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nVolume 5 Chapter 8

nChapter 8 – The Returning Five Idiots

n.

nPart 1

nBarriere House’s mansion was in a great commotion.

nThe soldiers who were guarding Noelle were put to sleep and allowed an intruder to come. It enraged both Bellange and Loic.

nBellange gulped a glass of alcohol in one go before he slammed the empty glass on the table violently.

n「All the planning will go wrong if the priestess is kidnapped. Just whose work is this!?」

nThe suspect for this was Rault House.

nBellange didn’t even consider that the kingdom would get involved at this stage.

nLoic was also uneasy.

n「Noelle won’t talk. I scolded her a bit harshly, but she kept insisting that she doesn’t know the culprit.」

n「Don’t treat the priestess too roughly. Even so, the guards weren’t any use at all even though there were also knights with crest among them. This is a problem.」

nThere were also knights who had crest among the soldiers on guard.

nEven those knights were put to sleep without any resistance.

nLoic entwined his fingers in front of his mouth and thought.

n(This isn’t Rault House’s work. There is no way they would leave Noelle alive after coming that far. Father isn’t considering it but, could it be Leon? But, he didn’t take her away──was it thanks to the collar?)

nLoic was relieved.

nHe spoke to Bellange.

n「Perhaps the intruder was unable to kidnap Noelle thanks to the collar I put on her?」

nBellange made a bitter expression.

nIt was Loic’s arbitrary decision to put the collar on Noelle.

nBellange scolded him for that, but it could be said that Loic’s action was correct in hindsight after an intruder managed to infiltrate the mansion.

n「Putting a collar on the priestess is just unheard of.」

n「That’s the bond between Noelle and me.」

n「That collar cannot be taken off anymore. Don’t you dare show off that thing at the marriage ceremony.」

n「I have ordered a specially made dress to hide it. Please don’t worry. Ah, also, how about the matter of the sapling?」

nBellange averted his gaze from Loic.

n「The kingdom’s diplomat said that the sapling will be treated as the count’s personal possession. I prepared an offer for favorable treatment in the magic stone’s trade as bait, but it seemed they are scared toward the count. The kingdom is insisting on the point that they can’t hand over the sapling. If we want it then we should personally negotiate with the count.」

n「Everything will be fine if we just obtain the sapling. Let’s contact someone important in the kingdom and induce them to force the count to return the sapling. We can prepare any amount of money.」

nThere wasn’t any need to fight Leon from the front.

nThe commonwealth was a rich country that possessed abundant energy source.

nHe thought that they could just buy the kingdom’s technology with money using their plentiful fund.

nEven if that was impossible, securing the sapling was an important task for the commonwealth.

nThe houses other than Barriere House would also move.

nSooner or later the nobles of the kingdom would leap at the bait and took action.

n(There isn’t any need to fight just to kill a single hero. It’s a time honored tradition for a hero to die an unnatural death. Leon, I wonder how should I make you die?)

n.

nPart 2

nLeon returned to Marie’s mansion and lie down on a sofa.

nCordelia sent him a gaze that wanted to say he was getting in the way of cleaning.

nHowever Leon ignored her.

nOr rather, Leon’s 「bothersome switch」 had been pressed.

nHis little sister from the previous life Marie sensed that and put her hand on her forehead.

n(This guy is troublesome.)

nLeon was dejected.

nWhen he went to save Noelle, he got chased away instead and felt shocked.

nHe was delicate in strange place even though he liked to act audaciously.

nIn the first place, this was the reason why Marie didn’t tell Leon various things.

nShe thought that this switch would be pressed if she told him that the one Noelle was in love with was Leon himself.

nRight now he was feeling that everything was bothersome after he got rejected by Noelle.

nCordelia turned a cold gaze toward him.

n「Leon-sama, please move. You’re in the way. Besides, a sofa isn’t a place to sleep on.」

nLeon waved his hand lazily.

n「Aa~, it’s fine, it’s fine. Today is holiday after all. Cordelia-san can also take a day off you know?」

n「Thank you for your consideration, but I have already received a holiday the other day. Today is a day for working, so please move from there quickly.」

nIt was a rude attitude toward her employer, but Leon didn’t show any sign of minding it.

nHe slowly rose up, then he yawned and called for Luxion.

n「Luxion, what’s for dinner?」

n『There is still two more hours until dinner.』

n「Let’s go eat something. I want to eat chicken skewer.」

n『Please endure it.』

nLeon was like a father who was lazing around in the house during the holiday. He didn’t look like he had any motivation at all.

nMarie mustered her courage and called out to him.

nShe did it even knowing how troublesome it would be.

n「Hey, Leon──is it alright about Noelle?」

nLeon didn’t even look at Marie.

n「Noelle said that she will remain in Barriere House. There isn’t any need for me to do anything.」

n「B-but」

n「It’s something the person herself decided. We can’t get involved even more than this.」

nMarie thought.

n(This guy, he is really troublesome when sulking.)

nIt was like this since the past.

nHe would make various excuses and caused the people around him to fret.

nLeon yawned again. It was then Yumeria entered with the sapling’s case on her hands.

n「Leon-sama, there is── a guest.」

nBehind Yumeria was Lelia wearing a luxurious attire.

n.

nPart 3

nLelia had one demand.

n「Hand over the sacred tree’s sapling? You, do you know what is the situation right now!?」

nLelia casted her gaze down slightly.

n「I know that. But, it’s necessary. Loic has already changed himself, and if big sis choose Loic then we will be able to get back to the original route. With the sapling, the problem will also get resolved soon. That’s why please. Hand over the sapling.」

nMarie ignored Leon who was looking bothersome and asked Lelia.

n「What do you mean by the problem will be resolved?」

nLelia’s face was serious.

n「We’ll be able to bring down Rault House.」

nLeon twitched when he heard that, but that was all.

n(Big bro! Get a hold of yourself, return to your usual self!)

nLuxion spoke to Marie.

n『When he is like this master will only keep complaining and won’t move for a while. This has also happened before. Yes, it was──when he quarreled with Olivia.』

nIt seemed something similar had happened before.

n「So human won’t grow up even after reincarnating.」

nLeon was offended when Marie said that.

n「Look at the mirror. You will be able to see someone who hasn’t grown at all.」

n「You mean me!? I’m still better than big bro!」

n「A grown up human won’t aim for something like reverse harem!」

nThere was no arguing that.

nMarie also couldn’t say anything back so she shrunk back.

nLelia was watching the two’s farce in exasperation, but then she returned to the topic.

n「If the sapling can also be present, the evil deed of Rault House will be able to get dragged out to the light. Everyone will lend us their strength with Barriere House at the center.」

nIf Rault House was overthrown at this stage and lost their influence, the last boss wouldn’t appear.

nThat was certainly a good proposition.

nEven if the last boss appeared, there was Noelle and Loic so they had a chance of victory.

n(But, that’s only if the two of them can really be together isn’t it?)

n「Has Loic really changed?」

n「I talked to him in a party before this. It was at Louise and Hughes’s engagement announcement. He was already calm just like the Loic from before. He was also regretting his actions.」

nIf that was true then was there a chance?

nBut, Marie thought that it would still be difficult.

nBesides──after that Loic took away Noelle with that method. It was really hard to say that he had reflected. It felt like Lelia was only under the impression that Loic had reformed.

n(I got a bad premonition for some reason.)

nShe couldn’t help but suspect Loic due to her experience from her previous life.

nLoic felt like a DVdomestic violence man acting like a good person to the people around him.

nLeon sighed.

n「I wonder about that? Noelle is confined right now, and she got a collar placed on her neck.」

nMarie looked at Lelia when she heard about collar.

n「What’s the meaning of that!?」

nLelia looked like she didn’t know.

n「I-I don’t know anything! P-perhaps, it was because big sis tried to run? It won’t be strange for her to struggle if it’s big sis.」

nMarie was getting the feeling that her instinct was right more and more.

nLelia said.

n「Anyway! Let’s defeat Rault House quickly. If we do that, it will be happy end. You two came to this country for that too right?」

nCertainly it was a good proposition for them.

nBut──.

n(But, will that be a happy end for Noelle?)

n──Marie couldn’t honestly feel happy.

n「The guardian’s crest is on big bro’s hand though? Will Loic really get chosen with this?」

nLelia also looked bewildered when Marie asked about that problem.

n「Th-that’s──can you erase it somehow?」

nLelia’s gaze turned toward Luxion.

n『──If master ordered it, I will discover a method to erase it. However, that’s only if master ordered it.』

nLelia looked at Leon after Luxion indirectly said that he wouldn’t listen to her order.

nLeon was yawning.

nLelia talked to Marie with a small voice.

n「Hey, he doesn’t look motivated at all though?」

n「Big bro is troublesome when he is sulking like this. His troublesome level increase three times than usual. You know, he went to save Noelle because she was captured, but he got rejected and now he’s depressed.」

n「Wait! I never heard anything about that. Don’t do anything unnecessary!」

n「You yourself kept this quiet from us! It wouldn’t be like this if only we knew. More importantly, what about this collar thing? Can you really say that Loic has reformed?」

n「Th-that’s──I don’t know. I’ll go to check the situation.」

nThe two of them quietly looked at Leon, but they didn’t know what he was thinking──no, he looked like he wasn’t thinking anything.

nThe two of them dropped their shoulders.

n(This guy is useless.)

n.

nPart 4

nI watched Lelia getting into Pleven House’s expensive car and left from the window.

nI didn’t think that the reason she came asking for the sapling to be returned was just because it would be convenient for the priestess and the sapling to be both present at the marriage ceremony.

nThis must be something important for the commonwealth.

nMore importantly than that.

n「We shouldn’t have come here huh? It was a blunder for us to get involved.」

nI was asking Luxion.

n『Does master, really believe that what Noelle said was her true feeling?』

n「Do you think I can understand a woman’s heart? ──Well, I was getting along well with her, so it was a bit shocking to be refused like that.」

nI wanted to save Noelle.

nBut, Noelle had resolved herself.

nPerhaps I was just unneeded?

nI came to think like that.

n『Master is really troublesome.』

n「Did you say something?」

n『──Not really.』

nLuxion averted his eye from me. Then Marie entered into my room.

n「Big bro」

n.

nPart 5

nYumeria was talking to the sapling inside the case.

n「Yep yep, so a place with a lot of sunlight is better you say. Yosh, then I’ll place you beside the window.」

nIt was like she was conversing with the sapling.

nKyle was watching that with an exasperated look.

n「Kaa-san, stop talking with a plant.」

n「Kyle? But, you see. This child say that it want to be moved to a place with sunlight.」

nKyle was exasperated.

n「Plant can’t talk. More importantly, has you finished with the cleaning?」

n「N-not yet.」

nKyle scolded the dejected Yumeria.

nIt was a reverse of the position between mother and child.

n「Kaa-san, we are employees. Certainly the count is kind. He won’t notice even if we slack off a bit, he is also generous so the salary is big. But you see, only someone hopeless will take advantage of that. It’ll be no good unless we work properly just as much as we are paid.」

n「Y-yes. But──」

nYumeria hugged the sapling’s case with care.

n「No but! It’s fine, just go and clean quickly. We’ll have to prepare dinner after this too.」

nYumeria was dejected after Kyle left.

nShe looked at the sapling and smiled wryly.

n「I got scolded. Perhaps──he hate me?」

nYumeria started walking, but she heard an argument when she headed to the place that she needed to clean.

nShe could hear Leon and Marie’s voices.

nMarie was scolding Leon.

n『Enough sulking already! I’ve been thinking this since a long time ago, you need to do something about that troublesome personality of yours!』

nLeon was also angry. His voice was rough.

n『Who are you calling troublesome! You’re the one with the terrible personality! Since a long time ago you’re always always──』

n『Now you said it, this **ty “big bro”!』

nYumeria’s eyes turned round like saucer when she heard Marie yelling “big bro”.

nShe almost dropped the sapling.

nHer mouth was opening and closing like fish.

n(Eh? Eh!? Eh!! Marie-sama said big bro──she called Leon-sama big bro? Eh, but, the two are complete stranger──EeeeEeeeee!!)

nYumeria didn’t understand how Leon could be Marie’s big bro. She was totally flustered.

n(Wh, w-w-w-what do I do. Could this mean──Barkas-sama cheated and it resulted in Marie-sama!?)

nIf the two of them were siblings, then the possibility she thought up was that their parents were cheating.

nYumeria couldn’t think of any other possibility.

n(M-madam. I have to tell madam!)

nLike this another misunderstanding was created.

n.

nPart 6

nMarie barged into my room and talked noisily since just now.

nShe called my personality troublesome. Had she seen the mirror when saying that?

nIt was Marie who was troublesome ever since our previous life.

n「You yourself are also a troublesome woman!」

n「I told you I’m still better than big bro! Besides, what’s with you, sulking like this just because Noelle refused to be saved? Do big bro really think that girl was seriously saying that? Why didn’t you bring her back forcefully huh!?」

n「It can’t be helped! ──That’s what Noelle decided.」

nIt wasn’t a territory that outsiders like us could meddle with.

nIf that was what Noelle decided by herself, then there was nothing that I could do.

n「Stupid big bro!」

n「Just what’s with you since some time ago!?」

n「I called you stupid because you’re stupid. You’re also dense!」

n「Haa!? Just how can I be dense huh!?」

nWhat’s with her, calling me stupid or dense?

nWhy was she pestering me to this degree?

nEven when I looked at Luxion, he didn’t show any sign of backing me up at all.

nJust what had I done!?

nMarie ran out of patience with me who wouldn’t get it and spoke while looking down.

n「The one who Noelle fell in love with is big bro.」

n「Eh?」

nWhy would Noelle? Eh, me? Questions kept coming up in my head, but Marie ignored me and continued talking.

n「That girl, she loved big bro. She always looked like she was having fun when she was with big bro. And yet, big bro wouldn’t notice at all.」

n「Th-that’s──tell me if you realize that.」

nMarie raised her voice when I said that with a faint voice.

n「There’s no way I can say it! Are you telling me to tell her, big bro already has two fiancées so just give up? Noelle, she looked like she was having a lot of fun──and yet, big bro was acting totally lovestruck when those two came here.」

nLuxion approached me while I covered my face with my right hand.

n『I didn’t say anything because master looked like you didn’t notice. The reason is, because I judged that master would act recklessly if you realized her feeling.』

n「──That Noelle, did she stay behind at Barriere House because she was needlessly considerate for me?」

n『I heard something like that from Creare.』

nWhat the hell.

nI should just bring her back at that time.

n『Currently Noelle is under a strict security because of the previous infiltration. It’ll be possible to take her back, but the damage to the enemy will be great.』

nMarie asked me while I was in low spirits.

n「Big bro──I want Noelle to be happy. That girl, she is a good girl.」

n「I know that.」

nI wonder why the main characters were all good girl like this.

nIf she was a bit more like normal girl who I could hate, I wouldn’t need to worry so much like this.

nLuxion added.

n『Loic is suspecting us as the one who infiltrated. There are lookouts positioned around the mansion. Einhorn is also under monitoring at the harbor.』

n「──I blundered. I should take her back forcefully.」

n『That would be a problem too. They have grandly declared that the priestess has been found. Alzer will do everything they can to take her back in case we take her with us. Well, in short it will be an international problem that master hate.』

nLoic was suspecting me.

nThat guy too was pointlessly capable.

nBut more importantly, it would be beyond my control if it became an international problem.

n「I had just rampaged not long ago. I wonder if the kingdom will get angry with me if I do something this time.」

n『The likes of Alzer can be destroyed anytime though?』

n「You’re always recommending destruction every time a problem happen huh.」

nLuxion’s solution was too extreme.

nBut, in case I saved Noelle, Alzer would surely doubt the kingdom first.

nThis was the worst.

nI had no political sense.

nEven if I sheltered her at the kingdom, what if Alzer demanded for her to be returned?

nShould I bring her to escape to other country? No, in the first place, would Noelle accept this proposition?

nAnd then, what kind of face I should make when meeting Noelle?

n「This became even more complicated than before.」

nI held my hand with both hands. Then Luxion said to me.

n『Putting that aside──it seems that they have returned to the mansion. One of them is absent though.』

n「Eh?」

nWhen I lifted my face, Marie looked outside the window.

nAnd then she yelled.

n「What’s that!? Hey, what’s that!! Wait a second, what’s the meaning of thissssss!!」

nI also hesitantly looked outside the window. There an unexpected scene was unfolding.

n.

nPart 7

nWhen we opened the entrance’s door, over there──.

n「I’m sorry to have made you wait, Marie-san.」

nJilk who was wearing a high class suit had hired some people to bring several wooden boxes with him.

nFor some reason Jilk himself was holding a cracked vase in his arms.

n「Marie, we finally realized. We realized what you wanted to say to us.」

nBrad was wearing a white suit, a silk hat, a mantel──and a monocle glasses. He was walking with a cane in hand.

nWhen he pointed the cane to Marie, cheap looking artificial flower popped out from the end of the cane.

nThe two’s appearance was terrible, but it became even more terrible from here.

nThe one who appeared next was Greg wearing a speedo.

nBehind him, men with trained body were following Greg while making the same pose like him.

n「Marie, I have polished my manliness even further. And then I realized. Of what you wanted to say! Look, this is my feeling──FRONT DOUBLE BICEPPPPPPPP!!」

nHad Greg became slightly more muscular than before?

nHis body was glistening from the oil covering his body.

n──And then, the sight beside him was even more horrible.

nIt was already impossible to comprehend.

nIt was Chris wearing a twisted headband and loincloth and chest wrap──and a happi coat. He was standing on a portable shrine that was carried by men.

n「I have also polished my manliness. Marie, I understood what you wanted to say. We were wrong!」

nThe men shouted wasshoi, wasshoi while carrying the portable shrine──my first thought after seeing that was, so there was portable shrine in this world.

nI didn’t really want to think about Chris, or rather about all four of them.

nTo begin with, they were talking about understanding Marie’s feeling but──I think they were absolutely getting it wrong.

nBecause, Marie was expressionless right now mon.

nOr rather, her face was going pale.

nMarie was rooted on the spot at the entrance. Kyle and Cara were worried seeing her like that.

nEven Cordelia-san was expressionless.

nAs for Yumeria-san──she was watching with sparkling eyes. She asked 「Is there a festival starting?」 with innocent delight.

nThe four stepped in front of Marie.

nMarie didn’t move──no, she couldn’t move so I asked in her place.

n「What have you guys been doing?」

nJilk who was holding a vase talked about what he had been doing until now.

n「After I was chased out from the mansion, I was earning money as an antique dealer. I have realized. Just what will be a good present for Marie-san.」

nWhen I looked at Marie, she shook her head.

nIt seemed she didn’t chase them out because she wanted present.

nThese guys, they couldn’t understand even a millimeter of Marie’s feeling even now.

nBrad was also the same.

n「We earned money with my own strength. There is only meaning in present when we used our own money for it. Isn’t that right Marie?」

nWell, I guess that was better than taking the living expenses as they pleased.

nThat was why I tried asking.

n「By the way you guys, how much money you have earned?」

nGreg made a pose while making his muscles twitching.

nHe was already muscular from the start, but it felt like he had become even more muscular in this one month.

n「No idea! I used all of the money I earned in order to show my love to Marie! Look here Marie, at my SIDE CHESTTTTTT!」(TN: SIDE CHESTOOOOO)

nGreg kept making poses that showed off his muscles.

nMarie’s expression didn’t even twitch at all.

nChris got down from the portable shrine and took off his glasses.

nIt was like he was just acting cool, but with his appearance that looked as though a festival was going to start, something felt different.

n「I used up all of the money that I earned to arrange this portable shrine and the helpers. But, I have no regret. This is my feeling toward Marie.」

nIt seemed that after they were chased out, they managed to earn money somehow.

nI was curious about how the method they earned money, but leaving that aside──these guys didn’t understand at the slightest.

nWhat Marie wanted wasn’t any present, but the money.

nThese guys were interpreting Marie’s words willfully in their mind.

nEven though they had finally earned money, it was pointless because they used up all of them.

nBrad took off his silk hat, and then a rabbit popped out from there. When he saw that he said 「St-stupid, you’re too early」 and pushed the rabbit back inside.

n「Marie, I have prepared a lot more flowers than before. It should arrive here soon.」

nJilk turned his gaze toward the wooden boxes that the workers brought here.

n「I have gathered the rare artworks. All of them are wonderful items.」

nHe got no persuasive power at all when he was holding a cracked vase like that.

nThis guy, did he really earn money as art dealer? It only looked like fake to me.

nI sent my gaze to Marie.

n「I didn’t say. I didn’t say anything about buying present.」

nShe kept muttering that with small voice.

nThe four of them offered their hand to Marie with sparkling eyes.

n「Marie-san! Come, take my hand!」

n「No, grab my hand!」

n「Marie, look──the muscles only for you! MOST MUSCULARRRR!!」

n「From today I will never allow Marie to toil in the bath. Come, take this hand Marie!」

nThe costumed four kneeled in front of Marie and offered their hands.

nMarie didn’t move.

nShe was looking at a faraway place.

nShe had the face of someone who never even dreamed that chasing out the four would bring this kind of result.

nThese guys, they were always blowing through everyone’s expectation to far out of left field.

nCara was looking uneasy.

n「I-I’m scared, imagining how Julius-san has ended up right now.」

nKyle was giving up.

n「I won’t be surprised even if he ended up even more horrible then these four.」

nThat’s right, Julius.

nJulius still hadn’t returned.

nIt was that guy, so it wouldn’t be strange even if he surpassed these four.

nI couldn’t even imagine what kind of thing that could surpass these four.

nWe were getting scared of Julius’s return. It was then a man came.

nHe was wearing an apron with an appearance that was slightly dirty all over.

nHis white shirt was dirty. He was also breathing hard from sprinting all the way to here.

nHis hand was grabbing a brown envelope.

nMarie noticed.

n「Julius!」

nEh!?

nI thought that Julius would make an even louder stupid commotion than these guys, so I never thought that a plain guy like this would be Julius.

nJulius was smiling.

n「Marie, I’m home.」

n