Sasaki and Peeps - Volume 8 - Chapter 6.2

Once dinner was over, pretend family time came to an end for the day. We all returned to Ms. Futarishizuka’s Karuizawa villa and went our separate ways from there.

However, I still had a very important task to carry out that day, and it had to do with the otherworld. Now that Count Müller and I were on the same page, we’d be taking our first step toward reviving Prince Lewis that very night. Thanks to our deeds in the angel-demon proxy war, we now had access to a potential cure for his rotting-flesh curse.

Type Twelve had taken Miss Hoshizaki back to her home in Tokyo, leaving Peeps, myself, my neighbor, Abaddon, and Ms. Futarishizuka. I felt bad for my senior and the mechanical life-form, but we needed to keep this a secret.

“Well, time’s a wastin’,” said Ms. Futarishizuka. “How about we get a look at this prince you keep talking about?”

“Agreed. First, I’d like to bring Prince Lewis here,” I explained.

“So all we need to do is wait, right?” asked Abaddon.

“If you could, yes. It shouldn’t take long.”

In order to undo the curse, we needed to move the prince over to this world for the moment. I wanted to keep the otherworld a secret from my neighbor and Abaddon. I was also concerned about whether the latter’s demonic powers would work in another world. For a variety of reasons, I decided to carry things out here in Ms. Futarishizuka’s villa.

We pushed the furniture in her spacious living room into one corner to make a large empty space, then gathered everyone into the center.

“Peeps, I’m sorry to ask once again,” I said. “But can I count on you for this?”

“Don’t be sorry. I should be the one apologizing for having you help us with this matter.”

With the Starsage’s magic, we traveled from modern Japan to the otherworld and arrived in the royal castle. We were in a room set up underground.

According to Peeps, this space resembling a prison cell was meant for hiding people of high social status. Because of that, it was furnished luxuriously. Its layout was more impressive than most inns.

In the middle was a large bed. And atop it sat Prince Lewis, now a hulking mass of flesh.

Count Müller was in the room with us. We’d visited him a few minutes before in Japan time and given him a heads up, after which he’d shown us in here. Because time traveled faster in his world, I assumed he’d left and come back to meet us.

Though honestly, I could imagine him staying here and waiting the entire time.

“Count Müller, with your permission, we’d like to conduct the ceremony in our world.”

“Yes, please do. I believe I will wait here until you return, Lord Sasaki. Should you find my assistance necessary, please tell me right away. I will do whatever you ask.”

The count’s expression was especially serious today.

After finding out Prince Lewis’s true objectives, Count Müller’s attitude toward him had changed. It seemed he now saw the man as royalty worth serving at the cost of his life, much like King Adonis. I could see how much Lady Elsa took after him. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, huh?

His daughter, incidentally, was waiting in the Karuizawa villa. I’d asked her to explain the situation to Prince Lewis once the curse was lifted. Since they both spoke the same language, he’d probably accept her words more easily than mine.

“Sir,” I said, “I estimate this will take the entire night—or possibly even longer.”

“Don’t worry about me. For the prince, I would gladly go three days and nights without food or drink.”

“I understand, sir.”

Otherworld loyalty was, as always, completely insane. I found it a little terrifying. I could imagine the count actually refusing food and drink to keep his word.

“Then let’s be on our way at once,” said Peeps.

“Thanks, Peeps.”

We walked up to the unspeaking pile of flesh. A moment later, the distinguished sparrow’s spell activated, and a magic circle appeared underneath the bed. It was larger than normal, encompassing me as well. The next moment, I felt like I was floating.

Then my vision went black, and the next thing I knew, I was back in Karuizawa. Next to us was Prince Lewis, along with his bed.

Immediately, Ms. Futarishizuka got in her two cents. “If I weren’t already used to that demon, this thing would have given me a heart attack.”

“It does seem somehow similar to Abaddon’s true form,” agreed my neighbor.

“Really? I don’t see the resemblance.”

I recalled Abaddon’s grotesque, meaty guise. The people here were all used to it, and so their reactions to Prince Lewis were subdued. Unlike the prince, however, Abaddon could whiz around and talk even when he looked like a hunk of flesh, making it almost comical. I personally found that aspect a great relief.

“In that case,” said my colleague, “could I receive my reward now?”

“You’re really sure about this, Ms. Futarishizuka?” I asked.

“If I backed out now, that sparrow would probably kill me.”

“I would do no such thing. If you no longer wish to do this, we need only reconsider our options.”

Ms. Futarishizuka’s attention shifted to my neighbor and Abaddon, and her voice took on a more formal tone. “Will you help me? According to them, you’re their only hope.”

“Abaddon, it’s time to show your skills,” said my neighbor. “Please do a good job.”

“Yup! Leave it to me!”

Abaddon nodded enthusiastically, then floated up into the air, stopping right above Prince Lewis’s bed. He lifted his arms out in front of him and fixed his target with a serious gaze.

“……”

Even Ms. Futarishizuka, who could never resist a little banter, had on a look just as serious. I knew what she was thinking. Prince Lewis’s well-being was quite personal for her. As someone suffering from the same curse, what happened here would be the touchstone that would determine her future actions. Not only would this put us in her debt, but she’d also get to see just how far a reward from the proxy war could get you.

“Here we go!”

Abaddon’s charming voice echoed through the living room.

Not a moment later, a bright light wrapped around the prince’s body. Based on past experience, I was pretty sure something like this would happen, so I’d taken a pair of sunglasses out of my suit pocket and put them on. Despite this, the scene was near blinding. But there, through the light, I saw the prince’s body begin to morph.

The hunk of flesh writhed and pulsed. At first, its motions seemed random. But a few moments later, it started to coalesce into the shape of a human. It looked just like when Abaddon transformed. The prince’s volume, which had expanded beyond that of a human body, began to compress.

As this happened, something like a torso emerged, followed by his head and limbs. And once his limbs were back, the rest went quickly. Almost in the blink of an eye, his facial structure was back to normal.

In just twenty or thirty seconds, Prince Lewis’s body had been restored to its former state. As the final extremities formed, like his nails and hair, the glow surrounding him faded. Once it was completely gone, I removed my sunglasses and tucked them back into my pocket.

When I turned back to the bed, Prince Lewis was lying face-up on the sheets.

His clothes, however, hadn’t returned. He was stark naked.

I realized his bottom half was on full display in front of a group of women. That wouldn’t do. Flustered, I untucked the sheet from one side of the bed and threw it back over his body. It felt a little like wrapping up a crepe.

A moment later, the prince’s eyes popped open.

“How are you feeling, Your Highness?” I asked.

“No explanations are necessary, Baron Sasaki.”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“Despite falling into that sorry state, I have been aware of everything going on around me.”

“Ah. I see, sir.”

His words were clear and sharp. It appeared his mind was fully present and turned on. His tone was firm, as if he would brook no objection. It was very like him.

So Baron Sasaki decided to simply nod and step back.

As I did so, the prince put his hand on the bed and pushed himself up into a sitting position. For a moment, I wondered if he would need a shot of healing magic, but evidently not. He didn’t seem to be in any pain; he looked quite energetic, which filled me with relief.

“This prince of yours is really good-looking, eh?”

“Ms. Futarishizuka, as I’m sure you’re already aware, Prince Lewis holds a very high position in his country. I would appreciate it if you would be a little more considerate about how you address him. I myself have great respect for the man.”

“Really?” said the prince. “I am honored to hear that you feel that way about me, Baron Sasaki.”

“You’re always so modest, sir. I heard about everything you did behind the scenes.”

“Ah, yes. You were there with my little brother, weren’t you, Baron?”

It was said that the most terrifying aspect of the rotting-flesh curse was that you remained conscious even after transforming into a hunk of meat, able to perceive light and sound for all eternity. It would appear that this was no empty threat—it was a historical fact.

From our brief conversation, I got a good picture of Prince Lewis’s situation. Right after the curse activated, I went before him in order to save King Adonis. He must have seen that and remembered.

I was astonished. Despite everything that had happened, he had retained all his mental faculties. He must have an extraordinarily tough spirit. I wished Type Twelve were here to learn from his example. In fact, I could learn a thing or two from him myself.

“Sir,” I said, “I know this is sudden, but would you place these earplug-like objects into your ears, then hold this item with the clip up to your mouth?”

I handed the mechanical life-form’s translation device to Prince Lewis.

“What are these?” he asked.

“The language spoken in this region differs from your own, sir,” I explained. “This is a necessary tool for communicating with the others here. That said, if you don’t wish to wear them, I can serve as your interpreter.”

Peeps and I could understand the otherworld’s language without using the devices, but the others here couldn’t. The prince seemed to understand us as well, but he’d looked a bit confused by Ms. Futarishizuka’s casual remark.

“Ah. Another curious item of yours.”

He took the earphones and put them into his ears without hesitation. Then he took the clip-on mic between his fingers and brought it to his mouth. His decisiveness didn’t seem very royal, but it was very Prince Lewis.

“Is this right? I can feel a slight pressure in my ears,” he said.

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

“I hear an odd echo. Is that the translation?”

“That’s right, sir.”

“Excellent. That means I can thank you all personally.”

Everyone else was standing by, quietly watching our conversation. Perhaps they were reacting to my extremely formal attitude. Now that the prince was back to normal, Ms. Futarishizuka and Abaddon’s jobs were all but done.

“You were the one who restored my body, yes?” asked the prince, looking at Abaddon. “You appear to be quite noble yourself. Might I have the pleasure of an introduction? My name is Lewis. I’d very much like to know yours.”

“Who, me? I’m Abaddon. Nice to meet you!”

“Abaddon, you’re talking to a prince,” said my neighbor. “Can’t you be a little more polite?”

“From what I could find on the internet, Abaddon is a king among demons,” I pointed out. “And if they’re both royalty, I don’t think there’s any problem with them speaking on equal terms.”

Out of curiosity, I’d done a search on his name. Along with a rather dramatic origin story, I’d come upon several fancy titles he supposedly held, like some decked-out influencer. A few of them included the word “king,” so there wasn’t much room for doubt. Even now, he wore a crown on his head. The prince must have noticed it.

“In that case, I am of lower status, as I did not succeed the throne,” said the prince. “I apologize for my rudeness.”

“Hey, no worries. And I saved you because she asked me to,” said Abaddon, gesturing toward Ms. Futarishizuka with his eyes. “If you want to thank anyone, you should be thanking her, not me!”

Now that it was her turn at last, my colleague greeted the prince with a reverent bow. “Your Highness, my name is Futarishizuka.”

“I am incredibly grateful to you for restoring me from a pile of living flesh and giving me a second chance to live among other humans. You said your name was Futarishizuka? I cannot thank you enough.”

“Please don’t mention it, sir. I’m simply happy that you are safe and sound.”

Ms. Futarishizuka was acting very subserviently, and it was starting to frighten me. She was behaving like a waitress at a high-class hotel, but I got the feeling it was actually just a display of her sky-high pride. I could picture her getting ahead of herself and being fired by evening.

She was cleverly hiding the back of her hand under her kimono sleeve, too, as Prince Lewis was likely to recognize her bruise as the early stages of the curse.

“Baron Sasaki,” said the prince, “if possible, I would like to offer these two a gift to express my gratitude.”

“I understand, sir,” I replied. “I would be happy to help you with that.”

Despite the state of his kingdom, he was still a bona fide prince. When we returned to the otherworld, we’d probably have our pick of treasures from the royal vault. I guessed King Adonis would readily agree to whatever he said. In fact, I could see Adonis sending us things himself. Even the Starsage atop my shoulder had no objections.

“By the way, Baron, I’d like to discuss another matter with you.”

“What is it, sir?”

But contrary to my expectations, Prince Lewis made a very unexpected offer.

“May I stay here, under your care, along with the daughter of House Müller?”

“Sir, I…”

It seemed he wished to remain on Earth instead of returning to the otherworld. He was also implying that he wouldn’t inform King Adonis of his revival.

“My brother fights valiantly for our homeland to fulfill his promise with his late older brother. I cannot very well undermine that determination, can I? If I were to reappear, it would harm our kingdom greatly.”

“That’s a very reasonable perspective, sir,” I said. “But do you think that’s what His Majesty would want?”

“This is what ruling a country means—what it means to be royalty. Though he may be king… No, because he is king, he cannot be caught up in private affairs. And I have a duty to support Adonis’s reign until my body withers away.”

I understood where the prince was coming from. Adonis had only just assumed the throne. If Prince Lewis went back to Herz now, it could split the kingdom in two. Their factions had been clashing only a few months ago. Even if the brothers were on good terms, the nobles would never let it go.

There was even a chance one of the purged Imperialists could use what remained of Prince Lewis’s faction to reestablish power. In that light, the prince’s determination to stay out of his brother’s way until he had a firm foundation made perfect sense.

He’d just made it clear in front of Baron Sasaki that he had no desire to succeed.

“I’ve been through so much in my short life,” he continued. “I’m quite tired. I doubt anyone would complain if I were to take some leisure time for myself. What do you think, Baron? If you wish, you can use me as a male prostitute for the duration of my stay.”

“……”

And there was the pièce de résistance—stabbing at our weak point with deadly precision.

When he put things like that, we had no way to object. Just like him, we spent our days longing for the slow, easy life. Even the Lord Starsage was struck dumb. The prince was now in the same position as the sparrow—a refugee from the otherworld.

Incidentally, I wished he wouldn’t throw alarming vocabulary so casually into his statements like that.

“Hey, I feel like I just heard a rather strange turn of phrase,” remarked Ms. Futarishizuka.

“The prince has misunderstood something. Please don’t worry about it.”

And the way he was lying in bed wearing nothing but a sheet wasn’t helping. There was a strange eroticism to the scene. His eyes shifted away from me, then stopped on the bird perched atop my shoulder.

“I believe the one seated on your shoulder will agree with my proposal,” said the prince.

“Yes, I’m not surprised to hear you feel that way, Lewis.”

“After all, I do not have my brother’s strength for leading people.”

“Different times call for different qualities in a ruler. Perhaps you are not necessary right now, but in the future, the people may need someone like you who can piece together intricate schemes to destroy their enemies. It is arrogant to believe one can rule a country alone, and you would be wise not to entertain such ideas.”

“I am not worthy of your wise words.”

The distinguished Java sparrow, who had already insisted upon his retirement, proceeded to butter up his successor with a Starsage-like comment, thus cementing his own position. Though he often acted like he was above the affairs of humans, these little glimpses of his humanity always charmed me.

Meanwhile, Prince Lewis lowered his head with a sincerity I didn’t often see from him. He knew exactly who the bird was. But there was no helping that—we’d talked about all sorts of things in front of him, after all.

“Look at this stupid bird, all self-important,” muttered Ms. Futarishizuka. “Just watching him ticks me off.”

“I’m pretty sure you have a good guess as to why, Ms. Futarishizuka,” I pointed out.

“That’s no reason to get all formal now, though. In fact, it just makes me want to resist him even more.”

“Actually, I find your behavior rather refreshing. Better that than clumsy formality.”

“See? That’s what I’m talking about.”

I suspected Ms. Futarishizuka was trying to assert mild dominance over the Starsage to gain influence with the otherworld faction, Prince Lewis included. After all, if she started off by challenging the prince directly, she’d risk complicating her relationship with Lady Elsa and with me.

She’s amazingly good at knowing when and where to be discreet, I thought.

As expected, Prince Lewis’s next comment was an attempt to ascertain the nature of her relationship to the Starsage. “It seems the ties between you all are more chaotic than I first imagined.”

“It may appear that way from your point of view, sir. But please allow me to explain. Regarding your proposition, I am not the one taking care of Lady Elsa here. That would be her, the one who saved you.”

“…Ah. I see.”

I didn’t mind giving Ms. Futarishizuka a little boost here. I doubted Peeps would think badly of me for it, either.

She’d helped us a lot, including with this matter. That was probably why the Starsage had acted so uncharacteristically a moment ago and said something that would raise her position in the eyes of the prince. He must have realized exactly what she was trying to do and helped her out.

While they were constantly at odds with each other, they fell into step when their interests aligned—it was all very businesslike.

“My home may not be much compared to yours, Your Highness,” said Ms. Futarishizuka, “but please stay and relax for as long as you like.”

“I apologize for making you go to so much trouble,” replied the prince. “I promise I will not be idle all day. You may put me to work however you wish. Also, you can simply call me Lewis, for I have all but abandoned my kingdom.”

Ms. Futarishizuka had just given the green light to Prince Lewis’s stay as well.

Right about then, Lady Elsa asked me a question. “Sasaki, um… C-could I have a word?”

“What is it, Lady Elsa?”

“I know I’m just a freeloader, so I don’t want to be presumptuous. But what do you think of, um, splitting my tasks with him evenly? Otherwise, I would be happy to take on all of his work as well.”

From her point of view, Prince Lewis was a hero who had saved her nation, someone of much higher status than her. Considering House Müller’s position, she couldn’t simply disregard him. Lady Elsa was trying very hard, hoping to have a good report for the count when she next returned to the otherworld.

To be honest, this wasn’t a job for a girl in her mid-teens. The best thing for me to do was affirm everything she’d said in front of the prince.

“I see what you’re saying. I think that’s a good idea as well,” I said.

“You’re certainly an attractive man, so I’m sure there are plenty of things you could do,” added Ms. Futarishizuka.

At this, the prince seemed to take an interest in what the girl had said. “Elsa, what sort of job do you do in this land? I’d very much like to know.”

“W-with all due respect, Your Highness, I am something called a YouTuber.”

“A YouTuber?”

Oh my god, I thought. People from a fantasy world are talking formally about YouTubing. From my modern perspective, it was awfully surreal. It gave me the heebie-jeebies, but I endured it and kept listening as they continued.

“It is like a bard or a troubadour in our country, sir.”

“Then do you sing in front of the people?”

“Some sing songs, sir, but I am mainly a storyteller. I provide entertainment meant for the masses, which includes informing them of worldly affairs and trends, thus guiding the people in the proper direction. It is a very similar role.”

“Ah, I see.”

“A-as for you, sir, you would have otherwise taken the reins of our government, and—”

“Your consideration is unnecessary, Elsa. I’ve come to realize that I am not in a position to choose my own line of work. You needn’t worry about it. Otherwise, I would be throwing mud in the face of the one who saved me.”

Lady Elsa was very flustered as she tried her best to answer the prince’s questions. But in the end, he interrupted her and made himself clear. He was trying to be polite, if a little awkwardly.

“That aside,” he said, “with interpersonal relationships this chaotic, I must assume the mechanisms underlying this world are complex indeed.”

“Sir,” I said, “if you wouldn’t mind, I believe we should probably keep your origin a secret…”

“Ah, yes, that’s right.”

Peeps and I had explained this world to Lewis in advance while he was still in the prison cell beneath the castle. We were simply talking at him, but we’d gotten the bare minimum of cultural information across.

At the moment, I was very grateful that Miss Hoshizaki was away. If she’d been here, she would have barraged us all with questions. I wanted to keep the otherworld as secret as possible.

But just as I thought this, the biggest source of “chaos,” as the prince put it, came knocking.

“I have heard everything,” said Type Twelve.

The sliding door facing the yard opened with a light clatter. Naturally, everyone turned their attention toward the sound.

The first one to respond was the villa’s owner. “Oh. I thought you went back up into space.”

“Mother forgot something at Grandmother’s dwelling, so we returned in order to retrieve it. At that time, I overheard a scintillating conversation from inside the villa. In consideration of our future household affairs, I decided this was a matter of great importance.”

“Such sharp ears, as usual,” mused Ms. Futarishizuka.

As the alien had implied, I could see Miss Hoshizaki behind Type Twelve. Prince Lewis looked at them as well, no doubt wondering who they were.

Then, ignoring the man, Type Twelve entered the villa. Miss Hoshizaki followed behind her.

“The audio collection equipment installed in my terminals allows points of contact to pick up much more than human ears can, even during normal operation. Therefore, I must stress that overhearing your conversation does not violate family rules concerning private time.”

As usual, she was full of excuses. She was quite insistent that she hadn’t broken any of the fake family rules. She already had one mark on her record; one more would incur a punishment.

“Well, not like it matters much,” said Ms. Futarishizuka.

“I accept your affirmation, Grandmother.”

In response to my colleague’s approval, Type Twelve scampered over to us. She stopped beside Prince Lewis’s bed, looked at me, and continued speaking.

“Now then, Father, the youngest daughter implores you.”

Please don’t implore me, I thought. Nothing good ever comes from stuff like this.

“What are you imploring me about?”

“To listen to what I have to say.”

“If it’s just listening, then I don’t mind…”

“I would like to spread my wings in the world as a YouTuber.”

Her expression never changed. But I could sense a hint of glee in her choice of words. If this were a manga panel, she’d have a glinting light drawn next to her face.

“Forgive me for asking, but what brought all this on?”

“I decided that, from both an efficiency standpoint and a risk management standpoint, gaining small amounts of love from a large number of unspecified humans would cause the fewest problems. It would also prevent incidents like the one today. With this plan, I stand to gain much and lose little.”

“Oh, great,” said Ms. Futarishizuka. “She’s figured out the true meaning of love.”

“……”

Oh, this girl. What are we going to do with her?