Tensei Oujo wa Kyou mo Hata o Tatakioru Chapter 127

    After the sobbing had subsided, soft snores followed.
    I gently lifted my hand from his sleeping eyes. They were red and swollen with trailing tear marks, but his resting face remained ever so peaceful.
    I gently caressed the leftover droplets from Johan's eyes with my fingertips before letting out a relieved sigh. 

“…Have some rest for now.” 

    I murmured as my hand stroked his hair.
    Its golden l.u.s.tre had lost its former s.h.i.+ne and became stiff due to mud and sweat. The orderly features along his face had not changed, but I did spot dark circles around his eyes. His skin was also sunburned and full of small scratches. To top it off, a white bandage was wrapped around his head. It was just as tattered as my brother was.
    But he looked pretty cool to me. 

“I haven't seen you in a little while and look how handsome you've become.” 

    I traced his cheeks with my fingers.
    His slim nose, thin lips, and sharp jawline differed from the ones that I knew. His muscular hands, neck, and the protruding Adam's apple on his throat were also an unfamiliar sight.
    I was surprised at how low his voice was. 

    But his appearance alone wasn't what took me by surprise. 

    Both the villagers and the knights of the Kingdom of Wind hailed Johan highly as if he was their hero. I honestly can't picture that when he's sleeping like a newborn chick in front of me, though. But if you look closely at the ragged condition he was in, it was hard to believe their reaction was all a lie.
    Yeah, you've done your best, haven't you? As the realisation slowly dawned on me like seeping water, my love and pride for him also welled up. 

    My crybaby brother was no more.
    The brother who solely depended on me was nowhere to be found.
    It makes me… a little lonely. But even more so, I was happy. 

    Isn't my brother awesome? Isn't he cool?
    I was so proud of him I could burst. 

“…Now it's my turn to do my best.” 

    I want to stay together with you, but there are still a lot of things left to do.
    Even now, the Kua were running around giving out treatment. Prince Nacht had gone back to the capital to gather more supplies with Leonhard coming along as his escort. When everyone was working this hard, there was no way I could afford to stay still and do nothing. 

    I stroked his hair one last time before carefully getting up. 

    When I gently opened the door, I found a child standing outside.
    For some reason, people were gathering around the house. As he looked at me and was about to say something, I hushed his lips with my finger as if to say, ‘Johan will wake up.'
    I didn't know if they got my message, but the people started to cover their mouths after that. The sight of the kid covering his mouth with both of his hands made me crack a smile. 

    I gently closed the door before sitting down and gestured to the kid that it was alright to speak again.
    The kid removed his hands and looked away from me. His face was down and his hands formed tight fists by his side.
    But the kid raised his face, his eyes determined. 

“…Oneechan, you're big brother Johan's big sis, aren't you?” 

“Yep, that's me. The sleeping beauty over there is my little brother.” 

    When I confirmed my ident.i.ty, the kid's face crumpled, and he started crying.
    He lowered his head again, and I had to kneel down to meet his gaze. 

“I'm sorry!” 

“Eh?” 

“I'm⁠—It's all my fault! I-It's because I asked him for help… he got hurt.” 

    The kid desperately squeezed out his words through tears. 

“No, I'm the one to blame! I was the one involved with the child's father!” 

“Nonsense! It was me! I threw the stone!” 

“No, it's me!” 

    ‘Me,' ‘No, it's me,' and ‘No, I'm to blame.'
    The people around me were fighting over each other to confess. My eyes darted around fl.u.s.teredly as I tried to wipe the kid's teary eyes.
    This was the first time I've ever seen anyone fighting over such things. 

    Disaster struck in a village where food and supplies were running low. You wouldn't be able to blame them if they said that it couldn't be helped. But despite that, everyone here acknowledged their own wrongdoings.
    If this was what Johan tried to protect, then it was an amazing thing that he did. Not only had he protected their bodies, but also their minds as well. 

    I was so happy my head could spin. My heart fluttered with joy.
    I wanted to brag about Johan being my brother. Would, ‘As expected of my brother!' be too cheeky, I wonder?
    Don't worry, your sister is not so brazen as to take her brother's merits as her own. 

“I'm sorry, big sis! I'm sorry I hurt your bro—mmph!?” 

    I put my finger on his lips once again. The child who got his mouth hushed a second time was undoubtedly surprised. When I smiled, his watering eyes widened even further.

“My brother stumbled over a tree root and fell.” 

“…” 

“That injury is not anyone's fault.” 

    The people around me gasped at my words. I believed they fully understood what I was trying to say this time around.
    I have to put the matter to rest. Whatever happened to Johan would have to end right here before it blew up, especially considering he was the prince of the nearby Nebel Kingdom.
    Otherwise, there wouldn't be a reason to say that he stumbled over a tree root in the first place. 

    But I couldn't take the same approach with children. They are straightforward nature, and this quality of them is to be cherished for it is something very precious. 

“But you know… If he got those injuries because he was trying to protect someone…” 

    I picked up the kid's hands with mine. 

“Don't say you're sorry. Isn't it better to say your thanks instead?” 

“!” 

    His eyes blinked a couple of times. 

“I think he'll be happier if you do.” 

    ‘Right?' The kid vehemently nodded and let out his first smile.
    After ruffling his hair, I stood up. 

“Thank you, everyone, for worrying for my brother by gathering here. He'll be okay if he rests up, so please go back to your families.” 

    I looked around after telling the people, only to be met with dumbfounded faces. After a few seconds, they glanced back at me with strange expressions. It was like they had no idea what the creature standing in front of them was. 

“…Your Highness-” 

“Yes?” 

“Are you really a prince-… No, never mind.” 

    The young man started speaking but immediately withdrew his words. He shook his head and chuckled.
    Before I could ask what he meant by that, I was called for from far away. When I looked back over my shoulder, Lily was waving vigorously from afar. 

“Miss Marie, can you please help me with this?” 

“Of course!” 

    I gave a slight curtsy towards the crowd before running off to join her. 

TN:

EN: (Pending)

s.p.a.cewhale is doing G.o.d's work.