Chapter 100

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

---

Many comments and messages, thank you very much.

"By the way, Lord Ain. As you may have guessed, you will be staying behind next time."

"…What!?"

---

Two days after establishing the connection between Muuton and the Augustus Guild. The preparations for the second investigation of the former Demon King's territory, which had been progressing gradually, were finally set in stone.

Ain had been thinking that he would be more careful next time. ...Being careful meant heeding the advice of the Living Armor, Marco.

And this time, he was determined not to worry everyone. He had this mindset, but the words that came from Lloyd were completely unnecessary.

"I will be staying behind... Why?"

The group had borrowed a large room from the inn for use as a meeting room.

After the meeting with the gathered researchers and the Royal Guard, only Lloyd and Dill remained in the room and told Ain this.

"The yield is sufficient... Ultimately, we headed from the port town Magna to the other continent. Just knowing this much, the investigation of the Red Foxes has achieved some results."

Incidentally, Crowne was not present. She had some work to do, such as communicating with the guild, so she did not attend this time.

"I agree with that, but it's not over yet..."

What the Red Foxes were thinking. That was still unknown.

But the traces of the Red Foxes found in Eure. Now that it had been proven why they were there, it could be considered a good result in terms of yield.

"After deliberation with the Royal Guard, we cannot rule out the possibility that this is a 'trap.'"

"...A trap?"

"Yes, that's right. Dill, please explain."

"Yes, Father."

Dill, who had been silent until then, spoke at Lloyd's command to explain the meeting to Ain.

"To be honest, targeting Lord Ain for something... is too much like a fairy tale. But if, as Marco said, Lord Ain could be influenced to become like the Demon King Ash, then that is a possibility we must avoid."

Ain listened silently to Dill's words.

If he were called overprotective, that might be true. But ultimately, Ain was the Crown Prince and possessed special powers. Ain understood that he should look at the bigger picture rather than his personal achievements.

"So, just in case. If the Red Foxes' trap still exists, we have no way to avoid or prevent it. ...Can you understand that?"

The hedonistic Red Foxes. If they left a trap as a kind of game, Ain could not deny it.

"Hmm... Hmm..."

"I hope you will leave it to us."

Dill, who bowed his head, looked apologetic. Ain did not want to make Dill uncomfortable.

"Alright, Dill. I understand the reason, but I just feel a bit disappointed, that's all."

In the end, Ain gave in, and Dill looked relieved. Lloyd, who was standing next to him, also seemed to be relieved.

"Hey, but if I'm staying behind, who will be my guard?"

Surely someone would be assigned.

But if Lloyd and Dill were going to the former Demon King's territory, it was unclear who would be Ain's guard.

"That's not a problem. We have called some excellent people from the 'Capital.' So please rest assured."

Dill smiled slightly as he said this, but if he was going to say that much, it was natural to want to know their names.

"Um, Dill? Who are these excellent people?"

"They will arrive by tomorrow morning. So please look forward to their arrival."

"...Lately, everyone seems to be getting mischievous, don't they?"

Crowne had always been like that, but recently Dill also showed similar tendencies. Ain thought he should have more dignity.

Who would come was a matter of great concern. But if it was someone who could be entrusted with the Crown Prince's guard, they would surely be capable.

—...The mystery only deepened.

---

In the end, the mystery of the new guard was not solved.

Ain tried to think about it for an hour less sleep than usual, but in the end, there was no progress.

As time passed, the night turned to morning, and another day in Balt began.

The sky was clear. Although it sometimes snowed, Ain, who was accustomed to Balt's climate, did not find it particularly problematic.

"Lord Ain... You could have waited at the inn."

"I can't help it. If you try to stop me, I'll follow anyway!"

To welcome the new guard, Dill had gone to the station as soon as it was light.

When Dill was seen going to welcome them, he was stopped by Ain. Unable to ignore Ain, Dill ended up going with him.

"Hmm... Maybe I should have been more straightforward."

"It's fine. Thinking about it was fun, and I don't mind walking around Balt with you."

A slight bond had formed between the two, who had always acted together as guards.

Occasionally walking around the town like this wasn't bad.

"Thank you for saying so... But please be careful of the slippery ground."

"Got it, got it!"

Ain responded with a tune and walked lightly on the snowy path.

In the Capital, he never walked such paths, so just walking was enjoyable.

"By the way, I had a question."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Is the guard maybe one of the castle knights?"

"...As expected, you are sharp, Lord Ain."

"Just a hunch. If it were the knights, I would probably know them."

If the knights were coming from the castle, he would have been told straightforwardly from the beginning.

This meant there was a possibility it wasn't a knight. ...He had just realized this.

"If you've noticed that much, it's almost as if you already know..."

"What's that? Does it mean the answer is close?"

"Then, here's another hint. The person we called is someone we trust, and someone you have met before."

"...Hmm. Who could it be?"

It was natural that the person would be trustworthy, given that they would be placed next to the Crown Prince.

And the other point, someone he had met before... Hearing this, Ain started thinking about who it could be.

"I want to get the right answer by the time we reach the station."

Even with all these hints, not knowing the answer was somewhat frustrating.

The station of Balt was getting closer. Even without the right answer, there was no punishment, but Ain was still anxious.

"Ah, who could it be..."

Dill's chuckle was annoying. He made a dissatisfied face, but since he had come this far, it was also frustrating to be told the answer.

"Well, well, you're thinking hard, Lord Ain."

"It's like I'm almost there, but I can't think of the name..."

A trustworthy person. And skilled. Someone he had met before... There weren't many such people, but the name just wouldn't come to mind.

"Hmm, if there was something decisive..."

"Haha, how about one more hint, Lord Ain?"

"Y-Yes, please tell me!"

Being told the answer was complicated, but hints were acceptable. At this point, there wasn't much difference, but it was a matter of feeling.

"Then, one last hint. I have also met this person... Oh, I'm sorry, Lord Ain, it seems we're out of time."

Hearing Dill's hint, Ain tried to figure out the answer again. —...But the person arrived early.

The train must have arrived early. Without waiting at the station, they quickly headed this way.

"It's so cold. Why is it always so inexplicably cold here?"

"Hey, you've been complaining since we left. Are you senile? I don't want to be with someone like this."

"...You, with your monster-like sense, don't say such things to me."

"What? What did you say? Come out here, you skilled but poor guy!"

Muuton and Ememe. Two characters that might surpass the teacher-student relationship, making Ain think they were a perfect pair.

The two were walking towards Ain. They seemed to be engrossed in their conversation and hadn't noticed Ain and Dill yet.

"You're already out here."

"Oh, really? Talking to you is so tiring. But instead of having such a fruitless conversation, let's go to the Prince... Oh, it's not the Prince, it's been a while."

"...Oh, it's you, Ain. I just arrived, sorry for not greeting you properly."

These two were the ones newly assigned as guards due to the emergency measures. They were two people Ain knew well, and it was immediately clear that they were trustworthy.

"Teacher Kaiser!? And even Marjolica!?"

"I'm sorry, both of you... I didn't expect you to arrive so early..."

Kaiser, who should have been at the academy, and Marjolica, who should have been at the magic stone shop. The two who were assigned to guard Ain were the ones who should have been in the Capital.

"Don't worry, Dill. You're a former student who has done well, so stand tall."

"Oh, you. You look like a bear catching fish in a river, but you can show such consideration."

"O-Okay, calm down. Losing to this monster is not good."

Kaiser, who was given a strange analogy, tried to control himself.

Ain, seeing Marjolica's behavior for the first time, watched their interaction with fresh eyes.

"Why are you two here!?"

"The King asked us. So I called Marjolica, and we both accepted the job."

"That's right, Your Highness. This Kaiser, who looks like a dying raccoon, can be useful. I'll support him, so you can be at ease."

The "dying raccoon" part was confusing, but it was clear that Marjolica was playing with Kaiser.

—...And somehow, Ain felt reassured with these two.

---

The two who were assigned as guards would, of course, receive appropriate compensation.

And the inn they were staying at was the same one as Ain, so they could quickly respond to any situation.

"But if I think about it, I didn't have any plans to go out, so I didn't need a guard, did I?"

Ain led the two to the inn and showed them to their prepared rooms.

Dill had something to discuss with Lloyd, so he parted ways with Ain for a moment.

Back in his room, Ain thought about this.

Was a guard really necessary?

"...Hey, Ain. I'm just asking, but are you asking me?"

"Yeah, sorry for interrupting your work."

"If you understand, be a good boy? But it's fine. I am your assistant, after all."

"Thank you, really."

"Hehe... Yes, I do my best to take care of you."

Initially, Crowne gave him a stern look, but she didn't seem too upset.

She was planning to take a break soon, so being called by Ain was just in time.

"But don't you think so? If you're just staying at the inn, you didn't need to call two people as guards, did you?"

Hearing Ain's words, Crowne sighed and looked at him.

"If you're not interested in what I'm about to say, I can send the two back to the Capital."

Saying this, she stood up and started pouring tea from a pot.

"Here you go."

"Thanks. ...So, what's next?"

"Don't rush. Actually, we found something good nearby."

"Here, take this." Crowne said, handing a piece of paper to Ain.

"Hmm? What's this?"

"Read it. The stay-at-home group did a surprisingly good job."

Curious, Ain read the paper.

"A Red Fox couple...?"

"Yes, that's right. It seems the bodies of a Red Fox couple were found, though it was from several decades ago. They had been dead for some time, so there was no flesh left. But isn't it interesting?"

"I'm impressed. It seems everyone worked hard."

"Of course. I worked hard too, you know?"

Crowne's slightly proud face was endearing. —Ain couldn't help but reach out and pat her head.

"Ah, Ain...?"

"Ah, s-sorry. You looked like you wanted a compliment."

The excuse came out spontaneously, but it felt right.

In fact, Crowne didn't seem to mind being patted on the head.

"Is this a reward?"

"A reward... I guess."

Crowne, with her hands clasped between her legs, was blushing.

Seeing her cheeks turn red, it was clear she was getting flustered.

Time seemed to slow down, and Ain finally decided to move his body.

"Okay, I'm done!"

The touch of her hair, smooth like silk, was pleasant.

Hearing her breath, he felt it was getting dangerous, so he reluctantly let go.

Crowne looked surprised for a moment, then seemed to pout.

"Hey, Crowne...? You look unhappy..."

Hearing this, Crowne's gaze became even more stern as she looked at Ain.

"Yes, I'm unhappy."

Even if she said that, Ain didn't know why she was unhappy.

Maybe he had surprised her by suddenly letting go. Thinking this, Ain felt apologetic.

"Sorry. I surprised you by suddenly letting go, didn't I?"

"..."

Unfortunately, that wasn't the right answer. Seeing her still pouting, it was clear he was wrong.

"What kind of reward, then?"

Seeing Ain's continued confusion, Crowne decided to help him out. She didn't want to keep him in distress, so she decided to honestly tell the clueless prince.

"S-Sure, a reward...! But, um..."

Ain, too, couldn't think of the next words. He didn't know what was being asked of him.

"A reward... isn't enough."

"...Isn't enough?"

Maybe she wanted something else. But today, all of Ain's guesses were off. This made him realize he needed to learn more about such subtleties.

Seeing Ain's continued confusion, Crowne decided to help him out again.

"I worked hard too. So, more...?"

Seeing her sad face, Ain finally understood.

What she wanted wasn't difficult. She just wanted him to keep patting her head.

Ain, who didn't think such a simple act could be a reward, couldn't figure it out on his own.

"Okay, if that's all you want, I'll continue. So, cheer up..."

Saying this, Ain reached out his hand.

Crowne, to make it easier for Ain to pat her, slightly closed the distance between them.

It was only a few centimeters, but it felt like a significant distance to the two of them.

"...You said it was a reward, but you ran away right away. Don't you think that's unfair?"

"You're right... Okay."

Feeling the atmosphere, Ain withdrew his hand. As Crowne said, it was indeed a form of running away.

Seeing her slightly improved mood, Ain felt relieved.

"I'll stop on my own if you don't say it's okay, so don't do that, okay?"

"...As you wish, my lady."

Crowne, humming a tune, seemed to have recovered her mood.

Ain, thinking that he could do this much, decided to enjoy the feel of her hair again.

"Then, Your Highness? I'll continue the story."

The topic earlier was about the Red Fox couple.

After a brief detour, they were finally returning to the topic.

"A mid-level adventurer can go there alone. There are no dangerous monsters, and it's a place you can reach quickly. So if you're interested, you can go with Marjolica and the others."

"...Really!?"

Lloyd and the others have given their permission. So if you want to go, you can, of course, be careful."

"Is it really okay, considering safety and danger and all that?"

It was a statement full of realism.

But as the Crown Prince, he