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76. Engagement – Prince Cleo de Frederick

The prince… was cooking meat.

He was not alone. With two knights by his side, the moment Leo approached, the knights jumped up, drawing their swords.

“Who are you?”

The knight with a large scar slashing across his right cheek and lip, with piercing blue eyes, aimed his sword at Leo and inquired.

Leo raised his hands to show he meant no harm.

“I’m just someone training to become a knight. I was wandering the mountains when I caught a whiff of the meat…”

“Why is someone training to be a knight up in the mountains?”

Leo rolled his eyes as he surveyed the surroundings.

A small fire flickered and pieces of meat were roasting on skewers…

On the ground lay poorly stripped leather, with blood from the hunted animal pooling beside it.

Rumors that the prince sometimes hunted outside were indeed true.

Leo told a lie.

“I came because the swordsmanship training was free and thought I might cool my head by doing some hunting.”

“Sir Lloyd. Sir Manon. Put your swords away.”

The prince, who had been looking at Leo with curiosity, commanded the knights to stand down.

He smiled warmly and offered a seat.

“I see you’ve come sniffing the aroma, you must be quite hungry. Although it isn’t much, would you care to eat with us?”

[ Achievement: First Encounter with the Prince – A faint goodwill from all princes earned. ]

Thanks to the recent achievement that popped up in my mind and the “First Encounter with the Prince” achievement, Cleo de Frederick showed goodwill.

Worried that the goodwill earned through achievements varied from person to person, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Leo casually settled down in front of the campfire and asked, “Thank you. I won’t decline. Did you just catch this?”

“Indeed. I’ve been running around all morning just to catch this little thing. Hahaha.”

The prince laughed heartily.

His rich, chestnut hair blew in the wind, making him an attractive figure at first glance.

Overall, his fine features gave him a soft impression; however, his strong jawline and distinctly vertical nose projected a masculine assertiveness.

Still, the greenish-yellow hue in his eyes held an air of resignation.

As I surveyed his appearance inwardly, I carefully picked off a piece of hot meat and spoke.

“It seems you enjoy hunting.”

“It’s good for clearing the mind. When chasing after game, I find there’s no room for wandering thoughts. By the way, what is your name… No, how should I address you?”

“I am Leo Dexter, hailing from the Austin Kingdom.”

“Dexter? Are you of noble birth?”

“No, it’s merely a castle granted to my father for his military merits.”

“Oh… If you’ve been granted a castle, your father must be quite a distinguished knight. I am Criou Frelic. A pleasure to meet you.”

The prince introduced himself by revealing his name.

Noting that his casual attire indicated he was hiding his status, Leo played along without showing that he knew.

“Ah, so you are of noble birth. My apologies. It seems I’ve delayed in showing proper manners.”

As he stood and offered a formal bow, the prince appeared surprised.

“Oh, you know the etiquette of the Empire. Hahaha. I knew right from the start that I liked your first impression. You must be a descendant of a prestigious knightly family.”

“I’ve only picked up a few movements by watching, so I’m flattered by your excessive praise.”

“With such etiquette, you need not be too humble… Now, let me introduce my escort knights. This is Sir Lloyd and this gentleman is Sir Manon.”

Sir Lloyd, the knight with the large scar on his face, greeted him gruffly. The middle-aged man with blue eyes didn’t utter another word after that.

He also greeted the elderly man named Sir Manon, and Leo recognized that he was a holy knight without difficulty.

Just like the prince, the escorting knights wore regular attire, but the scabbard of Sir Manon was engraved with the symbol of the Cross Church.

Of course, Leo didn’t acknowledge it.

“So, from the Austin Kingdom… You’ve come quite a distance. What do you think of the Holy Kingdom? Did you encounter any hardships during your travels?”

It seemed the prince was quite taken with Leo, tossing various questions his way.

To gain his goodwill, Leo exaggerated the painful journey he had taken.

However, when the topic of his stay at the “Count Simon Family” came up, Sir Lloyd’s eyes widened, and he ground his teeth.

His expression of rage vanished in an instant, so Leo didn’t catch on at all.

Sir Lloyd was actually of noble birth.

Born as the heir to the Baron Agnak Family, he lost his family at a young age.

This was due to his aunt, Agnes Agnak, being adopted into the Count Simon Family, which caused quite the scandal.

Fleeing from the Count Simon Family’s revenge, Lloyd Agnak ditched his surname and became a knight.

He served the Frederick Royal Family as a royal knight, sharpening the blades of revenge for a long time.

However, constrained by the laws of the Cross Church, the royal family had little they could accomplish, and Sir Lloyd’s revenge remained indefinitely postponed.

The reason Cleo de Frederick wandered around hunting in the guise of a prince was also due to those laws.

As the legitimate heir of the Frederick Royal Family, he was a man of great ambition from a young age. He had no intentions of invading foreign lands, but he aspired to lead the nation and become a great king.

A fruitless dream.

The royal authority in the Holy Kingdom was powerless before the divine authority of the Cross Church. The Frederick Royal Family merely acted as a channel to address the church’s secular matters.

As the prince grew older, he became aware of the royal family’s circumstances, feeling a deep sense of helplessness. His future was predetermined as a “puppet king,” just like his father.

Not even nobles stayed in the capital anymore, so there wasn’t much they could do together.

A prince disheartened and roaming the forests for hunting. He was even required to bring along a holy knight as an escort.

Though Cleo disliked the elderly Sir Manon, who hovered around him like a watchful eye, this was the reality of the royal family.

Leo and the prince engaged in conversations.

In the midst of this, Sir Manon interrupted, saying, “The sun is setting. It’s time for you to go.”

The prince frowned slightly and bid farewell to Leo.

“I must be taking my leave now. Today was truly enjoyable. I’ve heard many interesting stories.”

“I also had a wonderful time. Do you often come out to hunt? If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to join you occasionally.”

“Hahaha. That sounds delightful. I always come out here for hunting on weekends. I’ll be coming out again tomorrow. If you have time, do drop by.”

Cleo de Frederick hurriedly affirmed before Sir Manon could interrupt.

“I will definitely do that.”

Leo descended the mountain, leaving the prince behind. On his way back, he rode the horse he had tied to a tree and flopped onto his bed.

Lena was still brandishing her sword in the open space, and Leo merely waved his hand lightly to indicate he was back, without starting a conversation.

The prince was a decent man. Just like the prince from the game “Prince Maker,” he regularly stepped out of the royal palace while concealing his identity.

‘Now, if only I can get Lena to meet the prince…’

“Urgh!”

Leo’s stomach twisted uncontrollably. Unable to hold it back, he rushed to the toilet and vomited. The meat he had eaten from the prince was expelled into the open air.

The prince was indeed a decent “man.”

And Lena was the “woman” he loved, whom he was engaged to.

‘We’re almost there… just a bit more…’

After emptying his stomach, Leo sank down, panting heavily.

Lena would be happy to meet the prince. She would become a noble princess.

“Uwwak! Uweeeek!”

‘This isn’t normal! This is insane!’ his empty stomach churned violently.

Leo tried to compose himself by thinking of Enen.

Someone like me, bound by this bizarre fate… being with me would only bring her unhappiness.

The cycle of tragedy must end here.

Lena had already died twice, and the one time she survived, she lost her arm. If they began an adventure challenging the throne again, who knows how she might die next?

Compared to dying, this was far more tolerable.

‘As long as I endure… So please… leave us be…’

Leo lingered in the toilet for a long time.

*

“…Lena, would you like to meet someone?”

The next day, for the first time in ages, Leo took the initiative to speak.

Lena replied with a subdued voice, “…Who?”

“An aristocrat I met yesterday… he might be able to introduce you to some knights for sparring.”

“Okay.”

She had brightened up a bit when staying at the Count Simon Family, but somewhere along the way, she had fallen back into her gloom.

Leo cautiously brought her to the mountain.

“…It’s the mountains.”

Lena pressed her lips together, seemingly lost in thought. It seemed she was recalling her first hunt with the Ainar warriors.

Leo averted his gaze as they followed the Tracking Skill to find the prince.

The prince was just starting to prepare for hunting.

“Oh! It’s Leo Dexter! I’m glad to see you again.”

He remembered Leo’s name.

“Who is the lady with you? Would you introduce her?”

– Urg…

“She is a ‘friend’ who has come to train to be a knight alongside me. Lena, meet this gentleman; he goes by Cleo… no, Criou Frelic.”

“……Hello. I am Lena Ainar.”

“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m delighted to see a lovely lady wielding a sword.”

The prince reintroduced the knights from before and invited them to go hunting together.

Fortunately, Lena followed along without any objections.

The three of them set out for a hunt, accompanied by the two knights.

Leo had the Hunting skill, but at first, he refrained from stepping in, wanting to observe how the prince conducted himself.

However, the prince’s hunting skills were pathetic. It seemed he wasn’t really aiming for the hunt; he would simply search through the forest and dash toward any prey he spotted.

Whether he had trained in martial arts or simply had good blood, his fluid movements were impressive, but they were far too inefficient.

Fed up, Leo pointed out specific locations where game might be found.

It was better to finish hunting quickly and have a chat than to wander around the mountains all day. This way, Lena would grow closer to the prince…

With Leo’s help, the prince joyfully caught a deer.

“That’s amazing! How did you know there would be a deer here?”

“It’s nothing special. If you observe the terrain, you can roughly predict where the game might be. For example…”

Lena, Leo, and the prince chatted as they roasted the butchered deer.

Only the prince and Leo spoke up.

“Using traps is also good, but… Lena can explain about them.”

“Me?”

“Come to think of it, Lena, you said you’re from the Ainar tribe, right?”

In the Holy Kingdom, there was no discrimination against barbarians. Thanks to the laws of the Cross Church that treated all humans equally. Therefore, the Holy Kingdom was also the only country on the continent that didn’t allow slavery.

This law could potentially challenge the ‘class system,’ but the Cross Church allowed for noble privileges by adding a clause stating, “Those who bear great responsibilities should have commensurate rights.”

“Um, well… I don’t know much, but traps can include snares and ground-installed devices…”

“And there are also enclosures that trap prey.”

“Exactly. In any case, there are three types, and the traps vary depending on the prey or the situation. What makes them different is…”

Lena stammered as she explained, with Leo adding supplementary information. The prince chuckled, “Shall we try setting traps next time?” and laughed heartily.

As Leo had intended, the conversation flowed smoothly.

He introduced new topics, encouraging Lena’s participation, while the gentle prince patiently waited for Lena’s turn, ensuring no one felt left out.

Once they finished the whole deer, the prince stood up.

“Since the hunt ended early, we have some time left. I heard you’re seeking sparring partners. If it’s not too much trouble, would you spar with me? Though my skills are insufficient, I’ve learned a bit of swordplay.”

“It would be an honor.”

The three took turns crossing swords. The prince’s swordsmanship was far below Leo’s, but still at a considerable level.

As Leo held back and let them draw to a standstill, the prince smiled as if he understood he had received allowance.

The prince regrettably lost in his spar against Lena. Leo had thought, having sparred with the prince first, that his skills would be similar to or slightly better than Lena’s, but Lena had made tremendous progress over a few months.

Now she could almost be regarded as a full-fledged knight…

The prince extended his hand for a handshake.

“Oh dear, this won’t do. But I had fun.”

“I enjoyed it too. You really excel at positioning… I’m glad I didn’t let my guard down.”

“Hahaha. I’m embarrassed to receive compliments from my master. Sir Lloyd, what about you? Wouldn’t you care to spar with this gentleman too?”

“Understood.”

Lena and Leo also had a sparring session with Sir Lloyd and Sir Manon.

The sparring with Sir Lloyd ended in an instant. He was as strong a knight as Leo’s father, not holding back in the least.

In the duel with the elderly Sir Manon, Leo managed to pull through with a narrow victory.

True to a ‘holy knight,’ he was more adept at close combat using his physical strength than weapon skills, but because of his age, he was unfortunately overpowered by Leo’s youth and vigor.

After that, Lena and Leo sparred with the prince a few more times, conversing before parting ways.

At the final farewell, Lena appeared quite taken by the prince, waving her hand as she said she would see him tomorrow.

She looked much brighter than when she had climbed the mountain in the morning.

‘Of course…’

Leo ultimately thought that his plan was correct.

Cleo de Frederick seemed almost perfectly suited as if he was meant to meet Lena.

Not only was he handsome and of good character, but he also regularly stepped out for hunting, making him easy to encounter. Just like the protagonist of “Prince Maker” who meets the prince once every January while hiding his status.

Additionally, the prince was well-educated and enjoyed sharing fun stories, which would suit the childhood friend scenario with Lena perfectly.

‘It was indeed right to get Lena to meet the prince…’

On the way back to the lodge, Lena said excitedly, “That Criou’s sword skills are really unique.”

Leo hung his head low.