Here’s the chapter. Enjoy~
ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 82 – Which Comes First?
“Crown Prince’s a.s.sistant. This is the end of the packing process. Please check and confirm it.”
“Yes, I understand. Thank you.”
The preparations for the Baltic trip were as careful as possible. Everything was meticulously checked, including the medicine and clothing.
It was laid out in the castle courtyard and packed into wooden boxes by numerous servants.
Krone was the one who checked them. She even carefully checked each individual bandage for items that the Crown Prince, Ain, would use.
For this reason, she had been working on this task for the past three days.
Ain watched the scene from the window of his room. Appreciating Krone’s work, he turned his attention back to the room. Ain’s room was carefully cleaned by the servants. It was always a comfortable and pleasant place to spend time in.
“Hey Chris-san. I’m sorry… but I was hoping you’d be in a better mood by now.”
Even though it was the Crown Prince’s room, Chris was sitting on the floor in a corner of the room.
There was a very precious, tormenting sight of Christina Wernstein, the Marshal of the Royal Guard of Ishtalika.
She became this way this morning. For the next three long hours or so, she sat there the entire time, with no light in her eyes.
Ain’s own room was covered with a good quality carpet. Maybe that’s part of the reason she’s so comfortable sitting there. Instead, her mental state was miserable.
“…..”
A dog sitting would look happy. Now, Chris was carrying a sadness that was incomparable.
The reason was, of course, Ain. Chris couldn’t go to the Baltic; she stayed behind. Ain told her this in a very thoughtful way.
It had been a month since the meeting with Warren. The only reason it took him so long to inform her was because it was hard for him to tell her.
It was a week ago that the materials for the verification work that Krone was doing were brought to the castle. It was around that time that Chris was told that Ain was going to the Baltic.
Hearing this, Chris thought about it. Baltic was a more dangerous place than usual, so let’s tighten the guard. With a high sense of awareness and responsibility, she would support Ain’s investigation. She was overflowing with this motivation.
“Chris-san?”
Ain approached Chris, who was sitting in a corner, and poked her on the cheek. She reacted for a moment with a jolt, but nothing happened from then on.
Chris was still thinking.
Did she like him as a member of the opposite s.e.x? She wasn’t sure yet, but it was true that she had enjoyed being with Ain and that her mood had been lifted.
That was one of the reasons why she was looking forward to this investigation in the Baltic.
In her mind, she was not only sad that she had to stay away, but she also asked herself questions like: “Why am I so sad?”
“I’m sorry…it was really hard for me to break the news to you.”
If it were true, she should not have been so disfigured in the Crown Prince’s room.
On the contrary, she was supposed to follow orders honestly. Chris understood that, but she was also glad that Ain took care of her that way.
That’s why she was spoiled in the end and showed this kind of appearance.
“That’s terrible… anyway, it would have been better if you had told me earlier…”
“Ugh… W-well, if you put it that way, I can’t say anything back to you…”
If Chris were to be honest, Ain should also consider the mentality of his subordinates as a person who stood at the top. In other words, if he were to judge the current situation, Sylvird would say one way or the other.
“‘M-my escort is… a girl I don’t want’, is that it?”
Chris looked up and looked at Ain with watery eyes.
For a moment, Ain was thrilled by this expression, but he hated himself for making her cry.
“It’s not that I don’t want to! It’s important, okay? I care about you, Chris-san… you see! Don’t say that.”
He waved his hands from side to side, shaking his face at the same time. In a panic, he denied what she had said.
“But you know what? If Chris-san was not here, the knights would be in trouble, and the people of the royal capital would be in trouble as well. If something were to happen, it would be a disaster… after all, you’re the marshal.”
Chris’ lips were tight as she listened to his excuses. Her teary eyes and cheeks flushed with excitement, making her look more delicate than beautiful.
Now that she has raised her face, was this a step in the right direction?
“That’s certainly true. But…muu…”
“It will be rea.s.suring since Lloyd-san is coming with me as well. But I was also looking forward to investigating with Chris-san. That’s why… I’m disappointed, too.”
There was no lie in these words. Ain felt comfortable with her, but most importantly, it was fun. To tell the truth, Ain was also expecting Chris to come.
“…..!”
Chris wiped away her tears with a cloth. She smacked her cheeks lightly and stared at Ain.
“I understand… Then I’ll wait for some souvenirs and stay quiet.”
She still couldn’t sort out her feelings. Still, Chris understood that she had to give up. She decided to stay behind with the best of intentions.
“Yes… I’m going to buy a lot of souvenirs, so please wait for me. But I’m sure the people of the royal capital can rest easy now that Chris-san is around.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Chris said quietly, then stood up and muttered more.
“…If I can protect them, that’s all I have to do.”
The muttering, which Ain did not hear, penetrated deep into Chris herself.
She, who was the marshal? A knight of the royal guard? These were exactly the words that should not be said.
It was as if she was denigrating the people of Ishtalika, and she wondered why she had said such a thing. Is she still upset? This was not right; she must change her mind now… She continued to recite in her mind.
“T-the mountain products made in the Baltic are Katima-sama’s favorite food. So you might want to stock up.”
She wasn’t lying but felt like she had to change the subject.
If she continued to think about what she had just said, she felt as if she would fall into a depth from which she would not be able to get out.
In her mind, she apologized for using Katima for an impromptu conversation.
“Really! That’s a good thing I heard… Thanks, Chris-san!”
Ain smiled, unaware of such feelings. But thanks to this, Chris was able to confirm one thing.
——She loved Ain’s smile. No matter what people say, it was a pure thought that cannot be denied.
＊＊＊
The hero who defeated the Sea Dragon.
This was probably the first thing people in the royal capital said about Crown Prince Ain.
He was a great hero who almost single-handedly defeated the Sea Dragons and brought two Sea Dragons to the country. Everyone thought so.
Crown Prince Ain was going to the Baltic. If he wanted to investigate the former Demon King’s territory, there was no reason for him not to attract attention.
That day, the royal capital was so crowded that the main street was filled with stalls.
Everyone was celebrating Ain’s departure for the Baltic in a festive atmosphere.
“Everyone is so energetic despite the heat.”
“After all, you are a hero, aren’t you, Ain-sama?”
Chris walked next to Ain. Everyone was in a good mood despite the hot weather.
“It’s a bit embarra.s.sing, so I think it’s time for everyone to calm down now…”
“I don’t think things will calm down as long as Ain-sama is alive.”
“What a mess…”
The heat of the lingering summer was intense on the main streets of the royal capital. The heat of the sun reflecting off the cobblestones was hard on Ain’s body.
The story of his heroism would be told not only in Ain’s lifetime but also in the future generations of Ishtalika.
“And if it’s true, we should have left at night…”
Because of the big announcement that Ain was going to the Baltic, the departure was at sunrise.
Therefore, he was supposed to arrive in the Baltic at midnight, the exact opposite of his departure to Ist.
“Well, it can’t be helped; let’s just go to the station and go to the platform.”
Ain came to the White Rose by horse-drawn carriage. Today, he will board the train to Baltic with a large group of people in tow.
“Then, Ain-sama. Please see them off on the way to the train.”
“Yes, okay. Thank you, Chris-san.”
Chris, who was staying behind, would not get on the train. So today, she would accompany him to the station platform.
By the way, Krone, Lloyd, and Dill were already waiting for Ain on the platform. They were waiting for Ain on the platform because they had to prepare themselves to go to the Baltic in their own way.
By the way, Olivia, who almost came to see them off, even in disguise, was held back by Martha at the castle.
＊＊＊
Numerous residents of the royal capital crowded the station. However, Ain did not go near the crowd, as he used a special pa.s.sageway to get to the platform where the royal train was located.
Upon arriving at the train, Ain separated from Chris and entered the carriage.
As he did in his conversation with Warren, he did not forget to wave to the residents of the royal capital who had come to see him off.
From now on, Ain would go to Baltic for a month of investigation.
“How was the atmosphere outside, Your Highness?”
“Everyone is in good spirits despite the heat. I hope they don’t forget to drink water.”
The people in the royal capital were in a festive mood. Ain was concerned about their health.
“By the way, Krone. Where are Lloyd-san and the others?”
“They’re in the front car. This time, we’re dividing the Royal Guards to the front and rear.”
“Ah, the usual arrangement, I see.”
In the first place, the royal train was usually a train that was supposed to carry a large number of royal guards. Therefore, the front and the back of the royal family car were sandwiched between the royal guards.
This was the arrangement of the knights to carry the royal family safely. This was called the regular arrangement.
In this case, since there were many royal guards as well as servants, the regular arrangement was used.
“Then this carriage is, let’s see…”
“It’s just me and Ain, you know?”
She was a competent a.s.sistant. A competent a.s.sistant… Let’s just remember that she’s an a.s.sistant… If not, he might get strangely nervous.
“Let’s not stay here for now; let’s go inside, shall we? Ain, would you like something to drink? It was hot outside, wasn’t it?”
“I’d like some cold tea.”
“Tea, sure.”
He was thirsty right now. As he thought about the competent a.s.sistant… he made a discovery.
Today’s temperatures were persistently hot, and perhaps Krone herself was feeling hot.
Her thin shirt showed the line of her underwear from behind. A mistake. This investigation was not off to a good start. Ain realized that.
“Well, of course, I’m going to take my eyes off her, aren’t I?”
This was called gentility. It’s an important way to think as a crown prince, you know? And he shows a victorious face to the emptiness.
“…..? What’s wrong?”
“Nah, nothing? I just got thirsty.”
Krone looked curious but didn’t seem to mind. She went ahead and went into the lounge to prepare Ain’s tea.
They would spend a lot of time together from now on. Let’s take it easy, Ain thought… and he put his hand on his left breast and took a deep breath.
“It’s hard to come from a place like this… We’re going to Baltic, the city of adventurers…”
It was not even remotely the cause, but he blamed it on the Baltic, which he had never been to. That’s probably for the best.
After Ain calmed down a bit, he followed Krone into the lounge.
＊＊＊
It had been about four hours since Ain had left the royal capital. He had not even made it halfway, but the scenery around him changed drastically.
The area was surrounded by large rocky mountains, and on a distant mountain, a large bird with four wings was flying overhead.
How strong was it? What kind of attacks would it use? …What does it taste like?
Eventually, they reached the usual point, but many questions came to his mind.
On the way here, he had several conversations with Krone. They were about the plans and accommodation after they arrived in the Baltic. The main thing was to confirm the details.
And now they were talking about the former Demon King’s territory.
“I know it’s dangerous. But when I hear that it has a connection to His Majesty the First, I’m curious about it as well.”
“It’s an impressive area, that’s for sure. You should really be careful, okay? And don’t touch anything strange.”
“I’m not a child anymore…”
Krone was not really convinced because of all the things that had happened so far. Ain denied it, but Krone still didn’t believe his words 100%.
“What the first King of Ishtalika did was to go on an expedition to the Demon King’s territory, wasn’t it?”
“Yes… His Majesty the First did indeed make an expedition to the Demon King’s territory when he was still alive. But the way you put it, I can’t give you full marks.”
“…Huh?”
He doesn’t know where he went wrong.
His Majesty the First made an expedition to the Demon King’s territory. This should be a sure thing, Ain groaned, and Krone gave him the answer.
“When His Majesty the First made an expedition to the Demon King’s territory, was he already the king of Ishtalika? …Or did he become the king after that? That’s what I meant.”
“I’m sorry, Krone-san… A little more detail…”
“It can’t be helped,” she said and continued her explanation. It’s a bit sad that Krone, who came later, knew more about Ishtalika’s history than he did.
Ain thought he would study it again when he returned to the capital.
“About 500 years ago. The Demon King was defeated; is that about right?”
“Yes, Sensei!”
He replied cheerfully in a theatrical exchange. Krone was also in a good mood and reacted well to Ain’s att.i.tude.
“Fufu… Good. …So, let’s say they were defeated 500 years ago. I wonder if Ishtalika existed before or after that? Or was it created afterward?”
Ain thought about it.
What he learned was that the Demon King was defeated about 500 years ago. What he learned was that it was His Majesty the First who defeated her. When he thought about it, he realized that he didn’t understand when the country was founded.
“We still don’t know when the country was founded. Was it before the Demon King was defeated? Or was it after? The general consensus is that it was founded before the Demon King was defeated. However, scholars have yet to confirm this.”
“I wonder how you know so much about it, but I have learned a lot.”
“It’s the same content as the a.s.sistant test. I understand that much.”
His own a.s.sistant test. Now he understood how difficult it was. He did not think that even what the scholars studied was treated as a test.
“Before or after the defeat? It is believed that clues to this question remain in the territory of the former Demon King. So that was part of the purpose of this investigation, but it seems that… His Royal Highness the Crown Prince didn’t know about it.”
“Hahaha. I’m becoming more and more ashamed of myself.”
“Even if you feel ashamed, you are the leader of this investigation, so you must be firm, right?”
The head of this investigation was Ain. It seemed that Lloyd and the others would give a lot of advice, but it didn’t matter; Ain still had the most power.
He drank the tea Krone brewed for him and thought about it.
(“After Ishtalika was founded, was it attacked by the Demon King’s crisis? Or did they conquer the Demon King’s territory and unify the country before founding Ishtalika? I wonder if that’s what happened.”)
Which came first? That was not recorded, but it was certainly an important story, considering what was said.
Ain fell into his own contemplation as he looked at the shifting mountains.
The landscape of the mountains had many sharp rocks rather than gentle slopes. The landscape was shaped in a way that tickled Ain’s male heart.
While looking at the landscape outside, he heard a voice from Krone sitting in front of him.
“Hey Ain. Do you remember the word royal family gacha?”
“Hmm? …Of course I remember it. It’s an obscure term started by royalty playing around with their own bloodlines.”
Krone nodded at Ain’s answer.
It’s highly inappropriate, but as a result, various races, such as Olivia-sama and Katima-sama, were also born into the royal family.
By the way, the Toxin Decomposition EX skill was super rare. What kind of race did it normally belong to, if any? He was curious about that.
“But what about it?”
“I don’t know right now, but another race that was in the Demon King’s territory crossed paths with the royal family. That might have happened, you know?”
“I’m afraid of the part that can’t be said to be non-existent.”
After all, the line between different races and monsters was just content based on the country’s decision.
Both different races and monsters had ‘Magic Stone’ and ‘Core’ as the two important organs in their bodies.
They could communicate with humans and did no harm. As a result, there had been many instances in their history where they had been judged as foreigners.
Thinking about it, the possibility did not seem to be zero.
“What race was the first queen?”
“As I recall… it was a race called pixies, named by His Majesty the First.”
“It was a fairy race, as I recall. Well, I don’t know where they intersect, but it’s possible…”
Ain would eventually take a wife. That was a given, but when that happened, the next thing he thought about was the royal family gacha. What kind of race would be born?
However, he had to find a wife first, but would he take one from a n.o.bleman somewhere? Just thinking about it made him feel sensitive.
He looked at Krone in front of him, and his thoughts wandered back and forth.
“U-uh… what’s wrong, Ain? Suddenly staring at me…”
——…He didn’t have to think about it right now. It was not like he was being pushed by his family or Warren. Speaking of being pushed, it was subtle, but there was a difficult feeling about it.
But a shy Krone was quite rare and not bad. Susceptible to sudden events, Krone gradually blushed.
“No, it’s nothing. I’m just glad I wasn’t rushed.”
“…Fufu, funny Ain. The Crown Prince must have gotten beat up by the heat outside.”
It’s not the heat, but he didn’t want to tell her that. For now, let’s just be comforted by her smile, Ain thought in his mind.