Chapter 778: To the Hot Spring Labyrinth 9
I immediately realized that it was disrespectful, so I stood at attention and turned my body sideways. I didn’t know what kind of etiquette to follow, so in situations like this, a low-ranking soldier just stands at attention. That’s the rule for soldiers. Seeing my actions, the girl who was Princess Ran of Saint Gardo……looked puzzled.
“……Is it a rule in Trot to talk in such a strange posture?”
……Upon further consideration, I realized that I was the one engaged in conversation, and this was merely a rule for subordinates not to participate. Clearing my throat, I glanced back at Dianne and Irina. They both looked disappointed.
“…Is this too much for Andy to handle suddenly?”
“I shall act as his proxy. In terms of rank, I am the highest. It should suffice when addressing a princess”
“Who are you?”
The female knight sharply demanded to know who she was, despite being held back by Naris.
“I am Irina, the leader of the White Clan, one of the nine clans of the Northern Elf Kingdom. Don’t you dare say you don’t know our forest just because you’re so important”
Irina stared defiantly at the female knight with her small body. She had been naked until a moment ago, but now that she was wearing a long green robe, she looked quite dignified. As expected, the female knight looked confused.
“……What a fool. Why is such a noble person here……”
“That’s what I should be saying. What were you doing hiding in the shadows with your illusions? Naris is our companion. We demand an explanation for her unjust detention”
Irina holds the upper hand mentally. As the leader of the Nine Clans of the North, she is treated like royalty. She is even on par with the Arcas family, the oldest royal family. Even if she is royalty from an unknown country, she is so noble that she doesn’t need to show any humility.
“That……”
“Fiona. You shouldn’t say any more”
“But we can’t just let this go with words alone”
“Is that something we, who are hiding here, can say?”
Princess Ran, who had been speaking in a childish tone, stopped the female knight and calmed her down. Then she bowed to Irina once more.
“I am Ran Bluelight, the third princess of the Saint Gardo Kingdom. I will speak from here on”
“Umm. In that case……let’s not stand here. Why don’t we talk while soaking in the bath?”
At the end of the corridor was a small room filled with golden-colored water. It wasn’t earth-colored. It glowed faintly. Even in the hot spring labyrinth, this water was said to be one of the rarest, and now the female slaves and I were all intruding upon it.
“Hide your crotch. You’re defiling Princess Ran’s eyes”
The female knight Fiona, wearing a thin robe, said this and threw her towel aside. She and Princess Ran were wearing their robes, so it seemed that my presence during the bath was just barely acceptable. The wet white robes did little to hide their bodies, and even the size of their nipples was visible, but they didn’t seem particularly ashamed. It was probably considered 「Covered」 in their culture. Everyone except Naris had abandoned their robes, and the women were taken aback by our style, but they eventually accepted it after Irina explained, 「That’s the standard style in the desert, so we’re just following suit」. ……That’s what I finally understood after the interpreter relayed the message with a delay. No matter what was said, I was always half a beat behind the conversation due to the interpretations by Laila, Sharon, and later Naris. That includes what she just said about covering my crotch. It’s been like that the whole time.
“Anyway, that Fiona……I hate to say it, but she’s really weak”
“It’s impressive that Naris would say that”
“Don’t you understand what you’re looking at? 10-man captain Smithson……well, 10-man captain Smithson is weak too. How can a knight not be able to swing a sword properly?”
“……Yeah, I guess so”
I’m not a knight, but as a blacksmith, that makes me think, 「No way」. I can’t swing a sword along the blade. It’s not that I don’t swing it; I can’t swing it. In other words, the sword I’m swinging might not even cut through flesh. My skill is below the minimum requirement for a knight.
“If you fought with the same equipment, 10-man captain Smithson would have the advantage because of his strength”
“Isn’t that a level that shouldn’t exist in the military?”
It’s sad to say it myself, but I’m a rear guard who hasn’t had any close combat training. There are crossbowmen like Isaac and Boyd who can fight decently, but I’m completely useless. In reality, if we were to fight seriously, even among the same rank of soldiers, Keiron and Lantz would definitely be stronger. If she were also in the rear guard, I could still forgive her, but her equipment is completely that of a knight.
“……The princess’s bodyguard is that?”
“It makes me wonder, doesn’t it?”
Taking advantage of the fact that they can’t understand our conversation in the Northwest language, we talk about it openly.
“I guess there’s nothing we can do about that”
From the side, Sharon, with her overwhelming breasts……no, Sharon, interrupts the conversation.
“The Saint Gardo Army isn’t a military organization that’s developed a highly meritocratic system like Celesta or Renfangas. The country is new, but it’s rooted in aristocracy. ……Especially on a secret mission like this, the guards are probably just for show”
“Ah……”
Naris nods in agreement. In other words, Fiona was chosen as the princess’s attendant because of her status. This country has momentum and the unusual characteristic of being a religious state, but at its core, it is still a 「Kingdom」. Ultimately, that means it is governed by 「Bloodline」 rather than 「Ability」. Of course, such a class system is not entirely disadvantageous; since the future is already decided, people know from the start which direction to strive toward. Even without extraordinary talent, most people can achieve a certain level of proficiency if they work hard from childhood. You just have to trust that. ……But it becomes a problem when someone who isn’t 「Most People」 appears.
“I’ve never seen an adult swing a sword so poorly except for Minister Ashton”
“Really?”
I didn’t realize Anzeros felt that way. It’s a shame I didn’t watch more closely. At that point, the hot spring meeting seemed to have come to an end.
“……I think I understand the general idea, Smithson-dono”
Irina parted the golden water and approached us. Princess Ran was with her. As expected, the princess stopped about three meters away from me, probably because her female instincts warned her not to get too close to a naked man who was acting so intimate with naked women.
“Well, it was as expected. They’ve been working together all the way to the city of Basemaze to hide the fact that this girl was here for a hot spring cure. The illusions on the walls were created by an elf magician who is part of the hot spring guide association”
“So Naris accidentally stumbled into it and got caught. ……Is there really that much to hide about a hot spring cure?”
“From some perspectives, a noble taking a hot spring bath could be seen as scandalous. If they were going to have Basemaze occupied by a large number of soldiers, that would be one thing, but considering the town’s tourism revenue, they couldn’t do that”
“……I see”
It’s easy to forget in Polka that not everyone is a good person, but it’s something I realize in Celesta. If someone were to plot to kidnap the princess and cause a commotion, it would take a lot of preparation to prevent it. That said, relying on a single illusion and a clumsy female knight to keep her hidden seems a bit much, but it’s a nation on the rise, and there are plenty of other uses for soldiers. It’s better to have as few troops as possible assigned to guarding the princess.
“……Does the hot spring cure something, Your Highness?”
“Her asthma won’t go away. ……There are plenty of treatments in the northern forest, but……”
Irina shrugged. When I tickled her nipple with my finger, she glared at me and said, 「Let’s save that for after we’re done with the serious talk」. Sharon also opened her mouth.
“I remember that there were good medicines and magic in Arcas……was there some kind of conflict between that country and this one?”
“To begin with, Arcas elves aren’t very friendly to other countries, are they?”
Naris said with a serious expression. Sharon made a face that said she didn’t know what to say. She probably knew that humans wouldn’t be given such knowledge for free. Dianne crossed her arms and frowned.
“……There’s no need to talk about complicated treatments. We have a surefire way to cure it”
……Yeah. The sacred spring is the fastest way, no matter what.
“However, there are a few problems”
Dianne glared at Princess Ran and Fiona. Then she began to speak in the southern language.
(Naris translated for me)
“We know a complete cure. However, we cannot perform it on you”
“Wh……What do you mean!”
Fiona stood up abruptly and lunged forward. Her breasts were big. Not as big as Sharon’s, but still large enough to attract attention.
“First, we must receive a proper apology for kidnapping Naris. She is a member of the Renfangas Knights and a favorite of the Black Dragon, Laila. She is not someone who should be treated so carelessly”
As she translated, Naris looked a little uncomfortable.
“Treatment aside, I’ll take care of that……”
Dianne stopped Princess Ran from speaking and continued.
“It was you who committed the act of disrespect, Knight Fiona. You must apologize formally before us in accordance with etiquette”
……It doesn’t have to be that strict, Naris muttered. However, I also understood that it would be bad to let this matter be swept under the rug. Minuses must be eliminated while they are still small; otherwise, even if you show your good side, the points will be low, and mistakes will result in large deductions. Unless something extraordinary happens, her impression of her will remain at rock bottom. If we are going to help them, it is best to make her apologize as soon as possible. Fiona looked unconvinced, but unable to bear the stares of the female slaves surrounding her, she turned to Naris and knelt down to apologize.
“I am Fiona, eldest daughter of Eduardo Gennil, servant of Ran, heir to the sacred and supreme Saint Gardo Kingdom and successor to the Bluelight family. I sincerely apologize to Naris-dono, Knight of Renfangas”
……Apologizing is fine, but is that self-praise of her own country really necessary? No, maybe it is necessary for her. She has a heavy burden to bear, so she can’t just run away like a child. It’s a form of self-restraint. Naris wrapped her arm around me and said, umm……yes, it’s fine. Yes, accepting her apology awkwardly and calming the situation. Seeing this, Dianne continued her story.
“……We are just tourists. We have no obligation to the princess. We didn’t even know she was here, so we have no intention of harming her, but we can’t just give her excessive kindness for no reason”
“Dianne-san”
I was confused by words that didn’t seem like something Dianne would say. However, Irina stopped me with her hand and admonished me.
“This isn’t like feeding stray dogs. Smithson-dono is an important figure from a distant country. We can’t just take her away because she’s sick and we feel sorry for her. If we’re not careful, it could start a war”
“……But”
“Leave it to Dianne”
……Indeed, if we suddenly appeared and said, 「We have a cure, let us help you」 and took the princess away, people would naturally think that something was wrong. The city of Basemaze would be suspected by the kingdom’s central government, and if things go wrong, people could die. I understand the logic, but won’t that stall the story?
“……I understand”
Princess Ran nodded and stood up.
“Then, let’s weave the myth”
……What is she talking about? This girl isn’t just suffering from asthma; she’s got something else going on, isn’t she?