Vol.4 Chapter 3: Makoto Takatsuki Explores the Capital

Chapter 3: Makoto Takatsuki Explores the Capital

"This, my esteemed Tackie, is the seventh district. The town of the demi-humans."

"Hmm... So this is the other side of Highland Castle."

The day after our impromptu class reunion, Fujiyan and Nina brought me to see the seventh district. It definitely felt different than the sixth district; that one was well maintained, but this place almost felt like a hodgepodge of infrastructure. The ground wasn't paved, just dirt. There were a lot of people around that seemed to be coated in a layer of dust. The people spoke loudly and chaotically, and there were all kinds of races: humans, beastmen, elves, dwarves, lizardmen, and others. Most of the humans were merchants, and there were stalls all over the place heaped with goods.

"Mister Takatsuki, make sure you don't get separated from us'h." "Nina, I'm not a kid," I protested.

"Could I request three of these?" Fujiyan asked a merchant, pointing out chicken and vegetable sandwiches. He quickly completed the purchase and handed one to Nina and me respectively.

"Here, both of you." "Thank you, husband'h." "Thanks, Fujiyan."

The bread was hard, but it'd soaked up the meat juices. That combined with the rich sauce slathered on the sandwich made it taste great.

"Do you come out here often?" I asked Fujiyan.

"The prices are lower here than in the sixth district," he explained. "There are things just waiting to be found as well."

"There are also plenty of people that'll rip you off'h," Nina added. "Not that he would need to worry about that'h."

"We do our best business by purchasing inventory here, and then

reselling it to nobles in the third district," Fujiyan said before both he and Nina broke into laughter.

So the prices were different between the human and demi-human districts. With his ultra rank Appraisal skill, Fujiyan could easily find hidden gems. I took another glance around and noticed that this place almost looked like the market towns in southeast Asia.

"Incidentally," Fujiyan said, pulling me from my thoughts. "I have heard from Princess Sophia that there will be a party in Highland Castle tonight...to commemorate the advent of a new Hero of Roses. Princess Noelle is sponsoring the event."

"Uh...a new hero?" Right, that's me. "Wait, why here? We're in Highland." I'd understand celebrating in Roses, but not in another nation.

"The announcement of a new hero is wonderful news that is widely spread'h," Nina explained. "It raises the citizens' spirits, so hosting an event like this is rather common'h."

That made sense—they used heroes as political tools.

"Highland has a stricter sense of decorum than Roses though, so be careful'h..." she added, her voice a touch worried.

"After all, you embroiled yourself in a fight with one of the five Sacred Nobles immediately after our arrival to the capital." Fujiyan was looking worried as well.

All right, already! I'm sorry!

"Where are we heading now?" I asked, changing the subject.

"We're visiting someone who helped me in the past'h," Nina answered with a giggle. "We plan to ask for some advice and give the good news about our marriage."

The happy look on her face was a heartwarming sight.

"Let us be off, then," Fujiyan said, leading the way toward our destination.

𝘘 Lucy's Perspective 𝘘

Makoto had hurried away with Fujiyan and Nina, shouting behind him something about how "exploring a town is the first thing you should do in a new place!"

He was full of energy again, even though he'd only fought with Gerald yesterday. Shouldn't he be more tired?

"Aya, are you sure you don't want to go with them?" I asked.

"Well, they said they were going to weapon and armor shops. It sounded boring. What about you?"

"I'm going to ask the Grandsage for training."

"Oh!" Aya exclaimed. "That sounds fun. Can I come?"

"You want to meet with the Grandsage? I mean, I don't mind."

We'd explained to Aya about the Grandsage being a vampire and the legendary hero herself from a thousand years ago. We'd even told her about Makoto getting his blood sucked. Since we were party

members, that sort of disclosure should be fine, but wasn't she scared? Makoto had said he'd avoid seeing the Grandsage for a while...

"I do want to get some shopping done first, though. Wanna tag along?"

So she wanted to wander the shops. Aya had the same kind of wanderlust as Makoto.

"Yeah, sure." We had a while before I'd arranged to meet the Grandsage anyway.

Besides, this was the first time I'd ever been in Highland's capital. A single elf roaming the streets in the human areas would draw attention, so going with Aya might be for the best.

And so, the two of us headed out to explore the capital.

"I-It's all...so expensive," I commented. "Yeah...though these clothes are cute."

Aya met my gaze. The prices in Symphonia were high. Roses's capital—Horn—had boasted higher prices relative to Macallan, but the ones here were even worse. To blend in during our shopping trip, I was wearing a hat that covered my ears. Elves, at least, could pass for humans if we covered them.

"Shall we get something to eat?" I was a bit hungry. "Don't you need to go see the Grandsage?"

"It's still only noon. She sleeps during the day, so she said I was better off coming later in the day."

"Oh... But didn't Fujiwara mention a party in the castle tonight?" "The party..."

It was a banquet to celebrate a Roses's new hero...aka, Makoto. It would be a grand social event in Highland, where there was a strong tendency toward human supremacy. I doubted the function would be pleasant for an elf like me.

"I think I'll pass...maybe," I said.

"What?! Nina said she wouldn't be there either! I don't want to go on my own," she protested, tugging at my sleeve.

"Princess Sophia will be there, won't she?"

"We're not that close yet... Plus, she's a big shot..."

I could understand Aya's nerves at least... We exchanged looks again.

Suddenly, a voice spoke up from out of nowhere. "You two... Both of you have a strange fate awaiting you." When we looked around, we saw that the person speaking was wearing a hooded purple robe. I

couldn't see what they looked like, but I could tell that the voice was female. On the table in front of her sat a large crystal ball.

A fortune-teller, perhaps. There was a suspicious air about her though, it might be better to ignore her.

"Fate?" asked Aya.

Damn, she responded.

"Come on, Aya, you can't."

Fortune-telling was popular among a certain number of human women. Many were frauds though—they were quick talkers that demanded huge sums for their readings. There were very few practitioners of fate magic that could actually predict the future.

Meeting a mage on the side of the road like this...she was probably a fake, or else exceedingly weak.

"So this world has fortune-tellers," Aya mused, looking at the woman with interest.

"Ah, so you have come from the otherworld. What curious providence you possess."

"You can tell?" Aya took a few bobbing steps forward.

Argh, she was getting taken in, so I had to follow her toward the fortune-teller as well.

"What do you wish to know?" the woman inquired with a slight smile. Her robe hid most of her face, but she seemed to be quite the beauty.

"Hmm, but how do we know you're a real fortune-teller?" Aya wondered with a smirk.

"Oh how that pains me. Despite my looks, I am the foremost reader of fate within the capital." The fortune-teller's answer was accompanied by a chuckle and a confident grin.

"Then tell me something about us. Maybe I'll consider it then."

Not bad, Aya. If she gets it wrong, then we don't lose out.

It was a common thing for frauds with Appraisal to act like they understood you. The skill would only tell you a name, job, and current information. But telling the future, and the inner workings of the mind, in general, were beyond the scope of Appraisal entirely.

That was the domain of fate magic and the legendary mind reading skills.

She chuckled daintily and spoke. "I shall take a look..." Then, she peered into her crystal ball.

"Hey, Lu," Aya whispered, "does fortune-telling magic exist?"

"Yeah," I murmured. "It's metal magic, but I've never met someone who could use it."

So, is this woman the real deal?

"Oh my, what an interesting result," the fortune-teller said as she lifted her head. When I caught sight of her eyes, my heart skipped a beat.

"You have worries...of the heart," she told Aya. "Well...I guess so," Aya answered.

Most people our age did. Aya looked disappointed.

But the fortune-teller wasn't finished. "Those worries stem..." she chuckled, pausing, "from the fact you have feelings for the same person as your friend. Am I correct?"

"M-Maybe," stammered Aya. The conversation had suddenly gotten much more specific...

"Would that friend," the fortune-teller continued with a teasing twist to her lips, "happen to be the elf next to you?"

We both gasped.

Wow, that's completely right. Maybe she is the real deal.

"Now, let us view who your beloved will be with..." muttered the fortune-teller. "Excuse me?"

"What's wrong, miss?"

"W-Wait a moment. Three of you?! Does that even happen?!" The fortune-teller's earlier composure was gone, along with her unflushed complexion.

"What did you see?" I asked.

"Y-You two are rivals...that have feelings for the same person, no?" "Yeah?"

"What's wrong?" Aya and I asked in turn.

"Romance these days is complicated," she said after a pause, looking almost fearfully at us. Either way, it seemed like she really had the

magic. Aya's eyes sharpened. "How much do you charge?"

"Five thousand," came the answer. "Up front." "That's a lot," I interjected.

"She seems accurate, though," Aya argued. She took the money out of her purse and handed it over.

What was she going to ask?

After a short moment, Aya spoke. "Tell me—where is the sister that betrayed our family?"

Right. Aya had lost her family in Labyrinthos. We'd exacted vengeance on the harpy queen, but the other foe—Aya's sister—had vanished.

"Sounds like a story. I will look." The fortune-teller looked into her crystal ball again, and it started to glow vaguely in several colors.

"Okay. Your sister is on the northern continent...though I don't know

why she's in a place like that."

"Right... So she's still alive." Aya grimaced, clenching her first.

"Since she's on a separate continent, any more detail is difficult," the fortune-teller added apologetically.

"That's fine. Knowing she's still alive is enough..."

"Your mana feels hateful... Vengeance is a curse, you know? There's no end to it," offered the diviner, poking Aya on the cheek.

"You're telling me to give up on it?"

Aya's tone was harsh. Her sister was the reason she'd lost her family, so I doubted she'd let it go.

"Just keep it in moderation. I'd recommend getting along with your boyfriend more."

"Right..."

Aya had a conflicted look on her face. I sympathized—we'd defeated the harpy queen, and it seemed out of character for Aya to put all her effort into revenge. Of course, if she wanted to, Makoto and I would help her. As I thought that, the woman glanced toward me.

"What about you, redheaded elf?"

"I-I'll pass!" I was super curious about any future with Makoto, though!

Just then, voices shouted from behind us. "Fortune-teller! Do you have a license to trade there?"

A knight wearing white armor had arrived. The crest engraved on it depicted Anna the Holy Mother praying. So he was a Temple Knight... They were the soldiers in charge of public order within the city.

"What a shame. It seems I'm closed for the day," she said in lieu of a proper response, then she put her crystal ball away.

"No, you don't! Come with me," the knight demanded, striding toward her.

The woman didn't panic. "It is quite all right, Sir Temple Knight. After all, I just gained permission."

As she spoke, she touched his armor, and he began to shake.

"I-Indeed," said the knight. "There is no problem at all." His tone had softened, and he looked dazed as he staggered off.

"What was—" I began before Aya cut me off. "Lu, she's gone!"

I turned around and saw that she had indeed vanished. "What a strange person," murmured Aya.

She was right—what in the world had happened? Eventually, I said, "Let's head to the Grandsage's place." "Sure."

The two of us arrived at the Grandsage's mansion, only to be greeted with anger as soon as we arrived.

"Why didn't you bring the elementalist?!" griped the Grandsage.

Wait, that was her problem?! Surely she didn't have feelings for Makoto? She just wanted his blood...right?

I was kinda worried.

𝘘 Makoto Takatsuki's Perspective 𝘘

Fujiyan had led us to a weapon shop with a huge sign. You could practically feel the aura of experience in the place.

"Hi there, pops, it's been a while'h!" Nina exclaimed, high-fiving the owner, who was a fierce-looking tiger man.

"You seem well, Nina. Fujiwara, it's been too long." "Indeed it has, sir. Do you have any good wares today?"

"I've got plenty in stock. There's no fooling you, so I'll lose all my bargains," he cackled.

I guess that's how merchants greeted each other.

Once he'd finished laughing, the shopkeeper gestured to me and asked, "Who's he?"

"This is the Hero of Roses, Mister Takatsuki'h!"

"Oh!" the man exclaimed. "So you're the newly minted State-

Authorized Hero that I've heard rumors about. I'm Theogore, and I run this shop. I used to be an adventurer and in the past, I helped out Nina."

"My name's Makoto Takatsuki. Nina has been a ton of help on our adventures."

"What! My little Nina's part of a hero's party?! She's moving up in the world!" he marveled.

"No, pops'h! I'm going to become Mister Fujiwara's wife'h!" Nina hurriedly corrected. "We came here today to tell you."

"What?" he asked, his expression changing instantly. "Fujiwara...I heard you had entered into an engagement with a noble from Macallan. That would make Nina a mistress. I cannot honestly celebrate such news—"

"Slow down there'h! I'll be the second wife, treated just the same as Christina, the second daughter of Macallan's lord."

"What?" Theogore asked. "That's impossible." He seemed unable to believe it. Equal treatment between beastmen and nobility was a social taboo in Highland, and mostly impossible.

Fujiyan and Nina proceeded to explain the circumstances.

"Astounding... This Lady Christina sounds like a rather strange noble," he said when they'd finished.

"We're good friends now'h."

"I see... I am glad to hear it." Theogore answered her smile with a slightly conflicted one. He was probably concerned about her becoming a noble. "Incidentally, how long will you be in the city?"

"Until the inauguration of the Soleil Knights' commander in five days.

My esteemed Tackie here will also be acknowledged for his contribution to slaying the blight dragons."

"Five days..."

Theogore seemed like he was about to say something, but then he swallowed his words. What was it?

The three chatted for a while longer and I looked around the store. Fujiyan was a regular here, so I wasn't surprised at the wide lineup. There were lots of things I'd never seen before. Suddenly, I caught a whiff of something and saw smoking leaves in a corner on the counter.

They were...

Afterward, we left the store with a promise from Nina to come again. As soon as we did, Fujiyan suggested we leave the district.

"Were we not going to the magic tool market'h?" Nina asked. "If it's something urgent, I don't mind leaving," I offered.

"No, there is something important I need to tell the two of you. However, I cannot do so in this district."

Upon seeing Fujiyan's serious expression, Nina and I exchanged looks. We walked back to the sixth district and then booked a private room at a nearby restaurant. As he spoke, Fujiyan kept his voice low and an eye on our surroundings.

"My friends, please remain calm and listen. It seems there are plans to lead a large-scale revolt. The uprising will be centered on the beastmen in the seventh and eighth districts."

Nina and I both blurted out shocked noises in unison. "R-Revolt?" I asked.

"What do you mean'h?!" "Quiet, I will explain."

And he did. He'd read Theogore's mind and had found out about a plan to lead a revolt against the nobility in Symphonia. The main

cause of the rebellion was dissatisfaction with Highland's rigid caste system, which demi-humans had been enduring for some time.

"But that system is relaxing'h!" Nina exclaimed. "And the heir to the throne is particularly critical of it'h. Why would they do this now?!"

"I am quite aware," Fujiyan replied. "Frankly, it feels rather too late..."

They were both shaken. Of course, so was I.

"Fujiyan," I said, "why's the class system in this country so harsh?"

"It has its origins long ago...in the dark ages over a millennium back..."

Fujiyan continued, describing some bits of history that they hadn't taught us in the Water Temple. During the Great Demon Lord's reign, humanity had suffered the harshest treatment from the demons.

Humans were weak. They were the most prosperous race now thanks to the Sacred Deities' protection, but beastmen, elves, dwarves, and other demi-humans were strong without divine influence, so many had managed to escape the demons. Therefore, humans had endured the worst treatment during this time; they'd been treated as slaves, which had subsequently created many of the warped cambions.

It was then that Abel the Savior had appeared.

The humans of the continent had been saved by a human hero, and the country he founded had become the strongest on the continent. The humans within that country had enacted their own reign over other races.

In other words...the situation was like a bullied kid getting power and then revenge. History repeated itself. And now, the persecuted

demi-humans were trying to fight back. It was like a war... This was the biggest city on the continent, and I couldn't even imagine how many victims this strife produced.

"So...you told Nina about your mind reading skill."

"I did. I have no wish to hide things from my wives, so I explained it to both Lady Nina and Lady Chris."

That made sense. I glanced over to see Nina's long ears bouncing. "I thought my heart would stop when he told me about it'h!"

"Was it truly such a revelation?"

"It's a legendary skill... The first president of the Franz Trading Company had it'h!"

Nina was smiling, phew. His two wives must have accepted the skill. Though the atmosphere relaxed a little, Fujiyan's expression soon grew serious again.

"Back to the point at hand. Theogore is an earnest person. If he has resigned himself to this rebellion, we can presume it is not a situation for optimism. There must be some reason."

"Shouldn't we tell Sakurai and Princess Noelle?" I asked. Honestly, this felt like too much for us to deal with.

"Indeed. However, we cannot simply tell them. First, we must consult Princess Sophia via Lady Chris, and also gather reports from other merchants within the city."

"Husband, a wide-scale revolt will require weapons'h. We should question weapon merchants."

"Hmm, let us hurry."

Quickly, our choices were made.

I would have loved to help, but I'd probably just get in the way, so I decided to leave it to the pros.

"I do apologize, but it seems that this is where we part," said Fujiyan. "Please, my esteemed Tackie, attend the party this evening."

"Sure. Make sure you let me know if I can help." "But of course!" he replied.

The pair of them rushed away, and I slowly made my way back to the inn.

The beastmen are revolting because they're dissatisfied with racial inequality...

Even when I put it into words, the situation didn't feel real.

I glanced around at the people in the street. There was a hectic peace in the area. A few days from now...this would be a battlefield...? I just couldn't picture it. My mind wouldn't piece my churning thoughts together, and before I knew it, I was back at the inn. Lucy and Sasa hadn't returned.

With nothing else to do, I offered my prayers to Noah and killed some time practicing water magic.

Evening had fallen and Fujiyan wasn't back yet. They were probably still gathering info on the rebellion, but I had a big event of my own to attend.

"Come on, Lucy, let's go."

She grumbled slightly in response. "Do I have to?" "It'll be okay," Sasa interjected. "I'll be with you!"

Lucy made some noises of protest, wanting to stay, but Sasa dragged her along.

The three of us headed for Highland Castle. My first impression was awe.

"It's huge..."

"So fancy!" Sasa added.

"And look at all the people!" Lucy finished up.

The three of us were overwhelmed at the sight of the huge banquet hall. It was far more grand than the modest yet refined halls of Roses Castle. This room was filled with finery and decorations, and there

was more palatial cuisine than we'd ever be able to eat.

The people in attendance matched the status of the room as well— they were all clothed in fine garments and wore elegant smiles as they spoke. As I witnessed this display of extravagance, the looming

rebellion that Fujiyan had told me about felt utterly nonexistent. The gathering was a scene of luxury, the likes of which you'd see in a painting.

There was a greeter who escorted us into the banquet. "Hero

Makoto of Roses and your retinue, correct?" he asked. "We have been expecting you."

Soon after walking in, Princess Sophia caught our attention. "So you have arrived. Leo, explain the rules of parties in this country."

"Right away," the prince replied. He was wearing formal apparel, and he quickly turned to me. "Can you see the slight differences in height on the floor?"

"I can," I answered after a pause. "Does it mean something?"

The further into the banquet hall my eyes wandered, the higher the floor seemed to rise. There seemed to be a few layers of floor, like terraces, and they formed a set of ascending steps.

"We are standing on the level permitted to commoners," Prince Leonardo explained. "The next step up is for nobility, and the one after that is for religious figures. The highest level is reserved for royalty."

I let out a noise of curiosity. They segregated the classes to this

extent? It felt like...more trouble than it was worth.

"As a hero, you are on par with nobility, so you can go as far as the third step."

"Got it," I replied. "What about Lucy and Sasa?"

"They are seen as your attendants, so they must remain at the fourth level, which is where we currently are."

"Well, there you go," I said to the two of them. "Got it." Lucy bobbed her head in assent.

"I'll be careful." Sasa said with a nod of her own.

Since they didn't know anyone else here, I'd figured that they'd be sticking with me... I hadn't anticipated that we'd be separated.

"It's you!" someone exclaimed, staring at Sasa. "You're the girl who took down ten Soleil Knights on the training grounds yesterday!"

"Oh! But she's so small... That's impressive."

"It seems that there is some truth to the rumors of Macallan's strength."

"N-No, it's just a coincidence," Sasa stammered to the sudden barrage of high-ranking knights that'd surrounded her.

I guess she'd pulled a repeat of her exploits in Roses. After all, she

did have the strength of a hero.

"Well now, your hair is red like a rose," another person said to Lucy. "It's wonderful."

"What is your name?" asked another. "Would you talk with us for a while?"

"Oh? So you're part of the Walker family? Then...do you perhaps know the Crimson Witch?"

Lucy was also surrounded, but not by knights—a group of young noblewomen was fawning over her. Lucy's flashy dress and appearance must have drawn their attention.

And then...there was no one left around me. I was getting confused at the sudden absence of anyone, but then, my Listen skill picked up some conversation that explained things.

"So that's Roses's hero... The one who almost killed Lord Gerald." "Unbelievable. He took down the eldest son of the Ballantines?!" "What a fiendish excuse for a hero..."

"He must be wrong in the head."

"I am a little curious. Maybe I should talk to him." "Don't you dare! Nothing good will come of it."

Yeah...I really screwed up by fighting the Hero of Lightning, didn't I? I was being treated like a leper here.

Oh, wasn't this banquet supposed to be held in your honor? Noah asked in my mind.

"That's what they told me at least..." I muttered. No one was talking to me. Was I like some wild animal to them? What should I do in this kind of situation, Noah?

A mental trill of "Good luuuck" was her only response.

She wasn't helping me! Damn it... Do I know anyone else here?

Princess Sophia was speaking with other royals, and Prince Leonardo was doing the same. Sakurai was technically a hero, but he was standing in the royal area. Probably because he was Princess Noelle's fiancé...? The Grandsage...wasn't in attendance. Naturally, Fujiyan, Nina, and Chris were also absent.

I heaved a mental sigh. On my own, then? I snagged a bottle of wine along with a glass and took them out to a balcony. I figured that I could at least enjoy the night sky while sipping at my drink. The wine was good too. It reminded me of the stuff I'd shared with Fujiyan back on his airship.

Shows just how rich the country is—there's all-you-can-drink luxury wine.

The castle was built on high ground within the city, so I could look out over everything from the balcony. The lights below were still shining, even at night, and the sheer number of them were signs of the activity level; since the party in the castle was lavish, people across the town were celebrating as well.

Will there really be a rebellion? I wondered.

As the thought passed through my mind, someone called out to me.

"Oh, and what is the star of the show doing out here?" someone asked in a teasing yet amused voice. I wasn't even irritated by the question because her tone showed off her personality.

"Princess Noelle," I replied, "thank you for your invitation tonight."

The person who'd addressed me was none other than the party's host.

"I cannot believe everyone was unwilling to speak to you...especially when you are the reason for the party itself."

"Well, it seems that yesterday was a screwup," I said with a shrug.

She sighed slightly. "Gerald is currently under house arrest. There should be droves of people wanting to speak to the man who defeated the Hero of Lightning, but I presume they are hesitant of attracting the ire of the current head of the Ballantine family."

I glanced toward the noble seating and saw a middle-aged man there glaring at me. Yup, I'd figured as much... Not that I'd looked his way.

"That man is Gerald's father. He understands that his son was in the wrong, but...emotions are not so easily dictated by logic," she murmured with an awkward look.

I mean, I could understand hating someone who'd nearly killed your son. Bring nobility into it, along with the problems of saving face and such... I'd just let it be.

"Oh, the dance is starting," Princess Noelle noted.

The music had shifted from a slow-paced tune to something a bit up- tempo. Noble couples were dancing in a cleared area of the room.

And among them...

"Sakurai?"

My classmate was dancing with a beautiful girl. A glance at Noelle showed me that she wasn't too bothered by it. Wasn't the princess going to dance with him?

"She's Sir Ryousuke's second fiancée, and his fourth is waiting next to them," Princess Noelle offered.

"So..." I murmured. That must be the rumored fiancée brigade, so to speak. Yokoyama was...over toward the back. Sakurai was going to dance with them all? I felt sorry for him. "Are you okay with that?"

"Everyone knows that I am his first fiancée, so making a point of that at this stage would just result in unpleasantness." She smiled.

So that was how it worked?

"Where's the third, then?" I asked idly.

The song had changed, and now Sakurai was dancing with his fourth (beautiful) fiancée.

"She is pregnant, so she didn't come to the party." I sputtered and spun to face her.

"Oh, you weren't aware? He currently has two children, with five more on the way. One of them is his child with the otherworlder Eri Kawamoto."

I was dumbstruck.

For real?

I'd been completely unaware. Sakurai and Yokoyama hadn't said anything. Though...I had been curious about why Kawamoto hadn't joined us in Labyrinth Town or at the gathering yesterday...

The Hero of Light had been obligated to take twenty fiancées and have children to leave behind a legacy, right? It'd been about two years since he'd arrived, so of course he had a child or two by now... Weird. My childhood friend had children of his own. Should I just congratulate him?

"Incidentally, how is your relationship with Sophia?"

"Princess Sophia?" I asked, taken aback at the sudden topic shift.

"You swam with her on the Habhain Islands. I wish Sir Ryousuke and I could find time to go to the beach... I'm honestly jealous of Sophia."

She had a slightly wistful smile as she spoke, but something else was on my mind.

"Who did you hear that from?"

"Oh, Sophia was very happy to bring it up," the princess answered before giggling. "Oh, to be in love."

"D-Did she?"

I couldn't quite picture Princess Sophia gushing over something. Whenever we'd been together, she'd worn her usual aloof impression.

"You have other cute lovers though—that means she can't quite relax."

"What? That's n—" I was about to deny it when I suddenly realized: Lucy and Sasa had kissed me before, and I couldn't abandon my responsibility for that.

Huh? I have a harem?

You hadn't realized? came Noah's aghast question.

I hadn't! I'd just been focused on becoming a fully-fledged hero.

Not gonna happen now, Harem Hero Makoto☆

What the hell?!

Hang on... Really, the important thing was what I did from now on. I could still be a fully-fledged hero.

"Oh, is something the matter?" asked Princess Noelle as she peered at my expression.

"I'm prioritizing the battle with the Great Demon Lord before love," I replied.

See? Fully. Fledged.

She seemed surprised by my answer, though. "My, how diligent. So those relationships will only be solidified after defeating the Great Demon Lord?"

"After the Great Demon Lord..."

Hmm, the last boss...

"If you defeat the Great Demon Lord with Sir Ryousuke then it will birth a new legend. All the riches and prestige within the world will be at the fingertips of our heroes." She giggled temptingly.

Still...

"After the Great Demon Lord, I'll need to head for the next

dungeon." Noah was waiting in the Seafloor Temple. Leviathan was waiting for me first, and that was my real goal. Everything else was a half measure at best.

"The next dungeon?" she asked after a pause. "Despite the riches and prestige you will gain?" Her expression was baffled.

"There's someone waiting for me there," I told her. "I...see."

She held an indefinable look on her face. Uh, did I say something weird? Her look felt a little cold.

"Hero Makoto," she said seriously. "Do you intend to imitate the savior's legend?"

"What?" Where had that come from? "His legend?" "You are unaware? It is a famous story."

At that, she started to explain.

A thousand years ago, Abel the Savior brought peace to the world by defeating the Great Demon Lord. In the year 0 AS, he gathered the surviving humans and founded Highland. The people wanted him to be king, however, he told them that someone was waiting for him.

He then vanished. Afterward, no one ever saw him again, so said the legend.

"I didn't know," I told her.

"So...you didn't," she replied with a sudden laugh. "Sir Makoto, I hate that story and will be most upset if you imitate it!" She formed a pout, hands on her hips. Princess Noelle sure was an expressive person.

"Why do you hate it?" I asked.

"Because," she answered sulkily, "he had Anna the Holy Mother as his lover, right? But he told people that someone was waiting for him... That makes it sound like he had another woman, doesn't it?!"

"Oh." I got it. It did sound like that, actually. I wonder if there was truly another woman.

"Historians give the explanation that he had an elderly mother living out a modest life back home."

"That makes sense."

"Though that detail was added after the fact." "What?" So it was made up?

"There were no traces of the savior after he vanished, and so they created a plausible story. After all, the scholars couldn't record that Highland's first monarch had her lover stolen by another woman!"

"I see... Th-That sounds tough..."

So Highland had been a troublesome country ever since its founding.

"Does the Grandsage not know any details?" She was part of his party back then, after all.

"Well, she maintains that she knows nothing after his disappearance..."

"Hmm..." I had a feeling that she knew something, so was there a reason why she couldn't explain?

"That is why it is so important for Sir Ryousuke to leave a lineage. He has the same skill, and it is common for skills like that to be

hereditary."

"There hasn't been anyone born with the Hero of Light skill in over a thousand years?"

"There has not...it is a major wound to our family."

"And it appears again after so long...when Sakurai came from another world..."

I sighed. Still, I hadn't known skills were so important for lineages. I could see why royals like Princess Sophia and Prince Leonardo had such strong skills. So that was why Sakurai would have twenty wives. Or a harem of them, I guess. Oh, he was dancing with someone else. I wonder which number fiancée she is.

So the next monarch of Highland will be Princess Noelle...and the heir will be her child?

I took a sidelong look at her. Sakurai had scored a pure beauty like her... He had a blessing all right. Go die in a ditch, man.

She seemed to notice my look and returned a teasing one of her own.

"Oh? Were you perhaps thinking that I should be having a child as well?"

I sputtered. "N-Not at all."

Did she realize that I was thinking stupid things?! Her face grew even more teasing.

"I am my goddess's priestess, so I need to remain pure in body. I cannot have a child."

"Uh...?"

She inferred confusion from my expression and then slipped closer, tugging slightly on my sleeve and bringing her lips to my ear.

"Priestesses need to be virgins, so I don't have any experience," she whispered.

"L-Lady Noelle?!"

The salacious words along with the heat of her breath made my body temperature shoot up. My face is on fire! How can she be so blunt about it?!

"Oh my, how immodest of me." She giggled.

She was far more teasing than a princess should be! It made me realize though, that despite all his beautiful fiancées, the most beautiful of them was being made to wait. Too bad, Sakurai.

Even so...

You'll be with your princess once we've defeated the Great Demon Lord, I thought, my estimation of his character rising.

Well, Makoto, it's probably only you who thinks like that, Noah said to me.

That didn't matter, though.

"You seem to be enjoying yourselves, Hero Makoto, Lady Noelle," came a cold voice. The air around us grew more frigid with every word.

S-So cold!

"P-Princess Sophia?" I asked. "O-Oh, Sophia?"

"You appear to be rather close," she continued, staring at me. Her eyes were as chilly as when she'd caught Lucy sleeping in my room.

"Well, no one was talking to me. Thank you for the conversation, Princess Noelle."

"As the party's host, entertaining guests is a natural requirement," she offered. "Farewell, Sir Makoto."

My thanks and her acceptance given, Princess Noelle left immediately.

There was a pause.

"If you had come to me, I would have spoken with you," Princess Sophia mumbled. I couldn't have walked up to the royal area, though, right?

After that frosty exchange, I spoke with her, Prince Leonardo, and the knights that had gotten friendly with Sasa. Lucy also introduced

me to the noblewomen she'd been talking to. The latter half of the party ended up being pretty rousing.

That is...it would've been, if it hadn't been required to make a statement as the newly appointed hero!

You didn't tell me anything about that, Princess Noelle!

I could barely string a sentence together. Please, enough with the sudden absurdities...

Parties in Highland were exhausting.