Anoseka Volume 3 Bonus SS

This is MTL. So, I cannot guarantee that the translation 100% contextually accurate or appropriate.

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Principality Sister Part 3 "Child of the Black Knight"

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"Today is the day I'm going to make you a dead man, old geezer!!"

The person to whom I point my wooden sword in the garden of the mansion is the Black Knight, Viscount [Bandel Him Zenden], a hero of the Principality of Fanose.

He is a big man with gray hair like a fallen warrior and a cross-shaped scar on his forehead.

He was old enough to be what I would call an old man, but he had a body covered in muscles.

The wooden sword he carries is modeled after a large sword and is usually weighted and wielded.

When he trains me, he removes the weights because they are dangerous, but this makes him swing the wooden sword too fast for me.

On the other hand, the wooden sword I am holding is modeled after a long sword.

Originally, it is supposed to be wielded with both hands, but the old man's orders forced me to hold it with one hand.

Since I was wielding it with one hand, I had to swing it vigorously, which resulted in large swings, and the old man would lightly scoff at me.

"Your words are as light as your sword. Do you think you can defeat me with just that?"

The old man, who easily wields a large sword with one hand, deflected my wooden sword up from below.

When my torso opens, he kicks me there.

"Kaha!?"

I was kicked in the abdomen, all the air in my lungs was thrown out, and I was blown backwards just like that.

I rolled on the grass, and when I tried to get up somehow, I was lightly hit by the old man's wooden sword on my neck.

When I looked up, the old man was letting out a deep sigh.

"Can you at least give me one good hit, you idiot"

"It's too difficult. You should realize that you're the hero of the country"

"Though you're going to get better at talking"

In response, the old man lets out a second sigh and asks me to stand up.
Standing up with the wooden sword as a walking stick, the old man begins to instruct me on how to swing the sword.

"You should become more one with the sword. Don't swing it around with your arms. Use your whole body. Recognize that the sword is an extension of your body."

There is a certain state of being that an expert has reached.

It's only knowledge that I've only gotten a glimpse of in my previous life, but it seems that the statements of those who have mastered the art are in a realm that ordinary people do not understand.

"Are you telling me to attach a sword to my body?"

No matter how much I swing it around, I can't come to recognize it as a part of my body.

In response to my remarks, which are ordinary people, the old man wields his own wooden sword.

The sight of him looked as if he were performing a dance.

"That's fine, but keep swinging until it feels like part of your body. Talent is important, but in the end, it's the time you put in that matters. Work hard before you complain that you don't have talent. Hard work is the only weapon left to ordinary people."

There is a counterargument to that opinion.

I know from my previous life that some great teacher found out that "the talent to work hard is determined by genes."

Reality is cruel to no end.

Not only talent, but even effort is a genetically determined talent.

However, even if I told him this story here, he would not be convinced.

It would be troublesome to prove that my ability to work hard is due to my God-given talent.

The right thing to do would probably be to remain silent, but I'm a person who can talk about things from a different perspective.

Tell the old man that the age of the sword is over.

"We live in an age now where armor holds a gun and shoots at each other. I don't think we should get hung up on swords. Then we should try all sorts of other weapons."

The old man, who had stopped swinging, looked at me and was surprised, but he was also convinced.

"It seems that the more you talk, the more your head can think. However, your opinion is correct. I also agree with your opinion. If you go into actual battle, you will encounter problems that cannot be solved with a single sword."

Did the old man listen to my opinion?

I have a bad feeling about it.

The old man lifted both corners of his mouth to give me an eerie smile.

"It's time to start the other training. I will teach you how to handle a gun and other necessary knowledge and skills as you wish."

Apparently my remarks brought the unnecessary trouble myself.

◇

"Leon is really an idiot"

"Isn't Ruude a little harsh with her words to me? You need to be kinder to me, or you won't be able to gain my favor"

"I don’t need your favor, you idiot Leon"

It had become routine for me to spend my holidays in the royal castle.

We have known each other for more than five years now in the name of being playmates of Their Highnesses.

Me and [Hertruude] turned ten, and her sister [Hertrauda] turned eight.

Lately, Hertruude——Ruude has started to want to act like an adult woman.

Although it appears to be a charming scene typical of girls of her age, she is forced to become an adult woman because of her demanded position as royalty in the royal castle.

The time period in which they can both act like children will be short.

As the two of us, Ruude and I, are talking, Hertrauda —— Rauda interrupts us.

"Onee-sama doesn't want Leon's favor? Then I'll take it. Leon, give me your favor."

Rauda, who puffs out her chest, doesn't seem to have a correct understanding about favorability.
Because my previous life knowledge was unintentionally spilled out, the two of them now have learned unnecessary knowledge.

I gently pat Rauda's head.

"Rauda is a good girl. I hope you grow up to be as honest as you are"

Ruude, who was looking at Rauda, who was happy to be patted, was annoyed and puffed out her cheeks.

Unlike Rauda, Ruude is not honest.

"That statement makes it sound like I'm not being honest"

"I'm glad you got the message. If you want me to be nice to you, you have to earn my favor. I'm physically and emotionally scarred from being beaten up by an old man"

"Let me tell you, it's forgiven because it's Leon. There's no one in the royal castle who can say "shitty old man" to Bandel"

I let out a small sigh as I looked at Ruude, who was pouting and angry.
The Black Knight, the great hero of the Principality of Fanose, is feared by everyone.

No one saw the real old man.

For an old man bound by a desire for revenge after his family was killed, the status of a hero must be a shackle.

"If you ask me, the old man should be pursuing his own happiness more. I feel sorry for him, being bound by his hero status and revenge."

 Ever since I realized that this was the world of that otome game, I felt sorry for the principality's current situation.

The country is seen as nothing more than a country prepared to be the antagonist of the story, and I feel a sense of sadness.

The reason I have a bird's-eye view is because I'm a reincarnated person who knows that otome game.

Perhaps my arrogant words and deeds as a reincarnated person were conveyed to Ruude, she was glaring at me with furrowed eyebrows.

"What do you mean? Take back what you just said"
"Hah? Why?"

When I saw Ruude in a bad mood, I did not apologize at first, easily thinking that it was a usual occurrence.

Ruude was dominated by hatred, which was hard to believe for a child, and even her expression showed it.

"Take it back! Bandel is a hero. He's the greatest knight who fought for the Principality against our hated kingdom! And you feel sorry for him?"

I guess she wants to say that the old man's way of life is not wrong.

I finally realized how bad of a statement I had made.

Unlike reincarnated people like me, Ruude is a native living in this another world.

They probably didn't know about my situation, and for the people of the principality, revenge against the kingdom was justice.

One day we will bring down the hammer of justice on the cowardly kingdom that has invaded the Principality of Fanose——they thought.
Ruude grabs my chest and violently shakes me back and forth.

Ruude's expression was so serious that I hesitated to push her away, although I was sure I could have shaken her off if I had resisted.

"Take it back!"

I stopped trying to make a good argument when I saw the look in Ruude's eyes that convinced me that revenge was justice.

It was an area that should not be stepped into lightly.

Thinking that I should avoid this topic, I averted my gaze from Ruude and apologized.

"M-My bad"

"...... Lies"

"Eh?"

"You looked away and tried to change the subject "

This princess seems to know a lot about me.
As I looked at her, Ruude was convinced that she had been right and pushed me away.

"Get out! Don't ever show yourself in front of us —— again. I hate you now!"

It's inevitable that she will reject me.

For these girls, revenge against the kingdom is that important.

Without making any excuses, I bowed my head and tried to leave the room——.

"No. I don't like it! Leon is not allowed to go!"

——Rauda, who had been silent until now, grabbed my arm.

"Rauda? Sorry"

I apologized and tried to leave the room, but Rauda wouldn't let go of me.
Ruude also seemed a little angry at the sight of it.

Why would you defend him when he denied our revenge? It seems like Ruude doesn't understand.

"Let him go, Rauda. He has denied our justice. He's a traitor,"

Ruude, who seems to be quite pissed off, crosses her arms and turns away.

Rauda shouts with tears in her eyes.

"What if you do that and you never see him again like otou-sama and okaa-sama?"

When the topic of their parents came up, Ruude also shuddered.

While Ruude is puzzled, the guards, suspicious of the commotion in the room, come inside.

Ruude is silent, and Rauda is crying.

I ended up leaving the room while being escorted by a confused guard.

◇

"You fool~~~!!"

When the old man heard what had happened at the royal castle, he got furious as expected and threw me into the courtyard.

He threw a wooden sword at me and when I accepted it, he himself pointed the tip of the wooden sword at me.

"It is outrageous to make princesses cry while you are entrusted to play with them! And what's more, do you think that revenge against the kingdom is stupid? Is it how a knight of the principality?"

The old man swung his wooden sword at me in anger.

When I rolled to avoid it instead of catching it, the wooden sword was deeply stuck in the ground.

If I had received it properly, my wooden sword would have been shattered.

If it hadn't shattered, it would have broken my bones instead.

"Are you going to kill me!?"

I protested, but the old man didn't deny it.

"I don't train you to die from this level. If you die, you should resent your own incompetence!"

In a previous life, this would be a statement that would be a social issue, but unfortunately, in this world, it's tough, and it can be done away with.

I ran away from an old man who was swinging a wooden sword.

As I desperately ran away, I started to feel annoyed inside.

Why should I be scolded?

Indeed, the old man may have his own reasons to take revenge, but if you look to the past, you can't say that the principality is not at fault.

I stopped running around and threw my wooden sword at the old man.

The old man lightly flicks my wooden sword away, but the real fight begins here.

"Which one invaded first? While your revenge is right, the kingdom should have the right to it, right?"

I was usually trained unreasonably and my frustration had reached its limit.

That's why I decided to confess to the old man what I had been holding back until now.

The old man raised his eyebrows at what I was saying.

"......Where did you hear that?"

"Did you think hiding it would make the facts go away? You went on a rampage and then got angry and embarrassed when they attacked you back?"

The old man, who had been caught off guard, seriously swung his wooden sword at me.

I was nervous about the blow that would take my life, but the old man's blow was stopped.

"——Aha! You've finally come, Kuro!"

What appeared in front of me and the old man was a black sphere that was a magic creature.
Although he is an eerie being with one eye of flesh, his behavior and words are like a lovable mascot.

[How many times do I have to tell you it's Brave, buddy?]

An old man, having been interrupted, distances himself from Kuro.

"Don't get in the way, Lost Item. This is a problem between me and Leon"

Kuro, who was told not to interrupt, had a stern look in his eyes.

[No. If the blow had just hit, my partner would have lost his life. Are you ...... going kill my buddy?]

The fact that the old man who took me in and raised me came to kill me for real is something that emotionally comes to me.

But at the same time, I was aware that I had stepped on the part of the person that they didn't want me to touch that much with my feet.

It would be better if we parted ways here.

"That's enough, Kuro. Anyway, we'll say goodbye today."

[Is it okay? Ruude and Rauda are also here]

"They hated me anyway, so we'll never see each other again. ——I'm sorry, old man. For saying things that denied you revenge"

I turned my back and decided to leave the mansion with Kuro.

At the end, things got really bad, and even the weather got worse.

The sky was dark and rain began to fall.

◇

Watching Leon's back as he left, Bandel's left hand naturally reached out as if to chase after him.

With a gasp, he retracts his left hand.

(What have I done, it's an unfulfilled desire. The little boy was raised because he can be used to avenge the kingdom, and there is no affection there. ——Or so it should be)

I have picked up and raised a young child because it is in the best interest of the principality to do so in the future.

He clutches his left hand, which is still outstretched.

"...... Brat. Get the hell out of here."

(This is fine. I don't need anyone to understand my feelings. All I want is to avenge my wife and daughter.)

Thinking of his wife and daughter, whom he could not protect, Bandel tossed the wooden sword and clasped his hands.

(I don't care about history. My wife did not attack the kingdom. My daughter was still young. So what's wrong with hating the kingdom that took everything from me? I——I——I have sworn to fight on until I have avenged them both)

The history between nations is irrelevant.

He just wanted to avenge his family.

For that reason alone, he has continued to fight.

As he looks at Leon as he leaves, the memories of the past five years come flooding back to him.

(I don't care about the little brat who is not able to keep his mouth shut. You can go wherever you want)

Although he didn't care where he would die in the street, Bandel found himself turning his body in Leon's direction.

"Boy...... Don't catch a cold from all this rain,"

What came out of his mouth were words of concern for Leon's body, which surprised even himself.

It seemed to be the same for Leon, whose eyes were wide open.

Leon replies shyly.

"Thanks for all you've done for me, old man. You take care of yourself, too"

Watching Leon walk out the gate of the mansion, Bandel felt as if there was a gaping hole in his chest.

He felt a sense of loss, but did not want to admit it.

"This is fine. He has his own life——"

However, Leon's surprised voice can be heard from the other side of the gate.

"Why are you here, Rauda!?"

Bandel immediately ran out of the gate and found Rauda, who had escaped from the royal castle.

◇

"Why did you sneak out of the royal castle without anyone with you!? And so drenched from the rain."

Rauda was covered in mud after running in the rain.

The old man told Ethel-san to get her a change of clothes, and then he lit a fire in the fireplace to warm Rauda.

Rauda was still crying.

"Because. Gerat says that Leon won't be coming back,"

When Gerat's name came up, I frowned.

"That shady Count always does unnecessary things"

Kuro doesn't show his face in the royal castle, so he doesn't know much about Gerat.

He asks what kind of person he is because me and the old man have been making long faces.

[I hear the name Gerat a lot from my partner's mouth, but is he really that bad?]

"From his appearance to his behavior, he's a shady guy. He has a nasty personality, so at least I don't like him."

I heard that he is working at the royal castle taking care of Rauda and others, but from my point of view, it looks like he is just meddling in things to suit his own needs.

The old man doesn't disagree with my opinion, but he doesn't complain much about Gerat.

The old man, who is worried about Rauda, speaks in a gentle voice.

"It looks like there was some kind of misunderstanding. I'll explain it to Gerrat, so for today, let's go back to the royal castle."

If I told Rauda I was going to leave, she would cry again, so the old man tried to deceive her.

"Even though you're so strict with me, you're so nice to Ruude and Rauda"

When I complained, Kuro, who was on my left, was laughing.

[Are you jealous, buddy?]

"No, I don't mean that. I just meant that if he's usually so strict with me, he could have been a little more strict with Ruude and Rauda,"

[Let's put it that way. But you're right, the old man is especially kind to those two.]

The old man seemed to have reached the limit of his patience as the two of us were talking quietly.

Perhaps he couldn't shout because Rauda was there, but when he turned to us, we could see the veins on his forehead.

"Leon, it's your fault that the princess is so lonely. At least you could talk to her"

In front of the old man who was intimidating while smiling, I shrugged my shoulders and approached Rauda.

I felt bad when I saw Rauda sniffing.

"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. But how did you know where this mansion was? You've probably only left the royal castle a few times."

Overprotection sounds good, but it is almost like house arrest.

I didn't think Rauda could have gotten out on her own.

"I had learned the secret passages of the royal castle from Onee-sama"

"...... Don't tell anyone about that secret passage."

Rauda seems to have gotten out by taking advantage of a secret passage known only to royalty.

While I was stunned, the old man behind me let out a deep sigh.

"Princess, there is always a "just in case" scenario. From now on, you should only leave the royal castle in case of emergency"

"It's an emergency! Everyone is saying that Leon will be gone......"

Rauda almost bursts into tears, so we desperately try to comfort her.

"Calm down, Rauda, I'm here!"

[That's right, Rauda. My buddy's been here the whole time, right? Right, old man?]

When asked by Kuro, the old man nods with a stiff expression on his face.

"Right. You can stay ...... in the mansion as long as you want, you little brat,"

The old man said as he turned away, so I turned away too.

Because it is somewhat embarrassing.

"...... I'll be indebted to you again, old man,"

We turned away from each other dismissing the leaving the house, and Rauda looked a little relieved to see it.

Kuro, who was watching us, approaches Rauda.

"So, you can rest easy from now on, Rauda!"

Kuro himself probably had good intentions, but this guy's words and actions were cute, but his appearance was creepy.

Rauda starts crying, probably because she was scared when she saw Kuro up close.

"Uwaaaaan, so scaryyyyy!!"

[Now it's my fault!?]

◇

Rauda, accompanied by Bandel, returned to the royal castle, where a worried Ruude and a disgruntled Gerat were waiting.

"Rauda! You had me worried"

Rauda, who was hugged by Ruude who started crying, also had tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, onee-sama"

Seeing the sisters hugging each other, Bandel let out a small sigh of relief.

(It somehow came together nicely. Even so, I didn't expect Rauda-sama to be so attached to Leon ...... After all, she must be afraid of losing someone close to her)

Feeling like a knife had been stabbed into his heart, Bandel unconsciously put his hand on his chest.

Gerat, who is angry about Rauda's escape, approaches.

"Running away at the time of an important lesson, as a royalty, that's a lack of determination"

"...... You want a young child to be determined?"

When Bandel gave him a sharp look, Gerat raised his hands and took a pose of surrender.

"I hope you don't get mad at me. Having you glare at me will make my precious moustache cower."

"Your moustache cowering?"

Gerat, who is very attached to his moustache, sometimes speaks nonsense like this.

When Bandel turned away, Gerat explained in a nasty way how Rauda's actions were shortsighted.

"To begin with, as royalty, the two of them have an important role to play. They are the owners of the magic flute that has been passed down from generation to generation by the royal family."

The Lost Item, called a Magic Flute, can be played to create and manipulate monsters.
It is an excellent tool that can turn a monster, which disappears when it is defeated and then resurrects again, into a military force to be reckoned with.

If there's a downside, it's that only royalty can control it.

"For the Principality of Fanose, the magic flute is the trump card to fight the hated Kingdom of Horfalt on equal terms. Practicing to handle that magic flute is more important than anything else, don't you think? And yet, to run away and head for the man's mansion, that's a grim prospect"

"They are still children. Besides, the magic flute will take the lives of the princesses."

The magic flute can generate inexhaustible power, but when it exerts its true power, it takes the user's life.

When Bandel is distressed, Gerat says nonchalantly.

"It is fine for only one of them to use the true power of the Magic Flute. If only one of them remains, the principality will win the battle against the kingdom and will continue to prosper afterwards."

Bandel tried to extend his right hand at Gerat who said insensitive words.

"Is that all you want to say?"

He grabbed him by the chest and tried to slam him to the floor.

However, Gerat uses his words to accurately point out Bandel's painful part.

"Didn't you agree with our plan?"

"!?"

When Bandel withdraws his hand, Gerat continues to speak at a volume that cannot be heard by the sisters who are hugging each other.

"It's the same for you who took advantage of the princesses. Because you prioritized your own revenge, the lovely princesses in front of you lost their parents."

Bandel gripped his right hand as hard as he could, and blood dripped out.

Gerat had a wicked smile on his face.

"I wonder what kind of face the sisters will make when they find out the truth......? I'm sure they would be heartbroken to hear that the Black Knight they trusted was a traitor."

"You bastard!"

To Bandel, who raises his voice, Gerat puts his index finger to his mouth and says, "Shhh~," and walks away.

Bandel, who is left there, feels a sense of guilt that almost crushes his heart.

(......I have no right to interfere with the plan now. I understand. I should have understood)

While watching over Rude and Rauda at his side, Bandel was struggling with his own betrayal of them.