Konosuba Dust Spin Off 6

While I was lost in thought, the maid brought in a few dishes,
and I could tell at a glance that none of these dishes are stuff
I’ve ever eaten before in my life.
Just looking at them makes me salivate.
“Let’s do our best.”
For the first time, the maid gave me a smile.
However, she held a whip in her hand.
Did I agree to this too quickly?

“Ahhh, I’m totally worn out~.”
Still wearing my strapless silk dress, I threw myself onto the
bed.
I attended my first ever banquet and tried my best to act as a
member of royalty, and to be honest, I have no idea if I
succeeded or not.
Though, the bearded butler and the maids did properly back me
up, so I don’t think my true identity was revealed just yet.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Suddenly, a voice whispered in my ear.
Normally, I would be surprised, but I’m so worn out right now
that even the energy to react is too much.

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“Can you stop sneaking up on me like that?”
“Pardon me, it’s a habit.”
Will this maid ever stop speaking like a hitman?
“So, did I pull off acting like a princess?”
“I think that’s worth a passing grade.”
“That’s good…”
I never knew pretending to be someone else would be this
exhausting.
I did fine today because I had a lot of allies backing me up, but
if I have to keep doing this, eventually I’ll have to act like a
princess in front of royalty.
I think I’ll stop right here. Just thinking about it gives me chills.
“Um, Miss maid, can’t we call this off?”
“Unfortunately, once you’ve accepted, you can’t back out.”
“You’re like a loan shark…”
She calmly replied. Seems like I have no choice but to wait for
an opportunity and sneak out.
“Incidentally, slipping out is like a hobby for the princess, and
she uses her high magic power and extreme cunning to sneak
out of the castle almost every night. That’s why our maids and
soldiers have become very good at keeping an eye on and
retrieving people.”

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The maid warned me in advance with an expressionless face.
True, the people here seemed to be on the same level as first
class adventurers.
Even when I went to the toilet, even though I couldn’t see
anyone, I could still feel several presences hovering close by…
I’d probably be caught instantly if I tried to run.
“Did I agree too quickly?”
“Now, now, it’s only the first day after you’ve made your social
debut. Seeing you like this makes me worry about your future…
Oh, very well, I’ll tell you a story to inspire you.”
“A story to inspire me? What, are you going to tell me some
heroic tale that’ll make the children happy?”
“Yes, it’s the most famous story in our country. A rebellious
princess and the dragon knight who was hailed as a genius.
How would you like to hear the tale of their elopement?”
I lifted my body up almost on reflex.
“Tell me more details about that story.”

↲

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Chapter 3: Part 6 ↲

“ーAnd that’s what happened.”
After hearing that story to the end, I started feeling frustrated
for some reason.
“Hey, is that Rein person who sounds just like an ideal knight
really Dust? It’s not completely impossible, but I find it very
hard to believe.”
“I find the current Dust-sama to be even more unbelievable. He
is like a completely different person entirely… Did he sell his
soul to a devil?”
“That’s what I want to know…”
The two of us looked at each other and sighed.
Our sighs happened to perfectly overlap with each other, and
the unexpectedness of it made me let out a giggle.
“Unfortunately, you seem to be telling the truth. So, err… Is it
really true that he took the princess’s hand and led her out?”
“It is true that the two of them ran away together. However, the
princess herself is the one who spread this story, so who knows
how accurate it really is?”
She placed a finger on her expressionless face.
So she can doubt the words her master says.
“Even though it came from the princess herself?”

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“Lying is like breathing for her. That’s why how you conduct
yourself on a daily basis is important.”
“I agree with that.”
Spending all this time with Dust really makes me appreciate
that.
“Though, back when the princess was telling this story… She
really looked like she was enjoying herself.”
For some reason, hearing that line made my frustration flare
up.
Even though I have no interest in who Dust was or what he did
before!
It just ticks me off that he kept such a secret from his party
members!
I really, really do not care if he was flirting with the princess or
having a fun time with her!
“Oh, you seem upset. Is something to matter?”
“Not at all.”
“If Lynn-sama could play the part of the princess perfectly,
people might start to think ‘Do we really need Princess
Leonor?’. I wonder how frustrated the princess would feel upon
seeing that. Just imagining it gives me chills…”
I don’t really care what the Princess thinks or what Dust is
doing, but I do want to do something to get back at the princess
who forcibly dragged me into this.

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I don’t really know what relationship they have with each other,
but a little revenge sounds apt for this situation.
“If you still want to refuse, I’ll pay you right now and escort you
back to the inn.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll keep playing the princess with you!”
Yes, I’m not jealous or anything, I’m just plain pissed off!

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↲

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A Conclusion for That Dragon Knight
Chapter 4: Part 1 ↲

TL: Cannongerbil
Editing: Striker, Ulti, Xenthur

It’s been two days since Lynn switched places with the princess.
We expected someone to interrupt us while we were drinking at
the tavern, but somehow, we were able to make it through to
morning without any incident.
Did that red-haired woman not report back to the others?
But they should’ve sent quite a few people to secure the
princess once they found out that she was a body double.
“Dust, I think I’ll lay off the wine for a while.”
“Me too. I can’t believe that I’ve been asleep for an entire day.”
Taylor and Keith, who spent the entirety of the previous day
asleep after consuming sleeping-pill infused beer, drank water
with a grimace.
“You need to learn to drink in moderation. As the saying goes,
‘you can drink without getting drunk’. We had to get Yunyun
and Lolisa to cover for you, so be sure to go thank them later.”

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Princess Leonor, under the guise of Lynn, lectured them, even
though she’s the one who drugged them in the first place.
“I see. I’ll bring them a gift as an apology later.”
“I didn’t think I drank that much…”
“Let’s let bygones be bygones. It seems like the two of you are
properly reflecting on it, after all.”
I’ll lay off lecturing the two of them today. After all, the original
cause was the princess.
Showing a bit of kindness every now and then wouldn’t hurt.
“Every time you see someone in a position of weakness, you’d
be the first in line to berate them and attempt to extort money…
So what’s with you today?”
“Did you make a lot of money from this quest? Come on, share
some of it with me.”
I go out of my way to be kind and this happens.
Actually, I take all of that back. There’s no reason to take pity
on these two.
“You know what, I’m going to have you pay for Faitfore’s food
as punishment. Then I’ll call it even for what happened
yesterday. You have no objections, right? Go ahead and eat your
fill, Faitfore.”
“That sounds great. I’ll leave it to you two~.”

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“Thank you very much.”
The two of them reluctantly took charge of paying for Faitfore’s
breakfast.
“Faitfore-chan, this is today’s recommended item. It’s
renowned for being both filling and tasty… It’s a little pricey,
but what about having this for dessert?”
A nearby waitress who overheard the conversation showed up
with a menu in hand in an attempt to tempt Faitfore.
“Hey, don’t recommend the most expensive thing on your
menu!”
“Sorry, but can you offer something cheaper instead?”
The two of them, knowing Faitfore’s appetite, desperately tried
to convince her to go for an alternative, but in the end it seems
like the waitress won.
The pile of plates grew larger and larger, while Taylor and
Keith’s spirits fell even lower.
When they started drowning their sorrows in beer, the princess
suddenly tugged on my sleeve.
“What?”
“About what happened yesterday… I was certain that my
pursuers would’ve come knocking on the door, so why hasn’t
anyone showed up?”

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She said in a whisper, but to be honest, my other companions
are probably too busy worrying about the state of their wallets
to pay attention to anything we said…
“Who knows? Maybe that red-haired lady is late in reporting
back, or perhaps is acting alone. She’s sent by the kingdom,
right? Look familiar to you?”
“… Not at all. I’ve memorized the looks of all the maids and
soldiers in the castle to avoid being caught when sneaking out,
but I’ve never seen her before.”
I think she’s focusing her efforts in the wrong place, but for
what it’s worth, the princess’s memory is top notch, especially
when it comes to remembering faces and names.
In the princess’s own words,
“If I can remember all that, I don’t need to spend a lot of time
on studying or learning etiquette. It’s really convenient.”
Hailed as a genius, but she often focuses her wits on pulling
pranks and getting up to no good.
“So she’s a hireling. From the looks of her, she doesn’t seem to
be a proper professional. Most likely an adventurer or a small-
time thug from another town.”
“Or perhaps she doesn’t know the details and was only told to
bring me in. After all, it wouldn’t do to have officials from
Brydle raise a huge fuss in this country. If that’s the case, I
sense a lot of opportunities for entertainment in the future…
Ehehehe…”
She licked the foam of beer from her lips and let out a smile.

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Ah, she’s planning something wicked again.
Still, how should I proceed from here? It’s not out of the
question to hand her over the next time we meet.
I do feel sorry for the princess, but I’m concerned about how
Lynn is doing too.
“Duuu~st, if you sell me out, I’ll make sure to tell everyone
about how you were when you were a knight. Especially all
those salacious parts.”
Dammit, she saw right through me.
Still, even if I don’t do anything, the fact that Princess Leonor is
no longer at the castle has already been revealed, and it’s only a
matter of time before Lynn comes back to us.
And when she does, it’s only natural that the princess would be
revealed as a fake.
“So that’s where you were.”
I turned towards the source of that irritated sounding voice,
and found Perrier standing with arms crossed behind me.
There’s no one else with her, so she must be working alone.
“Say, what should we do? It seems like what happened
yesterday is weighing really heavily on her.”
Perrier was wearing a jacket over her red dress.

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“You did put her down pretty harshly yesterday. You best
apologize.”
“S-Sorry, I didn’t do it out of spite or anything. I just thought it
was really an eccentric sense of fashion. I really can’t
understand the appeal of dressing up that way, but that’s up to
your personal taste.”
It sounds like she was trying to patch things over, but all it
seemed to do was inflict more damage onto Perrier.
She seemed about to collapse, but was able to barely support
herself by clinging onto the side of a table.
“F-Forget about my clothes! Just come with me. If you plan to
resist, I don’t mind going wild here.”
She said with a smile, but just what is she thinking?
Going wild inside the tavern of the adventurer’s guild would
make the entire guild your enemy.
Axel might be known as the town of beginners, but due to
certain circumstances, there are quite a few veteran
adventurers who’ve made this town their home… Especially the
men.
“I’m sure you don’t want to drag innocent people into this.”
“Eh? I don’t really care about dragging them in.”
The princess instantly answered, and Perrier’s jaw dropped
wide open.

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“W-What did you just say? These people have nothing to do
with you at all.”
“What of it? As long as I am fine, I don’t really care about the
others.”
Slamming her mug onto the table, the princess made a
shameless declaration.
I’m sure part of it is the alcohol speaking, but it’s most likely at
least half true.
“Y-You are the worst. This is why royalty are such scum.”
“What do I care for the thoughts of the commoners? Ohohoho.”
With that, she put her feet on the table and laughed.
Judging from her looks, it seems like she’s well into her cups.
Now that I notice, there seemed to be a lot more empty mugs at
the table than I initially thought.
She must have come to terms with the fact that she would be
brought back to the castle any time now, and taken the chance
to drink her fill of all the cheap wine that she normally couldn’t
enjoy.
“Tsk, you must really be something to get so drunk in the
middle of the day. Don’t you feel any shame knowing that
others are working hard out in the sun while you are sitting
here getting drunk? No person in their right mind would start
drinking in the middle of the day. If your family could see you,
they’d be so disappointed. There’s no other word than pathetic
to describe you!”

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Perrier said that in a loud voice, perhaps still bearing a grudge
over her choice of clothes getting disparaged.
“Sigh… Have you ever been told that you can’t read the mood?”
“Huh? What are you saying?”
“Where do you think you are? This is the tavern of the
adventurer’s guild, you know?”
Finally realizing that she made a mistake, Perrier broke out into
cold sweat and cautiously started looking around her.
“Well, sorry for drinking in the middle of the day, lady.”
“Family, huh? I’m a virgin, but I do want to have a family before
I die.”
“Let me show you how wonderful alcohol is. Come over here
and let’s have a drink together.”
As other drunks started surrounding her, even Perrier couldn’t
help but lose her composure.
“W-What are you trying to do? I won’t let you off if you do
anything to me!”
“What, you’re charging? Well, name your price then.”
“I’ll give you everything I earned today, so come have a drink
with me!”
It seems like those clothes gave them the impression that she
was in the business.

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“Cut it out. Why would I hang out with scum… Glugluglug.”
A mug of beer was forced into her face while she was in the
middle of talking.
“Are you trying to get me drunk? Hicc. You won’t get meー.
Drunk that easily, hiccー.”
Did she get drunk from just one mug? Despite her appearance,
she seems to be a real lightweight.
“Ohh, that’s a nice drink. Come on, drink up! It’d be my treat!”
“Bring out a barrel of wine!”
The lady’s face blushed a bright red to match her hair and
dress.
Taking a seat with the group of drunks, she started drinking
and completely forgot about us.
What did she even come here for?
“Don’t leave me out! I’m going to drink my fill too!”
“You’ve had too much to drink. Come on, let’s go outside and
get you freshened up. As for you two… Good luck.”
Taylor and Keith were so concerned with the amount of food
that Faitfore was eating that they barely glanced my way.
It doesn’t seem like they heard about what happened earlier
either.

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It wouldn’t be a good idea to tempt fate any further by
remaining here, so I grabbed the princess and led her outside.
I walked around, searching for a deserted place where she could
sober up in peace, but when we exited the first alley we came
across, she suddenly stopped and stared at me.
“Hey, hey~. What are you planning by taking me outside~. You
don’t have anything dirty in mind, do you~?”
“Dammit, you are really annoying when you’re drunk! I won’t
lay a hand on you.”
“Is that because Lynn-chan is that important to you?”
She asked in a clear voice, unlike the slurred speech she was
using earlier.
“So you were just pretending to be drunk?”
“Nevermind that, answer me. Is Lynn-chan really that
important to you? I don’t look that much different from her, so
won’t you be fine with me too? Plus my chest is bigger too.”
“You know, in the first place…”
I pushed away the flushed and flirty princess who was leaning
against me, placed my hands on her shoulder, and took a deep
breath.
“Really, why did you come here?”
“I told you, I came to pay you a visit while on the way to the
capital of Belzerg.”

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“And is that really all?”
It wouldn’t be strange for her to do something like this on a
whim.
However, she had no reason to deliberately let Faitfore escape
and have her pass a message. It’d be more her style to keep it a
secret until she suddenly shows up from nowhere.
That’s the kind of person she is.
“Well, there is the fact that this would’ve been my last chance to
meet with you…”
“What do you mean?”
She lowered her gaze and whispered in a lonely voice. This
shook me to my core.
Just as I pressed closer to ask her exactly what she meant by
that,
“I found you! To think that you’d come up with such a plan to
get me drunk, you guys sure are something!”
The red lady interrupted us.
Even though she was clearly drunk back then, she now looked
completely fine.
“You were the one who set yourself up. Has the alcohol worked
itself out of your system already?”

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“Heh, while I was drinking with them, a priest I’ve never seen
said ‘You are really bad at holding your liquor!’ and cast Heal
on me, so I’m perfectly fine now.”
What a nosy person.
But this place is fairly deserted, so I didn’t need to worry about
passerbys listening in. That’s perfect for our purposes.
“Anyway, who exactly hired you?”
“Hire? What are you talking about? I was ordered to come here.
To secure the willful princess of the Kingdom of Brydle.”
“Yeah, so you were hired by the guy who gave you that order,
right?”
“Well, I suppose you can say that. It was an order from above,
after all.”
Hmm? It feels like we are talking past each other.
“Incidentally, who gave you that order?”
“It could be my father or the butler, or perhaps the chancellor.”
If you ask me, the most likely candidate would be the king,
followed by the butler.
“All I can say is that she’s a general of the Demon King’s army.”
“Huh!?” x2
The princess and I said at the same time.

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Did she just mention the Demon King’s army?
“Why are you acting so surprised? Don’t play dumb now, you
already knew about it, didn’t you?”
“Err, sorry, not at all.”
“Not one bit.”
We gave our honest answers.
An awkward air descended upon us.
“No, wait a minute. You guys prepared a body double and ran
away because you knew that the Demon King’s army was
targeting you, right?”
“No, that’s not it. I just made use of her because I wanted to run
away.”
…This could be said to be a pretty serious situation, but we
didn’t feel any sense of urgency at all.
“So, what exactly are you doing? You didn’t prepare all this to
escape the clutches of the Demon King’s army?”
The princess and I nodded in unison.
“Haaa? Then what did I go through all that for? I was planning
to negotiate because I thought you were a shrewd person who
went as far as to prepare a body double, but this is what she
really is like… And my dress was mocked, too.”
I understand very well her desire to grab her head in her hands
and scream.

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She’s just another victim who was caught up in the princess’s
schemes.
“Anyway, what does a member of the Demon King’s army want
with her?”
“Since you’re a member of royalty and an adventurer, you
should already be aware of recent developments. The Demon
King’s army is planning a major invasion in the near future.”
Hearing that, the princess let out a gasp.
I’ve heard some rumours about it, but hearing it directly from a
member of the Demon King’s army sure lends it some weight.
“… I was traveling to the capital in order to discuss this matter.”
“… Isn’t that a pretty major issue? Is it really the time to be
doing something like this?”
“… It’s fine. I’m just here as a diplomatic gesture, it’s not like I’ll
be making any decisions.”
We whispered. I never thought such things would be taking
place behind the scenes.
“Hey, don’t ignore me and whisper amongst yourselves. That’s
really mean, you know?”
Is she really a member of the Demon King’s army?
Her words and actions are rough, but she also feels very human.

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“Didn’t anyone tell you that you shouldn’t interrupt when
someone else is speaking? If we can secure Princess Leonor as
our hostage, we’ll be able to seal away those pesky Dragon
Knights that are the mainstay of the Kingdom of Brydle.”
I see. True, if you can control the skies, you’ll achieve a
significant advantage on the battlefield. And the greatest threat
to any flying beast would be a Dragon Knight.
“Oh, it seems like the Demon King’s army has some sharp
minds at work. However, you guys overlooked a critical issue
with your plan.”
“Hah! What are you talking about? What issue could we have
overlooked?”
I pointed at the princess and loudly declared.
“Princess Leonor has no worth as a hostage!”
“W-What are you saying!? I’m the pure, smart, and beautiful
Princess Leonor who is akin to the sun that shines over the
kingdom. If I were to be captured by the smelly and violent
Demon King’s army, the entire kingdom would be awash in the
tears of the citizens!”
Those words came out almost all at once.
I almost couldn’t believe that she would value herself this
highly.
“Y-Yeah, that’s right! Regardless of her behaviour, she’s still a
member of royalty! And she’s the first princess too, so there is
no way she wouldn’t have any value!”

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“Ah, you just don’t get it. She does nothing but cause trouble for
the people in the castle all day. They aren’t able to touch her
because she’s royalty, but if the Demon King’s army were to
take care of her for them, they’d practically jump for joy.”
Or so I say, but that is a bald-faced lie.
She might be willful and selfish, but her straightforward
personality and the way she acts without care for differences in
status has undeniably made her popular amongst the citizens
and common soldiers.
“You’re lying, right!? I can’t be that hated! Tell me you’re lying,
please!”
Princess Leonor grabbed her head and yelled at the sky.
I think she’s just acting to go along with me, but when it comes
to her it’s hard to tell what is an act and what is genuine.
She’s not seriously in shock, is she?
“True, it wouldn’t be surprising for someone like her to be hated
by the kingdom…”
“Don’t be convinced so easily! It’s fine, I’m not hated! It’ll
definitely be fine, so go ahead and hold me as your hostage!”
Why is she offering herself as a hostage?
“Ah, no, actually, I think I’ll pass.”
“Just a little while would do! Just two days and a night would
do, so hold me hostage already!”

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The princess pressed up to Perrier’s face as the other girl slowly
shrunk back.
… What’s up with this situation.
“You’ll continue to be wilful even when you are a hostage,
right?”
“Not at all. All I need is a skillful chef and a fluffy bed. Oh, and a
large bath, three meals a day, and afternoon naps. As long as I
have that, I won’t throw any tantrums.”
“Yeah, I think we’ll be fine.”
“Why!? I gave you a really good deal, didn’t I?”
Could I say that the plan went well?
She lost any intention of taking the princess hostage, so that is a
success, right?
“Ah, shut up! You’re so annoying! My superiors told me to bring
you in alive, but it’d be the same if I kill you here. It’d be
troublesome to have any witnesses lying around, so you’ll be
dying here too.”
This girl chose the absolute worst way to lose her temper!
“Hey, aren’t you afraid of what will happen if you disobey your
superior’s orders?”
I stepped in front of the princess.
“Oh, can it! I’ve always been bad at thinking! I can’t be blamed
for my boss picking the wrong person for this mission!”

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This girl seems to have flown off her handle entirely.
Still, I can’t say that her actions so far have been particularly
intelligent. Her boss really did pick the wrong person for the
job.
She tore off her jacket, and a large pair of bat-like wings
sprouted from her back. Along with it, a pair of horns started
growing from her head.
So she was a demon, huh.
“Ah, I see. I thought you were just a tacky exhibitionist, but this
is why you wore a dress with an open back.”
The princess seemed impressed by how those large wings
sprouted out without damaging her clothing.
Though I don’t think that’s where you should be focusing on.
“She seems like a pretty strong opponent. Dust, I’ll leave this to
you!”
After saying that with a wide smile on her face, she turned
around and ran down the alleyway.
“Hey, she ran away on her own.”
“… Yeah, she did.”
Her escape was so unexpected that Perrier couldn’t react in
time to stop her.
The two of us stared at each other.

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“Say, is there any point to us fighting?”
“Quiet! I’ll hunt her down later, but right now I’m going to vent
all my frustrations on you!”
Doesn’t seem like she has any intention of talking at all.
Perrier took off from the ground and swooped down at me.
Five long red claws left streaks in the air as she swiped them at
my face.
I managed to parry it with my sword, but the moment I blocked
it she swiped at me with her other hand. It took all I had to hold
her off.
“Your head isn’t much to speak off, but you’re pretty good when
it comes to fighting!”
“I clawed my way to becoming a general candidate solely on my
strength! Even my boss gave me her stamp of approval, saying
that ‘you can count on her when it comes to fighting, at least’!
This kidnapping thing was supposed to be taken care of by
someone else, but I ended up taking over after showing my
strength!”
I see, so she forced the guy to hand this mission over to her.
… That means it’s not your boss who made the wrong choice!
“As fellow struggling people, I feel like I would have a lot in
common with your boss!”

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After blocking her attacks, I leapt backwards in order to gain
some distance.
She only blindly attacks without using magic or any tricks, so in
a sense she’s an easy opponent to deal with, but at the same
time, her physical capabilities are monstrous. The attacks come
in so fast that it’s taking my all just to fend her off.
Her claws are a little longer than my blade, so I’m at a
disadvantage when it comes to reach. Additionally, she had
both hands available.
I spotted an opening and tried to land a blow, but she
immediately took to the air the moment she sensed the danger.
Yeah, she’s definitely good at this.
“Dammit, this might be pretty bad for me.”
Maybe it’d be better to run away instead of fighting it out here.
But if I ran away here, she’ll definitely go after the princess
next.
“Then I can’t back down now, can I?”
I lowered my center of gravity and raised my sword.
“Oh, you’re not running away? You’re better than I thought, but
it seems like your reach is just a little too short. Oh well, I’ll deal
with you in a jiffy and go chase that bitch down!”
She soared high into the air and dove down towards me.

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It’d be impossible to block her blow at this speed. It’s not my
style, but I’ll have to settle for landing a fatal blow as she lands
hers…
“Dust, use this!”
A voice shouted from behind me, along with the sound of
rushing wind.
I dropped my sword and grabbed the thing flying towards me
from behind.
There’s no need for me to turn to look in order to grab
something that’s so familiar to me.
“Oh, you came back! Once I cut this guy down, you’ll be next!”
I planted the butt of my spear on the ground and pointed the tip
at Perrier as she screamed downtowards me.
Just before she reached me, I shifted towards the side.
“What!?”
There’s no way for her to change directions at that speed.
The only thing left where I was moments ago was a spear
pointed right at her. And it is obvious what will happen if you
charge towards it at full speed.
“I wanted to go easy on you because you’re a sexy lady, but I
can’t do that if you go after the princess.”
I stepped into the princess’s line of sight to shield her from
seeing this grisly scene and hurried on out of there.

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“Dust, I’m heading back.”
As we were passing by a restaurant, the princess suddenly said
that.
“Where did this come from?”
“It’s bad enough that my life was targeted, but there is a chance
that Lynn-chan’s life is at risk as well. It’s unlikely that Perrier
was the only person that the Demon King sent.”
“Yeah, if I was the boss I’d send someone else after her too.”
Perrier had the skills when it came to combat, but she wasn’t
exactly good at using her head.
“Right? I’ll be safer with my bodyguards, and I can’t let Lynn-
chan be exposed to danger for my sake. So this will be the end
of my selfishness. I had a lot of fun, Dust. Thank you.”
She uttered those rare, honest words of gratitude and bowed
her head.
“Don’t be so nice all of a sudden. You’re giving me
goosebumps.”
“Hehe. I won’t be able to meet you like this anymore, so at the
very end, at least let me act like a proper princess for once.”
I have to say, that unblemished smile that appeared on her face
as she said that really does suit her.

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↲

229 | P a g e

Chapter 4: Part 2 ↲

“Leonor is back! Open the gates!”
The princess stood in front of a lavish mansion in the wealthy
district of Axel and boldly declared.
The emblem of the Kingdom of Brydle was emblazoned on the
breastplate of the guards guarding the gate.
“It’s true, she looks just like Leonor-sama. If they hadn’t told
me about this in advance, I would’ve fallen completely for it.”
The guard scrutinized her before nodding to himself.
What’s with this guy? That’s not how a soldier of the kingdom
should be acting.
“What are you saying!? That is an order from me! I won’t have
you say you’ve forgotten my face!”
“Of course I remember your face. I’ve faced plenty of troubles
both at the castle and on the road. I’ve even had my salary cut
three times for failing to stop the princess from escaping.”
The soldier let out a huge sigh. It doesn’t seem like he
recognizes the princess.
“Then let me through. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that earlier.”
“I can’t do that. I’ll keep the fact that you took the princess’s
name as your own a secret, so hurry up and make yourself
scarce.”
“What? Who do you think I amー”

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“You are the princess’s lookalike, right? Princess Leonor is
currently in the mansion, and the head butler told me that there
is someone who happens to look just like the princess in the
town of Axel. She might try to use her name to pull off some
kind of scam, so make sure not to fall for it.”
This person thinks that the person currently within the
mansion is the real princess.
Well, I suppose I should’ve thought about that before. If Lynn
managed to successfully fool everyone into thinking that she is
Princess Leonor, then obviously the one standing out here
would be treated as an imposter.
“Are your eyes for show!? Take a good look at me! Who else
could such a noble face belong to other than Princess Leonor!?”
“Even the way you speak is very much like the princess. I’ll
admit that you really did your homework, but, really, you
should give it up while you still can. Masked man over there,
can you please take her somewhere else?”
He’s not buying it at all.
Incidentally, I’m wearing a mask I bought from Sir Vanir’s store
to prevent the guards from recognizing me.
“This situation doesn’t look very good. Let’s head back for now.”
“No way! I can’t believe nobody can recognize the real Princess
Leonor! Ah, old man! Look over here! It’s me!”

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The princess happened to see the bearded butler, accompanied
by a maid, walk past the courtyard, and enthusiastically waved
towards them.
The butler stared at us for a long time before raising an eyebrow
and approaching us.
“Oh, it’s the young lady that looks exactly like Leonor-sama. I’ve
heard the rumours, but it’s still surprising to see you in person.”
He ran a hand through his immaculately kept beard as he said
that.
“What are you saying!? I am the real one, the one inside the
mansion right now is the real fake!”
“Now, now, I can’t have you calling Leonor-sama a fake. That’s
no way to speak about royalty.”
“Indeed. Even as she is, she’s still technically royalty.”
The maid standing next to the head butler gave an
expressionless nod.
“Hey, wait a minute. Do you two really not recognize me?”
It seems like having the head butler who had been with her ever
since she was born not recognise her was a major shock to her.
She took several shaky steps back.
“The Leonor-sama currently in the mansion has some problems
when it comes to the finer points of etiquette, but she’s
throwing herself into her studies without any complaints. This
is just me talking to myself, but the entire entourage has agreed
that it’d be perfectly fine if things remained like this.”

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“She’s much cuter than the first Leonor-sama.”
Hey now, they just said something really unbelievable.
Are these guys serious about having Lynn take Leonor’s place
even after knowing her true identity?
“Y-You’re betraying me!? This is treason! A conspiracy!”
The princess cursed at this unexpected turn of events.
“What are you saying? I am merely following the princess’s
wishes. I hope she’ll enjoy her life of freedom. I doubt she’ll
have access to the luxuries that she’s grown used to, but I’m
sure she’ll have a fulfilling life ahead of her. Pui.”
The maid spat on the ground without her smile cracking in the
slightest.
“Wait, are you seriously saying that!? I’ll reflect on my actions,
so please say you’re joking!”
The princess tried to jump on the head butler, so I grabbed her
from behind to stop her.
“Is Lynn fine with this?”
“Oh, that voice. I think I’ve heard that voice somewhere before.
Well, leaving that aside, the new Leonor left a message for you.
‘If you think that I’m more important than the princess, then
feel free to bring me out.'”
Why is Lynn being so stubborn?

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“Does it mean… They told her about the past?
I bowed and muttered to myself, when the maid suddenly came
into my line of sight.
Her face looks familiar. I think she was Leonor’s personal maid.
She was a Thief, and had a surprisingly venomous tongue
despite being almost entirely expressionless.
“I told her the story of the princess and the young Dragon
Knight to kill time, after which she became really ill tempered
for some reason. She said: ‘If he doesn’t lower his head and
come pick me up, I’ll stay here forever’, and in a sense that gave
me a really nice feeling in my heart.”
“So you were the one who did it…”
She must have gotten upset after hearing about the secret that
I’ve kept from her all this time.
I did promise to tell her some day, but I never got around to
doing so. From the sound of things, her mood wouldn’t get
better unless I prostrate myself and apologize to her from the
bottom of my heart.
“That’s the story, so please leave. Though, on the off chance that
you do manage to break through the security and reach the new
Leonor, we will agree to trade her back for the ex-Leonor,
reluctant as I am to say that.”
“Ex, you say…”
I heard a trembling, rage filled voice, so I think I’ll avoid
looking her way for the moment.

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“Well, you’ve sure shown some real spine. I’ll see if you can
remain that way when the fake is taken away! I’ll make sure to
pay you all back when I regain my authority… Just you wait!”
“Ho, ho, ho. The words of a mere lookalike are but songs in the
wind.”
The princess glared angrily, but the butler seemed unfazed.
They must have suffered quite a bit at her hands, so this is their
opportunity to get a little payback.
There’s no room for me to interject. From how things look, I’m
practically guaranteed to have to sneak in there to rescue her.
Still, I suppose it isn’t too bad.
And it’s unlikely that they are being serious about this. I’m sure
they are only putting it this way in order to get the princess to
seriously reflect on her own actions.
If she returned of her own will, she’ll be somewhat less wilful in
the future. The butler seems to be counting on that.
“Sigh~. If the ex-Leonor were to return, that would mean an
end to these peaceful days. Ah, what a pity.”
“I can’t believe we have to swap out the pure Leonor-sama who
was so elated by just a dress and a meal. Sigh.”
The head butler and the maid let out a huge sigh.
Princess Leonor, seeing their actions, started trembling with
rage.

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“Of course, we’ll do everything in our power to stop you, so
please be prepared if you do decide to challenge us.”
“It’s been some time since I’ve needed to use the skills I had
developed as a Thief.”
The two of them cracked their knuckles and struck up a
confident pose.
Are these two seriously intending to get in our way?
“Stupid! Stupid! I’ll definitely make you cry! Let’s go, Dust!”
“Ah, yes.”
As the teary eyed princess dragged me away, I looked back at
the mansion, and met the gaze of Lynn looking down at us from
the second floor.
Wearing that dress that ill-fitted her, she stuck her tongue out
at me.
She seems to be in a bad mood.… Well, in order to brighten her
up, I suppose I should treat this a bit more seriously.

↲

236 | P a g e

Chapter 4: Part 3 ↲

That night, we observed the mansion from our vantage point.
There were four soldiers in front of the gate. The crest of Brydle
was emblazoned on their breastplates, so they must be soldiers
that they brought in from back home.
“Um, why did you drag me out here? It’s work time for me
now…”
Pinkie-hair said something, but I ignored her.
Beyond the gates is a wide open courtyard. It’s best to assume
that there are a few more traps and guards hiding out there.
“Has Lynn-san really been kidnapped? If that’s really the case,
after I rescue her, as a thank you gift, she can be my f-friend…”
The gullible loner Crimson Demon was saying something too,
but I ignored her.
“Hey, explain exactly what is going on. I know that this Lynn is
just a lookalike, but what’s exactly happening?”
“Yeah, how did Lynn get mistaken for Rene-san here and end
up getting locked up in a nobleman’s mansion?”
Keith and Taylor pressed me as they drew closer.
I would really like to ignore them too, but I get the feeling that
these guys will probably leave if I do that.
I only told them Lynn was in trouble in order to drag them out
here, so they know nothing about the situation.

237 | P a g e

“Well, Rene-san is a certain noblewoman whose parents
recently died. One of her relatives tried to force her into
marriage in order to secure her inheritance, and she ran away
to avoid that. As a result of a chance encounter, they mistook
Lynn for Rene, accidentally kidnapped her, and is now trying to
use Lynn as Rene’s replacement for their own gains.”
That’s the story the princess and I came up with in order to
secure the aid of my companions.
Using the old fake name of Rene does bring back some
memories.
“I’m really sorry for causing this much trouble to Lynn-sama.”
The princess sorrowfully said while dabbing at her eyes with a
handkerchief. She’s used to lying and putting on acts, so
something like this is a breeze for her.
My companions are all good people at heart, so they were
completely taken in.
“I see. A nobleman who wished to force a girl to marry him, a
woman who runs away because of it, landing the adventurer
who took her place in a huge crisis… I feel like this situation will
really appeal to a portion of our customers! I should note this
down!”
Loli Succubus, standing in the back, was furiously writing
something down into her notepad.
“Doesn’t that mean Lynn-san is in really big trouble!? If a
villain is involved, everything changes! As a Crimson Demon, I
won’t let such a situation slip me by!”

238 | P a g e

Yunyun is surprisingly enthusiastic about this. I guess the
Crimson Demons do have a penchant for games of justice.
“If Lynn is in danger, I can’t ignore this. You can count on my
help on this matter.”
“She’s the only girl in our party. Without her, all that would be
left is a bunch of scruffy old men.”
Taylor and Keith bought the story too.
“Still, is there a reason for us to bring the child along?”
Taylor’s gaze was directed at Faitfore, who was clinging onto
my back with the help of the carrier string.
Normally she would’ve been sleeping soundly in bed, but
instead she’s having a nap on my back right now.
“I don’t feel safe leaving her alone at the inn. Plus she’s been
clamouring to come along with me lately. I’ll make sure she gets
away if anything happens, so don’t worry about it.”
It is true that she has been clamouring to come along with me,
but the main reason I brought her along is that, as a White
Dragon that has made a contract with me, the closer she is to
me the more powerful I grow.
If push comes to shove, that will really come in handy.
“Right, here is the plan. First off, Yunyun will strip completely
nude and blast away with her spellsー”

239 | P a g e

“No way! I’ll definitely become a criminal if I do that! And why
do I have to be nude!? There’s no need for that!”
How cheeky can she be to interrupt me before I could even
finish outlining the first part of my perfect plan?
“It’ll be fine. It’s the middle of the night, so no one will be
looking.”
“That’s not the problem! If you want to do that so badly, why
don’t you do it yourself, Dust-san!”
“I don’t mind committing minor crimes, but major crimes like
that are a little… ”
“Don’t make me do anything that gives you pause, Dust-san!”
“Yeah, stop messing around with stupid plans like that and
think of something more realistic.”
“I support the nudity, but at least try and use your brain a
little.”
Taylor and Keith joined Yunyun in lecturing me.
“I really wracked my brains coming up with that plan. Okay,
fine, why don’t you guys come up with something? If my plan is
so stupid, then I’m sure you’ll be able to come up with a plan I
can get aboard with easily, right?”
I looked at my companions in turn before stopping in front of
Yunyun.
“M-Me!? Umm, maybe we could ask the guard at the gates to
please return Lynn-san to us?”

240 | P a g e

“Oh, that’s a good plan. As the person who came up with it, I’m
sure you have no issues going up and asking him yourself.”
“Eh? Eh? Me!? You want me to go?”
“Dust, aren’t you being a little too cruel there?”
“What’s so cruel, Taylor-san? If you are going to raise
objections to my plan, then I’m sure you would have an
alternative plan in mind, right? It’s easy to just criticize, after
all. So go on.”
Yunyun gave me a fearful look before stepping out of the
shadows and inching towards the gate, trembling and looking
every which way as she did. She’s pretty much the textbook
example of a suspicious person.
She started talking to the gatekeeper, though due to the
distance I wasn’t able to make out exactly what they are saying.
After some time, she dejectedly came wandering back towards
us.
“Um, he told me that girls shouldn’t be out alone this late…”
“You’re totally useless! Does anyone else have another plan?”
Everyone averted their gaze at once.
They are afraid to say anything because they know they’ll be
asked to carry it out if they do.
“Let me explain my plan.”

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The only person who didn’t avert her gaze, Princess Leonor,
raised her hand.
“Oh, do you have something interesting in mind?”
“Something like that. The noble in charge might be a villain, but
the underlings under his command know nothing about what’s
really happening, so I would like to avoid harming them as
much as possible. So we should do this…”
Everyone leaned in to listen to her whispers.
“First, we should split up into two teams, one to sneak into the
mansion to rescue Lynn-san, and the other to stay outside here
to cause a distraction.”
“Splitting into two, huh? True, taking them head on and forcing
our way in is impossible, so having a smaller team would make
it easier to sneak in undetected.”
“I’m fine with it. The issue is how to split everyone.”
Seems like Taylor and Keith are in on it.
“About that, the team sneaking in should be me, Rene, Faitfore,
and Lolisa. What do you think of that?”
“Eh? I’m going in too?”
Loli Succubus pointed at herself in shock, almost like she never
expected to be picked at all.
“You’re good at using mind-affecting spells, right? It’d be a
great asset when sneaking in.”

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Plus, as a succubus, it’s her job to sneak into a man’s room
without anyone noticing in order to give him a dream, so
infiltration should be an old hat for her.

“Um, wouldn’t it be really dangerous to take Faitfore with you?”

Yunyun shakily raised her hand.

“You’re too naive in your thinking. What would you think if a
man snuck into your house carrying a young girl on her back?”

“Umm… It’d be quite a surprise.”

“Right? I would be able to take advantage of their surprise to
get the drop on ‘em. Plus, even if we happen to get captured,
they’ll definitely let her go.”

“Yes. I’ll definitely get them to leave her be if she gets caught.
Oh, and, the goal of this mission is to get me and Lynn-san to
swap places once again. I’ve managed to get some unsavory
information on that nobleman during the last few days I spent
in town, so I’ll be able to get him to call off the wedding.”

The princess confidently declared, but those are all lies.

To anyone who doesn’t know the truth, she’d look just like an
inspiring noble heroine who forged her own path through sheer
will and effort.

Apart from me and Faitfore, everyone else present seemed to be
having such thoughts run through their heads as they watched
her act.

“Right, then, let me get down to the details.”

↲

243 | P a g e

Chapter 4: Part 4 ↲

“The order of operations was decided and everyone got into
their positions.
Though, in truth, most of the plan is riddled with holes and
relies heavily on improvisation.
A single girl walked past the gates. Perhaps because she’s
walking alone at night, she seemed restless and jittery, and
ultimately very suspicious.
“Hey there, pretty thing. How about having some fun with me
and the boys? … Hey, your line.”
“Ah, sorry. Errr… How about having a cup of tea with us?”
“T-Tea? Um, are you really fine with me? You aren’t mistaking
me with someone else, are you?”
A pair of adventurers called out to her, seemingly trying to hit
on a weak woman.
Or it would be if it wasn’t for the smile she had on her face. This
wouldn’t do.
“Yunyun, you need to put up more resistance. Otherwise there’s
no point in doing this. And Taylor, put a little more effort into
your act.”
“S-Sorry. I don’t get asked out very often…”
“Y-Yeah. You want me to act more thuggish, right? What would
Keith and Dust do…”

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…We might’ve put the wrong people for the job.
Keith is doing fine for his role, but the other two are really bad
when it comes to acting.
Fortunately, the three of them did manage to draw the attention
of the gatekeepers with their antics, and all the men at the gate
are currently looking their way.
“Are they hitting on her? No, wait, it sounds like it might be a
couple’s quarrel.”
“It might be best to stop them. And isn’t that girl the one who
came up earlier?”
Taking advantage of their distraction, Leonor, Loli Succubus
and I snuck up to the gates and walked past them. I was
wearing the mask in order to avoid having my face recognized.
We considered climbing the walls and getting in that way, but
they’re high enough that it wasn’t a viable option. I might be
able to get over the walls by myself, but not if I wanted to bring
the Princess along.
Plus, the other side would be expecting us, so breaking in
through the front might end up being more surprising.
“Right, we’ve successfully snuck into the courtyard. I’ve
memorized the layout of the mansion, so follow me.”
We hid ourselves in the shadow of a large tree in the courtyard.
Leonor pulled out a piece of paper from her bosom and led us.

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“It’s nice that it came in useful, but why did you have a map of
the mansion on you?”
“I had to get it. Getting out of this mansion is part of my escape
plans, so naturally, I had to prepare a map of the layout
beforehand.”
I didn’t feel like complimenting her foresight at all.
The courtyard is needlessly large, so there’s still quite some
distance between us and the mansion.
“There’s nothing that we can hide behind between us and the
main door. There are a lot of lights around too, so we’ll
definitely be spotted if we go through the courtyard.”
“That’s a problem. What should we do?”
“Well, we’ll just have to stick to the shadows, dodge the lights,
and see where that takes us.”
Princess Leonor and I, along with Faitfore clinging onto my
back, crouched down and slowly made our way across.
Just as we covered about 80% of the courtyard, the
surroundings suddenly became a lot brighter.
“Gyaaa! My eyes! My eyes!”
“Argh, it hurts!”
The princess, who was coincidentally looking in the direction
where the light came from, rolled around on the floor clutching
her eyes.

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Using my hands to form a sunshade, I squinted towards the
source of the light and saw the head butler striking a pose along
with several maids on the roof.
“So you finally appeared, Beta Princess Leonor!”
“Don’t call me Beta!”
“Even if you say that, we’ve all agreed to serve the new Princess
Leonor. In other words, you are nothing but a lookalike.”
“Stay right there, I’m going to turn you all into burnt bacon!
FireーOw! What are you doing? It’s really dangerous to poke
me while I’m chanting!”
I stopped the princess from doing something stupid, and she
snapped at me instead.
She was really going to shoot a fireball at him, wasn’t she?
“I don’t want to hear that from a princess who blasts away with
magic at the drop of a hat! What are you going to do if the
mansion catches fire? Lynn is still inside, you know?”
I don’t really care about the head butler or the maids, but I can’t
let any harm come to Lynn.
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
“Yeah.”
A bunch of soldiers came out from the mansion while we were
talking.

247 | P a g e

“It seems like you’re worried about Lynn-sama, but there’s no
need for concern. She’s right here.”
The butler stepped to the side, revealing Lynn wearing a dress
standing behind him.
She was looking down at me with a cold stare, her arms crossed.
“Oh, you really did come.”
“Yeah, I came. Let’s go home, Lynn.”
“No way. Why don’t you go off and flirt with that princess? Just
like you did in the past.”
Lynn puffed up her cheeks and turned away.
“… You’re not jealous, are you?”
“Is that bad?”
Eh, wait, what did she just say?
She’s not the kind of girl who would honestly come out and say
that, right?
“I said, is that bad? I’ve heard an old story about you here,
Dust. The reason why you approached me when we first met is
because I looked so much like her. That’s what going on, right?
You couldn’t forget about the princess, right?”
“That’s not it. No, I mean, I did mistake you for the princess
when we first met, but after spending so much time togetherー”

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