Hello everyone, it’s Shuri here. Aeclys and Anby’s reunion went well, and now the big tasks are gradually being taken care of. The townspeople’s impression of us is still not great, and the cooks who went on strike haven’t come back, but that’s that, and this is this. I’m not going to worry about it! One way or another, work is getting done, and if they want to quit, all I can say is do as you please. Thanks to Gungrave pulling some strings, we’ve been able to fill in the numbers. Well, they’re cooks after all. They should be able to find jobs at other restaurants. I don’t even have the luxury of worrying about that right now. Why? It’s obvious. It’s for the sake of a promise.
“Hey! Hurry up with the preparations for that dish over there! We don’t have time to be idle!”
I shout out instructions to everyone in the kitchen. They all respond with energetic voices. I myself am stirring pots and finishing up dishes.
“There! You’ve got the wrong plate! Use the bigger one! We don’t have time for mistakes!”
Even harsh words that I wouldn’t normally say are coming out of my mouth.
“Y-yes! I’m sorry!” “Apologize later! Respond and act immediately! Hurry!”
The staff are working hard without complaining about this. I’m grateful; it saves unnecessary energy. Preparing plates, preparing dishes, serving… we have to work hard and calculate everything, or things won’t work out right now. I’m managing somehow since I’m in charge of giving instructions, but the staff below me are running around like crazy. They have to move their feet and hands desperately.
Right now, we’re frantically preparing the feast for a wedding. Yes, it’s for the promise between Gungrave, who has obtained his own territory, and his fiancée Arius. We’ve decided to hold a grand wedding ceremony for the two of them. It all started a week ago when I prodded Gungrave. I said, “Don’t you think it’s not a good idea to keep your lover waiting any longer?” When Gungrave heard that, he looked like he realized something and agreed. Normally, a wedding would be a major event requiring much more time, but there are several miscalculations here. First, I was oblivious to how difficult it would be to prepare the food for a wedding. I’ve only cooked as a hobby. My hobby has led me to gain considerable skill, but banquets are different… I knew far too little about the planning required for the food at such a formal, ceremonial event. So I said we could manage it in a week, and now we’re in this terribly hectic situation. From sourcing ingredients to selecting plates, deciding on the types of dishes to arrange on the tables, and so on, there’s so much to think about. I was an idiot…
Another factor contributing to how busy we are is that envoys from Orritor and Arturia are coming. So the number of guests has doubled. Some might wonder, “Where?” but let me explain briefly. Orritor is the country where Kuuga had an exhibition match in the past. Arturia is the magic engineering city that once talked about making Arius a concubine. We were all wondering why these two places were sending envoys. After all, it’s just a wedding for members of a mercenary group, right? That’s what we thought, but then Princess Tevis laughed and said:
“I invited them. You lot have become too famous to have a wedding with just family members. I reached out to these two countries with which you have deep connections from the past.” “It’s surprising they accepted. Was it okay to invite them without asking?” “On the contrary, Gungrave and Arius couldn’t have invited them themselves, could they? There’s also the matter of their status as lords now. I invited them in my name. For a wedding, the more people there are to celebrate, the better.” “No, no, why did Orritor and Arturia agree to come? Kuuga caused trouble in Orritor, and I caused trouble in Arturia.” “When I contacted them, they jumped at the chance. Orritor seems to want to meet Kuuga again, and in Arturia, there’s been a recent change in royal power. The new king is coming to express his gratitude, apparently.” “W-why?” “It seems that thanks to you lot, their foolish prince didn’t become king. An event occurred that allowed a more capable person born to a concubine to become king instead. What exactly did you do there?”
What did we do? We just waved around some kitchen knives and served curry.
“Nothing special…” “Come now, don’t lie. I know what happened. That prince tried to recruit you, didn’t he? And I used that as an excuse to make trouble.” “What?” “Well, as a result, Arturia apparently suffered quite a bit. The prince’s rash action in trying to recruit you without properly assessing you, and the king’s foolishness in not considering the current state of his own country were exposed. Consequently, the king was forced to retire, and the prince was disinherited. Hahaha, serves them right!” “Eeeh…”
There’s a lot I want to say, but I decided to stop myself from going deeper into it. By the way, Gungrave apparently found this story amusing. Nouviche, Orritor, and Arturia are all well-known countries on the continent. It’s a good thing to have envoys from these countries coming to celebrate. Arius accepted it too. However, both Gungrave and Arius were surprised; they didn’t actually expect the envoys to come.
And so, various factors have piled up, turning this into a chaotic situation. Yes, it’s my fault for not planning properly. I regret it. And now, we’ve reached the day of the event. We managed to get the ingredients somehow. We hurriedly asked Princess Tevis to prepare the ingredients for us. In exchange, I promised to serve her a full course meal starting with mapo tofu someday. Can’t be helped. Just as work was finally getting on track and preparations for the venue were settling down, someone suddenly burst into the kitchen.
“Shuri! Are you here?”
It’s Kuuga, dressed in formal attire. He was supposed to be in charge of entertaining the envoys from Orritor and Arturia who are visiting this time, but… By the way, the reason he was chosen for this role is that he looks the most suitable for it. We’re making use of the handsome guy here. However, Kuuga looks flustered. What could be the matter?
“What’s wrong, Kuuga? We’re so swamped here we could use any help we can get, even if it’s just someone to fetch and carry!” “Sorry! Gungrave won’t come out of his room!”
…Huh?
“What do you mean, he won’t come out of his room?” “It means exactly that… He’s locked himself in there, and he won’t come out no matter how much we call for him!” “What?!”
Isn’t that a big problem?
“By the way, the envoys…” “They’re already here…! We need to have Gungrave and Arius greet them quickly, or it’ll be rude!” “Understood! I’ll go right away!”
I gave instructions to my subordinates and left my post. Then I ran with Kuuga to the room where Gungrave was waiting. What on earth is Gungrave doing?! At such a busy time!
“By the way, Kuuga.” “What is it?” “Did Gungrave and Arius seem strange in any way? Like, getting anxious or losing confidence…”
I’ve heard about situations like this a few times back when I was on Earth, so I asked Kuuga while we were running. Kuuga thought for a moment, then made a face like he realized something.
“Come to think of it, as the wedding day got closer, both of them started acting off. How should I put it… they were asking for advice about the future and such. Saying things like, ‘Is this really okay?’“
Ah, I see. No doubt about it. It’s what they call the wedding jitters. This is troublesome. They’re getting anxious and scared thinking about their future after marriage, to the point where they can’t handle it. As I run, I think about how to deal with this. How can I dispel their anxiety? But this isn’t a problem that can be solved quickly. After all, it’s about their lives. It’s understandable to feel anxious, but marriage is about overcoming such things together… Well, maybe it’s hard for me to imagine since I’ve never even had a girlfriend, let alone been married.
“W-well, let’s start by dragging Gungrave out.”
I mutter as we stop in front of the room. This is the room where Gungrave is supposed to be getting ready. Since it’s wedding attire, there’s a mountain of things to prepare. Fixing the hair… and what else? Sorry, I don’t know the details.
“Gungrave~ Please come out~”
I call out while knocking on the door. I’m using the gentlest tone possible, trying not to cause any unnecessary anxiety for the person inside. I try turning the doorknob, but it seems to be locked. They’re at a point where they have to think about a lot of things regarding their future. We shouldn’t agitate them.
“Everyone’s waiting~ Are you not feeling well~?” “Ah, no, wait. I need to think about something.” “Screw this. Kuuga, if you please.” “Alright.”
At my signal, Kuuga kicks down the door. We don’t have time to wait, you idiot. There was no time for consideration.
The guests have already arrived; we can’t afford to dawdle any longer.
“W-what are you guys doing?!”
Gungrave inside the room looks at us with an extremely surprised expression. He seems very flustered. Apparently, this forceful entry was quite unexpected. But that doesn’t matter now. There’s only one thing to do.
“Gungrave. I heard… that you’re anxious about the future, that you’re worrying about various things.”
When I say this, Gungrave makes a guilty face.
“Ah, yeah… I can’t help but think about a lot of things.”
…Gungrave was about to start explaining.
“She’s as beautiful as she looks, a real beauty. If she marries me now, it’s clear she’ll face hardships. Maybe it would be better if she joined the magic unit of a large country instead, where she might catch the eye of royalty and be happier…” “You big idiot!!!”
I kick over a nearby desk while shouting at the top of my lungs. The chair was quite heavy. My shin hurts.
“Listen up, Gungrave. I’ll only say this once.” “H-hey Shuri, you’re being too rough…” “Shut up. I’m going to say it.”
I approach Gungrave, grab him by the collar, and say:
“Arius chose to be with you, even in times of hardship and pain. That’s what makes her happy. She chose you because she believes that overcoming difficulties and pain together with you is what will make her happy.”
I lean in close to Gungrave’s face and continue.
“How can you be anxious when she feels this way? The Gungrave I know is a stronger person than this. Don’t say such pathetic things like you can’t bear the life of one woman you love when you’re about to bear the lives of all your people as a lord.”
Gungrave looks like he’s realized something and lowers his head. Well, there’s nothing more I can say. I let go of Gungrave. He’s not the kind of person who wouldn’t be inspired after hearing all this. He has the ability and courage to overcome past battles and hardships. He’ll figure out the rest on his own.
“Well then, Gungrave. Please live your future properly with the person you love.” “H-hey, Shuri.” “I still have places to go. Arius must be eagerly waiting for this day too. We don’t have time to dawdle.”
I give Kuuga a meaningful look.
“Sorry, but I need to hurry. Kuuga, can I leave the rest to you?” “Yeah, leave it to me.” “Then I’ll leave it in your hands.”
Saying that, I dash out of the room and head towards Arius’s room. Time is precious. We need time to prepare the food, plate it, serve it, prepare drinks, and so on… I understand the feeling of getting cold feet, but I wish they had confided their worries a little earlier, like the day before… I can’t complain, so I just run silently until I finally reach Arius’s preparation room. Why on earth are they preparing in such distant rooms… There’s someone in front of the room. It looks like they’re knocking on the door and calling out.
“Aeclys, Lill. What’s going on?”
Yes, Lill and Aeclys are standing in front of the door with troubled expressions.
“Huh? Shuri, why are you here?” “Well, I heard that Arius might be having wedding jitters… I mean, she seems to be brooding over something, so I came because I was worried.” “…Arius won’t come out.”
Aeclys looks at me with a surprised face, while Lill points at the door with a troubled expression. It seems the situation here is similar. They really are two peas in a pod. Rather, they’re a perfect match. I approach the two and ask:
“Lill, how long has Arius been like this?” “…After the preparations were finished and everyone left, she locked the door. We can’t get in, and she doesn’t answer when we call out…” “I see, I understand. Let’s force our way in.”
We can’t afford to waste time on this. I want to light a fire under them and get back to work. Aeclys looks troubled at my words.
“No, forcefully entering a woman’s room is a bit…” “It doesn’t matter. Gungrave was in a similar situation. We’ll resolve this quickly too.” “Lill agrees. If we take any more time, Arius’s worries might get worse. So, let’s go boom.”
Lill agrees with my opinion and places her hand on the door. Then the magic letters engraved on her arm begin to react and glow. As light pours onto the door, it makes a strange sound, twists and breaks, destroying the lock and opening the way. Oh, so that’s what those magic letters were for… This is the first time I’ve seen them used!
“W-what’s going on?!”
We hear Arius’s surprised voice from inside. I whisper to Aeclys:
“It would be inappropriate for me to go in, so I’ll leave this to you two.” “Huh? The mastermind who suggested all this commotion is running away?!” “Didn’t you say it yourself, Aeclys? This is a woman’s room. So, I’m basically hands-off. But…”
I can’t just leave things as they are, so I’ll say what needs to be said.
“Arius. Can you hear me?”
I lean my back against the wall next to the door and speak.
“Eh? Shuri? Is that Shuri out there?” “Yes. I won’t peek inside or try to enter, of course. So, I’ll say what I need to say from here.”
I can’t see how Arius looks inside, but there are things I need to say.
“Arius. Do you trust Gungrave?” “Of course I do.”
An immediate answer. And a firm voice without hesitation.
“I think you’re probably worrying about things like, ‘Am I worthy of Gungrave? Wouldn’t it be better for someone with the talent to acquire a country to marry someone more suitable than me? In fact, wouldn’t it be more important to welcome a princess from a neighboring country and legitimize that bloodline? Maybe I should just be a concubine instead.’ Aren’t you thinking something along those lines?”
…No response. Could I be correct? They really are two peas in a pod. If a couple’s thoughts are this similar, there should be no need to worry. No, maybe they worry because they’re so similar. I still don’t know enough about married couples. Because they’re similar, they worry about the same things and then worry more thinking about each other. And since they’re both quick-thinkers, it’s even worse. They have the coolness to step back if they think that’s best for the other person. Really, that’s not what this is about at all.
“It’s okay. Gungrave, me, everyone… We all think you two are the best match. No matter what happens or how things turn out, you two will end up together. That’s the kind of bond you have. So, there’s no need to act all grown-up. Please, be happy.”
I say this, but there’s no response from inside. So, my job here is done.
“Aeclys, Lill. Can I leave the rest to you?” “…Yes.” “Got it. Leave it to us. Now that you’ve set things up like this, we’ll drag Arius out no matter what.”
Lill and Aeclys say this and enter the room. From here on, it’s women’s talk. Women’s work. As a man, I shouldn’t get too involved. I gently push myself off the wall and turn my feet towards the kitchen. Really, I shouldn’t do things I’m not used to. How could I possibly handle marital counseling? At best, I can break down walls without any delicacy and leave the rest to the people around. I’ll leave the follow-up to Kuuga, Lill, and Aeclys, and I’ll get back to my own work.
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Chapter 50
Hello everyone, it’s Shuri here.
Aeclys and Anby’s reunion went well, and now the big tasks are gradually being taken care of.
The townspeople’s impression of us is still not great, and the cooks who went on strike haven’t come back, but that’s that, and this is this. I’m not going to worry about it!
One way or another, work is getting done, and if they want to quit, all I can say is do as you please. Thanks to Gungrave pulling some strings, we’ve been able to fill in the numbers.
Well, they’re cooks after all. They should be able to find jobs at other restaurants.
I don’t even have the luxury of worrying about that right now.
Why? It’s obvious.
It’s for the sake of a promise.
“Hey! Hurry up with the preparations for that dish over there! We don’t have time to be idle!”
I shout out instructions to everyone in the kitchen. They all respond with energetic voices.
I myself am stirring pots and finishing up dishes.
“There! You’ve got the wrong plate! Use the bigger one! We don’t have time for mistakes!”
Even harsh words that I wouldn’t normally say are coming out of my mouth.
“Y-yes! I’m sorry!”
“Apologize later! Respond and act immediately! Hurry!”
The staff are working hard without complaining about this. I’m grateful; it saves unnecessary energy.
Preparing plates, preparing dishes, serving… we have to work hard and calculate everything, or things won’t work out right now. I’m managing somehow since I’m in charge of giving instructions, but the staff below me are running around like crazy. They have to move their feet and hands desperately.
Right now, we’re frantically preparing the feast for a wedding.
Yes, it’s for the promise between Gungrave, who has obtained his own territory, and his fiancée Arius.
We’ve decided to hold a grand wedding ceremony for the two of them.
It all started a week ago when I prodded Gungrave.
I said, “Don’t you think it’s not a good idea to keep your lover waiting any longer?”
When Gungrave heard that, he looked like he realized something and agreed.
Normally, a wedding would be a major event requiring much more time, but there are several miscalculations here.
First, I was oblivious to how difficult it would be to prepare the food for a wedding. I’ve only cooked as a hobby. My hobby has led me to gain considerable skill, but banquets are different… I knew far too little about the planning required for the food at such a formal, ceremonial event.
So I said we could manage it in a week, and now we’re in this terribly hectic situation.
From sourcing ingredients to selecting plates, deciding on the types of dishes to arrange on the tables, and so on, there’s so much to think about. I was an idiot…
Another factor contributing to how busy we are is that envoys from Orritor and Arturia are coming. So the number of guests has doubled.
Some might wonder, “Where?” but let me explain briefly.
Orritor is the country where Kuuga had an exhibition match in the past.
Arturia is the magic engineering city that once talked about making Arius a concubine.
We were all wondering why these two places were sending envoys. After all, it’s just a wedding for members of a mercenary group, right?
That’s what we thought, but then Princess Tevis laughed and said:
“I invited them. You lot have become too famous to have a wedding with just family members.
I reached out to these two countries with which you have deep connections from the past.”
“It’s surprising they accepted. Was it okay to invite them without asking?”
“On the contrary, Gungrave and Arius couldn’t have invited them themselves, could they? There’s also the matter of their status as lords now. I invited them in my name. For a wedding, the more people there are to celebrate, the better.”
“No, no, why did Orritor and Arturia agree to come? Kuuga caused trouble in Orritor, and I caused trouble in Arturia.”
“When I contacted them, they jumped at the chance. Orritor seems to want to meet Kuuga again, and in Arturia, there’s been a recent change in royal power. The new king is coming to express his gratitude, apparently.”
“W-why?”
“It seems that thanks to you lot, their foolish prince didn’t become king. An event occurred that allowed a more capable person born to a concubine to become king instead. What exactly did you do there?”
What did we do? We just waved around some kitchen knives and served curry.
“Nothing special…”
“Come now, don’t lie. I know what happened. That prince tried to recruit you, didn’t he? And I used that as an excuse to make trouble.”
“What?”
“Well, as a result, Arturia apparently suffered quite a bit. The prince’s rash action in trying to recruit you without properly assessing you, and the king’s foolishness in not considering the current state of his own country were exposed. Consequently, the king was forced to retire, and the prince was disinherited. Hahaha, serves them right!”
“Eeeh…”
There’s a lot I want to say, but I decided to stop myself from going deeper into it.
By the way, Gungrave apparently found this story amusing.
Nouviche, Orritor, and Arturia are all well-known countries on the continent. It’s a good thing to have envoys from these countries coming to celebrate.
Arius accepted it too.
However, both Gungrave and Arius were surprised; they didn’t actually expect the envoys to come.
And so, various factors have piled up, turning this into a chaotic situation. Yes, it’s my fault for not planning properly. I regret it.
And now, we’ve reached the day of the event.
We managed to get the ingredients somehow. We hurriedly asked Princess Tevis to prepare the ingredients for us. In exchange, I promised to serve her a full course meal starting with mapo tofu someday. Can’t be helped.
Just as work was finally getting on track and preparations for the venue were settling down, someone suddenly burst into the kitchen.
“Shuri! Are you here?”
It’s Kuuga, dressed in formal attire. He was supposed to be in charge of entertaining the envoys from Orritor and Arturia who are visiting this time, but…
By the way, the reason he was chosen for this role is that he looks the most suitable for it. We’re making use of the handsome guy here.
However, Kuuga looks flustered. What could be the matter?
“What’s wrong, Kuuga? We’re so swamped here we could use any help we can get, even if it’s just someone to fetch and carry!”
“Sorry! Gungrave won’t come out of his room!”
…Huh?
“What do you mean, he won’t come out of his room?”
“It means exactly that… He’s locked himself in there, and he won’t come out no matter how much we call for him!”
“What?!”
Isn’t that a big problem?
“By the way, the envoys…”
“They’re already here…! We need to have Gungrave and Arius greet them quickly, or it’ll be rude!”
“Understood! I’ll go right away!”
I gave instructions to my subordinates and left my post. Then I ran with Kuuga to the room where Gungrave was waiting.
What on earth is Gungrave doing?! At such a busy time!
“By the way, Kuuga.”
“What is it?”
“Did Gungrave and Arius seem strange in any way? Like, getting anxious or losing confidence…”
I’ve heard about situations like this a few times back when I was on Earth, so I asked Kuuga while we were running.
Kuuga thought for a moment, then made a face like he realized something.
“Come to think of it, as the wedding day got closer, both of them started acting off. How should I put it… they were asking for advice about the future and such. Saying things like, ‘Is this really okay?’“
Ah, I see. No doubt about it.
It’s what they call the wedding jitters. This is troublesome. They’re getting anxious and scared thinking about their future after marriage, to the point where they can’t handle it.
As I run, I think about how to deal with this. How can I dispel their anxiety?
But this isn’t a problem that can be solved quickly. After all, it’s about their lives.
It’s understandable to feel anxious, but marriage is about overcoming such things together… Well, maybe it’s hard for me to imagine since I’ve never even had a girlfriend, let alone been married.
“W-well, let’s start by dragging Gungrave out.”
I mutter as we stop in front of the room. This is the room where Gungrave is supposed to be getting ready.
Since it’s wedding attire, there’s a mountain of things to prepare. Fixing the hair… and what else? Sorry, I don’t know the details.
“Gungrave~ Please come out~”
I call out while knocking on the door. I’m using the gentlest tone possible, trying not to cause any unnecessary anxiety for the person inside. I try turning the doorknob, but it seems to be locked.
They’re at a point where they have to think about a lot of things regarding their future. We shouldn’t agitate them.
“Everyone’s waiting~ Are you not feeling well~?”
“Ah, no, wait. I need to think about something.”
“Screw this. Kuuga, if you please.”
“Alright.”
At my signal, Kuuga kicks down the door. We don’t have time to wait, you idiot. There was no time for consideration.
The guests have already arrived; we can’t afford to dawdle any longer.
“W-what are you guys doing?!”
Gungrave inside the room looks at us with an extremely surprised expression. He seems very flustered. Apparently, this forceful entry was quite unexpected.
But that doesn’t matter now. There’s only one thing to do.
“Gungrave. I heard… that you’re anxious about the future, that you’re worrying about various things.”
When I say this, Gungrave makes a guilty face.
“Ah, yeah… I can’t help but think about a lot of things.”
…Gungrave was about to start explaining.
“She’s as beautiful as she looks, a real beauty. If she marries me now, it’s clear she’ll face hardships. Maybe it would be better if she joined the magic unit of a large country instead, where she might catch the eye of royalty and be happier…”
“You big idiot!!!”
I kick over a nearby desk while shouting at the top of my lungs. The chair was quite heavy. My shin hurts.
“Listen up, Gungrave. I’ll only say this once.”
“H-hey Shuri, you’re being too rough…”
“Shut up. I’m going to say it.”
I approach Gungrave, grab him by the collar, and say:
“Arius chose to be with you, even in times of hardship and pain. That’s what makes her happy. She chose you because she believes that overcoming difficulties and pain together with you is what will make her happy.”
I lean in close to Gungrave’s face and continue.
“How can you be anxious when she feels this way? The Gungrave I know is a stronger person than this. Don’t say such pathetic things like you can’t bear the life of one woman you love when you’re about to bear the lives of all your people as a lord.”
Gungrave looks like he’s realized something and lowers his head.
Well, there’s nothing more I can say. I let go of Gungrave.
He’s not the kind of person who wouldn’t be inspired after hearing all this. He has the ability and courage to overcome past battles and hardships. He’ll figure out the rest on his own.
“Well then, Gungrave. Please live your future properly with the person you love.”
“H-hey, Shuri.”
“I still have places to go. Arius must be eagerly waiting for this day too. We don’t have time to dawdle.”
I give Kuuga a meaningful look.
“Sorry, but I need to hurry. Kuuga, can I leave the rest to you?”
“Yeah, leave it to me.”
“Then I’ll leave it in your hands.”
Saying that, I dash out of the room and head towards Arius’s room. Time is precious. We need time to prepare the food, plate it, serve it, prepare drinks, and so on…
I understand the feeling of getting cold feet, but I wish they had confided their worries a little earlier, like the day before…
I can’t complain, so I just run silently until I finally reach Arius’s preparation room. Why on earth are they preparing in such distant rooms…
There’s someone in front of the room. It looks like they’re knocking on the door and calling out.
“Aeclys, Lill. What’s going on?”
Yes, Lill and Aeclys are standing in front of the door with troubled expressions.
“Huh? Shuri, why are you here?”
“Well, I heard that Arius might be having wedding jitters… I mean, she seems to be brooding over something, so I came because I was worried.”
“…Arius won’t come out.”
Aeclys looks at me with a surprised face, while Lill points at the door with a troubled expression. It seems the situation here is similar.
They really are two peas in a pod. Rather, they’re a perfect match.
I approach the two and ask:
“Lill, how long has Arius been like this?”
“…After the preparations were finished and everyone left, she locked the door. We can’t get in, and she doesn’t answer when we call out…”
“I see, I understand. Let’s force our way in.”
We can’t afford to waste time on this. I want to light a fire under them and get back to work.
Aeclys looks troubled at my words.
“No, forcefully entering a woman’s room is a bit…”
“It doesn’t matter. Gungrave was in a similar situation. We’ll resolve this quickly too.”
“Lill agrees. If we take any more time, Arius’s worries might get worse. So, let’s go boom.”
Lill agrees with my opinion and places her hand on the door.
Then the magic letters engraved on her arm begin to react and glow.
As light pours onto the door, it makes a strange sound, twists and breaks, destroying the lock and opening the way.
Oh, so that’s what those magic letters were for… This is the first time I’ve seen them used!
“W-what’s going on?!”
We hear Arius’s surprised voice from inside.
I whisper to Aeclys:
“It would be inappropriate for me to go in, so I’ll leave this to you two.”
“Huh? The mastermind who suggested all this commotion is running away?!”
“Didn’t you say it yourself, Aeclys? This is a woman’s room. So, I’m basically hands-off. But…”
I can’t just leave things as they are, so I’ll say what needs to be said.
“Arius. Can you hear me?”
I lean my back against the wall next to the door and speak.
“Eh? Shuri? Is that Shuri out there?”
“Yes. I won’t peek inside or try to enter, of course. So, I’ll say what I need to say from here.”
I can’t see how Arius looks inside, but there are things I need to say.
“Arius. Do you trust Gungrave?”
“Of course I do.”
An immediate answer. And a firm voice without hesitation.
“I think you’re probably worrying about things like, ‘Am I worthy of Gungrave? Wouldn’t it be better for someone with the talent to acquire a country to marry someone more suitable than me? In fact, wouldn’t it be more important to welcome a princess from a neighboring country and legitimize that bloodline? Maybe I should just be a concubine instead.’ Aren’t you thinking something along those lines?”
…No response. Could I be correct? They really are two peas in a pod. If a couple’s thoughts are this similar, there should be no need to worry.
No, maybe they worry because they’re so similar. I still don’t know enough about married couples.
Because they’re similar, they worry about the same things and then worry more thinking about each other. And since they’re both quick-thinkers, it’s even worse. They have the coolness to step back if they think that’s best for the other person.
Really, that’s not what this is about at all.
“It’s okay. Gungrave, me, everyone… We all think you two are the best match. No matter what happens or how things turn out, you two will end up together. That’s the kind of bond you have.
So, there’s no need to act all grown-up. Please, be happy.”
I say this, but there’s no response from inside. So, my job here is done.
“Aeclys, Lill. Can I leave the rest to you?”
“…Yes.”
“Got it. Leave it to us. Now that you’ve set things up like this, we’ll drag Arius out no matter what.”
Lill and Aeclys say this and enter the room. From here on, it’s women’s talk. Women’s work. As a man, I shouldn’t get too involved.
I gently push myself off the wall and turn my feet towards the kitchen. Really, I shouldn’t do things I’m not used to. How could I possibly handle marital counseling?
At best, I can break down walls without any delicacy and leave the rest to the people around. I’ll leave the follow-up to Kuuga, Lill, and Aeclys, and I’ll get back to my own work.
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