The Princess's Test

"The princess… You're a princess?"

"In this kingdom, only royalty carries names this long. If you're still doubtful, I could show you something else."

"Ah—no, that's fine!"

Pina was so nervous she was dripping with sweat.

Being a princess didn't make her any different from us.

I smiled faintly at the tense Pina. Well, she must have dreamed of princesses as a child — having a real one appear right in front of her would make anyone nervous.

"Anyway, welcome to the capital. Have you ever been to Sperita before?"

"No."

This mouth of mine wouldn't even show respect to a princess.

Was I claiming there was no one above me under the heavens? Pina stared at me in shock at my curt reply.

"A-Alice-nim? Even so, she's a princess…"

"It's fine. A hunter ought to have that much spirit. The more I see of you, the more I like you. How about becoming my personal guard instead of a hunter?"

"That'd be a problem."

"I figured as much. A flower blooming on a cliffside only grows more tempting the longer you look. I'd have been a little disappointed if you'd agreed so easily. I can have anything I want, so the things that are hard to get are far more to my liking."

What was I supposed to do with that?

I shrugged at Adelaide's words. She chuckled and held out her hand.

"Shall we talk somewhere a little quieter? For a meeting like this, a somewhat shady spot would be fitting. A secret rendezvous no one else can discover, you see—"

"A-a shady place?"

"Indeed. I'll show you the darkness of the capital. You won't see this kind of thing just anywhere—"

The princess said it with unnecessary theatrical flair. Pina shrank back at her clumsy attempt at intimidation.

A secret meeting, huh.

I glanced around.

Whether I wanted to or not, this body had sharp senses that picked up on all sorts of things.

For one thing, this meeting was anything but secret.

Whether they were the princess's guard knights or ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠something else, plenty of people were circling nearby, keeping an eye on us.

Probably not hostile. I gave them a brief look, then followed after the princess.

"Be careful. The capital will stab you in the back the moment you let your guard down. Show even a hint of country bumpkin, and you might get swallowed whole—"

"I-is that so? They do say the capital is full of beasts more ruthless than monsters, with neither blood nor tears. So the rumors were true."

"Don't scare her for no reason."

"Can't even take a joke. Come on, let's go."

The princess kept needling Pina in subtle ways.

Probably because she knew my demeanor left no room for teasing.

I actually enjoyed that kind of banter myself, but this body was a different matter. It rarely ever loosened up, always maintaining a cold attitude. It was a little bitter.

Because every time a situation like this came up, an uncontrollable sense of alienation wrapped around me.

Same thing when we hunted the Kometras before… honestly, it brings tears to my eyes.

The place Adelaide brought us to was, as she'd said, a somewhat shady tavern.

Though the people didn't look particularly shady. Everyone was enjoying card games — the same wholesome card games I'd seen with Fiore last time.

"Kehehe, I win."

"You win once and get cocky — hey, rematch!"

"Nah, I don't play with noobs."

Why was everyone drinking and smoking while playing that…?

I still wasn't used ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the tavern atmosphere of this world. Maybe I was the only idiot taking this world so seriously.

Adelaide claimed a corner seat and plopped into a chair. Pina looked around, then sat across from her. I sat beside Pina and rested my hands on the table.

"This is… a tavern?"

"I like this kind of atmosphere. You have to come to places like this to understand the lives of the people. Better than desk-bound governance — experiencing the common folk's lives firsthand— or so I'd say with grand words, but really, the food here is delicious. Our palace chefs won't make spicy, heavily seasoned dishes like this. They say health comes first."

Rather than Adelaide and Pina's conversation, I focused on the presence of the people who'd followed Adelaide in.

A group had entered the tavern in a disorderly fashion right behind us.

They sat at a distant table, glancing our way — I couldn't tell what they were scheming.

Meanwhile, Adelaide casually addressed the waiter.

"One Stellafruta juice, two beers, and Amargamos salt-grilled, if you please."

"Yes, right away."

The waiter gave a slight bow and left.

Only then did I open my mouth and call to Adelaide.

"…Adelaide."

"A-Alice-nim?!"

"Hmm. Informal speech wasn't enough, so now you're casually calling a princess by name? You truly have no fear. If it were any of my other family members sitting here instead of me, you'd have been punished on the spot."

Meaning she was letting it slide.

As expected, the princess was friendly toward hunters—

"Of course, I have no intention of just letting it go either."

Never mind.

"So why did you call my name?"

"…That's what we want to ask. Why did you call for us?"

"Right, of course. Then let me ask again. Do you know why I summoned you?"

"Because hunting monsters is interesting?"

"That applies to all hunters. The reason I specifically invited you is, frankly, personal interest. I'm quite interested in hunters, you see — all sorts of stories about them. And among those, your record was truly remarkable. There's never been a hunter like you before."

Adelaide moved her hands.

"You handle most requests alone, and these days you're supposedly slaughtering mid-grade monsters left and right."

She wiggled just her left index finger, then spread her right palm wide open.

"Hunters are fascinating. Especially the ones who hunt monsters — they're different somehow. As if they possess absolute power. Against a monster, this hunter alone puts out a performance of five. Ah, and of course, I rate a monster's power at ten or higher."

Adelaide spread her palm wide.

"But you seem to put out power of ten or more. So what about against people?"

"…People?"

"Can a hunter truly wield that same power against other people?"

At Adelaide's words, Pina's expression soured considerably.

Her words carried no particular intent, but to us they landed like thorns — sharp and piercing.

Just then the waiter approached and set down a tray.

"Your Amargamos salt-grilled, one juice, and two beers."

"Ah, thank you. Here, the juice is for you. I'm buying, so eat and drink freely."

"…Thank you."

Adelaide smiled brightly as she passed the juice to Pina. Pina sucked on the straw with a distinctly displeased look.

I waited for the waiter to leave, then carefully chose my words.

"Hunters don't turn their weapons on people."

"Of course not. I know how dangerous weapons modified with monster materials can be. And I know how strong hunters are beyond that."

Adelaide shrugged.

"If you decided to kill me right now, I wouldn't be able to move a muscle, would I? But I see it differently. The fact that you're protecting me as a client right now is reassuring in many ways."

"…So what's the request?"

The extras meant nothing to me as a hunter.

What mattered to me was the request.

In the game, the quests the princess gave were one-off event quests.

The royal family wanted to organize an independent army without hunters — an attempt to bring hunter power under the nation's control.

But Adelaide highly valued the boundless potential of free hunters, so she did good things for them accordingly.

Those "good things" meant building a positive image of hunters within the royal family.

And by using those hunters, she aimed to raise her own standing within the royal family, turn the king's heart, and become the next monarch herself.

So the requests she made were often of the sort where she'd ask you to take down monsters threatening the nation in place of the army.

She'd make it hard to refuse with lines about staking everything on the player's success.

And whether the "staking everything" part was a lie or not, the quests were packed with nothing but strong monsters.

Upper-grade monsters were the baseline, and somehow she'd dig up aged, elderly monsters that had grown stronger with years — making the player eat absolute shit.

Yeah, most of the elderly monsters added in Hunter Land appeared through the princess's quests.

Once you beat them once, they turned into repeatable quests.

The rewards were the kingdom's goods and treasures.

Of course, for hunters, the hunt mattered more than royal treasures, so it didn't mean much. Those treasures just got converted to money. The only thing that mattered to a hunter was monsters…

Though earning the princess's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠trust was nice — watching her attitude change the more quests you completed was something of a treat.

Especially the lines she gave a player about to face Miteraos — they were pitiful beyond measure.

Adelaide was a strange woman, no question — but she was someone who trusted hunters and worried for them to the very end.

Like Matillo, there was a certain fondness there. There were other NPCs like that besides Adelaide, but…

That was a sad story.

After the final update, what becomes of a player ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who kills Miteraos — what becomes of me?

While I was deep in that thought, Adelaide spoke.

"The request is simple. I want to demonstrate just how exceptional you hunters' power is."

"Show whom?"

"My father, of course."

What?

"Father… you mean His Majesty the King?"

"Asking the obvious, little miss."

Adelaide shrugged at Pina's question.

"You could just have a Master Hunter do that."

"That Master Hunters are exceptional is a given, isn't it? They're called Masters because they're outstanding. People like that don't make good examples. Whatever they do, the label of 'Master' follows them. What caught my eye is you — the finest among hunters who are 'still' ordinary."

Adelaide smiled sweetly. Then she stroked the essence attached to her hood.

"Hmm, in that sense, may I see your skills right now?"

"What is it."

"Hehe. Will you protect me? Being a princess and all—, there are many who target me. For example, those coming this way right now. They're here to capture me."

I turned my head following Adelaide's words.

Those people I'd been watching earlier stood up from their seats and were slowly approaching.

…They were coming this openly?

"Eh, i-is that for real?!"

"Of course, little miss."

As if reading my thoughts, Adelaide twirled a strand of hair around her index finger as she spoke.

"To capture me, you see — they drop by like this from time to time."

"W-who would do that? In broad daylight, in a tavern full of people?"

"Who indeed? Well, since I'm in a place like this, one of the people targeting me, I suppose."

The princess said it so calmly.

It was a dangerous situation, yet she acted as if nothing were amiss.

That leisurely demeanor made me realize what this wicked princess wanted. This was the princess's test.

Even the people approaching to target the princess were clearly her own people. More precisely, they were coming for me.

Decisively, their gazes were directed not at Adelaide, but at me.

"Beer and salt-grilled really do go well together. You should try some too, little miss."

"Y-Your Highness? Aren't you being a bit too calm about this?"

"Well, might as well eat what I want before I die. And there's a reliable hunter right here, isn't there? If you fail, we all die. That would mean my judgment was wrong. So I'll leave everything to you. Please, hunter. Save me—. Ah, but don't kill them. Killing would be troublesome. Think of it as a capture request."

The princess begged for her life with the most unconvincing performance.

Request or not, I'd ultimately gotten tangled up in the princess's twisted hobby.

I exhaled slowly and stood up. Then I downed the beer sitting in front of me.

"Oh—?"

The beer went down in smooth gulps. Before I knew it, the mug was empty and light.

"Haa—."

Yeah. Against humans, a beer mug should be weapon enough.