Kyou Kara Maou?! chapter 1 part 3-ish
Part 1
Part 2
And now for part 3-ish! (Which is actually 2-ish chunks, but whatev. I have no idea how I'm separating these parts.) So far, Conrad has been a bad influence on Greta, Greta has defeated Yuuri with her cuteness, and they've put on a musical. Now they go backstage.
I don't think this part is quite as funny as the previous parts, but there's lots of Wolfram/Yuuri interaction and jealous daddies, heheh... IMO Wolfram is cool and manly in the beginning, but then I got really annoyed with him toward the end. Fact: Wolfram is kind of a snobby bigot. No, really. It hurt to translate his speech! My love for him went up 10 points at the manliness and then went down 50 points. So. Wolfram fans beware. Unless, of course, you agree with him. In which case I'm going to hide in my corner and sob. I LOVE YUURI'S EDUCATION POLICIES, OK? STFU RIGHT-WINGERS. WHY YES I AM BIASED LOLOLOL.
Ahem. Anyway, Conrad finally pops in despite being the catalyst for this whole mess, and though he only gets a few lines here and there, his few lines are AWESOMELY PUNTASTICAL and very Conrad-y. Then Gunter shows up at the very end, and he's very Gunter-y. That is all.
Man, I want to vote Yuuri for President of the World. I love that kid.
Backstage, there are fresh flowers everywhere.
The small green room is filled with bouquets of various kinds of brightly colored flowers, and also with the flowers' sweet fragrance.
"So pretty--"
"These are all for Greta, huh."
"Really? Then can I bring them all back home? Can I put these flowers in my room?"
"We'll get someone to help move them later."
I was preparing to stroke her soft curls, but the little girl's attention has already flown to the pile of gifts.
I'm sweating all over because I'm dressed in a costume that almost covers my entire body. It's very difficult just taking off the alien's rubber headpiece.
As my face hits the open air, the warm sweat quickly dripping down from my hair, I finally realize how difficult it is to play the part of the monster.
The next time I go to the Tokyo Dome, I won't look to shake hands with actor playing the hero. Instead, I'll shake hands with the villain.
"Haa--"
"What is it, Yuuri? You look really tired."
Wolfram has only removed the upper half of his costume. Even though he's been singing and dancing, he still looks relaxed.
Of course, that's also to be expected. After all, being the greatest hunter in the universe, Predator's outfit must be much lighter than Alien's.
"We've only moved a little and you're already covered in sweat. It's obvious that your regular exercise regimen is inadequate."
"My training, should be, more than, what, you do. Wasn't it just that your part was easier?"
"What? You're blaming our roles? Whose swordsmanship is better?"
"Predator should be better."
"Since it's like that, then it's right that I play this part."
"What you've said isn't wrong, but you..."
"The candidate for The Crimson Goddess."1
Lord Wolfram von Bielefelt, in the short time that he was on stage, was skilled in three areas of performance. Not only were his movements smooth, but his temperament was perfect and he even had the talent to draw in the audience's attention.
There's only one thing I didn't like about his performance as Predator. As I'm about to point this out--
"May I come in?"
Knocking on the door a few times, Lord Weller peeks in.
"Conrad!"
Greta rushes over and pulls him into the room.
Conrad first praises today's leading actress, then looks over at the half-dressed actors and says:
"Your Majesty's performance was also wonderful. The auditorium was filled with an intensity of feeling."
"Thank you for your words of praise... but Conrad, hear me out! I've been completely deceived! This guy is obviously a blond bombshell bishounen! Why doesn't he have a clear and high boy's voice, but is instead really mature and manly sounding?!"
"Well, was Your Majesty anticipating a high voiced alien? I'm sorry, I don't have Predator's data, and didn't know what his voice was like."
Predator's data?2 The way he said it was ingenious. I'm unable to tell if it's a cold joke3 or not. However, Lord Weller continues to show his cheerful smile and says:
"Don't you think that having a manlier voice gives more of a 'Predator is here!'4 feeling?"
"Waaah--! I'm pretending not to hear it!"
There's no need to keep saying it!
"However, I regret that I'm not just here to joke around. Please come in; no one's going to be angry."
Unreadable Conrad looks at me, whose pain never ends, with his head lowered. He pushes the door open and calls in a small shadow.
The boy lifts up his head, his strawberry blond hair bobbing with this movement.
He looks to be about Greta's age, but if he's Mazoku, his real age will be more than that.
His appearance is neat; he's not wearing any accessories. At a glance, I can tell that he's not one of the aristocratic or wealthy children who were performing in the auditorium.
"Who is he?" Greta stands on her tiptoes to ask.
Hearing others ask about him, the boy blushes in embarrassment and clears his throat.
"That..."
"He's a very enthusiastic fan. His name is Pachiri. He was listening to the performance through the back wall."
"That...p-performance was wonderful!"
The boy forcefully interrupts Conrad and presents the thing he was hiding behind his back.
"For Her Highness the princess!"
It's a white flower that can be found anywhere in the courtyard. Although it's smaller than the flowers that fill up the room backstage, it's actually quite delicate and beautiful.
Seeing how the gift was given with sincerity, the leading actress is overjoyed.
"Why don't you put it in her hair?"
Knowing very well how little girls think, Lord Weller says these words with a professional smile.
"Un."
Pachiri, fingers shaking uncontrollably, puts the flower into the reddish brown hair.
"Look, look! Isn't it pretty--?"
Greta walks back over to us with the white flower in her hair, slightly embarrassed.
She's very pretty, really very pretty.
Daughter, your two daddies' feelings are very complex.
Wolf is gripping the shotgun prop very tightly. A vein is throbbing in his temples, almost completely ruining his pretty boy appearance.
Perhaps Pachiri gained some courage after giving her the flower. He probably wants to win over the fathers, so this time he directs his speech toward us. He might be using a little too much effort, because he's stuttering a bit.
"The song, was great! I heard that Your Majesty personally wrote it. I've never heard it before. It's really, really, really, really good."
"Thanks."
Wolf and I raised our right hands at the same time.
Because we went into Daddy Mode at the exact same time, our response was quite cold.
"Since the song was so great, I memorized all of it. I really memorized all of it! When I'm out in the schoolyard, I'll definitely sing it to the younger kids!"
Then he closes his eyes, lifts his chin up a little, and starts singing a part from the song's climax.
It's the "more goo, Alien" part.
"Humans are so troublesome! To the Universe for a big fight!"
I was preparing to apologize for writing such idiotic lyrics, but his beautiful singing has rendered me speechless.
This is the beautiful tenor that I've been waiting for, the angelic sound that won't lose to the Vienna Boys' Choir.
I think I can see wings behind Pachiri's back.
Just listening to him makes my emotions flow with the song.
If he were to sing of his heart's sorrow, the audience would fall under that influence; if he were to sing a happy song, my heart would also be filled with happiness. That's the type of feeling his singing gives.
"That was surprisingly great! It's amazing how you have such a beautiful voice! You sang really well!"
"Eh... Your praise is too much. I'm not... I'm not that good."
"Don't be so modest. What do you mean, 'not that good'? Have you gotten professional training? After having an instructor, your singing is outstanding."
"That is, may I ask... What does an 'instructor' instruct? My teacher is just the headmistress."
"Headmistress... I get it; you're a student at a famous music conservatory, right? So that means you're either going to sing operas or musicals? Damn, it's too bad this country doesn't have a place like Broadway. I'd go with you and sign you up for it right away."
"Your Majesty."
I'm really excited, and Conrad has to calm me down before he can correct me.
"Pachiri hasn't had any special music lessons. He lives in the orphanage just outside the castle walls. I remember that all the children there are looked after by the headmistress alone."
"Orphanage?"
"Yes."
"If it's an orphanage, then your teacher is like a family member... So that's how it is. No wonder you aren't studying at a conservatory. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have blurted out those wild guesses."
I'm so thoughtless. My mood just went from high and excited all the way down to the bottom of a valley. To the two children, I'm just an embarrassing guardian.
Greta keeps looking over at the boy and me, then asks Pachiri with a slightly stiff tone:
"Your dad and mom aren't here anymore?"
"That's right."
He awkwardly grips his hands behind his back.
"Since you don't have any family, are you lonely?"
"No."
He tilts his head, then repeats his response:
"No. I have lots of friends at the orphanage, and there are also lots of kids who are younger than me. We get along really well, just like real siblings. The headmistress says we're actually very lucky, and I think so, too. She said that during the war, no one was willing to help orphans. But kids born after the war have things to eat and a place to live. Also, starting this year, we're getting a lot more money from the government, so there's even time to teach the younger kids how to read. The headmistress is happy, and I'm happy."
Pachiri delivers these words all with one breath until his face turns red, then he looks at me with shining eyes.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Ah, I haven't done anything..."
I'm the one who should feel embarrassed. I stare down at the floor, but there's only my brown, goo-covered feet down there.
I did look over the budget request once, and made a big fuss over looking after the people's standard of living and education. I also made an unreasonable decree, "It's fine if we don't paint the walls with gold leaf - use that money to establish a compulsory education system."
But the person who calculated the expenses, raised funds, and carried out the writing and implementation of the detailed policy wasn't me.
It was Lord von Voltaire and Lord von Kleist.
The person accepting your heartfelt thanks right now is a man who only knows how to make a big fuss. Knowing this makes it impossible for me not to lower my head in shame.
If I'd known earlier that I'd be too ashamed to show my face, then I wouldn't have used the excuse of being "unfamiliar with government administration" to push all the work onto my aides back then. At the very least, it's only right that I should be the one to complete my own proposals.
The boy hasn't noticed my regret. He's talking with Greta and Wolfram about "family" things, even proudly talking about his "siblings".
"A few years ago, our work kept us busier than our studies. I never thought we'd have time every day to learn writing and math. The older kids, like me, are also sometimes responsible for teaching the younger kids. They learn really fast; they're really smart."
"You said 'work'. What did you do?"
Greta, who has never left the castle, asks. Lord Weller responds to Greta's question in his place.
"In order to receive government funds for operation, the orphanage makes bread and cheese and other long-lasting rations for the soldiers, and they regularly deliver these to the castle. Pachiri was pushing his cart on the way back to the orphanage. Fortunately, he passed by the theatre."
"We just make dried meat and fish, and there are also foods like dried vegetables that return to their normal size after soaking in water. The headmistress is the one who makes the preserved food... I think Your Majesty...hasn't seen this type of food before?"
"I know about it. It's similar to dried mackerel and frozen dehydrated cabbage, right? I've not only seem them, but I've also eaten them before."
"Really?"
Then I suddenly saw the light. The things that I've eaten might not have been made here, but every time I open a cup of instant ramen it's just like the foods he describes.
"They're really convenient."
As soon as I think of pouring hot water on the vegetables, as well as on the miso soup and the noodles, my suppressed hunger involuntarily makes itself known. I didn't even eat lunch before the performance.
Because Greta was leaning her whole body against me, I didn't notice that she had turned her head around to look at me unhappily.
"...Hate them."
She stomps her foot as she scornfully says, "Greta hates dried vegetables and meat the most!"
"Hey, you can't say that."
I quickly grab her shoulder, but it's too late and she can't take back her words.
"Is that so?"
Pachiri is suddenly depressed. He lowers his head like a withered flower.
She would normally never say such cruel words. What kind of bad experience did Greta have?
Well, I can't verify it now. I have to hurry to pull the topic back.
"But you're really great! You're so young, and you're already working and studying at the same time. Since you're so talented, would you like to try for a scholarship to enter a specialty school? I bet your grades in music are really good."
"Grades?"
The boy asks me as if it's his first time hearing the noun. Now I realize that our conversation is never going to match up.
"I was referring to the grades you get in school. If they're not bad, then it's possible for the school authorities to write you letters of recommendation. Uh...your teacher, and in the music class..."
Wolfram shifts a bit.
Though I don't know why, his face is getting more and more disgusted.
Conrad saw his restless little brother, and started speaking to resolve my problem.
"He hasn't had any music lessons."
"Whoa, he hasn't?"
"Only children of wealthy merchants and the nobility receive higher education. They are the only ones who will have lessons in artistic subjects. Schools for ordinary children would not have the fine arts in their curriculum."
"Right-- I didn't know that."
So they don't have things like Japanese elementary and middle schools, where students have choir practice. They don't learn "Little Brown Jug" or "Neko Funjatta"5.
"Language and math are more important."
"That's true, but... This way, won't it influence the what's it called... the knowledge, strength, quantity, and quality of art education?"
It's true that language and math have practical applications and are very important, but I looked at a newspaper recently, and it had an article that said, "childhood music education has a large influence in promoting brain development". And also, also...
"Get over here."
"It hurts! Ow, ow! Stop it, Wolfram!"
Perhaps the more I say, the angrier he gets. Driven beyond the limits of his patience, Wolfram angrily grabs my ear and drags me to the corner of the room.
"Don't do that; it really hurts!"
"Listen clearly, Yuuri. Even if you're cracking jokes in front of the commoners, there's a limit!"
"When was I joking?"
"Didn't you just say it? That you want to let him study music? What a joke. Are you going to be just like before, doing whatever you feel like, and establishing another troublesome system?"
"I haven't just done whatever I felt like. The way you speak of it is out of line," I mutter in disappointment.
I thought I did well; I didn't think the proposal would be so easily dismissed by other people.
"Listen up. If it wasn't for the fact that the new king wanted to establish an elementary school, the commoners wouldn't even need to accept any education. It's enough that children loitering around the street corners learn the vocational skills necessary for work. Those who don't want to inherit the family property, or those who truly want to receive education, can join the military academy. The people have always been living like this, and there haven't been any problems. It's only you who's been saying, 'compulsory education, compulsory education'. That's the only reason we're giving away free education to the children too young for employment!"
"What you say may be true."
The atmosphere is getting weirder and weirder.
It's not only his expression. Even his eyes, which are usually emerald green, have become a dark green, indicating that he's about to explode with rage.
"Just building the school and hiring teachers cost a lot of money! You said even the villages should be places where one can receive primary education, isn't that right? Moreover, the entire nation has to carry this out together. Do you have any idea how much stress you put on my older brother? All of this is because you're such a strong advocate of letting the commoners learn how to read, learn how to write, and raise their computational capabilities!"
"Wolf..."
"And now it's like this. It's not enough to let the commoners learn language and math, but now you want to let them learn art which they can't apply to their daily lives? Learning to sing can come from listening to the parents sing. Dancing can be acquired naturally by participating in rites and ceremonies. Do you really think it's necessary to use national funds to let those below us learn these things?"
"Wolf!"
"What? Are you thinking of refuting this?"
Of course I am.
I was just introspecting on how I shouldn't make other people work on my policies. In order not to make the same mistake again, I thought I needed to look into this more, and present the proposal only after I had prepared a plan that I could personally see carried out.
So I now have a rebuttal, even if it's only aimed at admonishing him for his way of thinking.
I hold up both hands in front of my chest, trying my best to keep my emotions in check.
"Your view seems full of discrimination."
"What did you say? When was I being discriminatory?"
"All right, all right, you can stop the lover's spat6 now!"
My most beloved daughter changes the topic away from the explosive situation just in time. But what "lover's spat"?
"You're wrong, Greta. We weren't fighting."
Who was it? Who taught my daughter such a strange noun?
"That... I'm sorry."
When I turned back, I discovered Pachiri standing by the doorway with his face drained of color.
"I'm really sorry. If it was something I said that was disrespectful...then..."
Lord Weller kneels down, putting them at just the right height to meet eye to eye, and comforts him in a gentle voice.
I only see the kid lightly nod in response, but tears keep streaming down his cheeks.
As soon as Wolfram and I see this scene, we hurry to comfort him as well.
"Ah! You've misunderstood, Pachiri! You haven't said anything disrespectful!"
"That's right, I must thank you for giving the flower to Greta!"
We're not even mad about the intimate behavior you showed toward our precious daughter. That's right, there's nothing for us to be angry about.
"Thank you for coming to see our performance. Next time, if we have another school festival, we'll prepare a seat for you in the audience."
When the red-eyed boy nodded happily--
"Your Majesty--!"
"Oh, no. It's Gunter."
From the far end of the hall, Lord von Kleist and the spectators scream together.
Presumably, his beautiful gray hair is now moving parallel with the ground as he charges over at a fierce speed.
"He must be done with his managerial duties by now. This sucks. If he finds me, he'll definitely harass me with a hug, caress my face, cover my whole body with Gunter juice."
And that's not all it takes to settle things.
I'll also be forced to listen to him praise His Majesty the Maou's beauty and intelligence, and this will take at least two hours!
His praise makes me so embarrassed that I could die. For me, speaking of those things is like torture.
"Your Majesty, if you want to leave before Gunter catches you..."
Conrad, who understands the way I think, winks at me and points to the door, saying, "Then you'll have to quickly take off the costume."
"Okay, I'll get it off in ten seconds! Greta, help me pull."
"Un!"
Pachiri lifts his head. Even his speaking voice is a high boy's voice.
"I know a shortcut that leads to the castle!"
"That's great. Then we'll have to trouble you to show us the way. Thank you, Pachiri."
"No, it's nothing."
Less than a minute later, Lord von Kleist arrives in the backstage room where we fled in a hurry.
"Ah! This is bad! He's shed his shell, the outer covering! How, Your Majesty? How have you become a molted shell?"
According to the news I received afterward, Gunter was not the only person in the green room at the time.
A spider was in the flowers, gleaming eyes filled with envy, watching our motions from beginning to end.
-----
Notes:
1) In the shoujo series Glass Mask, "The Crimson Goddess" is the legendary lead role in a play of the same name.
2) In Japanese, "Predator's data" is romanized to something like "puredeta no deta".
3) A "cold joke" is a joke that's so bad it's hilarious, similar to an "anitjoke", and usually said with a straight face. It's supposed to make you cringe more than laugh. This is more of a Chinese slang term - I'm not sure if it's the same in Japanese.
4) This time it's "puredeta deta", with the second "deta" being 出た, the past tense of "to come out".
5) Neko Funjatta, translated as "I stepped on a cat", and also known as Der Flohwalzer, or the Flea Waltz. It's popular in Japan as an easy piano duet.
6) 打情骂俏 - to fool around and banter in flirtation. This is sometimes translated as "philandering" or "flirting". It's not quite a lover's spat, but more like to fight and flirt at the same time.
I'm not sure about the "spider" at the end. It was given as "eight eyes", which I assumed was a spider, especially since spiders are mentioned in the part after this. Oh, and in the part after this, Greta goes batshit crazy. Mwahahah!!
Part 2
And now for part 3-ish! (Which is actually 2-ish chunks, but whatev. I have no idea how I'm separating these parts.) So far, Conrad has been a bad influence on Greta, Greta has defeated Yuuri with her cuteness, and they've put on a musical. Now they go backstage.
I don't think this part is quite as funny as the previous parts, but there's lots of Wolfram/Yuuri interaction and jealous daddies, heheh... IMO Wolfram is cool and manly in the beginning, but then I got really annoyed with him toward the end. Fact: Wolfram is kind of a snobby bigot. No, really. It hurt to translate his speech! My love for him went up 10 points at the manliness and then went down 50 points. So. Wolfram fans beware. Unless, of course, you agree with him. In which case I'm going to hide in my corner and sob. I LOVE YUURI'S EDUCATION POLICIES, OK? STFU RIGHT-WINGERS. WHY YES I AM BIASED LOLOLOL.
Ahem. Anyway, Conrad finally pops in despite being the catalyst for this whole mess, and though he only gets a few lines here and there, his few lines are AWESOMELY PUNTASTICAL and very Conrad-y. Then Gunter shows up at the very end, and he's very Gunter-y. That is all.
Man, I want to vote Yuuri for President of the World. I love that kid.
Backstage, there are fresh flowers everywhere.
The small green room is filled with bouquets of various kinds of brightly colored flowers, and also with the flowers' sweet fragrance.
"So pretty--"
"These are all for Greta, huh."
"Really? Then can I bring them all back home? Can I put these flowers in my room?"
"We'll get someone to help move them later."
I was preparing to stroke her soft curls, but the little girl's attention has already flown to the pile of gifts.
I'm sweating all over because I'm dressed in a costume that almost covers my entire body. It's very difficult just taking off the alien's rubber headpiece.
As my face hits the open air, the warm sweat quickly dripping down from my hair, I finally realize how difficult it is to play the part of the monster.
The next time I go to the Tokyo Dome, I won't look to shake hands with actor playing the hero. Instead, I'll shake hands with the villain.
"Haa--"
"What is it, Yuuri? You look really tired."
Wolfram has only removed the upper half of his costume. Even though he's been singing and dancing, he still looks relaxed.
Of course, that's also to be expected. After all, being the greatest hunter in the universe, Predator's outfit must be much lighter than Alien's.
"We've only moved a little and you're already covered in sweat. It's obvious that your regular exercise regimen is inadequate."
"My training, should be, more than, what, you do. Wasn't it just that your part was easier?"
"What? You're blaming our roles? Whose swordsmanship is better?"
"Predator should be better."
"Since it's like that, then it's right that I play this part."
"What you've said isn't wrong, but you..."
"The candidate for The Crimson Goddess."1
Lord Wolfram von Bielefelt, in the short time that he was on stage, was skilled in three areas of performance. Not only were his movements smooth, but his temperament was perfect and he even had the talent to draw in the audience's attention.
There's only one thing I didn't like about his performance as Predator. As I'm about to point this out--
"May I come in?"
Knocking on the door a few times, Lord Weller peeks in.
"Conrad!"
Greta rushes over and pulls him into the room.
Conrad first praises today's leading actress, then looks over at the half-dressed actors and says:
"Your Majesty's performance was also wonderful. The auditorium was filled with an intensity of feeling."
"Thank you for your words of praise... but Conrad, hear me out! I've been completely deceived! This guy is obviously a blond bombshell bishounen! Why doesn't he have a clear and high boy's voice, but is instead really mature and manly sounding?!"
"Well, was Your Majesty anticipating a high voiced alien? I'm sorry, I don't have Predator's data, and didn't know what his voice was like."
Predator's data?2 The way he said it was ingenious. I'm unable to tell if it's a cold joke3 or not. However, Lord Weller continues to show his cheerful smile and says:
"Don't you think that having a manlier voice gives more of a 'Predator is here!'4 feeling?"
"Waaah--! I'm pretending not to hear it!"
There's no need to keep saying it!
"However, I regret that I'm not just here to joke around. Please come in; no one's going to be angry."
Unreadable Conrad looks at me, whose pain never ends, with his head lowered. He pushes the door open and calls in a small shadow.
The boy lifts up his head, his strawberry blond hair bobbing with this movement.
He looks to be about Greta's age, but if he's Mazoku, his real age will be more than that.
His appearance is neat; he's not wearing any accessories. At a glance, I can tell that he's not one of the aristocratic or wealthy children who were performing in the auditorium.
"Who is he?" Greta stands on her tiptoes to ask.
Hearing others ask about him, the boy blushes in embarrassment and clears his throat.
"That..."
"He's a very enthusiastic fan. His name is Pachiri. He was listening to the performance through the back wall."
"That...p-performance was wonderful!"
The boy forcefully interrupts Conrad and presents the thing he was hiding behind his back.
"For Her Highness the princess!"
It's a white flower that can be found anywhere in the courtyard. Although it's smaller than the flowers that fill up the room backstage, it's actually quite delicate and beautiful.
Seeing how the gift was given with sincerity, the leading actress is overjoyed.
"Why don't you put it in her hair?"
Knowing very well how little girls think, Lord Weller says these words with a professional smile.
"Un."
Pachiri, fingers shaking uncontrollably, puts the flower into the reddish brown hair.
"Look, look! Isn't it pretty--?"
Greta walks back over to us with the white flower in her hair, slightly embarrassed.
She's very pretty, really very pretty.
Daughter, your two daddies' feelings are very complex.
Wolf is gripping the shotgun prop very tightly. A vein is throbbing in his temples, almost completely ruining his pretty boy appearance.
Perhaps Pachiri gained some courage after giving her the flower. He probably wants to win over the fathers, so this time he directs his speech toward us. He might be using a little too much effort, because he's stuttering a bit.
"The song, was great! I heard that Your Majesty personally wrote it. I've never heard it before. It's really, really, really, really good."
"Thanks."
Wolf and I raised our right hands at the same time.
Because we went into Daddy Mode at the exact same time, our response was quite cold.
"Since the song was so great, I memorized all of it. I really memorized all of it! When I'm out in the schoolyard, I'll definitely sing it to the younger kids!"
Then he closes his eyes, lifts his chin up a little, and starts singing a part from the song's climax.
It's the "more goo, Alien" part.
"Humans are so troublesome! To the Universe for a big fight!"
I was preparing to apologize for writing such idiotic lyrics, but his beautiful singing has rendered me speechless.
This is the beautiful tenor that I've been waiting for, the angelic sound that won't lose to the Vienna Boys' Choir.
I think I can see wings behind Pachiri's back.
Just listening to him makes my emotions flow with the song.
If he were to sing of his heart's sorrow, the audience would fall under that influence; if he were to sing a happy song, my heart would also be filled with happiness. That's the type of feeling his singing gives.
"That was surprisingly great! It's amazing how you have such a beautiful voice! You sang really well!"
"Eh... Your praise is too much. I'm not... I'm not that good."
"Don't be so modest. What do you mean, 'not that good'? Have you gotten professional training? After having an instructor, your singing is outstanding."
"That is, may I ask... What does an 'instructor' instruct? My teacher is just the headmistress."
"Headmistress... I get it; you're a student at a famous music conservatory, right? So that means you're either going to sing operas or musicals? Damn, it's too bad this country doesn't have a place like Broadway. I'd go with you and sign you up for it right away."
"Your Majesty."
I'm really excited, and Conrad has to calm me down before he can correct me.
"Pachiri hasn't had any special music lessons. He lives in the orphanage just outside the castle walls. I remember that all the children there are looked after by the headmistress alone."
"Orphanage?"
"Yes."
"If it's an orphanage, then your teacher is like a family member... So that's how it is. No wonder you aren't studying at a conservatory. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have blurted out those wild guesses."
I'm so thoughtless. My mood just went from high and excited all the way down to the bottom of a valley. To the two children, I'm just an embarrassing guardian.
Greta keeps looking over at the boy and me, then asks Pachiri with a slightly stiff tone:
"Your dad and mom aren't here anymore?"
"That's right."
He awkwardly grips his hands behind his back.
"Since you don't have any family, are you lonely?"
"No."
He tilts his head, then repeats his response:
"No. I have lots of friends at the orphanage, and there are also lots of kids who are younger than me. We get along really well, just like real siblings. The headmistress says we're actually very lucky, and I think so, too. She said that during the war, no one was willing to help orphans. But kids born after the war have things to eat and a place to live. Also, starting this year, we're getting a lot more money from the government, so there's even time to teach the younger kids how to read. The headmistress is happy, and I'm happy."
Pachiri delivers these words all with one breath until his face turns red, then he looks at me with shining eyes.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Ah, I haven't done anything..."
I'm the one who should feel embarrassed. I stare down at the floor, but there's only my brown, goo-covered feet down there.
I did look over the budget request once, and made a big fuss over looking after the people's standard of living and education. I also made an unreasonable decree, "It's fine if we don't paint the walls with gold leaf - use that money to establish a compulsory education system."
But the person who calculated the expenses, raised funds, and carried out the writing and implementation of the detailed policy wasn't me.
It was Lord von Voltaire and Lord von Kleist.
The person accepting your heartfelt thanks right now is a man who only knows how to make a big fuss. Knowing this makes it impossible for me not to lower my head in shame.
If I'd known earlier that I'd be too ashamed to show my face, then I wouldn't have used the excuse of being "unfamiliar with government administration" to push all the work onto my aides back then. At the very least, it's only right that I should be the one to complete my own proposals.
The boy hasn't noticed my regret. He's talking with Greta and Wolfram about "family" things, even proudly talking about his "siblings".
"A few years ago, our work kept us busier than our studies. I never thought we'd have time every day to learn writing and math. The older kids, like me, are also sometimes responsible for teaching the younger kids. They learn really fast; they're really smart."
"You said 'work'. What did you do?"
Greta, who has never left the castle, asks. Lord Weller responds to Greta's question in his place.
"In order to receive government funds for operation, the orphanage makes bread and cheese and other long-lasting rations for the soldiers, and they regularly deliver these to the castle. Pachiri was pushing his cart on the way back to the orphanage. Fortunately, he passed by the theatre."
"We just make dried meat and fish, and there are also foods like dried vegetables that return to their normal size after soaking in water. The headmistress is the one who makes the preserved food... I think Your Majesty...hasn't seen this type of food before?"
"I know about it. It's similar to dried mackerel and frozen dehydrated cabbage, right? I've not only seem them, but I've also eaten them before."
"Really?"
Then I suddenly saw the light. The things that I've eaten might not have been made here, but every time I open a cup of instant ramen it's just like the foods he describes.
"They're really convenient."
As soon as I think of pouring hot water on the vegetables, as well as on the miso soup and the noodles, my suppressed hunger involuntarily makes itself known. I didn't even eat lunch before the performance.
Because Greta was leaning her whole body against me, I didn't notice that she had turned her head around to look at me unhappily.
"...Hate them."
She stomps her foot as she scornfully says, "Greta hates dried vegetables and meat the most!"
"Hey, you can't say that."
I quickly grab her shoulder, but it's too late and she can't take back her words.
"Is that so?"
Pachiri is suddenly depressed. He lowers his head like a withered flower.
She would normally never say such cruel words. What kind of bad experience did Greta have?
Well, I can't verify it now. I have to hurry to pull the topic back.
"But you're really great! You're so young, and you're already working and studying at the same time. Since you're so talented, would you like to try for a scholarship to enter a specialty school? I bet your grades in music are really good."
"Grades?"
The boy asks me as if it's his first time hearing the noun. Now I realize that our conversation is never going to match up.
"I was referring to the grades you get in school. If they're not bad, then it's possible for the school authorities to write you letters of recommendation. Uh...your teacher, and in the music class..."
Wolfram shifts a bit.
Though I don't know why, his face is getting more and more disgusted.
Conrad saw his restless little brother, and started speaking to resolve my problem.
"He hasn't had any music lessons."
"Whoa, he hasn't?"
"Only children of wealthy merchants and the nobility receive higher education. They are the only ones who will have lessons in artistic subjects. Schools for ordinary children would not have the fine arts in their curriculum."
"Right-- I didn't know that."
So they don't have things like Japanese elementary and middle schools, where students have choir practice. They don't learn "Little Brown Jug" or "Neko Funjatta"5.
"Language and math are more important."
"That's true, but... This way, won't it influence the what's it called... the knowledge, strength, quantity, and quality of art education?"
It's true that language and math have practical applications and are very important, but I looked at a newspaper recently, and it had an article that said, "childhood music education has a large influence in promoting brain development". And also, also...
"Get over here."
"It hurts! Ow, ow! Stop it, Wolfram!"
Perhaps the more I say, the angrier he gets. Driven beyond the limits of his patience, Wolfram angrily grabs my ear and drags me to the corner of the room.
"Don't do that; it really hurts!"
"Listen clearly, Yuuri. Even if you're cracking jokes in front of the commoners, there's a limit!"
"When was I joking?"
"Didn't you just say it? That you want to let him study music? What a joke. Are you going to be just like before, doing whatever you feel like, and establishing another troublesome system?"
"I haven't just done whatever I felt like. The way you speak of it is out of line," I mutter in disappointment.
I thought I did well; I didn't think the proposal would be so easily dismissed by other people.
"Listen up. If it wasn't for the fact that the new king wanted to establish an elementary school, the commoners wouldn't even need to accept any education. It's enough that children loitering around the street corners learn the vocational skills necessary for work. Those who don't want to inherit the family property, or those who truly want to receive education, can join the military academy. The people have always been living like this, and there haven't been any problems. It's only you who's been saying, 'compulsory education, compulsory education'. That's the only reason we're giving away free education to the children too young for employment!"
"What you say may be true."
The atmosphere is getting weirder and weirder.
It's not only his expression. Even his eyes, which are usually emerald green, have become a dark green, indicating that he's about to explode with rage.
"Just building the school and hiring teachers cost a lot of money! You said even the villages should be places where one can receive primary education, isn't that right? Moreover, the entire nation has to carry this out together. Do you have any idea how much stress you put on my older brother? All of this is because you're such a strong advocate of letting the commoners learn how to read, learn how to write, and raise their computational capabilities!"
"Wolf..."
"And now it's like this. It's not enough to let the commoners learn language and math, but now you want to let them learn art which they can't apply to their daily lives? Learning to sing can come from listening to the parents sing. Dancing can be acquired naturally by participating in rites and ceremonies. Do you really think it's necessary to use national funds to let those below us learn these things?"
"Wolf!"
"What? Are you thinking of refuting this?"
Of course I am.
I was just introspecting on how I shouldn't make other people work on my policies. In order not to make the same mistake again, I thought I needed to look into this more, and present the proposal only after I had prepared a plan that I could personally see carried out.
So I now have a rebuttal, even if it's only aimed at admonishing him for his way of thinking.
I hold up both hands in front of my chest, trying my best to keep my emotions in check.
"Your view seems full of discrimination."
"What did you say? When was I being discriminatory?"
"All right, all right, you can stop the lover's spat6 now!"
My most beloved daughter changes the topic away from the explosive situation just in time. But what "lover's spat"?
"You're wrong, Greta. We weren't fighting."
Who was it? Who taught my daughter such a strange noun?
"That... I'm sorry."
When I turned back, I discovered Pachiri standing by the doorway with his face drained of color.
"I'm really sorry. If it was something I said that was disrespectful...then..."
Lord Weller kneels down, putting them at just the right height to meet eye to eye, and comforts him in a gentle voice.
I only see the kid lightly nod in response, but tears keep streaming down his cheeks.
As soon as Wolfram and I see this scene, we hurry to comfort him as well.
"Ah! You've misunderstood, Pachiri! You haven't said anything disrespectful!"
"That's right, I must thank you for giving the flower to Greta!"
We're not even mad about the intimate behavior you showed toward our precious daughter. That's right, there's nothing for us to be angry about.
"Thank you for coming to see our performance. Next time, if we have another school festival, we'll prepare a seat for you in the audience."
When the red-eyed boy nodded happily--
"Your Majesty--!"
"Oh, no. It's Gunter."
From the far end of the hall, Lord von Kleist and the spectators scream together.
Presumably, his beautiful gray hair is now moving parallel with the ground as he charges over at a fierce speed.
"He must be done with his managerial duties by now. This sucks. If he finds me, he'll definitely harass me with a hug, caress my face, cover my whole body with Gunter juice."
And that's not all it takes to settle things.
I'll also be forced to listen to him praise His Majesty the Maou's beauty and intelligence, and this will take at least two hours!
His praise makes me so embarrassed that I could die. For me, speaking of those things is like torture.
"Your Majesty, if you want to leave before Gunter catches you..."
Conrad, who understands the way I think, winks at me and points to the door, saying, "Then you'll have to quickly take off the costume."
"Okay, I'll get it off in ten seconds! Greta, help me pull."
"Un!"
Pachiri lifts his head. Even his speaking voice is a high boy's voice.
"I know a shortcut that leads to the castle!"
"That's great. Then we'll have to trouble you to show us the way. Thank you, Pachiri."
"No, it's nothing."
Less than a minute later, Lord von Kleist arrives in the backstage room where we fled in a hurry.
"Ah! This is bad! He's shed his shell, the outer covering! How, Your Majesty? How have you become a molted shell?"
According to the news I received afterward, Gunter was not the only person in the green room at the time.
A spider was in the flowers, gleaming eyes filled with envy, watching our motions from beginning to end.
-----
Notes:
1) In the shoujo series Glass Mask, "The Crimson Goddess" is the legendary lead role in a play of the same name.
2) In Japanese, "Predator's data" is romanized to something like "puredeta no deta".
3) A "cold joke" is a joke that's so bad it's hilarious, similar to an "anitjoke", and usually said with a straight face. It's supposed to make you cringe more than laugh. This is more of a Chinese slang term - I'm not sure if it's the same in Japanese.
4) This time it's "puredeta deta", with the second "deta" being 出た, the past tense of "to come out".
5) Neko Funjatta, translated as "I stepped on a cat", and also known as Der Flohwalzer, or the Flea Waltz. It's popular in Japan as an easy piano duet.
6) 打情骂俏 - to fool around and banter in flirtation. This is sometimes translated as "philandering" or "flirting". It's not quite a lover's spat, but more like to fight and flirt at the same time.
I'm not sure about the "spider" at the end. It was given as "eight eyes", which I assumed was a spider, especially since spiders are mentioned in the part after this. Oh, and in the part after this, Greta goes batshit crazy. Mwahahah!!