“Elena, I am glad you have returned safely. Lady Layton, and you adventurers as well, thank you for your hard work. You may raise your heads.”
“Thank you very much, Your Majesty.”
In response to the calm yet dignified words of His Majesty, the King of Claydale, Elena replied with a dignified smile, and we too were permitted to raise our heads.
His Majesty the King was a handsome man still in his thirties, his golden hair and features closely resembling Elena’s. The soft, lovely woman beside him was likely Her Majesty, the First Queen Consort, the official queen.
According to Elena, she is fair and kind to everyone, but that’s all (・・・・) there is to her. His Majesty making her the official queen has caused various problems in both domestic and foreign affairs.
Her Majesty, the Second Queen Consort, Elena’s biological mother, had been performing the queen’s duties in place of the First Queen Consort, who could do nothing outside of official ceremonies, but there was no sign of such a woman.
I didn’t know if she couldn’t face her own daughter or if she truly had no interest, but if her feelings hadn’t changed, there was a possibility she would go on a rampage if she learned that Elena had begun to move towards becoming queen.
Regarding that, Elena made a slightly troubled face and said—
“In that case, I suppose I will have to strip Mother-sama of all her authority and take on her duties as well… She truly is a troublesome person.”
—she murmured, sounding regretful.
It seemed Elena still had some lingering affection, but I felt she had nevertheless come to terms with it. That was something Elena would likely handle herself, rather than me interfering.
“—Aria Layton.”
“…Yes.”
His Majesty suddenly addressed me. Wondering what it was about, I focused my attention on him, and it felt as though he was looking at me not as the King, but smiling as Elena’s father.
“I have heard of your deeds from Elena. You have performed a great service in this matter. Ordinarily, I would grant you a reward other than money, but…”
Another reward, could it be a promotion in rank? However, House Layton has already been promoted from Baronet to Baron because I stopped the Knight Order’s rampage. Due to various factors… several noble faction aristocrats lost their positions, and some houses were abolished, so we were raised from lower nobility to middle nobility to fill the gaps.
Normally, the rank of middle nobility isn’t so easily attained through the merits of just one person.
That Woman had deluded herself into thinking that the title of Baron was one that could be obtained with simple achievements, but there’s no way one could become a lord responsible for tens of thousands of lives with mere trivial deeds. If our rank were to rise again due to my achievements, we would undoubtedly face considerable jealousy from other middle-ranking noble houses.
His Majesty was troubled because he understood this. Just as Her Majesty, the First Queen Consort, next to him, began to show interest, her eyes sparkling, Elena spoke up before she could say anything.
“Your Majesty, may I have permission to speak?”
“What is it, Elena? Go ahead and speak.”
“Yes, thank you. Aria… I sincerely wish for her to remain in a “free position” as my friend.”
“I see…”
A free position. It’s a matter of phrasing, but Elena had made it known that I was the princess’s friend—under her protection—thus shielding me from the state trying to incorporate me as a military asset and from unnecessary problems from the First Queen Consort or other noble houses.
Furthermore, if I entered Elena’s “friend slot,” I could also act as a shield to ward off noble daughters trying to curry favor with Elena.
But more than that, when Elena asked her father for permission to make me her friend, she noticed my gaze and her cheeks reddened slightly.
“…Very well. In that case, Aria. Please stay with Elena at the academy as her ‘friend.’ I will inform the Prime Minister about the reward later.”
“Yes… Thank you very much.”
I bowed my head and expressed my gratitude for His Majesty’s words. But… seeing his eyes narrow for an instant, as if scrutinizing me, I felt that while his reputation among the nobles might not be good, the king of a nation was certainly not someone to be trifled with.
It was a sudden audience, but since we had also handed over materials from the Black Dragon, it was natural that they would be wary.
We hadn’t returned to the Kingdom of Claydale and reached the royal castle all on the same day. We had arrived in Claydale yesterday afternoon.
＊＊＊
Elena and I had returned to the Kingdom of Claydale after about four months.
I had never paid much attention to it before, but I truly felt how different the scent of the wind and the light of the sun were from the arid desert.
But we couldn’t just linger on that. Our job wasn’t over yet; we had to escort Elena to the royal castle immediately.
“Aria, the lord of this viscounty has come to greet us, so I will go and pay my respects. The Viscount-dono is of the royalist faction and manages a territory directly under royal control, but be careful, as someone might have infiltrated their ranks.”
“Understood, Sera.”
Sera, despite me being, for all intents and purposes, her daughter, cautioned me and left. It was hard to imagine the lord of a directly controlled territory being involved with the noble faction, but it was better not to let our guard down.
The Viscount had, at least, provided guards, but His Majesty had dispatched Royal Knights to serve as our escorts to the Royal Capital. Seeing Elena’s attendants, with whom I was acquainted, and the Royal Knights who had guarded the academy, it was clear they too had been eagerly awaiting Elena’s return.
I felt sorry for the Viscount who had enthusiastically provided soldiers, but I doubted their pace could match the speed of the military carriages sent from the castle. Still, there was a task we wanted to entrust to them.
Escorting Elena to the royal castle was the top priority, but with only four military carriages, there was a limit to what we could transport. So, we prioritized loading our personal belongings and the tribute for His Majesty onto the carriages, and decided to have the Viscount transport the rest of the luggage.
Among those items were fabrics, liquors, and numerous spices—gifts from the Calfaan Empire—so several Royal Knights were assigned to accompany that shipment.
A vast forest spreads around the Royal Capital, but soldiers patrol it, so bandits don’t appear, and only low-rank Monsters show up.
The post town on the way to the Royal Capital only had ordinary inns, but in preparation for situations like this, the mansion of the Baronet who managed the town was quite spacious.
The Baronet, apparently not expecting to host a princess, was pitifully nervous. His son, however, seemed to want to work at the castle and, seeing me in my adventurer’s attire, repeatedly approached me in a frivolous manner.
In the end, after the Baronet rushed over with a pale face and informed him that I was the daughter of a Baron and an attendant to the princess, the son also turned pale, retreated to the inner rooms, and didn’t even show up to see us off.
“Aria, are you not fond of men like that?”
Seeing this, Sera whispered to me.
“He doesn’t seem like a threat, so I don’t really care.”
“No, that’s not what I meant… As for your preference in men? Would you prefer someone younger, rather than an older man like him?”
“I don’t really care about age, but if I’m going to be with someone, I’d prefer them to be strong.”
“…Is that so.”
For some reason, Sera pressed her fingers to her brow as if she had a headache and muttered softly, “…Slim chance.”
And so, we spent one night at the Baronet’s mansion, and without any major problems, we departed the next morning for the Royal Capital, finally arriving there just past noon.
Without any time to rest, we had an audience with His Majesty the King. After it concluded safely and we had a moment to breathe, the court lady who had guided us informed us that the adventurers, ‘Rainbow Sword,’ were to wait in the reception room.
Elena went to the Princess Palace within the royal grounds to rest, and Sera, resuming her duties as a lady-in-waiting, accompanied her. Although I am Elena’s attendant at the academy and have also received training as a lady-in-waiting from Sera, so I could have gone with Elena, it seems I first need to hear from the Prime Minister in my capacity as an adventurer.
“…Ain’t I out of place here?”
Jesha let out an anxious voice in the luxurious reception room, which still felt quite spacious even with six of us and two maids attending to us.
We had all changed into formal attire for the audience with His Majesty. Even I was wearing a dress I had received in the Empire. However, there was naturally no formal wear in the royal castle suitable for a large dwarven woman, so while Jesha was made to wear something that looked the part, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being dressed up by someone else.
“Jesha, if you’re one of us now, don’t say such pathetic things.”
“…Y-yes, sir.”
Glared at by Dolton, who was sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed, Jesha gave a strange reply. Perhaps unable to watch any longer, Feld, who had shaved his stubble again, spoke with a wry smile.
“We’re adventurers. As long as we’re polite, it doesn’t matter what we wear, it won’t be a big problem. Look at Viro. He’s acting almost too dignified, isn’t he?”
“Truly, he looks shady, like a swindler.”
“Watch your mouth, chubby elf!”
“Huh!?”
For some reason, Viro and Mira started bickering like usual. It’s true that Viro in his formal attire looks quite shady, but Mira is about the only one who’d say it out loud. Mira herself is called chubby, but she’s average for a human. It’s just that other elves are much slimmer.
“Everyone is present, I see.”
As they were doing that, the door opened, and a man in his late forties with sharp eyes entered the drawing-room. He had been staring intently at us from beside His Majesty during the audience as well.
The Prime Minister, Margrave Melrose… He’s a member of the Melrose Family, the origin of my pink hair, according to the spirit.
In other words, he’s someone who could potentially be a blood relative of my mother, a person I’ve been avoiding getting involved with all this time.
“Remain seated.”
He gestured for us, who were about to stand, back to our seats. The Prime Minister looked at my face and hair, closed his eyes for a second or two, then immediately sat down on an empty single-seater sofa.
“Before we get to the main topic, allow me to express my gratitude.”
＊＊＊
“—I am grateful that you accepted this urgent request. His Majesty has also instructed me to provide you with a generous reward.”
“There is no need for thanks. Our companion was there as well, so we are the ones who are grateful that you chose us.”
At the words of the Prime Minister, Belt Fha Melrose, Dolton of the Rainbow Sword bowed his head, using formal language.
Adventurers as trustworthy as them were rare. Dolton and his party had truly performed as Belt had expected. Not only Belt’s expectations as Prime Minister, but also his personal wish, for they had brought back not only the princess but also this ‘girl’.
Lady Aria Layton. She had single-handedly protected the princess, her renown echoing even in the underworld, and incredibly, at such a young age, she was a Rank 5 Dragon Slayer.
The pink-haired (pink-blonde) girl who had been reported before. He had heard of her appearance in reports. He had even seen her from a distance. However, the audience was the first time he had seen her up close, and this was the first time their eyes met.
Belt was astonished. Her features and hair color strongly resembled those of his youngest daughter, who had eloped and passed away.
Only her eyes were different from his daughter’s. Their color was the same jade green as Belt’s own.
That alone made him feel an undeniable blood connection. Indeed, the girl who had called herself Alicia at that orphanage was not his granddaughter.
However, he heard that ‘that girl’ was now on good terms with the Crown Prince, Prince Amor, and the Temple Head’s grandson. If he were to try and eliminate her merely on suspicion, the Crown Prince and Prince Amor would distance themselves from the Royalist faction, and the country would fall into further disarray.
Furthermore, it would be difficult to dissolve the adoption into the Mercis family, a branch of the Melrose family, based solely on Belt’s intuition at this late stage. Not unless the girl named Aria, standing before him now, was proven to be the real Alicia…
“You are Aria, was it? You have done well this time.”
“Thank you, Your Excellency the Prime Minister.”
Aria replied to Belt’s words, and her voice, too, closely resembled his daughter’s, causing emotions to well up within him. He wondered what kind of adversity and hardship this girl must have endured to gain such power.
“…His Majesty has conveyed words of praise and has stated that he will grant you one magical tool from the treasury. It is an item that obscures perception, but it is not very powerful. It is likely something that would only obscure the appraisals of fools who cannot sense strength intuitively. …Do you understand what this means?”
“Yes.”
Those of Rank 5 or 4 would likely be able to sense Aria’s strength without an appraisal. However, those who have only learned appraisal, or those who use Appraisal Crystals, would be unable to comprehend her power. If fools were to target the princess, they would first aim for Aria, who is in their way.
By giving her this, His Majesty has made Aria a decoy. If one were to consider the princess’s safety, it would be better to flaunt the strength of her guard, Aria. However, if the situation became desperate, they might resort to reckless means to target the princess.
At such a time, if Aria’s power is unknown, they would consider eliminating her, the obstacle, first.
His Majesty, out of love for his daughter, chose to make Aria a decoy. Belt, too, did not want to give such a thing to a girl who might be his granddaughter.
However, if Aria had the same temperament as his daughter, her mother, she would surely try to protect the princess even at the cost of her own life.
“Where did you acquire that strength?”
“I learned from the adventurer Viro and my adoptive mother.”
“I heard you were an orphan. Where did you learn magic?”
“Mostly self-taught. I was also able to learn some at the academy.”
“If you’re an orphan… do you not possess any ‘memento’ from your parents?”
“…”
At Belt’s final question, Aria’s eyes narrowed slightly. And from her reaction, Belt became convinced that Aria possessed the ‘ring (memento)’.
If Aria acknowledged it, he could welcome her into the Melrose Family immediately. If only she would call him ‘Grandfather’ just once, Belt would move with all his might to bring her into the family.
If he didn’t want her to leave the family, he could even arrange a marriage with his grandson, Mikhail. However, if he forced matters, Aria currently possessed the strength to shake off the power of nobles and flee the country all by herself.
“…I am Aria, the adventurer, Your Excellency the Prime Minister.”
“…I see.”
Hearing those words, it sounded to Belt as if Aria, just like his own daughter, would follow the path she had chosen for herself.
＊＊＊
“—Guooooooo…”
Zuzun… With a heavy thud, the last Ogre collapsed, and into the space filled with a brief silence, human voices began to flow.
“…We did it.”
“Did we defeat it…?”
“…We won. We won!!”
Starting with those voices, cheers erupted from the surviving knights and soldiers. However, they didn’t sound like cries of victory, but rather shouts of relief at having survived.
Crown Prince Elvan and Prince Amor undertook the conquest of a large-scale Dungeon.
This was made possible by Nasanitar, the grandson of the Robed Baron who was the Temple Head of the Holy Church, securing full cooperation from the Holy Church.
Previously, when Elvan and Amor had gone to a Dungeon, they had done so with a very small group, relying on adventurers for the conquest, in order to keep it secret from the Noble Faction.
This time, however, with the Holy Church ensuring secrecy, it was carried out on a scale of nearly one hundred people, including fifty members of the Second Order of Knights, thirty soldiers to support them, and the attendants Elvan and the others had brought along.
However, as a result of not using adventurers specialized in Dungeon exploration and Monster subjugation, they suffered seventeen casualties by the time they descended from the seventieth floor, a back route, to the lowest floor.
And on the lowest floor, although there was no Rank 6 guardian, ten mutated Ogres, presumed to be Rank 5 with combat power exceeding 1500, lay in wait.
Elvan and his group did not aim for a short decisive battle but formulated a strategy to gradually wear down their opponents’ strength. However, after a desperate battle lasting fifty hours, they finally snatched victory, albeit with many more casualties.
The Second Order of Knights, having previously allowed the betrayal of noble-faction knights who targeted the Crown Prince, had to regain the trust of the Crown Prince and Prince Amor, no matter how many sacrifices it took.
As for the Holy Church, it seemed they were less interested in the intentions of the Temple Head or Nasanitar and more in the Divine Protection (Gift) obtainable from the Dungeon’s spirit.
This Dungeon was one where strong Divine Protections could not be obtained, a Dungeon that members of the royal family would not delve into. However, in return, the spirit’s temperament was said to be gentle, and it was rumored that many could obtain a Divine Protection (Gift).
And immediately after defeating the Ogres, four men and women who possessed a ‘desire’ they sought were simultaneously summoned by the Dungeon’s spirit, and in the next moment, returned to the same place.
Among them, the girl who had obtained ‘knowledge’ of the otome game encountered the spirit in a large-scale Dungeon near the Royal Capital, just like the heroine, and obtained a Divine Protection (Gift) different from the heroine’s.
“…Aha♪”
Without anyone seeing her distorted smile, the girl used an Appraisal Crystal to check her ability.
—Divine Protection (Gift): Allure—
“…Why?”
And Elvan, too, was summoned by the Dungeon’s spirit, and he couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the spirit’s mocking words and the Divine Protection (Gift) he had received.
《—In accordance with your hearts, I shall grant you fitting powers—》
That Divine Protection (Gift)… was the same as the power of his uncle, Prince Amor’s predecessor as the King’s younger brother, who had died young after being the first to obtain a Divine Protection.