira, who cleverly answered on my behalf, happily munched on the waffle Gor had brought and smiled brightly. Oh my, our Ira has grown up to be so smart! She’s saying everything I wanted to say!!

“…I see. Just hearing about the situation, the Emperor does sound almost like someone who’s gone mad. But why would he treat his only blood relative, the Princess, so harshly?”

“Ragni said the Emperor considers her a monster. Unlike himself, she was too exceptional to even be seen as his daughter. He was a pathetic man without the capacity to show familial affection to someone who didn’t even look like his daughter. That’s what I think.”

“…I don’t know much about it, but I know this kind of situation doesn’t just happen to Ragni. When nobles have children they didn’t want or don’t like, they mercilessly treat them as if they were never born. They only think about protecting themselves and use children as political tools. Some think raising their own children is shameful and that children should be raised by wet nurses, right? So, I thought the Emperor was that kind of person.”

“…My family wasn’t like that.”

When Rei made a statement that seemed to generalize nobles in a negative way, Grace’s eyebrows dropped, and Rei hurriedly began to explain, “I-I know there are more good nobles in general!! I misspoke?!” Well, not all nobles are bad, and not all commoners are good. Anyway, let’s end this conversation here.

“So, we’re leaving tomorrow. Ira’s friend, you’ve heard a bit about levels, right?”

“Yes. Since you’re important to Ira, I thought you should at least be able to take care of yourself.”

“…It was a bit difficult to understand, but the point was that people who kill many stronger monsters become stronger quickly, right? I was skeptical about this ‘level’ thing since I couldn’t see it with my eyes, but after following Ira, Gor, and Instructor Rei, I’ve become so much stronger that I can’t even gauge it myself, so I had to believe it.”

“That’s right. Because we can understand the existence of levels, which is hard to believe, we don’t lose or get hurt against most enemies. You’ve now become strong enough to easily crush a village, no, even a city. And Gor, Rei, Ragni, and I—our group’s levels are much higher and stronger than even yours.”

After conveying the meaning that we would be challenging the Empire with Ragni, and then informing her that she couldn’t come along, Grace became a bit dejected.

“…If I have the power of a city, couldn’t I be of help?”

“You would be helpful. But we didn’t tell you about levels and help you raise them to get that kind of help from you.”

“And the enemies we’ll be fighting are dangerous even for someone of your strength, Miss Grace.”

“That’s right. Moreover, I’ll be busy protecting Ira and our group. If I brought Ira’s friend along and you got seriously hurt, I couldn’t handle it.”

“Yes! I’d like Grace to wait for us at the Academy! I need to protect my brother!”

So I might not be able to protect Grace! Ira, who had finished her waffle, nodded her head politely, and I couldn’t help but smile. Hey! Isn’t it the brother who protects Ira, not the other way around?

“Yes! My brother will protect me! And I will protect my brother!!”

“Hehe. Jack, now Ira will protect you. Looks like you can’t get hurt?”

“I’m here to begin with. I’ll make sure neither of you gets hurt.”

The conversation was settled in quite a harmonious atmosphere, but unlike our mood, the face of the girl named Grace darkened a bit more. Oh, Ira really made a good friend.

“…I understand. Honestly, just hearing about it, this seems like a national-scale issue, so I thought that as merely the second daughter of a count’s family, my strength wouldn’t be of much help. Similarly, although my father is a count, the power of our family, just rural nobility in this remote region, probably can’t do much to help the Princess.”

“Right. If a noble were to support Ragni now, she might have to become queen even if she doesn’t want to.”

And next would be the queen going dark. I can clearly picture Ragni turning the Empire into a wasteland, firing guns wildly, saying she doesn’t want to be queen, and chasing after me. Since Miss Grace seems to understand, let’s wrap up this conversation here…

“Then, I have a request instead.”

“Huh?”

Instead? Instead of following us? What is she asking for?

“Tonight, I want to sleep with Ira. And I also have some questions for Gor. Would you allow all of this?”

“Oh… Ira?”

“Yes! I want to sleep with Grace tonight! I’ll sleep in the room next to my brother!!”

“If the master permits, I’ll answer anything I can.”

It would be terrible not to grant such a cute request. I gladly permitted her request, and after finishing our snacks, Ira and Grace went out to play. Huh? Are they really playing? Why are they summoning spirits to play with? And both are high-ranking ones?

*Slide*

“Hmm?”

“Um, so, does that mean Jack will be sleeping alone tonight…?”

“Rei. You slept with him yesterday. Today, yield to me.”

“Ouch.”

Thanks to the two who clung to my arms as if they had been waiting for the others to leave, I once again experienced a pleasant softness.

*

Deep in the night. Silence had fallen over the bedroom in the Muller family’s annex.

“…Ira, are you asleep?”

“No? What is it?”

The two girls, their brown and red hair so close they were mixing, were looking into each other’s eyes that sparkled even in the dark bedroom.

“Aren’t you scared? The Imperial Army is known to be incredibly numerous and strong.”

“No. I’m not scared. My brother is stronger, and Ragni is much smarter!”

“I never imagined that Instructor Rag was actually the Princess. I thought she was very beautiful, but… And you and she are like sisters, right? Ira, it seems you have many secrets I don’t know about.”

“…I’m sorry. But now I really have no more secrets! You’re the only one who knows everything besides my family!”

Hearing that makes me happy. It means that apart from her family, I’m the only friend Ira can tell everything to. But precisely because of that…

“…I’m scared. I’m afraid that Ira, with all her secrets I don’t know about, will go too far away and disappear somewhere I don’t know.”

*Squeeze*

When I gripped Ira’s small hand a little tighter, she squeezed back just as firmly. Honestly, even now, I want to change my mind and follow Ira. I don’t want to send my friend, who came all this way for me, to a dangerous place.

“Ira. Will you promise me? That you’ll go, meet the Princess, and then return to the Academy without getting hurt. That you’ll become a second-year elementary student with me.”

“Yes. I promise. I’ll bring my sister back so she can continue being our class assistant, and we’ll become second-years with you and Latina, become seniors, and have fun with our juniors.”

When I entered the Academy, I never thought something like this would happen. Although the atmosphere in the imperial center was a bit noisy, it was ultimately due to rumors of demons appearing in Aigram, a foreign country, not because of internal imperial affairs. And the fact that the Princess hadn’t appeared in society even after turning twenty was nothing unusual, so I thought nothing of it. But it turns out all of that was connected to what’s happening now.

Really, too many things have happened all at once in less than a year. I never dreamed I would become a spirit mage strong enough to handle an entire city. And I never imagined there would be situations where even this level of power wouldn’t be helpful.

“…Yes. Let’s study happily with our juniors and Latina too. When that time comes, everyone will be really surprised to see our skills.”

“Hehe, let’s ask Latina to level up with us later! Then, we can all become adventurers and travel together! How about it?”

“…Adventurer.”

I’ve never thought about becoming an adventurer. I always thought of them as local thugs or day laborers who make a living by hunting weak monsters. But looking at Instructor Rei or Ira’s brother, I realized there are people who live freely, only needing the institution of identification cards. If that’s the case…

“…Hehe, that sounds fun. Will your brother come with us then?”

“No. Since my brother left me in Neti, this time I’ll leave him behind. Ah! But if we’re apart for too long, he’ll worry. Maybe a month?”

‘No, two weeks? No, o-one week?’ As she spoke about getting revenge but then furrowed her eyebrows at the thought of her brother worrying and not being able to see him for so long, I couldn’t help but smile. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to just bring him along?

“Hmmmm. But it’s supposed to be a trip with friends…”

“What’s the problem? We can travel together with your brother and then act separately when we reach other villages or cities.”

“Ah! As expected of Grace! You’re so smart!!”

I think it’s no longer just us friends traveling if we’re moving together on the journey, but considering that brother’s reaction, he would surely worry about sending Ira and us off alone. Maybe if she tells him not to follow, he might somehow attach Gor or Rei to us. If that happens, I’d feel sorry for those women who like him so much. Well, surely he wouldn’t attach the Princess to us?

“Hehe. I’m looking forward to it. Us traveling together.”

“Yes! I’ll show you an ice cream shop in Aigram! It’s super delicious! Chocolate ice cream and strawberry ice cream! Ah, but mint chocolate is not tasty!”

“Then, should we play rock-paper-scissors among the three of us, and the loser has to eat mint chocolate as punishment?”

“Ehhh~?!”

When I gently stroke Ira’s cheek, which looks surprised at my mischievous suggestion, she giggles ticklishly, and it’s really cute. Truly, I wish she didn’t have to go.

“…You really have to come back safely, okay?”

“Hehe. Ah, yes! Grace, don’t forget about me at the Academy, okay?”

As if I could forget. I’ll probably be so worried I won’t be able to sleep properly.

“If you take too long, I might forget?”

“Hiing~ That’s mean!”

And so, I stayed up later than usual talking with Ira, and the next morning…

“She used to be quite an early riser, but she’s not waking up. Ira, don’t you need to say goodbye to your friend?”

“Hmm nyam nya. Brother…”

“It’s okay. Brother, Gor, Instructor. Please take good care of Ira.”

“Don’t worry.”

“Yes. Grace, rest well and return safely to the Academy, okay?”

In the early dawn, I saw Ira off as she departed still asleep, not in our family’s carriage but in a small wagon, without exchanging goodbyes.

“…I should return to the Academy right away too.”

And after breakfast that morning, I reported unilaterally to my restraining family and immediately headed back to the Academy. Because I thought I couldn’t just sit around and wait.