Chapter 8

  “I’ve got things to do, so I’ll take my leave here.” Archmage Vera stops at an intersection.

  “I hope preparing for tomorrow’s training session is on that list.” Lucian gave her a final reminder about their agreement.

  “I’ll be ready.”

  “Hmm.” Lutz rubbed his chin. “Would you like some company on whatever tasks you have planned?”

  “I’m too busy to entertain a foreign royal.”

  “I think you’ll find I’m not as stiff as all the kings and princes you’ve met during your journey. Besides…” Lutz pulled out a pouch, showing the gold coins held inside. “Now that you’re back in this kingdom, I’m sure there are plenty of things you need to buy. Consider them my treat for today.”

  Vera’s eyes seemed to shine with the same golden glean as the coins. “Well you should have said that sooner. What are you waiting for? I need Almekian style clothes, some accessories, a chest to store some personal possessions, and of course a personal carriage to ride around in.”

  Lutz looked between the bag of gold in his hand and the archmage in front of him. “Looks like I better say my goodbyes to every single one of these coins, huh?”

  “You made the offer, so there’s no point in trying to weasel out of it now.” Vera crossed her arms beneath her rather large assets.

  “Alright, I get it, I get it. Oh, and since I’m also new to this kingdom, I planned to buy myself some local clothes. I don’t have much of a fashion sense, so we’ll be meeting up with someone who does. Her parents are tailors, so she developed an eye for detail when it comes to apparel.”

  “Thought you were new here. How do you already know someone that specific?”

  “Let’s just say I’ve got a few important connections.”

  Vera narrowed her eyes just a bit. “In that case, I’m eager to meet this connection of yours.”

  “Then…” Lutz turned to Lucian. “I’ll be taking my leave here as well, Your Majesty.”

  Lucian nodded. “Do as you wish.”

  With that, the unlikely duo broke off from the group, heading down a separate hallway.

  “I’ll catch up with you after I draw up a plan for the operation.” Aelia gave a small wave.

  “I shall accompany you on your endeavors.” Minerva joined the dark elf.

  “Oh! Me, too!” Teflyn ran after the other two. “I want to make sure I get to beat a lot of them up!”

  Lucian saw the three girls off, leaving him with only Emilia and Mia.

  Of course his most loyal and trusted bodyguard would follow him everywhere, but the same wasn’t true of his sister. The reason she didn’t separate at the same time as the others is simply because she was heading in the same direction as her brother.

  More specifically, they were heading to the royal bedrooms, which were located on adjoining halls.

  “Goodbye.” Mia spoke only a single word of parting before opening her bedchamber door.

  “See you soon!” Emilia saw her off with an enthusiastic smile.

  “I’ll drop by before the mission begins.”

  “Okay.” Mia didn’t step into the room, despite the door being open.

  “Meow~” Luna rubbed against her legs.

  “She’s happy to see you again.” Emilia voiced what everyone was thinking.

  “I suppose so.” Mia knelt down and picked up her young cat. “Let’s prepare your lunch. And I don’t want to chase you through the castle again in the meantime.”

  “Luna really has gotten brave.” Lucian gave the cat a small pat while she was in Mia’s arms. “The cooks must really be on the lookout after the last incident with the fish that vanished from the kitchen while they were preparing it.”

  “Luna has learned since then.” Mia looked down at her cat. “Isn’t that right?”

  “Meow?” Luna made no indication that she understood Mia’s words or had learned anything from the fish incident.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  Lucian shrugged. “I guess being cute comes with a lot of benefits.”

  Without a final goodbye, Mia stepped into her room and closed the door.

  “Just us now, huh?” Lucian continued down the hall, Emilia a step behind him.

  “Not long ago, we used to spend a lot of time together like this.”

  “That’s true. When I first came to this world, I didn’t know who I could trust. When I found you, I felt like I could finally confide in someone. Since then, I’ve gathered a lot more reliable companions and subjects. But it’s nice to go back to our roots every once in a while.”

  “Yes! We can spend as much time together as you want, Prince Lucian!”

  “Maybe we can bring back our old method we used to use when we wanted to get away from it all.”

  “Ah, you mean barricade ourselves in the royal study?”

  “Precisely. I’m sure I can think up a few more subjects I need to research, even if it’s really just an excuse to spend some time together.”

  “I’ll follow you anywhere at any time!”

  Lucian stopped in front of his own bedroom door. “Keep it up, and people might start calling you Queen Emilia before long.”

  “Q-queen!?” Emilia’s red face became a complete contrast to her white hair. “Awawawa…!”

  “Haha. Sorry, it just slipped out. Though I do wonder what people would think if I were to marry a white hair.” Lucian opened his door. “It might be interesting to find out.”

  After stepping inside, Lucian was met with his meticulously-kept room. He had a habit of keeping it clean and organized with his own hands, leaving little for the maids to do when they came in for their daily cleaning.

  Although he had some expensive items in his room, the truly invaluable artifacts and equipment were stored elsewhere. And when it came to his powerful sword, he often kept it on his waist.

  Lucian had never intended on becoming a warrior-king, but his unique magic and skills, coupled with the ongoing war with the Esgares Empire, made his ascent as a powerful mage and swordsman a necessity for survival.

  When he was truly prepared for battle, he carried not one sword, but two. However, even a single blade could become cumbersome, so he often stored his secondary weapon in a safe location.

  One would be forgiven for assuming that his royal bedchamber would be the perfect place to hold his sword. But one would be wrong.

  There was a place safer than even that, and the location was often closer and more convenient than having to return to his room to retrieve his second blade.

  “Emilia.” Lucian pulled his white, military-style coat back, revealing a loop on his belt that could be attached to a scabbard to hold it in place.

  “Eh?” She still stood just outside the open door, her face still flushed red. “Ah! The sword!”

  Emilia stepped inside the room, closing the door behind her. A heartbeat later, a sheathed blade appeared in her hands, the scabbard and hilt decorative enough to be fit for a king, without crossing the line into being gaudy.

  Although it wasn’t a closely-guarded secret, Lucian’s Guardians obtained the unique ability, [Materialize]. It allowed them to store equipment in an otherworldly space that only they had access to.

  Considering that, there was no safer and more convenient place to place his secondary weapon than inside Emilia’s unreachable storage space.

  “Thanks.” Lucian attached the scabbard to his waist. “As usual, it’s a little cumbersome. But they won’t be sitting in their sheathes after the battle starts.”

  “I think they make you look very dangerous!”

  “You think so?” Lucian looked in the mirror and saw a face fit for a movie star, framed by long, blonde hair that could be used to film a shampoo commercial. “Something tells me my opponents wouldn’t agree.”

  “It doesn’t matter since they wouldn’t be alive long enough to complain about getting defeated by someone far more handsome than them.”

  “Wow. Keep it up, and I really will be arranging that marriage soon.”

  “Eh!?” Emilia’s face began to grow red again, after having just returned to its normal color.

  While peeking at her through the mirror, Lucian began fixing some minor wrinkles in his clothes and some stray strands of hair that were trying to stand out from the rest. He was the King of Almekia, the region's most powerful country. If he were going to slay some criminals, then he needed to look as immaculate as possible while doing it.

  Such was the way of a ruler who relied on the support of his people to maintain his power. Perception was everything.

  “That should do it.” Lucian set down a small tub of deodorant he kept in the room. “How do I look and smell?”

  Emilia visibly sniffed the air. “You smell great, Prince Lucian! And of course, you look amazing.”

  “Thanks. Although a bath would be great at enhancing my appearance, it’s not worth it just to deal with a few criminals. So, this will have to do for now.”

  Since Lucian was obviously heading toward the door to leave, Emilia opened it before he could reach it. He had gotten used to her little actions like that, removing small obstacles before he even had to deal with them.

  No matter how much he used to tell her that she didn’t have to act like a maidservant, Emilia would keep doing it, regardless.

  “Thanks.”

  “It’s my pleasure!”

  Such an exchange had become common for the two of them, and neither of them wanted that to change.

  “Now.” Lucian looked at Emilia. “Since we have some time before everyone’s ready, how about you freshen up next?”

  “I’m a soldier, so I don’t mind looking a bit worse for wear.”

  “It’s true that people would be far more willing to forgive a wrinkled shirt on you than if I were wearing it. But really, this is more for my sake than anyone else’s. I simply like it when you match me as much as possible.”

  “Really? In that case, I’ll do my best to look like a queen–!” Emilia suddenly realized what she was saying, her eyes going wide.

  “Hah. Looks like someone’s been giving it some thought.”

  “I-it’s not what it seems! I just happened to choose that analogy completely by chance!”

  Lucian nodded. “Got it. Just random happenstance.”

  “It’s true! There’s no way I’ve been thinking about becoming queen ever since you mentioned it a few moments ago!”

  “I understand. What coincidental timing.”

  “Mrrr. I’m being bullied.”

  “How dare someone bully my closest companion. When I catch them, I’ll surely make them pay.”

  “The mirror is that way…” Emilia pointed back to Lucian’s door.

  “That’s true. But unfortunately, we’re going this way.” He turned down the hall. “Toward your own room. And after that, it’s time to clean out this city’s infection again.”

  The two of them continued their short time together as they made final preparations, enjoying every minute of each other’s company.