Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Request from the Princess, Part 3

I never expected to hear an undisclosed episode from Chloe's game in this way...

I thought it was a good thing for the first time since I was reincarnated in this world.

"I see. In that case, I will make sure not to speak about this to anyone."

"Yes, I would appreciate that. But is it okay? Even if you found out after researching, is it really fine not to report it to the king?"

"My father knows that I have been keeping various secrets. However, he chooses to turn a blind eye to them because I am his beloved daughter."

The princess said with a smile on her face.

While looking at her smiling face, I asked her a question that had been bothering me based on the contents written in the request document.

"By the way, Your Highness, the request document also mentioned 'escort.' What does that mean?"

"It means exactly what it says. I requested Jin-san and the others to serve as my protectors."

"Huh? Um, Your Highness, you rarely leave the castle, and you also have soldiers accompanying you, right? Is it really necessary to ask outsiders like us for an escort?"

I don't know the exact number of guards accompanying the princess, but considering the overprotective nature of that doting king, they must be skilled individuals.

So why did they also request an escort for me and Chloe?

"It's for escorting me to the academy."

"...The academy?"

"Yes, there used to be someone who served as my escort until last semester, but they had to stop for various reasons, so I was looking for a new person. That's why I decided to rely on Jin-san and Chloe-san, who are about the same age, and sent the request."

The academy the princess attends... is it the same academy as the one in the game?

Why am I being dragged into the game as an important character or into the setting of the game when I'm trying to escape?

Feeling slightly uneasy, I listened to the princess's words.

"Also, I have already informed the headmaster of the academy in advance and obtained permission for the escort personnel to disguise themselves, so you can rest assured."

"You've taken care of everything... But the academy is a place for learning, right? I don't know about Chloe, but I'm not a student."

"W-Well, I'm not that smart either!"

"That's not a problem. There are people among the escorts who study together, but there are also those who are solely escorts. However, since the academy is a place for learning, there is a certain age limit. That's why I thought of having Jin-san and Chloe-san as escorts."

Indeed, if there were adult soldiers at the academy, it would feel out of place...

"...In that case, wouldn't it be fine to escort soldiers of similar age instead of us?"

"Yes, there are soldiers who are closer in age, indeed. However, it's clear that Jin-san and Chloe-san are more capable. So, wouldn't it be better to rely on them rather than those people?"

Upon hearing the princess's words, I somehow found myself convinced and didn't say anything further about the matter.

Afterward, the discussion about the request came to an end, and we started talking to the princess about the dungeon.

"I heard that the two of you cleared it, but how remarkable of an achievement is that?"

"Well, there are adventurers who clear dungeons solo, but the average party size is around 5 or 6, so Jin and Chloe's record falls into the category of 'quite impressive.'"

"Is that so? But there's a possibility it might cause a commotion, right? Why is that?"

The princess had requested us to investigate, knowing that we might get involved in some trouble, but she seemed unaware of the specific reasons behind the commotion.

"Princess, do you know about our period as adventurers?"

"I have looked into it and know that Chloe-san has been an adventurer for half a year longer than Jin-san, and Jin-san started his adventurer activities just one month ago."

"Yes, the cause of this commotion lies in our period as adventurers. Normally, adventurers take about a year from registration to finally reach the Copper-rank adventurer, if they manage to reach it at all. However, Chloe and I became Copper-rank adventurers in just six months and one month, respectively. That's the main reason for the commotion."

"I did hear that the investigators were amazed, saying they had never seen adventurers rise in rank so quickly..."

"And to make matters worse, we recently advanced in the dungeon and cleared it immediately after our promotion, creating the cause for the commotion."

As Chloe finished explaining, the princess's face showed a combination of the information she had heard and the missing pieces, expressing her understanding.