Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 5 Episode 3 (section)

===Part 7===

「Err, if I remember correctly, right now Celis-senpai’s schedule is──」

Lux was walking on the bustling street of the royal capital while checking the request schedule that was written on a paper.

He promised to go around the country founding anniversary from the afternoon until sunset with Celis, but she said that she was going to train at the practice ground inside the castle grounds until right before Lux came to pick her up.

When Lux went to the guard’s place, Celis wearing her uniform was already waiting in front of it. She turned his way and smiled.

「Thanks for coming, Lux.」

「Good afternoon Celis-senpai. I’m sorry to make you wait.」

「No, I too only came just now. However that’s── it’s a little troubling.」

When Lux approached, Celis’s tone dropped a little with her condition looking unusually restless.

「……? What’s the matter?」

「That’s…… I made a blunder in picking our meeting place. I cannot calm down unless I train every day, so I only did basic training and sword practice but──」

Lux tilted his head hearing Celis’s tone that had a hint of frustration in it.

「It’s fine. After all Celis-senpai is giving off the nice smell of soap.」

「That’s not it! I’m not talking about the matter of sweat! Be, because there is this date with you, I properly washed myself after I finished my training so──tha, that’s not it, it’s」

Lux smiled wryly seeing Celis who was showing him her flustered self. After that he noticed what she actually wanted to say a bit late.

Countless gazes were directed towards them from the shadows of the castle wall and bushes. The sounds of stifled breathing came from those directions.

The reason for that wasn’t merely because the castle was nearby and there were many officials there.

Lux instinctually comprehended the reason that showed it.

「Celis-senpai, how well do you know about the terrain of the capital?」

「Err, I know enough in general. When I was a child I also lived here to some degree. Last year and the year before that, too, I also came here when summer vacation came.」

「Then, what’s left is only the concern of stamina. Can senpai run right now?」

「I have difficulty to understand Lux’s question but──……-!? Is it something like that?」

Celis tilted her head in puzzlement for a moment, but she immediately noticed and held her breath.

After exhaling lightly, she showed a confident smile and started walking.

「Then, I’ll take the lead, but we’re going to walk slowly until a street where there are few passerby.」

「Ah, please go easy on me……」

Recalling the training camp the other day, Lux said that while smiling wryly.

Celis who had imposed strict training on herself since she was little possessed a stamina that would make even a man lose their face.

「Then let’s go, Lux.」

Saying that they walked side by side. Immediately after, the countless presences hiding around there started moving simultaneously.

(So……it’s as I thought.)

The gazes that were focused on Lux and Celis since some time ago.

Most likely they were people of the palace who were trying to spy on their movements.

In order to shake off those observers, Lux suggested that they 『escape』.

「Could this be, because of my fault?」

Lux spoke his question while walking on the stone pavement outside the castle.

Currently, they were still walking at the level of fast-walking, but they were gradually increasing to the speed of running children.

「No, this might be my fault. After all it seems there are people scheming various things behind the scenes in the current government office so──」

「Scheme?」

They bought distance at the straight line of the main street where the visibility was nice, turned into a narrow back alley, and shook off the pursuers.

Their speed wasn’t affected at all even while they were conversing normally.

「Perhaps it’s better to call it a scramble for interests, and following after that is the factional strife. What I wanted to talk about with you today is also related to that──oh, I think this far should be fine don’t you agree?」

Celis suddenly stopped and looked behind her.

The presences of countless people following them from the castle had entirely vanished within a few minutes.

「I, it seems so……」

It was pathetic if he, who was a man, lost his breath first, so Lux pretended to be composed, but he was fairly tired.

「However, this strategy is a half failure. Even though I’ve expressly washed off my sweat, now I’m soaked in sweat again.」

As expected, it would be like that if they ran with their all on the street in summer.

「You’re right. I’m also sweaty──……-!?」

When Lux was about to agree, he saw it.

The figure of Celis who slightly opened the breast area of her blouse in order to take in the wind, which caused her skin to look flushed.

Perhaps because this was a back alley with the surrounding enclosed by houses and shops, she became somewhat defenseless.

The valley of Celis’s breasts that proclaimed their existence strongly even when they were within the uniform caused Lux’s gaze to be reflexively attracted in.

「What’s wrong Lux? It looks like you are in a daze since just now? Don’t tell me your health is」

「N, no, it’s nothing at all! Ra, rather than that, about Celis-senpai’s talk with me──?」

Lux averted his gaze in panic and asked once more.

Celis was lightly vigilant towards the surroundings while she slowly started talking.

「Lux. There is one thing that I want to ask you. What do you think about me?」

「Eh……?」

Lux was bewildered towards Celis who suddenly displayed a serious tone and expression.

And then, after thinking a bit for a few seconds,

「I think Celis-senpai is really serious and just a little bit awkward but──you are someone that is really reliable.」

「That’s, I also think the same of you.」

When Lux told her that with a small smile, Celis immediately replied back.

「I dragged along the tendency of the Old Empire, feared to make a mistake, and kept away males at a distance. You saved me who was like that. For me, you are a really reliable boy friend that I was able to make for the first time.」

Celis put her hands on her chest and whispered earnestly.

「And so I want to talk about this. I received instruction from my father through a letter telling me to win you over. He instructed me to use my position as the leader of Syvalles to put you under my observation and jurisdiction──」

「…………」

The instruction from one of the Four Great Nobles, Dist Ralgris that came to Celis.

Lux instantly predicted the general objective and meaning of such instruction.

「No matter what kind of thinking father has, I don’t intend to follow his instruction this time. In the case that we come to a confrontation, I’ll plead to him directly to withdraw that instruction. ──But, he might bring trouble to Lux somewhere outside of my sight. I still don’t know what to do about that, but……」

「It’s fine senpai.」

「Eh……?」

Lux smiled to assure Celis who looked confused.

「I’m happy that Celis-senpai is worried about me, but it’ll also pain me if you came into a dispute with the Ralgris house. I think it will be fine if you just pretend to follow the letter’s instructions moderately.」

「But that’s, my father might come to interfere with you directly then……」

「It’s all right. I’m used to something like that since I was a child. Besides── I already resolved myself to get involved with this country again, not only as a criminal imposed with odd jobs, but also in different shapes.」

Lux declared with his gaze staring straight at Celis.

「Lux, you──」

「In the first place, it became like this only because I did things that made me stand out every time, just like Airi always told me, this is me reaping what I sowed.」

When Lux smiled wryly, Celis’s eyes opened wide in surprise,

「This is troubling. I talked of this with the resolve to be blamed by you but──my worry is cleared up already.」

Celis slowly cast her eyes down and made a small smile.

「I understand. I’ll carefully handle the matter of putting you under my jurisdiction, but I’m thinking to reply back that I don’t want to force you. But──if, in the case that my father tries to do something, please talk to me anytime. I won’t permit you to stay quiet. After all, I also want to become a senior that you can and ought to respect.」

Saying that, Celis slowly offered her right hand.

「……I will, I promise.」

When Lux gently took that hand, the tension of the two abruptly felt loosened.

「Even so, it’s unfortunate.」

Celis suddenly muttered when they were about to exit the back alley into the main street.

「What is?」

「No, I was thinking that if my talk with you finished early, perhaps we can look around the festival for a bit──」

Lux noticed when he saw Celis running her gaze around looking vaguely dispirited.

Several messengers in the palace were investigating into Celis’s movement with Lux.

Although they had shaken off everyone just now, if they enjoyed the festival in a place where there was many people, they would immediately get found out by those people.

「Ah ……it, it’s not like you have to worry about it because my objective has been accomplished! It’s not like I want to have fun looking around the festival slowly for sure this time because until now I have never gotten the chance to look around the festival properly, there is no such thing at all so──」

When Lux noticed that and sent his gaze to Celis, Celis threw out her true feelings in the open in panic.

「Ahaha, please wait a second. I’ll think a bit so──」

Lux smiled wryly and retorted so, then he got an idea.

(But this, we might need a bit of help from someone……)

When Lux was thinking that, he caught sight of a trio of girls walking on the main street.

「……Ah, it’s Lux-chi and Celis-senpai. What’s up? At this kind of place──」

Tillfur of the Triad noticed them and called out.

It seemed the three were also sightseeing the royal capital for relaxation from the All-Dragon Battle.

「What a coincidence. However it smells a bit suspicious that you two are having a date at that kind of deserted place you know?」

「Yes. I think I have the duty to report this to Airi as her best friend.」(TN: A bit of a reminder. When Noct said yes or no at the beginning of her sentence, in the raw she isn’t using Japanese words like ‘hai’ or ‘ie’, but she is actually using the English word of ‘yes’ and ‘no’. She also says ‘my lord’ in English.)

「You don’t need to do that! It’s not like we are hiding anything that makes us feel guilty I’m telling you──!」

Lux objected to Sharis’s grin and Noct’s mutter while he lightly explained the situation.

He told them about how he wanted to look around the festival with Celis and how several spies were searching for them.

「And so, I want to ask a bit of help from everyone──」

Lux consulted his thinking of how to shake off the pursuer to the three people of the Triad, then,

「That’s good and all, but somehow I’m not motivated~. Even us here are bored with a lot of free time. And yet, doing that will only make Lux-chi and Celis-senpai to get to have a great date without anything in it for us in the end~」

Tillfur nodded her head in the beginning while showing a complicated sulky face at the end.

In response, Sharis plopped her hand on Tillfur’s head and spoke admonishingly.

「Fuh, Tillfur is still too young. At this kind of time it’s more sensible to make them owe us without getting strangely obstinate. Especially because Lux-kun is the type who will return the favor properly.」

「Yes. I judged that cooperating with Lux-san and Celis-san here will be a worldly wise decision. After all, the two of them are really capable people.」

When Noct also continued like that, Tillfur showed her usual bright smile.

「That’s true. Then~, there is my acquaintance dressmaker nearby, so wait a bit here.」

(I, it feels like it’ll be scary later but……well, it’s fine I guess.)

「However, Lux. Just what could you possibly be thinking about?」

Tillfur showed up once more faster than Lux could explain to the puzzled Celis.

「See that shop, you can enter from the backdoor so no one will know. I’ve talked to them so it’s fine.」

「Thank you──let’s go, Celis-senpai.」

Lux smiled and pulled Celis’s hand, heading towards that dressmaker shop.

 

──Thirty minutes later.

A noble lady and a butler were standing in front of the dressing room inside the shop.

「Wha, what do you think──Lux? Does it look like we can hide well like this?」

A girl wearing a pure white prim and proper dress and a hat with a wide brim of the same color on her head.

The outfit was reserved and not showy, but it didn’t harm the elegance possessed by the girl wearing it at all.

Thanks to the thin dress that made the body line stand out distinctly, Lux received a charming impression that was several levels above the usual uniform appearance.

The parasol the girl was holding was decorated with ornaments, which gorgeously gave color to the whole body that looked slightly meek.

The parasol’s purpose was to prevent sunburn, but it also functioned as a prop to hide Celis’s face.

「Uwaaa……. I don’t want to do this~. She is too beautiful that I’m feeling down just from looking~……」

Tillfur who helped with the clothes changing hung her head down with a complicated look.

Fundamentally the selection members were obligated to wear their uniform when going out during the period of the All-Dragon Battle, but in order to avoid the observers’ gazes right now, Celis dressed up like a noble young lady who came to the capital.

「However, it’s beyond expectations when Celis is dressing as a lady like this. Lux-kun also looks suitable in that. If it’s this then it will do somehow.」

Even Sharis who came together with them praised the finished up appearance of the two in satisfaction.

「Ahaha. Though this appearance is really stuffy…… I’ll do my best.」

On the other hand, Lux was wearing a butler uniform with a basic black tone.

His standing out silver hair was hidden with a black wig, so Lux’s impression was greatly different from usual.

Furthermore he felt the heat a lot because the black suit had little skin exposure, but it couldn’t be helped.

By the way, the Triad at first tried to dress Lux in woman’s clothing, but this time he refused it with all his strength.

「Yes. With this, both of you are a noble lady and her butler that came to watch the festival. Please enjoy it to your hearts’ content.」

When Noct concluded their tactic this time at the end, Lux showed a smile and nodded.

「Right. Thank you everyone. We are off.」

「Thank you for your cooperation. The, then Lux──please treat me well.」

Lux and Celis thanked the Triad and left the dressmaker shop.

The promised afternoon date resumed.

「Well then my lady, is there somewhere you wish to look around?」

「N, no that’s, I’m the senior here. I’ve been living longer in the capital, so I’ll be the one to show you──」

Lux smiled wryly seeing Celis suddenly show her usual seriousness.

「Right now senpai is just a noble lady. Then, how about we look around a large place?」

They traveled to the direction of the central block using a coach before looking around a crowded place that was centered on a main street with many street stalls.

「Ah, there is a stall of baked sweets over there. How about it, my lady.」

「N, no! As the leader of Syvalles, I’ll refrain from food that makes you fat. And so, something like the conduct of eating sweet things is not permitted.」

「It will be fine if it’s only a little. Also Celis-senpai, you aren’t fat at all.」

「Is, is that so……? N, no──as I thought it’s no good! I won’t be able to be an example to other people if I don’t comply to a discipline that I imposed myself.」

Right after she said so with an obstinate tone, Celis stared fixedly at the stall’s direction with a longing expression.

「Haa, the aroma of baked sweets is torture……. I was scolded by father when I ate too much of it as a child, so I haven’t properly eaten any for many years. But, there is also no way I can break the rule──」

「The, then, I want to eat so I’ll go buy it!」

Celis was whispering with a depressed expression that looked really down, so Lux stood in the stall’s line resolutely.

And then he bought a tart with the biggest size, split it into two, and offered it to Celis.

「I’m sorry. I blundered and bought the large one, so can senpai help me eat it a bit?」

「I, is that so? Then, just for a bit……」

Even like that Celis accepted the baked sweet with reservation, but after taking a bite, she showed a melting expression that was incomparable with her usual dignified expression.

「……It’s happiness. Being able to eat a sweet thing for the first time in several years. Lux, thank you very much.」

Seeing Celis feeling so happy that she was moved to tears, Lux felt glad that he bought it forcefully.

(Or rather, Celis-senpai, you held yourself back too much……)

Lux felt that this older girl who was serious and awkward like usual was charming. After that their date continued.

Until the middle, so that they didn’t stand out, they walked and talked while focusing on sightseeing the events, but when they got used to it they also went to places like the auction market or the divination stall in the public place. They also participated in a wine tasting convention (Celis mistook it for a normal drink) that was done outdoors, and became infatuated with the enthusiasm that was unique to festivals.

The atmosphere that couldn’t be experienced in normal academy life, where rank was put aside, that could only be experienced on festival days.

Also, thanks to the role of a young lady and her butler that they acted, they cut loose a bit and enjoyed the anniversary festival that was done once a year.

「Here, water. ──Also if there is something senpai wants to eat, I will go buy it from the stall.」

Lux made Celis sit down on a curb in a public park because she was staggering from drunkenness. He said that with a gentle smile.

The sun was already mostly setting down, the time was changing from dusk to night.

「Thank you very much. It has been a long time since I felt like this. I want to taste this atmosphere more as long as the time allows.」

After Lux handed over a cup that was filled with water, Celis smiled and she suddenly turned her gaze to the surroundings.

Her flushed skin that was dyed red and her disordered breathing looked strangely captivating. Lux felt his heart spontaneously skip a beat just from looking.

After that, Celis looked like she suddenly became aware of herself and she straightened her back in a hurry.

「N, no……. As I thought it’s no good. Because I have the responsibility as the older one, I cannot trouble you for more than this. After this I’ll properly escort you back as your senior.」

It was Celis’s usual dignified tone.

But, she was drunk so it was funny how she slurred. Lux smiled wryly.

「I understand. Then please take care of me until our inn, Celis-senpai.」

In the end Lux also responded while stopping the act of being a young lady and her butler.

With the surrounding getting darker it also became hard to see, so Lux also took off his black wig.

(It’s really hot……)

There was also no sign of observers, the possibility of them getting discovered must be low. But just in case they chose the back streets where there were few signs of life to return back to their inn’s location.

The cool evening wind felt pleasant against their bodies that was flushed from the heat of the festival and sunlight.

「Lux, is amazing.」

「Eh……?」

Lux spontaneously reacted to the words Celis muttered beside him.

「You are working really hard for everyone’s sake. Even though you are the only boy in the Academy, you are idolized by everyone. Unlike me, you aren’t feared or avoided.」

「……There is no such thing. I’m only being helped by my current environment.」

「But, I too cannot lose. If you are doing your best to persist in your ideals, then I too have to work hard to get closer to my own ideals. I don’t want to lose you like that time with Wade-sensei, where you will have to shoulder everything by yourself.」

During the practice time on Ries Island last time, Lux who had a bout with Celis and saw her movement deliberately didn’t give her any instructions.

A Drag-Knight with strength that was perfected to Celis’s level had no weaknesses that stood out.

Whether it was her handling of her Divine Drag-Ride Lindwurm, or her heavy attacks by doing simultaneous offensive with her one Drag-Ride, also her swift thought that calculated the optimum solution in every situation by the book, her every skill and ability was at a level that was nearly at the peak.

Then, there was only one thing that he could assign to her.

Once, Lux developed three kinds of hidden techniques by continuously exploring the operating techniques of the Drag-Ride that at a glance only looked reckless.

When he instructed Celis, he also told her to seek for that.

And then a few days after they returned from the training camp──when Lux woke up from his sleep that was due to the exhaustion caused by Over Limit, Celis mastered that technique.

That was the reason Lux decided that he would accept a special request from her as her reward.

「Therefore I won’t lose, Lux. I too will continue to pursue the path of a Drag-Knight using you as my model.」

「Yes, please take care of me from now on too, Celis-senpai. ……──!?」

Right after Lux responded so to Celis’s muttering, he felt a kind of presence and tension ran through Lux’s spine.

「……? What’s the matter, Lux?」

「──Be quiet. Please follow me, this way.」

Lux lowered his voice as much as possible and spoke with a strong tone. He then pulled Celis’s hand and led her into a back street with no signs of life.

Celis who was a little drunk didn’t notice, but Lux undoubtedly heard several footsteps following them.

The footsteps were following when he escaped.

It seemed that they noticed Lux and Celis as expected regardless of this darkness.

(The footsteps are heavy. And then, this faint sound of sword guards, don’t tell me──!?)

This wasn’t the observers that were chasing Lux from the castle.

If these people had weapons hanging on their waists, then they might be thieves or perhaps assassins from the rebel army.

「Kuh……!」

Thinking about Lux’s decoy role that would begin tonight and Celis’s match for the next day, he wished to avoid a battle here.

Lux kept holding Celis’s hand and entered into the other side of a small shed nearby as though to follow his inevitable thought.

「Lu, Lux? Wha, what are you doing taking me to this kind of place?」

「Shh, hold down your voice. The enemy will pass through here so──」

Saying that, Lux entered the gap between the furniture left behind there to hide Celis behind him.

But, because it was dark and he couldn’t see under his feet, he stumbled on something like a squared timber and Celis’s body tilted.

「Uwah……!?」

In order to save Celis who was falling face up, Lux also got carried by the momentum and he fell.

Fortunately, there was something like an old sofa behind Celis, so the impact wasn’t hard.

But, Lux’s body was accidentally sticking close to Celis’s body, as though he was pressing down on the body of the collapsed Celis.

「──!?」

The body warmth of the drunk Celis and the sensation of the voluptuous breasts flattened under him.

The unique sweet aroma that could be smelled from a girl made Lux’s head seethe.

「Lu, Lux…… this is──!」

「Ple, please endure it just for a bit more. The pursuers’ footsteps are approaching near.」

Inside the darkness of their shelter where he couldn’t even see the front well, Lux told Celis that while repressing the fast beating of his own heart and his excitement.

Honestly, he knew only too well just how bad their positions were, but it was dangerous to stand up right now and make a sound.

He could only resolve himself here and wait for things to pass.

(The number of footsteps is three──. They are close but, they should still be unaware of our location……)

Lux made such judgment while deciding that in any event he had to stand up even if it was only himself. He slowly tried to lift his body so as to not make any sound.

In order to do that, his hand was going to push on the sofa while his body was still covering over Celis, it was then──

*munyu*

「Fuah……!?」

Celis’s voice leaked out along with a soft elastic sensation in his hand.

It seemed that because he couldn’t see his hand really well, it touched Celis’s breast instead of the sofa.

(Wait, this is bad! At this rate──)

Lux tried to remove his hand, but at that moment, countless footsteps became louder. Lux became even more flustered and in panic his hand fumbled around in order to push on the sofa.

Midway he could hear Celis’s stifled voice, but a few seconds later Lux somehow stood up.

[[File:SaijakuBahamut v5 10.jpg|thumb|right]]

When he hurriedly put his guard up to his surroundings, the presences and footsteps were vanishing.

「……We’re saved, aren’t we?」

After looking out and checked around, Lux turned around and offered his hand to Celis who was pushed down.

「Celis-senpai. Are you okay? Your hand──」

「Ye, yes……. I’m fine, but」

After grasping her hand tightly and having pulled her up, she breathed roughly.

Lux tilted his head. Celis averted her gaze from him and her face reddened.

「Ple, please don’t rub my breast so many times like that. I, if that is continued more than that, I’ll become strange……」

「I, I’m sorry-!」

Lux who noticed the true identity of the softness that both his hands felt before this yelled so in panic.

(No, no wonder it felt really pleasant……. ──Not that!)

When Lux worried how he was going to apologize with his chaotic mind,

「I, it can’t be helped. Fro, from the story that I heard, it seems that a girl has to be resolved to some extent when a male led them to a dark place, so I’m resigned.」

「No, I’m saying that’s not it! It’s not like I brought Celis-senpai here with impure thoughts──」

Lux tried to justify himself towards Celis who was starting to interpret the events somewhat peculiarly but,

「By, by all rights it feels like this kind of deed must not be done because it’s still too early but, today Lux has been a really great help to me so……I, I’ll specially permit it.」

Celis arbitrarily understood it like that, so Lux too gave up explaining it for more than that.

「The, then let’s go back Lux. Your childhood friend is surely waiting at the inn right now.」

Lux nodded to Celis who showed him a small smile and they started their way back once more.

After that they were able to return to the inn safely without any problem.