Sorry about the delay. Got really busy for some reason and then fell asleep before I could post this.

Anyway, did you guess Yur, I mean, Henrietta’s personality correct? Read the chapter to find out. Enjoy.

Edit: Accidentally listed it as chapter 36. This is chapter 37. Sorry.

The Preceding Hero and the Talk from the Day before Yesterday 2

「Sh, shameless?」

I don’t know what she’s misunderstood but, being called shameless was unexpected.

I won’t do anything shameless to anyone but beautiful Onee-sans!!

『But I heard that you begged to see Mana’s boobs though?』

「Th, that’s something different……Wait!?」

Being talked to directly in my brain, when I turn around, Alicia lightly touched the piercing attached to her own right ear.

『It’s a Communication Stone. ……More importantly, match together with my story, ‘kay?』

Since Alicia asked as if to confirm it, for now, I replied with consent. ……Now then.

「T, to make a student 『your own thing』 by attaching a piercing that is the same as your own……You’re making it known to the surrounding people, aren’t you –desu wa ne!?

――――Saying 「you are mine」 to the unwilling Alicia-san and etching the proof of subordination………Uhehe…How envio, outrageo――……Sh, shameless –desu wa!」[1]

Aren’t various things in this Blond Roll-chan’s internal brain structure strange?

To think this far with just some piercings……Isn’t it as if she’s a pervert.

Or rather, this girl, for a moment, she replaced me with herself, didn’t she?

『……Oi, could it be that this girl, is 『that』-type of person!?』

『……That’s, right.』

It could tell that Alicia’s piercing voice was real. That’s right, she, at the very least, is fond of Alicia. ……And not, as a friend.

「Now that it’s come to this……Yashiro-sensei, you will have a match with me with Alicia at stake –desu wa!」

Yuri Roll threw a long glove that she was wearing on her hand.

This fool, does she not understand that there are students going to school in the surroundings?

「The Henrietta-sama that fights for the sake of love……っ, what a beautiful way of life!」

「By Henrietta, you mean Class 2’s Henrietta de Crestolia-san? That blonde over there? So she was that much of a beauty…」

「Boy! Don’t go extending the bottom of your noses from seeing Henrietta-sama! This is why boys are so!」

「What was that!?」

「What about it!?」

……Somehow, it seems that the boy’s and girl’s gender dispute has been ignited.

Ma~n, I had heard that boys and girls around the middle school age were conscious of each other and became quick to quarrel with each other but……it looks like that doesn’t change in another world either.

Nn? My middle school days, you ask? …………Taking the girls’ animosity upon myself, I took it so that it wouldn’t be towards the other boys, I’m seriously a cool guy.[2]

*Panpan!* (Clap, clap!)

At the sudden sound of hands clapping, the student boy and girl look in one direction all at once.

「Stop it right now. ……A dispute like this on the road, it’s just unsightly you know?」

It was Yuri Roll. Yuri Roll powerfully clapped her hands, and turned the boys’ and girls’ senses to her.

Stopping a boy’s and girl’s dispute is something that could be called a model of a good deed for students but, being the one who challenged me to a duel on a public road, you’re the only one I don’t want telling them that.

「W, we’re terribly sorry, Henrietta-sama……」

「S, sorry.」

「Fufu, haven’t you gotten the person to apologize to wrong?」

The boy and girl students apologized to Yuri Roll but, Yuri Roll smiled and returned it.

「……M, my bad…」

「N, not really……It’s not like it bothered me.」

When they did, they reconciled while being shy towards each other, and with a kind of good atmosphere, they began walking towards the school.

……When I gazed at that scene, I experienced an impulse that made me want to throw a spider or a cockroach or something to destroy that atmosphere, but I, as a good adult, am a person that supports children’s love. I need to endure this.

If only they were a couple of years older.

「Wait, I didn’t have the time to be worrying about such a thing –deshita wa! So? Yashiro-sensei, can I hear your answer?」

「Don’t wanna.」

「Immediate answer!? An immediate answer –desu no!? ――Ahh, so that’s how it was –desu no ne. ……Fu, fufu. You’re scared –desu wa ne? Of being destroyed by me, and having Alicia-san be stolen away!」

With a “How’s that” face, Yuri Roll pointed her finger at me.

……How should I say this, she’s a disappointing girl in various ways.

「About that……this piercing was something given by me.」

「――Eh?」

Receiving Alicia’s words, Yuri Roll’s movements stopped in an amusing way.

It was as if time had stopped.

「As a symbol of welcome, it’s a present to Yashiro-sensei from me –desu wa. ……That’s why, it’s not as Crestolia-sama says and…――」

「……Yu, Yuu Yashiro!!」

Interrupting Alicia’s words, Yuri Roll glared at me with teary eyes, removed her glove, and threw it at me.

「Remember this!」

Not having any time to decline that, Yuri Roll headed towards to the academy as if she were dashing.

◇

「Ehー, in the first place, the thing about a magic language」

After that, having headed towards the staff room and receiving an ashen robe, I crushed the students’ childish trap and carried out the lesson.

The students hit me, who avoided the trap they set up with all their might with inhuman-like movements, with a fighting spirit that was similar to an intent to kill. ……You guys, could you point that enthusiasm in a different direction?

While taking enough fighting spirit that it hurt, I continued the lesson.

「It originates from the ancient Selmekia[3] language. Is there anyone that can answer, what is the ancient Selmekia language?」

Ohーohー, half of the students in the class raised their hand. Among them, there are those that are silent but, my eye caught on to a young boy that raised his hand with a tension that pretty much said 「He~re! Me, I know~」.

Let’s~ see, the boy in that seat was?

I moved my eye through the student registry that I borrowed from Dotorangé-sensei and confirmed it.

「It’s great that you have so much energy. Keith-kun, go ahead.」

「Ye~s Sensei! Does Sensei have a loveribuhaa!?」

I made Keith-kun, who energetically stood up, sit down with Invisible Eraser.

……The next kid is……I’m getting some kind of bad premonitions. For now, I’ll choose a boy one more time.

「Then, Max-kun. Your answer――」

「Is Sensei marrieugeh!?」

That reminds me, there wasn’t any question pressing at the time of the self-introductions, were there………

So the flaming and glittering of the students’ eyes must be because of that.

「…………」

I caught sight of Alicia giggling with a smile.

You rascal, the one that suggested the question pressing was you, wasn’t it?

「Ah~……Then, Henrietta de Crestolia-kun.」

When I was avoiding the ones that looked like they’d press me with questions, I arrived at Yuri Roll.

How her correctly postured hand was extended, it had a good feeling to it.

「Yes. The Selmekia language is the oldest language that existed more than thousands of years earlier.」

She smoothly answered. ……Fumu, so something like this is easy.

「Continuing, could you tell me what its characteristics are if you know them?」

「Yes. ……The Selmekia language, when compared to the Ishrel language, is famous for its long text. For example, the fruit, apple, when applied to the language, is 『Shurenruule』. This has the meaning of 『a very red, round fruit』. Even like this, in comparison to the Ishrel language that can express 『apple』 in three characters, it requires seven characters.[4] Because the words separately were long, there were developments such as using it together with sign language or using letters.」

「Correct. As expected of the Country’s Knights Crestolia’s 『Princess Knight』.」

As expected of Alicia’s honors student classmate. An exemplary answer, it really fits that phrase.

「……Sensei, may I ask one question?」

「Nn? ……Ahh, what is it?」

Was there something she didn’t know? But that answer just now was splendid. ……Ahh, is it that? That thing about why the current Ishrel language doesn’t use the Selmekia language’s magic.

Fufufu. I was also surprised when I asked about it. But, if you look ahead, you can understand. Actually, it’s that, because the Selmekia language is too old―――,

「Please let me hear about Yashiro-sensei’s relationship with Alicia-san!」

「……っ!?」

Th, this girl……Just when I thought that she gave a good answer……She went and thought of a “Since I answered, you also have to answer”-kind of idea!

Moreover, she went and shouted something like “relationship with Alicia” in a loud voice!

「Relationship with Alicia-sama?」

「What’s that all about?」

「Oi, on Yashiro-sensei’s ear, there’s the same piercing as Alicia-san’s!」

「Eh!? M, moreover, they’re on the respective opposite places…!」

「Could it be that Yashiro-sensei is Alicia-san’s fiancée!?」

「Kyaa!! To have matching piercings in the academy, how shameless –desu wa!」

Damn, it turned into an uproar just as I thought!

Rather, that last one! Don’t be so happy while saying shameless!

「Yashiro-sensei! Can I have your answer!?」

*Bishi!*, pointing her finger at me, Yuri Roll shouted. ……Why you little, getting all carried away!!

*Gata* (Chair moving)

When I was thinking of Yuri Roll’s punishment, the sound of a chair moving back resounded in the classroom.

「Ali……cia?」

Getting up from her seat, with graceful conduct, Alicia headed to the teacher’s desk……No, headed towards me.

「……We, are getting engaged next spring.」

And then, entwining her own arm around mine, she did a coming out.

……Oi, you little rascal. That’s feels like something that you shouldn’t say so seriousl――

「「「「Kyaaah~!!」」」」

Cheers welled up to the point that it made one think “Did an explosion happen or something”. ……It was mostly from the girls.

「Alicia, you……Now you’ve done it.」

「Nfufu! With this, even if I cling on to you inside the academy, strange rumors won’t stream about, right?」

When I was amazed by Alicia’s words, a glove came flying at my face. To think that it would be thrown at me three times in just one day.

「Yuu Yashiro!! I challenge you to a duel!!」

Yuri Roll shouted with a face that became sloppy with tears and mucus. Losing to that threatening attitude, I nodded.

◇

And then, two days later, here I am.

Being held up for two days, because of the rumor being spread inside the academy, the Academy Student Council moved and it became something that looked like an exhibition.

「Damn it……It’s all Alicia’s fault.」

In the first place, on today’s closed school day, I was going to request the order of the before mentioned uniforms from my Arachne acquaintance, but………

With today’s duel uproar, my plans have gone to waste, damn it.

「Are your preparations in order?」

In front of me, the ashen robe wearing Yuri Roll raised the short sword above her head.

「You can start whenever.」

At her words, I drew my sword and responded.

Translator’s Notes:

[1] The unfinished words were envious and outrageous, for those who didn’t know.

[2] On that last part he says: 俺マジイケメン

[3] Happy to take any other spellings of this. Here’s the original: セルメキア. For some reason, I think of Thelmekia.

[4] Remember, this is Japanese and what I am mostly doing is a translation, not a localization.