Translator: Reflet

  Leticia’s eyes were earnest, but he couldn’t feel any sticky emotions.

  The emotions that he had read from there were different from the passion he had felt shortly before kissing her: a faint, gentle feeling of affection.

  So Taiyou answered seriously.

  「I’m not sure」


  「Ya say ya ain’t sure?」


  「Yeah, I’m not sure. I do like her as a person, and I probably even respect her. But when you ask me if I like her or not……」


  「Ya’d say ya dunno」


  「Right」


  「……」


  Leticia fell completely silent. She seemed to be making some sort of frown.

  「What’s up?」


  「I just thought if it were ya」


  「If it were me?」


  「Ain’t nothin’」


  Leticia silently shook her head.

  「Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan!」


  Hera warped back at that time. Seeing that, Leticia muttered to herself “So she really can warp”.

  「What’s happened to make you so flustered? Did you not find her?」


  「No! I can find Taiyou-chan’s important people even if they’re spirited away. No, I am saying that Youran is trying to escape by herself」


  「Ah thought so」


  「It was just as you said」


  「What will you do?」


  「Please stop her, it’s too dangerous」


  「I did stop her, I stopped her together with Aoba-chan, but――」


  「Well dat gurl is stubborn on top of bein’ a fool」


  She said, breathing a sober sigh of “Haah”……


  「What should we do」


  「Could ya leap over dere again? Give her a word from me」


  「Yes indeed, what should I tell her?」


  「『Lolipop』」


  「Loli……?」


  Hera quizzically tilted her head, speaking with a straight face as she stared at Leticia.

  「Just tell ‘er dat, dat gurl would git it」


  「I understand!」


  Nodding vigorously, she once again slipped through the wall and flew off.

  「And this time?」


  「It’s an inside thing between me ‘n dat gurl. Guess ya could call it a trump card」


  「……If you say that then she’ll listen to you?」


  「Right on……Ain’t ya gonna ask why?」


  「I get that it’s a method that you can use so that’s fine」


  「……I see」


  「You see?」


  Inclining his head, Taiyou repeated the same words. She was a foreigner so he thought that she had messed up on her word choice, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

  Because Leticia’s expression was the face of a human’s unique feeling of satisfaction.

  Taiyou didn’t pursue it. Just like he had said earlier, this was not the time to be doing that.

  「Let me hear something else. Conveying those words to her……how much would that halt her movement?」


  「I can stop her from bein’ a fool, dat much ah promise. But dat gurl also ain’t no fool, she’d move with her own decision if things got dangerous」


  A fool yet not a fool. Taiyou was about to chuckle, but the corner of his mouth didn’t move.

  「Then, I guess it’s best to think she’ll wait until we do something」


  「Das right」


  「But……if Aoba is together with her then……I cannot properly move」


  Briefly cutting himself off, he stared straight at Leticia, afterward breaking the ice with resolution.

  「Between Aoba and her, I prioritize Aoba」


  「’Course, dat’s also what she wants, dun worry ’bout it」


  「Sorry」


  「So ya wanna go」


  「……Yeah」


  Nodding, Taiyou stared straight at Leticia.

  Taiyou was not the kind of man who could wait for the results in a safe place. If he were in dangerous territory he would jump in, gaining the results for himself if necessary.

  He had managed to raise his level to the max in all the games he had once played, but he had not once had someone do it for him or done any sort of automatic level up.

  He had always raised each level by his own hand.

  If Aoba hadn’t been taken hostage, he would no doubt have taken his shovel in hand and plunged right into the middle of the enemy encampment as soon as possible.

  「Let her go」


  「Eh?」


  「Ya said let her go too didn’t ya」


  Taiyou was astonished at her proposal.

  「B-But do you think Youran will……」


  「Leave it to me」


  She said, clapping her hands together. When she did so the door was opened, and the two black-clothed males who had been guarding at the time when he had woken up entered.

  「You called for us?」


  The men inquired in fluent Japanese.

  「Assemble da troops, we’re gonna invade」


  「Are you certain、if Leticia moves the wrong way we fear that this may become a diplomatic issue」


  「If dat gurl gits ‘er ‘ands back on authority den it’ll be alright」


  「Understood」


  「Also, prepare an extra garment of yer clothes.……sometin’ dat fits this boy’s size」


  She said, pointing to Taiyou.

  「My size?」


  「Very well」


  While Taiyou thought it strange, the two subordinates bowed without hesitation.

  Once Leticia had exuded the atmosphere that orders were over, the black-clothed men retreated wordlessly.

  「What do you mean?」


  「The reason why dat gurl let ya escape was basically to not let da enemy realize dat she interacted wit ya」


  「……Oh, so if I become your subordinate and collaborate」


  「Right, it ain’t gonna be Natsuno Taiyou and Miki Aoba, it’s gonna be ’bout Juunishima Youran and Leticia H Keraaz. As long as dis composition is here then yer bride shouldn’t be used」


  「But then you and her will――」


  「Dat’s our problem, ‘n besides, there ain’t no jurisdiction Tsukumo has for killin’ us. Plus he needs New Moon Director to abdicate, ‘n if he kills us it’s gonna be a diplomatic issue」


  「I-I see」


  「What ya gotta remember are two things. Not letting yer identity git found out ‘n gittin’ yer bride in one fell swoop, dat’s it」


  「That’s it? Sounds fairly difficult though」


  He said, but Taiyou’s tone had become quite carefree.

  Which was because――


  「It became clear to ya dinnit」


  「Sure did」


  「I’ll ask just in case, yer bride is da priority innit? Moreso den dat gurl」


  「Yeah」


  Taiyou nodded plainly, but Leticia asked him once again confirming.

  「So ya really can endure it if by any chance dat gurl seems like she might git shot」


  「……Yeah」


  He slightly hesitated, but at last Taiyou clearly nodded.

  Aoba, rather than Youran.

  Taiyou once again made distinct his priorities.

  「Good then」


  「……You really are a princess eh」


  The two of them both changed for heading out to where Youran was.

  Leticia changed into a resplendent princess outfit. She was already a beautiful blonde-haired blue-eyed girl, but she shifted to that of a princess adorning herself in a noble atmosphere.

  「’Course, whaddya think ah am?」


  「A performance from a foreign country with an odd Kansai dialect」


  「Why ya say dat!」


  Leticia quipped. Her tone and wrist snap were perfect, but her princess atmosphere was too strong and irregular.

  「It dun……resemble ya too well」


  「Cause I’ve never worn this type of clothing before」


  Taiyou smiled bitterly.

  He was wearing the clothing that Leticia had prepared for her subordinates. It was an outfit with black clothing and sunglasses in addition to swept-back hair.

  Image changed entirely, Taiyou had achieved a transformation that was so different than normal that even those acquainted with Natsuno Taiyou wouldn’t recognize him, but on the other hand he was full of discomfort at the unfitting outfit.

  「Well, it ain’t bad」


  「Yeah?」


  「Yer like a greenhorn who received the honor of becoming my subordinate, so in dat meanin’ it ain’t bad」


  「Alright」


  「Ahm gonna actually put ya in dat position, should be easy for ya to move when the time is right」


  「Got it」


  「Afterwards――」


  「I’ll protect you until then」


  「Eh?」


  Leticia was surprised.