Three days passed. Though I was overwhelmed by the maids at first, it didn’t take long for us to open up to each other.
Eventually the day arrived for Prince Charles’s visit. As his subject, it seemed it would be more proper for me to refer to him as Lord Caroling, but everyone else called him Prince Charles, so I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal.
“Pleasure to meet you, Sir Chris. I am Charles Caroling, but you can just call me Charles.”
The sunny man in front of me looked, if anything, younger even than I had anticipated, and certainly younger than me. However, between his sky-blue eyes, his striking blond hair, and his immaculate choice in apparel, it was no wonder women across the kingdom called him an Adonis. So refined were his features that he gave off an almost effeminate beauty, that is, if one was to ignore the tempered calluses on his hands and the metal reinforcing his clothes, so subtle that an amateur would overlook it.
I later learned that he was also equipped with a hidden blade in his sleeve that he could have to hand with a mere flick of the wrist, a steel plate and a blade in his shoe, and a loosely-bound string in his hair that could be untied to work as a strangulation weapon. Damn, this prince is scary!
I could tell that Prince Charles was sizing me up, as well. Sorry, but they can call me “hero” all they want, I’m still a wizard, not a warrior. I wasn’t helpless in close-range combat, but I was only as strong as a normal soldier.
“Sir Chris, you were among the first to make yourself known as a member of the reclamation of my territory. But I must ask, why did you choose to do so?”
“Well, at first, I wanted to make a name for myself. But since I met Olivia, my new goal is to give her a good life, uh, Prince Charles.”
“Ahaha! Sir, this is your home, not a public space. Please, let us dispense with the formalities and speak as equals.”
The prince’s relaxed manner was infectious. He told us that there was still a mountain of things to be done before the development plan began in earnest, such as procuring materials and organizing parties and such. In the
month or so until then, I was free to do as I pleased.
Killing monsters during the waiting period would earn me incentive pay, along with materials to sell. Moreover, hunting particularly large monsters would earn commensurate rewards, so I had my work cut out for me.
Admittedly, I relished the thought of going on date after date with my darling wife, but I needed to show her that I could fulfill my duty as the breadwinner of our new family.
Then, once the development plan began, Prince Charles intended for me, the hero, to lead the vanguard of his forces, wherever the fight with the monsters was hottest. His directness on that matter left a good impression on me. The harder the job, the more easily I could achieve great feats in battle, so I found the proposal ideal.
After that, we chatted idly until the time came for his scheduled departure. While I walked him out to the gate, he made a small, secret request to me before boarding his carriage.
“By the way, Sir Chris, I understand you are a wizard, a specialist in dark magic? Well…”
I didn’t remember telling anyone about my specific affinity, but somehow the prince had caught wind of it, and in less than thirty minutes of conversation. Yeah, I’d better not make an enemy of this guy.
★ Jeanne ★
“Nice, we finally recruited a mage. A map-soloing SSR is the perfect hero unit to spearhead the development plan missions.”
My lord, Charles, often murmured such incomprehensible things to himself. But how could someone like me, a girl who knew nothing but how to swing a sword, understand the profound depth of the genius who turned the remote, backwater Rarogne Region into such a bountiful land in only five years?
Earlier today, he had met the hero who had been given divine protection at Tria’s great temple. Judging by my lord’s attitude, he must have left a very positive impression. The man had seemed good-natured enough, not to mention handsome enough to match the radiant beauty at his side.
Though he wasn’t to my taste. I much preferred Charles— Errhem!
Ahem! What are you thinking, Jeanne?! It would be scandalous for you to
fall in love with your master! Oh, but when I remember the sensation of Charles’s hand brushing against my chest while he trained, I…
“Aah! Oh, Lord Charles, not during training! Everyone will see! You can take me to your bed and ravage me after we’re done here, squeeeee!”
“Jeanne, I can’t in good conscience warn someone my age to not have wild erotic fantasies, but can you at least keep them to yourself?”
Oh, my lord’s loving lashes wound me so. My lord, those hands were meant for slaying monsters; please do not shake that clenched fist at me.
“You’re absolutely pathetic, but you’re stronger in battle than I am. I swear, where did you go wrong?”
“Please, my lord! I only wanted to help you however I could ’cause I owed you such a debt for picking me of all people and saving me from a rural life of poverty.”
Five years ago, my hometown had been in such dire straits that they planned to sell many of the girls into slavery in other countries. But Lord Charles had swooped in and saved us all, even finding places for us to work.
In hopes of repaying this great favor, I worked myself to death to become a knight.
I trained with the sword every day from dawn to dusk, earning myself a sunburn within days, which mellowed into a fierce tan over time. Oh, how I envied the unblemished alabaster skin of the women working in his mansion.
Being the only tanned amazon in a room full of fair-skinned dames was always rather disquieting for me. But that only spurred me to train harder, and in return the sun burned me even more. I can’t even imagine what I’d look like without this bronze skin anymore, hahaha!
It had been one year since he’d recognized my zeal with a knighthood.
So taken with happiness was I that I declared my boundless love for Lord Charles right there, in front of everyone, at my very own knighting! What a fond memory it was.
“Honesty is a virtue, Jeanne, but blurting out everything that comes to mind is not. Truly, you need to address that strange habit of yours, saying every thought the moment it pops into your head when you get excited!”
“Man, I remember how all the other knight appointees looked at me with shock. There was even an older guy laughing at me! Good times, but embarrassing.”
“Maybe that was embarrassing for you, but I assure you, it was worse for
me! Do you know how long Desiderata pouted that night?!”