Chapter 149
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 149 – The End of the Meeting and the Fiance’s Current Situation
It was the fourth day since they arrived on the island.
Normally, people who had met would exchange greetings at the end, but this did not happen between the two countries.
As per the agreement, diplomatic relations between the two countries would be severed when Ishtalika and Heim left the island.
Considering that, there was no need for a final greeting…
“Well then, we look forward to hearing from you.”
“Very well. By the way…”
Although it was a different matter than the greeting, Elena made the final checks with Warren.
The other Heim members had already boarded the ship, so Elena had only a few guards standing at a distance.
Behind Warren, Lloyd also stood at a distance.
Elena checked the communication with Ishtalika via Euro.
She checked it one last time, just to be sure.
Then, as they finished, Warren spoke up with a question.
“The First Prince never showed up… did he come?”
“Yes. Well, His Highness the First Prince is a bit of a recluse, and it seems he was busy on the ship all the time…”
Hearing this, Warren understood.
He probably brought a woman with him and was having fun on the ship all the time.
If that was the case, there was no need for him to come at all, he thought.
“Hahaha. Let’s pretend we didn’t hear that.”
Even if it was only for a moment, it was not good manners to hesitate to serve the prince of the country.
Elena must have something to say as well, but Warren pretended not to listen.
“Thank you. Then this is really the last time.”
“Yes. So, when you come to Ishtalika, please cross over to Euro via Birdland and leave a message for our ship.”
“Yes?”
“What do you mean by yes?”
No, it’s no wonder she was surprised.
If she comes to Ishtalika, she had to go to Euro via Birdland?
It was only natural to be confused when she was told something like that.
“N-no. Since diplomatic relations have been severed, what exactly is the point of coming to Ishtalika…”
“You are a family member of someone who has been good to His Highness. Of course, I have no intention of forcing you to part with them now.”
Warren spoke as if it were natural to Elena, who was stunned.
“…I spoke to Krone last night as if it were our final farewell.”
“Oh? I’m sure Krone-dono knew.”
“It seems that my own daughter was the one who carried this out. Could you please tell her that the next time I see her, I’ll start by giving her a good scolding?”
It seems that her daughter was really influenced by Warren.
It seems that she has somehow acquired this kind of unpleasantness.
Warren smiled and agreed with Elena.
“I understand. In that case, I think you should enjoy a pleasant chat with Graff-dono.”
“I am truly grateful that my father-in-law has received such a special favor.”
“Oh, no, no. That’s not true at all. After all, the growth of the August Trading Company was supported by Graff-dono.”
During the meeting, he was someone she hated, but as they talked, she realized that Warren was a very pleasant person.
Elena thought it would be nice if they could be friends like that without any problems, but that was just a fantasy.
There was no chance of that happening in near the future.
Elena smiled softly as she listened to some of Graff’s stories.
“Well then, I’ll go back soon. I’ll wait for a call from Euro.”
“Leave it to me. Then we’ll meet again in our country.”
And so Elena turned and headed for Heim’s ship.
Warren watched her go for a while, then let out a light breath and turned to head for Ishtalika’s ship.
“All that’s left is to sign the treaty via Euro.”
“Yes, it’s easy once we’ve come this far.”
“By the way, I overheard a conversation about the First Prince…”
“Hmm… It’s no big deal.”
Lloyd, who was acting as an escort, asked about the content of the conversation.
He was especially curious about the First Prince.
“It seems that the First Prince is obese.”
“…That’s a great way to put it.”
[T/n: When Elena said recluse, she used 出不精 (debushou), which means stay-at-home, and it’s probably a pun since debu means fat/obese in j.a.panese.]
As he spoke, the Prime Minister of Ishtalika smiled mischievously.
＊＊＊
This was a few minutes after Warren and Lloyd returned to the battleship.
After confirming that Elena has returned to the ship, Heim’s ship left before Ishtalika.
Especially Ralph doesn’t want to see Ishtalika’s face again. So he urged them to set sail, but Tigre had a regret.
That was, he hadn’t been able to see Krone’s face one last time.
He had thought of many lines to try to persuade her to return to Heim with him, but Krone had not come down from the Ishtalika warship even once today.
Naturally, he asked Warren about it, but he was told there was no need for her to come down.
Even though he had stayed up all night, he couldn’t help but feel wide awake.
Tigre appeared on the deck to get some sea air to change his mood.
…and it seemed that someone was already there, and that person also noticed Tigre.
“…Hmm. What, isn’t that Tigre?”
“Father. What are you doing here?”
The person on the deck was Ralph.
It seemed that Ralph was looking at the island, which was gradually shrinking.
“I just wanted to get some fresh air. Why did you come here, Tigre?”
“It’s the same thing. If I consider this the end of my time with Krone, I have a lot to think about.”
“Forget that woman. There must be better women at Heim.”
His words were a mixture of irritation towards Ishtalika and a desire to comfort his son.
Tigre didn’t like those words.
After all, Krone’s existence iwa too big for Tigre.
The thought of her at the side of the hated Crown Prince made him uneasy.
The thought of them being lovers made him feel as if his heart would break from jealousy.
He strokes her beautiful hair and kisses her lips.
He doesn’t know how many times he felt sick at the thought that it wasn’t him.
“There must be beautiful women in our country. Elena is good looking, but so is Logas’ wife Alma. And… oh, that son of hers, Grint’s fiancée, is good-looking too, isn’t she? Anon-dono is also a wonderful person.”
“I won’t deny it, but for me Krone is…”
It was true that Krone was beautiful.
She was the kind of woman Ralph would want to hold in his arms, and it’s easy to understand why Tigre wanted her as his wife.
He didn’t say anything about it in front of Tigre, but that was the truth.
But Ralph thinks, “Was my son really a man who could be so easily influenced by women?” He doesn’t say that he should be as loose with women as his eldest son, Layfon, but he wishes that he could be a little more relaxed about it.
“When you come back to Heim, have a woman. It’ll make you feel a little better.”
“I’ll think about it.”
At that moment, they both let out a lazy sigh.
“Your Majesty! Your Highness! Please step back! There’s a sea monster…!”
A knight who was standing guard on the deck mentioned the approaching sea monster.
“What… what has appeared!?”
As the ship Ralph and the others were on panicked, knights appeared from the surrounding ships, readying their bows and other weapons.
Among them, of course, was the ship Logas and the others were on.
“It’s a… Kraken! It seems like it’s still a child, but it’s dangerous, so please get inside the ship!”
When they heard the word ‘Kraken,’ not only Ralph but also Tigre’s face turned pale with fear.
In Heim, the Kraken was a monster that appeared occasionally.
It was the lord of the sea, feared by adventurers and fishermen alike. Even though it was only a child, it had appeared, so it was natural for the group from Heim to be terrified.
…but two shadows from the island approached the Kraken before anyone else.
“Father! Something is approaching…”
Two bodies the size of the Kraken approached.
Their speed was extraordinary, and even the migrating fish could not keep up.
The knights drew their bows and fired, but there was no sign of an arrow hitting the fast-moving shadows.
There were three monsters. It was hopeless…
Just as they thought that, two shadows came and pierced the Kraken’s head without a care in the world.
“Kyu! Kyua!”
One of them was happy to see the Kraken.
“Munch, munch, munch, munch, munch!”
The other forgot to be happy and just kept biting the Kraken.
The sight was madness, and the Kraken, the feared lord of the sea, had ceased to exist in a matter of seconds.
The tentacles with their suckers were still moving, and the occasional tremor made it clear that it had been alive until a moment ago.
Just when they thought the Kraken had appeared, this happened.
Not only Tigre and the others but also the knights could not understand what was happening.
They could only stare in astonishment.
“W-what the h.e.l.l are those things?”
Ralph was the first to speak.
He didn’t understand what was going on, and he didn’t ask anyone, but he shouted.
But as soon as Tigre calmed down, he remembered what they looked like.
He thought he saw them when they landed on the island.
“Father…! Father! Those two are the monsters of Ishtalika! The monsters the Crown Prince is keeping!”
“Those two…?”
When he saw them on the island, they didn’t look like monsters that could move so wildly.
But look at what they’ve just shown them─they’ve made the Kraken, the Lord of the Sea, their prey with a single blow, even though there were two of them.
Seeing this, they seem even more terrifying than the Ishtalika fleet.
“Munch, munch, munch!”
“Munch, munch, munch!”
The twins continued to eat their prey in silence, paying no attention to Heim’s agitation.
Even though they were surrounded by Heim’s ships, their behavior remained unchanged.
“But don’t worry, Father. Apparently, these two don’t harm humans.”
“…I-is that true?”
“Yes. As proof, they haven’t harmed us.”
Hearing Tigre’s words, Ralph breathed a sigh of relief and approached the railing to look at the twins.
“Hmm. They are not such bad looking monsters. Unlike the people of Ishtalika, they’re smart enough to help us.”
Ralph spoke with a confident expression, a complete change from before.
He praised the twins like this because he didn’t know their true feelings.
“Look, you two. I’m going to give you a reward, so turn this way.”
When Ralph called, the older sister, El, responded to his voice and raised her head, bringing her face closer.
El’s face was as big as her huge body, and for a moment, Ralph was confused.
But Ralph was in front of his men.
Thinking that he must not appear weak, he opened a nearby barrel and took a salted fish from inside.
Then he looked at El and called to her again.
“This is a reward. Take it.”
He tossed the fish to her, and El opened her mouth to catch it.
After making sure it wasn’t poisonous, she moved her mouth and tried to enjoy the taste.
“…..”
She tried to enjoy it, but El’s expression gradually turned sour.
Then, unable to hold it in any longer, she spat it out onto Ralph’s body.
“Kyuu… Peh!”
The twins like fresh seafood.
After all, it is only natural that all fish and sh.e.l.lfish given to them as food or for hunting are fresh.
Besides, although salted fish was a dish like that, it was not to their liking.
And most of all, they didn’t like the saltiness of it.
“Wha… w-w-whaa…!”
The remains of the Kraken and the salted fish.
Then, he was covered in a mixture of El’s saliva and other things, and his whole body became slimy.
Ralph’s face turned red like a boiled Kraken.
Was something happening at sea?
Thinking this, Al also comes out of the water and stands next to El.
What he sees is his sister, who looks very unhappy, and an old man who has been splashed with something.
“…Gyaa?”
――What are these guys doing?
At first glance, Al’s expression showed that he had no idea what was going on.
The only thing he understood was that his sister had said something.
――Maybe it’s some kind of game.
Thinking that, he watched them both.
“…G-get away from His Majesty!”
A knight on another ship, sensing the danger, fired an arrow.
“…Kyu?”
Of course, a simple bow and arrow would not penetrate, and not a single scratch would be made on El’s scales.
In other words, there was no pain at all, but unfortunately, El understood immediately that she had been attacked.
Even though she was usually relaxed, she was also aware of her role as king of the sea.
She thought about who could give her orders. That’s why she was irritated by attacks on her, no matter how they started.
“…..”
She touched the spot where the arrow had hit and confirmed that it had indeed hit her.
Then she looked up at the sky, turned back to the knight who had shot the arrow, and let out a loud roar.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…
Some of the knights of Ishtalika would have recognized the voice.
Especially Ain, Chris, and Dill, who had heard the roar from close range.
The disturbance of the sea dragons a few years ago.
When El shouted with a power that was not so different from the sea dragon that had appeared then, she showed a different appearance than the sea dragon of that time.
“What the… what is that…!”
“It’s a… sea wall!”
As the knights panicked, Ralph lost his nerve and fell to the deck.
In the midst of it all, El showed them the sea wall.
A circular wall of seawater had formed around Heim’s fleet.
Although it did not seem to be pressing in, it was like a cage that intimidated Heim’s party.
Like the waves that occur in the sea, the surface of this wall was also covered with many rough waves.
“I… have never seen… such a sight…”
Even the great General Logas was simply stunned by this sight.
He couldn’t say it out loud, but even Logas couldn’t do anything in a situation like this.
What will happen now?
The knights began to feel uneasy, not only Ralph but also the others.
Al, who had been silent until then, tapped El’s body with his fin.
“Gyaa!”
“Kyuee!”
Don’t get in the way.
El looked like she was going to say that, but when she saw what Al was pointing at, she changed her att.i.tude.
“Kyuaaaa!?”
“Gyaa, gyaa.”
What he was pointing at was the figure of a half-eaten Kraken.
The Kraken that was left over was one of the twins’ favorite dishes.
They had last eaten it at the time of Viscount Sage’s matter, and they hadn’t been able to taste it since then, so this wasn’t the time to do something like that.
“Hmph… Kyuu!”
――You escaped your death.
With an att.i.tude that clearly suggested that she had just said that, El returned the sea wall to its normal state.
Then, she and Al worked together to transport the Kraken using the ocean currents.
After that, they would probably taste it near the Ishtalika fleet.
“Are we saved…?
“…I-it looks like we are saved.
Tigre answered Ralph’s voice.
In contrast to when it came, it was seen to return slowly, but it was understood that it was leaving the vicinity of Heim.
“What on earth is that monster…?”
Ralph, who has lost the strength to stand, hits the deck while lying down.
He was making a fool of himself, but he no longer cared.
“…I-I don’t want to have anything to do with Ishtalika anymore! d.a.m.n it!”
Ralph’s sad cry echoed through the quiet sea.
＊＊＊
That evening.
The capital of Heim was shrouded in silence.
And on the riverbank of that capital, a girl sat alone.
“Oh, there you are.”
The man who called to her smiled happily when he saw her.
“Ed. It’s been a while.”
“It has been a while. You’re as beautiful as ever.”
“I told you my name before, didn’t I? My name is Anon now. Can you call me that?”
“Oops, sorry.”
Ed sat down beside her.
Ed had brought a large leather bag, which he placed in front of Anon.
When the leather bag was placed, something rolled out of it.
“Is this what you wanted?”
“I don’t want to see it, so can you just tell me what’s inside?”
“Inside are the second prince and Logas-dono’s mother. There are also some n.o.bles who seem to be suitable.”
Ed replies confidently, and Anon replies curtly.
“Hmm. I see.”
“…Did you not like it very much?”
Hearing the curt answer, Ed asked with a nervous expression, as if he were talking to his first love.
“Not particularly. It’s not bad, but I don’t really like using this method at first.”
Seeing Anon’s expression, Ed hastily made up an excuse.
“No, it’s not that! I want to make it as conspicuous as possible for you! I thought it would make you shine even more…”
“I said Anon, didn’t I? I don’t like kids who don’t listen.”
“I’m sorry, Anon-sama.”
“――Hah. Well, it’s okay now.”
Anon ended the conversation as if she was tired of it.
She rested her chin on her hand, looking bored, and started talking while looking at the river.
“You’re really good at martial arts, aren’t you?”
“Oh, I’m honored to receive your praise…”
“Speaking of which, when did you lose before?”
Ed was about to be pleased by the praise, but Anon’s words interrupted him.
There was no way he could be happy about losing.
“Speaking of which, the last time was… when you lost to the Black Knight’s vice captain and managed to escape.”
“Hahaha… you hit a sore spot.”
Ed suppressed a wry smile as his cheeks flushed.
“It’s okay. You were up against a pure fighting monster. Even if you were able to buy some time, that’s good enough.”
“Next time, I’ll definitely kill that armored b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
“You can’t. He was influenced by me too, so I think he’s already dead.”
Anon talks about it with a smile, but Ed, on the other hand, was so frustrated that he began to grind his teeth.
For Ed, it’s a story he wanted to forget.
The fact that Anon told him about it made him feel worse because he couldn’t take his frustration out on Anon.
“Even if you fought now, you’d win, right? Even if he were alive, how much would he be weakened?”
“If he’s influenced by Anon-sama, maybe a few percent of his prime?”
“That’s right. If you feel refreshed after defeating such an opponent, you can do whatever you want.”
“――Well, should I just forget about it?”
Ed replied as if he had given up.
“That’s the right answer.”
When she said that, Anon stood up lazily.
Ed tried to support her, but she brushed him off with the back of her hand.
“I’m sorry. I have a fiancé now, so I can’t let another man touch me.”
“So you won’t let me do it like before?”
He looked at Anon with a sad expression as if he had been rejected.
“Yes, that’s right. He’s a good kid, you know? He’s so sweet, I can’t help but wonder what he’s doing right now.”
“I’m jealous.”
“If you touch him, I won’t know you anymore.”
“Of course not. I won’t do anything to make you sad, Anon-sama.”
“No fooling around either, okay?”
Ed nodded, looking frustrated and as if he had experienced humiliation as Anon repeated her orders.
“But were you okay? There were probably even little children in the n.o.ble family, right? I thought you didn’t like kids?”
“Yes, I don’t like them. But I’ve become more tolerant of them.”
As he spoke happily, Anon became interested.
“Tolerance? Where did you learn to be tolerant of children?”
Glad that she was interested, Ed answered in a cheerful voice.
“When I was away from Euro as an adventurer, I lived in Ishtalika for a while. I had two children in the city of Ist.”
“Hee… boys?”
“No, they were both girls. I got tired of that life, so I came back to Euro, and that’s how it is now.”
“Oh, that’s terrible. Aren’t you going to take the children with you?”
Even as she said it was terrible, Anon put her hand to her mouth and smiled.
“That role is over now. They’re not my family or anything, so they can live as they please.”
“You really sacrifice everything to play a role.”
Anon didn’t know how he had become such a personality.
However, he still did his job well, so Anon had no complaints about that.
“I am honored by your praise. So, what should I do from now on?”
“Well… you can relax somewhere for a while. But if I have something to do, I’ll have you come right away.”
“Yes. I understand. Then I’ll leave for today…”
Ed muttered as he disappeared into the darkness of the night.
She didn’t like the means, but she liked the fact that the job was done.
Anon hummed happily.
“Oh, that reminds me, he’ll be back before noon. I must go and greet him.”
Today was a good day.
Her subordinate had finished his work well, and her fiancé would be back tomorrow.
It was natural for Anon to be in a good mood when she thought about this.
“If I spoil him by patting him on the head, will he be happy?”
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