Chapter 72
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 72 – Growing Up
“Do not worry, Ain-sama. She did not receive any preferential treatment in the a.s.sessment. No partiality is allowed.”
A smiling old man. Warren smiled as if the prank had worked.
“W-when did you take the test?”
“Two days after Varra-dono and Mei-dono arrived at the castle, so it’s really quite recent.”
“The Varra case was really a big help. I consider it the second greatest achievement after the Sea Dragon incident.”
Varra had already completed a number of test-like investigations. Ain was also looking forward to seeing the extent of her healing abilities.
The fact that Sylvird was so honest in his praise, showed that the discovery must have been good for Ishtalika.
“That’s why we held the appointment test; the timing was not too bad. You may think it’s sudden, but the royal family exams are always held suddenly, so this time was nothing special. And since many other people took the test besides Miss Krone, so it was not just Miss Krone who took the test.”
It was a measure of the effort that was made on a regular basis. That was why the test was given suddenly and without any preparation time. So, of course, it was a very difficult test because there were times when no one pa.s.sed.
“By the way, what were the contents of the test?”
“There’s a written test, an apt.i.tude test, an interview with the marshal, and then a second written test followed by an interview with me, and that’s it.”
“Ch-Chris-san wasn’t present, was she?”
Yes. Chris was in Ist with Ain. So there was no way she could do the interview…
“Lloyd-dono, who was a marshal until recently, took her place.”
“…I would rather have Lloyd-sama take the role. I am not good at conducting interviews.”
It was surprising that such a big test was being conducted while Ain was away from the royal capital; speaking of a five-step test, it would have been no surprise if it took several months…
“The test schedule takes a total of five days. Therefore, the subjects will be tested one by one.”
“That’s quite a hurried schedule.”
“By the way, Miss Krone scored 90% on the first written test. The second written test was also a big factor in the decision because she got a perfect score.”
‘Hey, hey, you are a monster, aren’t you?’ When Ain looked at Krone with that thought, she tilted her face and smiled softly as if to say, “What is it?”
“That’s why Miss Krone pa.s.sed the test after an impartial a.s.sessment. So you can rest a.s.sured.”
“Yes. I am not quite sure, but I understand that Krone will be my a.s.sistant.”
There were many things he didn’t understand because it was so sudden. But he was happy to hear that Krone would become part of his entourage.
“As of today. Miss Krone… No, Krone-dono will be in the service of Ain-sama. Her duties will include general duties and all necessary arrangements for Ain-sama… In short, she will be involved in all things necessary for Ain-sama.”
Warren’s own seal of approval. The fact that he added “Dono” instead of “Miss” showed that he recognizes Krone as a full-fledged person.
“That’s a lot of work, isn’t it?”
Ain had been involved in many things as Crown Prince. In addition to the various inspections he had made, there were a few things with regards to the academy. In such a situation, if he was told that the Crown Prince would be involved in everything, he would be worried about the burden on her.
“You say so, Ain. But before Warren became Prime Minister, he took care of the two of us, Laralua and me. That’s enough for one person.”
He had forgotten that there was another monster. When did Warren ever sleep? He was always working, so much so that he couldn’t help but wonder.
The castle has become a magical place with more and more monsters, and Ain was afraid of it. …Then Krone spoke to Ain.
“Ain-sama, please don’t worry. I have also prepared the schedule for the duel that will take place the next day.”
“K-Krone? Are you sure you’re okay? Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”
“Yes, of course. You can just get on the carriage with your clothes on.”
Krone was now in the position of a subordinate. So she spoke to Ain with honorific t.i.tles.
“Wait a minute. Are you saying that you made all the arrangements in the last few days?”
“…..? Y-yes, but… do you have any requests?”
What about it? Krone looked at him as if to say that. It seemed that this was not a big problem for her.
“No, it’s nothing. I just realized how good my a.s.sistant is.”
“Ara, I am honored by your praise, Ain-sama.”
So Ain had an aide. What happened when he was suddenly told that he would have a new attendant? There was no denying that he thought that. But Ain was really happy when he found out that the new a.s.sistant was Krone.
＊＊＊
Chris was still making her report, but since Ain was done with what he had to do, he and Krone left the conference room together.
They walked through the castle to visit Varra.
“…For a long time now. Have you thought about the test we talked about earlier?”
“The test…? Ah, you mean Ain’s a.s.sistant?”
“Yes, that’s it.”
“Well… I don’t know what to do. Would you be offended if I told you it was a secret?”
It’s too embarra.s.sing to say that she’s been wanting to do this for a long time, even if she doesn’t show it. So Krone tries to confuse him.
“I won’t get angry, but I might get frustrated.”
But Ain has known her for a long time. It was easy to understand Krone, so he knew right away that she was a little embarra.s.sed.
“Fufu… Then I won’t tell you.”
“Yeah, I knew you’d say that.”
Even after leaving the room, Krone still used polite language. It was meant to clarify their position… but when Ain asked for things to be as usual when they were alone, Krone reluctantly agreed.
“Speaking of which, what is Krone’s position?”
“Position? I already told you I’m not Ain’s personal attendant.”
“Well, how should I put it, for example, what is your position?”
“Oh, that. Well… to put it simply.”
What worried Ain was Krone’s power. Ain guessed that it would not be small. The reason was that she was treated as a close a.s.sociate of the Crown Prince, so it was hard to believe that her power was low.
“Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, thank you for your hard work on your long journey! …I see that you were also with a.s.sistant Krone. Thank you for your hard work!”
“Yes. Thank you for your efforts in patrolling as well.”
As Krone was about to explain, they pa.s.sed someone who belonged to a knight of the royal guard. Of course, he saw Ain and greeted him, but he also bowed to Krone.
Then he bowed and left.
“a.s.sistant…?”
“I am not a personal attendant. I am the Crown Prince’s a.s.sistant.”
“I see. That sounds like you have some power.”
“Fufu… Actually, I have the authority to give orders to the knights of the royal guard.”
In any case, the number of people who could give orders to a knight of the royal guard would probably be limited to the fingers on both hands, even if you searched the entire castle. Considering that, Krone was given a great deal of authority within the castle.
“Well, even less in terms of authority. For example… Chris-sama and the others are definitely superior.”
“Chris-san is the marshal, so that’s no surprise.”
“But actually, it is me, you know? I have one authority that surpa.s.ses Chris-san and the others. Hey Ain, do you want to know?”
She really had a personality that likes to play pranks or make Ain say things. It’s a little dialog that happens quite often, but Ain didn’t mind it.
“My goodness, I never thought that an a.s.sistant would ask her lord such a question. …I would like to know, please.”
But… “Tell me the truth,” Ain says, although it doesn’t change anything.
“I’m more ent.i.tled to manage Ain’s schedule and things like that. I mean, the only people who have that authority over me are the royal family and Warren-sama.”
“Well… please be gentle with me, okay?”
“I guess it’s up to Ain, isn’t it? If you’re too reckless, I don’t know. You might end up waiting in your room.”
It was nice to have a competent a.s.sistant. When Ain murmured this, Krone heard it too, of course. When she heard this, she put her hand over her mouth and started to giggle.
“By the way, how did you manage to get a carriage so quickly for such a sudden decision?”
“Yes. I had to negotiate a bit with my house.”
“Your house? You mean the August family?”
“Yes.”
She replied lightly, and with a light step and a good mood, she began to explain the details of the negotiations.
“You taught me a lot, though, didn’t you?”
“How much did you negotiate for…?”
“I don’t know. But even for a royal family, it’s not a good idea to waste money. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s not a mistake, but did Graff-san not mind?”
When Ain said this, Krone looked around before approaching Ain. Then she put her face close to Ain’s ear and quietly told him what happened.
“I was in tears, so maybe I could have bargained a little more… right?”
Ain wanted her to stop this kind of surprise. When she spoke from a distance where her lips almost touched his ear, her scent and her breath almost made him lose his mind.
But she was sure to be the culprit since she had checked her surroundings before approaching.
It reminded him of Krone’s line at the time of Sea Dragon: “What if I told you that from now on, I’ll let you have all of me for free?”
“I am impressed that you would show no mercy, even to your own family.”
“Ara? I am now the a.s.sistant to the Crown Prince of Ain… or, to put it another way, an a.s.sistant to the next His Majesty the King. So it’s only natural that I do this.”
“There’s nothing wrong with what you say. Well… just be nice to them, okay?”
“If the other side were conscientious, I might have even smiled from the beginning.”
In other words, if they didn’t have to haggle from the beginning, she would just smile and sign it honestly. Well, it seemed that Warren-san taught her more than he did. Ain can’t help but think so.
“But even Grandfather tested me.”
“Graff-san?”
“Yes. Because he valued me higher than usual, I think he tested me to see if I would notice. Then I’ll have to be motivated as well.”
I see; his granddaughter turned the tables on him… Even without the granddaughter’s correction, Krone would surely be a formidable opponent from the trading company’s point of view. She was a reliable person.
“So don’t worry, Your Royal Highness. I can guarantee the quality and safety of our company’s carriages and ships.”
“Alright… I’ll just leave wearing my clothes, just like a.s.sistant Krone said.”
You can count on me. Krone said, seeming more reliable than usual.
——In the meantime, they seem to have reached the room where Varra and Mei were, and Krone stopped.
Then she knocks on the door and waits for an answer from inside.
“Yes, come in!”
From inside came the cheerful voice of Varra, a voice Ain had not heard in a long time. Hearing this, Krone opened the door and let Ain enter the room first.
“Long time no see. How are you?”
“Yo-Your Highness!”
“This is Oni-chan!”
The two sisters, who were very close to each other, both had surprised expressions on their faces. They had heard that Ain had returned, but they did not expect him to come to their room.
“Eh, hey, Mei! It’s Your Highness, you know! I told you many times…!”
“O-oh… I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
Seeing their skin and clothes looking so much better than before, Ain was finally able to take a breath of relief.
The two of them had a simple but beautiful appearance.
“You may call me by my name. Although, it’s no good if you just call me without any honorifics, so I’m sorry, but I’ll have to ask you to add ‘sama’…”
“Ain-sama?”
“That’s right, Mei. How have you been?”
“Yes! The food is delicious! And there’s no cold wind from outside! It’s so big, but it’s amazing!”
Hearing Mei’s a.s.sessment of the situation made him feel a little sad, but he couldn’t help it. From now on, he and Warren would have to think about countermeasures for the slums.
“Well, that’s good to hear. Speaking of which… Varra, will you live in the castle?”
“Y-yes! I’ve been offered food and a room in the castle with some money deducted from my salary!”
“I see. …Krone, there you go.”
“Don’t worry. Of course, she’ll be treated well.”
“That’s a relief.”
He asked Krone, who was in a.s.sistant mode, and she immediately understood his intention. He didn’t think the allowance was unreasonably low, but he asked just to be sure.
As a valuable user of healing magic, a good amount of treatment was, of course, provided.
“I’ll get your report later, though. And I’m also glad that Varra seems to have gotten a solid evaluation.”
“Actually, I think it’s still a dream… but I’m really happy that I was able to fill Mei’s stomach.”
“That’s good to hear. Mei? Do you eat every day?”
“Yes! I can eat three times a day! That’s amazing!”
Talking to Mei made Ain feel like he was about to burst into tears. Ain decided to do something about the slums as soon as possible.
“Mei will work hard too!”
“I see. What kind of work will Mei do?”
“You see! Mei will be Martha-san’s apprentice!”
She chose a very strict master. That was what Ain thought, but he did not know where it would leak out if he said it. But looking at Ain’s face, which looked subtle, Krone gave a small smile beside him.
“I-it’s going to be hard, but do your best, okay?”
“Yes! I’ll do my best and become the best servant in this castle!”
…It was quite a th.o.r.n.y path to choose. Ain can’t help but think that. It’s going to be hard to overcome Martha’s barrier.
Although Ain really wanted to know to what extent Varra was able to use the healing magic, Ain decided to take it slow and enjoy the conversation this time. He decided to check the results after the duel was over.
After that, Ain enjoyed the conversation for a while, and then they all had dinner together. In the evening, he and Olivia enjoyed conversation and took their time to enjoy their time in the royal capital back home.
＊＊＊
It seemed that the area where the duel would take place did not have many days of clear weather. There were some conditions, such as the surrounding mountains and the elevation of the land, but to be honest, Ain had no idea. He just accepted that this was the way it was.
He arrived on time at the large river where the event would take place. The August Trading Company had arranged a boat and a carriage to take him there. Ain rode in it and arrived there.
As Krone said, he got on the boat with nothing but his clothes on, but as she said, there was no problem at all. In fact, it was too much attention to detail, and he didn’t want to tell anyone that he felt a small twinge in his heart.
The sky was overcast all around, but there was no sign of rain. In the midst of all this, Viscount Sage’s Kraken and the twin Sea Dragons brought by Ain faced each other in the water.
Since the signal to begin had not yet been given, both waited at an open distance.
“This one is smaller than I thought.”
“Is that a Kraken?”
“Yes. I thought it would be a little bigger.”
“There’s a big difference between medium size and large size. When it comes to a large size, it is many times larger than this one…”
Chris replied. The blonde beauty who was being treated as a prize this time… she had the body and beauty that Viscount Sage wanted to devour.
And on the other side of Chris, Krone stood by, accompanying Ain as his a.s.sistant.
“But Chris-sama… I think you’re too calm.”
“What do you mean?”
“Um… I mean, since Chris-sama is being treated like a prize this time.”
Krone was worried about Chris. She said just in case… but even if they lost, Sage would be restrained, so there’s no problem. But emotions were not so easy to handle.
“As I told Ain-sama. I am not worried about this matter at all.”
“I understand what Chris-sama is thinking. It is true that the Sea Dragon is very strong. But the twins are still children…”
“Yes. Ain-sama was also worried about the same thing. But… you’re right. I think it will be faster to see it in person, so let’s support the twins. You’ll see soon enough why I’m not worried.”
Since Chris has said so much, it’s not that she didn’t trust it. But she couldn’t help worrying. While Chris and Krone were having this conversation, Ain, who was sandwiched between the two, entered the conversation.
“But you two. I want you to take a closer look.”
“What’s going on all of a sudden, Ain? Take a closer look. Where is it?”
“If it’s just Chris-san, then there’s nothing to worry about if Krone just speaks to me casually.” Ain thought. Chris didn’t care if it was Krone either, so there was no problem.
“El and Al are here.”
Ain pointed at the twin Sea Dragons. El was the older sister, and Al was the younger brother.
——And when Ain told them to look at the twins, Krone and Chris both had the exact same reaction, and they just couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“…I wonder if this is what it means that they resemble their parents. I didn’t think that Sea Dragon would resemble their parents as well.”
“I’m sorry, Ain-sama… but I agree with Krone-dono.”
“Hey, I think you two are being too harsh; you could be a little more considerate of me.”
It was no wonder that they both thought that.
The twins were probably so excited because they found a Kraken. By the way, to explain the current situation, it was before the signal for the duel started, and the twins were in the so-called “wait and see” situation.
Let this be said again. They are being made to “wait.
“Kyuu… Kyuruaaa…”
“Kyuukyuu… Kyuukyuu…!”
The twins were all drooling from their mouths, a pitiful sight that was hard to believe for the Sea Dragons, the kings of the sea.
Is El nearing the end of her patience? As El nuzzles his brother Al’s tail, she never took her eyes off the Kraken. Al didn’t take his eyes off the Kraken either, even when his tail was being nuzzled.
In other words, they were hungry children. It looked like little children, just excited to see their favorite food.