Idle Talk: The Knight's Deepening Worries
I, Famiris Terestajireddo, have been assigned alongside Princess Parubera to monitor Prince Milimos as he governs the Rocha region.
While on our way to the former capital of the Rocha region, the territory I have been posted to from the Nonette Kingdom, we gained an additional companion.
She is Honesu, a young girl and a new recruit from the Nonette Kingdom.
Just as I am present for Princess Parubera, Honesu has been assigned to accompany Prince Milimos.
From Honesu's behavior, it appears she carries some sort of secret mission from the Nonette King. However, I can't imagine her having the skills to match me, a knight of the Sacred Knightly State, or Princess Parubera, who has recently excelled in sacred arts. Considering Honesu's age is similar to Prince Milimos', she must have been assigned for a different perspective in reporting.
Princess Parubera also seems to be wary of Honesu, as she watches her intently.
"... I envy how Honesu calls Milimos 'Senpai Senpai' in a friendly manner."
Correction: It seems to be envy rather than wariness.
"If you want to, Princess Parubera, you could also try calling him that."
"I-I can't do that. Just calling him 'Milimos-kun' makes my heart race like the tolling of a quick bell."
While I find it doubtful that she's shyly confessing, it's understandable considering that Princess Parubera is in the midst of her first love.
However, seeing Princess Parubera blush and press her hand against her chest is incredibly charming! Yet, knowing that it's due to her feelings for Prince Milimos casts a slight shadow on my own emotions. Is that the reason? Almost involuntarily, words of reprimand escape my lips.
"Princess Parubera, we are Prince Milimos' observers. We must view this impartially."
"I-I understand. But... Ah..."
As soon as Prince Milimos comes into view, Princess Parubera's face lights up with happiness. Although she attempts to change her expression upon realizing this, seeing Prince Milimos engaged in a casual conversation with Honesu causes her to return to her happy expression.
Watching this series of changing expressions, I can't help but wonder if being in love is truly as troublesome as this, recalling memories of my distant past and my own first love.
- Princess Parubera must be an exception. It has nothing to do with my shattered first love. Yeah.
Our journey to the capital of Rocha, now known as the central city, has become a long and circuitous route, leading us to arrive in spring.
"When I came here before, I was in a hurry to attend a meeting, so I couldn't spare any time for inspections. Besides, during the winter, operations in various countries slow down, so I sent a message to continue our work as usual and leisurely travel around."
This was Prince Milimos' suggestion.
Personally, I was against subjecting Princess Parubera to such an extended journey.
However, Princess Parubera herself seemed to embrace the idea of the journey positively.
"I've never had the freedom to travel to different places like this. I'm really looking forward to it!"
As charming as Princess Parubera's enthusiasm is, my intuition tells me this seems more like a honeymoon trip.
Now, even though it's a winter journey, the Rocha region has a mild climate, so we didn't face the bitter cold that would prevent us from camping outdoors.
As a result, no one fell ill, and the journey has been comfortable.
"The only downside is the uncertain safety of the land."
I swing my sword to remove bloodstains, having dispatched a bandit. Since the bandit only wore a breastplate, I was able to slash through the exposed neck arteries and windpipe with my blade, leaving only the tip with bloodstains, so there's no need to wipe the blade with cloth.
Sheathing my sword, I turn my gaze to Prince Milimos.
He also has his sword drawn, his hand extended forward. At the end of his hand, a bandit writhes in pain after being burned by magic.
"Aren't you going to kill them?"
"Can't assume all of them attacked us. We need to find out if there are others or where their hideout is."
Perhaps due to his training as a soldier, Prince Milimos' thinking is quick when it comes to addressing challenges.
By keeping the surviving bandit alive, they can serve as valuable information, and he even demonstrates the way to interrogate to the new recruit Honesu, something an ordinary prince wouldn't be capable of.
In reality, Princess Parubera looks pale now that the attackers have become corpses.
"If you're not feeling well, you can cling to Nerotheora. The warmth of the horse will soothe you."
"Okay. I'll do that."
Perhaps the sight of the corpses was too shocking, as Princess Parubera speaks in a childlike manner. Like a young child clinging to a parent, she sits on the ground, her knees bent, embracing Nerotheora's neck.
It's a charming scene, but I can't let my composure slip here.
"Prince Milimos, did you gather any information?"
"After promising to spare their lives, they quickly revealed everything."
While Prince Milimos ties the hands of the bandit and secures his legs with a rope, he responds.
"Are you going to spare their lives?"
"We must honor our promise. Also, they're not the only bandits. There must be others or a base somewhere."
As Prince Milimos nudges the bandit forward, the bandit stumbles and starts fleeing down the road. His legs are bound by the rope, so his speed is slower than walking due to the constraint.
"Keeping the enemy alive after attacking, you're quite gentle."
"I actually think it's cruel that we didn't kill them right here."
When I inquired with my gaze about what they meant, Prince Millimos answered while pondering.
"That thief's hideout will be under our control from now on. So, that person won't have anywhere to go, right? Tied up from behind and unable to move properly with their legs bound, they'll be in a tough state trying to get food and water. Even if luck comes their way and someone tries to help, if they're found out to be a thief, that helping hand might turn into a murderer. When you think about it that way, isn't it a living hell?"
After examining Prince Millimos's thoughts, I understood the difficult situation.
"So, that's why you described it as cruel."
"Well, it's my own doing, though."
Prince Millimos chuckled self-deprecatingly, but it didn't seem like he was ashamed of his actions. Rather, he seemed to be mocking himself for not coming up with a better solution.
Taking responsibility for his actions and seeking better outcomes in the future, he truly displayed the qualities of a ruler.
It's hard not to consider him fitting for that role, rather than just a magic user under the Empire's rule or simply Princess Parvela's admirer.
"Alright then, where is the hideout of the interrogated thief? I'll take care of it quickly."
"That's appreciated, but can I leave Princess Parvela behind?"
"I trust Prince Millimos's character and combat skills. Plus, I'm leaving Nerotheora here, so there's no need to worry."
"From the way you're speaking, Nerotheora must be strong too."
"Yes, very much so. On the battlefield, she's stomped on quite a few of the Empire's despicable magic wielders with her own feet."
While Prince Millimos said "That's scary," he also flashed a smile that indicated he was joking.
Impressed by his courage, I headed toward the location of the captured thief, deciding to launch a swift assault.
Of course, using divine arts to enhance my physical abilities, I managed to handle the situation in an uncountable amount of time, going there, dealing with it, and returning.
My journey through various parts of the Rocha region came to an end as I arrived at the central capital city just a little before spring, taking on the aspect of a journey of redemption.
After Prince Millimos entered the office he would be using in the future and took a breath, he immediately began taking action.
Princess Parvela, who had grown a bit tougher through the journey, was also energetically following behind. Her gaze carried a depth of affection, likely deepened by her exposure to Prince Millimos's admirable qualities during the journey.
In any case, Prince Millimos promptly moved to gain the hearts of the soldiers.
In the course of the conversation, it was decided that Prince Millimos and one of the Rocha soldiers would engage in a mock battle.
Well, my advice had also contributed to this situation.
Acting as the referee for the mock battle, I gave the signal to the soldier, who wielded a sword, donned armor, and carried a star-studded rod mace.
"Begin!"
As the soldier charged forward with great vigor, Prince Millimos watched calmly. As soon as the soldier closed the distance with his sword, Prince Millimos swung his own sword forcefully.
The force of that swing made my eyes widen.
Considering Prince Millimos's build, except for a certain method, that speed was impossible to achieve.
The soldier from Rocha seemed to be in the same situation. Despite hurriedly raising his shield to defend, he was sent flying like a child knocked over by a giant bull, thrown by the force of the enormous sword.
As the soldier rolled and lay motionless, Prince Millimos discarded his weapon and approached with a worried expression.
Since I hadn't yet made a decision on the outcome as the referee, this was a dangerous move.
Just as I had anticipated, the soldier feigned being dead, and the moment Prince Millimos approached, he launched an attack.
"Uoah!"
While letting out a surprised cry, Prince Millimos, who seemed to have anticipated the trick, punched the soldier's chin from below. The sound of the soldier's jaw snapping was audible.
Breaking an adult's jaw with a twelve-year-old's hand is quite a difficult feat.
However, it's possible under certain circumstances.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of Prince Millimos, the Rocha soldiers, and me, who was acting as a referee, I moved to Princess Parvela's side.
"Did you see Prince Millimos fighting?"
"Yes. He looked so cool~"
While Princess Parvela was enraptured, I regained my composure and conveyed the information I had gleaned.
"Did you notice that Prince Millimos was using divine arts?"
"Huh?! Is that true, Familis!?"
"Princess Parvela, you're speaking loudly. And yes, it's true. If Prince Millimos wasn't using divine arts, he wouldn't be able to handle a sword like that with his build, and he wouldn't be able to crush an adult's jaw with his bare hands."
"But Prince Millimos isn't a follower of the god revered by the Holy Knight Nation, right?"
Using divine arts can only be achieved through the method that god conveys. That's the common understanding in the Holy Knight Nation.
However, those who run the country and the knights themselves know that it's not the only way.
"Princess Parvela. Among humans, there are those who awaken to sacred arts without using our nation's secret techniques, so to speak, natural talents. Prince Milimos might be one of them."
"Prince Milimos is a mage. But if someone awakens to sacred arts, shouldn't they lose the ability to use magic? Isn't that just a misunderstanding from Famiris?"
As Princess Parvela stated, those who awaken to sacred arts lose the ability to use magic, even simple spells.
At least, that was true using the secret techniques of the Holy Knight nation.
"Perhaps these natural sacred arts users know how to manipulate both sacred arts and magic simultaneously."
Absurd as it may sound, without thinking that way, there is no explanation.
Observing my earnest expression, Princess Parvela seemed to understand that Prince Milimos can use both sacred arts and magic.
"Milimos-kun keeps surprising us, doesn't he? So, Famiris..."
"Yes, what is it?"
Just as I inadvertently asked back, I noticed the power emanating from the smile on Princess Parvela's face.
A captivating smile that combined the charm of a skilled soldier and a sweet disposition, followed by a gentle voice that carried an icy undertone, reached me.
"Will you inform Father about this fact? And could you tell me what Father might do with this information concerning Milimos-kun?"
Typical of Princess Parvela, her tone was gentle. Yet, beneath that, a chilling edge hinted at a deadly intent.
While sensing the possibility of impending doom if I answered incorrectly, I had to respond truthfully.
"When a natural talent is discovered, knights have the duty to report it. As for what the King of Knights might do..."
"What will he do?"
"Most likely, he'll arrange a marriage with someone from the Knight King's family and infuse that bloodline into the Holy Knight nation."
"...What do you mean?"
"It's believed that natural sacred arts users have a bloodline that's more inclined toward manifesting sacred arts. Given that the Holy Knight nation aims to increase sacred arts users over the next twenty years to counter the empire, they might try to have a member of the royal family with many concubines become the partner of a natural sacred arts user, in order to have many children."
This information had been speculated among the knights, but there was a strong conviction that this is what the King of Knights would do.
As I finished explaining, the intensity faded from Princess Parvela's face, replaced by a sparkling glimmer of anticipation.
"I see, I see. So, Milimos-kun will become a son-in-law to the Knight King's family."
"Prince Milimos is a prince from another country, so it's possible they might marry him off and adopt the children..."
"Either way, it seems like the marriage between Milimos-kun and the Knight King's family is as good as decided, right?"
"That is... Yes, that seems to be the case."
"Hehehe. In that case, I should inform Father about Milimos-kun being a natural sacred arts user. And then..."
It was easy to predict that Princess Parvela intended to endorse herself as the marriage partner for Prince Milimos.
As someone who deeply admired Princess Parvela, I felt conflicted about how things had turned out.
However, considering Prince Milimos, there was a certain understanding. My initial resistance was rooted in him being a prince from another country and a mage.
To fill those two gaps and pile on further recognition until it reached a peak, a natural sacred arts user was an invaluable presence.
Beyond my own vexation at Princess Parvela's infatuation with him, there was no longer any reason to criticize Prince Milimos.