Excerpt from Sidestory 6:
Aristine cautiously dipped her toes in the hot spring and continued lowering slowly but right at that moment, something changed.
The water began to tremble.
A manifestation of the Monarch’s Sight!
Once the water settled, thin, platinum-blond hair came into view.
“…!”
Aristine’s eyes grew big.
“…Lu?”
It was a name she hadn’t spoken in years.
Lu, Aristine’s first friend.
The lines around his eyes had deepened, and his jaw had grown more defined. Perhaps he met some hardship because he seemed to have lost some weight.
Because of that, his aura, which usually seemed gentle and scholarly, had taken on a sharp, keen edge.
But despite all that, to Aristine…
‘He hasn’t changed.’
…he looked exactly the same. The exact same face that said goodbye to her on the day he left.
‘It really is Lu…’
While Aristine was lost in thought, a thug-like voice emerged from the water surface.
[Hah? You couldn’t get the money?]
“…?”
Lu was not alone. He was surrounded by rugged looking men.
[Bro, you acted cool when we were making this deal. It’s no fun if start acting like this.]
A man with a mohawk was speaking to Hamill in a sleazy manner. Hamill chuckled at that.
[It’s fun to me though?]
[Oh, really? Let me see if you still think it’s funny when you lose a hand.]
[Oi, bring the slicer. I think our brother here is curious.]
At the mohawk’s words, a deadly sharp slicer was brought out.
The men roughly pinned Hamill down. Soon enough, his wrist was forced into the slicer. The mohawk asked Hamill.
[What do you think? Still having fun?]
[A little? This is definitely new.]
Hamill grinned even though his wrist was held down. Mohawk guy whistled.
[Whoa, we’ve got a brother with guts. But bluffing is not going to work.]
[I bet he ends up wetting pants soon, eh?]
The men guffawed loudly.
[Brother, we are not bad guys. We’re going to get our money anyways, so I’d like to get it peacefully, without getting blood everywhere for no reason.]
The mohawk tapped the blade of slicer and asked.
[So for the last time. Where is my money?]
All humor vanished from Mohawk’s eyes, replaced with pure murderous intent.
Hamill met those eyes with a calm gaze. And right at that moment,
“…!”
The water surface shook, and the figure reflected on the surface began to disappear.
Aristine sprang to her feet.
‘Is Lu being…threatened right now?!’
They wanted to cut off his wrist because he couldn’t bring money?!
‘Did he borrow from loan sharks?!’
Aristine thought of Lu.
‘I can see why!’
Lu—Hamill was the eldest son of King Nephther, and his maternal family was the Ducal House of Skiela. He had been raised without lacking anything, and he was a prince, through and through! For someone like that to wander the world for years without any status…
‘He probably borrowed money all over the place without a second thought since he has no financial awareness.’
Of course, before he left, Aristine had given him some travel funds and assets.
‘To think he already blew thorough all that money!’
Then again, Aristine understood because she had her own share of ignorance about the world.
‘My financial awareness was solid though.’
But Hamill probably counted money in different units than everyone else.
‘Anyway, this is serious! We have to save Lu!’
Bang!
Aristine roughly pushed open the door of the bathhouse and walked out.
“Your Majesty? You’re out already?”
“I thought you wanted to savor it for a while since you’ve been looking forward to it.”
The court ladies started walking up to her to tidy her up then they paused.
“Huh? You didn’t enter the water?”
“That’s not important right now,” Aristine spoke hurriedly.
“W-Wait, Your Majesty! You need to put some clothes on!”
Aristine was only wearing a towel right now. She quickly got dressed and hurried to find Tarkan.
* * *
In the greenhouse.
Tarkan frowned as he repeated Nephther’s words.
“Barriers are being traded?”
“Yes, it seems they’re being circulated under the table recently.”
“The barriers are military supplies. With how strictly controlled they are, no one should be able to smuggle them out.”
“They weren’t smuggled out.”
Nephther waved his hand, and a waiting servant respectfully held out a tray.
Nephther picked up the portable barrier from the tray then he paused.
“…Why are you looking at the barrier like that? I thought you were in love with swords as a child. Now it’s barriers?”
“What the… Do you think I’m a pervert?”
“What’s with the look in your eyes then?”
“It’s because this is something Rineh made because she wanted me to be safe.”
“…”
Nephther was speechless.
There had been a time where he wished that his stiff son would know love and change, but this, this was just…
“Ahem, enough with your nonsense; look closely.”
Nephther activated the portable barrier.
It quickly expanded and set into place. It seemed to be operating without any problems.
However, Tarkan’s eyes turned sharp.
Shiing—!
He drew his sword and with a flash of his blade, he sliced through the barrier.
The barrier didn’t seem affected at all. Which made sense, considering it was designed to withstand the blows of demonic beasts.
But then.
Crumble!
As soon as Tarkan kicked the barrier, it fell apart.
Shattering along the clean cut he made.
“It’s fake.”
“Indeed. And there is an increasing number of people buying these fake barriers and heading out onto the plains, thinking these will protect their lives.”
“I’d be glad if that was all. If these fakes become widespread, they can mix in with the real ones.”
In other words…
“In the worst-case scenario, it can cause breaches in the barrier road. After all, the fakes cannot handle the attacks of demonic beasts,” Nephther finished.
“This cannot be allowed.”
Tarkan’s golden eyes gleamed sharply.
“Oh, but pray tell. What exactly cannot be allowed? A threat to national security? Or,” Nephther smirked, “someone using the ‘fence of love’ your wife made for you to scam others?”
“Royal father!”
Nephther laughed heartily.
“Treat my dear daughter-in-law well. That’s the secret to a good life.”
“I’ll take care of my wife. Don’t you worry.”
“Is that so? Then why haven’t I heard anything yet?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Hmm, I’m waiting to carry my granddaughter who looks just like my dear.”
Tarkan paused.
He began to imagine a daughter who looked just like Aristine. And Aristine holding that daughter in her arms, looking at him lovingly.
Boom!
“…?!”
Nephther looked to the side in shock. The cracked barrier completely exploded into dust.
“What was that for?”
“…My apologies. Imagining Rineh being lovely and cute was too much.”
“…I understand.”
Nephther nodded with seriousness.
The warriors standing behind them looked at the two men, dumbfounded.
Was this really a conversation between their respected former king and their lord?
‘Well, we already knew these two were smitten.’
‘Can you even call this smitten?’
‘When it’s this bad, I say it’s sickness!’
‘But I get it though. Her Majesty Aristine is so wise, kind, and best of all, she respects us warriors…!’
‘She’s our thumb princess!’
‘I get it too!’
The warriors, Jacquelin and Mukali included, whispered among themselves.
Durante just heaved a deep sigh.
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