"Now that we've been able to express our gratitude… actually, I have something to discuss with you, Shinji-dono."
"Discuss with me?"
Owen straightened his posture as he sat.
"Yes. Because of how Shinji-dono saved Lexia-sama, His Majesty the King has decided he wants to meet you personally to express his gratitude. So, I'd like you to come with us to the royal castle."
"Th-the royal castle!?"
Shinji had thought Owen was a reasonable guy, but after hearing this, he couldn't help but think maybe this knight wasn't entirely sane either. Wasn't everything moving way too fast?
"Even if you suddenly tell me to go to the royal castle…!"
"I apologize… I know it's very sudden. However, His Majesty wishes to personally thank you because Lexia-sama is so precious to him."
"…"
"Besides, it wouldn't be good to leave the benefactor of the royal family unattended. The intelligence agencies of other countries will soon learn that Lexia-sama was attacked and that someone saved her. If we delay, they might take advantage of the situation."
"Ugh…"
Politics. Shinji hated politics no matter what world he was in.
"Hey… is it really okay for me to go to the royal castle? I don't know a thing about etiquette…"
"It's fine! I'm not perfect either!"
"Why do you say that with such pride, Lexia-sama? As for Shinji-dono, I don't think there's anything in your behavior that particularly bothers me."
Shinji sighed. The people here really were unreasonable. Owen might be a knight, but Lexia's father was a king. That was basically the same as meeting Sirzechs Lucifer. He was meeting a faction leader, for crying out loud.
With another sigh, Shinji asked,
"How long does it take to get to the royal castle from here?"
"It's not far. About a day's journey."
"I see…"
So that meant two days for a round trip, one day for the meeting with the king, another for unexpected complications… at least four or five days in total. Shinji still had school, but if he remembered correctly, becoming an Imperial Scholar meant he could skip school freely.
That title was starting to look pretty convenient right about now.
"Sorry, but… could you wait one more month?"
Some big events were coming up in the DxD storyline, and Shinji didn't want to be absent for them.
"One month? In other words, thirty days?"
Shinji realized he didn't even know how the days in this world worked, but since Owen seemed to understand, maybe the calendar was the same as his world's.
Owen looked troubled but eventually nodded.
"… I know it's unreasonable, but we'll wait one month. After that, it will be fine, right?"
"Yes. I'll be able to leave home for a while then."
"You did it, Owen! That's the best thing you've ever done in your life!"
"Lexia-sama… that's actually kind of insulting…"
Owen sighed, looking exhausted. Then, their gazes wandered around the house, impressed.
"Still… this house is amazing. There are no signs of monster attacks even though it's in the middle of the Great Demon Nest. It looks simple, but the wood and furniture seem to be made from high-quality materials… How is this even possible?"
"Hahaha… that's a secret…"
Shinji was just reaping the benefits of the Sage's work. He didn't actually know how any of it worked.
"I won't force you to answer. For a magician, the results of their research are valuable assets, after all… I'm sure the magic created in the process is a closely guarded secret. But still, if we could learn how to live safely in a place as dangerous as the Great Demon Nest, it would overturn all our common sense…"
Listening to that, Shinji could only think about how incredible the Sage really was. He had managed to overturn the worldview of this entire realm.
"Come to think of it, there's something I want to ask…"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Well… is this forest really that dangerous?"
"Eh?"
At his question, both Lexia and Owen froze.
"W-wait a minute! Did you live here without even knowing what kind of place this is?"
"Nope, no clue…"
When Shinji had found the gate, it was already connected here, so it was normal for him to be clueless.
"Aah… Shinji-dono. Are you serious?"
"Yup."
As he nodded seriously, Owen let out a deep sigh.
"Haah… I never thought anyone would live here without knowing anything."
Shinji gave him a blank look, so Owen corrected his posture and began to explain the forest.
"This place is called the Great Demon Nest, and it's considered top-tier among the most dangerous zones in all nations."
"Hehh~"
"The reason it's so dangerous is simple. The deeper you go, the stronger the monsters get. There are many monsters living here, right? Even a single one of them can destroy a city or an entire country. And because they compete for survival, they even have their own territories. However, even the outer areas aren't safe. Monsters capable of destroying entire cities, like Goblin Elites, are common here. It's a nightmare."
Shinji was speechless. So he had been living in that kind of place all this time.
"I've only given you a brief overview, but to put it in one sentence… this is the most brutal land where only the law of the jungle rules."
"…"
"And because it's so dangerous, we can't even gather rare medicinal herbs here… well, no one's confirmed that since no one's made it deep enough inside, but no one would risk their lives without information. Enter the Great Demon Nest, and you're basically signing your death warrant."
Shinji looked at Owen with pity after hearing that explanation. Coming here on the princess's whim, risking their lives… And the culprit herself just muttered,
"Now that I think about it, we have to cross the Great Demon Nest again, don't we? Ugh, what a pain."
"Ah."
Owen turned pale like he had just remembered something terrible.
"Y-you're right. Just coming here nearly cost us our lives… and now we have to go back? If we run into a group of Goblin Elites… no, if a Goblin General attacks us…"
After hearing his own explanation, Shinji fully understood why Owen was pale.
Didn't this world have teleportation magic or something?
"Hey… if you know the way, I'll accompany you back."
"Eh!?"
Everyone stared at him, wide-eyed.
"No, I mean, it's dangerous here, and I'm used to this place… uh, I mean, I…"
"No, no need to correct yourself. There's only us and Shinji-dono here. But are you sure? Even if you're used to it, this is the Great Demon Nest. It's too dangerous to ask you to…"
"It's fine. Oh, but at night the monsters get even stronger, you know? So if you want to go back, it's better to leave early."
He hadn't experienced it much himself, but at night, the same monsters felt much stronger for some reason. That was why he preferred moving around during the day—better visibility too.
Thinking that the monsters he fought during the day were strong enough to destroy small countries made Shinji feel complicated.
"I see. Then we should leave now!"
"Shinji-san is still with us, right? This is our chance to get closer!"
"Lexia-sama… you're a princess, so please be a little more modest…"
"I've given up on that already!"
Ignoring Lexia's spoiled behavior, Shinji accompanied the group to the forest's entrance.
"We're here… right?"
"Y-yes… this is it…"
They were now at the edge of the forest. Shinji had escorted them for safety while also memorizing the path out.
"Still, I'm glad we didn't run into any really powerful monsters."
"Eh?"
The soldiers looked shocked.
The strongest monster they encountered was a Demon Bear. Aside from that, there were only some Bloody Ogres, Goblin Elites, and a few Hell Slimes. In other words, no new monsters appeared.
"… H-hey, did I hear that wrong? Did he just say those weren't powerful monsters?"
"I think so. But I heard entire armies need to be mobilized if a Demon Bear shows up. And a Hell Slime? That's basically game over if it attacks."
"Eh? One attacked us just now, didn't it? And we're still alive."
"… Sigh. I don't even know what reality means anymore…"
"As expected of Shinji-sama…! He truly is my prince!"
The soldiers looked at Shinji with complicated expressions.
"Eh? Was it really that impressive…?" Owen muttered.
"You okay?" Shinji asked.
"I'm fine. It's just… a personal problem. Still, it feels like Shinji-dono alone could break the balance of this world. I'm not sure if it's okay for Lexia-sama to go all out here…"
Oi, what the hell are you talking about? Shinji thought.
"Shinji-sama!"
"Huh? Eh!?"
Shinji turned around at Lexia's voice—just in time for her to suddenly hug him.
"Shinji-sama, I don't want to say goodbye here… I'll be so lonely…"
"…I get that you're lonely, but why are you doing this?"
She was hugging him from the front, her whole body pressed against him. What is it with all the girls getting up close like this? Do I have some kind of charm skill or absurd charisma stat or something? He checked his skills in a panic—nope, nothing had changed.
"Shinji-sama may have rejected my marriage proposal, but… I won't give up! I'm even more drawn to your gallant figure and your kindness toward the soldiers and me along the way."
"Uh!?"
Shinji remembered how he'd been picking his nose this morning when no one was looking. That wasn't gallant at all.
"That's why, when we meet again in a month… I'll capture your heart by then! No, I will show you!"
Lexia pointed at him dramatically.
"Be ready."
All he could do was nod.