Volume 6 Chapter 4 Our First Meeting
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Master. I have just received word that they will arrive in about one hour,” my butler informed me. Even so, I couldn’t help but wonder what business was bringing them here all this way.
About half a month ago, I had received a message from Lady Beyond, the wife of Duke Mihail, the Lord of Ilman¹. She mentioned she had a bit of ‘minor business’ to attend to and would be dropping by Kashiwagi Territory², but I was at a loss as to what that could be. Well, that woman is quite unpredictable, but she is also a formidable adventurer in her own right, so I figured I didn’t need to worry about her safety on the road… I just hoped she wasn’t coming here with the intention of demanding I share a bed with her again.
Kashiwagi Manor was elevated to the status of Kashiwagi Territory five years ago, and I was appointed as its Lord, taking over for Sir Aaron. Of course, the public whispers that this position was merely a form of severance pay from the Queen.
While my relationship with the Queen has reached a certain conclusion, the fact that Shushuria was born between us led Sir Aaron to forbid me from fathering children with anyone else. He warned me that if Shushuria—a potential candidate for the throne—were to have half-siblings, there’s no telling what kind of disasters it might invite in the future. It was a valid threat… yet it felt terribly unfair to women like Puruun, Ellulu, and Melon, who had officially declared themselves my wives.
On top of that, I haven’t been able to see Akari-san at all lately…
My butler returned to announce Lady Beyond’s arrival, so I made my way down to the reception room on the first floor of the manor.
”Ah, Lady Beyond. It has been quite a while. Thank you for making such a long journey… wait, huh?”
As I was speaking, I glanced past Lady Beyond’s side and realized that Ms. Sharlin was also with her. And there was one more person… an Elf, I believed, though I’d never seen her before. If she were human, she’d look to be about high school age, with a voluptuous and incredibly alluring body—far more buxom than the typical Elf.
”Um, Lady Beyond. I didn’t realize Ms. Sharlin would be accompanying you… and who might this young lady be?”
”Oh my, Mr. Yuuta. You don’t recognize her? Look, Sha-Sha. I win the bet, Yuuta-san. He says he has no idea who this girl is.”
”I expected Yuuta to be a bit more perceptive than that…” Ms. Sharlin said as she handed a silver coin over to Lady Beyond.
”Excuse me… but I’m completely failing to see where this conversation is going…”
”Goodness, Mr. Yuuta. You really don’t know? Well, I suppose it’s unavoidable. You’ve never actually met her face-to-face before, after all. This child is your daughter—Princess Shushuria!”
”What!? Lady Beyond, that’s a bit of a cruel joke even for you. Shushuria is only ten years old or so, isn’t she? But this person is clearly in her late teens, no matter how you look at it…”
”It’s true! I’m Shushuria! It’s nice to meet you, Papa!”
I was caught off guard by her sudden outburst, but since she was the one claiming it herself, there was likely no mistake. But… how on earth did this happen?
* * *
I invited the three of them to make themselves comfortable in the living room while the butler served tea. Shushuria walked over to me with light, rhythmic steps and spoke.
”Papa, hold me!”
”Wait just a minute! No matter the circumstances, I can’t exactly ‘hold’ someone who looks as grown-up as you…”
”Now, now, isn’t it fine, Mr. Yuuta? Despite her appearance, this girl is still only eleven. She’s at an age where she wants to be pampered by her father,” Lady Beyond remarked. That was easy for her to say… but if someone who didn’t know the situation saw this, I’d undoubtedly be branded a perverted creep.
”That’s right, Papa. I’ve been waiting for this day for such a long time. Grandma Akari even told me that Papa is incredibly kind and dependable, so I should be sure to get lots of cuddles!”
”‘Grandma’? I mean… even if you say that…”
However, perhaps losing her patience with my hesitant attitude, Shushuria suddenly leaped and landed right on my lap with a heavy thump.
”Gwah!? Shushuria, don’t just jump on me like that…”
”Yay! I finally got Papa to hold me! Come on, Papa. Hurry up and give Shushu a big squeeze!”
This was bad. Even if I understood the situation intellectually, I couldn’t just easily hug this girl. Yet Shushuria showed absolutely no restraint, pressing those ample breasts of hers right against my stomach…
”Alright, Shushuria. I’ll give you a proper hug once I’ve adjusted to this a bit… for now, let’s separate for a moment so we can talk, okay?” I said, finally managing to gently push Shushuria away.
* * *
”So then, was the main reason for Lady Beyond coming here today to introduce me to Shushuria?”
”That’s more or less it. Actually, it’s been decided that Princess Shushuria will be studying abroad in your world starting next year. It’s only for about a year, and we don’t believe there’s much risk, but just in case, the Princess insisted that she wanted to meet you at least once—since you aren’t exactly invited to the official send-off party… so Sha-Sha and I are acting as bodyguards to bring her here on an incognito visit.”
Haha. So in the end, I can’t even show my face at my own daughter’s farewell party. But then again, I had originally planned to be over there for three months and ended up taking over three years to return, so preparing for any eventuality is actually quite practical.
”Studying abroad… oh, does that mean Ms. Akari is going along too?”
”That’s right. As a companion, isn’t Ms. Akari—who is intimately familiar with both the Princess and that world—the most suitable candidate? Originally, the idea for that study abroad trip came from Queen Asuka. She wanted to find a way for Ms. Akari to set foot on her home soil again, and this plan was the result.”
”I truly have to thank the Queen for that. I’m sure Ms. Akari was overjoyed.”
I see. Sending Ms. Akari back alone would be seen as a personal favor, but as the Princess’s attendant, it becomes official business. This way, Ms. Akari can travel back there with her head held high.
”Grandma Akari cried her eyes out when she first heard the news from Mother. She has a daughter and grandchildren over there, don’t they? She must have missed them terribly,” Shushuria informed me. ‘Grandma’ Akari, huh… well, the Queen and Puruun used to call her ‘Mama Akari,’ so I suppose it naturally evolved that way. But Ms. Akari is over sixty now and has grandkids of her own, so I guess it can’t be helped?
”I understand the situation now. But… why has Shushuria developed so much physically? Is this the norm for human-elf hybrids?”
”Yes, it seems that’s the case. There was a previous instance at Baron Tethyrkan’s place where a hybrid boy was born before the Princess; he also developed at a staggering rate initially, before things gradually leveled off around the age of ten. The scholars referred to it as Hybrid Heterosis⁴ or something like that… but ultimately, it looks like she’ll be able to live out a full lifespan close to that of an Elf, so the Queen is quite relieved.”
”Is that so? I was certainly caught off guard. I never imagined my eleven-year-old daughter would have grown so large.”
”Truly. Without being told, no one would ever suspect she was the Princess. With your ‘eclectic’ tastes, Mr. Yuuta, you might have even tried to devour such a lovely girl if you’d met her without knowing who she was.”
”Please, enough with the tasteless jokes, Lady Beyond. I’m currently living a life of total abstinence and no longer have those kinds of relationships with women.”
”Ho ho.”
Lady Beyond gave a knowing chuckle. I just hoped she wasn’t plotting something troublesome.
”Anyway, Mr. Yuuta, it looks like your management of the territory is going quite well. As the wife of a Lord myself, I can tell just by looking. The commoners I saw on the way here all had such bright expressions.”
”Thank you. We’re currently focusing our efforts on rubber trees and the small-scale cultivation of a variety of fruits and vegetables. Production and shipping have finally started to get on track.”
”Oh, that’s right. Mel-Mel and Ell-Ell were absolutely delighted back in the Royal Capital³ because they could finally get their hands on high-quality natural rubber.”
”Ah. Originally, Ellulu wanted rubber for her undergarments, and the Queen granted that request by ordering me to bring back rubber trees… but why was Melon so happy too?”
”Hmm. We’ll save that particular story for another time. Mr. Yuuta, we’ll be staying here until the day after tomorrow, so please make sure to show the Princess around your lands.”
”Yes, naturally. After all, you won’t find a forest of natural rubber trees anywhere near the Capital.”
—
Summary:
Yuuta is visited by Lady Beyond, Sharlin, and a mysterious, physically developed young woman who turns out to be his eleven-year-old daughter, Shushuria. He learns that Shushuria’s rapid maturation is a trait of human-elf hybrids known as Hybrid Heterosis. The group reveals Shushuria will soon study abroad in Yuuta’s original world, accompanied by Akari. Yuuta discusses his successful management of the Kashiwagi Territory and the production of natural rubber.
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Character Insight:
Yuuta’s internal conflict centers on his role as a father versus the social stigma of his daughter’s mature appearance, showcasing his neurotic but responsible personality. Shushuria’s innocent desire for physical affection highlights her mental age despite her physical growth. Lady Beyond serves as a chaotic mentor who tests Yuuta’s patience while acknowledging his success as a ruler.
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Behind the Scene:
The author uses the ‘Hybrid Heterosis’ explanation to provide a pseudo-biological grounding for the common light novel trope of rapidly maturing demi-human characters.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Ilman – A large trade town two weeks from the Royal Capital, ruled by Elf Count Mihail and his eccentric wife Beyond; known for its noble mansion, role as caravan stop, and stage for intrigue mixing disease, politics, and secret plots.
• Melon – Puruun’s younger sister who is close with Ms. Akari and wants Yuuta and Ms. Akari to be together and have children.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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