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052 Princess
Ermelda's Melancholy
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Translator : PolterGlast
We held a party to
honor the heroes, but the expressions of those with combat-type jobs were
polarized.
Shinji Akaba was in a
party with only one Swordsman and two others, and that Swordsman had hollow
eyes and sunken cheeks, looking like a sick person. Shinji Akaba was likely
saying unreasonable things and causing trouble for the Swordsman. We needed to
rescue that Swordsman soon. Shinji Akaba would become isolated because of it,
but that was a consequence of his own actions. He would just have to accept it.
Hayate Uchida, the
Hero of Storms, was in a party of 5, and Sadao Tsuchii, the Hero of Gold, was
in a party of 7. They seemed more stable than Shinji Akaba's party, but there
was still a tense atmosphere among their members.
Unlike these
problematic hero parties, Itsuki Mizusawa, the Hero of the Blue Sea's party,
was steadily progressing in dungeon exploration. Their party of 14 seemed to
have even decided on luggage transport through discussion. They were probably
using the situations of the other three hero parties as negative examples.
I had no expectations
for the three problematic hero parties. The Knight Commander and the Mage Corps
Commander had tried various approaches, but those individuals were too stubborn
and wouldn't listen to us.
There was also a
difference in exploration achievements: Shinji Akaba's party was exploring the
2nd floor, Hayate Uchida's and Sadao Tsuchii's parties were on the 3rd floor,
and Itsuki Mizusawa's party was exploring the 4th floor. I even heard that
Itsuki Mizusawa's party was going to challenge the 4th-floor boss next.
The three problematic
hero parties had been exploring the dungeon for about two months, but Itsuki
Mizusawa's party had only been at it for one month. The difference between
those who trained diligently and prepared well, and those who didn't, was
strikingly evident.
"I'm worried
about the Swordsman in Shinji Akaba's party. Please arrange for him to rest for
a while," I instructed the Knight Commander, then left the party venue.
Thanks to these problem children, many complaints were coming in, and I had to
deal with them. It was truly troublesome.
One day, as I walked
down the corridor, Shinji Akaba called out to me. It was fine that he stopped
me, but I wished he wouldn't address me so informally. After all, I am a
princess.
"What is it, Sir
Shinji Akaba?" I asked.
"That bastard
Takehiko was taken away by an old man, saying he needed rest, right? I'm going
to the dungeon now, give Takehiko back!" Shinji Akaba complained. I knew
he would complain about this.
"I decided that
he needed rest. Please refrain from dungeon exploration for a while," I
stated.
"How long is 'a
while'?" he demanded.
"That will be
decided based on his condition. For the time being, he needs complete
rest," I replied.
"Don't screw with
me! If you do that, I can't enter the dungeon!" Shinji Akaba spat on the
floor and yelled loudly. He must have gotten his way like this before, but
threats have no effect on me, who governs the country. I have experienced such
things many times.
"Hey, prepare a
replacement!" he demanded.
"No one wishes to
party with Sir Shinji Akaba. This is the result of your own actions. Perhaps
you should reflect a little," I suggested.
"Whatever I do is
my own business," he retorted.
"Please stop
involving Sir Takehiko Oba. Furthermore, many complaints have been received
regarding Sir Shinji Akaba. If you do not change your behavior as it is, you
will eventually find yourself living in a prison cell," I warned.
"Tch, if you're
going to lecture, do it somewhere else!" Shinji Akaba turned his back to
me and stomped away, his shoulders hunched in anger. He showed no sign of
changing his behavior. This was truly troublesome.
"Your Highness
Ermelda, an urgent report has arrived from His Excellency Duke Gardland,"
a civil servant said, handing me a sealed letter as I entered my office.
The Gardland Ducal
House is a prestigious family connected to the royal family. Its power is
comparable to that of the royal family. They had opposed the Hero Summoning, so
perhaps they had heard rumors about the current Heroes and had something to
say.
With a heavy heart, I
opened the sealed letter and read the contents.
"!" I
instinctively widened my eyes and clenched my back teeth.
"Immediately
summon the Knight Commander, the Mage Corps Commander, and all ministers!"
I commanded.
"Y-yes!" the
civil servant stammered. The letter stated that a demon had appeared in
Kerniff, was repelled, but its whereabouts were unknown. Demons can only be
defeated by those with holy attributes. Only jobs like Heroes and Holy Knights
can truly defeat them.
With my father ill...
and my younger brother only 10 years old. It would be too harsh to place this
responsibility on him. I had to endure here.
The Knight Commander,
the Mage Corps Commander, and all the ministers gathered, and I informed them
that a demon had appeared in Kerniff.
"Even if the
demon wasn't defeated, it's impressive that the Gardland Ducal House managed to
repel it. Commander Barukan must have repelled it," the Knight Commander
said, folding his arms.
"It was not
Commander Barukan. I heard that the one His Excellency Duke Gardland recently
ennobled as an Honorary Baron repelled the demon," I replied, handing the
Duke's letter to the Knight Commander.
"To think there's
someone other than Commander Barukan who can repel a demon..." the Knight
Commander murmured, biting his lip. How many strong individuals capable of
repelling demons are there among those serving the royal family? The Knight
Commander and Mage Corps Commander possess strength comparable to Commander
Barukan, but beyond them, perhaps a few individuals who are inferior to these
two? In total, around 10 people.
Normally, I would
mention the Heroes, but their levels are still low. And the only ones I can
expect anything from are Sir Itsuki Mizusawa and a few members of his party.
For now, we can only
hope for their growth. We must watch over them.
The letter was passed
from the Knight Commander to the Mage Corps Commander, and then to each
minister.
"The Ducal House
has already urged vigilance among the nobles, but the royal family should also
actively promote vigilance," the Mage Corps Commander suggested.
"The Mage Corps
Commander is correct. This is a matter that the royal family must take the lead
in," a minister added.
The ministers then
divided the task of urging vigilance among the various noble houses regarding
the demon's appearance.
"Let's gather a
little more information about this Honorary Baron," I suggested.
"Why not summon
him to the capital?" a minister asked.
"If we summon an
Honorary Baron to the capital, the Duke will be displeased," another
pointed out.
"If we say we're
giving him a reward, he won't refuse," a third chimed in.
That's true. We can
summon that Honorary Baron to the capital and give him a reward.
"What kind of
reward would be good?" a minister asked.
"A noble title
would not please the Duke, so how about money or a demonic sword?" another
suggested.
"Let's give him a
demonic sword. There should be a few in the treasury."
"Since he only
repelled the demon, and didn't defeat it, there is no need to give him a sacred
sword. It would be best to find a good item sold in town and present
that," the last minister suggested.
"Understood. I
will leave that matter to the Minister of Finance," I concluded.
"Understood,"
the Minister of Finance replied.
Finally, I instructed
them to gather information about this "Honorary Baron Footscythel,"
and the meeting concluded.
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