Chapter 6

After arriving in the capital, I had to go through a busy round of greetings with my parents. There were powerful nobles and important figures in the country, and I was already exhausted before the party even started.

As night fell, I was finally guided to the venue. Naturally, everyone was dressed formally. Since this was my first time at such an event, I had been fitted with a new suit. Unlike my former cute figure, I had grown taller and now looked like a fine young man in formal attire. I was so pleased with myself that I kept looking in the mirror, admiring myself over and over again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the first prince of the Kudan Kingdom, Prince Ark Kudan."

Suddenly, the host's announcement drew everyone's attention. Prince Ark appeared with a dazzling presence, and everyone welcomed him with applause. The wonderful light rays directed at the prince by the women in the audience were noticeable, but the arrival of the main character of the evening made the venue instantly more vibrant.

"Thank you all for gathering here today for my sake. Thanks to the people of the kingdom, I have grown up healthy and reached the age of 14. I am truly grateful. Now, let's enjoy the food and music in the venue."

After the prince finished his speech, he descended from the stage and was immediately surrounded. He probably intended to greet the influential people himself, but he was caught by a group of people with ulterior motives. He dealt with them without showing any signs of discomfort. Yeah, he's impressive.

My parents were enjoying conversations with other lords.

Hey!? It seems that groups have already formed throughout the venue. I thought such groups were gradually formed, but since everyone attends these events regularly, it's natural that they know each other! Oh no! I've been completely left out.

The time at the party passed moment by moment. I hadn't greeted anyone, and I started to feel embarrassed about being alone. I decided to greet the prince, but...

I was overwhelmed by the group surrounding the prince.

No, I can't give up!

I quietly observed the prince from a distance. If our eyes met, I could say, "Oh, Prince, congratulations!" and go from there!! I kept staring, but our eyes didn't meet. I accidentally made eye contact with the prince's best friend, Reil, but he gave me a strange look and it ended there.

Oh no, I probably won't be able to do it today.

Besides, everyone's gifts are too impressive. It's embarrassing to give a dagger amidst all the jewels. Carrying a dagger and watching the prince from a distance, I might be mistaken for an assassin.

I finally gave up and tried to find someone I knew in the venue.

Anyone, anyone.

Hmm? There's someone I know.

Is that Prince Lacer Kudan, the second prince?

He's two years younger, so he must be 12 now.

Unlike the first prince, he was alone, quietly enjoying the music.

There's such a difference between the first and second prince.

Well, I came here for a reason related to the first prince, but since I have some free time, I decided to approach him.

I tapped him on the back, and there it was!

"Huh, huh, what is it?"

"My name is Kururi Heran."

"Oh, ah, nice to meet you, I'm Lacer Kudan."

"Have you heard of the Heran territory?"

"Yes, Tral Heran is the lord."

"Is there a hot spring... would you like to come?"

"Hot spring? Can I really come?"

"Of course! The Heran territory is beautiful, and we have a newly discovered hot spring. It will be a great trip!"

"Then I'll accept your invitation. I'll come as soon as I'm ready."

Yes! One successful recruitment!

"Here, take this dagger as a token of our acquaintance." I handed him the dagger I had hidden. Now I can finally graduate from being an assassin.

"It's well-made. There must be skilled craftsmen in the Heran territory."

"Actually, I made it myself."

"Really!? That's amazing! I'd love to see you make it."

"Sure."

Although it was difficult to approach people in the groups, I managed to become friends with the second prince. He's coming to the hot spring, so it was a fruitful party.

It seems my father didn't do well. I'll have to ask him what he was doing.

We returned to our territory, and a few days later, a letter from Lacer arrived.

It said he would come within a week. He's quite considerate to send a letter.

The news had already spread in the territory, and the atmosphere was welcoming. I heard the people talking about how a royal visit was unprecedented since the founding of the kingdom.

Despite the peaceful atmosphere, my father and I would later feel a knot in our stomachs.

"Prince Lacer has arrived."

A messenger on a fast horse announced the prince's arrival.

He would be here soon.

The people had formed a line along the road to the house.

The house was perfectly prepared.

All that was left was to wait for the prince.

I could hear the people outside getting excited. It seemed he had arrived.

We all went out to welcome him.

The carriage was unusually grand, and the large number of people was noticeable, but we got caught up in the mood and cheered.

"Are you Tral Heran?"

"Yes."

One of the people leading the carriage spoke to my father.

"The queen has arrived. Please be respectful."

"Wh-what!?" I had the same reaction as my father.

In fact, the next carriage contained the real queen and Lacer.

Everyone quickly bowed.

"Please raise your heads."

The queen's gentle voice made us look up.

She was beautiful, so beautiful that it was a pure emotion.

Lacer was waving cutely by her side.

"Y-You're welcome, Lady Hearti."

My father, who was not used to such situations, looked like he was about to vomit his breakfast.

"I was so happy to hear that Lacer, who doesn't like going out, wanted to travel to the Heran territory. Please don't be too formal, and enjoy the hot spring."

The queen wanted to see the garden, so my father decided to show her the tourist route.

Lacer and I decided to go the opposite way.

Since we could ride horses, we decided to do so.

As expected of the second prince, he was accompanied by three attendants, even though he was alone at the party.

"Thank you for inviting me, Kururi. My mother is enjoying her first trip in a long time."

"You're welcome, I didn't expect you to actually come."

The attendants' gazes were intimidating, making it hard to talk casually.

"Kururi, are you good at riding?"

"Pretty good."

"My attendants are heavily armed with armor and weapons. How about we try to outrun them?"

He seemed a bit mischievous. I decided to go along with it.

The difference in the quality of the horses was noticeable. We quickly outran them and deviated from the route.

"Traveling freely is the best part of a trip." He had a beautiful smile, but it also had a mischievous quality.

"Yeah, that's true."

Although we deviated from the route, it was a place I knew well. I showed him all the hidden spots.

He seemed to particularly enjoy the quality of the water.

I proudly showed him the hot spring facilities I had improved. Lacer listened happily. Wow, I'm grateful, so grateful.

"Kururi, be careful. It seems we're getting too close to the forest."

A wolf-like monster was in Lacer's line of sight.

Fortunately, it was an old, solitary one.

"Kururi, leave it to me. I may be weak, but I'm good at magic.

Ignite! Fire!"

Lacer's magic turned into fire, trapping the monster.

The fire covered the monster's back, but it became enraged and charged at us.

"What!?"

"Burn it! Fire!"

This time, my magic turned into fire, trapping the wolf. I held it in place and burned it to ashes.

The area was filled with an unusual smell.

"Amazing! To be able to use such powerful magic!"

"Well, yeah, I use fire magic a lot."

"Your blacksmithing skills are high, and you have the ability to govern the people. Plus, this magic. Ah, I want to call you my big brother!!"

"Um, sure."

I got carried away, but is it okay? Well, it's fine.

When we returned home, the queen was also back. The attendants were not happy.

"Ah, Kururi. Lady Hearti, my son will show you the hot spring."

The father ran away.

"I've heard that there's a hot spring surrounded by a garden. I'm looking forward to it."

"Yes, the inn is newly built, and you and Prince Lacer will be the first guests."

"That's lucky, Lacer."

"Yes, Mother."

"Wow, it's beautiful."

Upon arriving at the hot spring, the queen was amazed.

Steam from the hot spring enveloped the garden, creating a fantastical space.

When you enter the hot spring, all you can see are the beautiful flowers. The sky is blue, and all you have is the clear hot spring. This is the best hot spring in the territory.

"By the way, what are the benefits of this hot spring?"

I don't know!!

"The hot spring itself is good for respiratory issues. However, this hot spring is special because it is surrounded by a garden, and the components of the flowers dissolve into the water. This has a great effect on skin whitening and beauty." I said it casually.

"Wow, this is a truly wonderful hot spring. I can't wait to get in."

"The nutrients from the flowers have dissolved into the water, creating a wonderful scent. When you get out, you'll notice that your body has a pleasant floral scent."

"Amazing, I can't wait any longer!"

Wow, she really got excited.

After the tour, Lacer and I went to the men's bath.

The women's bath took a long time. The queen finally came out when her body had cooled down. Even without asking, her blissful expression conveyed her satisfaction.

She particularly liked the scent, and what was supposed to be a two-day stay turned into a seven-day stay.

Whether it was because the queen spread the word or because news of her visit spread, the number of visitors to our territory the following month increased fiftyfold.

Most were ladies seeking beauty, and they were willing to spend money for it, which greatly benefited our territory.

Kururi Heran, at just 14 years old, learned the terrifying power of