It's Convenient to Have Done It in Advance (1)
Lydia walked slowly through the dungeon. Morgan and Mave flanked her, their expressions relaxed and at ease.
“It feels so leisurely.”
“Indeed.”
“Hmph. That’s because those two up ahead already cleaned everything out.”
It was less like dungeon clearing and more like a casual stroll. The surrounding scenery was gruesome, yet not even the monsters’ corpses remained.
Thanks to the hero and the champion who powered up in one go, this is incredibly comfortable.
A brilliant flash of light erupted ahead, followed by the rumble of an explosion.
Holy Sword Manifestation
“Ah, Aria! Slow down a little…!”
The shockwave reached all the way back to Lydia’s group, dozens of meters behind. It was as if the morning sun had flickered to life inside the gloomy dungeon.
BOOM—!
“Done! I swept them all away! Arty, take the holy sword and cast the support spell on me. Hurry!”
“O Sun God—!”
“Come forth, you minions of evil! Today I shall exterminate every last one of you!”
“Uwaaaah?! Aria! You can’t just rip monsters apart with your bare hands! It’s filthy!”
“With my final mercy, I grant you a painless death! I offer your blood to the Sun God—!”
“...”
Lydia drew not on game knowledge but on real-world insight. Aria’s hometown is in the northern reaches of the Theocracy… The north is barren, so they have a culture of hunting forest monsters to strengthen their faith.
The teachings of the Sun God contained no doctrine of mercy toward monsters. To live in harmony with them was impossible; they were cruel and evil. Young Aria had probably thrown stones at goblins in the woods herself. It was a regional custom—venting the pain of a harsh environment by directing that rage at humanity’s enemies.
In a normal medieval world, that bottled-up fury might have led to human sacrifice or witch hunts. In this world, it’s aimed at monsters instead. Should she call that fortunate because it was a fantasy setting, or pity poor Arty, who had to soothe that internalized anger every day?
“Arty, I shall exterminate every monster that dares harm you! Such is the duty of the Saintess!”
“I’m… not sure that’s quite right. Um… Well, the two of them will figure it out.”
At least as far as Lydia knew, Aria never unleashed that rage on people. Her fundamentally kind and gentle nature had not changed.
“...”
…Probably.
Thinking that, Lydia turned to Morgan. “Speaking of which, the final exams are coming up soon.”
“Hmph. Freshman-level material can be crammed in a single day.”
“That’s because you’re a genius.”
“H-hmph…! Who would be happy if you praised them like that?!”
Mave narrowed her eyes at Morgan. “You say that, but your voice keeps climbing higher.”
“Shut up, you leftover knight.”
“Hmph. I already know your words are harsh. Do you really think that would intimidate me—Lydia’s confidant?”
“W-what?! Why are you Lydia’s confidant?!”
“The one who always fights at her side and receives her noble teachings is her confidant. Besides, I’m a trainee knight of Gallia. Before even becoming a full knight, I have the honor of accompanying royalty from my own kingdom.”
“...”
Damn it. When you bring up the fact that we’re from the same region, I have nothing to say. The Republic and the Kingdom were simply too far apart.
“...”
Morgan lowered her head slightly. The tips of her ears, visible between strands of red hair, had turned bright crimson. Her fingers kept fidgeting.
“I live with her completely right now. D-doesn’t that mean… my relationship with her is deeper…?”
Lydia and Mave fell silent.
“...”
“...”
“...”
An awkward current flowed between them. Only the voices of the two rampaging ahead echoed through the dungeon.
“The time has come! Holy Sword Manifestation—!”
“Uwaaah! Aria…!”
“...”
“...”
“...”
Lydia wore a bitter smile. Mave shook her head slowly. Morgan, unable to bear their silence any longer, exploded.
“W-what is this atmosphere?! You knight scum! Why are you looking at me like that?!”
“You’re the one who brought up the weird topic first and then got angry about it.”
“W-w-what?! What’s weird?! Huh? Did I say something wrong?! I spoke with perfect logic!”
“In the first place, no one was competing over who has the deeper relationship with Lady Lydia.”
“That’s—!”
Just as Morgan was about to flare up again, Lydia stepped in to mediate the endless emotional skirmish.
“Both of you are undoubtedly my precious friends, so there is no need to worry. Definitions of relationships and the like can be recalled and reflected upon later. For now, let us simply cherish the fact that we are together.”
“Understood.”
“...Yeah.”
Morgan nodded weakly and followed after the two who had gone ahead.
“!”
Mave looked around and let out a gasp of admiration. The area was covered in monster blood, scattered remains, and stone walls that had been horrifically overturned. It truly looked like the aftermath of a storm. The entire path to the boss room had been swept clean.
“Lady Lydia… does this even make sense? Can two people really turn a mid-level dungeon upside down like this?”
“When you have two individuals who are sturdy swordsmen, priests beloved by the gods, and wielders of the legendary holy sword, such a thing becomes possible. In other words, each of them is doing the work of three. It’s manpower equivalent to a full six-person party.”
“By the sun… oh my god…”
Even as she spoke, Lydia mulled over the one point that still bothered her. The mystery of how Aria suddenly became able to wield the holy sword and gained physical specs comparable to Arty remains… It was content that had never appeared in the original work.
Mave stared ahead with a hollow expression.
“...”
As expected, a mid-level monster with massive bull horns lay collapsed in vain. Waiting in the boss room were Arty and Aria, happily playing around.
Arty had placed the severed bull horn on his head and was making a silly face in front of Aria. She clutched her stomach, bursting into laughter.
“Ahaha! Arty! What is that?!”
“The monster from earlier… didn’t it look something like this?”
“Ahaha—! Hahaha! It doesn’t look like it at all, but it’s exactly the same!”
The hero and the champion, joking like children. Lydia let out a long sigh as she watched them.
“Huu.”
They’re completely covered in monster blood. The moment we get back, I’ll have to wash them and feed them. They’re overflowing with energy. Lately I’ve even caught them secretly running around the training grounds together.
It was good that they had become honest with each other. But they had grown so pure that they had regressed into rural rascals again. The ones most shocked by this were the students of the Divine Studies department.
The Saintess… was such a tomboy?
W-what?! Weren’t they the Hero and Saintess?
They’re like rural commoner kids.
“...”
In other words, there had simply been no one who could accept their true natures. Both Aria and Arty…
When Lydia approached, Arty and Aria ran over with bright smiles.
“It’s Lydia!”
“Lydia! Look at this! Arty and I caught them all! I sliced the neck clean through with the holy sword!”
“And I was the one who broke the horn.”
“My body feels so light that I can tear goblins apart with one hand! And also…!”
They were like children bragging to their parent, proudly listing their accomplishments.
Lydia smiled and stroked both of their heads. The sticky monster blood didn’t bother her in the slightest.
This must be their own way of showing gratitude—for me taking care of them.
She pulled the two into a warm embrace.
“Well done. Both of you are now proper Saintess and Hero. No matter where you go, continue to trust and rely on each other like this. I am proud of you both.”
“Hehe…”
“Haha…!”
Aria and Arty beamed. For a Hero and Saintess who fought against darkness, their smiles were far too bright and pure.
*
After washing and feeding the two puppies, Lydia saw Morgan and Mave off as well.
“I have business here, so go on ahead.”
“But…!”
“I will return soon.”
“...Okay.”
“...”
Lydia headed into the back alleys of the shopping district. The gloomy evening only made the atmosphere more sinister, yet no delinquents dared approach her. She could hear whispers from those hiding between the alleys.
“...It’s the princess.”
“Just let her pass.”
“Even if she looks like that… she’s the one who…”
“More importantly… she’s our lifesaver…”
They quietly rose and went on their way. Even as they fled, they politely called out, “Thank you for saving us from the monsters last time.” Extremely well-mannered delinquents. They were probably among those who had been chased by the mad paladins.
Lydia let out a small chuckle.
“...”
If this were the original adult game, an NTR event would have already occurred. Especially if the princess was so incompetent she couldn’t even protect herself.
It was a rather perverted thought, but the gap between that and reality was so vast that it was funny.
Lydia ventured deeper into the alley. The noise from the taverns and shady shops gradually faded. Somewhere in these depths was what she sought.
“...”
Found it.
“!”
A black entrance hidden so perfectly in the shadows that one would miss it unless paying close attention. She opened the door.
Creeeak—
A lively woman who looked like a girl in her thirties greeted her.
“Waaah! It’s the princess—!”
“!”
She was an ally. Lydia did not dodge.
Beatrice pulled her straight into a tight embrace. She didn’t seem to mind that the bare skin revealed by her black dress pressed against Lydia. Beatrice buried her nose in Lydia’s golden hair.
“Sniff~! Ha…”
“...Sir Beatrice.”
“Hold still. Sniff…!”
“...”
“Done! Princess charge complete!”
“What exactly are you…”
Beatrice paid no attention to her protest and led Lydia by the hand into the dark room. Two people were already seated there—Jacques and Mirian. They sat side by side at a single table, sipping from their glasses.
“Oh, Lydia!”
“Welcome back. Did you see your friends off safely?”
Lydia smiled at Mirian. “Yes, I sent them all off well.”
“That’s a relief.”
Jacques scratched his cheek. The motion reminded her of a large bear grooming its fur.
“Your expression looks much brighter. Should I say the cold air around you has decreased considerably since you entered the academy…?”
“Our old man speaks so strangely!”
“Be quiet, Sir Beatrice.”
Lydia nodded. “It is certainly more convenient to handle what needs to be done in advance.”
“I see.” Jacques laughed. “That’s truly fortunate.”
“And…”
“?”
Lydia continued, “It feels like the tasks I need to handle during the break are falling into place as well.”
She pulled a sheet of paper from her bosom. The members of the Ember Knights gazed at it with keen interest.
What could it be? The next plan decided by our golden one.