Chapter 3: I Turned Eight years old!
A few months after starting second grade, I turned eight years old!
Well, since it’s been eight years since I was born as Eurushia, it would be strange if I didn’t age. But the important thing is that little me is getting closer to being a “young lady” even though I’m still considered a little girl.
It’s really amazing that I seem to be growing up normally despite having human attributes.
Anyway, it was time for my annual birthday party as always, but I decided to keep it normal. Well, it wouldn’t really normal since it was held at the castle.
I also had a small reason for quickly wrapping up the birthday party this year at the royal castle.
You see…it’s been over half a year since then, but if I think about the possibility that Rick might…I don’t know what face to make when I meet him…
After quickly finishing this year’s birthday party (with thousands of guests), I fully used my authority as the “Princess of the Holy Kingdom” to sneak out of the capital city.
It’s not like I wanted to skip school or anything. Really.
As a premise, the “Princess of the Holy Kingdom” is a national “face” position that handles foreign affairs instead of the male members of the royal family who are hesitant to go abroad.
In my case, it was a position created for my grandfather to spoil me, but this time I used that privilege.
My father, the Grand Duke Versenia, often gets invited abroad for work as a member of the royal family handling foreign affairs. But shockingly, his schedule conflicted this time.
With a wedding and a funeral no less…
Neither of those can be missed, but it would be awkward for the same person to attend both back-to-back, right?
Good news for my troubled father!
I’ll handle the work in your place!
I’m not trying to run away at all!
My father and grandfather were against me going abroad alone as a young girl (I didn’t say by myself), but they spoil me so much that after I got Lady Elea on my side from behind-the-scenes and “requested” it on their laps, they understood.
So I ended up attending the “wedding” in the neighboring Kingdom of Sigress, where my aunt from my father’s side got married.
Of course, since I’m going abroad for Holy Kingdom diplomacy, I get excused absences from the academy.
An academy chapter…?
That’s not happening!
“Princess! The mercenary group has arrived!”
On the departure day, Sarah-chan, who became the vice-captain of my knight escort group, reported with high tension.
“Knight group” but vice-“captain”…what’s up with that…?
There are only about ten of them, so it should be a knight squad, but apparently they insist on calling it a group for some external reason. Were they planning for a hundred members initially?
Whatever, somehow Sarah-chan had become the vice-captain.
After a fist fight.
Aren’t you girls almost twenty by now? Why are you still so hot-blooded?
Will I have to handle your marriage arrangements too…?
Anyway, the “mercenary group” Sarah-chan reported about are basically trouble-shooting odd-job workers.
Can you believe there is no “adventurer” profession in this world?
If monsters appear in a village, the lord simply dispatches soldiers, and there are no dungeons that endlessly spawn monsters either…such a dream-less world.
Instead, “mercenary groups” do all kinds of odd jobs.
They are mostly hired by feuding nobles over territorial disputes, but also take jobs like guarding merchant caravans or handling requests from the wealthy.
Mercenary groups range from small squads of around ten to large-scale bands of hundreds. The condition for me to travel to Sigress this time was to be escorted by a medium-sized mercenary group that my father is acquainted with.
For this trip to the Sigress wedding, my entourage consists of:
Ten female knight escorts.
Four knights and twenty soldiers from the Grand Duke’s forces.
Fifteen servants like chefs, drivers, and porters.
One butler, one maid, and four maids from the Grand Duke’s household.
Thirty-six mercenaries.
Including my four personal attendants, it totals ninety-five!
That’s a lot!
…No, as the nation’s representative it’s not too many…I guess?
It ended up being quite a large group, but per my mother’s wishes, Vio will be coming along as a maid this time.
Well, even though Noah and Tina are capable, they still look like children in appearance…
I don’t know the soldiers or mercenaries well. Bri-chan and Sarah-chan are practicing cool formations to show me off to the foreign knights. With my parents being worried, it was natural for them to have Vio accompany me.
Alright, whatever.
As Sarah-chan reported, a representative from the mercenary group came to greet me, so I should receive them. Truth be told, I was looking forward to what kind of dandy old man would show up.
It was Mr Bear.
“Princess, you can count on us to keep you safe on this journey!”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Bear.”
I, who had given up on various things in an instant, accidentally called the mercenary leader “Mr. Bear,” but for some reason, he seemed pleased.
This trip is going to be (in a way that lacks healing) painful, it seems… No, that’s not right.
God did not forsake me.
Thank you, God! I won’t draw beards on the statues in the temple anymore!
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…Oh? The earth is trembling a bit. Anyway…
“Lucia…!”
“Eh…? Noel?”
Yes, it’s true. Noel, the handsome young man who bravely protected me when I was kidnapped in the demon summoning incident, was in this mercenary group!
It’s been two years, and he’s grown up quite a bit, becoming more boyish.
“I finally… found you.”
“U-uh…”
Noel came rushing towards me like a dog being thrown a bone, gently wrapping my hands in his own and smiling sweetly.
Well… I’m certainly happy, but isn’t this physical contact a bit sudden?
“Hey, Noel!!”
A seemingly painful-looking fist hit Noel’s head.
“–~~~”
“What do you think you’re doing, suddenly grabbing the princess’s hands!?”
Mr. Bear is upset.
Well, in this case, Mr. Bear is right. I am a member of the nobility, and Mr. Bear is my host. Even if we’re acquainted, suddenly touching a girl is unacceptable. From an adult’s perspective, it’s like that, but we’re still children. It might be a matter of discipline, but when Mr. Bear was about to throw another punch, I instinctively reacted.
“Take this!”
“Whaaaaat!?”
“Eep!”
My flick hit both Mr. Bear and, incidentally, Tina, who were clutching their foreheads and crouching.
Tina had approached with a strange look in her eyes when Noel grabbed my hand, so I flicked her instinctively.
Dangerous, dangerous… I flicked both of them at the same time, but if I had mixed up my right and left hands, it would have been a disaster… The power that Mr. Bear and Tina put into it was about 500 times different. (I’m clumsy.)
“Mr. Bear, Noel is my friend… Can you forgive him?”
I politely asked Mr. Bear, but Mr. Bear, Tina, and even Noel remained crouching and unable to move. As I looked around, wondering what to do, Bri and Sarah were holding hands, trembling, and Vio came running to help, but there was no one else.
“Haha, as expected of the Holy Maiden! It’s been ten years since I’ve received such a powerful blow!”
Mr. Bear, revived by my divine magic, laughed heartily, his forehead still flushed red.
Viva, Holy Maiden!
In this wonderful world, a certain degree of eccentricity can be forgiven with a “as expected of the Holy Maiden.”
What kind of existence is the “Holy Maiden” among the people of this country…?
“But, Noel! Even if the princess is your friend, that’s unacceptable. Don’t forget that you’re a member of this mercenary group! I’m sorry, princess. He’s still a newbie…”
“I’m sorry, Lucia-sama.”
“It’s alright.”
I smiled gracefully in Holy Maiden mode, forgiving the two.
Seeing Noel, who had become downcast after being scolded and having it witnessed by me, makes my heart ache a bit. (Mischievous)
Suddenly and surprisingly, the name of the mercenary leader is… Barnabus…? According to Mr. Bear, Noel was introduced and joined by the acting lord of that town, and he seems to be a promising new recruit.
The acting lord also recognized Noel’s talent.
“But why is Noel in the mercenary group?”
With his talent, he should have been able to advance normally if he worked hard, and the acting lord seemed to be raising him as his successor.
So why… I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but this kind of wandering around…?
“U-uh… well… I wanted to become stronger…”
Noel was blushing as he glanced at me.
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