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Chapter 3
Chapter 3 – A fleeing princess. Who is chasing her? It was a forest in autumn with the trees shedding their leaves. The bright crimson leaves fell to the ground slowly and gently, covering the path that linked two countries and turning it a deep shade of red. A single girl was walking along the path which looked like it had been covered by a red carpet. A black robe, as well as a black tricorne. A brooch shaped like a star on her chest. As it was a cold season, her thin legs were covered by black tights. This girl who wore quintessential witch’s attire was a witch, as well as a traveler.
“…Fu.” The girl stopped, and looked upwards. What she saw there was a clear blue sky. The girl who stood there with melancholy hidden in her eyes was definitely a beauty by any standards. So beautiful, in fact, that anyone who happened to pa.s.s by would be knocked out by her beauty. Whether it was a man or a woman, they would probably become enamoured with her. Is this what was meant by indiscriminate terrorism? Who was this girl who held such a murderous level of beauty? Yes, it’s me. “……” Ah, it’s a joke, okay? I would usually travel from one country to another by flying on a broom like a proper witch, but I didn’t do that this time. I felt that it would be a waste to just pa.s.s over this path which was surrounded by such wonderful scenery. Another reason was that I simply didn’t want to fly since it was cold. “……” Moreover, the last country I visited… was it called the Watermill Capital? I learned that the next country was close enough to reach by taking a short walk along this path. That country should be coming into view any time now. If I remember the correctly, the next country is… “Oh, my.” My thinking came to a halt. Before I realized it, I had also stopped walking. I saw a person coming down this path from the other side. It was a man riding a horse. The horse was ambling down the middle of the road in a relaxed manner. He noticed my gaze and flashed a smile at me. He had blond hair and blue eyes. He also wore clothing that looked very expensive, and looked like a gentle-hearted young man. If he was just an ordinary man with a good looking face, I wouldn’t have stopped walking and thinking, and stared at him. At the most, I would have nodded as we pa.s.sed each other by. “h.e.l.lo there. Nice weather we’re having isn’t it… As greetings go, this one probably lacks originality.” However, the person who stopped his horse in front of me was clearly special. Should I say special, or rather he is is definitely, “A Prince?” That’s what he looked like. He put on a gentle smile and nodded. “Oh, do you know who I am?” “That coat of arms on your chest, I saw it in the Watermill Capital.” “I see. As you guessed, I am the Prince of the Watermill Capital. My name is Robert. It’s nice to meet you, Witch-sama.” He let go of the reins with one hand, and extended that hand towards me. So he’s looking for a handshake? I see.
I held his hand, said “h.e.l.lo,” and released it. “Considering that we’ve met here, are you perhaps on your way from the Watermill Capital to the Windmill Capital?” “Yes, that’s right.” I answered in the affirmative. This road was a single path that connected the two countries. The country I stayed at earlier was the Watermill Capital. The country I am heading towards is the Windmill Capital. This path was a trading route between the two. “What did you think of my country?” “There were a lot of watermills.” “……” “……” “…Eh? Is that all?” “Well, yes.” There was nothing else special to talk about, in any case. “I-I see… So that’s all…” Half-ignoring the state of the Prince who looked depressed, I asked him a question. “By the way, Prince Robert. Considering that we met here, are you perhaps on your way back to the Watermill Capital from the Windmill Capital?” “Eh? Yes… Wait, that’s not entirely correct.” “What do you mean?” “I am searching for my fiancee.” Hoho. “I’m a traveler, so I’m not interested in marriage.” “What are you talking about…” Prince Robert was clearly taken aback. “My fiancee has vanished.” “Vanished… you say?” She didn’t just run away? Prince Robert nodded. “In truth, I was due to be wed soon, but my partner is the princess of the Windmill Capital. So we had to bring her to the Watermill Capital so that we could conduct the ceremony.” “Hoho.” So his partner is a princess from the neighbouring country. That’s pretty amazing. “Some people in their country apparently didn’t like the idea of her marrying me, so when I went to the Windmill Capital this morning, they were on the verge of marrying her off to some other fellow.” “……” The masked expression he had prepared began to crumble. “She was crying. She probably hated the thought of marrying that man. After seeing that, I threw away my position as a Prince and forcefully brought her away.” “Haa…” My, what a romantic turn of events. “When we left the Windmill Capital, I put her on a sled and pulled her behind me as I galloped out on my horse.” “A sled?” What is she, luggage? “And that’s when it happened. When I looked back after coming some way, she was nowhere to be seen. I’m certain that she was sitting on the sled and eating a croissant when we left the Windmill Capital together.” “Maybe she fell off?” “Yeah… That’s why I’m searching for her.” “I see.” Was she kidnapped, was it an accident, or did she run away? Which one was it? Judging by his story, it seems likely that the sled and the princess were accidentally dropped somewhere along the path. It’s hard to make any sort of judgement at this moment. “The princess of the Windmill Capital… She is a beautiful young lady with wavy blonde hair and fiery red eyes. Have you seen anyone matching that description?” “I’ve been walking on this path starting from the Watermill Capital, but you’re the first person I’ve met, Your Highness.” I told him truthfully. He sadly lowered his eyebrows a little, and said, “…I see.” It feels like the situation is somewhat complicated. Marriage with a princess of a neighboring country, it’s obvious that there’s something else going on in the background. For example, it might be a political marriage for the purpose of uniting the two countries. “Where did you first meet the Princess?” I asked him in a roundabout manner. “Hmm? I saw her at the party celebrating ten years of peace after the war ended, and fell in love with her at first sight.” “Hoho, did you say end of a war? Hoho. The Watermill Capital and the Windmill Capital were once at war? I see.” So it was a political marriage after all? “Well, that was more than ten years ago. Both Watermill and Windmill didn’t like the idea of having a similar existence nearby, so war broke out.” “Even though they were both similar?” “It was because they were too similar. Wouldn’t you feel disturbed if someone similar to you was beside you all the time? Due to that reason, the two countries would easily get into a fight over trivial issues, and in the end they went to war… This path that we are standing on was the place where fighting was the fiercest during the war. At one point, the ground was drenched with the blood of the soldiers, and it was even called the ‘Trading Route of Blood’ for some time.” “…That’s a pretty distasteful name.” I unintentionally glanced downwards and saw the trading route that was deep red in color. However, it wasn’t blood that gave it that color, but the fallen leaves. It was a vivid and elegant red color. “It took a lot of time before the two countries were able to respect each other, but peace finally arrived. If the two of us were to get married, the good relations between the two countries should get even better.” “Did the Princess see it that way as well?” “Of course. She wouldn’t have agreed to the engagement otherwise.” “…Fumu.” I see. I had thought that Prince Robert had forced her into marrying him and she had run away because she was against it, but… it looks like that isn’t the case. I nodded. “If I see her anywhere, I will tell her about you.” I said that while looking up at him. “Ah, thanks. If you do see her, please ask her to come to the Watermill Capital. We need to have that wedding ceremony, after all.” And then Prince Robert continued to speak. “Ah, that’s right. If you find her, I will give you ten gold coins as a reward.” Oh, my. “I understand. I will spare no effort in searching for her.” “I’ll leave it to you, then.” “Yes, you can count on me.” I wasn’t swayed by the promise of money. I just wanted to help the prince out. No, honest. …… Still, rich people use such dirty methods. They have the strongest weapon called ‘wealth’, so they can handle pretty much anything that comes their way. That’s what I thought while watching Prince Robert from behind as he elegantly moved away from me. A short while after parting with Prince Robert, I saw another person on the path that I was walking on. I felt that staring at them would be rude, so I discreetly peeked at the person from the corner of my eyes. “……” It was a beautiful lady. However, I’m certain that this isn’t the Princess of the Windmill Capital… her appearance is entirely too different. Her long, straight hair was fiery red in color. She wasn’t wearing a dress like what you would expect from a princess, but an ominous-looking set of red armour. Rounding off the dangerous vibe, she had a sword at her waist. A red-haired woman standing on this red-colored path while wearing red armour. This was the lady who walked past me. Yep, she looks dangerous. “You there.” …is what she said. I heard a sharp voice that felt as if it was stabbing into me from behind. I stopped walking and turned around. “Can I help you?” “You looked at me just now, didn’t you? Did you want something from me?” “No, not really. I was just a little curious.” “Curious? About what?” I lowered my gaze and looked at her armour. “If you meet someone walking normally down a path while wearing such dangerous looking attire, isn’t it only normal to feel curious?” “You can just ignore them.” “That’s not what I’m talking about.” “……” “…Is something wrong?” I asked her shamelessly, even though I already knew the answer. She came from the direction of the Windmill Capital. Judging by the fact that she is wearing armour, it is unlikely that she is a wandering traveler. Also, judging by the fact that she is wearing armour, I can further speculate that she is a guard of some sort. In short, “Actually, the Princess of our country has vanished.” That was the situation. “Vanished? Oh my, that sounds serious.” “Do you know anything? She is a beauty and her wavy golden hair is her characteristic feature.” “No, I have no idea.” I haven’t seen any young woman matching that description…. But it really looks like there is a fairly large rebellion going on. At this rate, I won’t be able to rest peacefully even after reaching the Windmill Capital. There’s a possibility that the whole country has fallen into panic. The lady furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth to speak, saying, “…I see. If you happen to find the Princess, please bring her to the Windmill Capital.” Oh, that’s in the direction opposite of where Prince Robert is waiting. …… I gave her a big nod. “Of course, I’ll make sure to do that. By the way, what’s your name?” “It’s Rosamia.” “In that case, I’ll bring her to you if I happen to find her, Rosamia-san.” “Thanks.” “No problem.” I’m not completely sure what’s going on, though. I’m hungry. Is it time for lunch already? “……” For some reason, my sense of smell becomes extra sensitive when I’m hungry. Even in this stinging cold weather, if the air carries the scent of food, I’ll notice it right away. I will notice it and think “Ah, something smells good”. “……” Anyways, I was standing still after having caught the scent of food coming from somewhere. It’s smells really good. What is this smell… Ah, it’s bread. It’s the scent of bread. The distinctive smell of bread, slightly sweet and mellow, is spreading through the air. “There are no people in front or behind me… which means…” Searching for the source of the smell, I stepped off the path and walked into the brush. The bread is certainly somewhere in this direction. Each time I take a step, the thick plants shake while making noise and the scent gets stronger. And then… “Hmm… !” Within the thicket, at the base of a tree. I found a young lady sitting there and looking in my direction with a startled expression while still holding a croissant in her mouth. On her lap, she had a basket that held a large number of croissants. Her body was enveloped in an expensive looking wedding dress, and she had wavy blonde hair. Her deep red eyes were fixed upon me. …Wow. I came here while following a good smell, and happened to run into an extraordinary person. “You’re the Princess, aren’t you? From Windmill Capital.” “……!” The girl’s shoulders shuddered sharply, and she munched on the remnants of the croissant in her hand. Is that more important than replying to my question? I see how it is. The girl swallowed the croissant after munching on it for a while, and then glared at me. “Who are you? You should introduce yourself before asking for someone else’s name. How rude.” I don’t remember asking for her name, though. I just asked for confirmation. “…I’m the Witch of Ashes, Elaina. I’m a traveler.” “I see. Elaina… that’s a nice name. My name is Chocola. As you guessed, I am the Princess of Windmill Capital.” “You’re the princess of a country, what are you doing in a place like this?” “Can’t you see? I’m having lunch.” “By the way, may I have one of those croissants?” “Ah, go ahead.” “Thank you.” Sitting in the shade of the tree next to Princess Chocola, I asked about the circ.u.mstances surrounding her while nibbling the croissant. I’ll keep the fact that I met her fiancé, Prince Robert, a secret for now. I haven’t yet discarded the possibility that this is a political marriage. I wasn’t suspecting him or anything, but I felt that this would be the best method in order to find out what the two of them really thought about the matter. I started by asking a simple question. “Aren’t you going to go back to your country?” “I’m being pursued by a scary person. I can’t go back even if I wanted to.” “…A scary person?” “Yes. A scary person who wants to destroy my happiness.” Fumu. This matches with what I’ve heard from Prince Robert as well. In other words… “Could it be that this is the person who tried to forcefully marry you?” “Yes, that’s the person… You know about it?” “Well, yes. I’ve heard some rumors about the incident.” “…Who told you, may I ask?” I saw that Princess Chocola’s posture changed slightly. She wanted to marry the prince of a neighboring country, but someone from her own country—to use her own words, a scary person who wanted to destroy her happiness—had appeared, so of course she would be on her guard. Seeing as the person was from her own country, there might be more than one enemy. Oh my, this might be bad. Let me correct her misunderstanding. “Please don’t worry. I heard this from your lover.” “Oh, I see. That’s a relief.” The girl patted her chest in relief and took another bite of croissant. Induced by her, I took a bite as well. Well then, let’s ask more questions. “Aren’t you going to go where your lover is waiting?” “The scary person might be wandering around this place, correct? That’s why I’m waiting here.” “While eating croissants?” “Yes.” “The smell will give away your position, though.” “As far as I know, you’re the only monster who can track down the smell of croissants.” “That’s not true.” How rude. “I mean, does this give off a strong scent to you?” Saying that, Princess Chocola brought the croissant piece in her hand near my nose. So I ate it. “Delicious.” “…Why did you eat mine?” “The gra.s.s always looks greener on the other side.” “The ‘gra.s.s’ is exactly the same.” “All the more reason why it looks better.” Just like how two neighbouring countries could get into a fight because they were similar. I finished eating the remnants of the croissant that was in my hand, and stood up. “Right then, enough joking. Shall we go?” Princess Chocola looked at me, “…Go where?” And asked that in an anxious voice. “Didn’t you hear what I said earlier? I’m going to wait for my lover right here. I don’t want to meet the scary person.” “If you keep staying in this place, though, that scary person might find you, you know?” “……” “Your lover has asked me to bring you to them if I happened to find you, Your Highness.” I stretched my hand out towards her. “Consider it as thanks for the croissant. I will serve as your guard.” Prince Robert and Rosamia-san. Both of them had one thing in common. They were both searching for the same person—Princess Chocola—who was currently walking next to me. This is just my hunch, but one of them is a collaborator of the “scary person” that Princess Chocola mentioned. That’s why they asked me to bring her to different countries. Which means that I might end up handing over Princess Chocola to the bad people if I make the wrong choice. Which one should I believe? If I compare my thoughts to Princess Chocola’s frank opinion, the answer should become obvious. “…Oh? We’re heading towards the Watermill Capital?” “Yes. Your lover is waiting for you there.” After thinking about it, I decided to head towards where Prince Robert was waiting. I don’t know who ordered Rosamia-san to search for Princess Chocola, and what her intentions are. It’s possible that she was ordered to search by the scary person who was trying to forcefully marry Princess Chocola. If I have to pick one of the two, I think it would be better to believe Prince Robert. Even if the two countries had gone to war at one point… No, the war had already come to an end more than ten years ago and there was a fair amount of trade between the two countries, so this point doesn’t need to be taken into consideration. I turned towards Princess Chocola, and, “We should be there by sunset. Please treat this as going on a walk and come with me.” “Yes…” Princess Chocola’s expression was clouded. “Why, though?” “What is it?” “Why is my lover waiting in the Watermill Capital?” Even if you ask me that question… “Probably because the person who wants to destroy your happiness is waiting to ambush you at the Windmill Capital?” Besides, he’s the Prince of that country, so it’s not particularly strange that he should be waiting there. Princess Chocola hung her head, and, “We were so close to having our wedding celebration… At this rate, we’ll have to wait a long time until we can officially get married.” Saying so, she started to complain. “You don’t need to worry about that. The ceremony will go ahead as originally planned.” “…? What ceremony?” “Your wedding ceremony, of course.” I replied to Princess Chocola who was tilting her head in confusion. “You had planned to have the wedding in the Watermill Capital all along, right?” After hearing that, Princess Chocola suddenly came to a stop. “What are you talking about?” She was looking at me with suspicious eyes. It was a strange feeling—it felt like the two of us had misunderstood each other at some important point. For now, let’s go back to the start. “Your lover is Prince Robert, correct?” However, “No.” Saying so, Princess Chocola shook her head. And then, she declared that, “He is the scary person who is trying to destroy my happiness.” It happened before I could reply to this statement that derailed the conversation that already headed down a strange direction. No, instead of saying that it happened, saying that it came flying would be a better way of putting it. “Nuaaaaaaaaargh!” A man came flying towards the two of us from the direction from the Watermill Capital, where the two of us had been headed. He had blond hair and blue eyes. That man gave a hoa.r.s.e yell and flew past us, fell on the path that we were walking on, and slowly came to a stop while scattering red leaves everywhere. That sight almost looked like his body had been sc.r.a.ped by the ground and he was spraying blood everywhere. “I wonder if he is alright?” “…That’s the scary man who is trying to destroy my happiness.” She spoke while clutching the sleeve of my robe. Well, it looks like his own body has been destroyed instead. “But, just who did that…?” It’s improbable that he had caught sight of Princess Chocola and came flying out of Watermill Capital on his own. Seeing as he came flying towards us, there must be someone who sent him flying. Was he kicked by a horse or something? I turned to look in the direction from where he had come flying—in the direction of the Watermill Capital. “…Woah.” After seeing it, I took a step back. There was a demon standing in that direction. “Rosamia…!” Standing next to me, Princess Chocola whispered that name. The Knight from the Windmill Capital, Rosamia-san, slowly came walking towards us from the direction of the Watermill Capital. It looked like she was very, very angry, as she was releasing killing intent from her entire body. She gave off an atmosphere that made me think that I’d get my head broken if I so much as touched her. Incidentally, she was all the more intimidating because she was carrying a log. Just seeing her approach made me feel like my head was about be crushed. “Rosamia! Is it really you? Ah, thank goodness…” “Eh? Ah.. Umm, Princess Chocola!” I have no idea what is going on. She went running straight towards Rosamia-san who was clearly oozing killing intent and looked like the personification of hostility. She ran straight towards her, disregarding my attempt to restrain her. She looked like a lady who was finally reunited with her lover. …… …Hmm? I had a bad premonition—but come on, surely not. “Princess!” I was still trying to make sense of what was going on, but the story continued to unfold while completely disregarding my presence. Rosamia-san stood with open arms to receive Chocola-san who was running towards her. What happened to the log that she was carrying, you ask? She had thrown it. With all her strength. “Princess!” “Rosamia!” The two of them embraced pa.s.sionately. “Guhe.” I heard the sound of something being crushed behind me, and also someone groaning, but I didn’t look behind me as I was scared. “Ah, Princess… I’m so glad…” “Rosamia…! I was so scared…” Seriously, I don’t understand what is going on. I just want to stop thinking about it. I asked Princess Chocola and Rosamia-san for the details, just to be on the safe side. Summarizing their incoherent rambling, it was something like this. First, for the basic setting. Chocola-san, who was the princess of the Windmill Capital, and her close aide and knight, Rosamia-san, were lovers. They were both female, but they were still in love with each other. Well, love comes in many forms, so I’ll let that slide for now. In any case, the two of them were so deeply in love that no one else could ever come in between them. Even a marriage between a princess and a knight would ordinarily give rise to protests, but in this case they were both of the same gender. When the King of the Windmill Capital—Princess Chocola’s father—came to know about this, he was extremely displeased. If his daughter was h.o.m.os.e.xual, she could not give birth to children. So the King forcefully arranged a marriage on his own. The groom was Robert-san, who was the Prince of the neighboring Watermill Capital. Before they knew it, the matter of Robert-san and Chocola-san’s wedding was decided and both Chocola-san and Rosamia-san objected. “Father, I have no interest in men.” “My King, I have sworn to spend the rest of my life with the Princess” “Rosamia…” “Princess…” Apparently, they went on like that in front of the King. They told me that while blus.h.i.+ng. However, the King completely ignored both of their wishes. In fact, he had already decided the date of the marriage on his own. “Prince Robert will come to pick you up in a few days. Go and have the wedding ceremony in the Watermill Capital.” That’s what the King said. I can’t help but think that the matter of Chocola-san’s marriage with Robert-san had been going on behind the scenes for quite some time. I still think that it was a political marriage arrangement. Putting that aside, both of them panicked at the thought of her marrying Robert-san. And so, they arrived at a decision. “That’s right! If the two of us get married first, then we don’t have to worry about the wedding with Prince Robert!” “Well done, Princess!” And so, the two of them decided to have a secret wedding at a small church. The preparations for the wedding were progressing well, and Princess Chocola was shedding tears of joy at finally being able to marry the one she loved. However, he arrived at that moment. The scary person who wanted to destroy her happiness—Prince Robert—opened the doors of the church without waiting for permission, and took Princess Chocola away. He then put her on the sled that was attached to his horse (equipped with croissants) and set out for Watermill Capital. Princess Chocola dealt with the situation calmly. She calmly untied the ropes that connected the sled to the horse, and made her escape. She then sat in the forest and ate croissants while waiting for her beloved to come rescue her. All’s well that ends well. …… No, it didn’t end well at all… “Rosamia!” “Princess!” “Rosamia…” “Princess…” “Rosamia…?” “Princess…?” “Rosamia!” “Princess!” This exchange went on, back and forth many, many times. Can you imagine how painful it was to watch? They’re just calling each other’s names, so why is it so embarra.s.sing? The sight of the two was so embarra.s.sing that I felt like covering my eyes and ears and sitting down on the spot. “Hey, give me a kiss.” “We can’t, Princess. People are watching.” “Don’t worry about that.” “But…” “Do you hate me?” “No, of course not…” “Then, please.” “Princess…” “Rosamia…” ……… I can’t bear to watch. I quickly turned around. I did that to escape from the strange atmosphere created by those two ladies, and definitely not to look at him, but… “Hey, it’s hasn’t been that long since we met.” When I turned around, he was standing there. He had received a direct hit from the log that Rosamia-san had thrown at him, and yet he stood there while having a cheerful smile on his face. His clothing was ragged and blood was flowing from his head, but it was definitely him, without a doubt. “You’re the Prince, right?” I asked, just to make sure. “Are you still alive?” “Indeed, I am the Prince of the Watermill Capital. And this goes without saying, but I am still alive.” “I thought you had received a fatal wound from having having a log thrown at you, but you are unexpectedly tough.” “An attack of that level is nothing.” “Just what are you…” “I am the prince of the Watermill Capital.” No, I wasn’t asking about that… Oh, never mind. If I keep reacting to each and every little thing, it’ll never end. “By the way, what do you think after seeing this?” I showed Prince Robert, who had tragically misunderstood this situation from the start, the scene of the two ladies pa.s.sionately embracing each other. “Ah… It makes my heart beat faster…” “Are you sure that’s not because of the blood you’re losing from your head?” “I feel like I’m about to awaken to something new…” “Haa, it was a fatal wound, after all.” “Well, jokes aside.” “That was a joke?” “…Maybe I was half serious?” “Yep, definitely a fatal wound.” “Do you think it’ll heal?” “It’s probably too late for treatment.” “……” “So, what were you saying?” “Ah, right. After seeing them like this, I have no choice but to admit many things to myself.” “Like what?” Prince Robert was still smiling. “That Knight-san said all sorts of stuff to me earlier while she was bas.h.i.+ng me with that log. She said that I had been deceived by the King of the Windmill Capital, and that the Princess actually loved her and not me.” “Haa.” “I couldn’t believe her at that time, but I understand it after seeing those two now. It looks like I was just playing the part of a clown.” “……” Well, yeah. I couldn’t say that to his face, though, so I elected to remain silent. “They’re both girls… that’s kind of nice.” The prince of a country is spouting strange things while standing next to me, but I choose to continue remaining silent. We stood there watching Rosamia-san and Princess Chocola carry on their incomprehensible exchange for a while, and then Princess Robert finally started to talk seriously. “I’m going to give up on marrying her.” “Is that so? I see.” “…Well, part of the reason is because I have no other choice.” “……” That girl seems to have no interest in anyone other than Rosamia-san, after all. “Besides, I have to return to my country and do something extremely important.” “Oh?” “I’m thinking of making h.o.m.os.e.xuality legal.” “Oh, I see.” “That’s a pretty lukewarm response.” “I felt a little repulsed.” “…Well, I’m sure there will be a lot of people who oppose it now. But there must be other people like those two, who love each other unfettered by gender. If I can make my country accept that, then I’m sure we will have an even greater peace than before.” I see. “…And what’s your real reason?” “Girls doing it together… that’s nice.” “……” When I stopped talking, I heard the voices of those two making a racket. As if only that place had turned into a flower garden. I thought that if I decide to stop traveling at some point in the future and settle down in some country, I’m definitely not going to settle in the country that lies on the end of this path. “Ah, that reminds me.” I called out to Prince Robert who had started to walk away. He turned around and gave me a cheerful (albeit bloodstained) smile. “Yes?” “……” I stretched my hand out towards him. “Hmm? What is it?” He apparently didn’t understand my intention, so he stood there while tilting his head in confusion. So I gave him a smile and said, “Please pay me my ten gold coins.” “I found the princess, just as you asked.” I gave that as an additional explanation. When I stopped at a certain country, I happened to overhear rumours about the Windmill Capital and Watermill Capital. I heard people saying that both countries unconditionally made h.o.m.os.e.xuality legal, and people were talking about whether that was a change for the better or not. At the very least, it appeared that diplomatic relations between the two countries had become far better compared to how it was before. In particular, people who had been in the closet until now became far more open because the Princess of the Windmill Capital married someone of the same gender. Marriage between females was encouraged in the Watermill Capital, and the Prince made announcements stating that, “The country will offer financial aid to women who want to marry each other.” Due to that, there were a large number of cases where men disguised themselves as women to fake a lesbian wedding, so the Prince had a really hard time. In this way, the countries that only had watermills and windmills made a name for themselves in a strange fas.h.i.+on. The two countries apparently saw an increase in the number of visiting travelers. However, it appears that they are seeing a decrease in population. I wonder why that is?
Chapter 3 – A fleeing princess. Who is chasing her? It was a forest in autumn with the trees shedding their leaves. The bright crimson leaves fell to the ground slowly and gently, covering the path that linked two countries and turning it a deep shade of red. A single girl was walking along the path which looked like it had been covered by a red carpet. A black robe, as well as a black tricorne. A brooch shaped like a star on her chest. As it was a cold season, her thin legs were covered by black tights. This girl who wore quintessential witch’s attire was a witch, as well as a traveler.
“…Fu.” The girl stopped, and looked upwards. What she saw there was a clear blue sky. The girl who stood there with melancholy hidden in her eyes was definitely a beauty by any standards. So beautiful, in fact, that anyone who happened to pa.s.s by would be knocked out by her beauty. Whether it was a man or a woman, they would probably become enamoured with her. Is this what was meant by indiscriminate terrorism? Who was this girl who held such a murderous level of beauty? Yes, it’s me. “……” Ah, it’s a joke, okay? I would usually travel from one country to another by flying on a broom like a proper witch, but I didn’t do that this time. I felt that it would be a waste to just pa.s.s over this path which was surrounded by such wonderful scenery. Another reason was that I simply didn’t want to fly since it was cold. “……” Moreover, the last country I visited… was it called the Watermill Capital? I learned that the next country was close enough to reach by taking a short walk along this path. That country should be coming into view any time now. If I remember the correctly, the next country is… “Oh, my.” My thinking came to a halt. Before I realized it, I had also stopped walking. I saw a person coming down this path from the other side. It was a man riding a horse. The horse was ambling down the middle of the road in a relaxed manner. He noticed my gaze and flashed a smile at me. He had blond hair and blue eyes. He also wore clothing that looked very expensive, and looked like a gentle-hearted young man. If he was just an ordinary man with a good looking face, I wouldn’t have stopped walking and thinking, and stared at him. At the most, I would have nodded as we pa.s.sed each other by. “h.e.l.lo there. Nice weather we’re having isn’t it… As greetings go, this one probably lacks originality.” However, the person who stopped his horse in front of me was clearly special. Should I say special, or rather he is is definitely, “A Prince?” That’s what he looked like. He put on a gentle smile and nodded. “Oh, do you know who I am?” “That coat of arms on your chest, I saw it in the Watermill Capital.” “I see. As you guessed, I am the Prince of the Watermill Capital. My name is Robert. It’s nice to meet you, Witch-sama.” He let go of the reins with one hand, and extended that hand towards me. So he’s looking for a handshake? I see.
I held his hand, said “h.e.l.lo,” and released it. “Considering that we’ve met here, are you perhaps on your way from the Watermill Capital to the Windmill Capital?” “Yes, that’s right.” I answered in the affirmative. This road was a single path that connected the two countries. The country I stayed at earlier was the Watermill Capital. The country I am heading towards is the Windmill Capital. This path was a trading route between the two. “What did you think of my country?” “There were a lot of watermills.” “……” “……” “…Eh? Is that all?” “Well, yes.” There was nothing else special to talk about, in any case. “I-I see… So that’s all…” Half-ignoring the state of the Prince who looked depressed, I asked him a question. “By the way, Prince Robert. Considering that we met here, are you perhaps on your way back to the Watermill Capital from the Windmill Capital?” “Eh? Yes… Wait, that’s not entirely correct.” “What do you mean?” “I am searching for my fiancee.” Hoho. “I’m a traveler, so I’m not interested in marriage.” “What are you talking about…” Prince Robert was clearly taken aback. “My fiancee has vanished.” “Vanished… you say?” She didn’t just run away? Prince Robert nodded. “In truth, I was due to be wed soon, but my partner is the princess of the Windmill Capital. So we had to bring her to the Watermill Capital so that we could conduct the ceremony.” “Hoho.” So his partner is a princess from the neighbouring country. That’s pretty amazing. “Some people in their country apparently didn’t like the idea of her marrying me, so when I went to the Windmill Capital this morning, they were on the verge of marrying her off to some other fellow.” “……” The masked expression he had prepared began to crumble. “She was crying. She probably hated the thought of marrying that man. After seeing that, I threw away my position as a Prince and forcefully brought her away.” “Haa…” My, what a romantic turn of events. “When we left the Windmill Capital, I put her on a sled and pulled her behind me as I galloped out on my horse.” “A sled?” What is she, luggage? “And that’s when it happened. When I looked back after coming some way, she was nowhere to be seen. I’m certain that she was sitting on the sled and eating a croissant when we left the Windmill Capital together.” “Maybe she fell off?” “Yeah… That’s why I’m searching for her.” “I see.” Was she kidnapped, was it an accident, or did she run away? Which one was it? Judging by his story, it seems likely that the sled and the princess were accidentally dropped somewhere along the path. It’s hard to make any sort of judgement at this moment. “The princess of the Windmill Capital… She is a beautiful young lady with wavy blonde hair and fiery red eyes. Have you seen anyone matching that description?” “I’ve been walking on this path starting from the Watermill Capital, but you’re the first person I’ve met, Your Highness.” I told him truthfully. He sadly lowered his eyebrows a little, and said, “…I see.” It feels like the situation is somewhat complicated. Marriage with a princess of a neighboring country, it’s obvious that there’s something else going on in the background. For example, it might be a political marriage for the purpose of uniting the two countries. “Where did you first meet the Princess?” I asked him in a roundabout manner. “Hmm? I saw her at the party celebrating ten years of peace after the war ended, and fell in love with her at first sight.” “Hoho, did you say end of a war? Hoho. The Watermill Capital and the Windmill Capital were once at war? I see.” So it was a political marriage after all? “Well, that was more than ten years ago. Both Watermill and Windmill didn’t like the idea of having a similar existence nearby, so war broke out.” “Even though they were both similar?” “It was because they were too similar. Wouldn’t you feel disturbed if someone similar to you was beside you all the time? Due to that reason, the two countries would easily get into a fight over trivial issues, and in the end they went to war… This path that we are standing on was the place where fighting was the fiercest during the war. At one point, the ground was drenched with the blood of the soldiers, and it was even called the ‘Trading Route of Blood’ for some time.” “…That’s a pretty distasteful name.” I unintentionally glanced downwards and saw the trading route that was deep red in color. However, it wasn’t blood that gave it that color, but the fallen leaves. It was a vivid and elegant red color. “It took a lot of time before the two countries were able to respect each other, but peace finally arrived. If the two of us were to get married, the good relations between the two countries should get even better.” “Did the Princess see it that way as well?” “Of course. She wouldn’t have agreed to the engagement otherwise.” “…Fumu.” I see. I had thought that Prince Robert had forced her into marrying him and she had run away because she was against it, but… it looks like that isn’t the case. I nodded. “If I see her anywhere, I will tell her about you.” I said that while looking up at him. “Ah, thanks. If you do see her, please ask her to come to the Watermill Capital. We need to have that wedding ceremony, after all.” And then Prince Robert continued to speak. “Ah, that’s right. If you find her, I will give you ten gold coins as a reward.” Oh, my. “I understand. I will spare no effort in searching for her.” “I’ll leave it to you, then.” “Yes, you can count on me.” I wasn’t swayed by the promise of money. I just wanted to help the prince out. No, honest. …… Still, rich people use such dirty methods. They have the strongest weapon called ‘wealth’, so they can handle pretty much anything that comes their way. That’s what I thought while watching Prince Robert from behind as he elegantly moved away from me. A short while after parting with Prince Robert, I saw another person on the path that I was walking on. I felt that staring at them would be rude, so I discreetly peeked at the person from the corner of my eyes. “……” It was a beautiful lady. However, I’m certain that this isn’t the Princess of the Windmill Capital… her appearance is entirely too different. Her long, straight hair was fiery red in color. She wasn’t wearing a dress like what you would expect from a princess, but an ominous-looking set of red armour. Rounding off the dangerous vibe, she had a sword at her waist. A red-haired woman standing on this red-colored path while wearing red armour. This was the lady who walked past me. Yep, she looks dangerous. “You there.” …is what she said. I heard a sharp voice that felt as if it was stabbing into me from behind. I stopped walking and turned around. “Can I help you?” “You looked at me just now, didn’t you? Did you want something from me?” “No, not really. I was just a little curious.” “Curious? About what?” I lowered my gaze and looked at her armour. “If you meet someone walking normally down a path while wearing such dangerous looking attire, isn’t it only normal to feel curious?” “You can just ignore them.” “That’s not what I’m talking about.” “……” “…Is something wrong?” I asked her shamelessly, even though I already knew the answer. She came from the direction of the Windmill Capital. Judging by the fact that she is wearing armour, it is unlikely that she is a wandering traveler. Also, judging by the fact that she is wearing armour, I can further speculate that she is a guard of some sort. In short, “Actually, the Princess of our country has vanished.” That was the situation. “Vanished? Oh my, that sounds serious.” “Do you know anything? She is a beauty and her wavy golden hair is her characteristic feature.” “No, I have no idea.” I haven’t seen any young woman matching that description…. But it really looks like there is a fairly large rebellion going on. At this rate, I won’t be able to rest peacefully even after reaching the Windmill Capital. There’s a possibility that the whole country has fallen into panic. The lady furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth to speak, saying, “…I see. If you happen to find the Princess, please bring her to the Windmill Capital.” Oh, that’s in the direction opposite of where Prince Robert is waiting. …… I gave her a big nod. “Of course, I’ll make sure to do that. By the way, what’s your name?” “It’s Rosamia.” “In that case, I’ll bring her to you if I happen to find her, Rosamia-san.” “Thanks.” “No problem.” I’m not completely sure what’s going on, though. I’m hungry. Is it time for lunch already? “……” For some reason, my sense of smell becomes extra sensitive when I’m hungry. Even in this stinging cold weather, if the air carries the scent of food, I’ll notice it right away. I will notice it and think “Ah, something smells good”. “……” Anyways, I was standing still after having caught the scent of food coming from somewhere. It’s smells really good. What is this smell… Ah, it’s bread. It’s the scent of bread. The distinctive smell of bread, slightly sweet and mellow, is spreading through the air. “There are no people in front or behind me… which means…” Searching for the source of the smell, I stepped off the path and walked into the brush. The bread is certainly somewhere in this direction. Each time I take a step, the thick plants shake while making noise and the scent gets stronger. And then… “Hmm… !” Within the thicket, at the base of a tree. I found a young lady sitting there and looking in my direction with a startled expression while still holding a croissant in her mouth. On her lap, she had a basket that held a large number of croissants. Her body was enveloped in an expensive looking wedding dress, and she had wavy blonde hair. Her deep red eyes were fixed upon me. …Wow. I came here while following a good smell, and happened to run into an extraordinary person. “You’re the Princess, aren’t you? From Windmill Capital.” “……!” The girl’s shoulders shuddered sharply, and she munched on the remnants of the croissant in her hand. Is that more important than replying to my question? I see how it is. The girl swallowed the croissant after munching on it for a while, and then glared at me. “Who are you? You should introduce yourself before asking for someone else’s name. How rude.” I don’t remember asking for her name, though. I just asked for confirmation. “…I’m the Witch of Ashes, Elaina. I’m a traveler.” “I see. Elaina… that’s a nice name. My name is Chocola. As you guessed, I am the Princess of Windmill Capital.” “You’re the princess of a country, what are you doing in a place like this?” “Can’t you see? I’m having lunch.” “By the way, may I have one of those croissants?” “Ah, go ahead.” “Thank you.” Sitting in the shade of the tree next to Princess Chocola, I asked about the circ.u.mstances surrounding her while nibbling the croissant. I’ll keep the fact that I met her fiancé, Prince Robert, a secret for now. I haven’t yet discarded the possibility that this is a political marriage. I wasn’t suspecting him or anything, but I felt that this would be the best method in order to find out what the two of them really thought about the matter. I started by asking a simple question. “Aren’t you going to go back to your country?” “I’m being pursued by a scary person. I can’t go back even if I wanted to.” “…A scary person?” “Yes. A scary person who wants to destroy my happiness.” Fumu. This matches with what I’ve heard from Prince Robert as well. In other words… “Could it be that this is the person who tried to forcefully marry you?” “Yes, that’s the person… You know about it?” “Well, yes. I’ve heard some rumors about the incident.” “…Who told you, may I ask?” I saw that Princess Chocola’s posture changed slightly. She wanted to marry the prince of a neighboring country, but someone from her own country—to use her own words, a scary person who wanted to destroy her happiness—had appeared, so of course she would be on her guard. Seeing as the person was from her own country, there might be more than one enemy. Oh my, this might be bad. Let me correct her misunderstanding. “Please don’t worry. I heard this from your lover.” “Oh, I see. That’s a relief.” The girl patted her chest in relief and took another bite of croissant. Induced by her, I took a bite as well. Well then, let’s ask more questions. “Aren’t you going to go where your lover is waiting?” “The scary person might be wandering around this place, correct? That’s why I’m waiting here.” “While eating croissants?” “Yes.” “The smell will give away your position, though.” “As far as I know, you’re the only monster who can track down the smell of croissants.” “That’s not true.” How rude. “I mean, does this give off a strong scent to you?” Saying that, Princess Chocola brought the croissant piece in her hand near my nose. So I ate it. “Delicious.” “…Why did you eat mine?” “The gra.s.s always looks greener on the other side.” “The ‘gra.s.s’ is exactly the same.” “All the more reason why it looks better.” Just like how two neighbouring countries could get into a fight because they were similar. I finished eating the remnants of the croissant that was in my hand, and stood up. “Right then, enough joking. Shall we go?” Princess Chocola looked at me, “…Go where?” And asked that in an anxious voice. “Didn’t you hear what I said earlier? I’m going to wait for my lover right here. I don’t want to meet the scary person.” “If you keep staying in this place, though, that scary person might find you, you know?” “……” “Your lover has asked me to bring you to them if I happened to find you, Your Highness.” I stretched my hand out towards her. “Consider it as thanks for the croissant. I will serve as your guard.” Prince Robert and Rosamia-san. Both of them had one thing in common. They were both searching for the same person—Princess Chocola—who was currently walking next to me. This is just my hunch, but one of them is a collaborator of the “scary person” that Princess Chocola mentioned. That’s why they asked me to bring her to different countries. Which means that I might end up handing over Princess Chocola to the bad people if I make the wrong choice. Which one should I believe? If I compare my thoughts to Princess Chocola’s frank opinion, the answer should become obvious. “…Oh? We’re heading towards the Watermill Capital?” “Yes. Your lover is waiting for you there.” After thinking about it, I decided to head towards where Prince Robert was waiting. I don’t know who ordered Rosamia-san to search for Princess Chocola, and what her intentions are. It’s possible that she was ordered to search by the scary person who was trying to forcefully marry Princess Chocola. If I have to pick one of the two, I think it would be better to believe Prince Robert. Even if the two countries had gone to war at one point… No, the war had already come to an end more than ten years ago and there was a fair amount of trade between the two countries, so this point doesn’t need to be taken into consideration. I turned towards Princess Chocola, and, “We should be there by sunset. Please treat this as going on a walk and come with me.” “Yes…” Princess Chocola’s expression was clouded. “Why, though?” “What is it?” “Why is my lover waiting in the Watermill Capital?” Even if you ask me that question… “Probably because the person who wants to destroy your happiness is waiting to ambush you at the Windmill Capital?” Besides, he’s the Prince of that country, so it’s not particularly strange that he should be waiting there. Princess Chocola hung her head, and, “We were so close to having our wedding celebration… At this rate, we’ll have to wait a long time until we can officially get married.” Saying so, she started to complain. “You don’t need to worry about that. The ceremony will go ahead as originally planned.” “…? What ceremony?” “Your wedding ceremony, of course.” I replied to Princess Chocola who was tilting her head in confusion. “You had planned to have the wedding in the Watermill Capital all along, right?” After hearing that, Princess Chocola suddenly came to a stop. “What are you talking about?” She was looking at me with suspicious eyes. It was a strange feeling—it felt like the two of us had misunderstood each other at some important point. For now, let’s go back to the start. “Your lover is Prince Robert, correct?” However, “No.” Saying so, Princess Chocola shook her head. And then, she declared that, “He is the scary person who is trying to destroy my happiness.” It happened before I could reply to this statement that derailed the conversation that already headed down a strange direction. No, instead of saying that it happened, saying that it came flying would be a better way of putting it. “Nuaaaaaaaaargh!” A man came flying towards the two of us from the direction from the Watermill Capital, where the two of us had been headed. He had blond hair and blue eyes. That man gave a hoa.r.s.e yell and flew past us, fell on the path that we were walking on, and slowly came to a stop while scattering red leaves everywhere. That sight almost looked like his body had been sc.r.a.ped by the ground and he was spraying blood everywhere. “I wonder if he is alright?” “…That’s the scary man who is trying to destroy my happiness.” She spoke while clutching the sleeve of my robe. Well, it looks like his own body has been destroyed instead. “But, just who did that…?” It’s improbable that he had caught sight of Princess Chocola and came flying out of Watermill Capital on his own. Seeing as he came flying towards us, there must be someone who sent him flying. Was he kicked by a horse or something? I turned to look in the direction from where he had come flying—in the direction of the Watermill Capital. “…Woah.” After seeing it, I took a step back. There was a demon standing in that direction. “Rosamia…!” Standing next to me, Princess Chocola whispered that name. The Knight from the Windmill Capital, Rosamia-san, slowly came walking towards us from the direction of the Watermill Capital. It looked like she was very, very angry, as she was releasing killing intent from her entire body. She gave off an atmosphere that made me think that I’d get my head broken if I so much as touched her. Incidentally, she was all the more intimidating because she was carrying a log. Just seeing her approach made me feel like my head was about be crushed. “Rosamia! Is it really you? Ah, thank goodness…” “Eh? Ah.. Umm, Princess Chocola!” I have no idea what is going on. She went running straight towards Rosamia-san who was clearly oozing killing intent and looked like the personification of hostility. She ran straight towards her, disregarding my attempt to restrain her. She looked like a lady who was finally reunited with her lover. …… …Hmm? I had a bad premonition—but come on, surely not. “Princess!” I was still trying to make sense of what was going on, but the story continued to unfold while completely disregarding my presence. Rosamia-san stood with open arms to receive Chocola-san who was running towards her. What happened to the log that she was carrying, you ask? She had thrown it. With all her strength. “Princess!” “Rosamia!” The two of them embraced pa.s.sionately. “Guhe.” I heard the sound of something being crushed behind me, and also someone groaning, but I didn’t look behind me as I was scared. “Ah, Princess… I’m so glad…” “Rosamia…! I was so scared…” Seriously, I don’t understand what is going on. I just want to stop thinking about it. I asked Princess Chocola and Rosamia-san for the details, just to be on the safe side. Summarizing their incoherent rambling, it was something like this. First, for the basic setting. Chocola-san, who was the princess of the Windmill Capital, and her close aide and knight, Rosamia-san, were lovers. They were both female, but they were still in love with each other. Well, love comes in many forms, so I’ll let that slide for now. In any case, the two of them were so deeply in love that no one else could ever come in between them. Even a marriage between a princess and a knight would ordinarily give rise to protests, but in this case they were both of the same gender. When the King of the Windmill Capital—Princess Chocola’s father—came to know about this, he was extremely displeased. If his daughter was h.o.m.os.e.xual, she could not give birth to children. So the King forcefully arranged a marriage on his own. The groom was Robert-san, who was the Prince of the neighboring Watermill Capital. Before they knew it, the matter of Robert-san and Chocola-san’s wedding was decided and both Chocola-san and Rosamia-san objected. “Father, I have no interest in men.” “My King, I have sworn to spend the rest of my life with the Princess” “Rosamia…” “Princess…” Apparently, they went on like that in front of the King. They told me that while blus.h.i.+ng. However, the King completely ignored both of their wishes. In fact, he had already decided the date of the marriage on his own. “Prince Robert will come to pick you up in a few days. Go and have the wedding ceremony in the Watermill Capital.” That’s what the King said. I can’t help but think that the matter of Chocola-san’s marriage with Robert-san had been going on behind the scenes for quite some time. I still think that it was a political marriage arrangement. Putting that aside, both of them panicked at the thought of her marrying Robert-san. And so, they arrived at a decision. “That’s right! If the two of us get married first, then we don’t have to worry about the wedding with Prince Robert!” “Well done, Princess!” And so, the two of them decided to have a secret wedding at a small church. The preparations for the wedding were progressing well, and Princess Chocola was shedding tears of joy at finally being able to marry the one she loved. However, he arrived at that moment. The scary person who wanted to destroy her happiness—Prince Robert—opened the doors of the church without waiting for permission, and took Princess Chocola away. He then put her on the sled that was attached to his horse (equipped with croissants) and set out for Watermill Capital. Princess Chocola dealt with the situation calmly. She calmly untied the ropes that connected the sled to the horse, and made her escape. She then sat in the forest and ate croissants while waiting for her beloved to come rescue her. All’s well that ends well. …… No, it didn’t end well at all… “Rosamia!” “Princess!” “Rosamia…” “Princess…” “Rosamia…?” “Princess…?” “Rosamia!” “Princess!” This exchange went on, back and forth many, many times. Can you imagine how painful it was to watch? They’re just calling each other’s names, so why is it so embarra.s.sing? The sight of the two was so embarra.s.sing that I felt like covering my eyes and ears and sitting down on the spot. “Hey, give me a kiss.” “We can’t, Princess. People are watching.” “Don’t worry about that.” “But…” “Do you hate me?” “No, of course not…” “Then, please.” “Princess…” “Rosamia…” ……… I can’t bear to watch. I quickly turned around. I did that to escape from the strange atmosphere created by those two ladies, and definitely not to look at him, but… “Hey, it’s hasn’t been that long since we met.” When I turned around, he was standing there. He had received a direct hit from the log that Rosamia-san had thrown at him, and yet he stood there while having a cheerful smile on his face. His clothing was ragged and blood was flowing from his head, but it was definitely him, without a doubt. “You’re the Prince, right?” I asked, just to make sure. “Are you still alive?” “Indeed, I am the Prince of the Watermill Capital. And this goes without saying, but I am still alive.” “I thought you had received a fatal wound from having having a log thrown at you, but you are unexpectedly tough.” “An attack of that level is nothing.” “Just what are you…” “I am the prince of the Watermill Capital.” No, I wasn’t asking about that… Oh, never mind. If I keep reacting to each and every little thing, it’ll never end. “By the way, what do you think after seeing this?” I showed Prince Robert, who had tragically misunderstood this situation from the start, the scene of the two ladies pa.s.sionately embracing each other. “Ah… It makes my heart beat faster…” “Are you sure that’s not because of the blood you’re losing from your head?” “I feel like I’m about to awaken to something new…” “Haa, it was a fatal wound, after all.” “Well, jokes aside.” “That was a joke?” “…Maybe I was half serious?” “Yep, definitely a fatal wound.” “Do you think it’ll heal?” “It’s probably too late for treatment.” “……” “So, what were you saying?” “Ah, right. After seeing them like this, I have no choice but to admit many things to myself.” “Like what?” Prince Robert was still smiling. “That Knight-san said all sorts of stuff to me earlier while she was bas.h.i.+ng me with that log. She said that I had been deceived by the King of the Windmill Capital, and that the Princess actually loved her and not me.” “Haa.” “I couldn’t believe her at that time, but I understand it after seeing those two now. It looks like I was just playing the part of a clown.” “……” Well, yeah. I couldn’t say that to his face, though, so I elected to remain silent. “They’re both girls… that’s kind of nice.” The prince of a country is spouting strange things while standing next to me, but I choose to continue remaining silent. We stood there watching Rosamia-san and Princess Chocola carry on their incomprehensible exchange for a while, and then Princess Robert finally started to talk seriously. “I’m going to give up on marrying her.” “Is that so? I see.” “…Well, part of the reason is because I have no other choice.” “……” That girl seems to have no interest in anyone other than Rosamia-san, after all. “Besides, I have to return to my country and do something extremely important.” “Oh?” “I’m thinking of making h.o.m.os.e.xuality legal.” “Oh, I see.” “That’s a pretty lukewarm response.” “I felt a little repulsed.” “…Well, I’m sure there will be a lot of people who oppose it now. But there must be other people like those two, who love each other unfettered by gender. If I can make my country accept that, then I’m sure we will have an even greater peace than before.” I see. “…And what’s your real reason?” “Girls doing it together… that’s nice.” “……” When I stopped talking, I heard the voices of those two making a racket. As if only that place had turned into a flower garden. I thought that if I decide to stop traveling at some point in the future and settle down in some country, I’m definitely not going to settle in the country that lies on the end of this path. “Ah, that reminds me.” I called out to Prince Robert who had started to walk away. He turned around and gave me a cheerful (albeit bloodstained) smile. “Yes?” “……” I stretched my hand out towards him. “Hmm? What is it?” He apparently didn’t understand my intention, so he stood there while tilting his head in confusion. So I gave him a smile and said, “Please pay me my ten gold coins.” “I found the princess, just as you asked.” I gave that as an additional explanation. When I stopped at a certain country, I happened to overhear rumours about the Windmill Capital and Watermill Capital. I heard people saying that both countries unconditionally made h.o.m.os.e.xuality legal, and people were talking about whether that was a change for the better or not. At the very least, it appeared that diplomatic relations between the two countries had become far better compared to how it was before. In particular, people who had been in the closet until now became far more open because the Princess of the Windmill Capital married someone of the same gender. Marriage between females was encouraged in the Watermill Capital, and the Prince made announcements stating that, “The country will offer financial aid to women who want to marry each other.” Due to that, there were a large number of cases where men disguised themselves as women to fake a lesbian wedding, so the Prince had a really hard time. In this way, the countries that only had watermills and windmills made a name for themselves in a strange fas.h.i.+on. The two countries apparently saw an increase in the number of visiting travelers. However, it appears that they are seeing a decrease in population. I wonder why that is?
