Chapter 10

"My daughter... my daughter has been kidnapped."

The man the prince had brought was named Konda. He was a young man, still in his mid-twenties.

While treating Konda's wounds with the herbs I had gathered, the prince and I listened to his story.

"Monsters, a large number of goblins, suddenly appeared in the village and kidnapped the village girls and children, fleeing into these mountains. My daughter is one of them. Goblins eat children. It's only a matter of time before she is killed. That's why I climbed the mountain to save her..."

"Along the way, you were nearly killed by a bear. It was fortunate that I noticed your cries for help, or you would have died."

Prince Lotus gently rubbed the herbs a few times before applying them to Konda's back wound. The juice from the herbs, which had a hemostatic and antiseptic effect, seemed to seep in, causing Konda to wince.

"I know! But that was all I could do. What else could I have done!?"

"Wait, wait. Please calm down, Mr. Konda."

I tried to calm him down and divert his attention from the prince to me.

"If an entire village has been affected, the garrison troops are likely to have been mobilized. If there are other people who have been kidnapped besides Mr. Konda's daughter, a raiding party will be dispatched to the mountains tonight—"

"Haha. You don't understand a thing, do you, noble lady?"

Konda lowered his eyes and laughed weakly.

"If the troops were going to move, I would have thought more and acted. Right? Just surviving the winter is a struggle, and a village that can barely pay taxes, asking for help, do you really think the troops or the lord would move?"

His words filled me with a bad feeling. With a face on the verge of tears, Konda continued.

"Ten days ago, the same thing happened in the neighboring village. Even before that, the number of monster attacks had been increasing. Yet, that lord not only ignored our pleas but increased taxes, saying, 'You should make up for the decrease in the village population!' What do you expect me to do with a guy like that!?"

Tears streamed down his face from anger, and I couldn't say anything. I looked at the prince, as if seeking help. He had been listening to Konda's story with a serious expression.

"Konda, you rushed out to save your daughter alone. Do you have any idea where the goblins' base is?"

Prince Lotus asked quietly, and Konda wiped his tears with his arm and answered.

"Yes. I've been looking for it for self-defense. There aren't many monsters around here, so I found it quickly."

Konda pointed to the path the prince had entered earlier and began to explain.

"Follow that path straight ahead, and turn right at the black tree. From there, climb up the mountain, and you'll find the monsters' base. There are other creatures besides goblins, and they've built structures, so it's easy to spot. It's definitely the monsters' lair."

The prince murmured, "I see," and turned to me.

"Azalea, you should take Konda back to the village and return to the castle with Kuuro."

"... What do you intend to do, Prince Lotus?"

"I'm going to rescue Konda's daughter."

Konda's face brightened at the prince's words, but he soon lowered his head and shook it.

"No way. No matter how strong you are, I can't let you go alone. Besides, my daughter was kidnapped. How can I not risk my life? I'm going with you."

Supporting Konda's statement, I also opposed the prince's decision.

"I know you are strong, Your Highness. However, that doesn't mean you should neglect your own safety. It will be too late if something happens to you. Please, let me come with you."

No matter how strong the prince was, attacking the monsters' base alone was dangerous. Even though Lord Creek, Lord Elmet, and the royal couple had called him "extraordinary," "unconventional," and "a natural disaster," Prince Lotus was still a twelve-year-old child. It was unreasonable to expect him not to worry about reckless actions.

To our arguments, the prince gave an unexpected answer.

"If you insist on coming, I won't stop you..."

Prince Lotus slightly lowered his eyebrows, looking troubled.

"But it will be over quickly, okay?"

***

We arrived at the monsters' base.

The prince confirmed with magic that all the kidnapped people were imprisoned underground.

So, he said we should clear the monsters on the ground with magic, and he lifted a small castle-like building from the ground and threw it into the air, causing it to explode.

The remaining stragglers, who rushed out of the underground in a panic, were all eaten by Kuuro, and it was over.

The whole process took less than five minutes.

Now, the prince was in the process of removing the handcuffs from the people who had been captured underground. Apparently, the restraints were enchanted with magic, and if not removed correctly, they would explode. The prince, of course, understood the method instantly and, as a precaution, ordered Konda and me to stay back.

Konda and I, with nothing to do, watched as the prince broke the restraints like twigs.

"Hey, Lady Azalea, did we have any reason to come along?"

"Not at all, Mr. Konda. We did point out the possibility of a forest fire, didn't we?"

"That's right. As a result, fireworks went off during the day. It was messy, though."

"Hehe. Not everything is bad. Look, Kuuro is playing with the children."

"Wow, it's true. Even though the Holy Dragon's mouth is covered in blood, it's comforting. My daughter is playing too."

"Kuuro seems to be in a good mood after eating his fill. He's playing with the children using the bones of the remaining monsters."

"Ahaha. It's peaceful."

"Hehe. Yes, it is."

Konda and I smiled with distant eyes. We could only laugh.

It really was over in a flash. What was the point of all that discussion earlier?

After all, Prince Lotus, facing the monsters' base alone, would normally be seen as a bad omen. I mean, I might have been a hindrance, being unable to fight properly. But I never imagined it would end so quickly. The travel time to the base was longer than the time it took to destroy it. Prince Lotus, aren't you too strong?

As I chuckled dryly, the prince seemed to have finished his work. Konda and I ran to him when he beckoned us.

"Thank you, Prince Lotus. We will never forget this kindness."

Konda bowed to the prince. Even though he didn't believe we were a prince and a noble lady, saying, "There's no way a prince would be in such a rural area," and after witnessing the destruction of the monsters' base, he prostrated himself, saying, "Please spare my life, Prince Lotus," and couldn't even look the prince in the eye. It seems he now understood that the prince was not a heartless person. Good, good. His face is still a bit pale, but it's within acceptable limits.

I observed the villagers who had been captured. They were all tired, but there didn't seem to be any serious injuries. The children were energetic enough to play with Kuuro, so they should be able to descend the mountain.

Even though the monsters' base had been cleared, there was still a high possibility of encountering beasts on the way. Before I could suggest escorting them back to the village, a magic circle appeared at the prince's feet.

Startled by the glowing circle, I stepped back, and the prince explained, "Don't worry. It's a teleportation spell."

"Teleportation? Where do you intend to go, Your Highness?"

"Hmm... that is..." The prince hesitated, glancing at Konda and the others before turning to me.

"Azalea, take these people back to the village and return to the castle first. I have one more task to complete, and I will join you later."

The "one more task" was probably to visit the local lord, Lord Juta, given the prince's angry expression when listening to Konda's story.

"What are you saying? I will accompany you. I cannot leave you alone and return by myself. Besides, I can't ride Kuuro alone."

"Don't worry about that. Kuuro is intelligent and can easily take you to the castle. Azalea, please. Just this once, indulge my whim."

What should I do? I was speechless at the sight of the prince tilting his head, looking like he was about to say, "No, right?"

Prince Lotus is so cute... No, no! It's rare for him to ask without giving a reason. He must have something in mind.

Or is there a reason he can't say here? For example, something the villagers shouldn't hear...

"...Understood. Prince Lotus, please be careful."

When I agreed, the prince apologized and activated the teleportation spell.

As he disappeared in a blinding light, I whispered to myself, so no one could hear.

"I wanted you to say 'thank you.'"

I really wanted him to rely on me more. But I'm just a powerless little girl, so Prince Lotus's decision is reasonable.

Even without my puny help, he can do anything to Lord Juta, whether it's lecturing or persuading.

I, being incompetent, should not meddle unnecessarily. I should have learned that from my previous life.

...Even today's lunch was an unnecessary attempt. So, I should first think about what I was told. That way, it's more certain that no one will lose.

I took a deep breath and called out to Konda, "Let's go down the mountain."