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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuzio
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As Asirye finished tending to my wounds, familiar black-armored knights and a male mage appeared behind her.
How did I know he was a mage?
He carried a staff that screamed “I’m a mage!” and a grandly conjured rain shield.
My exhausted mind, struggling to function, was already anticipating a tedious search for the enemy in this darkness and downpour.
But the mage greeted me politely.
“It’s an honor to meet the Imperial Princess’s savior. Please, take this potion first. We can discuss the details later.”
He didn’t introduce himself, but he remained courteous, assisting with my treatment beyond just the potion.
He seemed unaware of the specifics, perhaps because he hadn’t been directly involved.
Asirye, understandably confused about me being the princess’s savior, wisely remained silent.
I, too, was incredibly curious about how Asirye got involved and how they found me, but I decided to focus on relaying the information I had.
As my wounds healed almost instantly after applying the potion – a sight that was both amazing and slightly unsettling – the mage and knights had already formulated a plan based on my information.
“We believe the enemy didn’t have time to mislead Ega with false information. Even if they split into human and demon groups, they would have anticipated the possibility of the pursuit team being wiped out or returning.”
“We’ll retrace Ega’s route. With luck, we might capture the traitors.”
“Thank you. Do you require any magical assistance?”
“The Cat’s Eye spell you cast is sufficient. The duration shouldn’t be a problem.”
No wonder they moved so efficiently in this darkness, with the spirits Asirye summoned providing light.
After a brief farewell, the knights quickly disappeared.
The mage, seemingly trying to lighten the mood, spoke in a cheerful tone.
“I’m sure you have many questions, but please bear with me a little longer. As you know, Her Highness dislikes waiting, given her fiery temperament. I’ll open a portal to the city now.”
He was referring to Esmée, since I had saved her.
“Fiery temperament,” though… I couldn’t quite agree. A force of nature, like a runaway train? A ruthless cake-murdering hamster? Those I could understand.
But regardless, the fact that he could teleport me to the city instantly made him someone I wanted to befriend.
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I didn’t immediately collapse and fall asleep upon arrival.
I fainted the moment I smelled civilization.
When I woke up, I was clean, in clean pajamas, in a clean room.
Outside the window, instead of bright sunlight, a gloomy sky and pouring rain greeted me.
Disoriented, I turned my head to see Asirye watching me.
She looked refreshed, unlike when she was drenched in the rain.
Seeing her made me feel like I was back in her cabin.
“You’re awake?”
Despite the shock she must have felt, she remained calm.
I felt heavy, but definitely recovered.
I tried to sit up, but Asirye gently yet firmly pressed me back down.
“No. Stay put.”
“I’m healed. Whatever treatment you gave me while I was asleep worked.”
“Only a Saintess can perform that kind of instant healing. And there wasn’t one here. So, I no.”
“But I really am…”
She wasn’t interested in the truth, it seemed.
I resigned myself to obeying.
I propped myself up with some cushions, a compromise.
Finally, we could discuss the events we’d both missed.
“So… that tiny girl is the Empire’s First Princess?”
“Unless the Empire has two princesses with white hair, golden eyes, and an archaic way of speaking.”
“…Seriously? That girl is the Iron Blood Princess?”
Even Asirye knew Esmée’s nickname.
I hadn’t expected that.
“Apparently. I wouldn’t know, personally.”
To me, she was just a cute, assertive hamster.
But the events and her response to them hinted at something more.
Asirye realizing the earrings she made were a pair with Esmée’s, using them for tracking magic – that was impressive enough.
But hearing that Esmée had personally delivered a letter across the insane distance between the Empire and Itisiel’s border to secure my rescue…
I didn’t know whether to be impressed or touched.
I settled for both.
Apparently, she was currently off apologizing to the Itisiel nobles for the “discourtesy” of this whole affair, along with Lagnis…
“I doubt she’s apologizing.”
“I doubt it too. Her first response to the envoy who came to inform us was, ‘She personally delivered the letter, and now she wants an apology?'”
I briefly worried, then remembered that Esmée was far beyond my level when it came to politics.
She’d handle it.
“But seriously, these earrings had a tracking function?”
I was more focused on the fact that my simple good luck charm had a GPS.
Asirye shook her head.
“Of course not. Paired magical artifacts resonate with the same mana. They basically expanded that resonance to an absurd range and forced a search. The mages were skilled, but even then, the accuracy wasn’t perfect. That’s why they arrived near you, not right on top of you.”
It didn’t sound easy, and apparently, it had taken the combined efforts of the Imperial Mage Corps.
The rest, I had witnessed.
“It felt like something out of a power struggle for the throne. No one could stop her.”
Asirye didn’t care, since it had led to my rescue.
That covered my questions about the incident.
We started catching up, our conversation flowing easily for over an hour.
The pouring rain outside felt like a drizzle.
Our conversation, as enjoyable as ever, eventually turned to my guild-assigned requests.
As we finished discussing our current situations, Asirye paused, then smiled, changing the subject.
And with her next words, the pleasant atmosphere froze.
“By the way, Eldi? Lagnis mentioned it, and I heard the Ogatorf family you’re indebted to also has a daughter…”
“Uh, yeah. That’s right.”
“The only advice I can give you is to be very careful what you say to the person who gave you those earrings.”
Siegfried’s words flashed through my mind.
“The Iron Blood Princess, too… You seem to have a lot of girls around you these days, Eldi?”
She was smiling warmly, but an unmistakable chill emanated from her.
A thousand miniature Eldmias inside my head declared a state of emergency and convened a meeting.
Asirye was undeniably attractive, and I’d swung between familial affection and something more.
But… that was just me, right?
Surely even the Hero couldn’t know Asirye’s feelings without ever meeting her?
“Even in my experience… a noble, especially a princess, going to such lengths for someone who saved them… it implies something more, don’t you think? Are you hiding something from me, Eldi?”
Chilling… literally chilling!
I was certain.
Whether or not Sieg was right, Asirye’s smile was not a smile!
My miniature Eldmias unanimously voted to confess.
I opened my mouth.
“I… I did get confessed to…”
“C-Confessed to?!”
“Yeah. But… I didn’t really answer. I kind of dodged it. Well, ‘dodged’ is an understatement, considering what happened…”
I couldn’t tell her I’d been kissed by a girl 40 centimeters shorter than me.
Asirye narrowed her eyes, her smile vanishing.
“We’ll have a lot to discuss when the princess arrives.”
I lacked the courage to mention Lagnis.
I shrunk back, silently praying for Esmée and Lagnis’s arrival.
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[ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT ASIRYE LOVES ELDMIA ROMANTICALLY]
Ahem
GO THE ASILEYE ROUTE ELDMIA, YI KEEEEEEHHH!