(Part 2)
The place we were heading to was something like a back garden. The place where maids usually do stuff like laundry. I’m sure n.o.body would have a problem if I dried my equipment there. Since the sun is high right now as well, it’s the perfect time to bask the clothes in the sun.
Even later, many soldiers and knights, n.o.bles pa.s.sed by us as we headed towards this rear garden. There was already a person there before us as well, and it was not a maid washing some clothes.
It was a woman with long silver hair wearing lightly decorated white dress——King Joshua’s only daughter, Princess Amalda Imnesia, was sitting on a bench relaxing. She didn’t have her usual dignified expression that I normally saw during the tournament, instead, she was simply in thought while making a warm and comfortable expression, looking far away. As I was looking at her thinking about her atmosphere was different than usual, she realized our presence and turned towards us.
“Ara?”( amalda)
“Well if it isn’t Princess Amalda——“(utano)
“Fufu. No need for that formal tone, no one else is here right now.”
“Fine.”(utano)
“Eh?”(renji)
She changed her way of talking so easily?
What is this? In the time I wasn’t here, did these two get closer to each other?
Back then, they were more strained, or rather, Princess Amalda always seemed scared of Utano-san. Well with that gaze and way of talking, anyone would get scared of Utano-san. But still, really, a lot can happen in one year. I think maybe this is somewhat like what Urashima Tarou felt like. (T/N:Google Urashima Taro to learn about his folk tale.)
While feeling a bit confused, I went along with Utano-san towards Princess Amalda.
“Princess, please excuse us as we work here for a while.”(utano)
“Sure?”
“Yamada-kun, give the coat first.”
Being told that I gave her my coat I was holding in my left hand as Utano-san, even though we were in front of the princess, began to dust off my clothes without paying any mind.
Really, is this okay? It’s kind of rude, or rather, it’s making me feel a bit nervous. Thinking that I looked towards Amalda but she was looking at Utano-san as if she was doing something incredibly fun.
“That looks like fun. May I help as well?”(amalda)
“……..Eh?”(renji)
“Sure, I don’t mind. Yamada-kun, give the trousers next.”(utano)
Ehhh……….. I looked at Utano-san to confirm once more but she didn’t even look at me as she was busy with dusting off my coat.
Like really, is this okay? While thinking that, I gave Princess Amalda the trousers as told. As I did, with a smile, the princess started flapping and dusting off the trousers along with Utano-san. Her slender arms seemed to lack strength making it look really dangerous. While I continued to look over Princess as she worked, I handed over my mantle to Utano-san next as told.
After they had finally dusted off my boots and leather gloves as well, both the women sat down on the bench together while panting slightly. Well, the princess aside, why does Utano-san have such low stamina as well?
“What?”(utano)
“You haven’t been exercising much recently?”(Renji)
“……….I specialise more in desk work, that’s all.”
[So, she says.]
She always said that didn’t she. While thinking of that, I spread my throwing daggers and Knife on the ground. Taking it out of the sheathe, I confirmed the condition of every blade by putting it against the sunlight.
They are all in perfectly usable condition. Throwing one of the daggers, it flew a bit before stabbing into the ground.
“Return.”(renji)
The moment I muttered that, that dagger returned back to my hand. There were 7 of such daggers. I tested each and every one of them properly one by one.
“Such an interesting blade.”(amalda)
“Well, an elf made these after all.”
Saying that, next I swung around the knife acrobatically to test its condition. This one, seemed to be fine as well. As weapons I will be depending on against the monsters and demons of Abenlem, they are trustworthy indeed.
When I finished, I heard a small applause. Looking that way, it was princess Amalda.
“For showing me something really interesting.”(amalda)
“No, no. this isn’t anything special at all.”(renji)
I put the knife back in its sheathe. Ermenhilde remained silent probably because she still in a bad mood. It was when I used the mithril sword as well but as expected, Ermenhilde doesn’t like it when I use any other weapons. While smiling wryly at my partner’s lovely temper, I slowly cleaned off the dirt that stuck to each of the daggers.
“So, you two seem to have gotten pretty close.”(renji)
“I don’t quite understand what you mean, Renji-sama?”
“No, I’m just surprised. That Utano-san actually has a friend she really gets along with that’s all……”
“You’re implying that I don’t have friends, is that it?”(utano)
“No way, just your imagination.”(renji)
When I gave a shrug, she gave a clear sigh. Since I was on the ground and she was on the bench, it ended up with me getting glared down at by her with cold eyes.
And the fact that I didn’t really mind it was proof that there was definitely something wrong with me as well.
“Haah. So princess, why are you here?”(utano)
“Just, wanted some time to think.”
“Something to think about?”
“Yes.”
I wonder what it was. While wiping of the third dagger, I continued listening to their conversation.
“I have thought of this before as well but……..”(amalda)
“Hm?”
“Yuuta-sama is a bit too kind, I feel like.”
…………umu. Even though she said that with such a serious atmosphere, why is that I almost dropped my dagger in reflex?
“Let me ask this first and foremost.”(renji)
“Ah, what is it, Renji-sama?”(amalda)
“This conversation, is it fine for me to hear it?”
“I don’t mind. In fact as a man, I would like to hear your opinion on this as well.”
“Yamada-kun’s opinion?……….i wonder if that would even be of any use.”(utano)
[What are you talking about?]
“Something you don’t really have to worry about.”(renji)
[Why? I want to hear it as well.]
Why is my partner so curious in only such weird things?
“So, what did you hope to ask about Kuuki?”(renji)
“There’s no one here right now. You don’t have to speak so formally, Renji-sama.”(amalda)
“Haah.”
Looking towards Utano-san, she shook her head as well. Looks like she must have been forcibly changed like this as well.
“So, what did that Kuuki do?”(renji)
“No, in fact, it’s that he doesn’t do anything………..even last night.”(amalda)
Oh no. I don’t want to hear such things from a girl’s mouth. Was it because I still had an ideal fantasy image of a girl in my head? Well, Princess Amalda is 18 now and Utano-san is 28 this year. Neither could really be called a girl anymore——
“What?”(utano)
“Nothing.”(renji)
I think, humans can die just by being glared at. How many times have I thought that after coming to this world. As I turned my gaze down to the dagger in my hand without letting anyone realize, I felt like timid herbivore animal.
“So, what happened last night?”
“So last night, I visited his bedroom but………..”
So that guy’s a late bloomer as well, or rather a more pa.s.sive kind of guy eh? It’s amazing how he was able to control himself even when a beauty like Princess Amalda came to his room.
“………But I ended up falling asleep first.”(amalda)
“Wait what!?!”(renji)
“Eh?”
“Ah, sorry, it’s nothing please continue.”
Oh s.h.i.t, this princess is an airhead.
Back then I thought of her as a girl who has lived an overprotected life but she turned out to be simply a natural airhead.
“But, he didn’t do anything to me even though I was sleeping……..”(amalda)
[But he did sleep beside you right?]
“Yes, of course but still.”
Kuuki, you’re actually amazing. I could only feel amazement at his self control powers. Or rather, really, is it fine to tell something like that to a man like me? I questioned for the Nth time, but still had no answer.
“Since this will be the first time for both you, I do think that it’d be better if both of you were properly conscious this time at least. It’ll be a precious memory as well after all.”(utano)
Somehow the way you spoke it made it sound really lewd, Utano-san.
Huh, I wonder why women are able to talk of such things so well? While feeling a bit timid, I put more strength in my arm cleaning the dagger.
“But that means I can’t tempt him, make him drunk, or look at him while sleeping?…….I’m starting to lose confidence.”(amalda)
“Princess………..”
[fumu.]
I, honestly, cannot hide my surprise of the fact that you are such carnivore. Even though her looks and atmosphere is that of a dignified lady, to think she’d be like that inside…………Women are really scary. And above all, she’s unaware of her own nature, or rather, everything she thinks of revolves around Kuuki. Utano-san was giving me glances but I have no way of helping this.
I know Kuuki’s personality. He really treasure the princess with all of his heart, I’m sure. And though that should make the princess feel happy as well, she also wants him to have a bit more desires, or rather, l.u.s.t towards her.
……….I feel like my own thoughts aren’t making much sense right now.
“By the way, are you always consulting such things with Utano-san?”(renji)
“Wait–“(utano)
“Yes. Yuuko-sama sometimes takes out time to listen to me.”(amalda)
“About what kind of things exactly?”(renji)
“That is a secret. It is a bit embarra.s.sing to tell that to a man.”(amalda)
Really? After all you’ve already said? Could it be that the things she spoke of before like tempting and making him drunk be Utano-san’s ideas? Maybe the princess flattered her saying that Utano-san was experienced so she should give her some guidance or something? I realized that I was smiling without even wanting to just thinking of that scene.
Did she discern what I was thinking, Utano-san was making a surprised expression. The fact that her gaze was going here and there must be because she was in a panic.
“So, Renji-sama, do you have some good advice for me?”(amalda)
“Well, I can’t think of anything but taking the route of frontal attack.”(renji)
“Frontal attack?”
“Invite him to dinner, drink together, create a good mood and then invite him to your bed. If it’s a guy like Kuuki, it’d have more effect than using weird tactics I believe.”
“But that didn’t work, I tried.”
“………That incompetent fool.”
“I think Yuuta-kun would also say that, but Yamada-kun, you’re the last person in the world who has the right to say that.”(utano)
[Seriously.]
Ermenhilde, seriously, who’s ally are you?
While grieving from the harsh betrayal of my partner, I went into thought. Well, 50% of those thoughts were about tonight, thinking of vulgar things that might happen to Kuuki.
“Then, I may have a nice item for you.”(renji)
“I’m pretty sure that it’ll not be anything worthwile.”(utano)
While acting like I didn’t hear utano-san’s remark, I put my hand into my pocket. It’s the stimulant drug I found in the treasury earlier. I was thinking of giving it to her, showing her the various ways to use it……….
But what I brought out was a container that was full to the brim. It wasn’t the stimulant, but the other one. The one whose contents even I hadn’t checked yet.
“What’s that?”(amalda)
“Where did you find something like that?”(utano)
“In the treasury.”(renji)
“While I was helping you, you were looking for such things?”(utano)
Utano-san’s gaze grew sharper.
“So, what is it?”(utano)
[What’s written, Renji?]
“Let’s see…………”
While putting my hand to shade against the sun, I checked the back of the container. The faint red liquid was really beautiful. Lots of ingredients names were written, and in the end——–there was an aphrodisiac.
“…………”
“What is the matter, Renji-sama?”
“Yamada-kun?”
Oh s.h.i.t. This one’s even more dangerous than just a stimulant. Just when I was about to return the container back inside my pocket, I wonder what she thought of as Utano-san snapped her fingers. And from just that, the container disappeared from my hands.
In a panic I looked around only to see the container in Utano-san’s hands.
“…………..”
“Yuuko-sama, what’s wrong?”
This time, it was Utano-san’s turn to go silent. As expected of the Sage. She knew what kind of aphrodisiac it was. She must have taken it from me thinking that I had just found something dangerous again but she probably didn’t expect it to be an aphrodisiac. Of course, neither did I to be honest.
Right before my eyes, her cheeks slowly grew redder and redder. It’s an expression she’d never show in front of others normally. Since normally she has a sour face, or rather, an atmosphere that isn’t inviting to others, this change seemed to have really surprised Princess Amalda as well.
While looking at the change in Utano-san, I felt, that today I really might die.
Who the h.e.l.l put something like that inside the treasury??
[Just what’s going on?]
“I don’t understand either, Ermenhilde-sama.”(amalda)
While listening to their nonchalant voices, I brought out Ermenhilde from my pocket and threw it slightly away from me. As if she was waiting for it, Utano-san’s fingers snapped.
Kuuki, I hope you fall in h.e.l.l(read as heaven). While falling inside the depths of h.e.l.l (read as pitfall), I thought that. I am happy she was at least kind enough to properly gather up my daggers inside the holster that had been lying on the ground.
Even though I am supposed to leave on life threatening journey soon………we are the same as always.
I’ll do something stupid, and then get punished. Just like we have always been.——I felt like I had returned back to that time once more. Inside the circle where my friends lived.
Well, even I think that having an aphrodisiac on me was a bit too much, even as a joke. Also, I’m really glad that none of the kids were here. Really.