Chapter 69

Now that everything was settled, the next day, I decided to head to Saria's place.

By my side, Ren and Shiro were following me.

"I'm really looking forward to meeting Lloyd's sister."

"Oon!"

As usual, Shiro was being Shiro. When I told Silfa we were going to the church, it turned out that Ren would come along instead.

Silfa is surprisingly busy, after all.

For me, Ren, who has already shown her strength once, is a relief.

"But you don't have to be so excited. You've already met some of my siblings, like Albert."

"Yeah, he's really cool, isn't he?"

Albert, the second prince, is a handsome and refreshing person both in appearance and personality, and he has been taking care of me in various ways.

I was just thinking that this area is where Albert's room is.

"Hey, were you talking about me?"

"Wha!?"

Suddenly, a voice came from behind, and I couldn't help but exclaim.

When I turned around, there was Albert.

Albert laughed mischievously at our surprised faces.

"Hey, Lloyd, and Ren too."

"...Don't scare us like that, Albert."

"K, hello!"

Ren bowed hurriedly, and Albert smiled back at her.

"Hahaha, don't be so formal. I just called out because I saw you."

Still, it's a bit of a problem to be called out suddenly like that.

Since he's a royal heir, I wish he would be a bit more aware of that.

"By the way, where are you two going?"

"To Saria's place. We're going to the church together."

"The church!?"

Albert suddenly raised his voice.

I wish he wouldn't scare us like that.

"Hmm... I see, Lloyd, the reason you're going to the church is to build connections. No matter what form it takes, to become king, you need to gain the support of as many people as possible. The church has many believers, and it's not a bad idea to establish personal connections now... Hmm, you say you have no interest in becoming king, but you seem to be thinking things through. That's what I expect from my right-hand man... or rather, if I'm not careful, you might become my right-hand man."

Then he started muttering to himself.

Can we go now? I guess we can.

"Well, I'm in a hurry..."

"Hmm, ah. Be careful. Do your best!"

He sent us off with a smile.

What does he mean by "do your best"?

Albert is basically a good person, but sometimes he's a bit hard to understand.

When we arrived at the meeting place, Saria was already waiting, having finished getting ready.

"You're finally here."

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Saria."

"Oon!"

"Oh, what a cute dog."

Saria picked up Shiro, who seemed to like dogs, and looked a bit happy.

"Um, nice to meet you. I'm Ren, Lloyd's servant. Please remember me."

Ren bowed, and Saria glanced at her and asked,

"...What instrument are you good at?"

"Huh? I, I'm not particularly good at any instrument..."

"See."

Saria seemed to lose interest in Ren instantly.

Ren looked bewildered at the stark contrast with Shiro.

Why instruments? I don't have any instrument I'm good at either.

"Lloyd is fine. He's not in that category. Come on, let's go."

Saria said this expressionlessly and started to leave.

What category is that?

Ren and I exchanged glances as we followed Saria to the church.

The church is in the center of the town, about an hour's walk from the castle.

As we walked leisurely, we could see the Adventurer's Guild.

"Oh, crap."

I should have changed my route. After all, I'm currently with Ren, who was previously wanted.

I've made arrangements with the guild to take care of her, but I don't know how the other adventurers will react.

I'm prepared to deal with any situation, but I'd rather avoid trouble.

As I was thinking this, the door of the Adventurer's Guild opened.

Two men with bad looks came out and our eyes met. ...Bad feeling.

"Hey, wait a minute, ladies."

Ren's shoulders trembled.

Sigh, as expected. Explaining is a hassle.

I stepped in front of the two men approaching us.

"Sorry, but Ren is..."

"Hehehe, what a cute maid, isn't she?"

"...Huh?"

I couldn't help but let out a surprised sound. What is he saying?

The men continued, looking at me in confusion.

"That unfriendly sister of yours isn't bad-looking either, if you look closely."

"Would you like to play with us? Forget about taking care of this kid."

...So, they're just hooligans trying to pick a fight.

One of them, with a lecherous smile, tried to push me aside by grabbing my shoulder.

Instantly, a killing intent swelled up behind me.

"Ren, stop."

I advised Ren, who was about to draw her dagger, with a blank expression.

"But if someone tries to harm Lloyd, Silfa said I can do anything, even kill them..."

"That doesn't mean you should kill them."

It's really dangerous.

If we fight here in the middle of the street, it will become a big deal.

"Doing it quietly is fine, but drawing attention is not good."

"Okay."

"What are you babbling about—"

I interrupted the men and cast the wind magic "Wind Slash."

The wind blade cut through the men's waists, and their pants fell, exposing their lower bodies.

"What the—!?"

They tried to pull up their pants, but it was impossible because I had cut their belts.

"Hey, guys, are you trying to hit on girls in that outfit?"

"Sh... Damn! I'll remember this!"

The men, holding up their pants with both hands, spat out a cheap line and ran away.

Phew, at least they're gone.

"Hehe, that was impressive!"

I let out a sigh of relief, and applause came from behind.

The person clapping was a girl in Chinese-style clothing, Tao.

"Hey! Long time no see, Lloyd. Ren and Shiro too."

I waved at Tao, who greeted us with a smile. Ren bowed, and Shiro barked in response.

Tao is an adventurer I met before, a martial artist who fights with a foreign style of martial arts.

She manipulates the 'Qi' inside her body to fight, boasting high combat skills even without weapons, and her skills are on par with Silfa's.

"You're mean. If you saw, you could have helped."

"Oh, did you need help?"

I smiled wryly and shook my head.

Tao smiled and said, "I see."

"By the way, Lloyd, who is this?"

"Saria. Lloyd's sister."

"Hmm, now that you mention it, you do have a similar aura. Nice to meet you, Saria. I'm Tao, an adventurer!"

"Mu..."

Tao forcibly took Saria's hand and shook it up and down.

Saria seemed a bit bewildered by the closeness.

The Adventurer's Guild is independent of the country, so they don't show any special deference to royalty.

But neither Saria nor I are so petty as to care about such things, so it's fine.

"Still, it's an unusual group. Where are you going?"

"To the church. Saria is going to perform."

"Wow! That sounds fun! I'd like to come, but... hmm, I have something to do. I just accepted a request to exterminate ghouls. How about you, Lloyd?"

"Ugh, I'd like to, but I have a prior engagement. Maybe next time."

"Sure, sure. I still have requests left, so we can go together if there's an opportunity. I might visit the church if I get the chance. So, see you later."

Tao winked and waved, then ran off.

As we watched her go, Saria muttered,

"Lloyd, thank you for earlier. For helping me."

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing much."

"No, it was a big deal. If something had happened, I would have tried to handle it as your sister..."

Saria raised her handbag.

That bag, it has sharp corners.

If it hits the wrong spot, it could be fatal.

It's really dangerous.

"Still, that was wind magic, wasn't it? It's quite different from sacred magic."

"! Saria, have you seen sacred magic before? What was it like!?"

I couldn't help but ask eagerly at Saria's words.

"The only thing I know is that it can heal injuries, but there are other types too. There are a few skilled people in the church, so you might get a chance to see it if you go there often."

But Saria said this without much interest.

Mmm, Saria doesn't seem very interested in magic. I probably won't get any more detailed information from her.

I'll have to see it for myself.

But it seems there are people in the church who can use sacred magic, and I might get a chance to see it.

Excitement building, I quickened my pace towards the church.