Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 176

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Peter may be large and eat meat, but he’s unmistakably a rabbit. When displeased, he’ll thump his hind legs with vigor, and on good days, he sprawls out lazily in the hay pile.
As I rambled on about the typical behavior of rabbits while introducing Peter, the creature twitched his nose—apparently assessing Theodore. Then, without hesitation, he extended his tongue and licked the Crown Prince’s head. It seemed Peter had determined there was no darkness in his heart.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
“Please calm yourself. Peter is simply showing affection.”
“Affection? He licked me! That beast just tasted me!”
Tasted him? For someone of royal blood, he certainly had an unrefined way of expressing himself. Didn’t he understand animal grooming? Usually, creatures only groom those they favor or their masters—
“….”
Wait. Now that I think about it, isn’t it the opposite with rabbits? Could it be that this creature never saw me as his caretaker, but rather generously accepted me into his group?
Come to think of it, Peter has never licked Father, has he?
“….”
Oh no. Wait a moment. Have I been ranked below you this entire time? No wonder you’ve been interfering with everything I do.
“What is this? Does Rocksburg allow even the lowliest creatures in your care to harm the Royal Family?”
“He’s not Rocksburg’s. He’s Brown’s.”
“That’s correct, Your Highness. Peter is Peter Brown. We keep him at our home.”
“Brown or Rocksburg, what’s the difference!”
How could a servant and his master’s household be the same? I was about to point this out when Jack removed his gas mask entirely, his face flushed.
“That’s far too harsh! How could Brown possibly be the same as Rocksburg!”
“…You’re right. I spoke carelessly. I apologize.”
“Thank you!”
Are you two deliberately trying to irritate me? You can’t be serious, can you?
I felt the urge to shoot them both and was loading ammunition into my rifle when Capo stepped forward.
Consider yourself lucky, Theodore. If it weren’t for the princess’s marriage issue, that bullet would’ve grazed right past you.
Anyway, this rifle is quite heavy. Even though it’s a freshly tested product, it needs to be lightened. If I could get that fellow who made the office chair with polyurethane, I could probably have it manufactured in a lighter alloy instead.
Once the weight reduction succeeds, I’ll need to sell the technology to Bienar and Noctram. This is exciting—how much will this be worth?
This is why connections matter. If I hadn’t met that supplier through Luke, I never would’ve been able to plan this so smoothly. I would’ve been stuck just trying to find someone to make the alloy.
Blood relations, school ties, regional connections—they’re all invaluable. High status is even more invaluable. Nobility is the best. If I weren’t a noble, would Luke have so readily connected me with suppliers? Not a chance.
Father is the best. I think his greatest charm is that his profession is Duke.
“It’s been a long time. I apologize for my rudeness in Rohil, Your Highness Theodore.”
“…!”
Huh? Why is our Crown Prince staring at the princess with such wide eyes? Did something happen in Rohil after all? Could it be that my efforts at keeping them apart actually bore fruit? Even though the automatic return doll Rosalite Rocksburg Mark Two interfered, did some good chemistry develop between them?
“Duke’s Daughter of Rocksburg!”
“Y-yes!”
Why are you calling me so suddenly?
When he suddenly smiled and caught my attention, I answered loudly without thinking and looked at His Highness. Then Theodore, with his golden hair gleaming and that smiling face, raised his voice in anger.
“You must be the one who taught her such tricks! Is it that you want to eliminate me so badly!”
“Pardon?”
“More importantly, what about that creature clinging right behind you, who hasn’t greeted me or said a word since earlier and keeps burying his face in your back! Do something about it! It’s disgusting!”
Oh right, Leon was clinging to my back the whole time! He’d latched on so naturally, like a possum hugging a tree trunk, that I’d completely forgotten he was there.
“You see, when I came out this morning, Leon mentioned his condition had suddenly taken a turn for the worse. I obtained Lady Elizabeth’s permission and have been accompanying him—I hope the sight doesn’t trouble you too much.”
“And what does that have to do with not greeting the royal family?”
“Leon, His Highness is asking you to greet him.”
Good grief, our Leon certainly had a way with smooth words. Before he could be any more of a nuisance, I wished he’d just offer a quick greeting.
When I poked Leon in the ribs with my elbow, the stubborn fool apparently found it too bothersome to respond and merely gave a slight nod. His Highness erupting in fury was the natural consequence, and I smoothly took Leon’s side as I’d grown accustomed to doing.
“Ah, you see, he’s experienced quite shocking events recently and has become rather withdrawn. Please, Your Highness, show mercy and overlook it—after all, this inadequate fellow is also your loyal subject.”
“You’re just spouting whatever comes to mind. I don’t sense a shred of sincerity.”
“Your Highness is truly remarkable. The most brilliant mind in all of Aleine. How you see through everything so instantly.”
His Highness was so infuriated he actually dismounted to come kill me, but Capo desperately held him back. Violence and hatred leave nothing behind—what a foolish prince he was.
As I shook my head and urged my horse forward, the man, apparently reaching his limit of frustration, let out a roar and snatched Capo’s rifle from her hands.
What was it he said—that he’d come to check on me out of concern when I’d collapsed, and here I was showing ingratitude and whatnot… The eldest of only two princes in our nation was now holding the latest percussion cap rifle in the most absurd grip imaginable, and I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity.
Excuse me, but that rifle… you need to disengage the safety before you can pull the trigger. Keep your finger hooked there for a lifetime and not a single bullet will fire.
“Your Highness! This is dangerous! Please put it down!”
“That’s right! If you keep pulling like that and it explodes, only Your Highness will be injured!”
“Wait! Nimerunia doesn’t manufacture things so carelessly!”
“How can you trust Nimerunia’s mountains! Bienar doesn’t even use their gunpowder! Largol’s products are the only safe bet for quality!”
“You bastard! So everything you said before was a lie!”
“What the hell, you son of a—?!”
Good heavens, what a mess. If he didn’t look like that, you’d never believe he was truly the son of Duke Bienar. His temperament is absolutely choleric—touch him and he explodes like a firecracker. He’s not even a balsam flower.
Rather than let him shoot me, I left His Highness wedged between the princess and the Duke Bienar’s heir, mediating their quarrel, and urged my horse deeper into the hunting grounds with rapid hoofbeats.
Well, since I’m already out here, I might as well breathe in plenty of fresh air. Leon seemed perfectly content with our walk, and Peter, following behind, also appeared delighted to be out in the open expanse after so long.
Once we’ve made a full circuit of the hunting grounds, I’ll leave those people here and head to Spaland instead. This noise is unbearable.

◇ ◆ ◇

“Is this really a hunting ground?”
“….”
“There’s not a single animal here.”
“….”
“If you have a mouth, use it to speak.”
Stop asking me—I’m just as bewildered as you are.
After the commotion settled and everyone remembered our original purpose, we set out on our hunting expedition. Yet no matter how deep we ventured into the hunting grounds, there wasn’t the faintest trace of any creature.
Surely if everything was prepared, shouldn’t rabbits and deer be bounding about? Why can’t I hear even a single bird’s song?
“Is this a hunting party or a leisurely stroll?”
You’re just enjoying making me look foolish, aren’t you?
Theodore ridiculed the Rocksburg Hunting Grounds’ pitiful state while wearing an unusually radiant smile. That wasn’t his typical Crown Prince smile—this was the genuine smile of someone truly delighted.
“But isn’t it strange that we can’t hear even a single bird?”
Jack, you’ve made an excellent point. Exactly what I was thinking. Unless William swept away every last game animal, the complete absence of even small creature sounds is decidedly unnatural.
The hunting grounds’ oppressive silence troubled me deeply, so I was about to suggest we abandon this place and head to Spaland instead. It was then that a peculiar cry erupted from the previously silent forest.
“Squuuuuuaaaawk!”
“….”
“….”
“….”
“….”
“….”
What on earth was that cry? Why did it drain my courage and fill me with creeping dread? Could that be the reason we heard no bird songs until now?
“Duke’s Daughter of Rocksburg.”
“Yes, Crown Prince of Aleine.”
“What animal makes that sound?”
Who knows? What could it be? Since it went squuuuawk… In my opinion, perhaps….
“…a pheasant?”
“What nonsense.”
“Dogs bark with a woof, so they’re called dogs. Cats meow with a meow, so they’re called cats.”
“True enough.”
“Since it cries with a squuuawk, wouldn’t that make it a pheasant?”
“What nonsense.”
You’re right. That was quite ridiculous, wasn’t it? Hehe. Even I think so.
I decided to abandon my deflection and lowered my voice. Something was terribly wrong. This hunting ground unmistakably harbored an absurdly unnatural ecosystem. Tiny creatures nowhere to be seen, yet that bizarre cry echoing from dangerously close by. This was nothing short of a signal to flee the hunting grounds immediately.
“Compose yourselves and listen carefully. We must leave this place at once. Make as little noise as possible and retrace our steps back….”
“Shh. It’s already too late, little sister.”
What are you saying? It’s not too late. We’re not too late. Don’t dismount from your horse, sister! Why are you holding that rifle so menacingly? Why are you loading ammunition?! Let’s just flee. Why are you preparing to fight? You don’t battle colossal enemies! You run when you can!
“Stand back, Your Highness. I shall handle this.”
“That won’t do. What could you possibly accomplish alone?”
“In moments like these, it is the duty of a Princess of Nimerunia to stand her ground and protect others until the very end.”
Your words are incredibly gallant, and I understand His Highness is captivated by that charisma, but couldn’t we simply flee? We have our own horses, don’t we? They say horses are incredibly fast? If we do our best, we could escape.
“ROOOOAAARRR!”
Good grief, it really did come this close. Now it’s not just growling—it’s a full-throated roar!
It didn’t take long for the creature shrieking that sound to reveal itself. The brush rustled in the direction the young lady was aiming her gun, and soon a massive animal burst forth. That creature’s identity was….
“A bear!”
“To be precise, it’s a grizzly bear! A subspecies of brown bear, you see!”
Yeah, I’m grateful to have an animal expert around, this fellow!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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