Episode 4 – The Princess and the Hero (3)

The Princess and the Hero (3)

Experiencing prison life. It was on my bucket list back in the original world. You might say, ‘What kind of bucket list is that?’ but when you’re young, it’s normal to have one or two bizarre dreams. Like sneaking into the women’s bathhouse or something.

Well, anyway. When I was young, I wondered if there was a way to experience prison without committing a crime. Although it’s a life of longing for the sky through the bars, being deprived of freedom, and living like a puppet following orders, it was a curiosity.

And, thanks to some incredible luck, I managed to fulfill one of the many wishes on my bucket list. Although it wasn’t what I wanted and it happened too suddenly, what’s good is good, right? Haha.

“Ugh… damn it…”

My whole body is aching. I was slammed so hard into the ceiling that there’s not a single part of my body that isn’t crying out in pain.

This damn mouth of mine is the problem. I almost had my arm ripped off because I ran my mouth, but nothing has changed. I thought Aliana looked a bit unstable, but I didn’t think she would completely lose her sanity and go berserk. I knew she would be somewhat emotional, but this is an unexpected situation. If this continues… what will happen if I deliver the letters to the other six women?

…Anyway, how do I escape from here? There’s no reason to delay in this urgent situation.

Looking around, I see an old bed and dust-filled drawers. A room full of furniture that reeks of the passage of time. And the view outside through the bars shows that this place is at the very top of the castle.

As I slowly looked down, the gusty wind hit my face. It’s higher than I expected. Jumping out the window is out of the question. Next is the door. The iron door doesn’t budge no matter how much I push. I tried ramming it a few more times in frustration, but I gave up because it seemed like my body would break first.

…Is it impossible to break through the wall, and am I starting a hopeless life of imprisonment? More importantly, how long was I unconscious? Judging by the state of my body, I must have been out for at least half a day.

But why did Aliana imprison me? If the letter was the goal, she could have just thrown me out while I was unconscious. Was there a need to lock me up?

The Aliana I knew wouldn’t have acted like this. My ‘advice’ that she couldn’t resist for a moment couldn’t have been that impressive, and if I assume the worst based on the situation that just happened, she might try to kill me. Even though I’m a porter, I was part of the hero’s party, and while the emperor backs me up, I can’t restrain Aliana here. I should have been more careful when I opened my mouth. That’s why habits are scary.

Now that it’s come to this, do I have to resort to my few secret moves?

If I roughly aim to escape and somehow retrieve the letters… it’s somewhat possible. The knights guarding the princess are weaker than the Demon King’s officers, and I’m a pretty resourceful person, so I can manage that much.

However, the problem is the letter that Aliana has.

To return home, I need to deliver all the letters that are blessed by the goddess, but if she holds onto the letter, it hinders my return.

I wonder if the emperor would help if I contact him separately… Or maybe he’ll try to beat me to death with a great sword since I broke the promise not even a day after making it.

…Either way, it seems difficult to get help from the emperor who is a doting father.

Is there really no way until Aliana releases me? I was thinking about that when a hole opened in the tightly closed iron door, and a voice came from there.

“Are you… still sleeping today, as usual?”

A rough and rugged voice, although it’s a short phrase, it gives off a strong impression of someone who has spent a long time on the battlefield.

“What, when did you wake up?”

And then, blue eyes looking at my face through the opened gap.

“Nicola….”

Nicola Hendricks. The princess’s escort knight and the only friend of a nondescript porter. He has appeared here.

“So, did you sexually harass the princess?”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes, Nicola.”

“Then what, did you hit her? Aliana has no reason to imprison you otherwise.”

I did hit her non-stop. Not with my fist, but with my mouth. If I had hit her with my fist, at least I wouldn’t have been imprisoned.

“Anyway, Aliana said she won’t let you go until she sees the contents of that will with her own eyes.”

“…What do you know?”

“About the hero’s death?”

“About the letter… no, the will.”

“I don’t know anything about the will being sealed or anything. The princess is doing something very secretive.”

“What about other people?”

“No one else should know yet. …Ah, but the princess has been looking quite upset lately, so the other servants are wondering.”

Is it fortunate among unfortunate events that the hero’s will has not been publicly disclosed? I was worried that Aliana might have lost her last sanity, but it’s a relief.

“So, why are you here now? If you had been with Aliana from the start, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Don’t say that, it’s upsetting.”

Nicola withdrew his face from the gap in the door and threw in a few pieces of food. Bread, water in a canteen, two potatoes, and a piece of jerky. They were neither lavish nor pitiful, just ordinary rations. If I had been hungry, I would have stuffed the food into my stomach, but since I was only slightly hungry, I chewed on a piece of jerky while listening to Nicola’s words.

“I came back four days ago from a special mission.”

“Four days? Then I’ve been here……”

“I’m the one who got you out of the ceiling. You’ve been sleeping soundly for four days. Like a sleeping princess.”

Hmm, my plan to deliver the letter and return to my original world within two weeks is ruined. It takes about a week just to visit the remaining six people. I’ll have to extend the deadline for the completion of the return magic circle.

“Changing your clothes while you’re comfortably asleep… stuffing food and water down your throat… don’t I have to check every day if you’re dead or alive…”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks, I appreciate it. And, since I’m grateful, let’s ask for one more favor. Get me out of here.”

“If I just get you out because I want to, I feel like I’ll be the one stuck in there next time.”

“Tsk.”

Is it impossible to go against the princess? If it’s come to this, do I really have to beg the emperor?

“Anyway, even if I can’t get you out right now, you should be able to get out on your own. Since yesterday, Aliana has been wanting to meet you.”

At those words that reached my ears, the jerky going down my throat got stuck. It was a thought I hadn’t even considered, and my throat spasmed, spitting out the foreign substance.

“Cough! Cough! Choke, choke…”

“…No matter how uncomfortable it is to meet the princess, suicide isn’t the answer.”

“I almost died for real…”

A sudden difficulty in breathing made my head spin and the world turned white. I had barely survived in the Demon King’s castle, and almost ended my life in this crappy underground dungeon.

Let’s put aside the near-death experience. Why does Aliana want to meet me? Did she open the letter?

It’s possible if it’s Aliana. There might be something among the old relics of the castle that could strip away the goddess’s protection. And without needing to strip away the goddess’s protection, if certain conditions are met, the goddess’s protection would be instantly lifted, so there’s a possibility she already met the conditions and opened the letter.

If that’s the case, I can roughly guess why she wants to meet me.

She will recite the contents of the opened letter, saying that all the words I had told her were meaningless. I don’t know what’s written inside, but it doesn’t seem like it’s anything good.

Still, suppose Aliana found a way to open the letter. In that case, I need to mend our relationship and find out that method somehow. I don’t know the exact solution yet, and time is pressing now that I’ve wasted three days.

“So, are you going to tell Aliana right away?”

“Now that you’ve regained consciousness. I should go and tell her right away.”

Are they forcing me to meet her without even giving me time to prepare? They’re pushing a friend they haven’t seen in a long time into a corner. There’s no such thing as friendship.

“What’s with that dissatisfied look, Flan?”

“I’ve been unconscious for three days, isn’t it too much to meet Aliana right away?”

“That’s not my problem, idiot… Just wait a bit. I’ll bring the princess.”

Nicola left with a smile, closing the iron door behind him. As his footsteps faded into the distance.

A shadow cast from the outside window.

And I could immediately recognize who the owner of the shadow was.

The only person here who could climb the towering castle without any hindrance and fly in the sky without making any noise was, at least in this place, there is only one person.

When I turned around, what I saw was, as expected, a woman with golden hair and eyes as white as jade.

It was Aliana.

However, her appearance was different from usual.

Her golden hair, which used to shine brightly under the sun, had lost its color to the point where it would crumble if I rubbed it with my hand. Her eyes, which seemed to pierce through people’s inner selves, were trembling aimlessly and were smudged with dark circles.

“…Hic!”

Noticing my gaze, she was startled for a moment, then opened her trembling lips.

“Flan, open it…”

Her voice was weaker and more pitiful than ever.