Konosuba Dust Spin Off 6

A last meal together with the princess.
Let’s just leave all those unnecessary thoughts behind and enjoy
our last time together.

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Chapter 2: Part 4 ↲

When I opened my eyes, the wood paneled ceiling greeted me.
“Did I fall asleep?”
My memory is fuzzy. Why am I sleeping?
If I recall, I had dinner with the princess and accepted a glass of
wine from her because it’d be rude to do otherwise… And I
don’t remember anything else.
… Eh?
“What time is it!?”
I hastily sat up and pushed open the curtains around the
window.
The sun was shining right overhead.
“It’s already noon!?”
It’s long past the time we needed to set off in order to make it in
time for the wedding!
“If we set off at full speed from here… No, wait, it’d take some
time to even get to where Faitfore is… W-What should we do!?”
I cradled my head and desperately thought, but no good
solutions came to mind.
Even if we can’t make it in time, we have no choice but to
return. Ah, where is Princess Leonor?

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A look around the room revealed a pile of underwear lying in
the corner… And they are all women’s garments.
I quickly flipped under the blankets to check my body. I was
bare from the chest up, but I was still wearing my underwear.
“No way, no way… That couldn’t have happened.”
I have faith in myself. Even if I became black out drunk and
can’t remember anything, I’m not the kind of man who could
cross the line so easily like that… Right?
There’s no way something that cliched happened, right?
“Come on, stop raising a fuss so early in the morning. We were
up late last night, so let me get some more sleep.”
A voice came from my side.
I could confirm who it was by just turning my neck slightly, but
my body is too stiff to move even that much… No, I don’t want
to move.
“Yesterday was intense, you know?”
Something extremely soft made bare contact with my arm.
My neck made a creaking noise like rusty metal hinges as I
forced myself to look to my side…
And laying there was Princess Leonor, barely covering herself
with her blanket and dressed in absolutely nothing else.
I would like to believe the reason she’s blushing is because of
the alcohol that has yet to work its way out.

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“Princess, umm, well, could you put on some clothes?”
“Oh, isn’t it too late to be embarrassed now? And don’t you
think calling me princess is a little strange after what happened
last night? Come on, call me Leonor like you did last night.”
She whispered in a sultry voice, sending shivers down my spine.
“J-Just in case, I’d like to ask, nothing happened last night,
right?”
I put my last hopes into that question, but the princess hid her
face behind the blanket and tightly gripped it.
T-This reaction…
“You are horrible. I won’t let you say you don’t remember after
we spent such a passionate night together. You better take
responsibility, darling.”
The moment I heard that, my spirit could no longer bear the
gravity of this situation and immediately let go of my
consciousness.

When I next opened my eyes, it’s gotten a little darker outside.
I can’t believe the shock caused me to pass out until evening.
I fearfully checked next to me, but there wasn’t anyone there.
The underwear strewn at the corner of the room is gone too.

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I couldn’t remember it, but if I really did such things last night,
I have no choice but to take responsibility.
“As a knight… No, as a man, it’s only natural… Ah!”
Wait, now is no time to be concerned about myself. I need to
make things clear to the princess and reassure her.
I couldn’t stay in bed forever, so I stood up and got dressed.
As I did so, I noticed a piece of paper lying on the table by the
bed.
A small bottle with a green label is placed on it in order to keep
it from flying away.
“This handwriting is the princess’s. Seems like she’s written a
letter for me…”
“Good morning, Rein. Now, even if we make it back to the
capital, we won’t make it in time for the wedding ceremony.
Oh, yes, you slept soundly last night all the way till morning
thanks to the sleeping pills I put in your drink. So, nothing
happened, so you can relax.
This bought me a lot of time, but just in case, I’ll be in hiding
until noon tomorrow. So don’t look for me until the ceremony
is confirmed to be canceled.
From your beloved Princess Leonor.”
I crumpled the letter in my hand.
“Priiiiiiinceeeeeeesss!!!”

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I’ve been had! I fell for her tricks completely.
I ran out to talk to the receptionist, who told me that the
princess left in the early afternoon.
I’m going to find her and drag her back to Brydle even if I have
to put a rope around her neck!
I’ve treated her with kids gloves because she was a princess, but
no more! I’ll never forgive her!

I ran around town until it got dark out searching for
information, but I couldn’t get any clues on her whereabouts.
She probably used that magic item to change the colour of her
hair while she was on the run. If princess Leonor really put her
mind to escaping, it wouldn’t be easy to track her down.
She frequently snuck away from the castle, and even after
mobilizing tens of soldiers and servants to look for her, it’s not
unusual for her to remain at large for the entire day.
Most of the time, she only got caught when she returned to the
castle after getting bored.
I can’t imagine being able to track someone like that down by
myself.
Think, think.

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There’s no way we’d be able to make it in time for the wedding
ceremony, but I can’t just let her go after messing around with
me like that.
If I don’t get my hands on her and get her to apologize, I don’t
think I’ll be able to sleep well at night.
“She wasn’t at the bar or the casino. It’s unlikely that I’d be able
to find her using normal methods. Then, if I use abnormal
methods…”
As the plan coalesced in my mind, I ran full pelt towards my
destination.

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Chapter 2: Part 5 ↲

“We are right in the middle of town! W-What are you
thinking!?”
Princess Leonor screamed as she ran all over the place trying to
get away.
As expected, she’s changed her hair colour to black.
No matter where she runs, there’s no way she can escape from
my sights. Even if she jumps into an alleyway, I’ll easily be able
to reacquire her from my vantage point.
“Stop your useless struggles and give up. If you surrender now,
I’ll let you off with just a short hogtied trip through the skies.”
“No way! What kind of treatment is that!? What happened to
you!? What happened to the earnest and kind Rein!?”
I’m a little impressed that she can talk that much while
running.
“The earnest Dragon Knight died yesterday! There’s no future
waiting for me even if I go back to the kingdom now, so my life
of being led around by you ends yesterday. Now it’s my turn to
tie you up and lead you around.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to do that literally!”
I rode on top of Faitfore in order to pursue the princess from
above.
If I can’t find her walking on the ground, then I just need to do
so from the air. With Faitfore’s heightened sense of smell, it

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isn’t impossible to sniff out the princess even if she were in the
middle of a crowd.
The only downside to this method is that the surrounding
townsfolk were thrown into panic upon seeing a white dragon
fly by.
Having a dragon knight from another country do something
like this would most likely result in an international incident,
but I couldn’t care less about it right now.
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, so please let me gooooo!”
Seemingly reaching her limit, Princess Leonor’s came to a stop,
and I had Faitfore pull up next to her.
“If you are willing to go that far, then very well. It looks like
you’ve reflected on your actions, so let’s go back to the castle.
It’s only a slight chance, but if you get down on your knees and
apologize, I might consider forgiving you. And make sure you
properly tell them that I was dragged into this.”
I handed the princess a bottle of water as she panted heavily.
With this, she should reflect on her actions and perhaps
improve her behaviour in the future. This marriage will
probably be annulled, but it would at least be better for her
future.
“Yes, yes, sorry.”
She meekly apologized. Yes, it wasn’t a mistake for me to
harden my heart and go after her like this.
“I’m really sorry!”

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“Hmm?”
Before I knew it, Princess Leonor produced a bag from
somewhere and threw a fist full of powder at me.
“Such childish distractions won’t… Achoo!”
I thought she was trying to blind me with sand, but it was
actually ground pepper.
I only got away with a bit of itching in my nose, but Faitfore,
who got a face full of it, covered her nose and started sneezing
non stop.
“I’ll buy you tons of high grade meat next time!”
Leaving those words, the princess quickly disappeared down a
side alley.
I picked up the bottle of water that I dropped and washed the
pepper off my face.
“Well, then, I suppose it isn’t necessary to forgive her anymore.”
I muttered under my breath, and Faitfore, her eyes bloodshot,
nodded along with me.
If she’s willing to go this far, she must have done her
preparations. Alright, then, let the real game of tag begin.

“I didn’t expect her to continue running for half a day after that.
I must apologize for underestimating her.”

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“Grrrrr.”
In response to my words, Faitfore gave her long neck a shake.
“It’s quite a feat to escape the clutches of a Dragon Knight for so
long, right, Faitfore?”
“Grrrr.”
Faitfore shook her neck even more vigorously than before in
agreement.
“Eeeeeep! Please stoooop!”
I think I heard something, but it’s probably just my
imagination.
“What should we do next? Even if we go back…”
It’s been three days since I left the Kingdom of Brydle. The
wedding is long over by now.
After spending the last three days being tossed around at the
whims of this princess, I feel that something has changed inside
me.
My doubts regarding my previous way of life have just been
swelling.
A knight should be self disciplined in order to be a model for
the citizens.
ーIsn’t this kind of life only going to result in a loss for me
without any form of benefit?

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Even if others see you as a problem-causing and willful person,
the most important thing is if the person in question is enjoying
it, right?
As I looked at Princess Leonor, my convictions in my previous
worldview became more and more frayed.
“Faitfore, between the serious me and the me who lives freely,
which one do you prefer?”
She tilted her head and stared at me.
“Is it wrong to desire freedom?”
In response, Faitfore aggressively shook her head in denial.
“… Why are you suddenly shaaaaaking!?”
I looked down at the rope that connected the dangling princess
to Faitfore’s neck.
I had some reservations about tying a princess up and carrying
her away like this, but she has since tried to escape twice, so I
had no choice but to pursue the strongest of measures.
“Princess, if you reflect on your actions, I can pull you up.”
“Hmph, I won’t be broken by just this level of torture.”
I suppose I should respect her for having the fortitude to say
such things in this situation.
“Faitfore, why don’t you give your neck some exercise?”

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As instructed, the white dragon started waving her neck around
in circles.
“Stop! Stop! I’ll get nauseous! If this keeps up, I’ll start spewing
food from my mouth! Don’t you think it’s wrong to show
everyone the scene of a princess vomiting!? I’m sorry, I was in
the wrong, so please stooooop!”
The princess shouted in terror at first, but after a while, it
seems like she got used to it and started enjoying the scenery as
she spun around in lazy circles.
“Look over there! There’s a large frog jumping around down
there!”
She really did get used to this quite quickly.
“Sigh… I feel like a fool for thinking seriously about this.
Princess, is there any place you want to go?”
“Eh? Can I? You are not playing with my expectations, are you?
Like giving me hope only to bring me back to the castle in order
to get back at me?”
“Well, I wasn’t planning on doing that, but now that you
mention it.”
“I’m begging you, please don’t do that! Father is definitely
blowing his top over this incident. There’s no telling what he
will do if you bring me back to the castle.”
The princess seems genuinely concerned, but she’ll probably be
fine. The king really dotes on her.

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The princess might be the mastermind, but I’ll probably end up
being forced to take all the blame for this incident.
“… You have my word as a knight, I won’t betray you.”
“Well, even if we do get caught, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to
cover for you and take all the blame.”
“Then, I’ll be counting on you.”
I say that, but the world isn’t such a kind place.
The princess is smart and cunning, but she’s quite lacking in
worldly knowledge. Though I suppose it’s only natural for a
princess.
She doesn’t understand how serious this matter is.
“Considering how short the road ahead is, it’d be a waste not to
enjoy myself to the fullest.”
“Hmm? Did you say something? The wind is too strong, so I
couldn’t quite catch that!”
I didn’t intend to say it out loud, but I guess it forced its way out
anyway.
“No, it’s nothing. I was just wondering if it became known that
the marriage was called off because of this incident, no one
would want to marry you and you’d be doomed to a life of a
spinster, that’s all.”
“You said the one thing you shouldn’t say! I’m a little uneasy
about that too! If you are not careful, I’ll arrest you for
disrespect!”

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The princess wriggled her body like she was planning to crawl
up onto Faitfore’s back.
Does she not understand how precarious a situation she’s in,
hanging from a single rope like that?
Normally, I would’ve given in right here and apologized, but I
decided that I would never give in from this day onwards.
I’ll abandon my honour as a knight right here. My status will
probably be revoked when I go back anyways.
I should take a leaf from the princess’s book and live a little
more freely. For starters, how about a little counter attack?
“Hmm, I feel like I want to practice with my spear all of a
sudden. Hah! Hah!”
I took out my spear and started swinging it around.
“Hey, wait, stop! It’s dangerous! What are you going to do if you
hit the rope!? If you don’t get your act together, I’m going to
curse you with being treated like garbage by women and having
men fall for you!”
“Why is your curse so filled with malice!?”
We traded such silly barbs with each other as we continued our
journey through the skies.

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Chapter 2: Part 6 ↲

On the fourth day after we ran away.
For some reason, we found ourselves at a glittering building, a
casino.
“Really, why did we come to a casino?”
“If you want to let it all go and enjoy yourself to your fullest,
then you have to go to a casino. You did say you want to enjoy
yourself to the fullest, right?”
“… So you heard me.”
The princess said that the wind was too loud, but she heard me
clearly back then.
“You’re a man, so you must have gambled at least once, haven’t
you?”
“Well, if it’s stuff like buying everyone dinner if we lose in
practice matches, I’ve done it once or twice.”
“No, no, that doesn’t count. Blowing it all in gambling,
indulging in drinks, and chasing after beautiful women is what
a real man should do!”
She said passionately, but that’s just a no good grifter.
It’s so far from who I am that I am having trouble imagining it.
It’s a way of life that has nothing to do with me.
“First off, we need to change the way you speak. Such a
differential tone doesn’t fit with a dirty out of the way casino

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like this. You need to dress a little more sloppily, drink cheap
beer, and speak in a rougher tone.”
The other customers and the dealer glared at us after hearing
what the princess said.
“P-Princess, you’re too loud! Sorry, she’s had a little too much
to drink.”
I repeatedly apologized to the people around me.
I hailed a clerk, shoved a pouch of gold into his hand and told
him to buy a round for everyone present.
“You’re surprisingly good at handling such situations for
someone new to this.”
“I don’t want to hear that from you. When you hang around a
certain someone long enough, you eventually learn how to
safely defuse such situations.”
“Well, isn’t that great? Learning how to deal with others is a
valuable skill.”
Does she get the sarcasm, or not? I can’t tell from the smile she
had.
“Anyway, let’s get back to the topic at hand.”
“We don’t really have to…”
“I picked out clothes for you, so we’re fine on that front.”
The.. Unique, thug-like outfit that I’m currently wearing was
picked out for me by the princess.

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It was a bright red jacket worn with the sleeves rolled up. The
princess said,
“Having long sleeves rolled up like that makes you look more
unsavory.”
As a knight, it’s hard for me to understand such matters, but I
do agree that it looks pretty good on me.
The princess was also wearing something more plain instead of
her royal outfit.
It’s a simple green one piece dress without any frills or
decorations, but with her body, she looks good no matter what
she wears.
Dressed like this, the two of us look like a village girl and her
slightly thuggish boyfriend.
“If you don’t match your tone to your outfit, it’d be very jarring.
Right, now start practicing speaking more like a yankee.”
Yet another ridiculous request.
So I just need to speak more roughly, huh? Come to think of it, I
used to have a senior that bragged about being evil in the past.
He had a strange way of speaking whenever he started talking
about his old stories, so maybe I can imitate that.
“Okay, yo. I’ll try my best, yo.”
“Hmm, It’s not even close to passing, but I’m sure you’ll get
used to it after a while. Anyway, let’s go play some games!”

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“Yes, understood.”
Princess Leonor pulled me over and pushed me into a seat.
This seems to be a card game played around a semi circular
table.
“I haven’t seen you around before. Do you know the rules?”
“I do have some familiarity with card games… Oww. Err, I’ve
played card games before, so I can handle it.”
The princess elbowed me in the side, and I changed my way of
speaking.
If I don’t pay attention, I quickly slip back into my old habits.
“What about that pretty girl over there? Is she not playing?”
“Oh, my, you sure have a good eye. I’ll refrain from charging
you a viewing fee, then. I’m just here to be a witness of sorts, so
don’t mind me.”
You mean making sure I don’t mess up, right?
Acting was never my strong suit, but I’ll try my best not to
disappoint her.
“Anyway, let’s start the match.”
I’ve never seriously gambled for money before, but I suppose I
can try and enjoy it. But just enough so I don’t get hooked.

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Chapter 2: Part 7 ↲

“Why can’t I win!?”
Ever since then, I’ve been on a losing streak.
After losing 20 straight games of cards, I changed to a game of
roulettes instead, but I still lost twenty straight rounds in a row.
“Yay! I won again!”
Beside me, Princess Leonor was in a great mood… Even though
she said she wouldn’t play.
I always thought that things always end up working in her
favour, but now I’m thinking that she just has high luck.
The reason why I haven’t run out of money even after losing so
much is because she won it all back.
Normally, I should be thanking her, but seeing her constantly
win while I couldn’t even win a single hand kinda pisses me off
a little.
“Come on, one more match!”
“You know, I don’t think you are cut out for gambling. Why
don’t you take your girl and go home for the day?”
“Shut up, just start the next match!”
Dammit, even the dealer is taking pity on me.
“It doesn’t matter how much you lose. I will earn it all back for
you.”

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“Ah, a gigolo…”
I thought I heard the player next to me say something really
rude, but I couldn’t care less about him right now.
I can’t rest easy until I show Princess Leonor, who’s looking at
me with a cocky smile on her face, my good side!
This time, this time I’ll definitely win!
“Come on, come on, red 6, red 6, red 6!”
I muttered under my breath as I watched the wheel spin. If the
ball landed in the spot I placed my bet on, I’ll be able to recoup
all my losses in one fell swoop.
I prayed and put all my hopes in that little ball… And it landed
in the spot next to mine.
“Oh, I won again. Teehee (๑ゝ‫◕ڡ‬๑).”
“Graaaah! Why!? Why can’t I win!? You aren’t cheating, are
you!?”
I approached the dealer, and he vigorously shook his head as
the blood drained from his face.
“No, no, that’s impossible. If we were doing such a trick, we
would’ve let you win a few times to prevent you from getting
suspicious. I’ve been doing this for quite some time now, but
you are the first person I’ve seen who has such a long and
unbroken losing streak. If I could control where the ball fell, I
wouldn’t let it land where your girl has placed her bet. Actually,
can you please take your girlfriend home for the day? Please?”

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“Ohohoho. This is the luck, beauty and temperament I was born
with. God has blessed me! Commoners should prostrate
themselves before me! Nyahahahaha!”
The Princess let out a high pitched laughter. I think the alcohol
is really starting to get to her.
Because of my constant losing, it doesn’t seem like the owner is
hurting much financially, but I can see how the princess’s
haughty attitude and constant streak of victories is getting on
his nerves.
But now is not the time to care about that.
“I’m not leaving until I win! Hurry up and start the next game!”
“Sigh, it’s just not my lucky day…”
The dealer seemed to be saying something, but I couldn’t care
less.
I’m not going home until I win.

On the fifth day.
“Customer, I’ll give you back half of what you spent, so please
stop…”
We came back to the casino.
I couldn’t win a single game yesterday, so I need to make up for
my losses today.

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“Shut up! Hurry up and set up the next game already!”
“You’ve gotten really good at speaking roughly. You might
actually have a talent for acting.”
Unlike me, Princess Leonor has won every game she played.
She was banned from the casino, but forced her way in with the
excuse that she’s only here to observe.
“I can’t concentrate with you around, so go somewhere else.
Honestly, you are getting in my way.”
“Urk… Aren’t you getting a little too into character?”
The princess puffed up her cheeks and glared at me, but I
shooed her away and she sulily left the building.
Good, now I can focus on the game.
Even though I had no interest in such games before, it’s turned
out to be mightily interesting. It’ll definitely be more fun if I
were to sneak a victory.
“And the match is over.”
“… Guess you picked the wrong hand.”
Not even a single thing went my way! Why are they all turning
out like this?
“Why!? You aren’t cheating, are you!?”
“We aren’t! Didn’t we have this conversation yesterday!? Hey,
someone go fetch his guardian here!”

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“Eh? Isn’t she quite troublesome too!?”
“Even so, it’s still better than dealing with him!”
They sure are rude to their customers.
I’m just acting as a bad guy, I don’t actually enjoy gambling that
much.
I don’t, but I’ll definitely make back what I lost yesterday.

The sixth day.
“Please stop gambling! All the money I’ve earned is almost gone
by now!”
“Shut up. I’m going to give you an easy life once I win big, so
shut up and hand it over already!”
I snatched away the pouch that Princess Leonor tearfully
offered, and opened it to check the contents.
It’s stuffed to the brim with gold coins.
“Hey, there should be a lot more than this. Don’t you dare hold
out on me.”
“If you take any more money, what should we live on
tomorrow!? We don’t even have money to buy bread anymore.
What is she supposed to eat!?”

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“Just have her hunt a giant frog or something. She’ll happily eat
one raw.”
Fairfore can take out a monster of that level in a single blow.
The princess tearfully clung onto my waist, and remained
clinging on despite my best efforts to shake her off.
“Man, what a scumbag. Don’t neglect your child like that.”
“I feel sorry for his wife… ”
The customers are just shooting their mouths off.
Upon hearing that, the princess grinned.
Ah, she’s enjoying it.
“If you keep doing this, the owner is going to say ‘You know
what to do if you can’t pay, right? Come to my room after taking
a shower.’ and do all kinds of nasty things to me!”
She screamed like the heroine of a tragedy and cried in an
exaggerated fashion.
“Eh? The owner is such a person?”
“So the pervy gazes I occasionally sensed wasn’t my
imagination.”
Thanks to the princess, the reputation of the owner of this
establishment suddenly took a dive.

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“Knock it off already! I’m going to sue you for obstruction of
business! Why do you have to pick my shop of all places to put
on this kind of act!?”
And the person in question suddenly appeared next to me and
started angrily telling me off.
“Seriously, what kind of grudge do you have against my shop?
The girl won so much money she made the dealer cry, and the
guy does nothing but lose money and lodge complaints! Thanks
to the two of you, my dealer has holed himself into his room!
And now you’re pulling this kind of act in front of my store!
Weren’t you banned yesterday!?”
This whole act was an idea thought up by the princess to get
back at them after banning her from the premises yesterday.
Though I did get a little too into it.
“Hey, throw them out of here!”
A bunch of guys dressed in black surrounded us.
“Oh, bouncers, huh? Fine, let’s get out of here.”
“What are you saying? This is where it gets interesting. Here,
you can make do with this, right?”
As she said that, she tossed a large mop to me.
It’s quite a bit shorter than the spear I usually use, but it should
serve well enough in a fight like this.
“Still, I don’t think picking a fight with ordinary citizens is a
commendable course of actions.”

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“Hey, you are using your old voice again. You need to show off
your thug side. Right, let’s start over again from that last scene.”
“Ahem… How dare you weaklings bare your fangs against meー”
“Don’t start over! Go home!”
The men in black lunged at me all at once. I tried to intercept
them, but I just couldn’t bring myself to seriously attack
common citizens, so instead I scooped up the princess and ran
away.

↲

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Chapter 2: Part 8 ↲

After finally shaking them, I set the princess down at a nearby
park. My whole body is covered in aches after I had to shield
her from blows.
Though, thanks to my daily training, there doesn’t seem to be
any major injuries.
The princess crouched down and shivered. Was she injured!?
“Are you alright, Princess?”
“Haaah, that was amazing! Causing a riot at a casino is just like
that scene in the novel I read a while ago! Yeah, this is how it
should be.”
There wasn’t any need for me to worry.
She seemed to be having the time of her life despite our
situation. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to imitate her, but I’m
just a little envious.
“Rein, you’re having fun too, right? I mean, you are still
smiling.”
“Eh?”
The princess produced a hand mirror and held it up to my face.
My reflection seemed a little troubled, but the smile at the
corners of my mouth is unmistakable.
“I’ve thought this for a while, but I think you restrain yourself
too much, Rein. You only have one life, so it’d be a shame not to

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live it to your fullest, right? Take a page out of my book and
smile! That is an order from your princess!”
She placed a finger on the corners of my mouth and forcibly
pushed a smile on my face.
I feel like nothing good will come out of me taking a page from
her book, but if it’s an order from the princess, I suppose I have
no choice.
“Understo… Gotcha. I’m going to act like a delinquent with all
my might.”
“Hehehe, I’ll look forward to it.”
“So, what are we doing next?”
“I’ve said it before, but I want to become an adventurer!
Adventurers are the epitome of freedom. Now is the only
chance for me to become the protagonist of a thrilling
adventure novel!”
She crossed her arms and passionately declared.
I refused back then because I was concerned for the princess’s
safety, but if I put my mind to it, I think I’ll be able to keep her
safe for an adventure or two.
And, honestly, I want to try being an adventurer too.
I’ve worked with adventurers several times while on a mission
to exterminate monsters, and most of them seemed to be the
embodiment of freedom itself, like the princess said.

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There are some knights that are critical of what they call lack of
discipline, but personally, I don’t mind. If anything, I’m actually
a little jealous.
“Alright, let’s head to the adventurer’s guild, then.”
“Eh, really?! Yes! I love you, Rein.”
The princess said in a sultry voice and gave me a wink.
“Yes, yes, thank you. Even though it’s a joke, I’m still happy to
hear it.”
“Oh, you are happy… It’s not a joke, though…”
“Did you say something?”
“Nope. Come on, let’s get to the adventurer’s guild!”
Her cheeks were puffed up in anger and she seemed to be in a
bad mood.
And she was over the moon just a short while ago. I really can’t
get a handle on how quickly her mood changes.
She grabbed me by the arm and started pulling me with her. I
had no reason to resist, so I simply followed her lead.

“Oh, so they really have a tavern in the adventurer’s guild.”
The moment we entered the guild, the princess gawked all
around, not even attempting to hide her curiosity.

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Well, I’m the same way, so I can’t judge.
There were several waitresses and clerks hard at work, along
with several adventurers who were busy getting drunk despite
the sun being still out.
I can kinda understand why the princess looks up to that kind
of freedom.
“So this is what it looks like inside… Hmm? Wait, Princess,
didn’t you visit the guild at the capital during the times you
snuck out of the castle?”
“I tried to visit several times, but father has a really close
relationship with the guild staff there, so there’s always a quest
to bring me in posted up there. So, if I went there to play, I’ll
definitely be caught.”
Ah, that’s why every so often she’d be brought back to the castle
by adventurers.
Thinking about it, apprehending the princess is a quest with
little risk and a huge payday, so it’d be very attractive to any
adventurer.
“But wait, if we become adventurers, won’t they need to
investigate our identities?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. An adventurer’s card can
serve as an identity card. And you can use a fake name for it
too. Oh, and your old tone is back?”
“Ah, right, sorry.”
I need to pay attention to that in the future.

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I walked up to the counter and hailed the female clerk that was
manning the desk.
“Pardon… Hey, I want to be an adventurer. What should we
do?”
“Ah, if you would like to register, there’s a fee involved.”
“Oh, right, sure. There’s enough for both her and me.”
I handed over a few coins.
“Yes, that’s just enough. Now then, I’ll briefly explain what
being an adventurer is about.”
I already knew about what an adventurer does, so I didn’t really
pay close attention, but the princess seemed almost fascinated
by her brief explanation.
“– That’s the short of it. Now, can you please fill up this form?
Height, weight, age, and your other physical characteristics.”
She handed a form over to the both of us.
I just had my weight and height measured by the order, so I can
just use those figures.
My physical features are a little trickier. It’d be blonde hair and
blue eyes, but those are common traits shared by the nobility.
There are former nobles that end up as adventurers, but those
traits are still pretty rare.
If it’s just blonde hair, it’d be fine, but with blue eyes as well,
it’d draw unwanted attention. I wouldn’t be surprised if the

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guild is on the lookout for a runaway princess and her knight
bodyguard.
ーI’ll write blonde hair and red eyes.
“See, you were right to listen to me.”
The princess had a triumphant smile.
Right now, I’m wearing a set of red contact lenses. It’s one of
the disguise tools that I borrowed from the princess.
Apparently, it’s also a kind of magic item.
The main issue is the name. I don’t think it’s likely that my
name will be known by the guild, but since the princess is going
by the fake name of Rene, I should go by a fake name too.
“… Are you thinking of a name? Then, let me think up a name
for you this time. Err, how about… Dust? You are always going
on about pride, so that’d be a good fit.”

“… I feel like you’ve got the meaning mixed up in there… Your
naming sense is as bad as ever, but it’s only a temporary name,
so I’ll go with that.”
I wrote down Dust as my name.
“Right, there’s no issue with the paperwork. Rene-san and
Dust-san, right? Now, can you please touch this card?”
She presented a card to me.

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Apparently, once this card is linked to you, it’ll automatically
record any monsters that you defeated. It’s a type of magic item
too, though I wonder how it’s made.
“I can go first, right? I’ve always wanted to do this!”
After rolling up her sleeves, the princess touched the card.
“Thank you very much. Rene-san, yes? Your strength,
constitution, and dexterity are all well above average! Oh, and
your magic and intelligence stats are also very high… Wow,
your luck is extremely high too. You are quite exceptional.”
The princess swelled with pride after having a large heaping of
praise showered on her.
And she also kept glancing at me. It’s somewhat infuriating.
The royal family often consume stat increasing potions and
experience packed ingredients, which is why royalty and rich
nobles have exceptional combat abilities even though they
never once stepped on the battlefield.
On top of that, the blood of royalty is heavily intertwined with
the blood of heroes, so they have high stats from the moment
they are born. Bright blonde hair and blue eyes are said to be
proof of such.
“You can take any class, but you’re most suited for using magic.
With stats like yours, you can even take on the advanced
Archmage class!”
The clerk said with sparkling eyes. It seems like the princess
really is a rare specimen.

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“I think I’ll go with Archmage. Aww, I’m really troubled. To
think I would have such talents together with being beautiful.”
She boasted specifically so the people around us could hear her
too.
And it’s having the desired effect. The guild staff and
adventurers started gathering around and talking amongst
themselves.
“Her personality aside, her stats are really high.”
“Do you want to invite her? We have been hurting for a
spellcaster.”
Seems like several adventuring parties have already set their
eyes on her.
“I really want to avoid doing anything conspicuous… But, well.”
“Are you jealous? Hey, are you jealous? Sorry, with my talents
and my beauty, I can’t help but draw attention everywhere I
go!”
As Princess Leonor spun circles around me,
“Yeah, on second thought, it’s not a good idea to make decisions
based on looks and ability. I think I’ll pass.”
“I’m with you on that.”
Several of the adventuring parties changed their minds.
“Now then, Dust-san, please.”

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I touched the card that was placed in front of me.
Upon seeing it, the receptionist’s face changed to one of shock
and disbelief.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a stat spread this high before! Your luck
is the lowest I’ve seen, but apart from that, it’s all top class
material!”
I’m glad to hear such praises, but as expected, my luck is really
low. The fact that I ended up in this place after getting dragged
around by the princess is proof enough of that.
“With stats like that, you’re perfect for a frontline class… Hmm?
Wait, you already have a class? A-A Dragon Knight!?”
Everyone’s gazes focused squarely on me.
“Ah.”
Shit! Now that I think about it, I recall touching something
similar back when I first joined the knights and became
ordained as a Dragon Knight!
Actually, there was someone who was dressed very similarly to
the clerk standing in front of me right now. So they got my
information then?
“Aren’t Dragon Knights a super rare class? Is he for real? This is
the first time I’ve seen one in person.”
“The neighbouring country has quite a few of them under their
service, right?”

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“He’s hot and a Dragon Knight too? Maybe I should take this
chance to recruit him.”
The crowd around us suddenly burst into uproar.
This isn’t good. Princess Leonor is already causing quite a stir
by herself, but if a Dragon Knight is here too, news of this might
end up reaching Brydle.
“Princess, we should retreat for now.”
“How could you stand out more than me!? I won’t forgive you!”
“Now is not the time to be concerned over such matters!”
I grabbed the princess’s hand and intended to forcibly drag her
from the guild if I have to.
Just then,
“Hey, wasn’t there a quest to apprehend a pair consisting of a
Dragon Knight and a girl posted on the noticeboard?”
One of the adventurers made the worst possible connection at
the worst possible time.
The looks of admiration they gave me earlier were suddenly
replaced by ones of suspicion.
“They are offering quite a substantial reward for it. To be
specific, they are looking for a Dragon Knight with pale blonde
hair and a woman with a rough manner of speaking but great
looks.”

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The clerk said something that she had absolutely no reason to
say.
Ah, the adventurers are looking at me the same way a carnivore
eyes a potential prey.
“Well, we’ll handle the paperwork tomorrow, let’s go home for
today, honey.”
“Of course, darling. I want to take a bath when I get home.”
We put on a show of affection, intertwined our arms, and tried
to leave.
“Don’t let them escape!”
“I have nothing against you personally, but I need to clear my
tab!”
“In this situation, no one will find out even if I grab his ass,
right?”
All the adventurers came pouring in at once.
I immediately lowered my stance and swept my covered spear
in a wide arc around my feet.
“Woaaah!”
“Stop getting in the way! I almost fell thanks to you!”
A few of them had their legs knocked out from underneath
them immediately, while others started tripping over the bodies
of their comrades.

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This opened a hole in the wall of people surrounding me, so I
grabbed the princess’s hand and burst out.
“They are getting away! Stop dragging your feet and chase them
down!”
I managed to get out of the guild somehow, but now I’m
currently being chased by several adventurers with hungry
looks in their eyes.
“This is all your fault, Rein! You shouldn’t outshine me!”
“That’s now how it went down! Anyway, please keep quiet, or
you’ll bite your tongue!”
Carrying her would allow me to move faster than running
normally, so I lifted her over my shoulder and started running.
“Why are you carrying me like this!? Can’t you at least carry me
in a princess carry!? I am a princess, you know!?”
“Can you please stop getting mad at me for inexplicable
reasons!?”
Despite our current situation, the princess had a wide smile on
her face like she’s having the time of her life.
This kind of slapstick escape is probably quite enjoyable for her.

↲

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Chapter 2: Part 9 ↲

“Seems like we won’t be able to go back to that town for a while.
Sigh.”
Princess Leonor let out a huge sigh as she sat on top of the
white dragon’s back.
I managed to shake the adventurers somehow and met up with
Faitfore who was hiding in the forests not too far from the
town, after which we quickly got out of there.
“If they’ve gotten their hands this deep into the adventurer’s
guild, it seems like we’ll have to wait for quite some time before
doing any adventuring.”
“Aah, I wanted to be an adventurer for once.”
“When things have calmed down a bit, let’s go try and be
adventurers again.”
“You promise!? It’s a promise, okay!?”
She must have really wanted to become an adventurer, I
thought, as she rested her chin on my shoulder and prodded me
in the back.
“Yes, I promise.”
“Good, then I’ll forgive you. Oh, and your tone.”
“Er, yeah, it’s a promise.”
I wonder if I’ll ever get used to speaking like a punk.

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“And, hey, you promised to call me Leonor, didn’t you?”
“Oh, yeah, Le… Did I ever make that promise?”
“Tsk, you should’ve just gone along with it.”
As we chatted, the sun slowly set behind the mountains.
There are no obstacles in the sky, so there won’t be any
problems flying through the night, but after the events of today,
I was exhausted both physically and mentally.
Princess Leonor seems to be in a similar situation, she rested
her head on my shoulder and fought, unsuccessfully, to keep
from nodding off.
I spotted several lights in the mountains, so I decided to rest
there for the night.

The seventh day.
We were staying at a small village that only had a single inn,
and I just woke up.
This room only had two beds, and Princess Leonor was sound
asleep in the other one.
She really was a beauty when she was quietly sleeping. What a
waste.
“Hehehe, what kind of pranks am I going to pull today?”
She mumbled in her sleep as her face twisted into an evil grin.

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… Let me revise that, she’s no good even while she’s sleeping.
“We managed to get away, but it might be dangerous if we don’t
get away from here.”
The guild would have sent word back to Brydle by now. If they
used teleportation magic, they could easily arrange for a search
party to be sent here in an instant.
They would know how much distance Faitfore can cover in one
day, so it wouldn’t be surprising for this village to be included in
the search radius.
“Princess Leonor, please wake up.”
“Hmm? … I almost got that naggy chancellor to fall into the pit
of mud I made.”
“You can do that as often as you want when you get back to the
castle. I don’t get along with him much either.”
“Hehe, that sounded really natural just now. Are you getting
used to it?”
Now that she mentions it, I did naturally fall into that speech
pattern without intending to put on an act.
It seems like it won’t be long now before I get used to speaking
this way.
“Please prepare to leave. If we don’t get out of here soon, they
might catch up to us.”

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“Ah, right, they found us out yesterday. I’ll get ready to leave
immediately.”
If she gets the situation, then I don’t need to elaborate.
I quickly changed into traveling clothes, and once I was done,
so was the princess.
After paying the innkeeper, we headed out of the village.
The forest that Faitfore was hiding in is only a twenty minute
walk away from here.
“Let’s go to a city even further away.”
“What about Elroad!? It’s famous for its casinos! I heard the
prince over there is a no good playboy, but the prime minister
there is really competent.”
“The country of Casinos, Elorad, huh… That sounds great!
Right, it’s decided then.”
We whiled time away talking about what we were going to do
when we got there, and before I knew it, we arrived at the spot
where Faitfore was hiding.
“Sorry to keep you waiting! I bought you a chunk of meat from
the town!”
We emerged into a clearing.
And in that clearing was Faitfore, growling at the dragon
knights that surrounded her.
“We finally found you, Princess Leonor. And, Rein.”

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“Captain…”
He was about a head larger than me, with a full beard, a grim
expression, and a heavily muscled body.
He was the one who recognized my skills despite being a minor
noble and recommended me to the order of Dragon Knights.
If I fought with all my might here, I might be able to defeat him.
But there’s no way I could raise a hand to someone I owe so
much to.
Plus, even if I defeated him, there are still the other Dragon
Knights and soldiers.
With Faitfore captured, there’s no way for us to escape.
“I did say it’d be nice if you learnt to become a little more
flexible in the past, but I never expected you to go this far. I
always thought you were a more rational man than this.”
The captain placed a hand on his forehead and shook his head
wearily.
“I didn’t know I was such a bold man either.”
Even I was surprised I would end up like this.
“Wait a minute, I dragged Rein out here with me on my own
will. It has nothing to do with him!”
The princess stepped up and desperately tried to cover for me.

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“Princess, it’s not that simple a matter. A princess runs away
with one of her knights just before she is arranged to be
married off. There’s no way we can tell that story to the other
kingdoms. The only way news of this can get out is as a tale of
the young Dragon Knight who kidnapped the princess out of
love.”
That’s to be expected.
“That can’t be! I really did drag him out because I wanted to!
Rein is a victim too! Right, Rein?!”
The princess grabbed me by the shoulders and yelled.
“Captain, this incident was all my idea. I’ll accept any
punishment.”
“What are you saying!? Stop messing around! This is myー”
“Place this man under arrest. Princess, please come this way.”
The captain interrupted the princess with a loud command.
This is fine. The life of one man doesn’t even compare to the
stability of the kingdom.
Plus, I was already prepared for this outcome.
I bowed deeply to the princess who was slowly vanishing into
the distance while still screaming for my innocence.
“It’s been a really fun week. Thank you.”
It’s been a short life, but I have no regrets… Actually, I do have
a couple.

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If I die, the princess will be sad, and I won’t be able to fulfill the
promise I made to Faitfore to stay with her forever. Those are
my only regrets.

↲

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Chapter 2: Part 10 ↲

It’s been several days since I was captured and thrown in jail.
“Rein Shaker. The king wishes to see you.”
I haven’t heard my name called for a long time. I looked up and,
glaring at me from the other side of the iron bars, were a few
soldiers.
They probably fully believe I was a villain who kidnapped the
princess.
“Finally.”
It seems like the time of judgement has come.
I’ve long since prepared for this, so I got to my feet and stepped
out of the cell.
“Wait, I cannot allow you to appear before the king in such a
state.”
The soldier first led me to a bathroom. For the first time in
several days, I was able to bathe and properly groom myself.
After I’ve been made presentable, the soldier led me to the
throne room.
In the room, beyond the rows of notables of this country, sat the
king with his magnificent beard on the throne.
Next to him stood princess Leonor.

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The king looked stern, but I couldn’t sense any intensity in his
gaze.
He understands that I wasn’t the main mastermind and was
merely caught up in this.
The princess too had a dignified look on her face, unlike her
usual expression. However, I couldn’t help but notice that her
hands were trembling.
I got down on one knee and lowered my head.
“Rein Shaker. I had such hopes for your future. It’s a pity.”
The king let out a huge sigh. It seemed like he really meant it.
“Normally, the death penalty would be most appropriate in this
situation, but on account of Princess Leonor’s petitions, we will
not go that far. The Shaker house will be dissolved from this
day onwards, and you are sentenced to exile. Never step foot in
this kingdom again.”
Taken aback by this sentence, I raised my head in shock.
I walked into this room prepared to die, so I never expected my
life to be spared in such a manner.
The king shot me an apologetic look before closing his eyes.
The princess resolutely stared straight ahead without moving a
muscle.
Looking around, it seems that most of the people knew the
truth behind the whole incident, and none of them raised any
objections.

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In fact, several of them shot me sympathetic gazes.
“From this day forward, I will not allow you to call yourself Rein
Shaker. Become a different person and go wherever you may
please.”
Even my name was taken from me. Though, in this situation,
being able to breathe for another day is already a great boon, so
I’ll gratefully accept it.

In the early morning, while almost everyone else is still
sleeping, I made preparations for travel.
“That’s pretty much it.”
I packed my stuff into my backpack and left the room that was
assigned to me as a knight.
I was wearing the clothes that I wore when I ran away with the
princess. I was no longer a knight, so such clothing suited me
better.
I gave a salute to the soldiers standing guard over the back
gates, and they returned it in kind.
After walking some distance away, I turned back towards the
castle and fell into a deep bow.
“Right, now, where should I go and what should I do?”
Being free is a good thing, I suppose, but I don’t have a goal in
mind.

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“Whoever’s hiding there, come on out. Are you pursuers?”
I felt a presence behind the large tree a short distance ahead.
It wouldn’t be strange for some bigwig to seek to have me
silenced in order to prevent my secret with the princess from
leaking to the other countries.
“It’s me, Rein.”
The person who stepped out from behind the tree was Princess
Leonor, wearing a hooded cloak.
Somehow, I expected that she would try to meet up with me
before I left, so I wasn’t too surprised by this.
“Did you come here to see me off?”
“I wanted to apologize. I’m really sorry…”
The princess trailed off, a rare occurrence from her.
I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen her so depressed.
“What are you saying? I knew perfectly well that it was going to
end up like this and went along with it. There’s no need to
apologize. If anything, it’s really refreshing to be free like this.”
This was partially true, but also partially me putting on a strong
front.
“Rein… A new marriage partner was decided for me. I plan to
go along with that.”

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