Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage

Character page: Here

Sorry for the late post. Just came back from my trip.

---

Chapter 173 – I went to pick up my former subordinate

“I’m relieved, and I understood how you feel, but… why did it come to this?”  [Cecilia]

“…I just couldn’t help myself.”  [Youki]

Although declaring my intentions felt right at the moment, I somehow ended up carrying her like a princess. Normally, you’d hold hands or embrace, but my impulsive mood got the better of me. Cecilia didn’t seem to mind, so it was fine.

“If Sheik-kun and the others saw us like this, it would be pretty embarrassing, wouldn’t it?”  [Cecilia]

“Yeah, now that I think about it, it is kind of embarrassing. By the way, where did those three go? They didn’t go deep into the mountains, did they?”  [Youki]

If it came to that, I could always use my enhanced senses to track them, but it’d be best if they stayed clear of dangerous areas. Even though Sheik understood this in theory, he was still clueless at times. That said, with Quinn-kun there, I felt reassured. Even if they ran into demons, those three could handle most threats. And if there were truly dangerous demons around, I’d sense them first.

“I’m worried. It is dangerous to walk in the mountains at night. Shall we go look for them?”  [Cecilia]

“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go.”  [Youki]

Leaving the blanket as it was, we started searching for the three of them. I could easily use my enhanced sense to track them down, so it wasn’t that difficult.

“Hmm? There’s something around Sheik. Also, Fiora-chan and Quinn-kun aren’t with him. It looks like they’re together, but they’re separated from Sheik.”  [Youki]

“Sheik-kun is acting separately from the other two…”  [Cecilia]

“Hmm, knowing him, it’s possible that he hopped from tree to tree to get away.”  [Youki]

Sheik seemed to have gotten even more nimble. Considering that forests and mountains were his speciality, escaping from those two was an easy task for him.

“…Then, what do you mean by ‘something’ around Sheik?”  [Cecilia]

“Hold on, I’ll concentrate and try to listen to the conversation.”  [Youki]

I could only hear bits and pieces, but I could tell if the tone was friendly or not. What I heard were children’s voices laughing mockingly, most likely directed at… Sheik.

“Cecilia, first, let’s head to Quinn-kun and Fiora-chan. Once we meet up with them, take them and head back first. I’ll go get Sheik.”  [Youki]

“…Something bad has happened, hasn’t it?”  [Cecilia]

“Yeah, looks like he’s being teased by some pixies of his own kind.”  [Youki]

After explaining the situation to Cecilia, we headed to where Quinn-kun and Fiora-chan were as fast as we could. It seemed that they were looking for Sheik, who had gone missing, as well. Apparently, after they heard the sudden voices of children, Sheik ran off as if trying to escape from those voices.

Children’s voices, huh? It’s possible that his own kind were messing with him. Sheik’s situation is complicated, and he doesn’t have a good relationship with his kind. So, he’s in a tough spot right now.

At the moment, I was the only one who could help Sheik. The explanation to Duke and Happiness would come later.

“Alright, Cecilia. I’ll leave the two of them to you.”  [Youki]

“Understood. Please be careful. And take care of Sheik-kun.”  [Cecilia]

“So, we’re staying behind, huh?”  [Quinn]

Quinn-kun seemed a little dissatisfied, but to protect Sheik’s identity, I couldn’t take him along. Besides, it was probable that Sheik’s current condition wasn’t that good. He wouldn’t want to show a pathetic side of himself to his newfound friends of the same age.

“Yeah, I’ll go get Sheik. You two relax and wait as you have some snacks.”  [Youki]

“Sooo sleepy… but I’m worried. I can’t sleep, so hurry up and bring Sheik-kun back.”  [Fiora]

She’s telling me to hurry up because she can’t sleep until Sheik is back. That’s quite the demand. But she seems to be genuinely concerned as well. Sheik, you’ve gotten quite close with them in this short time.

“Alright, I’ll go get him. See you soon.”  [Youki]

I started running at full speed towards Sheik. As I sprinted through the forest, I soon caught sight of him. He was crouched down with his hands over his ears while surrounded by a bunch of pixies. It looked like my hunch was spot-on.

“Hey, you brats! Quit bullying my Sheik!”  [Youki]

I charged towards the pixies, raising my voice to intimidate them. When I threatened them by saying “I’ll eat you all”, the pixies shrieked in fear as they scattered away from Sheik.

“Wow, scary! He’s siding with the outcast!”

“Who are you calling an outcast?!”  [Youki]

Then, as if they had rehearsed it, all the pixies pointed at Sheik in unison. Upon witnessing the scene before me, I finally grasped its meaning.

“So, just because he’s a little different from you, you all gang up and discriminate against him, huh?”  [Youki]

“But he is an outcast. He’s bigger than us, and we can all fly properly with our wings, unlike him!”

The pixies all chimed in at once, agreeing, “That’s right, that’s right!”

Throughout the ordeal, Sheik kept his head down, saying nothing.

I guess I’ll take him back. These noisy brats? I can just put them to sleep with my magic.

“Sheik, let’s go home. I’ll shut these noisy ones up for you.”  [Youki]

As soon as I patted Sheik’s head, I noticed something. There was a grinding sound coming from him, alerting me to a sense of danger. I quickly jumped away from him, and just as I suspected, Sheik suddenly leapt straight up and scattered something all around him. I barely dodged his attack, but the pixies around weren’t so lucky.

“My eyes… my eyes are itchy!”

“My nose… It’s burning!”

“Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!”

The pixies were trapped in a nightmare, their noses burning, their eyes itched as they rubbed them, and they sneezed uncontrollably. And the one responsible for all this was none other than Sheik, who was no perched on a tree branch, laughing like his usual mischievous self. I could hear the pixies groaning in frustration, but Sheik was too busy laughing to even care.

“Haha! Serves you right! Who cares about being an outcast anymore. I’ve got Duke-ani and Happiness-ane as my family, so I’m not lonely at all, you fool! Oh, and there’s Captain, too.”  [Sheik]

“I’m just an afterthought, huh?”  [Youki]

I chuckled wryly. Sheik jumped down from the tree branch and landed on me with a tackle.

“Nope! Captain’s a family too!”  [Sheik]

“I see, I see. So I’ve got this mischievous, free-spirited son who loves pranks, huh?”  [Youki]

I was worried, but it seemed that Sheik had matured without me realizing it. He learned from his defeat, met people who cared about him, and even made friends. This calls for a celebration. I’ll plan something.

“Alright, let’s head back. Cecilia and the others are probably worried. I told them to snack while they wait, so they might’ve eaten our share too.”  [Youki]

“Eh~ I want snacks too! Captain, launch at full speed!”  [Sheik]

“You’re not getting off, huh?”  [Youki]

In the end, with Sheik still perched on my head, I ran off towards where Cecilia and the others were waiting.

---

Previous Chapter  | Main Page | Next Chapter