kscans

Chapter 108 - The Little One and the Seaside Forest

"Romel, take care of this for me."

The Little One flew in through the skylight, placed something on the desk with one hand, and was about to fly away when Romel hurriedly caught her.

"Hey, hey, I know about snatching and running, but what’s this dropping and running?!"

Her leg was caught, sucha, and the Little One failed to escape.

"Aww, I’m busy right now."

"And could you stop flying around in that body? You’re not a toddler anymore!"

Chihiro, who would be ten next autumn, had long, slender limbs and was every bit a proper child. She still flew around clinging to Pochiko-san, but was it really appropriate for her to be flashing her skirt, even if she was wearing leggings underneath? The Little One, who was on the small side for her age, was still only about 120 centimeters tall. She was half a head shorter than her peers, and more than a full head shorter than the taller Chihaya.

Still, you need to have some sense! You’re a count’s daughter, for goodness’ sake!

The Little One, who still wore salopette pants when she went on expeditions, flew around the palace in the same carefree manner. Chihaya had graduated from salopette pants long ago and had a proper adventurer’s outfit made.

"Eh? This overall is also made from fabric woven with Joker’s thread, you know?"

That’s not it. It is, but that’s not it.

Romel’s eyes, which had been looking far away, wouldn’t come back to their sockets. Why, of all things, would you use that precious fabric to make those pants? The urge to question her for a solid hour washed over Romel. She didn’t wear those pants in the palace because of the prying eyes, but he wished she would understand that flying around in a skirt presented a different set of problems. There are many young nobles in the palace, you know! But you don’t care at all, do you!

The Little One, who didn’t know the meaning of walking, was always running around. And since she had mastered various martial arts, her running was also quite wild. Many people witnessed the Little One jumping down the stairs with a toon and passing by like the wind. Those who had been working at the palace for a long time were used to it, but the new staff who came to the palace one after another were not so fortunate. They were flabbergasted by the sight of the Little One spinning around and jumping out of windows, or sliding down the stairs by hooking only her heels, kakakaka, on the corner.

How much trouble Romel had to deal with due to the incessant complaints that came in every single year.

But if I tell you to tone it down, you’ll stop coming to the palace...

The Little One hated troublesome things. She was a person who wouldn’t show up at the palace unless there was a reason. It was plain to see that she would use his scolding as an excuse to stay away from the palace.

Ahhhh, really, you’re so free, you are!

With a deep sigh, Romel reeled in the leg he had caught and pulled the Little One into his arms. Even Pochiko-san couldn't lift Romel along with her. Pochiko-san was one of the extra small honeybees. A toddler-sized honeybee could have lifted him easily. This was fortunate for Romel.

"At least let me check the documents, okay? What’s this application for?"

Romel picked up the document, pera, and glanced at it. As he read, his eyes quickly filled with anger.

"Pilgrimage expenses, number of people, supplies... wait a minute. What’s this about taking the Castrato brothers with you?!"

"Umm... we’re going via Castrato, you see? So, I thought it would be helpful to have someone familiar with the area."

The Little One put on a flustered ehehe face and looked up at Romel with upturned eyes. A cunning smile, as if she had been caught in mischief. Her round, innocent eyes, a remnant of her toddler days, were infuriating.

Hey, that’s cheating!

Romel averted his eyes from the Little One, who was showing a glimpse of her little devil side, and hung his head, gakkuri. Seeing Romel hang his head limply, Chihiro panicked.

"No, I wasn’t trying to trick you! It’s just, you know? ...Fel seems tired, so..."

A month had passed since the last incident.

Romel didn’t know. He didn’t know that since the brothers had started living in the noble district, the restless Charles had been longing for the Little One and trying to charge over to her, only to be held back by a desperate Augfel. Charles had high magic power and could use dark magic. Or rather, since he hadn't received baptism, he could only use the dark magic taught to him by the dark spirits. The only one who could go toe-to-toe with him was his own brother, Fel. Even the members of the Frontier Knights were having a hard time.

He must have received reports of that. Romel reacted to the Little One’s words.

"So?"

Romel’s eyes glittered dangerously.

"Um... a change of pace?"

The Little One smiled playfully.

"Why do you have to be the one to give them a break or a change of pace?!"

At Romel’s unusually loud roar, not only his office but the surrounding area also trembled.

"You know, there’s a limit to being a softie, okay? Okay?"

An hour had passed since then. Romel’s patient lecture had left the Little One with three or four octopuses hanging from her ears, chattering away.

Ugh, he’s such a worrywart.

Romel cupped the Little One’s cheeks, her eyes looking skeptical, and stared at her with a serious gaze.

"Are you listening?"

"I’m lihening."

Chihiro was surprised when Romel lifted her up as she was and kicked her legs.

Uo?!

He looked at the girl kicking her legs while grabbing his arm and muttered with a stern expression.

"See? You’re caught and lifted this easily. You have knowledge of magic and martial arts, but you’re completely powerless against your own people. Do you understand?"

The Little One seemed not to understand what he meant and had a puzzled look on her face.

Romel knew. He knew that she, who thought rationally about everything and handled things with crisp efficiency, was actually soft on her own people. Not just soft, but incredibly lenient. As long as it wasn’t a crime, she would almost always turn a blind eye to whatever they did. Right now, only her comrades were in that category, but he couldn’t help but worry about what would happen if that number grew. Her family and her personal knights. Romel, Adonis, Zakk. That much was acceptable. They had a deep connection with the Little One from her past life, and they also loved her from the bottom of their hearts. But with the recent incident with Hyrulia, a bad feeling had spread in Romel’s chest. The people who had gathered around the Little One were beginning to enter her category of ‘her own people.’

If she became close with the Castrato brothers, they too would...

"In any case, it’s a no. If you take them with you, there’s no point in hiding them, is there? What’s more, what are you going to do if they’re attacked by nobles from the king’s faction while you’re accompanying them?"

Romel lowered the Little One to the floor and muttered in a low voice.

"I’ll protect them properly."

"I’m telling you not to create a reason to be attacked. It’s not that you don’t understand, is it?"

The Little One’s throat tightened, gu.

The discussion ended in a stalemate. As Romel watched Chihiro leave, looking dejected and shonbori, he chewed on the faint, lingering bad taste in his mouth.

She had declared it before.

It’s the fault of the one who believes so much that they feel betrayed.

If you think that, then don’t believe.

She, who held such a clear-cut view, was unaware that she was incredibly soft on her own people. No matter how much someone she considered her own hurt her, the Little One would laugh and forgive them. She would never resent them.

That was something Romel and the others could not forgive.

No matter who it was that hurt her, they would never let them get close. They would eliminate them. And that included the Castrato brothers, who showed a hint of that potential. It was fine if there was a physical distance. Chihiro probably felt the same way about Prince Marcello and Prince Marrow. They weren’t around the Little One on a daily basis. The trouble they could cause was limited. But the Castrato brothers, who were currently nearby, needed to be watched. A neighboring country much closer than Flowers or Donautil. The royalty of a country that could be reached in a day by honeybee flight.

Romel looked up to the heavens with a sharp gaze.

Then he took up his pen and wrote letters of instruction to various places.

It was easy to guess what actions the people who received them, who were devoted to the Little One, would take.

For some reason, the operation to bring the Castrato brothers along was facing difficulties. The Little One, unaware of the behind-the-scenes machinations, had no way of knowing the future where she would be screaming, "How did it come to this?!"