The blond man streaked through the air, the wind at his back. He touched down before the struggling Alicia and Mariana, declaring gallantly:
“I have arrived! Allow me to assist!”
Alicia peered at the man, who was clad in a high-quality robe and light armor, and whispered, “His Highness...”
Yes, it was indeed His Highness. Crown Prince Edward of this kingdom had made his grand entrance.
“Glub, glub, glub...”
Mariana promptly fainted. It seemed her trauma regarding high-ranking nobles outweighed her fear of the swarming ants.
“Falling into a swarm of ants—it’s no wonder she fainted. Alicia, look after her!”
Shouting this, Edward charged forward, sword in hand. He dodged the ants’ mandibles, parried with his blade, and struck them with magic the moment his chanting was complete.
“Oh, not bad.”
His technique was a step below chantless casting, but the fact that he performed it so naturally suggested he’d put in a fair amount of training. As expected of the royal route’s Edward.
The reason the Edward Route was considered "easy mode" in the game was the lack of effort required—you only had to collect a single Holy Artifact—the sheer number of events where his affection rose automatically, and his base stats were high enough to brute-force the battle parts.
“Come at me, you ants who infest this dungeon! I shall be your opponent!”
True to his reputation, the way he mowed down hundreds of ants was exactly like a hero from a story rushing in during a moment of peril.
“—Wind Blast!”
A massive gale howled, scattering severed insect legs in every direction. Amidst the carnage, the handsome prince’s blond hair and white teeth practically sparkled.
Alicia, looking like she’d had quite enough, huddled in a corner while holding the unconscious Mariana. I hopped down from the ledge and approached them.
“Sigh... What is he even doing in a place like this?” she murmured.
“Good question.” I nodded.
I really did wonder why he was here. And more importantly, why hadn't I noticed him? Edward’s hooded robe was imbued with magic power; that was likely the culprit.
Incognito travel was one of Edward’s hobbies. Because his personal specs were pointlessly high, he was an idiot who would successfully go undercover no matter who tried to stop him or what was at stake. Given his status, it was highly probable he was equipped with special magic items for emergencies.
But seriously, why here? I couldn't wrap my head around it.
Now that someone capable of slaughtering the ants had appeared—a guy radiating a heroic atmosphere that sucked the sense of mortal danger right out of the room—the Brave-style Bootcamp was effectively suspended. It was pointless now. He’d ruined everything.
“What do you want to do, Alicia? Head back?”
“I finally steeled myself to work until I dropped. I refuse to go home and have to psych myself up all over again. Absolutely not.”
She really seemed to have hated the idea of the bootcamp. I felt a little hurt.
“This is Brave Territory. I have no intention of ceding the path to him.”
Alicia glared at the fighting Edward. Until now, she had always deferred to him out of respect for his position, but she wasn't willing to do so this time. And so, we waited until Edward finished exterminating the ants in the vicinity.
Ideally, he would have done this elsewhere, as having him die on my watch would be a headache, but I couldn't exactly kick him out yet. There was no way he’d come to a place like this entirely alone, and there might be others lurking nearby with similar magic items.
A former heroine and a former villain. In the game world, the man who served as the catalyst for their conflict was standing right here. There was no way things wouldn't get complicated, so I stayed on guard.
“Huff... huff... How’s that, you ants? I am... huff... the stronger... huff... wheeze... cough hack.”
Edward had successfully finished off nearly a hundred ants. He was gasping for air, but his performance deserved honest praise. Then, he pointed his sword at me and shouted.
“Huff... Brave! Pant... Margrave!”
“Yes, what is it?”
“To two women... cough gag...”
I really thought he should have caught his breath first.
“Margrave Brave!” After a fit of coughing, Edward wiped away his sweat and reset his composure. “What were you thinking, throwing two fragile women into the midst of such monsters?!”
“Well...”
I couldn't exactly tell him I’d tossed them down to make them think they were actually going to die. In this one specific instance, Edward wasn't wrong.
“It was Brave-style training,” I said. It was the only defense I had.
“They could have died if I hadn’t arrived!”
“Humans don't die quite that easily.”
The people in this world were built pretty tough, thanks to the mana saturating the environment. Even a bad fall wouldn't be instant death, and as long as they were still breathing, I could use magic to bring them back.
“That’s not the point! What do you think women are?!”
“They aren't fragile. They were holding their own just fine after the fall.”
Honestly, he was being rude to Alicia and Mariana.
“That’s why I’m saying that’s not the—”
“Your Highness.”
Just as Edward was about to loop his argument again, Alicia stepped forward. She was smiling, but the vein throbbing on her forehead told a different story.
“That was dangerous, Alicia. I’m glad I made it in time.”
“Did I ever once ask to be saved?”
“Hm?”
“When, Your Highness, did I ever tell you that I wanted to be rescued?”
“No, well, you didn't say it, but it was an urgent situation—”
“It is Your Highness who is in danger. Coming to a place like this alone... if something were to happen to you, you aren't the only one who would pay the price.”
“I am fine because I have this Robe of Concealment. Besides, Alicia, you are no longer my fiancée; you have no right to tell me how to live my life.”
“Then I have no right to be saved by you, either.”
A flawless counter. You tell him, Alicia!
By the way, I’d actually considered killing Edward the moment he told her she had no right to speak to him, but Alicia held me back. The way she gripped my collar with her hand behind her back was a silent command for me to stay out of it.
Still, the prince’s logic—that it was fine for him to do as he pleased but not for others—was truly something else.
“Your Highness, who in this place is most familiar with this dungeon?”
“I researched this dungeon thoroughly before coming.”
“It is Margrave Brave, is it not?”
“...”
“Since this training was conducted under his guidance, there is nothing for Your Highness to worry about. Please, take your leave.”
To be told by the person he thought he was rescuing that she hadn't asked for help in the first place... Edward looked like he was on the verge of tears.