TL/Editor: Butter Cat

    Status: 4/week mon-thurs

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    〈 Chapter 54 〉 Chapter 54. Hide and Seek.

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    "—Sis Sia!!"

    ".........."

    At the sound of my name, I reflexively turned around.

    Even without seeing her, the moment the first syllable of her voice calling my name reached my ears, I could immediately tell who the voice belonged to.

    But even so, I couldn''t help but turn around.

    Because there was no way the person I knew could be here.

    This wasn''t something I could simply dismiss with an ''Oh, I see.''

    Why. How.

    The two questions, relentlessly gnawed at me, their tails intertwined.

    "Heehee, it''s Sis—"

    "....Ali....ce..?"

    Standing there, where I turned to look, was a child wearing a jet-black robe with an eye-catching pattern of red flowers.

    My ominous premonitions were, strangely enough, never wrong.

    As expected, I was able to accept reality with that short phrase.

    A small child.

    The outfit, clearly reflecting someone''s taste, seemed way too big for the child wearing it.

    The hood, which was large enough to cover her entire face with room to spare, to the point where I had to lower my gaze to barely see her cute little mouth.

    The sleeves, despite being bunched up several times, still dangled down and threatened to slip down her arms.

    And the long hem of the robe, dragging on the ground, making me worry if it would trip her.

    She looked like a child who had secretly borrowed an adult''s clothes, but the outfit somehow suited her, looking incredibly adorable, perhaps thanks to the child''s inherent charm.

    But even as I watched her, my heart was filled more with bewilderment than joy.

    "Uu... Uuu, uncomfortable."

    Swish, swish.

    Was it because the hood was obstructing her vision, preventing her from seeing properly?

    The child seemed to be trying to walk straight towards me, but she was stumbling and swaying, unable to find her footing.

    It was a sight that made me smile involuntarily.

    She tried to lift the hood to see better, but her arms, reaching out from beneath the loose sleeves, couldn''t easily achieve their goal. Instead, and every time she tried, the bunched-up sleeves would come undone and slide down, leaving her in a predicament.

    To describe it in two words, flustered and clumsy.

    But there were people with nothing better to do, watching this clumsy sight with full attention.

    And unfortunately, I was one of them, staring at her with my mind blank.

    … Unfortunately, indeed.

    —Thud!

    "Ah, ow—!?"

    """…!!!!"""

    Such a precarious sight.

    It evoked contradictory emotions within me, a desire to see her bump into something, yet hoping she wouldn''t. That sight had instantly captured the attention of the people around.

    Everyone held their breath, their eyes following the child''s every step.

    In the end, the miracle created by the twisted and childish desires of the adults, was finally realized.

    When she bumped her head against a nearby streetlight with a small, dull thud, I could clearly see everyone around me lowering their heads, trying to suppress their laughter.

    The unification of humankind.

    If such a concept, existing only in our imagination, were to materialize, perhaps it would be this very moment.

    But I cautiously question whether this peace achieved through such means truly holds any meaning.

    "......"

    However, I couldn''t even tell if the expression I was making was a smile or not.

    …Alice, why are you here…

    "......"

    "Heehee….!"

    Alice, who was standing crookedly and seemingly annoyed as she glared at the streetlight she had bumped into, let out a high pitch laugh. I wondered if she was angry as I took in the sight.

    The words I couldn''t utter, turned into a long sigh and dissipated into the air.

    **

    Alice.

    That child had appeared here, at the academy, in the heart of the Akard Empire.

    For some, it might be a shocking event.

    For others, it might be something that was bound to happen.

    But, it wasn''t a big deal in itself.

    The Museion, a royal academic research institution.

    The academy, a place where they brought in ''promising'' individuals from other kingdoms and educated them.

    This place, serving both purposes, might seem closed off and heavily guarded, as if you had to spend each day under strict surveillance, but the truth was quite the opposite.

    It was actually much more open than one might expect, and even ordinary citizens living in the imperial capital could freely enter.

    As if they were going for a walk in a park.

    …Well, maybe ''a walk in the park'' is an exaggeration.

    Anyway, the reason for this was related to the purpose of the academy''s existence.

    Of course, the academy also served the purpose of instilling pro-imperial ideologies and policies in the students, and as a holding ground for hostages to prevent other kingdoms from recklessly attacking the empire.

    But those were just byproducts.

    The true essence of the academy was to elevate the national prestige through ''publicity''.

    The vassal kingdoms, voluntarily offered their important personnel to the empire.

    By showing that they were not oppressed, but treated with respect for their human rights, the empire could create a positive image not only for the surrounding kingdoms but also for its own people.

    That''s why the Museion was also known as the ? ''the display case''.

    It was a museum to widely showcase the loyalty of the kingdoms under the rule of the empire and to show that the Empire is strong and thriving.

    Therefore, both outsiders and insiders could freely enter and exit the academy.

    What if a suspicious individual with an unknown identity entered and caused a disturbance?

    One might ask that, but in the first place, such a person wouldn''t even be able to enter the imperial capital, let alone leave a single footprint nearby.

    And the possibility of causing trouble while evading the eyes of the escorts of the foreign nobles attending the academy, the patrol units that regularly made rounds, and the staff stationed everywhere with polite smiles, was practically zero.

    So, the fact that Alice came here wasn''t a problem.

    Yes.

    The fact that she ''came here'', wasn’t. sea??h thё Novёl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "—Who is that child?"

    "Is she... lost?"

    "......!!"

    Little by little, more and more people passing by stopped and stared at Alice, who was standing there, lost in her own world, their eyes filled with curiosity.

    A noble''s maid.

    A noble''s bodyguard.

    Or, nobles from other kingdoms.

    People whose words could travel a thousand miles from just their mouth.

    They had become one, looking at Alice.

    Perhaps they were captivated by her adorable actions, or they were wondering about her guardian who was nowhere to be seen, or maybe they were mesmerized by the child''s beauty, which was revealed for a fleeting moment when her hood shifted.

    The reasons varied, but the more important fact was that ? many people had started to notice Alice.

    Yes.

    Alice''s ''survival'', might be revealed—

    —To ‘her’.

    ".......Damn it."

    The crowd gathered.

    The murmurs, grew louder and louder.

    The onlookers, who had been just a few at first, swelled to over a dozen in just a few minutes.

    And unfortunately, this was the path I had to take to get back to my dorm, so as time passed, the crowd wouldn''t disperse, instead, it would become even more difficult to even get through them.

    What should I do?

    What should I do right now?

    It felt like I had just turned to a new page on my exam paper, only to find it completely blank, with only a few minutes left on the clock.

    I forcefully wracked my unresponsive brain, desperately trying to come up with the best possible solution in the current situation.

    And the only answer that came out was—

    —Right, let''s kidnap her.

    Once I had made up my mind, I ran straight towards Alice without hesitation.

    ".....Really, this is driving me crazy."

    "Sis Sia~"

    Unaware of the situation, Alice''s steps were slow as she saw me and started walking towards me.

    It was only natural, of course Alice wouldn''t know what the problem was.

    She had just come here to see her sister who was attending the academy, that''s all.

    So the problem was me.

    Our selfish decision, made without even considering the child''s opinion or thoughts.

    Like a sweltering night that seems to be burning, and a sudden downpour from the sky.

    Amidst that, Saelli and I had decided on the direction of our lives.

    To forget the sad past and live happily together, the three of us.

    To hide and distance Alice from her miserable past and connections.

    Even though I knew it was wrong, it was the best we could do.

    Saelli was nowhere to be seen.

    The fact that she, who was always by Alice''s side, was nowhere in sight meant that she had entrusted me with Alice.

    For her to leave Alice like this without a word, it meant that something serious had happened.

    But if that''s the case, I wish she had at least talked to me.

    Of course, Saelli wouldn''t have known that ''Remi Akaia'' was at the academy I was attending.

    If she had known, she, who was always cautious, wouldn''t have trusted me and left Alice here alone.

    Tap.

    "—Waaah!?"

    "...We''ll talk later!!"

    The child''s weight, as light as a feather, rested in my arms.

    I ran straight towards Alice, and without slowing down, I scooped her up and carried her over the shoulder opposite to the one carrying my sword.

    Whether she was quite surprised by my sudden action, or unable to grasp the current situation, Alice let out a strange yelp, but I didn''t have the time to indulge her playful antics right now.

    I''m really sorry.

    Because I had to get out of this place, right now.

    "Heeheehee—!! This is fun~!!"

    "Heave-ho-ho-ho—!!"

    Like a student who had just snatched a cat from the street and was running home, I grabbed the cat named Alice and quickly ran back to my dorm room.

    The peace I had found in my daily life.

    It began to skew again.

    **

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