Vol 9 Chapter 15: Return to the Royal Capital

“Sensei, Sensei! I can see it! The royal capital!”

“Tina, that’s dangerous. Please don’t lean out the window.”

The pale-blue-haired Ducal Lady opened the train window wide without caring about her disheveled hair, leaning out and happily reporting to me.

Ellie, who was holding Tina’s waist, looked troubled.

The red-haired Ducal Lady muttered in an exasperated tone.

“…Sigh. The top student is still a child no matter how much time passes.”

“Hmph! L-Liene, you actually like this kind of thing too, don’t you?! Acting all prim and proper in front of Sensei. You’re just like Lidia-san in that way!”

“I’m not acting!”

“You are!”

“Auu auu. T-Tina-sama, L-Liene-sama, I-I don’t think fighting is good… A-Also, your hair is a mess…”

The red and blue girls seated by the window playfully bickered while the angelic maid worked on fixing Tina’s hair. Peace and harmony.

I petted Anko-san on my lap along with Atra and Ria sleeping in small beast form snuggled against my familiar, thinking.

…Once we arrive at the station, first I’ll head to my lodgings—

“You can’t.” “Allen-sama, it’s straight to the Royal Palace first.”

Lidia and Stella sitting on either side of me cheerfully shot me down.

I desperately sought rescue from my sister sitting across from me.

…However.

“Brother, you reap what you sow. Give up.”

“…Even Karen. That’s cruel. Don’t you think so, Felicia?”

I sought agreement from the bespectacled girl sitting next to Karen.

Felicia laughed happily.

“Not at all. I don’t think so one bit! Ah, I have work, so I’ll head straight to the trading company♪”

“N-No way…! Y-You’re abandoning me!?”

“Allen-san, please hurry up and become important. When you become important, things go very, very smoothly. It’s for the Allen Trading Company’s profit★”

“…………”

This is a bad turn of events. A very bad turn of events.

Taking on all the matters from the Southern Campaign… well, I suppose it can’t be helped.

The achievements themselves will be distributed among Lidia and the others and Felicia, so it shouldn’t be more than I can handle.

…But somehow I have a bad feeling. Should I really go to the Royal Palace like this?

“Listen well, Niccolo. Watch closely. That is the figure of a person who continuously pushed all his many achievements onto others, lost all freedom of movement, and is pitifully being forcibly dragged to the Royal Palace. You must never become like that. Also, only charm Tuna-san and no other women!”

“Y-Yes! Um… M-Master, what does ‘charm’ mean??”

“N-Niccolo-bocchama!? T-Teto-sama!!! Th-That kind of thing is st-still too early for bocchama!!!”

In the back seats, my grinning junior was deliberately educating the boy. The girl’s face turned bright red as she challenged the witch-girl.

…It seems I’ve also failed in educating my junior.

But I won’t forget this. Yes, I surely won’t forget.

When I sighed, both my cheeks were lightly pinched.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. I’m going with you.”

“Allen-sama, same here.”

“Stella, you must be tired from the long journey? It’s fine to go to the Howard mansion with Karen, you know?”

“I don’t think Allen-sama’s heart will be at ease with just Lidia-san.”

“…Oh really.”

Flanking me, flame feathers and snow flowers collided and dissipated.

Karen gave me a flat stare.

“…As I thought, Brother, you reap what you sow. Naturally, I’m coming too.”

“Ah, yeah. I planned to have Karen come along from the start anyway. As for the other girls—”

“…Eh?”

!?

For some reason, Karen’s cheeks flushed.

Lidia, Stella, and the playfully bickering Tina and the others froze.

The bespectacled girl gave me a flat stare. “…I think Allen-san should really consider his phrasing. Someday you’ll seriously get stabbed, or get stabbed and then kidnapped, or get drugged and wake up in a bed… Y-You p-pervert!”

…I think I’m allowed to cry.

I removed the two Ducal Ladies’ hands and explained exaggeratedly to everyone.

“Me aside, Karen is beast-folk. If she enters the Royal Palace and can have an audience with His Majesty—that becomes an honor for her entire clan. We can’t miss this opportunity.”

“…Brother, you’re beast-folk too!”

“Yeah. I want to be considered that too. But—”

I reached out to my sister’s head and smiled.

“Well… I’m in a kind of limbo, so to speak. You know, I don’t have beast ears or a tail either.”

“That’s—!”

The small beasts on my lap squirmed. Emitting light, they took little girl form.

Atra and Ria’s small hands touched my cheeks, smiling broadly.

“Allen!” “Ria has beast ears and tail!”

“Ria, no—” “Not just Atra~♪”

The two little girls grappled on my lap. I exchanged glances with my sister and my longtime friend.

Karen picked up Ria.

I petted Atra’s head while smiling wryly.

“Well… let’s all go together. You too, Felicia.”

“! A-Allen-san, I-I have work… B-Besides, I-I’m a common commoner!!”

“What a coincidence. I’m also a common commoner. The ‘Key Contributor to the Southern Campaign Victory,’ hmm? I’ve already received permission from Duke Linstar and Risa-san.”

“!?!! Y-You schemed this!? A-Aren’t you ashamed!!”

“Not at all. Rather, I’m proud.”

“Uuuu~…”

Successfully refuted and captured the bespectacled girl. Now I have another companion for the journey.

“Listen well, Niccolo. The title of ‘common commoner’ is something only I, Teto Tiherina, am permitted among Senpai’s associates. Never, ever forget this.”

…Teto, do you really think I’d allow such a thing?

Tina raised her hand.

“Sensei! I have a question!”

“Yes, go ahead, Ducal Lady Tina Howard.”

“Ducal Lady is forbidden! Um, well… if, just if. If the royal family still says something about Atra and Ria, what do you plan to do?”

“Let’s see. If that happens, I suppose we’ll have no choice but to go to the West.”

“…Just Sensei alone?”

“Of course—” “I’m obviously going together too, aren’t I?”

Lidia interjected. Then she glared at me.

I shrugged.

“…It would be cruel to leave Ria behind. I think that’s what would happen. Lady Leti told me ‘If anything happens, come immediately!'”

“…………Sensei.”

“Will you come too, Tina?”

“~~~♪ Y-Yes! Yes!!”

The pale-blue-haired Ducal Lady’s face lit up brightly as she nodded repeatedly.

Her bangs bounced busily left and right.

“”””………””””

The other girls looked somewhat dissatisfied.

The luxuriously ornate door of the car opened, and the red-haired older self-proclaimed maid who came along as a guard shouted loudly.

“I heard everything~!!! When that time comes, I’ll come along as a maid—”

“Ah, Lily-san, you’re fine.”

“Why not~! Boys who bully the girls they like aren’t popular these days~!!”

“…My stomach couldn’t handle you and Lady Leti together. Besides—that won’t happen. Right, Stella?”

“Yes. I don’t think there will be problems. However—”

The Royal Academy student council president calmly agreed.

But her eyes showed strong sulking.

“…I think it’s wrong to only mention Lidia-san and Tina.”

“It’s an unrealistic scenario. Liene would understand—”

“I understand. But I’m not satisfied.”

“…Ellie, everyone’s bullying me.”

“A-Allen-sensei, um, I think you’re in the wrong!”

Even the angel blamed me.

My sister and the bespectacled girl looked exasperated, playing with Ria while giving me ‘hopeless’ looks.

…I wish I had allies.

Maybe I should have brought Nike along. But he seemed overwhelmed with Yutta’s situation. Even I’m not that much of a devil.

—A loud train whistle sounded.

We all turned our eyes to the window at once. Niccolo cheered.

The train finally entered the royal capital. The enormous station came into view too.

Lidia whispered in my ear.

“(I don’t think anything will happen. Neither His Majesty nor that child are that foolish. But just in case—)”

“(Even if going west is a joke, I suppose we’ll have no choice but to travel around the world. I’m taking Tina with me. Leaving her behind would be too dangerous.)”

“(………Mm.)”

“Ah! S-Sensei! Lidia-san! What are you doing!!”

The pale-blue-haired Ducal Lady who noticed our secret conversation flared up.

I waved my hand lightly, admonishing “It’s nothing. Really.”

—The train arrived at the platform.

I stood up holding Atra, placing Anko-san on my right shoulder. I looked around at everyone.

“Good work on the long journey. I apologize, but please bear with me a bit longer. Teto and the others, head to the university. I’ll stop by later. …Probably.”