Chapter 19 part 2

Let’s find out Bradd’s weakness!

Time to set out on a Bradd learning tour!

…but I am worried…he’s going to go too far.

When I mess things up, I don’t want others to see it either.

You can’t fool this woman’s eyes!

「Awwooo!」

I pointed out towards where Bradd went and urged.

「I guess there’s no way out of this…let’s go see him in secret.」

She looked a bit anxious, but she held me and we went off to see what Bradd was doing.

From the nursery on the second floor there was a corridor that led down a massive Y shaped staircase into the atrium saloon. You can see the garden beyond the massive windows. In the middle of that is the pond where that idiot Bradd almost drowned. It’s not artificial, but is just a bigger dug out area of the pond that was originally there, big enough that you can row a small boat around in.

Now the garden is desolate due to lack of care, but the little hills, paths, and plantings would have made it appropriate for a landscape painting back in the day. How much money would you spend on a painting for it now though? I guess water in the middle does make it look like a Romalian style painting though, right?

Originally, the guests that visited this residence would breathe in this massive entrance hall, climb the stairs and then look down on the magnificent saloon spread before them, gazing beyond into the carefully tended-to garden in the windows beyond. It probably was a praise-worthy sight.

Now, all the decorations of the saloon have been peeled away. A piteous sight.

No paintings. Poor furnishings. Some chairs and tables for servants. No balance on the left and right sides, and the furnishings all rattle with age.

It’s a wild spectacle when you let the gardens, lawns, and hedges grow however they want! It’s going back even farther than the old Romalian civilization, back into the primitive ages!

Father…do you want your guests to return home quickly?

If they visit such a mansion, they’ll sigh sadly, wondering if any other aristocrat would dare to visit.

In my previous 108 lives, my family was very wealthy. My dad rarely came to the house, but the servants were always busy and hustling about.

「Oh, there’s Bradd.」

His little maid skirt was flapping around a tree a little while from a terrace.

We sneaked down to the terrace from an exit beside the saloon.

We didn’t want Bradd to notice us, stop, and then disappear.

And Mary’s the only one holding me…but it’s fun peeping on him.

I was actually excited to see what was happening.

And Bradd seemed in a good mood too, so I think he’d forgive us.

「…it’s like a secret mission…kind of thrilling, mistress.」

Mary’s getting into this as well.

I forgot all about this, but Mary was quite curious as well.

「What are you doing, you two! I told you don’t come!」

Bradd was so focused on what he was doing, he hadn’t noticed us, he jumped and then shouted at us. His face was totally different.

I had never seen him so scared before.

「Go back to the mansion! There’s no time, dammit!」

He moved in a blur, so fast you couldn’t see him well.

「Don’t bite your tongues!」

「Waa?」

「Kyaaa!」

He jumped at us, grabbed us, and jumped with us into the building.

It was like being caught in a tornado.

Then there was a strange rumble. I saw what happened over Mary’s shoulder!

Where Bradd was standing was a pillar of fire that was big enough to engulf people.

It rose like a fountains while sparks flew upwards.

Then the tree in the center ignited and burned.

The trunk of the tree burned with a popping sound.

It was a close call. If Bradd hadn’t grabbed us, we would have been caught at least by the enormous heat.

The scattering sparks reached as far as the mansion and sizzled as it hit the walls.

I was horrified…this was a phenomenon that wasn’t an ordinary fire.

…it was a Romalian Flame Flower…

More like a flame thrower.

It terrified me because I had seen it times again during my 108 lives.

It was a secret explosive by the Lawless Crew.

It looks like a small amount of sand, but when triggered, it spews out flame and melts iron.

It’s made of iron powder and malachite, and was feared more than a massive warship.

Every country tried to reproduce it, but failed miserably.

Romalia once used these flames to burn and destroy ships and sailors.

It explodes when water is sprinkled on it, and burns armor like paper.

There’s no way to extinguish the fire…it burns like the flames of hell.

After Romalia was destroyed, the memory of its horrors still remained legendary.

People recall seeing ships burning like candle wicks on the ocean.

This is why the weapon is called the Romalian Flame Flower.

The Lawless Crew use it as a suicide attack.

When they are hunted down, the Flame Flower engulfs the pursuing forces and explodes.

Many of my own heavy armored men were burned beyond recognition.

It pains me to recall it.

And as I said, the thickest armor didn’t protect you.

The high heat boils whatever is inside the iron plating of armor, steaming flesh and skin inside.

No human can survive.

「Are you injured?! Either of you?!」

Bradd jumped up and asked us with wide open eyes.

Mary got back up and nodded, saying in a soft voice,

「Bradd…burning…」

「Whoa!」

Bradd looked down to see a ray of white smoke rising from his skirt and quickly patted out the burning spark.

In the center of the skirt was a burnt hole that pierced through the skirt. The sparks had burned through it easily.

「Aoaaahh!」

I was shaking. My vision was blurred.

I didn’t want him to go to such extremes.

That flame flower is a secret technique of his clan, after all…only allowed for suicide attacks.

It was banned as a weapon of aggression, so anyone using it so would not only be cast out but hunted down by the clan.

And Bradd was no exception.

It seems that Bradd was prepared to throw his own life away, even though we just met.

「Stop that face, munchkin…don’t cry. I didn’t want to scare you.」

Bradd said smiling and looking at my face.

No…

I’m not crying because of fear.

I reached out my little hands and grabbed onto Bradd’s hair with a pull.

I pulled and cried out.

It’s so frustrating that I still can’t use words.

Hey, I’ve only known you for 2 weeks, but I’ve talked to you many times in my 108 lives, and I know what kind of person you are.

I’m your enemy, but I know who you really are.

Whenever you sacrifice yourself, you act like nothing’s going to happen so no one will know.

You’re too nice of a guy!

When the other four heroes were attacked, you always tried to attract the enemies away so they’d escape.

You’d get far away, make sure they were okay, and then breathe a sigh of relief.

And now you’re trying to still carry everything on your back again.

Trying to protect us, even with the cruelest means.

You think that I’m going to be happy?

Have you even thought about all the feelings about what you did?!

So I grabbed and messed up his hair.

But Bradd, using the heart-stopping technique, did alert the Shylock’s men about the fact that he was a member of the Lawless Crew.

Even so, there are two types of enemies that never stop attacking you.

A fool that doesn’t understand his strength, and a powerful person that will use all their strength.

「You read my thoughts? Who are you really? Are you…」

He looked at me with surprise, but seriously.

「I guess there’s no hiding it. I have a bad feeling about this…it’s been too long since a Shylock’s attack, and the next enemy might be stronger than me. I never mistake a feeling like this.」

Shylock would try to settle this “problem” I caused, before my father found I was born.

The reason why they’re taking so long to attack is that they’re sure the method they will use next will absolutely work.

So Bradd’s probably right.

Bradd’s thinking worse-case-scenario.

In the case it really becomes an emergency, he’ll attack that enemy and sacrifice himself.

「I won’t lose – don’t look so worried.」

Even when you’re planning to blow yourself up?!

You numbskull!

Why am I this powerless baby in this important time?!

If I were an adult, I could at least protect myself!

And I’m the problem, the reason for this all.

If I could at least talk!

「Even though I always call you a monkey, I know you’re going to be a beautiful and gentle princess.」

Bradd untied the ribbon on his head as he gently pulled my hand from his hair.

He then took the ribbon and folded it, and tied it around my own head.

「I can guarantee it. I never miss this type of premonition.」

He was a kind kid, and now he wasn’t teasing me anymore.

This is who he truly is.

And he took my hand, knelt, and kissed the back of my hand.

Then he looked up and grinned…I could almost see the adult Bradd there.

「Fighting for the princess is the true soul of a man. You must bless me as you would a knight. I swear that I won’t use such an attack as that flame flower unless absolutely necessary. I’ll use my own strength to fight as long as I have it.」

Then he winked at me mischievously.

「…mistress…」

Mary tried to prompt me.

I wiped my tears and nodded to him.

「owwaahh oaahhh wahhhoo」

Your loyalty had been duly noted.

May God bless your noble soul and I entrust my future to you.

…but I can’t say so in this damn baby language!

Did he understand me?

「…I see, mistress, leave it to me.」

He understood!

Bradd stands up, and in the back lighting of the garden, he suddenly looked bigger and more dependable.

He wasn’t a 10 year old boy now, but like an adult, laughing in the sun.

The only thing that messed the whole scene up was that damn maid outfit.

「And I’m pretty sure I can win with my own strength.」

He said with powerful conviction.

It wasn’t something that calmed him either, now he was devoted to defeating the enemy, and he added,

「Your mother, Cornelia is much stronger than you think. The Skylocks have no idea…which is another joker in the deck.」

He said with a grin.

Mary looked at me, and I looked at her.

I was familiar with my mother’s archery skills.

Still it’s pretty hard to believe that someone like Bradd, the eldest son of the Lawless Crew would mention it.

But he had said it.

And when I visited her later, I was reminded that Bradd’s opinion was correct.