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Chapter 163: A Reunion Albeit Not a Dramatic One
Classes are over. Alright. Time to psyche myself up…
“I am the 【Academy’s Strongest】, yeah!” I declared while pumping my fists in the air.
“Jeez………you seem to really enjoy life. How nice for you.”
Instructor Sword was looking drained.
I wonder why? Should I massage his shoulders?
“Instructor Sword, if you’re tired, I can massage your shoulders, you know?”
“WHAT!? Your plannin’ to pulverize my shoulders next?”
He told me although I was just trying to be considerate.
＊
Once I returned to my room, Swannyboy got frightened.
“Hmm? What’s wrong, Swannyboy? You’re trembling like the rare cockatrice subvariant I found the other day, you know?”
“………You scared a cockatrice? You’re incredible, Indra…”
I feel like he’s getting increasingly scared of me, but it must be my imagination.
“Don’t worry. I’m kind to anyone who’s not hostile to me, okay? It’s not like the prince was particularly hostile, but since that was like a standard event, I simply accepted his challenge. I mean being challenged to a duel by a prince is a very normal development!”
“……Somehow I feel like the events you call very common and normal aren’t very common and normal at all.”
It’s just your imagination!
“…….Say, Indra, you don’t seem to be a normal human…… Ah! Sorry if I hurt your feelings!”
“You didn’t wrong me in any way. My birth is undoubtable, so I’m a normal human. My appearance is supposed to resemble that of my mother…. But, the environment was the worst! I was disciplined a lot! And then I became strong!”
That’s all I can say.
“Since nobles grow up while being pampered, wouldn’t that make any discipline rather gentle? Commoners, and especially adventurers, can’t make a living if they’re weak. I mean, isn’t Instructor Sword really strong? He’s also a normal human…I think, but he got stronger through training, so I think it’s a problem with your own way of training, no?”
“Ah, I see. That makes sense.”
Seemingly comprehending, he was nodding repeatedly.
――But, although I secured myself the seat of the academy’s strongest, the all-important request shows no progress. I thought that the other side would act in some kind of way if I became the strongest in the academy, but isn’t everyone averting their eyes from me instead?
The boys, who gave me a 『welcoming party』 at the beginning, have become completely submissive, and even somewhat fanatic, attendants of me, except for the boss. How really boring.
Since they approached me, asking me to give them orders, I drove them away by telling them, “I got no orders for you, so study.”
＊
…Oh right! Won’t that unyielding boss and the prince join up and come up with something amazing?
When I suddenly came up with that idea and searched for the two, I discovered the prince. He was sitting near the fountain in the courtyard.
Ah…he’s in the middle of flirting with a girl. Damn it.
When I tried to leave quietly, the two noticed me.
“…Big Sister!?”
Oh my god, his partner was the lover’s daughter.
＊
“Rose, do you know him?”
The prince was looking my way with a super annoyed expression, but I ignored him and greeted Primrose.
“Primrose, huh? Long time no see.”
I feel like she’s become really gaudy. Her commoner traits have mostly disappeared.
Primrose was looking at me blankly. Well, I guess that makes only sense, seeing how her “Big Sister,” whom she hasn’t seen in a long while, is crossdressing as a guy.
“…You’re my big sister, right? Why are you wearing that uniform….”
“Well, as for this, I was enrolled here as a boy, probably due to some kind of mistake.”
I had wondered why no one was doubting whether I might actually be a woman, but now it got exposed by Primrose.
Alright, I wasn’t suspected as a man, so I’ll become a woman next and move to the female dormitory.
“I understand! So that’s the reason!” She merrily clapped her hands together.
“『Big Sister』 had been a 『Big Brother』 all along!”
“Oi.”
How did it come to that?
“Indeed, I was convinced that you might be my big sister, but female crossdressing was part of the training you received from your mother, wasn’t it dear Brother? I have fully understood now!”
No, you haven’t understood a thing, have you?
“No, I’m your 『Big Sister』, you know?”
“I understand, dear Brother!”
“Hopeless.”
This girl is hopeless, no doubt. It’s been like that ever since we met; she never listens to what others tell her!
＊
“Please wait a moment. The Indra you mentioned earlier, Rose…”
“Yes! It was about my dear Brother!”
“I’m telling you that I’m your sister, damnit!”
Why is she deliberately denying it! I’m just crossdressing as a guy!
“……I see. So the brother, who left home, was you, huh?”
“It’s 『Sister』.”
I corrected them each and every time.
＊
“…Still, you managed to reunite here again, but couldn’t you have contacted Rose a bit earlier? Rose has been quite concerned about you, you know?”
“You’re unrelated here, aren’t you? Why are you butting in…or rather, complaining at me? Or are you possibly Rose’s boyfriend?”
“Wh-…!”
The prince turned beet red.
“I see, so you already fell for Primrose.”
“What are you saying!?” The prince yelled at me in rage.
Primrose fidgeted around while blushing.
“But, Primrose, are you alright? Although I cut my relationships with the family, I’ll tell you since we’re half-sisters. This guy seems to be the first prince. In short, if you marry this guy, things will become super busy for you. You’ll be forced to thoroughly train strict manners every day to such an extent that you’ll think of learning noble manners as a poor joke.”
Primrose immediately became ghastly pale.
Ah, as I thought. She seems to still be bad with manners, huh?
“No need to worry! The simple and honest Primrose is going to bring a fresh wind into the palace!”
“Then you should give up on being a prince.”
The two became speechless.
“Hating to learn manners and it being fine to not learn manners only works for commoners. So become commoners. If you do, manners won’t matter at all. If not, the queen will require manners if you intend to become the king. The ones losing face, being ridiculed, and being looked down upon won’t be Primrose and you, but the entire kingdom. Other nations will think, 『it’s a country full of vulgar savages who don’t know any manners』.”
The air froze.
…It looks like they hadn’t realized. Come on, is it really going to be alright? Hasn’t he become a horny monkey after getting too engrossed in his little love affair?
“I recommend you to step down as prince. Being a commoner is nice, you know? I’ve left the nobility, but I’m living a very comfortable life! Whether I beat up the king or destroy the capital, no one can do anything about it! It’s truly magnificent!”
“”Eh…?””
They somehow raised their voices in protest, but I didn’t hear anything, so I didn’t care.
Once more, this time shouting, “Call me 『Big Sister』!”
Then I turned around.
――Yep, if it’s those lovebirds, they shouldn’t be the one I’m looking for.