“···Stop.”
*Click!*
Rohan stared at the Princess, whose one pupil had turned into a heart shape.
It was both eerie and unsettling.
‘Scary, so scary.’
The magic condensed into bullets along with her skill didn’t seem normal.
Still, she didn’t seem ready to pull the trigger immediately.
The Princess just looked confused, and Rohan quickly scanned the surroundings and the girl.
‘No allies around… Did she not bring a sniper rifle? Or is it behind the wall?’
The fact that the Princess didn’t have her main weapon in hand was somewhat fortunate.
Even if the worst situation unfolded, that one condition drastically increased the chances of getting out safely.
“I stopped. Lower your gun and let’s talk.”
The noble aura the girl exuded reminded Rohan of Ichinose and Noah.
So, Rohan decided to respond politely with a cheerful heart.
“···.”
As Rohan acted that way, the Princess showed signs of conflict but still didn’t lower her gun.
That attitude was right.
Rohan had anticipated this scenario. No matter how he approached, it would only raise her guard.
A random human shows up, tells her there’s a tracking device, and then, after thinking he was the awaited guest, suddenly wants to leave without explanation? It’s impossible to tell if this is an act of goodwill.
‘If I were her, I’d pull out a gun too.’
Rohan casually popped another macaron into his mouth, recharging his sugar levels.
The Princess’s voice broke the silence.
“Who are you?”
“First of all, I’m not an invited guest. The guys who were supposed to come aren’t coming anymore.”
“You killed them.”
Rohan nodded cheerfully at the Princess’s prediction.
He answered in a refreshing tone.
“Well, that’s how it turned out.”
“···This isn’t something to brush off with such light words.”
As the Princess snapped, Rohan laughed as if amused.
The girl’s finger on the trigger trembled slightly.
“Anyway, let’s pretend we never met. I waited, but no one showed up… Something like that?”
Rohan offered her a box of macarons, suggesting she take one.
But the Princess only glanced at it briefly before glaring fiercely at Rohan.
“Why should I do that?”
“It might be beneficial to learn things you didn’t know, like just now.”
“···.”
A reflexive action.
The Princess fiddled with the tiny tracking device, no bigger than a fingernail.
“···I don’t understand.”
“How did you know about that device?”
“Including everything.”
Rohan knew.
The Princess’s mind must be spinning like it’s about to catch fire, unable to find answers to the questions swirling inside.
“You must have many questions without answers in sight.”
“!”
“What on earth happened to the elves who lived in the Tigroba coniferous forest?”
The Princess, with a fierce look in her eyes, stepped closer to Rohan, her energy flaring up aggressively.
The gun barrel was now at close range.
“Tell me everything you know.”
“I need time to gather information.”
“So, you’re asking me to let you go just like that?”
“Yes. I’m a bit busy.”
“Astoundingly shameless.”
“It’s a necessary part of survival.”
I have no intention of spoon-feeding the Princess all the facts here.
Just as I only revealed the existence of the location tracker, it’s right to feed her information in small, digestible pieces.
“Are you saying I should send back a mysterious person here because of my greed?”
“I see no problem. There are elders who attach location trackers and summon strange groups, aren’t there?”
“You know about the elders too…”
Rohan chose not to answer that question.
Though he’s putting on a tough act, he occasionally can’t hide his clumsiness, lightly teasing the Princess.
“If it were me, I would have asked who the elders are at least once.”
“…”
The Princess lacks shamelessness. She’s not a master of acting.
That’s why we shouldn’t overfeed her with information.
Unnecessary confusion only makes the Princess’s actions awkward and stirs the suspicions of the old elves.
‘Slowly.’
The conclusion to be reached was simple.
Rohan needed time and opportunity to kill those old men.
When that opportunity comes, if the Princess doesn’t shoot, Rohan will be satisfied.
“When I took care of the so-called guests, it didn’t matter if I left.”
“So?”
“The fact that I voluntarily came here should tell you a lot.”
“…”
“After pulling the trigger here, whether I live or die, the time to satisfy your curiosity will never come.”
The Princess closed her mouth at those words.
Rohan, confident that the girl wouldn’t pull the trigger, was chewing on another macaron, pondering whether to buy mineral water or not.
Whooosh──.
Under the night sky, only the sound of the wind could be heard in the silence.
The Princess’s eyes returned to normal.
The gun’s muzzle slowly pointed to the ground, and the gathered magical energy dispersed.
“I’ll say it a second time. Shameless.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Sigh… Fine. I’ll let you go.”
“Are you sure?”
Rohan’s question, even as he’s being let go, is amusing.
But it was the most important question at this moment.
Rohan stood still, watching what the Princess was saying.
“Don’t get the wrong idea… My decisions and intentions don’t require the elders’ approval.”
“Is that so?”
“If I want to do something, the elders will do it. If I don’t want to say something, it doesn’t matter if I don’t. All decision-making power lies with me.”
That’s not something being said to Rohan.
It’s a mutter to affirm her own will, a determination not to lose the last shred of her position.
Rohan quietly nodded in agreement.
Actually, that statement is correct. Originally, the elders are in a position where they have to do as the Princess says.
‘So, she’s aware that the situation is strange.’
That was enough. It was a satisfactory answer.
The Princess must maintain that mindset until the end.
Click.
The Princess, having returned the pistol to its place, stared quietly at Rohan.
Then she asked.
“I have a question.”
“Yes.”
“What do you intend to do by providing me with this information?”
“If I said I’m an ally trying to help, would you believe me?”
At Rohan’s words, the Princess shook her head slightly.
“No. I don’t believe in such convenient stories.”
“That’s how it is.”
“I see. You must think that no matter what you say, I won’t believe you.”
Rohan didn’t respond.
It’s a matter that will naturally become clear with time.
“Now, you’ll get a sense of how to use that location tracker.”
“…”
The Princess looked at the small device in her hand.
The fact that she didn’t smash it immediately upon discovery suggests that something had crossed her mind.
“Do you have paper and a pen?”
“Why do you ask…?”
The Princess, unusually, trailed off.
“I’ll give you a number to contact.”
The Princess doesn’t have a smartphone. Only a radio connected to the elders.
So, to make a call, she would have to come out to the city and use a payphone.
“Speaking of paper and pen, I happened to pick something up on the way here.”
“?”
As Rohan blinked, wondering what she meant.
The Princess, for the first time, averted her gaze and opened a pocket on her vest.
Click! The button released, and out came that thing.
Rohan’s eyes widened at the sight of it.
“Ahem…”
What the Princess hesitantly pulled out was a memo pad and a pen, featuring a crying dragon and a goofy-looking shark.
Characters familiar to Rohan as well.
“…I brought them in case I needed them, guess I got lucky.”
She didn’t buy them, but found them, she claimed.
But the pristine condition clearly showed that the Princess had bought them.
Receiving the memo pad and pen, Rohan briefly examined the cover.
“Isn’t this the thing Ichinose likes?”
Rohan didn’t know the Princess had this kind of taste.
Isn’t this the kind of hidden setting that should only be revealed when released as a playable character?
Rohan, trying to control his itchy mouth, opened his notebook pretending not to care.
He could see the Princess’s diligent notes here and there, but there was no mention of this item.
She just wrote down a number.
“As you know, I’m taking a huge risk by doing this?”
“…”
Rohan said that, but he didn’t just give out the number thoughtlessly.
He thought the possibility was slim, but he considered the scenarios where the Princess might have told the elders or where they might find out even if she didn’t.
Causing a commotion in the academy city and drawing attention is something those old elves would want to avoid at all costs.
The old elves, trapped in their self-preservation, would only go as far as hiring people.
There are quite a few ways to solve the problem within the academy city, so Rohan handed over the notebook with the number written on it while making small talk.
“Anyway, it was nice meeting you. I’ve also roughly written down the times when I’m available for calls, so feel free to call even if it’s not about work.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like if you have worries or if you’re feeling down and want to eat something sweet? Even small matters are fine.”
“Are you trying to extract information through casual conversation… That won’t work.”
Rohan laughed at the Princess’s guarded attitude, telling her to take it lightly.
Then he hurried to leave.
“I’ve done enough.”
What the Princess needs now is an escape to observe a bright future when her spirit is pushed to the edge, or something to help her endure the situation.
Rohan has done his best to drop as many hints as possible.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Information gathering, is it?”
“That too, but… I also have to study and go to my part-time job.”
“Hmph, you have no intention of revealing anything about yourself, do you?”
The Princess’s distrustful eyes.
That was fine by him.
