**Tatiana's perspective**
The morning sun greeted us with its warm embrace, and a sense of excitement filled the air. Today, we were setting off for the next town to the south, and the good weather seemed to be cheering us on. Lily and a few inn staff kindly helped us pack our carriage with the few belongings we had brought with us from our world. It wasn't much, as most of our possessions were left behind during our transfer.
"Thank you for your help," Lily expressed my gratitude to the inn staff.
Lily was outside, efficiently instructing the staff to carefully arrange the luggage on top of the carriage for our departure.
"Lady Blanc, can you lend a hand with the luggage?" Lily asked, invoking her powers.
Blanc, lounging inside the carriage, grumbled, "What's my power for, do you think?"
"A freezer and bag holder?" Lily quipped with a playful grin, though she meant it seriously.
With a mock complaint, Blanc used her powers to keep the ingredients and bags in place, making sure nothing fell and the ropes were securely tied. Meanwhile, Sakuya was tending to the two horses that would be pulling the carriage. She ensured they were properly harnessed, as she would be the one driving the carriage.
"I thought we'd get a pretty crappy carriage for our travel, but surprisingly, it's just fine," Blanc admitted, offering a rare compliment.
Lily chuckled and teased, "Do you want to give the compliment to her in person instead?"
Blanc scoffed, "Nope, I don't want her to get too full of herself with a few achievements. And by the way, where is our princess?" She inquired about my whereabouts.
"I think she's almost done thanking all the inn workers and the owner," Lily replied, glancing toward the inn.
"Sheesh, after all that, she's still the same as before, too kind for her own good," Blanc grumbled, displaying a hint of disappointment.
"But I think I'd rather have her stay the way she is. Don't you agree?" Sakuya chimed in, expressing her contentment with my return to my usual self.
Blanc remained silent, refusing to answer the question and instead resorting to her usual mocking demeanor.
"Mildly really can't be honest," Lily chuckled, recognizing Blanc's true feelings.
"Sorry for the wait," I said as I emerged from the inn. I didn't want to keep them waiting.
"We have finished our preparations, Lady Tatiana," Lily slightly bowed, gesturing towards the carriage.
Sakuya extended her hand to escort me into the carriage. I was surprised by her courteous gesture.
"Thank you, Sakuya," I said, returning the bow and taking her hand as she helped me into the carriage.
With everyone settled, we were ready to move. Lily gave the go-ahead signal, and Sakuya skillfully handled the reins, guiding the horses forward.
Our time in this town had come to an end, and as we departed, a tinge of sadness gripped my heart. Though it had only been about half a month, the memories we had created here made me wish for more time to meet and connect with the wonderful people we had encountered - the farmers, the inn workers, the blacksmiths, and the town's mayor.
As the carriage passed the outskirts of the south, we headed towards the Everwood Forest on our continuing journey.
As we journeyed in the carriage, we found ourselves engaged in thoughtful discussion and reflections on our tasks ahead.
"By the way, do we have any information on the next town?" I asked casually, my mind still a whirlwind from all the recent events.
Blanc turned to me, a playful smirk on her face. "Have you ever paid attention before?!" She asked, her words like a playful jab.
"I'm sorry!" I quickly apologized. The whirlwind of studies and preparations had been a lot to process, and I realized I had missed out on some key details.
Lily chuckled lightly and came to my aid. "I too seem to have misplaced some details in my memory. It would be helpful if Lady Blanc could enlighten us with a brief recap."
I was slightly relieved to find that even Lily could forget at times. However, I reminded myself not to use that as an excuse to be lax.
Blanc sighed, seeming to surrender to our pleas for information. "Sheesh, it can't be helped. Firstly, the accommodation issue is sorted out, so I'll let you off the hook on that. The main concern about the next town is that it's under constant threat from monsters."
Her words painted a vivid picture of a town in a state of perpetual vigilance, under the looming threat of monstrous invasions.
"I do recall hearing something about a monster outbreak. That sounds quite unfortunate," I said, a twinge of sorrow in my voice.
Blanc provided more insight into the issue. "The town is always on the defensive due to the monsters targeting them. We don't have all the details, but it's not our main concern."
She shrugged off the issue, making it clear that she didn't want to worry me unnecessarily.
"But
..." I began, trying to put my thoughts into words.
Blanc couldn't resist teasing me, knowing that the mayor had mistaken me for a princess. "There might be a time for you to make your appearance, princess, and it would be helpful if you don't stick to your goodwill all the time."
The realization hit me like a lightning bolt. "Wait, the thing about the princess! Blanc, you're the reason my background is princess, right?" I confronted her, trying to understand the reason behind the misunderstanding.
"Hmph, so what? If you don't like it, why don't you explain to them that you are not a princess? You seem to be good at telling the truth, right?" Blanc goaded me, clearly enjoying the situation she had created. I knew she had crafted her backstory in a way that made it difficult for me to refute.
"Ufufu, but Lady Tatiana, we actually told them that you were a fallen aristocrat before, but somehow the rumor spread that you were a princess instead," Lily chimed in, trying to lighten the mood.
"Well," I began, "Aristocrats are members of the highest social class in some societies. They typically hold titles, but not all aristocrats are necessarily royalty. In fact, in many cases, aristocrats might be wealthy landowners or hold positions of power, but they are not part of the reigning royal family."
"Royalty, on the other hand, refers specifically to the family of the reigning monarch, including the king, queen, and their direct descendants. They hold the highest authority in the kingdom and have the power to make important decisions for the country. Of course, the extent of their power can vary widely depending on the specific rules of their kingdom."
"Despite the difference, in many societies, both aristocrats and royals tend to enjoy a lot of privileges. However, with those privileges often come a lot of responsibilities and expectations, especially when it comes to upholding the family name and reputation. This is why the public tends to have high expectations of them and why they are often under a lot of scrutiny."
I concluded, "While both aristocrats and royals enjoy certain privileges, being mistaken for a princess might mean that people will have even higher expectations of me than if I were just an aristocrat. This could potentially make our journey more challenging."
I sighed, hoping that the misunderstanding wouldn't cause too much trouble for us down the line.
"Who's going to care anyway? Lady, aristocrat, even a princess wouldn't make a difference anyway," Blanc stated matter-of-factly, brushing off the distinctions between royalty and aristocracy.
I couldn't help but worry that this misunderstanding might lead to more trouble than it was worth.
Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt, and I wondered why. "Hmm, why are we stopping?" I asked, and Lily peered outside to investigate.
Blanc became serious. "There's a kobold nearby," she said, her hand on her chin.
Lily asked for my permission, "Shall I exterminate them?"
Before I could respond, I looked outside and saw the familiar figure of Mr. Kobold emerging from the forest. "As I expected, Mistress and Boss," he greeted us, a hint of familiarity in his voice.
We encountered Mr. Kobold once again at the entrance of the forest, where we first met him.
**Mayor Robert's perspective**
As the mayor of the town, I received a report that the Tremaine group, including Princess Tatiana, had already made their way to the next destination. I was curious to know how their stay had been at the inn, so I asked the owner for his perception of their group.
"Mayor, I came to report that the Tremaine group has already left," the inn owner informed me.
"Thank you. By the way, how were they as tenants during their stay here?" I inquired, eager to hear his thoughts.
"Ah, they were quite an unusual bunch, but in a good way," the inn owner replied with a smile.
"In a good way? Please elaborate," I asked, intrigued.
"They were all very kind and helpful, despite some of them having a reputation for being rude in the past. Princess Tatiana was particularly gracious, unlike anyone else with that title we've encountered before. Miss Lily, their maid, contributed significantly to the improvement of our inn, suggesting new menus, cooking techniques, and various other enhancements. And Lady Blanc, despite her intimidating aura, provided valuable insights into our business operations," the inn owner explained.
"That's interesting. Let's not forget that all their expenses at the inn were reimbursed," I reminded him, as I had personally taken care of their arrangements after witnessing the positive impact they had on our village.
The inn owner nodded in agreement before leaving my office.
Ever since their arrival, we noticed significant changes in the town. The farmers improved their fields, becoming more self-sufficient against the monsters. Surprisingly, the crime rate dropped, and the trade route became safer and more efficient. It was evident that their presence had brought positive changes to our community.
My wife, Filio, entered the room with a letter in her hand, which seemed to be from the officials. She had a knowing expression on her face, as if she already knew what the letter contained.
"Dear, the officials have been inquiring about who cleared the monsters in the forest," Filio informed me.
"I believe we should delay revealing that information for now. I sense that Princess Tatiana does not wish to be bothered by the officials. Besides, they seemed disinterested in our town's problems until now," I replied, concerned for the princess's safety.
"So I suppose we won't be responding to the letter anytime soon," Filio said as she discreetly concealed the letter in her dress, a habit she had developed to avoid unnecessary attention.
In our hearts, we hoped for our little princess's safety and well-being. She had become a beacon of hope for our future, and we wished for her to continue shining brightly.
-Chapter 24 End-