Vol 3 Chapter 22: Meeting The Princess

Hugo

I descended the mountain at high speed, utilizing my Wind Step spell to its fullest. As a result, I didn’t meet with any of the adventurers. I didn’t take the route I took when I first climbed up as well, since going back to the village would mean a detour. I trusted Flameu that she would take care of them, so there was no need for me to go there.

I had to make my trip to the capital as fast as I could, so I could meet this princess, get the money I would need, and then head north to find the elf.

I just hope she is still around.

I reached the foot of the mountain in just one day and returned to Keirnes in another. I stocked up on more supplies as I usually did every time I was going to go somewhere far. The capital was said to be seven days from here on a carriage, so I didn’t wait until the next day to get on one. I took the nighttime carriage that would take me directly there. And to my relief, the carriage did go as fast as it promised. I departed at night, and I arrived on the day.

Misfon was naturally bigger than Keirnes, being the capital of the kingdom and all. I didn’t spend much time in the city proper itself though as I headed straight to the outskirts where the princess’ residence should be. To my surprise, however, it wasn’t easy for me to pinpoint the place, as unlike Flameu’s house, no one even knew the princess had such a place. They all expected her to be living at the castle located in the center of the city.

Makes sense, I suppose. They won’t be announcing such a private matter to the citizens.

Still, it didn’t take me long to find the place. I simply looked for the biggest, most guarded place in the area. That’s where a princess would be staying, right?

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So, I should just walk into the front gate and give the guard there the letter Flameu had given to me, right?

Once I found the place, I couldn’t help but feel a tad nervous. Just because if I messed this up, I might just end up being branded a criminal who wanted to assassinate the princess or something. Sure, they probably won’t be able to capture me, but that doesn’t mean I want to become a fugitive again.

The mansion was large, surrounded in four sides by a tall wall designed to keep any might-be intruders out. The building was a three-story construction—wider than it is tall. It is surrounded by a well-kept garden filled with all sorts of flowers, no doubt the kind of thing a princess would be a fan of.

Oh, I’m surveying the entire thing from the skies by the way. I just hope no one notices my completely not-suspicious presence up here.

I could just sneak in. But of course, that would be a bad idea.

Since the sun was already going down, I decided not to make my move until the next day. Or rather, the next day after that, as I needed my fancy adventuring clothes to be washed first by the inn I was staying at. I figured I should really look like a fashionable noble when I made my visit, just so I would draw less suspicion.

And besides, I haven't washed that thing properly in quite some time. Soap is nowhere as easy to find as it was in my old world. Not to mention my own laziness, who usually just sprayed the thing with water and called it a day...

At first, I thought to use one of the many laundry services that existed in the city. But to take care of high-quality clothes like the one I wore, I wouldn’t trust them with a ten-feet pole. Not just because of how they were most likely not skilled enough to wash my clothes properly, but also because they might just decide to steal them. Yeah, I’d rather not be troubled by that.

And so, I decided to go to the best inn the city had to offer. It was called the Golden Eagle and it was clearly intended to be perused by wealthy merchants and nobles who visited the city. Not an adventurer like me. So when I came in and asked for a room, I got quite a few eyebrows from the staff.

Oof, one gold for one night. That’s pretty painful.

At least the laundry is free.

I stayed there for one night, giving my clothes to be washed right after I checked in so it would be ready at noon the next day. For the morning, I had my breakfast there. It was expensive but God it was so delicious. Afterward, I just spent the hours in my room, enjoying how fluffy and comfortable the bed was.

After lunch, with the best clothes on my personage, I headed back to the mansion straight away.

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“Halt! State your business!”

As expected, the guards standing on the front immediately moved in as if I was an enemy.

There were ten of them, each wearing a set of armor with spears as their weapon of choice.

First things first. I gave them a bow, by holding my right hand to my right chest, moving it downwards with a slight twirl before the rest of my body followed. Fiora taught me this actually—a specific way nobles were supposed to bow. It's different than the bowing movement done by the servants since their bow is to signify obedience to their employers, while this bow is to signify respect to the other party. Doing it well is necessary if you don't want to be considered as a rude and uncouth person.

These guards are most likely part of this kingdom's knighthood, so giving them this bow is proper.

"Greetings. My name is Charles Pendleton. I come here to meet with Her Royal Highness, for I bring an urgent message from Lady Flameu. It is of a personal nature, only for her ears only."

This is necessary to gain entrance, or else they would just ask for the letter and tell me to leave.

"I bring with me this letter from her. I hope it would be satisfactory."

I took out the letter from my coat pocket, handing it over to the guard closest to me—a middle-aged man with a bushy black stache. He took it as if I was handing a sheet of poison, glancing at me back and forth multiple times as if he expected me to have a sinister smirk on my face.

He then opened it, skimmed through it for a few moments before raising his eyebrows, and stared at me even harder.

Uuh, I guess I should use my best smile here. Yep.

"Stop it, kid. Your disgusting smile won't work here."

D-disgusting? H-hey, I've rehearsed that smile many times, you know!

"Hmph, you think we would believe that a whelp like you is hired by Lady Flameu as her bodyguard?" He began playing with his stache.

...Oh right, the news of my dragon killing hasn't arrived here yet. I rushed my way here after all.

"Sir, there's a royal seal on the letter! There's a high possibility he might be telling the truth!" One of the other guards suddenly spoke up.

"Nonsense! This brat must have faked it! Or steal it from the actual messenger!"

Goddamn, this old man is stubborn.

"Just so you know, I'm a Master-level Wind mage. If I so choose, I could take on every single one of you here without breaking a sweat. And I would if you do not let me go through. I intend to deliver Lady Flameu's message, whether you guys allow me to or not."

I put on a cold and offended expression as if I was talking to a bunch of meddling buffoons who didn't know who they were speaking to. Which they were if I were to be brutally honest.

"You brat! That's it! You're going to the dungeons! Right now!"

...Welp, so much for my diplomatic effort.

"Wind Blast!"

Without hesitation, I drew my wand and made a circular motion with it. In an instant, every single guard who surrounded me was blown away by my spell, throwing them down to the ground. It was not a lethal spell in the slightest. It was simply intended to show my superiority compared to them. There was no reason to go on a killing spree against “enemies” of their level after all.

“I could do this over and over until I reach the princess,” I exclaimed with a small grin. “And you guys won’t even be able to touch a single strand of my hair.”

“Why, you!” The old man was the first to stand up. “Charge, men! Protect the princess with your lives!”

Only he did the charge, however, as his other men chose to merely exchange fearful glances with each other, knowing just how much stronger I was compared to them.

Guess I have to play a bit more with this old man.

“Wind Blast!”

Another spell, and this time, I sent him flying upwards a good twenty meters onto the air, flipping him upside down in the process.

And of course, once he was about to hit the ground, I softened his landing with another wind spell, flipping him again so he landed on his back.

"See? I'm not lying about my prowess. I am more than qualified to serve Lady Flameu. In fact, in a few days, maybe a week, you probably will hear that I've just slain a dragon on my own. So please. If I'm a bad guy, you people would've already been dead by now."

The old man could only look at me with a defiant, yet defeated look.

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Afterward, his subordinates immediately apologized to me profusely. It seemed they were far readier to accept my word compared to their captain. They then offered to accompany me inside. Well, “offered” might not be the right word. I am pretty sure they would take no for an answer. Even if they said they believed in me, they still wanted to make sure I was no threat to their beloved princess. One of them also hurried inside with the letter to inform the princess of my appearance.

As for the old man, he was still stubborn enough to not apologize. And as he “guarded’ me as well, it was clear as day he was ready to cut me the moment I made any suspicious moves.

I admire his grit, really. At the very least, the princess has an absolutely loyal retainer on her side. Even if he’s not that bright.

I was escorted to the drawing room where I was told to wait. The place didn’t have a throne room or anything, so it’s really more like if I was visiting an ordinary noblewoman.

It didn’t take long until a guard told me that she was ready. I was then escorted once again to a different room. Or rather, a different place, since the princess deemed it fit to receive me in the gardens instead.

And then, from a distance, I saw her, perusing the lilies and crysthantiums on the flower bed in front of her.

And immediately I knew I was getting the kind of princess I wanted.

She had long, luscious golden locks that went down all the way to her waist. As for her dress, it was pure white, displaying the purity such a person must possess. She also wore a silver crown, matching perfectly with her white garb.

In short, she was beautiful.

This is it! This is the demure and beautiful princess all those fantasy stories have!

Crunch. My boots stepped on a handful of dried leaves. Noticing my presence, she turned and greeted me with the most gorgeous smile I had ever witnessed.

“Sir Pendleton.” She spoke straight to me. “I should begin by begging for your apology. Please forgive the rudeness of my knights. They are simply too wary for their own good.”

She then gave a bow, which I did not expect for a princess to do, knowing the difference between our status.

I’m not complaining though. It gave me the perfect opportunity to get an eyeful of her cleavage.

“Barton. Please, leave us.” She sent an annoyed look to the old man.

“B-but Your Highness…”

“I shall be fine. I’ve read the letter. If Lady Flameu trusts him, then I shall do the same.”

To my surprise, she was capable of displaying such a fierce look. I guess to be a good princess, you have to possess the capability to command your subjects like this.”

“O-of course, Your Highness.”

The old man gave his bow, along with his men, before leaving the immediate premises. I know for a fact they must be hiding nearby though, watching me like an eagle watches its prey.

Still, it finally allows me to relax a bit. Especially since this princess doesn’t seem to be the stiff type.

“Milord.” She spoke again, back to her lovely smile. “Shall we have our talk as we make our rounds through the gardens?”

“Of course.” I gave her my own smile as I bowed. “After you, Milady”.

Damn, I’m starting to  feel like a proper noble now.

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We strolled around the gardens in a casual pace as we had our chatter. Ignoring the fact that I was conversing with a beautiful princess, which in itself was already heavenly enough, the cool breeze and lovely scent were enough to make it a pleasant experience. It's winter and yet, the flowers didn't seem to be wilting in the slightest. Magic must be at the works.

"Lord Pendleton, is Lady Flameu doing fine?" She was the first one to speak.

"Don't worry!" I smiled. "She's perfectly fine! In fact, she should be busy saving a village from a plague right now!"

"Oh, truly?" Her eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands together in the most princess-like manner. "That's wonderful! They're in good hands—I'm sure of it! After all, she was the one who cured my illness!"

My ears perked. "Your illness, Your Highness?"

"Yes!" She smiled. Ah, what a wonderful sight. "You see, my legs used to—ah, I shouldn't bother you with this, should I? You can't stay for long, right?"

"Oh no, please, continue! I'm very much interested in what you have to tell, Milady!"

She covered her mouth and giggled—a choir from the heavens themselves. "Before she came, I was… unable to walk. My legs were too weak to support my body. It was something I was born with, and neither the priests nor the alchemists were able to do anything about it. I could only spend my days in a wheelchair, being pushed around by my attendants.”

...Well, this conversation just suddenly turns grim. And a wheelchair? That already exists in this world? I shouldn’t be surprised though. It shouldn’t be that hard to invent.

“But then, she arrived. She was Father’s court mage, as you would’ve known. And she offered to take a look on my condition. At first, she failed to cure it as well, but she didn’t give up. She kept coming back again and again with new potions and medicines. I didn’t know why she insisted so much in curing me. Father already gave up on me a long time ago, giving me this place away from the castle just so he couldn’t see me around. A “filthy invalid”, he said. He sent my mother to the gallows for it.”

My heart sank. “W-wait, you’re serious?” I said in disbelief.

With a bitter smile, she replied, “Yes. My father… he’s never that good of a person.”

She looked away as her feet stopped. I halted my stride as well.

“But enough about him.” She clapped her hands again as she resumed her walk, giving me a forced smile in the process. “Let’s return to Lady Flameu, shall we? I simply want to say just how much of an amazing person she is and how much I am indebted to her.”

Heh, she really has won over her, hasn’t she?

I continued my walk as well, as she resumed her talk.

“She tried again and again for months, until one day, she succeeded. She came up with a medicine that gave the strength my legs desperately needed.”

Wow, to think that she’s able to cure what I assume to be an inherited genetic defect. That’s magic for you, I guess. Though since no other alchemists could do it, that means she really is a master alchemist, even though she’s also a necromancer in secret as well.

...Wait, don’t tell me that she used some dark arts to make the cure?

I gave a short glance towards her legs. I couldn’t see them naturally since they were under her dress, but they seemed to be functioning just fine.

...Yeah. Does it really matter? If it works, it works.

“And now, thanks to her, I can walk around like this.” Her smile brightened, once again giving me that angelic visage I saw at the start of our meeting.

“So please.” She suddenly stopped, turning swiftly that her dress twirled around. “Ask me anything. I shall grant you whatever you need, Milord.”

Then I want your panties please!—was something I would ask if I was a shameless light novel protagonist.

"The letter… did it not say any numbers?"

"Numbers?" She tilted her head oh-so-cutely.

Seriously? She didn't tell her how much money she should give me? Mind you, I didn't get to read the letter since it's sealed and I wasn't going to ruin it by unsealing it.

"What did it say then?' I asked again.

"It only said how much of an important person you are and how I should give you any help that I can provide."

Yep. That means I can ask for any amount of gold I want. Even more that what that dragon carcass is worth.

...Should I lie and ask for more? Just in case the high elf would play hard and refuse to give me the orb. And I can certainly use more gold to stay in fancy inns like last night anytime I want. That was a wonderful experience.

I already know how much the carcass is worth. At least, if I’m going by the estimation Flameu gave me.

I looked back at her pure and naive expression. She completely trusted me. That, I could tell with ease. Would it be right to deceive such a person?