Captain Meld relayed all of this information at length to Kouki and the others on their return trip to the capital.
As the students were getting off their carriages, a single boy came running toward them from the palace. He was around ten years old, with blond hair and blue eyes. He resembled Kouki in many ways, though he was more of a rambunctious little kid. He was, of course, the prince of Heiligh, Lundel S. B. Heiligh.
The young prince resembled a puppy welcoming home its owner as he ran up to one of the girls and started shouting at her.
“Kaori! You’re finally back! I was waiting for you!” Of course, it wasn’t just Kaori who had returned. All the other students on the expedition had also come back with her. Most of them were clearly annoyed that Prince Lundel basically ignored their existence.
Lundel had been infatuated with Kaori since the day she was summoned. But of course, he was still only ten years old. Kaori simply thought of him as a little kid who had grown attached to her. She had no reason to suspect his feelings ran any deeper than that. And since she was naturally inclined to look after others, she simply treated him like a cute little brother.
“Prince Lundel, It’s nice to see you again.” Even Kaori thought he resembled a puppy with the way he craved her attention as she smiled kindly at him. Lundel blushed bright red, but he still tried to look as manly as possible in front of his crush.
“Yeah, I haven’t seen you in ages! Everything felt so boring while you were gone. You’re not hurt, are you? If only I was stronger, you wouldn’t have to fight for us...” Lundel bit his lip unhappily. Kaori no longer held any desire to sit back and let others protect her, but she still smiled at the boy’s childish resolve.
“I’m truly happy you’re so concerned about me, but there’s really no need to worry. I’m fighting because I want to.”
“No, fighting doesn’t suit you, Kaori. Th-There has to be some kind of safer job you can do.”
“Like?” Kaori tilted her head slightly. Lundel somehow managed to blush even brighter. Shizuku watched the entire exchange from the sidelines, smiling as she watched the prince’s clumsy attempts to woo Kaori.
“W-Well, How about being a maid? I could even make you my personal maid so you don’t have to work too much.”
“A maid? Sorry, but I can’t accept your offer. I’m a priest, so...”
“Then how about working at the hospital? There’s no need to expose yourself to danger and fight at the front lines in the labyrinth, is there?”
The kingdom had a state-run hospital in the capital. It was located right next to the palace. It was quite obvious that he wasn’t really worried about Kaori’s safety. Lundel merely wanted to keep her close to him. Unfortunately, Kaori was too dense to realize that.
“I’m sorry, but it’s only at the front lines that I can heal the injured right away. I’m truly grateful you’re so worried about me, but I’m going to keep fighting.”
“Hmph...” Lundel pouted a little as he realized he would be unable to change Kaori’s mind no matter what he said. It was then that the thickheaded bundle of justice decided to butt in and pour oil on the flames.
“Your Highness, Kaori’s a very dear childhood friend of mine. I promise I won’t let any harm come to her,” Kouki said with a grin, intending to assuage the young boy’s worries. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize that only made matters worse. To the smitten Lundel, it sounded like he was saying “Don’t you dare lay a hand on my woman. As long as I’m around, I won’t let anyone else have Kaori!” The hero and the healer. They really did seem like a dream couple.
Lundel glared hatefully at Kouki, as if he were staring at his mortal enemy. To his young mind, it seemed as if Kouki and Kaori were already lovers.
“How can you call yourself a man when you take Kaori to such dangerous places with you?! I won’t lose! I’ll show you that Kaori’s better off with me!”
“Umm...” Kaori stared at Lundel, puzzled by his sudden outburst as Kouki just stared at him blankly. And Shizuku, having watched the entire exchange, just sighed at Kouki’s dense attitude.
Lundel ground his teeth angrily, and Kouki opened his mouth to try and smooth the situation over. But before he could make matters worse, a sharp voice rang out across the courtyard.
“Lundel, stop acting like a child. You’re bothering Kaori and Kouki.”
“S-Sister...!? B-But—”
“No buts. Everyone’s working so hard for our sake, but you’re completely ignoring their feelings and trying to keep Kaori here... Don’t you think you’re being immature?”
“Aww... B-But...”
“Lundel?”
“I-I just remembered something I have to do! Excuse me!”
Unwilling to admit his own mistake, Lundel turned around and ran off. Princess Liliana sighed exasperatedly as she watched him go.
“Kaori, Kouki, I apologize on my brother’s behalf. He must have caused you a great deal of trouble.” She bowed deeply as she apologized to them, and her long blonde hair fell gracefully over her shoulders.
“There’s no need to apologize, Lili. I’m sure Lundel was just worried about me.”
“Exactly. I’m not sure why he was so angry, but... if I said anything that offended him, it’s me who should be apologizing.”
Liliana simply smiled awkwardly. She sympathized a little with her little brother. The target of his affections wasn’t interested in him in the least. Worse, his self-proclaimed love rival didn’t even care that he was around.
There had actually been quite the commotion when Kouki and Lundel had first met, but... that was a story for another time.
Liliana was currently fourteen years old. Her beautiful appearance and flowing blonde hair made her popular both within the palace and among the common folk. She was serious about her duties, gentle, and not too uptight about social standing. Despite her station, she was kind to the servants and maids, and got along well with people of all classes.
She was actually deeply troubled by Kouki and the other students’ situation. Not only in her capacity as a princess, but on a personal level as well. She felt extremely guilty about getting a group of unrelated children embroiled in her country’s problems.
It took her no time at all to get friendly with most of the summoned students. In fact, she got along especially well with Kaori and Shizuku, and before long they had dropped formal titles and were calling each other by nicknames.
“There’s no need for that, Kouki. Lundel’s just a bit wild, so don’t mind him. More importantly, welcome back everyone. I’m glad you all returned safe and sound.” Liliana smiled warmly at the students. Even though they were used to seeing beauties like Kaori and Shizuku in their class, the guys were still utterly charmed by her friendly smile. Liliana’s beauty was accentuated by the refined air of royalty, something that few other people could hope to match.
The members of Hiyama and Nagayama’s groups were both beet red, and even some of the girls were blushing slightly. The students were all overwhelmed by the fact that they were speaking directly to royalty, something they would never have gotten the chance to do in their own world. To them, it was strange that Kaori and Shizuku were able to talk to her like she was just another one of their friends.
“Thanks, Lili. Your smile alone is enough to blow all our exhaustion away. I’m happy to see you again too,” Kouki replied, with his usual set of cliched lines accompanied by his trademark smile. However, to reiterate, Kouki had no ulterior motives hidden in his words. He truly was just happy to come back alive and see his friend once more. In reality, he was completely clueless about the effects his words and conduct had on others.
“Eh, r-really? U-Umm...” Since she was a princess, Liliana had gotten used to receiving compliments from all sorts of people. Nobles, foreign dignitaries, messengers, and even commoners praised her beauty or her intelligence at every turn. Hence why she had mastered the art of discerning people’s true intentions.
And that was precisely why sh
e was able to tell Kouki sincerely meant every word he uttered. The only other people that complimented her sincerely were her family, so she wasn’t used to wholehearted praise. She blushed a deep crimson as she scrambled to formulate some kind of reply. That easily flustered side of her was also part of the reason she was so popular.
Kouki just stood there, grinning happily, once again utterly unaware of the effects his words had caused. As always, Shizuku sighed tiredly behind him. It was because she knew him so well that she understood that, even if someone tried to tell him, he wouldn’t get it.
“Umm, anyway, thank you so much for everything you’re doing for us. There’s a warm meal and hot baths waiting for everyone, so please take some time to relax. The Hoelscher Empire’s envoy isn’t due to arrive for a few days, so there’s no need to rush.” Liliana managed to compose herself and give a princess-like response.
The students all began winding down, and slowly eased away the exhaustion they’d built up during their labyrinth excursion. They told their classmates who stayed behind that they’d defeated the Behemoth, and shouts of joy could be heard echoing throughout the palace halls. The good news convinced more of them to return to the front lines, and the labyrinth party’s numbers quickly swelled. The ones who’d been away also learned from the ones who stayed behind that Aiko-sensei was being called the Harvest Goddess by the citizens because of how amazing her agricultural skills were. Aiko herself was embarrassed by the nickname, and didn’t particularly want anyone calling her by it. While most of the students were glad to finally have a break, Kaori alone wished they were still down there fighting.
Three days after the students’ return, the Hoelscher Empire’s envoys arrived. Five dignitaries were currently standing on the throne room’s red carpet. The students who had all gone on the labyrinth expedition, all the important nobles, and Ishtar’s posse of priests were, of course, all there to receive them.
“Welcome, envoys. You are free to appraise our kingdom’s saviors at your leisure.”
“Your Majesty, we are truly grateful that you have granted us this audience at such short notice. Pardon my abruptness, but which among them is the hero we have heard so much about?”
“Allow me to introduce him. Sir Kouki, if you would be so kind as to step forward.”
“As you wish.”
With the necessary formalities out of the way, it was finally time for Kouki’s introduction. He stepped forward as requested. Though scarcely two months had passed since his summoning, Kouki’s build and expression had both become much manlier.
Had any of the maids, noble’s daughters, or members of Kouki’s fan club been present in the hall at the time, they would have wet their panties at the sight of his dashing figure. There were dozens of noble ladies that had approached Kouki already, but his dense mind simply thought they were all nice people who wanted nothing more than to chat with him. He was the very incarnation of a dense harem protagonist.
“You’re quite young. Forgive me for being so forward, but have you really cleared the sixty-fifth floor? If I recall correctly, a vicious monster known as a Behemoth guards the exit to that floor.” The envoy that spoke watched Kouki carefully. He couldn’t be too overt with Ishtar’s eyes on him, but he was clearly suspicious of Kouki’s abilities. One of his guards sized up Kouki, as if he were evaluating a piece of merchandise.
Kouki found the man’s gaze disquieting, but he still answered their questions.
“Umm, would you believe me if I explained how we beat it? Or would it be better to show you the partial map we have of the sixty-sixth floor?” Kouki threw out a number of suggestions, but the envoy grinned boyishly and shook his head to deny them all.
“No, words won’t convince me. There’s a much faster and more efficient way of making sure, don’t you think? How about you have a mock battle with one of my guards here. That’ll show us the fullest extent of your skills, Sir Hero.”
“Well, I don’t mind, but...”
Kouki seemed somewhat unsure and turned to look back at King Eliheid. King Eliheid, in turn, looked to Ishtar for confirmation, who nodded solemnly. It wouldn’t have been difficult to invoke Ehit’s name and use the force of religion to get the Hoelscher Empire to accept Kouki as the leader of the human resistance, but having them fight him was the fastest way to clear up any doubts about his abilities.
“Very well. Sir Kouki, please demonstrate your strength to our guests.”
“Then it’s decided. Could you please prepare a suitable location for our bout?”
Once the match was decided, all of the members present shuffled out of the throne room and onto the venue of the fight.
Kouki’s opponent looked average in every way. Average height, average looks, average build. He was someone that would instantly disappear in a crowd of people. At a glance, he didn’t seem all that strong either. The envoy’s bodyguard drew his sword lazily and let it hang limply at his side. He didn’t bother to take any kind of stance.
Anger started to build within Kouki at being underestimated so blatantly. He started off more vigorously than he had initially intended, thinking a powerful attack would make his opponent take the fight seriously.
“Here I come!” Kouki moved like the wind. With the power of his Supersonic Step, he closed the distance to his opponent in an instant and swung down with his bamboo practice blade.
An average warrior would have had trouble just following his movements. Kouki planned on stopping just before actually hitting his foe. But it seemed such consideration was unnecessary. The one who had been underestimating their opponent was in fact Kouki.
“Ah!?” He let out a surprised cry as he was blown backward.
The bodyguard was simply standing there, glaring at Kouki with his sword half-raised. The instant Kouki had let the strength drain from his arms to pull the swing short, the bodyguard had flicked his sword up and flung Kouki back.
Kouki slid across the ground for a few seconds before somehow managing to recover his stance. After that, he stared at the bodyguard in open-faced shock. Even if he had been focusing his attention on controlling his power, the fact that he hadn’t been able to see the guard’s attack at all was unbelievable.
The bodyguard lowered his raised sword and returned to his original defenseless stance. I see. The reason I couldn’t follow that attack was because it was so natural and harmless that my body didn’t feel any danger from it, Kouki suddenly thought.
“...Hey, Hero. You don’t come from a fighting background, do you?” Kouki squinted his eyes suspiciously, still somewhat physically and mentally rattled from that last exchange. The bodyguard was regarding him with a ponderous expression as he haughtily asked that question. Though he stumbled over his words, Kouki managed to get out a reply.
“Eh? Umm, no, I don’t. I was originally just a student.”
“...And now you’re Ehit’s chosen hero, huh?”
He scoffed contemptuously and shot a quick glance over at Ishtar and his priests. Then, with those same unnaturally natural movements, he began closing in on Kouki.
“Prepare yourself, Hero. If you hold back again...” Goosebumps coated Kouki’s arms. The bodyguard’s tone of voice clearly conveyed what awaited him if he held back. There was a sudden surge of bloodlust, which made Kouki’s instincts start screaming at him. He quickly raised his sword over his head, which was the only thing that prevented him from being decapitated right then and there.
“Ugh!?” There was the loud thump of sword against sword as their weapons met. The force of the man’s unrefined swing sent Kouki to his knees, and he gazed up into the bodyguard’s eyes, his thoughts paralyzed by shock. How on earth did he get to me so quickly!?
The bloodlust coming off the bodyguard was dense enough to be palpable.
“Ah... Uwaaaaaaaah!!!” Kouki let out an incoherent roar and suddenly large gouts of mana began pouring from his body.
The force of his mana alone was enough to push the bodyguard back, breaking his stanc
e. Kouki took advantage of that opening and thrust forward with his Holy Sword. But milliseconds before it pierced through the man’s skin, Kouki’s sword suddenly slowed. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was trying to hold back. The slowing of his sword had been due to something more instinctive. The bodyguard suddenly narrowed his eyes. Then...
“Let’s stop here,” he muttered coldly. At the same time, he recovered his stance almost instantly, and blocked Kouki’s desperate attack with a lazy flick of his sword. Following that, he jumped back and sheathed his weapon.
“Eh? Huh?” Kouki gazed at him blankly, and the bodyguard simply stared at him coldly.
“Hey, do you realize what it is you’re going to be going up against?”
“U-Umm, we’ll be fighting monsters and demons and stuff... The ones who are making all these people suffer.”
“Monsters and demons and stuff, huh? And you think you can handle that with such cowardly attacks? Doesn’t seem like it to me. You’re supposed to be the one who’ll lead us in battle? Don’t make me laugh.” The man threw Kouki’s words back in his face and criticized his shortcomings with neither an ounce of scorn or ridicule in his voice. He spoke mechanically, stating the simple truth. Even Kouki couldn’t take this much abuse lying down.
“Don’t you think it’s rude to call my attacks cowardly? I’m serious about—”
“A kid who’s afraid to get hurt or hurt others can’t do anything. Don’t go running your mouth when you won’t even come at me with the intent to kill. You can’t claim you’re ‘serious’ with that half-assed resolve of yours.”
Kouki shut his mouth, suddenly at a loss for words. He recovered quickly enough and was about to retort with something like, “I’m not afraid!” but the bodyguard had already turned around and was walking back.
The king and the priests suddenly started shouting, saying things like, “How dare you act so rudely toward our hero!” and, “How can you call the battle over when he hasn’t even had a chance to show you his skills!” and so forth. Bolstered by the support, Kouki was about to begin protesting again, but before he could, Ishtar soothed the crowd with his aged voice.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 1 (Premium) Page 26
