Chapter 42 - Palace Escape No. 1 (2)

– Crrrrr…….

The heavy door closed again once everybody who was going to use the portal stepped inside.

Imperial Prince Cédric and I were in the front of the group, facing Christelle.

“……”

The Imperial Prince bastard was as stoic as ever while looking at Christelle, but he seemed oddly upset.

Though he must have known about her coming to the portal since he didn’t seem shocked.

It seemed as if I was the only one who was out of the loop once again.

“Young lady Sarnez. Why are you……”

‘No, questions like these are meaningless now. I’ve told myself many times that it is normal for the main character and the male lead of a Romfan to run into each other.’

It was obvious why Christelle would be at the portal since she was going to participate in the ‘Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts’ as well.

The two of them were fated to run into each other.

I calmed the sleepily grumbling Demy in my arms as I changed my question.

“What is up with that whip?”

The shiny blue leather looked scary.

“Ah, I copped one from upstairs.”

Christelle waved the hand holding the whip as she responded energetically.

I was debating whether it was okay to show that I understood what she meant by ‘copped,’ but a person standing next to me responded instead.

“It’s been a while, young lady Sarnez. Are you planning on using the whip as your weapon?”

It was Vice Captain Élisabeth, who was traveling with us.

Her grey eyes sparkled as she walked up to Christelle.

The two of them had met at the exterior training ground before, but they probably had no chance to speak to each other because that meeting had come to a screeching halt.

“Hello, Vice Captain Élisabeth.”

“If it’s ok, may I take a look at your whip?”

“Yes, of course. It was difficult for me to suddenly handle swords or spears because I had never used my muscles before. I nagged the knights at the Duchy to help me find a weapon that someone like me could use, and they recommended a whip.”

“It is not a bad decision if you take good care of your arm. This is a high quality item as well.”

“Thank you very much. Thankfully I have a decent wrist snap.”

Christelle had a bright smile on her face as she received the whip back.

She seemed to like this new conversation partner.

Vice Captain Élisabeth also smiled and nodded her head.

She then told Christelle to come find her if she ever needed a sparring partner.

I had a feeling that the two of them would get along but seeing them together like this made me believe that they could become very good friends.

“Enough chit chat. Let’s go.”

The Imperial Prince poured cold water on the warm mood.

I looked up at the bastard with a pitying gaze.

I could understand why Vice Captain Élisabeth was his only friend.

‘You should try chatting with Christelle too instead of arguing with her all the time.’

“My apologies, your Royal Highness. Everybody, attention! Half of the guards will remain here and be the last to teleport. The other half, come this way……”

Vice Captain Élisabeth quickly looked serious before respectfully saluting the Imperial Prince and giving orders to the Imperial Guard members.

The attendants and royal servants accompanying us stood in their respective positions as well.

Christelle sent the Vice Captain of the Imperial Guard off with a slightly disappointed look on her face before coming to stand next to me.

Unintentionally standing with the main characters on both sides of me made me feel extremely frustrated.

I silently rubbed the sleeping Demy’s back for some animal therapy.

The vanguard entered the portal and disappeared to the Imperial Capital’s southern area.

Seeing the magic formation swallowing people with red metallic light and watching the people disappear like dust filled me with both awe and fear.

When it was finally our turn, I felt nervous, not because of my mana sensitivity, but because of my mental health.

“I heard about the situation. Did you put the motion sickness medicine on, your highness?”

Christelle gently asked.

“Ah, yes.”

“Then it should be okay.”

“It should. We did some clinical trials.”

She laughed out loud and encouraged me after I responded.

Vice Captain Élisabeth, Ganael, Benjamin, and the Imperial Prince’s attendant, David, who were all on top of the large magic formation with us, each told me not to worry as well.

It made me feel a bit better.

“We don’t need a mage.”

I had a small smile on my face when I heard a cold low voice.

I raised my head to see what was going on.

I could see the Legault portal mage standing with an awkward look on his face and the Imperial Prince standing in front of him.

“What is going on?”

“It is as I said. I will use my mana so another mage is unnecessary.”

His orange eyes were full of caution. It seemed as if he did not like other people’s mana touching him.

I couldn’t help but sigh. He was as tall as a giraffe but acted like a 24 month toddler instead of a 24 years old adult.

I seemed to be the only person who could handle this issue since Cardinal Boutier was not here.

“……As you wish, your Royal Highness. I’m extremely sorry, mage-nim. Please just consider it as conserving your mana.”

The Imperial Prince bastard scowled at my apology.

The portal mage bowed and quickly retreated. I then asked the Imperial Prince.

“In return, you have to do it as gently as that mage-nim would have done, your Royal Highness. Please count to three and then insert your mana…”

“Now.”

– Wiiiiiiiiiiing!

The Imperial Prince channeled his red mana into the magic formation without any warning.

What he showed us at the Empress Palace’s underground portal seemed to have just been a teaser as his mana ruthlessly gobbled up the magic formation as if it was lava that had just shot out of a volcano.

Christelle laughed in disbelief. Vice Captain Élisabeth was shaking her head.

– Ooooooong!

“You s……”

The portal activated quicker than I could swear.

Demy was grumbling after having just woken up.

I tightly hugged the red panda and glared at the Imperial Prince’s eyes that were disappearing like sparks into the red mana.

I felt the ground underneath my feet disappear as his mana grabbed me by the collar.

I looked down to see the tips of my hands, my feet, and Demy’s tail disappearing like dust.

‘Hey Mr. Mage, I don’t feel so good……’

*

Thankfully, I was fine. Marquis Duhem’s motion sickness medicine worked wonders!

I was able to arrive at the southern part of the Imperial Capital without any dizziness at all and maintained my good condition after getting on another carriage.

The only negative was that there was a sir who was upset because of this portal travel.

– Squeal!

“Yes, you were shocked. You were upset.”

– Screeeeech!

“Yes, you’re angry because big bro didn’t wake you up and suddenly put you in a portal.”

– Cruuuuuuuuu!

“Yes, big bro is really sorry. Can good little Demy forgive him this one time? Demy, you’re an esteemed divine beast while big bro is a mere human.”

“Your highness.”

Benjamin called out to me with a face that seemed to be implying that I shouldn’t be saying that.

I put Demy down on my knees because it made me feel a bit awkward.

The red panda headbutted my palm as if he was still angry.

It was warm and soft.

“I thought it would be okay because Marquis Duhem said it would be fine, but I guess I shouldn’t have let him sleep.”

Benjamin knew what I was talking about.

Marquis François Duhem said a few days ago that he was certain there would be no problems for Demy to use the portal since divine beasts have high mana sensitivity.

I was honestly dubious.

That was because the divine beasts that had been sent to the March last time did not use portals to avoid any potential problems.

The Marquis admitted the truth at that point.

‘To be honest with you, I have tried teleporting with the divine beasts in my arms. It went well. So, you do not need to worry, your highness.’

‘He’s completely crazy……’

“No, your highness. It would have been difficult for you to wake Demy-nim since he managed to sleep soundly in that loud Commerce Center.”

Ganael took my side.

He was right, so I smiled and handed Demy three raspberries.

I looked a bit upset but he could not reject the sweet scent of the raspberries.

– Nom nom nom nom……

“You’re eating so well.”

Either way, I got past that giant hurdle of a portal.

All that was left was to make sure Demy and I stayed safe at the Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts.

The main characters will take care of themselves.

*

“We’ve arrived at our accommodations, your highness.”

“Slurp……”

I quickly slurped up the drool around my mouth and woke up.

I had beef jerky, Coulommiers, salad, and about four quiches filled with different fillings before I passed out.

I somewhat remember looking out the window and enjoying the view, but the forest path of the Empire became pretty repetitive, similar to how the view on the freeway becomes repetitive after five minutes.

The sun was setting when I woke up.

“It is extremely shabby compared to the Imperial Palace. However, it should have all of the basics as this is a place where the nobles and the Imperial Family stay every so often.”

Benjamin explained our lodging to me. I nodded my head.

We were staying at some inn instead of a noble’s castle.

I wondered how this made sense with the Imperial Prince being here with us, but the road to the Duhem March, located at the southern part of the Empire, was rough.

There was no Lord’s Castle to stay in, and doing so would require a significant detour.

You would waste more time if you wanted to look for that 5 star hotel.

We ended up spending the first night at Lucas Village.

– Clack, clack, clack.

The carriage slowed down before it stopped.

I put the now energetic Demy on my shoulder and got off the carriage with the coachman’s escort.

I then looked around.

“Wow……”

I could see a clean building in between the quickly moving attendants and royal servants from the Imperial Palace.

It was rather large for an inn, and reminded me of a small hotel in the European countryside.

There were magic lights scattered around to keep the darkness at bay and make people feel safe.

There was a plaque at the front of the building with the words, ‘Le Siffre Inn.’

“Your highness.”

Benjamin quietly called out to me. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked behind me.

“Eek.”

I quietly gasped.

There were approximately 1,000 or so residents of Lucas gathered in front of the inn, bowing with their heads on the ground.

I had seen something similar at the Imperial Capital as well, but this felt completely different.

The people at the capital seemed to be showing their affection and respect for the Imperial family with their bowing but these people seemed to give off a sense of awe.

I could see a lot of their backs shaking.

“W, we greet h, his Royal Highness…… May you, shine like the sun……”

I could hear a young child’s sobbing voice.

I turned my head to see a young girl standing in front of the Imperial Prince Cédric with a bouquet in her hands.

She seemed to be only around ten years old, but she must be the village representative to greet the Imperial family.

The adults who made a kid do this are the worst but I immediately walked up to the Imperial Prince.

I was worried that he would treat the child heartlessly. However…

– Rustle.

The Imperial Prince received the bouquet with a simple movement.

The girl became shocked, knelt down, and lowered her head.

I blinked my eyes a few times at this unexpected turn of events.

“……Unpack the things and hand them out.”

“Yes, your Royal Highness.”

The attendants started moving even quicker at the Imperial Prince’s order.

I finally realized why we had come with so much stuff.

There was a reason all ten carriages were teleported through the portal.

They were not things for him to use.

“Please stand in five lines! We will hand out the Imperial gifts from his Royal Highness.”

“Please write your name here, and over here……”

“I, I’m so honored by this Imperial blessing……”

‘……This doesn’t seem like the type of person who would be called Crapdric.’

I looked at the residents who were bowing ninety degrees over and over again while following the Imperial Prince into the lodging with quick steps.

Christelle, who had walked up next to me at some point, was looking at the Imperial Prince’s back and saying, ‘Two sides……’ She was in shock as well.

She was saying that she saw a new side to him.

“Your loyal subject greets our esteemed Royal Highness.”

“We will serve you to the best of our abilities, your Royal Highness.”

I walked into the lobby to see cleanly dressed employees and a person who seemed to be the owner bowing toward the Imperial Prince.

This felt a bit burdensome outside of the Imperial Palace.

Thankfully, we should be able to rest peacefully inside since we rented the whole inn…

– Rustle.

“Huh?”

The Imperial Prince shoved the bouquet into my arms.

He then followed the inn owner up the stairs without even looking back.

‘What the heck?’

“My apologies, Prince Jesse. His Royal Highness does not like to have things in his hands…… I will take care of it if you give it to me.”

David, the Imperial Prince’s attendant, quickly walked over and apologized on his behalf.

Basically, it meant that the bastard threw the bouquet away by shoving it in my arms.

‘Hey, this is why Jung Eunse calls you Crapdric……’

“He’s the type to earn some points and then lose them all with his actions. Why does he live his life in such a difficult way?”

Christelle launched a Fact Missile from next to me.

David looked as if he heard her, but did not dare to say anything.

I could hear Vice Captain Élisabeth coming in behind us while holding Ganael’s arm and laughing.

I couldn’t help but sigh.

“I will keep the flowers in my room. I would feel too bad throwing them away and wasting the girl’s efforts.”

“Then I will provide you with the water.”

Christelle responded with a smile on her face. I couldn’t tell whether she was making fun of me or cheering me on.

I just wanted to eat some dinner and go to sleep.

—