“This vacation, I don’t have any plans to go to dungeons or anything.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because I have to go up to the capital during the break. I’ll probably spend most of my vacation there.”
“Capital? Why?”
I locked eyes with Millia and replied, “Because there’s a demon lurking there.”
The moment I mentioned ‘demon’, everyone’s faces stiffened.
It was only natural. For ordinary people, demons were objects of fear. The air in this place, filled with unripe fruits, came crashing down in an instant. I continued with my heavy story.
“I plan to find that guy and kill him during the vacation.”
The Agares Cult. Demon followers lurking in the capital. I needed to take them out and kill as many demons as possible to ease our future tasks.
If the Agares Cult interfered behind the scenes of the royal family, it could lead to serious trouble. Especially considering the warning Merlin had given me at the beginning of the semester.
This was a necessary action for the fight against outsiders.
“Isn’t that too dangerous?”
“Karina, I appreciate your concern, but if I don’t do it, the royal family might fall into the demon’s grasp.”
“Does the royal family not know there are demons?”
I shook my head at Renny’s question.
There’s no way they wouldn’t know. The empire’s intelligence capabilities should not be underestimated.
In the original story, depending on the route, the royal family appeared as villains, putting players in difficult situations because they were the heart of the empire.
But in the end, they collapsed due to internal betrayals…
In terms of allies, they were merely item shuttles or background props with no real utility. That aspect was unavoidable to emphasize the protagonist’s prowess…
Still, no matter how much information they had, it meant nothing if the guys processing that information were incompetent.
The struggle for the throne among the three princes.
An emperor passively watching blood-stained competition.
Nobles who cautiously navigate through it all.
In this chaotic situation, I had to capture Cidri and warn the Agares Cult.
“Hey, if you keep playing around with politics, everyone’s gonna die.”
Or at least…
“They’re not entirely clueless. They just prioritize the political fight in front of them.”
“Sounds rotten.”
“Yeah. The royal family is not in a good state, to say the least.”
No one reacted to my words. It would be a serious crime to be caught badmouthing the royal family, but there was no one here benefiting from them or taking pride in them.
Remarkably, I was the only noble among them, and half were from other races while the other half were just nominally part of the empire.
So nobody would be surprised if I shouted against the royal family.
I pledged my knights’ oath to the Kalon Church, not to the royal family.
“So, I plan to stay in the capital during vacation. Those who want to come, come along. Those who have business can stay here or return to their hometowns.”
“Johann, even if you say that, isn’t there anyone who’d want to stay?”
“That’s right! It’s a great opportunity for experience, so it wouldn’t hurt to visit the capital this time.”
“Good thinking, Lewis. I was going to persuade you if you said otherwise.”
I had been too busy to pay attention to Lewis lately. It wouldn’t be bad to take him to the capital and have him meet the old man Kalintz.
A swordsmanship genius and the continent’s finest knight.
Even if he wasn’t a disciple, he could learn a few moves, leading to significant growth. It was like giving a bus ride in the game.
“I have a renowned knight supporting me, so I’ll request a few lessons.”
“Thank you!”
“Congratulations!”
“Does anyone here plan to stay? Even if you do, you can continue living in Yeomyeong-gwan.”
“I’m going!”
“Me too!”
They’d cling to me even if I told them not to come. I looked away from Rue and Millia, who declared they would follow me, and glanced down at Elisa, who was half in my arms.
When Elisa met my gaze, she smiled sweetly and said, “I’ll follow too…”
“I figured you would.”
“Johann, aren’t you going to ask me?”
With her sweet voice ringing in my ears, I looked at her. For a rare moment, she had a pouty face aimed at me. I was momentarily speechless at her cuteness.
“Johann?”
“…Of course, I wouldn’t leave you behind.”
“Hehe, it’ll be a big move.”
“You bet. With the number of people nearing double digits.”
“I should prepare before the vacation starts.”
“Take your time. There’s still plenty of time left.”
Since there was still a week until vacation.
I carefully stood up to avoid letting Elisa fall. Naturally, she took my hand as she stood up alongside me. She must have known it would be difficult to walk while all close together.
“Now, let’s go have dinner.”
Everyone nodded at my words and got up from their seats.
Then, quietly, we formed a line and left the lounge heading to the cafeteria. With so many people, we had to be careful not to bump into each other, making it a sensible choice.
“Karina, are you comfortable walking?”
“Not at all.”
“Not at all…”
I chuckled softly, exchanging glances between the two as they held onto my arm. If they were happy, who was I to complain? I headed to the cafeteria while enjoying the soft feeling of their presence.
———————–
“What’s this?”
“It’s roast turkey.”
“And this?”
“That’s bread. You dip it in soup.”
“And this?”
“That’s…”
Rue was busily satisfying her curiosity rather than focusing on eating like a child.
This wasn’t unusual. Since gaining her senses, Rue had developed a keen curiosity for everything that stimulated her five senses.
She once said that human and magic book perceptions were different.
I munched down my food while indulging her curiosity. I tore into the turkey leg, chewing the tender meat with my front teeth. The bland and soft taste invaded my mouth.
Yes, this is it.
This is a meal.
How would I manage when I got to the capital again?
“Johann, slow down.”
“It’s so good, I ended up eating too fast without realizing it.”
Having just munched on some well-prepared soup and jerky the entire carriage ride, it made sense. I stuffed far more food into my mouth than usual. The meals at Yeomyeong-gwan were worth it.
My body could take a lot of food without worry, so I had no fear of overeating.
After finishing the meal, I stood up and quietly stated that I would rest in my room, then exited the cafeteria. The corridor, empty except for me, felt oddly lonely.
Maybe it was because I recently had a lot of time with my companions?
Thinking thoughts I would’ve never had a few months ago, I headed to my room. Upon opening the door, I found that the clothes I had thrown onto my bed were gone. It seemed the maid took them away.
I flopped onto my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
The bed, as soft as a high-class inn, was much more comfortable than the smaller ones at inns, made to match my size.
“…Now that I think about it, I need to make arrangements for Rue to have a place to sleep as well.”
Unless she leaves the job and doesn’t come back, Rue needs her separate room. If I left her alone, it wouldn’t be odd for her to sleep on the table.
Actually, she had once almost forgotten that she borrowed an elf’s body and attempted to climb onto the table to sleep at a high-class inn.
“…I should call a maid to request a nearby room.”
I felt bad for making them clean at this hour, but if Rue and I shared a room, who knows what could happen? If uncomfortable, she might want to sleep in my bed instead.
I won’t let Rue stand up to me, but still, her body, while closer to slender than the queen, definitely has its own curves.
If the kids who frequently visited my room saw that, who knows what
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