Episode 2 – The Princess and the Hero (1)

The Princess and the Hero (1)

“Your Majesty, I apologize.”

It’s not my fault that the person closest to me is Her Highness, the princess.

* * *

An old castle of soaring spires and subdued beauty. The empire’s former capital is about 30 minutes from the imperial palace. I arrived at the place where the empire’s princess resided.

A beautiful otherworld. Among them, the old capital, considered the most beautiful, encapsulates the old style of the empire. If I had come here for the first time, I would have admired the scenery in awe, but the flow of two years has dulled even such admiration.

Now, I will meet the princess. I haven’t really talked to her, and I don’t have a particularly good impression of her. I wonder if such feelings will show on my face. Should I start smiling now?

Princess Aliana. A monster who perfectly completed the imperial education that even the current emperor wanted to abolish, and a woman who once wanted to marry the hero. Now, our relationship is somewhat awkward. After all, she was a woman who didn’t show a penny of interest in the hero’s porter, so I should consider the possibility of not meeting her at all.

I’ve been fondling the letters tucked in my pocket for about 30 minutes now. I’m still sitting in front of the firmly closed castle gate, so naturally, the peaceful cityscape catches my eye.

Children running around and chattering cheerfully. A knight, having thrown off his heavy armor, embracing his beloved. An elderly couple leisurely strolling along the river hand in hand. From merchants selling goods with brighter expressions than ever before, to people tasting various snacks and foods being fried on a griddle.

These are completely opposite scenes from the despair and gloom that the city had fallen into just a few months ago. The scene that the ‘hero’ had dreamed of is unfolding before my eyes, but for some reason, the more I look at it, the more depressed I feel.

“Ah…”

I think I know why I had such a thought.

In the hands of some girls, there were dolls with the hero’s face. And in their other hand, they held dolls in the image of Aliana. I was momentarily upset seeing dolls of the hero and the person who drove him to suicide together.

Did Aliana leave it as it is? If she were true to her character, she would definitely have banned the sale of one of the dolls.

Right now, the public’s view of the hero is good, so she might be leaving it alone. If she pressured the hero on every little thing during such a festive time, even the sole heir to the imperial family could shake her position.

Still, it’s disgusting. Even if they’re dolls, seeing the hero and Aliana together brings up a sense of revulsion.

“Mr. Flan, thank you for waiting. Her Highness Aliana has granted an audience.”

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I can see her now. If it had been a little later, I wouldn’t have been able to stay here and would have visited other places first. But it’s surprising. Aliana, who usually tells me to pass on her words through a representative, has granted an audience directly. I wonder if there’s been a change in her feelings.

“The place is…”

“You can go to the reception room.”

The servants’ attitudes are strangely cold. They seem to be wondering why such a person has come instead of the hero. I can feel their gazes piercing me.

What can I do with such a gaze directed at me? I should just quickly pass on the letter and move on to the next person. It would have been nice if her escort knight, Nicola, were here to lighten the mood.

“Thank you for letting me know.”

The servant had only said what he needed to and then turned away, but at least he had given a nominal greeting. I didn’t want to face the people of this world, but I didn’t necessarily want to be hostile either. Would it be a bit better if I walked around the castle with a smile?

Despite my bright smile as I moved around the castle, the servants showed no interest in me. I thought there would be no more hurt in this world, but this stings a bit.

I was able to find the reception room within five minutes of wandering around the castle, the epitome of restrained beauty. Judging by the scraps of colored paper scattered near the reception room, it seemed that a party had taken place in the castle, unaware of the hero’s death.

I thought that with the princess’s level of information, she would have been the first to hear of the death, but that damned old man must have kept his mouth shut. Excluding the five members of the hero party, including me, there are less than five people who know that the hero is dead. I suppose that’s only natural.

-Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Your Highness Aliana, I am Flan, a member of the Hero’s party. Thank you for granting me an audience.”

Not long after my greeting, the door slowly opened. Is it the Empire’s unique magic of gravity… Opening the door with that technique is incredibly extravagant.

The room that naturally opened was bathed in brilliant sunlight and filled with neatly arranged potted plants. There was also a vibrant oil painting, making the place look several times better than the Emperor’s audience chamber.

And there, on the most splendid chair, sat a woman.

Her hair shone as if it were made of gold, and her eyes were as white as jade. She wore a honey-colored dress adorned with various jewels. She was undoubtedly the Imperial Princess, and she greeted me with a light wave of her fan.

“You’ve arrived, Mr. Flan.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

I knelt before Aliana, performing the cumbersome and complicated greeting unique to the Empire. She smiled for a moment, then stood me up.

“Hehe, you don’t have to do that when the seat is not vacant. It seems you were only taught by Mr. Troka.”

“I’m humbled by your consideration.”

Troka, the name used in this world as a hero.
Hearing that name made my brow furrow for a moment, but fortunately, Aliana was squinting and laughing, so she didn’t check my face.

I forced my furrowed brow to relax, then opened my mouth again.

“By the way, Your Highness, I have something to tell you.”

“Why don’t we have a conversation first, since I already know everything?”

“You know… everything?”

“I’m the next Empress, after all. I have all the information in the palace.”

Aliana knew more than I thought. Was she allowing the sale of the hero dolls because the hero had died? That makes sense, there’s no reason to quarrel with a dead hero.

“Well then, where should we start the story? I didn’t hear from Troka about the capital’s workshop battle, but you, Mr. Flan, would remember everything, right?”

“It seems like it’s going to be a long story. I still have a mountain of places to visit.”

“You’re as stingy as Troka? They say friends resemble each other…”

“…I suppose that’s one way to put it.”

The conversation felt a bit off. Or was she intentionally trying to get under my skin? Regardless, I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. I didn’t have the energy to look at the smiling princess any longer.

“Then, if you’ll excuse me, please accept this letter.”

I took out one of the eight letters I had kept in my possession. The letter, embedded with blue jade on canary-colored paper that matched her hair, was gently placed on the desk.

“A love confession? That’s a bit cliché…”

“As you may know, it’s a letter from Troka. It’s protected by the Goddess’s blessing, so probably only you, Your Highness, can open it.”

“Oh, I didn’t know about this. Troka, even though he’s sick, he’s sending letters. He should be recovering quickly instead of doing unnecessary things…”

Aliana carefully picked up the letter I delivered with both hands. Her murmuring to herself surprisingly showed signs of worry.

“So, how much has Troka improved? The royal healer might be a bit incompetent, but in about three days, he should be quite alright.”

Wait a minute. Could it be…

“…Do you happen to know where Troka is recuperating?”

“Yes, of course. Don’t you know, Mr. Flan? …Then how did you get this letter?”

Aliana, covering her mouth with her fan, tilted her head. She tapped the desk with her index finger as if she didn’t understand what I was implying. It seems my original prediction was wrong. The Emperor acted more competently than I thought. If he managed to keep Aliana from fully understanding the situation, it must have been quite difficult. There was a reason why he looked pale.

“You’ll understand once you open the letter.”

“Wait a minute. Could it be…”

Upon hearing my words, Aliana’s eyebrows twitched for a moment, but soon, with her slightly trembling hand, she gently touched the hero’s seal and carefully tore open the letter.

-Crackle.

A small flame sparked and disappeared without leaving a trace on the letter.

Is there another condition for opening the letter? That’s going to be a hassle. I definitely won’t be able to finish this within two weeks.
The one surprised by the current situation was Aliana.

“Huh, why?… Hahaha, Troka, always up to these pranks…”

She tried to open the letter several times, but kept failing. Her pale hands were scorched black, but Aliana didn’t stop, as if denying reality.

“Your Highness, that’s enough. The Goddess’s blessing is still present. Perhaps the letter wasn’t written for you.”

“What do you mean…? Can’t you see my name written here?”

Silence fell in the reception room. The princess, glaring at me, was constantly thinking.
Being smart, she must have roughly figured it out. I don’t know how she’ll react, though.

Aliana extended her burnt hand to me and smiled.

“This unpleasant prank has caused inconvenience to the royal family. If you tell me all the facts you’re hiding, I’ll let it go. Speak now.”

Is this a threat? Looking at her trembling eyes and lips, it seemed she had roughly figured it out.

But why is she so shaken? When she parted with the hero, it didn’t end well. Moreover, Aliana had tried to completely bury it. Didn’t she wish for the hero’s death? Why has her mind changed now?

“Hurry up. Tell me. Why can’t I see this letter? And why the hero, who receives the Goddess’s blessing, hasn’t appeared yet. Everything.”

As expected, the princess is really smart. She’s almost figured it all out.

Did Aliana actually hope that the hero wouldn’t die?
Well, it doesn’t matter now.

“The hero committed suicide. That letter is his last will and testament before his death, but it seems it won’t open.”

I confessed his death, just like when I first announced his obituary. And I took back the letter I had given to Aliana.
With my natural and serene words and actions, the princess blocked the letter heading towards my bosom with her small hand.

“…Haha, I… I clearly asked you to… tell me the truth…?”

She showed tears flowing from her distorted face.