Chapter 25

While lounging at the inn, I was called by the innkeeper, “You have a visitor.” I was taking a break from my duties today. I thought it might be someone from the hardware store as I made my way downstairs.

There stood a familiar blonde prince. He seemed to have aged several years in just a few days. His blonde hair looked somewhat duller than before.

Oh, I really don’t want to talk to him.

But I can’t just ignore him. I approached and said, “Hello, you’re back, I see.”

Kokushin looked up. He had dark circles under his eyes, and they seemed hollow. This is not good. Is he going to die? What did he come to tell me?

“Yeah, just now.”

His voice was still as good as ever.

“You’re in civilian clothes today.”

I said this because I was used to seeing him in armor, but Kokushin laughed for some reason.

“Yeah, from now on, I’ll always be in civilian clothes…”

Does that mean he’s been fired!? No, wait, don’t look like you’re about to cry. I hurriedly grabbed his wrist and dragged him to my room.

“I’ve been wondering… What have I been enduring all this time…! Is this… Is this what it’s come to!? Did I do something wrong!?”

As soon as we got to the room, he grabbed my shoulders and vented his emotions. Tears streamed down his face, and after a while, he knelt and sobbed. I squatted down beside him and continued to stroke his head until he calmed down.

I don’t know what to do in situations like this. Even in my past life, I never had deep relationships with people. Even now, I’m thinking, “What a waste of a handsome face.” Am I heartless?

“Are you feeling a bit better?”

I placed a cup of tea in front of Kokushin, who was sniffling. There were no chairs or tables, so I put it on the floor. I sat opposite him in seiza, but it was impossible to do so with shoes on.

“Yeah… I showed you a pitiful sight. I just couldn’t control my emotions.”

“It’s okay. If you don’t let it out, your heart will break.”

“My heart…?”

He gripped the fabric over his heart tightly.

“You look a bit better than before.”

“Really?”

It wasn’t a lie. He looked worn out, but there was still some life in his face. Despite the dark circles and tear stains, he didn’t look too bad.

“Hmm, this is bitter. What is this?”

Kokushin sipped the tea I had made and grimaced.

“Oh, it’s tea made from Toki grass. To put it simply, it’s tea made from the leftover dregs after making a basic healing potion.”

It’s like second brew tea. It gets better with time. It’s good for resetting your palate after eating fatty meat. It still has some medicinal properties.

“Healing potion… You’re quite knowledgeable.”

“Not really. I just hate wasting things.”

“Haha, I see.”

Kokushin laughed.

“…So, things didn’t go well, huh?”

Well, I can’t not ask.

“Yeah, I was stripped of my status as a guard.”

“You’re lucky to be alive.”

“Yeah, maybe they didn’t think it was worth silencing me. But I was told to leave this territory…”

Exile. Even as a captain, he’s a commoner. If he were to leak information to someone in the future, who would believe him? Or maybe the higher-ups were deeply involved! Is this territory in trouble?

“So, are you leaving this town?”

“Yeah, but I’m not sure what to do. I’m an orphan, and all I’ve ever thought about is being a guard and protecting the town. I don’t know any other way to live.”

He clenched his rough, calloused hands tightly.

“Everyone has to start somewhere. As long as it’s not a crime, you can do anything. You can be an adventurer and protect the town. You can become a merchant and support the town’s people. Or you can become a knight and protect the country, not just the town.”

“Knight…”

“This territory might not be the place for you, but maybe someone else will recognize your talents. If you want to protect ‘this town’… Oh, you have to leave, right?”

Does that mean you can’t live here? Or that you can’t be involved with this place at all? Both, maybe.

Kokushin looked troubled as he thought about it.

There’s no need to rush. There’s no tension, so it’s unlikely that assassins have been sent after him. Or maybe he’s not seen as a threat at all. Perhaps he was just a troublesome, justice-driven person who needed to be removed.

“By the way, how did you know I was staying here?”

Did I say something? No, when I parted ways with Kokushin, I was still staying outside, right?

“Oh, I asked at the Adventurer’s Guild, and they told me.”

Personal information!! It’s leaking everywhere. They should warn people about scams. Oh, is it because Kokushin was a guard? Am I involved in a case? An interrogation?

“They said you were doing something interesting. They recognized you by your description.”

What’s so interesting? I’m known as an interesting person at the guild.

Kokushin laughed as he looked at me, who was hanging my head.

“An adventurer, huh? Sounds fun. If I had ‘Swordsmanship’ and ‘Wind Magic,’ could I become one?”

“Eh, of course! Besides, you have ‘Wind Magic’!”

I really want to see it. It’s like a razor wind, right? I want to see it slice through things.

I leaned forward involuntarily.

“If I become an adventurer, will you teach me a lot, ‘senpai’?”

“Huh?”

What is he saying? I’m a newbie too. An older ex-guard as a junior? What kind of mismatched pair would that be? My smallness would stand out. Oh, does he mean just an introduction to the guild or something like that?

“No, I’m asking you to be my partner.”

Why me!!

“I’m new too.”

“It’s fine to be new together.”

“No, no, why me?”

“It sounds fun. You’re smart, and you can speak your mind to your seniors. Most importantly, I can have a conversation with you.”

What does that mean? When I asked, it turned out to be a matter of appearance. People either get too nervous or squeal like girls, making it impossible to have a conversation.

Even a shining prince has his problems…

By the way, I’ve been wondering about Kokushin’s way of speaking. He used to say “watashi” (I), but his boss told him to use “ore” (I) when he became a guard because it fit his character too well. It’s a rare case where a new recruit was seen as being in a higher position than his superiors. So, I wasn’t the only one who saw him as a prince.