A Secret Sworn on Honor
The distant cry of a nightjar echoed through the darkness. Deep in the forest, we eventually built a campfire beside the carriage. In the distance, our two horses quietly lowered their heads, grazing on the grass. As expected, the ever-capable maid Charlene had slipped off somewhere, caught a rabbit, and turned it into perfectly grilled barbecue. Mm… it was delicious.
“As expected of you, Charlene. You really know how to grill rabbit meat.”
When I offered the compliment, Charlene’s cheeks flushed slightly. She let out a bright laugh and replied, “It’s nothing special. Roasted dishes like this only require proper control of the flame’s intensity and perfect timing.”
Still, I must have used too much mana today. No matter how much I ate, my stomach refused to feel full. At that moment, Princess Mage, who had been sitting with her knees drawn up and glaring at us with clear displeasure, finally spoke.
“Are you truly not going to tell me?”
This princess was persistent. She was still dying to know our true identities.
“Your Highness, why don’t you start with some of this rabbit? It’s lean and has a wonderfully light flavor.”
Right then, a soft grrr rumbled from the princess’s stomach. Heh. So even Her Highness was hungry. Her face turned beet red. She cleared her throat awkwardly, then reached for the rabbit skewered on a nearby willow branch and took a big bite. Having only ever eaten neatly sliced portions, this must have been her first time eating meat this way.
Charlene watched her with suspicious eyes before speaking. “I cannot trust this princess. She has a loose tongue and always hides those sinister schemes of hers—”
“Who are you calling sinister?”
Princess Mage protested around a mouthful of rabbit.
“I am someone who thinks only of the safety and future of the Saint Clare Imperial Family. It is because Miss Charlene never listens that things become difficult.”
I glanced at Charlene and whispered softly, “Charlene. Don’t you think it’s okay to tell her now?”
“No. I still cannot trust this princess.”
At that, Princess Mage set down her rabbit and slammed her palm against the ground.
“I swear on the honor of the Saint Clare Imperial Family that I will keep your secret. Do you understand what it means for me to stake the imperial family’s honor?”
Whoa. Her eyes blazed with fierce determination and anger. That’s right—this princess valued the Saint Clare Imperial Family’s honor above all else. She would never engage in careless words or actions that might tarnish it.
Hearing those words, even Charlene nodded. “You’re more serious than I expected, Princess. So if you fail to keep the secret, the honor of the Saint Clare Imperial Family will plummet into the abyss?”
“Of course. Because I have just staked that very honor.”
Charlene glanced at me before speaking. “Then shall we tell her? We might as well organize everything that’s happened so far.”
I nodded and tore off another piece of rabbit with my teeth. Charlene began recounting events from the very beginning: the grave mistake she made while working as a Grim Reaper that led to her punishment, how I had pulled her from the ice, the sudden appearance of Sephirot and Demon King Apocryon, and even how I had formed an acolyte contract with Annette.
Listening to her explanation, I realized just how much had happened in such a short time. The princess listened without making a sound. When Charlene finished, she responded in a hushed, trembling voice.
“...That’s impossible. Is that really true?”
Princess Mage looked at me for confirmation. I scratched the back of my head and nodded.
“Unbelievable. Miss Charlene was a Grim Reaper, and Kailon was her acolyte? You were telling me that Miss Charlene was a being from the Divine Realm?”
“Not anymore. I’m currently using a human body. Only the core is that of a Grim Reaper.”
Charlene answered grumpily, then tore off another piece of rabbit meat with her fingers and popped it into her mouth.
Suddenly the princess approached us and grabbed both my hand and Charlene’s.
“You two… please lend your strength for the sake of our empire from now on. Will you?”
Hmm… Did this princess think we were already employed by the empire?
Charlene seemed to share my thoughts. She placed a piece of rabbit in my mouth and said, “I am merely a maid. My master is a teahouse owner. Aren’t you expecting something far too grand?”
“Even so, if you can wield the power of the Divine Realm—”
“We don’t particularly want to. Master and I only move because of orders from that old man Hades, not because of any request from you, Princess. Master, isn’t the grilled rabbit delicious?”
It was delicious, but Charlene was clearly teasing the princess on purpose, deliberately scratching at her impatience. There was no need to provoke her like this.
“Kailon? Do you truly intend to live as nothing more than a teahouse owner for the rest of your life? Someone of your caliber could be playing in much bigger waters.”
This time the princess turned to me with a challenging tone. Just as I was about to answer, Charlene spoke first.
“Princess? Do not look down on teahouses.”
At those words, Princess Mage bit her lip tightly, her expression growing even more determined. Then she said something completely unexpected.
“...Please arrange for me to meet the God of the Underworld, Hades.”
Huh? What was this princess thinking?
Charlene took another bite of rabbit before answering. “Even I cannot meet that old man Hades whenever I wish. Throughout history, only one human has ever met him.”
“Who was it?”
Charlene took a sip of water from her cup before replying. “The Great Mage Macius, who sealed the Demon Kings during the Underworld War eight hundred years ago. Now you understand why the Temple of Macius still stands to this day, don’t you, Princess?”
Oh. That was news to me as well. Come to think of it, Charlene had mentioned before that she met Macius long ago. She had said it in passing at the imperial library. I’d have to ask her about that story properly later.
At that same moment, somewhere deep in another forest, the members of the Red Moon Sect sat slumped on the ground, barely managing to collect themselves.
Kailon’s whip had contained far more mana than they could have imagined. They had nearly died for real.
Myla, whose clothes were torn and face bore fresh wounds, spoke first. “What the hell was that insane mana from that Kailon bastard? Boss, that was no joke. I had no idea he was on that level. What is he? Who is that guy, really?”
“There are no humans in the Human Realm capable of wielding mana like that,” Morgas answered, coughing harshly. “He cannot be human.”
He had barely dodged Kailon’s decisive strike, but the resulting shockwave seemed to have damaged his internal organs.
Another member of the Red Moon Sect, still gasping for breath, spoke up. “Charlene’s mana was no joke either. Boss, this request no longer makes sense. I’m withdrawing from this mission. Life is more important than money.”
With those words, he staggered away from Morgas. The other two members shook their heads as well and distanced themselves, clearly indicating they wanted no part of this mission.
Morgas let out a short laugh as he watched their retreating backs. “The so-called Red Moon Sect, and yet they’ve all lost their nerve. Pathetic fools.”
Myla used her spear as a crutch to push herself up on trembling legs. “After experiencing that kind of power firsthand, it’s understandable. Don’t think too badly of them, Boss.”
Morgas let out a long sigh. “Myla. Will you continue with this request?”
“I nearly died fighting, but I still need to complete the job and get paid. I don’t participate in fights where I lose money.”
“Good. You’ve got spirit. That’s the kind of tenacity a Red Moon Sect member should have.”
Morgas slung his sword sheath over his shoulder and continued. “First, we need to find Sephirot.”
Myla reacted immediately. “Sephirot? Why him?”
“That man likely knows a lot about both Charlene and Kailon. It would be wise to share information with him.”
“I don’t like that Sephirot guy. He always acts alone and he’s downright sinister.”
At Myla’s complaint, Morgas chuckled. “Don’t worry. I have no intention of truly joining hands with him either. Also, for this mission, it looks like we’ll need to demand at least five billion gold more. Myla.”
“Five billion gold? That much?”
When Myla reacted in surprise, Morgas nodded. “Since this will likely become a life-risking job, we should at least receive that much.”
I opened my eyes. Mm… The weather was quite warm, so sleeping outside wasn’t too bad. I sat up from my sleeping bag.
Phew… The fatigue that had built up from yesterday’s battle seemed to have mostly disappeared. I must have slept like the dead.
Hm? But there was one very well-toned leg draped comfortably over my body. Whose leg was this…? It was Princess Mage’s.
What kind of sleeping habits did this princess usually have? That leg, though… it was beautiful. It seemed even prettier than Charlene’s. Charlene’s legs had a bit more muscle, after all…
Whoa… Maybe I should admire them just a little longer.
At that moment, Charlene sat up from her own sleeping bag.
“Aham~~~~~”
She stretched immediately upon waking. Oh no. If Charlene realized I had been appreciating the princess’s legs, she would definitely cause a scene.
I quickly squeezed my eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.
“Our master’s acting skills are truly top-notch. Even though you were drooling over the princess’s legs just moments ago.”
Charlene’s sarcastic voice came from behind me. Tch. She had noticed after all.
“Hey, Princess. Aren’t you going to move that trotter of yours?”
At Charlene’s warning, Princess Mage awkwardly rubbed her eyes and sat up.
“Aham~” She stretched and rubbed at her eyes. “Miss Charlene, what’s the matter? I was just sleeping… Aham~”
“Stop pretending you were asleep. I know you weren’t sleeping at all.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The princess answered awkwardly, avoiding Charlene’s gaze. W-wait. Had the princess really been awake? Then… did she do it on purpose? Was she actually flirting with me?
Ooh… No, surely not. I shouldn’t get my hopes up until it was certain. After all, the other party was a princess of the Arcadia Empire.
By the way, what kind of perfume did the princess use? Even after sleeping outside, she smelled this wonderful…
“Master? Shouldn’t you stop daydreaming and prepare to depart again? Right?”
Charlene’s icy voice came from behind me. U-uhm… Charlene was the type of person who might actually summon her Grim Reaper’s Scythe when truly angry. I needed to be careful.
I looked at the campfire, now reduced to mere embers, and naturally changed the subject.
“It looks like we’ll be riding in the carriage all day again today. Shouldn’t we eat breakfast here before leaving?”
At my suggestion, Princess Mage—who had tightly tied back her hair—replied, “You’re right, Kailon. I’ll go wash up quickly at the nearby stream. What should we have for breakfast?”
“Hmph. The great princess can make it herself.”
Charlene seemed to be sulking. W-wait. If our best cook was acting like this, we had a problem.
While I was busy trying to soothe Charlene, I noticed people carrying luggage walking along the main road in the opposite direction. Their expressions were gloomy. They looked exactly like refugees.
I quickly approached them. “Excuse me. May I ask you something? Are you currently evacuating?”
A middle-aged man carrying a box on his back answered. “Yes. The Demon King’s army has appeared over there, and it’s complete chaos.”
“Over there… does that include Retsher City as well?”
“Yes. I heard the priests are defending at the Temple of Macius, but… it seems that place will fall soon too. It would be best if you turned back. Retsher City is dangerous right now.”
Ah? My eyes, Charlene’s, and Princess Mage’s all met in one place. The princess, who had once again loosened her hair, quickly climbed into the carriage.
“Kailon. Charlene. We need to hurry.”