TMLHGCFTV 11

Chapter 11

The sword radiating that brilliant blue aura was the one Kael had purchased from the black market in Rainford and bestowed upon Seraphine. It was also the counterpart to his own sword.

Hmm. So it really did end up with Seraphine.

It suited her.

The sword added an extra touch of dignity to the cool female lead with her swaying bobbed hair. Just look at that vivid blue aura. If only I could use a longsword…

Even now, I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. I clicked my tongue.

It would be far more efficient for Seraphine and Kael to have it anyway. I already had ten daggers.

“We must not forget why we have gathered here. Those who have assembled here are no different from soldiers who have enlisted in the army. Do not forget that disobeying the commander-in-chief during wartime is grounds for immediate execution.”

I almost applauded without realizing it.

The nobles who had been demanding protection quietly backed away at Seraphine’s sheer forcefulness.

This was exactly why I had loved reading this novel.

Even when the story was clogged with one frustrating situation after another, Kael and Seraphine always delivered that satisfying sense of relief, along with their delicious romantic back-and-forth.

And now I was getting to witness it with my own eyes.

Of course, assuming I survived.

If I could learn swordsmanship from Seraphine, my chances of survival would increase even further.

I cheered Seraphine on in my heart with a satisfied smile.

Go, big sis! Wreck them all!

Most people participated without complaining in the training sessions conducted by Seraphine and several knights whenever they had the time.

Still, there were some who continued to refuse training or quietly slipped away whenever they could. Their complaints piled up day by day, and they increasingly took out their frustration on the people around them.

There were always a few burdensome idiots like that in every group.

They say there’s a law that every group has a fixed quota of crazy people. If you can’t find one, you’re supposed to suspect yourself.

In any case, these people and I were on completely different wavelengths, so there was no reason to pay attention to them. Thanks to me constantly riding Vanessa, she was adapting much better than I’d expected.

We would soon arrive at Willow.

Willow was the last gateway on the way to the north. They would probably stock up on supplies here. I wondered if there was anything worth buying for myself.

Hmm.

I rubbed my chin.

Just in case, I thought it might be a good idea to wander around the market and look into real estate while Kael was purchasing supplies. Since this was an apocalyptic fantasy romance, proper information about real estate hadn’t really been mentioned much. It had only come up in passing every once in a blue moon.

If I hadn’t read the novel as if I were studying for a civil service exam, I probably wouldn’t have remembered even those scraps of information.

All right. I’ve already gotten away once. How hard could it be to do it twice?

I just had to take advantage of everyone’s busy schedule!

All I needed to do was put Vanessa to sleep!

It was while Rosana was making such a hopeful plan that it happened.

The first people to enter Willow were Kael, along with his aides, Millers and Masca.

It was a small village, but its situation was far better than Greystone, which was said to have been practically overrun by monsters. At least, it seemed like a suitable place for the expedition to replenish its supplies.

Or so they thought.

“What? Five gold coins for a sack of flour?”

Masca’s gruff voice echoed through the marketplace. Register, the officer in charge of supplies, scratched his chin awkwardly before continuing.

“All prices have risen to five times their usual levels. The merchants seem to have realized that the expedition has arrived and are trying to make a hefty profit while they can.”

Even in times like these, money was still necessary. Since business was hardly thriving under such circumstances, it wasn’t particularly surprising that merchants were scrambling to take advantage of the opportunity.

“Bandits.”

Masca ground his teeth.

Register spoke up.

“Your Highness, given the current situation… The merchants claim they want our understanding, but they don’t seem to have any intention of negotiating.”

Taking advantage of the circumstances to charge exorbitant prices was a crime, but there was no one here to punish them for it. The Lord of Willow had fled long ago.

The farther they traveled from the capital, the more lawless regions appeared, places where public order had completely collapsed. If even Willow, supposedly one of the better-off areas, was in this state, it was easy to imagine what the other places would be like.

“All the merchants are quoting exactly the same prices, as though they’ve agreed among themselves. They insist they absolutely won’t sell for anything less.”

Kael frowned.

Unfortunately, the expedition didn’t have enough funds to accommodate such prices. This expedition was entangled with countless interests, power struggles, and political circumstances. It was a world full of people who wanted to be saved without being willing to make any sacrifices.

The Emperor was trying to siphon off the relief funds that had been collected as tribute, while ministers and officials were drooling over the same money. At a time when even more resources were desperately needed, there were only more people trying to steal what little they had.

Under such circumstances, Kael had to do everything he could to secure supplies.

There was no guarantee that additional supplies or funds would arrive later, either. If possible, it was best to conserve as much money as they could. That was why Register was so troubled.

“Sigh. What should we do, Your Highness?”

Both goods and people were scarce in these times. Even if they went to another village, there was no guarantee the situation would be any better.

Kael roughly ran a hand through his hair. It felt as though every time he overcame one obstacle, another was waiting for him.

Then someone suddenly came to mind.

Rosana.

The Rosana who had shown him an entirely different side of herself in Rainford’s black market. She had somehow managed to protect both herself and her purse from the black market merchants who were practically violent in their dealings.

Kael narrowed his eyes.

The strands of hair that had fallen over his forehead trembled slightly.

“Bring Lady Rosana here.”

“Lady Rosana?”

At Millers’s question, Kael nodded. At the moment, he couldn’t think of anyone more suitable than Rosana. She seemed quite skilled at bargaining, and more importantly, she hadn’t backed down even in that rough black market.

“Yes. Lady Rosana.”

It was the first time.

The first time Kael had sought Rosana out himself.

The first time he had waited for her.

He swallowed a hollow laugh. Who could have imagined things would turn out this way?

That he would end up seeking help from the fiancée he had despised so thoroughly.

And yet, Kael was looking forward to it.

To the exceptional negotiating skills Rosana would show him, and to those lively eyes of hers.

To everything she seemed to radiate.

I gave Vanessa some medicine with a calming effect and put her to sleep. Once Vanessa was asleep, no one would notice me slipping away.

I was just about to go take a look around Willow when Millers, one of the Crown Prince’s aides, came looking for me.

“Lady Rosana.”

Why is he looking for me?

I stared at him with a bewildered expression. I certainly hadn’t expected to run into him.

Did he somehow realize I was planning to go into Willow? Is he going to brand me a deserter and kick me out of the expedition? How on earth did he find out?

I swallowed nervously.

“What is it?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince wishes to see you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. He said he needs your help purchasing supplies.”

Purchasing supplies? Help?

This was a genre I hadn’t expected at all.

Why would Kael trust me enough to ask for my help? We weren’t even on good enough terms for that. And didn’t he hate Rosana?

The Rosana in the original novel had left the worst possible impression on Kael. Because of her, Kael had come to despise not only Rosana but also the House of Ardena that had raised her that way.

And now he was asking me for help?

Something was strange.

Was this a trap?

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing. Where is His Highness?”

Of course, as a member of the expedition, there was no way I could refuse an order from Kael, its commander-in-chief.

Besides, rather than sitting around with this uneasy feeling in my gut, it was much better to go there myself and find out what was going on.

I followed Millers toward the Willow marketplace, where Kael was waiting.