NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12
As a result of operating the “Windstorm Technique” without rest until I exhausted all the energy absorbed from Angela.
“…It’s a person!”
I could see a large village formed below the mountain.
This wasn’t just a rural area with a couple of shanties, but a proper town with brick roads laid out.
The distant bell tower was a sign that there was a church here.
The church is like a sort of ‘resurrection point’ in the Valdeon Saga.
Having a church in a village means it’s a ‘city’ of suitable size to hide.
If I stay here, even if those sisters come after me, they won’t be able to cause a ruckus.
The guards are wide awake, so there’s no way they would dare.
“Worry is one less thing, but….”
The problem is that there’s nowhere specific to stay.
“If I just had a bit of money….”
I never thought I’d feel so miserable like this after being abandoned in Oldeir without receiving even a penny.
At least during my time homeless in the mountains, I wasn’t thinking about money because I had no use for it.
“If I go on like this, I won’t be able to get accommodation.”
No matter how much this is a city, we’re still in a medieval fantasy world.
It’s common for people who sleep on the streets to wake up the next day with nothing but their skins left.
“Food is the same.”
I could just forage for anything in the mountains, but could our princess really hold out?
I was contemplating whether to sell the sword I brought along for a pittance when—
“Hmm… left pocket….”
“Yes?”
“Oh… my left pocket feels heavy….”
“Did you wake up?”
“Hmm… snore snore….”
Angela wiggled her left leg while pretending to sleep.
…Where did the dignity of a princess go?
“Excuse me.”
But right now, time is of the essence.
I rummaged through the left pocket of Angela’s pants.
“…!”
It wasn’t money, but there were a couple of rings decorated with jewels and a few golden trinkets.
“I apologize, but I’ll take this.”
“Snore snore… don’t mind me… snore….”
“…….”
I just wish she’d either wake up or commit to sleeping.
*
This is the first city I arrived at after being possessed.
I want to leisurely enjoy sightseeing, but I’ll have to put that on hold for now.
<Owl’s Eye>
-Accommodation, Meals, Alcohol-
I entered an inn that seemed moderately suitable.
As I opened the creaky door, a slightly musty smell wafted through.
“Welcome~.”
The stout woman sitting at the counter greeted me nonchalantly.
She seemed to be the owner of this establishment.
“Hello.”
“…Huh? What’s that?”
The woman’s eyes widened as she looked at me.
Then, a moment later, her expression relaxed and she chuckled.
“What’s up, little brat?”
“I came to stay the night.”
“Hmm… is that so? What a pity.”
The woman clicked her tongue softly and rolled her dark eyes.
The way she continued to scan me up and down was… how should I put it…
“What’s the matter?”
“Hmm… it’s nothing. So how long do you plan to stay?”
“How much can I stay for this?”
I placed a golden bracelet on the table.
“Oh, where did you get this? Only the central nobility of the continent wear things like this.”
“Do I really have to say that?”
“Hahaha! A cheeky little brat! That’s not a bad thing.”
The woman tossed me a key that was hanging on the back wall.
“Stay for a month. Breakfast is included.”
“…Isn’t that a bit steep?”
“You should know the market rates, kid. Don’t you want to lay your companion down quickly?”
Angela trembled slightly.
What expression would that woman make if she knew this child was a princess?
“A girl riding on a guy’s back. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Hey, enough of that.
I really need to get inside quickly for Angela’s sake.
“Thank you.”
Just as I was about to take the key and head up the stairs, the woman cast a sly smile my way.
“Kid, if you need money while you’re here, just let me know.”
“…What?”
“I’ll introduce you to a good job.”
“Ah, well. Sure.”
Her lingering gaze crawled all over me.
I don’t know what kind of job she’s trying to recommend, but it definitely smells suspicious.
“Ugh.”
I hurriedly opened the door marked 207 without looking back.
“Wow, it’s cleaner than I expected.”
It’s a bit small, but the interior was quite clean.
“If only there wasn’t just one bed, it would have been perfect.”
That damn woman—
She surely gave me a room with only one bed on purpose.
If I’m paying more than the market rate, I want a bigger room!
“Ugh.”
I debated whether to return and argue but decided against it.
For some reason, it felt awkward to talk to that woman.
“Well, whatever… I can just sleep on the floor.”
I can’t find another room.
Angela is someone who absolutely must live.
I need to stay close enough to protect her at all times.
Swish.
I laid Angela down on the bed.
“You can wake up now.”
“…….”
“…Princess?”
“…snore snore.”
How long will she keep this ‘I’m definitely just sleeping’ act up?
Anyway, the incident is concluded for now.
The inevitable event of ‘rescuing the princess’ is over.
Considering the timing, there’s still some time until the next inevitable event.
“Ugh.”
Sitting on the floor, I let out a heavy breath.
“Now that I think about it, I didn’t properly say goodbye.”
I received a lot from the 3rd squad, and I wanted to greet them properly.
But I have so many reservations that I dropped the idea.
Well, it wasn’t a particularly special relationship; they were just there to protect me until the operation ended.
Yet still, it was the first bond that blossomed since I came here.
It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t slightly disappointed.
However, with ‘fate’ at play, I’ll surely meet them again soon.
I can catch up on everything then.
Since I left to protect Angela, she’d understand.
‘I may not have acquired Ornica’s “Blood Moon Technique,” but it’s fine.’
With [Soul Bond] in place, the presence or absence of the “Blood Moon Technique” is now unimportant.
I may not have a proper mental technique yet, but thanks to the opportunity of “Absorbing Energy Technique,” I’m not in a rush.
If I were to set a new objective….
“I need to open the Middle Dantian.”
As I said before, opening the three Dantians is the minimum condition to be considered a ‘master.’
Only after that can one truly level up by ascending to ‘realm’ status.
So, I should aim to open the next Dantian as soon as possible.
“From the Middle Dantian onwards, I can open it myself.”
I need to have it opened before the next event at the latest.
And I won’t forget to safely return Angela to the royal family before that.
“Yawn….”
As the tension melted away, a yawn escaped me.
It’s quite remarkable that I’m not tired after all that chaos since early morning.
“Maybe I’ll sleep just a little….”
Just in case, I locked the door tightly.
I sat beside the bed where Angela lay and closed my eyes.
*
“Kooh….”
Only after hearing his small breaths did I realize.
“Is she… sleeping?”
Princess Angela Marteus Linzel awoke.
In fact, she had been awake for quite some time.
Yet she continued to feign sleep because of one reason.
‘So… embarrassing!’
It was because of overwhelming shame.
How could a woman be carried on a man’s back!
Especially when it’s someone who shares the royal bloodline!
“Ugh…!”
Even just thinking about it made her cheeks flush.
-“Angela. You must become a wonderful woman who can protect your mate.”
I’m so sorry, Mother!
Instead, it’s I who was protected!
Swallowing her swelling shame, Angela gazed at the sleeping figure of the man who had shielded her.
Until now, she hadn’t really seen him clearly due to her blurry vision.
“…He’s young.”
Young.
No matter how you slice it, he’s around her age.
Every time he breathed in and out, his small stature moved steadily.
‘How could he have such skills at this age…?’
In the heart of the empire, she had seen countless talents, but—
She had never encountered someone with overwhelming abilities like this man.
The way he accurately severed the limb of a strange assailant.
The speed at which he ran like the wind.
At this age, such prowess was utterly impossible.
And above all.
‘He’s beautiful.’
None of the high-born heirs with good looks matched his level of beauty.
Long eyelashes and smooth lips.
Just looking at him made her mouth water.
It was as if his sleeping figure leaning against the wall was a work of art.
“Kooh… sss….”
His small and cute breaths tickled her ears as they came out in regular rhythm.
There’s a tradition in the royal family passed down through the generations.
‘A mate is predestined.’
In this world, there exists a powerful ‘force of destiny’ that ties together the most suited partners as one fate.
The reason the current empire remains robust is that it has embraced that force of destiny through generations.
-“How does one find their destined mate?”
-“It’s not what you find. Fate will guide you.”
At the time she heard those words, she thought they were quite absurd.
-“You’ll just know by looking at them. That person is your destiny.”
But now, it felt like she understood.
“You… were my destiny.”
Thump thump!
The fact that her heart raced so fiercely for someone whose name and identity she didn’t even know must surely be due to the strange power of fate.
‘My mate.’
Thinking that made her feel guilty.
Up until now, she had vowed that if she ever got a mate, she wouldn’t let them lift a single drop of water.
Was she instead staining her hands with blood due to her own incompetence?
“I’m sorry, my husband.”
Although they had yet to hold a wedding ceremony.
If it was someone fate had brought to her, then they were just like her husband.
Angela’s hand gently overlapped with Alben’s hand.
“To ensure that my husband doesn’t suffer, I’ll do my best.”
She would keep him by her side so that nothing like this would ever happen again.
So that he wouldn’t belong to anyone else.
“Fufu… my husband….”
Yes.
Forever by your side.