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Stealth Kid Goes to Cotton-elka – Part 01

The royal capital of the Kingdom of Ponsonia, the heart of the nation, was called G. Ponsonia. Civilians, who made up the majority of the 250 thousand-population, lived in the Second Residential District, while the First Residential District, located in the center of the city, was lined with the mansions of the nobility. And at the middle of it all stood a tall building—the royal castle.

The castle was so large that it took three hours to walk around it. Not only did it serve as the residence of the royal family, but it also had a guest house for state guests, lodging facilities for the knights and some personnel of the army, and even dormitories for the servants working in the vast city.

On the small parade ground within the castle, a man had been wielding a large, two-meter sword since early morning, swinging it around easily. Though his cropped blond hair, the hardened muscles, the scars that marred his body all gave him the air of a soldier, there was a gentleness to his eyes. It was Lawrence D. Falcon, Commander of the Knights of Ponsonia.

“Are you feeling fine now?”

A girl was walking along the pathway lit by the morning sun. Even without knowing her, the attendants accompanying her clearly marked her as someone of noble birth.

Lawrence immediately put his sword on the ground and dropped down to one knee.

“As you were,” the girl said.

“I cannot display such a slovenly appearance.”

“And I am saying it is fine.”

“As you command.”

Lawrence rose to his feet and gazed at the approaching girl.

Her orange hair, long and wavy, glistened even brighter in the morning sun. Her amethyst eyes, staring at Lawrence, were filled with sagacity. Her refreshing sky-blue dress, with its trendy lace pleats, looked great on the girl who just turned seventeen this year.

“I’m glad to see you’re doing well,” she said.

“It is my only saving grace.”

Only a few people knew about Lawrence’s defeat in the hands of a young bandit. Known in the kingdom as the Sword Saint, Lawrence was highly popular, and was the symbol of Ponsonia’s military prowess. The higher-ups believed that his defeat, especially against a young boy, would tarnish the reputation of the kingdom.

“You seem well yourself, Princess Kujastria.”

“I follow the same routine every day.”

She flashed a sarcastic smile, an unusual expression for someone believed to never stop smiling.

Her name was Kujastria G. Ponsonia, a royalty and princess of this kingdom. Since her brother, Austrin, was the crown prince, she would be entering a political marriage soon. One could even say that it was long overdue; she had turned seventeen this year, yet she was still unmarried.

“Leave us,” Kujastria said.

“But Princess…”

“This man right here is the best swordsman in the kingdom. If that is not enough to ease your worries, you may stay where you can see me.”

“Understood.”

She just shooed her people away. Though disgruntled, her attendants kept their distance from Kujastria and Lawrence.

“Did you need anything, Your Highness?” Lawrence asked.

“News about the Forest of Deception arrived yesterday. Did you hear about it?”

“I did. A dungeon deluge. Is the army being dispatched?”

“It’s the other way around.”

“What…?”

“Last night, Father made the decision to ignore it. The monsters leaving the dungeon are indeed dangerous, but fortunately there are no towns in its vicinity. He is of the opinion that the number of monsters would eventually decrease.”

A Dungeon Master couldn’t constantly create monsters. It must lure living creatures inside the dungeon to grow. Ignoring it, therefore, was a valid approach.

“That’s strange,” Lawrence said. “I heard there was a settlement nearby.”

“Yes.”

“What will happen to it?”

“They will be asked to evacuate.”

“…I see,” Lawrence groaned.

He knew now why Kujastria wanted to talk to him in private. She didn’t agree with the king’s—her father’s—decision. She believed that the army and the knights were there to protect the people, and there was no better time to mobilize them. As things stood, the villagers would be asked to evacuate somewhere far, and not provided any assistance afterwards.

Kujastria was a kind-hearted girl. No, she was more than just kind-hearted. She knew that the people were the pillars of a nation, and she understood when to use force.

She just couldn’t say these things out loud. She had been walking in the shadows all this time, trying to avoid offending the crown prince. If Kujastria expressed her dissatisfaction with the king, nobles that opposed Austrin would gather around her. This would lead to a struggle for the throne that would split the kingdom in two. To avoid such a fruitless conflict, she had remained quiet all this time.

“Since the army and the knights won’t be mobilized, does that mean the Adventurers’ Guild will deal with it alone?” Lawrence asked.

“No. We can’t afford to let high-ranked adventurers go.”

“Does His Majesty plan to go to war?”

“Yes.”

There was another reason for ignoring the dungeon deluge: Ponsonia’s hostile relationship with its neighbor, the Quinbrand Empire. There had been skirmishes between the two nations over the past few years, and the king intended to crush the empire completely once the time was ripe. The moment war broke out, knights and soldiers alike would be mobilized, and high-ranked adventurers would be summoned to fight.

As a matter of fact, this was also why Kujastria had not yet married. The king was serious about destroying Quinbrand. Annexing the empire would increase the kingdom’s presence on the continent, which would in turn affect Kujastria’s marriage.

“You have just suffered a serious injury, and now you’re about to carry more burden.”

“This is nothing. The wound has already healed. Please rest assured.”

The young bandit—Hikaru—had severed Lawrence’s jugular. However, the wound itself was not deep and was quickly healed using Healing Magic. The problem was the amount of blood he lost, which he was already gradually recovering. He was expected to fully recover in a few days.

“My father has been acting strange lately.”

“Your Highness, you shouldn’t—”

“His ardent desire for Count Morgstadt’s daughter, forsaking citizens so easily… Would a war with the Empire really bring a brighter future for the kingdom?”

Lawrence did not have the answer to her question. Nor was Kujastria looking for one. She was a bird in a cage. She was not allowed to leave the castle, nor was she expected to do anything.

All she could do was chirp before the kingdom’s sword. Even if her cries rang true, none would lend her an ear except Lawrence.