Chapter 41 – Huh…? (えっ？って・・・)
Silence descended on the lodge.
Allis-chan was shocked stiff, Ursch-kun was just smiling bitterly, and the Second Prince stayed silent after finishing his part.
For now, I'll ask for more details.
"Um..... Why do you want to be a knight of justice? And what is a 'knight of justice'?"
The second prince seemed to think for a while, before slowly starting to speak.
".....I was always told it were just hallucinations....."
During the day, I was swallowed by a violent stream of noise, to the point I couldn't hear anything.
But as the sun set, the noise gradually calmed down, and I realized that what I was hearing were human voices.
So when people fell asleep, their voices decreased, and I could pick out each one.
".....'Save me', they said....."
Sometimes the voice was a child's like me, sometimes a woman's.
".......There were happy voices too, but the ones late at night were often pained, crying voices....."
"I want to leave this place" "Why is it only this child..." "It hurts...it hurts..." "Mom, where are you going?"
"Someone save me..." "I'm hungry" "It's cold" "I want to run away" "It hurts..."
".....So I asked my guards many times. Someone is saying 'Save me', so please save them...."
The endless cries for help that I hear.
But no one else was able to hear them.
No matter how many times I appealed to my guards and servants, they said I was imagining things. That it were hallucinations.
".....So I started wondering if they really were hallucinations, like what everyone says....."
Maybe I was as weird as everyone says I am.
When I talk about the voices, everyone around me would look sad.
So I tried not to listen. I tried to keep my consciousness far away so that I wouldn't have to listen to the voices.
"......But today, I learned that those voices were from my skill's ability....."
I wasn't crazy.
Only I can hear those voices, but they’re real.
"......If they aren't hallucinations, then someone out there really is in need of help, right?"
But everyone else is oblivious.
"......If I’m the only one that can hear them, then I have to go help them.”
"And that's how it is~ Even though he too has suffered for years due to those 'voices', he wants to go help them."
"......I don't expect I can help everyone in this country. But those in the royal capital at least....."
Pheeeeew.... that was pretty heavy for me.
I'm not good at dealing with this sort of slightly serious(?) thing...
But because I could understand the second prince's point of view, I can't quite tell him to give up that dream in order not to exceed Allis-chan's level. I should support him.
Although Allis-chan would need to become a "champion" that surpasses a knight of justice....
Still, after hearing about the prince's circumstances, I think his spirit for aiming to become a "knight of justice" is splendid.
Despite suffering so much himself, he thinks of helping others who were suffering. He's not the main Love Interest for nothing!
Hmm. I see. A hero of justice who rushes to the voice of the weak calling for help. Isn't that fine?
If you look at it another way, this might be the real reason for having『Lucifer's Ears』.
"I think it's great. It may be difficult to save all those voices, but if word spread that 'When the weak call out for help, the Second Prince will appear!!', it should deter some crimes."
But there might be some people who think this a nuisance and target his life for it, so he needs some overwhelmingly strong abilities to fight back.
"I-I-I'll be an ally of justice too!!"
Allis-chan leaned forward, raised her hand high, and announced her participation.
.........Wait!! Hold on, Allis-chan!!
I don't think you're suited for fighting in the city!!
You're a 『Bomber』after all!!
There's a chance the damage could be catastrophic!! Calm down!!
The second prince also, you can’t get Allis-chan involved, okay!? For many reasons!!
".....Thank you. Having an ally is reassuring....."
Uwaaaa... the second prince...
Got a bombmaniac (Allis-chan)
If anything, the 『Bomber』 title sounded more of a villain’s than an ally of justice's!!
Just by having a bomber as an ally, the image of 『Hero』has shifted to『Dark Hero』. How mysterious.
Also, she's a marquis’s daughter, so don't push her too much....
However, Allis-chan herself seem thrilled to be His Highness' ally... I can't argue against that.
"Fueh.... I'm glad to be of help, Your Highness. I know!! Why don't you join us, Bella-chan?"
Don't invite meeeeee!!
Are you trying to kill me with that pass?!
"Eh-ah....no.....um....see, I─"
Ahhhhhhh.........Allis-chan.........
You surprised me so much that I'm acting so suspiciously right now.......
Ursch-kun noticed my behaviour and refused Allis-chan in my place.
"About that~ after Isabella graduates from the academy, she's going to marry me and become a merchant~ We plan to travel around the world, so protecting the peace of the capital would be difficult. Sorry, I guess?"
Thank you, Ursch-kun. And I see we're going to be peddlers after graduating.
I'll follow you anywhere in the world, even to the ends of the earth.
"Wow~ Travelling around the world~ That's amazing. Bella-chan, don't forget to write to me, okay?"
"Yup. I'll send any rare items I find too!! So, I'm sorry we can't be the capital's heroes of justice together."
When I apologized, Allis-chan earnestly shook her head and gave me a big smile.
"Not at all!! Thinking about it, it would be a waste for Bella-chan to be holed up in the Royal Capital. Running freely through the different towns and countries around the world would suit you much more. I'll be very lonely, but also very proud to hear rumors of my friend’s various ruckuses around the world from the royal capital!!"
Hey, wait a second.
"Allis-chan, why exactly is it a given that I'll be causing various ruckuses?"
"Huh? Because it's Bella-chan."
What kind of reason is that?!
No, no, I won't, okay? I'm not going to raise any ruckus.
I'm only going to be a merchant's wife.
Those rumours and ruckuses would probably be caused by Ursch-kun, so look forward to them.
Because if it's Ursch-kun, he'll be creating a legend instead.
Ursch-kun, who was watching our exchange, called out to the second prince as he suddenly had an idea.
"Enough about us.... You can't start knight training until you're at least ten years old, so who will you receive training from before then? The queen perhaps? If so, do you think Miss Amaryllis could join as well?"
The prince tilted his head at the question.
".......From mother? ......Why? .....I was planning on getting a sword instructor but.... Mother? ....Why?......"
Now I tilted my head at the second prince's reaction.
"What do you mean 'why'? The queen is an 'A Class adventurer' after all.
""Huh?""
Hm?
Allis-chan and the second prince's eyes went wide.
"Huh...? Prince, she's your mother. And Allis-chan, you heard my exchange with the queen when we explained about taking the second prince out from the tea party, right?"
Allis-chan's eyes swam at my question.
"Fueeh.... I didn't listen much because it was too difficult, but I think you did say some things about 'A class adventur-er' and 'Bandeets' and 'Curimson Persona'."
That's right. At that tea party, I explained to the queen that the second prince's curse was actually an out of control skill, and that if he didn't train that skill ASAP, his heart would really break.
But in the past, the prince was 《Appraised》 many times to investigate his curse, yet even high level 《Appraisal》 owners had been repelled. Thus the queen was skeptical about what I said about the second prince’s skill.
At that, I confirmed that the queen herself had the 《Appraisal》 skill, and suggested for her to 《Appraise》my status.
If it succeeded, then my 『Greed King』skill should convince her; but even if it failed, and I repelled her skill like the second prince did, it would prove that I too had a "special status".
The 《Appraisal》resulted in a failure.
In turn, the queen asked me to read her own status to show I could 《Appraise》the second prince.
Here are some of the results.
《Status》
Human: Mercedes Vega Rosereale (36) Lv：42
HP: 166/166
MP: 81/82
Social Position:
Queen of the Rosereale Kingdom
Rosereale Kingdom, Lambert County's first daughter
A Class Adventurer▽
Crimson Persona/Persona Knights' Party Leader
《Job Skills》 ＊Max Level: Ⅹ
［Thief Ⅸ］［Scout Ⅷ］［Swordsman Ⅶ］［Magician Ⅵ］
［Martial Artist Ⅵ］［Healer Ⅱ］［Priest Ⅱ］
《Special Skills》 ＊Max Level: Ⅹ
［Skill Concealment VIII］
.........etc.
Edit: changed ［Bomber］to［Bombmaniac (Bomber)］in chap 40