Volume 5 - CH 6

Two days after returning home, it was a beautiful sunny day.

I was visiting a town in Lamprog territory.

“Seika-sama, what is that over there?”

“It’s the cathedral of the land.”

“Maa, it’s pretty small, isn’t it? So what’s over there?”

“It’s a rental carriage shop”

Yes, to my surprise, Fiona was with me.

Incidentally, Amiyu and Grey are also behind us.

Yesterday, Fiona suddenly announced that she wanted to go see the city in the territory.

That was fine, but she insisted on leaving all her guards behind because she would not be able to enjoy herself if the soldiers were there.

She was stopped by the maid she had brought with her, but Fiona is a stubborn woman, and in the end, she pushed her way through.

She named me, Grey, and Amiyu as her guides and bouncers.

“…….”

“…….”

There was an awkward atmosphere between Grey and Amiyu.

Both Amu, who had lost the fight after starting the fight, and Grey, who was only aware that he had tangled with someone he didn’t understand, had nothing to say to each other.

Fiona was talking to me happily all the time, so the temperature difference between her and the people behind her was quite severe.

“Huh …”

I let out a small sigh so as not to be noticed.

It had been a while since I had been here, but the town seemed to have changed a bit.

I had visited here only a few times before I went to the school, but compared to those days, there are more buildings and it seems a little more lively.

“ Grey-niisan. Was it always like this here?”

“Huh……?　No. It’s been two years, things change.”

Grey, looking around, replies curtly.

Perhaps it means that Edith’s management is doing well.

Walking toward the center of town, the number of pedestrians begins to increase accordingly.

“Oh, we’re lucky, the market is up.”

Grey said when they went out on a wide street.

Various stores are lined up on both sides of the street and are crowded with people.

Miscellaneous goods such as cloth, sundries, dried and salted preserved foods, livestock and monster materials were on display, but there were also delicious smells wafting from some places.

Of course, it’s not always like this, so it looks like Grey was right, we got lucky.

“Maa.”

Fiona says in a tone of voice that I’m not sure if she’s surprised or not.

“It’s a huge crowd. I’m afraid I’m going to get lost.”

“No, not to that extent.”

“Let’s hold hands.”

Ignoring my words, Fiona took my hand in hers.

We walked down the street in the middle of the city in a good mood.

“Ufufu. This is like a rendezvous.”

“Um….. Your Highness is a person of position, so please don’t say too many things.”

“It doesn’t matter. Right now… no one blames me.”

The princess smiles as she whispers this.

Hmmm …… I wonder why she’s so excited.

It’s hard to tell because her words and actions aren’t normal, but I feel like she’s unnaturally excited.

Her Imperial Highness is scurrying around the surrounding stores.

I am not sure if it is interesting to see such a small-town market.

Perhaps it is because her gaze is somewhat clerical.

“…… having a good time?　Your Highness.”

“Of course, I don’t have many opportunities to see the lives of ordinary people in this way. I have a position, but I have no freedom …”

“But I’ve heard that in the capital, you often came down to the streets and exchanged words with the residents of the city.”

“….”

“And it was Your Highness who initiated the inspection of the region, wasn’t it? Didn’t you have plenty of opportunities to see cities larger than this one?”

“….”

“…… Um, Your Highness?”

“Ufufufufu … Ah”

Fiona, with a seemingly empty smile, suddenly turned to a stall and said.

“I want some of that, Grey. Go get some.”

It smelled good, like a food stall selling grilled skewers.

Grey, who had been ordered to buy the food, went to buy it grudgingly.

Soon after, he returned with four skewers in his hand and handed one of them to Fiona.

Then he offers one to me.

“……what?”

“Well, don’t you want it? Take it quickly.”

As I received the skewer, I was a little moved and said.

“Grey niisan….. I never thought you could be this caring …… you’ve grown up…….”

“You’re selling a fight you …… look, you, too.”

He offered a skewer to Amiyu as well.

She took it graciously.

“Oh, thanks …….”

“It’s ok.”

Fiona, who seems to have finished eating, said while returning the trashed skewers to Grey.

Grey answers with a half lidded eye.

“When we get back to the mansion, I’m going to charge you for it.”

“Ma, what a cheap man”

With Fiona’s agitation in the background, I too take a bite of the grilled meat skewer.

It’s not bad, but it tastes a little too salty.

“It’s delicious, Seika-sama”

I was taken aback when Fiona suddenly came up to me with a smile on her face.

“No, well, it was just right …”

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?”

“Ye, yes …”

“Ufufu”

Fiona takes me by the hand as we walk through the city.

I look around at the crowd around me.

So far, no problems have occurred, but the sight of Fiona seems to have caught the attention of many people.

“… After all, it stands out.”

As expected, she also said in a slightly worrisome manner.

However, it’s not unreasonable.

Although it is a sneak peek, no matter how famous Fiona is, few people know the face of a princess in such a remote country.

However, the problem was her appearance … A girl with long, beautiful hair like Fiona was rare around here.

She seems to have been wearing clothes like a commoner’s, but even though she came without her maid, it’s still above her head.

Due to the unusualness of her hair color, she is inevitably eye-catching.

“I suppose I should have done it that way, but …… it can’t be helped now.”

Fiona muttered quietly as she looked over at the town girl with the hair tied up.

Hmmm, I wish I could do something about it. ……

I looked around at the market, but the Princess continued on her way without a care in the world.

When we reached the end of the street, she suddenly stopped and muttered.

“How can a man and a woman become intimate?”

“….”

“Now that I think about it, I wasn’t thinking about anything.”

She suddenly started saying something again.

I asked Fiona on behalf of everyone who was at a loss for a response.

“Uh…… having trouble with your fiancé?”

“Oh, there’s no such thing. Right now. Ufufu.”

“Then what is it ……?”

“I’m talking about the public.”

The princess mutters euphorically.

“How are others getting close to each other…?”

“There’s usually a lot of meeting and talking and ……”

“Is there anything that can bring us closer together in an instant?”

“……”

I wondered what such a convenient thing to do would be.

She is in a position where she has to interact with dignitaries in many situations. This topic may be a serious concern of that kind.

“In the stories, they are often saved from a life-threatening situation and become close friends.”

“Maa, are you going to go that far ……?”

“I think I’ve got it.”

And for some reason, Amiyu suddenly got into the topic.

She explains with enthusiasm to Fiona, who turns to him.

“I often hear stories like that among adventurers. They get into a romantic relationship after defeating thugs or rescuing people from monsters.”

“Well. Is that not unusual?”

“It happens all the time. It’s not uncommon to hear stories of friends becoming lovers in the middle of an adventure, so I’m sure it happens to people when they are rescued or saved in a pinch. On the other hand, if there’s a dispute, it could end up in a knife fight.”

“How interesting”

They get excited, and I try to get into it with a subtle expression on my face.

“No, that’s …”

“Well, that kind of thing …”

The timing of my speech coincided with Grey’s, and we both kept our mouths shut.

Amiyu stares at me quizzically.

“What is it with you people? Do you have something to say?”

“No…….”

In reality, there aren’t that many people who get into a colorful relationship because they saved someone in a dangerous situation.

It may be a good start, but if you already have a partner or you don’t like them, they won’t even be interested and will thank you and that will be the end of it.

I wanted to talk about the lesson of my previous life, but it’s a little hard to explain, so I’ll shut up.

Grey, too, kept his mouth shut.

“ …..What are you brothers saying? Or rather, I didn’t say anything strange. We were like that.”

“………… Huh !?”

I couldn’t help but voice my bewilderment.

Amiyu, who was startled by the stares of everyone, blushed and made excuses as if in a panic.

“I don’t mean that in a weird way!　I just meant that we started talking because of that underground dungeon!”

“Oh, oh, that’s …”

Surprise.

In the interminable atmosphere, Fiona opens her mouth.

“In my case, I overcame the obstacles myself.”

Fiona says in a slightly more genuine tone.

“I’ve wished someone would help me. I kind of long for that.”

“Right? I understand.”

“In your case, I’m more likely to be on the helping side.”

“It’s annoying, isn’t it? I’m only saying things you don’t need from a while ago.”

Excuse me…….

I mean, Amiyu was a bit like Ifa, too. Surprising.

“Mmm-hmm.”

Fiona, who had been smiling euphorically, suddenly turned her attention toward the center of town.

“Oh, I’d love to go over there.”

As soon as she said that, she pulled me by the hand and started to walk away.

In this way, the mysterious topic ended abruptly.