episode_0103

Episode 103

“…I’ll go then, Rika. Leelia, please take care of Rika.”

“Yes! Please leave it to me!”

Leelia thrust her flat chest forward and patted it. Rika looked straight at me and took a step closer.

“I will always wait for you to come back, princess.”

“Yes. I will come back soon.”

Will Rika have the same attitude the next time she comes? The effect of the hypnotic fragrance may have already dissipated.

I waved to the two people and left Orbin Monastery.

There is still a long time left until the sun sets. Still, I feel tired, as if I finished my day’s work.

On the way back to the royal palace, noisy noises were heard from the knights’ parade ground.

“Okay, dig in, Baron!”

“It’s there, there!”

“Don’t look at me, Rolex!”

What are you training for? The knights were grouped in a circle, leaving the center empty. It looks as if you are watching a game.

As I approached and took a quick look, I saw William Roberts and another knight standing in front of them, each holding a practice sword.

The difference in physique is obvious. In the first place, William was only a beginner who had only received basic training for a few days. Could it be that they are being bullied here because they are nobles?

The reason William was bullied at the academy was because he was from a commoner background. The Kingdom’s Knights are not repeating such pathetic behavior, are they?

“Aren’t you a princess?”

Pilgret, who was in the front row, found me like a ghost. The drivers saw me and quickly cleared the way. I approached Philgret and asked.

“What are you doing now?”

“As you can see, it is a couplet.”

“Even though they are children and adults? Besides, William is a weakling who couldn’t even maintain his posture properly until recently. I would have just asked you to participate in beginner training, Sir Pilgret Ostana.”

Philgret, who could sense the obvious anger in my voice, looked embarrassed. He straightened up and spoke to me.

“Sorry. I don’t mean to make excuses, but… could you please keep an eye on me?”

Watch? At Philgret’s words, I calmed down and crossed my arms.

Let me keep an eye on you. I was even thinking of taking disciplinary action if I wasn’t convinced by what I saw.

As I took the attitude of a spectator, the sparring that had been interrupted by Philgret’s shout resumed. Although the enthusiasm of cheering had subsided quite a bit.

Even in the slight commotion for a moment, William was only glaring at the opponent in front of him. As soon as the match started again, he rolled forward and into the man’s arms.

Although it was a blunt sword for practice, the attack was sharp. William’s sword stabbed straight up from below towards the man’s chest.

Will William win? Against a regular knight twice your size?

I had that thought for a moment, but it was nothing more than my excitement as I was unfamiliar with swords.

Cheaeng-!

William’s sword bounced away at the knight’s leisurely gesture. As it hit the sand, the surrounding knights regained their previous enthusiasm and cheered.

“Ah, it was a shame, Baron!”

“Rolex guy, your heart must have been pounding, right?”

“Oh, if only I had gone one step deeper!”

It’s definitely not a fun atmosphere. Their support seemed to be directed towards William.

Even Rolex, who had just been the opponent, seemed to be approaching William and giving him some feedback after the match was won.

“Are you already at a level where you can practice sword skills?”

“In terms of physical ability, we still have a long way to go. However, his understanding of theory was exceptional. You memorized the entire swordsmanship textbook in just a few days. The applicability is also excellent.”

Are you saying that you are making up for the lack of hardware performance with software? The movement just now seemed quite plausible.

“Well, as long as it’s not malicious harassment, that’s okay.”

William bowed his head towards me from afar. As he picked up his sword, his next opponent entered the center.

“Has William ever won?”

“No, as of now, it is 21 losses out of 21 matches. If you steadily increase your stamina and gain experience in the next 50 games… no, 70 more games, you might be able to draw at least against a newcomer.”

Well, adults and children, after all, they are official knights belonging to the royal guard. This prospect alone may have been a very generous offer.

“I understand. I left his training up to you. But make sure not to overdo it.”

“I will do so.”

While saying that, William was rushing towards his next opponent. In his eyes, a fierceness and fighting spirit that I had never seen before flashed.

So, the story goes that the entire knights are rushing to raise William. This is not beginner training, but a customized special course.

Should I say I’m glad that at least he seems to have taken off his sannym tee?

* * *

“…Tina Laurencia.”

As I entered the palace, I encountered a face from my memory. This is Tina Laurencia, the daughter of the Laurencia family whom I met at the tea party in Carmel.

“Princess Sera!”

As soon as she saw me, Tina came running with a bright smile. The richly wavy hair sways greatly with movement.

Laurencia’s coming to the palace didn’t seem like a very positive sign to me.

“What’s going on, Tina? Did you receive an invitation from your mother again?”

“Ah, yes, that’s right. But he said he had something to talk about alone with my mother. I was just planning to visit the garden… but I never dreamed that I would meet the princess!”

Tina seems ready to grab his hand without hesitation. But I was feeling the exact opposite, something close to a sense of crisis.

Tina’s mother is Luna Laurencia. On the Laurentian side, he is the person most likely to have joined hands with Carmel.

It was an unthinkable problem for such a person and Carmel to be talking alone.

We must have some idea of what Carmel and Laurencia are aiming for.

I said, holding Tina’s hand in front of me.

“It turned out well. I also wanted to talk to someone. Wouldn’t you like to have a chat alone in my room, Tina?”

“Wow, wow… Okay, sure! It’s an honor beyond measure! I’ll be happy to go!”

Honest joy spreads across Tina’s face. Tina has been a fan to me from the beginning. It wasn’t difficult to lure him out.

The problem starts now. The key will be how much Tina knows about the conspiracy and how much she can uncover.

I headed to my room holding Tina’s hand.

* * *

Luxurious refreshments are perfectly set on the table. For some reason, it feels like the plating was done with even more skill than usual.

Is it because the person who will show it is the Lady of Laurencia? It may be an expression of pride that, as a Lurier, he cannot be looked down on by people from the Laurentian region.

“It’s been quite a while since we met before. I wanted to get closer to Tina… Have you ever visited the palace since then?”

I was having a hard time exploring without giving the impression that I was exploring. I can barely feel Tina’s guard, but that doesn’t mean I can let my guard down.

“Yes! After that, I received frequent invitations from the queen. ah! Although you didn’t say anything, there was a time when my mother secretly visited the palace alone.”

“Really? How did you know that?”

“The coachman Gehem told me. I heard that your mother has visited Lurie several times. I told you that I wanted to go with you when you go to the palace…”

Luna Laurencia visited Lurie… It would be correct to say that she made contact with Carmel each time. Informally, perhaps outside the royal palace.

“Ah, that’s too much. Mothers, you are ignoring me and Tina, and what are you talking about so much…”

“It was probably about business. You were carrying a bag that you only use when working. Perhaps you are thinking of opening a nice boutique near the palace? Probably to let the queen know about it…”

“Aha, maybe so! Hehe, what kind of store it is… I’m really looking forward to it!”

Well, there’s no way he would have come to see the queen just to open a clothing store.

I gathered my thoughts and took a sip of tea. Tina said, twirling her hair with her fingers as if it were her habit.

“Um, princess… Do you remember the promise you made with me last time?”

“You mean to invite you to Laurencia, right? Of course I remember. sorry. Even after my pension was released, many things happened.”

After learning of Mystilia’s existence and effects, the only thought I had was to disarm it. I didn’t have enough time to accept Tina’s invitation.

Moreover, since it is jumping into enemy territory, it is also something that requires sufficient preparation.

“Ah, ah… I see, you said that. What do you usually do, princess?”

“Hmm… Not long ago, I helped a monastery. It was a place with very little support compared to the people it was supposed to take care of. Well, there’s more…”

“Oh, I also have a similar hobby. There are many poor churches in Laurentia as well. It makes me feel good to see hungry people show their ugly nature in front of food.”

…Wait, what?

I looked at Tina Laurencia, forgetting to control my facial expression. But she just tilted her head with an innocent face.