Chapter 64

After that, we proceeded in a southwesterly direction.

Since we were moving without a cart, the long journey was uncomfortable.

"Should we take a cart from somewhere?"

After all, we are already wanted. A cart wouldn't be much of a problem... but still.

"Hey!"

Philo showed an incredible reaction.

"I don't want to pull a cart that was obtained by doing something bad!"

Ah, maybe it's a no-go from Philo's real perspective.

"Stealing aside, it's also tough to be on Philo for a long time, isn't it?"

"Does the Second Princess think so too?"

"Mmm..."

The Second Princess made an unpleasant face and turned away from my question.

What's wrong with her?

"It's a bit dangerous, but it might be appropriate for Raphatalia to buy a cart from some village..."

At this point, it doesn't matter as long as we can ride.

Should I have asked that shadow?

"Oops, it's almost dark. Let's take a break soon."

Just as I was thinking about taking a break,

"Guah!?"

Wild Philoreal A appeared!

Wild Philoreal B appeared!

Wild Philoreal C appeared!

The Philoreals saw Philo and cried out.

This has happened before. They'll probably run away.

The Philoreals ran off with a determined look, as if driven by a mission.

"What's up?"

"Wow, to meet wild Philoreal and Filir species..."

The Second Princess watched the Philoreals leave with a dreamy expression.

"I've always thought the Second Princess really likes Philoreals, don't you?"

"Yeah! Ah..."

She nodded, but the Second Princess still made an unpleasant face when she looked at me.

What's wrong with her?

Gurrr...

Philo's stomach growled.

"I'm hungry."

"Don't eat each other."

"Philo is a big eater."

The Second Princess poked Philo with her finger.

"Hehehe."

While it's nice that they get along, that action is a bit annoying.

They look like a lovey-dovey couple.

After preparing the campfire, we had dinner.

"Here, Second Princess."

As soon as I offered her tonight's dinner, the Second Princess refused with an unhappy face.

What's wrong with her?

"Mel doesn't want to eat?"

"I will. But..."

The Second Princess glanced at me and seemed hesitant.

What's going on?

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

When Raphatalia asked, the Second Princess snatched the dinner.

"What's wrong, Mel?"

"Umm..."

Noticing something was off, Philo asked, and the Second Princess looked troubled.

"I don't have any mind control powers, you know."

"It's not that!"

With that, the Second Princess turned away.

Her attitude is the same as usual. She talks happily with Philo in human form and exchanges words with Raphatalia.

But she looks at me with a particularly unpleasant expression or ignores me.

I have no idea what's going on.

Gurrr...

Philo's stomach growled again.

"I'm hungry."

"Don't eat each other."

"Philo is a big eater."

The Second Princess poked Philo with her finger.

"Hehehe."

While it's nice that they get along, that action is a bit annoying.

They look like a lovey-dovey couple.

After finishing the meal, we heard a distant cry.

"It's a Philoreal's cry!"

The Second Princess listened intently.

"The Second Princess really likes Philoreals, doesn't she?"

"Yeah!"

"Why do you like them so much?"

When I asked, the Second Princess made an unpleasant face again, even though she had been listening to the Philoreal's cry just a moment ago.

"Because... Philoreals are legendary divine birds..."

"Legendary?"

"Yeah. Philoreals are revered monsters because they were used by a hero who saved people long ago."

"That's..."

"Right, when a calamitous wave came, the hero of that time used them as mounts."

"Was there a wave in the past too?"

I only know a little from that scumbag's story.

He mentioned a prophetic wave.

What exactly is it? Glass said it would be a big mistake to think it's just a disaster.

There might be a hint in the Second Princess's story, even if we don't get an answer.

"I often heard stories about Philoreals from my mother during our carriage trips."

"Really? What kind of stories?"

"Philoreals became the hero's mount and sometimes supported and protected the hero."

"Like Philo now."

Raphatalia answered while looking at Philo.

Indeed, Philo is now an important part of our offensive. She's fast and strong.

Without Philo, we couldn't have made money as merchants, and our life on the run would have been much harder.

"Yeah. In the legends, there's even a Philoreal queen."

"Is that so?"

"According to the legend, the Philoreal queen who fought the wave as the hero's mount is still alive and watching over the world. Because of her, people treat Philoreals with care."

So that's why they use them instead of horses.

That means Philo is called a divine bird for a reason.

"I've always dreamed of meeting that Philoreal queen."

Saying this, the Second Princess hugged Philo.

"The Philoreal queen can transform into various forms."

"Probably, Philo is the Philoreal queen. She has the ability to transform."

"Right! Meeting Philo and becoming friends fulfilled my dream!"

So that's why the Second Princess got along with Philo.

"Queen..."

I suddenly thought about the Second Princess's mother.

I don't know what kind of person she is since I haven't met her, but I hope she's someone I can talk to.

Considering her daughter, I'm half hopeful and half resigned, but according to Goshujin-sama, it should be fine.

Hmm?

I felt a sense of discomfort.

I compared the Second Princess and Philo.

"Oh, I see."

"What is it?"

"Well, I thought Philo was the Philoreal Queen, but if the legendary queen is still alive, then the Second Princess, you're a princess, right?"

"Huh, so Philo isn't the Queen?"

"Maybe. If the queen doesn't exist, then Philo is the Queen, but if she does, then Philo isn't the Queen yet."

The Second Princess nodded in agreement.

"So the dream of meeting the queen hasn't come true yet..."

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No. If she really exists, I want to meet her someday."

"What would you do if you met her?"

"I want to be friends with her!"

"I see. The Second Princess's dream will continue. When the world is peaceful, you can search for her with Philo."

"Goshujin-sama?"

"I'm going back to my original world."

There's no reason for me to stay in this world, and if I can go back, I'll do it without hesitation.

I won't say it out loud, but the wave and all that stuff don't really matter to me.

"Eh! I want to go with Goshujin-sama and Philo!"

"No, no, the people of this world probably can't come."

"I want to go, I want to go!"

"Be patient. I'll let you have the right to go with your favorite Second Princess."

"Yay!"

Oh, it's getting noisy.

"Really... When the world is peaceful, will you leave, Naofumi?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"It's nothing..."

Raphatalia looked into the campfire with a distant gaze.

"Don't say that."

"Huh? What's wrong, Second Princess?"

The Second Princess trembled and whispered something.

"What did you say?"

"Don't call me Second Princess!"

She shouted, glaring at me with teary eyes.

"What's wrong? Suddenly?"

"My name isn't Second Princess! It's Melt!"

"Huh? What obvious thing are you saying?"

"It's because the Shield Hero doesn't call me by my name!"

The Second Princess, stressed from the long journey, scratched her head and said hysterically.

Philo and Raphatalia were shocked, staring at the Second Princess.

"I'll say it again! My name is Melt! The Shield Hero keeps calling me Second Princess, but that's my position, not my name!"

"What? You wanted to be called by your name?"

"That's not what I mean! Why does the Shield Hero exclude me from the group!"

"Exclude? Well, you are an outsider in my party."

"But now we share the same hardships! Don't call me by my position!"

"Hmm... But you call me the Shield Hero too."

By her logic, she's also guilty.

My name isn't the Shield Hero.

"Then from now on, I'll call you Naofumi. So, Naofumi, call me by my name!"

"Okay..."

I don't like being called by my first name, but if I answer poorly, it might get even noisier.

Even if we're camping, a night attack would be troublesome.

Besides, the Second Princess... she calls Raphatalia with a polite suffix but calls me by my first name.

But if she calls me with a polite suffix, I think of that bitch.

She was a hero, though.

Yeah, this is fine.

"Got it. Melt. Is this okay?"

"Absolutely, you must keep it!"

"Sure, sure."

She's been in a bad mood lately because I called her Second Princess.

What a hassle. Are all women like this?

"Philo, you scared me."

Yeah, she's noisy but not hysterical.

It's a kind of noise unique to children.

Philo is similar in that way. She's just being her age.

"Princess Melt was also bothered by it, huh?"

Raphatalia... I don't know.

She started calling me by my name at some point.

"You're easy to handle."

She was a handful at first, but she's been following me without much self-assertion.

Unlike Philo, she fights steadily, which suits me as a shield.

Most importantly, she helps with the merchant business and disguises during our escape, so she's quite useful.

"Is that a compliment?"

"Is it not?"

"You're serious... sigh."

Does Raphatalia have some troublesome aspects too?

I might have caused her some trouble.

"Let's get some rest early to prepare for tomorrow."

"Understood."

"Okay."

"Yeah."