Arc 03: Summer Vacation, A Summer Experience Edition

Chapter 43: The Prince Who Sneaked Around Too Much

“Wawawa! This is actually my first time going outside the capital!”

“Be careful, okay?”

Mariana was peeking out of the train window, excited, while Alicia sat next to her, quietly sipping her coffee.

That’s right, we were on our way to the Brave territory, taking advantage of the summer vacation that had just started.

The dormitory at the academy stays open during the summer vacation, and it seems that many nobles from the countryside find it too bothersome to return home.

Comparing the countryside to the capital, it’s understandable that young people, eager for amusement, would prefer to stay in the city with their allowances rather than go back home.

However, we decided to go back home for a “Brave-style boot camp” in the dungeons of the Brave territory.

That seems more meaningful, right?

We figured it’s safer to spend time in the Brave territory than to be targeted by various people in the capital.

Information about newcomers gathers quickly there, and more importantly, only the strong can survive the Brave territory.

It’s indeed a plan that kills two birds with one stone.

“Ah, I need to use the washroom.”

“Drinking too much coffee, aren’t you?”

Alicia suggests cutting back a little, but that’s impossible for me.

I can’t live without my caffeine.

The washroom is in a different car, beyond this passenger compartment.

I really wanted to treat them to a first-class car, which has a washroom in each compartment, but Alicia said the regular car was fine.

We have Mariana, who’s not comfortable around nobles, so it can’t be helped.

Having a box seat with a table is a luxury in itself.

“So, who are you and where are you from?”

“Wha-!”

While on my way to the washroom, I caught a suspicious person in the next car.

I grabbed him by the neck and dragged him straight to the washroom.

It was like taking someone to the washroom with you.

Was this guy an assassin from the Ignite family, a fool from a group claiming to be from the Underworld, or someone else entirely?

I couldn’t tell yet, but there was only one thing to do.

“What the-! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Question: What am I supposed to do?

Answer: Throw him out the small washroom window.

He might have been just a regular person who happened to be looking at Alicia and Mariana, but when weighing his life against ours, his was the lighter on the scale.

It’s harsh, but it can’t be helped.

Anyway, those who get involved are usually up to no good, so it’s fine to throw them out without thinking too much about it.

Huh?

The window isn’t big enough to throw a person through?

Actually, as long as there’s space for a head, you can dislocate various joints to force the body through.

Being captured by enemy forces, if you want to survive, learn to dislocate your joints. That’s a teaching of the Brave family.

The reason Alicia told me I drank too much coffee was because I used going to the washroom as an excuse to continue scouting.

I might end up being labeled as a guy who needs the washroom too often, but I’ll accept it, blaming it on coffee.

But in reality, I’ve trained to hold it in for a very long time.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I’ve mentally trained to the point where I could just let it flow without any problems.

“You, you really did a number on those dark forces—Oh, wait, not today—ouch!”

Crack, snap.

Tossed.

“Don’t just loyally wait in front of the washroom door.”

I don’t care about the dark forces or whatever; this was just ridiculous.

Sigh… Play your pretend games somewhere else…

Calling it scouting, but it felt more like a chore.

I might as well have been a factory manager. Of disposing bodies.

Tossing them out of the train is, well, kind of easy.

“Seriously, these guys also pay their fare to get on board.”

Thinking about that made me chuckle.

Maybe I should send a bill for support to the Ignite family?

Though, I doubt they’d consider assassins a valid expense.

“Ah, I wish we’d arrive in the Brave territory soon.”

Once off the train, it’s carriages from there.

I do wish we could have a train in the Brave territory, but monsters would break it, and it could be used in wars, so that’s not happening.

Ending the war with the neighboring country in my generation might change things, but that’s unlikely.

The kingdom’s policy is purely defensive.

Even if we invaded, no one would cooperate with us.

Well, best not to dwell on it now.

More than anything, I’m eager to see everyone back at the manor.

We had prepared some souvenirs, and the best one was the coffee Mariana brought.

I was eager for Sebas to taste it and say something like, “Young master, you’ve done well.”

Though sometimes I feel like I could strangle him, he has been taking care of me since I was little, so now that I don’t have parents, he’s like a parent to me.

I definitely feel a familial bond with him.

“I’m back—”

As I casually made my way back to the car where Alicia and the others were, something serious had happened.

“So, this is the regular car! Compared to the first-class and special cars, there are so many seats!”

“Did you know, Your Highness? Unlike the special car, you can’t sit in the regular car without paying for a seat in advance.”

“No problem, Clive. I actually bought a seat secretly.”

For some reason, Edward and his group were sitting in the next seats.

They were happily chatting about how nice the compactness was or how affordable the tables were.

“Welcome back, Ragna.”

“I-I’m back…”

“You might have a lot on your mind, but please, take a seat for now.”

“Okay.”

Alicia’s tone was a bit stiff.

This was her ducal mode, which she uses when dealing with people other than me or Mariana.

With royalty sitting next to us, Mariana had already fainted.

She has her reasons, I guess.

“Clive, this is the regular car. I’m riding in it right now. This is incredible. I’ve always wanted to try it, and finally, the day has come.”

“The level of sneaking around has been upgraded, huh?”

“Patricia told me about it. She really knows a lot of things I don’t. Sigh, she’s supposed to join us later, but I wish I could have ridden with her from the start…”

“Got tired of the fancy stuff, huh? Well, never having ridden in the regular car doesn’t really suit us, right? Sneaking around without being noticed, you’ve been doing this kind of thing since you were a kid.”

“Right? I would have preferred to have her in the special car, but my parents absolutely forbade it. So, why not just ride in the regular car myself? It’s a brilliant plan, isn’t it?”

“Nice one.”

Upgrading the level of sneaking around, they say? But in terms of the regular car, it’s more of a downgrade from the special cars used by high-ranking nobles and royalty…

What a silly conversation.

And why, of all places, next to me, Prince?