Volume 1: Chapter 035: Tooru Laughs at a Joke
Author: かっぱ同盟／友麻碧
Link: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3862be/
Translated by Zzonkedd
Edited by Gumihou
Day 26: Tooru
Says the one who keeps going to bed early.
Look, there’s only 5 days left, alright?
Let’s do some shiritori.
I’ll start, mamushi (viper).
Day 27: Makia
Shirikonbare- (Silicon Valley).
Day 28: Tooru
The Karted school project is completed today.
Retasu (lettuce).
Day 29: Makia
Then hurry up and come back quickly (´；ω；`)ｳｩｩ.
Sukuatto (squats).
I am Tooru.
The one who started the shiritori game.
Personally, I don’t think I could win against Makia if she ever decides to get serious. Which is why I diverted the talk to shiritori.
In a short while, however, a bomb will drop in on us.
Speaking of which, that last note is really cute.
It had been a long time since I had last seen an emoticon.
Makia, just wait a little longer. It all ends tomorrow.
Right, on my very last day at Karted, visitors from nearby towns and cities came over to take a look at the new school. A line had formed at the gate as people from all sorts of backgrounds came to join in on the commotion.
The open canteen system and the bold scholarship incentive are the hot topics of the day. Count Gamet must have invested quite a lot in [1] marketing as well since everyone seems to be talking about the school. Whether this result is something that he had intended or just predicted, this person really should not be underestimated.
“Ohh, is this Tooru-kun? The one who played the leading role in convincing most of the children to come to school?”
I try to pass through the gates without catching the eyes of the reporters hanging around, but my appearance is too conspicuous and one caught me immediately.
“N-no, wait, what?”
“I’d like to ask a few questions. Oh, my name is Coronella. I’m from the Royal Paper, do you know of it?”
“N-no, wait, I mean, I know about it, but we only receive Southern Ruskia News at the mansion…”
“Is that so? I’m part of the team that prints the Royal Paper. Ah, if you like, how about I send the morning edition to your place starting from today? We also cover very detailed information from the Royal Capital~”
The [1] person speaking to me is a very tacky looking bearded uncle with sharp eyes. His round glasses glinted with the passion and spirit of a paparazzi as he grabs my hand and stuffs a newspaper into it.
I suppose having them send the Royal Paper to Delia Fields would not be a bad idea, since news from the Royal Capital doesn’t tend to reach us until very late.
“Right now, the hottest topic at the Royal Capital is the succession struggle. After the coming Holy Festival, the next candidate for the kingship will be chosen from the remaining three candidates. Expectations are high, it’s all very exciting stuff.”
“H-haa….”
“By the way, you appear to be a lad from the East, yes? But, you now belong to the House of Odille? You must be very capable~ What is your opinion of the Anti-Eastern Factionat the Royal Capital that is decidedly anti-East?”
“Uhm…”
What’s up with this uncle? I thought he would ask me questions about the school but he brought up something completely unrelated instead. As for the Anti-Eastern Faction, what the heck is that?
“Uh, I mean, Karted has accepted a lot of people from the East. As for myself, I never encountered any problem…”
“Hmm, I see~ So Karted is Pro-East~ Well, right now, the situation at the Royal Capital is getting a little rough~ and it a lot of it has to do with the Eastern Continent~”
“Haa…”
Fine, this piqued my interest a little and I finally glance through the newspaper.
My eyes immediately fix themselves on one of the pictures. Everything is forgotten as even my very breath is taken away.
“This is….?!”
The headline listed three candidates for the throne. Even though the photos were in black and white, there is one very familiar face.
“N-No way… It’s Yu… Prince Ulysses…? Eh?”
[1] From the pictures alone, I can tell he’s the youngest. Even so, I can recognise that calm smile anywhere. No matter how I look at it, this has to be the reincarnation of Yuri Shizuka, the former White Sage, one of the three Great Demon Kings of past Maydea.
I can’t believe he is now one of the princes of Ruskia.
“Oh, Prince Ulysses? He has quite the following~ I do believe that he is the dark horse in this race for the throne. However, his prospects don’t look good since he’s third in line… Ah! Would you like to know a fun fact about these candidates? According to the rumours, Prince Ulysses is invulnerable to poison. Now, I have no idea whether it’s true or not but, oh, oh, and do keep this a secret please~”
“…”
Ah, looks like he’s the real deal.
If poison doesn’t work on him, he must be using some sort of detoxification magic. Rather, I want to know what the people around him think about him being immune to poisons.
I want to rush back to Delia Fields and tell Makia all about it, but today is my last day in Karted. Running off right now would be like throwing away a whole month’s worth of work, so I stop myself, barely.
I want to share this with Makia as soon as possible. Yuri, no, Prince Ulysses must have really lucked out to be born into royalty.
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I arrived at the mansion in the middle of the night. It is late enough that it is technically the next day.
I will admit that I am a little nervous.
No, [1] Makia must be asleep by now. I should inform her tomorrow.
I should just leave a message at her door and meet with her the next day.
However, when I arrived at her door, I feel like I had to open it. I’m already done with my Karted job. She did say that we will not meet so long as I am occupied with this job
Moreover, I have to tell Makia that I found Yuri.
“… …”
After taking in a few fortifying breaths, I knock at her door. There is no response, so I try again.
“Hey, Makia… sorry for knocking in the middle of the night, but, I’m coming in.”
There is no answer.
I open the door cautiously and peer into the dark room.
Is she sleeping or ignoring me? It takes me a while to realize that she is not inside the room.
“… Huh?”
I frown and stand there, already regretting having opened that door [2] as I make another sweep. Then, I look behind the door.
[2] A pair of glowing eyes stare at me from the dark.
“Uwaaa, scary!! That’s hella scary!!!”
Wait, aren’t I a Demon King?
Why am I so frightened?
Still, behind the glowing eyes is a murderous intent so strong that it made even me jump back in fright.
“Hey… Makia-san…?”
“You didn’t leave a note this morning… I don’t care if you’re needed at that Karted school or not, I’m just impressed that you have the guts to not leave anything on the very last day…”
“Wait, NO!! Here, look!!”
Like the terrifying Crimson Witch she is, Makia lurks menacingly in the dark. I hurriedly took out the note I had prepared and hands it to her.
Day 30: Tooru
It’s Tooru, I’m back.
(Tooru desu, tadaima) [3]
Woah, [1] looking at the cheesy note makes me cringe, but I could not think of anything else to write. No, I really didn’t mean to hand over such a cringy note to her.
“Goodness, it’s just a note. We’ll be meeting each other the next day anyway…”
“Listen, this is fundamentally a ritual. We must carry rituals out properly till the very end. Fufu.”
With that, Makia suddenly looks cheerful again. When was the last time I saw her smile?
Ahh, this really is Makia.
After reading the note carefully, she hurries over to her desk, as though suddenly struck by a thought.
She rips off a piece of paper from her notepad and starts writing on it.
“O-oi, what are you doing?”
“Did I not say that a ritual must be carried out till the end? I must write the final line.”
“…?”
Then, she straightens up and hands me the note.
Day 31: Makia
Makia here, welcome back
(Makia desu, okaeri) [3]
Is what’s written on her note.
That’s right, it has been 31 days since I last saw her.
“… [3] this is the final line?”
“You still haven’t realized it yet? It is the continuation of our shiritori game. Didn’t you start it yourself?”
“… Ah…”
[3] The word on the 29th day was sukuatto (squats). On the 30th, which ended just a [1] couple of hours ago, I wrote ‘Tooru desu, tadaima’. Makia continued the game with ‘Makia desu’.
“You’re right, that is worthy of being the final line. Hahaha.”
For some reason, I cannot stop laughing at how this whole charade had ended. really, it isn’t funny at all, so why am I laughing?
Makia is being herself, even more of herself than usual. That fearless smile had not changed.
“Welcome back, Tooru.”
“A-Ah… I’m back”
When I heard those words, strength suddenly left my body.
[Gumihou: Woah, that’s kind of cool yet scary at the same time]
[1] Filling in the ‘Unspoken’. Often, when it comes to Japanese novels, the translation might feel a bit lacking since the author deliberately chooses to use fewer words and let the reader fill in the blanks through a preset cultural understanding.
If the missing info looks too sparse, Gumi will fill in some of the blanks. This is not to imply that the writer’s craft is lacking, but we do have a cultural gap. Gumi will try to fill in these gaps unobtrusively.
[2] The ‘shocking scene’ lacks impact due to its vagueness: Makia not in the room > two glowing eyes at the back on the right > shocked Tooru
Gumi: ?????
[3] The shiritori game is carried out in the Japanese language, therefore it could only be ended in Japanese and explained with a footnote.
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