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[Please note that this is an unedited translation done back when I still didn’t know what I was doing. It should get better with time, so please stick with it a little longer to understand if you are interested in the novel itself or not. I just don’t want you guys to drop it because of my shitty translation right away so…. I promise I will get to editing one day >_<]

Nearing midsummer the rampart of the royal capital Ertobur[1] dimly reflected the light of the sun burning with red.

Beside the massive south gate, which is called that Ertobur’s main gate, there is a side gate that is usually used for transportation business with the outside.

The gate is mainly used by people like merchants for export and import of trading goods from other towns; it was a place where usually a garrison of a several people on a standby would protect the gate.

Straddling a horse, a gentle looking black haired man in the first half of his twenties was coming directly to that place from the direction of the castle. Rubbing his slightly sleepy eyes the man slowly advanced the horse, and soon stopped the horse near the gate.

It was because he noticed the existence of a person who was obstructing his way leaning his back to the closed gate.

“At such busy times, what are you doing in a place like this?”

When the black haired man, sitting on the back of the horse, saw the blond young man standing in his way, the bitter smile appeared on his face.

Thereupon the blond blue eyed young man with neutral features[2] spoke without removing his gaze from the black haired man.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Yui senpai… Do you really intend to go this road?”

The man sitting on the horse, who was called Yui, slightly hesitated over that question. And then, like he was trying to engrave on his mind the figure of the kouhai standing before his eyes, he slowly looked over him from tip to toe.

When Yui first met him, he was still a boy who has just approached his rebellious age.

But now the young man before his eyes who was wrapped in a blue armor and blocked his way, as the scars engraved in that armor indicated, had already grown into a brave warrior who has experienced a battlefield.

Although such growth felt deeply emotive, seeing in person the kouhai whom he left as is, forcing all his own work at the royal capital to him, Yui dismounted a horse and, scratching his head apologetically, said the apologies.

“….Sorry, I caused you troubles”

Although the blond young man made a troubled look, he tried to persuade his senpai, whose habit of scratching his head never changed, to make reconsideration.

“Don’t be concerned about me. Rather than that, please, think about yourself a bit more. Emperial general Rin’en[3] is said to be a wary person. Even if it’s senpai, there are no guarantees of being successfully promoted anywhere.”

The current kingdom of Claris[4] was not in the state to be able to detain Yui anymore, and the blond young man understood that, too. Nevertheless, even if he understood that with his brain, he couldn’t help but try to detain him.

Although he digested the words of his kouhai comprised of these feelings, Yui shook his head and told the reality of this country.

“Listen, Eins[5]. During the recent field battle at Sohbaklien[6], the royal army has lost almost all its soldiers. It was already decided by the majority. ”

“I know that. But why is it only senpai is doing such…”

Seeing his kouhai’s unbearable expression, Yui closed his eyes to not see such his figure. Then the past days spent with Eins run about behind his eyelids like a revolving lantern.

If you think about it in terms of time, it was only a small quantity.[7]

Remembering that nostalgic memory, the inner corner of his eye was on the verge of getting hot, so Yui softly opened his eyes. Thereupon, the young man before his eyes completely overlapped with the boy who just now was running about inside his eyelids.[8]

“Thank you, Eins. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to walk this road.”

The moment Eins heard Yui say those words, he understood from their long acquaintance that he couldn’t persuade his senpai. Then letting out a big sigh, he slowly opened with his own hand the door, he’s been leaning on with his back up till now, and a road to a plain with thickly growing green grass opened before Yui.

“The next time we meet, it will be at a battlefield”

“Yeah, I’m entrusting this country to you. And that grieving person, too”

When Yui spoke about a female floating in his mind, he slightly chewed his lips. But, noticing his kouhai’s meaningful look, Yui very deeply hung his head hiding his expression.

“Haha, understood. But you, too, senpai, don’t do anything reckless. Because of that person, too”

Saying that with a tender smile, Eins quietly hold out his right hand to Yui, who was still hanging his head.

“You do know that I don’t like handshakes, don’t you?”

“I do.”

Even if he expressed a confirmation, without understanding the meaning, Eins didn’t lower his right hand, to what Yui made a troubled expression and scratched his head. Then dismantling a long sword[9] attached to his waist, he put that katana into Eins’ hand as a replacement of his right hand.

“It’s a substitute for a handshake. I’m leaving it in your care as a farewell gift. Look, don’t use it. Because, it’s only custody[10]”

Showing a childish behavior like slightly puffing up his cheeks, Eins involuntarily laughed aloud to a Yui who was forcing his favorite katana to him.

Thereupon, maybe because he was attracted by that laughter, Yui, too, loosened his expression and emitted laughter.

For some time the two of them were wrapped up in a gentle mutual laughter. And like that, with a mutual relaxed smile, Eins made a big nod once, like he let himself be consented and said parting words facing Yui.

“Well then, I’m going to borrow senpai’s soul combined with his position for a short while. Of course, you can believe that I will return it right away, though. So, take care of yourself”

Receiving kouhai’s words, Yui slowly nodded. Then he straddled the back of the horse, and started to advance ahead with a stride.

And before his gaze appeared a vast land of greenery and a perfectly clear blue sky, and also a pitch black group that was like dividing them. Right, ascending in tens of thousands of black soldiers, the army of the empire that came to invade Claris stretched out there.

Illustrations – Top – Chapter 1

[1]エルトブール in Japanese. Not sure about romanizatons, but I like Ertobur more than Ertobul, so…

[2]中性的な顔立ち

[3]リンエン

[4]クラリス. Till the very end I wanted to write it as Clarith, coz I thought that ‘th’ at the end makes it more name-of-a-kigdom-ish…(О_О) Clarith, Claris, Clarith….? what’s better, I wonder…

[5]エインス

[6]ソーバクリエン

[7] 時間にすればほんのわずかの時間であった。Wat?

[8] I know that the sentence sounds strange.

[9]長刀

[10]いいか、やるんじゃない。預けておくだけだからな

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