CH 78

It was the last few days before Ahmar’s Night Festival when that guest had arrived at the 『Dancing Ocelot』.

He was a young man with a refreshing appearance, but his travel clothes were in such a mess that you knew he had come here in a hurry. He anxiously ran in between the regulars as he looked around in the shop.

“Welcome.”

Even though the regulars could see through the unknown youth, feeling tense, seeing that he had a fair bit of strength, the store’s poster girl was going about business at her own pace as usual.

Tap tap tap. Her small footsteps headed towards the youth to welcome him with a smile.

“This is your first time here, isn’t it? Is this the first time you’ve been to Kroix?”

“….Yeah.”

Latina’s smile froze the moment she heard the young man’s next words. The youth widens his ice blue eyes slightly, as if surprised, and muttered.

“So you’re the 『Fairy Princess』 Dale was talking about.”

“…..”

Latina turns around, smile still frozen, to Rita, who was restraining herself from laughing out with a poker face.

“Rita, it’s alright for me to be angry at Dale, right?”

“You can be as angry as you want.”

It wasn’t only Rita who smiled as she gave a thumbs up, but even the surrounding gallery of regulars, gave Latina all of their support.

As long as it doesn’t affect them, looking on at someone else getting done in was a form of entertainment.

Everyone present saw Latina off with an indescribable bustle, as she headed towards the kitchen with heavier sounding footsteps than usual.

Leaving behind a one young man, who didn’t know what was going on.

“…..What’s up?”

“…..You tell me, this is your fault.”

After a short while, Dale came out from his bedroom and into the shop, looking devastated.

Thinking that the pouty, angry face of Latina was also cute, his face muscles loosened into a smile in the middle of her lecture; Something else he shouldn’t have done. He had to apologize, beg and grovel on the ground before he could get Latina, who was in an absolutely terrible mood, to just barely forgive him.

However, it took him all of his negotiation skills in order to avoid not being allowed 『to say it anymore』. He didn’t want to lie to Latina.

The above condition wasn’t a strange one at all. He just had no plans of changing himself.

“Nevertheless, you were quick Gregor. It’s like you rushed over here as soon as the letter got to you.”

“Yeah. I’m quite free, if I’m on my own.”

Sitting down in a corner of the 『Ocelot』, Gregor, who had calmly standing as he was waiting for Dale, didn’t seemed to be phased by the gazes directed towards him from his surroundings.

The air Gregor was wrapped around in, was the defining aspect of warriors. It wasn’t unreasonable that the regulars were looking at him with unkind looks, full of interest. As an adventurer, he seemed come from a good upbringing, but Gregor attracted the interest of those with actual power, as he was an excellent swordsman.

He had also noticed that amongst the regulars in this shop were some who possessed amazing ability above normal. He sighed inside. There weren’t even such amazing people in the royal capital. He once again reassessed, that this city of Kroix, was as expected, at the forefront of the country when it came to its ability to attract travelers and adventurers.

“Is Rose alright?”

“She’s in the guest room on the second floor. I’ve heard vaguely about what happened…. But is it really true? That she got kidnapped?”

“….She was assaulted in her carriage on her way to the royal capital. The Cornelius house isn’t very rich. The guards and servants she could take along could only be so much… Apparently the assailant had even investigated Rose’s personality. I hear that the surrounding people were taken hostage first.”

“Ahh….”

I never would have thought that Rose-coloured princess would get quietly kidnapped, but it seems that was why.

Rose’s Cornelius family was of a Viscount rank, and had a different family status to Gregor who was from Duke Eldishtett’s family. Despite that, the biggest reasons as the why the two had contact, was because their territories were right next to each other, as well as Duke Eldishtett’s territories being customers for Cornelius’ specialty product. — Which was how they came to have such an intimate relationship.

And, after the birth of Rose, with her magic materialisation, with her rare Divine protection as a priest, that relationship became even more intimate.

Standing behind Rose was a shield, the protection of the Duke’s family. This wasn’t a terrible thing for Duke Eldishtett. To be able to obtain an influential card such as the beautiful princess, with her high ranking divine protection. However, to suppress her within their own range of influence had huge implications.

It was due to these circumstances that Rose and Gregor got to know each other.

Another reason was that Gregor’s sister found the cute, doll-like Rose to be adorable. The two of them would speak their thoughts to each other ever since they were young.

“Anyway, you want to check whether or not Rose is alright, right? I’ll go tell Latina to bring h….”

“No, I’ll go. Tell me the room.”

With Gregor’s reply, Dale was lost for words for a moment.

“No….nononono. There’s no way that’s a good idea, right? Just from her name, you can tell Rose is an airhead. Even if you don’t plan on doing anything.”

A princess of age, meeting with a man in her bedroom — if the truth of this matter came out, then there’s no doubt it would cause a great scandal.

“If you keep quiet about it, then Rose’s honour would be protected, right?”

The cold, ice-blue glint in his eye had not even the slightest trace of a smile, and seemed to threaten Dale, that if he said anything more, he would cut him down.

This guy would always coldly criticize me, saying that “I’m a 『Doting Parent』 that places Latina above all else”, but you really can’t comment on other people right? Was the monologue Dale had internally as sweat dripped down his back. Thinking that, 『Birds of a feather flock together』.

“Umm, Rose’s room is the one right in front of the second floor. …I don’t have to…. Go with you, right? Right?”

With a single glance from Gregor, Dale immediately decided what to do.

As he saw his friend climb up the stairs, Dale drops his shoulders down sadly, and the worried Latina came over to bring a cup of water to him. Even though she should have been angry from just a while ago, her kindness was seeped into her bones.

“Dale, are you alright?”

“….Un, probably….. I think?”

Although the two of them were worried about different people, on this rare occasion, Dale whispered words of prayers to the god that he worships, without caring about the details.

With just a knock, Rose had a feeling about who it was. Surprised, she dropped the book that she had borrowed onto the ground.

The person himself probably didn’t notice it, but he had a little habit. She had come to notice it precisely because she had always looked forward to him coming ever since she was young. His habit.

“Rose.”

The moment she heard his voice, Rose sprung towards the door. She was shaking at an action as easy as unlocking the door, due to her impatient heart.

“Gregor-sama…..”

Her voice trembles as she once again confirms the figure standing on the other side of the door.

“Rose, I’m glad, you’re okay.”

“Gregor-sama!”

Gregor didn’t express too much on the outside, but no matter what, a relieved tone could be heard, gently layered in his voice. At the same time, Rose thrusted herself into Gregor’s chest.

“…..hic, Gregor-sama, I, I….”

“I’m really happy, you’re okay.”

Gregor hugs the crying Rose, her slender shoulders trembling, as he quietly closed the door behind him with the his hand.

To Rose, Dale was at best, 『an acquaintance』.

Even if she had been kidnapped, been in contact with the definition of fear, known as 『The Second Demon Lord』, been scared, been hurt, and fretful, she wouldn’t show such a sight to Dale.

That was just how much self-dignity Rose had, and it may be because she was firm, but it definitely did not mean that she was feeling okay.

In front of Gregor, who was someone she could open her heart to and trust ever since she was young, the dam keeping her in check burst.

Rose didn’t say a word. Just clung onto him, and sobbed.

Gregor too, knew Rose very well. He could have guessed that up until now, she had forced herself to not to cry. Which is exactly why, he forced his own way to go into her room by himself.

Sliding his hand through her rare Rose-coloured hair, from which her name originated, Gregor silently watched over the girl in the her arms.

(Author’s note: Basically when Dale met Gregor for the first time, he had told Dale about Rose.)