CH 11

─Rodokiaus side─

What I had been casually doing for the past few days became conscious and jerky.

Kou’s in a good mood.

Since I was called by His Majesty today, I’m exempted from work.

Because I didn’t walk around the Royal Capital, it’s past noon now.

I’m going to work after having lunch.

I wanted to relax with Kou, but now, being on Kou’s side made me irrational.

“Meal.”

“Ywes (hai => hyai). Eash (taberu => taberyu).” (Yes, let’s eat.)

Like always, we headed to the barracks and I decided not to pick him up.

Kou walked next to me without worrying that I didn’t pick him up.

“Wyalk (aruku => aryuku). Town. Outshide (soto => shoto).” (Walk around town.)

Kou was walking while saying such things.

What’s attracting eyes from the surroundings was probably because of his smiling appearance.

If it’s a beastman, the others might not understand their facial expressions.

But Kou was different.

Even if he seemed cute, I didn’t find it funny.

(Though he’s my other half.)

I got frustrated.

I want to tell them they’re not allowed to look.

Arriving at the barracks, I opened the door and then immediately noticed.

“Kou!?”

Kou’s figure wasn’t walking next to me.

I might have left Kou behind because I was walking frustratedly.

I turned back and retraced the way in a hurry.

“Kou!”

I screamed his name.

“Kou!!”

I ran while looking around.

Astonished expressions were directed at me but I didn’t care about that.

I found Kou almost immediately.

He wasn’t crying. Was he really 18 years old?

“Kou!”

However, when I called out, he looked up and I saw Kou’s expression. I instantly realized that he was hurt.

“…Ryodo.”

The next moment, it was as usual. If I was a little later, Kou’s power might have gone out of control.

“Sorry.”

I apologized while hugging him.

“…chrew way (suteryu), mwistake (mota => omota).” (You threw me away. Did I make a mistake?)

Those words hurt my chest.

As expected, I have to explain about mates as soon as possible…

I have to make him understand that I’m not avoiding him because I hated Kou.

“Throw away, no (suteru, nai).” (I didn’t throw you away.)

“Ryodo, Kou, hwate (kiryai)?” (Does Ryodo hate Kou?)

“Hate (kirai), wrong. Kou, like (suki).” (I don’t hate you. I like Kou.)

I didn’t mean to make him anxious.

I knew he was my other half. But since I’m upset, I wasn’t thinking about Kou.

For Kou, he had no acquaintances or family members nearby.

“Disappeared, didn’t notice, sorry.” (I didn’t notice you weren’t there, sorry.)

I picked him up and apologized again, then Kou shook his head.

“Shmall, wrong, shorry. Kou, bwad (waryui).” (It’s my fault for being small. Kou is bad.)

“Not bad (warukunai).” (You’re not bad.)

Why would he be bad?

It wasn’t Kou’s fault that I couldn’t tell him since he couldn’t understand the language.

“Kou, not bad.” (Kou is not bad.)

I returned to the barracks while saying that many times.

That’s because Kou didn’t have to worry about it.

Arriving at the barracks cafeteria, everyone there called out.

“Huh? Captain, you’re back already?”

When I told them I was going to the Royal Capital, I also told them that I’d go around the town.

I also thought that if Kou didn’t cry, I would be back in the evening.

“Aahh. Kou was scared of His Majesty. There might be some connection with someone who resembled the Gatrea race. Even though he’s scared of Sig in the beginning, he’s only wary of me and Renneiga but not scared, right?”

That’s right.

No one would be wary of someone who didn’t understand the language.

But he wasn’t completely scared.

He didn’t cry because of fear when he saw me.

But more than that──

“Kou’s my [other half].”

I have to tell them this.

“Huh!?”

Renneiga raised a squeaky voice.

The surroundings were also astonished.

…well, it can’t be helped.

I skipped too much of the story.

“I noticed when I became a beast. Kou’s my other half.”

“Beastification!? Is Kou not get affected by an Akinist’s aura?”

No wonder Renneiga was surprised.

I myself thought that no one would approach me as a beast.

“Aahh. Rather, he approached and petted me.”

“No way…!”

They’re lost for words.

“Kou, aren’t you afraid of Captain’s beast form?”

“? Ryodo, Kou likes?” (Kou likes Ryodo.)

Kou tilted his head at Renneiga’s words.

It seemed like Kou wasn’t intimidated at an Akinist’s aura. Was it because of him being my other half?

“Ryodo, cwute (kawai => kaai). …Akinichto? Wikes (suki => chuki).” (Ryodo is cute. Is it called Akinist? I like it.)

Even I’m surprised at those words.

I had never been called “cute” by anyone.

Moreover, Kou was talking about my appearance as an Akinist.

Among Gatrea and Akinist, much more would never approach an Akinist.

They intimidated their surroundings, so they’re called [Shadow Kings].

A long time ago, there was a suggestion that they should become the king with that power, but my ancestors weren’t interested in governance. They much preferred the battlefield and I heard they turned the position down. …even if that happened now, I’d also refuse. Ruling a country didn’t suit me.

My ancestors were probably the same as me.

Akinists weren’t battle freaks, but they took pride in defeating their enemies and protecting their companions.

In other words, from the standpoint of just giving instructions from behind, they much preferred to stand in front of anyone and bring back as many people as possible.

It’s true that if Akinists were on the front line, more people would go back alive.

It’s common sense that there’s such a difference in power compared to other people.

I refused when I was told to be the First Corps Captain since the First Corps often doubles as an escort for His Majesty.

It doesn’t suit me as an Akinist since it’s a unit that protects His Majesty, not a corps that doesn’t lend a hand to other corps and fought to the end.

The Second Corps was often sent to assist the First Corps, so the Third Corps suited me best.

“Amazing. As expected, he’s your other half.”

“? Whaat (naani)?”

He tilted his head at Renneiga’s words.

He didn’t know the meaning of mates.

Did anyone teach Kou about mates?

“Will Captain wait until Kou grew up to get married?”

Certainly, if he stayed like this, there wouldn’t be any marriage.

“That…apparently, Kou is 18 years old. This figure might be the same as our beastification.”

I showed the two pictures drawn by Kou.

“Kou called these two pictures himself.”

In the two papers, there was his current figure and the grown figure.

The picture drawn in a short amount of time was easy to understand.

“…is this his beast form? This figure? Can he humanize?”

“He said he can’t do it. Or maybe he just didn’t want to show it.”

Knowing that he’s already grown up probably meant that he’d already humanized.

Like me, there might be some inconvenience to the surroundings.

“? Ryodo, whaat?”

He didn’t understand at all.

So Kou asked me in a hurry.

But how should I explain that Kou is my other half when he hadn’t mastered the language completely yet?

I knew Kou didn’t have any romantic feelings towards me.

Wouldn’t he become wary if I told him to marry me in the future?

“Kou will marry (kekkon) Captain in the future. You’ll give birth to Captain’s child.”

“Mawy (kekko)?”

“Hey! Renneiga!”

This guy explained without my permission and I became flustered.

“You want to tell me to be silent, right? But then, you have to make him understand what a mate is! Kou, are you wondering what a mate (hanshin) is?”

“…mei- (han-)…?

He looked up with a blank gaze.

But how should I explain it…?

“Marriage is, two people, like, together, live. Child, give birth.” (Marriage is two people who liked each other and lived together. Then they’d give birth to a child.)

“…?”

As expected, he didn’t understand the words.

“To have a family (kazoku).”

“Fwamily (kajoku)?”

Kou tilted his head.

It might be faster to show an actual family.

Some lived with their families in the barracks.

So I headed to a family that was just in the dining room.

“Parents.”

I pointed at the two adults, then pointed to the child.

“Child (kodomo).”

“Shwild (koryomo). …parent.”

Kou imitated me.

“Marry (kekkon). Child, give birth (umu).”

I pointed at the couple together and then pointed to the child.

“Mawy. Shwild, give bwirth (umyu)… mawy?”

He nodded as if he was convinced, but then had a surprised expression.

“Ryodo, Kou, mwan (ochoko). Shwild, cannot (dekiru, nai).” (Ryodo, Kou’s a man. I can’t have a child.)

However, he tilted his head at the words he was told.

“Man (otoko), child, can (dekiru). He, child, birth, yes.” (Men can have children. He gave birth to that child.)

The family’s parents are of the same gender.

Kou seemed to have been taught that only men and women could have children.

Why was he taught such a lie?

“…mwan?”

He seemed pretty surprised, dazedly looking up at the one who gave birth.

How long will he do that?

Haa…then he looked up at me.

“Kou, Ryodo, mawy? Kou, bwig (ookii => okki), rwound (maru => naryu), Ryodo, mawy? Shwild, bwirth? What!?” (What if Kou and Ryodo marry? Will Kou become big and round after marrying Ryodo? I’ll give birth to a child? What!?)

He seemed to not understand the meaning of marrying me.

“Kou, Rodo’s other half (hanshin). Rodo, like (suki), only Kou.” (Kou is Rodo’s other half. Rodo will only like Kou.)

“Other walf (hanchi)? …dwunnow (wakannyai).” (Other half? What’s that?)

With a crying face, he got stuck in his words.

As expected, was it too early?

If he didn’t understand me being his other half, I don’t think he’d understand my current feelings.

“…marry, don’t like?” (You don’t want to marry me?)

Even if he said he doesn’t like me, I don’t think I could let go of him.

“…Ryodo, Kou, wike? Mawy, wahnt (shitai => chitai)?” (Does Ryodo like Kou? Do you want us to marry?)

“Yes.”

When I nodded to the words asked after a while, Kou’s gaze swam as if confused.

Was he confused since I’m his guardian now?

“Rodo, together, don’t like? Different people, together, like?” (You don’t like being together with me? Do you want to be with other people?)

“…”

He didn’t say anything but then shook his head.

It seemed like he didn’t hate being with me.

When I was relieved and patted my chest──

“…twink (kangyaeryu).” (I’ll think about it.)

I doubted my ears when I heard those words.

Perhaps he meant “thinking (kangaeru)” about marrying me.

I’m glad I wasn’t rejected…

How could I get Kou to like me?

─Rodokiaus side end─

Translator’s Notes:

Since the words are too broken apart that the others might not get the meaning, I included my version of what he really wanted to say. It’s the ones in blue.

And with that, I’ve caught up with the quota I’ve set for myself. I’m thinking of posting five chapters a week, so expect one more chapter later. Then it’d be one chapter every weekday, Monday to Friday. If I didn’t post for a day, I’d post two chapters the next day. Or if I didn’t post for many days, expect a mass chapter release on some days until I got rid of the backlogged chapters.

I feel like if I didn’t set a deadline for myself, I’d forget and wouldn’t post for months.

Anyways, enjoy reading.