The Reluctant Promise
Talking to Rai had a way of derailing the conversation. It was only natural—master and spirit were cut from the same cloth when it came to wandering attention.
Ash must have taken my growing frown the wrong way. His voice came out uneasy as he called my name.
“Is it really that difficult?”
“Not exactly easy. I’ve never done it before, to be honest.”
[That means you only cause trouble without ever cleaning up after yourself!]
Rai was really pushing his luck today. Even if it was true.
“But… it’s possible, right? Tell me it is.”
“Theoretically, yes. I can put it back. There’s nothing I can’t do! It’ll just take some time.”
“How long?”
“I won’t know until I try. I’ve never reversed anything before, so I don’t have a feel for it.”
In reality, my rough estimate came out to about twenty years. The next time I’d run into demonic energy was twenty years from now. If I told him the truth, he’d never stop pestering me, so I kept my mouth shut.
I smiled like an angel and patted Ash’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry. Just trust your big sister. Even if it’s Robenin’s personal item, I wouldn’t make something from someone else’s family heirloom disappear and then pretend I didn’t.”
[Probably.]
[Damn it.]
[What! I was only voicing Master’s true thoughts!]
Even if the sword wouldn’t be exactly the same after I returned it, what mattered most was that I was putting in the effort and sincerity. Ash and Robenin might see it differently, but that wasn’t my problem. I’d only promised to return it, not to restore it to its original state.
“Can we really trust this woman?”
“Of course. She may not be righteous… and yes, she sometimes kills people and lies, but she keeps her promises. You can trust her. You should trust her!”
“That explanation does nothing to inspire confidence.”
“She’s saved my life more times than I can count. If she asked me to entrust my life to her again, I’d hand it over without hesitation. Besides, she didn’t earn the title of Saint for nothing.”
“……For now, I have no other choice. I’ll trust Your Highness. Not her.”
Even though I was clearly making an effort, Robenin kept staring at me with open distrust. The only person he trusted was Ash. Maybe his beastly instincts were warning him not to believe me.
“I’ll believe that you’ll take responsibility and return my sword, Your Highness.”
[Sorry, Ash.]
[Ash is great, but trusting Master is his one flaw.]
[I agree.]
[Why aren’t you getting angry for once?]
Ash stood caught between Robenin and me, suffering through an unexpected ordeal. That uncomfortable expression was proof he was being pressured.
“She’s trustworthy, but… she doesn’t listen to me.”
“What?”
“If it’s not something she wants to do, she won’t do it. So you’ll have to persuade her yourself. Make her want to help. Do you understand? Treat her with proper courtesy. Don’t provoke her anymore!”
“She’s the one who destroyed my sword on a whim.”
“You’re the one who attacked first!”
“I was still worked up right after the fight… I wasn’t in the best state. She just looked like good prey.”
I could see now that expecting common sense from this lunatic was pointless. Ash kept glancing at me, clearly worried I might explode again.
“Young master, could you please keep your distance? Having the two of you so close is suffocating. Actually, just leave. And keep the fact that you met me a secret. That’s why I came here in the first place—to say that.”
“……So she’s more important to you than I am?”
“That’s……”
“Of course she is, you crazy stalker!”
I cut Ash off and kicked out, but this time Robenin didn’t bother dodging. He just looked at me like I was an annoying speck of dust and took a few steps back. In that moment, Ash’s arm quickly wrapped around my waist.
“The way you talk is weird no matter what you say!”
“Jeanie! The young master tends to make statements that are easily misunderstood, so reacting to every single one will only drain your energy.”
“I’m only holding my tongue because Your Highness asked me to.”
“……Don’t blame me for you not wanting to reply.”
“That’s part of it too.”
“You always put me in difficult positions. Right now, I can’t afford to get caught up in any commotion. As you know, I’m in the middle of an important trial… and I’m in disguise because of it. You recognizing me is extremely troublesome.”
Ash let out a long sigh while staring at the ground, then suddenly lifted his head with a serious expression. The atmosphere around us shifted. This wasn’t the gentle Ash I knew—this was the prince who ruled within the palace.
“Coming here was my mistake to begin with. I shouldn’t have relied on this necklace. I knew you weren’t ordinary, yet I still made this mistake. Since we’ve met, I’ll ask while hoping it isn’t true. Young master, the contact in the capital said you followed me. Is that true?”
What was going on? Why did the mood between them suddenly change? They were having an entire conversation with their eyes and leaving me out!
Still, it was entertaining, so I kept watching. Thinking back, the timing matched. The period when Ash’s whereabouts vanished from the palace coincided with when Robenin began overturning the continent by defeating strong opponents.
“I didn’t exactly follow Your Highness.”
“Whew…… That’s a relief.”
“Your Highness suddenly disappeared. At first, I wondered if the First Prince had killed you, so I looked into it……”
“I told you not to say things like that. You really don’t listen.”
“After stirring things up everywhere, the Duke suddenly got angry. He said since Your Highness is taking the trial to become crown prince, I should at least get married or inherit the family or do something, and he kept pestering me. So I left.”
“……Young master. Then you did follow me.”
Ash seemed to have a stalker. And a dangerous one who could recognize him even with a changed face.
“Besides, if you brought Tenebra out without permission…… that’s basically running away from home. Though you’re a bit old for that…… And if you took the family heirloom on your own and then lost it…… this is getting far too……”
Ash muttered with a somewhat dazed expression, but both Robenin and I remained perfectly calm, as if it were someone else’s problem.
“But our paths overlapping was purely coincidence. As you know, that place is dull, and without you it’s even more meaningless.”
I wasn’t even angry anymore. This guy’s strange way of speaking was apparently just how he was.
“……Without you, there was no one to stop me.”
“Exactly.”
“Young master, I’m begging you. When you leave here, act like you don’t know me. Even if we happen to meet again by chance, please don’t acknowledge me.”
“Do you dislike me? Am I the only one happy to see you?”
I was starting to wonder just how weird this could get. Watching how flustered Ash looked while glancing at me was quite entertaining.
“No, that’s not it…… It’s because my current situation makes revealing my identity difficult. My companions would recognize you. There are many people here who know your face. After making such a spectacle of yourself, that’s only natural.”
“Make me your companion. The throne will be yours.”
“……You say things that could get people killed far too casually. If my companions ask how I know you, I won’t have an answer.”
“Just say we met today.”
Having him as a companion would be helpful, but it was obvious he’d cause just as many problems as I did. Ash’s lifespan would probably shorten from the stress.
When words failed, Ash finally raised his voice in frustration.
“Listen when someone’s talking! I said don’t follow me! Go your own way, please!”
“I’ll assist you.”
“……That doesn’t make sense! You know it goes against the rules, so why are you doing this!”
“But you took this woman as a companion even though she has a reputation. Is she a guardian too?”
“No. It’s not about reputation. And while she is a companion, she’s hiding her identity, so it’s different from you. But the fact that she knows my identity and therefore can’t be made a guardian is the same.”
It was a matter of conscience. The Path of the Trial was based on gathering talent solely through personal connections and leadership ability while hiding one’s identity. Being discovered as a prince violated the most basic and important rule. The reason this was taken so seriously was because a prince could use his power to deliberately select strong individuals and recruit them through unjust means, and a guardian who knew the prince’s identity might help with impure intentions, aiming for the wealth and glory that would come. Either way, it went against the purpose of the trial.
There were countless reasons why one’s identity couldn’t be revealed, but most critically, making someone who knew your identity into a guardian was serious cheating.
I’d been listening quietly, but the moment I was mentioned, I jumped in.
“I’ll pretend not to know you!”
“I will as well.”
“So I’ll make you a guardian! Just ask!”
Robenin nodded instead of speaking, and for the first time, we were in agreement. Ash, who had desperately hoped Robenin and I wouldn’t fight, now shook his head with the most despairing expression I’d ever seen.
“Both of you, please…… Are you contrarians? This isn’t a joke!”
“We’re offering to help because we know how important it is. I’ll act like I had no idea you were a prince. Wouldn’t a party of a prince be incomplete without a Saint?”
“Your Highness, a swordsman is essential as well.”
“We have enough swordsmen, so let’s skip that.”
Just because we agreed for 0.1 seconds didn’t mean I wanted to travel with him.
“……I’ll accept the sentiment. Knowing that both of you care about me is already more than enough. I mean that sincerely. But nothing more.”