YM778.TV Volume 10, Prologue
Volume 10, Prologue
Part 1
A man’s fist swung down on the desk.
“No good. No good. No way I’m going to accept these people!”
In the classroom, dyed red by the evening sun shining through the window, I [Leon Fou Bartfalt] was sitting next to an indignant male student.
Amazed by the excitement of the male student, I soothe him with an unmotivated attitude.
“Don’t be so angry”
However, he does not admit that he is emotional.
“I’m not angry”
The male student [Finn Ruta Herring] turns his head away from me in frustration, crosses his arms, and falls silent.
Brown-skinned and tall, Herring is a beautiful man with a well-defined face.
He has long silver hair that is tied behind his neck and red eyes, giving him a conspicuous appearance.
He is not from the Kingdom of Horfalt, but from a foreign country, the Holy Magic Empire Voldenova.
He was very popular among the girls as a mysterious handsome man because of his different facial features from the kingdom, a beautiful man from another country.
But no matter how much noise the girls around him make, Herring never turns around.
Because Herring cares about one girl student.
In order to protect the female student, he even took advantage of a system that has existed in the empire for a long time, and followed her to study in the Kingdom of Horfalt.
The name of the female student is a petite and active girl called [Mia], who came to study at the academy of the Kingdom of Horfalt this year.
She was the protagonist of the third work of that Otome game.
As for what Herring is doing to protect Mia――.
“Generally speaking, none of them are worthy of Mia.”
――While looking at the photos lined up on the desk, the protagonist’s capture targets are being evaluated as a potential lover.
The man, Herring, had no romantic feelings for the protagonist.
And yet, he is so serious about Mia-chan’s lover candidate to the point that he is frightening.
I pick up one of the photos.
The photo is His Highness Jake ―― [Jake Rafa Horfalt] is the second prince of the Kingdom of Horfalt and the man closest to being the crown prince at the moment.
I look at the picture of Jake, who looks small but cocky, and I let out a small sigh and place it in front of Herring’s eyes.
“It seems that Jake is treated as the main character in that Otome game. Why don’t you just pick him?”
Not good enough
When I tell him to compromise with Jake, Herring squints and evaluates him harshly.
“This guy is still a prince, even though the position of Crown Prince is vacant, isn’t he? Besides, this guy is too ambitious. If Mia gets together with someone who fights with everyone around him, she’ll have a hard time, so no”
In Herring’s mind, it seems that His Highness Jake is not worthy of Mia-chan.
I show the next photo to Herring.
“Then what about [Oscar Fia Hogan]?”
Red-haired and well-built, Oscar is a bit ―― no, a pretty big fool, but he’s a good guy at heart.
I thought he had more potential than Jake, but Herring cut him off easily.
“This guy is in the same class as Mia, but he’s quite an idiot. I don’t mean to suggest that he’s a smart guy, but he doesn’t deserve Mia, because he can’t protect her. Besides, he’s dating your big sister, isn’t he”
――Oscar.
The Bartfalt family now had a big bomb thanks to this guy.
When he first entered the school, Oscar got along well with my little sister [Finley], but then I found that he was getting along well with my big sister [Jenna].
In the first place, he was never officially dating Finley.
There would be no problem if he started dating Jenna, but they are sisters there.
――The relationship between Finley and Jenna, who have always been close as sisters, has suddenly cooled down.
While Finley was feeling vague, Jenna went around bragging about getting her long-awaited boyfriend, which led to a big fight.
Finley, without realizing it, must have begun to be aware of Oscar as a member of the opposite sex. However, Jenna snatched him away from her from the side.
――What are the sisters doing?
That is why it was Oscar who did the deed that set the powder keg on fire.
I don’t think Oskar was wrong, but I still complained to him as a family member of those two.
However, idiot is strong.
He laughs at sarcasm and cynicism and takes it positively, so it didn’t work on him at all.
“I guess he is no good?”
“Don’t try to push someone who has a girlfriend.”
“That said, there’s practically only one left. ——and Aaron has become a girl.”
One of the capture targets was a male student named [Aaron].
The reason it is in the past tense is because he underwent a sex change and became a girl.
I never thought this would happen either.
Herring pulls his body slightly away from me, his cheeks drawn back.
“It was you guys who made him a girl.”
I couldn’t keep quiet when I was lumped in with ‘you guys’.
“It wasn’t me. It was [Marie] and [Creare] who did it! Right, [Luxion]?”
When I turn around around my right shoulder, a metallic-colored sphere floating there ―― Luxion, I ask him to agree with me.
Luxion’s red lens was pointed at [Brave] floating near Herring.
Brave ―― it is the core of a weapon called a demonic armor created by the new humans, and it is a being that provides support to Herring who recognize him as his master.
They are enemies of Luxion, which was created by the old humans.
[――However, no matter how many times we explain the situation to them, they still don’t understand, probably because they are using demonic armor. Or, in human terms, “repugnant,” I guess? The continued use of the relics of the new humans is a symptom of the damage that has been done to Herring. I think you should stop using demonic armor right now.]
He agrees with me, but spits toxic words at Herring and his buddy Brave.
It was the same for Brave.
Flesh eyes with red eyes on a black sphere and a little creepy Brave pointed at us with a small hand coming out of his body.
[How dare you said bad things about my partner!]
[What were you listening to? I said that to you too.]
[This guy pisses me ooooff!]
Luxion looks at the raging Brave with cold eyes.
They are mutual enemies and cuss each other when they open their mouths.
Ignoring these partners, Herring let out a small sigh at me.
“Mia’s position is very uncertain.”
“――Is that otome game setting?”
“Yes. Mia, who grew up a commoner, is the emperor’s illegitimate daughter and princess.”
“It’s a common setting in video games to say that they were actually awesome. It’s a setting that both boys and girls adore.”
“It’s not that simple.”
Herring’s expression was dark.
“Because of her status as a princess, Mia is caught up in a battle for the succession.”
“Haa? Why?”
Mia, the protagonist of that Otome game, is in the position of being the illegitimate daughter of the emperor, although she does not know it yet.
She was raised as a commoner, yet she is the Princess of the Holy Magic Empire of Voldenowa.
However, the father, His Majesty the Emperor, is getting old, and it seems that a battle for succession has begun.
With a thoughtful look on his face, Herring begins to state his requirements for the man who will be Mia’s lover.
“Mia has no interest in the throne, either. But it doesn’t matter what she wants. There are many royal family members who think it would be troublesome if Mia was carried around.”
“No offense, but isn’t it hard for Mia-chan to become emperor? She doesn’t even know she’s royalty, does she?”
“Many royalty think it is easier to eliminate them if there is a possibility that they will get in the way. So, love alone is not enough. Mia’s lover must be a man who has the strength to repel any enemies.”
Herring’s eyes were truly serious as he gazed down at the photos lined up on the desk.
We were choosing potential lovers for Mia-chan.
However.
“That’s not a condition anyone wants at the lover’s level.”
Muttering a bitter laugh, Herring swung his fist down on the desk.
DANG! A loud sound echoed through the classroom.
“No way a man who is not determined to do so should be allowed to get his hands on Mia!”
“O-Oh”
When it comes to being in a position to protect Mia-chan from a messy succession battle, it is not enough to simply be powerful.
Power, wealth, and family background are also involved.
“It would have been possible if Jake hadn’t been so enamored with Aare-chan.”
He is the second prince of the Kingdom of Horfalt and the main hero of that third Otome game.
Jake had other problems besides his ambition.
It’s Aaron ―― [Aare]-chan.
The gender change was performed by Marie and Creare, and Aaron became a girl.
The nickname is ironically the same as Creare’s, which is Aare.
The look on Herring’s face went from serious to indescribable a moment ago.
“What and why happens that the capture target becomes a girl?”
It’s a natural question for Herring, but it’s the same for me.
“It’s not for me to decide. But if these three are no good, then he is the only one left.”
At the moment, the name of the boy who is the last capture target is [Ethan Fou Robson].
He is a kind man with droopy eyes, but I noticed that he looks like he has a bad personality in the photos Luxion had prepared.
When Herring picks up the photo and looks at it, his expression is hard, as if he doesn’t like it.
“I don’t know much about this boy. But he doesn’t look very strong from what I’ve seen in the pics.”
Upon hearing these words, Luxion reports back with more details about Robson.
[About Ethan, he has pushed his own brother aside and is the heir to the Count’s family. He is not only good with magic, but also with the sword. After all, he is one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom of Horfalt.]
When I heard that, I thought of Brad and Chris’s faces.
Ethan’s hair color is almost purple, and how can I say――.
“――It’s like a hybrid of Brad and Chris.”
He is a great swordsman, skilled with magic, and he is the heir to a noble family of lords.
He is starting to look like a versatile character who can do anything.
[As Master said. Ethan, as Finn says, has the family background, wealth, and outstanding ability. Based on specs alone, I would say that he is Mia’s candidate for a lover at the moment. ――In the first place, all the other candidates are out of the question.]
Robson was the most likely candidate, not because he was particularly outstanding, but because he was the only one left as a result.
I turn my gaze to Herring.
“Let’s just try to reach out to this guy, shall we?”
Herring looked sharply at Robson’s picture.
“Let’s do that. I’ll do a thorough search to see if this is the appropriate man for Mia.”
“You are overprotective.”
I let out a small sigh of exasperation, and Brave agrees.
“My buddy’s eyes change when it comes to Mia. I’m starting to feel sorry for all the women who fell in love with my buddy. “
It seems that the ladies are coming to ladykiller-sama and he doesn’t seem to want to deal with them.
“I envy you”
Instead of Herring looking at the pictures seriously, Brave seems to be the one to deal with me.
[But you have a lot of women around you, too, don’t you? You have protagonist and the villainess of the first work, according to my buddy. And the protagonist of the second one, too. Are you possibly after them?]
Brave looked at me with suspicion, wondering if I was aiming for a main character in that otome game.
I smile vaguely and cover it up.
“Do you believe in miracles? It’s just a coincidence.”
For the second time in my life, my popular period has come.
The timing of the event seemed to be uncharacteristically good, and the next thing I knew, I had three fiancées.
That’s too good for me.
[You’re engaged to the protagonist and the antagonist by accident, coincidentally and deliberately? Actually, you aimed for them, didn’t you? Just tell me. Isn’t it fine?]
“You’re funnier than I thought.”
While talking to Brave, Luxion interrupts somewhat forcefully.
[Master, it is pointless to discuss this any further. Let’s leave Ethan’s case to Finn and the others and return to the dormitory.]
He got between me and Brave and forcefully ended the conversation.
“I guess so. I’d better get back. Hering’s gonna be back, right? ―― You still looking it?”
As I got up from my seat, Herring was still looking at Robson’s picture with a serious expression on his face.
“――I don’t like him because he looks like he has a bad personality. Do you really think he deserves Mia?”
Seeing him glaring at me as if I were an enemy, I hate to predict that Mia’s search for a lover will be a difficult one.
“It might rather be quicker to bring in a guy you approve of.”
Part 2
The Duke Redgrave family.
As a branch of the Horfalt royal family, it is a great aristocrat who supports the country.
The Duke Redgrave, whose territory included a large floating island worthy of a Duke, had more power than a poor small country.
The Duke Redgrave, such as they are, also have a large mansion in the Royal Capital.
This is because either [Vince], the head of the family, or [Gilbert], the eldest son, always stays to support the kingdom of Horfalt.
Other influential lord nobles had mansions in the royal capital and were prepared to work for the kingdom of Horfalt in case of emergency.
―― But that situation has been changing in recent years.
Called to the mansion, [Angelica Rafa Redgrave] had long, shiny blonde hair braided and curled at the back of her head.
In addition to the sharp eyes, her red eyes show the strength of will.
Ange usually looks dignified, but today, her expression was not so good.
Although she had just returned to the Redgrave family mansion in the royal capital, she was standing in front of her own brother, Gilbert, looking somewhat nervous.
Gilbert, at his desk in his office, was conversing with Ange as he worked on paperwork.
Gilbert looks down at the document, running his pen over it and signing it.
“I see you did a great job during the riots. As a brother, I’m proud of you.”
A riot in the royal capital that occurred a while ago.
It’s a case where the Holy Kingdom of Rashel went behind the scenes to rally the rebels living in hiding in the royal capital.
Fortunately, it was subdued with minimal damage by the hands of Leon, who got serious.
Angel tried not to let Gilbert see the bitter look on her face by turning her head down.
“I’m not doing anything. All credit goes to Leon.”
“I bet. So I’m proud of him as my brother-in-law. I never thought that he would rise to the rank of duke in a single generation. I guess His Majesty’s capriciousness is troubling.”
Gilbert responds with a smile, but it contains his dissatisfaction with Ange.
Ange also feel it.
“Leon is dissatisfied.”
“Leon-kun is reluctant to rise in the ranks.”
To a third party, it would appear as if she were making small talk with her brother.
However, Ange was impatient inwardly.
(Wouldn’t people think that Leon is taking the side of the Kingdom?)
She was concerned about whether the Redgrave family was unhappy with Leon for putting down the riots in the royal capital.
―― Currently, a deep rift is developing between the Redgrave family and the royal family.
It began with Angelica’s broken engagement, and was due to the current state of dissatisfaction among the nobles toward the royal family.
The former Principality Fan’ous. In the war with the current Duke Fan’ous, the Kingdom of Horfalt has lost its trump card, the royal ship.
The loss of the legendary airship that had been the driving force behind the founding of the kingdom meant that the kingdom had lost a great deal of military power.
In the Horfalt kingdom with its feudal system, a decline in military power would give the noble lords an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
Royalty without power is not obeyed by the nobles ―― especially the lord nobles.
The same was true for the Duke Redgrave, which was supposed to be a branch family.
The Duke Redgrave has already given up on the Kingdom of Horfalt.
Gilbert stops his pen and places it on the desk and looks at Ange’s face, which is downcast.
But his gaze was sharp.
“As a result, this case ended conveniently for us. We have completely taken control of the royal capital with just one person. It proves that the royal capital can be easily obtained with just Leon alone.”
With Leon alone, the royal capital can easily fall.
That has been proved by the riots.
Gilbert never complained about the results, but it was different for Ange.
“But you didn’t know exactly what Leon was capable of. Had you known in advance, we would have been able to move more effectively.”
“That is!”
When she tried to argue, Gilbert raised his hand to stop Ange from speaking.
“Don’t make excuses. Are you really trusted by him?”
Gilbert’s suspicious look was hard on Ange.
It’s not that her brother suspected her.
Angel clenches her hands and bites her lip.
“I am ―― so sorry”
(Am I ―― not worthy of Leon?)
Gilbert looks at the frustrated Ange, and then he tells her something that will push her even further here.
“Since you are going to be husband and wife, you should have a more trusting relationship with each other. By the way, I heard that Leon has been visiting the royal palace a lot lately. ――I heard a rumor that he is crazy about Princess Erika, but it is not true, is it? “
Princess of the Kingdom of Horfalt, [Erika Rafa Horfalt].
To see her, Leon made frequent trips to the royal palace.
Gilbert gives Ange a cold stare.
It was as if he was being intentionally cold in order to taunt his sister, Ange.
“A princess after the queen, he seems to have a preference for an unattainable flower. But the problem is that if he really wants to reach for it, he can.”
“――Leon is not really”
“I don’t expect you to get his true intentions out of him. ――Ange, don’t forget your role. You have been given the task of keeping Leon-kun on our side.”
The Duke Redgrave, who had turned against the Kingdom of Horfalt, were trying to use Angel to obtain the strongest force in the kingdom, Leon.
Ange could not allow that.
Looking down, she tells Gilbert.
“I don’t want to involve Leon in any more battles.”
Perhaps not expecting Angel to object, Gilbert looks at her questioningly.
“Do you really think the reign of the Kingdom of Horfalt will continue? You will have to fight, even if you don’t want to. Besides, blood must be spilled, that’s what nobles do.”
Gilbert, who believes that in the event of war, nobles must fight and that this is natural, looks at Ange with a look of incomprehension.
“Leon is! ―― He’s is too gentle to fight.”
Too gentle, Angel told him in a thin voice, and he imagined that Leon was mentally exhausted from all the fighting he’d been through.
Gilbert lets out a small sigh.
“Sure he is soft hearted, but he is the most powerful knight in the kingdom whose name is known even in other countries. We need him to continue to support the Redgrave family.”
With his engagement to Ange, Leon has deep ties to the Redgrave family.
As a result, he was about to become involved in the Redgrave family struggle as well.
(Both my brother and father consider Leon only as a tool of war, don’t they? He ―― just wants to live peacefully in the countryside)