Volume 3 Chapter 5 Part3 (1/2)

Translator Corner

Minasan oideyasu. This is Yukkuri demasu!

I want to actually release this hours ago

but then there was this sudden hotel meeting I need to partic.i.p.ate, so it get

delayed so late in the night (here is midnight right now).

Also, I mostly didn’t translate honorific,

as I feel the j.a.panese Honorific convey social status / relations.h.i.+p better

than the English one. Or perhaps, it’s just because of my Asian background…

DISCLAIMER: There is no

guarantee that my translation is 100% correct. Please correct me if I was

wrong.

Author:

Dozeumaru(どぜう丸)

Translator:

Yukkuri Oniisan

Editor:

So-Chintzy

Postwar Arc

Chapter 5: As a Ruler AB (behind the scenes) – Meanwhile, The Black

Clothed One[1]

On the day when Elfrieden Kingdom’s

(Temporary) King, Souma, accepted his Second and Third fiancées, there were two

people conducting a discussion through the Royal Voice Broadcast at a different

place. Elfrieden Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Hakuya Kwonmin[2],

addressed Jeanne Euphoria, the Sister Princess of Maria, the Empress of the Grand

Chaos Empire, and who was reflected on the simple receiver set atop the table.

「The

reception is clear. It seems there are no problems in the simple receiver sets’

connection. Thank you very much, Jeanne-dono, to even send a Griffon Cavalry to

us.」(Hakuya)

『My

Sister[3]

also understands the importance of what King Souma called a “Hotline”. If we

establish this, then the Empire and the Kingdom can always communicate with

each other. So shouldn’t it be a natural thing that we did this in a hurry?』(Jeanne)

Jeanne made a sweet grin on the screen.

After the Amidonian Conference, Jeanne

returned to her country and reported to Empress Maria about the proposals from Souma:

『The

Secret Alliance with Elfrieden Kingdom』, 『Establis.h.i.+ng a Bilateral Hotline』, 『Each

country dispatching a residing Amba.s.sador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary[4]

and establis.h.i.+ng an emba.s.sy as the place where the amba.s.sadors will stay』. Jeanne

had thought that Maria might not refuse these proposals and, sure enough, Maria

readily consented to it. Or perhaps, it could be better to say that she was

laughing exuberantly.

『That

was the first time I had ever seen Sister laughing like that. She seems to be quite

happy.』(Jeanne)

「Happy……

is it?」(Hakuya)

『To

have someone who shares the same value system…… In other words, someone who has

the same way of thinking. There are not many people who can do so in the

Empire. Someone who can see eye to eye with the Holy Maiden.』(Jeanne)

「I

see.」(Hakuya)

The one who pursued the ideal and

the one who looked at the reality, not only were they separated geographically at

the eastern and western sides of the Continent, but were also separated by their

ideology, but for some reason, both of them could understand each other. Certainly,

it might be an interesting situation, thought Hakuya.

『When

it is possible, I want to immediately to hold a broadcast conversation between Sister

and King Souma.』(Jeanne)

「Since

both of them are really busy, both of them probably don’t have time to do this.

When the situation has calmed down, let us decide the time for the conversation

beforehand.」(Hakuya)

『Yes.

Certainly.』(Jeanne)

Then, after a bit gossip (expressing

complaints about their respective Lords), Jeanne asked Hakuya.

『There

is something that has been bothering me from awhile ago. I could see a lot of books

behind Hakuya-dono and I have the feeling that I have seen those books before from

somewhere.』(Jeanne)

「……Ah,

these books are loaned as a collateral for the indemnities payment from Van. Since

there are many books that I want to copy before returning them, I was sorting them

out until just now.」(Hakuya)

『The

Prime Minister himself personally sorted the books?』(Jeanne)

「Of

course, since we lack the manpower, but half of it is because it’s my pastime. I

have a fondness for sorting books. Dividing them according to the category,

lining them uniformly, sometimes turning pages of a book that caught my eyes,

and finally taking pleasure at the sight of the neat book arrangement on the

shelves. Books are humanity’s wisdom. The progress of the country itself. When

I thought about how I could always read the books lined up on the shelves

before me……」(Hakuya)

『……』(Jeanne)

Jeanne was opening her eyes wide

in surprise at the sight of Hakuya’s loquaciousness. If you were talking about

the “Black Clothed Prime Minister”[5],

then he was someone who was famous as a genius that Souma had discovered and a

person who led Gaius VIII and Julius by their noses with his Machiavellianism[6].

When she personally met with him, Jeanne also had the impression that he was a

really clever person. However, when Hakuya was talking about books, he had the

eyes of a child. This gap[7]

(Hakuya’s att.i.tude that was different from his usual demeanor) left Jeanne in a

bit of shock.

『…… Do

you really like books?』(Jeanne)

When he heard Jeanne ask this, Hakuya’s

ego returned. His expression recovered back into his usual cool and composed

one, but the tips of his ears were a bit red.

「*cough*……

Excuse me for my conduct. I have a bit of weakness for books……」(Hakuya)

『Fufu,

I think I have seen an unexpected side of you.』(Jeanne)

「Is