V2C3 Part3

Translated by Mlzkzr Edited by Mlzkzr

It seems to have been a facility for reinforcements and hadn’t been used for a while. It wasn’t very dirty, but the air, walls, and floor were cold.

Haruto murmurs as he lit the fireplace with 『Flame』.

“What the hell, was that. I look li~ke an idio~t.”

However, when Kyrie closed her one eye, she waved her fingertips from side to side.

“Tsk, tsk, you don’t get it at all do you, Haruto. It’s got to be that thing.”

“What the hell, is that thing?”

“It’s the love of different status! Unrequited love!!”

“……Tuh!?”

For a moment, he thought his heart would stop.

“Wha,what…… are you talking about?”

Kyrie, as if it was no good —— held her forehead.

“You can understand it if you look at it. That handsome guy, he’s in love with his own maid.”

Maid, you said…… Leina? Eh?

“Wait a minute. That Vario guy, is Iris’ fiancé——”

“Tha~t’s wh~y it’s interesting, isn’t it!”

Kyrie’s eyes sparkled.

“Is this some kind of love triangle? A little scandal?”

The girls, who usually hate Absolute like snakes and scorpions, are now enjoying talking about them and squealing about it.

Haruto then looked out the window.

Iris, said that Leina might like Vario.

If I believe the words of Kyrie and the other girls, it seems that Vario also likes Leina.

So that means, it’s mutual?

There are no other people around the area where I had a conversation with Vario.

Haruto felt an irresistible urge to talk to Iris.

“I’m going to go outside for a minute.”

“That no good, Haruto. The principal is going to lead us on a tour of the fortress and its defensive walls.”

“What? Then, when we’re done with that…….”

“After the tour, each group will be asked to summarize what they saw. Afterward, we will gather in the cafeteria to eat.”

Basically, everything seems to be a group activity.

It was unlikely that they would ever get a chance to be alone together.

〇〇〇

It was dinner time, and they have gathered at the cafeteria.

It was a meal for all of us together, not for each class. If this would be the case, I’ll have a chance to meet Iris face to face.

“Haruto Shindou. I didn’t expect to be at the same table as you.”

“Ah, I’m sure there will never be a meal that feels as bad as today’s.”

Right according to plan!

Like that, Haruto did a guts pose inside his heart. However, it’ll be difficult for the two of them to be just alone.

The arrangement was Blaze on the right of the long table and Absolute on the left. Since the dining room is so small, it is impossible to sit apart from the other students.

Moreover, the cafeteria isn’t reserved only for the students of the academy. The cafeteria is inside the fortress, and the guards take turns coming in the place to eat, so it has no room for luxury.

—— According to the principal,

“This is also a chance to hear the raw stories on the actual site. Be proactive in your interactions.”

it was like that.

——But,

“Go o~n, go o~n, welcome! I heard that there was a shortage of various supplies, so this Adelina-chan rushed to help!”

Someone suddenly occupies a part of the table and spreads out a store.

“Oh, seriously! Amazing, there are drinks and snacks!”

“I heard that there was no sake in the rations, so I tho~ught I’d bring it to you in case it might be needed! I’ll share it with you at a special price, you kno~w”

“I don’t drink sake, so ……”

“Fo~r tha~t one, wou~ld you like some sweets?”

“Ooh! Chocolate from Leopardo’s, a famous store in the Imperial Capital!! I’ll buy it!”

Soldiers swarmed the place, and it was very prosperous.

“I’d rather have you, than the food, though”

“Adelina-chan, right? You’re really sexy, aren’t you? At that age, those breasts are dangerous!”

There was no end to the number of soldiers who tried to seduce Adelina, while looking at her whole body as if turning papers. However, for those guys——,

“Ahahaha, I have a secret book for y~ou, o~nii-sans~”

Like so, Adelina dug her fingers into her cleavage and pulled out a thin book.

“Oooh!?”

It seems that the same magic as their uniform pockets is applied at her cleavage. When she hands the book she extracted to the soldiers, they were nailed to the gravure of the book.

“It’s an adult magazine from Horizo~n suyou . These big breasted and buttocked onee-san, are already showing off their nude figures! This time, I’ve especially warmed it to human skin temperature!”

“This is the body temperature of boobs …… besides, this is…… uncut, isn’t it…… I,is it fine? This is…… a crime”

“No, no, it’s legal! In Horizon, we sell this stuff normally.”

“““Horizon is amazing!”””

The soldiers who saw the book, bought every last copy from her.

“Please travel to Horizon for your vacation! There are so many fun things to do there~”

Like that, her commercial spirit is strong to the end.

On the other hand, Luminous is——,

“Ah…… I never thought that an angel of light would come to such a remote and dangerous zone.”

“Please save us. Has the God of Light forsaken us?”

In front of the soldiers kneeling at her feet, Clara answered with a gaze full of compassion.

“If there are people out there waiting for God’s teachings, no matter what the difficulties, we will come nodesu . Even in a land of ice covered with thick clouds, light will shine through nodesu . The God of Light, will never abandon you desu .”

“Aah! God…… Lux”

The Luminous Religion is a small country, but its followers are everywhere. If you add up those numbers, it will probably be the largest nation on the continent. It’s a religious state with influence that transcends borders.

“Clara-sama, I would really like to offer you some hospitality, but …… at any rate, in a place like this, I can’t reward that precious act …… I beg your forgiveness.”

Clara held her wand with both hands, closed her eyes, and prayed.

“……We are not looking for a reward nodesu . Guiding the lost and leading them to a deeper path of faith …… that’s what brings my joy nodesu. ”

“Ah…… how sacred. A true angel of light……”

“We can also fulfill this mission without feeling fear and despair…… Lux”

Clara’s eyes then popped open.

“That’s right —— nanodesu ”

“Yes?”

“In this place, I heard that there is the church site of Sai Bianchi mentioned in the Gospel nodesu, but…… is it here?”

Perhaps she was looking forward to it, the excitement is exuding from her facial expression.

“Well now…… I’ve never heard of it, though. Does anyone know?”

“I’m sorry. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Is that…… right……”

At his indifferent reply, Clara dropped her shoulders. She looked so disappointed that her followers panicked.

“I,it’s not in here, bu,but you can at least take a hot spring tonight and relax!”

“……Hot spring, is it nodesu ?”

“Yes. It’s the only thing I look forward to. If you go towards the forest from here, you will see some huts with steam rising from them. Those are the hot springs.”

“Is that so nodesu …… we let the hot springs heal us nodesu ……”

Clara answered with a weak smile.

“Ah, but please be careful. The black building which was closest to the forest, is cursed.”

“Cursed? That isn’t peaceful nodesu .”

“Yes…… there’s a popular rumor that the ghosts of soldiers who died in the battle against the Northern Demons (Tempest) come to the hot springs to bathe…… None of the men in this fortress approaches it.”

“If Clara-sama gets dirty, it’ll be a big problem. Please, stay away from it……”

Hearing the explanation now, there was a flash of inspiration in the problem of Haruto and Iris.

——That’s it!!

There’s a moment of eye contact.

There were no words uttered between Haruto and Iris. However, at that moment, both of them understood.

A place where people don’t go near.

That’s a good place to have a secret meeting.

Haruto hurriedly shoveled down his meal, and then quickly left his seat.

“Heyah, Haruto”

“Yeah, I can’t eat while looking at these guys’ faces. I’m going back first.”

After leaving the cafeteria, he hurried to go outside.

Where is that hot spring the soldier was talking about?

Remembering that it was close to the forest, Haruto headed for the dark, dense forest.

I have to find it before those guys find me…… Just as he was thinking this, a soldier came from the other side.

——Hmm? That guy is,

The other party also stopped, while giving Haruto a sharp look.

“Where are you going. Haruto Shindou.”

“Just taking a walk, Vario Harkonnen. Saying that, what were you up to”

“It’s a patrol. I don’t know if there’s going to be an attack by the Northern Demons(Tempest).”

There was snow piled up on Vario’s head and shoulders.

“You’ve been making your rounds quite carefully.”

“Since at mealtime, we’ll inevitably be short of hands. The patrol route will also be longer.”

“……You, are the commander here, aren’t you? Why are you doing such a short end of the stick work”

“If those at the top don’t take the initiative in fighting, those below won’t follow.”

Haruto found it surprising. He had always thought that nobles let the commoners fight, while they just gave orders from a safe distance.

“Moreover, it’s been hard on everyone. I want them to at least have a break during meal time. I didn’t get the short end of the stick, I am willingly taking charge of this time.”

“……That’s an admirable gesture.”

“I don’t want to be like you Blaze bastards, just saying whatever you want to say from a safe distance.”

“What?”

“Indeed. Because you’re not on the northern border, you’re leaving all the defenses to my Absolute, and on the contrary, you’re aiming to stab our backs.”

“That’s because you know you were doing something to Blaze that would get you stabbed, right? That’s why, you’re trapped in such paranoia. Besides, the Absolute was actually bordering us. If you want our help, why not ask for it?”

“Hence, you can’t do a job like running a country. You only think about your surroundings. Trying to judge everything in the world with the value of a cooperative system. You don’t have the vision to see the big picture.”

“You’re just reaping what you sow. After trampling on others for so long, when the time comes to join forces for the sake of the world, it’s too hard for you to ask.”

Vario exhaled a sigh.

“It seems that no matter how much I try to explain, Blaze just can’t seem to understand.”

“That’s, my line.”

The two glared at each other, but Vario walked away as if Haruto was no longer in his sights.

As they passed each other, Haruto remembered Vario’s attitude toward Leina.

“Hey, Vario. What did you come to this place for”

“What?”

Vario’s feet come to a halt again. However, instead of turning back, he discerned Haruto’s voice on his back.

“A nobleman of your stature, shouldn’t have to come out to the front lines like this.”

“……Haruto, have you seen the Absolute imperial capital Ice Gulls?”

“Ah”

“It’s the most beautiful city in the world. And many people are living there happily. I want to protect that city and the people who live there. For that reason, it doesn’t matter if this body gets exhausted.”

“By people, you mean Leina, don’t you?”

“……”

He couldn’t see Vario’s expression as his back was turned. However, the replies that had been coming back to him without hesitation stopped.

“The moment you saw Leina, you forgot yourself and flinched. That isn’t anger at Leina. You were so worried about the other person’s safety that you yelled at her. That’s what it looked like to me.”

“Leina is just one of the people I have to protect. Besides, I’m engaged to the princess.”

“……Do you, really like Iris?”

Again, Vario was at a loss for an answer.

His eyebrows quivered slightly.

“Oy, Vario”

“Let me tell you something!”

Vario shouted as if to cover Haruto’s voice.

“We aristocrats are no private individuals. Everything I do, is for the good of my country. The same is true for marriage. It doesn’t matter who I’m dealing with, as long as it’s in the best interest of the country.”

“But Leina, probably likes you.”

“……So how about it”

“So you’ll also trample on Leina’s feelings like that huh”

Vario then turned around.

“You’re a commoner, what do you know!!”

There was a look of anger on his face.

“The commoner Leina and I can’t do anything about it! We’ll only make each other unhappy!”

“……”

That’s as good as saying that he likes Leina already. And Vario is also aware of Leina’s feelings.

In other words, Iris, Kyrie and the others were right.

Vario started walking again.

“In front of the traditions and history of the Harkonnen family and the empire, we cannot resist!”

“Wait, Vario!”

“If you’re going to trample on my feelings, then! Aren’t you, the one who’s been idiotically fighting!?”

“What did you say?”

“I’m asking you why you didn’t use magic.”

“……”

It was bull’s-eye.

Haruto had dared to have a match with him without using magic. Certainly, with Vario’s skill, he could win with swordplay alone, or so he thought.

In addition, he felt a little bad about embarrassing him in front of Leina so much. However, it seems that this willfulness has hurt Vario’s pride.

“If you ever do anything like that again, I will not tolerate it.”

Haruto could only stare at Vario’s back as he moved away.

〇〇〇

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