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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: A Secret Pact
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When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was a pair of red eyes, tears streaming from them.
"...Oscar?"
"Hic... Y-you're awake? Captain?"
"He's awake?"
Romeo's voice followed soon after. Lellia furrowed her brow and slowly sat up.
Lellia looked around. It seemed to be an infirmary within the temple.
But the beds to her left and right were empty.
"You've awakened, Your Highness."
A priestess who had been standing to the side approached. She had a remarkably calm voice.
"W-what about the others?"
"The other two woke up some time ago. After receiving healing, they went to see a high priest."
Lellia looked down at her body. Her stomach had been torn open, but thanks to healing magic, she felt no pain.
"...That's a relief. But... huh!"
Lellia gasped, her eyes widening. She was wearing a clean acolyte's robe.
That meant someone had changed her clothes.
The clothes she'd been wearing when they came down the mountain, right down to her underwear, must have been caked in mud.
So who changed... my underwear...
*My identity has been discovered!*
The emperor is going to kill me!
Seeing Lellia's expression instantly fill with terror, the priestess lowered her head.
She leaned in and whispered softly in Lellia's ear.
"I was the one who changed your clothes, Your Highness. No one else saw. So please, calm yourself."
"..."
Lellia blinked.
The priestess briefly placed a finger to her lips, a silent promise to keep her secret.
"..."
Lellia swallowed hard.
"Captain, what's wrong?"
"I-I guess I'm n-not back to normal yet..."
"No, I'm fine... Ah, anyway..."
Just then, the door burst open.
"You awake?"
"..."
Calix and Griffith strode in.
They both looked perfectly fine, likely thanks to healing magic. Lellia's gaze lingered on Calix's arms.
*What a relief.*
If his arm had been severed as in the original novel, not even healing magic could have restored it. It was a relief he'd only ended up with an injured ankle.
"...You look okay."
Lellia murmured with a sigh of relief. The two approached, their expressions grim.
Griffith spoke.
"You need to go see the high priest. We're going to file a formal complaint about this."
"...What?"
Lellia looked up at Griffith.
"Were you not planning to? You're the Crown Prince of the Aurarian Empire. I'm royalty, and so is he."
"..."
Lellia hesitated.
The priests must be in an uproar, scrambling to figure out what to do.
An incident this major would have to be reported to their home countries.
But Lellia knew how it would end. She turned her gaze to Calix.
"..."
Calix looked reluctant, though he was trying not to show it.
Calix knew it too—he knew what would happen if this incident became public.
The empires would be in an uproar.
*Of course, the Emperor of Auraria won't give a damn...*
In the original novel, Calix's arm was severed in the attack.
When the children from the other nations learned of this, they informed their home countries, causing an uproar, and the temple had to step in to mediate.
However, the victim's own nation, the Ascad Empire, tried to sweep the incident under the rug.
Even though his own nephew had lost an arm, the Ascad Emperor said:
"Right now, our five empires are joining forces with the temple to raise heroes. Of course, my heart is torn with anger and sorrow over my nephew's injury, but this is not the time. Did we not gather here precisely to avoid turning our blades on one another?"
With the emperor of the victim's own nation taking this stance, the other empires couldn't press the issue.
Of course, some empires demanded their children be sent home, declaring they could no longer entrust them to the temple, but the Holy Emperor himself intervened.
The Holy Emperor personally apologized to each of the emperors and vowed to exercise greater caution in the future.
With the Holy Emperor himself making such a plea, the others could do little more than urge caution.
And indeed, after that, the priests became exceedingly diligent in ensuring the children's safety.
And what of Calix, who had lost an arm in the midst of it all?
*This can't be made public.*
He never showed it, but Calix must have been deeply wounded—a wound that could never be healed, much like his severed arm.
And yet, Calix refused to break.
After returning to his home country, he renounced his royal authority and became a mercenary.
It was as the Mercenary King that he joined the party to slay the Mad Dragon, where he would distinguish himself more than anyone.
That was the kind of person Calix was.
A person of such strong will and conviction that Lellia could hardly even fathom it.
But right now...
*He's still just a ten-year-old kid.*
The thought of the wound that ten-year-old would have suffered was horrifying. He hadn't lost his arm this time, but he would be saddled with a similar scar.
In fact, since he wasn't seriously injured this time, the Ascad Emperor might be even more shameless about it.
Lellia wanted to prevent that at all costs.
"..."
Lellia looked into Calix's somewhat anxious eyes and asked.
"Do the other kids know about this?"
"...No. Not yet."
That was a relief.
"Then let's not tell anyone. I want to pretend this never happened."
"Are you crazy?"
"Are you nuts?"
"Captain, are you crazy?"
"Y-you must be crazy, Captain..."
All four of them said the same thing, but Lellia was resolute.
"Please, I'm begging you. Let's keep this a secret."
"But why?"
"Well... if my father finds out, all hell will break loose."
"..."
"My father adores me, you see. He loves me so much... he used to kiss and hug me to sleep every night! If he finds out I got hurt, he'll raise hell, Mad Dragon be damned."
"...You psycho. You kiss your dad? What a daddy's boy."
Calix sneered, but Lellia pressed on.
"That's right! So please, let's keep it a secret. Okay? My dad might even cry. He'll bawl his eyes out! And that would just break my heart!"
"..."
*In reality, he'd probably try to kill me for causing trouble, never mind give me a kiss...*
I'd be lucky to escape with my life.
Lellia's words earned her strange looks from everyone, as if they'd just witnessed something deeply unsettling.
"So please. Huh? I'll grant each of you one wish! So let's keep it a secret. The priests will be happy to go along with it. I just need you guys to keep your mouths shut!"
"..."
"Hah..."
"Calix, Griffith. I know you two almost died... but I'm still asking. Please?"
"...I don't care either way."
Calix replied after a moment's thought.
"...If you insist."
Griffith agreed as well.
"No way! Captain, did you get hit on the head? Use your brain! Maybe it's not working right since you just woke up?"
"You...! Will you shut up?!"
Romeo protested, but Lellia roared back.
"..."
Romeo fumed, just as he had before, and stormed out of the room.
"That little punk... How dare he talk to the captain like that..."
As Lellia muttered under her breath, Oscar grabbed her arm to calm her.
"C-Captain, calm down... J-just bear with it... Romeo's always b-been... strange..."
"Hah... Right. I'll be the bigger person."
Calix, who had been listening quietly to their exchange, spoke up.
"Hey. The kid who just left and this one here. Why do they call you 'Captain'? Are you playing some kind of game?"
"It's not a game... I guess they just feel like it. They call me that because they want to. What am I supposed to do about it?"
Lellia retorted bluntly.
*Of course, I was the one who ordered Romeo to call me that...*
Calix stared silently at Lellia. She stared back, her expression sullen.
Wait. Don't tell me...
"Hey, Calix, don't tell me you're..."
"I'm going to call you Captain, too."
Too late.
Lellia's face crumpled.
"You said they call you that because they want to. Well, I want to, so I'm going to. No complaints, right?"
"But..."
Lellia wanted to take back her words.
Just then, Griffith grinned.
"Then me too."
"But..."
But why... just why!
*This wasn't part of my plan...*
And so, somehow, Lellia had ended up with the four future heroes who would defeat the Mad Dragon as her subordinates.
*I guess I can't say "it's only four" anymore.*
In any case, the other heroes had never stayed at this temple during their childhood.
*What can I do?* Lellia thought, deciding to just let things run their course. She flopped back onto the bed.
*Whatever, whatever. If they want to call me that, what can I do?*
Besides, once they returned to their home countries, she'd never have to see them again.
After all, Crown Prince Leo was officially destined to die shortly after returning home.
