Chapter 85

It was a sunny day, two days after I returned home.

I was visiting a town within the Lamplog territory.

"Seika-sama, what is that over there?"

"That's the local chapel."

"Oh, it's quite small, isn't it? Then what's over there?"

"It's a carriage rental shop."

Indeed, Fiona was with me.

Incidentally, Ami and Gurai were also behind us.

Yesterday, Fiona suddenly said she wanted to see the town within the territory.

It was good, but she insisted that the presence of soldiers would ruin the fun, and claimed that all the guards should stay behind.

Despite being sternly stopped by the maids she brought, Fiona, being as stubborn as she is, eventually got her way.

She specifically named me, Gurai, and Ami as her guides and bodyguards.

"..."

"..."

An awkward silence hung between Gurai and Ami.

Ami, who had started a fight and lost, and Gurai, who only knew that he had been provoked by someone he didn't understand, naturally didn't talk to each other, and the silence continued.

Fiona, on the other hand, kept talking to me in a cheerful manner, making the temperature difference with the back quite stark.

"Haa..."

I let out a small sigh, trying not to be noticed.

This town, which I hadn't visited in a long time, seemed to have changed a bit.

I had only visited a handful of times before going to the academy, but compared to then, there seemed to be more buildings and it felt a bit more lively.

"Gurai, was this town like this before?"

"Huh? No, it's been two years, so it's bound to have changed."

Gurai, looking around, answered curtly.

Perhaps Edith's management was going well.

As we walked towards the center of the town, the number of people increased accordingly.

"Hey, we're lucky, there's a market."

When we came to a wide street, Gurai said.

On both sides of the street, various stalls lined up, bustling with people.

Cloth, sundries, dried and salted foods, and various other goods were displayed, and the smell of delicious food wafted from some of them.

Of course, it wasn't always like this, so it seemed we were indeed lucky, as Gurai said.

"Wow..."

Fiona said in a voice that was hard to tell if she was surprised or not.

"There are so many people. I might get lost."

"No, it's not that bad."

"Let's hold hands."

Ignoring what I said, Fiona took my hand.

She then walked through the center of the market, looking happy.

"Hehe. This feels like a date, doesn't it?"

"Hey... Your Highness, you have a position, so please don't say things like that lightly."

"It's fine. There's no one to scold us now."

She whispered and smiled.

Hmm... Why is she so high-spirited?

Her behavior is unusual, making it hard to understand, but she seems to be unnaturally excited.

The princess herself was looking around the shops.

It's hard to tell if she finds the market in this rural town interesting.

Her gaze seemed somewhat businesslike.

"Are you having fun, Your Highness?"

"Of course. There are few opportunities to see the lives of common people. I have a position, but no freedom..."

"Huh? But I heard that you often went down to the streets in the capital and talked to the residents."

"..."

"Besides, didn't you start the inspections in the provinces? You must have seen larger markets than this, right?"

"..."

"Your Highness?"

"Hehehe... Ah!"

Fiona, who had been smiling vacantly, suddenly focused on a stall and said:

"I want to eat that, Gurai. Go buy it."

It seemed to be a skewer stall that was giving off a good smell.

Gurai, who had been ordered, went to buy it reluctantly.

He soon returned with four skewers and handed one to Fiona.

Then he offered one to me.

"..."

"Hey, stop it. Take it quickly."

He said gruffly.

I took the skewer, a bit moved, and said:

"Gurai... I didn't think you could be so considerate... You've grown up..."

"Are you trying to pick a fight... Here, you too."

He said, offering a skewer to Ami.

She took it hesitantly.

"Ah, thank you..."

"Well, well."

Fiona, who seemed to have finished eating, handed the used skewer back to Gurai.

Gurai answered with a half-closed eye.

"I'll bill you when we get back to the mansion."

"Ah, you're such a small man."

With Fiona's provocation in the background, I bit into the skewer.

It wasn't bad, but the salt was a bit too strong.

"It's delicious, Seika-sama."

Fiona suddenly smiled and leaned in close, surprising me.

"Eh, no, you said it was good just now..."

"It's delicious."

"Ha, ha..."

"Hehe."

Fiona pulled me along as we walked through the town.

I looked around the crowd.

So far, there were no particular problems... but Fiona's presence seemed to be attracting attention.

"... I guess we're standing out, aren't we?"

Even she seemed a bit concerned.

But it was understandable.

Though it was supposed to be a secret visit, even if Fiona was famous, it was unlikely that anyone in this remote town would recognize the princess.

However, the problem was her appearance... A girl with long, beautiful hair like Fiona's was rare in this area.

Though she had tried to dress like a commoner, her hair, which she had let down, was still noticeable.

The unusual color of her hair also drew attention.

"I should have come like that... But it's too late now."

Fiona muttered, looking at a girl with her hair tied up.

Hmm, I wish I could do something...

I looked around the market, but the princess continued to move forward.

When we reached the end of the street, she suddenly stopped and said:

"How can a man and a woman become close?"

"..."

"I hadn't thought about it at all."

She suddenly said something out of the blue.

Representing the group, I asked Fiona:

"Um... Is there some trouble with your fiancé?"

"Oh, I don't have one yet. Hehe."

"Then what...?"

"I'm talking about the general public."

The princess said dreamily.

"How do other people become close...?"

"Well, they usually meet and talk multiple times..."

"Is there something that can instantly bring them closer?"

"..."

I thought, what kind of convenient thing are you looking for...

But considering her position, she probably has to interact with important people often. This might be a real concern for her.

"In stories, people often become close by saving each other from life-threatening situations."

"Really, to that extent...?"

"That happens, I think."

Suddenly, Ami latched onto the topic.

Turning to Fiona, she explained enthusiastically:

"Adventurers often talk about such things. Saving someone from a thug or a monster, and then falling in love."

"Really? Is that common?"

"Probably, quite often. I've heard stories of adventurers becoming lovers during their journeys. When you save or are saved, people tend to get close. But if there's a conflict, it can turn into a fight."

"Fascinating."

I tried to interject with a subtle expression as the two of them got excited.

"No, that's..."

"Ke, that's..."

Gurai and I spoke at the same time and fell silent.

Ami glared at us suspiciously.

"What's with you two? Do you have something to say?"

"No..."

In reality, just saving someone from a dangerous situation doesn't necessarily lead to a romantic relationship.

It might be a good start, but if the other person already has someone or isn't interested, it often just ends with a thank you.

I wanted to share this lesson from my past life, but it was a bit hard to explain, so I kept quiet.

Gurai also remained silent.

"..."

"Hey, you two. You're not saying anything weird, right? We did, didn't we?"

"......Hey!"

I let out a confused exclamation.

Ami, realizing everyone was looking at her, blushed and tried to explain:

"N-no, not in that way! I mean, the underground dungeon was the start of our conversations!"

"A, ah, that's what you mean..."

I was surprised.

In the awkward silence, Fiona spoke up:

"In my case, I overcame the obstacles myself."

Fiona said in a slightly more sincere tone.

"But I have thought that it would be nice if someone could help me. It's a bit romantic, isn't it?"

"Right! I understand."

"In your case, you seem more like the one who helps."

"Shut up, it's fine! You've been saying unnecessary things all along."

I'm sorry...

Also, I didn't realize Ami had a bit of a Yifa-like side. It's surprising.

"Hehehehehe"

Fiona, who had been smiling dreamily, suddenly looked towards the center of the town.

"Ah, I want to go over there."

Saying that, she pulled my hand and started walking.

In this way, the mysterious topic ended abruptly.