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TL: Hey guys, Reigokai here.

May you guys have a wonderful end of the year holidays!

Enjoy the chapter!

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◇Sumire’s POV◇

“Nice of you to have come from such a long journey! I have heard that my son had his spirits raised thanks to Sumire-san! Thank you very much! I thank you as the father of Eugene!” 

“I am Sashiogi Sumire. No, I am the one being helped out by Eugene-kun the whole time…” (Sumire)

“I would like to hear your stories, but let’s have dinner first! The meals our Hana-san makes are all tasty!” 

I ended up having dinner with Eugene-kun’s family. 

I was stared at straight by the father of Eugene-kun and got a bit nervous. 

How to put it, Eugene-kun’s father gives off a ‘loose’ feeling as a whole. 

It is like he is all smiles. 

His face is similar to Eugene-kun’s, but the impression they give off is pretty different.

“Go ahead and eat. Do you know the way you eat this?”  (Hana)

Hana-san also recommends stuff to me with a smile. 

At the center of the table in the tatami room, there’s a hotpot boiling on top! 

A nice scent is filling the room.

“Y-Yes, itadakimasu.” (Sumire)

Saying this, I cracked open the raw egg and poured it inside the ceramic bowl. I then stir it with chopsticks. 

After that, I scoop the ingredients with a ladle that has holes and slowly dip it inside the raw egg.

The piping hot ingredients were now at a good temperature. 

I slowly bring the vegetables that have seeped the taste into my mouth. 

“Ah…tasty.” (Sumire)

A nice salty and sweet taste spread into my mouth. 

Yup, this is sukiyaki**. 

I am eating sukiyaki in an isekai for some reason. 

“I am surprised you know how to eat it, Sumire…” (Eugene)

Eugene-kun is amazed. 

“Are you not going to eat, Eugene-kun?” (Sumire)

Now that I look closely, Eugene-kun hasn’t moved his chopsticks much. 

“I don’t really like raw egg that much, you see…” (Eugene)

“Oh~.” (Sumire)

“What, Eugene, that’s sad. This is good stuff, you know.” 

“Why not cook it?” (Eugene)

“Don’t be stupid! That would ruin the taste of the ingredients! Speaking of which, you didn’t like pouring egg on your rice either.” 

“Yeah, I would like fried eggs for breakfast tomorrow, Hana-san.” (Eugene)

“Eh? You don’t like TKG** Eugene-kun?!” (Sumire) <Tamago Kake Gohan>

Even though it is tasty!

I was listening to the lively conversation between father and son. 

Doing stuff like this is kind of nice.

I grab sushi from the plate with my chopsticks and eat it. 

Wait, I ate it as if natural, but this is straight up sushi! 

A Japanese style low dining table, eating sukiyaki and sushi…

Is this Japan?

“Did it fit your palate, Sumire-san?” (Hana)

“Yes, it is really tasty!” (Sumire)

“I see. That’s great to hear.” (Hana)

Hana-san was all smiles and hadn’t eaten anything.

“Uhm…are you not going to eat anything?” (Sumire)

“I am the helper of Santafield-sama, so I can’t go eating when Master is having a meal with his guest.” (Hana)

“No way…” (Sumire)

Even though it would be more fun with everyone eating.

So is this world really a hierarchical society…?

While I was confused by this…

“Hana-san, you can do as usual. Sumire came from a parallel world, so she wouldn’t be bothered by the rules of the Empire’s nobles.” (Eugene)

“Oh, is that so? Then, I shall eat too, okay?” (Hana)

Saying this, she began eating as if used to it. 

“Eugene-kun, what’s this about rules…?” (Sumire)

“Pops is technically a noble of the Empire, so there’s a lot of bothersome rules and customs.” (Eugene)

“Oi, what’s with that ‘technically’, son?” 

“You don’t really have territory and your only servant is Hana-san. If Sumire begins thinking that you are the average noble, it would bring trouble for her in the future.” (Eugene)

“True. Hahahahaha!” 

The conversation with Eugene-kun’s father continued on.

“And that’s how it is, Sumire.” (Eugene)

“I see… Should I also learn the etiquette of the Empire?” (Sumire)

“You don’t really need to. It is not like you will be living here.” (Eugene)

“What are you saying, Eugene-chan?! Sumire-san is a bride candidate, right?! In that case, there would be no downside in properly learning the etiquette of the Empire!” (Hana)

“B-Bride?!” (Sumire)

“Hana-san…Sumire came to this world just recently, so there’s a lot of other things to learn.” (Eugene)

“No, that won’t do! I will explain to you when there’s time, okay, Sumire-san? Of course, with your permission.” (Hana)

“Please teach me, Hana-san! And thank you very much!” (Sumire)

“Sumire-san is a good girl. Her honest responses have energy. She is just like your mother when she was young.” 

“The mother of Eugene-kun?!” (Sumire)

Speaking of which, I have barely asked anything about his gone mother. I felt bad to do so. 

“Sumire, don’t take him seriously. When Pops gets drunk, he says the same thing to anyone.” (Eugene)

“Ah…I see.” (Sumire)

Now that I look closely, Eugene-kun’s father has already emptied several bottles of alcohol. 

“Oi, Eugene, you are at an age where you can drink now. You aren’t gonna drink the alcohol your father has poured?!” 

“I am going to drink at my own pace.” (Eugene)

“So clear-minded! I hope you didn’t just recently play around at the Magic Academy. You have gotten a cute girl like Sumire-san as your girlfriend. Try pouring some booze for your Pops!” 

“You damn drunk old man…” (Eugene)

Eugene-kun muttured this, but he looks like he is having fun.

That’s how we finished our fun dinner while chitchatting. 

◇◇

After our meal, we took a break while drinking the warm tea Hana-san had prepared for us and eating the cold snacks. 

“Hey, Eugene, can you come to the palace tomorrow?” 

Eugene-kun’s father asked as if nothing.

“Hm? Why?” (Eugene)

“That person wants to meet you. I told that person that you are now a commoner after dropping out from the military school, but they ain’t listening, you see.” 

“That person?” (Eugene)

“You must not, Master. Calling His Imperial Majesty as ‘that person’.” (Hana)

““His Imperial Majesty?!””

My voice and Eugene’s overlapped.

“Why does His Imperial Majesty want to meet me?” (Eugene)

“He probably wants to hear about the story of you defeating the Divine Beast Cerberus and Demon Lord Erinyes. He loves hearing the heroics of others after all.” 

“Seriously?” (Eugene)

Eugene-kun faced up the ceiling with a troubled face.

“Weren’t you attached to him when you were a child? He seemed a bit sad that you left the country suddenly without even a farewell, you know?” 

“That’s of when His Imperial Majesty was a crown prince… I haven’t spoken with him casually since he became the Empire’s… I see, he was worried, huh.” (Eugene)

I could see nostalgia in the face of Eugene-kun.

“Catch.” 

“Eh?” (Eugene)

Eugene-kun deftly caught the paper that his father threw like a shuriken.

It was an envelope.

“An introduction letter for an audience with the Emperor. I wrote it. Come to the palace when you got the time.” 

“…Even if you tell me that all of a sudden… No, got it.” (Eugene)

Eugene-kun turned my way after making a bit of a troubled face.

“Sorry, Sumire. I planned on guiding you around the capital, but I have other business to attend to.” (Eugene)

“It is okay. I will stay home.” (Sumire)

“In that case, I will guide you around the capital. Is that okay?” (Hana)

Hana-san was the one who told me that.

“Yes, please!” (Sumire)

“Well then, I look forward to being with you, Sumire-san.” (Hana)

And so, Eugene-kun and I will be acting separately tomorrow.

◇Eugene’s POV◇

—The imperial palace that’s located at the center of the capital of Grandflare, the Einherjar Palace. 

A grandiose building where His Imperial Majesty and the royal family live.

There’s several Black Iron Knights defending the giant main gate without lowering their guard.

I always used the backdoor when I was a child, but since I have the introduction letter for His Imperial Majesty, I used the main gate. 

There was a long line of people at the entrance.

“Next one… You are quite young. A student? Show us your entrance permit to the palace.” 

“Here.” (Eugene)

The Black Iron Knight man seems to be suspecting me with my student uniform from the Lykeion Magic Academy. 

Well, of course he would. 

I gave him the introduction letter I got from Pops. 

“This is…an envelope used for the imperial army. Related to the army…? The sign is…that’s some dirty writing. It is so bad and hard to read.” 

“…Sorry.” (Eugene)

I apologized for my dad.

His writing has been terrible since long before. 

The Black Iron Knight person gave up on reading the sign and held a magic tool of some sort over the envelope. 

“Looks like it is the real deal. You are allowed entrance to the palace. Let’s hear your objective.” 

“An audience with His Imperial Majesty.” (Eugene)

“…Again. There’s a lot of those lately. His Imperial Majesty is a personage that hears the people personally after all. However, there’s a lot of people with the same intention. There’s even people who have been made to wait around 3 days for an audience. Will you still go despite that…? No, it would be boorish to ask you that. Alright, you can go! You will be able to tell where the audience room is if you walk straight forward. If you get lost, ask a soldier.” 

“Thanks.” (Eugene)

“Farewell. Next one!” 

He taught me amicably. I thanked him and crossed the main gate of the palace. 

There’s vast grounds and a spacious stone paved path from the main gate to the palace.

Now that I think about it, it has been a while since I have walked here. 

I may have been brought here a number of times by Pops, but…this is the first time I walk here alone. 

The Einherjar Palace with its intricate design was becoming clearer in sight. 

If I remember correctly, the Emperor from a few ways back was a stickler for art, and this was made at that time. 

The artwork that has the most value in the capital is said to be the palace itself. 

Even in the attack of the Great Demonic Beast 100 years ago, the palace alone was apparently defended to the last. 

I was called to a stop at the big door of the palace as well, and had a similar exchange to that in the main gate.

Even though I would be recognized and allowed in freely…

I walked through the vast corridor and a big door leading  to the audience room came into sight.

Also the people that were hanging around in front of it too.

(This is…) (Eugene)

I most likely gotta wait for my turn. 

His Imperial Majesty apparently doesn’t have even an hour to hear the voices of the people. 

He only has less than a minute per person.

A large number of people have come for the sake of that short time. 

I received a turn ticket from the knight that was organizing the line. 

I confirm the number I got with the number written on the blackboard at the side of the door. 

(After more than 100 people, huh.) (Eugene)

Doesn’t look like an audience with him will be possible today. 

I showed the introduction letter of Pops to the knight at the reception, but they understandably couldn’t read it and was pushed back.

Pops…

I sighed and leaned on the window frame at the corner of the corridor. 

I observe the outside scenery for a while.

It is nice weather. 

Sumire and Hana-san are most likely walking around the city at this time. 

I could see a small garden outside the window.

There’s cute flowers blooming everywhere.

Speaking of which, we played hide-and-seek around there… Just when I was reminiscing that…

 

“……Eugy?” 

 

My name was called.

To be more precise, not my name but my nickname. 

Despite the waiting space of the audience room being noisy, that voice reached my ears awfully clearly. 

There was no need for me to confirm who said that. 

It has been 2 years, but there’s no way I would forget. 

The voice I have heard often since the time I have recollection. 

“…”

I had my gaze swim around a bit outside the window without answering…and, in the end, turned around.

Just as I expected, a girl was standing there.

—Child of the Emperor, Airi Areus Grandflare.

The 7th princess of the Empire and my childhood friend.

■Comment Response: 

>Eugene being more casual than usual is nice.

>It gives off the feel that he has come back to his home.

→I am glad it came off as such.

■Author’s Comment: 

I am currently being murdered by work (the whole time at the end of the year to the 1st month next year).

This is my last post this year. 

Please do continue supporting Zero Attack Power next year too. 

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