The princess who revealed herself as a hybrid of an outsider and a human.
Thinking about my charges made my head spin.
Outsider attempted rape.
It seemed the princess was aware of my crimes and was trying to ask for something.
What on earth was she going to demand with such a bombshell statement?
She carefully observed my reaction before slowly opening her mouth.
“One day, an outsider descended upon the empire and fell in love with a human. That human was my father. Now buried in the eyes of the empire, the emperor had a relationship with that outsider and bore two children. I was born first, and afterward came the one known as the Giant of the Snow Mountain.”
Wait, what?
So an outsider had a thing with a human?
Her pointed fingers directed toward the mountains behind Rondan, where the blizzard howled, aimed at the towering figure of a human.
Whoa… This is some serious dark fantasy; the family tree is way too tangled, isn’t it?
The Giant of the Snow Mountain is the princess’s sister?
What kind of difference has to exist for one to generate heat and the other to suck it away?
“I’m asking this as a favor. Please stop the Giant of the Snow Mountain, who has brought the empire to ruin and plunged the world into an endless cold.”
The Giant of the Snow Mountain.
Suddenly, I remembered something the gardener had said.
“Can you defeat the Giant of the Snow Mountain? Well, it’s not impossible. But how should I put it, the giant’s ability is such that even the usual outsiders would have a tough time dealing with it. If that happens, I’d also be dragged into it. You see, the existence you call an outsider—if one disappears, the balance of the universe could crumble.”
In other words, I had to win without any outside interference, purely through my own power….
It was bewildering to hear such an impossible task stated so nonchalantly, considering my current state.
I wanted to refuse, but the words that followed were enough to silence me, revealing why her face had turned red.
“Of course, I’ll give you a reward that fits. You said I was beautiful, right? So if the day comes when this hearth becomes unnecessary… you’re welcome to my body.”
“….”
What?!
What a crazy, blunt statement; it felt like my blood was rushing backwards.
Tanton, stop!
Sure, the princess was indeed beautiful!
But when I talked about beautiful patterns, it was just lip service, not my actual pick-up line!
“Or did I misjudge? Since it was an attempted outsider rape, maybe being forced is more your style…?”
As she said this, her face grew redder, transforming into a freshly picked tomato.
She even started to act pitiful, crossing her arms as if trying to protect her own body.
“Wait, hold on!”
I shouted, realizing that if I didn’t intervene, things were about to spiral completely out of control.
Was she already in too deep? Tears were forming in the princess’s eyes.
Wow, this is really dizzying.
This whole vibe makes it feel like she really wanted to go the forced route!
“Princess, please calm down a bit….”
“Or maybe… you really don’t like this body of mine? I assure you I can raise the child well enough so it won’t become a disaster.”
No, no!
Why the heck are you thinking that far ahead already?!
My head was spinning.
I felt completely drained, but I shook my head, trying to regain my composure.
I must speak carefully!
If I mess up here, I’d find myself tangled in outside attempted rape and royal rape charges!
“…Princess, please calm down. It’s not a matter of likes or dislikes. Your body is indeed beautiful. However, offering that body merely as a reward does not sit well with me.”
“…But when that time comes, I won’t have any other way to repay you?”
“Rewards don’t matter! The mere hope that I can save the empire is motivation enough. More than anything, you are someone who must rule the empire.”
Of course, I didn’t think I could defeat that Giant of the Snow Mountain right now.
But since that premise was put forth, I had to frame the conversation around that.
The princess stared blankly for a moment at my words, then started giggling at something.
“… No matter how I look at it, the only conclusion I come to is that you have a… unique perspective. To think you would shy away from a ‘princess.'”
“I’m just stating the facts.”
“But if the empire is saved, I won’t have a place anymore. My role will truly be over; at that point, shall I really just marry you?”
Seeing her playful smile made me realize she really enjoyed teasing.
“… Please refrain from troublesome jokes, Princess.”
“Hehe, understood. Still, my request to you is sincere. I believe you can do it, without a doubt.”
Watching her smile filled with determination, I had a question.
“…But why me? It is true receiving such a request from a princess is an honor, but if we consider sheer skill, the hunter is more capable than I.”
“…Hmm, don’t misunderstand, okay?”
What on earth was she leading into now?
The princess cleared her throat and collected her thoughts.
“When I heard your charges, I thought it was ridiculous. How could a human possibly force such a formidable outsider? Tanton is strong, that’s true, but the difficulty of killing versus capturing is on a different level.”
With a warm smile, the princess continued speaking.
“So I thought; perhaps this person has a way of communicating with outsiders. If we say it’s a misunderstanding, your achievements until now can be explained, right?”
“…I see.”
So that was it.
That’s why she didn’t find my charges strange and instead tried to accept them as a knight would.
She must have realized there was an error in my charge all along.
Yet I wondered, what kind of psychopath was Leydan Tanton to attempt something with an outsider?
Regardless, it was clear she wasn’t just any group’s leader for no reason.
“So, I’m asking you, Tanton. I found hope looking at you. You can free my younger sister, the Giant of the Snow Mountain.”
Still, is that possible?
Listening to her last words filled with sadness led to many swirling thoughts.
I had no idea how the ending of Snow Castle would go.
I had never gotten that far, after all.
But I knew that the Giant of the Snow Mountain was a boss, and if I followed the hunter’s method, they’d likely aim to kill that giant.
In that case, the hunter would find peace, wouldn’t they?
But if that happened, the princess, who had been firmly supporting this Rondan, would ultimately become unfortunate.
Sacrificed for others, only to receive the miserable return of her own sister’s death.
At least, that wasn’t a happy ending by my standards.
I had been through plenty of dark fantasies, but I wasn’t a fan of such bad endings.
“… I’m honored to have received your request.”
“… Tanton.”
Reluctantly agreeing, I found myself meeting the princess’s smile filled with regret.
#
“Then I shall take my leave. It was an honor meeting you, Princess.”
“Thank you for taking the time. Safe travels.”
As Tanton politely bowed and exited, the door closed behind him.
As it shut, the princess seemed to deflate, plopping down into her chair and resting her head on the table.
“… Phew.”
The conversation with Tanton earlier flooded back to her, and the princess buried her face in her hands to hide the blush, despite nobody watching.
“… What did I just say?”
The words he had said, calling her beautiful.
The princess rose from her seat and headed towards the mirror.
A spider made of red flesh wiggled in the center of her collarbone.
It clung to her form in a disturbingly perfect manner, bending its legs.
She wanted to cover it, but the creature devoured her clothing in a suffocating manner, forcing her to wear attire that exposed her midriff.
It was clear the local residents would find it grotesque.
In the first place, she was using part of her own body as fuel for the hearth, and despite the outsider’s powers granting remarkable regeneration, she had become too weak to go out.
But that man had looked at her with surprise from the very start.
And there was no way the princess could misunderstand the sparkling gaze that looked at her with such a flushed expression.
He was quite handsome, too.
Shaking her platinum blonde hair, the princess shook her head.
She thought it must be the fact that seeing a person after so long had gotten her too excited.
“… I must be feeling lonely these days.”
In her room, where no one ever came to visit.
Though she felt joy recalling Tanton’s faith in her, the princess wore a bittersweet smile as she walked over to the hearth.
“… Will simply stopping the Giant really resolve the fundamental issues?”
#
“Please stop the Giant of the Snow Mountain.”
The words the princess had said echoed in her mind.
Regardless, to see the ending of this game, I had to deal with that outsider, so my goal wouldn’t change much.
Yet the princess didn’t ask for it to be defeated.
She asked for it to be stopped.
“… What a tough task I’ve been given.”
I don’t know.
I’d think about that when the time comes, right?
What was urgent was to grow stronger quickly.
First, I should head back to the branch and take a break.
After all, no matter how much a human’s body rests, it never feels sufficient.
“Hey.”
“… Hmm?”
I stopped at the voice behind me and turned, immediately saluting.
“… White Mask!”
“No, you should be calling me something else now.”
What the heck is this about?
Tilting my head in confusion at White Mask, I suddenly felt a rope tighten around my wrist.
“… Huh?”
“From now on, call me Master. Did your meeting with the princess end?”
“B-but…?”
Why was I feeling this absurd vibe as if this woman was smiling behind the mask?
“Well, good timing. Follow me. From today, you are my subordinate and disciple. I’ll teach you how to use your powers.”
“W-wait, what’s happening?!”
“We’re going to my jurisdiction now.”
As the rope tugged and dragged me toward White Mask, I found myself being taken to a train where I was shoved inside.
Inside was Muyun, bound and shedding tears.
Only then did I start to feel something was off.
“Hurry up, onto the train. We’re heading to the mine.”
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