ISEKAI SMARTPHONE DAYS: The Wives' Meeting Is Peaceful (?) Again Today
One bored sovereign lord. One mischievous goddess. One runaway puppy that shatters windows with a single bark.
It's an ordinary weekday afternoon in the Duchy of Brunhild, and Mochizuki Touya—its sovereign lord, wielder of the smartphone, fiancé to nine women who run the country better than he does—has nothing to do but stare at the ceiling and complain about being bored. The Wives' Council is handling governance. The Selene River is babbling peacefully. All is well.
Then his older sister text
ISEKAI SMARTPHONE DAYS: The Wives' Meeting Is Peaceful (?) Again Today - Landslide Tragedy! Yaegashi's Injury and Touya's Resolve
Morning light spilled through the cracked window.
Footsteps on the training ground's dirt echoed heavier than usual.
"...This is bad."
A broken sword lay at Touya's feet.
No—not just broken.
The blade had crumbled into gray powder.
When he touched it, it crumbled further, leaving only a cold, sand-like sensation on his fingertips.
The wooden training swords, the spears, the shields.
All of them, rotted to pieces.
"So that little pup came through here."
Yumina's mismatched eyes—emerald on the left, sapphire on the right—gazed at the wreckage of weapons scattered across the ground, glittering in the morning sun.
"Damn it. Was the Phrase-material armory untouched?"
"Yes. It seems the divine power had no effect on that special material."
"I see... That's a relief."
Touya let out a breath of relief.
But the state of the training ground was devastating.
Soldiers stood frozen in place.
The weapons in their hands had suddenly turned to ash.
Small wonder.
"Th-that dog... it wasn't just a dog...!"
"My sword... my family's sword, passed down three generations...!"
"Quiet! You stand before His Highness the Archduke!"
A sharp voice rang across the training ground.
With golden hair flowing behind her, Hildegard stepped forward.
First Princess of the Kingdom of Restia, and captain of the Archduke's personal guard.
At the sight of her, the soldiers straightened their backs.
"...Your Highness. This incident is entirely my responsibility."
Hildegard dropped to one knee before Touya.
"If only I had noticed that pup's intrusion last night... I allowed the soldiers' weapons to be damaged to this extent."
"Lift your head, Hildegard."
Touya placed a hand on her shoulder.
"This isn't your fault. That thing is something even we can't catch when we chase it. If it sneaks in at night, no one could stop it."
"But...!"
"Besides, you've never once skipped your patrols of the training ground. I know you look after the soldiers until late every night. That pup was just too good at slipping past your eyes."
Hildegard bit her lip.
Frustration and Touya's kindness mixed together in her chest.
"...Your Highness, why are you so kind?"
"Hm? I'm not trying to be kind, particularly. Well—we'll figure something out."
Touya gave a light laugh.
Seeing that smile, Hildegard let out a small sigh.
She couldn't win against this man.
She thought so, from the bottom of her heart.
"So, where did that pup go?"
"The tracks lead out through the east gate. Most likely, into the mountain paths of the Varna Range."
"The mountains... That's troublesome."
Touya pictured the rugged peaks.
The Varna Range.
A massive mountain chain surrounding the Duchy of Brunhild.
The highest peak stood at thirty-two hundred meters.
Only three passes.
Closed in winter.
It was still autumn.
But mountain weather was fickle.
"We'll chase it. This time, we'll catch it for certain."
"Yeah. Let's all go. I'll call for Yae and Linze too."
"I'm coming as well."
"Yeah, please do."
Touya nodded firmly.
—The mountain paths of the Varna Range were harsher than expected.
Jagged rocks littered the way, and the narrow trail wound on like a serpent.
On one side, a sheer cliff.
A fall would not end well.
"Please watch your footing."
Yumina gazed ahead with her mismatched eyes.
The Mystic Eye of Discernment.
The power to see through the essence of things.
She was tracking the traces of divine power the pup had left behind.
"There's residue of divine power behind that rock over there... Ah, it's gone."
"That little bastard, darting around everywhere!"
Silver hair swaying, Elze clenched her fist.
"Elze, don't charge in alone. If a rockslide hits, we're in trouble."
"I know. But when we find it, it's getting one punch from me!"
"Elze, calm down. Touya's right."
Elze's twin sister, Linze, tugged at her sister's sleeve.
Silver short hair, and gentle blue eyes.
"This one shall try sensing its presence as well."
Black ponytail swaying, Yae closed her eyes.
Hand on her katana, she quietly searched for the presence.
"...There's a small presence on the ridge over there."
"Alright, let's go. Stay careful."
Touya and the others started toward the ridge.
The mountain air was cold and clear.
Small stones crunched underfoot.
"Ah! There it is!"
Where Elze pointed, a white pup stood.
Its fluffy fur bristled, and it stared back at them.
"Grrrrrr..."
"This time, we're catching it!"
Touya took a step forward—and that was when it happened.
The pup opened its mouth wide.
"Woof!!"
In that instant, the air trembled.
BOOOOM!!
The rocks above the cliff began to crumble with a roar.
"What!?"
"It's a rockslide!"
"Damn it, that dog used its divine power to weaken the rocks!"
Massive boulders came tumbling down one after another.
"Everyone, get down!"
Yae's shout.
But Touya's legs wouldn't move, as if glued to the ground.
(Oh no, my legs... Is this the divine power's effect!?)
"Touya-dono!"
Yae leaped toward Touya.
Her body shoved him out of the way.
In that instant, a massive boulder crashed down on Yae's leg.
THUD!!
"Gah...!"
Yae's agonized cry echoed through the mountains.
"Yae!!"
Still on the ground, Touya tried to rush to her.
But his legs wouldn't move.
"Damn it... Move... Move!!"
"Touya, don't push yourself! I'll go!"
Linze ran to Yae's side.
"Yae! Stay with me!"
"...I'm... all right."
Yae smiled bravely.
But her face was twisted with pain.
Blood flowed from the leg pinned beneath the rock.
"I'll move the rock now!"
Elze put her hands on the boulder.
Using 【Boost】 to strengthen her body, she lifted with all her might.
"Ngh... It's heavy...!"
"I'll help too!"
Hildegard added her hands to the rock.
With the two of them together, the boulder finally lifted.
Linze quickly pulled Yae free.
"I'll cast healing magic now...!"
Linze's hands were wrapped in a pale light.
Fire, water, and light—three-attribute magic.
The light attribute among them began healing the wound on Yae's leg.
"...The bone isn't broken. But it was close..."
Linze's face was pale.
"Yae, it hurts, doesn't it... I'm sorry, I should have gotten here faster..."
"Linze-dono, please don't apologize. I am all right."
Yae grasped Linze's hand.
That hand was cold, and trembling.
"...Yae."
Now that his legs finally moved, Touya walked to Yae's side.
"You took that hit for me... You got hurt because of me."
"Touya-dono... I simply wanted to protect you."
Yae smiled through the pain.
"Back there, I noticed your legs weren't moving. So my body just moved on its own."
"...Thank you. But I'm sorry. If I'd noticed sooner—"
Touya clenched his fist.
His nails dug into his palm.
(If I'd been more on top of things)
(Yae wouldn't have had to go through this)
"...Let's retreat for now. Treating Lady Yae takes priority."
Yumina said quietly.
"But that pup..."
"Right now, Lady Yae's safety comes first. We can chase that pup again."
"...I should have given the order sooner. I let Lady Yae get hurt like this."
Hildegard hung her head.
"It's not your fault, Hildegard. In that situation, no one could have done anything."
That was all Touya could manage to say.
No one was to blame.
And yet, everyone was blaming themselves.
That heavy air sank into the mountain path.
"...Let's head back. We need to let Yae rest at the castle."
Touya lifted Yae onto his back.
"Touya-dono!? I can walk on my own!"
"Don't push yourself. Your leg hurts, right? Let me carry you."
"...I'm sorry for the trouble."
Yae murmured softly.
"Don't apologize. I'm doing this because I want to."
Touya adjusted Yae on his back and started down the mountain path.
Yae's body was lighter than he'd expected.
But that lightness, conversely, tightened something in his chest.
(If I'd caught that pup sooner)
(This never would have happened)
Regret flashed through his mind again and again.
Back at the castle, Touya carried Yae to her room and laid her on the bed.
"Rest easy. If anything happens, call me right away."
"Yes. Thank you, Touya-dono."
Yae smiled.
But traces of pain still lingered on her face.
Touya left Yae's room.
Walking down the corridor, he slammed his fist against the wall.
Thud.
"...Damn it."
His fist throbbed.
But the pain in his heart was greater than that.
"I... I should have been better."
Touya leaned his back against the wall and slid down to the floor.
"I couldn't protect Yae. I should have been the one to protect her."
He hated his own helplessness.
He was the Archduke.
Archduke of the Duchy of Brunhild.
And yet he couldn't catch a single pup, and his fiancée had gotten hurt.
"...Pathetic."
That was when it happened.
"My, my. What's wrong, Touya? Sitting on the floor in the corridor like this."
A familiar, gentle voice.
Touya looked up, and standing there was—
A beautiful woman with long black hair swaying, her kind brown eyes softly narrowed.
Mochizuki Karen.
Touya's older sister, and the Goddess of Love.
"Sis...!? Why are you here..."
"Why? Because my little brother looked like he was in trouble, so I came to check on you."
Karen plopped down beside Touya.
"Just as I thought—that little one is more than you can handle, isn't she."
"Then help from the start! You're the one who brought it here!"
When Touya shouted, Karen just laughed, utterly unbothered.
"Well, I wanted to see how far you could push yourself."
"I'm not a spectacle!"
"Fufu. But you did pretty well, didn't you? That part where you shielded Yae—that was manly of you."
"...Yae was the one shielding me. I just got protected."
Touya hung his head.
"I couldn't do anything. My legs stopped moving, and I just stood there."
"Touya. That little one's divine power is a god's power. It's only natural that a human like you would be frozen in place."
"But..."
"You always blame yourself the moment things concern you. You've been like that since long ago."
Karen gently stroked Touya's head.
"Hey, Touya. Want me to tell you what that little one really is?"
"...What it really is?"
Touya raised his head.
Karen's brown eyes held a serious light.
"That little one was originally a subordinate god of the Fertility Goddess. But recently, that Fertility Goddess went missing, and the little one has become unstable."
"The Fertility Goddess is missing...?"
"Yes. So to calm itself, it keeps using its divine power. But it's using too much, and now it can't control it."
"So that's why it's rampaging like that..."
"Exactly. That little one isn't really a bad child. It's just scared. Its master is gone, and it doesn't know what will become of it."
Karen's voice sounded just a little sad.
"...Then all the more reason I can't just leave it alone."
Touya stood up.
"Touya?"
"It's anxious too, right? Then I have to catch it and set its mind at ease."
"Oh my, found your motivation, have you?"
"Of course. For Yae's sake too, I can't leave that thing running loose."
A strong determination settled in Touya's eyes.
"Fufu. That's a good face you're making now. Then let your big sister give you one piece of advice."
Karen brought her lips close to Touya's ear.
"The best way to catch that little one is to reverse-use its divine power. When it barks, its divine power concentrates in its mouth. Aim for that instant and force its mouth shut—the divine power will rebound on it, and it'll stop moving."
"Force its mouth shut... how?"
"That's for you to figure out. Your big sister only gives hints."
With that, Karen stood up.
"Well then, I'll be going. Call me again if you're in trouble."
"Hey, wait a minute! A little more detail—"
But Karen's figure had already vanished.
"...Still impossible to pin down, as always."
Touya sighed.
But Karen's words echoed in his head.
Reverse-use its divine power.
Force its mouth shut.
"...Time to think. About how to catch that thing."
Touya clenched his fist.
Yae's injury.
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