Yeah, so I know I soared through the last chapter I translated in like, a day, but this one took me a whole week XD It would have taken me a lot longer if la_prime hadn"t hooked me up with a scanned version of this book ~<3 i do own="" a="" physical="" copy="" of="" the="" book,="" though.="" actually,="" i="" own="" two="">
[cue long story][Spoiler][/end long story]
So yeah, I have two book 4"s. Well, technically I guess I have three copies now that I have a scanned version on my computer o.o
ANYWAY, I"ll stop blabbering. Standard disclaimer~ This is an amateur, fan translation of the j.a.panese novel, As.h.i.+ta wa Ma no Tsuku Kaze ga f.u.ku! (Tomorrow a Ma!Wind Will Blow!) by Tomo Takabayas.h.i.+. Therefore I make no money off of this. Oh, and it"s most definitely got a few mistakes. How do I know this? I stared at this one sentence for so long trying to figure out how to "english-it" that I fell asleep XD I use the wiki"s spellings for names and stuff (except for Celi"s name because looking at Cäcilie/Cäli messes with my head o.o)
Prologue
Hey, s.h.i.+buya.
If it’s the first time you’ve been cornered by bad cla.s.smates, then it’s the first time you’ve been extorted for money.
Anyway! Even I don’t even know what kind of person I am so please stop making conjectures about me.
So, I’ll try asking you.
Why were you born and why are you alive?
[Spoiler (Scans of Character Profiles)]
“Ugh… Bando, Eiji, you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds…”
Even though it’s morning, peering at me is Lord Weller, his usual charming self without puffy eyes or tousled hair.
“Sorry, it just slipped out. But the alarm bird has cried three times already.”
According to my G-Shock, which is still continuing to valiantly keep the time, it is currently 8 o’clock in the morning. By the way, it’s also November 30th and the first month of winter in this world. One day here seems to be 24 hours, and there isn’t any noticeable deviance in their clocks. So that means that the size and rotation of this planet is about the same as Earth… ah, I can’t really understand complicated things.
Because this was the third time I’ve come to this country, it’s about time I was considered a regular. Even if everything hadn’t gone well, I somehow managed to solve the designated problem and was completely ready and waiting to return to modern j.a.pan – I even changed into normal boxer-type underwear.
As I was struggling to get up, Conrad rubs the corner of my eye with his thumb.
“Yeah.”
I wasn’t able to go back to the j.a.pan where I wasn’t Yuuri(Helping Village) or Yuuri(Gentle Pear Tree) or Yuuri(Distant Lapis Lazuli)(1), where I heard the familiar ‘s.h.i.+buya Yuuri Harajuku Furi, where I was the organizer of a gra.s.s-lot baseball team even though I was just a high school student, where I was captain and Number 8 and the designated catcher.
Wolfram von Bielefelt, with the sleeping face of an angel and the sleeping habits of a devil, has got both his arms and legs wrapped around me, disturbing my peaceful sleep. He had on a frilly-laced, silk nightgown.
“I’m already here!”
“You’re Majesty! What has happened, Your Majesty!? Please open the door! Please open the door-!”
“I locked the door, just in case.”
I quickly put on my custom training wear. It has a design that you only see on variety shows on TV – green with two thick white stripes down the side – and the lack of elasticity is a bit troubling, but it’s easier to move around in than my black school uniform.
“Why are you in His Majesty’s room!? And in his bed!”
“Why is Wolf living with me? In this huge place, there should at least be one or two guest rooms.”
But I was the Demon King.
But I’m past that.
Seeing such an exemplary king, my tutor and royal advisor Günter has been busy crying and being ecstatic. Well, since I’m a guy whose brain seems to just be made out of muscle (a Muscle-Brain Guy, for short), the one who’s been doing all the miscellaneous work is him.
Stepping off the grey stairs and into the courtyard, I start running before the guards have time to pay their respects. Bathed in the morning light, the wintry lawn was sparkling. Under the gra.s.s, there were little icicles. My breaths are white and even the tips of my clenched fingers are getting numb and breathing in the clear, cold air hurt my nose so much my eyes teared up.
“Why do you ask? I’m fine?”
It wasn’t forced on me. I chose it of my own will.
I promised.
“Are Wolf and Günter still fighting..?”
With a boyish short haircut that matched her wheat-colored tan, reddish brown eyes that were squinted in a smile, and was otherwise pretty much like a sunflower, a young girl came rus.h.i.+ng over. Judging from her size, the baby in her stomach was doing well.
“It’s been a while! Have you been well, Your Majesty?”
“Saying he was going to the capital on business, His Excellency brought me along. It’s strange how he’s so nice to me despite how angry he is at Hube.
Both Wolfram von Bielefelt, who is currently occupying half of my room, and Lord Conrart Weller, who is also my training partner, are both sons of the Pheromone Queen Celi despite all having different fathers. I’ve been calling them the three demon brothers who look nothing alike, but lately that claim has been challenged.
Lady Celi, as an advocate of free love, got married to a human who had nothing of worth other than his sword and gave birth to her second son, Conrad. In the middle of these pretty people, he leaves a rather plain impression, but I’ve heard he’s quite popular with the ladies. He’s attractive without being too pretty, good-natured, and a skilled swordsman. On top of that, as a result of something in the past, it seems he’s hiding the heart of a lion within him. Of course the girls can’t leave him alone. Although if I was a girl, I’d have to pa.s.s up this over-accomplished man.
Already halfway to the breaking point, Günter was vehemently arguing with the disrespectful Wolfram.
“Yuuri’s proposed to me, remember? It’s decided that he would want to share a bedroom.”
The beauty countered that desperately with a flip of his hair.
Wolfram pushed his tangled bangs up.
Says the 82 year old. Not wanting to get involved in that troublesome mess, I didn’t say that out loud. Demon blood extends the life of the demons so they’re all about five times older than they look. For a boy who’s just about to turn 16, it feels like a gathering of super old people.
“No need to get so worked up over just sleeping together…” (5)
“Aren’t you two mistaken? His Majesty already has His Excellency Gwendal.” Nicola innocently interjected while she placed a hand on her belly.
I’m simultaneously denying all three of their opinions. As the only outsider, Lord Weller is desperately trying not to laugh. Stop that Conrad. Your one and only baseball partner is being forced into a fraudulent marriage… Wait, rather than a fraudulent marriage, is it gender misrepresentation? Ah, if only Wolfram was a girl… but then he’d still be a spoiled brat…
“Excuse me, sir!”
“Well, I know it’s not public visiting hours to meet with His Majesty but..!”
“Yes sir! Excuse me!”
“Someone requesting an audience with Your Majesty has arrived at the castle gates.”
The aide, or rather the royal advisor Günter, with a dependable voice completely different than a minute ago, steps in between me and the soldier.
“Well, but… um, it’s of a very personal nature… so if possible, um, can everyone leave?”
“It’s alright. We’re all close-lipped.”
The soldier fell quiet for a moment and swallowed before continuing in a high voice.
“Royal b.a.s.t.a.r.d?”
“Yuuri, you jerk, where did you give birth!? Where and when, when did that happen!?”
Being a.s.saulted by this angelic pretty boy, I feel like confessing to anything.
“I di- ugh, I didn’t make anything! In the first place, what is a royal b.a.s.t.a.r.d!?”
“Ahh, like the illegitimate child that the emperor has hidden away like in period dramas. That’s right, the hidden child of the emperor would cause a riot. It’d make deciding the heir super difficult… wait, what? Me? The one with the hidden child who’s the royal b.a.s.t.a.r.d of the n.o.ble is me!?”
Standing next to the completely calm Conrad, my tutor fell flat on his back. His eyes have rolled all the way back in his head from shock.
“What is the meaning of this! You’ve done something so lewd behind my back! This is why I keep calling you a flirt!”
“W-w-wait! Please stop sh-sha-shaking my brain! Li-like I’d have a hidden child after sixteen years of b-being unpopular…”
Nicola, that’s not the right word for that metaphor.
“Even if I killed mosquitoes or c.o.c.kroaches I wouldn’t father a child!”
“Actually… they’re already here… They had a Great Demon Kingdom insignia that only the previous Demon Kings and their relatives can inherit so it seemed improper to not let them pa.s.s…”
“The insignia?”
“I’ve taken my father’s name so I didn’t inherit one. My older brother had one though. The 7th Demon King, King Folger, was once head of the Voltaire family.”
“If so, that brat… no, royal b.a.s.t.a.r.d candidate, is not the king’s child! As His Majesty isn’t even 16 yet and has only been the Demon King for a very short time, not even the sketches for his insignia have been created yet.”
“Then whose, what house’s seal do they have… ah, don’t tell me you guys have another brother or something!?”
“Who is it…”
They had short, curly, reddish-brown hair that didn’t cover their ears and a small puckered mouth. Perhaps because they were in a serious situation, they stood stiffly and their olive skin was pale. Like on a rerun from a drama ten years ago, their thick eyebrows and long eyelashes were manly.
Gender: unknown. Nationality: unknown. Role in Karaoke parties: unknown.
“Wait, what? That kid’s around ten, right? How old was I when they were born? You do know I was six years old ten years ago!? If I was six then I was in first grade! A first grader might be able to make a hundred friends but not a child, right!? This is definitely wrong! They’re definitely not my child...”
“Father!”
Without even the time to enjoy the feeling of becoming a daddy (I don’t want to enjoy that yet), they come bouncing at me like a soccer ball. Contrary to the current situation, I spread my arms, but the child has their arms at their right side.
What?
Turning my body away because of the bad feeling I got without even knowing what the glint was, I lost my balance and fell sideways, slamming my back and right wrist. The silver light slid across the ground like it was crawling and stopped at the feet of Wolfram who was still standing in the doorway. There was a light sound of something thin and metallic.
“What, what happened? Why did I fall? Why did I lose my balance?”
“If there are any injuries on this beautiful body…”
Over my tutor’s shoulder, I can see the young soldier binding the arms of the child. His face was completely pale from the severity of the situation.
“a.s.sa.s.sin? I was almost a.s.sa.s.sinated!?”
Günter made a proclamation made all the more dreadful by his beauty.
“Hey wait, hold up on those punishments you only hear of in period dramas! They’re still just an elementary school student! There’s no way an elementary student would just come up with an a.s.sa.s.sination plot on their own! They may just be being used by someone who brainwashed them!”
“Ow.”
“Ah, maybe I twisted it.”
“Aw man… I twisted my ankle.”
“It’s not like I’m mid-season or anything. I can just let it slowly heal… ouch.”
Sweeping his slightly disarrayed grey hair into order, Günter made a declaration very fitting for a capable royal advisor.
At the same time, the second son spoke to the soldier in a calm voice, eyes still facing downwards.
The soldier gave a bow and ran out. Despite his youth, he can tell which order was appropriate.
(2) He’s referring to this guy. He sings rock songs directly translated to j.a.panese. Directly. Even if the words don’t really fit all that well XD
(4) An actress/singer. She was Jean Reno’s daughter in Luc Besson’s film, Wasabi. She was also in Departures but that movie didn’t exist yet ;p
(6) Golgo 13 is a manga about a professional a.s.sa.s.sin of the same name. It’s been serialized since 1969 and is the oldest manga still in publication.
*.*.*.*.*.*
I climbed the gently sloping hill road while swaying on the back of a horse.
But now that I think about it, there are both birds and cloth here so it isn’t really all that strange for down jackets to be a favored way to protect against the cold. Although there might be a flaw in the design because it’s as heavy as a leather jacket. That makes it pointless.
“Everyone’s walking. I want to get down and walk, too.”
Lord Weller made a quick addition to this statement while keeping his gaze forward.
“I know but…”
I’m despairing that the day will never come when it gets back to normal.
“It’s fine, it’s just twisted.”
“… Have we met before?”
“I’m afraid that Your Majesty has dirtied his hands at my place of work before. You shared your compa.s.sionate heart without caring if they were enemy or friend.”
While that compliment was so embarra.s.sing it made me feel like a bridegroom at a wedding, this girl named Gisela was definitely a combat medic on that day. She was the girl from the healing hands tribe that was working in the field hospital the first time I was called to this world.
“Ah, uh sure.”
Like there was a huge heart there or something, the aching in my ankle receded in waves. The heat in my body converged in a straight line in my arm and seemed to be flowing out of my left hand into her palm as she held it.
“This is the ability of our tribe. We touch the patient while speaking to their heart and whisper a spell deep into their body and spirit which raises the speed of recovery… in order to do that, we need to draw out the patient’s desire to heal and give them energy. That’s why we need to be able to lightheartedly sing a lullaby to even those patients who are on the verge of death.”
She smiles at me lovingly like a mother would a child.
“Really? Even easier than water snakes and bone swarms and mud giants?”
My tutor has been pacing in front of the door where Conrad was attempting to calm him down.
“Your concern for His Majesty is commendable, but Gisela has healed patients with injuries ranging from bruises to severe sword wounds. It should be fine to trust her with something as trivial as a sprain. You should have some faith in your daughter.”
Perhaps it was because I was so happy to have my injured leg resting on the lap of a girl while being treated, but I became fl.u.s.tered as I tried to figure out just who was who.
Since Gisela had started smiling in amus.e.m.e.nt, I turned to her and kept chattering on.
“Great great grandchildren?” Conrad supplied.
Next to Conrad, my tutor was standing still in a startled position. It looked like his shoulders were dislocated and a flood of tears and snot was flowing down his face. The lips he had pressed together were trembling.
“I am not married.”
“I haven’t been divorced either! Why are you saying something so mean!? You know that I am devoted to Your Majestyyyyy!
“Huh?”
Well, whether they’re genetically related or not, the fact that Lord von Christ has a child is undeniable. And what’s most unforgiveable is that he never introduced me to this awesome working beauty. I mean, she’s a female doctor and a nurse and a soldier! Every man has dreamed of this at least once. Although if you asked me what that dream is about, I wouldn’t be able to answer.
“Since I’m a member of your troops, you don’t have to ask my stepfather about things like that as I’ll come whenever you summon me. Anyway, the treatment is finished.”
“Now you just need to keep off of your feet for two weeks.”
“She’s made your body work harder than it should so it’s a bit more brittle than if we had let it heal on its own. We’ve considered everything. Please be at ease. Your Majesty’s care will be taken care of by me, Günter. I will not hinder you in any way.”
“No, it’s alright if you just went on as usual. However, when you walk…” With her nurse smile, Gisela holds out a rod. “Please use this.”
“That’s right. It’s called Windpipe No. 1”
And ‘Windpipe No. 1,’ at that. Maybe it’s a cane that’s supported countless patients and is a prized creation of a skilled craftsman. Now that I think about it, it’s brown and has a sharp and cla.s.sy shape with a T-shaped handle and it looks fairly dignified, all in all. Hey wait, this shape looks familiar. This is just like my grandfather’s favorite cane. In other words, it’s an old man stick.
“With that, you’ll be walking slick like an English gentleman.”
Thinking that it might do something like turn into a machine gun or it had some cool hidden trick, I pulled on the handle like a corkscrew.
“… Flowers come out of it.”
In short, I got really depressed and Lord Weller took pity on me and brought me out of the castle. After leaving town and riding for about thirty minutes, the fallow farmlands ended and all that was left was a single road leading to the mountains.
“You can get down now. Take care not to hurt your ankle.”
The summit was a viewing platform and was surrounded by st.u.r.dy looking guard railings. The wind was freezing, but there are a number of tourists checking out the sights anyway.
“Be careful. Remember to use Windpipe No. 1.”
With one hand, I make a sort of half megaphone and take in a deep breath. Some kids nearby were about to do the same.
“Uffoooon!”
What’s that!? The remaining ‘-hho’ gets stuck in my throat. When the children yelled, everyone else joined in loudly. It was an ‘uffoon’ heaven.
“It’s the preferred shout for a summit. What do you shout in j.a.pan?”
“Well, there’s nothing s.e.xy about that either.”
An old lady who had finished her echoing a while ago glances from my cane to my face before coming over.
“Uh, thank you for your concern.”
But I can’t admit that so I go over to the fence and look down on where I was instructed to.
“Are you cold?”
I’m handed a silver cup smaller than my palm that has an amber liquid inside. Without thinking, I take a sip and my mouth is set on fire.
“I figured it would warm you up. You’re going to be sixteen soon, so you should start getting used to it.”
“I see, in j.a.pan, you’re considered of age at 20. In this country, you become an adult at 16.”
“I wonder. There’s nothing to compare it to.”
As if he’s seen through my thoughts, Conrad gives an awkward smile.
“That was a girl!?”
Just like a popular guy, he’s quick at checking people out.
“In this country, you decide your future on your 16th birthday. In other words, how you intend to live for the rest of your life. Will you take a vow as a soldier, or will you seek prosperity as a civilian? Or, will you protect the souls of the great ones before us and choose a life of prayer? There comes a point in everyone’s life when they must choose. Gwen and Wolf had to choose between their mother and father’s name and I, at the age of 16, chose to live as a demon… not as a human.”
“Gisela must have chosen to live as an adopted daughter of the von Christ family at 16. Once in a lifetime, there’s a point where everything else that comes to pa.s.s hinges on a single decision you must make. For demons, that point is their 16th birthday.”
As my footing started to get unsteady, I was overcome with a bad feeling. Something admirable just comes out of my mouth.
“Why?”
“Oh, he’ll do nothing of the sport.” (4)
I feel like the temperature suddenly dropped.
Seeing Conrad opening his mouth, I was struck with an ominous feeling. I shook my head roughly and waved my hands back and forth. It seems like my body was rejecting this too.
“You seemed a bit down so I figured I’d try and make you laugh.”
I’d thought it was strange for a guy to be this perfect. He’s got a good face, voice and personality and it can easily be said that he’s talented and clever. He’s got a troubled past and doesn’t have children nor has he been divorced. A young man that perfect couldn’t be real, no, in fact they shouldn’t exist. I secretly thought he must have a serious flaw somewhere and was keeping it secret. Like, he had severe athlete’s foot so his socks had a raging stench when he peeled them off or when he took off his clothes his chest hair was like a beast. Or maybe even his charming smile was actually just veneers.
“Conrad, you don’t ever have to think you need to cheer me up ever again. Do you understand? Not even if the world is ending.”
“That’s not fair after messing up one time. Please give me another chance.”
“Are you ready? He’ll do nothi-“
“AHH! Forget it! I’m good now! The only thing not good is my leg!”
Leaning on the rough fence with a just-got-some-veneers, nice-guy smile, Lord Weller bent forward slightly. Even though no one was listening, he lowers his voice like he’s telling me his plans for a prank.
“Disappear where?”
“To rehab.”
(1) School sports team managers in j.a.pan are different than their western counterparts. Their main duties are to keep score, wash the player’s uniforms, keep their equipment in order, etc. and it is almost exclusively a girl’s job.
(3) Uffoon (uffun) and ahhan are stereotypical s.e.xy noises. I would have made English versions of this, but uh, that didn’t work out so well XD Anyway, basically it"s like everyone on the mountain is yelling out s.e.xy noises. Takabayas.h.i.+-sensei, you scandalous, scandalous lady ;)
End of Chapter 1!