Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage
Character page: Here
Chapter 132 – I saw my former subordinate off
“No matter what happens, you won’t regret it?” [Youki]
“…Yes.” [Happiness]
“Understand.” [Youki]
“Wait, Captain!? Aren’t you thinking this through too easily?” [Duke]
It seemed Duke was against it. Seeing as Happiness had made her decision, I figured there wasn’t any need to object to it.
“You’ve taken the time off and left the mansion. At that point, you’ve already made up your mind, right?” [Youki]
Happiness nodded in response. At this stage, it was probably pointless to say anything. Duke, who was more perceptive than I was, should have noticed this. He probably wouldn’t stop her. He would just give her a final warning.
“I see… Happiness isn’t a child, but… I still need to say this. If Raven can’t accept you, you could lose everything. Your work at the mansion, your relationship with the people you’ve grown close to, and of course, you won’t be able to see Raven anymore.” [Duke]
“…I know.” [Happiness]
“And then, it’ll lead to an investigation into the relationship between the three of us. If it comes to that…” [Duke]
“…I won’t cause, any trouble.” [Happiness]
“Duke, that’s…” [Youki]
I guess he’s raising the potential scenario that we’ll be suspected of being demons as well. I’m fine with it considering the bond we have.
“Captain, please don’t look at me like that… Do I really look like the type of guy who’d just try to protect himself?” [Duke]
“…No!” [Happiness]
Happiness denied it forcefully.
Hey, with the way things are going, it’s starting to feel like I’m the bad guy here.
I saw this more like a daughter leaving the nest. I understood how important this was, and how her actions would change things around her. I also understood that Duke wasn’t trying to stop her. When Raven fell for Happiness, it became clear that Happiness also had feelings for Raven. So, I figured that it was only a matter of time before this conversation would come up. The revelation of her secret was bound to happen.
“Okay, okay. Let’s get back to the main point.” [Youki]
“Right. What I’m trying to say is that what Happiness is about to do will have more impact on everyone than she realizes. It’s beyond just being a nuisance.” [Duke]
“…Yes, but, I…” [Happiness]
“Well, someone as smart as you would surely understand all these, right?” [Duke]
“Hey, what was the point of everything we just talked about then!?” [Youki]
“No, it’s just that sending her off without saying anything would’ve felt wrong. So, Happiness, whatever happens, don’t worry about us. We’re like a family who’s been through thick and thin together for years. Captain had to deal with your troubles all the time, right? So, there’s no need to worry.” [Duke]
“Hey, cut that out.” [Youki]
I wished he had used the phrase ‘give and take’ in a situation like this. As things stood, it sounded like I was the only pathetic one among them.
“…Yes, uuu.” [Happiness]
“All right, all right. No need to cry. You should save those tears for later.” [Duke]
Duke comforted Happiness by patting her head as she started to cry. Meanwhile, I did nothing.
What’s with this atmosphere anyway? In any case, it’s settled that we’ll see Happiness off.
It suddenly occurred to me that someone was missing from the picture. It would be sad to leave him out. Since it would probably take a while for Happiness to calm down, I decided to bring that guy over. I enhanced my body and disappeared, dashing off at full speed towards the mansion. After capturing the target smoothly like a kidnapper, I returned to the original spot.
“Come on, say goodbye to your sister.” [Youki]
“Uuu… what’s this all about ~?”
I brought Sheik along. It wouldn’t feel right if he were the only one not present. At times like these, it was best if everyone was here. Happiness had stopped crying as well, so the timing was perfect.
“Oh, you brought Sheik?” [Duke]
“Yeah, more or less.” [Youki]
“…Sheik.” [Happiness]
“What’s going on~?” [Sheik]
Sheik seemed to be completely in the dark. It was probable that Happiness intentionally excluded Sheik from the meeting. If, by any chance, Happiness were to fail and disappear, it would be a huge shock to Sheik. Could I have made things worse?
“Sheik, Happiness is about to do something really important that could change her future. So, we all decided to support her together.” [Duke]
“Really? Good luck, Happiness-ane ~! I’ll do my best to cheer you on too~.” [Sheik]
“…Thanks.” [Happiness]
Duke managed to explain things pretty well. Even though I was her ‘captain’, I felt disheartened that I couldn’t do much for her.
“Hmmm, I’m leaning on Duke for everything. Sorry, Happiness. In the end, all I can do is see you off like this.” [Youki]
“…Good-for-nothing.” [Happiness]
“Guh!?” [Youki]
“…Kidding. Captain, thank you.” [Happiness]
“Am I hearing it right? Happiness is thanking me.” [Youki]
It was a dire situation. I immediately placed my hand over her forehead to check for fever. Good, no fever. That’s a relief.
“…Annoying.” [Happiness]
Being the typical person she was, she slapped my hand away.
“Captain, you really have zero tact, you know that?” [Duke]
“Idiot~.” [Sheik]
“You two are just saying whatever you want!” [Youki]
Even though I knew I was in the wrong, I wasn’t satisfied, so I chased after the two of them as they continued hurling insults at me. As Happiness watched the scene, she smiled quietly.
On that day, we spent our possibly last ordinary day together.
♦♦♦
After expressing her gratitude, Happiness left. She was headed to the forest, likely to prepare to return to her true form in one month. Duke would handle things with Raven, talking to him as best he could. As for Cecilia, it seemed she only knew that Happiness had suddenly taken time off. When I explained the situation, she didn’t try to stop it. It looked like she was of the same thought. The revelation of Happiness’s secret was only a matter of time. The rest would be entirely up to the two of them.
Raven should be fine, but it’s not a sure thing.
I spent the month feeling restless.
“It should be about a month now. If everything went according to plan, Happiness and Raven should be meeting and talking face-to-face right about now…” [Youki]
It was also possible that they had talked about it already. All these thoughts ran through my mind as I lay on my bed.
“Even though I’m worried about her, it’s not feasible to go to the scene with them, right?” [Youki]
Despite my concern, after discussing it with Duke, we decided not to keep watch since Happiness wouldn’t want it as well. We both agreed to respond accordingly only after observing Raven’s reactions. It was possible that Raven would avoid doing anything that would cause a scene. As such, in the worst-case scenario, if our identities were revealed, he would probably only summon us to a secluded area to deal with the matter in secret.
“I really hope it doesn’t come to that… Sigh.” [Youki]
As I imagined the worst possible outcome, I heaved a sigh. Staying in the room was just making me restless.
“Maybe I should go for a walk to clear my head.” [Youki]
I got up from my bed and started getting dressed.
“Hm?” [Youki]
All of a sudden, I felt some kind of pressure: an overwhelming, murderous intent. It wasn’t something that I would normally have sensed, since I wasn’t an expert in this field, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that a powerful presence was approaching.
“Could it really be…” [Youki]
I opened the door to my room and came face to face with Raven, who was standing there, exuding an aura befitting a commander of knights.
“…I need to talk.” [Raven]
“I see. Got it.” [Youki]
I followed him silently as I pondered my thoughts. It seemed that the worst-case scenario came true. With a mix of emotions swirling inside me, I braced myself for what would be coming.
He led me into a forest far from Minerva. Though the journey was quite long, there was no conversation between us. We might never go back to how we were before – that thought went through my mind as I followed him. Raven finally came to a stop when we reached deep within the forest. It looked like we had reached our destination.
“Coming to such a secluded place, it doesn’t seem like this will be a regular talk.” [Youki]
“…Youki, I’ll have to kill you.” [Raven]
“Straight to the point, huh?” [Youki]
Raven drew his sword from its sheath and pointed it at me. He was dead serious – his eyes said it all. Judging from how he behaved, it was safe to assume that Happiness had failed. I could feel a different kind of intensity from the time we met at the Demon Lord’s castle.
“I thought you might understand, but I’m disappointed.” [Youki]
“…That’s my line.” [Raven]
“Is that so?” [Youki]
I decided to let my actions speak louder than words. I activated ‘Storm Blow’ and ‘Lightning Flash’ at the same time, preparing for battle. The most important thing would be to confirm Happiness’s safety after this.
“…Here I come. This is for plucking out Happiness’s feathers. Prepare yourself!” [Raven]
“…Hah?” [Youki]
I could only raise my voice idiotically when the battle started. It seemed that the reason I had in mind was different from the actual situation.
RinkageTranslation 
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