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nPart 1

nI hurried out to the deck and found Ange, dressed in plain clothes, had come ahead of me.

nHolding on to the railing, Ange’s gaze is drawn to a floating airship that gives off an eerie atmosphere.

nThe airship, which was so tattered that it was a wonder it had not destroyed, was in a very old shape.

nSailing ship.

nAirships with outlined sails and propelled by the force of the wind are not uncommon today.

nBut it did not have the features of an airship that would be common today.

nAnd the shape is also outdated.

nIt had an angular shape rather than a streamlined form.

n“From what era is this airship?”

nI would guess that the airship is several hundred years old. If you want to find out more details, we’ll have to get on board and investigate.

n“Please do not tell me to get on board or something. It’s a ghost ship by the looks of it.”

nPart of it is broken, and the wooden hull creaks and makes eerie noises just as it moves.

nIn addition, it was covered with black clouds in a sky that was becoming night.

nIt looks like the black smoke that is generated when the monster disappears.

nThe appearance of the airship, which looked like it might be haunted, made me whine in my mind, “Give me a break”.

nAs I approach the railing, Ange notices me and starts talking to me.

n“Leon, how do you see that airship?”

n“Why is there a ghost ship floating around in this place?”, when Ange asks me about it, I tell her without thinking too much about the guesses I came up with.

n“Isn’t that the airship that went missing a long time ago? Can we leave it here?”

n“I’d prefer to recover it if I could, but I’m afraid it would break just to transport it. More than that, I never thought I’d see that type of airship moved.”

n“A-re? Does Ange know?”

n“Aa~, I have a model in my house.”

nThe Redgrave family apparently has a model of an old form of airship on display.

nIs it a hobby of the rich?

n“I’m surprised. That shape is good?”

n“No, that type of airship was built cheaply and in large numbers. They are not comfortable to ride in, and I heard that they sank easily in a storm.”

n“Isn’t it the worst?”

nWhat a terrible airship!

nHowever, it is probably a miracle that such an airship remains unmanned to this day.

nIf it weren’t so creepy on the outside, I might have been impressed.

nHowever, the impression Ange had was different from mine.

n“I’m so happy today. I never thought I would see with my own eyes the airship our ancestors flew on.”

n“Ancestors? Eh, did Ange’s ancestors ride on that thing?!”

nAs I can’t understand the story, Ange explains with a troubled look on her face.

n“You don’t know that? That’s the type of airship our ancestors used when they settled the continent where the kingdom is now.”

n“Eh?!”

nAnge carefully tells me, who knows nothing about it, the story of those days.

n“I have heard that before the kingdom was founded, the continent was flooded with various settlers as a new land. The airship that was used at that time was that type of airship, which is inexpensive and can carry a large amount of cargo. I never thought I’d see it flying in the sky with my own eyes. “

nI look at the ghost ship again, but from my point of view, it looks creepy and I don’t want to go near it.

nThe ancestors crossed the continent on that ship! I am not impressed by such things.

nLuxion shone his red lens and analyzed the ghost ship.

nIt appears to be a home for monsters. I could see the reaction of the monsters inside.

nAnge is convinced alone.

n“So that’s how it remained until today. That’s ironic. If the monsters hadn’t taken over, I wouldn’t have had the chance to see it like this.”

nI hold onto the railing and look at Ange’s face from the side.

n“You look pretty happy.”

nWhen I call out to her, Ange turns to me and smiles sadly.

n“I’m sure this is a day I’ll remember for the rest of my life. We conquered a dungeon and even got to see a rarely seen airship. I’ll never forget this day.”

nAnd Ange said to me.

n“――Leon, I like you.”

n“Eh? Aa~”

n“So I don’t want to be a burden to you.”

n“Burden?”

nWhen I tried to say something, Ange finish it by herself, she tell me few words.

n“This is as far as I’ve gotten. I’m glad I had this adventure with you. With these memories, I can live on.”

n“No, why?”

nBewildered by the sudden talk, a ghost ship was approaching us.

n――The airship itself has become a monster. It is approaching Einhorn and is attempting to make contact. Master, permission to intercept

n“Not now! ――Ange, I never considered you a burden.”

nPrioritize Ange over the talk of Luxion.

nAnge looked happy to hear my words, but seemed determined.

n“I will be a burden from now on. If I stay with you, I will prevent you from living the life you want. My father and brother really intend to involve you in. Finally, over time, they’re going to bring the power of Luxion into the Redgrave family.”

nThe “over time” part must surely mean generation after generation.

nEventually, I and Ange’s son will inherit Luxion, and then one day join the Redgrave family to monopolize Luxion’s power.

nVince and others were moving toward the future, not the present.

nLuxion is stunned.

nI have only recognized one person as a master. I can’t guarantee that thereafter.

n“It doesn’t matter. It’s the same if my father and brother think they can take you in. Leon will not have a peaceful life from now on. Then it would be better for me not to be around.”

nI didn’t think Ange had thought about me to this extent.

nI have always said that I wanted a more peaceful life on a daily basis, but I didn’t know that Ange was suffering to make that happen.

nNo, I did not try to know.

n“I-I am――”

nI reach out my hand and Ange takes a step back and distances herself from me.

n“You can be more free. Just take care of Livia and ―― Noel. You won’t be lonely with them around, will you?”

nI was at a loss for words when she smiled at me like a mischievous child.

nThere are plenty of words to get me through this.

nI’m good at making excuses.

nIf I wanted to, I could say embarrassing lines like “I need you” or “I’ll never let you go,” if I wanted to not break up with Ange.

nBut I think it wouldn’t touch Ange’s heart.

nI looked down and finally understood.

n“Haha, I got dumped right”

nThe relationship with Ange was over.

nAnge shakes her head.

n“No, you’re not. I’m the one who broke the promise. I am the only one at fault. So you are not to blame.”

nI’m not saying it’s all my fault, but it’s my fault for pushing Ange to this point.

nThere was a difference in values between me, who values the individual, and Ange, who values the household.

nNot understanding it, the bill for neglecting the problem has just been paid here.

n―― I knew it would come to pass.

nA woman named Ange was not the appropriate woman for me.

n“I am――”

nWhen I finally try to say something to Ange, Einhorn shakes violently.

nAnge about to fall down in front of me, I jumped as quickly as I could and held her in my arms.

n“What happened?!”

nI quickly turned my gaze around and before I knew it, the ghost ship had reached Einhorn.

nOn the deck of the ghost ship, undead monsters, dressed like sky pirates, are looking at us.

nThey were coming toward us in droves.

n“Ha? Oi, Luxion!”

n‘Why did you allow it to approach?’ Luxion, sensing that he would be blamed that way, immediately blames me.

nIt was Master who didn’t give permission to intercept. More importantly, if things continue as they are, the monsters are going to get into Einhorn.

nSure, I didn’t give permission! I didn’t give it, but!

n“You usually do something about it! Damn! Tell everyone to get their weapons!”

nA warning has been issued

n“Okay, next, Einhorn――”

nBecause contact has been made, so interception is impossible.

n“Eh?”

nIt’s impossible

nI was going to blow up the ghost ship with Einhorn’s artillery, but Luxion says he can’t attack it if he’s in contact with it, and I’m in trouble.

nAnge, in my arms, asks Luxion how to get out of this situation.

n“What should we do?”

nPlease invade the enemy ship together. Defeat the monster that has taken possession of the airship from the inside and you will survive this situation.

nI ran out of the room and am unarmed.

nI said to Ange.

n“I get it. Call the five idiots. And bring the weapons――”

nWe don’t have much time, so I’ll leave it to the two of you. And, I have prepared the weapons for you.

nWhen the service robots appear from inside the ship, they bring our equipment.

nFor some reason, a well-prepared Luxion seems suspicious.

nMe and Ange get up and grab our equipment.

nShotguns and machine guns. Others are pistols and swords.

nNo enemy monsters have been identified as a threat. The two of you will have to invade the inner part of the airship and defeat the airship-controlling monsters and that will be the end of it.

nYou make it sound so simple, but I realized one thing here.

n“Eh? Two of us, what about you?”

nI have work to do, so I cannot accompany you.

n“No, come along. Just leave the work to Creare.”

nNo can do

nA very stubborn Luxion points his red lens at the monsters who are trying to get from us to Einhorn.

nThe enemy is already coming in. Please hurry

nWith a shotgun, I complain to Luxion.

n“What do you mean a work? Remember this later.”

nWhen Ange held the machine gun, she let out a small sigh.

n“It’s not that big of an airship. Two of us should be enough. Leon, let’s go.”

nAs the two of us ran off together, Luxion murmured meaningfully.

nGood luck with your battle. ――And a lot of things

n.

nPart 2

nLivia rushed out to the deck and found Luxion there.

nThere are robots in the surroundings, wearing only the upper half of their armor.

nWatching the robots take down the monsters trying to get into the Einhorn one after the other is like a work in progress.

nThe sight made Livia feel a little uncomfortable.

n(No. I need to make sure Leon-san and the others are safe now)

n“Luk-kun!”

nWhen she summons up the courage to speak to Luxion, his red lens is pointed at Livia.

nOlivia, I thought I told you to stay inside?

n“I can’t find Leon-san and Ange anywhere! I thought maybe something had happened. But Are-chan didn’t say anything.”

nA ghost ship was approaching and they were instructed to stay on board because of the danger.

nEveryone gathered in the hall where they were instructed to go despite their discontent.

nBut only Leon and Ange were not there.

nConcerned Livia thus burst out onto the deck, but Luxion is unperturbed to hear that they are not there.

n(――Scary)

nLivia had dreamed of a scene in which Luxion was committing genocide.

nThe scene at that time was so vivid that it made Luxion look inevitably scary.

nEven though she tried to forget it, the fear never left her.

nThe two of them are fine

n“But!”

n“――This is necessary for both of them.”

nAfter that, Luxion did not speak any more.

n.

nPart 3

nInside the Einhorn.

nThe people gathered in the hall looked restless and concerned about the outside.

nWeapon in hand, they look out the window.

nJake folded his arms, frustrated by the situation.

n“Why not just blow up the ghost ship with a cannon and be done with it.”

nAare is standing by his side, soothing Jake.

n“I hear there are treasures on the ghost ship, aren’t they investigating it?”

n“Is that so? Then we’ll take the ghost ship’s treasure, even though we lost in the old castle.”

nOskar speaks to Jake, who is motivated when he hears about the treasure, as if he has just remembered something.

n“His Highness Jake is always so bullish. I’ve heard some horror stories about ghost ships myself, so I choose to run away rather than blow them up with a cannon.”

n“You’re a pretty coward for being my foster brother.”

n“Oya? You don’t know? Well, I’ll tell you a ghost story about a ghost ship that I know――”

nFor some reason, in a group of first-year students start telling ghost stories.

nAs Oskar begins to tell scary stories about the ghost ship, Jake’s face gradually turns pale.

nFinn, who was watching the situation with a steely gaze, evaluated them in his mind.

n(Jake, Oskar ―― I still can’t leave Mia to either of them. It’s no good talking nonsense in this situation. Not when you’re befriending another woman in the first place.)

nAnd Aare was out of the question because of the gender change.

nWhen the three capture targets were rejected by Finn, Mia, who knew nothing about it, was frightened.

n“Knight-sama, ghost ships really do exist. Mia is scared.”

nFinn looks warmly at Mia, who is honestly scared.

n“Don’t be afraid. I will protect you. Don’t worry. If the airship is that big, me and Kurosuke will sink it in no time.”

nLeave it to me!

nFinn moves closer to Mia, who is scared, and gently holds her hand.

nMia’s face was reddening.

n“Mia ―― Are you having a cold? Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well? I’ll have the medicine ready for you right away, you just wait and see. Kurosuke, get me a couch and a blanket.”

n―― My partner can be a stupid sometimes, can’t he.

nSeeing Mia’s red face, Finn immediately judges that she is not feeling well.

nHis partner, Brave, looked complicated when he saw Finn like that.

nMia waves her hands and desperately states she does not have a cold.

n“No! You’re wrong, please calm down!”

n“No. Maybe you just don’t realize it? We can’t go back to our room, but you can lie down on the couch.”

nMia has mixed feelings about Finn being too overprotective.

n“Uwh, I’m flattered, but Knight-sama is so, so.”

n“What? Tell me anything you want.”

n“Uuuuwh. ―― Idiot”

nWhen she looks down and whisperingly calls him an idiot, Finn is shocked.

nIt was as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, and he froze alone.

n(Mia hates meeee? What did I do wrong?!)

nPart 4

nWe stormed into the ghost ship.

nHowever, a big problem arose here.

n“I can’t take another step”

nIt was Ange who looked at me sitting down and gave me a dumbfounded look.

nAnge, with a machine gun in each hand, lets out a deep sigh and points at something lying on the floor.

nIt was the monster we had just defeated, about to disappear in a puff of smoke.

n“Leon, the monster you just saw is a ghost type that cannot be hit by physical attacks. Don’t worry, you can easily defeat it by using magic.”

nA short time after we entered the ship, a ghostly enemy attacked us.

nI got scared and attacked it with a shotgun, but it slipped through them and they attacked me.

nImmediately, Ange burned them down with magic, but my heart was already broken.

n“――I can’t. It made me weak in the knees.”

n“Oi ?! Where are you who put a stop to that evil monster?!”

nWhen Ange found out I was too scared to move, she was terribly surprised.

nEven I know something from earlier was a monster.

nI know, but they were like real ghosts, they were scary.

nOr rather, they’re real, right? And they’re also very deadly, and they’re going to attack you in a creepy way.

nIt was deformed in the game, but I couldn’t stand to see it in real life.

n“I’m afraid of enemies who can’t be hit! I’m not good with something like a ghost!”

nWhen I finally shout out my true feelings, Ange pulls in her cheeks.

n“I knew you weren’t good with undead monsters, but I didn’t expect you to be this bad.”

nI have never gone through videos, images, and articles featuring scary stories whenever possible, even in my previous life.

nIf someone was telling a scary story, I stayed as far away as possible.

nA test of courage? It doesn’t make sense.

nI have made it through without participating whenever possible.

nI have memories of being made to do it for school events on occasion, in my mind, I was cursing those who made me go to haunted places for a test of courage, saying, “Punish them!”

n“――I can’t walk alone anymore”

nWhen I tell her why I can’t move, Ange presses her forehead with her hand.

n“I get it. I’ll finish the monsters. You stay here――”

n“Are you leaving me alone!”

n“O-Oi, let go. Leon, please don’t cling to my legs.”

nI desperately cling to Ange’s leg.

nAnge had a troubled, yet happy look on her face.

n“There was something you weren’t good at, too.”

n“Please don’t leave me”

nI cling and plead, and Ange strokes my head.

nApparently, she felt she couldn’t leave me like this.

nPerhaps to reassure me, she uses a gentle tone of voice to calm me down.

n“Let’s get some rest and then we’ll go together. This time I’ll go in front, you follow from behind.”

n“Yes”

nAnge, who can be relied on in such a situation, looked dazzling to me.

n.

n.

nPart 5

nThe inside of the ghost ship was as old as the outside.

nThe squeaky floors crack with little effort, and doors shatter just by grabbing them.

nThere were lots of monsters.

nBut before it became a place for monsters to live. There were still remnants of the time when people used it, or rather, luggage and other items.

nWe reach a room and find an old book on a desk.

nA number of the books were tattered and unreadable, but one was barely readable.

n“This is a sailor’s private room.”

nClinging to Ange’s back as she read her book, I was aware of my surroundings.

nIf someone once slept in this room, there is a possibility that something remains.

nIn short, I was worried that a ghost might come out.

n“Ange, let’s get this over with and get back.”

nAnge, who is stunned by my frightened state, turns the pages of the book.

nSome pages seem to fall apart, but some are readable.

n“Are you sure you can’t handle this kind of thing? Hasn’t this happened before?”

n“I am not good with something scary. Aren’t you scared, Ange?”

n“Because I know that the living humans are more terrifying.”

n“Ah, Marie said that too.”

n“Ah? You mention that woman’s name here, you sound like you want to be left behind.”

nI’ve pissed Ange off, and I cling desperately to her.

nThen Ange gets embarrassed.

n“O-Oi, I’m just kidding, don’t hug me. Kora, where are you touching!”

n“Forgive me! I can’t handle scary things!”

nIt is bad enough that there is no Luxion in the first place.

nIf that guy had been here, he would have taken care of it somehow.

nThere is no such unscientific thing as ghosts~ and so on.

nIt’s scary when you don’t have someone you can talk lightly to.

nIn the first place, I was also afraid of the dungeon I tried to get that guy.

nThere are human bones normally.

nIf my life had not been on the line, I would not have actively challenged it.

nAnge flips through the pages and tells me what the book is about.

n“I think I figured out what happened to this ship. It seems to be the ship of the adventurers who tried to settle on the continent.”

n“Adventurers?”

n“It was said that a group of young people who dreamed of a new continent were on board. The owner of the diary was angry with the rude people, and there was a lot of complaining in the diary.”

n“Why is such a ship here?”

n“It’s possible it’s been abandoned. It says they found some great treasure. It must have been a woman who wrote this diary. The last page says she could be with that man.”

nDid she have a lover?

nAnge looks at the cover of the book and touches it with her right hand.

n“In the end, the name of the book’s owner remains unknown. I can’t find the name of the ship either. If the diary had been in better condition, I could have looked it up.”

n“L-Let’s get this over with and go back. I’ll have Luxion and Creare look into it later.”

n“――You really don’t like ghosts, do you. What’s up with the kingdom’s greatest hero being afraid of ghosts? Those who admire you will be saddened.”

n“Scary things are scary.”

nAnge puts the book down and leaves the room.

nMany of the other cabins had collapsed and could no longer be entered.

nAs we walked down the tattered passageway to the innermost part, Ange’s footsteps came to a halt.

n“Here it is. Leon”

nAnge held out her left hand and I handed her the holy water bomb I was carrying. I was now Ange’s baggage carrier.

nI move away from Ange and hold up my shotgun to provide support.

nHowever, I am not sure if I can aim firmly at the enemy because I am trembling.

nWhen Ange received it and kicked down the door, we found a mucous-like monster haunting the airship.

nBut the biggest problem is the ghost-type monsters around it.

n“It came ouuut !!”

nWhen I scream, Ange throws the bomb and sprinkles holy water around.

nThe ghosts struggled and disappeared, and then some attacked.

nScared, I use the shotgun, but the shotshell goes right past the ghosts.

nAnge’s was scattering machine gun bullets at the mucus-like monster.

n“Leon, I’ll help you when I get this one down, so wait!”

nI reached out with my right hand to use magic, but I was too frightened to concentrate and could not gather my magic power and the magic was never released.

n“Ange, help me!”

n“I told you to wait!”

nThe ghost-type monsters who slipped through the attack, approached my side were muttering some scary words in my ear.

nI can’t hear what they are saying, but I’m scared anyway.

nI get goosebumps and a bad sweat breaks out.

n“Luxion, help me!”

nI didn’t think the name I shouted in a crisis situation would be my hateful partner, Luxion.

nShould I praise myself for not yelling, “Help me, Mom!”?

nThen, Ange, who had defeated the mucus-like monsters, manipulated the flames to burn the monsters away.

n“I told you to wait quietly.”

nIt was a dependable sight to see Ange, who had wiped out the monsters, appear with the flames behind her carrying a machine gun that emitted smoke from its muzzle.

nAnge holds me in her arms.

n“The fire is spreading faster than I thought it would. We’re going to get out of here, so hold on tight.”

n“――Yes”

nAnge holds me like a princess.

nI grabbed Ange and put my arms around her neck.

nWhen Ange kicked through the wall, we saw the deck of the Einhorn.

n“――That’s too convenient. I’ll question that Luxion later.”

nAnge jumped over to Einhorn with me in her arms.

nEinhorn moves away from the ghost airship as flames begin to spread.

nI was watching the scene while being held by Ange.

n“I don’t want to encounter a ghost ship again”

nEven though I understood that they were monsters, I was really scared when they appeared as ghosts.

nAnge agrees with me.

n“Absolutely. I didn’t expect you to be so useless. It’s troublesome, so I don’t want to encounter it again.”

n“Sorry”

nI apologized pathetically and Livia rushed over to us.

n―― She is with Luxion too.

n“Leon-san! Ange! ―― W-Why is Ange carrying Leon-san in her arms?”

nLivia is bewildered at the sight of us, but Luxion is as usual.

nIt’s easy to imagine what happened.

nI glare at Luxion, but I’m still held in such a way by Ange.

nAnge looks at the ghost ship moving away.

nAs she watches it crumble, engulfed in flames and burning, Ange murmurs regretfully.

n“Wish I could have gone into more detail”

n.

nPart 6

nMy room.

nI was rattled and shaking as I sat on the bed.

nLuxion and Creare are observing me with great interest.

nHe looks awfully frightened, doesn’t he.

nMaster is so cute!

nI stare at the artificial intelligences.

n“Shut up, you traitorous artificial intelligences! How did you guys let a ghost ship get so close to Einhorn? Normally, you would have intercepted it on your own, wouldn’t you? Or not allow them to approach?”

nIt’s all strange when I think about it.

nI thought the ghost ship had approached Einhorn.

nHowever, the usual Luxion and Creare would have taken care of this in advance.

nSpeaking of strange, that’s how I and Ange got on board the ghost ship.

nWe can wait until everyone else arrives, or if necessary, I can let Luxion and Creare take care of it.

nThere was no need for me or Ange to push ourselves anywhere.

nAnge also seemed to have noticed this and said she would ask him about it later.

nI can only assume that these guys were up to something from the beginning.

nDid you notice? It’s a plan to get you and Angelica alone.

n“What’s the plan! You know I’m not good with those guys, right?!”

nThat’s why I thought it would be effective.

n“I’m going to keep lecturing you today.”

nWhen I try to lecture Luxion and Creare, they both ignore me and leave the room.

nThere was a passage was provided in the room for the spherical ball to pass through, through which it could easily enter and exit the room.

n“O-Oi, wait”

nWhen I tried to stop them, Creare turned around.

nIf you are going to call someone, you can’t. I don’t know why, but they’re having a ghost story in the hall right now. If you go there, you’ll hear a lot of scary stories, which Master hates.

n“What are they doing on my ship ?!”

nI sent Livia-chan and Noel-chan there. Ange is the only one who seems to be coming to this room to continue the goodbye talk.

n“Come to think of it, we were in the middle of a breakup.”

nIn my mind, it was already after the breakup, but it was interrupted by the ghost ship ruckus.

nIf possible, I am tempted to leave the matter hanging, but that would be too insincere to Ange.

nEverything was meant to be.

n“――I’ve been dumped. It’s a development I deserve.”

nI look down and let out a sigh, and Creare makes fun of me.

nYou may be trying to look good, but it doesn’t matter what Master says after such a pathetic sight.

n“Oi, wait a minute. You guys aren’t monitoring me, are you?”

n――I think that Master should be more honest with yourself, and express your true feelings to Ange. Not the usual flimsy, off-the-cuff words, it’s what Master says that counts.

nFor some reason, Creare’s attitude of talking about Ange in a deceptive manner raises the possibility that she was watching me.

n“Oi! Did you watch me and laugh at me! You’ve got to be clear about that!”

nMaster, tell Ange-chan in your own words that you love her

n“Don’t run off like you just told a good story!”

nWhen even Creare runs away from the room, I am left alone.

nNoticing that, I react hypersensitively when I hear any sound in the room.

nI got scared again and started shaking.

n“I mean, it’s cowardly to think there’s a real ghost out there. What am I supposed to do with that thing?”

nIf those guys come out in the middle of the night, I’m gonna cry.

nAlone and trembling on my knees, there is a knock at the door.

n“Leon, it’s me”

n“Hyai!”

nMy voice muffled from the fear of the sudden knock on my door.

nWhen I allowed Ange to enter the room, her hair was damp, probably after a shower.

nHer hair, which is usually braided and tied up in a bun, is now easily done up.

nAnge, who is dressed roughly, pulls in her cheeks when she sees me.

n“Are you still scared? We already took them down.”

n“Thinking about seeing them in my dreams today scares the crap out of me and I can’t sleep.”

n“You should know that you are a hero. Don’t let them see you like that out there. That’s my last advice.”

nThen Ange comes into the room and sits on my bed.

nI looked up at the ceiling and saw a clear ―― No, around her eyes were red.

nDid she cry in the shower?

nStill, she laughs and tells me.

n“We’re done. It’s been fun so far.”

nI guess this will be the end of our relationship.

nOn the one hand, I’m the one who wants to part ways cleanly and without regret, like a man, and on the other hand, the other me, crying out pitifully, is appealing to me.

n―― I don’t care if it’s clean or without regret, I don’t want to break up with Ange! Also, I’m lonely today and I want her to sleep with me! Like a man? I showed up a pathetic figure on a ghost ship, so what’s the point!

nAnd so on, I’m going to speak about my true feelings.

nTo be honest, I, too, would like her to stay by my side today.

nBut the other me, the one who appeals to my masculinity, says.

n――Don’t trouble her any more. Let’s honestly break up with Ange and leave the memories beautiful and walk down a new path for both of us.

nEven if I say that, it’s just embarrassing to be trying to look good now.

nAnge looks at me with concern as I ponder.

n“What’s up? I’d like to hear something from you too.”

nAnge herself was anxious to hear what I had to say.

nThat’s why I.

n“――I honestly don’t understand much about the house or my position. I thought I was engaged to Ange personally.”

n“What are you talking about?”

n“What I wanted wasn’t the Duke Redgrave――It’s Ange.”

n“Y-You”

nWhen I tell her that I want Ange personally, she blushes and turns her head down.

n“I am happy, but then I am just a daughter. I can’t use my family’s power, and it is useless for me to be around you. That said, if I stay close to you, relying on my family’s strength, you’ll be in trouble. “

n“For me!”

nIt is a world that is inevitably strongly influenced by the existence of the family household.

nSaying I only want her is not going to make it through.

nBut even knowing that, I――.

n“――I need Ange. Noble society is too much for me, a nobleman from the countryside.”

n“It is true that Livia and Noel are also not very familiar with it, but the queen will assist you. If you wanted to, Princess Erika would be your wife. That princess will surely――”

n“No. Absolutely no! Only Erika is no.”

n“Why is it so?”

nAnge was terribly surprised to hear me say that Erika was the only one absolutely impossible.

nIf she sees us getting along so well on a regular basis, it’s no wonder she’s misunderstood.

nHowever, only Erika is no.

nIn the first place, there is no such thing as marrying your niece from a previous life.

nI want her to be happy, but not me to make her happy.

nI tell Ange about my determination.

n“I’m willing to fight with the Redgrave family for Ange.”

n“What are you talking about, just for me?”

n“If it doesn’t work, I steal you away”

n“――You idiot”

nWhen I show forcefulness, Ange shakes her head, though she looks happy.

nTears spilled from Ange’s eyes.

n“I’m glad you feel that way, but it will keep you from a peaceful life. I want you to be happy.”

nWhat do I really need for my happiness?

nThe answer is out.

n“Then for my happiness, I need Ange.”

n“――Leon?”

nI hug Ange on the bed.

nAnge put her hands behind my back, and then I guess she realized.

n“Are you trembling? By any chance――”

n“Sorry, I’m still scared”

nWhen she realized that the fear of the ghost ship had not left me, Ange laughed out loud.

n“You’re a really sloppy guy. At least at a time like this, you should make up your mind”

n“Because I’m scared! Please stay with me.”

nBetrayed by Luxion and the others, I ask Ange to stay by my side.

nThen Ange whispers in my ear.

n“So you were afraid and wanted me to spend the night with you so you could seduce me?”

n“Y-You’re wrong.”

n“I won’t get angry, so be honest. Come on, quickly.”

nShe blew her breath in my ear, making me ticklish.

n“Just a little”

n“――I knew it”

nAnge sounds amazed when she finds out the truth, but she rubs my back.

n“Throwing you away like this would be a blemish on your hero’s name.”

n“I can follow you”

n“I don’t like that. You are ―― a hero for me too.”

nI feel like I am closer to Ange than ever before because of this incident.

nThe uptight part was gone and we felt comfortable with each other.

nAnge presses her forehead against my chest.

n“Leon, I’m cutting myself off from my parents’ house”

n“Ange?”

nI was surprised at the sudden statement.

nSince family is such a big part of the world, it’s a very big deal to cut ties with it.

nFrom now on, Ange cannot return to the Redgrave family.

nNot only that, but she would lose her position as a daughter of the Duke.

n“Eventually, if I hadn’t been able to keep you connected, my parents would have given up on me. So you have nothing to worry about.”

n“――But”

n“It’s the path I chose. You don’t need to worry about it. If I cut ties with my family, Duke Redgrave will become your enemies. Are you prepared to bear that burden?”

nAfter thinking for a few seconds and nodding, Ange looks up and gives me a serious look.

n“You’re going to have a lot of trouble. Most of the lords and nobles are the enemy. Some of them will even flatter you. If you want to rebuild the kingdom, you will be busy.”

n“If it can be done peacefully”

n“――Got it. I will support you. Then I’ll stay with you for the night. I know you’ll be too scared to sleep.”

nI blushed as Ange gave me a mischievous smile.

n“I-It’s not like tha”

n“Then I will return to my room?”

n“I lied!”

nI apologize to Ange for that, and I asked her to sleep with me for the night.

n