Chapter 28: Engagement and the Uninvited Guest
What did that child say just now? Marriage? Bloodstain? Splendid? Oh, a duel huh? 『I wish to duel with this Mochizuki Touya person.』 Yeah, I don’t get it.
(tln: There are different kanji for marriage（結婚）and bloodstain (血痕), kekkon, but have the same reading which turns into splendid（結構）, kekkou, which further turns into duel, kettou（血統）. It’s a stupid pun.)
「……I’m sorry, but could you say that one more time, Yumina?」
「Like I said, I wish to marry Mochizuki Touya, father.」
「My my」
At the King’s words, Princess Yumina repeated the same thing. Queen Yuela who was sitting beside the king opened her eyes wide and looked at her daughter.
The Duke was surprised as well? He glanced between niece and elder brother.
「May I ask why?」
“Yes, there is the fact that you were saved, father…… the people that surround Touya-sama are all smiling. Uncle Alfred, Charlotte, as well as everyone else are so happy. He is a person of very desirable character. I wish to walk my live with this person…. It’s the first time I’ve ever thought that.」
「……I see….If you say as much there is no reason to object. Become happy」
「Father!」
「Please wait one moment!」
I threw my hand up and b.u.t.ted into the conversation between parent and daughter. If I don’t cut in now, it will become an even more confusing situation. No, it’s already plenty confusing right now!
「Please don’t move ahead without consulting the other party first please!」
「Oh, sorry about that. Please take good care of my daughter, Touya.-dono」
「Nononono! That’s strange! Your Majesty, you’re strange!」
I went and called the King “you” but I wasn’t worried about it. My life hangs in the balance here!
「Even if she is the princess of a single country, is it really alright for her to marry some guy you hardly know anything about!? I might actually be a nefarious villain you know!?」
「On that there is no mistake. Yumina recognized it so, at the very least you are no villain. She has the power of “understanding the nature”」
Ha? She can understand the “nature”? What does that mean?
「Yumina possess “Evil perception”. She has the power to see through to the true nature of a person. Well, you could call it intuition but, in Yumina’s case, she has never been wrong.」
The Duke explained. To sum it up, she can ascertain if a person is good or bad by instinct? Is that the power of heterochromia. Well if it were someone like Earl Balsa then it would be easy to tell if he was a villain, but if that ability was real, then she wouldn’t be caught by a bad guy.
The princess doesn’t seem like a bad person, but that’s a different story.
「……Just how old is Princess Yumina anyways?」
「12 years old」
「Isn’t marriage too early for…!」
「No, people in the royal family regularly get engaged by 15. I myself was engaged to my wife at 14.」
Gu. This is why different worlds are. My face looked like I’d swallowed a bitter bug, there was a tight grasp on my coat sleeve.
「Do you hate me, Touya-sama?」
Princess Yumina looked at me with such sad eyes, Wai-, that’s foul play! That’s unfair!
「Ah-… I don’t hate you but…」
「Then there is no problem, right!」
Yumina broke into a sudden smile. How cute—janakute!
What should I do? I-it’s true that I don’t really dislike this girl, I don’t really have anyone I especially like either. Her parents have given their permission as well, there isn’t a problem with the cost of living. Huh? There isn’t any reason to refuse?
No! Marriage is life’s graveyard! My older brother cousin told me so!
He had a pregnancy marriage, and after 3 years got divorced. He didn’t know why. After his wife pestered him he went and got a loan to buy a house, then he was thrown out. He had to keep paying the high loan payments and child rearing expenses for his children that he lives far away from. But, the ex-wife kept using the money however she pleased. When the family got together for New Year’s, everyone kept pouring sake to comfort him.
That cousin’s exhausted face floats in my mind.
Ok, I’ll be a well-off bachelor n.o.bleman! Well I’m not a n.o.bleman though!
「…In my country, men can’t get married until 18 and women until 16. Furthermore, I don’t know anything about the princess, so I can’t think of getting married yet.」
「How old are you now Touya?」
「I am 15 years old. But, I’ll be turning 16 soon.」
I answered Queen Yuela’s question. If I remember correctly my birthday should be about 2 months away. I’m not sure if this world’s calendar matches this one‘s though.
「Then the wedding will happen in two years. There shouldn’t be a problem if you take the time to learn about her by then. So as the fiancé you’ll have plenty of time to think about it Touya.”
Wait wait wait, in 2 years Princess Yumina will be only 14 years old! This is bad, the Queen is strange too!
「Touya-dono?」
「Yes!?」
I let out a strange voice in reply to the King. It couldn’t really be helped under the circ.u.mstances!
「If after 2 years, you get to know Yumina and still cannot consider her for marriage then we will give up. Would that work for you?」
「Ha… well, if it’s like that then….」
That’s many times better than getting married all of a sudden, after a while they might cool off as well, some other man might come along too… Then if they see reality and marry her to him then all the better. Arguing any further doesn’t seem to do any good huh……?
I gave up and accepted the conditions the other side had proposed.
「That’s wonderful isn’t it, Yumina. Catch Touya’s heart in the next 2 years. If you do not we are sending you to the monastery, so be prepared.」
「Yes, mother!」
「Wait! What the heck is that!?」
I was to rash after all! It’s heavy! Far too heavy! What is this, my escape routes are being sealed one by one!
Why do I have to spend my entire life married to this girl? Isn’t there someone better for her?!
「I hope to get along with you from here, Touya-sama」
The Princess had a s.h.i.+ning smile. I on the other hand couldn’t do anything but laugh dryly. I heard my cousin’s voice “Don’t become like me” is what it felt like.
「What the heck are you doing?」
「Well, I’m not really sure what’s going on myself……」
After returning to “The Silver Moon” I explained the entire situation to everyone, and Elise retorted in an astounded voice.
「Touya-dono is going to get married degozaru?」
「What a surprise……」
Yae and Lindsey said with an astounded face, as they stared at the girl clinging to my left arm.
That’s right. She followed me back. It was this country’s princess
Ms. Yumina Elena Belfast.
「I’m Yumina Elena Belfast. I hope to get along with you all.」
The princess politely bows her head at everyone while greeting them. She had an unbearably happy smile, it was heavy on my heart.
「So? Why is the princess here?」
「Yes. As the person who saved my father’s life, I wanted to live together with Touya-sama. It seemed suitable for bridal training. I may trouble you as I am ignorant of the world but, I hope to get along with all of you.」
That’s right. Right after “that” happened, the princess followed me. Just what was the King thinking? It is most important for her to learn about her partner. At least send a guard! Aren’t you at least worried about your daughter? Could it be that there are ninjas in the ceiling?
Just when I thought that, there was a noise in the ceiling ……It’s just a rat, right?
「Live together, here? Is it really alright with you being the princess?」
What Elise said was most reasonable. I thought so as well. Until now, she had been surrounded by many employees, and had everything prepared for her.
Honestly, it was considerably painful and I wished she would go back…
「Please stop speaking formally to me, Elise. For now, I will do whatever I am able to help Touya-sama. I hope I just don’t slow any one down, and will do my best!」
She grasped both fists in front of her chest and had a pose like she was full of inspiration. How cute—janakute.
「……what do you mean exactly?」
Asked Lindsey, who had raised her hand.
「To begin with, I’ll register with the same guild as all of you. I will take on requests as well.」
「「「「Eh!?」」」」
Everyone exclaimed in harmony. Register with the guild… you want to become an adventurer!?
「Wa- Princess? Do you understand what it means to take on a guild request!? There are many dangerous———」
「I understand that. Also, please stop calling me princess. Call me Yumina please, hubby.」
「Please don’t say hubby!」
「Well then, Yumina」
The princess smiles a pleased smile… I mean Yumina. This girl is surprisingly tough.
For the time being please don’t say hubby or Touya-sama. It’s just Touya, Yumina.
「I learned some magic from Charlotte, and learned how to shoot a bow. I think I’m fairly strong.」
「A bow and magic… Certainly, long distance attacks will be helpful. What magic attributes do you have, degozaru?」
「Wind, earth and shadow. I can only summon only 3 kinds of beasts however.」
Wind, earth and shadow. Those where attributes that Lindsey didn’t have. I don’t know her strength yet though…
「Um, what should we do?」
I face Elise, Lindsey, and Yae with my arms crossed. What to do, meaning whether or not to add her to the party.
「…Well for the time being we could wait and see, we could go and take a request…?」
「I see. We could choose after seeing her strength, degozaru?」
「Yeah, well if it’s too dangerous we’ll just get Touya to defend her. It’s decided right?」
I wanted to interject in several places but I decided to stay quiet. I mean, it had a feeling of me not having the right to speak.
We’ll head over to the guild tomorrow. It seems it’s been decided that Yumina would register with the guild.
After that, I arranged for a room for her with Mika (she wanted to stay with my but I absolutely refused), I made meal plans with everyone, and decided to prepare for tomorrow before going to sleep.
After going back to my room, I lay on my bed, finally alone. I’m beat…….Completely exhausted…….
While I was sleeping like a log, I heard my ring tone that I hadn’t heard for a long time and answered the phone. It was a light hearted tune, but I was a little irritated.
When I took it out the caller ID read “Receiving: G.o.d”
「……h.e.l.lo」
『Oh, it’s been a while hasn’t it? Congratulations on your engagement, Touya』
「……How do you know about that? ……Oh wait it wouldn’t be strange for G.o.d to know about that right?……」
『Hahaha. It was just by chance. I decided to take a look at where you were, some pretty interesting things happened』
G.o.d’s voice seemed to be happy.
「It’s not interesting at all….. Getting married at this age is unthinkable you know.」
『She’s a nice girl isn’t she? What’s the problem?』
「No, well Yumina is cute and in the future will become a considerably beautiful woman you know? Her character is obedient and she is desirable too. But this and that are two different things.」
『You’re stubborn. In this world polygamy is actually pretty common; you should go ahead and marry as many girls as you are pleased with.』
Is that how it is……? Because the Duke and King only had one wife, I a.s.sumed that…… Nono, that’s not the issue. I’m not looking to make a harem. (tln; The harem is coming for you whether you like it or not)
『Well, what you end up doing is of great interest of everyone here, do your best ok?』
「What a selfish thing to……N? ……What do you mean by “everyone”?」
『This world’s pantheon. I showed you to everyone and they all showed some concern. Although about half were amused.』
Eh? What does that mean? Isn’t there just one G.o.d?
「Pantheon? There are G.o.ds other than you there?」
『There are. Although I’m tentatively the highest G.o.d there are other lower cla.s.s G.o.ds, the G.o.d of Art, the G.o.d of Love, the G.o.d of the Sword, the G.o.d of agriculture among many others. The G.o.d of Love was especially interested in you.』
The person that stuck their head in other people love affairs, the G.o.d of Love.
『As your relatives everyone is going to attend your wedding. Ah, I’m going to play the part of grandfather though.』
「Now see here……」
Were the G.o.ds that available? For all G.o.ds to attend on the bridegroom’s side as relatives, what does that even mean? It’s true that I don’t have any relatives in this world though.
「Would it be possible to keep them from interfering any further?」
『It would be more accurate to say that “The world of G.o.ds doesn’t often” interfere. But, there is no problem when they come down to the world of humans.』
That’s a big enough problem all on its own though……you lose if you retort. In myths the G.o.ds would often come down and mess around didn’t they.
『Well, anyway. We’re rooting for you. Think hard about living a life with no regrets. We wish for your happiness. Well then, see you later』
「Haa……」
With a vague reply the phone call ended. A life without regrets.
What would happen if I were to marry 12 girls……? The age difference between a freshmen in high school and a 5th grade girl, when I think about it, seems considerable, but 4 years difference isn’t really that big a deal…? My parents were 6 years apart. There were even performers that were married that were 30 years apart.
To start with, I hadn’t even gone out with a girl, so marriage didn’t click at all.
c.r.a.p, I don’t get it. I’m going to sleep.