It's Not Like I Want to Play the Role of a Misunderstood, Good-for-Nothing Prince in a Villainess Story!

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We raced down the dirt road laid across green grasslands.

Blue sky, white clouds, and occasionally visible large animals.

The outside world looked exactly like the backgrounds I’d seen in the game.

Occasionally I could see something resembling a huge bird crossing the edge of my vision.

“What’s that?”

“That’s a Light Plamia. It’s a flying dragon, but docile—it won’t do anything unless we attack it first.”

“Huh…”

When I asked a soldier running beside me, he answered like that. He was a kid who’d joined the knight order this year, named Ted.

He ran next to me and answered whatever I asked. The capital knight order heading to provide reinforcements numbered 100, apparently.

The capital knight order had quite a few members it seemed, but they were also spread thin maintaining public order and serving as guards in nearby cities, so manpower was apparently insufficient.

Incidentally, Debut and Garim were running in the vanguard.

They’d apparently volunteered wanting to show me their good side.

But if they’re running in the vanguard, I can’t see them from the middle guard where I am.

“Hm?”

When I glanced behind me, my eyes landed on a red-faced soldier.

A sake bottle hung at his waist, and he occasionally drank from it while gripping the horse’s reins sluggishly.

Was he past 30 years old?

Sometimes he closed his eyes and his upper body swayed like he’d fall from the horse, but each time his body skillfully swung in the opposite direction—stable in a sense.

“The knight order has all kinds of people, huh.”

“Huh, ahh… yes, that’s right.”

Whether Ted understood what I meant or not, he at least gave me acknowledgment.

Yeah, quite skillful.

After that, we arrived at the town of Fuze before sunset.

Fuze.

A town between the capital and Afkad that wasn’t large, but not particularly small either.

Walls not as high as the capital’s surrounded it, and soldiers stood watch over people from outside.

Those were apparently also part of the capital knight order.

Because roads were laid and it was a relay city between the capital and Afkad, the population felt considerably large.

Passing through the gate, merchants lined the streets and hawkers’ voices rang loud.

Looking around, I could see passengers disembarking from the rumored shared carriages.

Even from a distance I could tell their faces looked pale.

Shared carriages were civilian vehicles that moved between cities for money, traveling along the roads.

But judging from their complexions, did they shake quite a bit?

I also saw musicians playing instruments in front of taverns.

This town apparently had travelers stopping by, so there were more inns than I’d expected.

For now we decided to head to an inn and then have meals.

Just when I thought I saw a respectable-looking shop, a guide came running.

“Sorry, a new recruit was inefficient and word hasn’t reached the shop yet. Please wait just a bit longer…”

“Ahh… hm? Wait.”

I saw soldiers entering near the shop I’d been guided to.

“What’s that?”

“Err… that’s the shop regularly used by the capital knight order. It’s a bit lacking in status for a prince to visit… and we have many who don’t know etiquette, so if they made you feel uncomfortable…”

“No, it’s fine. Guide me there.”

“Ha ha…”

The inside of the shop I was guided to was spacious and bright as daytime.

They’d apparently reserved it today, so only people wearing capital knight order armor were inside.

“Prince!”

A knight order soldier seated closest to the entrance stood up, and noticing this, everyone eating their meals stood up.

“Hey hey, why are you standing? Everyone sit and eat your meals.”

“No, but well…”

In this world, when nobility was present at a meal, commoners must remain standing.

They mustn’t sit together.

—That said, we’re on an expedition now.

I’m accompanying them like an attachment.

And I had absolutely no intention of getting angry over mere seating arrangements… but they won’t seem to stop unless I say something.

Can’t be helped, I’m not very good at this kind of thing though.

Shall I show them the speech-making skills I trained at occasional parties?

I looked around while clearing my throat.

“Everyone, good work today. I acted together with the knight order for the first time, but long travel is tough, isn’t it. I was on horseback the whole time so my rear hurts a bit. I didn’t think just traveling would be this tiring.”

I smiled lightly but their expressions remained stiff.

“But I’m a little happy that I got to share the knight order’s pain a bit. I haven’t joined the knight order, but several of them always take care of me. I feel like I’ve become a little bit of a comrade.”

Glancing at Debut and Garim, the two silently returned serious-eyed nods.

“Everyone has traveled a long distance since morning and must be hungry. Yet you’ll refrain from sitting together and do what while starving? Everyone’s current job is providing relief to Ribauto marquis territory. You’re not planning to go there hungry, are you?”

“No, that’s…”

There the soldiers finally looked at each other’s faces showing confused expressions.

“I understand refraining from sitting together due to status, but what’s important now is eating the food, raising morale, and heading to provide relief. You’re not planning to say you can’t muster strength because you’re hungry, right?”

From somewhere I heard a small voice saying ‘that’s true…’

I smiled.

“Come on, everyone take your seats and let’s eat together. Even though royalty is sitting together, as you all know I’m the famously useless prince, so there’s nothing to be tense about. Right?”

“True enough…”

“That’s right, I guess.”

“Hey! That’s not where you’re supposed to nod at my joke!”

When I deliberately quipped loudly, laughter arose.

“You morons, even if he’s a dud you’re being rude to the prince!”

“Hmph. Stop jokes where we can’t tell if you’re serious!”

Furthermore, heckles flew from familiar voices and the atmosphere relaxed even more.

Laughter arose among the soldiers.

In any case, the soldiers each took their seats and the meal safely began.

“This has no flavor—why?”

“Ah, you dip it in this sauce while eating.”

“Huh… it’s certainly good.”

When I tilted my head at the unfamiliar dish, Ted sitting beside me taught me.

“The other day in the capital…”

“Yeah. You really messed up then, didn’t you.”

Soldiers ate their meals while chatting noisily here and there.

Completely different from the earlier silence, everyone seemed relaxed.

I’d thought being known as a useless prince was a flaw, but it’s surprisingly useful as self-deprecation.

Being called useless doesn’t bother me anymore anyway, so I’ll actively use it going forward if it improves situations.

I savored the food while nodding.

“Huh, Ted, you’re one of three brothers?”

“Yes. I’m the eldest…”

“Excuse me.”

While talking with Ted, a man sat down heavily in the seat across from me.

An incredible alcohol smell wafted over.

I’m pretty sure he was the one napping during the journey…

“Prince, this is Captain Beldiha.”

Capital knight order captain Beldiha, so this is him!

His age was apparently 40, but he’d been leading the knight order as captain for nearly 10 years.

A knight called the Sword of the Kingdom for his overwhelming sword technique.

It was also said the reason the capital knight order wasn’t openly crushed by the palace knight order was because of this guy.

I didn’t know his face, but true to the rumor that he was always drunk, his face was bright red.

“Ahh… should I speak politely?”

“No, please do as you wish, Beldiha-dono. I don’t mind such things.”

I’m pretty sure I heard this guy half-killed a noble who forced him to use polite speech.

He apparently suddenly snaps and you can’t read what his boiling point is.

“Much obliged. So, Prince Zeke, how exactly did you do it?”

While nodding to myself, he suddenly asked a question.

“Do what?”

“Our idiots.”

Beldiha briefly glanced toward the seats behind.

“Like I said, you should’ve volunteered for this expedition.”

“Hmph. You lot eat more. I’ll be angry if you say you can’t sleep at night because you’re hungry.”

“Yes, thank you for the meal.”

“Nuhaha! Fine eating!”

Garim and Debut were chatting happily with junior soldiers.

“Those guys are promising stocks even in the knight order despite being like that. They’re idiots but their swords are sharp, and since they’re of commoner origin their loyalty regarding nobles is thin—they didn’t have even a fragment of loyalty toward royalty.”

I listened further.

“This is my first time seeing the prince talk, but he seems fairly normal, doesn’t he?”

“Hmph. That’s right. But I feel like he’ll cause something.”

“Either cause or get caught up in it. Zeke-sama is quite skilled at sticking his neck into problems.”

“Hmph. Because he’s an idiot.”

“Yeah, because he’s an idiot.”

Beldiha turned his gaze back.

“So?”

“They were totally making fun of me.”

Ted beside me snorted with laughter.

Hey, don’t laugh.

I mean, a prince of a nation being treated as an idiot by soldiers sitting together—this is unprecedented.

Lucky for you I don’t have a beheading hobby.

“Those guys always talk about the prince in the barracks despite how they look. They won’t say it here, but apparently they respect you. That’s why I was curious too.”

“I see…”

Beldiha narrowed his eyes while staring at me intently.

“Those guys seem to have pledged loyalty, but I don’t know you well. Now, what attitude should I take?”

A prickly atmosphere instantly transmitted.

I heard the rattling, hurried sound of chairs being stood up from.

“K-knight order captain?”

“N-no good. Zeke-sama is, well…”

Sensing the unease, Debut and Garim immediately rushed to my seat.

Beldiha held up a hand to stop them while staring at me.

“First meeting, but what will you do for me? How exactly will you captivate me?”

“What will I do… huh.”

I’d thought Beldiha was the self-centered ‘match me’ type, so I didn’t expect him to test people like this.