Chapter 66
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Rolling Stone... (1)
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- Clack, clack.
Passing by the Olfactory Officer, who had frozen with his hand still outstretched, Erzena stepped in front of Elaine.
"You've brought the princess with you?"
Her voice carried a hint of surprise.
She was a bit taller than Elaine.
Not as much as the towering Olfactory Officer, but unlike him who had bent down to meet her eye level, Erzena stood straight and looked down at the princess.
"Indeed... your eye color matches the royal hue of the Crossroad Kingdom."
Her golden eyes fixed intently on the green ones.
An inexplicable pressure emanated from her.
"Ugh..."
Unable to withstand it, Elaine released the Olfactory Officer's fingers and quickly retreated behind me.
"Princess?"
She still seemed overwhelmed; when I called her name, she grabbed my shirt hem and lowered her gaze.
'Come to think of it, Erzena and she have a few similarities.'
Both hailed from high nobility, and both had ended up at this southern border.
And each possessed their own unique power.
Erzena wielded holy power. Elaine had psychokinesis, a talent manifestation.
'They might even become good friends.'
Shared traits meant shared experiences and worries.
For Elaine, this was a chance to form a new bond beyond me and Hanna.
When I took her trembling hand, she visibly calmed.
"It's fine. Erzena is just curious why the princess is here."
"..."
"She came out to greet you. Like that werewolf over there."
The princess glanced slyly at the Olfactory Officer, still frozen in handshake position.
Understanding my meaning, she slowly nodded and stepped forward again.
She didn't let go of my hand until it was completely out of reach.
"...Huh?"
Seeing this, Erzena flinched for a moment before recovering in less than a second.
"No way... surely not."
A flicker of bewilderment crossed her face as she muttered softly.
As Elaine stood before her, Erzena spoke first.
"Nice to meet you, Princess Elaine Castor. I'm Erzena Selaph. No title—just Erzena."
She introduced herself plainly, now accustomed to shedding her saintess role.
Elaine looked up hesitantly at the golden eyes.
"...Ugh."
But all that came out was a mumble.
"...Princess?"
"Uh..."
Even when Erzena asked again, the response was the same.
"Ah, well, you see."
Come to think of it, I hadn't explained anything.
I briefly told her about Elaine's condition.
"She can't speak?"
Erzena's expression softened.
"You should have said so earlier. I thought..."
Having apparently misunderstood something, she gave an awkward smile and slightly bent down to meet Elaine's eyes.
Then she took the princess's hand.
"In that case, I can help."
Erzena closed her eyes, holding the hand.
Realizing what she intended, I shouted hastily.
"Erzena, stop!"
But it was too late.
- Whoosh.
A golden aura slowly spread around her.
"I'll fix it right away."
And those familiar, warm holy powers that had tormented the princess for so long entered her green eyes.
A look of horror.
[Church...!]
Elaine slapped Erzena's hand away with all her might.
- Smack!
"Kyaa!?"
At the same time, Erzena was pushed back by an invisible force.
"Lady Erzena, watch out!"
Fortunately, the Tactile Officer beside her extended a tentacle to catch her, barely preventing a collision with the desk.
- Scraaape.
Staring at the hand Erzena had held, Elaine gritted her teeth.
[You... chasing me all the way here...!!]
Just like in the palace, an ominous sound accompanied the shaking of the entire building.
Damn it.
'I forgot.'
That Erzena's holy power was the same as the priests' in the palace.
Elaine saw her as one of the church's people.
"Wh-what the hell!?"
"Earthquake?!"
Frightened screams erupted everywhere.
I quickly stepped in front of Elaine, grabbed both her hands, and shouted.
"E-Elaine! Erzena is no longer with the church. She excommunicated herself! There are no Holy Church members here!"
She paused at my words.
[Ex...communicated?]
"When we met at the mausoleum with the palace and royal family last time, she had already given up being a saintess. Look, she doesn't have the church symbol necklace!"
The green eyes turned to Erzena's chest.
There was no rose-patterned cross necklace that church members always wore.
"Nothing like what you think exists here. This place is truly safe."
- Ssshh.
Finally, the vibrations subsided.
People who had fallen over began rising slowly, one by one.
"Ugh... what the heck was that..."
"Felt like something crushing us..."
"Must be the princess's talent manifestation. Whoa..."
Whispers spread around.
And wary glances turned toward the princess.
'This is bad.'
Can't start off on the wrong foot.
Aware of it, Elaine looked around with a panicked expression.
I stepped forward quickly.
"Sorry, everyone. Elaine has never left the palace before, so she's extremely tense. And..."
I paused briefly.
'Should I reveal this?'
I wasn't sure if I should tell them she despises the church.
But they'd find out eventually.
'They'll be dealing with her for the next two months; can't hide it forever.'
And better now than later.
Silence breeds misunderstandings.
I came clean.
"She has... a bad history with the Holy Church."
The sense officers' expressions turned bitter, murmuring in understanding.
"Bad blood... We know a bit about that."
"Yeah, without context, no one would know why Erzena's here."
Fortunately, the reaction was positive.
All but one.
"...Elaine?"
Except Erzena.
I hurried to her.
"Are you hurt anywhere? I'm sorry. I should have explained properly."
"I'm fine, thanks to the holy power and Tactile Officer. Just startled. Didn't know she hated the church."
She rubbed her wrist pushed by psychokinesis, then took my hand to stand.
'Oh no.'
I swallowed hard.
Bad history with the church meant potential friction with Erzena too.
Even if she'd left, her holy power remained.
And Elaine intensely hated it.
'Can't let things get awkward between them from the start.'
How to smooth this over.
"You might feel uncomfortable, but Elaine—"
She cut me off.
"That won't do, Nathan. Calling the princess by name casually in an official setting? People will talk, especially as a public servant."
"...Pardon?"
"I'm just worried. I understand, but still."
Erzena smiled mysteriously and lightly straightened my rumpled shirt.
- Rustle.
Gentle touch smoothing the collar.
"...Ugh?"
This time, Elaine flinched.
"Uh... Erzena. Doesn't the princess's power bother you?"
"I know what Princess Elaine's power is. I know she's a talent manifestation user. But that's for later."
"What about the church grudge?"
"That too, later."
She waved it off dismissively.
"No matter how nice Nathan is, shouldn't you be more careful in official settings?"
She patted dust off my shoulder as she finished.
'You're calling me by name right now.'
I barely held back the retort rising in my throat.
Hanna beside the Olfactory Officer answered instead.
"Th-the princess and Central Officer are friends who exchange letters!"
"Ah. I knew you were friends, but the letters you hid in your drawer for days were from the princess."
Her tone was soft, but icy underneath.
"Now I see why you wouldn't tell me even when I asked."
Why did it feel like winter winds in broad daylight?
"E-Erzena? Are you angry?"
"Me? No? Why?"
Because your eyes are scarier than when you declared me a heretic.
You didn't glare this murderously even when I had 'Believer's Paradise, Infidel's Hell' on my forehead.
"I'm not mad? Do I look it?"
She smiled as she said it.
Whoa, her eyes aren't smiling.
At the same time, holy power began creeping like mist from behind, pooling on the floor.
"Feels like a storm brewing."
"Naturally, when a guy brings another woman home."
"In our hometown, we'd call this a catfight."
As the sense officers whispered out of sight, Erzena spoke lowly.
"If you want 72 hours of nonstop overtime, keep talking. I'll infuse you with holy power so you never clock out."
"Shutting up now."
The Olfactory Officer clammed up instantly. The Tactile Officer stuffed a tentacle in her mouth too.
She smoothly changed the subject.
"More importantly, why is the princess at the southern border? Something happen in the palace?"
"Well..."
The core question.
Why the princess came to the southern border. And why by royal order.
I hurriedly recalled Incancerth's command and answered.
"There was an earthquake from the western volcanic eruption. So, orders to evacuate her safely to the geologically stable southern border."
Silence.
"..."
"..."
Erzena's golden eyes stared at me flatly.
You expect me to buy that?
Feeling guilty, I added.
"It's true."
She turned to Hanna.
"Miss Hanna?"
"Eek! Y-yes!?"
Hanna jumped at the cold, wintry voice calling her name.
"Is it true?"
She leaned close to the pitiful girl.
Almost nose-to-nose.
"Really an earthquake that brought the princess here?"
"Uh, w-well..."
Hanna's blue eyes darted away slyly.
"...Y-yeah. Earthquake scary. Ground shake shake."
Her stiff, robotic reply.
The Olfactory Officer sighed deeply.
"Busted, big time."
The other sense officers grumbled.
"Why do these things only happen to us..."
"First a saintess, now a princess. What's next? The king? A dragon? Ancient deity?"
"At this point, nothing would surprise me..."
Everyone knew.
It was a lie.
Just two days ago, Hanna came begging to save her friend, and now dragging in the princess with 'earthquake safety evacuation'? Who'd believe it?
Plus, they'd just felt the princess's power firsthand.
'But how do I say the queen and I had a stare-down, and the princess tried to collapse the palace?'
Especially under royal gag order.
So, with my most apologetic face, I told Erzena.
"Can't tell you everything. Just know there were extenuating circumstances."
"...I get it."
She finally nodded.
"Must have her reasons, like me."
Her expression softened just a tad.
Then the Auditory Officer spoke.
"So, the princess stays at the Central Officer's house?"
"Pardon?"
"What?"
"Ugh?"
We three echoed simultaneously.
"Why would that be?"
"No way!"
[C-Central Officer's house?]
The Auditory Officer shot back coolly.
"Any reason not to?"
Erzena and I answered together.
"Th-there's no spare rooms!"
"Sh-she's a princess! Staying casually at a young man's house is improper!"
Hasty counterarguments.
"Oh ho..."
With her signature sly grin, the elf pointed at Erzena.
"Yet Lady Erzena is 'casually' staying at this 'young man's house'~?"
"...!!! Th-that's..."
"If I recall, you requested it yourself... even as a 'former saintess'~?"
Erzena couldn't respond.
Just blushing, wide-eyed, stammering.
The elf then turned her finger to me.
"And Central Officer. Surely two rooms left? I hear the chief's house has five; you and Erzena take two, leaves two~?"
"Th-those rooms aren't cleaned yet!"
Cleaning.
The word I'd erased from my mind, one even Erzena, living with me for days, hadn't dared tackle.
Too busy.
"So clean them?"
"Not that simple. Would need a full day of deep cleaning."
"Miss Hanna was a palace maid, right? She can help?"
"..."
Why is she like this today?
Dragging Hanna in too.
But that gave me ammo.
"Hanna would oppose too. Right?"
Hanna, just freed from Erzena, blinked in surprise.
"Me?"
"Yes. The princess deserves better accommodations."
Our house was at capacity.
'Just got used to Erzena.'
It took days to say goodnight without stuttering, good morning without awkwardness.
Commuting together daily was still weird enough; adding another would crush my mental space.
And damn cleaning undone.
Can't show my mess twice.
'Who then?'
Best place for the princess.
Then, a loyal Crossroad retainer popped into mind.
"Reyes Margrave's castle would be far better. It's a castle—bigger, cozier. And he'd consider hosting the princess a great honor."
Reyes Margrave.
He'd welcome her with open arms now that she was here.
'Still owes me from the changeling incident.'
Perfect payback for forcing the execution cancellation.
Confident, I declared.
"I'll contact the margrave immediately. He'll arrange it once he knows she's here."
But an unexpected ally defected.
"Central Officer... you're the southern border chief, right?"
Hanna murmured seriously.
"So protective spells on the house are solid, you're responsible for her safety, and former saintess stays there too..."
Wait, wrong direction.
"Miss Hanna, rethink—"
"I think Central Officer's house is best! No one else I trust!"
Backstabbed.
Hanna, what are you saying?
"No, the margrave's family has served Crossroad loyally for generations. You can trust him!"
"Hundreds in the palace said the same, Central Officer. And they all ignored the princess."
Sharp rebuttal.
Pointing at me, she continued.
"Only one person stayed by her side till the end. Central Officer's house or nothing. No, nowhere else!"
She decided it.
- Clap clap clap.
The sense officers applauded, pulling Hanna to their side.
"Honored to share your views, sister. Come sit."
"Welcome to the 'Central Officer Suffering Spectator Club'."
"Liked you from first sight. Drinks later?"
"Spill the tea sometime."
Damn them.
The Olfactory Officer was already treating her like a little sister.
Desperate, I turned to my last hope, Elaine.
"P-Princess. What do you want?"
Elaine.
Think carefully.
People will gossip about a princess living with a strange young man.
Bad for your future.
Don't want to ruin your marriage prospects.
But no verbal reply.
[...]
- Squeeze.
She just quietly gripped my shirt hem, head bowed, unmoving.
Meaning only one thing.
"...Ah."
This was serious.
And Erzena watched with a complicated expression.
"..."
"In that case... no choice."