Chapter 64 – So, the Decision Is That It’s Best for the Duke Household to Lump Themselves With Nii-San…
“I knew it was too good to be true.”
A few days after leaving the capital.
I called out to Suzuha as we walked along the steep mountain path.
“I thought it was weird that I became an aristocrat, but it still makes sense if I’m a margrave who lost all his territory in the last war. It’s of no benefit, after all.”
“However, Nii-san, the Margrave family of Lohengrin was apparently one of the most prestigious noble families in this country, you know? Although they were extremely privileged and arrogant, they were also foolish, which ultimately led to Yuzuriha-san wiping out the entire clan in one fell swoop.”
“I don’t know if it’s prestigious or not—By the way, Suzuha, how are things going?”
“Everything is fine, Nii-san.”
Suzuha is now on my shoulders, watching the perimeter.
Deep in the mountains like this, there could be monsters and bandits.
Normally I would be on guard, but Suzuha said, “I want to keep watch as part of my training to become a full-fledged female knight.” So Suzuha has been on guard throughout this journey. She has been on my shoulders.
“By the way, Suzuha. I’ve been wondering, isn’t it hard to be on guard while being shouldered? Maybe you should just get off?”
“No, that’s not true. It is more advantageous for the lookout to see from a little higher ground.”
“That does make sense…”
“Of course, Nii-san can rest assured that I would never let a man other than Nii-san to carry me on their shoulders.”
“Well, I didn’t ask about that, though.”
Whatever the relief, as an older brother, I feel a little relieved that Suzuha’s groin area doesn’t stick to the back of some guy’s head, or that her miniskirt doesn’t spread around his neck like a collar, or that the top of his head doesn’t become a place for Suzuha’s big t**s. I’m her older brother, so it’s okay.
Besides, Suzuha is not used to being on watch yet, so every time she moves around, various parts of her body rub against each other and sway.
If it wasn’t my sister, I’d be in trouble.
Yuzuriha-san gave a signal by tugging on Suzuha’s skirt.
“—Hey, Suzuha-kun, it’s time for you to switch places with me, isn’t it?”
“I don’t want to. Or rather, Yuzuriha-san, why did you follow Nii-san? The place we’re going to is Nii-san’s territory and it has nothing to do with the Duke’s household, right?”
“That’s because, of course, I’m Suzuha-kun’s older brother’s partner. Protecting your partner’s back is more important than taking care of the household.”
“I don’t think those are the words of a great aristocrat…”
“Father willingly sent me off, you know? Well, if Suzuha-kun’s older brother wasn’t now the most highly regarded figure in our country, it wouldn’t have been so easy, I suppose.”
“…So, the decision is that it’s best for the Duke household to lump themselves with Nii-san, huh… Hmph. Sacrificing reputation for gain, it’s exactly that… The high aristocrats are truly cunning beyond measure…”
I don’t know why Yuzuriha-san came with me, but Suzuha seems to have accepted.
I wondered that myself.
When I asked Yuzuriha-san about it, she looked disappointed and said, “I’d like to go with you, is that not okay…?” so I couldn’t ask more…
“Hey, you tell her too. You should give me a ride on your shoulders.”
“Absolutely not.”
“WHYYY~~~!?!?!?”
That absolutely can’t happen.
If it were Yuzuriha-san’s plump thighs clinging to my neck, or the two oversized melons bouncing like rubber balls above my head, or above all, the citrusy smell of a girl wafting through the air, I would have a hard time holding back…
As I was trying to figure out how to explain this without being too blunt—
“Ah. Stop, Yuzuriha-san.”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s a trap.”
“…Where?”
When I pointed out the slightly different coloured areas on the ground, Yuzuriha-san squinted her eyes several times before she realized.
“How did you find it? You’re the only one who’d recognise it.”
“I couldn’t tell from the color of the ground either. I could only find it because the flow of magic was unnatural.”
“I think you’re the only one who can distinguish them like that…”
When we carefully dug it up, there was a cleverly camouflaged set-up of an installation-type magic circle.
“…Was it set up by a hunter?”
“This area was a battlefield in the last war. I heard that our troops led by the princes were so beaten to a pulp that they didn’t stand a chance… Maybe the magic circle that was set up at that time still remains.”
“Then should we take care of this?”
“Yes. That would be good.”
It’s possible that the trap was set by a hunter, but according to Yuzuriha-san, normal hunters don’t use magic traps.
Then the trap should be disposed of.
Just to be safe, we picked up a stone from a safe distance and threw it into the trap, activating it.
“I’m triggering it.”
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!
The explosion was a hundred times bigger than we had imagined.
The explosion was so powerful that both Suzuha and Yuzuriha-san stood still, ignoring their skirts being flipped up by the blast.
When the smoke cleared, a crater of about 10 meters in diameter was formed on the ground.
“…U-Um… Nii-san…?”
“…It definitely wasn’t a hunter’s trap…”
“…Of course. If any creature were caught in such a trap, it would be completely obliterated without a trace. That aside…”
For some reason, Yuzuriha-san hugged me from behind.
Yuzuriha-san’s overly plump bosom crushed itself on my back and the sensation spread across my entire back…
“Looks like you saved my life again today… Fufufu…”
I would say that is not the case.
Because if not for me, Yuzuriha-san wouldn’t have gotten into this situation in the first place.
But if I were to point that out, I could foresee a future where Yuzuriha-san would angrily say, “You’re really clueless when it comes to reading the atmosphere! You’re always like that!” while on the verge of tears, so I decided to remain silent.
