4 - Selva Falls 塞尔瓦瀑布

The Capital of Selva

塞尔瓦的首都

I stood in formation at a place where I could see the castle jutting above the walls, as I looked at the main force: Lorphys9; army.

塞尔瓦的首都我列队站在一个可以看到城堡突出城墙的地方，看着主力部队：洛菲斯的军队。

Their scale had swelled to twenty thousand, and it was mostly mercenary brigades. Some were those formerly hired by Zayin to invade Lorphys, but once they learned they wouldn9;t be paid, they had swiftly changed sides.

他们的规模已经扩大到两万人，其中大部分是雇佣兵旅。有些是以前受扎因雇佣来入侵洛菲斯的，但一旦得知得不到报酬，他们就迅速改换了阵营。

While musing over the importance of money, I looked over the city receiving the attacks.

我一边思索着金钱的重要性，一边俯瞰着受到攻击的城市。

We had kept our assistance at only drawing the enemy9;s attention for them. I mean, there was barely any profit for Zayin in this war.

我们的援助只是为了吸引敌人的注意力。我的意思是，扎因在这场战争中几乎没有任何收益。

The border zone where most of the problems and disputes occurred had been officially afforded to Zayin. But that was just about it.

发生大部分问题和争端的边境地区已经正式归属于扎因。但也仅此而已。

No matter what we did here, it wouldn9;t really profit Zayin, so I couldn9;t work up their motivation.

无论我们在这里做什么，都不会给泽因带来真正的利益，所以我无法调动他们的积极性。

0;Because profit for me, and profit for Zayin are different things. I should minimize the exhaustion of the knights and soldiers that have been left to me.1;

0;因为我的利益和扎因的利益是两码事。我应该尽量减少留给我的骑士和士兵的疲惫）。

But I didn9;t want anyone to think we were being passive about it, so we were going to carry out the role of drawing Selva9;s manpower our way.

但我不想让任何人认为我们在这件事上是被动的，所以我们要发挥吸引塞尔瓦的人力的作用。

And as a result of that, a considerable force was pointed in our direction.

结果，一股相当大的力量指向了我们的方向。

“That9;s why everyone calls you rockheaded. There9;s barely any gain in it for us. What9;s more, the other side will be troubled if we9;re too enthusiastic over it. Now just try getting first dibs with our forces. What sort of face do you think they9;ll make? When they have close to twice the amount of troops, they9;ll lose face if we one-up them here. We should just keep our distance, and hammer in magic.”

Albano-san spoke.

“I-is that really enough?”

阿尔巴诺先生说话了。

"阿尔巴诺，你以为你站在这里是受了谁的恩惠......"

“Our high and mighty Holy Knight9;s. Did you think I9;d say it was because of you?”

“If you9;re going to do it here, at least take it outside. Though having our commanders out of here will be out of the question.”

『把事情交给他们会有点难办。你真的应该慎重考虑让谁上位。他们都很有才华，但也会忍不住互相对立。』

“Um, then… isn9;t Lyle-dono9;s idea of assertively attacking, and drawing their attention good enough?”

基地帐篷里，克里特山双手击打着一张长桌。在他的对面，阿尔巴诺用右手的小指清理着我们的一只耳朵，做出一副厌烦的表情。

"喂，你不指挥真的没问题吗？"

Aria and Eva were assisting another force as well.

Shannon and Monica offered their aid to the rear supports from Porter.

老四也是。

我......

我下意识地握紧了宝石，这时驻守在附近的梅叫住了我。

阿瑞雅和伊娃也在协助另一支部队。

"所以大家都叫你石头脑袋这对我们几乎没有任何好处。更何况，如果我们太热衷于此，对方也会感到不安。你就试着先用我们的军队吧。你觉得他们会有什么表情？他们的兵力是我们的近两倍，如果我们在这里先发制人，他们会很没面子的。我们还是保持距离，用魔法锤炼吧。"

From the Jewel, I could hear a strained voice from the Seventh.

"如果要在这里动手，至少也要到外面去。虽然让我们的指挥官离开这里是不可能的。"

Maybe the battlefield air was getting to them, as they began exchanging blows. I received a, ‘gonna do something about it?9; look from May, and stood from my seat.

Creit-san was too assertive.

“Albano, by who9;s grace do you think it is you9;re standing here…”

克里特山的脸涨得通红，他紧紧抓住阿尔巴诺山的衣襟。

阿尔巴诺先生太被动了。

“What exactly do you plan to accomplish by jumping into the fray? Lorphys is already moving to make this land their own. Their young knights want to use this opportunity to get some badges on their shoulders. Use your head a bit.”

当目光落在我身上时，克里特先生点了点头。

Looking at the movements within the capital, even the residents had been flushed out, and they were ready for battle, so Selva9;s resistance was quite a desperate one.

『天哪，他们一点都不成熟。』

The two of them were glaring at one another.

Creit-san9;s face turned bright red, and he grasped at Albano-san9;s lapels.

I unconsciously clenched the Jewel, when May stationed nearby called over to me.

As the two clashed their opinions, the adjutant knight 【Noy Verdell】listened to their takes on the matter.

Her line of vision ended at Creit-san. And with the equipment of the Divine Knight Brigade that carried out the dirty work equipped on his body, Albano-san also sat in a chair at the base camp, putting his arm around the chair9;s backrest.

The Fourth as well.

In the rear, Novem was to treat the injured. And Clara and Miranda were supporting a detached force.

也许是战场上的空气影响了他们，他们开始互殴。我从梅那里得到了一个9;要做点什么吗？9;的眼神，于是从座位上站了起来。

双方都有自己的强项，但也有不少弱点。

"我--真的够了吗？"

克里特山说话了。

这次我没有让她进行侦察。

“We have proclaimed we shall assist Lorphys! What are we doing, not aiding their attack more proactively!?”

Creit-san spoke.

从宝石号上，我听到了七号紧张的声音。

她的视线终点是克里特山。而身上装备着执行脏活累活的神骑士大队装备的阿尔巴诺先生，也坐在大本营的椅子上，将手臂搭在椅子的靠背上。

香农和莫妮卡为波特的后方支援提供了帮助。

I…

"我们已经宣布要援助洛菲斯！我们在干什么，不更积极主动地协助他们进攻吗！？"

两人互相对视着。

就在两人争论不休的时候，副骑士【诺伊-维尔戴尔】听取了他们对此事的看法。

从都城内部的动静来看，连居民都被冲散了，他们已经做好了战斗准备，所以塞尔瓦的抵抗是相当绝望的。

Both parties had their strong points, but they had a number of weak points as well.

Inside the base tent, Creit-san hit both his hands against a long table. Ant to him, Albano cleaned our an ear with his right hand9;s pinky, and made a fed-up face.

『It9;ll be a bit rough leaving things to those to. You really should be careful with who you leave up top. They9;re talented, but they can9;t help but antagonize one another.』

When eyes fell on me, Creit-san nodded.

在后方，诺维姆负责救治伤员。克拉拉和米兰达则支援一支分队。

I hadn9;t had her conduct recon this time.

"你跳进战场到底想做什么？洛菲斯已经开始把这片土地变成他们自己的了。他们的年轻骑士想借此机会在自己的肩膀上挂上一些徽章。动动脑子吧。"

"嗯，那么......莱尔堂主的想法，主动进攻，吸引他们的注意力，不是很好吗？"

『Good grief, they haven9;t matured at all.』

And Albano-san too passive.

“Hey, is it really fine if you9;re not giving direction?”

"我们崇高而强大的神圣骑士。你以为我会说是因为你吗？"

克里特先生太自信了。

There, both of them sat in their chairs.

在那里，两人都坐在椅子上。

A messenger raced into the tent.

一名信使飞奔进帐篷。

“Message! The force from Lorphys has breached the walls! They went on to open the gate, and have succeeded with their infiltration!”

"消息！来自洛菲斯的军队已经攻破了城墙！他们继续打开城门，已经成功渗透！"

It took a few days to get to this point, but that was surprisingly fast. It looks like the difference in numbers was a large factor.

花了几天时间才走到这一步，但速度快得出奇。看来，人数上的差距是一个很大的因素。

There, Creit-san spoke.

那边，克里特先生说话了。

“Let9;s send a force ourselves! I will personally command the cavalry!”

"我们自己出兵吧！我亲自指挥骑兵！"

Albano-san.

阿尔巴诺先生。

“And I9;m telling you, you don9;t have to move a muscle yourself. Get in their way, and you9;ll be hated.”

"我告诉你，你自己一动都不用动挡了他们的路，你就会被憎恨。"

Their opinions were divided, but I didn9;t give my input.

他们众说纷纭，但我没有发表意见。

I wasn9;t going to stay in Zayin for long, so I wanted the two of them to build of some experience as the next candidates for the captain seat. These two too far out there.

我不会在扎营久留，所以我想让他们俩积累一些经验，作为下一任机长的候选人。这两个人太远了。

『......作为折衷，不是很好吗？』

『If their individual traits are too strong, a trait-less knight captain can balance it out.』

The surroundings went quiet, and it felt as if time in the tent had stopped until the next messenger came running in.

"你在想什么？"

三世。

I had called him to headquarters for the role of knight captain9;s adjutant, or maybe vice-captain, but this personnel selection wasn9;t as bad as I thought.

七爷认为他比克里特先生和阿尔巴诺先生更合适。

“Congratulations. You9;re the next knight captain!”

“What are you thinking?”

The Seventh thought him more suited than Creit-san or Albano-san.

I put my left hand in his shoulder, and stuck up my right thumb.

我听到了五爷的声音。

『… As a compromise, isn9;t it fine?』

『我明白阿莱特为什么不招募他们两个了。他们太极端了。

"让我们协助洛菲斯一些吧。把他们的士兵关在城墙上。尽量避免攻城。我会派信使去洛菲斯确认的。"

I heard the Fifth9;s voice.

I sat, and put my hand to my chin. As I watched Noy-san a while, May looked into my face.

我点点头，站了起来，走近一脸忙碌的诺伊先生。他一脸疑惑地看着我。

0;A former noble, fallen to adventurer, was it? Age-wise, in his mid-twenties… he9;s had his troubles, and more than that, if he was a former adventurer, he9;s sure to have gotten some education. His personality is one not to go to the front, but if he has these two…1;

（啊，可能行得通。）

“Hm? Ah, nothing much.”

“Um, did I make a mistake somewhere?”

三世说话了。

"在这种情况下，让两人中的一个担任骑士团长是不可能的。即使是同等级的人，他们也会打架的。

"嗯？啊，没什么。"

挠了挠黑色的短发，诺伊桑下达了命令。看起来，他把他们的提议都考虑进去了，然后加在一起，再除以二。

There, Noy-san let out a sigh.

『如果他们的个人特质太强，一个没有特质的骑士队长可以平衡一下。』

I looked at Noy-san as he received the report, and issued orders in the tent. From the formation of the Holy Knight Brigade, if I had to say, he wasn9;t one who stood out too much.

『如果他遇到了麻烦，不就没事了吗？他看起来很认真。在我看来，他的主要问题是如何让这两个人合作。』

“Let us assist Lorphys some. Shut down their soldiers on the ramparts. Avoid attacking the city as much as possible. I9;ll send a messenger to Lorphys to confirm it.”

我叫他来总部是为了担任骑士团长的副官，也可能是副团长，但这次的人事选拔并不像我想象的那么糟糕。

『不错。比起这个，如果有那两个人在，像这样的事情就......』。

『Not bad. Rather than that, if those two are there, something like this is…』

When he looked at me, I nodded.

I nodded, stood, and approached a busy-looking Noy-san. He looked at me with a perplexed expression.

周围安静下来，帐篷里的时间仿佛停止了，直到下一个信使跑进来。

The Third.

The Fourth spoke.

He was preparing himself to have his errors pointed out by me.

通常是那种倾向于支持别人的人。

The type that usually leaned towards supporting people.

他正准备让我指出他的错误。

『In that case, of the two, making one of them the knight captain is out of the question. They get into fights even when they9;re of the same rank.』

『I see why Alette didn9;t recruit either of them. They9;re too extreme.』

"......嗯？"

“… Eh?”

我看着诺伊先生接到报告，在帐篷里发布命令。从圣骑士旅的编制来看，如果非要说的话，他并不是一个太突出的人。

0;Ah, it may work out.1;

那边，野山发出了一声叹息。

"恭喜你。你是下一任骑士团长！"

我坐着，用手托住下巴。看了一会儿诺伊小姐，梅看着我的脸。

我把左手放在他的肩膀上，竖起右手的大拇指。

当我握住宝石时，五爷明白了我想说什么。

当他看着我时，我点了点头。

Scratching his short black hair, Noy-san issued orders. It looks like he took in their proposals, added them together, and divided by two.

老四说话了。

When I gripped the Jewel, the Fifth understood what I wanted to say.

"嗯，我是不是哪里弄错了？"

➐

The Third spoke.

『If he9;s had his troubles, won9;t it be fine? Looks earnest enough. His main problem will be making those two work together, is how I see it.』

（曾经的贵族，沦落为冒险家，是吗？从年龄上看，二十多岁......他遇到过麻烦，不仅如此，如果他以前是冒险者，肯定受过一些教育。他的性格不喜欢冲锋陷阵，但如果他有这两个......1;

… The knights of Lorphys who9;d infiltrated the capital of Selva, arrived at the palace, and apprehended all its royalty.

......潜入塞尔瓦王都的洛菲斯骑士抵达王宫，逮捕了王宫里所有的皇室成员。

Seeing all the blood spread out over the floor, Alette grimaced.

看到满地的鲜血，艾莱特龇牙咧嘴。

0;… You9;ve bought too much hatred unto yourself, Prince Dario.1;

（......你为自己买下了太多的仇恨，达里奥王子。）

She had entered the palace to give a report to the knight captain within it. After verifying his whereabouts, she increased her pace to search out for the room.

她进入王宫是为了向宫中的骑士队长报告。在确认了他的行踪后，她加快脚步寻找房间。

In an unfamiliar palace, she asked directions from a number of patrolling soldiers, and when she arrived, she gave her captain the report.

在陌生的宫殿里，她向一些巡逻的士兵问路，当她到达时，她向队长作了汇报。

“The Alette Corps have successfully subjugated the resisting Selvian forces on the western ramparts!”

"阿莱特军团成功征服了西城墙上的塞尔维亚抵抗部队！"

In that minister-class office, the captain sat in a chair, read over the report, and nodded.

在那间大臣级的办公室里，上尉坐在椅子上，看了看报告，点了点头。

“Splendid work. Is that all you9;ve come to report?”

"干得漂亮。这就是你来报告的全部内容吗？"

The fighting was already dying down within the capital, and the flag of Lorphys was being hoisted all around.

都城内的战火已经渐渐平息，洛菲斯的旗帜在四周升起。

As they entered their second day since infiltrating the city, they had send a knight to Lorphys9; castle to report their victory.

进入潜入城内的第二天，他们派了一名骑士前往洛菲斯城堡报告胜利。

骑士团长小声说。

“Did you say something?”

The knight captain leaned his weight onto the back of his hair.

"我是认真的！他身上流淌着巴恩西姆超级大国伯爵家族的血液！更何况，说到华特家族，他们可是举世闻名的！不是吗？考虑到他的身份，联姻应该没什么问题。如果我们这么做了，洛菲斯一定会得到一个强大而有能力的国王！"

"正因为你这样想，所以你永远也找不到一个......"

An elf had passed through Lorphys, and sung their songs.

骑士队长把手放在嘴边思索着。

Alette nodded.

“I9;m serious! He carries the blood of a Count House in the superpower of Bahnseim! What9;s more, speaking of the Walt House, they9;re world renowned, are they not!? There shouldn9;t be many problem with a marriage, considering his status. If we do it, Lorphys is sure to gain a strong and competent king!”

The knight captain put his hand to his mouth in thought.

“A marriage of nobles… it9;s an affair where the opinions of the individuals are second to nothing. But Annerinne-sama adored the stories of heroes.”

那边，阿莱特先生......

The knight captain spoke in a quiet voice.

"是的！在安奈琳公主和扎因圣骑士大队队长之间......让我们让她和莱尔-华特订婚吧！"

"不，还有。这是一份个人报告，或者更像是一份建议。"

There, Alette-san…

He properly headed the armies of Zayin, and had shown off the height of his commanding ability.

"我们说的是那位公主。她有可能已经忘记了对达里奥的仇恨和感情。如果我们成功了，我们的地位会比扎因更高。据我所知，他的骑士长职位只是暂时的，不是吗？也就是说，在他还有心思离开扎因的时候......"

“No, before taking status into account, he was driven out, so what9;s the point… and I can9;t think that Zayin will let him go so easily, right? Holy Knight, was it? There are rumors of him and Zayin9;s Holy Maiden.”

传言已经传开了。莱尔的名字已经作为英勇英雄的名字开始流传。

To Alette9;s long-winded explanations, the knight captain drew back a bit.

Alette knew that Lyle had only temporarily taken up the role of Zayin9;s knight captain. Her captain knew it as well.

艾莱特说完，她的队长拧起了眉头。

"你确定你不是太累了吗？"

对于阿莱特啰嗦的解释，骑士团长稍稍退了一步。

他们刚刚取得了胜利，所以队长的心情有点好。他把目光从文件上移开，与她的脸对视。

Alette spoke to the tired-looking knight captain.

"你说什么？"

And gave that response.

艾莱特看了看他。

“No, there9;s more. It9;s a personal report, or more of a proposal.”

一个精灵路过洛菲斯，唱起了他们的歌。

"你离我很近！太近了即使假设，你明白吗？即使你成功地把他卷进来，从我们公主的角度来看，圣骑士也是一个令人憎恨的敌人。她不可能......不，等等......"

“Y-you9;re close! Too close! E-even if. Hypothetical, you see? Even if you manage to reel him in, from our princess9; point of view, the Holy Knight is a hated enemy. There9;s no way she would… no, wait…”

“Personal, I see. What sort of proposal?”

“It9;s that princess we9;re talking about. It9;s possible she9;s forgotten her hatred alongside her feelings for Dario. And if we succeed, we9;ll be put on a higher position than Zayin. From what I9;ve heard, his knight captain position is only temporary, wasn9;t it? Meaning while he still has some mind to leave Zayin…”

骑士团长把重心靠在头发后面。

“It9;s because you think like that, that you can never find a…”

Alette pretended not to hear it, and drew closer and closer to him. She put both her hands on his desk, and brought her face even closer.

Taking his hand off his mouth, the captain spoke.

但阿莱特是认真的。她是认真地提出来的。莱尔有好色的毛病，但他这次的成就比谁都大。

But Alette was serious. She was proposing it in all seriousness. Lyle had a problem with womanizing, but his achievements this time were greater than anyone9;s.

船长把手从嘴上拿开，开口说道。

“Are you sure you9;re not too tired?”

“Yes! Between Princess Annerinne, and the Captain of Zayin9;s Holy Knight Brigade… let us have her engaged to Lyle Walt!”

"他的长相还不错。他的血统也很有名。现在达里奥不在，这是我们的机会！"

“His face isn9;t bad. And his blood line9;s a famed one. Now that Dario is away, this is our chance!”

并给出了这样的回答。

The rumors had already reached. Lyle9;s name had started to spread as the name of a gallant hero.

艾莱特对一脸疲惫的骑士队长说道。

艾莱特点了点头。

他正确地领导了扎营的军队，展示了他的指挥才能的高度。

"贵族联姻......这是个人意见次要的事情。但安奈瑞娜小姐很喜欢英雄的故事。"

"如果我们让他顺便过来，在他们正式宣布之前宣布订婚，应该不会有问题！"

"私人的，我明白了。什么样的建议？"

They had just achieved victory, so the captain was in a bit of a good mood. He took his eyes off the papers, and met her face.

阿莱特假装没听见，离他越来越近。她把双手放在他的桌子上，把脸凑得更近了。

“If we have him drop by, and announce the engagement before they make an official announcement, there shouldn9;t be a problem!”

艾莱特知道莱尔只是暂时担任扎因的骑士长。她的队长也知道这一点。

“… I9;ll at least propose the idea to Lonbolt-dono in the castle. I9;ll send a fast horse. Your job is to bring it up with Lyle-dono.”

After Alette said that, her captain knit his brow.

Alette looked over him.

"不，在考虑身份之前，他已经被赶走了，那还有什么意义呢！而且我想，扎因不会轻易放过他吧？圣骑士，是吗？有他和扎因圣女的传闻。"

"......我至少会向城堡里的龙博尔特堂提出这个想法。我会派出一匹快马。你的任务就是向莱尔道提出来。"

“Yes!”

"是！"

Alette rushed out of the room, and hurried herself all the way to where Zayin9;s forces were camped…

阿莱特冲出房间，一路急匆匆地赶往扎因的部队扎营的地方......

➐

After Selva was invaded, and I thought everything had ended, for some reason I was invited over to Lorphys9; royal palace.

塞尔瓦被入侵后，我以为一切都结束了，但不知为什么，我被邀请去洛菲斯的王宫。

Alette-san called me over, saying whe wanted to meet to further friendly relations for the future, and apologize about past events.

阿莱特先生把我叫了过去，说他想和我见一面，以便今后进一步发展友好关系，并就过去发生的事情向我道歉。

My job was pretty much over, and once I formally handed the role of knight captain to Noy-san in Zatin, it really would be the end.

我的工作基本结束了，一旦我在扎廷正式把骑士队长的角色交给诺伊先生，那就真的结束了。

Creit-san was opposed, while Albano-san accepted it. When I asked Creit-san whether he9;d be able to handle all the paperwork required for the job, he made a conflicted expression, before reluctantly conceding.

克里特先生表示反对，阿尔巴诺先生则表示接受。当我问克里特先生能否处理好工作所需的所有文书时，他露出了矛盾的表情，然后才勉强同意。

Albano-san had slipped out of his adventurer life, and become a knight of Zayin. He couldn9;t do paperwork from the start, and it seems he planned to pass all that sort of stuff to Noy-san in its entirety.

阿尔巴诺先生已经摆脱了冒险家的生活，成为了一名扎因骑士。他从一开始就不会做文书工作，看来他打算把那些东西全部转交给诺伊先生。

0;No, I still have to return to Zayin, and do all the formal processes to hand over office.1;

（不，我还得回到扎因，办好交接职务的所有正式手续。）

I saw all the gaudy ornaments had been stripped from the audience chamber.

我看到觐见厅里所有华丽的装饰品都被扒掉了。

我的战友们也都被请到了觐见厅。龙宝先生的目光投向了他们。但他的眼神并不是凝视美女的眼神。

0;这家伙在说什么呢？1;我正这么想着，七爷似乎明白了什么，他对我说。

"哎呀，真糟糕。连我自己都对你这么介意。更重要的是，你怎么不早说呢？你为什么把莱尔叫来？"

我不知道该说什么。我感到一种莫名的陌生，开始冒出奇汗。

As I thought that, the Seventh seemed to understand something, and he spoke to me.

There, she said something like, ‘kyaah!9; as she held both her hants to her face, and loosely bent her body back and forth. The hell9;s this. It9;s actually ridiculously scary.

The Fifth.

"你说得有道理。嗯，做唯一的男人真的很不容易。"

I felt an unfamiliar of some sort, and a strange sweat began to come out.

『哦，不错。这是个相当大的问题，在这里确保一个国家的安全也不失为一个好主意。毕竟你可以免费使用洛菲斯的军队。

当他告诉我这是为了打败赛尔斯时，我忍住了恐惧，对龙波特先生说。

上次的观众太可怕了，我确实感到很抱歉。所以，我也带着歉意来到这里。

All of my comrades had been invited to the audience chamber as well. Lonbolt-san9;s eyes were directed at them. But his eyes weren9;t the eyes of someone gazing upon a beautiful lady.

这就是我来的原因，但是......

『哦，原来是这个样子。我挺喜欢这种宁静祥和的感觉。』

Last time9;s audience was quite horrid, and I did feel apologetic about it. So I had brought my feet here with the intent to apologize as well.

She stroked her violet hair restlessly, and before such a princess, I really didn9;t know what to say.

The Fourth cut out he Fifth9;s opinion.

“Hobbies, is it? U-um… what do you mean by that?”

站在她身边的龙博先生......

0;No, you called my a fool not too long ago, right?1;

四爷打断了五爷的意见。

"嗯，莱尔大人，您有什么爱好？"

三世惊讶地问道。

（不对，不久前你还说我是傻瓜吧？）

第五个。

The Fourth spoke.

『Lyle, this is a chance! It seems that royal princess has fallen for you! I9;ve no idea the reasons, and I don9;t even want to know, but if you keep this up, you can get Lorphys in your hands!』

『This isn9;t an apology, is it? And wait, isn9;t her face a bit red? What? Lyle, did you do something again? Did you turn mr. lyle when I wasn9;t watching?』

『… I9;m not really sure about that sort of thing. No, I do think it9;s necessary, but how should I put this… that girl9;s no good, isn9;t she?』

『Oooh, so this is how it looked before. I quite like the nice and calm feel to it.』

在那里，她一边说着9;咔呀！9;之类的话，一边用两只手捧着脸，松松垮垮地前后弯曲着身体。这是什么鬼东西？真是吓死人了。

『Oh, not bad. It was quite a big problem, and it isn9;t a bad idea to secure a single country while you9;re here. You9;ll be able to make free use of Lorphys9; troops, after all.』

三世也是。

『It9;s because they prettied it up for the fiancé9;s tastes. More importantly, don9;t you find something curious about the eyes of the princess before us?』

『......我不太清楚这种事。不，我觉得有必要，但怎么说呢......那个女孩不好，不是吗？』

He sent a bit of a harsh stare to Miranda9;s belligerent attitude. But Miranda didn9;t falter.

0;What is this guy talking about?1;

『莱尔，这是个机会！看来皇室公主已经爱上你了！我不知道原因，甚至也不想知道，但如果你继续这样下去，你就可以把洛菲斯弄到手了！』。

『在这种情况下，我们或多或少可以忽略这些小问题。莱尔，说点鼓励她的话，看看效果如何。听着，这是为了胜利！这是战胜西莱斯的必要条件！你一定要振作起来，莱尔！』

我最近没长什么东西。如果有的话，我一定会全力拒绝这个观众。因为这很明显会给所有当事人带来不利的结果。

I haven9;t had any Growths lately. If I had, I would have denied this audience with all my might. Because it would be more than clear it would bring a disadvantageous outcome to all parties concerned.

When he told me it was to defeat Celes, I swallowed my fears, and addressed Lonbolt-san.

The Third spoke in amazement.

That9;s why I came, but…

“Oh my, how awful. Even when I9;m being so mindful of you myself. More importantly, how about you just say it out already? Why did you call Lyle here?”

这时，米兰达说话了。

『这不是在道歉吧？等等，她的脸是不是有点红？怎么了？莱尔，你又做了什么吗？你是不是趁我不注意的时候把莱尔先生给变了？』

Lonbolt-san standing beside her…

四爷说话了。

There, Miranda spoke.

她不安地抚摸着自己紫色的头发，在这样一位公主面前，我真不知道该说些什么。

“Y-you have a point. Well, it really is hard to be the only man.”

"仔细想想，你的战友们都偏漂亮。作为一个单身男人，岂不是很麻烦？我想也是你来决定这里的合法妻子如何？永远过着冒险者的生活一定很辛苦吧。"

『那是因为他们为了迎合未婚夫的口味而进行了装饰。更重要的是，你不觉得眼前这位公主的眼睛有些奇怪吗？『

The Fifth.

The Third too.

“Come to think of it, your comrades are all on the pretty side. As a single man, wouldn9;t that be a lot of trouble? It is, I9;m sure. Wo how about you decide the legal wife here? It must be hard to live an adventurer9;s life forever.”

『On this occasion, we can more or less ignore the minor problems. Lyle, say something to encourage her, and see how it goes. Listen here, this is for victory! It9;s something necessary to win against Celes!! You must steel your heart, Lyle!』

对于米兰达好战的态度，他送上了一丝严厉的目光。但米兰达没有动摇。

“Um, Lyle-sama, what are your hobbies?”

第五。

"爱好，是吗？呃......你这话是什么意思？"

Lonbolt-san spoke.

龙博先生说话了。

“… I was going to bring it up later.”

"......我本来想等会儿再提的。"

It seems the princess had gone off script. The original plan was to apologize to all of us here, and call me back alone later. Apparently.

看来公主已经脱稿了。原计划是在这里向大家道歉，稍后再单独给我打电话。显然是这样。

“Lorphys had placed a high evaluation on your achievements in this matter, Lyle-dono. How about it? Want to try your hand at the throne, oh Holy Knight?”

"洛菲斯对你在这件事上的成就评价很高，莱尔堂。怎么样？想试试你的王位吗，哦，神圣骑士？"

Within the Jewel.

宝珠内。

The Fourth gave a cheer.

四世一声欢呼。

『Okay, it9;s here! Now Lorphys is in the bag! If you use this as a foothold, negotiate with Zayin, and gain full control of the entire region …』

『好了，到手了！现在，洛菲斯已经是囊中之物了！如果以此为立足点，与扎因谈判，完全控制整个地区......』

But at that moment, Novem gave a bright smile, and opened her mouth.

但就在这时，诺维姆露出了一个灿烂的笑容，开口说道。

“That is not possible.”

"那是不可能的。"

“Eh?”

"呃？"

我决定相信她以后会找到一个好伴侣的。

➐

那是一个极其美好的微笑。

"还有华特家族的戒律。它的首领们世世代代恪守的戒律......我不能在这里说，但这种结合会违反这些戒律。我不能同意这门婚事。"

于是，我们履行了最初计划的道歉，并就此事握手言和。

“… I see. Personally, I am interested with your goal. Lorphys has gotten quite indebt to you, Lyle-dono. If there is anything we may assist you in, we shall offer our support.”

“Hey, why did you refuse that proposal back there? If you hadn9;t we would have had the country of Lorphys in our hands.”

诺维姆笑了笑。

“And there are also the Walt House9;s precepts. The precepts its heads have adhered to for generations… I cannot say it here, but this union would be in violation of them. I cannot approve of this marriage.”

天空很蓝，太阳没有被散落在四周的白云遮挡。我一边欣赏着这些刺眼的阳光，一边对她说。

"嗯，总结一下......你刚才真的只凭戒律就否定了她？"

第七颗也是。

I decided to believe she would find a nice partner sometime down the line.

『你说诺维姆反对？她不可能不明白把洛菲斯交到我们手里意味着什么！莱尔，劝劝诺维姆！』

"这是为什么！？你对我不满意吗？希望的英雄......吸纳他的血脉是王室的又一职责！"

The Seventh as well.

Novem nodded.

“N-no, well… I mean, she didn9;t follow the Walt Family Precepts. And even if she may be a princess, her status wasn9;t a match with yours.”

Lonbolt-san sensed the surrounding mood.

公主坐在椅子上，双手放在膝盖上，垂着头，看起来很悲伤。

I heard some cries of ‘such impudence!9; from the surrounding voices, but perhaps there were many who didn9;t want someone like me laying hands on the throne from the start, as there were some nodding nobles as well.

"不，不，嗯......我是说，她没有遵守沃尔特家族的戒律。而且，就算她是公主，她的身份也比不上你。"

诺维姆面带微笑，但很快就抹去了笑容，表情严肃地直视着公主殿下。在那里，公主张了张嘴，又闭上了，无法回话。

"莱尔大人和公主殿下的身份相差太远了。而且莱尔大人还有一个很大的目标想要实现。我认为在这里联姻对双方都没有好处。"

我听到周围有人喊道9;如此厚颜无耻！9;，但也许有很多人从一开始就不希望像我这样的人把手放在王位上，因为也有一些贵族在点头。

宝珠内，五世。

I unintentionally ended up turning around. After the surrounding eyes gathered on her, a displeased royal princess shouted at her.

The audience ended, and we were on the way back to Zayin.

There, Lonbolt-san spoke.

There, Novem made a blank face. As if she was explaining the obvious.

“Why is that!? Are you unsatisfied with me? The hero of hope… taking in his bloodline is yet another duty of royalty!”

"......我明白了。我个人对你的目标很感兴趣。莱尔堂，洛菲斯已经欠了你不少人情。如果有什么我们可以帮助你的，我们会提供支持。"

The sky was blue, and the sun was unhindered by the white clouds scattered around. While taking in those piercing rays of sunlight, I spoke to her.

我坐在波特家的屋顶上，问在旁边放哨的诺维姆。

『No, there9;s something wrong there. There9;s something more important you should be looking at here.』

说到这里，诺维姆面无表情。仿佛她在解释显而易见的事情。

And with that smile, she told me the princess was unworthy.

So we carried out the apologies initially planned, and shook hands on the matter.

观众席结束了，我们踏上了返回扎营的路。

我举起手掌对着她的脸，示意她停下来，等一下。

"你说的大目标？"

“A large objective, you say?”

“Um, to summarize… you really just denied her on nothing but the precepts?”

“Lyle-sama and your highness9; statuses are too far removed. And Lyle-sama has a large objective he wishes to achieve. I do not believe a marriage here will be of benefit to either side.”

『… Novem is opposed, you say? There9;s no way she doesn9;t understand what it means to get Lorphys in our hands here! Lyle, persuade Novem!』

It was an extremely nice smile.

"是的，因为她配不上你，莱尔大人。"

那边，龙博特先生说话了。

Sitting in her chair, the princess looked sad as she put her hands on her lap, and hung her head.

我无意中转过身去。当周围的目光聚集到她身上后，一位不悦的王室公主冲她喊道。

“Yes. Because she wasn9;t someone worthy for you, Lyle-sama.”

诺维姆点点头。

Novem smiled.

（我确实感到很遗憾......但我也确实感到很欣慰。）

『不，那里有些不对劲。这里有更重要的东西，你应该去看看。

Within the Jewel, the Fifth.

I sat on Porter9;s roof, and asked Novem, who was on lookout duty beside me.

0;I do feel sorry… but it9;s also true that I felt quite relieved.1;

I held up the palm of my hand to her face, and motioned for her to stop, and wait a bit.

她微笑着告诉我，公主不配。

Novem was smiling, but she soon erased it, and looked straight at her royal highness with a serious expression. There, the princess opened, and closed her mouth, unable to say anything in return.

"嘿，你为什么要拒绝刚才的求婚？要不是你，我们早就把洛菲斯国掌握在手里了。"

龙博先生感觉到了周围的气氛。

In my head.

在我的脑海中。

0;Yet the First Generation who made those precepts randomly threw them out while drunk… even if I said it, I doubt she9;d believe it.1;

（然而，制定这些戒律的第一代人却在喝醉的时候随手把它们扔了出去......即使我说出来，我怀疑她也不会相信。）

I slumped down, and spoke to Novem.

我颓然坐下，对诺维姆说。

“The sun is getting stronger. Novem, you should go inside.”

"太阳越来越大了。诺维姆，你应该进屋去。"

“I9;m fine. I9;ve learned how to reduce the sunlight around me with magic. I must protect your skin as well.”

"我没事。我已经学会了如何用魔法减少周围的阳光。我也必须保护你的皮肤。"

“S-sure.”

"当然。"

I had forgotten, but as always, Novem offered me excessive care. In the Jewel, the ancestors sounded their voices.

我已经忘记了，但是诺维姆一如既往地给了我无微不至的关怀。宝珠里，祖先们的声音响起。

In order, Third and up.

依次是三世及以上。

『If Novem-chan says it, I guess there9;s no helping it.』

『既然诺维姆子都这么说了，那就没办法了。』

『Thinking over it calmly, trying to look after that woman, and manage the territory would be hard.』

『冷静下来想一想，既要照顾那个女人，又要管理领地，实在是太辛苦了。』

（哈，我在这场战争中用掉了我们所有的钱，但我们以后该怎么办......）

It was…

『这些家伙的想法变化还真快。』

... 钱的问题。

『These guys sure change their minds fast.』

… A problem of money.

『可是，我们该怎么办呢？不是有一件很大很紧急的事情要找我们吗？我们真的必须想办法解决它。』

这是......

It was right before our eyes. A large issue that required immediate input.

『But what should we do? There9;s quite a large, and urgent matter coming our way, is there not? We really do have to find a way to solve it.』

0;Hah, I ended up using all our money in this war, but what should we do from now on…1;

就在我们眼前。一个需要立即投入的大问题。