Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 6 Episode 3 (section)

===Part 11===

「Haa……」

After the Class Promotion Exam was over, Airi finished taking a bath together with the Triad. She was looking up alone at the ceiling inside the shared room that was allotted to her.

Although it was an exam that was full of trouble, everyone was safe. But Sharis, Tillfur, and then even Noct who were obstructed by Buzzheim met painful experiences.

The three were behaving stout-heartedly, but they couldn’t hide their discouraged mood fully.

Even though Airi understood that, but she was unable to be considerate towards the three. She hated herself who was like that.

「I want to become their strength. But──」

Right now, even Airi herself didn’t have any leeway.

A part of an ancient document that was carried out from the deepest part of a Ruin.

It was a proof that showed the ties between the Old Empire, and the race that was called as LordCreator who seemed to exist in the Ruins. Airi was putting a distance from everyone, even with her best friend Noct so that it wouldn’t be found out.

But, when the time comes that the truth came to light, Airi wondered what she should do.

She couldn’t find the answer no matter how much she thought.

「Nii-san, we are──」

When she was letting out a sigh of who knew how many times, a knocking sound could be heard from the door.

「……Ah, welcome back──Noct」

Of course, she couldn’t forget to hide the ancient document.

But, her attention was taken by her hurry in hiding it that she opened the door without even checking.

「-……!?」

Airi was speechless at the visit of the very unexpected character.

A few hours ago, her big brother Lux was cornered in the Class Promotion Exam. By this person here──the Blue Tyrant, Singlen Shelbrit.

He was wearing a blue coat with excess sleeves and a pilot suit furnished with metal plates that was called armor suit. And then under his hood, he was wearing a strange smile that didn’t reach his eye.

「Wha, wha……!?」

「How do you do lady, I have something to talk with you for a bit──is it okay?」

In response to the dispassionate words, Airi was backing away in a fluster.

「The, there is no way it’s okay right!? Just where do you think you are!」

With her frozen thought and her tense expression, it was the best she could do to reply like that for the time being.

「Don’t speak loudly like that. What a lady who lacks in manners. With that kind of big brother, perhaps it’s only natural that his little sister is like this, good grief.」

But, Singlen shrugged his shoulders in response as though he had no ill will at all.

「While it might be rude, but it’s Sir Singlen who is lacking in prudence! This is the lodging for females. What kind of business do you have at this time?」

Airi was purposefully acting angrier than necessary.

She was doing that to encourage herself so that she wouldn’t get dragged away by this Blue Tyrant’s pace.

「I faced your big brother in the exam. I’m concerned whether he is alright. I only came here thinking that I’ll ask about his condition. Be grateful.」

「That’s, why did you come to the place of me, his little sister then……? ──Wait, please don’t come in as you please!」

「It’s dreary, just as typical of an army’s lodging huh. Lack of discrimination is a good thing.」

Singlen briskly entered inside and sat down heavily on the chair inside the room.

Airi was enveloped in bewilderment, even so she shortly stood in front of the desk.

「……I’ll call other people you know?」

「You’re bad at lying former princess. It’s you who will be troubled if you call someone right?」

「────」

Airi’s expression froze just for a moment. Singlen didn’t miss that.

「When a human is placed in a dilemma, they will stand in front of the thing they want to protect the most. And for a young woman at that age, they will mostly stand in front of their bed or their closet. Even though both of those are right nearby, why are you standing in front of your desk that is the farthest?」

「…………」

He hit the bull’s eye.

The best Airi could do right now was pretending to be calm and not letting her agitation come out to her face.

Because at the gap of the board that was laid out in the desk’s drawer, a part of that ancient document that Airi had never let go from her sight was carefully hidden in the cover of her diary there.

「I have heard the rumors about you, criminal former princess. It seems that you will find any excuse to go along in any Ruin investigation that is few in number. A human that cannot even handle a Drag-Ride and should be nothing more than a hindrance, why are you behaving like that then?」

‘……How did he know until that far?’

Airi couldn’t speak that question out loud.

If she said it, it felt like he would take advantage of it even more.

「I hear that you are also a survivor of that Old Empire, but it feels like you also have another secret.」

Singlen walked closer towards Airi who was standing in front of her desk.

When her body reflexively stiffened, his feet stopped still.

「Let’s enter the main topic, I came here to warn you. The bunches called Dragon Marauder. Those warmonger Drag-Knights are starting to secretly maneuver in various places. They are a gathering of mercenaries who staked their life to snatch the treasure of the Ruins and tear down countries.」

「That’s, what about it……?」

「Those guys are sending spies to every country. It will be dangerous if they know you are hiding the secret of the Ruins. What I want to say is be cautious.」

Singlen only said that before he turned on his heel and moved to leave the room.

「……No need for worry, because I know nothing of such secret.」

When Airi said that with fortitude, Singlen’s shoulders shook slightly.

「The fellows targeting you aren’t just Dragon Marauder. Better remember my warning for just in case.」

Singlen said that without turning around and he left.

Right after his presence vanished, Airi closed the door and locked it.

She slowly sat down on the bed and sweat oozed out suddenly from her forehead.

「It’s all right……. No one, has seen it yet, so……」

She took out her diary from the desk, took off the leather binding and flipped the backside.

The text of ancient documents that Airi deciphered was held there without change.

Just as Singlen said, it might be something that she couldn’t hide forever.

Even if the origin of their──the Old Empire that perished five years ago was connected to the Lords of the Ruins, nothing could be understood with just the content recorded here.

Then, what was it that she was fearing until that much, Airi questioned herself.

Was it the risk of even more crimes getting piled up on Lux and Airi as criminals?

Was it that they would have to shoulder the responsibility that was being hidden together with the mystery of the Ruins?

「No── what I’m fearing is, surely……」

That Lux would know about this truth.

And then, her big brother who had obtained this current meager happiness would get dragged into this unknown fate, with the situation near him changed drastically, and he would leave to a place where Airi’s hand couldn’t reach. That was her fear.

Losing her beloved family Lux was what she feared the most.

「Nii-san. Just what, should I……」

The words that were whispered with a small voice so that no one could hear, reached the ears of a man standing alone outside the door.