episode_0096

“Are you Astan? A wizard who is the Frost Queen’s disciple?”

I thought I was the reason I came to this tavern, the reason I came to Ignolia. I slowly answered the question among the knights surrounding me.

“Yes, but.”

A strange hostility was evident in the flocking gazes. I naturally touched my thigh with my right hand, feeling as if I would draw my sword and attack at any moment if I gave the command. I thought I wouldn’t be able to win if I tried to attack everyone. I didn’t know if I could somehow do about a third of it, but I thought that it would be difficult if I tried to do more than that, so I slowly smiled, and the prince in front of me extended his right hand towards me.

“I’ve heard a lot about your exploits. Even though you were a first year student at the academy, you defeated a spy of the Demon King’s army that had infiltrated Ignolia and froze the stadium in Araelia’s martial arts festival, right? I came here because I was curious about that.”

Hearing the prince’s words, he carefully stretched out his right hand, took the prince’s hand, shook his hand, and opened his mouth.

“Thank you for your interest, but I would be scared if you came with so many articles.”

“Can a prince of one country go to the territory of another country bare-chested? Apprentice of the Frost Queen, do you have time?”

“Unfortunately, I’m working, so I don’t have time.”

“Owner, the store will be closed today. I will pay today’s store operating expenses.”

Aunt Toa let out a small sigh as if she was tired of the voice and raised her right hand in a positive sign, and the prince smiled at me.

“Isn’t time all that’s left now?”

“You bought my time, so I guess there is something you want.”

“Of course! Would you like me to pay this store for you? Of course it has a purpose! If not, you wouldn’t have come here.”

“Please tell me, if it is an area I can assist you with.”

Then the prince stretched out his left hand as if to ask them to come out, and when he opened his left hand, someone was walking among the knights. He was a noticeably cold person. Even from the outside, he seemed like an ice wizard. She looked older than me, younger than Erica, and her hair was dyed silver, possibly due to using ice magic. The eyes that looked at me were red, and the skin was so pure white that it felt like I had put pearl powder on my face.

A wizard with short silver hair walked towards me, bowed his head towards the prince, and then bowed for me.

“Hetty Chesion, I have come to you at the request of Prince Lusanda.”

“This person is one of my favorite wizards, and it made me wonder, if my favorite wizard and the famous disciple of the Frost Queen had a duel, who would win? Aren’t you curious, Astan?”

“It’s not an area I’m curious about.”

“It is said that wizards do not refuse duels. I guess the rumors are true. I heard that at the Academy, they refused all duels and were given the title of rebel, right? So, I ask you to compete with my wizard. If you win, I will grant you everything you want in the name of Lusanda, but if you lose, you become my wizard. How about that?”

“I refuse.”

“Oh, that’s an unexpected answer.”

“Prince Lusanda, didn’t I tell you? I’m the Frost Queen’s disciple, so that won’t work.”

When I looked at Hetty’s words, I saw that she was looking at me. The red eyes staring at me strangely resembled Ceresria’s. From what I heard, it seemed like I already knew Senior Erika, and while I was wondering what kind of person this person was, she lifted her cane.

“If you win, I will become your servant.”

“That’s not what I want either.”

“Men say they want to have a beautiful woman like me as their servant, but I guess that’s not true.”

There was a small laugh at her words. Having a beautiful woman as a servant was quite a dream, but it wasn’t that important.

I could hear the sounds of knights moving around me. I guess they were trying to force me to do it if I didn’t accept the duel. This was why I hated the royal family. Truly, they were ruthless people. And if there is a fight, it probably won’t be in this tavern.

He slowly swept the corner of his mouth with his right hand. I was able to fight, and although I wasn’t very confident that I would win, I didn’t think I would lose too much. While I was thinking about that, I heard the sound of someone opening the door of the bar and entering.

Who could it be? There would be no one who would be involved in such a mess. While I was thinking about that, I made eye contact with a person who opened the door of the bar and came in.

“It doesn’t seem like a good atmosphere for a meal.”

Seeing him speak with a smile that was loud enough for everyone to hear, a smile naturally came out of his mouth. Are you kidding me here too? You have such great guts.

Sharon naturally passed the knights and stood next to me. She smiled at me, looked around, and spoke.

“I think I need some help, right?”

“I don’t think that’s really the case.”

“Who are you? To me, he looks like a student at the academy.”

“I am the Academy’s Sharon. Who are you? Seeing as he took over a tavern accompanied by this many knights, it seems he is not an ordinary person.”

“Sharen… … Ah, Sharon of House Tyrk. Are you the rumored embodiment of light? I am Lusanda Von Willow of the Willow Kingdom.”

Sharon slowly smiled at those words.

“Such a famous prince has some business to do in a place like this.”

“I want to see a duel between Astan and the wizard I carry with me.”

Sharon took a look at Hetty Chesion after hearing the prince’s words, bowed her head slightly, and opened her mouth.

“Then how about competing with me?”

“What I want is not you.”

Sharon scratched her cheek in embarrassment at the prince’s words and whispered softly to me.

‘Why aren’t you fighting?’

‘Because you don’t want to fight?’

‘… … ‘Do you think you’ll win?’

‘That’s not the point.’

As we were doing that, the prince looked at the two of us and opened his mouth again.

“So I suggest you compete against Astan Hetty. If you win, I will grant you everything you want, but if you lose, you become mine. Is there a problem?”

“There is no problem, but it is not what I want.”

“… … I can’t understand words.”

At that moment, the door to the bar opened again. The moment I looked at the place, wondering who was involved in this mess, I naturally found myself speechless. An all-too-familiar face, and an all-too-fearful person, stood there.

“The Willow Kingdom seems to have no manners towards people?”

Familiar steps, familiar voice, relaxed eyes, and the elegance of royalty.

She whispered something to Sharon while thinking about why she came here.

‘Did you bring it with you?’

‘… … That’s how it happened, I was wandering around Ignolia when I met him.’

‘Then you should come together.’

‘He said he had some business to do and went somewhere, so I ran just in case.’

As I slowly nodded to Sharon’s words and looked at her, the prince asked her a question.

“Who are you again?”

“It makes sense for a prince of one country to not even know the princess of another country, right? I thought something had happened to the bar, so I went there and found that my friend was in quite a bit of pain.”

“… … Your Majesty, I am the princess of Araelia.”

“Princess of Araelia… … Oh, you are Ceresria?”

“The Willow Kingdom seems to be quite casual when calling other people’s names?”

Celestria smiled and walked between the knights and waved at me.

“Good night, Astan.”

“… … I don’t think it’s a good night.”

“So, I wanted to ask you something, what’s going on?”

“He requested a duel.”

“Then you can get a duel, why are you doing this?”

“It’s because it’s an unwanted duel.”

“A person like that was going around the academy and asking for duels? Don’t you think it’s strange?”

Listening to what it said, I couldn’t tell if it was here to help me or to make fun of me. I sighed internally at the natural smile I was making. I used to be that kind of person, but… … He was a truly strange and incomprehensible person.

“You can just accept it as a duel, but I have too many thoughts about what I don’t like.”

“I also agree with that part.”

“It looks like there are interests on this side again? Prince of Willow.”

“It’s a simple story: if you win, it’s mine, and if you lose, I’ll do what I can, but you seem to think that’s difficult.”

“Hmm… … ”

Then Ceresria smiled at me.

“You can win, right? Astan.”

“… … I don’t know either.”

“Be humble.”

Celestria then smiled at the prince and opened her mouth.

“Then take care of yourself, I will watch.”

Only then did I realize it again.

This woman is someone who will do anything for fun. And then I realized.

When I said that this situation felt somewhat familiar, I realized that it was no different from what Ceresria did.

Royals have always been strange people.