She’s That Knight Known As Zero - Chapter 238

“Here you go,” Kaoru handed Akira a cooked fish as he took one for himself.

They are currently in a middle of a forest, on their way to Hesperian Kingdom. They had been travelling for more than a day already. They would only stop twice a day. One was for lunch and the next would be for them to set up a place for them to sleep at night.

Currently it is already the second night.

“Do you think the king already found out?” Akira asked after accepting the fish Kaoru was giving her.

“You left a letter, of course he already knew about it,” Kaoru once again pouted.

He didn’t want his brother to know, that is why he didn’t leave anything. But after half a day of their journey, Akira told him that she left a letter for her brother.

“You looked like you were wishing you didn’t bring me,” Akira once again asked in amus.e.m.e.nt as she looked at Kaoru’s face.

Kaoru just threw her a sharp look before he munched on the fish in his hand. He was the one doing the hunting and building the fire, he was also the one building up a tent for the two of them. Of course they each brought their own sleeping bags.

In reality he still couldn’t get used to it, even last night, he didn’t get that much sleep knowing that a woman was beside him.

“Then why did you bring me along?” he returned to his senses when Akira asked.

‘How am I supposed to leave behind my wife? If Eureka finds out about it she would surely roast me alive,’ he grumbled to himself without answering her. He once again just gave her a sharp look.

Seeing him acting so childishly, Akira couldn’t help but to laugh out. Surely it must be because of his niece once again. Despite her not being here, he still couldn’t help but to follow her.

Akira smiled as she looked up at the starry sky, as she silently thank Eureka for this wonderful opportunity, to be able to spend more time with Kaoru. And it’s just the two of them at that.

“But seriously, why the sudden decision?” Akira looked back to Kaoru as he placed more branches to keep the fire going.

He played with one branch as he organized his words before replying to her.

“Ever since I was a child, I was already thought the difference between the nobles and the commoners. It may not be my father or brother but the other people surrounding me. But as I became the headmaster, as I slowly watched the students, noble or not. I thought about it, what difference? All were a living being, all are working their hardest as they struggle with the ups and downs of life.”

“As I study deeper the things regarding ruling a kingdom and the corresponding duties and responsibilities. I suddenly thought, most of it were pointing towards the nobles, only a few were focused on the poor. Indeed those nobles could support their king but aren’t the poor have equal support as well?”

“Then I remembered how Eureka taught my brother to be a father, not just to his family but the people as well. He told me about it, their time in Archic,” he kept talking as he look at Akira.

“So why not? Why can’t I understand the lowest part of the kingdom first before I understand the ones above?”

He then scratch the back of his head as he asked somewhat in a shy manner, “Was that a bit too much?”

Akira looked at him intently before she smiled, “No, what you thought was just right. Indeed we can do just that, I’ll support you all through out.”

Kaoru smiled back before he clapped his hand, “That’s right, I’ve brought with me some ground coffee. I also have a pot to cook it, do you want some? No wonder I have been feeling like I’m missing something yesterday.”

As he kept talking he stood up and walked towards his stuffs. His jolly attitude returned as if the serious person Akira was talking with a while ago was just an illusion.

She couldn’t help but to shake her head as she smiled, ‘Maybe just maybe. He will become a better king than his father and brother. He was just a bit different.”

*****

“Do you think he will be alright on his own?” Yukimura couldn’t help but ask Akihiro worriedly.

It was already late in the night. The whole group are in a bar once again. This bar was their usual one so the owner were no longer shock that even the king was there.

Akihiro, Yukimura, Teiji, Genjiro, Ryosuke, Kohei and finally, Leo, were together. This was in celebration of Leo’s return to the kingdom.

Akihiro smiled as he drank from his cup, “In reality, Kaoru was a better choice to be the king than I am.”

The other five looked at each other before looking at Akihiro in confusion.

“He was someone who looks at everything from different perspective, compared to me who would lose sight of one side as I focus on another, he would always leave a part of his attention in every side. If he was not rebellious back then he could have been chosen as the king of this kingdom.”

“Is that the reason why you chose him to be the candidate for the Hesperian throne?”

“I’ve seen his potential from way back. Plus I can’t just push those young people for such a sudden big responsibility. He is my only choice and I trust him, I trust his potential and judgement.”

The others shrugged upon hearing his explanation, Akihiro had always been good at seeing the potential of people, maybe that is why he was chosen as well. His only down side would be his kindness that sometimes was over the line already.

“How about on your side?” Ryosuke then changed the topic and asked Leo.

“Don’t ask. I never thought that the almost 20 year gap of my disappearance from the kingdom is so drastic. A simple duel with my daughter didn’t even last five minutes. I was utterly defeated,” Leo sighed upon remembering how he was utterly defeated by Azusa.

During the morning he was busy helping out all through out the kingdom. People were even shocked to see him, he could only smile unsurely as he explain to them.

During his lunch break, he chance upon his daughter. Well she was not as aloof towards him like he had expected but she had ruthlessly informed him that she had brainwashed her mother to make it specially hard for him.

He then asked her for a sparring, the first time after so long. Azusa, of course agreed willingly, it’s just he didn’t expect for her to be so strong. To top it of, she was using only one sword.

“No father, you are just a bit rusty. Must be because you haven’t used your own body for so long. The way you raised your sword and attack was much much slower than before. I can clearly see all your weak spots.”

He couldn’t help but to receive a real hard blow after hearing his daughter’s remark. Just because her last sentence was something he said back when she was just a child.

Yukimura suddenly laughed, “I’ve heard about it, how you were ruthlessly defeated by Azusa. I wish I’ve seen that.”

Leo looked at him sharply after what he had said. But Yukimura didn’t stop and started telling everything to their other friends.

Soon their table was filled with laughter.

“Who would have thought, our friend who was so proud of his speed was called slow by none other than his daughter whom he was training in the past,” Ryosuke remarked as another round of laughing errupted.

Leo could only begrudgingly drink his beer, he couldn’t come up with any retort.

“Anyway, you really can’t do anything about that. Your daughter was taught by someone who emphasized physical capabilities instead of magical abilities after all. To add to that, she could be deemed as the strongest swords woman up to date,” after having his fill, Yukimura finally said seriously.

“That’s right, that’s right don’t be too down. Even we couldn’t keep up with our children. I must say your daughter have really prepared them quite well,” Kohei continued before looking at Akihiro.

Akihiro couldn’t help but to have a smug look in his face. He was clearly proud of his daughter.

“So she really was a great person, do you have a portrait of her? I really haven’t seen how she looks at all,” Leo commented upon hearing all this.

He became somehow proud for his daughter as well. She was after all trained by none other than the hero of the world.

“Here,” hearing this, Akihiro readily pulled out a small portrtait from the chest pocket of his shirt.

It was also a complete portrait with the colors and all clearly depicting Eureka’s look.

The others couldn’t help but to smile upon seeing this, Akihiro truly is proud of this daughter of his.

Leo took the portrait and looked at it intently, after a moment, he looked up, “Indeed she looks like someone who can save anyone as long as she wants. She got both your and Haruka’s look.”