Episode 44: Romantic Comedy and Mischief
The carriage rattled softly as it moved along. Outside the window stretched a vibrant, emerald landscape, appearing as though it were adorned with a lush green carpet. Amidst this beautiful expanse of green, stood rows of sun-kissed, crimson roofs.
“Could it be? Is that it?”
Charl asked without tearing her gaze away from the scenery outside.
“Yes, we’ve arrived at Garland Territory, Charl-chan. Is this your first visit?”
“Yes, it is. Although I’ve heard of it as the birthplace of Saint Claudia, who once fought alongside the founding kings of the great nations, including the Kingdom of Leuville, against the [Night Witch], I’ve never seen it in person.”
“You’re diligent. I wish someone else would follow your example,” Makina remarked.
“Hey, Makina. That’s directed at you. Say something back,”
“That was just a playful comment for the unserious prince. Please don’t turn a blind eye to reality,”
the maid reminded, hoping her master would remember his duties.
“Well, it’s not like I haven’t studied at all. I just find things other than what’s necessary tedious, that’s all.”
“School studies are like a collection of knowledge accumulated over time by our predecessors. It’s more efficient to learn from them than start from scratch. You never know when knowledge will come in handy, regardless of the field,” Luche interjected.
Indeed, that seemed to be the case.
“Haha, Luche-sama, please don’t say such things. Alfred has been diligent lately, even taking his studies seriously. He even brought study materials for this expedition,” Charl defended.
“Alfred, you seem more like a gentle mother and her son than an engaged couple. Are you okay?” Luche teased.
“Luche-ne, please spare me those pitiful looks…”
Never had I imagined receiving such a gaze from the cheerful and self-centered Luche.
“Well, as a maid who has watched over for a long time, I find it deeply moving. Well, it might also be because Charl-sama is tutoring him. What a cash-strapped prince,” Makina remarked.
“Wouldn’t it hurt to support your master for once?”
“A capable maid doesn’t blindly support her master,” she retorted with an unusually reasonable argument.
“You rarely say something like that…”
Though usually bright and playful, she occasionally spoke like this.
“—…”
Feeling somewhat uncomfortable with her own negligence, Al noticed that Charl was captivated by the scenery outside the window. As if her gaze were sewn onto it, she couldn’t look away from the vibrant green landscape.
“Charl, what’s wrong? Is there something on your mind?”
“No… It’s not like that. But for some reason, when I see this scenery… I feel a nostalgic sensation…”
“Hmm… Could it be that you visited Garland Territory when you were a very young child, so young that you don’t remember?”
“Yes. …… I wonder if that’s the case.”
Charl’s response was unusually vague, as if her mind were elsewhere.
“Well, until recently, she was tense due to my duel with Leo. Maybe she’s just relaxing seeing the tranquil scenery of Garland Territory.”
” A duel, huh… I read about it in the report, but you seem to have improved a bit, haven’t you? I was surprised when you defeated Leo, but I never expected you to single-handedly defeat six large Fragments. As far as records go, that’s top-notch in recent years, and it’s causing quite a stir in some circles,”
I didn’t expect Luche to praise me so much. It felt like a sneak attack, making me feel somewhat embarrassed.
“If this were truly my own strength, I could have been more proud. But it’s all thanks to this Sublimation Magic Ring entrusted to me by Elinne,”
Elinne, once a court jeweler and now hailed as a legendary jeweler among the elves. Bringing her on board meant all the magical rings for me, Makina, and Charl became of high purity.
In both the duel with Leo and the recent defeat of the large Fragments, the power of Elinne’s crafted magic rings undoubtedly played a significant role.
“Sublimation… I’ve never heard of such magic. Using high-purity magic stones like those in the Royal Garment Rings implies it’s a high-level magic… It’s quite impressive. The friend of Elinne who supposedly made this must have been exceptionally skilled as a jeweler,”
Luche marveled as she looked at the Sublimation Magic Ring on my finger.
By the way, although she’s in another carriage, Elinne is also participating in the Land God Purification mission this time.
Originally, as a jeweler, she didn’t need to participate, but it seems she was considering this outing to gain inspiration.
“—!?”
Suddenly, an unnatural vibration shook the carriage. The sudden tilting caught us off guard, causing our bodies inside to lose balance like rolling fruit in a box. It felt like one side of the wheels sank while the other side lifted.
“Kyah!?”
“Wow!?”
Charl and Makina’s bodies tumbled down.
“Hey! Watch out!”
Fortunately, I was in a good position.
I instinctively caught their falling bodies. Using my arms to pull them in to prevent them from hitting their heads, Charl and Makina safely nestled against my chest.
“Ugh!”
While I managed to support the weight of two humans, the tilted carriage made it impossible to stand firm. Breaking through the door, I fell out of the carriage with them still in my arms.
There was a slightly gritty sensation in my mouth. Did I get dirt in my mouth when I fell? Amidst the scent of sunlit grass, two soft fragrances tickled my nostrils, somewhat elegant and pleasant.
“Are you both alright? Did you hit your heads or anything?”
“N-no, thanks to you, Al…”
“More importantly, are you okay, Al-sama?”
“I’ll manage. Thankfully, you two are light…”
Relieved that they were safe, I noticed something odd.
“…!”
Our eyes met suddenly. Both of them. And they were both close, literally right in front of my eyes.
Moreover, with the posture supporting the weight of both of them… the soft and fleshy sensation of their bodies pressed against mine. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.
And the fact that they were so close, almost close enough to feel their breath, was unsettling. Whether it was Charl’s clear, transparent eyes or Makina’s jewel-like, delicate eyes, they were both right in front of me.
“Um…”
“Uh…”
We inadvertently locked eyes with each other, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes. It wasn’t just the sudden warmth flooding my face that made me aware of it. I could clearly see Charl’s cheeks flushing and Makina’s eyes glistening with moisture… it was all visible.
“Uh…!”
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Perhaps embarrassment won out. Feeling embarrassed that we had all ended up staring at each other, we simultaneously averted our gazes without acknowledging it.
“Right, sorry to interrupt your lovey-dovey moment, but let’s not forget about the lovely lady stranded in this cramped car!”
“W-Well, sorry, Luche-nee! It’s not like I actually forgot or anything!”
“A-Anyway, we should probably step back, right?”
“Y-Yeah! Alfred, you must be uncomfortable too!”
Charl seemed unusually flustered, and Makina unusually flustered as well.
Following their slightly different demeanor, I also stood up. As for Luche-nee, she was crawling out from the opposite door, making her escape.
“Phew. Well, that was worth manipulating magnetism to stick to the inside of the car in a pinch. Alfred, you better thank your electrically perceptive sister for that.”
“…Well…”
I felt it might lead to trouble if I expressed gratitude here, so I opted for no comment.
…Although I can’t deny it was quite an enjoyable experience!
“What’s all the fuss about, even though I was just sleeping…”
“What’s going on?”
Elinne, who was in the following carriage, and Prince Noel, who was in another carriage, came to check on us. They didn’t furrow their brows at the tilted carriage but observed calmly.
“The wheels are sunk into the ground… seems like a trap built with earth attribute magic.”
“It seems to collapse only the targeted areas at any time. It’s small-scale but quite elaborate. Whoever made this has some sense.”
“What’s the point of being impressed…”
It seems this elf hasn’t even considered the idea that I was almost assassinated.
“There’s no need to get so worked up. From the looks of it, it’s not an assassination attempt. It’s more like a cute prank.”
“Indeed, it feels more like mischief than assassination.”
If this were an assassination attempt on a royal figure, it would be quicker to set up a bomb.
However, this carriage is surrounded by defensive barriers, and its appearance may be just a carriage, but its defense is equivalent to armor. A couple of landmine spells wouldn’t even faze it.
That’s why sinking the wheels was probably a blind spot for the maker of this carriage.
A literal loophole was unexpectedly discovered… Maybe I should submit some improvement requests when I return to the palace.
…More than anything, even if it were an assassination targeting that “loophole,” it’s unnatural that there’s no pursuit. There’s no sense of danger, and not a single arrow is flying. It feels childish, like it ends with “Look, the carriage carrying an important person got stuck. How amusing.”
“…Still, it’s a bit lowbrow for a prank. It’s not about appearances, but you should at least exercise some caution.”
When I glanced at the nearby bushes, I heard a rustle. I’m even suspecting this is a trap. I can sense it’s someone from the bushes. I activated “search” as soon as something was wrong with the carriage.
“Kid hiding in those bushes, come out already. Just so you know, I’ve got your position perfectly figured out.”
She must have thought they couldn’t bluff her way out or hide forever.
With reluctant footsteps echoing as if they could be heard any moment, a girl emerged from the bushes.
Her determined eyes reminiscent of a small dog fiercely trying to intimidate.
She looked around ten or eleven. Instead of resembling a well-bred dog owned by nobles, she gave off the impression of a wild stray, staring us down intently.
“Geez… hey, kid. What the heck were you thinking?”
“You’re so annoying, you perv. You were totally ogling our boobs earlier.”
“Let go, Luche! We gotta teach this brat about the harshness of society and respect for those above us!”
“Okay, okay. You perv who was ogling at girls, just shut up.”
“I wasn’t ogling!… Hey, Charl, Makina! Don’t back away while covering your chests! You’ll just make things worse!”
“Really? So, do you claim to be innocent and without any guilt yourself?”
“Of course!”
“You’re saying after thoroughly enjoying the well-developed bodies of both Charl-chan and Makina-chan, you felt nothing?”
“…Luche-ne. Don’t you think we should first define what constitutes guilt?”
“Perv.”
“This is unfair!”
Hey, I’m just a teenage boy! I can’t help but feel something!
And besides, it was involuntary… and there goes Elinne, laughing. This elf really isn’t on my side!
“[Earth Magic Wall]!”
While I’m desperately trying to explain myself to Luche, the girl activates her magic.
A wide wall of earth rises from the ground, blocking our view in an instant.
“Just stay there and be pervy! Idiot!”
We hear the girl’s voice from behind the wall.
Seems like she escaped into the bushes. Can’t see her, but I can picture her annoying face clearly.
“Wow… impressive speed and amount of magic power. Being able to instantly create a wall big enough to block all our views.”
“With a bit of training, you could get recommended to the Royal Magic Academy in the capital.”
Elinne and Luche nod approvingly.
“That brat…! I’ll definitely catch her…!”
“Al, that’s so immature. And it sounds like something a villain would say.”
“Shut up! As a royal, it’s my duty to teach that brat about the harsh realities of the world!”
“Um, Al? That doesn’t really sound like something royals should do…”
“[Enhancement]!”
Ignoring Charl’s words, I, driven by my sense of duty, plunge into the dense greenery in pursuit of the girl.
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