And so, we once again moved toward the northern frontlines.
Even by then, Immun still hadn’t regained consciousness, and Yuna was scouting outside.
She should be this diligent all the time. Why only now?
Of course, that doesn’t mean only Lobelia and I were the only ones in the carriage with our wits about us.
“What? Got something to say?”
“No, forget it.”
There was a beast…no, a demon who paid no mind to anyone.
This one had been pulling out and eating random things since we got in the carriage. I have no idea where she even stole them from.
Well, whatever. She’ll manage on her own. As long as the trouble doesn’t land on me, she’s just some stranger.
“Welcome back, Your Highness Lobelia.”
“Right. Sir Silver, I’ll leave this one in your custody for now.”
“And who might this be?”
“Countess Agnes.”
“Did she perhaps offend Your Highness in some way?”
“What do you take me for…”
Lobelia let out a deep sigh at the knight’s question as he took custody of Agnes.
Just from that one question, you could tell how much the other imperial members ran rampant, doing whatever they pleased.
“Countess Agnes was an executive of Ex Machina.”
“I see. I’ll send word to search her residence immediately.”
“Good. She’s a dangerous figure, so make sure there are no security gaps. If necessary, hand her over to the executioners.”
“Yes, Your Highness. If we hand her over to them, they’ll probably try to behead her before the trial, so I’ll handle it as best I can.”
“Do so.”
After that brief conversation ended,
Mephistopheles and I, who had been standing around like background props, scurried to stick close behind Lobelia.
“Um, if there’s a doctor available, could you see about getting this person treated? He made a significant contribution to capturing that terrorist.”
“Is that so? Understood. I’ll do what I can to keep him alive.”
“Ah, yes…”
This place is no different from the Cradle.
Saying they’ll keep him alive rather than actually treat him…
Well, maybe that’s understandable. This is the frontlines, after all.
“Your Highness, what will you do now? Will you be returning?”
“Well… unlike your plan, you haven’t really achieved anything noteworthy, have you?”
“But we caught Agnes.”
“Strictly speaking, I didn’t catch her.”
“Well, that’s true, but still…”
Nothing ever goes according to plan.
The guy with the unknown face, supposedly part of Rack Gear or whatever, was apparently killed by Yuna.
And surprisingly, the Planetary Gear, Agnes, was subdued by Immun.
Though honestly, it was such a mess you couldn’t even tell who got subdued.
Anyway, when it comes to this incident, Lobelia didn’t really do anything.
At most, she exchanged some power plays with Theseus. That’s about it.
This won’t do.
She won’t be able to keep her promise to Ariel like this.
“Johan.”
“Yes?”
“What’s got you thinking so hard?”
“Ah, I was just wondering how I could satisfy Your Highness. Since it’s a request from Ariel, I have to do everything I can to help you regain your confidence.”
“That’s not something you should say in front of the person in question. If you’re doing it for me, at least don’t mention it’s someone else’s request.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Your Highness.”
“Good. Then I can assume you’re trying to boost my confidence regardless of Ariel’s request, yes?”
“Of course.”
What can’t be said with words?
“Then come with me.”
“Ah, can we not…? I’d like to rest a bit. Can’t we just do whatever it is tomorrow?”
“Johan.”
“Ah, yes. Coming.”
Lobelia quietly placed her hand on my shoulder, her expression blank.
The firm pressure I felt from her grip weighed down on me.
Man… I really can’t joke around with Lobelia.
Not that I was joking in the first place.
“Wherever Your Highness goes, that’s the path I’ll follow.”
“As you should.”
Ugh. I’m so tired.
***
I know there’s no point in saying this when I’m the one being dragged around, but Lobelia really wasn’t doing anything in particular.
She was just wandering around the nearby streets.
Walking side by side through a city that, aside from knights and soldiers, was practically a desolate ruin with no civilians. It was an unnerving experience, to say the least.
It was quiet.
So quiet that it wouldn’t be surprising if something jumped out at any moment.
“Your Highness, may I ask why you’re walking around like this?”
“No particular reason. Just making the rounds.”
“But why would you do that…?”
“Everyone else is busy with their own duties, so I figured I might as well.”
“So then… your bodyguards… never mind. Now that I think about it, you really are walking around without any escort.”
I was about to ask if her guards wouldn’t end up even busier trying to protect her, but I closed my mouth.
Come to think of it, despite being an imperial member, she was walking around the frontlines with not a single guard in sight.
And no one else seemed to find that odd either.
Which meant this wasn’t the first or second time she’d done this.
“And sometimes, I just want some time alone like this.”
“I’m here, though.”
“Let’s say you were specially invited into my alone time.”
“An honor beyond measure.”
“As it should be.”
Still, the sharp atmosphere from earlier had softened a bit.
Rather than her usual solemn demeanor, there was a sense of freedom about her now.
“What have you been up to lately?”
“Me? Well…”
Been through hell, honestly.
I’ve barely had a moment’s rest, constantly getting dragged into things and tossed around.
If she was expecting anything like a normal daily routine from me, sorry to disappoint.
“Hahaha, I knew it. From the looks of it, you’re just not destined to ever have an easy life.”
“Why not just go ahead and curse me outright?”
“May your life be ruined, Johan Damus.”
“Okay, I didn’t mean actually curse me…”
She has no sense of decency.
I came all the way to the frontlines to help ease her mind, and this is the thanks I get?
Is this what being an imperial member means? Are they truly incapable of basic human empathy?
“Johan.”
“…….”
“Are you not going to answer?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“What would you do if I told you I was going to give everything up and run away?”
“Should I help arrange it for you?”
“…The fact that your first thought is to suggest an escape route makes me think I really should arrest and interrogate you first.”
“Come on, I was just trying to help. If you keep treating me like this, I won’t be able to offer proper cooperation, you know.”
“Haven’t you been barely cooperating properly from the start? Weren’t you constantly hovering in that gray area between loopholes and outright crime?”
“But it’s not a crime, right?”
I have a clear conscience.
…Well, mostly. There are a few things I’ve done that wouldn’t hold up under scrutiny.
But I haven’t been caught, have I?
Lobelia doesn’t know. So it’s fine.
“Anyway, forget it. I wasn’t serious about running away.”
“Is that so?”
“More importantly, are you saying it wouldn’t matter to you if I really did run away?”
“It wouldn’t matter.”
Even if Lobelia gave up the throne, nothing would change for me.
Even if the Empire collapsed, my territory wouldn’t be affected much.
It’s not like we’ve been getting any proper support anyway.
Our domain is so remote, they probably don’t even know it exists. So whether the Empire stands or falls, who cares?
“So, you’re saying it wouldn’t matter to you if I weren’t an imperial member?”
“Huh? Ah, well… yeah, that’s right.”
Lobelia looked at me, eyes wide with surprise.
Wait….was that really such a shocking thing to say?
Honestly, I don’t see what the big deal is.
It’s not like I’ve been benefiting from her being an imperial member.
If anything, I’ve suffered more just from being involved with her.
She stops being an imperial? Great, less trouble for me.
“That’s… honestly a bit surprising.”
And then, without another word, Lobelia turned away sharply and began walking ahead.
***
That it wouldn’t matter even if she weren’t an imperial member—
To Lobelia, that was a deeply affecting thing to hear.
Of course, it wasn’t the first time someone had said such words to her.
But most of the time, those words came mixed with worry,
And the one asking the question, Lobelia herself, would end up feeling guilty.
But Johan?
He had said it with complete sincerity. Like it genuinely didn’t matter to him.
He’s completely insane.
It was a response bordering on indifference.
And even knowing that… it still lingered in her mind.
Wait… am I actually thinking something like, “No one’s ever treated me like this before” right now?
I must be completely out of my mind.
The thought that she was feeling something straight out of some cheap romance novel made her skin crawl.
Breathing felt difficult.
Her head was getting hot for no good reason.
No doubt part of that heat came from shame.
A ridiculous, laughable situation. Something she used to scoff at, thinking it made no sense.
Now she was the one experiencing it.
The more she tried to deny it, the more her body trembled from the shame.
Which meant that, deep down, she was already admitting she was that case.
“Mm…”
Lobelia kept pressing her cold palm to her face, trying in vain to cool herself down.
And Johan, watching her flustered state…
She seems really upset. Damn it, what did I do wrong this time?
All Johan could see was her back, and the way she sighed and rubbed her face gave him no clues.
Honestly, Johan felt the same way.
Who would’ve thought Lobelia would be the “No one’s ever treated me like this before” type?
The protagonist he knew from the game had been a tireless, iron-willed warrior.
It was hard to even imagine this side of her.
A strangely awkward atmosphere.
“Johan, just asking hypothetically, but… if I really said I wanted to throw everything away and run away…”
“Huh? Oh, yes.”
“Would you… come with me…?”
“Huh?”
“No, never mind. I was just… asking if that matchmaking thing is actually possible.”
“Ah, of course. Yes.”
“Then…”
Her head was overheating so badly that she barely knew what she was saying.
With every word she spoke, she could see herself regretting it.
“I wish something…anything would just explode.”
“…Huh?”
In the end, Lobelia clutched her forehead in despair.
He’s my friend’s fiancé. These are feelings I must not have.
And even if I did…these are feelings I must never express.
I have to bury it. If I keep it hidden long enough, maybe one day it won’t matter anymore.
“That’s enough. Let’s head back. The weather’s cold, and I can’t have someone as delicate as you being pushed too hard.”
“Well, I am delicate, but this feels like spring weather to me.”
“It is not.”
“…Huh?”
“Spring won’t come.”
“…Huh??”
“Just keep that in mind.”
Lobelia didn’t even glance Johan’s way as she started walking again.
And at that moment—
“Heehee!”
She locked eyes with a demon standing in the alleyway, staring straight at her.
Grinning slyly, the demon was making a circle with one hand while pointing toward Johan with the other.
“Urgh…”
Faced with the silent threat of the great demon Mephistopheles, Lobelia decided to make an additional payment to keep his mouth shut.
***
Ever since Lobelia had thrown out that cryptic question in such a serious tone,
I could only trail nervously behind her like a scolded child.
I had no clue what was going through her head right now, so I had no choice but to stay cautious.
She didn’t say a word.
Maybe that’s why the walk back felt even more suffocating.
…Is she bipolar or something?
Her mood swings are all over the place.
Well, I guess that could happen under a lot of stress.
Maybe once we get back, I should look into finding her a psychiatrist.
With that thought in mind, I was walking in silence when it happened.
“Third Princess, Lobelia.”
Something emerged from the rubble of a nearby building.
A barbarian so huge, it was hard to believe they’d managed to hide in such a tight space.
A shaman of the Speartip of Snow Blossoms.
“Wow, something did pop out. Your Highness, this one’s a big catch.”
He’s one of the high-ranking officers.
“…Yeah, exactly. Thanks to this, I’ll finally be able to clear my head a little.”
Plans? Forget them.
She’d just been standing still, and a major player had walked right into her lap. All that earlier effort was a waste.
Boooooooom!!
Lobelia’s fist flew toward the barbarian shaman with a satisfying thud. As if she were letting out all her frustration.
I stood a step back, quietly watching her in action. Feeling a bit bored, I decided to take a look at the mark on the back of my hand.
Thinking of shamans reminded me of something.
“Sorcery… huh.”
Still no news about that spell.
What in the world did the Great Warrior carve into my hand?
“Well, if I don’t know, then I don’t.”
I could only hope the day I had to use it would never come.
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