Vol 2 Chapter 43 – Shocking! A Steamy Hot Spring Incident with Beautiful Girls!? Part 2【Exile to the Empire Arc】

He couldn’t escape upward. And even if he tried to go back the way he came, the door was locked, so he couldn’t return that way either.

The conditions for a safe return were limited to two options: either Roy found the switch, or Yukino and the others found it and he waited them out.

“Did you find anything over there~?”

“Nothing here either.”

He could hear Sarina and Sophia’s voices. Yukino was probably at the farthest position. Roy moved away from the direction of their voices and the faintly visible silhouettes.

Judging from the women’s voices, the switch wasn’t in the bathing area but in the washing area, which they seemed to be searching intensively.

Consequently, Roy had to enter the bathing area.

Smoosh!

As Roy moved through what should have been the absolute safe zone, he felt a warm, soft sensation against his back and glanced behind him. There, in contact with him back-to-back, was Yukino.

“Huh? Sarina? Or is it Sophia-san?”

(Yukino!? Why aren’t you acting in sync with everyone else like usual!)

Normally, Yukino acted in accordance with her surroundings, but this time she’d considerately decided to search a different place from the others and was searching inside the bathing area.

“Hmm, ah, I know! I can use Item Box here! It’s a bit like cheating, but… Found it! Magic lantern—!?”

(Bad! She thought of that!? Not if I can help it!)

In an attempt to break through the current situation, Yukino tried to pull out an item like a certain cat-shaped robot. Roy frantically grabbed Yukino’s hands behind her back and covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming.

“Mmph! …Fmm, fmm…”

“It’s me, Roy. I’ll let go, so don’t scream, okay?”

When Roy released his hands, Yukino turned around and applied silent pressure.

Yukino initially thought to resist, but upon realizing it was Roy, she judged from his tone that it wasn’t intentional and regained her composure.

There was a large rock in the center of the open-air bath, and Yukino pulled Roy by the hand to talk behind it.

“…What’s going on?”

Roy explained the situation to Yukino, whose tone was stiff.

“You might be shocked, but I was set up… This Party Bath is basically a variant of a family bath. The general idea is probably to strengthen unity beyond the barrier between men and women.”

“So you weren’t peeping?”

“Palco arranged everything beforehand. I didn’t know either!”

“Hmm, okay, I understand for now. …Ah, Roy-san, you’re a shadow magic user, right? Can you see me by any chance?”

“No, no, night vision is an Assassin skill. So I can’t do anything like that. Though I can vaguely make out your body outline…”

“Roy-san, you pervert!”

“…My apologies.”

Yukino, unusually finding herself in a superior position, was confused by Roy’s attitude and immediately decided to change the subject.

“Um! That’s fine now, so let’s find the switch first! Don’t you have any leads?”

“Hmm, if it’s not in the washing area… No matter how I think about it, it must be around here. It’s hard to imagine it’d be at the bottom of the bath. It’s probably somewhere on this large rock.”

“The lantern… won’t work. We’d see Sophia-san and the others.”

“I’ll climb up and search, so let me know if either of them comes.”

Saying that, Roy climbed up and thoroughly searched the central large rock. Then, that announcement started playing again.

‘Ding dong ding dong. Since you seem to be struggling, we’ll give you a hint. The hint is: “bathing area.” Good luck!’

(Stop making things wooooorse!)

Roy’s indignation didn’t help matters, and Sarina and Sophia came splashing into the bathing area.

“Heh~, so it’s somewhere on this large rock.”

“Seems like it. Yukino, let’s split up and climb from three directions?”

“Hawawawa~, huh!? Ah, hahahaha… Right.”

While finding Yukino’s slightly panicked state strange, the three climbed up. Meanwhile, Roy also advanced upward in a panic. When Roy reached the summit, he began searching by feel.

“Huh? Did Sarina already arrive?”

Sophia arrived next and called out, but got no response. Fortunately, Sophia figured it was just Sarina being Sarina and continued searching by patting her hands on the ground. Then Sophia grabbed someone’s hand.

“Sarina, your hands are surprisingly rough. Hehe, show me.”

Naturally, the hand Sophia touched belonged to Roy, and Sarina was still in the middle of climbing. Sophia forcefully pulled the hand to mock Sarina, but Roy resisted, and Sophia fell as if pushing Roy down.

“You’re surprisingly strong… Hm?”

Sophia, in her birthday suit, was on top of Roy. With this much contact, she could tell there was something that women have missing, and something that women don’t have present.

“—Hii!”

“Sorry, Sophia!”

Roy reflexively used Shadow Prison to wrap himself and Sophia together and rolled down.

Splash!

Since they’d suffocate at this rate, he released the skill. (Whatever happens, happens.) Roy steeled himself.

“Pervert, pervert! Pervert, pervert! Pervert, pervert! Pervert, pervert!”

Sophia pounded on Roy’s chest. Then after a bit, she glared at Roy and said,

“I-i-it almost went in!”

After receiving a final body blow, Roy sank. He’d conducted many covert operations on this journey, but this was the first time he’d failed outside of training.

When he opened his eyes, he recognized the ceiling. When he turned his face to the side, Sophia sat in a chair, fanning him with a paper fan.

“This is the inn?”

“That’s right. Don’t you have something to say?”

“Sorry.”

“…Sigh. You should have just called out when we first came in… Getting clever trying to solve it yourself.”

“My bad.”

“I heard the situation from Yukino, so it’s fine now.”

Sophia looked exasperated but smiled just a little.

“By the way, what almost went—”

“Forget it!!”

Sophia yelled and left, and Roy spent a night with lingering questions.

Vol 2 Chapter 44 – The Trap and the Fiancée【Exile to the Empire Arc】

~Regzeria Royal Palace, Private Chambers~

Requested by this country’s king, Regulus Cordinis, I’d successively subjugated monsters, bandits, and traitors. Each time I was praised in the audience chamber, but not even a trace of happiness existed in my heart.

Between subjugation missions, I visited my fiancée, Regulus Arcange, many times. Even now, I knocked on the door and was let into her room, but this time would likely end in futility too.

Because she and I are desperately incompatible. Her personality is fundamentally bright and active. Despite being royalty, she doesn’t speak in an affected manner, and from my perspective as someone from another world, I think she’s among the easiest to talk to in this palace.

Her appearance is also perfect. She ties her golden hair—befitting a Regulus corresponding to the “Lion”—behind her head, her eyes are blue, and her face is so well-proportioned that the words “sculpted beauty” aren’t enough. On top of that, her figure is perfect too, so if someone told me she was my fiancée, I wouldn’t feel bad about it.

But she doesn’t see me.

I realized that after the engagement parade. She always has a resigned expression… Engaged as the king told her to be, then married in the not-so-distant future, bearing children. She’s oppressed, mourning being a bird in a cage.

Even I can figure that much out—it’s a typical worry for princesses in movies. So I tried talking to her to resolve it.

“Arcange, look—this is the hero’s sword. I always protect the kingdom with this.”

I know from the Black Knight Kairo that this isn’t a holy weapon but a dark weapon. Even so, since the color this country reveres is black, I spoke to her in that vein.

I thought I should show her hope right now, so I struck a pose as “a future husband who’s a brave guardian deity of the nation.”

“Your words somehow feel shallow. Besides, that sword is a fake, right? All the royals know that. After all, the king three generations ago received it through a deal with a demon executive. From that time, he pressured the state religion to adopt black as the national symbol.”

(What a disaster. Is this teaching one’s grandmother to suck eggs? And yet I was showing off my “I’m capable” aura!)

“Sigh, just posing as if we get along in public is fine… That’s why I let you in my room. If the servants see that, at least rumors of us getting along will spread, right? Hmm, but we need to show it outside too. —Ah, I know! Want to accompany me in sword practice as a distraction?”

“Fine, but I’m the hero, you know? You might get hurt.”

“You won’t know unless you try, right?”

“That doesn’t sound like something someone so resigned would say.”

“Those are words I said when playing with a black-haired boy who used to visit the palace. I liked them back then and used them many times, but after growing up and learning how difficult it is to realize those words, this is the first time I’ve used them in a while.”

(Good grief, saying that to me, who also has black hair, albeit slightly brown.)

Reluctantly, we began sword practice in the courtyard. To be on equal footing, we both held practice longswords with dulled blades. Even so, if I, the hero, swung with full force, I could sever an arm, so I had to be careful.

We kept our distance, and tension ran through us over who would move first.

(If I break her sword or blow her away with a shockwave, she’ll give up.) As I was thinking that, she moved first. Her speed was normal, and it was a simple thrusting attack. I tried to break the sword with the hero skill Weapon Break.

Weapon Break is a non-lethal neutralization skill that forcibly destroys weapons of rank C or below—perfect for the current situation.

But Arcange switched her grip to reverse with finger strength, avoided the weapon destruction, and tried to deliver a clean strike. The sound cutting through the air clearly had lethal capability, so I reflexively used the defensive skill Mighty Guard.

A hexagonal magic panel composed of non-elemental energy blocked Arcange’s strike, and we both took distance.

“Oh dear, I was so close to becoming free.”

I shuddered at Arcange, who said that with a wry smile. Her sword speed was so far beyond that of an ordinary person that if I hadn’t used a defensive skill, there was a high chance my torso would’ve been more than half taken. Besides, “becoming free”… Wasn’t that the accidental death of me, her fiancée!

Hiding my agitation, I somehow managed to answer.

“Ahaha… I didn’t think you were that strong.”

“Right? But lately, Kairo’s been refusing to spar with me, so I was stressed.”

Arcange readied her sword again.

(Huh? We’re continuing!?) As if not allowing me to protest, practice—no, a death match—began. This time an upward slash from below. In response, I swung down my sword to decisively land Weapon Break.

The swords made contact, Arcange’s weapon broke, and I internally shouted victory, but the shattered fragments rewound time and returned to their original form. Arcange placed her hand on the ground and did a backflip. At that moment, the hand on the ground generated a brown magic circle, and multiple stone spears flew from that spot.

“Tch! Light Missionary!”

Light-attribute magic power became a veil of light and blocked the spears.

“How’s that? Surprised?”

“…Hah… Hah… Unthinkable… for a princess…”

As Arcange readied her sword again, a sound like clapping could be heard.

Clap, clap, clap

“Ah~ As expected of the princess, your swordsmanship is nerve-wracking as always. But could you not bully our Haruto too much?”

The one who appeared was the Black Knight Kairo.

“Sigh, fine. I lost anyway.”

“Glad you understand quickly. I’ll heal Haruto’s injuries, so please return to your chambers.”

“Why?”

“It seems the king will have a request for you around noon, and a messenger will come.”

“Got it.”

Arcange said that and left. Kairo came to my side and pulled out a spear from my shoulder.

“—!”

“If your defensive skill had been a bit faster, you could’ve completely blocked it. But you did well not missing the magic circle. It wouldn’t have been strange if you’d been skewered while distracted by the princess doing a backflip.”

(If I didn’t have combat experience, I’d likely have been killed. She’s my fiancée, yet isn’t her treatment of me too terrible?)

“But you won the match. That type of match is lost when the sword breaks, so the princess who broke it once lost.”

(Marriage life with Arcange is definitely impossible. Damn! Sarina, Yukino, where are you!)

“Kairo-san, I can’t become king!”

“No, you should’ve just refused the practice. She seems like a violent woman because she’s strong, but if you refuse, she won’t force you, and normally she’s a virtuous princess, right?”

(Right. I didn’t expect this side of her, which is why I accepted the practice—no, death match. My sword level already exceeds 130, yet what is this defeat? Am I this weak without using Laevatein?)

“Now then, Haruto, there’s something I must tell only you. We found numerous traitors near the Empire border, so I need you to go there.”

“Another request…? How long do I have to follow the king’s orders!?”

“Bear with it. I’ll properly prepare the stage. Ah, also… This is hard to say, but there’s a companion. That princess also wants to go along for a change of pace—”

Hearing that, I stopped processing Kairo’s words. The king’s request for Arcange was probably that. (I can’t believe I have to travel with her…)

“This is hopeless, he’s spacing out. His male pride was wounded, can’t blame him. Hey, Haruto!”

Kairo snapped his fingers in front of me repeatedly.

“There’s good news too. The traitors are apparently from the Shadow Clan. If you take them hostage skillfully, you might be able to get Yukino and the others unharmed.”

“Really!?”

“There was a red-eyed man standing next to Yukino, right? I think it’s his clan. My guess is Yukino and the others are around the blacksmith village. If you capture the Shadow Clan before they arrive, you’re set.”

“But that’s…”

(If it were me before purification, I’d have committed without thinking, but taking hostages…)

“This ain’t the time to hem and haw. There’s a good chance that shadow brat has stolen Yukino. Let’s rescue her before she’s defiled any further, hero!”

(Right! Sarina and Yukino are my girlfriends! They’re a traitor clan anyway—no problem taking them hostage. Alright, let’s do it!)

Thus, Haruto enthusiastically began preparing for the border expedition.