Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 7 Episode 1 (section)

===Part 4===

On the other side, at the Holy Capital of the Ymir Theocracy where the sun almost set.

Lux stopped by at an inn together with Krulcifer and prepared for their visit to the Einvolk house.

The home of Krulcifer, who was a daughter of a count, was in another territory, but on days like this, where the day when there would be a ceremony was close, the family would move into their secondary residence in the Holy Capital.

First, Lux and Krulcifer put their appearances in order as the preliminary arrangements before visiting that house.

Normally he had a close relationship with the girls at the Academy like with Lisha or Philuffy, so he almost forgot, but the arrangement of nobles was basically troublesome.

「……Yosh, something like this is fine I think?」

Lux who changed from the academy uniform into a black dress suit looked at the mirror while whispering.

This attire was also something Krulcifer prepared for him, but it looked excessively expensive, so he didn’t dare to ask the price.

This kind of full dress reminded him completely of his time as a member of the Old Empire’s imperial family. For Lux he also felt a bit not used to it but──

「Can you show your appearance to me too? Let’s check each other’s attire.」

「Uwah!?」

The voice that Lux suddenly heard caused him to look beside him in panic.

Krulcifer wearing a graceful dress with her shoulders slightly visible was standing there.

The black fabric that gave the impression of elegant smoothness made her white skin appear even more prominent. A small silverwork accompanied her as a reserved decoration.

While it was an outfit with little showiness, it didn’t harm the intelligent charm she possessed at all.

No matter how he looked at her, she looked completely like a count’s daughter.

「It has been a long time since I returned home, that’s why I’m worried whether I’m wearing this well.」

After saying that, Krulcifer coolly brushed up her hair. Seeing that, Lux unconsciously became dazed.

Lux noticed that she was looking for his impression and he raised his voice in hurry.

「It really suits you, Krulcifer-san.」

「Is that so? Thank you. But, as for you it’s still coming a bit short.」

Krulcifer approached Lux who was smiling awkwardly and she slowly brought her face closer.

Lux was bewildered seeing that bewitching smile brought closer to him.

「Wai-, Krr, Krulcifer-san!?」

Their lips would touch with just one more push──it was a distance where their chests almost clung to each other.

The moment Lux became aware of the nice smell of her hair, her slender fingers touched Lux’s chest.

「Uwah……!?」

「Come on, don’t move. Your collar is slightly off.」

With just a single whisper, Krulcifer stole Lux’s movement ability.

After slightly pinching the chest part of his shirt, she lightly adjusted its shape.

「Okay, I’m finished. With this you too became a really cool prince.」

「Tha, thank you……」

He thought that it was a bit exaggerated, but he didn’t feel bad getting praised by her. His face turned completely red.

(Wait, isn’t this, aren’t our positions reversed here……?)

When they were alone together, Krulcifer led him around by the nose just like always.

But perhaps it was thanks to that both of them could relax somewhat from their tension.

While he was thinking that, Krulcifer suddenly turned her back towards him.

「My, it’s a bad hobby to peek you know, Alterize.」

「N, no-!? I’m coming only to take a look at the situation!」

Krulcifer’s teasing caused the female butler looking at the two of them from the corridor to respond in panic.

「I, it will soon be the time for the visit. If we are too late in coming, it will become time for dinner.」

Alterize awkwardly averted her eyes from the two with her cheeks still faintly blushing.

The girl had an image as a steady bulter, but it seemed she was estranged from the matter of romance.

「If you are jealous, how about you also find a lover?」

「Tha, that’s not true, I’m arranged to have a marriage interview someday and then marry anyway, so I’ll refrain from that.」

After saying that with a red face, Alterize exited the inn and headed to the horse carriage.

After that only Lux and Krulcifer were left behind.

「Come to think of it Krulcifer-san. How did you tell about the matter of us two to your family?」

Lux asked because Alterize’s reaction when the word ‘lover’ was said caught his attention.

A few months ago, in order to avoid an undesirable engagement, Krulcifer requested Lux to play the role as her lover.

The act itself went well and her engagement with Balzeride of the Four Great Nobles was discarded, but at that occasion, Alterize misunderstood that Krulcifer was engaged to Lux.

In the end, in regards to that matter it was ambiguous until now, but,

「…………」

Krulcifer was thinking with a serious look for a full few seconds, which was rare for her, and then,

「There is no use for you to be bothered by such trivial things. Now, let’s go.」

「Wait!? That’s a really important problem you know!? Just what is going on with our relationship!?」

「Lux-kun wants me to say such embarrassing things from my mouth huh. As long as we understand each other’s feelings, it doesn’t matter what other people call our relationship right?」

「Why are you trying to conclude it with such nice sounding words like that!? At the very least, my question here isn’t going through you know!?」

「Lux-kun, do you hate me?」

Suddenly Krulcifer’s tone fell and she showed a serious face.

「Eh……?」

Her ice colored pupils that were tinged with gloominess shook in loneliness and moistened.

Lux who saw that felt a slight pain in his chest.

He hurriedly shook his head on the spot.

「N, no such thing at all! There is no way I’ll ever hate Krulcifer-san──」

When Lux immediately said that with a serious face, Krulcifer chuckled and walked away.

「I see, thank you. I also like you Lux-kun. Then let’s ride the horse carriage now that you understand.」

「…………」

Lux’s reaching out hand wandered in empty air and stiffened.

He was completely, played…….

「Also Lux-kun. A warning for you, you are a bit too soft-hearted. That’s also your good side but, you should at least be careful right after getting tricked by Mel.」

「That’s cruel! Krulcifer-san!」

Lux spontaneously yelled in response to her teasing smile.

Alterize who was made to wait under the cold weather was staring at them with a reproachful gaze.

After that the horse carriage ran for a few minutes, then before long it moved out from the bulky townscape made of stone into an area where a lot of houses modeled after a church could be seen.

Most likely it was the residential area where believers with deep faith were living.

Inside a ground that was conspicuously large even in that area, there was a palatial residence.

「In order to defend against cold, it was built with corridors established at the outer side, so it’s not as spacious as the appearance suggests.」

Krulcifer added such explanation, but Lux thought that the building was huge even after taking that into account.

It was a three storey residence with overlapping pointing roofs that were slanted diagonally, perhaps in order to let the piling up snow fall.

The second floor had more windows than the first floor, most likely because when the winter came the snow would bury them.

This was the Einvolk house that was a distinguished family of the Ymir Theocracy. It was said that it also had deep connections with the Sanctuary Knight Order that was the army of the country.

Even while feeling like he would be swallowed by nervousness, Lux passed through the gate together with Krulcifer.

「We have been waiting for your arrival Ojou-sama. The family head is presently waiting.」

When they entered inside the residence, two maids welcomed them.

The living room they were taken to had beautiful furniture and furnishings lining up, and a flame was blazing brightly inside the hearth.

「I’ve returned home, Otou-samafather. Are you in good health?」

Krulcifer bowed respectfully and said that.

Krulcifer didn’t give the impression that her relation with her family was going well, so Lux was anxious inside his heart, but for the time being her father was responding calmly.

「Aa, my daughter, I’ve put you through some trouble at this chance.」

A man in his prime with a moustache growing──Stiyl Einvolk was the head of the house and also her adopted father.

His stern and sharp gaze was just as expected from the head of a military family.

「It’s an honor to meet you for the first time. I am Krulcifer-san’s classmate and the Seven Dragon Paladin of the New Kingdom, Lux Arcadia. I will be in your care in this time.」

After Lux also made a formal greeting, the people of the Einvolk family, the other family members who also came to the capital at present showed their faces.

The one who introduced himself as the eldest son, Zain, if he had to be represented with few words, then he was a typical noble heir.

His looks were well ordered, but he looked vaguely feeble and clad with an atmosphere that gave the hint of gloominess.

To say positively, he looked stoic which was becoming for a Sanctuary Knight Order, but obstinacy which was lacking of adaptability could also be felt.

The third daughter, Yunifa had a good manner and also ladylike image, but her smile was somewhat formal, making one conscious of her mask as a noble daughter.

The fourth daughter Irma was silent and obedient. She gave the impression of a girl who had led a sheltered life.

It seemed that there were still another three people who were of direct family, but the family members who were spending their time in the capital for the Pilgrimage Festival this time were only everyone here.

Because of Lux’s status as a former prince of the Old Empire, added with his rough livelihood that spanned for five years, he was used to getting attention, but even so he was quite nervous.

Just, the gazes they were watching him with felt more like pure curiosity rather than appraising him.

「So you are Lux Arcadia. I have heard of you from our butler Alterize. I heard that you are an excellent Drag-Knight, and you have deep relationships with the daughters of important nobles of the New Kingdom even with your status as criminal.」

When everyone’s self-introduction was finished, the family head Stiyl called out to him.

Alterize who served as the connecting pipe between Krulcifer and the Einvolk house was endorsing the matter of Lux positively to the house.

But,

「However, excuse my rudeness, but I cannot see you as someone who is possessing the quality as high as the report that I received. There is also your status as a criminal, and your quality as a Drag-Knight too, I heard that you had only just gotten promoted to Middle Class. About how you were appointed as the Seven Dragon Paladin of the New Kingdom too, I suspected that there is more to it behind the scenes.」

He was doubting that Lux’s position was received not from real skill, but because the princess Lizsharte who Lux was close with was making arrangements, so perhaps everything was just some kind of political move.

Lux didn’t particularly harbor any animosity against Stiyl’s accusation itself.

After all in the first place, seen from the side Lux’s position was just too peculiar.

Currently he was a former imperial family member of the Old Empire that should have the role to be hated, the criminal of the New Kingdom.

At the same time in the new kingdom, he received the royal order of the princess and obtained a special status and post.

There was something behind that strange chain of events──it was only natural for anyone to be cautious like that.

But, Alterize who endorsed Lux as a fiancé candidate immediately raised her voice to object.

「My lord, that’s──」

「That’s impolite Alterize. Right now father is in the middle of talking.」

The eldest son, Zain, stopped her like that and Alterize shut her mouth.

In exchange, Krulcifer beside Lux lifted her face.

「Is that so? But Otou-sama, it will be troubling if you cannot believe it just because you didn’t see the process after driving me away out of sight. If Otou-sama has dissatisfactions towards him, then can I ask you to please say it clearly?」

「…………」

Stiyl kept silent against the objection of the girl that was calm to the end.

At a glance, this was a confrontation of a distinguished noble father and his adopted daughter.

Only looking to that extent, there wasn’t anything particularly strange from this scene, but Lux became bothered by a certain thing.

「……Excuse me, Krulcifer-san?」

Lux dropped his tone until the very limit and whispered towards Krulcifer-san besides him.

「What is it Lux-kun? Right now I’m in the middle of war, so if possible please postpone it for later.」

Seeing how she immediately responded back like that with a small voice, it seemed that she still had composure.

「About that, from hearing the flow of the talk, could it be they are misunderstanding, that I am still Krulcifer-san’s fiancée?」

「…………」

Krulcifer fell silent with a serious expression still fixed on her face.

「It’s not a misunderstanding. Because I made it so that they perceived it like that.」

「Wait a second!? Krulcifer-san!」

Lux reflexively yelled when she said that without hesitation. The father Stiyl and the eldest brother Zain slightly glared at Lux who acted like that.

Lux who noticed the glares hurriedly closed his mouth.

The two little sisters were watching over the course of events acting like it was unrelated to them.

Inside the oppressive air, only the crackling sound from the hearth continued to fill the air.

(……Is it as I thought, that Krulcifer-san’s relationship with her family isn’t really good? But)

‘What’s with this atmosphere……?’, Lux felt something strangely out of place.

First, even though they disregarded the adopted daughter who was discovered inside the Ruin, their attitude was slightly too strict. And second──

「You have heard about the talk of you accompanying his eminence the pope’s pilgrimage as a guard haven’t you? Including you and Zain, there are several names from our Einvolk house who are members of the Sanctuary Knight Order who will participate too.」

「Yes. He too will participate in it as a Seven Dragon Paladin.」

When Krulcifer answered like that, Stiyl nodded and continued.

「I see, if that’s the case then the talk will be quick. If he really has that much caliber and skill, then I want to have you raise an achievement to a certain degree as a guard in this pilgrimage.」

「What does that mean?」

「It’s exactly as it sounds. Looking from the state of the Ruin in these recent years, in the pilgrimage route that his eminence will follow, the Abyss will surely appear. If you can obtain meritorious deeds and raise achievements there as a member of the Einvolk house, I will listen to some of your willfulness. It will also become a chance to understand the true strength of him who helps you.」

The letter that called Krulcifer back this time was for the sake of the guard mission during the pilgrimage.

And then, in addition there was the talk that demanded Krulcifer and also Lux to make some accomplishment.

It was too much of a businesslike demand for this family reunion after a long time.

Even so Krulcifer’s calm expression didn’t crumble.

「Does that mean, that this is the last job before I’m driven off as a nuisance? It can’t be helped.」

「Krulcifer-san, that’s──」

「I’m sorry Lux-kun. I’ve made you accompany me for this long talk. Then, please excuse us for the moment. Guide him to his room, Alterize.」

「Ye, yes-!」

A short pause later, Alterize moved with an anxious look.

Without pause they exited the living room and headed to the third floor. Lux was shown to the guest room he was assigned to.

Lux parted with Krulcifer and the others for the moment until dinner and he took a rest.

「Fuu……」

First, he put down his luggage inside the room. Then he sighed lightly.

Looking once more, he thought that it was a nice room.

Furniture were put insde the space that was moderately spacious. The large bed with feather blanket on it was also pleasant.

The room had also been cleaned, he didn’t find a single dust.

But, as expected, when he thought back to the exchange just now, he couldn’t really relax.

「Raise achievements as a guard in the pilgrimage, and obtain meritorious deeds at this chance, huh……」

By the time they visited the Sanctuary, he could imagine that the reason Krulcifer was called back was most likely for being the pope’s guard.

However, inside Lux there was still something that bothered him.

The reason for the coldness from the Einvolk house’s family members, was that the only reason he wondered.

Because Krulcifer was an adopted daughter whose origin was from the Ruin.

And then because as a Drag-Knight, she possessed outstanding talent that stood out from the crowd even among the Einvolk house.

Perhaps those were the reasons.

However, he felt like those weren’t the only reasons.

「──Or rather, in the end, what’s going on about the matter of the engagement with me!?」

As soon as the dinner was finished, he had to ask Krulcifer about it. Lux thought so, but Lux had the premonition that she would say this and that and give him the slip, which caused him to be at his wits’ end.