124 124 · Things that change. The same (Claude's point of view)

A year has passed since the battle with the Demon King ended.

"Your Highness, this is also incorrect!It's time to solve this level of problems! "

Belkheim Kingdom.

A voice of reprimand echoed through the castle.

Soldiers walking down the hallway looked like they just said, "Again."

But it wasn't like making a fool of someone who was being scolded, it was like watching a growing child.

The origin of the voice is somewhere in one room.

"It's impossible to beat the prince of a neighboring country like this forever!"

"That's not true...."

A woman with glasses who looked harsh was scolding a man.

The man is now facing the table with a difficult face.

He was the First Prince of the Kingdom of Belkheim, Claude Belkheim.

"Hmm... it can't be helped.I've never studied properly before.... "

Claude sharpened his lips in dissatisfaction.

My hair was a little shorter than a year ago.

"That's why it's hard to get a decent score on the test ─ ─"

"Don't make excuses!As soon as I return, I will train His Highness Bishbashi!Be prepared.The goal... is to surpass His Highness Nigel in three years! "

"That's impossible....."

Claude tried to disagree, and the woman turned a tight gaze.

(Ugh... I'm scared. If I can see you like this, I can't argue with you anymore...)

He trembled in fear and fell again into his notebook.

After that--

Though the demon king was completely defeated and the demon tribes were destroyed, the damage to the king's capital was enormous.

The fear engraved in people's hearts will not heal so easily.

But —— and this is a miracle —— no one died in the previous battle.

Everyone is...!

Of course, there are many people who have been seriously injured... but all of them have nothing to do with their lives.

Although there was an all-out war against the demons, the result was miraculous.

"Really... when you summon me, I wonder if your guts are better... they weren't.Well ─ ─ it seems that the habit of skimming has healed.... "

A woman says to Claude as she hits the whip in her hand.

She is a woman who was previously ordered to be Claude's educator.

But because of her severity, Claude had her resigned.

(I have to catch up with Nigel anyway.It's nice to be a little tough... but isn't it tougher than before!?)

Claude thinks as he runs a brush through his notebook.

Keeping up with Nigel - that was his goal.

But it is impossible to do so with a half-life effort.Nigel is doing his best while we're doing this.

It was therefore necessary to have a good education clerk.

So she went up to the spearball, where she used to be Claude's educator.

But... at that time she was slowly cultivating the fields in the surrounding lands and living a leisurely life.

That's why I thought you wouldn't come back.

As the royal order of the prince, I could have forcibly taken him with me... but I didn't want to do that.

But when Claude walked straight to her and lowered his head to her...

I can't help it. I will raise Master Claude to a fine future king!

Weirdly motivated, he answered immediately.

The result is now.

"Hey...."

"Why?"

When Claude tries to speak, she answers with a stronger voice.

He was terrified and trembling...

"I'm sorry. Thank you.You're thinking about me, aren't you?I'm sorry I'm such a bad student. "

I apologized.

When she heard that, the woman's expression was instantly surprised.

But immediately his face turned bright red.

"Of course not!And it doesn't look like Master Claude!Um... is that so? Compared to before, Claude has done well.Was I a little too harsh?I can't help it. When this unit is finished, it's snack time..... "

I put it in my mouth as if it was illuminated somewhere.

(I've never seen her look like this before.)

If you observe humans well, some things can be seen.

Claude's field of view has been narrow until now.

That's why I immediately had a tantrum and couldn't even notice this clumsy kindness.

Claude began to study again, seeing her expression and thinking so.

After studying.

The body wanted rest, but Claude took part in the discussion with the ministers.

"Because it is ~"

"No, I can turn the economy around ~"

"More than that, help me with my life."

The conference room was filled with jargon, and Claude was turning his eyes sooner or later.

But while spreading the dictionary, Claude managed to catch up with the discussion.

(First of all, I need to be able to understand the discussions between the ministers...Otherwise, it would be difficult to comment on the national policy)

That's why Claude is arguably in the meeting.

This would have been inconceivable if it had been Claude before.

Listening to the ministers makes me fall asleep.Therefore, I barely listened.

I troubled the ministers by saying something that was unfounded.

When I think of myself back then, I get embarrassed.

"Even though the Virgin and the Prince of the neighboring country have defeated the Demon King, it's important now. I mean..."

Halfway through the meeting.

The subject of the Virgin popped up.

Of course, the Virgin is Elianne.

(Really... today's (...) day (...)?It's just been a year since Eliane disappeared in front of us....)

When I think of her face, I feel lonely.

I haven't forgotten Elaine for a day since that.

But ─ ─ more than Elaine, Claude's head was full of women now.

That's....

(Leticia has also disappeared since then.I don't know where she is or what she's doing right now....)

That's right.

The day after the last battle, Leticia left a letter in front of him.

"I'm not worthy of you."

What was written in the letter was such a short sentence.

Claude was quite rough when he saw it.

- I don't deserve it!?

I love you!

I wanted to walk my life with you...

And yet, where the hell...?

But I didn't have time to be depressed by Claude.

(... I'm sure Leticia's watching me work somewhere.)

I haven't been able to pick up Leticia with confidence yet.

But one day, I'll pick up Leticia if I become a man who can cheer her up ─ ─ and Elianne.

Then, even in the fire, in the water, even if it is hell - let's not stray and take Leticia's hand.

Yes, Claude is determined.

That's why Claude has come through the past year with a sense of perseverance, no matter how tough the challenge is.

"Uh... Master Claude?"

Are you worried about Claude who doesn't talk at all?

One of the ministers opens his mouth.

What do you think of Claude?About the reconstruction of the city..... "

Claude panicked at the sudden question.

In the past year, the King's City has been rebuilding at a remarkable rate.

But it will still be a long way before we get back to life like before.

(... first of all, citizens' lives are paramount.If they don't make the country so that they can reassure them)

Claude retightened his expression and kept doing this.

"Ah, oh, as for me--"

"Wow! Didn't I tell you to put salt in that amount?!Why are you so stiff? Why is cooking so hard! "

A corner of King's Landing.

The voice of a tall woman echoes in the girls' college.

It was quite a volume, but the girls at the Academy were used to it and didn't seem to care much.

"Ugh... but I have to work hard.Now, it's still too early to face Claude. "

A woman in an apron.

She had only one person left in the family department and had repeated trials and mistakes before using condiments.

The woman was Leticia.

Yes, but Leticia didn't cut off Claude.

I just changed my mind and went to a proper bride's school to be with Claude.

(I... if I think about it carefully, I've been too ignorant.Well, I was able to do everything with a curse, so naturally... I have to polish myself more!)

I'm going to be frustrated, but I'm going to rekindle Leticia.

The girls' college is not particularly far from the royal castle.

So if Claude was serious, it would have been easy to find Leticia.

But none of the people around me told Claude about it.

Although there was a name for Claude to keep him motivated ─ ─, there was no denying that it was half as interesting.

Of course, Claude and Leticia didn't know about this.

(I've been cheating so far, but this time I'll get what I want with a straight shot.That's why I can't stop here!)

Leticia burns the flames of the fighting spirit.

A girl named Leticia always had a blade of grievance in her heart.

Although he had a cute face, there was a tight atmosphere.

But now she looked as if she had taken possession.

The figure was not the same as her, wearing a mask and a flashy smile.

She just kept looking at it with her heart set on cooking for someone she loved ─ ─.