67 – Southern Hunting Tournament (6)

The forest in the distance was shining green, reflecting the water droplets on the leaves, perhaps indicating that the rain that had fallen the previous day had come to the entire southern region. No clouds are visible in the sky where the water was poured out in a big way. It was very nice to see only the sun rising high above the blue sky.

The warm sun feels really good.

It’s not boring to rain at this time of year, but I hope it doesn’t rain when I’m walking around the forest. It is uncomfortable to feel the muddy wet ground, but it is because I keep thinking about what happened while walking in the woods on a rainy day in the past.

The timing was also similar when I went to a hunting competition with my father.

On that day, I remember that there was heavy rain concentrated in the area where I was located. And even the appearance of a group of monsters that would not normally appear. It was very unusual for those who are normally active in mid-winter to move on a spring day when the days are warming up, but that has happened to me.

A group of demons continued to descend towards the village.

And me, who is in a mess due to the mud scattered here and there and the battle with the monsters.

I don’t know if it’s because it’s the first battle I’ve experienced since becoming Damian, but I remember that it was very tiring because of the environment at the time. There was also the discomfort of the sticky mud and rainwater, but those things are quickly forgotten in your mind as you move your body around.

The biggest problem at the time was the mud mixed with trees and rocks that poured like waves due to sudden heavy rain.

Even if it wasn’t so, his body was extremely tired from the continuous battle, so he couldn’t react to the sudden landslide and was swept away. At that time, I thought I was really going to die… It was then that I realized for the first time that the sturdy Krause family’s body was just a single person like everyone else in front of dozens of tons of earth and sand.

Well, thanks to that, I’m alive.

As I hit the ground with my foot several times, I felt the touch of hard soil. Sunlight quickly removes moisture from the ground, so you don’t have to worry about your feet collapsing today.

“It won’t rain.”

“Yes! The weather is really sunny!!”

It’s a surprise.

I was muttering while looking up at the sky, but I turned my head in surprise at the sudden voice I heard next to me. Where my eyes went, there was Noel, who was shining brightly in the sunlight. It seems that the competition is expected for a long time because there is a lot of spirit.

Seriously aiming for the championship, Noel’s eyes were burning with overflowing fighting spirit. Apparently, I am also a competitor participating in the competition, so I could see various emotions reflected in Noel’s eyes looking at me. If you look at his motivation alone, he could have already won the tournament… but isn’t Noel competing with someone for the first time in this hunting tournament?

She has lived as an unrivaled existence as the princess of the empire.

Although Orcus was by Noel’s side, the two were not competing for the heir position like other nobles. Even the fields we liked were different. I think this is the first time for her to deal with superiority and inferiority in something with others.

As a human being is a creature that burns with the desire to compete even with a trivial bet, how can she not be excited, especially since the theme of the contest she is participating in this time overlaps with her interests. Of course you want to win and you want to stand on top.

I didn’t say a word of encouragement to her.

Standing in the position of a competitor aiming for the championship, all I could do was raise one hand into a fist and bump my glove against her.

Support and encouragement is enough.

“It’s better to bring one because you can hang it on a black saddle.”

Noel’s outfit was light overall.

Bow and arrow for hunting. And the two daggers hanging from her waist were the weapons she had prepared. As the purpose was hunting, not combat, this was not excessive, but rather the same as the standard. The practice that had been conducted in the forest for several days was also carried out in the same outfit.

Still, there is something called if.

“Ah, I knew that, so I prepared it in advance! That…somehow, having a sword near my hand made me feel a little relieved.”

“I understand.”

After this, we stopped talking.

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My lack of eloquence also played a part, but it was because Noel’s gaze had shifted from me to the forest. She took a slow breath, staring endlessly at the space dyed in deep turquoise. Even Noel, who always exudes lively energy, must have been unable to avoid the tension of the word “first”.

As my breathing gradually stabilized, Noel moved his gaze back to me.

I could guess what he was trying to say from the look on Noel’s face. It was because the faces of my father and Orcus who looked at me after being dumped by Elena yesterday were similar. Did it transfer to Orcus overnight? What was not good was buried in her.

“What happened after that?”

“well…”

I had no choice but to answer this curious question.

To tell you the truth, the answer to her question was what I was most curious about right now.

After that, I didn’t see Elena except for dinner.

I thought about going to her room like in Merohim before, but I didn’t know if this was the right thing to do because it was the first time Elena had reacted like that, so I couldn’t leave the room. Now that I think about it, I think the reason I didn’t leave the room was that I was waiting for Elena to come to me first. I might have been waiting for her to come to me this time, as I had approached her once.

So now I am slightly regretting it. I’d just go to the room.

Anyway, while I was spending time in the room like that, I laughed thinking about what had happened that day on the bed. It was funny that one kiss had a stronger impact than anything that had happened in the past, but what was really funny was that I, who had grown old enough, was acting like a boy who had just entered puberty.

I had heard that the mind follows the age of the body, but I never thought it would manifest itself this way to me.

“…Her Highness, have you heard anything from Elena?”

Just in case, I asked Noel, but Noel replied brightly with an innocent smile.

“Not at all!”

Well, I guess you really don’t know.

I don’t think she could lie. Even if you do, everyone will have a t-shirt on your face.

What can you do? can only wait

At some point, the surroundings started to get a little noisy.

I looked around at the growing sound, and unlike the first time, many people were outside. As if to let them know that the time for the tournament was approaching, those bearing their family crests were gathering. Of course, the first thing that caught my eye was Krause’s coat of arms, followed by a flag with the imperial coat of arms following it as if being guided right next to it.

Father and Orcus stood side by side in the lead.

On the other side, Viscount Graham, the lord of Legion, was preparing on a podium for the start of the tournament, but everyone’s eyes were naturally focused on the two. This southern region, which is considered more open than other places, also has its own politics. It is unavoidable to keep an eye on the appearance of a person in power.

“Let’s go back to our seats now.”

“Yes.”

After the two parties parted ways, Noel and I decided to take each other’s place.

All of the party were not far away, but moving together might cause unnecessary gossip. Just as I was about to distance myself, Noel suddenly asked me a question.

“Ah. I have one last question, would you mind?”

“What do you mean?”

“My older brother told me to ask him about this… Uh…”

Noel’s face, which stopped me, started to glow red in a rare way. Thanks to that obvious reaction, it seemed easy to know what she was trying to ask. Looking at Orcus behind her, Orcus was smiling at me and Noel with his characteristic smirk.

“Your Highness. You don’t have to push yourself like that…”

“No! That, me too!! It’s because I’m really curious…”

It seems that not only Orcus, but also Noel has no intention of biting.

Even if I couldn’t read his mind that he would definitely ask about the day’s work, it was clearly visible. Hey, it’s obvious, but it’s good that I didn’t ask in the meantime. As for what seemed to be a situation that might cause misunderstandings because the era is the era, the question my father asked me last night was already enough.

It was Noel who asked the question, but with Orcus in there, I suddenly started to worry seriously about the level of the question. It may not be the level of asking if I should suddenly have a wedding instead of an engagement ceremony like my father, but on the contrary, since he was Noel, I was worried that he might throw it without thinking as much as he was innocent.

Still, they are not the ones to ask sensitive questions to others.

Just as he was preparing himself mentally, Noel’s mouth opened.

And hearing her words, I was surprised in a different way.

“Uh… uh, kiss… you know…? Does it really taste sweet?”

“Yes?”

“My older brother keeps saying that it will taste sour. But last time at the imperial palace, Ella… Oh, Ella is our nanny. Anyway! Isn’t it? It’s sweet, right?!”

How should I answer this?

A question came up that was the exact opposite of what I thought, so this turned my head white.

In the end, I turned my gaze toward Orcus in the distance, unable to answer Noel’s request for an answer. Orcus was still looking at me with a smirk, but that smile, unlike before, made me confused in many ways.

That’s what a male lead candidate is…

but not now

I don’t think there’s anything I can say to the two of them. I clenched my fist in the direction of Orcus and raised it slightly, then left.

That… Cheer up?