86. Ambushed
Lately, a smile keeps tugging at my lips, refusing to be held back.
*Hold it. I have to hold it. This body belongs to the Empire’s crown prince. The future emperor. I can’t just laugh however I want…*
Hihit! Hihaha! …Aaaaa! No way! Ruprecht. Wake up, come on! Focus on your duties!
But I can’t help it. By next spring, I’ll have a crown princess at my side. My partner will be right there with me. And the one who’s been driving me crazy for years is none other than Licata!
Focus. Work. Today, burning this body for the Empire is the right thing to do…
“Uuuu—”
The pen simply won’t stay in my hand. I give up and sink deep into the backrest to rest.
*Next spring.*
Yeah. Next spring. That’s when I’ll become a new groom and Licata a new bride. The Empire will officially welcome its crown princess, and Father will finally get to meet the daughter-in-law he’s been waiting for so long.
It took a while. No, it took way too long. As the crown prince of a nation, I was too busy mooning over one woman to even think about producing an heir, so the whole imperial family must have been beside themselves with worry.
Still, I’m grateful they waited without a word. It only makes me love them more and be happier. If I ever fail them, even the gods would have no choice but to punish me.
*Friedrich County’s patriarch really had a face like he’d won the lottery.*
After the imperial New Year audience, I secretly met my in-laws.
Mother-in-law just smiled the whole time, while Father-in-law looked as bewildered as if he still couldn’t believe it. That only made me happier.
“My daughter may be lacking, but please treat her well, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
As she said that with a smile, I felt a chill run down my spine without realizing it.
I tried to play dumb, but secrets were bound to come out in this place. And Mother-in-law’s past was one of them.
A daughter who misbehaves might attract assassins. Ah, of course, that was just a joke.
*Tap-tap*
“Your Highness.”
“Come in.”
It seemed another duty had come up. Not exactly welcome, but as the Empire’s crown prince, smiling while fulfilling my obligations was only right.
With the joy of becoming a new groom to draw on, I redoubled my efforts…
“…This document isn’t from the Bright Light Church?”
“No, it isn’t.”
The servant handed me documents that had nothing to do with my original duties—documents from the Bright Light Church.
At this hour, why had the Church’s affairs suddenly landed on my desk? I set aside my suspicions and examined the contents.
“Hmm.”
After reading everything, the first thought that crossed my mind was, of course, Licata.
*That smile on her lips won’t leave anytime soon.*
Imagining it made my lips twitch. She might not know, but when she smiled, she was most beautiful. I could watch it a hundred times, a thousand times, and never get tired of it.
In that sense, the news that had just arrived was the perfect brushstroke to paint that smile.
- The lost holy relic of the Bright Light Church, the Sword of Saint Louis, has been discovered and successfully recovered.
- Friedrich County’s young master, Sergeant Karl Adelheit, has recovered the relic. Cardinal Beolant of the Fourth Parish personally announced it.
“…”
This was strange. My brother-in-law had said he never wanted to wear another medal on his chest.
Yet here he was, acting like he was dying to plaster medals all over his chest?
*
“Ah, damn.”
After washing up, sinking into the hot springs felt like paradise.
Back in the day, when I’d step into hot water and mutter “It’s refreshing!” someone would tease me with “Hey, old man, old man.” But that wasn’t just old men—it was pure human nature.
“…Sigh.”
Sitting quietly in the onsen, a sigh slipped out before I could stop it.
I’d come here to rest. The hot springs were crowded, sure, but that didn’t change the fact that I was here to relax.
I just picked a random rock, smashed it with my greatsword, and—there! The Church’s holy relic tumbled out. Even the Cardinal had teared up at the sight.
Honestly, watching that scene, I thought, *Did the Church even do a proper search?* No, correction—*I thought that pretty hard.*
I swung my greatsword at a random rock and there it was, the relic I’d been hunting for.
That meant the Church had every reason to have found it. In fact, if I’d searched as thoroughly as I did, I would’ve found it long ago.
*…Did they really think the relic was hidden underground or somewhere no one would think to look? But why the hell was the sword inside a rock in the first place?*
On that point, Cardinal Beolant had offered a very reasonable explanation.
When the Church headquarters in the Fourth Parish was burned to the ground by the Gganf, someone must have hidden the relic in a hurry. If it fell into their hands, they’d suffer unimaginable humiliation. So they hid it where it would never be found, in a way no one would expect.
In that case, sealing the rock in an artificial manner after placing the relic inside was something even the Gganf would never have predicted.
*But the real problem is, if that rock is lost, how do we find it?*
Since the Church people weren’t idiots, they wouldn’t have left any obvious markers. Doing so would only alert the Gganf. They’d open the box like a random loot box and get a surprise. The Church would be furious.
Leaving a sophisticated marker was also unlikely—there wasn’t enough time when the enemy was already at the gates.
In short, it was nearly impossible to find. Not because they didn’t try, not because they were dumb, but because I was just that damn lucky.
“…Did the gods really pass by and leave it here?”
I muttered to myself, and a moment later I sensed movement behind me.
Instinctively, my hand went for my greatsword, but realizing the person was right beside me, I let out a sigh.
I hadn’t left my greatsword behind. It always came with me, whether I was sleeping or bathing.
The reason it wasn’t here now was none other than the Bright Light Church.
*Cardinal…!*
I had found the relic. And the tool I used was my greatsword. The Church had taken a keen interest in that weapon. They even wondered if it carried some divine revelation.
No, honestly, what revelation? All it was full of was Gganf blood. It had picked up the blood of other things too, but in the end, it was mostly Gganf blood.
Still, they took my greatsword along with the Sword of Saint Louis as if it were a sacred treasure.
They gave it back, but it felt… off. My hand had gone completely empty at the worst possible moment!
*Damn it.*
I shot to my feet, but the person moved faster than I expected.
This wasn’t normal movement. They were highly skilled. Maybe one of the Luzens assassins they’d sent to kill me. And they’d walked right into my trap.
A pair of snow-white arms wrapped around my neck. Whether they meant to choke me or go for the carotid artery, it didn’t matter.
Haa. I came to the onsen to find the Church’s relic, and now I’m supposed to go find my happiness. Just like the Gganf bastards. Even after I’m dead, I’ll haunt you—
“Ta-da!”
…? Wait. That voice… isn’t it?
“…Eloise?”
“Surprise! Who else could it be?”
I whipped my head around, and there she was—Eloise.
Her arms were around my neck, but she wasn’t trying to choke me or aim for the carotid artery.
She was simply hugging me, arms wrapped around me with no particular intention.
“What… are you doing?”
“I came for the onsen.”
“What does that have to do with secretly ambushing me? If I had something on me, you’d….”
“Die? Ehehe. Not a chance. As amazing as you are with a sword, I’m not that sloppy an elf. Why would I lead the extermination squad if I were? Ah, though maybe I’m sloppy in bed. Hehehe!”
“….”
Let’s pretend I didn’t hear the last part.
“Haa.”
The tension that had been coiled tight throughout my body suddenly loosened.
I sank back into the onsen, and the muscles that had been ready to explode the moment I stood up relaxed. The blood that had been rushing to my head settled back down.
“Don’t do that from now on. You almost got me killed.”
“Ugh, sorry. I’ll be careful. But this time, I had no choice.”
What kind of excuse was that? *This time I had no choice?* Wait, hold on—
“This is the men’s onsen.”
“Yeah.”
“The women’s is over there.”
“Yeah.”
“….”
This crazy woman. No, this crazy elf!
“What do you mean ‘yeah’?! Why did you come in here?! Get out!”
“I’m not leaving. Absolutely not.”
“Get out!”
“If you want me out, let me see you first.”
I shouldn’t have looked. My brain screamed at me to turn away.
But my body reacted faster than my reason. Years of rolling around on the battlefield had made my reflexes the first thing to kick in.
“Ta-da!”
And I… actually couldn’t say a word. I was too embarrassed.
“How was it? I poured my heart into preparing this special move.”
The sight of Eloise’s seductive pose right in front of me, her flawless skin, and the swimsuit that barely covered the important parts.
This… this shameless Gganf… Using such ruthless tactics…!
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