I Successfully Snagged the Heroine!
About four hours later.
“No.”
“No…”
“No……”
The heroine selection operation proceeded with Roclaire’s group dragging candidates over one by one while I inspected them. The result?
“Your Highness, that was the last one…”
Not a single person who could be suspected of being a heroine had appeared. Every one of them had sunken cheeks and ordinary hair colors. And above all—
‘Don’t heroines in harem stories need decent-sized breasts at minimum?’
They were no different from my own flat chest.
“It seems my dear friend is not in this place…”
“What a shame…. But what do you intend to do with the woman back there?”
At Roclaire’s question, I glanced at Liana, who was sleeping soundly behind us. I had given her milk as a stopgap to pull her through the crisis, but in this place milk was a luxury and food was extremely scarce. Left like this, she would undoubtedly die within days.
“…We’ll take her. Her condition is far too poor.”
“Understood. I’ll lay her down where I was sitting.”
“What about you?”
Roclaire flashed me a thumbs-up and grinned mischievously.
“I may not look it, but I am a Sword Master. Covering a distance like this by running is hardly difficult.”
True enough…. After watching him run earlier, Roclaire could probably reach the imperial palace in ten minutes if he sprinted.
“Thank you. I will not forget this kindness.”
“I am moved beyond words!”
With that, Roclaire laid Liana on the carriage seat—still rolled up in the mat.
‘I’ll unwrap the mat. The way she’s bundled up makes it look like an actual kidnapping!’
After setting Liana down, Roclaire turned to the vagrants.
“Her Highness the Princess has finished her business with you lot. Clear off at once. Unless you’d like to part with your wrists.”
The vicious threat sent the vagrants bolting without so much as a backward glance.
“Your Highness, we will depart now!”
“Roclaire…. I do have my dignity to consider, so I would appreciate it if you minded your words and actions.”
“Hurk…”
Suddenly Roclaire drew his sword. It was the same sight I had witnessed hours ago. Pure white aura blazed along the blade.
“I shall atone for this sin with my worthless life!”
“I never told you to swing your sword for the empire!”
The road ahead suddenly looked very bleak. A Sword Master with a few screws loose was now my personal escort.
. . .
While occasionally feeding Liana milk, I sank into thought. I had assumed she was in especially bad shape, but—
‘Not even close.’
She had simply collapsed before the others. It was obvious the rest would fall within days as well.
The empire, to put it plainly, was prosperous. The scenery on the way to Gray Garden had proven that much. Most people lived in abundance, yet it was only most. A degree of wealth disparity clearly existed.
Take the vagrants of Gray Garden, for instance. They were still citizens of Barshain. ‘These are the ones who band together and cause trouble.’
If I improved their living conditions so they wouldn’t harbor resentment toward the empire, my own chances of survival would rise even a little. Since a clean beheading ending was always possible, I had to fix every visible problem.
“Haa…. I’ll need to address Gray Garden soon.”
I was muttering to myself and organizing my thoughts when a groan rose from beside me. Liana had finally opened her eyes.
“Wh-where…?”
After scanning her surroundings, Liana tried to sit up.
“Wh-what is this?!”
Wrapped tightly in the mat, she couldn’t move at all. Her frantic struggling reminded me of a fish at the market and looked so ridiculous that I had to fight back laughter before speaking.
“This princess has no taste for eating humans, so you may rest easy. It is no exaggeration to say I saved you.”
“Wh-why am I here…? And where are we going?!”
Liana raised her voice at me. Trembling violently inside the mat, her yellow eyes—sharp with tension—swam with a toxic mix of wariness and fear.
“I went through the trouble of saving you after you collapsed, yet your attitude is insolent.”
“S-sorry for raising my voice…”
I continued calmly.
“The place we are heading is the imperial palace. I have decided to look after you until you regain your health.”
“Wh-why are you being so kind to someone like me? I’m a commoner…”
“The value of a life is not something even this princess can judge. How could you presume to decide what even I cannot?”
A moment later, a choked sob escaped Liana’s throat. She began to cry pitifully.
“Thank you…. Thank you so much…”
Liana kept bowing her head to me over and over.
“I will listen to your gratitude after you have devoted yourself to the em—”
Right before I could deliver the perfect line, the carriage that had been racing forward suddenly halted. Both Liana and I tumbled forward in a heap.
The carriage door flew open and Jack shouted urgently.
“P-Princess! Are you all right? A d-dragon has appeared right ahead!”
Still sprawled on the floor, I looked at Jack.
“Is it too much for Roclaire to handle alone?”
Jack hesitated. It seemed even he found it difficult by himself.
“Sir Roclaire can subjugate it alone… but it will likely take some time.”
…Never mind. Wow. He could actually fight a dragon one-on-one? I had grown tired of being surprised.
I felt relieved knowing he could handle it, but there was always the chance something could go wrong.
“I don’t care how long it takes. Just tell Roclaire not to get hurt.”
“Understood!”
With that, Jack sprinted off toward Roclaire.
Liana was shaking like a leaf, clearly terrified. The only thing I could offer someone gripped by fear was comfort. It couldn’t be helped—primal terror had to be overcome in person.
I pulled Liana into my arms and stroked her back.
“Do not worry. My guards are exceptionally strong. Would you like to watch, if nothing else?”
That was an excuse. The truth was I wanted to see. I had witnessed Roclaire’s antics the entire way to Gray Garden, but I rarely got to see him fight.
‘Cutting off two vagrants’ wrists could technically count as combat, but it was far too one-sided.’
Liana hesitated, sneaking glances at me.
“You may refuse. It was only a suggestion. This princess will go out and watch.”
The moment I stood and reached for the door handle, Liana grabbed my wrist.
“I-I’ll go! Please let me come with you!”
Her eyes burned with the resolve of someone facing death. Seeing her so determined, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Good eyes. Follow me.”
The scene outside the carriage was hell itself. Trees engulfed in flames, thick smoke billowing from the blaze. If hell existed, it would look like this.
In the middle of that inferno, I watched the guards—led by Roclaire—engage the dragon.
My impression after seeing Roclaire fight was simple.
‘Beautiful.’
The pure white aura sword danced around the dragon like a living thing. And it wasn’t just Roclaire. Jack, Karl, and Dias all displayed slightly rough swordplay, yet it was still breathtakingly beautiful.
Liana stared, entranced, at the multicolored aura blades weaving through the air.
“Impressive, isn’t it?”
“Yes…. It’s beautiful.”
Even though I had asked a question, Liana couldn’t tear her eyes away.
“Would you like to learn? Swordsmanship, I mean.”
This time Liana reacted.
“Wh-what? I’ve never even held a sword before…”
“Nothing is impossible in this world. If you are interested, I will speak to Roclaire.”
“……”
Ding!
A discrepancy rate with The Hero’s Chronicle of Rebuilding the Empire has occurred.
The current discrepancy rate is 20%.
As a reward, the status ailment ‘Fear’ may be inflicted.
2,000 points will be awarded as a reward.
There is a slim chance of survival even after the prologue.
The sudden status window and rising discrepancy rate. Along with the system alert, I felt a strange sensation and checked the Map of Connections. The map was steadily crumbling into dust.
In the incomprehensible situation, my mind raced. The conclusion I finally reached was—
‘You were the heroine?’
I stared at Liana. With her pitifully plain appearance and figure that made it embarrassing to even call her a heroine, she finally spoke.
“I will devote the rest of my life to the princess who saved me.”
Amid the dragon’s screams, Liana bowed deeply to me.
While I was still flustered by her sudden declaration, the dragon made one last desperate move. With the mindset of ‘If I’m going down, I’m taking at least one of you with me,’ it began lumbering in our direction.
Red flames flickered inside its maw. Just before it could unleash its breath—
I glared at the dragon as if I could kill it with my eyes.
“How dare a winged lizard like you act this way? Did your parents teach you no manners?”
The words slipped out carelessly, but something felt different. A bizarre sensation. The distinct feeling that its life and death were entirely in my hands.
The dragon, now meeting my gaze, swallowed its own breath and spread its wings. Exactly like the vagrants who had frozen in terror at the sight of Jack’s aura sword.
‘Is this what inflicting Fear does?’
I felt rather proud of acquiring what seemed like a useful skill. But that lasted only a moment. The dragon beat its wings fiercely.
Roclaire, who had been watching silently, leaped higher than the dragon itself.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Roclaire brought his pure white sword down hard on the fleeing dragon’s head.
“Kiiiieeeeek—!”
Amid the swirling cloud of sand and dust, Roclaire wiped the dragon’s blood from his blade.
“Roclaire, well done.”
I handed him a handkerchief as he wiped his face with his sleeve.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
After the battle with the dragon, we arrived at the imperial palace without further incident.
“S-so this is the imperial palace…”
“Ah, I forgot to mention.”
I whispered into Liana’s ear. This was something only she needed to know.
“When you meet His Majesty, tell him you are my friend.”
“Pardon…? What do you—”
“I am asking you…!”
Roclaire tilted his head, looking puzzled at our exchange.
“Your Highness, what are you talking about?”
“It’s nothing. I simply asked her to pretend to be my friend.”
Roclaire’s confused expression gradually transformed into one of absolute conviction.
“Hehe. This Roclaire has perfectly understood Your Highness’s intentions.”
“Have you? Then all is well.”
I didn’t ask any further questions. It was obvious what a muscle-brained Sword Master like Roclaire was imagining.
“Then, Liana. Let us go meet His Majesty.”
In the end, I had accidentally succeeded in snagging the heroine. In harem stories there is no such thing as yours or mine. The one who picks it up first owns it!