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✦ Endo & Kobayashi ✦

Chapter 2

Ignoring Liselotte, who didn’t know what was happening, I pulled her close to me and…

… Planted a deep kiss.

That said, it was just on the cheek.

“…Well, is that satisfactory, Coebyashay?”

Of course, I refrained from impulsively stealing a kiss from her lips. Since I wasn’t told specifically how to kiss her, I supposed that should be alright.

《 There…! 》

After a moment of silence, during which I pondered just how soft Liselotte’s cheek had been, the voice of Cobeyashay pierced through the quiet. Under my palm, Liselotte’s cheek was growing hotter by the second. Looking back at her, they had grown a bright shade of red. Tears were welling in the corners of her eyes. Her entire body seemed like it was trembling.

Just who is this cute creature?

《 THEREITISTHEREITIS! THERE! IT! IS!! 》

Suddenly, Cobeyashay’s voice turned into a shockingly loud shout.

《 C-Calm down, Kobayashi! 》

《 How?! Could?! I?! Because! Sieg and Lize just…!! Smooch! Even if it’s just on the cheek! Smooch! The smooch!! Lize’s so cute!! Oh gosh, having seen this, I’d be fine dying right now…! 》

《 Please don’t! I’m not sure why at all, but it seems like he really can hear our voices, right? In that case, why don’t we do our best to help Sieg avoid the final boss and the witch and stuff? Let’s do our best doing that, okay?! So stop smacking me on the back, okay?! 》

《 …That’s it! 》

As Cobeyashay shouted, the two venerable Gods began to hold a conversation I could barely comprehend. Not wanting to rudely interrupt the two deities, I waited quietly. When they talked about Liselotte being ‘cute’, however, I couldn’t help but agree.

Usually, Liselotte was as stubborn as a mule, and headstrong to boot. ‘I am the fiancée of the Crown Prince, Siegward’. Regardless of how many people would approach her and comment on her beauty at social occasions, she would tell them that line and coldly brush them aside with a glare, so it was hard for me to even consider believing that the same girl would turn completely red and speechless from having simply been kissed on the cheek.

Just what happened to her usually brusque attitude?

I was prepared for a scowl that reached below zero temperatures for what I just did. Instead, her whole face was… No, even her neck and ears were completely red.

Just how red can one person be?

《 Ahem. 》

As I was standing, fascinated by Liselotte’s face, the Goddess coughed loudly.

Oh, are they finished talking?

I took my hand off Liselotte’s cheek and attempted to straighten myself.

《 Umm, well, for the time being, even if we don’t really understand what’s going on with being called Gods and such, we’ll just go with it. 》

Thus declared Cobeyashay. Looking towards the heavens where she must dwell, I nodded in response. Such is the will of the Gods.

《 I know the scenarios that… Um, that is to say, what shall befall the country, centered on this academy. 》

As expected of a Goddess.

《 Umm, but it would be sort of spoiling things if I suddenly said everything, and even if I told you everything right now, it really wouldn’t make any sense to you… Moreover, I still want to keep our club practice going, so with that being said, from now on, we will continue providing play-by-play and color commentary!! 》

All I could do was stand in silent confusion as Coebayashay ordered an entirely incomprehensible commandment.

Play-by-play and… color commentary…?

《 Umm, I’m, uh, I mean, my name is Endo, I handle the play-by-play. 》

《 My name is Kobayashi, the color commentator. 》

The Gods officially named themselves Endow of the Play-by-Play and Coebayashay of the Color Commentary. I inscribed their names upon my heart.

Ah, I should write it down too. I need a pen and paper… Does anyone have…? Ah, I can use Finné’s. She had some, right? I’ll borrow her notebook… Wait, when did she sit back down on the bench?

《 We’ll be commentating on the events that are coming up, and most of all about Lize’s-… Err, I mean, Liselotte’s feelings. I’ll be giving a detailed commentary on them. Ah jeez, it feels like I’m going crazy by talking to myself like this, but anyways… Sieg, just listen and think carefully, and this should all work out. It feels weird talking to someone in a different world, too. What’s more, Sieg, you’ve been kind of out of character for a while now, so it’s fine if you don’t talk to us. Instead, you can just listen to what we say instead. Does that work? 》

Out of character…?

As I looked back at Liselotte and Finné with the Goddess’ words in mind, I could see that both of them were staring at me with worry evident on their faces.

Ahh, right, even though I was technically talking to Gods, Liselotte and Finné could only hear my voice.

I must have seemed insane. To all of the onlookers, it must have looked like I’d made a brilliant transformation into a madman. It wasn’t just those two either; nobody outside of the royal family can hear the Voice of God. Talking to gods in public might cause some troublesome misunderstandings. ‘Just listen’… I had my reservations about how discourteous it was to ignore the Gods, but their proposal was a great relief to me all the same.

“…Thank you very much for your benevolence.”

With a final word to the heavens, I bowed deeply once more and turned back to Liselotte and Finné.

That’s right, I was supposed to be in the middle of a conversation with the two in the first place.

《 Do your best, Sieg! Don’t give in, Sieg! As Sieg returns to this tense situation, will he be able to safely overcome this difficult event…?! 》

《 Since Liselotte has already become well-boiled after what just occurred, is it possible? It would be nice if all three of them were able to study peacefully together. 》

That would be nice.

I agreed with Coebayashay’s statement, but I refrained from vocalizing it. With her face still flushed as red as it was when I kissed her cheek, Liselotte was absent-mindedly playing with her loosely curled hair. The fire with which she had strode into the courtyard was completely gone.

I didn’t really understand what Endow meant by event, but it’s clear that this situation would have played out completely differently if it wasn’t for the intervention of the Gods.

“I’ve already finished receiving the commandments of the Gods. Now, why don’t the three of us study together? Liselotte, you should join us too.”

Trying to bring the two confused girls to their senses, I beckoned towards the bench, taking the dazed Liselotte’s hand to gently sit her down. We sat down with Liselotte in the middle, Finné on her left, and me on her right.

It seemed like Liselotte didn’t have the energy to go after Finné like she had before. However, even if she sat awkwardly at first, it didn’t take long for Liselotte to regain her elegant posture while Finné smiled bashfully in her direction.

Then I guess this seating arrangement is fine?

If I had sat next to Finné myself, it might cause Liselotte’s pride to flare up again. What’s more, it could cause some malicious onlookers to spread rumors.

“Now then, Finné, which parts didn’t you understand?”

Finné had looked a little relieved that the discussion about the Gods was over, but now she flicked through the textbook hurriedly, her expression slightly confused. It seemed like the place that she was tripping over was, in fact, the very fundamentals of magic. 

Most of the students in the Academy would have already studied them before attending school. But, as a commoner without a family name to call her own, they were hardly something she could be expected to know.

“Oh, oh my, you do not even know this much?”

Turning towards Finné, Liselotte said that as if she were looking down on her. Although having said that, she was leaning in closer to her, as if she intended to start teaching.

“It can’t be helped if she never really had the opportunity to learn.”

But in order to help teach Finné myself from where I sat, I had no choice but to lean over Liselotte to point out things in the book.

“When it comes to this part…”

As I began to talk to Finné about the contents of the book, I was conscious that as I leaned past Liselotte, I was but a hair’s breadth away from touching her back.

Gulp.

She must have been aware of it too, as her back stiffened up whilst her neck, ears, and no doubt the face that I couldn’t see were shining in a brilliant shade of red that I could only describe as ‘cute’. I realized that there were a number of things I could get away with and play off as accidental.

Should I let a little bit of my breath tickle those flushed ears? Or should I brush down her shoulder through her back with my fingers? Actually, even if I hugged her suddenly from behind, that would be fine, right…?

Seeing for my own two eyes the wisdom freely imparted by the Gods that ‘Liselotte is a Soon d’Rey and actually likes you’ was a divine truth that filled me with a deep and indescribable joy.

As I kept teaching in a happy mood, Liselotte looked flustered and confused by my sudden change in attitude. Meanwhile, Finné could barely suppress her smile as she looked at us. It seemed like the Goddess Coebayashay forgot to provide commentary, as the God Endow cried out, 

《 Ouch ouch ouch, s-stop it, Kobayashi…! 》

…Just what could have been transpiring up in their heavenly kingdom?

Please let me know if there’s anything inconsistent or that needs further editing/corrections!!

-emrld

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