Chapter 19: Quest
....
After gaining Libara and Ciel, I brought them back with me so I could properly introduce them to the others.
Unfortunately… the atmosphere inside the manor was horrendous.
I sweatdropped.
Everyone was practically glaring holes through the poor pair. Libara clung to my arm like an overly affectionate cat, rubbing her cheek against my shoulder while humming happily. Meanwhile Ciel quietly attached himself to my side, his expression calm despite the hostility around him. Even though he still looked like a child, he was actually far older than both Kuroha and Ryuchi combined.
"Let go of Shiori-sama, you peasant!" Kuro fumed.
Before I could react, he yanked Ciel away from me while Kyokota grabbed Libara by the back of her cloak with the same exhausted expression one would use while removing a stray animal from the kitchen.
"Hey—" Libara pouted.
"Hands off the master," Kyokota deadpanned.
Ciel blinked slowly. "How territorial."
"Don't say it like it's a compliment," Kuro snapped.
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Why are they acting like angry guard dogs…?
"Libara and Ciel will be helping in the medical and research department," I announced calmly.
"SERIOUSLY?!" everyone exclaimed in unison..
"What?" I stared blankly at them.
"You can't just keep bringing random strangers here!" Kuro frowned protectively.
"What if they're spies?!"
I turned toward the two newcomers.
"Are you spies?" I asked.
"No, Lady Shiori," they answered simultaneously with innocent smiles.
I looked back at the others with a smug grin.
"See?"
"We'll need more confirmation than that!" Kuro yelled, utterly dumbfounded.
Ryu folded his arms. "Master, that is not how investigations work."
"Oh?" I tilted my head. "Then what's your evidence they're dangerous?"
"…Instinct."
"That sounds biased."
"It absolutely is biased!" Kuro shouted.
Libara giggled while Ciel quietly observed everyone with narrowed eyes.
"How fascinating," he murmured. "Your subordinates are emotionally unstable."
"YOU WANNA GO?!" Kuro barked immediately.
"Enough." I clapped once. "No fighting inside the manor. Last time someone broke a table, Eliot looked like he was about to ascend from stress."
The room fell silent.
"…Fair point," Kyokota admitted.
Honestly, managing these people was more exhausting than political affairs.
…
{Location: Melvia Inn}
"Why are we back here, Shiori-sama?" Ryu asked as we entered the inn.
"I found a special-rank mission I wanted to take," I explained. "Also, I needed to sell some merchandise."
This time, I had only brought Ryu, Kuro, and Kyokota along with me. As for Haruna, I had sent her away to handle the Moonlit Lilies situation while we were gone.
"And what exactly does this mission involve?" Kuro asked curiously.
"Apparently we're supposed to guard some noble's sons," I admitted honestly. "I don't know much beyond that."
"That explanation inspires absolutely no confidence," Kyokota sighed.
"I guess we'll see tomorrow," Ryu shrugged.
We entered our room before collectively freezing.
"…There are only three beds," I muttered.
Silence.
Then all three men slowly looked at me.
Ah.
"Would… two of you mind sharing one?" I suggested cautiously.
Kuro missed his chance due to the master being a late bloomer… but while the opportunity still exists, I'll make my move… Ryu thought dramatically.
He casually unbuttoned the top of his shirt, exposing part of his chest before leaning against one of the beds with a low, seductive expression.
"Which bed would you prefer, Shiori-sama?" he asked smoothly.
Not wanting to lose, Kuro immediately copied him. Kyokota stared at the two for a moment before silently loosening his collar as well.
I deadpanned at the three idiots.
"…I'll just rent another room."
I turned and walked toward the door.
"Wait, why didn't it work?!" Kuro whispered frantically.
"We need a better strategy…" Ryu muttered back seriously.
"Strategy?" Kyokota queried, intrigued.
"HEY! You three, just go to sleep already!" I shouted from outside the room, my face burning bright red.
I leaned against the hallway wall with a groan.
"Those idiots…" My cheeks felt hot enough to cook rice.
...…
The next morning, we set out in a wagon toward the designated meeting point.
"You guys really don't need to come," I said while glaring at the three men sitting across from me. "I'll be fine alone."
"Nonsense!" Ryu declared proudly.
"Servants should remain by their master's side!"
"I'm not comfortable with the idea of you being alone with another man," Kuro pouted.
.
"I agree," Kyokota added calmly. I stared at him in betrayal.
"Even you, Kyokota?!"
"It's not that we don't trust you," Ryu clarified flatly. "We just don't trust them."
…Them?
We eventually arrived before a luxurious inn.
Standing near the entrance was an elderly but well-dressed man who eyed us suspiciously.
"Hello. We're here regarding the request," I explained.
"Name and passcode," he demanded immediately.
Seriously…?
"We're from the Hoshiko Trading Company," I replied flatly. "And nobody informed us about a passcode, old man."
For a brief moment, tension filled the air.
Then the man cleared his throat awkwardly.
"…I see. Viable."
He snapped his fingers, Two figures emerged from the shadows almost instantly—both elven girls.
"These are Their Highnesses' royal guards. Introduce yourselves."
"I'm Amber!" the taller girl said energetically. She had long auburn hair and deep blue eyes.
"And I'm Artemis!" the second girl grinned mischievously. Her blonde hair was tied into pigtails while sharp green eyes studied me carefully.
The inn doors opened shortly after. My eyes widened slightly.
Holy moly…
The man possessed elegant pointed ears, shining golden hair, and heterochromatic eyes—one blue, one green. He looked like he'd stepped directly out of a fantasy romance novel.
Beside him stood a younger elf boy around six years old with similar features.
"My name is Sir Luke," the old man introduced. "These are your clients—His Highness, the Second Prince of the Elven Kingdom of Amberia, Nathaniel van Milford… and the Third Prince, Isaac van Milford."
"Greetings," I replied politely. "My name is Shiori Komori. These are Ryuchi, Kyokota, and Kuroha."
Nathaniel stepped forward gracefully.
"A pleasure to meet you, milady."
He gently lifted my hand and kissed the back of it.
I froze. Internally, my soul cringed so hard it nearly left my body.
The murderous aura behind me intensified immediately.
I could physically feel my servants' death glares drilling into the prince's skull.
"We should get moving," I said quickly, yanking my hand away.
Nathaniel blinked in surprise.
He's definitely used to women swooning over that move…
I deadpanned internally while boarding the wagon.
"It will take approximately three days to reach the national border," I informed everyone through telepathy. "Remain alert."
As the journey continued, I noticed
Nathaniel occasionally glancing toward me.
I couldn't tell if he found me suspicious… or if he was still confused about being rejected earlier.
"Shiori-sama," Kyokota suddenly spoke.
"What is it?"
"We're approaching a forest."
I looked toward him properly and noticed the tension in his expression.
"…Something feels wrong," he admitted quietly. "My instincts are screaming."
Interesting.
"My lord, there's a monster ahead!" Artemis suddenly exclaimed. "I'll handle it!"
"Artemis, wait—!"..
Too late. The girl sprinted into the forest like an absolute fool.
I stared blankly.
Aren't guards supposed to possess survival instincts…?
At least some common sense…?
I sighed heavily before chasing after her alongside Ryu.
"Watch the others while we're gone," I ordered before disappearing into the trees.
It didn't take long to locate her.
Unfortunately…
"Ahh~!"
A strange moan echoed through the forest.
Our faces immediately paled.
"What the hell…?" Ryu muttered.
There, tangled among several slimes, was Artemis.
The creatures were aggressively groping every inappropriate area imaginable. I stared silently for several seconds.
"What exactly is happening here?" I deadpanned, already exhausted.
"She appears to be under attack," Ryu replied awkwardly.
"Yes, thank you, Ryu. I also possess eyesight."
"…"
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Artemis," I called tiredly. "You do realize slimes are among the weakest monsters in existence, right?"
"My body… moved on its own…" she whimpered in embarrassment. "Before I knew it… this happened…"
I facepalmed instantly.
"Ryu. Handle it."
"Ha?"
"Just do it."
"…Fine."
He stepped forward before slicing through the slimes' cores with effortless precision.
The monsters collapsed into puddles instantly.
Artemis sat there red-faced and humiliated while trying to catch her breath.
"To think monsters would behave this way…" Ryu frowned.
"…I wonder why they targeted her specifically," I muttered thoughtfully.
The entire walk back was painfully awkward.
"Don't look so depressed," I sighed finally. "We're not telling anyone. This is far too traumatic."
Artemis looked seconds away from crying.
"You're back!" Nathaniel said with visible relief. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," I answered casually. "We found something strange though. The monsters weren't trying to kill Artemis… they were just groping her.".
Even Ryu looked disturbed saying it aloud.
Nathaniel's expression darkened slightly.
"We noticed similar incidents on our journey to Melvia," he explained. "That's why we hired additional protection for the return trip."
"I see…" I nodded slowly. "We'll investigate further."
"Please do."
Suddenly—
"My lord!"
A tornado of flames erupted from the forest.
Sir Luke shoved Nathaniel aside just before the attack engulfed him entirely.
"LUKE!" everyone screamed. Several armed men emerged from the trees moments later.
Around twenty of them.
Bandits.
"You'll pay for that!" Amber and Artemis lunged forward immediately. Unfortunately, they were heavily outnumbered.
"Just hand over the goods and nobody gets hurt," the leader sneered.
I narrowed my eyes. So they're thieves.
"Hey," the leader suddenly called toward my servants. "Why not join us instead?"
Kuro and Kyokota glanced toward me silently.
Ryu smirked.
"How laughable. Someone in Melvia tried the same thing before."
"How much are you offering?" Kuro asked suddenly.
Ryu nearly choked.
The leader grinned. "Thirty gold each."
"Very well," Kuro nodded calmly. "Kyokota and I won't fight."
"You traitors!" Ryu shouted dramatically, attempting to kick him.
Kyokota casually blocked the attack midair.
"Sorry," Kuro shrugged. "That's life."
"No matter!" Ryu grinned confidently. "I can handle these fools alone!"
"How was that, Shiori-sama?" Kuro asked telepathically while sitting on a nearby log with Kyokota.
"Good job," I replied mentally.
If all three fought seriously together, Ryu would absolutely overdo it.
"But why ask for money?" I questioned.
Kuro pouted.
"They're bothering you. Compensation is natural."
…Kuro.
That was unexpectedly sweet.
"Ryu," I ordered calmly, "leave them barely alive."
"Yes, Shiori-sama!"
Everyone charged.
I effortlessly dodged attack after attack before noticing Ryu doing the exact same thing..
"What are you doing?!"
"You haven't officially given me permission to attack yet," he replied proudly. "It's tradition."
"…Seriously?!"
"Of course!" My face heated up instantly.
"R-Ryuchi," I muttered awkwardly, "go beat up the thugs already…"
"Yes, Shiori-sama!" He immediately disappeared. The next few minutes were nothing short of complete violence.
Ryu disarmed every single bandit before beating them senseless using only the back of his sword.
Granted… he was still causing horrifying amounts of damage.
"…That definitely still hurts," I muttered.
"HELP US!" the leader screamed toward Kuro and Kyokota
"We only agreed not to fight," Kyokota stated flatly. "We never agreed to help."
"But we paid you!"
Kuro smiled darkly.
"Doesn't matter. Either you give me the money willingly… or I take it from your corpses."
The bandit visibly trembled.
One man escaped using teleportation magic, but I knocked the leader unconscious with a clean hand chop to the neck.
.
"Well," Kuro said happily while looting pockets, "I recovered some income."
That's literally theft. I sweatdropped.
Then—
"Luke!"
Everyone turned. The old man lay inside the carriage, his body horribly burned. Isaac was desperately clutched his hand while crying.
Nathaniel stood frozen beside them, fists trembling.
"Young… prince…" Luke rasped weakly.
"Don't speak!" Isaac cried. "Please hang on!"
Luke smiled faintly. "I wished… to see you become… a great king…"
Nathaniel bit his lip hard enough to bleed.
"Move."
Everyone turned toward me. I knelt beside Luke immediately.
{Healing Master Activated}
A glowing liquid surrounded my hands before enveloping his body. His wounds slowly began repairing.
Not fast enough. Damn it.
Without hesitation, I summoned my scythe and sliced open my own arm..
"SHIORI-SAMA!!!" Ryu, Kuro, and Kyokota all shouted simultaneously in horror.
Blood dripped onto Luke's chest. Bright blue light engulfed him instantly.
Thanks to the regenerative properties of my blood, his healing accelerated drastically.
Twenty minutes later, Luke's breathing stabilized.
My vision, however, blurred heavily.
Ah…
Too much blood loss. Before anyone could catch me—
Everything went black.
......…
My body felt unbearably heavy, as though I was sinking beneath deep water. Faint voices echoed somewhere in the distance.
"Shiori-sama!"
"Move aside!"
"Her pulse is weakening—!"
How noisy…
I wanted to tell them to calm down, but my lips wouldn't move. Everything faded again.
...…
Nathaniel stood frozen outside the room while physicians hurried in and out carrying supplies.
The scent of medicine and blood lingered heavily in the air.
"She lost far too much blood," one healer explained nervously. "Frankly speaking, it's a miracle she's even alive."
Nathaniel clenched his fists tightly.
"A miracle…" he muttered bitterly. "She nearly died saving Luke."
Nearby, Isaac sat quietly with red swollen eyes while Sir Luke rested against the carriage wall wrapped in bandages. The old knight looked devastated.
"…This is my fault," Luke rasped weakly.
"No," Nathaniel replied immediately. "You protected us."
"And she protected me in return…" Luke lowered his head in shame. "A queen should never have to bleed for an old man like myself."
,several feet away, Ryu, Kuro, and Kyokota stood in complete silence. Which was honestly more terrifying than if they were shouting.
Kuro stared at the closed inn room door with trembling hands.
"…She cut her arm open without hesitation," he muttered quietly.
Ryu's jaw tightened.
"She values everyone else's life more than her own," he said flatly.
Kyokota leaned silently against the wall, though his usual calm expression looked darker than usual.
"We failed," he stated bluntly
Kuro immediately snapped.
"How is this our fault?! We were protecting the princes!"
"We should've noticed the attack sooner," Kyokota replied. "Shiori-sama exhausted herself because we allowed the situation to escalate."
The hallway fell silent again. A servant exiting the room suddenly flinched upon sensing the terrifying pressure radiating from the three men.
"…Is Lady Shiori alright?" the maid asked nervously.
"When will she wake up?" Ryu demanded immediately.
"T-that…" the maid hesitated. "We don't know yet."
Kuro clicked his tongue and turned away.
"…I hate this." Nathaniel quietly approached them after overhearing everything.
"For what it's worth," he began carefully, "your master is extraordinary."
The three slowly looked at him.
"She saved Luke despite risking her own life," Nathaniel continued softly. "Most nobles would never do such a thing for a servant."
Kuro narrowed his eyes.
"Of course she would," he muttered defensively. "That's just who she is."
Nathaniel blinked slightly.
Then… he smiled.
"I see."
Ryu stepped between them protectively.
"And you," he said coldly, "need to stop kissing her hands."
Nathaniel froze. "…Excuse me?"
"She hates it," Kuro added flatly.
Kyokota nodded once. "Watching her soul leave her body from secondhand embarrassment was painful."
"I-it's basic etiquette among nobility!" Nathaniel argued.
"She looked like she wanted to jump off the wagon," Kuro deadpanned.
"That bad?" Nathaniel looked genuinely stunned.
"Yes," the three answered simultaneously.
Isaac suddenly appeared from the doorway.
"She moved!"
Immediately, everyone rushed inside.
...…
Inside the room, Shiori shifted slightly beneath the blankets with a faint groan.
Her brows furrowed weakly.
"…Too loud," she muttered half-asleep.
The entire room froze.
Then Kuro nearly launched himself at her.
"SHIORI-SAMA!"
"Too close," she mumbled tiredly, shoving his face away weakly.
Ryu visibly looked seconds away from tears.
"Thank goodness…"
Kyokota quietly exhaled in relief. Nathaniel smiled softly at the sight. And unfortunately for Shiori—
That was exactly when her problems truly began.
..........
I slowly opened my eyes.
"…Where am I?" I muttered. A maid noticed I was awake and immediately ran out.
I'm suddenly getting déjà vu…
A few moments later, Nathaniel and Isaac entered the room.
"How are you feeling?" Nathaniel asked worriedly. "Any better?"
"I'm fine," I replied with a small smile.
He lowered his head deeply.
"I truly apologize. You were injured because of us. Now that I know your identity as the Queen of the Human Kingdom and representative of the Ethereal City… I will take full responsibility."
"No, I should apologize," I said honestly. "I should've protected Luke better."
The brothers stared at me in shock.
"And please ignore my status," I added awkwardly. "I'm just someone who accepted a job and caused everyone unnecessary trouble."
Nathaniel looked genuinely stunned. I unwrapped the bandages around my arm casually.
"Besides, it's only a scratch." The massive scar stretching from my elbow to my wrist was immediately revealed.
Their faces paled as Nathaniel stood abruptly.
"ONLY A SCRATCH?!" he exclaimed. "Do you realize what high society will say?! This could affect your future marriage prospects!"
"Right…" I answered absentmindedly.
Honestly, high society sounded exhausting.
I'd rather remain an eminence in the shadows with freedom.
"What is your answer, Lady Shiori?" Nathaniel suddenly asked.
"Hm?" I blinked. "Oh—yes?"
His face brightened instantly.
"Wonderful. Then from today onward, please call me Nate."
"…Okay. Then you can call me Shiori."
"Such a beautiful name," he smiled warmly before kissing the back of my hand again.
I cringed internally so hard my soul nearly evaporated.
"Very well. I shall inform my parents." He left the room happily.
I stared after him blankly.
"…Wait."
What was he talking about again?
Suddenly, Isaac hugged me tightly.
"I guess that means you're my big sister now!" he beamed.
"…Huh?"
I looked at him nervously.
"And why exactly would that be?" Isaac blinked innocently.
"Because you're engaged to my brother, obviously."
My face instantly lost all color.
"…FOR MY WHAT?!"