Chapter 65

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"Sorry, sorry, sorry!!"

She began by apologizing three times in quick succession.

A girl who looked similar to the one Aine had helped, probably the "big sister" she had been waiting for.

Her clothes were dirty, and her hair and skin showed signs of wear. Though her features were not bad, she gave an overall impression of being simple. Looking at her broken glasses, one couldn't help but want to wipe the lenses for her.

"It's fine, really. I was just waiting—"

Aine thought she was grateful for being with her sister. ...But that assumption was quickly proven wrong.

"I don't have any money, but I'll give you anything I can! Just please, not my sister...!"

Aine's mouth hung open, unable to close. In contrast, Chris remained calm, which looked a bit amusing.

"...Hey, Chris."

"Probably as you're thinking. You've been misunderstood."

"Haha, yeah?"

Indeed, there had been a thug earlier, but Aine and the others had chased him away. This meant that the woman who had just arrived had mistaken Aine and the others for the thugs.

"Big sister! This big brother helped me!"

Aine thought about how to explain. It would be easier if she believed him right away, but the girl started explaining herself. Listening to her, it seemed things were going well, and Aine felt relieved.

"Huh... help? Mei... what happened?"

"Listen! Someone was trying to steal our food, and these big brothers helped us!"

She looked at Aine and the others again.

Despite her dirty and cloudy glasses, she seemed to recognize them clearly, which put Aine at ease.

"I'm very sorry... Excuse me, but are you nobles?"

It's understandable that she would be mistaken, as Aine and Chris were hiding their true identities. However, Aine was wearing expensive-looking clothes, and Chris was wearing expensive equipment made from monster materials. At first glance, they did look like a noble and his guard.

"Nobles... hmm, kind of, but not exactly. By the way, what's your name?"

"Oh, I apologize... My name is Bara."

She bowed deeply, almost comically, as she introduced herself.

"You don't have to bow like that... Anyway, nice to meet you, Bara."

For now, he decided to let the misunderstanding about being nobles slide. Though he wasn't a noble, it felt closer to his status than being a commoner.

"Don't worry about Mei. Nothing happened to her."

"To think that a noble would help us... I'm truly sorry. If there's anything I can give you, I'll give it..."

Aine wondered what kind of image she had of nobles. Perhaps the nobles in the magic city were mostly tyrannical. He decided to ask Chris about it later.

"No, no, there's no need for payment. By the way—"

If they kept talking, Bara would insist on paying. Aine needed to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted.

"Do you really heal injuries? Can you even heal broken bones?"

"It's a bit tiring, but of course I can... Why do you ask?"

Bara looked at Aine with a puzzled expression.

Bingo. Aine, who didn't care about what Bara was thinking, clenched his fist. Glancing at Chris, he sensed a similar vibe from her.

"I'm curious why someone with your skills is living in this slum."

"...Huh? But... this kind of magic is...?"

That's impossible. As she thought this, Chris spoke to Bara.

"Bara, were you born in this slum? And have you never left it?"

"How did you know!? ...But you're right. My late mother used to say that if we left this slum, people like us would be caught by greedy people and used as they pleased."

Like slaves? Or sex slaves, given that they were women? Either way, it wasn't a pleasant thought, and Aine became concerned about the security in Isto.

"...That's what she said, Aine-sama."

The slum was a much smaller world than Aine had thought, almost like a separate world from the outside. This was the slum in the magic city. There were probably many towns where thugs controlled the underworld, but it seemed that wasn't the case in Isto's slum.

"I've noticed a few issues with security and such, but I'll discuss them with Warren later. ...Anyway, I have a question. Bara, if you could give Mei a comfortable life, what would you think?"

This made him feel like a corrupt merchant... But there was no choice. Aine started to persuade her to listen to his thoughts.

* * *

The sun set, and the area was enveloped in the night sky, with a cold breeze starting to blow.

Aine, who had returned to the inn, was welcoming Katima and Dill, who had just come back.

Unlike Katima's satisfied face, Dill looked unusually tired, reflecting the day's events.

"You bought a lot again."

"We have to buy when we can, nya. It's hard to resist, nya."

"Katima-sama... Should I bring them to the room...?"

"Yes, please! Be careful, nya!"

Dill's small "yes" was as lacking in energy as his expression. It wasn't hard to imagine how much he had been dragged around.

"Sure, the magic city is impressive, nya. There were many things that were hard to get in the capital, nya."

"That's good. Thank you, Dill."

He directed this more to Chris, as Dill's sacrifice had made for a pleasant day.

"So, did Aine and the others buy anything, nya?"

"No, but we picked up someone, nya."

"Wh-what are you talking about, nya?"

Katima displayed her feelings without hiding them at all. Aine thought Chris would explain it better, so he left it to her.

They explained how they had saved a girl from a thug and then talked to her sister, eventually convincing her to come with them after a long time.

"Hmm, so you've started picking up people, nya. This nephew of mine..."

"I didn't expect it either, so it's a bit of a problem."

"By the way, I've already contacted Warren. So the king should know by now."

It wasn't something to be praised, but Aine felt it was a chance and ended up recruiting her. He couldn't just keep it a secret, so he had properly informed the castle.

"So? Where are the sisters, nya?"

"They're not in the noble rooms, but we rented a separate room for them. They're in the bath now."

"Hmm. Well, it was a bit hasty, nya. But I think your decision was good, nya."

"Really?"

A prince shouldn't bring people so easily, even if he was in hiding. That was what he meant by being hasty. However, it was rare for Katima to praise him honestly, and Aine couldn't help but ask back.

"So, do you have any plans for the slum, nya?"

"I'll talk to Warren later, but it won't be easy... It will cost a lot of money."

Katima's concern was that the slum would see an increase in injuries if Bara left. Aine had considered this too and planned to discuss it with Warren, but such reforms would require a lot of funds, making it difficult to implement.

"Hmm? If it can be solved with a certain amount of money, I think it's worth it, nya. ...If we can get a dedicated healing mage for the capital, the money for the slum's reform would be cheap, nya."

"I understand what you mean, but... Chris, what do you think?"

"Katima-sama is right. It would be a good deal, nya."

"I don't like to think of people as purchases, but... you're right."

Then why not hire a famous adventurer who can use healing magic? The conversation would go that way.

But that wouldn't work. The adventurer guild plays a role in the continent's safety, and poaching them would damage relations, which wouldn't be wise in the long run. Even if they asked adventurers to work near the capital, it often didn't go well.

"Katima-sama, I'm back."

"Oh, good job, nya! I'll give you a pat on the head as a reward, nya."

Dill, who had returned, was given a reward by Katima. It was just a pat on the head, but if it were a strong, muscular woman like Lloyd, he would have probably made a silly face in joy.

Dill lowered his body, making it easier for Katima to pat him.

"Mmm, good boy, nya."

"Thank you..."

Aine thought it would make a good picture, but with Katima, it felt different. He looked at Dill with a warm gaze.

Dill noticed the gaze and shyly turned away.

"(Hey, Chris. They seem to get along well, don't you think?)"

"(...Katima-sama probably finds Dill easy to take care of, nya.)"

Aine and Chris felt a sense of warmth when watching Dill and the others.

"Alright. Since Dill is back, let's go, nya."

"Eh? Katima-sama... Where are we going?"

"Of course, to meet the sisters Aine picked up, nya!"

They probably finished their bath and were waiting. It seemed like a good time to go to their room, which was on the floor below and a bit nicer. It was easy to move to the room since it was close by.

* * *

Aine and the group moved to the floor where Bara and the others were staying. Chris, being a woman, went in first to check on them. They decided to enter when there was no response to knocking and waiting.

"Um, Aine-sama... What should we do?"

Chris, who had gone in to check, came back alone, which was unusual for her, and she asked Aine for his judgment.

"What should we do? Did something happen?"

Behind Aine, Dill and Katima also looked puzzled.

"Can you come in here for a moment?"

"Sure, what's up?"

Aine, Katima, and Dill followed the hesitant Chris into the room.

The room, while different in decor and carpet from Aine's, was still a high-end room and very comfortable. It had several magic devices and a proper bath, just like Aine's room.

As they followed Chris to check the room, they finally arrived at the bedroom. The door was slightly open, and the inside was clearly visible.

"Take a look."

Chris stopped and turned to Aine, saying this. There was something inside, and Aine was curious.

"Ah, I see."

"It can't be helped, nya... They moved from the slum to this room, nya."

"Indeed... It's hard to wake them up."

Following Aine, Katima and Dill expressed their thoughts. The scene inside was not strange but rather endearing.

"Snore... Snore..."

"Big sister... Mmm..."

In the middle of the large bed, the two were sleeping peacefully, huddled together. Looking at the edge of the bed, there were signs of use. They probably felt lonely and ended up cuddling in the large bed. They must usually sleep together like this.

The soft bedding and bed must have been comfortable for them. It was clear they were sleeping soundly.

"The bed in this inn is so comfortable, it can't be helped. It's hard to wake them up."

"From a subordinate's perspective, this is disrespectful."

"Dill, I understand your feelings. But as a person, what do you think?"

"Well... I'm not a monster... I can't just wake them up."

In a way, it could be seen as Aine giving them a favor. The fact that they slept without saying anything to Aine, who had given them this favor, wasn't good from a subordinate's perspective. But Aine could understand their feelings. They had been living in the slum and suddenly found themselves in a comfortable place. It was natural for them to fall asleep.

And since they were brought here for Aine's convenience, they couldn't be too picky.

"Then it's fine. It's okay to have a soft prince, as long as he does his job. ...And we're not in a hurry, so we can talk to them later."

Chris thought Aine, being a prince, should be a bit more assertive. But this kindness was also an important part of Aine's character. Thinking about it, this was fine.

But Aine, who could suddenly overwhelm them with a different aura, was unpredictable.

"Dill, prepare a note. Just write down what I tell you."

"Understood."

"Aine-sama? So we'll talk tomorrow...?"

"Tomorrow I have an appointment with Professor Oz. I can't talk to them until I get back... So I'll check on them when they wake up. If they're awake, I'll talk to them as soon as I get back. If they're still sleeping, I'll prepare another note and head to Professor Oz's place."

"That's a good idea, nya. Also, it would be good to talk to the inn. Ask them to provide food and anything else they need. The cost can be charged to us, nya."

They decided to prepare a note and also follow Katima's advice. Since they brought them here, they didn't want them to feel uncomfortable.

"Sure. Then I'll ask Chris to talk to the inn. Let's go back to our room first. I'll inform the inn after I see you off."

Aine quietly closed the door, careful not to wake Bara and Mei.

The next day would be the third day in Isto, and the day of the appointment with Professor Oz. It was an important day as he would share the information about the red fox that he had researched for a long time.

To get as much information as possible, Aine decided to get a good night's rest. But Katima dropped a bombshell.

"By the way, Aine. I'll probably head back to the capital first, nya. I found a lot of things I want to research and got many things I wanted. So I want to start right away, nya."

"Another free spirit..."

Aine dealt with the free-spirited Katima with a sigh.

"So I'll borrow Dill as a guard. I'll be with Chris for a while, but Aine... take care of Chris, nya."

She also mentioned taking Bara and Mei back to the castle. Aine, who would be left alone with Chris, started to feel nervous even with Katima and the others still there.

"Katima-sama... I'm the one who needs to be taken care of...?"

Hearing this, Chris felt more sadness than surprise. Seeing this, Katima continued to laugh.

"Hehehe. That's why I'm asking you, nya. After talking to Professor Oz, I'll go back to my research right away! So be prepared, nya."

Taking Bara and Mei back to the castle meant Aine and Chris would be completely alone. Aine, who was already nervous, felt even more so.

Aine and Chris often worked together, but this would be the first time they would be alone on a trip. Aine was thinking about this, but Katima just laughed freely and happily.

"...It feels like I'm more of a dedicated assistant to Katima-sama than to Aine-sama..."

Dill, whose opinions never mattered, muttered this, but no one heard him.

With the busy period starting, updates will often be around 8:00 AM.

Thank you for your understanding.