Volume 5 Chapter 219, Love Interests At That Time_5 (Seaweed)

Translator: Nonon

Proofreader: Silavin

 

POV: Ash

 

“Kuh, you guys have become stronger…”

“Ugh…. I would have… preferred to hear those words on a different occasion… please at least stay at the castle during the New Year and put Father at ease…”

“Alright~”

 

We were catching our breaths as we caught Lady Scarlet, who had changed out of her dress who knows when and was trying to sneak out of the royal castle.

In terms of physical abilities alone, she was at the same level as Char, just as equally gifted in magic, and had ample combat experience as an adventurer. It was quite a challenge to catch her without causing a commotion.

 

“… Still, you’ve really changed, Vermillion.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, up until now, even if I tried to sneak away, you would have left it to somebody else and not chased me.”

“…? That is certainly true… maybe?”

 

She observed the tired Vermilion with interest, and Vermillion looked puzzled by her question… Still, it was a strange sight to see the third prince immobilize the second princess by holding her wrists behind her back.

 

“Ash also asked the butlers who aren’t Nobles if they had seen me and thanked them properly. I also felt like Char was watching more calmly than usual, and Ecul’s demeanor seemed different compared to when I saw him the last time… You guy have all changed.”

 

 

Now that she’s mentioned it, I wonder if I’ve changed too.

Just like how my turning point was Mary slapping me with tears in her eyes, Char and the others were also influenced in some way and changed. They are still in the process of changing, so I can’t yet judge whether it’s a good thing or not…

 

“I think I prefer you guys this way more. Is it the influence of Mary Sue after all?

 

I feel like many people around me have commented that this is a positive change.

Father doesn’t seem very pleased with the change in me, but Mother smiles at me more often now.

If this is due to Mary’s influence, then it must be a good thing. I don’t know why, but it makes me happy.

 

“In my case, Mary has had a big influence, but I think I was also influenced by Baron Heartfield.”

“By Clo?”

“Recently, many of my classmates have started acting strange. It’s been giving me headaches, but when I remember Shiki we went to before… a place where far stranger people live, I somehow feel calmer. It makes me want to do my best with what I can first.”

‘… I see. You have your hardships too, Ash…”

 

I should add that the people who I’ve brought up above are still better than people in Shiki, but the list also includes Vermilion and Char present here.

However, they’re still better off than my female classmate, who developed love for ‘little boys’ and decided to become a tutor to start educating them early on, the Baron’s Son who developed such deep attraction to Nuns that he decided to become a Priest, the student who started sleeping with vegetables and the student who started dressing as a Black Mage and eventually started feeling out of place.

 

“I want to meet her even more now, that Mary Sue… Hey, Vermillon.”

“No.”

“I haven’t said anything yet. Hey, can you let me go? Look, I’ve fulfilled the bare minimum required of me by showing myself in a dress to Father, so I can leave already!”

“No.”

“As your Older Sister, I want to see my Younger Brother’s potential Wife-to-be! So let me go to Shiki!”

“No. To be more exact, there is no connection between meeting Mary and going to Shiki.”

 

Lady Scarlet was certainly saying something strange.

The way she worded it sounded as if Mary was in Shiki.

 

“Huh? Isn’t she in Shiki right now?”

“… What do you mean?”

“Well, I overheard a conversation between a very pretty peddler and the Principal, and she said that there was an alchemy magic user at Shiki at the moment.”

“Could that have been Kriemhild? Umm… there’s another person, other than Mary, who can use alchemy magic. She’s good friends with Violet.”

 

If it was just somebody who uses alchemy magic, Nephrite also fits the description.

That alone was not reliable information, and just as Vermillion said, there was a higher chance it was Kriemhild. She has a sensibility that perfectly fits Shiki.

 

“No, the word is that both alchemy magic users are there.”

“… I see.”

 

If it’s both, then Mary must also be there. However, surely the conversation between some peddler and the Principal lacks credibility. There are literally all kinds of peddlers. While some of them believe that the most important thing is trust, there are also those who only think about deceiving you. Furthermore, if you’re dealing with information brokers, it’s dangerous to even use them as reference unless you trust them—

 

“Scarlet, I’m going to Shiki too. If you arrange for me to come with you, I will help you sneak out.”

“Vermillion?”

 

What is the Third Prince, who could potentially bear the future of this country saying? His tone sounds serious, but surely he does not actually mean it.

 

“Wait, Vermillion, you still have a role to play at this party. Besides, if she’s going, she will need a guard. My Father, the Knight Commander and the others cannot go because they are guarding other important people, but as his Son, I can move freely and am deeply trusted, so I will go.”

“Char?”

 

What is my childhood friend with a promising future who has the Knight Commander and the Archwizard as his parents even saying? His voice also sounds serious.

 

“No, I will go with her. Chartreuse is just the Son of the Knight Commander. While I can immediately summon multiple guards, and His Majesty is confident in my abilities. I am sure he would trust me more.”

“Ecul?”

 

What is this the bespectacled Earl’s Son, who’s highly regarded by the King for his magic ability, even saying? Don’t make your glasses shine like you’ve made a good point.

 

“Wait, you guys. Are you really going to Shiki based on that kind of unreliable information? Peddlers are pretty unreliable-“

““If there’s a chance Mary is there, surely we have no choice but to go!””

 

 

What’s wrong with these guys? Are they under some mind-corrupting spell?

Why do they look like they’re saying ‘why are you asking something so obvious?’ Are they stupid? They have to be stupid.

Vermillion was saying something like how he lacked Mary components, but could those guys also be suffering from similar symptoms?

 

“Oh yeah, why don’t we all just go together?”

“Good point. The Third Prince, the Son of the Forsyth Family, and myself, the Son of the current Knight Commander… with all of us together, we won’t be lacking in fighting power.”

“That’s true. We can even deal with assassins. Ash doesn’t seem to be coming, so maybe we should leave the rest to him and head towards Shiki already.”

 

How much of a burden are they planning to put on me? Don’t mess with me!

They’re all perfectly capable of fending for themselves, but if they were to sneak out, it would most likely raise a lot of questions considering their positions.

However, their faces and the tone of voice sounded serious. I might as well add those guys to the list of people who are prohibited from using the Warp Stone and restrict their movement.

 

“… I don’t know why, but I’ve suddenly become worried about the future of my Younger Brother and his friends… I feel like it would be better for me to meet Mary for a different reason now…”

 

While barely overhearing the mutterings of Lady Scarlet, who was in some way the root of all this, I set about persuading them and after one hour I somehow managed to convince everybody. Honestly, I think I was able to use all my abilities in that one hour.

Mary once told me, “if you don’t give your best every once in a while, you’ll forget how to give it your all”, but I wish I had the opportunity to do so on another occasion.

 

 

… I think I’m going to offer a prayer that things like this don’t continue to happen this year.