199 Sophia’s Request

It was supposed to be a simple job.

Drive off the dragon, or slay it if possible.

I thought I knew exactly how terrifying those things were from personal experience. But after taking them down twice, I must’ve gotten cocky. Somewhere along the line, I started thinking all monsters were the same.

It’s obvious if you think about it—even humans have their own individual quirks. Just like how Eva and I are completely different people. It’s only natural that animals, monsters, the Demon Race, and dragons would all be different, too.

“...Are you kidding me, Noblesse?”

Even so, this is going way too far. To insert a garbage plot twist where four four legendary-class entities—creatures with mana capacities far exceeding anything humanity could ever reach—show up at the exact same time...

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—13 hours ago.

Eyes like red crystals, said to be the most beautiful in the world, were staring right at me.

Princess Sophia of the Kingdom of Carlos. The tomboyish girl I’d guarded once before.

According to the rumors drifting on the wind, her reputation among the citizenry has skyrocketed since that day. The reason is simple: she’s been lowering taxes on the common people and dismantling the systems that only served to enrich the high-ranking nobility. It sounds easy on paper, but actually pulling it off is back-breaking work. It’s proof that she’s looking toward the future.

“It’s been a while, Weiss.”

“It has.”

We were in an excessively luxurious reception room. I took a sip of the equally luxurious coffee served in a yet another luxurious teacup. Hmm. This is delicious.

Beside me, Olynn looked like he was trying to shrink into himself, while Tura was... well, Tura. The moment she’d walked in, she’d shouted, “Whoa, amazing! I wish my room looked like this!”

If I could take the average of their two heart rates, it would probably be just about right.

Lilith refused to sit, standing firm behind me. She insisted that she was my attendant once we were off-campus. I really can’t compete with that level of loyalty.

Standing next to Sophia were a close aide who looked just as capable as Zebis and a Guard Knight who reminded me of Darius. Their vibes were different, but I could tell they were both high-level experts. I’d heard she had bolstered her security after the Large-scale Invasion, and it looked like the rumors were true.

Seeing that made me relax a little. The Demon Race had claimed they wouldn't target her anymore, but part of me had still been worried.

More importantly, though, Sophia looked strangely disgruntled.

“...Why are you using formal speech?”

“What do you mean?”

“That wasn't the kind of relationship we had, was it?”

Honestly, I’d planned on just talking to her normally, but the pressure coming from the guys on either side of you is insane.

She’s a princess, after all. It was one thing during an emergency, but in a formal setting like this, politeness is usually the standard.

“When you say 'relationship'—”

“We’re friends, aren't we?”

In an instant, the tension drained out of me. Ah, I see. Right.

So that’s how she thinks of me.

“Fine. But Sophia, do something about the pressure your guys are radiating.”

“Eh? Oh, is that what it is? It’s fine, really. They both get along with me. Right, Orus? Biado?”

“Indeed we do.”

“Milady’s tomboyish antics are nothing new, after all.”

Orus, the butler, and Biado, the knight, both tapped their legs playfully. Apparently, it really was fine. If anything, they just looked a little tired. I see—it’s thanks to their hard work behind the scenes that Sophia is able to push through her policies as she pleases.

But if we’re talking as friends, then I guess that settles it.

“So, what you’re saying is that this isn't an official request from the crown?”

“Exactly. I’m truly sorry, but this is a personal favor. It won't be reflected in any public evaluations. I wanted to tell you that sooner, but it’s difficult for me to send personal letters.”