Arifureta Vol 3 Chapter 5 (2/2)

“What are you saying? You think nothing of sending Kaori into dangerous places. I won’t lose to you! Kaori being with me is the better decision.”

[T/N: Chauvinist pig, he uses the word kimatteiru, which indicates a decision without the target (Kaori’s) individual input. i.e. “it has been decided” versus “I/you have decided”]

“Umm, well.”

At the hostile words that Randell spoke, Kaori was at a loss and just smiled weakly, while Kouki was speechless. s.h.i.+zuku, seeing Kouki like this, could only sigh.

Before Kouki could say anything more to aggravate the already growling, angered prince, a cool but authoritative voice rang out.

“Randell. Behave yourself. Can’t you see Kaori is troubled?”

“B, big sister! …B, But!”

“No buts. Even though everyone is tired – to detain them in this place…who is it who isn’t thinking about others?”

“Ugh…B, but!”

“Randell?” (TN: I imagine she is projecting some kind of dark aura at him right about now.)

“E..errand! I remember, I had an errand to run! Excuse me!”

Refusing to admit his error, Randell turned on his heel and fled. Seeing his back fade from view, Princess Liliana spoke with a sigh.

“Kaori, Kouki-san, I’m sorry about my brother. My apologies on his behalf.”

Liliana lowered her head as she said that, causing her beautiful, straight blonde hair to flow downward.

“Mm, don’t worry about it, Lili. Prince Randell was just concerned.”

“I agree. Still, I don’t understand why he got angry…I didn’t say anything rude that I had to apologize for.”

Kaori and Kouki said this as Liliana smiled thinly. Understanding well the sibling love between an older sister and her younger brother, Kaori sympathized with Liliana to some extent for having a brother completely ignorant of her feelings. Above all, it was important that the ‘mortal enemy’ knew that she was separate from this matter.

By the way, the meetings between Randell and his ‘mortal enemy’ would cause a big stir…but that’s another story.

Liliana was a talented lady of fourteen years. Golden haired and blued eyed, she was both beautiful and popular amongst the people. Earnest, but not too obstinate, and good at reading the mood, she was even able to interact openly with the servants.

She, as a princess and as a person, had been quite anxious as to the state of Kouki and the other summoned students. This was due to a sense of guilt about dragging them into problems of her world, which should have been their concern.

For that reason, she took the initiative to get to know the students, and it had not been long before they became well acquainted. She got along especially well with s.h.i.+zuku and Kaori who were around the same age as her, by this point they had dropped all honorifics, electing to speak casually with one other and even giving each other nicknames.

“No, Kouki-san. There is no need to worry about Randell. He just tends to be a bit reckless. More importantly…Once again, welcome back, everyone. I am heartily glad that you all returned safely.”

Saying this, Liliana smiled gently. Even those cla.s.smates who were standing close to beauties like Kaori and s.h.i.+zuku all blushed when they saw her smile. There was a refined elegance of royalty in her that the two of them did not have, something that most young women could not compete with using beauty alone.

In fact, Nagayama’s group and the delinquent group were also crimson from having their hearts stolen; even female members were slightly dyed in the cheek. For ordinary modern day students, the aura of a bona fide Otherworldly Princess was too much. Those who could bear it, like Kaori and those already close to the princess, were abnormal in this regard.

“Thank you, Lili. Your smile has blown my fatigue away. I too am glad to see you,” Kouki said such affected lines with a refres.h.i.+ng smile. Though it has been repeated often, Kouki did not have any ulterior motive in saying this. He was truly glad to be alive, and to meet a friend once again – he was just pathologically unaware of the effects his words and actions had.

“R, re, really? U, um…”

As a princess, Liliana was used to the compliments and flattery paid by the gentry, imperial envoys and the people of the cities and towns. As such, she had trained herself to become adept at looking past these masks and discerning their true intentions. Thus she could see that there was no such thing in Kouki’s words. Unused to such experiences outside of her family, Liliana’s cheeks too went red, and she became fl.u.s.tered and unable to respond.

Kouki, as usual, just continued laughing and smiling, not realizing at all the effects his behavior had. And as expected, this caused s.h.i.+zuku to sigh deeply. Someone worrisome had taken the stage, and yet the person himself would resolutely fail to notice it.

“Um, anyway, thank you all for your hard work. Preparations for the meal and baths have already been completed, so please make yourselves at home. The imperial envoys will take a few more days to arrive, so you needn’t worry about that.”

Having recovered her balance, Liliana urged them thus.

While Kouki and the others were unwinding the fatigue acc.u.mulated in the dungeon, the groups who had stayed behind heard of Behemoth’s defeat, and jubilant shouts went out amongst them. After this, the number of people who returned to the frontline increased. Aiko-sensei’s t.i.tle of “G.o.ddess of Fertility” also became a topic at this point, which caused her to writhe quite a lot.

Kouki and the others slowly rested their bodies, which had been exhausted from the raid.

But inwardly Kaori was restless; she desired to return to the dungeon.

<script>