Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: The Princess's Carriage (3)
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Clusters of headless goblin corpses lay sprawled out in heaps so thick it was enough to turn the stomach.
Sian, standing casually atop them as if they were nothing, tilted his head in puzzlement.
'No level up after all, huh...'
It had been the same during the griffon fight.
Unlike his expectations that slaying monsters would trigger some change in his body, nothing had happened.
Was a game turned into reality no longer a game at all?
Ariel's game world without a status window or level-ups.
Even leveraging his pre-possession game knowledge, his body had to keep up with the proficiency to grow...
'The magic presence is gone too.'
At some point, the eerie magic he'd sensed when the goblin wave hit had vanished.
During the battle, Sian had realized it. This unnatural monster assault wasn't spontaneous.
Someone had orchestrated it and fled the moment things went south.
The magic he'd felt was alien, and the monsters' expressions and behavior were off.
'But why? The 4th Princess is out of the succession line... What's the gain in killing her?'
As he pondered this.
"Um, over there...!"
Rozaria approached Sian cautiously and spoke up.
Silky soft red hair and a cute face.
Long double eyelids that exuded an elegant air, contrasting her youthful appearance.
She lifted the hem of her dress and bowed her head to him, her striking beauty now fully visible after the battle.
"First, allow me to express my gratitude! I am Rozaria di Violet, the 4th Princess of the Violet Imperial Family!"
"Ah."
Sian stepped back upon seeing Rozaria.
Come to think of it, he'd spoken informally to her during the fight—the first time they'd met.
The situation had been so urgent, and out of pre-possession habit, she'd seemed like a little sister, so it came naturally...
But in this world, he was just a kid, and she outranked him as nobility—the 4th Princess of the Lianna Empire, no less.
Sian had been inwardly anxious that his casual speech might count as lèse-majesté.
"...I'm Sian."
Since they attended the same academy, he omitted his family name to avoid her hearing his reputation.
She might mistake him for a commoner, but oh well.
"Sian...! What a splendid name. Thank you so much for saving us! Truly... if not for you, Sian, I might have lost my precious friends..."
Tears welled up in Rozaria's eyes.
And understandably so—just moments ago, the situation had been dire.
Even Emil, her closest friend and guard knight, had been in mortal danger.
The dozen or so escort knights had been wiped out.
The remaining knights had been on the brink of death too, and they'd nearly all perished in what was truly a hellish ordeal.
Sian, who had shattered that nightmare, was a hero to her.
He'd charged into the fray, massacring goblins with expert skill, tending to the soldiers, and turning the tide in one fell swoop.
But to Sian, it was only natural.
Help those in trouble.
If you have the power, of course you help.
That was the mindset of a functioning member of society.
Besides, how could any man ignore a girl his little sister's age suffering?
Sian flashed a gentle smile at the teary-eyed Rozaria.
"It was only natural. I'm glad I could help."
He nearly reached out to pat her head but held back.
"I insist on rewarding you... Are you from the Empire, by chance, sir?"
"No. I'm from the Brace Duchy."
"Ah! Our neighbor! I'll make sure to tell Father good things about the Brace Duchy. I won't forget your name either, Sian!"
"It would be an honor to aid diplomatic relations."
"Hehe, and... do you attend Ariel Academy, Sian? Your uniform matches mine..."
"Uh..."
Sian flinched.
He'd forgotten their uniforms were identical.
This was awkward.
As mentioned, his reputation at the academy was in the gutter.
Precisely, the original Sian's reputation—but getting known wouldn't help.
He could use Rozaria to flip it, but he had no desire to.
He wasn't the type hung up on reputation, and he hadn't saved her for reward anyway.
To him, the academy was life's insurance: train quietly, graduate quietly, land a good job quietly.
To live quietly, better no ties to Rozaria or the academy.
So Sian changed the subject—to the crucial point he'd meant to raise.
"More importantly, I think that monster attack was deliberate."
"...Pardon?"
"I sensed an odd magic reaction nearby. Didn't you feel it, Princess?"
"Uh... I didn't sense anything..."
"What?"
Sian was baffled.
'...She felt nothing?'
It had been an unmistakably creepy magic presence.
Even amid the chaotic battle, Rozaria shouldn't have missed it.
'Did the enemy hide their presence?'
That didn't add up either.
He'd sensed it himself.
If so, Rozaria—the story's magic prodigy—had no reason not to.
For him to sense what she couldn't, he'd need a superior dantian to hers.
Was it his imagination?
No.
It was chillingly ominous—definitely real.
That doubt persisted. And Rozaria had sensed it too.
"Are you a Sword Expert, Sian?"
"No, nothing like that. But I definitely felt it. Do you have anyone who might hold a grudge?"
"Someone with a grudge...?"
Rozaria tapped her chin thoughtfully.
A minute passed in silence.
She shook her head, as if drawing a blank.
"I don't think so. I'm not even in the line of succession... No one comes to mind. Well, one person maybe... Nah, not them."
Rozaria pondered then dismissed it.
Who could that be? Sian wondered.
If she thought 'not them,' it meant closeness.
Someone close to Rozaria... Besides guard knight Emil, he couldn't guess.
As a princess, she didn't have many friends anyway... Family, then?
...Family?
'...!'
It hit Sian like lightning.
Family jogged his memory.
'The 3rd Prince, Gerald...!'
The villain from the early heroine quest.
He'd forgotten, uninterested in heroine quests.
3rd Prince Gerald: main villain in heroine Rozaria's story—protagonist's love interest.
He was her half-brother.
The 1st Princess, 2nd Prince, and 3rd Prince shared a mother.
Only 4th Princess Rozaria was the illegitimate child of a commoner mother.
In the fierce succession struggle, they ignored the bastard 4th Princess.
Low in line, no faction, no power.
She seemed disinterested in power anyway.
So they paid her no mind—except Gerald.
Gerald lacked magic talent.
His swordsmanship was mediocre too.
Such a 3rd Prince always felt inferior to sword prodigy 1st Princess and even 2nd Prince.
Inferiority and resentment brewed since childhood.
Then illegitimate Rozaria inherited father's genes: born a magic genius.
How twisted would his guts get?
Thus, he'd bullied her openly since childhood.
Yet amid it, Rozaria endured with smiles, believing he'd open up someday.
'While Gerald wishes she'd vanish from the world...'
Sian pitied the clueless, tilting-head Rozaria.
But none of his business.
Her story's true protagonist, Cain, would save her.
"...In any case, it feels deliberate. Could even be someone close, so stay vigilant."
"Yes. Thank you for worrying. ...Today's events made it clear. Even if I don't want the throne, for those around me, as a princess..."
Rozaria murmured to herself, eyes resolute with newfound determination.
Leaving her to her thoughts, Sian gazed at the rising sun.
The fierce battle over, dawn had broken.
After training outdoors without sleep, he was exhausted.
Time for coachman and knights to wake.
He wanted back to the carriage for missed sleep.
"Princess, I'll take my leave. Coachman and family are waiting."
"Heading to the academy? Then travel with us..."
"Thank you, but we'll depart early. Please regroup with your injured knights and follow at leisure."
Rozaria glanced at still-sleeping Emil and knights bandaging wounds by the carriage.
Impossible to leave immediately, as he said.
"At least let me give you a communication stitch..."
"Farewell then! I'll head out first!"
"Ah, w-wait...!"
Ignoring the princess, Sian bolted without looking back.
Legs empowered by mana, he vanished swiftly.
The stunned princess reached toward his direction, murmuring.
"The reward... I need to reward him..."
"Where the hell were you?! You damn brat!"
Back at camp, Sara bellowed loud enough to burst eardrums.
The temporary tent after saving the princess.
They'd panicked at my absence and searched.
Atmosphere chaotic; all eyes widened at my return.
We'd planned morning departure—not late.
"Went for a workout."
"Work... Workout??"
Sara eyed me like pondering the best way to kill.
"Forgot your status? Disappearing at dawn means we'll look! Tell us if going somewhere! Idiot?! Moron?!"
"Uh..."
Sara thrust her face close, uncomfortably.
...She had a point.
I was the duke's son.
Sudden vanishing naturally alarms.
Even urgent, should have said.
"Sorry... My bad. Sis."
"Your thinking's always short!"
Sara glared, forehead to mine, fuming.
Her breath warm nearby.
What's this... Why so intense today...
"...Were you worried?"
"Whaaat-?! Tch!"
Bam!
"Ow! Why hit?!"
"Worry about a debauched punk like you?! Drop dead!"
Sara whirled away into the carriage.
...What a bitchy temper.
She definitely hates me. Worry? I must've been crazy.
Better avoid her at academy.
Sara muttered walking to the carriage after flicking Sian's forehead.
"Crazy bastard... Scaring everyone by vanishing."
She'd been shocked seeing his sweat-soaked clothes.
How intense a dawn workout to drench like that?
She'd noticed his recent behavior shift.
'Damn fatty.'
Truthfully, he'd slimmed so much 'fatty' didn't fit anymore.
Maybe done with debauched ways for real?
...No. People don't change easily.
10 years debauched—sudden change unlikely.
People don't change easily. Watch future actions, Sara thought.
Recalling his words then.
'...Were you worried?'
Crazy bastard. Who'd worry.
Sara glared at brother-enemy Sian changing clothes.
A brief silence.
"...Sigh."
Sighing deeply, deflated Sara murmured softly.