My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~ - Chapter 87: Princess Suiren’s Invitation

“Amazing! It’s truly amazing, Master!”

After school, in one corner of the entrance corridor crowded with students heading home, Tsukino was bouncing around like an excited rabbit. She looked as delighted as if the victory had been her own, her whole face lit up with a smile.

“Even so, it’s already been three days. Isn’t it about time you calmed down?”

It had already been three days since Kishō defeated Shishiten in their Vale Tudo duel.

In breath class, he had pierced the target with a bizarre method. At the shopping mall, he had completely shut Sōsetsu down. And then he had won a splendid victory over Shishiten in a Vale Tudo match.

“Instructor Riju’s face back then was priceless.”

The sight of that rugged teacher standing there with her mouth hanging open in stunned silence had been worth seeing. She had frozen like a stone statue for quite a while, and the students in the stands had also gone speechless at the huge upset. Then, after a brief delay, as they looked back and forth between the collapsed Shishiten and Kishō, the victor, a tremendous cheer had erupted.

In just two days after his transfer, Kishō’s name had spread throughout the Upper School, and no one was left who looked down on him as someone with a “commoner air.”

Whenever he passed by female students, they would greet him with things like:

“Oh my, Kishō-sama. Good day to you.”

Being bowed to like that left him with an indescribably awkward, ticklish feeling. Whenever he was invited to tea parties, he was peppered with questions about the Princess and Kōran and relentlessly pushed around by the force of girls’ curiosity. Above all, the Princess’s influence was tremendous. Simply being her fiancé was enough to make noble young ladies’ eyes change.

“If you had mentioned Onee-sama’s name from the start, no one would have underestimated you.”

That was what Kōran had said, looking thoroughly fed up with tea parties. She claimed tea parties were part of diplomacy too, but with that worn-out expression on her face, she looked more than a little exhausted.

Perhaps it was the effect of being with Kishō, but no one openly tried to bully Tsukino anymore, and peaceful days continued. The way she bounded around him now was probably her own way of expressing gratitude for that.

Watching her jump around so innocently made Kishō happy too. With the reckless bravado of a man short on cash, he slapped his chest and made an extravagant declaration.

“All right, want to go eat crepes or something?”

“Yes!”

After buying two crepes at the shopping mall food court, Kishō and Tsukino went looking for seats. Unfortunately, every seat in the food court was taken that day, so the two of them found a bench a little farther away from the student-crowded area and sat down together.

Tsukino immediately bit into her crepe. When Kishō wiped away the whipped cream clinging to the corner of her mouth, she gave him a beaming smile.

Perhaps because of the rain, the shopping mall was more crowded than usual. It was not only students either; quite a few academy staff members also seemed to be using the facility to take shelter from the weather.

The teachers’ Dragon Robes were green and shared the same design in both the Upper and Lower Schools, but the academy staff seemed to wear different Dragon Robes depending on rank—purple, blue, red, yellow, white, and so on. While watching that colorful stream of people moving through the bustling mall, Kishō took another bite of his crepe and let his gaze wander deeper into the crowd.

There, he saw bronze statues standing with swords in one hand.

“Are those statues of famous people?”

“Yes. They are statues of the Six Heroes.”

When he counted them, there were indeed six statues posed atop pedestals. Every one of them had a fearless expression and the bearing of a seasoned warrior.

“Speaking of the Six Heroes… that’s the collective name for the six strongest members of the dragonkin race, right?”

“Hyes, hat is sho.”

With her cheeks stuffed full of crepe, Tsukino nodded vigorously.

Back in that ramshackle hut, while drifting in that hazy gap between dream and waking, he vaguely remembered hearing the Princess and Ōka having a conversation about that.

“I don’t remember the details, but Kuroyō said it was like a game of musical chairs.”

“Yes. The one who defeats a Six Hero becomes the next Six Hero.”

The seats of the Six Heroes were passed down through the generations, six in total. Whoever challenged a Six Hero and won would claim that seat and have their name entered among the Six Heroes.

And since defeat meant death, once someone became a Six Hero, whether they wanted it or not, that title would follow them literally until the day they died.

“Being in a position where people are constantly challenging you sounds like a pain.”

“If it is Master, even becoming one of the Six Heroes is not impossible!”

“No thanks. Taking on more risk just for honor doesn’t sound appealing.”

“But, Master, before… no, it’s nothing.”

Tsukino tilted her head, clearly unconvinced. When Kishō patted her on the head, she wriggled as if it tickled. The way she shrank in on herself was almost catlike.

Then, as if to block their view, a large shadow suddenly loomed over them.

Looking up from the bench, Kishō found himself face-to-face with a pair of fierce-looking sanpaku eyes. It was Shishiten, his trademark lion’s-mane hair unmistakable. Staring past Kishō at the statues of the Six Heroes, Shishiten said,

“Only dragonkin men can have their names entered among the Six Heroes. Therefore, no matter how exceptional and strong she is, Princess Kuroyō can never claim the title of Six Hero. A regrettable thing.”

Beyond the bustling flow of people, the statues of the Six Heroes stood tall.

And every last one of them was a sturdy man.

“Yo. You’re feeling better already?”

Kishō greeted him lightly.

Even though he had held back, it had still been a blow delivered with powerful [Sword Aura]. It would have been an instant-kill slash against a human, and Shishiten had not regained consciousness for quite some time. Kishō had honestly begun to worry that things might turn bad if he was left like that, so the man’s appearance here came as a relief.

“I couldn’t see the line of the sword.”

After saying only that in a brusque tone, Shishiten fell silent.

At the uncomfortable air surrounding him, Tsukino hid behind Kishō. He could feel her holding her breath against him.

“It couldn’t be helped. Even Kuroyō can’t stop that attack. More importantly, quit glaring like that. You’re scaring Tsukino.”

“I was born with a bad look in my eyes. But I see. Even Princess Kuroyō couldn’t stop it.”

Shishiten sighed and slowly shook his head. Then he turned back to Kishō with a formal expression.

“I want to apologize for looking down on you. I was wrong.”

Though he did not bow, Kishō was still surprised to hear an apology from a man who held the position of second seat. From what Kōran had told him, dragonkin men were not the kind to apologize easily.

Sensing that sincerity, Kishō straightened his own attitude as well.

“I decided the match before you could bring out your full strength. In a sense, it was something like a surprise attack. So if we fought again, I think it’s hard to say what would happen. The same trick probably wouldn’t work twice.”

“If it had been a killing match in the wilderness, that would have been the end of it. If you’re finished in one blow, there is no second time. A loss is a loss.”

Shishiten’s face, admitting defeat without complaint, remained dignified and unwavering.

Tsukino cautiously peeked out from behind Kishō’s back.

“Don’t worry, Tsukino. It doesn’t look like he came here for revenge.”

Shishiten snorted, as if the thought itself offended him.

“I’m not that shameless.”

With those sanpaku eyes glaring down from above, Tsukino immediately withdrew behind Kishō again. To be fair, he really did look intimidating. No matter how you looked at it, he had the face of a villain.

That fierce-faced man, who looked like some notorious criminal, glanced once at the frightened Tsukino, then averted his gaze—as if trying not to scare her further—and turned his eyes back toward the bustling mall.

“Where is your origin?”

“I was born and raised in Argant.”

“Argant? That’s a strange name for a flock.”

Flock? A question mark rose in Kishō’s mind, and Tsukino whispered into his ear.

“Master. Origin means naming it in the order of peerage and then name.”

“Hm? So in Kuroyō’s case, it would be like saying Dragon Emperor—Kokuren?”

“Yes. Affiliation is the same.”

Kishō remembered that there had indeed been a field labeled Affiliation on the Upper School transfer form. Since the Princess had told him it was fine to leave it blank, he had submitted it without filling it in and never thought much about it.

Now that he understood, he nodded to himself.

“Sorry, Shishiten. I’m ignorant about dragonkin customs. I’m a half-dragon born and raised in the human city of Argant. My mother is a stray, so she doesn’t belong to any flock.”

In dragonkin society, being a half-dragon, being a stray, and living in human society were all grounds for discrimination. Faced with that triple yakuman of social stigma, what kind of reaction would Shishiten have?

Bracing himself, Kishō waited tensely, but Shishiten only tilted his head in puzzlement.

“Did you say the human city of Argant?”

“Yeah. Back in the Lower School, people used to make fun of me for it.”

“Hm… I’m sure I’ve heard that name somewhere before, but where…”

“Since Argant borders dragonkin territory, maybe it’s known for that?”

At that, Shishiten clapped his hands together.

“Ah. That’s it. I remember hearing Father mention it. He said we are absolutely not to lay a hand on Argant, the city bordering the western territory.”

“Huh. So even dragonkin were wary of Argant. It really is a peaceful city, though.”

As he said it, Kishō inwardly tilted his head.

Argant stood at the eastern edge of the western cities, and perhaps because it anticipated anti-dragonkin measures, it maintained a large defensive force and was extremely well fortified. Even for the strongest race, it probably would not be easy to capture.

Still, if asked whether it should really be that threatening from a dragonkin perspective, he had his doubts.

Long ago, when he had gotten into a scuffle with a drunken guard, the younger Kishō had won in a street fight. Judging from that, the female teachers at this academy were at least a hundred times stronger.

Then something occurred to him, and he said,

“There is an order of knights protecting the city. Maybe they’re actually an elite force.”

“Hoh. Interesting. I’ve become curious about the city where you were raised.”

Shishiten nodded several times, clearly intrigued.

“Could it be that what makes you unusual is some secret art you learned in Argant?”

“No, if you ask whether I learned it in Argant… that’s not quite right.”

“I see. Then perhaps you can tell me more another time.”

“You could ask now, you know?”

At that offer, Shishiten regretfully shook his head.

“No. More importantly, there’s something I came to tell you.”

◇◇◇◇◇

If she stood, she was a peony. If she sat, she was a tree peony. If she walked, she was a lily. She was like a graceful young lady from a painting.

The noble dignity that drifted from her whole being set her apart even from the noble young ladies enrolled in the Upper School. Though she wore the same uniform as everyone else, the aura around her was entirely different. Something about that lofty bearing even stirred a faint sense of déjà vu in Kishō.

“Do you have a moment?”

It happened after he had parted ways with Shishiten and was on his way back to the special dormitory. A black-haired beauty wearing light rouge had stopped him in his tracks.

“You are—”

“Ah! It’s Princess Suiren.”

Tsukino clung tightly to Kishō’s arm. The soft elasticity pressing against him nearly dragged him, for a moment, into thoroughly worldly thoughts, but through the fabric against his arm, he noticed that Tsukino was trembling.

“Kuroyō’s half-sister, and the fiancée of Sōgetsu, the second-year top student—right?”

That was information Shishiten had given him only a little while ago.

And he had also said this:

“Be careful of Princess Suiren and Sōgetsu. The two of them are eager to pull first-years into their own faction. And Sōgetsu is also the older brother of Sōsetsu, the one you had trouble with.”

Revenge for a younger brother. It was an easy enough motive to understand.

Princess Suiren and Sōgetsu were exactly the kind of opponents he ought to be wary of.

“Yes. I am Suiren, principal consort to Sōgetsu-sama.”

As she named herself, Princess Suiren’s lips curved into a fearless smile.

They stood on a tree-lined road paved in red brick. Beside him, Tsukino kept trembling. A yellow leaf, fallen from a branch, dropped into a rain puddle.

“I hear you left Sōsetsu-san in tatters.”

“Yes, we had a bit of a dispute. As his older brother, can’t he let it go?”

“Well now? I am not so foolish as to make careless guesses about Sōgetsu-sama’s deep thoughts.”

“In that case, what do you want?”

The bluntness in Kishō’s tone came from the fact that Tsukino was frightened. Combined with what Shishiten had told him, his impression of Princess Suiren was already poor.

“Sōgetsu-sama is calling for you. Will you come with me?”

Her words were gentle, but her tone left no room for refusal. As if to say Then let us be on our way, Princess Suiren started to turn on her heel, but Kishō lightly patted the trembling Tsukino on the head and said,

“Go on back to the dormitory first.”

“But, Master.”

“I’ll be fine. All right?”

“No. Tsukino will go with you too.”

“You’re scared of Sōgetsu, aren’t you?”

At those words, Tsukino froze with a start.

Apparently, he had hit the mark.

“In that case, there’s no need to force yourself. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Sōgetsu-sama is a frightening person. He has no mercy for those who oppose him.”

“Do you think I’ll lose?”

“But, but… even toward his younger brother Sōsetsu-sama, he is merciless.”

At that, Princess Suiren gracefully turned back toward them. Her neatly shaped brows bent into a troubled arch.

“Oh my? Calling someone else’s fiancé merciless is quite a thing to say.”

“I am sorry. Tsukino misspoke.”

Tsukino hurriedly bowed her head, and Princess Suiren looked down at that apology with cool detachment.

Under the piercing gaze from those jade eyes, Tsukino’s eyes began to fill with tears, yet even as she bowed again and again, Princess Suiren showed no sign of forgiving her. Kishō was indignant at the sheer unfairness of pressing someone this hard over one small slip of the tongue, and unable to bear it any longer, he stepped in.

Shielding Tsukino behind his back, he said,

“Since we are responding to the summons, I would appreciate it if you would forgive a little rudeness.”

Speaking lightly on purpose, but with a firm stance, he drew Princess Suiren’s attention to himself. If it’s me, I’ll take as much as you want. So don’t bully Tsukino. The challenging light shining in Kishō’s twin eyes met Princess Suiren’s sharp gaze head-on.

For a while, the silent contest of stares continued. Then Princess Suiren let out a faint sigh.

“Very well. Then Tsukino may come with us as she is.”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? I’m having Tsukino wait at the special dormitory.”

“No.”

“No? Hey, can’t you see that Tsukino is frightened?”

“Tsukino’s will does not matter.”

At that instant dismissal of basic human feeling, a vein throbbed at Kishō’s temple.

“Enough. Princess or not, you’ve got no right to order me around.”

“Are you really certain about that decision?”

Princess Suiren shook her head in exasperation, as if his stubbornness were ridiculous. Then she narrowed her clear jade eyes, as though looking straight through Tsukino hiding behind him.

“If I say I wish to speak regarding Tsukino herself, will you understand?”

Feeling the clear hostility directed at Tsukino, Kishō’s expression turned cold.

As the tension thickened between them, Tsukino, still protected behind his back, tugged on his cuff.

“After all, Tsukino will go too.”

“Don’t force yourself. I’ll settle this.”

“No. I will go.”

Her lips pressed tightly together, and from beneath her long bangs, her eyes looked at him with quiet resolve. Sensing the strength in that will, Kishō let out a white sigh.

“You’ll at least serve tea, right? Tsukino gets a share too, of course.”

At that reply, Princess Suiren smiled in satisfaction.

“Yes. I have prepared the finest tea leaves.”