bookworm

“The thing is, I don’t actually want the role. If another candidate steps up, I’ll happily step aside.”
“Huh?” Myalo froze for a moment. “B-But didn’t you play a pivotal role when your father was chosen as successor?”
Is someone spreading rumors? That scares me. How’d Myalo ever find that out?
“Only because the other candidate was worthless trash. He might’ve taken revenge on us if we hadn’t completely crushed him there and then.”
“B-But...isn’t your incredible academic performance the result of you working hard to be a worthy head?”
I’m not working hard; I’m being worked hard. Not that it’s all that arduous. I guess I could refuse, but then what would I do instead?
“I’m going along with the arrangement because I’ve got time on my hands. I was originally planning to become the manager of a bird ranch, and I still haven’t given up on the idea.”
“A r-ranch manager? I can’t tell whether you’re serious or making a joke.”
“It’s no joke. You don’t think managing a ranch is a good job?”
Managing a ranch is a great job.
After living in the Ho family’s manor for a few years, I’d started to think that being a knight might not be so bad. I’d even started to hope for it. But even with the passage of time, I was still incredibly reluctant to become head of the family. I’d watched Rook in the role, and it didn’t look like fun. I didn’t consider him unfortunate, but he didn’t appear any happier than before.
On the other hand, we had much more cash to spare, as well as the privilege of being courted by high society. Also, Suzuya no longer had to wash clothes in cold water with her bare hands. But these things weren’t direct causes of happiness. Rook, Suzuya, and I all preferred our old life, I was sure of it. Managing a bird ranch seemed like such a better fit for Rook and me, to the point that I considered us more fortunate back then.
I wasn’t about to abandon my responsibilities after going so far to create this path for us, but if someone exceptionally talented appeared to take my place, I’d happily step aside.
“Uh... Well, yes, it certainly is. But don’t you want the position? You’ll be the head of a chieftain family.”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
My talk with Carol went just like this. All that stuff about, “You were born to a chieftain family and yet you possess none of the dignity of a knight. You’re a disgrace.”
Most boarding students were probably living aimlessly while following their parents’ instructions, so my attitude wouldn’t particularly bother them, but Myalo was the second or third highest-ranking student. He must’ve worked hard to get there. Much like Carol, he’d achieved so much by taking pride in all of his hard efforts. He might’ve even been the top student if I hadn’t been here, so I had to choose my words carefully.
“It’s not that I don’t want the role, it’s just that being a ranch manager felt like a better fit. Anyway, it all depends on my cousin.”
“Oh... Well, it’s really none of my business, but I think you’d be well-suited to headship. And not just because you can study—you’re courageous too.”
“Am I? I think I lack determination.”
If I was courageous, my past life wouldn’t have turned out how it did. I was trash who let authority figures control me, and then I turned into a shut-in because I couldn’t get over being dumped by a woman. Hardly courageous.
“To be honest, the chances of my cousin finding herself a boy like that are slim. More than likely, I will be the head of my family someday.”
That wasn’t to say that there weren’t any boys out there who’d want to marry Sham. There’d certainly be no shortage of men wanting to get together with her for her family’s status, but that was no good. Unless Sham married for love, she’d be unhappy.
The potential groom also had to come from a suitably high-status knight family and needed to possess the unmistakable potential to become a much better leader than me. Also, they couldn’t be trash like Rakunu—I had to be sure that they’d leave Rook his territory and let us live in peace. The odds of someone meeting all of those criteria were astronomical. I doubted that such a person existed anywhere. That meant that the chances of Sham’s husband becoming head of family weren’t just slim, they were close to zero.
Given that I understood all of this, I probably shouldn’t have been telling people I didn’t want to be the head.
“Y-Yes... Indeed...” Myalo’s eyes were glazed over and lifeless.
Why is all this such a big shock for him?
Ordinarily, entering the royal guard would be the most ideal future for someone like Myalo. He’d be so detached from matters of chieftain family headship that he had no need to worry about it. I could only assume that he loved chieftain families so much that the idea of someone not wanting to be in charge of one was unthinkable to him.
“How about we talk about course schedules instead?” I suggested. “It’ll be nice if we’re in the same classes.”
“Y-Yes, let’s do that.”
V
Myalo and I had made and submitted our schedules together, and now it was the following day. I’d spent the night before in the dorm and on high alert, watching out for any attempted attacks from Dolla.
Although it wasn’t a national holiday, the academy was closed. The new academic year would begin when the academy reopened from a long vacation tomorrow, and there’d be an opening ceremony the day after that.
I woke up early and descended the stairs to get breakfast. The smell of fresh bread baking already filled the air in the dinner hall.
But when I entered, something didn’t seem right. There was a strange tension in the air. The mood should’ve been lethargic since everyone had just gotten up, but people were talking excitedly, as though something had gotten them worked up.
I soon realized why. A very conspicuous, blonde-haired girl was having breakfast in the dining hall. It was Carol, the princess. The dorm’s ten-year-old boys were all sitting some distance from her, as if they had no idea how to approach a girl of such dazzlingly noble birth. Nonetheless, they took great interest in her as they ate.
Carol’s gaze met mine the moment I came down the stairs, and she more or less scowled at me. I half expected her to say hello, but she didn’t, so I thought it best to avoid her. I chose to eat my perfectly ordinary breakfast as far away from her as possible. It wasn’t long before I’d finished eating.
I got dressed and ready to head out, taking great care to avoid waking Dolla, who was still sound asleep. I left while it was still early morning and took the same route I’d taken after being sent home the other day. I soon arrived at the Ho family residence.
I hadn’t been told exactly when my family was leaving this morning, so I worried I might’ve been late. Apparently I’d made it just in time, though, because the line of soldiers that were meant to escort Rook and Suzuya home were just about to set out.
“Hey. What’s up, Yuri?” Rook was surprised to see me appear unannounced. He jumped down from the carriage.
“Good morning. I walked here hoping I might see you off.”
“Oh. Did you sleep well?”
Before I could answer, Suzuya called my name as she hurriedly climbed down. Moving so quickly in the long skirt she wore was dangerous.
“Mom.”
“Thanks for coming. Do your best at school,” she said as she hugged me tight.
“I will. And you take care of yourself. Dad, I didn’t have any trouble last night, so I think I’m going to be okay,” I reassured him. I knew my words would put Suzuya at ease too.
“All right,” he replied. “Just don’t overdo it. Though I’m sure you’ll be fine whatever happens.”
“Yes, I think I’ll manage.”
“If it’s too much for you, just come home. It won’t be any trouble for us at all,” Suzuya said.
“I know. Could you let me go now, mom?”
I don’t want everyone thinking I’m some weird momma’s boy.
Suzuya released me like I’d asked.
“Both of you take care of yourselves,” I said while waving them off.
They set off with their procession of guards back to Ho Province.
Since I had the day off, I decided to spend the rest of it having fun.
That said, my only hobby besides taking care of eagles was going for walks, so I was just going to go on a stroll. Rook had already shown me all the impressive sights the capital had to offer, so I just planned to wander aimlessly and explore the various streets.
My brand-new Knight Academy uniform stood out too much, so I changed into some other clothes that I’d packed before I’d left the dorm earlier. I hid the bag I’d used to carry my clothes in a patch of long grass. I managed to slip through the busy front gate while the guards were changing shifts, which left me free to explore the city.
I went along while examining Sibiak’s stone buildings. Despite everything Myalo had said about witches running this place and making life tough for everyone, the royal capital appeared to be thriving. The stores allowed people to enter and leave freely, and food vendors had their wares on display in the front windows. This sort of setup wouldn’t have worked in a crime-filled city. At the very least, law and order here was sufficient for businesses to operate safely.
Either Myalo had been exaggerating—a certain level of order and economic stability was necessary for the witches to ensure their profits—or they feared the queen stepping in if they took things too far. It was hard to guess the answer just from seeing the streets. No doubt I’d come to understand things much better after living here for over ten years.
I was getting further away from the Ho residence as I walked the streets, taking whichever turn took my fancy. I continued for some time. Sibiak had the layout of a planned city, and everything was so neatly arranged that I couldn’t get lost.
I already knew that the streets became less safe further away from Royal Castle Island, especially in the western areas where the slums were located. That was why I headed east instead. More stores began to open for daily business as I strolled around.
A store soon caught my eye—a cutler that sold weapons. My habits over the past few years must’ve shaped my interests. I entered to take a look.
I was surprised to find folding knives out on display. I picked one up and noticed that it didn’t even have a locking mechanism—it folded back into the handle easily when a little pressure was placed on the back of the blade. Such a tool might’ve been useful for turning fish into sashimi on a chopping board while out fishing, but it would be a terrible idea to use this thing in a fight. Even if it was all you had with you, the impractical design meant that you’d need more than a few spare fingers.
Hunting knives were also being sold alongside meat cleavers that a butcher might use. There were no tools with gut hooks; the type used for skinning animals. I imagined those would sell well, but then other stores would just copy the design. I abandoned the thought and left the merchandise behind.
The storekeeper looked concerned about seeing a child wander in to play with the knives, so I didn’t stay long.
I walked a little further and found a store with various large piles of charcoal out front—black, white, and rounded pieces made from large branches. When I got closer, I caught its distinct, powdery scent. I didn’t know much about the stuff, but it looked suitable for daily use around the home. I assumed that the black and white types had different uses.
There was also a store that appeared to sell old clothes that had been re-dyed. Outside, an eye-catching indigo cloth declared, “We Re-Dye Clothes” in white letters. The merchants here were finding ingenious methods to draw in customers, just as they did everywhere else.
I walked further and found a tavern where several burly men sat out front drinking. That made me wonder whether I’d wandered into an unsafe area. There were various other stores besides the cutler, charcoal seller, and old clothes store, but they were all for commoners and their goods didn’t look high-quality. I didn’t feel like hanging around in case someone tried to steal my coin purse, so I decided to stick to looking around the stores in the safer areas until I became more familiar with the city.
I’d been heading to the southeast, rather than the west, but this looked like a downtown area. I turned around and began retracing my steps.
I’d only gone twenty meters or so before I heard a strange racket coming from a narrow alleyway. What sounded like a young girl screamed things like, “Waaaaah!” and “Let go!” Then there was a clatter, as though something had been kicked over. It sounded like someone being abducted.
So that kind of crime happens around here too. How horrible.
My family ruled over Ho Province, not royal territory. Sticking my nose in where it didn’t belong—in other words, around here—would be like getting involved in another family’s business. I decided that rather than dwell on what was happening, I’d pretend not to notice until I found someone to report it to.
But I just couldn’t resist sneaking a glance into the alley where it was all going on. That was when I saw something that could only mean trouble—a mess of disheveled blonde hair.
✧✧✧
“Let go of me!”
“Hey! Cover her mouth!”
Maybe it’s just someone else with blonde hair? I wondered. But no, it was Carol—sparkling brand-new Knight Academy uniform and all. What’s she even doing here? It’s enough to give me a headache.
When I thought about it rationally, I realized that we were unlikely to have bumped into one another if we’d left the academy separately, so she’d likely followed me. What I really wanted to know was what she’d been thinking when she’d decided to do that.
A large hat had fallen from her head, so she’d presumably made some effort to hide her blonde hair. Unfortunately, wearing such a well-tailored hat in a region where barely anyone wore new clothes just made her stand out more. Plus, she was easy to kidnap because she was a child. She might as well have painted a target on herself.
“Ngh... Waaaah! Someone help!”
“Shut it.”
Smack! One of the men—there were four in total—struck her with his palm. It connected with Carol’s soft cheek as she screamed and struggled. He’d hit her full force. It must’ve hurt.
Wow, he got her good. I’ve felt like doing that myself sometimes.
“Mnngh, mnnngh!”
In the short period that Carol had been stunned by the slap, a dirty rag was forced into her mouth to gag her.
Well... I can’t just leave her.
The smart thing to do might’ve been to walk off like I didn’t care, then return to tail them back to their den. But I worried about how the kidnappers might react when they realized Carol was a princess. There was every chance they’d decide to kill her. Abducting a princess and then holding the kingdom ransom was a crime way beyond mere kidnapping. They’d be hounded to the ends of the earth. But the dead tell no tales, so killing her would lower the chances of them being identified.
I might’ve been able to discover their lair and inform the authorities, but Carol could be dead before anyone had time to rescue her. I couldn’t pay the ransom myself either. I’d happily leave it to the royal family to fork over—maybe it would teach them to be more careful in the future—but I’d regret leaving her if she was killed. In fact, I was only guessing that they planned to hold her for ransom. I couldn’t be sure they weren’t a bunch of pedos who just wanted to have their way with a young girl.
In any case, it would be too risky to take my eyes off them while they had Carol.
“What are you looking at, brat?!” one of the men yelled when he noticed me leaning against a wall and calmly analyzing the situation.
Carol noticed me and desperately tried to cry for help. “Mhh!”
“Um, are you kidnapping her to hold her for ransom?”
The man only made a noise in response to my question. “Huh?”
If they weren’t willing to talk to me, I’d have to do some explaining first.
“The truth is, I’m one of that unruly girl’s servants. If you’re kidnapping her, then I’m sure her family will pay the ransom, but if you intend to force yourselves on her, your crime won’t go unpunished.”
“We’re after the ransom,” he answered willingly.
The man who spoke was the one who’d slapped Carol a moment ago. He seemed to be the boss.
He was oddly calm considering this was a kidnapping. Perhaps my lie made him think that requesting a ransom was going to be easy. He regarded me with an unnervingly cold stare. I’d seen eyes like that often among the Ho family—he looked like a soldier who’d made it back from the battlefield. I didn’t fear the others, since they looked like weaklings who were in over their heads. But I wasn’t sure whether I could best this particular man.
Hmm... He’d make a tough opponent. I’d better not fight him.
“Nggh! Mmmmh!” Carol was desperately trying to tell me something. Nothing helpful, I was sure. It was fortunate that they’d gagged her.
“Then perhaps you’ll take me with you? I’m worried about her. You’ll gain a higher ransom if you have us both.”
✧✧✧
“Now tell us who you are.”
They’d bound my hands behind my back, blindfolded me, and brought me here. Now the small-time crooks were interrogating me. Their boss kept his distance.
They clearly had no idea that the blonde girl they’d found wandering around downtown was the queen’s eldest daughter. They must’ve taken Carol for a stupid girl who’d wandered off from some high-class family.
Either they were reluctant to question her, or they worried that injuring her might lower the value of the ransom. For now, I was the one being subjected to a harsh interrogation. They might’ve gone easier if I actually cooperated, though.
“Who?” I echoed. “You know, I think I’ve forgotten.”
“Start talking, kid!” the man smacked me across the cheek, knocking me over.
Jeez, that hurts. Good thing I’m used to pain already. This would’ve terrified me back before I met Soim.
“Mmmmmh!” Carol cried and did her best to scream.
The last thing I wanted was for her to tell them she was a princess.
Come on guys. I’m clearly not talking, so stop hitting me. You know what you need to do.
“See what he’s got on him. There might be something to tell us who he is,” the boss commanded.
Finally.
“All right, boss,” the crook replied promptly. “On your feet!”
With that, he yanked me up from my chair. This was just what I wanted. I’d been waiting for it. They’d searched Carol right away, but since they thought I was a mere servant, they hadn’t checked my things yet. There was a hurdle that I couldn’t deal with until they did so.
“Huh? This is fancy... Hey, he’s rich.”
As the crook searched my pockets, he found a purse and dagger, which he placed on a table.
Now how will they react?
“This dagger... The girl must be one of the Hos,” the boss said.
Wow. He actually recognized my family crest...
A metal fitting engraved with the family crest was inlaid into the dagger’s hilt. Now I knew how to deal with the complications it caused. The royal family apparently wasn’t so concerned about weapons. Carol’s dagger was very well-made, but it didn’t have her family crest on it. It turned out my belongings were more revealing than hers.
“Well, the secret’s out. The girl here is Sham Ho, daughter of the Ho family’s previous head.”
Since I was left with no other option, I decided to make use of Sham’s name. I’d been hoping that I could pass Carol off as a daughter of one of the seven witches, such as the Cursefit family, but I couldn’t have done so too early. If I’d told him that before anyone looked at my dagger, my family crest would’ve contradicted me. That’s why I had to sacrifice my cheek while I waited for their reaction. I hadn’t actually expected these small-time crooks to be familiar with the Ho family crest.
“Then...that makes her Gok Ho’s daughter?”
Huh? He’s heard of Gok? How’s he know so much about my family? That’s creepy.
“Yes, that’s right,” I said.
“But she’s got blonde hair. Isn’t that a sign of royal descent?”
“Her paternal grandmother was born to the royal family. Her mother, too, is a distant relative of the royalty. Lady Sham has royal blood.”
Obviously, this was a lie, but I’d be very surprised if they knew what my family tree looked like.
“Ah... Ha ha. Who’d have thought I was abducting his daughter?” There was a note of self-loathing in the boss’s laugh. I got the impression that he’d known Gok personally.
Those who’d fought under our family and survived in battle could expect to enjoy greater wealth in their future because they’d likely be promoted when the family’s army was restructured. It was hard to imagine why a Shiyaltan veteran would have to resort to abducting people. Then again, it was possible that he was a soldier from the Kilhina Kingdom.
“We’ve gotta eat somehow. Nothing personal,” he said.
“Are you going to do something I might take personally?”
I thought he might’ve let us go if he felt indebted to the Hos, but no such luck.
“No. Just collecting that ransom.”
Carol and I were then imprisoned in a storeroom. There was a window that had been haphazardly sealed shut. Columns of light shone in through a large gap in the woodwork and illuminated the floating dust.
Although our arms were still tied up, our legs weren’t. Maybe they didn’t want the trouble of dragging us around whenever we needed the toilet.
“Why’d you get caught? You could’ve escaped without me,” Carol muttered.
She sat in the corner of the room with her knees raised to her chest. I could’ve explained that they might’ve killed her—or worse—if they’d realized she was a princess, but I figured she was too young to understand.
“You would’ve preferred it if I didn’t save you?”
“That’s not what I mean. You wouldn’t have been caught if you’d abandoned me. And you wouldn’t have gotten hit across the face like that...”
You’ve hit me across the face yourself! Carol did at least appear to feel guilty about what we were going through, so I kept that thought to myself. But why would I abandon her? What type of person does she think I am? I saved her back during the entrance ceremony too. Why does she keep classifying me as subhuman trash? What did I ever do to her?“Because we know each other, kinda. And it’s my fault for not realizing that you were following me,” I explained.
“I-I wasn’t...” Carol buried her face into her knees in embarrassment now that her following me was out in the open.
I figured it was better not to give her a hard time over it. I wanted to say a few things like, at least change out of your uniform, or, use your head next time, but I kept those feelings inside. I’d been bottling up so much lately that I worried I might eventually explode.
“We’ll be all right. You don’t need to get so down.”
“We’ll be all right...? We’ve been kidnapped. Think how much the ransom will be...”
“If all we lose is money, then we’ve gotten off lightly. Anyhow, we might get rescued.”
“Maybe you’re right. My escorts might come looking for us...”
She has escorts? It looked like she was eating breakfast all by herself this morning. Are there secret service members hiding around the dorm? Well, I doubt they’d let the princess go off stalking someone—she must’ve given them the slip.
“Then let’s hope your escorts save us. I’m from a family of warriors, so getting kidnapped and held for ransom won’t be good for my reputation.”
“Oh... This’ll damage your reputation? Sorry...” Carol sounded genuinely apologetic.
“Forget it. Do you know how to fight, Princess?”
“Don’t call me that. Carol is fine.”
“Okay... Carol.”
Getting on first-name terms with her like this feels a little awkward.
“Can you fight?”
“I thought I could... But I froze up when it mattered. It made me wonder what all my training’s been for...”
She’s received training? What kind?
Mine had come from Soim. In my final lesson, he’d made me fight bare-handed against an adult prisoner wielding a staff...although he probably would’ve stepped in if he had to. Soim tended to go to extremes.
“Well, you can’t help that.”
“There’s no excuse... It’s shameful...”
The highborn princess was holding herself to excessively high standards once again. After all, how many ten-year-old girls were capable of fighting with adult men?
“Well...” I couldn’t think of anything to say to console her. There was no denying that Princess Stalker had gotten herself into this situation by following me. Whatever I said would probably do more harm than good.
After we’d waited quietly for a while, we finally heard some noise from the next room. The kidnappers had been talking in hushed voices, but now we heard some movement. First, there was a clattering sound from a chair or some other object hitting the ground as they moved it. Then there was a bang, as if a door had been closed.
“Would you mind getting on your hands and knees under that window there?”
Carol raised her head.
“Huh...? Why?” she asked distrustfully.
“If you’re really sorry for getting me caught up in all this, then get on your hands and knees. And hurry.”
“Guh... H-Hands and knees...?”
“I’m not going to stand on your head and make you apologize. Just do it. We don’t have time.”
“F-Fine...” Carol reluctantly got down on all fours. “This is h-humiliating...”
I stood on Carol’s back, then got on my tiptoes so that I could see through the crack in the shoddily patched window. We appeared to be on the second floor, facing out onto a back alley. When I pushed my face right against the crack, I could just about see what was below us.
I saw the boss walking through the alley. Luckily, I could recognize his clothes.
“Ngh.”
After I got off Carol’s back, I started fiddling with one of my fairly long sleeves. My hands were still tied behind my back, but that didn’t stop me from pulling out something I’d hidden in my cuff.
“What do you think you’re doing? You can’t use princesses as stepping stools.”
The tool—something that resembled a ring attached to a short metal saw—had been sewn into the hem of my sleeve by a single thread. It was designed to help Ho family members escape if they were ever taken captive by the Kulati. I’d heard several stories of people using it to break free after being bound up.
“Give me a moment. Now that he’s gone, I can handle this.”
I broke the string and pulled the small saw out. Once I had it in my hand, I pressed it to the rope that bound my arms and moved it back and forth with small movements. The ring allowed me to apply a good amount of pressure, and I could feel the blade digging deeper and deeper into the narrow rope.
This wasn’t a task that required extreme amounts of time and patience—I managed to break free in about fifteen minutes. The tool had served its purpose.
“How...?” Carol was dumbfounded by the sight of me with my arms free.
“Keep your voice down,” I whispered while working to untie Carol.
“You...this whole time...”
“Every adventure starts with some preparation.”
Getting kidnapped had been just as much of a risk for me as for her, so I’d prepared myself ahead of time. I’d set out feeling confident that I knew how to deal with every scenario within reason, though I hadn’t banked on a member of the royal family stalking me.
“But now what?” she asked. “Can we get out the window?”
“It’s the second floor, so that won’t work.”
We could’ve broken the window open, but the ground was quite a ways down, and the opening faced out onto an alley with nothing but houses around it. In other words, there were no large eaves or anything that we could jump down onto.
“You’re going to fight?” Carol asked.
“Well... Maybe...”
There was still one cause for concern. I crouched down and squeezed Carol’s thigh with both hands.
“Wha—”
Next, I patted her butt. Her muscles were firm, and her lower body was in good shape. I felt sure she could outrun a few ill-trained adults.
“What are you doing?! Blackguard!”
Smack! Carol hit me across the head as hard as she could.
Whoa. She’s making too much noise.
“Does a maiden’s honor mean nothing to you?! Pig!” Her face had turned bright red with fury.
I hurried over to the right side of the storeroom doorway.
“Quick! Pretend your arms are still bound!” I urged while gesturing by putting my own wrists together.
Carol still had just enough presence of mind to suppress her anger and put her arms behind her back.
She was so loud. All I did was touch her butt. Oh, wait...that would make her mad, wouldn’t it?
“Keep it in your pants, you filthy brat!”
One of the crooks clearly thought I was up to something unspeakable. He entered through the door beside me, fuming with rage.
“Huh? Where’s that dirty ra—”
As soon as he’d stepped into the room, I kicked him as hard as I could, aiming for the back of his knee.
“Ngh!”
I didn’t give him time to form words. The kick made him buckle, and his shoulder tilted backward. I grabbed it and pulled him down to the ground. As he fell, I claimed the dagger—well, more of a hunting knife really—that he’d been wearing at his waist. To finish, I plunged it into his thigh before withdrawing it.
“Gah... The little shit stabbed me!”
With the boss gone, his gang of crooks had apparently seized the opportunity to sit down and play cards. Now that one of their members was down, another quickly stood up and came dashing at me. He pulled out a similar weapon from his pocket, so I threw the knife in my hands.
Knife throwing was a special sort of skill, but even a clumsy attempt with no chance of sticking the target would be enough to scare them.
“Hah?!”
The crook used his own blade to repel my knife, but by then I’d already gotten close. I kicked him in the groin before he had a chance to use the weapon he was holding.
“Guh-gaaah!” he screamed and curled up into a ball.
“Carol! Let’s go!” I yelled.
“Hold it, brats!”
There was still one last thug to deal with, but the man who was currently on the ground clutching his crotch had been the one blocking our escape route. The remaining crook had drawn his weapon, but he was too cowardly to charge at me.
When I looked around the room, I noticed our belongings—both our daggers and our coin purses—had been gathered in two neat piles on a table in the corner. They’d been left in plain sight, which suggested that the boss had full trust in his men.
Carol came running out of the storeroom as I snatched up our things, but the man I’d stabbed earlier grabbed her by the leg to stop her leaving.
“Get off me! You lowlife!”
As Carol shouted, I threw an earthen pot toward them, and it hit the man on the arm. He released his grip, setting Carol free.
The coward who’d been afraid to come at me must’ve thought Carol was an easier target, but I threw another sturdy, glazed pot at him when he tried to go for her. I heard it shatter as I unlatched the door and kicked it open.
“Carol! This way!”
“R-Right!”
As Carol came out, I took a handful of coins from my wallet and threw them on the floor. Hopefully, the crooks would stop to pick them up.
Although we’d been blindfolded, I’d paid attention to the route when they’d led us through the building, so I knew where the exit was. I ran down the stairs of what I imagined was some kind of apartment building or warehouse. The exit door was unbarred, so we easily got out.
“Whoa,” a voice said.
I turned right and was faced with the boss who had left just a short while ago. I thought he’d gone to confirm our identities and decide on a ransom, but maybe he’d forgotten something, because he was back already.
“Carol! This way!”
“Wait!” he cried.
I grabbed Carol’s arm and ran along the alley in a direction that took us away from the main street. I’d also made sure to throw the exit door wide open, hoping it would block the narrow alleyway.
We ran for about six meters before arriving at a sharp right turn in the alley. There was a gap between the buildings on the left too, but it was barely wide enough to fit my arm into—only a rat could’ve gone that way. We had no choice but to go right.
But before we continued, I looked back and saw that the door was still wide open.
“Carol, stop.”
“Wh-Why?”
He’s not chasing us. But why not?
If a complex series of branching streets lay ahead, he’d have to worry about losing sight of us. But even if this led to a dead end, there was no reason not to follow. That meant that this alley would probably take another right turn and lead out onto the main street. There we’d find the boss waiting to cut us off.
“We’re heading back,” I declared.
“Are you—”
“I’m sure.”
Carol was hesitant to head back toward the enemies we’d just escaped from, but I didn’t have time to explain it. I pulled her by the arm and ran back through the alley.
After violently kicking the door out of our way, I saw the alley straight ahead of us was deserted.
“Let’s go,” I blurted out before running out onto the main street.
I looked to my left. Sure enough, the boss was on the main street, waiting for us to emerge from another alley.
“Wait! You damn brats!” he cried when he spotted us.
He began to chase after us. I reached into my wallet, pulled out several gold coins, and threw them onto the street.
We ran as fast as we could, leaving a trail of coins in our wake. The boss ignored them as he chased us, but the same couldn’t be said for everyone else. The sharp-eared paupers in the area heard the clatter of gold coins hitting the paved ground. They descended on them in a frenzy, blocking the boss’s path and preventing him from catching us.
I repeated the same trick as we ran. We lost him quickly, but that didn’t mean we were safe just yet. We kept running for as long as we had the energy to.
Carol was the first to give in. “Hah, hah, wait. Wait up.”
We’d made it far. I was also tired and starting to run out of breath. I was a confident long-distance runner, so Carol must’ve trained hard to have been able to keep up with me.
I looked back for signs of anyone following us. “Haah, haah... I think...we’re fine now.”
We’d been following one of Sibiak’s curved streets, heading north, until we reached one of the major streets that radiated out from the city’s center. The region grew safer the further we traveled.
In fact, this was a familiar street. I remembered visiting it with Rook, and knew we were near the capital’s center. We were likely to encounter soldiers from the royal guard here. The risk of being kidnapped was gone.
“Hah... I’m exhausted...” Carol panted. “Is he...still following?”
“I’m sure he’s given up.”
We must’ve run for three kilometers. The sun was setting, so the crooks had very little chance of finding us now.
Up until now, I’d forgotten that I still held Carol’s dagger at my waist. I returned it to her. “Here.”
“Th-Thank you...”
I was just as happy as she was to have my dagger back. I could always make up for money I’d lost later, but the dagger that Soim had given me was irreplaceable.
“I’m starved. Wanna grab food before we head back?” I suggested.
We hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so we were both fairly hungry.
“E-Eat and then go back?”
It was possibly Her Royal Highness’s first time going out to get food.
“This is all I’ve got left,” I said, reaching into my pocket to produce a silver coin. “We can’t afford a fancy restaurant, but it’s enough to get something.”
“Are you serious? Even after all that just happened?”
“You’ve gotta be hungry too,” I said.
Carol patted her stomach as if consulting with it. “I am.”
“There’s a place over there. I’ve been there with my dad before.” I pointed to a restaurant where I’d once eaten with Rook.
Carol’s blonde hair caused quite a stir when we entered the restaurant, but we were shown to a table—a secluded spot in the back for two—without anyone complaining about our lack of adult supervision.
“Now, what to have...” I muttered to myself.
“I-I’ve decided already. Meat pie.” Carol sounded nervous. It must’ve been her first time after all.
I guess I’ll have the same.
“Excuse me.” I raised my hand and a server came to take my order. “One meat pie and, um...two cups of milk.”
“Yes, sir. One meat pie and two cups of milk.”
“Will this be enough?” I showed her the silver coin.
“Of course, sir,” the server immediately responded.
I already knew from checking the prices on the menu that there’d be change left over from a silver coin, but showing the staff that I had money would put them at ease. They were bound to get a lot of homeless children coming in and trying to eat without paying.
“Very well. Your food will be with you soon.” The server bowed to us and then went to give our order to the kitchen staff.
“You’re...awfully calm after all that...” Carol sounded impressed.
“Calm? I’m still a little jumpy to be honest.”
“Really?”
I was all too aware that I hadn’t settled down yet. I felt light, as though my feet weren’t quite touching the ground.
“I’ve never been through anything as intense as that. I feel good about myself now,” I said.
Carol, on the other hand, seemed down, as if she was still worried about what might happen to us next.
“I see... You sounded confident the whole time. I thought maybe that was an everyday thing for you.”
“As if.” I laughed. What war-torn country does she think I’m from?
“But still, you didn’t panic.”
“Because I knew that only one of those men had any experience,” I replied.
Despite being unskilled, they’d tried to bind me up rather than kill me. I knew that I’d find a chance to run away at some point.
“I see... I’m new to this. All I did was panic...”
She sounded remorseful, but if anything should’ve served as grounds for some soul-searching, it wasn’t her hysteria at being kidnapped—it was her stalking. But I kept that thought to myself.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re lucky no one’s going to be angry with us. Everything worked out great.”
“Uh... A-Are you saying we should keep quiet about this?”
Now Carol appeared to be scared. Everything that had happened had left her feeling guilty.
“You shook off your escorts, didn’t you? Let’s say... Oh, I know—let’s say you got lost while exploring the hidden areas of the academy. It’ll explain why your clothes got dirty too.”
“B-But lying is...”
“After dealing with everything by ourselves, we’d have to be stupid to let ourselves get punished for it now.”
“B-But I don’t think it’s right. My escorts must be searching high and low...”
“Ah... Hmm...”
The escorts assigned to the princess might’ve been some of this kingdom’s most elite soldiers. Fooling them would prove difficult, especially since Carol had been running around the city with her blonde hair exposed.
I didn’t feel like I’d done anything to make them angry at me, but I could still be blamed for going out without permission and then getting myself into trouble.
“Honestly, if we act like nothing happened, I doubt we’ll get in trouble. You didn’t cause problems for anyone.”
“Oh, I think I did.”
“If anyone can be annoyed about that, it’s me, right? You probably caused a lot of fuss, but what’s it matter if your escorts are panicking? If I can get over it, then so can they.”
“Are you sure? Oh, here it comes.”
The same server came back with a tray of food.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Meat pie and milk for two.”
The server picked up the two cups of milk in one hand, placed them on the table, and then did the same for our food.
The large meat pie, which had been cut evenly into four pieces, sat imposingly on the plate. I’d worried that one might not have been enough, but this was going to be filling. It was also still sizzling hot, with clouds of steam rising from its surface. I was pleased to know it had been freshly baked.
“Thank you,” Carol said.
“Thanks.”
The server bowed and then left us.
“All right, let’s eat,” I said.
“Okay. It looks delicious.”
Carol took her knife, cut a small portion off the edge of the pie, stuck her fork into it, and lifted it to her mouth. As you’d expect from royalty, her movements were elegant and graceful.
“This is good. The flavor’s so rich.”
I tried some too and found that it really was tasty. I was glad we’d chosen it.
I was thirsty, so I lifted up the wooden cup, which was shaped like a small tankard, and tried the milk.
Carol was about to sample hers, but she seemed to be having trouble. She tried to drink from it while pinching its metal handle between her fingers, but it must’ve been too heavy for her, what with it brimming with milk and all.
The table manners she’d been taught probably hadn’t included any instructions for drinking from overly large cups. These were probably made to hold beer—they were too big to be suited for a child’s drink.
“Why not just grip the handle properly? I doubt your table manners were designed for tankards.”
“You’re right. I’ll try it.”
Carol fretfully gripped the cup with her hand and lifted it to her mouth. She took a few gulps before putting it back down on the table and dabbing her mouth with a napkin.
“There you go.”
Her manners were as refined as any royal family member.
Before I could compliment her on it, there was a bam as the door to the restaurant flew open. The sound of boots thumped in the restaurant.
“Princess Carol!” someone cried loudly.
I looked up and saw a pale-faced woman—fairly young, but obviously still older than we were—standing over us.
We’d entered the restaurant with Carol’s blonde hair on full display, but I hadn’t expected to be found so quickly. Then again, anyone escorting a princess had to be exceptional.
“Where in the world have you been?!” the woman demanded.
“Uh...”
She looks like a little girl about to cry because she’s been caught doing something naughty.
“I was t-taking a look around the city.”
“Have you no idea how dangerous that is?! Return with me immediately!”
“Please wait,” I said.
“Hm?” The woman looked at me.
“She may be royalty, but wouldn’t it be awfully disrespectful toward me if she were to get up and leave while we’re in the middle of our meal?”
The woman’s face turned into a scowl. “And who do you think you are?”
“It’s not a matter of my status. I’m simply expecting a member of the royal family to show a reasonable level of etiquette.”
“Well, you’ll have to excuse her.” The princess’s escort showed the bare minimum amount of courtesy toward me by bowing slightly.
“I think not,” I said, preventing her from taking Carol away. “Unless there’s an urgent matter or a war has broken out right here, leaving a meal halfway through isn’t something I can excuse.”
“Oh?” She clearly hadn’t been expecting that reply. She stood there dumbfounded.
“This area is quite safe, and there’s no emergency to the best of my knowledge. If there’s no good reason for leaving so soon, then shouldn’t the lady be allowed to finish the meal first?”
“The lady happens to be a princess of the Shiyalta Kingdom.”
“Is she? I’m Yuri Ho, by the way—heir to the headship of the Ho family.”
I took out my dagger from my pocket and laid it on the table so that the Ho family crest was visible.
Carol’s escort never could’ve expected this urchin with dirty commoner’s clothes and a bruise on his cheek to be the heir of a chieftain family. She looked quite surprised.
“I say it once more: I consider leaving the dinner table in the absence of an emergency to be rude behavior. I ask that you wait for us to finish eating.”
The escort just looked at me. She was hard-pressed to respond.
Admittedly, I was talking nonsense and being needlessly argumentative, but I knew that the escort couldn’t disagree if I called something ill-mannered and then backed up the claim with reasoning. Rudeness was subjective; if I acted offended there was little point in explaining why I shouldn’t be.
“Very well... I’ll wait.”
She’d given in. She knew better than to ignore objections from the heir to a chieftain family. On top of that, I was one of Carol’s new friends.
“Actually, I’d prefer it if you could wait outside. It’s hard to enjoy our meal when there’s someone souring the atmosphere.”
For a moment, the escort appeared shocked. But then she simply made a brief check of the restaurant to ensure no one looked suspicious and left without a word.
Everything was peaceful once more.
“See? Tell her you did nothing wrong and she can’t be angry with you,” I told Carol.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“We’ve already had our day off ruined by a bad experience. We should at least enjoy a good meal before we head back.”
“Well...maybe you’re right,” Carol mused while taking another piece of pie.
Royal cuisine must’ve used more subtle flavors, because it looked like she really enjoyed the pie. This sort of simple-yet-tasty dish was ideal for a child’s palate.
Once we’d finished, I thanked the server. “Thank you for the meal. Please keep the change as compensation for the trouble.”
All I had was one silver coin, so that was what I placed down on the table before getting up.
The escort outside had been glaring at anyone who’d tried to get near, so we’d had almost the whole restaurant to ourselves for a while.
“Sorry for the trouble. We really enjoyed the food.” Carol gave the staff a slight bow before leaving.
“You’re finished now?” Carol’s escort asked me as we emerged.
She’d been standing outside as if she was the restaurant’s gatekeeper. There was also a carriage waiting with the royal family crest emblazoned on it.
“Yes, we are. It was a very enjoyable meal. Now, if you’ll escort me home,” Carol replied.
“Yes, Your Highness. Your carriage awaits.”
As she boarded the carriage, Carol turned back to look at me.
“Yuri Ho. Thanks for today. I had fun,” she said to me with a grin.
It was the first time I’d seen Carol smile.