Chapter 39: Something You Shouldn’t Look At

"By the way, that anti-army training from earlier is already being broadcast in the royal capital."

"Already? Wait, wasn’t that a live broadcast?"

"The director said editing would be a hassle and didn’t want to deal with it. So it’s probably just being streamed as-is."

Which means… the exchange I had with Alicia before the training was seen too. When we get back to the capital, Alicia will probably turn bright red and hide in her room again for a while.

Well, both Alicia and I assumed that footage would be used—but I didn’t expect them to stream it raw. I thought someone would at least edit it.

"I wonder if there’s anyone who can handle that kind of thing… There are probably parts in the upcoming ‘King’s Battle’ that shouldn’t be shown. Other countries might start complaining about what we show our citizens."

"Our country’s the only one doing this kind of video streaming anyway, so it’ll be fine, right? More importantly, grill the next batch of meat, Toma."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

There’s a lot to think about, but right now, satisfying my childhood friend’s craving for meat takes priority. Grilling like this reminds me of when I was back home.

Like I said earlier, Hikari is pretty rough around the edges, so she’s not suited for cooking. And my mom, who influenced her, was just as rough—she knew her alcohol well, but her cooking was wildly inconsistent.

Naturally, I ended up being the one in charge of cooking, and the villagers would cheer me on. They practically begged me to make good snacks to go with their drinks. That’s all in the past now, though.

Mom’s cooking really was hit or miss. Some people even treated it like a game of Russian roulette—though she’d knock them flat if she caught them saying that.

While reminiscing, I fed freshly grilled meat to Hikari—and that’s when I noticed Alicia approaching after finishing treatment for the knights. It was obvious she had used a lot of magic; she looked exhausted.

"Phew… I’m tired. Honestly, everyone kept trying to hide their injuries… just like you, Toma."

"I wonder whose influence that is. They say subordinates tend to resemble their boss."

"If that’s true, and the entire country is basically this guy’s subordinates, then we’re in trouble."

"Care to explain what you mean by that???"

They talk like the world would end if everyone became like me. …Actually, thinking about it calmly, maybe it would. People are good because they’re different. I wouldn’t want Hikari or Alicia to turn into me either.

They each have their own charm—and so does everyone else.

For starters, I definitely don’t want to see them grinning while observing interspecies love just because they found a dog-and-cat couple. That role alone is more than enough for me.

"Hikari, Alicia… and Carol too—please don’t turn into me…"

"That’s not something you can just become."

"One Toma is more than enough. My heart wouldn’t survive the stress."

"I don’t think I could ever make that kind of serious face over a joke."

That’s a relief. Being able to enjoy these trivial conversations is what keeps me going—it’s my source of comfort and my guiding principle. I want to protect this everyday life and keep it from changing.

"Oh right, Alicia—your little comedy act with Toma earlier got broadcast in the capital. You call it live broadcasting, right?"

"Huh?"

"Part of the audience got really fired up again. It’s probably going to be a huge deal when we get back."

"Huh…? Huh…?"

"Sorry, Alicia. If we get teased, we’ll face it together… yeah, let’s both fight through the embarrassment."

"Please tell me that’s a lieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"

I feel bad for her, especially since she just finished working—but there’s no changing reality now. Even though she’s shouting toward the capital, “Please don’t watch it!!,” it’s already too late. I’ll keep that part to myself.

To comfort her, I held out a skewer of meat. She covered her face with both hands and couldn’t take it, so when I said, "Open up," and brought it to her mouth, she obediently took a bite. Yep—eating is important.

As I continued grilling meat and vegetables, Shion approached gracefully with a plate in hand. It looked like she had already finished eating.

"Lord Toma, I watched your earlier battle. It was very instructive, and I would like to request regular sparring matches going forward."

"Ah, Shion. Even if you say that, my style is pretty self-taught, so I don’t think it’ll be very helpful…"

"It may not suit my fighting style. But simply knowing that such a free and agile way of fighting exists makes a great difference. There are hardly any people around me who fight like that."

Calling my swordsmanship “swordsmanship” might be too generous. It’s something I developed purely to survive and defeat enemies during a life-and-death battle with that knight commander. There’s nothing elegant about it—just the intent to win.

So hearing someone like Shion—who wields such a beautiful spear—praise me makes me grin without thinking. I’ve never said this before, but I admire her spear.

A style built through steady effort, refined over time into something fluid and precise. I didn’t have time to notice during the fight, but watching the ‘King’s Battle’ footage back in the capital really showed me just how incredible her skill is.

If she hadn’t used poison, she probably would have fought even more cautiously until the end. In that case, the sheer weight of her experience would have crushed me. I have to admit—I was lucky.

"I think you’re stronger. The last ‘King’s Battle’—that was just luck. They say luck is part of skill, but I don’t think I can keep winning like that."

That’s why I keep building myself up every day. Still, it’s also true that I don’t get enough chances to fight strong opponents. I spar with Hikari and the knight commander, but eventually I’ll get used to them.

Getting used to something is dangerous—especially for someone like me, who lacks real experience. I might fail because I assume things will go the same as before. I might mess up in a split-second decision. Experience is necessary, but familiarity breeds complacency—and that’s something I don’t need.

"So if you’re willing, Shion, I’d like to spar with you regularly. Your spearwork, movement, and speed—I want to learn from all of it and keep winning against the kings of other nations."

"With praise like that, I can’t say I dislike it. And it aligns with my own wishes—I have no reason to refuse. Besides… I belong to you, after all."

"If it’s someone as beautiful as you, I’d gladly accept—but I’ll stop there. The looks I’d get are scary."

Maybe she’s figured out my personality after spending time here—she said it with a teasing smile. Looks like she’s been learning how to handle me from Hikari and the others. I wish she wouldn’t pick up the wrong lessons, though… but that’s probably unavoidable.

Still, she’s loosened up—in a good way. The tense edge she had when we first met is gone. Her guard is lower now, for better or worse.

Someone might try to exploit that—but if it happens, I’ll step in. It might contradict what I said earlier, but I don’t intend to lose to just anyone.

For now, our interests align—and the feelings we hold toward each other aren’t bad either. So, as a gesture of goodwill, I extended my hand. She took it, and we shook.

"Shioooon!! These vegetables are so crisp and delicious!!! We have to bring some back to the castle!!!"

"Mom!!! Stop, that’s embarrassing!!!! Those vegetables came from the castle—we already have them there!!!"

The handshake broke instantly as Shion dashed off at full speed toward Ciel. There she was, surrounded by knights, smiling brightly with skewers of meat and vegetables in both hands, waving at her daughter.

What a close family. It’s heartwarming to watch—though Shion herself is desperately trying to stop her out of embarrassment. Does that count as something you shouldn’t look at?

"Seeing that kind of thing really makes you think family is nice."

"Yeah… it reminds me of my mom. Though I was usually the one getting scolded."

"That’s because you kept getting into trouble. Like going into the forest to get me a gift."

"Well, it was your birthday—I wanted to make something myself. Oh, Alicia, your birthday is in winter, right? I’ll prepare something properly!"

"Huh!? Th-that’s not necessary!!!"

"Alicia, there’s no point saying that to him. He’s already decided to give you something—now he’s just figuring out what."

"U-uu… Then at least tell me your birthday, Toma! I’ll prepare a present too!!!"

A beautiful girl acting that earnest is enough to make anyone fall for her. Well… it’s probably too late to worry about that. Spending all day together, talking under the stars at night—anyone would fall.

"My birthday’s in December. I’ve only ever gotten presents from Hikari, so I’m looking forward to it."

"Leave it to me! I’ll do my absolute best!!!"

"Well, being king’s going to be tough, so I’ll prepare something too."

Hearing that from two earnest, beautiful girls feels great—but there’s still something that worries me. I want them to smile… but can they do that while staying by my side?

I like both of them. I want to protect their smiles, never see them sad. I want them to be happy—and if possible, I want to be there with them.

I know I’m greedy. But that’s just who I am. Whether they accept that is up to them, so I won’t say anything yet. If I get rejected and this relationship falls apart… that would hurt. And if it’s because of my own indecisiveness, I’d probably hate myself for it.

"...Hey, Toma. I just noticed for the first time—but that small girl… is she really the spear user’s mother?"

"Huh? Yeah, I think so. They have similar indigo hair, and I heard she has a bit of elf blood, so her aging stopped."

While we were talking, Carol hadn’t moved—her gaze fixed on Shion and Ciel.

Her eyes glowed emerald green—the sign her magic eye was active—and for some reason, she was sweating.

"I won’t say anything more, but you should keep your distance from those two. If you get too involved… the damage you’ll take someday will be much worse."

"What do you mean—"

Without answering, she deactivated her magic eye and walked away. Her face was pale, as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.

I decided then that I’d go take care of her.