ENJOY READING44 . The Heartless Princess Celebrates
<unedited>
edited: 2/16/23
Translated by Eunie
Edited/Proofread by Para Kiiiin!! The sound echoed throughout the area as the swords repelled each other. -Knights Training Ground- After turning thirteen, I came to the Knights Training Ground with my little brother Stayle and my little sister Tiara. We are sitting on an elevated deck with extravagant-looking chairs prepared for Royalty as we watch the knights. In our Kingdom, today is the entrance exam to be enlisted in the Knights Order. You can take the exam when you turn fourteen years old. Once you pass, you officially become a squire. Then after a year, you can take the exam to be enlisted in the main troops, and only those who pass can call themselves knights. However… There’s no doubt that this exam is quite straightforward. There are over a hundred squires, and only the winners of these so-called battle tournaments are confirmed to join the Knights Order. Other than that, it depends on other factors, such as the number of replacements needed that year. In that case, each applicant is evaluated based on their daily performance and tournament ranking before making a decision. Read only on eunietl.weebly.com This time around, we were allowed to spectate since we requested it. But it's not unusual for members of the Royal family to watch since the main tournament is also considered a significant event in our country. Before the exam officially commenced, an opening ceremony was held. An opening speech and other congratulatory addresses were presented. I could feel my heart burn with passion as I heard Captain Roderick’s enthusiastic motivational speech. Vice-Captain Clark began his speech with, “There were no injuries amongst the squires. Everyone has great self-discipline and is excellent at self-management…,” and I’m suddenly reminded of a memory from my past life when our school principal did one of his long-winded speeches. So though it was rude, I couldn’t help but stifle my laughter when I saw Vice-Captain Clark doing the same. Once the matches began, the entire stadium filled with an overflowing amount of burning passion and enthusiasm, something that I’d never seen before. Though they’re just squires, they still belong to the Knights Order, so there’s no doubt that each of them is not your typical squire. There were a lot of matches since there were many squires who entered. However, no matter which match it was, we could all feel how intense it was as I, Tiara and Stayle watched every single one with sweaty palms. Seeing them like this shows how serious everyone is about this competition. And what we’re watching right now is the finals…meaning this is the Championship match. As we watched with bated breath, the moment the two men took a deep breath, their swords clashed. The winner was decided when one of the player’s swords was repelled. Then the knight who was the referee of this match raised his hand and announced the winner. “Match is over!! The winner is…Arthur Beresford!!” The spectators erupted in excitement and applause. At the same time, I saw Arthur make a **guts pose as his long, tied-up silver hair swayed sharply. (Eunie: there’ll be a pic down below for a “guts pose”) Read only on eunietl.weebly.com “That was amazing, Elder Sister, Elder Brother!!” Tiara, who turned 11 years old this year, exclaimed with great excitement as she looked at me and Stayle. “Well, as expected,” Style said as he clapped elegantly. He’s saying it like that, but I can see how happy he is. But really, it’s extraordinary. Two years ago since that day, Arthur’s been training and practicing with the Captain and Stayle. The following year, when he turned fourteen, he passed the exams to be enlisted as a squire in one go. To become a squire, you must fight other applicants, and less than half will advance. Then for the second exam, each of them has to fight one-on-one with someone from the Knights Order. Whether you win or not, the result of the match doesn’t matter. What really matters is the applicant’s abilities. The knights are the ones to evaluate whether they’ll get accepted or not. And among those applicants, Arthur’s the only one who never lost a single match, even against the knight he fought with. Anyone who saw this knows that Arthur's passing is indisputable. ‘As expected from one of the capture targets and the future Captain of the Knights Order’ is what I would like to say but…. In the game, Arthur passes the exam and becomes a knight, but it only happens three years after his father’s death. It took him two years before becoming a squire, and a year later, he became a knight. What’s more, two years after becoming an official knight, he got promoted and became the next Captain. Even so, there were probably complaints since he got promoted and became the Captain at such a young age. …Well, regarding the timing of his enlistment this time around and from what I’ve heard from Arthur, he was initially planning on taking the exam after three years. Because of Stayle’s insistence, he took it earlier than his original plan. But I guess even without Stayle pushing him, there’s no doubt that things would have gone smoothly for Arthur. Because on top of losing his father, Arthur in the game had no one to spar with until he was able to join the Knights Order and was completely self-taught. Read only on eunietl.weebly.com “Elder Sister!! Arthur’s coming over here!” Tiara cheerily said as she suddenly tapped me on my shoulder. Surprised, I looked at Arthur. His eyes shined as he looked at us, and the moment my eyes met his, he suddenly lowered his gaze. Seeing him like that makes me happy, and I applaud him from the very bottom of my heart. Arthur, I’m delighted that you’ve finally become a knight. I’m sure his father, the Captain, is also overwhelmed with happiness. I can’t wait to directly congratulate Arthur after this. … … After going over and completing the necessary procedures to become a knight, Arthur, who already took off his armour, went out of the gate while holding a white uniform that symbolizes the knights. Outside the training grounds, Arthur looked around and confirmed that no one was around. Just when he was about to wipe off the sweat on his forehead, he suddenly heard someone call his name. “Arthur.” After hearing my name, I looked back, and the first prince of this country was standing at the place where there was no one around until just a few seconds ago. He probably used teleportation. **(To avoid confusion this part is Arthur’s POV) After confirming that Arthur noticed him, Stayle walked towards him and lightly raised his hand. At first glance, he seemed expressionless, but if you look closely, you can see that the corners of his mouth are slightly raised. " … ha... " Arthur snorted as he walked over to him, raised his hand, and without any hesitation, he slammed it down against Stayle’s hand. *slaaaaaps!!* Due to the force, the sound of their high-five echoed “So, how was it? Are you satisfied now, Stayle!?!” As soon as he said that, without hesitation, Arthur placed his arms around Stayle in a headlock. “The final match was a few minutes longer than it should have been. Next time you have to win more overwhelmingly. “Tch. Why you little…. Can’t you at least be honest when praising me?” After saying that, I tried to put Stayle in a headlock again, but the moment my arm went around his neck, Style suddenly disappeared. (EunieTL: This one’s in Arthur’s POV) “If it was me, I would have won sooner.” As soon as he said that, Stayle appeared behind Arthur and kicked him without holding back. “What did you say!? …Well yeah, you could have won faster with your special ability and all, landing a surprise attack!!” As if to joke around, Arthur grabbed the hilt of his sword and said, “Don’t mess with me.” And just when he was about to unsheathe his blade, he heard a familiar voice. “Arthur!! Stayle!!” Upon hearing that familiar voice, the two of them froze. They immediately let go of each other and looked in the direction where the voice came from. “Pryde-sama, Tiara.” Arthur quietly turned around and faced the two princesses. “Arthur, congratulations on officially becoming a knight.” (Pryde) “Congratulations, Arthur!” (Tiara) Arthur bowed his head a little, feeling embarrassed after hearing Pryde and Tiara’s heartfelt words. “Thank you very much…for coming out of your way to come here today.” Read only on eunietl.weebly.com
<Pryde’s POV> During the past two years, Arthur learned how to speak Keigo** from Stayle during their training. (Eunie: **Keigo is an honorific speech/ polite/ formal way of speaking.) I smiled at him and said, “You are not just anyone to us, Arthur. Especially since today’s your big day! Of course we would be here.” “Ye..yesss.”** Arthur’s face seemed a little bit red. I guess the adrenaline from the finals still lingers. (Eunie: Arthur here said **うっす /Ussu which is a variant form of おっす/Ossu. Ossu is usually used or heard from Karate people and some other sports work. Like Daiya no Ace. It has a lot of meaning, it can be a greeting or it can mean I understand/ Yes/thank you etc.) “Arthur, you were really fantastic!” Tiara said as she leapt forward and held his hand. During these past two years, Tiara’s feminine charm has also increased and became more refined. “Oh, …Thanks.” After saying that, Arthur patted Tiara’s head just like an older brother would. Seeing them like this, I couldn’t help but cheer for Arthur’s route, even though I’m also cheering for Team Stayle. (Eunie: Bruuuh. TT_TT Its been two years but her majesty is as dense as ever. ?) Read only on eunietl.weebly.com My and Tiara’s chances of seeing Arthur have increased due to the frequency of Stayle and Arthur training together. At first, he used to follow formalities when speaking to us, but now, when no one’s around, he talks casually. Not just with Stayle but with Tiara as well….yes. Only around or with Tiara. “By the way, have you seen the Captain and Vice-Captain? I’m sure they’re overjoyed as well.” “No. As of yet, I haven’t seen them. I’m pretty sure it’s because they're busy with paperwork and other reports they have to do. …And well…it’s not like there’s anything to talk about.”** (Eunie: **When he replied to Pryde he’s speaking in Keigo.) Just as you can see. Even though I’ve told Arthur many times that it’s okay to drop Keigo when others aren’t around. Apparently, it’s non-negotiable when it's me. I guess it’s already a relief that he’s not speaking to me as formally as he used to when we first met. By the way, even Stayle and Tiara are doing the same. They’re both unyielding in using Keigo with me. I’ve been told it’s because I’m the next in line for the throne and whatnot, but it still makes me feel a bit lonely. “So you were over here, Arthur!” I wonder if we stood out because we were conversing here when two figures suddenly appeared from behind. When I turned around, I saw Captain Roderick and Vice-Capting Clark heading toward us. Hastily, they greeted us formally after confirming that three members of the Royal Family were present. “...So, what is it, Captain?” Arthur said while unabashedly showing his displeasure. (Eunie: Arthur said this in like half-polite/half-rude way ?) It seems like ever since he enlisted in the Knights Order and became a squire, Arthur has never called the Captain 'Dad' in front of others. According to Arthur, it’s because he’s now his boss. How conscientious of him. “Don’t ‘what is it’ me. Weren’t you told that after you process the necessary paperwork, you were supposed to come and greet me, the Captain?” “Shut it! The inauguration ceremony is tomorrow anyways. As if I can do that. Going out of my way to greet a relative is just embarrassing, **Old man!!” (Eunie: Arthur calls his dad/ oyaji/ which can both mean Dad and Old Man. I chose Old man cause it suits the context more.) Read only on eunietl.weebly.com …But as expected, in front of his family and us, he still calls him Dad. Teenage Rebellion; how fearsome. “All the more reason you should have done it. The inauguration ceremony will be held tomorrow. I have some things to explain and discuss with you regarding that matter, Arthur.” Vice-Captain Clark stepped out from behind the Captain, peeked over, and said, “Congratulations on joining the main unit.” Then he looked at the Captain and said, “Before anything else, Roderick, shouldn’t you congratulate him first? Aren’t you the one who wanted to do that the most?” After saying that, he slapped Captain Roderick’s shoulder. But the Captain is still keeping his cool. “There’s no need to congratulate him,” the Captain shouted with both arms crossed over his chest. "...Since it’s you, I believed a long time ago that you could do it.” After saying that, he gently placed his hand on Arthur’s shoulder. You can really see how proud the Captain is. In reply, Arthur gave an embarrassed laugh and said, “...Ri, right.” Vice-Captain Clark looked happy as well. And then Stayle started slapping at Arthur’s other arm and said, “...This past year is all thanks to me, isn’t it?” “Haah?! Stayle!! Isn’t it all because of my skills!!” “Just who helped you augment the training you missed out on cause you couldn’t train with the Captain anymore? Isn’t it all thanks to your training with me?” “Why you–! Aren’t you also the one who wanted it as well!!” Arthur snapped back at Stayle, who suddenly *threw cold water from behind. (Eunie: **It means that Stayle dampened the mood from earlier) When Arthur became a squire, he could no longer train with the Captain. Apparently, he felt uncomfortable that he alone could receive special training just because the Captain was his dad. In order to compensate for that during this past year, the amount he trained and sparred with Stayle increased. Read only on eunietl.weebly.com “Pryde-sama. I truly apologize. To think that even Stayle-sama would be badly influenced by my foolish son… ” The Captain said as he lowered his head at me. “N..no. It’s alright, and just as I said before, Stayle seems to be enjoying himself. You don’t have to worry about anything since he’s still the same when doing official duties.” I wonder how many times these kinds of exchanges have happened already… Since their time together increased, Arthur has become more proficient in using Keigo. On the other hand, Stayle took a turn in his speech. It's a significant change compared to how he usually speaks. He started addressing himself with “Ore**” and Arthur with “Omae.” He also talks more casually. Of course, during official settings or duties, Stayle still addresses himself with **‘boku’ and uses Keigo like usual. But as expected, he was totally influenced by Arthur. (Eunie: Ore- is a masculine/ casual way of saying ‘I’. While Boku is considered as a more sophisticated way. Omae means You and Omae is also a casual way of saying ‘You’ or addressing someone. Depending on the context and who you are conversing with Omae can sound rude.) When the Captain and Vice-Captain heard the conversation between them for the first time, they were extremely surprised. On top of that, when they heard Stayle speak in a rough-like manner, they began apologizing profusely. “I’m just saying, but this guy here was already **black-bellied way before he met me,” Arthur said as he pointed at Stayle. (Eunie: Black Bellied/haraguro are those people that are two-faced. They look kind and gentle from the outside but are quite sly, manipulative and evil. Like Enjou from Reika-sama, Yagami Light from Death Note. Shiroe from Log Horizon) Stayle flicked Arthur's finger away and said, “You’re saying unnecessary stuff, you idiot.” “That hurt, you bastard.” Seeing that Arthur was about to snap at Stayle, the Captain grabbed his shoulder, gripped it hard and made it drop. While Vice-Captain Clark just laughed as if he was already used to seeing them act like this. “Arthur, don’t be rude…. At any rate, for things to go smoothly and without any mishaps, I still have to explain to you the things you need to prepare and do for tomorrow. …for a knight, tomorrow is a momentous day.” “Got it.” Seeing the Captain say it with all seriousness suddenly made Arthur modest and humble. Read only on eunietl.weebly.com The inauguration ceremony that will be held tomorrow is a sacred ceremony that every squire who will officially become a knight has to go through. It also means that the newly inaugurated knight will pledge their vow and loyalty. The person they’ll swear their loyalty to is… “I’ll be in your care tomorrow, Arthur.” …Me. It was originally Mother’s job, but since last year, it's been my duty to oversee the inauguration ceremony. At first, I was surprised when Mother ordered me to handle it, but apparently, there were two reasons for that. First, the newly inaugurated knights will be serving under me longer. The second reason is that…for some reason…I have received tremendous support from the majority of the squires. I think the main reason is that incident from two years ago when I predicted the cliff from collapsing. But to think they would feel this much gratitude just because of that incident…I guess they really are conscientious and upright. “...Yes, I’ll also be in your care,” Arthur said as he smiled bashfully. Seeing how he seemed really happy and excited also made me feel cheerful. “Let’s go, Arthur,” the Captain said. Before leaving, he and the Vice-Captain looked at us and bowed. Then they turned their backs and walked away. Arthur followed suit and bid his goodbyes to us. As he followed them from behind, he took the white uniform in his hands and wore it. It’s the same as the one the Captain is wearing…the same white uniform that flutters from behind…
Eunie here: I'm really sorry for the delay. This is around 13 pages and the thick paragraphs, idioms and kanjis used gave me a headache. =_=" If you want the edited version we all have to wait for Para. ^^
guts pose**
"A stance whereby a sportsman (etc.) clenches both fists in front of the chest or raised high above the head to signify victory")
HEADLOCK
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