Stupid Heroes ~We Draft Candidates~ (WN): Chapter 176

 

Epilogue: That Person is Mysterious, Beautiful, Noble

 Nineteen years have passed since the Heaven and Ground War. The power structure of the continent has not changed that much. During the past nineteen years, the Nord Empire, the most powerful nation, has put considerable effort into domestic development, including military affairs, but there has been little movement toward the outside world. There are various hidden movements that other countries simply cannot know about unless they are a party to them, but they have not resulted in a major change in the situation. The reconciliation between the demons living in the former Nord Federation territory and the humans living in the former Saint Miriam Kingdom and others. This is the top priority.

 The same is true of the Eastern Alliance, which has not made any moves toward the outside world. The Eastern Alliance has been considerably strengthened militarily with the addition of the Lemberg Kingdom. On the other hand, in terms of internal politics, that Lemberg Kingdom has become a burden. The Lemberg Kingdom attacked the Izrim Empire just before the battle with the divine race was settled. The territory it incorporated into its own at that time was a place that had been ravaged by war. Many people abandoned their land and fled, and its reconstruction was quite burdensome.

 The Orthea Kingdom and its friendly countries are in a similar situation. They are all countries that were once destroyed. Their territories are in the areas that were most severely devastated by the Izrim Empire. The difficulty of reconstruction far exceeds that of the Lemberg Kingdom. It has taken nineteen years, but the prospects are finally beginning to emerge. If full recovery is to be achieved, another ten to twenty years will be needed.

 While the three powers were in such a situation, it was the Luine Kingdom that was the most active. One by one, the Luine Kingdom brought neighboring countries under its control, basically through diplomacy. In the countries it controlled, it focused on domestic politics and tried its best to deepen the trust of its people. The people, not the land, were to be gained. The country was moving with this idea in mind.

 This movement changed drastically a year ago. For neighboring countries, it was such a change. The countries under their control think that they increased the number of countries under their control not through diplomacy but through overwhelming military power. In reality, those countries are simply ignoring them and let them advance their armies. Straight to the Nord Empire.

"...... So? What did you find out about the Commander-in-Chief?"

 To prevent an invasion, the Nord Empire deployed forces to the borders of the former Mercenary Kingdom. The heavyweights of the empire, led by Rin, are also in full force. The reason for their presence is not only because of the battle, though.

"He is the first prince of the Luine Kingdom."

 Baat answered Rin's question. He is in charge of the intelligence department.

"Wasn't the First Prince not yet an adult?"

 A minor prince as the general commander of the army. It is a drastic thing for the Luine Kingdom. There is a reason they do it, Rin thought. But there is a slight mistake in this.

"That's...... my apologies. It seems that the first children were twins. That's what we've been trying to figure out all along."

"Twins... you mean the princess had a brother..."

 The commander-in-chief is already an adult. Just came of age, though.

"The existence of twins has always been hidden, even in the Luine Kingdom. Twins are considered unlucky, and I think that's why...... I wonder if that's all there is to it."

 He wonders if twins are not the only reason why the existence of the twins was hidden. Baat suspects so.

"Do you know what kind of person he is?"

"His name is Keizel. His existence was confirmed in the Luine Kingdom when he joined the knighthood as an apprentice knight as a relative of the former commander of the Platinum Knights, Harrisman. It seems he had quite a bad reputation in the beginning."

 The boy was the one whose existence was hidden. King Albert had no choice but to cherish the girl.

"What do you mean by bad reputation?"

"He is quite difficult and no one wants to get close to him. He tries to do everything by himself. He is a loner, and his behavior has earned him the nickname Silver Wolf. As you can tell from his nickname, his hair is silver."

 Hearing Baat's explanation, a growl could be heard from the surroundings. Everyone remembers the person who was called Silver Wolf.

"……And the rest?"

 Rin thinks that they should not easily put Ren and the first prince together. Ren is dead. He should not have such a convenient expectation of reincarnation. Because of her strong desire to see him, Rin tries to be pessimistic so as not to be blinded.

"It seems that he was trained directly by Harrisman from an early age, and his abilities were astonishing from the very first day he joined the order. It can be said that because of his ability, he never relied on others."

"Is it just the sword?"

"No lightning has been confirmed. However, it is possible that he is just hiding it."

"…Why do you think so?"

 The only people who have been able to use lightning strikes on record are Rudolf Beowulf, who was known as the Thunder Emperor, and his disciple Ren. It is a special magic.

"The order is reversed, but that first prince worked for the adventurer's guild. Not only the prince, but he also hid his identity as a relation of Harrisman. Thanks to this, it was very difficult to track him down."

 The Adventurer's Guild is now even more thorough in its information management than before. Since the role of the Committee of Eight has been reduced to the management of the guild, various improvements have been made by these workaholic members. This is one of them.

"So?"

"His street name is not Silver Wolf, but Thunder Sword. Actually, I learned this street name first, and from there I traced it to the prince."

"...Do you know why he was working at the adventurer's guild?"

 If it's just for training, he has the best master, former Commander of the Platinum Knights, Harrisman, by his side. He shouldn't need to go out of his way to work for the Adventurer's Guild.

"We haven't been able to find out. What we do know is that he apparently traveled from one country to another. We learned the street name of the Thunder Sword at the guild headquarters in the Orthea Kingdom."

"......Why would he do such a thing ......before he came of age?"

"My apologies. I really don't have much information. Anyway, there are only a few people who are supposed to be close to him. The only people who seem to know the prince well are his foster father, the former commander of the Platinum Knights, Harrisman, his twin, the princess, and a man named Darren."

 Why is Darren on the first prince's side? If they know that, what they want to know will become clear. But the Nord Empire is not so radical now. Capturing and torturing him is not an option.

"Is there any other girl besides the princess by his side?"

 An existence that will be the absolute decisive factor. That has not yet been confirmed.

"There is no such information. Until a while ago, though."

"...What we will know in the immediate future."

 The first prince will soon arrive here with his army. Even the Nord Empire, which is reputed to be the strongest nation on the continent, they are leading a force that cannot be ignored.

"There are six young generals of about the same age in the army led by the prince. They are all strong beyond the common sense of the humans. Their backgrounds are unknown. I think it is possible that the prince was traveling as an adventurer in order to gather them."

"...Like a hero?"

"It is as you think, Your Majesty. They are as strong as the heroes. The only difference is that they have a commander-in-chief who leads them. And that commander-in-chief is extremely talented."

 They have been heading straight for the Nord Empire without paying attention to other countries. This is not the way Ren used to do things. However, if he made this choice knowing that the cause of the stagnation of the Luine Kingdom up to now was ultimately linked to the Nord Empire, then he may be regarded as an excellent commander and administrator.

"...What is the conclusion?"

"You have to actually see it with your own eyes and make a judgment. Circumstantial evidence is nothing more than circumstantial evidence."

 Who is the first prince of the Luine Kingdom? Baat thinks that Rin herself has no choice but to judge it. Even if the first prince was really Ren's reincarnation, it doesn't mean that he has the same personality and the same way of thinking.

 The Nord Empire is established as a country without Ren. The two-emperor system has produced results. They can't give it away just because he reincarnated. This is a common conclusion that the heavyweights have come to as a result of their thinking.

"They came!"

 The Luine Kingdom army has appeared. The time for discussion is over.

"......I'll go alone first."

"Your Majesty. As expected, that's..."

"If he is the kind of person who would try to crush me to death with many people, then that is the conclusion. Otherwise...... I can take my time to find out."

 She has no fear of risking her life. She may be reunited with Ren in a way she never thought possible. She even thinks it would be better to die if despair comes after such a hope.

 Everyone knew how Rin felt. They could not stop her. Rin descends the fortress wall and heads for the gate. Through the open gate, she stepped out of the fortress.

 She could see that the Luine Kingdom Army was already forming up ahead of her. Without hesitation, Rin walked forward.

"...He's coming here?"

 A horseman went out from the Luine Kingdom Army. Rin does not know if it is the first prince. The color of his hair could not be confirmed by the cloth wrapped around his face.

 She stopped and waited for the horseman to come. The other person came quickly. He jumped off his horse in front of her and walked up to her.

"...You, are you by any chance the emperor of the Nord Empire?"

"...And if I say yes?"

 The color of his eyes, which can be seen through the cloth wrapped around his face, and the sound of his voice are different from Ren's. But the tone of voice is similar, if not identical. The same words are used when he is talking to someone he doesn't trust.

"Why did you come out alone? Are you going to surrender?"

"There is no surrender without a fight."

"Then what? A duel or something? Do you think I'll agree to that?"

 The other person's tone of voice irritated Rin a little. She felt as if she was being treated like a child.

"Will the prince of Luine turn his back to the enemy and run away?"

"Provocation... but I'm not a prince."

"Do you think that's the extent of the Nord Empire's intelligence capabilities?"

"…That’s right. You'll find out at least that much. Well, I don't have to hide it anymore."

 The fact that he is a prince has already been made clear in the Luine Kingdom.  Furthermore, he is supposed to die in this one battle, even if he is a sinister presence, as he is to challenge the Nord Empire with only one army to fight. The chief ministers have known this since they were born, so this is an explanation for the subjects and the people below them.

"And don't even get me started on your antics. You don't have that kind of personality, do you?"

"......Is that something you can find out about a person's character by looking them up?"

"I don't have to look it up. I can find it out face to face."

"That's right. Then stop it. Cheeky woman. You have a beautiful face, so you should behave more elegantly."

 The other party's tone changed drastically. This is his true self. The adventurer business has made him more vulgar than he used to be.

"...That's impossible. I'm a warrior."

"A warrior. Then I'll beat you and turn you from a warrior into just a woman."

"What?"

"I say I'll give you a duel!"

 The first prince draws the sword at his waist and comes toward Rin. He moves quickly, but not so quickly that Rin cannot react. Rin also draws her sword and catches her opponent's sword. Not only does she catch it, but she pushes into it and starts to break her opponent's stance.

 The first prince, however, does not show an easy opening. Twisting his body, he takes Rin's power and tries to break his opponent's position. Once again, swords crossed. Their gazes cross at close range.

"...You... did you use charm?"

"…Are you the kind of man who can be seduced by charm?"

"Of course not!"

 The first prince, who once took a distance, suddenly launched a fierce attack from there. The sword comes out one after another. However, in these nineteen years, Rin has not neglected her training. Her strength has risen by one or two steps since the time of the Heaven and Ground War.

 However, the first prince's ability is also unthinkable for a sixteen-year-old. He seems to be attacking fiercely and is calmly trying to assess Rin's movements.

"I will definitely make you mine."

"Eh……?"

"Huh?"

 A moment was created when both Rin and the first prince were slightly distracted. The two of them fall to the ground, off balance, with swords stacked on top of each other.

"...What did I say?"

 The first prince, who is on top, stops fighting and asks Rin. He suddenly said it in his own words. He doesn't know why he said those words.

"...Making me yours."

 Without resisting, Rin looked straight into the first prince's eyes and replied.

"As expected, charm?"

"I wonder? I don't know if it's activated."

"I see... your hair is the same color as mine."

 The first prince removes the cloth wrapped around his head. As he says, his hair is silver.

"Yes……"

"Those eyes... Red eyes are beautiful..."

 The first prince is fascinated by Rin's red eyes. He seems to have completely forgotten that he is in the middle of a duel. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the first prince was attacked.

"Eh!?"

"Whoa! What's with this guy!? A magical beast!?"

 It was Ron, the Fenris Wolf, who looked like a huge silver wolf.

"You... wait, w-wait a minute!? What!? Don't lick me! I'm not your food!"

 Ron licks the face of the first prince, who was lying on his back. As an adult beast, Ron has grown to be quite huge, and with just one lick, his tongue covers the entire face of the first prince. It is not pleasant for the person who is being licked.

"Ron……"

 He doesn't know the first prince, but Ron clearly feels attached to him. He has never met him before.

"You're not going to eat me? Then get out of my way. You're heavy."

 Ron simply licks his face. The first prince could see that he had no intention of harming him. Fearfully, the first prince reached out his hand to Ron's big head and rubbed it gently.

 Ron's eyes narrowed as if he was feeling good. Then he heard the first prince's words and shifted to the side.

"W-what the, hell..."

 Released by Ron, the first prince turned his question to Rin, but his question stopped midway. The first prince, who was looking at her, noticed tears spilling from Rin's beautiful eyes.

"Why are you crying? Are you afraid to die? I'm not."

"No. I'm not afraid... the last nineteen years since I lost someone important to me have been more painful than dying."

"Was there such a person... still can't forget about him even now?"

"I've never forgotten. I've always wanted to see you... Ren-sama. I wanted to meet you."

 Ron obeyed him. That was all, but it was enough. In fact, it didn't even need to be that. The moment she touched the first prince, her heart trembled. She felt as if she could see Ren in her gaze, in her eyes. That was enough to convince Rin.

"...Even though it's the first time I've met you ...for some reason I feel that way too ...am I okay?"

"It has to be you. I must be by Ren-sama's side."

"Then, stay by my side. From now on, forever..."

 The two faces slowly approached each other. Their lips overlap. The world would never separate them.

"……Ouch!"

 However, there are people in this world who ruin the atmosphere between the two.

"What are you doing? You're going to topple the Nord Emperor, right? And by [topple], you don't mean to push her over, do you?"

"That's……"

"What? Do you prefer younger people? Even if you do, you should know your place. You're a nasty woman in front of everyone."

 The woman who appeared out of nowhere pointed her attack at Rin. This was the first time Rin had ever been attacked in this manner, but she knew a woman who would do this. Her face reminded her of that woman.

"That's why I always say, don't you? Give up on Rei and go with me."

 The woman was not the only one who showed up. There are other people about the same age. They saw Ron's intrusion and hurriedly approached. It was the same on the Nord Empire side. The leading figures were approaching.

"I don't want to."

"Don't want… I think I'm a rather good one, right?"

 She doesn't know if she would call him a [good one], but Rin, who is listening to the conversation, thinks that his appearance is actually not bad. Although she also thinks that she will never like him because she doesn't like his face.

"I don't like unfaithful men."

"But when you put it that way, even Rei... eh? W-what!?"

 It was Jin who interrupted their conversation. He, too, had come here with Satoko. He was thinking of the possibility that it might be possible. To confirm it.

"Hey, old man! What's going on!? Something hurts? Your arm is stiff. Eh, is it an artificial arm?"

 The other person was surprised to be suddenly embraced by Jin. He should be surprised. He himself has no idea what is going on. There was no way he could have known that Jin had seen the face of his friend and had embraced him unintentionally.

"Wait, Father!? What's wrong? The other person is in trouble."

 The boy's helper was a woman who called Jin [Father]. This woman was about the same age as the people from the Luine Kingdom who had appeared. In fact, she is about four years older.

"……You are?"

"My name is Kazuki. I'm sorry for what Father did."

"Oh, your father. I'm fine. I don't care. I'm sure your father sensed destiny. The fate of you and me. Ah, I'm Yuri. Nice to meet you, Ka, Kazuki."

 Yuri looks happy to see the cute girl. On the other hand, Jin's expression is bitter. Even though he is happy about the fateful reunion, it is with someone who may be a reincarnation of Yuya. It is not a fateful reunion between his precious daughter and a man who loves women.

"Nice to meet you, Yuri. It's hard to say, isn't it? My name."

"No, it's a very nice name. But is it a little strange?"

"It's the name of my mother's dear friend. Mother wanted me to be a person with a strong heart like her."

 The name that was given to her was Kazuki. Without any particular twist, Satoko chose the name as it is. So that she would not forget Kazuki and grow up to be a woman like Kazuki.

"It's a wonderful story. I'd like to hear more about you. How about we have tea now?"

"Tea... I don't think we can?"

 This is the battlefield.

"We can just have tea anywhere. It doesn't look like there's going to be a battle, so why don't we come inside the fort?"

"Mother."

"She's your mother!? Ah, my name is Yuri. I am always indebted to your daughter."

"It's not, right? It's the first time you two met. But that's okay. It's a little bit interesting."

 The Yuya that Satoko knows is a womanizer, but not this lightweight. Satoko doesn't know what happened to him, but Yuri also has an air of being somehow hard to hate. She thought that was interesting too.

"Satoko... are you serious?"

 Jin is puzzled by this development. The inability to deal with such irregularities is Jin's unchanging nature.

"I'm serious. Shall we go then?"

"Yes, let's go. Father too."

"Don't call me father!"

 A relationship that has never existed before. That is true. Even if he is a reincarnation, Yuri is still Yuri. He is not Yuya. He was born and raised as him, and his life was and will be made anew.

"......What is going on? I don't understand?"

"With Rei, it's always the same, isn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah. Good thing it didn't turn into a fight."

"Really, it was good."

 Those left behind have not been able to keep up with this development. There was no way they could. To them, the reaction on the part of the Nord Empire made no sense.

"Who is she?"

 Those who remain are like them when they first appeared in this world. Not all of them can say that, but more of them seem to be. Everyone who died that day is gathered here. Wondering in general how it happened, Rin asked the first prince about it.

"She... eh? N-no! It's not like she's my lover! My, yes, my retainer. Everyone is a retainer. Ah, yes. You! You're a retainer and you smack me in the head?"

 But the first prince didn't understand the question. He misunderstood that Rin was concerned about the woman.

"What are you making excuses for!? Eh!? Rei, don't tell me you had a preference for older people. You're kidding, right? Hey, Louis! Why aren't you saying anything!?"

 Another person who came with her. The other woman, who had been hiding in the back, was pulled by the arm and forcibly pulled forward by the first girl who appeared.

"……You are."

 The woman was clearly familiar to Rin. She had a strong resemblance to Kazuki.

"...Nice to meet you, I'm Seira Louis Luine. My brother is taking care of me."

"Taking care… Louis, I'm not sure if that's the right word to use."

 The woman who retains the image of Kazuki is the other of the twins. The first princess of the Luine Kingdom.

"Your twin?"

"Yes... I was surprised to see that you are even more beautiful than I had expected. Brother too, is this kind of thing called love at first sight? I am a little, no, quite surprised that Brother could be like this."

"What do you mean by more than you expected?"

"I heard about you. I was told that Brother would definitely fall in love with you, but I never thought it would really happen......"

 The first princess, Louis, knew Rin. She knew in advance that this was going to happen to Rin and her brother.

"...Come out. I know you're in there."

 Rin could think of only one person who could tell her such a thing. But she was not a person.

"It's been a while. Rin."

 In response to Rin's call, Luna appeared. It was the first time in nineteen years that she had met Luna. She hadn't been since the Day of the Heaven and Ground War, and she thought she might have ascended to heaven with Ren or, at worst, lost her existence in that battle.

"It's been a while, not. Why didn't you tell me from the beginning?"

"Because it's romantic. Two people separated by death are miraculously reunited. And although the other has no memory of his previous life, he falls in love with the other at first sight. Luna's direction is perfect!"

"Luna! You knew this was going to happen!?"

 The first prince is surprised to hear Luna's explanation. He, unlike his sister, had not been told the story.

"Did you not know this, Ren-sama?"

 For some reason, Rin was happier with that fact. She feels a strong bond with Ren.

"Ah, I... correct before that. You've been calling me Ren since a while ago, but my name is Rei. Officially, I'm Keizel Rei Luine, but everyone around me calls me Rei."

"Rei..."

 One letter difference. However, Rin felt that even that one-letter difference had meaning. The name Rei is a special name for demons.

"What about you? Earlier, Luna called you by a different name than what I was taught."

"Officially, I am Carmilla Rin Drunkel. But my closest friends call me Rin, Rei-sama"

"I see... Then I'll call you Rin too. Don't call me that. I don't want to be called sama."

"Then... Rei."

 ――That person is mysterious, beautiful, noble, and very kind. Before she knew it, she had fallen in love. A love that should never come true. Even knowing that, she wanted to spend more time with him.