Chapter 54

This is a work of fiction.

The characters, organizations, and names are all fictional and have no connection to any real entities.

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052 - Princess Elmerda's Melancholy

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I held a party to honor the heroes, but the expressions of those with combat jobs were polarized.

Shinji Akaba has a party of just one swordsman, and that swordsman looks like a sick person, with sunken eyes and cheeks. Shinji Akaba must be pushing him too hard. I need to rescue the swordsman soon. This will likely isolate Shinji Akaba, but it's a consequence of his own actions, and he will have to accept it.

Hayate Uchida, the Storm Hero, has a party of five, and Sadao Tsuchi, the Golden Hero, has a party of seven, making their parties more stable than Shinji Akaba's. However, there is still a tense atmosphere among the party members.

In contrast, Itsuki Mizusawa, the Azure Hero, is making steady progress in dungeon exploration with his party. They have 14 members and have even decided on the logistics of carrying supplies through discussion. They are probably learning from the mistakes of the other three heroes.

I have little hope for the problematic parties of the three heroes. The Knight Commander and the Mage Commander have tried various methods, but the heroes are stubborn and refuse to listen to our advice.

The results of their exploration also show a clear difference. Shinji Akaba's party has explored two levels, Hayate Uchida and Sadao Tsuchi's parties have explored three levels, and Itsuki Mizusawa's party has explored four levels. Moreover, I've heard that Itsuki Mizusawa's party plans to challenge the boss of the fourth level next.

The problematic parties of the three heroes have been exploring the dungeon for about two months, while Itsuki Mizusawa's party has only been exploring for one month. The difference between those who have trained and prepared and those who haven't is clear.

"I am concerned about the swordsman in Shinji Akaba's party. Please arrange for him to take a rest."

"Understood."

I gave this instruction to the Knight Commander and left the party venue. Thanks to the problem children, various complaints have come in, and I need to address them. It's a troublesome situation.

One day, while walking down a corridor, Shinji Akaba stopped me.

It's fine to stop me, but I would appreciate it if he would stop addressing me so informally. I am still a princess, after all.

"What is it, Lord Shinji Akaba?"

"Old man, you took Takeda away for rest, didn't you? I'm going to the dungeon next, so give Takeda back."

I knew Shinji Akaba would complain about this.

"I judged that he needs rest. Please take a break from dungeon exploration."

"How long is this rest supposed to last?"

"That will depend on the situation. For now, he needs to rest."

"Don't mess with me. If this continues, we can't enter the dungeon."

Shinji Akaba spat on the floor and shouted loudly. He must have gotten his way by doing this before, but it won't work on me, who can move the country. I have dealt with such situations many times.

"Hey, get me a replacement."

"There is no one who wants to form a party with Lord Shinji Akaba. It's a result of your actions. Perhaps you should reconsider your behavior."

"Whatever I do is my own business."

"Stop involving Lord Takeda Ooba. Also, many complaints have been filed against you. If you don't change your behavior, you will end up in prison."

"Whatever, save your preaching for someone else."

Shinji Akaba turned his back on me and walked away, his shoulders tense. He doesn't seem likely to change his behavior. It's a troublesome situation.

"Princess Elmerda, we have received an urgent report from Duke Galdland."

When I entered my office, a civil servant handed me a letter.

The Galdland Dukedom is a prestigious family connected to the royal family, with power rivaling that of the royal family. They opposed the summoning of heroes, so perhaps they have something to say about the current heroes' reputation.

With a heavy heart, I opened the letter and read it.

"!?"

I couldn't help but widen my eyes and clench my back teeth.

"Immediately gather the Knight Commander, the Mage Commander, and all the ministers."

"Yes, yes!"

The letter stated that a demon had appeared and been repelled, but its whereabouts were unknown. Only those with holy attributes can defeat demons, such as heroes or paladins.

While my father was ill... my younger brother is only 10 years old. It's too harsh to burden him with responsibility. I must stand firm here.

The Knight Commander, the Mage Commander, and all the ministers gathered, and I told them about the demon that appeared in Kelniff.

"Even if they didn't defeat the demon, it's impressive that the Galdland Dukedom managed to repel it. It was probably Duke Balkan who did it."

The Knight Commander said, folding his arms.

"It wasn't Duke Balkan. The demon was repelled by someone the Duke recently ennobled to the rank of honorary baron."

I handed the letter to the Knight Commander.

"Someone other than Duke Balkan could repel a demon...?"

The Knight Commander muttered, as if savoring the words.

There are only a few strong individuals among those who serve the royal family who can repel demons. The Knight Commander and the Mage Commander are as strong as Duke Balkan, but there are only a few others who are slightly weaker. In total, there are about ten such individuals.

I would like to mention the heroes, but they are still at a low level. The only ones I can hope for are Lord Itsuki Mizusawa and a few members of his party.

For now, we can only hope for their growth. We must watch and wait.

The letter was passed from the Knight Commander to the Mage Commander and then to the ministers.

"The dukedom is urging the nobles to be on alert, but the royal family should also actively promote vigilance."

"The Mage Commander is right. This is a matter that the royal family should lead."

The ministers divided the task of alerting the noble families about the demon.

"Let's gather more information about this honorary baron."

"Perhaps we should invite him to the capital?"

"If we invite the honorary baron to the capital, the duke will be displeased."

"Perhaps we could offer a reward, and he won't refuse."

Yes, let's invite the honorary baron to the capital and offer a reward.

"What reward should we offer?"

"Offering a title might not please the duke, so perhaps money or a magic sword would be better."

"Let's give him a magic sword. There were a few in the treasury."

"Since he only repelled the demon, not defeated it, a magic sword is unnecessary. We can give him a good sword from the market."

"Understood. I will leave this to the Minister of Finance."

"Understood."

I instructed to gather more information about this Footsickle, the honorary baron, and the meeting concluded.

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