Reunions and New encounters
[Please note that this is an unedited translation]
Leading Crary, Kains and Fut, Yui was on a standby before the main entrance to the town to meet the princess’s party, which was supposed to arrive at noon.
And then, at an appointed time – little past noon – he was able to confirm that the group that was clearly not one of the regular traders of the area, was coming towards the town.
With just the heaviness of the guards the group showed that the one in the carriage was not an ordinary person: about 30 horsemen in a military formation were surrounding a splendor carriage.
“Boss, is that the party of an honourable aristocrat?”
“Idiot, your voice is too loud. Besides, it’s not aristocrat, it’s royal family.”
When he chided Crary the vanguard escort had already approached Yui and the others, so he kneeled on one knee and bowed his head.
However, his three subordinates couldn’t understand the meaning behind those actions and just stood there stock-still, so Yui hurriedly instructed them to do the same.
“Boss, I happened to accompany Count Samuel once as an escort before, but that coach in the middle is twice[i] as big as the carriage Count Samuel had”, awkwardly imitating Yui’s posture, Crary quietly cracked a joke in a wisper only Yui could hear.
“Indeed, Count Samuel is one of the two nobles here, but as expected he was still outclassed. And that one is used to travel incognito, you know. I saw their majesty’s carriage at the royal capital only once, but I felt like even if I was doing nothing but work for a hundred years, I still wouldn’t be able to buy it, it was that much luxurious.”
Just as Yui was giving Crary that trivial answer, he noticed that the sunlight blazing down on him was suddenly blocked.
Having a slightly uncomfortable feeling, he lifted his head. Before Yui knew it, a person looking like a commanding officer, who had been right beside the carriage until just now, was standing right in front of him, looking down on him from the horseback.
“I’ve heard that the local military attaché was going to show us around, but of all people to think it would be you!”, said commanding officer-like person bluntly clicking his tongue once, and then got down to the ground dismounting his horse.
Because of backlighting Yui couldn’t discern the other party’s face, so he was bewildered by that speech and conduct for a moment. However the silver hair of the man in front of him and a slightly low and powerful voice that sounded familiar, they made him call to mind the nostalgic memories that had been buried in his brain.
“Lute! If it isn’t Lute! Long time no see.”
“Call me Imperial Guard-dono. Before entering upon the escort’s duty I was advanced to the 6th rank and assumed the office of the Commander of Imperial Guards.”
“I see, that’s impressive of you! After leaving the military academy, something like getting promoted to the 6th rank in 6 years after graduation is quite an early success in life”, Yui voiced his surprise when he heard about Lute’s rank.
Usually graduates of the military academy get enlisted to the respective military departments with the 8th rank upon graduation. Then there is a regulation that in 4 years after graduation they get 7th rank, particularly if they serve out their time without hindrances they get their ranks raised to the 6th rank in 8 years after graduation; Lute’s progression was somewhat faster than that.
“Hn, haven’t you run up to the 6th rank in 3 years? Is that an innuendo aimed at me?”
“It’s not like that. In my case I just got caught in political hagglings, that’s all.”
In regards of ranks, Yui was advanced to the 6th rank in 3 years after graduation, and on the surface it seemed that he had achieved an exceptional success in life.
However, in this regard, when the new positions in Karin’s army were established as an adjustment of personnel among each ministry and government office, the need to regulate the ranks of the local staff arouse. That’s why they forcibly raised them in ranks, but in essence the overwhelming numbers seemed to be just dunce people.
“Be that as it may, but this time it’s me who is in charge of the security. Moreover, I’m an Imperial guard, and if you, say, crack a joke about me, it’s inexcusable even though you are the same rank as me.”
Imperial Guards that Lute belongs to is the division under the direct control of the royal family only elites of the Department of Magic get assigned to. That’s why, even though Yui is a senior 6th rank, Lute, who was an Imperial Guard, generally has been considered to have a higher position.
To say nothing of him bragging about being appointed as a person in charge of the inspection this time, declaring such things to Yui.
“Ohh…you’ve got accustomed to getting promoted and giving orders, huh? But I feel uncomfortable as I know you from long ago”.
“Didn’t I tell you not to make jokes? Remember, you are the one who got demoted here. Know your place!”, Lute unintentionally raised his voice as Yui’s thoughtless smile that didn’t change from his student days got under his skin.
And then, as a response to that voice, a clear voice was suddenly emitted from inside of the carriage.
“What is this rumpus all about?”
Hearing that voice, Lute made a surprised expression and quickly turned around to the carriage. Thereupon, when the carriage’s solemn door was slowly opened from the inside, a girl wearing white dress showed up.
One step and the girl’s sheer leg touched the ground.
Her figure stepping firmly on the ground made Yui have an optical illusion of a white heavenly nymph descending to the earth, and unconsciously his eyes were attracted to her.
Golden translucent hair and a beautiful white slender body – the appearance of the girl had enough elements to gather people’s eyes with just that. But more than that, what caught Yui’s eyes and did not let go the most was her gaze gleaming with an overflowing strong energy.
“Thi-this is her Royal Highness Elise. My deepest apologies. This military attaché lacks any courtesy.”
“I suppose he is your classmate from the military academy. On the way here I heard that from Eins inside the carriage. I believe Mr. Captain of the local Department of Strategy was second in your academic year, and you, who belonged to the Magic department, were placed 3rd, right? ”
“Eins?” “Eins!”
Their calls overlapped as if the two of them haven’t been giving off a threatening aura until just now.
As if being dragged out by the voices of those two, blond blue eyed young man who was in the carriage peeped out his face outside with an awkward wry smile.
“Err… Hello, senpais. Or rather, Elise-sama, senpais have never gotten along very well, so please, forgive them. You promised not to say those things, that’s why we talked about it in secret, didn’t we?”
“Oh my, so it was like that. Well, fine. Could you two forgive Eins in deference to me, pretty please?”
Elise showed an innocent smile on her well-featured face, and moderately stuck her tongue out.
The moment he saw that gesture, Lute’s shoulders slowly sagged as if he was reminded of all the troubles he had had before coming here.
“Like I said, Elise-sama, please forgive them. Besides, haven’t I just told you earlier not to get off the carriage as you please when something happens?”
Being concerned about Elise’s safety, Eins said the words he’d been continuously repeating during their trip. However Elise walked out of the carriage like she was not concerned about Eins’s words at all and there was really nothing to worry about.
Elise’s unexpected behavior induced everyone’s commotion, but she seemed not to care and stepped up straight to Yui’s side. And then, she came up to Yui who was genuflecting and bowing his head, and held out a hand to him.
“You are Captain Istats-san, right? I am Elise von Ertobut. Nice to meet you.”
“Yes, that’s right, and it’s nice to meet you, Elise-sama.”
Yui lightly took her thin white hand with his left hand and respectfully greeted her. And then he slowly raised his head to look up at Elise’s countenance.
Thereupon he suddenly noticed a slightly different gaze directed at Elise.
It was that sort of thing that represented a venomous expression, and in order to find the owner of that gaze, Yui went through the circumference with his eyes. Right at that time one soldier who had been guarding the carriage’s rear suddenly ran off his position aiming at Elise.
“H-hey! Stop!”
Reacting to the sudden movement, Imperial Guards that were around have thrown themselves upon that soldier in order to capture him.
However, maybe because their response was a little bit late, but that soldier that started to run hadn’t been caught by anyone, and managing to get near Elise, he unsheathed his sword from the scabbard.
“Bastard!”
Among the Imperial Guards Lute was the nearest person to Elise, but he also didn’t have time to reach out to his sword because it was the matter of instant, so in a hurry he started to cast a magic spell. However, the sword of the soldier who came near has been swung downward with a great speed.
All of the soldiers witnessing this chain of events involuntarily assumed the worst future to come.
However, the one who distorted and shook off that future was the man who gripped Elise’s hand and pulled her to his chest.
“I don’t understand the circumstances, but royal families seem to have their hardships, too. But if possible I want you not to involve me though…”
Glaring at the soldier who stroked and missed at the place where princess’s body was, Yui whispered in a voice no one could hear.
And then, still holding the princess, he made a step forward, and with an empty right hand he grabbed the soldier’s hand that was clutching the sword’s hilt.
“What the….!”
Because Yui showed some unexpected actions, the soldier who was aiming at Elise involuntarily let out a surprised cry.
On the other hand, Yui who caught soldier’s hand said the following while showing an expression of an utmost hatred.
“I am sorry, but this is as far as you can go. It would be better if pointless meetings and briefings didn’t multiply because of you, but….oh well, I guess that’s impossible, huh”
Spitting out those words, Yui turned around to the soldier, and hurled the soldier externally rotating his wrist.[ii]
“Lute!”
The moment Yui’s voice reverberated there, Lute immediately unsheathed the sword attached to his waist and thrust at the soldier’s throat with it.
Seeing Lute’s movement, everyone there felt relieved that an unexpected incident was settled. However, as if sneering at everyone’s relief, the soldier that attacked Elise suddenly grabbed the edge of Lute’s sword and without hesitation thrust it into his throat.
“Wha-… tha-that’s ridiculous!”
Soldier’s unexpected behavior made everyone around involuntarily raise their astonished voices. Only Elise, who happened to witness those actions, burying her head in Yui’s chest, had her body trembling.
[i] actually it’s one size(一回り) bigger, but I believe that he wanted to emphasize the difference in their sizes, and making it only one size bigger doesn’t sound like it’s a big deal, at least for me so I made it twice the size of Samuel’s carriage
[ii]そう言葉を吐き出すと、ユイはそのまま兵士の外側へと体を翻し、手首を外側へと返す要領で兵士を投げ飛ばした。- my best guess is that he did a supinating wristlock(?) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wristlock#Supinating
ErikaWalker 