--Previous Chapter

    *.*.*.*.*

    Inside me, the torture in the darkness continued.

    The headache that came at the same time as the throbbing, the metallic smell that spread inside my nose.  My eyes hurt as if they were stabbed with needles and the loud reverberation in my ears won’t stop.  Someone is talking, but it just keeps going on without me being able to understand the words.  It was as if I wasn’t just hearing it through my ears, but like there were headphones right on my brain.

    Like I was trapped inside a bell at a temple and someone was banging on it from the outside.

    “…-ya… Shibuya…!”

    I desperately try to open my dry, stuck together eyelids.  It felt like I was going to hear my skin ripping apart.  Gold and green dimly enter my gaze.  Beyond that was the same darkness from before with little bits of white light dancing about.  It’s snow.

    The blonde-haired person slightly narrows his eyes and I can see his lips move just a little bit.

    “There’s no choice.”

    There’s… no… choice?

    “Whoa, stop it Wolfram!  He’ll die if you do that!”

    My consciousness rapidly rose to the surface.  Lord von Bielefelt had lifted the metal club and was about to hit me.

    “He lost… -sciousness… so… waking him up that way is too viole-… eh.”

    When I try to lift my head, nausea and dizziness hit me.  I inevitably have to put my head back down.  The back of my head hit something not at all firm.  I have a bad feeling.  This taut, fleshy feeling is…

    “Your Majesty, this is all I can do for you.”

    Just as I feared, my head was in Josak’s lap.

    “Shibuya, here, water.”

    “Gugh.”

    A snowball was shoved into my mouth.  It was Murata.  He’s gripping another one in his right hand.  I suppose he prepared second helpings.  I try to wave my hand to tell him I don’t need it, but my sentiments didn’t get across.

    “Mmph… mpha! What are you doing?!  It went all the way to the back of my throat.”

    “Are you finally awake?”  Wolfram was leaning on the club to relieve some of the pressure on his back.  His expression suddenly softens.  I look around with only my eyes as I stay lying down.  Murata was squatting down and Josak’s thighs are under my head.

    But he isn’t here.

    I use all of my strength to lift my creaking arm and touch my cheek with freezing cold fingers.

    It was wet.  Probably from the snow.

    “Conrad?”

    The third son looks away.

    “Wolf, Conrad was… there, wasn’t he?  For sure.  He was wearing kind of yellow clothes, a uniform like he was a Tigers fan.  Hey Wolf, Conrad’s not here.”

    “Worry about yourself!”  At Murata’s reprimand in an unusually strong tone, I immediately shut my mouth.  “You fell from up there!  Well, in the middle Lord Weller skillfully grabbed you, though.  If he didn’t you would have smashed into the ground and might have broken all the bones in your body.”

    “Up there?”

    A little distance away, there were several referees and workers.  Grey lumps are falling from up high off of snow shovels suitable for areas with heavy snowfall.  Just what are they doing?

    “That’s…”

    “They’re getting rid of the round stage because they have to save the guy that got buried.  You did it, didn’t you?”

    “I did!?  I buried someone!?  Who?”

    “Who… Don’t you remember it at all?”

    I didn’t remember.

    “Does that mean I did it again?  The usual Super High-and-Mighty Mode?  No, before that, buried?  Who got buried?  That’s bad.  Is that person..?”

    “Von Grantz is alive.  Honestly, he’s so tough it’s infuriating,” Josak said as if he was disappointed all the way to the bottom of his heart.  “But, displaying that amazing magic and not having any memory of it is a bit of a loss.  So is only the person himself not knowing how heroic and terrifying he was.  Ah, or maybe it isn’t a loss but a blessing?”

    “I did something dreadful and indecent and grotesque and something to make people suspicious of my character again, didn’t I?”

    “Oh Your Majesty, beauty isn’t everything.  For me, just being able to see you make Adalbert go ‘gyafun!’ was, how shall I say, it pulled at my heartstrings.”

    However, the American Football Macho wasn’t the only one who said ‘gyafun.’

    I timidly reach up to touch my throat and my fingers touch blackish blood that had started to harden.  Luckily it didn’t hurt much, but if I move it will probably open right back up.  And not that it matters, but when is the word ‘gyafun’ from?

    “Why am I alive?  It’s weird.”

    It’s been a while since this happened.  Even if I used magic that surpassed the power of man, these last few times I’ve had a slight recollection of it. But this time, I don’t remember a single thing.  I was just closed in the darkness the entire time.  When I think back on it, I feel as if my body will start shaking from unease and fear.

    “… What’s wrong with me?”

    “There’s always something wrong with you.  It’s not something that just started now.”  Wolfram slowly crouches down.  His movements are awfully stiff.  That reminds me, how is his back?  I hope it doesn’t hurt for too long.

    “Look the other way.  I’m going to do something about that injury on your neck.  Gurrier, do you have a needle and thread?”

    “I do.  Correcting measurements is required if you want to dress all the more stylishly, after all.  That being said, should I sew it up?  I have some confidence in my sewing ability.”

    “Sew?  Without anesthesia!?  Hey, use that healing technique!  You said that you could at least stop someone’s bleeding.”

    “Don’t move.”

    I reach a hand out to Murata looking for help, but he rejects me with a ‘you reap what you sow.’

    “It can’t be helped.  Everyone desperately tried to stop you, but you went on a rampage all on your own, Shibuya.”

    “Aren’t you gradually turning into a malicious character?”

    I caught a glimpse of two people in white clothes out of the corner of my eye.  Their hair is tucked neatly under their hoods and they’re running towards us so fast they’re tilted towards the ground.  The pure white suits them even though they are small and the sense of cleanliness overflowing from them is promising.

    “Hey look, the rescue squad!  We might as well let the professionals handle the medical care.”

    “I am sorry for keeping you waiting.  Oh Your Majesty, you look to be in such pain.”

    “Huh?”

    Cecilie placed one hand to her heart and placed the other on mine.

    “Believe in him.”

    This sincere and calm tone she is using is 180 degrees different than her usual self.  Her eyes were full of kindness.  The very bottom of my spine tingled.

    Huh, so she really is a mother.

    No matter how young she looks or if she charms one man after another and engrosses herself in new loves, she is definitely a mother.  Most likely I’m the only one who didn’t know that basic fact.

    “… I believe in him.” Her face lights right up. “Conrad wouldn’t become my enemy for no reason.  Even just now… I don’t remember it, but he rescued me.”

    I look around while taking care of my stiffening injury, but he is not within my view.

    “Even though he’s not here again.”

    “But he’s alive,” Wolfram said with a sigh.  It seems his thoughts just spilled out of his mouth.  “There’s no better news than that.”

    The referee who had been watching us walked over impatiently.  It was the man who got left on the ground.

    They all look similar so I can’t tell them apart immediately, but I recognize the thickness of his stubble.

    “That’s good enough, rescue squad.  Representatives of Caloria, move out immediately.  There will be an audience with His Highness after this.”

    “An audience?  We’re meeting someone important?  What a pain.  It’s going to be a garden party or something.  Wolf, go as a representative.”

    “Watch your tongue!  His Highness will graciously bestow upon you a drink and personally grant your wish.”

    “We’ll just put that in the suggestion box… Wait!?  Grant our wish?  I won?  Did I win!?”

    “You didn’t realize it until now?”

    Murata and Wolfram looked stunned.  The third opponent was American Football Macho, Adalbert von Grantz.  What cowardly, underhanded trick did I use to defeat a strong, muscle-bound guy like that?  The reason I can only assume it was cowardly is because I understand my own fighting ability.

    It sucks, if I say so myself.

    “… Upsy daisy…”

    I tried to stand up while saying something an old person would, but I couldn’t put any strength into my legs.  This exhaustion is the same as usual.  I even lose my appetite after I use magic.  With Josak supporting me under my arms, I finally stand up.  I have to walk a little bit to warm up my body.

    When I pass by Lady Celi in her rescue squad costume, the former queen gives an impish smile and changes places with the human next to her.

    Looking down, Flynn said one word in a stiff voice without raising her head.

    “… Congratulations.”

    “Yeah.  Oh, no, what are you saying?  This is sort of your husband’s victory after all.”

    She must have not liked something about my response because she stiffened even more and fell silent.  She should be more upfront about her happiness.  Murata played with his ear with a know-it-all look.

    “They’re complicated eh, maiden’s hearts?”

    I wonder if he’s remembering Sister Christine’s Sweet Trap era.

    *.*.*.*.*

    Team Caloria’s Representatives were led to meet royalty by a guide with an armband.  The heroic three contestants and one supervisor.

    We were just in the temple right next to the arena, but for me whose whole body was like jello, long stairways were extremely troublesome.  I won’t let my knees give out.

    “Your Majesty, shall I lend you my back?”