『Side Story』The Young Empress Silvia's Feelings

The Preceding Hero that appeared in the fight at the Glard Wastelands.
One week after news of the Hero’s second coming was dispatched around the world, each of the world’s principal countries’ leaders assembled in front of a single mirror.

『Henceforth, the summit meeting begins.』

The beauty that had tied her lovely silver thread-like hair into a bundle, declared such in front of all the members present, which surpassed 20 in number. It’s Sylvia.

『First of all, this is about the beginning topic but………I would like to explain what this is all about.』

Not in armor, but wearing a beautiful sky blue dress, Sylvia pulled out a single sheet of paper from the bundle of hair she had in her hand, and thrust it out before her.

On that paper, it was the Preceding Hero………in other words, Yashiro Yuu, but, it was a signature requesting his whereabouts.

No, it wasn’t requesting anything at all. That signature was, alluding to having him handed over.

「The Previous Hero had put a close to his duty, he became free. The recent case was of his own free will and we, Leezelion, did not employ him.」

Even while her voice was shaking in anger, on the surface, she, who behaved as if she were serenity itself, tore up the petition and threw it away.

「Therefore, even if you show, hand over, demand, or threaten with something such as this, for us of Leezelion, a reply that answers to such does not exist. ……I would like to move onto the next topic but…」

With conduct as if she were fascinated by something, Sylvia sat in her chair. There was someone that interrupted her words.

『Excuse me. ……May I speak?』

Wearing ornaments such as gaudy jewels on his growing fat, ugly body, this man…the Holy Ulquiorra Religious Organization’s Cardinal inquired while a grinning smile surfaced upon his face.

『……Cardinal Greneil. ……What could it be? Please keep it short.』

Even after having received Sylvia’s oppressive attitude that was filled with provocation, Cardinal Greneil’s obscene smile didn’t break. No, that smile transformed into something even more disgusting.

It was as if it were saying…that he was glad to be alive.

While Sylvia felt an intent to kill for the vulgar thoughts that filled that facial expression, she kept it down to only a glare.

In an official location, one needed to pay close attention to what one says.

Letting out words to their hearts’ content or as they were was something one shouldn’t do.

(Jeez, Yuu…I really envy you………I also wanted to live similar to how you are now.)

Being the ruler she was, she smiled bitterly while thinking of the man that was the exact opposite of herself, and in the next moment, as if she had frozen over, she put on a cold expression.

『Your Highness has quite a deep opinion -nano desu yo. As for us, we only wish to express words of gratitude and praise to the heroes[1] -nano desu yo.』

The Holy Ulquiorra Religious Organization’s Cardinal Greneil said such without even standing up.
That attitude goes without saying, but Sylvia went into a rage in her mind at Greneil’s one point.

(Hero, you say!? You, the bastard that concluded that Yuu was God’s enemy and returned to that seat, have gratitude for Yuu? Praise, you say!?)

Greneil had once lost his position in the organization before, but it's not that he received any punishment.
Having lost his position, on top of immediately spending the enormous treasure that he stored in his savings just like that unseemly body of his on obtaining the support of various countries, he scattered a clamor throughout the world that he lost his position due to the Hero that had fallen to being God's enemy.

For those various countries as well, having those officials be exposed is a bad thing……that weakness is probably in his grasp. Because of those supporting him, in a flash, he returned to being Cardinal.

『Of course, if he were to show his appearance in front of us in an official location, as a reward, the Religious Organization would also revoke the recognition of him being 『God's Enemy』. And I'm sure that even his preaching of befriending the sub-humans was due to his broad-mindedness.』

The sub-humans that Greneil mentioned was about the distrusted races such as Centaurs and Arachne that, while possessing a high-level of intelligence, had a body structure that greatly differed from humans in a different way from the Elf species.
(Although, he did despise even the Elf species that had an extremely close appearance to that of a person's as an inferior species.)
In the Holy Ulquiorra Faith, 『humans』 are the greatest race, and the sub-humans whose appearance was greatly different from the humans became the targets of disdain and scorn.

Three years ago, Yuu had come to know of the existence of those that persecuted others just for having an appearance that was said to have greatly differed from that of a human's, and marched into the religious organization.

―――If it has a heart that is that of a person's, that is a "person".―――

These were the words that the man who put that spirit on the line and fought, even after he despaired at people's unsightliness, and yet, loved the people that eagerly lived through the present, had said.

These are the words the man that protected the world for the sake of those that possess a heart that has sympathy, even if they didn't have the shape of a human or love people kept saying.

―――Something like a God that sees someone become unfortunate and stays silent about it, I won't allow it. I won't recognize them!―――

Not only his ideology, even his words would be enough evidence to make him God's enemy, but even so, Yuu would probably accept being God's enemy.

And yet, this guy………Just how far must this man mock people until he's satisfied!!

『Speaking freely. ……Before that, the situation of labeling the "hero" that drove the Demon Lord into a corner to the point of sealing him as God's enemy was a mistake!』

She released an angry voice that was similar to a shout that couldn't restrain itself at the Cardinal.
Howevern, the Cardinal deepened that smile, and continued.

『Certainly, he had driven him into a corner. But, however, the one that "sealed" him was the one that was your elder sister and as well as the one that we of the Holy Ulquiorra Faith regarded as God's shrine maiden, the 『Amatel』.
I've heard that 『Saint Olivia』-sama's life was placed on the line due to dedication but………』

『……What, are you trying to say………!!』

Sylvia felt a deep anger boiling up from inside her heart.

『This is only an assumption but……Couldn't it be that the Preceding Hero-dono, became scared of "dying", and survived by sacrificing our holy Saint-sama? ……that is how we, the Holy Ulquiorra Religious Organization think of it -no desu.』

『You little……っ!!』

A flame flared up from Sylvia's arm. Having a spirit of flames as an ancestor, she had the potential to have the power to freely manipulate flames, so there were times when flames would leak out from her excited emotions……however, the flames that should have been under control by her emotions, had manifested from an anger that had not been like this in these past three years.

『Defeating the Demon Lord is the Hero's mission! Despite this, the reality is that Saint-sama died, and it ended with only going to "the extent of sealing" him. ……We, the Holy Ulquiorra Religious Organization, did not have a hard time arriving to that idea.

But, in the recent fight in the Glard Wasteland, he once again fought for humanity's sake, and brought victory to mankind! Reviewing the previous idea, we were led to change the idea to that there was "some kind of reason" -no desu.
Therefore, we would like to give him gratitude and praise -no desu.』

◇

「Your Highness.」

「!……」

From the words of her retainer that had called out to her, Sylvia's consciousness floated back up from the sea of thought that she was immersed in.

「Sorry Leo. I was doing a bit of thinking.」

Two days after the summit meeting, Sylvia was at the victory party held in Luxeria.

Starting with Luxeria, Valanshel, and Leezelion, various countries' leaders were assembled.
Sylvia was sitting in one of the prepared chairs in a corner of the hall that the party was taking place in, and was recalling the matter from a few days ago.

「It was about him…about Yuu, wasn't it?」

Showing a tender smile that would make someone fall in love with him if it were anyone else of the opposite sex, Leonhart said such.

「…………Of all things, for that to be the sure conclusion.」

「So you don't deny it.」

Leo specified the cause while making a smile.

……This guy, he's having fun, isn't he?

Leonhart has always kept a smile. However, he was a slight sadist that liked to tease people.
He could be called a pervert of a different vector from Yuu in that he liked the troubled faces of women.

「……Of, course. ……I'm always, thinking of Yuu.」

「Oya……Fufu, even the princess――No, even Her Highness is growing up.」

As a coping method for times like this, he'll say anything and everything.
Seeing that figure of his that makes people confused made her happy.

「……However, the skin of those cheeks that are as white as new snow are becoming as red as an apple from the shyness, you know?」

「Wha!?」

Touching her cheeks with her hand, it was probably as he said. Her cheeks are hot.

「,………」

Leo, who was looking at her and smiling, had in an instant put on a serious expression and stood in front of Sylvia.

「Oya, current one. ……Do you have some business with Her Highness?」

Beyond Leonhart's back, Sylvia saw the appearance of a black haired young man.

「Ah……No, that is……to, greet」

The young man that was wearing a coat he was not accustomed to and looking rigid……it was the current Hero.

Translator’s Notes:
[1] Here he uses “eiyuu” rather than the usual “yuusha” for the word hero. The difference is that “eiyuu” can be just a great person while “yuusha” is a man of valor. For past and future reference, "yuusha" will have a capital "H" while "eiyuu" will have a lower case "h".