Volume 2 Chapter 14 Reliable Back
"Whoa, it's really big!"
The royal capital, Chernozem.
A town located in the eastern part of the Compost Kingdom.
This town, which houses the royal castle where the current king resides, is a fortified city surrounded by high walls.
It's the most developed city in the country, and the number of residents is vastly greater than in other towns.
It's not that far from the novice adventurer town, Hyamars; we were able to arrive in about 4 days by switching carriages.
One day to the neighboring town, Pailight.
From there, we switched carriages again for 3 more days.
Seeing the bustling cityscape again, I let out a sigh of admiration.
"Are you talking about how 'big' it is, me?"
"Oh, no, that's not it. I'm just really moved to see the royal capital after such a long time..."
I quickly shook my head at Ms. Nemophila, who had made a terrifying misunderstanding.
There's no way I would say something so rude to a princess.
Sure, Ms. Nemophila is big too.
In fact, compared to when I first met her, she seems to have grown quite a bit stronger.
No, it's not just that she seems to have; that's an undeniable "fact".
"I believe Sir Roezé has visited Chernozem before. What brings you to the royal capital that time?"
"Well, um, just some various errands..."
I couldn't say that I had visited during my time with the hero party.
I didn't want the two of them to know my true identity, so I decided to keep it vague.
I was half-forced to come here by the hero Dahlia, who wanted to see the royal castle.
But this time is different.
We came to the royal capital with a solid purpose.
"Then shall we head to the royal castle? The succession battle is just around the corner."
The duel for the right to the throne will finally take place tomorrow at the royal castle in this capital.
I came to witness Ms. Nemophila, who will be participating in it.
After about a month of training since then, here we are now.
"Sir Roezé, thank you for coming all this way with me."
"Not at all, this is part of the request."
As Ms. Kikrys bowed her head again, I shook my head vigorously.
"What I was asked to do was to make you strong enough to become a king. I wanted to confirm whether I was able to achieve that properly as a Nurturer."
Slightly making an excuse, I said that, and Ms. Nemophila, who had been walking in front, suddenly turned around.
And with a mischievous smile that seemed to add some color to her previously expressionless face, she said,.
"Thanks for worrying about me."
"..."
Worry.
To be honest, I can't say I don't feel that way.
Ms. Nemophila is dealing with siblings of royal blood.
More than anything, she is in a weaker position among her siblings.
Just thinking back to her interactions with Hollis makes it painfully clear how much she struggles with that brother.
It's only natural to feel anxious rather than just worried.
"Well, I can only go this far with you."
When we reached the front of the castle gate, I decided to stop there and see the two off.
Entry into the castle is only permitted for the upper class.
And since Ms. Nemophila has a weak position inside the castle, she can't invite me in as a guest.
So, I'll be waiting in the royal capital.
Whether I should have come here, leaving my Nurturer duties behind, is something to think about, but I'm usually free, so it should be fine.
I've already informed Rose and Cosmos that I'm heading to the royal capital.
"Once the succession battle is over, I'd like to be the first to report to you."
"Yes, I look forward to it."
I came all this way just to hear that.
So, after seeing off Ms. Nemophila and Ms. Kikrys, I was about to go sightseeing in the royal capital when...
"Huh? Nemophila?"
"...?"
Suddenly, I heard a voice calling out to Ms. Nemophila from somewhere.
It came from behind me.
When I turned around, there stood a tall woman with long purple hair, almost towering over Ms. Nemophila.
"Elder Sister Clematis!"
"Hey, elder sister?"
I looked at the purple-haired woman again, observing Ms. Nemophila's reaction.
This must be the warrior I've heard about, Lady Clematis.
The first princess, currently the closest to the king, and Ms. Nemophila's older sister.
I never thought I'd run into her right here at the castle gates.
She's out and about without any attendants, dressed lightly, probably on a private stroll.
As I marveled at this, I tensed up, remembering my encounter with Hollis.
Perhaps this person might also approach Ms. Nemophila without any regard for her feelings.
But...
"Welcome back, Nemophila! You really had me worried, running off without a word!"
"Huh?"
Contrary to my expectations, Lady Clematis greeted Ms. Nemophila with familiarity.
Nemophila, in turn, responded with a soft expression, unlike the hostility she had shown towards Hollis.
I thought there might be some tension, but maybe not all her siblings are at odds with each other?
"You're supposed to be on a training journey for the succession battle, and you just run off without a word? You could've told me, you know."
"I'm sorry."
Lady Clematis, with a masculine tone and gesture, patted Nemophila's shoulder affectionately.
She seemed incredibly kind.
Could this really be one of Ms. Nemophila's siblings, the same as Hollis?
The top contender for the next king, Clematis Amicus, first in line for the throne?
If I asked this person, maybe she could do something about Ms. Kikrys's homeland?
She looked incredibly strong, and if she became the king, she could make things better for Ms. Nemophila without her having to force it...
"Huh?!"
For a brief moment, I thought so too, but then I looked at Lady Clematis and felt a sense of unease.
Could it be that this person...
"You've got a servant with sharp eyes here."
"Huh...?"
"From what I can see, have you noticed my 'secret'? Or did you hear it from Nemophila beforehand?"
I'm not really sure about the part where you heard it from Ms. Nemophila.
But I think it's impressive that she noticed I noticed.
This person is definitely not ordinary.
That's why I couldn't believe the discomfort I felt from her.
"Elder Sister Clematis, I haven't told anyone about 'that.' You told me to absolutely not say anything."
"Haha! It's not that I doubted Nemophila! It's just that this servant figured it out way too quickly, so I couldn't help but think that. Thanks for keeping quiet all this time, Nemophila."
To be honest, I didn't really understand the meaning behind Lady Clematis and Ms. Nemophila's exchange.
So, without mentioning it awkwardly, I decided to correct just one thing for now.
"I'm not Ms. Nemophila's servant; I'm an adventurer temporarily cooperating with her."
"Oh, is that so? I thought she had gained another servant besides Kikrys, the maid. So, Nemophila relied on you for training, huh?"
What a sharp person.
Just by saying we're temporarily cooperating, she figured out our relationship.
"Aren't you going to watch the inheritance battle?"
"No. Since I'm not a servant, I can't enter the royal castle."
When I said that, Lady Clematis made a surprising suggestion.
"Why not just go watch? I'll make arrangements."
"Uh..."
"Besides, I wanted to talk to you about various things later."
The first princess is going to make arrangements for me?
Is it really okay to decide that so easily?
And what could she possibly want to talk to me about?
"Well, putting my talk aside for now, you should at least go support Nemophila. I'll invite you to my guest room as my guest."
"B-but, for the first princess to go that far for me..."
I'm definitely curious about Ms. Nemophila's inheritance battle, and I do want to witness it directly.
I felt bad asking Lady Clematis to go that far, so I tried to hold back, but suddenly Ms. Nemophila took my hand and pulled me along.
"Come see up close, Roezé."
"..."
"I can't say I'll definitely win, that would be too cool. But for Kikrys, and for you, Roezé, I'll do my best."
The image of that timid princess who was scared of Hollis was already gone.
With a confident look on her face, she pulled my hand, and without realizing it, I found myself chasing after her dependable back.
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