Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 1 Episode 2 (section)

=== Part 3 ===

“Geez, what is Nii-san doing? I’m amazed.”

The Academy reception room for visitors.

As expected of an academy where noble children gathered, in this room which gave a high class impression along with the furniture and furnishings, two female students were standing stock still.

One was a calm black-haired girl who ringed a bell.

The other was a girl who had the same silver hair and the same collar as Lux.

Her graceful and calm atmosphere like a high class antique doll looked somehow more mature than her big brother Lux’s.

“Um––, I’m sorry for a lot of things. Airi.”

First of all, Lux lightly apologized to the girl, Airi Acadia who was his younger sister.

Airi who saw that shrugged her shoulders along with a sigh, and moved her gaze towards the girl beside her.

“She is my roommate in the girl’s dormitory. Her name is–– may I ask for it?”

“Yes. I am… first year, Nokuto Leaflet. I apologize for last night.”

The girl who gave a quite calm impression softly bowed her head and stared at Lux.

Last night was the bathroom intrusion incident.

She was one of the three girls who chased him at that time.

“It seems like you were really running after a pochette which was stolen by a cat. I am sorry for having treated you like a pervert.”

“I-I am sorry, too. Um––, I didn’t think that there was underwear in it… But, what a relief. It looks like the baggage is perfectly safe.”

He thought that she was a fairly severe child last night, but she apparently seemed to be an honest and good child.

(I’m happy that she believes me…)

As Lux looked at Nokuto and let his troubles melt––

“Um, though I’m sorry to interrupt your happy conversation.”

Airi who was looking at their exchange with reproachful eyes coughed, seeming to be in a bad mood.

“Because of Nii-san, it isn’t time for that now though.”

“Ah…”

The moment Lux came to his senses, Airi sighed once again.

“Hah… Even though for appearance’s sake, I have told my surroundings that you’re a cool older brother, what on earth will you do about it? Peeping tom, underwear thief, molester. To think that a relative of mine is a criminal, please think about my position in the academy.”

“F-For appearance’s sake, huh… not that, like I said, it was a misunderstanding!?”

“Yes. I think that only your face seems like a Prince roughly. It is a little unreliable though.”

“…You’ll be cleaned off if you thought that she was praising you!?”

It was simply shocking.

As expected, this girl called Nokuto is a little strange.

“Shall I get down to the main issue?”

<nowiki>*cough*</nowiki> clearing her throat, Airi sat on the sofa.

As Lux did the same and sat opposite to her, Nokuto poured tea in the tea cup from a teapot which had been prepared.

[[File:SaijakuBahamut_v1_053.jpg|thumb]]

“To be frank, I think that it will be good that Nii-san occasionally sees painful experiences, but––”

“Cruel!?”

Not paying heed to Lux’s reaction, Airi continued with a serious look.

“This time only is a little special. If Nii-san was to be caught, how will I be able to pay back the debt alone?”

“…………”

(It’s a cruel way to put it…!)

The brother and sister of the Old Empire’s royalty were coldly treated.

In the amnesty contract exchanged at the same time as the New Kingdom's establishment, one became a “person in charge of odd jobs” and worked bearing a part of the national budget of the New Kingdom.

And the other would live in a place where the royal family’s eyes would reach.

It was agreed that if Lux were to run away or commit misbehavior, Airi would be punished instead.

However, Lux had not thought of this agreement in itself to be dissatisfying.

Although there was the restriction that he must receive miscellaneous jobs from anyone, he was the “property of the Kingdom”, so he had not received compulsive treatment so far.

To begin with, it would not be strange even if the Old Empire’s imperial family, which had been exerting tyranny for many years, were killed with the unjust resentment of anyone.

In such a meaning, they were made to work to pay a debt –– so as to atone for their crime; and depending on the situation, it could be said that they were protected by the New Kingdom.

Well, there were also other little circumstances which were concealed though.

“With that said, Nii-san must win against Lizsharte-sama by any means necessary. However––”

Starting to say so, Airi faltered.

“Is that child strong?”

Lux asked.

This was because in the tournament of Drag-Knights held in the capital where he had fought, Lux had no memory of Lizsharte participating in it.

“We, students of the academy, are not admitted to participate in the tournament. It is also for the concealment of military strength, and if an officer cadet student were to lose, it would not look good enough to be shown publicly.”

“I see… which means.”

“Yes, instead, there is regularly something like a campus battle in this academy. Lizsharte-sama is currently undefeated. Moreover, after having begun to use a Divine Drag-Ride, she continued winning successive victories with an overwhelming strength.”

Divine Drag-Ride.

Being able to handle it, which held a special power among the Machine Dragons would certainly mean that she was a powerful opponent.

To Airi’s words, Lux was troubled,

“Well, it’ll be a little tough, I guess.”

As he scratched his head…

“Yes. Then, I will advise a way so as to be able to withdraw the duel to Lizsharte-sama.”

“Oh my. You shouldn’t, Nokuto.”

With a gentle smile, Airi stopped Nokuto who offered so.

“It’s best that he takes responsibility for his own actions himself. Geez, since a long time you immediately act when you make up your mind and you can’t become calm at all, so you only encounter such bad experiences.”

“Uwah, you’re cruel!? Even though I have been doing my errands of “person in charge of odd jobs” all along since the day of the contract!?

“Hmm. Then Nii-san, are you saying that you want to become the hostage of the New Kingdom in my stead?”

Airi took up Lux’s rebuttal with a cool expression.

And just now, she ran her white fingertips onto the back of Lux’s neck.

“…!? Wait, Airi, what are you––!?”

As she approached his face until a distance as to seem to kiss him, Lux got excited.

“Nii-san. Being watched as a hostage is really hard, you know? Because of this collar, I’m always seen by strange eyes from others. Even so, I earnestly think that　it's my personality and the fruits of my efforts that enable me to maintain smooth human relations. Ah, and then, even I considerably contribute to the debt repayment after all, you know? If I concretely have to say how much I earn in the side jobs which extend until midnight while studying the deciphering of ancient manuscripts excavated in the ruins or the update of the Drag-Ride’s manual in the academy––”

“U-Understood. It was my bad…”

“Fufu, I’ve won again. With this, it’s 102 games, 102 victories. I wonder when the day will come when I will be defeated by Nii-san”

With a childlike smile, Airi abruptly stood up.

It’s always like this…

In his fights over these several years, there was no precedent where Lux was able to win.

This young sister honor student had a weak constitution a long time ago and always clung to her mother and Lux, but now she was very strong.

As Nokuto found such an aspect of Airi unexpected,

“You get along quite well, eh.”

She said and smiled wryly.

“Well then, shall we go already? Follow me.”

“Go? To where?”

“To the Machine Dragon hangar. An airframe check before the mock battle is an indispensable matter in the academy after all. Just in case, I will guide you up to there. And while we are at it, I will teach you a countermeasure against Lizsharte-sama.”

Saying so lightly, Airi left the reception room ahead.

As Lux followed afterwards while sighing,

“Well but, if you haven’t yet lost to anyone, I guess Nii-san is also like her, right?”

A voice full of conviction tickled Lux’s earlobes.

“…………”

And after heading to the Machine Dragon hangar which was away from the academy and having Lux’s Sword Devices returned––

Finally, the time of the duel came.

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