CH 18

Never Say Anything About Today.

Translated by Mlzkzr

Edited by Mlzkzr

The city of Pindus, at a drama play establishment.

There is a stage in front.

Then, opposite of it, there is a space which almost seems like a bar.

At such a bar, the customers enjoy the play while eating and drinking, it’s a style shop that has become popular in the last decade.

Thereupon, while properly eating with their fingers there, I look at the adventurer of the talks, the legendary great mage named Io.

“Unexpected meeting, right”

A woman came sitting next to me at the same table.

In a shop like this, it’s very unusual to have a shared table, and I was surprised because there are still vacant seats around me.

Why is it? I became even more surprised when I turned to the side.

“You …… no, you* ……” (TN: The first ‘you’ was anta(which was more casual), and the second one was anata(which was more formal))

To say it in other words, the other party has such a social standing.

Lina Mi Aegina.

She came as an inspector just a while ago, and is one of the royals of the Aegina kingdom to which the Canoe family belongs to.

That Lina, has appeared in the city of Pindos for some reason.

“Such etiquette is needless, you know.”

“……Got it.”

You want to hide your identity huh.

If it’s exposed that she’s a royalty, she will be specially treated. Some types don’t like such that kind of thing, too.

Particularly in a store like this, it’s even more so when it comes to entertainment.

I called the clerk, and lightly ordered additional dishes.

Until it is delivered, I spoke to her with a feeling of enquiring her situation.

“Why are you here? Another inspection?”

“What are you playing dumb for? I’m here for your inauguration ceremony next week.”

“……Ah”

I smiled bitterly.

The Canoe family, who is a Baron, must perform a ceremony within its capacity for the inauguration of the new head.

My elder brothers died all at once, so it had been extended, but now it’s time to do it.

In formality, I have sent out invitations to the royal family and nobles, but usually, at a baron-level ceremony, letting their messengers bring words and congratulatory items are the norms.

Lina herself came to me.

“Thank you”

I gave my thanks for the time being.

She didn’t react, and watches the play without speaking anything.

She doesn’t touch the food, and simply drinks to moisten her lips.

She might be a silent, standard, quiet type of person, isn’t she.

If so, this the scene where I would leaver her alone, but this is a tough place to proceed.

『Someday, show me the size of that bottomless vessel, and your seriousness. 』

The other day, I remembered the words that was said by Lina to me.

She’s aware, that I’m hiding my true abilities.

I wonder how to deal with such a girl ―― when I was thinking of that, the other party cut me.

“You, when do you get serious?” (TN: LOL, when he’s drunk)

I was quickly hit by a straight ball.

It’s a strong fastball without any decoration, but I’m saved since she came straight.

“I won’t show it”

“Throughout?”

“Throughout”

“Are you interested in a position higher than Baron?”

“Not at all.”

“What do you want? Money, or woman? If you want the best beautiful woman of the royal family, you can have it, you know.”

Lina is completely persuading me.

Money, woman, authority.

Favorable terms that make even ordinary human beings contented with just one of them, were lined up by her with this.

“I’m sorry, but”

“Is the time still too early”

“It’s not the matter of time”

“I’m persistent”

I give up, she looks really persistent.

That being said, it was the same case last time.

Lina doesn’t have the atmosphere of moving in this place.

Waiting patiently, she has that atmosphere.

If she said so, well, there’s no problem――

Goto.

Making a small noise, something fell on the table.

Looking at it, the cup that Lina lifted and used to moisten her lips was rolling on the table, and the contents are being spilled.

As for Lina who dropped the cup, with her one elbow, she was trembling in addition to looking downwards.

“Oy, what’s wrong!”

“Don’t be flus,tered…… it’s the usual thing”

Lina spoke so, but her face is pale.

She doesn’t look in good health very much.

“See, you……”

Lina staggers and tries to stand up.

I wonder if I should leave her as it is, but she couldn’t stand up, and her floating butt came back to her chair.

It seems to be so painful that it’s difficult to even stand up.

“Are you sick? I’ll bring you a doctor.”

“I’m fine …… it’s the usual thing”

“I don’t see that!”

“Be, quiet”

With her index finger put out, Lina pinned my mouth down.

The people around me are so absorbed in the play that they don’t look at me ―― but if I make more noise, it’ll be suspicious.

Lina meant that I should not act in a way that attracts attention.

When she lifted her hand off my lips, she turned over her clothes a little.

At the boundary between her clothes and skirt, right beside to her navel, there was something like a black human face.

“This is……”

“A parasitic monster, I don’t know its name because it’s an ancient monster.”

“Parasitic”

“It’s parasitic to both my soul and my body, and it continues to suck magic power and physical strength endlessly. That’s what it is. I’m okay, I won’t die. If the host dies, this fellow will also die.”

Lina has a paper-like complexion, but by simply enduring it, it feels like she’s certainly used to it.

“…… Why would such a thing happen to you.”

“It was my fault when I was very young. As I was playing in the castle’s treasury, I’ve unsealed a treasure possessing a curse.”

“I see”

“……Kuh”

Lina moans more painfully than before.

There seems to be waves in pain, and just now, it was a big wave.

“What’s wrong!”

“What I’m going through is, quite agonizing, so…… don’t tell, anyone.”

She raises her face, and stares at me.

Despite being affected in quite a pain, she stares at me with her eyes more than that.

That’s quite embarrassing.

…… I wonder if I should say this.

I’ve seen the one who’s tormenting Lina in a book.

How to deal with it, I know.

I picked up the cup that Lina dropped.

10% …… is okay huh.

Holding the edge, I fill the cup with something hanging from the palm of my hand, and I presented it to Lina.

“I won’t tell anyone. Rather than that, drink more water. It’ll be a little easier.”

“……Nn”

Perhaps it was so painful, since Lina drank the water from the cup as she was told.

She couldn’t hold it on her own, so I made her drink it as if she was sick.

After drinking up half a cup of “water”, steam shrouds Lina’s body.

At the same time, something popped out from her navel.

I who was expecting it, hit it with my hand, dropped it to the ground, and trampled it.

Like a cigarette on fire, I stub out that thing.

“……”

Lina looked at her own both hands seriously.

Her complexion is so good that it is incomparable than what it was earlier.

Or rather, it’s the normal state of an ordinary person.

Though she was aware of it herself, she was surprised at the sudden complete cure, so she looked at her hand.

“What does, this mean?”

“That thing was a monster called Parasitos. Using the biological energy that a human body possessed and eating them without killing them ―― wait, I don’t even need to explain it again to you, who had experienced it for many years hah.”

“What did you do to it. I was thoroughly told that it couldn’t be removed.”

“Ah, it can’t be removed from the outside. If you do something like that, your soul will be cut off.”

“If so”

“However, you can make the other side get out of you.”

I took the cup, and showed her the remaining half of the “water”.

Made by condensing about 10% of my power, it’s a water that embodies magic power.

“If it eats a higher concentration of magic power than the usual in one go, it will be surprised and leave. If it eats a large quantity of stimulants, it will get hungry, I think.”

“High concentration of magic power …… you embodied your magic power?”

Seeing the water I hold, Lina is astonished.

Now then, she is saved, so let’s remind her.

“Since I’ll be silent on this for you, please keep silent about me today.”

“……”

After Lina fixedly stared at me.

“……Understood, in the name of Lina Mi Aegina. I won’t tell anyone about today.”

“Oh”

It may be a top from a gourd*. (TN: Japanese proverb meaning ‘something very unexpected’)

I expected she wouldn’t say that, but Lina took an oath further in her name.

If a royalty says that much, then it’ll be fine.

☆

A few days later, in the audience room.

An envoy came from the kingdom, and he read the King’s edict in front me.

“In honor of the Slime Lord subjugation achievement, Baron Hermes Canoe shall be awarded with the medal of the Xiphos Cross.”

“……”

I became, absent-minded.

The messenger receives the medal placed on the luxurious tray from his accompanying servant, along with the tray, and presents it to me.

“Baron Canoe, please accept this.”

“What? Why? Why a medal?”

“The Xiphos Cross Medal is a prestigious highest-grade medal given to a brave warrior who fought for the kingdom. It is the one given to those who have made great military achievements. Originally, you do not have enough achievement for it at the level of Slime Lord subjugation.”

“If that’s the case”

“There’s a rumor only at the place, but”

The tone of the messenger’s voice has dropped, I believe he’s going to tell a secret story.

“It was said, that Her highness Lina, who was an inspector, by all means asked His Majesty to do so.”

“……She got me”

Lina didn’t tell anyone about it.

Instead, she really pushed on me the achievements of the Slime Lord which I did and gave me a medal.

Haa…… well, it can’t be helped.

It’s true that I defeated the Slime Lord, so let’s receive it here hah.

And hey, if I receive the medal, and put it in the back of the cabinet, no one will see it.

It’s an important medal, so it’s important to keep it.

No, rather, it may be okay to touch around saying “I got a medal for subduing the Slime Lord.” and bring it to the wind like, “I didn’t get that much.”.

Considering so, this medal may be good.

“That’s right, there’s one thing I have to say ―― no, if I put in the message of His Royal Highness, there are two.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“His Highness seems to be coming to your ceremony. Excuse my discourtesy, but he’ll be bringing all of his brothers and sisters along.”

“Hah”

Come to think of it, he had said that.

No, I didn’t hear that he’s coming with his brothers and sisters.

Did he decide so after that?

“One more thing”

“Yeah? Ah what?”

“Because the cross medal is the highest grade medal, it’s obligatory to wear it when attending official events.”

“――Heh”

“You can wear it properly on the appointed day, and His Highness wants that, too.”

No, wait a minute.

On the appointed day, the cross medal, a large number of royalty……

“I’m doneeee!”