Lying on the bed in the provided room, I found myself staring at the ceiling, completely zoned out, not even realizing how much time had passed.
With everything hitting me like a storm lately, I really appreciated having this moment to just chill and gather my thoughts.
But after lying there for too long, I started to feel a bit of a backache, so I sat up and glanced at the table.
Lia was at the window, moving around like she was trying to make the dandelion the Gardener had given her do photosynthesis, following the light and heat from the hearth.
Every time she moved, it seemed like the dandelion was brightening up as if it were collecting the light.
It felt oddly mesmerizing too.
Curious, I asked the Gardener about it, but she just shrugged it off with something like, “If you already know, it won’t be fun. Just wait and see.” which made my head hurt.
However, recalling the Gardener’s words about how it would help when dealing with outsiders, I guessed it might be a big deal for convincing them.
I didn’t know how it would work, but hey, watering it every morning isn’t that hard, and having at least one yellow flower blooming in my dull room definitely brightens it up for me.
Just then, someone knocked on my door.
“Oh, looks like it’s time for the sun to go away. Lia, come back now.”
Lia dashed back into my pocket, potted plant in tow.
I’ve had this thought for a while now, but when she brings in a pot, it’s definitely not just an ordinary pocket anymore.
“Is anyone inside?”
“Yes, there is.”
“Branch Manager, it’s the Black Lion. Tanton.”
Why was the Branch Manager here all of a sudden?
I quickly got up and opened the door.
“Branch Manager.”
“Sorry to interrupt your rest.”
“Not at all. What brings you here…?”
Seeing the Branch Manager’s somewhat awkward expression made me worry even more.
What’s up?
“You need to stop by the Hearth tomorrow morning.”
“The Hearth? Did the Deputy Director call for me?”
“No, no.”
The Branch Manager smiled as if my confused reaction was expected and shook his head.
So, it’s not the Deputy Director?
Then the Knight Commander must be calling for me?
I was lost in thought when I suddenly felt like the world was slowing down with the Branch Manager’s next words.
“I think you’re going to meet with the Princess.”
…Huh?
The Princess?
As the day broke, I found myself heading to the Hearth. Following Alpha and Beta’s guidance, I prepared to climb all the way to the top.
“Please put this armor on when you reach the top of the Hearth.”
“The place where the Princess is located is very hot. Without knowledge of the sacredness, it could end with full-body burns.”
Eventually, I ended up wearing a bunny doll costume.
I thought it’d be uncomfortable, but strangely enough, it felt kinda nice.
And so, I began to climb the tower of firewood.
“By the way, you two seem unaffected.”
I looked at Alpha and Beta.
They weren’t wearing any protective gear, and yet they didn’t look hot at all.
“This is also the blessing of the Hearth. It wouldn’t hurt to learn the sacredness as a knight.”
“It’s cozy even on cold days….”
Oh, I see.
Now I understood why the holy knight route was so highly recommended in the community.
After a climb, we finally reached the top of the woodpile, the very center of the Hearth.
This was the place shown in the trailer when starting the game.
Wasn’t the narration saying something like “The fire warms humans, and the hearth gathers people”?
“Please relax and enter.”
“The Princess is eagerly waiting for you.”
So… opening this door means I get to meet the Princess right away?
Why am I in this situation all of a sudden?
After all, I knew the Princess had been keeping an eye on me and the criminal trio.
She was the one who laid the groundwork for my entry into the Knights in the first place.
Maybe she wanted to talk about my recent contributions.
But even the Deputy Director hadn’t come to meet me personally when the Knight Commander wasn’t available.
So what kind of wind is blowing that has her calling me directly?
Looking at the door adorned with intricate designs, I had the feeling I was going to be roasted in the Hearth’s heat if I just stood here. I decided to move forward and knock.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and Alpha and Beta shoved me inside.
“What are you dawdling for?”
“Go on in.”
“Whoa!”
With my balance thrown off, I stumbled into the Princess’s room.
Those jerks.
They waved their hands at me like, “Good luck!” without a clue how I felt.
After a brief moment of being miffed, I quickly realized where I was and straightened up.
Looking around, I saw the topmost level; from the hearth, I could see the sky.
Ash was swirling above, and a gigantic flame produced it.
There was a grandeur that made it seem like a battle between a blizzard and the flames of the hearth.
From afar, it was beautiful, but seeing it up close felt like experiencing a masterpiece of art.
As I surveyed the room, trying to find where the Princess was, a soft voice, cozy like a hug, called to me.
“Guest?”
A warm voice that seemed to promise inclusivity, fitting of the title “benevolent princess.”
However, the voice wasn’t coming from anywhere in this open space.
“Oh, it’s you, Tanton. Come on in.”
The voice was from the direction of the flames.
She was speaking from inside the fire, it seemed.
I quickly turned towards the hearth, and as soon as I saw the Princess, my jaw dropped.
“…Is that truly you, Princess?”
“Yes, it’s me. Did I surprise you? I apologize for facing you in such a horrifying state.”
That part wasn’t what shocked me.
Her hair was as smooth as if it were woven silk.
She was small like a doll, but her features came together perfectly.
And her body, reminiscent of a statue, was simply stunning.
To my eyes, it looked like she was practically nude because the glow from the Hearth had burned away all her clothes.
“This Hearth fuels me, which is why I appear like this… Uh, why do you look like that?”
I briefly admired her form, but reality hit me like a truck, and I immediately knelt, bowing my head.
“Your Highness, I greet you.”
I tried to hide my feelings, but my flushed cheeks were betraying me.
No way should the highest authority of this city welcome me like this, completely unclothed!
“Which etiquette you’re following, I do not know, but please lift your head.”
Lift my head!?
Seeing her unembarrassed demeanor, I was pretty sure this was all part of a scheme by Mode.
I focused on looking at her face, trying to avoid drifting my gaze.
From her shoulders to her head.
As I looked, her immaculate appearance left a lasting impression on me.
Compared to the outsiders transformed by Mode, who appeared artificially ideal, she stood at a whole different level of beauty.
But there was one thing that caught my eye.
A heart-shaped pattern near her collarbone.
It seemed too embedded to be just a decorative piece, making me think it might be a piercing.
Damn, I kept getting drawn towards that area!
I unknowingly found myself staring at the heart symbol when I heard the Princess’s slightly awkward voice.
Oh dear.
Did I stare too hard?
“I’m so sorry!”
“No, it’s not that! It’s just….”
The Princess waved her hands, looking flustered, then hesitated in her speech.
“…It’s a bit odd, isn’t it? I was unsure if it was alright to call you like this. So don’t worry. Your reaction is perfectly natural….”
Was she referring to that Heart pattern as “odd”?
Why would she find it odd?
Is it related to the outsiders and Mode’s censorship?
If it’s about the outsiders, then calling it odd seems unjustified.
“It’s not, I think it’s a beautiful pattern.”
So, I honestly shared my thoughts.
It felt better to break the awkwardness than mumble something like, “Uh, yeah, uh….”
She seemed surprised by my words, her eyes widening for a moment before she broke into a warm smile.
“Thank you for saying that, Tanton.”
But I meant it for real.
No matter how much she tried to push it, I still had no clue about what the heart actually represented.
She seemed to deem it acceptable, as she picked up the clothes positioned right in front of the hearth, turned around, and changed into them before offering me a seat at the table.
With the tension eased by my words, I sat down, and the Princess took a seat across from me, resting her arms on the table as she began to share what she wanted to convey.
“I heard from the Deputy Director. You defeated the Watcher, not only that, but you also took down the Candle and even rescued the Knight Commander on your way back.”
“…Well, if you put it that way, it sounds like that.”
While it was true in a way, recasting it like that felt like an exaggerated distortion of truth.
That’s the danger of embellishment.
I was trying my best to keep a restrained expression, and the Princess, with a playful grin, said, “And while there was no report from the Deputy Director, I sensed one of your achievements.”
“W-what is it?”
“Another outsider extermination.”
At that instant, my brain seemed to short-circuit.
How did the Princess know about that?
It wasn’t even in Rondan!
But she quietly enumerated her reasons.
“I can sense where outsiders are located. The strength to defeat the Watcher, the sudden disappearance of an outsider presence, and your return… That’s more than enough reason, don’t you think?”
I guess being at the peak of defending Rondan gave her such uncanny sharpness and perception.
Her intuition was indeed something else.
As I stared blankly at her, she smiled knowingly.
“Considering your dazed expression, I guess that’s a yes?”
“…I have no words.”
“Why were you hiding it?”
Why was I hiding it, huh?
There was no way to prove it.
Sure, I could say the Knight Commander could vouch for me, but given how she couldn’t recall what she had eaten moments ago, I doubted she’d be reliable.
“It’s fascinating. Typically, people want to boast when they do something great.”
The Princess raised an eyebrow in genuine curiosity before beaming with a mischievous grin.
“But now you can’t hide. You’ve been found out!”
It wasn’t like I was hiding deliberately, so I sheepishly scratched my head.
“Let’s stop with the jokes for now. I called you here because I have a favor to ask….”
What could it possibly be?
I focused on her words, wanting to hear her seriously.
“In fact, I’m a hybrid of an outsider and human.”
Um… what?
I was briefly stunned by the Princess’s bombshell confession.
She had a disturbing aura as I raised my eyes, catching the tint on her cheeks and her slightly anxious gaze.
No way….
Now it all clicked about the charges against ‘Leydan Tanton’.
TN: So, she looks really beautiful because of the Mode, huh?
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