Thus, at my urgent call, the main party of five gathered at the lord's mansion.
"Ah, um..."
I was taken aback by the state of the kids gathered before me.
Lucas, Damien, Evangeline, and Junior, all had sullen faces. They looked as if they were in great pain. Guys?
"Are you all... okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Among our main heroes, these four were supposed to have the least injuries. Why did they look like this?
They glanced at each other, and Lucas was the first to speak.
"To know that such an entity will be our next opponent, how could our hearts be at ease."
It was about Night Bringer.
Lucas let out a sigh of frustration. Such a mighty being that could easily crush the formidable King of Flies with his hand. It must feel daunting.
"How we can thrust a sword into the neck of that evil dragon... it's utterly beyond us, so we've been worrying all night."
"The lack of sleep has ruined our faces."
"...Actually, it's not that we haven't thought of any methods."
Lucas glanced at me cautiously, and I clicked my tongue.
"Hey, even so, I won't give back Excannibal. Beastification is still prohibited."
I had taken back the Excannibal that Lucas was using right after the battle and put it into my inventory.
Who knows what that wicked cursed sword could do to Lucas's mind.
Walking such heterodox paths as cursed swords or beastification should be avoided. It might be a source of power for now, but eventually, it will consume the user's body and soul.
During the King of Flies incident, we had no choice due to the urgency, but going forward...
"Oooh..."
Lucas made a bear-like noise and dropped his gaze. No matter how pitiful you act, I won't give it back.
"Evangeline, what about you? Are you hurt anywhere?"
When I cautiously asked Evangeline, who was lying on the couch next to me, she groaned with an uncharacteristically pallid complexion.
"...Wouldn't it be strange if my face were bright, given the state of my homeland?"
"That's true..."
The one to inherit the countship and become the lord of Crossroad in the future was none other than Evangeline.
But since the southern part of her hometown city had been turned into ruins... naturally, her heart would be unsettled.
"I'm a bit nauseated too."
Evangeline flipped her body over on the couch, switching to a prone position, and bounced her legs.
"I thought I could handle any attack in my best condition, but..."
"But?"
"In the presence of a vast and transcendent power like the King of Flies, it seems my shield is of little use."
After saying so, Evangeline immediately looked disheartened. Indeed, that was the reason for her worsened condition.
"The monsters are getting stronger by the day, and in the upcoming battles, I wonder how useful my shield will be... In the ever-expanding battlefield, how meaningful will my individual defense be."
Evangeline made a strange noise, uweeeeee, and started to spin around on the couch. You're kicking up dust, girl.
"I've been thinking a lot like this~ So I also couldn't sleep."
"A sleepless youth."
"And this senior here talks like an old man..."
Moving on from Evangeline, who was rubbing her face vigorously, I looked at Damien next.
"Damien? You look tired too. Speak freely."
"Ah, I just worked a bit too hard... Hehe."
Damien scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. After all, he's been working as a priest at the temple. There was a funeral yesterday, so he had been busy all day.
"I... will just focus on coming up with concrete ways to better execute the orders from His Highness. The big solutions will come from His Highness anyway..."
Damien smiled innocently with his tousled face.
"That Black Dragon is a terrifying being, but His Highness will surely find a way, as always. I'll be ready to fight well when that time comes."
Stop sending me those pure eyes of trust! They're blinding me!
After dodging Damien's mental attack(?) by turning away, I looked at the last member, Junior.
'She lost two young mages under her command.'
She must be the most heartbroken among us.
Without saying much, Junior, with her haggard complexion, gave a weak smile and cautiously observed my face.
"Your Highness, so... what's the reason you've called us here today?"
"Ah."
I quickly erased the intensive hell-training list I had planned in my mind.
Ah, what hell-training. Let's start with a vacation.
"You're all on vacation. I called you here to tell you that. For a while, don't think about anything and just rest up."
The 5-on-5 team match against Dusk Bringer... Of course, we will have to do it!
But starting right away would be overdoing it. Let's take a good rest, recover physically and mentally, and then start.
"Oh, vacation!"
Evangeline's eyes widened.
"It feels like the first time I've heard this word since coming here. Vacation, huh..."
"You've all worked hard. Let's focus on resting and recuperating both body and mind for a while."
Then, Evangeline tilted her head in confusion.
"But what should we do during the vacation?"
"Huh?"
I furrowed my brows at the absurd question.
"Well, you play. That's what vacation is for."
"Uhm, even if you say that... I'm not really sure what to do for fun...?"
All four made a hmm- sound, resting their chins in their hands and pondering.
It suddenly dawned on me that everyone here, without a proper hobby to speak of, had been solely focused on fighting monsters all this time.
Two and a half years filled with battle, training, and more battle preparation.
Looking at the faces of the young children who had devoted their vibrant youth to the monster frontline, I found myself momentarily at a loss for words. I smiled awkwardly and asked.
"...Since we're all gathered, how about we eat something?"
Everyone looked like they had lost their appetite, but I figured they should eat something. Let's think about what we can do and rest while eating.
That's when it happened.
Bang!
Suddenly, the office door burst open, and everyone turned to look in that direction. What now?!
"Pant, pant, pant..."
And what rushed in was... a werewolf with a silver-gray mane.
It took a few seconds to recognize who it was. Startled, I called out the werewolf's name.
"Kuilan?"
It was Kuilan, the King of the Beastmen. After the battle with the King of Flies, he remained in this werewolf form. At first, everyone was shocked, but now we're somewhat getting used to it.
‘No, the problem isn't us getting used to it!’
Kuilan hurriedly entered the office, then shut the door and caught his breath.
"Excuse me for a moment, Captain...!"
I pointed accusingly at the werewolf.
"What's going on... No, before that, what are you holding?"
Kuilan was holding something wrapped up in a blanket. What was so important that he had to hold it so preciously?
"Oh, this?"
Then, Kuilan nonchalantly unfolded the blanket to show its contents.
"It's Yun."
"...What?"
Upon closer inspection, it was true.
The princess with ivory hair - Yun Ariane was asleep inside the blanket, looking dead to the world. It's really Yun! Why are you carrying her around?!
‘Wasn't she being treated at the Ariane Kingdom's military camp? I heard she was recovering?’
The Ariane Kingdom had reported so to me. They even refused a visit, so I haven't seen her face...
"Anyway, please hide us, Captain!"
Kuilan quickly looked around and then scurried towards us, shrinking down to crawl under the coffee table. How did his large body even fit under there?
As we all stood dumbfounded by the situation,
Bang!
The office door opened again. Everyone turned to look. Who is it this time?
"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
There stood warriors and a priest from the Ariane Kingdom.
The priest from the Ariane Kingdom, with a troubled complexion, scanned the office and shouted.
"Have you seen a wolf, a wolf?!"
"A wolf?"
"Kuilan! He kidnapped our princess and ran away!"
My main party members and I exchanged glances in an instant. Everyone was looking at me as if passing the decision-making to me.
And Kuilan, crouched under the table, was also looking up at me.
Begging with his hands clasped.
"..."
Sweating profusely, I found myself responding without thinking.
"I haven't seen him..."
"Really, Your Highness?!"
"Uh, yeah... I don't think I saw him..."
"Understood. Damn it, he definitely ran this way...! Where could he have gone?"
The people from the Ariane Kingdom grudgingly left the office.
As their footsteps faded away, and I was still sweating buckets, I screamed and pointed under the table.
"You made me lie because of you, you red-cloaked wolf bastard! What are you going to do now? Why would you do something like this and make even the prince a liar?!"
Kuilan, who had crawled out from under the table, seemed not to hear my rebuke as he sighed in relief.
I kept yelling at him.
"And why are you kidnapping Yun? Wasn't she being properly treated by the Ariane Kingdom?"
"That's a lie from the Ariane Kingdom side, Captain. Yun survived, but she hasn't regained consciousness because they couldn't remove the paralysis poison."
I opened my mouth in shock. Kuilan continued.
"And the people from the Ariane Kingdom are trying to take Yun back to her homeland. They planned to transport her today, by land."
"What?"
"The king of the Ariane Kingdom wants to see his daughter's face one last time. That's why they came up with this absurd plan."
Crossroad is at the southern end of the world. The Ariane Kingdom, located at the northern end, is incredibly far away.
It's an exhausting journey even for a healthy person, let alone for Yun, who is injured and unconscious.
"So, I stole her. Instead of forcibly transporting her north, it's much better... more likely to save her if she continues to receive treatment in Crossroad."
"That makes sense, but..."
Is kidnapping like this really okay? Is there really no problem?
As I stammered in confusion,
Bang!
The office door opened again. Ah, today is just a day for breaking doors!
"She's indeed here!"
The people from the Ariane Kingdom had returned. Pretending to leave and then raiding this place again. Ahh, we're caught!
"I saw you enter clearly, no matter how much you try to cover it up with the prince's protection, Kuilan...!"
"..."
"Please return the princess peacefully. Don't escalate this into a diplomatic issue."
The priest from the Ariane Kingdom spoke with a heavy heart.
"We only wish for the princess's happiness. Even if it means she must close her eyes in her homeland, in her family's embrace. So..."
"Wishing for Yun's happiness?"
Scoffing, Kuilan stood up and covered Yun's face with his hand.
"If that's the case, people of the Ariane Kingdom. Take a good look at this."
Then, he placed his furry hand... on Yun's cheek.
And astonishingly, the corners of Yun's mouth, who had been unconscious and asleep... started to curl up into a smile.
I exclaimed in shock.
"What the, she's smiling?! I thought she was unconscious?!"
"No, she's unconscious... She must be..."
In front of the bewildered Ariane Kingdom priest, Kuilan continued to demonstrate.
"Look. Like this. Like this."
Swipe. Swipe. Swipe.
As Kuilan rubbed the soft fur from various parts of his body on Yun's cheeks and neck, Yun not only started smiling foolishly but even began to drool.
Is she actually finding happiness from the touch of Kuilan's fur even in a comatose state? What a natural-born fur enthusiast!
Kuilan declared in a determined voice.
"Being with me is better for Yun's happiness."
"Ugh..."
The priest, who slyly came over to feel Kuilan's arm, dropped his head while shivering.
"These muscles, this fur... His Majesty the King would understand if he felt this himself. I have no choice but to acknowledge it..."
"You're just going to accept it?!"
I was dumbfounded. What exactly is the taste of these northerners...?
"But we cannot disregard His Majesty's command. What should we do..."
I stepped forward in front of the pondering priest.
"His Majesty wouldn't want Yun's death, would he?"
"Of course, that's not what we want..."
"There must be a way to improve Yun's condition here in Crossroad. Why not continue her treatment here a little longer? I'll propose it myself, as the commander of this place."
Everyone's eyes widened. The priest asked in a trembling voice.
"And what might that method be?"
"Below the Lake Kingdom, there's a facility that helps with stamina and magic power regeneration. It's called the Bokuk Hawaii... Ah, no!"
I hurriedly corrected myself.
"Dungeon Spa!"
It seems like it's time for all of us to take a dip in the hot springs, especially now that we're on vacation.
--TL Notes--
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