kscans

Chapter 193 - Nothing But Selfishness

After that heavy conversation, I had a feeling an even heavier one, in a different sense, was about to begin.

"Arc, do you like dressing as a boy?"

"That doesn't really matter to me. I'm wearing these clothes right now, aren't I? I don't know how it is in Feire, but in Frontier, these are the kinds of clothes women wear."

The clothes Arc was wearing were thin, like a white one-piece dress. Even on Earth, this would look like girls' sleepwear. In other words, Arc is not a cross-dresser. Which means...

"You like girls?"

"Yes."

Not a hint of doubt in her eyes... Seriously...

"So, when you saw me naked in the bath earlier, you were excited, weren't you?"

I can't exactly call her the worst... since we were in the same boat.

"Well, I did think you were pretty, but it’s not like that."

So she wasn't excited. Fair enough, I wasn't excited by you either. You're just too scrawny.

"Then what is it like?"

"Hmm, it’s less that I like women and more that the person I like happens to be a woman, I guess?"

"Me?"

"I think you’re a beautiful person, but you should consider your age."

I was just joking, but she gave me a serious answer. And dissed me on top of it.

"It’s not Mia, is it?"

"No. I like Mia, but she’s more like family."

Like an older sister who’s always around, maybe? A middle school boy would probably go wild, but this one is, for all intents and purposes, a girl.

"Then who is it?"

"It's a long story, are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Make it short."

"Um, well, it's a girl I’ve known since I was really little. She’s the same age as me, the daughter of a merchant family."

Same age, so thirteen years old.

"Where did you meet? You’re a shut-in, aren't you?"

"There are parties, you know. I think the first time we met was when I was about five?"

That was a really long time ago.

"A party at five? Sounds boring..."

"It was boring. That’s why I talked with her the whole time. Since we were the same age, the conversation flowed easily. There were other kids, but we were the youngest. The next youngest was ten."

True, a five-year-old and a ten-year-old wouldn’t have much to talk about.

"You’ve liked her since then? Isn’t it just friendship?"

"Hmm, it’s not friendship."

Let’s not delve any deeper into those feelings.

"She doesn't know you're a girl?"

"It’s a tradition in Frontier, but until you’re over twelve, boys and girls wear the same clothes."

"Why?"

"Um, let’s just say it’s to prevent sex crimes."

I see. But does that mean it’s fine once they’re over twelve...

"So that’s why she hasn't found out."

"It’s not that she hasn’t found out, she’s the one who started treating me like a boy in the first place. She’d say things like, ‘Let’s get married when we grow up,’ and ‘You have to protect me.’"

How childish and heartwarming.

"Don't tell me you couldn’t clearly deny it then, got in too deep, and that’s how you’ve ended up where you are today?"

"That’s exactly what happened."

Arc nodded emphatically.

"You idiot..."

"It can’t be helped. I don’t want to make her sad, and I’m hoping for the best."

Hoping for the best with what...

"King, what is your opinion?"

Having heard this much, I turned to her parent, the King.

"Even if this child were a boy, her claim to the throne was low. So I didn't make an issue of it. I thought it was just part of her personality."

"No, you should have told her parents."

That’s not right. At worst, that girl could have gone down the wrong path.

"They were both still children, and I thought it was just a part of growing up. But then the other children died from illness, and the lie became the truth."

"So everyone around you decided this child would be the next king, and you couldn't back out either?"

"That is correct..."

What an idiot. A family of idiots.

"Are you kidding me?"

"I think so too. But it is too late to say such things. We must see this lie through, and this child will become the next king."

"Who will be the Queen? And who will be the king after Arc? Will Arc give birth? Or adopt?"

"There are those issues. In the worst case, I will have someone bear a child, and that child will be raised as Arc's."

What a dysfunctional royal family. Well, with the teleportation magic, I suppose they absolutely cannot let the bloodline die out.

"You’re walking on an incredible tightrope."

"This entire world is in a state of walking on a tightrope."

How pathetic...

"Arc, you should announce right now that you’re a girl. Then find a suitable husband. It’s for the good of your country."

"No way. I don't want to have kids."

So selfish. Well, I guess if I were a woman now and someone told me to be held by a man and have a child, I wouldn't like it either.

"King, you need to raise your child properly."

I say that, though I don’t have any kids of my own...

"This child was the youngest. I wanted her to live freely."

"You can’t say that anymore, can you?"

"As I said before, it is too late now, and a conflict over the next monarch will arise. In the current situation, that would be disastrous."

That’s probably not a lie, but he could just be honest and say he doesn’t want his approval ratings to drop.

"You really are idiots. An idiot royal family."

"I will not deny it."

I kind of wish you would...

"Arc, what do you want to happen with that girl?"

"What do you mean?"

"I get that you don’t want her to find out. But what happens after that? She’ll find out eventually. You’re going to mature as a woman from now on. You might be able to hide it with armor in public, but in normal clothes, you'll be found out."

It might have worked when she was a child, but thirteen is pushing the limit. As she continues to grow, the differences between male and female will become obvious.

"Maybe I should stop seeing her... I wish I had been born a boy."

What a waste. She'll probably become a real beauty when she grows up.

"Do you want to marry her?"

"Hmm, well... I did promise."

"Do you want to hold her?"

"Hold her?"

Someone needs to give this kid the talk...

"Do you want her to have your child?"

I want Kaede-chan to have mine.

"I don’t really know about that. But I don’t want someone else to steal her away."

So you hate being cheated on. You don't want your mind shattered.

"Are you really prepared to abandon being a woman?"

"Abandon? What do you mean? Gender isn’t something you just abandon, is it?"

"Let me rephrase. Do you want to become a man?"

"Yes."

Can't be helped. Personally, I think it’s better for her to be a girl, but she has her own feelings.

"I really didn’t want to say this..."

Muttering to myself, I took a flask filled with a white liquid from my bag.

"What’s that? I’ve never seen a white potion before."

Of course you haven't. From what I’ve heard so far, the Gender Reassignment Potion doesn't exist in this world.

"First, I must apologize."

"For what?"

Arc tilted her head.

"Neither in Feire nor in Frontier does a witch named Eleanor Ocean exist."

"What are you talking about? You’re right here in front of me."

Arc pointed at me as she retorted.

"In Feire... or rather, in my country, we have something called a family register, which is like your Status Cards. But I don’t have one. Because a person named Eleanor Ocean does not exist in this world. In other words, my real name is not Eleanor Ocean."

"A fake name?"

"Yes, a fake name. My name is Okita Hajime. Ah, Hajime is my first name and Okita is my family name."

"I know. In some countries it’s the other way around, right? It’s confusing..."

Can’t be helped.

"So, I am Okita Hajime, merely posing as Eleanor Ocean."

"Why the fake name?"

"I plotted to make money using my Alchemy skill. But doing so would make me stand out. That would be bad. That alchemist you mentioned proved that, didn't they?"

"Ah... true."

Well, I hadn’t anticipated a world war. I’m really glad I created Eleanor-san.

"But don't you think just changing your name isn't enough?"

"I do. For someone like you, you'd figure out I was Okita Hajime right away, wouldn't you?"

Exactly. My old classmates, my former coworkers. There are a lot of people who know me.

"That's why I changed my appearance along with my name. I shall show you. My true form!"

This feels like a final boss's second form.

"Your true form?"

"That's right! Watch this!"

With that, I stood up and began to drink the TS Potion.