It's been 5 days since I signed a deal with the princess. Everything seemed to be going good except for 1 thing. Why hasn't she requested me to do anything? When I went to the castle the day after the party all she did was give me the gold.
I was feeling kind of suspicious, maybe she was waiting until my guard was down? Was she just going to give me a shit ton of work at once?
Sigh...
Whatever, I'll stop thinking about it.
The past 5 days me and Rio have been getting up before he has to work and running. We both tried to run for an hour or until we ran out of breath. After that he goes to work for the day, and I mostly just loiter around the inn.
I still sang for the customers sometimes, not because I had to, but because I wanted to.
I had nothing to do today anyway, so I started to sing for the customers. After I finished singing, I sat back down at an empty table before I got surrounded by a few customers.
"Haha! Leo! Your songs were great today as always."
"Thanks."
"Here! Let me buy you a meal!"
"Sure."
Rio brought over a basic meal, and I began to eat.
"Leo! You're doing us wonders. Listening to you sing helps our days a lot."
"Huh?"
"Yeah! You've been helping us a lot"
"What do you mean?"
"I think I can speak for all of us when I say listening to you sing puts our mind at ease."
"Oh, does it?"
"Yup! Do you drink? Have a beer!"
"Haha!"
"I'll pass, but thanks.'
Listening to me sing puts their minds at ease? Was it an effect of my talent? I didn't know. In the first place I never wrote about a 'Music' talent in the novel.
Well today was going like any other day, everyone at the inn was just having a good time. Rio was enjoying himself too, when he first started working here, he'd be very timid and shy but now it looks like he's having an easier time.
BOOM!
Everyone could hear a loud explosion in the distance. It was followed by a few more explosions.
"What the hell!?"
"Ahh!"
Many of the customers screamed.
Rio had fallen to the ground.
"Rio! Are you okay?!"
I quickly helped Rio up.
"L-L-Leo, what's happening?"
"I don't know."
The explosions stopped. But no one exited the inn.
After around an hour the inn door suddenly busted open.
"Leo! It's time to do your job!"
It was the princess.
"What?"
"Follow me! You said no questions asked remember?"
"I'll be back Rio."
"I'm coming with you!"
"Okay."
Rio and I followed her, and she took us to a packed building full of panicked people.
"Leo, sing a song."
She handed me a microphone with voice amplification magic.
"Your singing can calm them down."
"Okay."
Because of the explosions earlier I could only assume that the attack happened. Before the novel started the capital of Plough was attacked by an enemy kingdom. Though, shortly after their attack on us, the demons attacked them and wiped their kingdom. This attack put our capital in a lot of fear for a while.
I could figure out the princess's plan now though. She figured out that my 'Music' talent could calm people down and was hoping for me to ease the citizens hearts. So, I decided to sing the best song I knew to calm people down.
"Alright, alright
This is just the pinnacle, you'll be alright, yuh
Bones, I hear 'em snap
But I'll be alright?"
After I finished singing, I could visibly see a lot of the people calming down.
"Thank you."
"Is this why you hired me?"
"Yes."
"Will there be another attack?"
"No, we don't think so."
Did the princess really hire me just for this one attack? Was this really the princess? I had described her as a ruthless businesswoman, but she seemed genuinely happy just for the fact that the citizens were more at ease. Was she such a person?
"Did you know this attack would happen?"
"Yes."
"Was it unpreventable?"
"Probably..."
She looked down
"Do you need another song?"
"Yes."
I sang a few more times in multiple different locations, Rio still followed.
---
After all that was done, I had gone to sleep early, singing that much kind of made my voice hurt. Rio also slept early after Ms. Cloudsly gave him permission.
The next few weeks went by fast. Me and Rio were still exercising every day, the princess called me a few times to sing but everything went smoothly.
Me and Rio got even closer, and I think I became friends with the princess.
But now there were only 3 days left until Heavensward was accepting applicants.