Arcadia’s Labyrinth

Then the request for an escort in Christina's name arrived like every day.

On rare occasions, there were days when His Royal Highness Chris was busy running errands, but the days when no requests came never lasted two days.

Fighting theatres, theatres, college libraries, commercial streets, upscale shops for the upper classes, sometimes slave markets, etc…. At the request of some time here, the tourist attractions in the labyrinth city would have looked around.

A date named Escort with her was generally enjoyable, although there were some aspects to her concern, and I sometimes felt guilty about whether I could get twenty silver coins.

The only trouble is that she's been trying to put something on and give me a present.

An accessory that is not strange to be a family heirloom if it is the home of a prestigious celebrity workout sword, armor hung with countless defensive magic...

I kept poking at all of it to make it uncomfortable. [M]

This gift attack was an expression of His Highness Chris' affection and something you should never have received if you didn't want to go into depth.

To my eyes, those luxury items only looked like chained collars from her.

On the other hand, I had to accept her handmade lunches, treats, etc.

It would be rude, and offensive, to reject just such an item. We must not get along, but we must not buy discomfort. It was a difficult part of my relationship with His Highness Chris.

More importantly, I guess I made it with unfamiliar hands. Sometimes I couldn't bounce it off when I saw an undressed lunch box, cookies, etc.

My lord Chris and I had a good ten days without even holding hands...

"Congratulations! Now Mr. Alcaine's party is promoted to Bronze Rank!

Finally, I was promoted from a wooden to a bronze rank.

…………………………

Silently, receive a bronze guild card.

They can see a list of labyrinths up to bronze rank if you make this look like a guild.

It seems that the labyrinth where the bronze rank can be seen is about an even less savory labyrinth of the small labyrinth, but the important thing is to get it into the labyrinth.

More than bronze rank seems to be promoted if you step through the labyrinth, so if you even title-boost, you'll soon be able to dive into the Twelve Labyrinths.

I mean, I don't have to take any more requests.

"So, Mr. Alcaine. We have received a request from the usual Baron Textona family courtesy...... what do you do?

- That meant goodbye to His Highness Chris.

………………………………

I meditated silently on a question from the receptionist. I have no more merit in taking His Royal Highness Chris's request than I have been promoted to the Bronze Rank.

Twenty silver coins is a lot of money for new American adventurers like us, and I guess there's no reason to say no to this, but if you take it from us with the title boost, it's nothing short of gold.

In addition, there are a number of circumstances that should not go into depth with His Highness Chris. Therefore, my reason was that I should not take any more requests from her. But......

I answered as I felt Elise and Leriana gaze from my back.

"... Yes, I'll take it"

When I answered that, I felt a slight increase in intimidation from behind.

"Right! Okay, I'll tell you what."

After hearing my reply, the receptionist began to accept the request with pleasure.

Turning to Elise as she looked sideways at it, there was an understated smiling Elise and a slightly swollen appearance of Leriana.

"Why are you still taking that woman's request, Kane! You must have gone up to the bronze ranks already!?

"No, just when the rank rises, yes. It doesn't mean goodbye..."

"So it's good to know that this request is the last, right?

Tina came face to face from the side as she wandered into Leriana hitting her emotions straight.

"What, are you quitting this request? What a waste. Twenty silver coins just to play with you, huh? Blah, blah, blah. Now you can eat it all the time. Squeeze him out as much as you can."

Tina...... I couldn't hide my surprise at the black statement that popped out of my sister. How long have you been such a daughter...

No, have you been a cash guy for a long time?

"Tell Elise something, too."

You didn't think it was obvious that Leriana was going to turn water on Elise. She smiled bitterly.

"Hmmm...... don't think I should do what Kane likes. Just..."

"Just?"

"Yeah, if you want me to say something personal, I think that guy should stop..."

Leriana asks Elise, who cares a little about the idea.

"Why?"

"No, honestly, it seems heavy... Do you think love seems to be deep in a different type from me? I don't care how big the vessel is, Kane feels like she's going to overflow by herself..."

"" "Oh......" "

To Elise's words, we nodded to the triplets.

I'm from strategy information, is Leriana and Tina from a woman's perspective? Each one of them seemed to feel an aura pounding from His Royal Highness, "He's a little nasty, too."

"Foreword withdrawn. Fire play is better this way, duck."

It was Tina who said that first, followed by Leriana as she put her arms together.

"It's a bad idea to disappear all of a sudden. On the contrary, it reinforces your obsession. You'd better get your hands on me."

And finally, Elise tells me.

"Kane, what's important is that Kane can carry it to the end. Ten or a hundred...... I won't complain when Kane can hold you, but if it's going to crumble, I'll stop. Just remember that."

"Ugh, yeah......"

On the other hand, Elise's words were reliable, and I was somewhat saddened by their perception of me, "I wonder if they think it would increase so unrestrained..."

- - Heading to Fountain Square, the meeting place with His Highness Chris, there was a look of her leaning over with a hard expression.

As I approached her, she looked up at me.

"- Alcaine!"

A face that brightens up like a flower blooms. When I saw it, I felt sharp pain running down my chest.

I'm sure she was anxious. The moment I went up to the bronze class, I couldn't take the request. Even today, he must have been fighting anxiety that maybe he wouldn't come to the rendezvous point.

But I'm here. [M] That is enough to give her hope that I will continue to take requests. [M]

And I felt very guilty that I was going to betray it.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

I've already made a rounding choice. [M]

The most important thing for me is Elise and Leriana, and now it's time for the world to survive.

I don't deny that I've had anything to attract to His Royal Highness Chris over the past few days, but... I couldn't put my feelings and balance on the two of them.

Still, at least until today, let me entertain you wholeheartedly. That's my sincerity.

When I was ready, I smiled at her, forgetting all the circumstances.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!

"No, because I just followed you earlier, too"

Exchange classic exchanges, which have been repeated many times over the past few days.

"So where shall we go today?

"Right. Is Alcaine anywhere you want to go?

"Hmm... why don't you take your time looking around the city today and talk to me?

"Shall I?"

Walk out side by side with His Highness Chris.

Walking all over the city, I mostly thrived on memorabilia there once where I stood.

Talk about me sucking a thousand gold coins at the casino. Talk about me falling asleep on the way to the theater. Talk about spotting a forgery at a weapons store I stopped by.

Sometimes he laughed, a little angry, his eyes glowing, and His Highness Chris seemed to enjoy his time with me.

And as I was walking down the boulevard in the commercial district, I could hear people bluffing in my pretenses.

"Oh, the triumph of the Labyrinth Saints."

"They've broken through the maze."

At the end of the people's gaze was a line of knights dressed in silver armor. Dressed in that more one-rank fine than I remember, they glanced at the side with pride and a little superiority and were on the road in grandeur.

... Labyrinth Saints? He was the top of the big clans in the previous world, but I wonder what the hell's going on in this world. At least the gear and proficiency also seem to be increasing. Is that a step ahead of any other guild? Or is the quality of the top increasing overall? I wonder what's going on with the other guilds in the first place. The guild seems to have taken the role that the Labyrinth Exploration Mutual Support Adventurers Association had...

When I look at the Labyrinth Saints with a blur, I think about the position of the clan in this world.

"... do you care about the Labyrinth Saints?

To the lid, His Highness Chris asked.

"Huh? Oh, yes, well. because it is the admiration of the adventurer"

I didn't know what position the Labyrinth Saints stood in this world, and I gave it back so easily.

Having heard that, His Highness Chris, after leaning over a little troubled.

"Well, if you don't mind, why don't I talk to my father?

"Huh?"

She said slightly quicker when she frowned not knowing what the question meant.

"No, I told you before that my father works for His Highness as a knight, didn't I? I thought I'd ask you to join the Labyrinth Saints with that handout. Of course, you won't be able to officially join from the start, but you might be able to get me in as someone's knight's squire. That way we can grow faster with the luxurious support of the Knights, and if we achieve results in the future, the Knights' title."

- Dear Christina,

I blocked the story of His Highness Chris with a slightly stronger tone. And look her straight in the eye......

"Stop doing that, please"

Quietly, but clearly told him so.

".................. eh"

To my words, His Highness Chris stiffened Guissili and his body. Like a puppy yelled at by its owner for the first time in its life.

I turned away from Her Royal Highness Chris, and I said it small. [M]

"I fulfill my dreams myself. Conne or something like that is............ not pretty"

"Ah............................................."

Stunned. His Royal Highness Chris stood by losing his word.

"Um, excuse me.... You said it in good faith and I'm sorry"

When I lowered my head, His Highness Chris shook his head powerless.

…………………………………… No, I'm sorry. I was more... impure. "

……………………

An awkward silence falls on the spot.

"Shall we go home today?"

"Oh, oh... right"

Keep going. The two of us are on our way home. The footprint is heavy.

… has this failed?

I was chilling my liver inside as I looked sideways at His Highness Chris, who had lost his complexion.

During today's escort, I've been asking when it's time to distance myself from His Highness Chris well.

Because I thought it would be harder to buy grudges to stop taking requests because of something in the escort than to quit asking because I went up to the bronze class.

In that regard, I can say that the suggestion of His Highness Chris just now was exactly the moment we waited.

It was easy to predict that it would be the last enclosure of His Highness Chris.

If you put me in the Knights of the Labyrinth, it's up to me how to cook the rest.

If you manage to say "he's promising" at the right time and as your own squire as a prince, you can tie me up for almost the rest of your life and be near me, whether you're a man or a woman.

Regardless, in common sense, it is a suggestion that everyone snorts without one or two, and will not be rejected first.

His Royal Highness Chris should have made this invitation with considerable confidence.

To refuse this would not be possible for theoretical reasons.

So what I brought up was this emotional “dream” thing.

I don't want to make my dreams come true in Conne because what a young man who doesn't know how to tell the world is going to say, at the same time, is extremely emotional and not convincing in stuffing.

And if you turn this down, you can make a groove with His Highness Chris in a natural way.

Therefore, I turned down her invitation while posing as a gut inside.

That in itself is on schedule.

The problem was the way His Highness Chris was shocked.

Now she was just a dead man with white skin losing her mind.

The way I said no definitely broke her heart in addition to my thoughts.

What kind of chemical reaction would happen to her mind if she told her that she would not take any further requests in the future with this. Would it not mean that royal pride, etc. acts and is extra cute and hateful a hundred times?

Should we still take the time to distance ourselves here?

No, but I've already spent a lot of time diving into the labyrinth. In previous experience, there has been little temporal respite.

Take some risks here. But let's say goodbye here.

As the usual breakup place approached, I finally solidified my resolve and stopped her.

"- Dear Christina,"

"Oh, hey, what is it?

Did you perceive anything, the look on the face of His Highness Chris was nothing.

"I need to talk to you"

"Huh...... Ah. Well, that has to be today, shouldn't it? Even the next time."

Again, I'm guessing. I told her softly and clearly that I was trying to postpone.

"No, now please"

…………………………………………

His Royal Highness Chris leaned down and grabbed his skirt. It was a little childlike trick on the verge of being pissed off, and it was bullish and adorable and I felt guilty about being able to grip my heart.

I meditated for a moment and was ready. [M] Here, let's say it all at once.

"- As for future requests, I'm going to stop taking them. Thank you so much for everything. Really, I appreciate it. I will never forget this favor."

She seemed devastated by what she would have guessed. He rocked his upper body like he had been punched in the face, one or two steps behind him. The leg was shaking so pitifully that it could be clearly seen over the long skirt as well.

"... hey, why"

…………………………

I took the cloth bag out of my nose without answering the question or the words I didn't know whether to speak to myself.

"- I will pay you back all the rewards of my previous requests"

His Highness Chris unconsciously received the money I offered him with a trembling hand, and took it away. It's like I've never had anything so heavy in my life before......

Silver coins are pounded out onto the street, and the sound of high armour echoes. As it signaled, the potpourri and the rain came out.

"Oh, oh, why, like this. What did I do wrong, …………………!

It was His Highness Chris, who was bumping and squealing, but suddenly lowered his head.

"Sorry! I apologize for ruining your dreams! I will never try to catch my heart with gold or things again! So forgive me!

――――

Now it was my turn to be shocked by the sight.

I can't believe she, the royal one, bowed her head to me, the civilian one... That much she......

While I was delighted with His Highness Chris' favor, I couldn't help but sympathize with her birth, which caused her to go so far.

"... give me your head. I'm not angry at all. Instead, I really appreciate you. I really enjoyed the last few days."

"Well, then why..."

"Because I'm dishonest. I'm going to focus on the labyrinth. That's why I can't take any more requests. I meant to do that from the start.... Well, I'm sorry I seem to leave as soon as I get my class up"

In the end, I said I was going to quit on this request. [M]

Maybe I'll buy His Highness Chris' wrath. But I still couldn't leave without making her mistake that I was leaving because of my own rudeness.

………………………………………………

The rain is getting stronger. When I eat bitter bites, I turn my heels back. [M] His Royal Highness Chris followed me like that.

The wet hair stuck on her reddish cheeks, her eyes were unstoppably tearful and indescribably colorful.

"Hold on! I don't care if you're dishonest! Between diving in the labyrinth, in your spare time! Oh, yeah! Yes, I'll raise the request too! Yes, two gold coins a day, no, I'll give you twenty!

…………………………………………

"Ah!! Oh, oh, chi, no. I'm not going to fish with money...! Me, I...!

"- Excuse me!"

I didn't want to see her any more pathetic, and I ran off shaking her.

From behind, her screaming voice is thrown.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Shh, I like it! It's the first time I've ever liked someone in my life! So! So! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

In the heavy rain, the cry of His Highness Chris echoes.

The voice stuck to my ear forever, and it annoyed my heart.