Even when I could properly use my abilities, I had a certain level of confidence in being able to resolve situations.
No matter what the circumstances were, the fact that I could cancel them out and revert to the most favorable conditions was a tremendous privilege. Honestly, it’s rare to find characters in other games or comics with abilities as good as mine.
The problem is that I can’t use that ability right now.
Thanks to that ability, my image was hanging by a thread, and more than anything, without my powers, I felt utterly helpless in front of the situation.
Was that Masked Girl still somewhere out there, laughing at me?
Thinking about it made my insides boil, but for the moment, she didn’t seem to have the intent to kill me. If her identity is one of the people I guessed, then that’s probably how it’ll be going forward… maybe.
I need to be wary of the fact that she tried to shoot Alice, though.
Thinking about it that way, the current situation could be seen as quite good for me. I have no idea what would happen if Masked Girl charged at me, but at least there were quite a few people who could protect me if Lucas rushed in. Each one might fall a bit short of Lucas’s prowess, but I doubt Lucas could win if they all charged at him at once.
That doesn’t mean this situation was truly without any ‘problems,’ though.
“…So.”
Jayden wore a really rare expression of ‘serious anger,’ which was hard to see on him most of the time.
“You mean to tell me you spent the night with my sister?”
“Uh? No, it’s not like that…!”
“How does it mean that?”
Finally unable to take the situation anymore, I jumped in between Jayden and Leo to speak. Otherwise, Jayden seemed ready to swing his sword.
“Both you and that punk were together in the same place—”
“Lord Sword Saint was also there, though.”
“Right. No matter who you are, you’re not gonna interpret that situation like that.”
Even Sword Saint, who had been spouting tedious lines just a moment ago, now had a look of exasperation as he addressed Jayden.
“But clearly that guy—”
“I would appreciate it if you refrain from emphasizing the term ‘one night.’ Are you deliberately throwing that term around? Oh…”
I swallowed the word “literally” down my throat.
“…Do you wish to tarnish my honor like that?”
“I don’t think we need to break that word up midway through.”
Seeing Jayden say that with a look of disappointment, I ultimately couldn’t help but place my hand on my forehead.
“…I’ll clarify.”
I spoke while trying to maintain the calmest voice possible.
“Leo studies in the same academy, in the same classroom, and is also from the same student council. Plus, I have a friendship with his sister Claire, so naturally, Leo and I are friends too. Even after this year passes, we still have three more years ahead of us to face each other, so I suppose our friendship will deepen.”
“Of course!”
No, stop getting angry over that. This isn’t elementary where kids tease you for holding hands with a girl during a school trip’s folk dance.
“Just because a boy and a girl are together doesn’t mean they’re necessarily in that kind of relationship. Oh… do you want me to be lumped into the rumors just because I talked to another noblewoman at the ball?”
“…”
Jayden had no response.
Ah, right.
This guy probably wasn’t popular with girls.
If Lucas is a character who has many admirers yet shows no interest, then this one is the type who has interest but just isn’t popular. Though described as a handsome man, strangely, he doesn’t attract girls…
I mean, it’s not that strange. He has a setup where he talks endlessly about the fancy sword he made or his exploits on the battlefields every time we converse.
In other words, he’s the type of character who talks about the military in front of girls.
…Wasn’t there also a setup where he never actually danced with any girls at the ball?
“Unless it’s a girls’ school run by an orthodox church, it’s perfectly natural for girls to have light conversations with boys. There’s no need for you to interrupt everything.”
I turned my head to look at Leo. Leo had a slightly touched expression. I mean, it must be shocking for the Baron’s son to get scolded directly by a prince. Given that the Crown Princess stopped him herself, it was worth being grateful.
“Has our conversation progressed beyond the mundane into any sort of romantic feelings?”
“Of course not, obviously not!”
“Even at the Sword Saint’s cabin?”
“That’s right!”
Claire eagerly nodded along with Leo’s words. Jayden looked back at the two of them, then turned his intense gaze back to me.
“Is that so?”
“Indeed.”
You idiot. I would never actually verbalize what I was thinking.
If I was in a situation where I could freely use my regression ability, I would have certainly said something like that.
Well, I guess it’s partly my fault that the situation has turned out like this due to my lack of those abilities.
Jayden slowly lowered the hand he had been resting on the hilt of his sword. Then, he let his hand hang pitifully.
Hmm, not that I feel particularly sorry for him.
“And more than anything…”
Like she was trying to hammer the point home, Alice spoke up, having quietly listened.
“No matter whom Sylvia marries, that’s none of your concern, right? If Sylvia brings a guy she likes, are you going to react the same way?”
“Well, of course—”
As Jayden was about to say that and looked towards me, he suddenly shut his mouth.
I was proud that my expression was one of neutrality.
However, the thing is, that neutrality can be interpreted differently depending on who’s looking at it.
…At least I was glad that Jayden still didn’t know enough about me.
*
And just like that, the already chaotic situation was driven further into chaos. Why do people keep gathering? Even the most important people in the empire are here. It’s like S●sb brothers or something.
“Oh dear, oh dear.”
Naturally, Leo and Claire were flabbergasted by that voice. Even if they didn’t know that thick and deep voice, anyone living in the empire would surely recognize the face of the Emperor.
“I apologize for not coming to see you immediately upon your arrival, Your Highness.”
Seeing him talk like that to a Sword Saint who looked to be almost twenty years older, you have to say the Emperor was being quite emperor-like.
The Emperor’s gaze, which entered the training ground for a brief moment, slightly landed on me. With a smile of amusement on his lips, he seemed to be certain that I must be up to something.
Which, to be fair, I am.
“Oh.”
And even Sword Saint smiled as he saw the Emperor. Not bowing his head even once shows that he too is no pushover. Not caving to authority, as seen in the original work, makes it expected.
And—
BANG!
The Emperor instantly drew his sword from his waist and charged at the Sword Saint.
What kind of explosion sound comes from swords clashing?
The mere swishing of two unsheathed swords created winds around us. While it wasn’t fearfully violent enough to blow things away, it was ample to cause my hair and clothes to flutter.
“……”
Silence.
Both the Emperor and the Sword Saint swung their swords and exchanged glances while laughing. The smiles on their faces made one question if they could truly be called ‘smiles.’ It didn’t seem like they particularly disliked one another.
“You still seem quite vigorous, old man.”
“You’re the one who never leaves your seat, aren’t you?”
……Huh?
Before I could even question that line of dialogue, the two quickly sheathed their swords back into their scabbards.
Then they reached out their hands, grasping tightly and shaking hands.
Wait, what’s happening?
It seems I wasn’t the only one thinking that way. Alice, of course, and Leo, Claire, and even Jayden were wide-eyed in astonishment, staring at the two.
“Well, I certainly didn’t expect to see you like this again.”
The Emperor said with a friendly tone he had likely never used before.
“I didn’t know I’d end up coming to such a troublesome place either.”
The Sword Saint casually replied.
……So they know each other?
Well, I had somewhat anticipated there would be some acquaintance, but I never expected they would have a friendly relationship. I just thought it was one of those cases where a famous person and a president are aware of each other’s existence.
“In that case, you should compliment your daughter. After all, I was tricked by her into coming down here.”
Ugh.
As soon as Sword Saint said that, everyone present in the training ground turned to look at me at once.
Ah, uh….
Well, I mean, I suppose that happened…
I only intended to bring the Sword Saint with me. I just wanted to provoke Lucas a little and have a conversation.
How did it escalate to this point?
Everyone watching me had expressions that screamed, “He’s plotting something magnificent.”
……
If Masked Girl happens to be my future self, or perhaps someone else I’m close to, I wouldn’t mind.
When the time comes, I will definitely make sure to smack her until she cries.
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