episode_0023

“···Stop.”

Crunch!

Rohan stared at the princess, one of whose pupils had turned heart-shaped.

It’s strange and sinister.

‘It’s scary. It’s scary.’

The magical power that was condensed into bullets along with the skill was unusual.

Still, he didn’t seem like he was going to pull the trigger right away.

The princess just looked confused and Rohan quickly checked the girl and her surroundings.

‘There won’t be any colleagues… You didn’t bring a sniper rifle? Or is it behind the wall?’

The only fortunate thing is that the princess doesn’t have a main weapon in her hand right now.

Even if the worst happens, the chances of returning safely increase dramatically with that one condition.

“Stopped. Put down your gun and talk.”

The noble atmosphere the girl gave off reminded me of Ichinose and Noah.

Rohan happily agreed to use polite language.

“···.”

When Rohan acted like that, the princess showed a conflicted look, but did not put down her gun.

That attitude is correct.

Rohan also anticipated this picture. No matter how he approached it, he would inevitably be on guard.

A human appears out of nowhere and tells us that there is a location tracker attached.

I thought you were a guest who had been waiting for me, but you are trying to turn away without any reason? It would be impossible to even tell if this is an act of good intentions.

‘Even if it were me, I would have taken out the gun first.’

Rohan is recharging his sugar level by eating another macaron.

The silence was broken by the princess’s voice.

“Who are you?”

“First of all, they are not invited guests. Those who were originally supposed to come will not come.”

“Killed.”

Rohan nodded and coolly agreed with the princess’s prediction.

He answered in a refreshing voice.

“Well, that’s what happened.”

“···This is not an issue that can be passed over with such light words and actions.”

When the princess snapped, Rohan smiled as if he was amused.

The girl’s finger on the trigger trembled slightly.

“Anyway, let’s just pretend we never met. I waited but no one came… Something like that?”

Rohan held out a box of macarons and told me to eat one.

The princess glanced in his direction for a moment, then glared at Rohan fiercely.

“Why should I do that?”

“It will be beneficial to learn facts you didn’t know before.”

“···.”

Reflexive behavior.

The princess fiddled with the tiny location tracker she had been using at Rohan’s words.

“···I don’t understand.”

“How did you know about that machine?”

◦All including %◦.”

Rohan knows.

The princess’s head will be spinning like crazy with questions that have no answers.

“There are probably many questions you are curious about but can’t find the answer to.”

“!”

“What on earth happened to the elves living in the Tigrova coniferous forest?”

The princess, her eyes filled with energy, took a step towards Rohan, her spirits rising fiercely.

The gun was pointed at close range.

“···Tell me everything you know.”

“I also need time to gather information.”

“So you want me to send it safely?”

“Yes, I’m a little busy.”

“You’re surprisingly shameless.”

“It’s a necessary part of living.”

I have no intention of telling the princess all the facts here.

Just as we just informed you of the existence of the location tracker, it is right to break the information down into small, digestible chunks and administer them.

“Are you telling me to send back an unknown person here to satisfy my greed?”

“I don’t think it’s a problem. There are elders who put location trackers on people and call in weird crowds.”

“Do you even know of the existence of elders···.”

Rohan didn’t bother to answer that question.

Although she tries to act rough, she only lightly picks on the princess’s clumsiness that she sometimes can’t hide.

“If it were me, I would have asked at least once who the elder was there.”

“···.”

The princess is not shameless. She is not a person who is good at acting.

That’s why you shouldn’t overfeed yourself with information.

Unnecessary confusion only adds to the princess’s awkwardness and arouses the old elves’ suspicions.

‘slowly.’

The conclusion to be reached was simple.

Rohan needed time and opportunity to kill those old men.

When the opportunity comes, if the princess doesn’t fire a bullet, Rohan will have enough.

“When I cleaned up the guys who called me guests, I didn’t mind going back.”

“So?”

“You can probably guess a lot from the fact that I volunteered to come here.”

“···.”

“After I pull the trigger here, whether I live or die, there will never be time to resolve my curiosity.”

The princess closed her mouth at those words.

Rohan was chewing on another macaron and debating whether or not to buy some water, as he was sure the girl wouldn’t pull the trigger.

Hooo …

The silence under the night sky where only the sound of the wind can be heard.

The princess’s eyes returned to their original state.

The gun’s head slowly headed toward the floor, and the concentrated magical power dispersed.

“Saying it for the second time. How shameless.”

“I will take it as a compliment.”

“Whew···Good. I’ll send it.”

“Is that okay?”

It’s funny how Rohan asks back even though he’s finally going to send it.

But this was the most important question at the table.

Rohan stood still and watched what the princess said.

“Make no mistake… My decisions and opinions do not require the approval of the elders.”

“Is that so?”

“If I want to do something, the elders do it. If I don’t want to say something, I don’t have to. All decision-making power is mine.”

That’s not what I’m saying to Rohan.

It is a muttering that solidifies one’s will and a pledge not to lose the status that is left behind.

Rohan nodded quietly in agreement.

Actually, that’s right. Originally, the elders were supposed to criticize the princess if she was being criticized.

‘I’m saying that I also realize that the situation is strange.’

That was enough. It was a satisfactory answer.

The princess must keep that spirit until the end.

Okay.

The princess returned the pistol to its place and stared at Rohan quietly.

And then he asks.

“I have a question.”

“Yes.”

“What are you trying to do by giving me this information?”

“Would you believe me if I said I was an ally trying to help you?”

The princess shook her head slightly at Rohan’s story.

“No. I don’t believe such a good story.”

“That’s it.”

“I see. You think I won’t believe you no matter what you say.”

Rohan didn’t answer.

It’s a problem that you will naturally come to know over time.

“Now you should have a feel for how to use that location tracker.”

“···.”

The princess looked at the small machine in her hand.

The princess must have had something on her mind, too, since she didn’t destroy it immediately upon discovery.

“Do you have paper and a pen?”

“Why are you asking that···?”

The princess rarely trailed off.

“I will give you the number to contact you.”

The princess doesn’t have a smartphone. She only has a walkie-talkie to communicate with her elders.

So, if you want to make a phone call, you’ll have to go into the city and use a public phone.

“Since you said paper and pen, I happened to pick something up on the way here.”

“?”

Rohan blinked, wondering what he meant.

The princess averted her gaze for the first time and opened the pocket on her vest.

Click! That thing that comes out as the button is released.

Rohan’s eyes widened when he saw the object.

“Ahem···.”

What the princess took out, hesitating, was a notepad with a drawing of a crying dragon and a pouty shark, along with a ballpoint pen.

It was a character familiar to Rohan as well.

“···I was saving it in case I needed to use it, but I got lucky.”

The position is that he didn’t buy it, but picked it up.

Even though he spoke so harshly, it was clearly preserved in such a clean manner that anyone could tell that it was something the princess had bought.

Rohan, who was handed a notepad and pen, briefly glanced at the cover.

‘Isn’t this what Ichinose likes?’

I didn’t know that Princess Rohan had such tastes.

Shouldn’t this be a hidden setting that would have been revealed if it had been released as a playable character?

Rohan opened his notepad, pretending not to care and keeping his trembling mouth shut.

Although the princess was seen taking notes here and there, she didn’t say anything about this item.

I just wrote down the number.

“You know I’m taking a huge risk with this, right?”

“···.”

Rohan said that, but he didn’t give out numbers without thinking.

I think the possibility of that happening is slim, but I have considered the possibility that the princess might reveal it to the elders, and the possibility that she might be caught without telling them.

Making a scene in Academy City and attracting attention is something that the old elves want to avoid as much as possible.

The only thing that old elves who are trapped in the fence of self-preservation can do is hire people.

There are many ways to solve this problem within Academy City, so Rohan whined and handed over a notepad with a number written on it.

“Anyway, it was nice meeting you. I’ve roughly written down the times I can call you, so feel free to call me even if it’s not work.”

“What does it mean?”

“Do you have any worries or are having a hard time and want to eat something sweet? Even small matters are fine.”

“Are you trying to get information through everyday conversation··· That won’t work.”

Rohan smiled and accepted the princess’s cautious attitude.

I hurried to get ready to leave.

‘I’ve done enough.’

When the current princess’s sanity is pushed to the edge of a cliff, an escape route to observe a bright future or something that will allow her to endure the situation.

Rohan gave as much of a hint as possible.

“I’m going to go now.”

“Information gathering?”

“That’s true, but··· I have to study and work part-time.”

“Huh, I guess you don’t plan on revealing anything about yourself.”

The princess’s disbelieving eyes.

That was fine as it was.