Chapter 57 – I Actually Played a Part in Solving the Coup
The town of the royal capital, which had been quiet for some time recently, became festive with the news of the birth of a new queen.
This was probably a reaction to the coup and the imposition of martial law.
Even after the coup was over, Yuzuriha dared to delay the lifting of martial law in order to purge the aristocrats.
Among the common people, Princess Touko, who was overshadowed by the two princes, had a relatively low impression. However, as the soldiers returning from the battlefield started sharing the realities of the war, Touko-san’s reputation began to rise rapidly.
Or rather, the popularity of the two princes has fallen to the bottom of the earth.
That’s what usually happens when people find out that all the news of big victories that have been coming one after another are in fact fabrications, and that the country is actually on a losing streak.
And with the news of the birth of the new queen, simultaneously, Touko-san revealed the truth about the war and coup d’état, publicly announcing that the mastermind had been swiftly executed by Yuzuriha-san. This disclosure caused Touko-san’s popularity among the citizens to skyrocket explosively, leading to a fervent “Long live Queen Touko” movement sweeping the nation.
It is probably significant that Yuzuriha-san, the country’s armed forces icon and charismatic figure, had a direct hand in this.
Ordinary people like us often confuse ourselves with heroes.
That’s why Yuzuriha-san, the national hero, purged those masterminds, creating the illusion that the country had brought down the hammer of justice.
Of course, this was only possible because Yuzuriha-san has remained a truly national hero—
When I talked about that with Suzuha and Touko-san, it seems that Yuzuriha-san herself got the message.
Hearing this, Yuzuriha-san smiled bitterly,
“Well, it’s true that she still manages to barely surpass in popularity… But who knows how long that will last.”
Yuzuriha-san shrugged her shoulders and said something like that.
I don’t even know who she’s comparing herself to, but I’m more surprised by her surprisingly low self-esteem.
Well, they do say that we understand ourselves the least, so perhaps that’s just how it is.
“I don’t think you, of all people, have the right to say that,Nii-san…”
“Hmm? Suzuha, what did you say?”
“No, forget it—Look at that, Nii-san. The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” (T/N: Hooo…)
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While shopping in the streets of the royal city, which has been bustling ever since the news of the birth of the new queen, I came across a classy old man I recognised from somewhere…
“Eh, you are…”
“It’s been a while. How are your sister’s twintails even since then?”
“Ah.”
I recalled.
He’s the shopkeeper at the accessory shop I went to with Yuzuriha-san that one time.
I remember it well because he kept on going on about twintails.
“I’m not sure about her twintails, but my sister is fine.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Yes.”
The elderly gentlemanly shopkeeper invited me to stand and chat with him as we looked out over the city…
The talk of the town is still about the new queen, Touko-san.
It’s the hottest topic on everyone’s lips in this country.
“—Princess Touko seems to be doing just fine since she became the new queen.”
“Yes.”
“Although, it seems that there were some dangerous moments leading up to it.”
“It seems so.”
“She was in a pinch, but…it seems that a highly skilled knight came to her rescue just in the nick of time, huh? In the tavern, new tales of a hero are being announced one after another.”
“Oh, hahaha. Is that so…?”
There was no way I could say that the one who saved Touko-san wasn’t a hero or a brilliant knight, but a commoner like me.
With a dry smile on my face, I decided to completely ignore it and move on.
“A-Anyway, I’m glad peace has returned.”
“Indeed. My grandchild managed to hold on to their life somehow as well.”
“That’s good to hear. Your grandchild is a soldier?”
“My grandchild is a mediocre wizard, you see. Although that child is not my own flesh and blood, but as they say, ‘The more mischievous the child, the more lovable they are,’ I have been watching over that child from afar all this time. Recently, it seems that the child has found a good partner and has finally straightened up.”
“Heh…”
I don’t think it will be until much later that we find out that this grandchild-like wizard is Touko-san. Of course, there was no way I could have known that at the time.
At that moment, what I was thinking was whether I should offer a little lip service or not.
Maybe I just wanted to play a mischievous prank…
Even if I were to claim that I helped, no one would actually take it seriously.
You could say that I just wanted to make an impossible brag while pretending it was a joke.
“Just between you and me—I actually played a part in solving the coup, you know?”
“Hoo…?”
“It’s true. But well, I don’t have any proof.”
“No, I believe you. Hohoho…”
The shopkeeper laughed, as if he had heard a funny joke, and then he quickly put his hand in his pocket,
“In that case, I should also thank you for saving my grandchild, shouldn’t I?”
Saying that, he handed me a rainbow-coloured hair band.
“…Could it be that you’re suggesting I use this to have twin tails…?”
“No, I don’t enjoy looking at a man’s twintails. And besides, I only have one hair band. This is a good luck charm.”
“Is this thing enchanted for protection? I can’t take something that expensive—”
“It’s not a defensive spell, but rather another type of magic is imbued within it.”
“What kind of magic?”
When I asked, the shopkeeper narrowed his eyes,
“—When the time comes and you find yourself in trouble, it would be wise to seek help from any merchant in this country while carrying this rainbow-colored hair band. Then…”
“Then?”
“Then all the merchants throughout the country will pool their resources and make every effort to solve any problem you may have, even if it’s just once.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Ah, and of course, not anything unfeasible, okay? At best, keep it to twintails for the whole nation, or something like that.”
“I see. I understand.”
When you tell a lie, it is most difficult to determine whether it is true or not.
But when it’s a big scale lie like this, it’s obvious from the start that it’s a lie, so I can respond to it straightforwardly.
“Well then, thank you very much. I’ll use it when I’m in need of money.”
“Indeed. If it’s money… Well, if we’re talking about a sum of money that could buy the entire country, we could gather it quickly.”
“This is a great thing I received.”
After a little more conversation, I parted ways with the shopkeeper.
The hair band I received is adorned with a beautiful, sparkling rainbow color that I have never seen before. As for its material or whether it is magical, it remains a mystery.
I thought this would make a good birthday present for Suzuha next year.
—It was not until much later that I discovered to my surprise that the rainbow-coloured hair band really did what the shopkeeper said it would do—
