Translator: Blushy
Editor: Sam
“It’s about time.”
“Ai. Lei wiww shtharth.”
We sat next to each other on the bed.
“Bawwier.”
I felt an invisible barrier spread around me. Nico put a hand on his chest for a moment and closed his eyes.
“It does vibrate here. Now, I’ll do it too. Barrier.”
At the same time as I felt Nico’s barrier, the two barriers vibrated against each other and spread far and wide. It covered the whole capital even though it was made by two infants. Nico’s barrier looked as dazzling as the sun, just like his eye colour.
“Lei’s barrier. I remember this feeling. Were you the one who drove the fish away in Purgatory Island?”
“I-ith washn’th me,” I stammered a little since he had pointed this out. How can you remember something from so long ago?
“It was. Thanks Lei.”
“Ai.”
Nico’s honest gratitude made me stop lying. At that moment, another barrier vibrated in my chest. This beloved presence is…
“Oh! This is…”
“Nii-syama. Nii-syama ish cwoshe.”
Nii-sama’s clear barrier resonated with ours. The range of the barrier expanded even further, and one by one, the number of barriers that resonated with each other increased.
“Giww, Fewicia and Marw.”
Nii-sama is probably in the castle, and Gill is probably next to Nii-sama. Felicia and Mark aren’t in the castle, but they weren’t together. All of them were in the capital, the centre of Kingdom.
How far will the barrier go? The royal family, the Four Marquises, and me. That’s a total of six overlapping barriers.
I looked at Nico when I got tired and we nodded at each other. The barrier will weaken sometimes, but we had to keep this up.
This went on until the door slammed open. No, we continued to release our barriers even after the door was slammed open.
“I received a report that the barrier is up. The royals haven’t done anything. So, that means it was you guys?” The Third Prince asked, and we tilted our heads in response. We pretended that we didn’t know what he was talking about, but it was difficult to maintain our barriers while doing this. Therefore, we were absentminded when he spoke to us. The Third Prince narrowed his eyes and tried to assess us. But I guess he didn’t know what was going on after all.
“What’s going on?!”
“H-hmm.”
He asked the person who he had brought with him. I didn’t recognise him, but I recognised his frightened voice. Nico answered before me, “The barrier engineer.”
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry Your Highness!” The engineer paled and bowed his head.
“Your sins won’t be erased with an apology. Anyway, what the hell are they doing?”
“Ah, hmm.”
The engineer was sweating as he looked away. When he saw this, the Third Prince grabbed the hilt of the sword on his waist.
“Ah! Hm, magic…”
“What about it?”
“It seems like they’re using their own magic to make a barrier…”
The engineer was shaking. He was useless even if he’s an adult. But he must meet the requirements to become a magic tool artisan since he knew what we were doing. I thought this when I analysed the barrier box and made a barrier, but only a person who can feel the barrier can change the magic stones into a barrier. Therefore, there are only a few artisans who can make barrier boxes compared to those who can make light or heat magic tools.
I’ve never met an artisan before, so I could say that this is my first encounter with one. He’s a bit disappointing though.
“They’re making their own barriers. You brats.”
The Third Prince looked at us in scrutiny. The barrier trembled since I couldn’t keep up my barrier while the enemy was glaring at me. It felt like it only shook a little.
“Lei.”
“Ai.”
It hurts a little to be encouraged by a four year old. Aren’t we trying too hard?
The Third Prince stared at the admirable two and four year old infants and drew the sword at his waist.
“Then if I get rid of the two of you right now then it won’t be a problem.”
I’ve seen Rhodolite swords many times before, but it’s my first time seeing a sword that was used against people. It wasn’t a pale red colour like the Rhodolite sword, instead it was a dull iron colour.
“Hyah!” The scene that looked like a dream suddenly became reality when the engineer shrieked in fright. I have to at least protect Nico. I walked in front of Nico on the bed.
“Oh.” The Third Prince raised his eyebrow. But Nico stepped in front of me before the Prince could say anything else.
“It’s fine, Lei.”
“Nico.”
Then we’ll do it together. I stepped forward once again, this time I stood next to Nico and held his hand. Then, I looked straight at the Prince.
The Third Prince looked at us with his lifeless eyes, swung his sword and then sheathed it with a snap.
“It won’t end even if I kill the both of you. Even if I break the barrier, I’ll have to kill the bloodline of the Four Marquises, and the royal family to get rid of Kingdom’s barrier. That’s how it is.”
Even if you say that, I don’t understand. Of course, Nico didn’t understand either.
“I was only given one order: to break into the castle, seize the royal family and prevent them from activating the barrier.”
“What good would come from doing that?” Nico had a good point.
“This will remove the Four Marquises and let the citizens know that they can’t count on the royal family. That’s how Easter will gradually gain power. That’s it.”
I wasn’t expecting an answer from him.
“But Easter will be hated if that happens.”
I think Nico’s right.
“Only if Easter caused it to happen. But what will happen if the Third Prince of Easter took some soldiers and acted on his own?”
The Third Prince’s lips raised to one side.
“Did you do this on your own, Cyrus-dono?”
“Of course not. It’s a plot devised by my country. Do you think I don’t know that?”
Before we had time to think or answer, the door slammed open and the other attacker from this morning showed up.
“Your Highness! Time’s up.”
“I see. Leila,” The Third Prince suddenly called my name, and I was startled.
“Won’t you come with us? I guarantee you’ll have a free life.”
“No.”
What are you saying? I’m happy even if I don’t go with such a dangerous person.
“Your Highness!”
“I won’t tell my country what has happened. Let them suffer at the power of Kingdom since they don’t know what power lies here.”
So, the Third Prince hates Easter, not Kingdom? While I looked at the Prince, who seemed to be truly amused despite the situation, I heard a loud crash from the window. When I looked in that direction, the Third Prince had slipped out of the door and into the corridor.
“Lei-sama! I’m sorry for being late!”
“Hansh!”
Following Hans, a group of soldiers came through the window, secured us and formed a wall. Their uniforms belonged to the convoy group. Hans looked at the engineer who was left in the room.
“You!”
“Hyah! I’m an engineer! I work in the castle!”
“Tsk. Chase after them!” At the sound of Hans’s voice, everyone except for our guards rushed out into the corridor.
“I’ll be right back. Lei-sama, can you wait here?”
“Ai.”
This conversation that didn’t include Nico at all was just like Hans.
“I was saved again by Lei’s guard this time. Father’s going to yell at my guards again.”
They won’t reflect seriously if the Prince doesn’t yell at them. That’s just how Kingdom is.