Published: September 10, 2025
Note: This chapter rewinds time slightly from the previous episode.
Correction made on 2016/2/1.
This is Satou. I wonder who was the first to popularize the concept of a death flag. Come to think of it, my friend who muttered, "If I pass this class, I'll go skiing with my girlfriend," ended up having to retake the exam. I feel like that was the grudge of all the unpopular friends. You really shouldn’t brag out loud.
â—‡
"What's wrong, Master?"
"I heard a rumor that the princess of this country has been kidnapped."
I answered Arisa's suspicious question briefly.
"Oh no! If that's the case, I'll go help. Where is she?"
"Oh dear, oh dear~?"
"Pochi will help too."
"Protecting the larval form is mandatory, required, and a must," Hikaru declared as if it was obvious, standing up to head for the rescue.
Following suit, Tama, Pochi, and Nana also stood up.
Pochi and Tama still held forks with meat skewered on them.
We weren’t exactly acquaintances, and I figured the people of this country would handle the rescue themselves, but it seemed Hikaru and the others didn’t care about such things.
"Wait, I’ll check a bit first—"
I said this to calm everyone down and opened the map.
Just rumors alone don’t prove if the princess was really kidnapped.
The rumor was that Princess Lumia was kidnapped, but the festival float actually carried her younger sister, Princess Limia.
Instead of searching individually, I decided to search for "princess."
Ignoring the light points inside the Royal Castle, there were two light points outside the city.
One seemed to be near the outskirts of a different map where the Shadow Castle is, where Princess Limia was.
Some members of the criminal guild on horseback were around her, but they quickly took Princess Limia into the other map where the Shadow Castle is, so I couldn’t tell how many there were.
The other light point was in the mountains roughly between the Royal Capital and the Shadow Forest, moving toward the Shadow Forest at a speed faster than horseback.
That one seemed to be Princess Lumia.
There was also a marked light point near Princess Lumia.
Apparently, a female adventurer who had a contract with the weasel people was with her.
When I checked her marker, she was in the Royal Capital, so she must have left the capital with Princess Lumia afterward.
Using the princesses' markers as a base, I activated the spatial magic, "distant vision," to check their current situation.
The female adventurer was using a golem for transport, and inside the cockpit on its head was Princess Lumia.
The princess had her eyes closed and was clutching desperately to the female adventurer’s waist. There were no traces of restraint or rough treatment.
Probably, she sought the female adventurer’s cooperation to rescue Princess Limia.
"...So, what’s the situation?"
"Princess Limia was kidnapped by the criminal guild and is in the Shadow Forest. And it looks like Princess Lumia is chasing after her."
Even when I said the princesses' names, only Hikaru and Arisa, who had the appraisal skill, seemed to recognize them. But the names weren’t important, so I skipped the additional explanation.
"I’ll go help for a bit."
Though I felt it was somewhat someone else’s problem, I declared I’d quickly rescue the princesses so I could enjoy the festival and food in good spirits.
"Wait."
"Please wait, Master."
Arisa and Liza stopped me as I stood up.
"You can do it alone, but wouldn’t it be easier if we divided the work?"
"Yes. At least bring Tama with you."
I nodded at their words and decided to send Hikaru and Arisa toward Princess Lumia, and take Tama to Princess Limia's location.
I had Arisa accompany Hikaru as support for teleportation.
—That aside, Liza.
Please stop lifting Tama's torso like a stuffed toy when she has venison in her mouth and holding her out like that.
"No worries~"
â—‡
"Alright, I’m counting on you here."
"Okay!"
"Yeah, don’t let your guard down either."
Using the spatial magic "Teleportation Gate," I brought Hikaru and Arisa to Princess Lumia’s location.