Volume 1 - CH 2

VOLUME 1: Chapter 2 – Maid A’s Bewilderment

Mob. It is a group of small fish characters that always appears in stories. And many others. It is only a supporting role, an insignificant existence.

Common in so many heroic novels read by the public, names do not appear except for the protagonists and semi-protagonists. All other small fish characters are represented by their occupation. Cabinet member A, B, C . . . Knight A, B, C . . . Soldier A, B, C . . . Chamberlain A, B, C . . . etcetera, etcetera. If one is unlucky, one could be lumped into “crowd of soldiers” or “servants” or “congregation of people in the hall”. Of course, even if it does not appear in the hero’s tale, practically a name exists. Because they are living a life, without names they will be troubled.

I am a worthy human, one of those mob characters. To the role that was given to me in this present day hero’s tale, am I not helpful as the “Princess’s Maid A”, am I?

Witnessing the scene in which the Demon King kidnapped the princess . . .

“Princess~!!!!”

I screamed, and to the king and the ministers,

“The-The princess was . . . by the Demon King . . . “

I said in a panic while doing my duty to report the situation.

As a matter of fact, many generations before this hero’s tale, there was also a case where a certain beauty has been kidnapped by the Demon King, and at that time she also did the same thing——the Maid A of the previous generation. And now, I also imitated that. No, it could be said that I became like her.

By the way, even though the Demon King was in a human form, he was not handsome. I bluntly say my disappointment.

Isn’t beauty the standard nowadays? Why is he an unattractive middle aged man?!  In seeing the so-called “Demon King” carry the princess in his arms, that’s what I thought which should not be told to anyone.

I mean, if the ordinary Demon King could just command his subordinate, why did he personally and single-handedly come to kidnap the princess, my inner tsukkomi1 pointed out which should also be kept secret. Well, putting it aside, my role in the hero’s tale almost ended with that.

After the incident, with nothing to do besides praying for the safety of the princess, I put into order the room of my absent master [princess] everyday to ready it for the day she returns. Because I am a mob, the things that I can do are limited. But I am grieving at heart to the leading roles and supporting roles in the Hero’s party despite the nonchalant way I spend my time, for it must have been days in order for the Hero to save the princess and defeat the Demon King.

I shivered just by thinking about it. I have no fighting skills. No, even if I am given one, I don’t need it. Being a mob is enough. Right, no matter who says, being Maid A is enough!

Therefore, it is troubling when the Hero proposed marriage. After all, it is common that one should have skills and status in order to become the Hero’s wife.

While Greed-sama was holding my hand, I felt the cold sweat breaking out. Looking around me, I have a feeling that someone saying something like “Who is that woman?” with a sharp glance has transformed the confusion.

Aren’t they correct? That is because the Hero only thought to choose to court the uninteresting maid instead of the beautiful princess.

“A, a . . . Uhm . . . Why is it me?”

Princess Louise is a beautiful woman who is a head-turner. Since he is travelling together with the beautiful woman for a while until their successful return in the kingdom, it should be natural for him to become fond of her. Despite this, the Hero in front of me did not spare a glance at the princess and proposed marriage to a maid with ordinary appearance and features.

Everyone thinks so, right? Why should it be you?

With his faint smile fixed on his lips, the Hero looked down at me and said. “At the time when I was invited to this castle, I fell in love at first sight when I saw you, who was worried for Princess Louise. To be honest, the information related to the Demon King is still insufficient so I thought that at that stage it is too early to fight him directly. Nevertheless I was resolved to tell you that I want to save your2 princess. To tell you that I will save the princess for your sake.”

“I want to save your princess” . . .

Yes. He said that. He certainly said that!

Was it when I was clinging to the Hero who had just arrived in the castle and was saying, “I beg you! The princess . . . Please save the princess!”

The Hero being hero-like, embraced me who was clinging to him, smiled and replied, “It’s going to be okay. I will save your princess without fail.”

Because this is the role of the Hero who saves the world, this is not something special. That is the only thing that I have conversed directly (if that would be considered a conversation) with the Hero.

Even though I was present at the hall when the Hero was having an audience with the King, I did not have the right to speak to him personally. Then, did he mean he fell in love at first sight at the time when I was clinging to him? But, I thought that was one of the roles of Maid A . . .

Isn’t that line supposed to be words of promise? But even then, that sort of unexpected speech of the Hero is showing his willingness to go to save the princess. Not to mention that the romance flag is standing one-sidedly.

———I do not understand what on earth is going on.

“While I am travelling, I always thought. If I can save the princess, you . . . “

At that juncture, Greed-sama gazed sweetly at me.

My fellow maids behind me, in other words my fellow mob characters, are noisy, and heard them saying “Hero-sama is cool!” or something like that. It seems that those who are near me became a victim of the sparkling beam of beauty, this Hero’s charm.

But can I switch on my tsukkomi?

. . . . We did not talk a lot, so isn’t the sudden proposal hasty? Isn’t it immensely in a lot of ways?

“The—The princess . . . What will become of the princess?”

The king, who is observing, stood unsteadily from the throne and protested in front of everyone. It seems he is trying to calm down. Also, the king was filled with feeling that the Hero will marry the princess, and is now in a state of extreme indignation. Surely, he thought that the Hero toyed with the princess’s feelings.

However, the state of the princess does not appear to be like it. Even now, she is still staring at the black-haired magician while blushing hotly. And the Hero in question completely ignored the words of the king.

With eyes fixed zealously at me, I wonder if he heard for he has not casted a fleeting glance towards the king.

“Princess Louise? Princess Louise has Rufus, right?”

Instead of the Hero, a young man elf—no, it seems the physique is that of a boy, replied.  He pointed out with the staff in his hand at the magician and Princess Louise who did nothing but stare at each other. It seems that the mage is named Rufus. Finally the king seems to have noticed the state of the princess.

“P-Princess, what on earth . . . ?”

At those words of the king, the princess and the magician looked at the king at that instant. However, both of them immediately got their eyes back to each other. The magician smiled gently as if to relieve the princess whose countenance showed some anxiety.

The beautiful smile has an outstanding power. “Kyaaa~!” my fellow maids said behind me in loud, shrill voices.

If one is handsome, anything is alright?

No, if I am not in this situation where the Hero took my hand and proposed marriage to me, I might be also mixed in that group in loud, shrill voice.  So using tsukkomi is not necessary.

When the magician smiled again at the princess, he took her hand and turned to the throne. The magician is as handsome as the Hero. With the princess standing beside him, they look very pretty as a picture.

People around me also think so, and the sigh of admiration, “Oooohh. . .”, spread like ripples on the surface of the water. Meanwhile, the hall became noisy at the words of the magician.

“I am the prince of the Principality of Elusion, Rufus Ricleed Elusion3. Please, Your Majesty King of Schwarze and also Your Majesty Queen. Permit me and Princess Louise to get married.”

Behind the Hero who kept holding my hand, a solid story unfolds.

Translator’s note:

Also regarding the “-sama”, I chose to leave it as it is. Japanese are very polite and humble and they show deference to their betters by using honorifics. I felt that if I leave that part out, it will not sound formal.