Read Novel Full Vol 1 Chapter 2 Part 1
Here’s the chapter, enjoy~
Chapter 2 – Sahar Kingdom
Part 1
“Wow, big city! This is the Kingdom of Sahar…!”
Tito’s eyes sparkle in front of the magnificent scenery.
Lexia, Luna, and Tito had crossed the desert and arrived at the royal capital of the land of the sun──the Kingdom of Sahar.
The royal capital was built on top of a huge oasis. A white palace rising in the center is surrounded by a brick cityscape. After passing through the huge city gate, the main street was crowded with people.
“So the Kingdom of Sahar is built on an oasis! The brick cityscape looks wonderful!”
“The roof of the royal palace, it’s gilded and interestingly shaped. It looks like an onion. Does that mean something?”
“Awawawa, t-there’s so many people! It’s so bright and bustling; it’s making me dizzy…!”
They had explained to Tito the circumstances along the way.
“Princess Laila of the Regal Kingdom got engaged to the first prince of the Sahar Kingdom, but the engagement is very suspicious. I think there is something behind it. So, I’m going to uncover the conspiracy swirling behind the scenes and rescue Princess Laila!”
This was a very rough and biased explanation, but with Luna’s help, Tito seemed to understand the situation easily.
“Laila-sama must be at the royal palace. Let’s go there right away!”
They walked along the main street, mingling with many people, toward the royal palace.
Lexia suddenly noticed that Tito was holding her cat’s ears with both hands and tilted her head.
“What’s wrong, Tito?”
“U-um, if they find out I’m a beastman, I might cause trouble for the two of you…”
“I don’t think so. Because you see…”
Tito rolled her eyes when she saw where Lexia had indicated, where the beastmen were shopping and chatting.
“Those beastmen are living normally…!”
“Yeah. It seems that this country recognizes the diversity and accepts many different races.”
“! I-I had heard from my master that there are countries like that, but it’s actually true…!”
“The Kingdom of Arcelia and the Kingdom of Regal are the same. There are many races living together, not to mention beastmen.”
“A-amazing…! In the northern country where I was born, beastmen were persecuted… and I was a little different from other beastmen, so they were even more afraid of me… so I was surprised to know that such a country really exists…”
“That’s right. But the Kingdom of Sahar has a lot of trade with other races, and many different races live there. So, Tito, you can walk with confidence.”
When Lexia smiled softly at her, Tito cleared her throat and released her ears fearfully. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that no one stopped or looked at her in disgust but instead busily walked back and forth.
“Right?”
“Y-yes.”
When Lexia closed one eye, Tito’s cheeks flushed with happiness, and her eyes widened.
Her white ears are perked up, and she is sniffing the wind.
“Hmm? What’s wrong, Tito?”
“Oh, no… This feeling──”
“K-kuhyunn!”
Tito jumped up, startled by Lexia’s sneeze.
“Fuwahh!? Are you alright, Lexia-san?”
“Yes, I’m fine. But the dust is so thick.”
“Even though it’s an oasis, it’s in the middle of the desert.”
Lexia sniffed.
“So, uh, what was it… Oh yes! First, we have to go to Laila-sama!”
“U-um, Laila-san? S-she’s in the royal palace, isn’t she? How do we get in?”
“Tito is right. If Lexia’s identity is revealed, there will be a big commotion involving the whole country.”
But Lexia pointed to the castle wall with a calm expression on her face.
“It’s easy. We just have to get over the wall.”
“Over the wall? You mean trespassing…?”
“You know, it’s a royal palace. It’s not that easy to trespass.”
“It’s okay. Tito has good ears and nose, right? With Luna’s strings, it’s easy to get around the guards. Don’t worry; it’s going to work!”
“…I’m sorry, Tito, she’s like this. You’ll get used to it.”
“Y-yes! It’s so nice to see someone being so… positive and bold!”
“You don’t have to compliment me.”
The three of them made their way along the ramparts to the back, where there was no one around, and began their infiltration operation.
“This place looks nice and secluded!”
“I’ll go up first.”
Luna and Tito climbed the wall first, with Tito using her keen sense of hearing and smell to warn the others.
Meanwhile, Luna pulls Lexia up with her string.
“Hey, it’s shaking! Lift me up more gently!”
“Don’t be selfish.”
They manage to climb over the outer wall and move on, hiding in the shadows.
“So far, so good.”
“See, I told you──”
“! I hear footsteps. Please hide!”
The three of them are lying on the ground, and a few soldiers on guard approach them.
“It’s strange. I just heard someone talking over here…”
“…It seems we’ve been spotted…”
“Yes. Should I use my string as bait to distract them…?”
Luna and Tito were discussing countermeasures in a whisper when Lexia whispered.
“Leave it to me; I have a special trick for this kind of situation.”
“What is it? What in the world──”
While Luna looked doubtful, Lexia took a deep breath and said.
“Nyaaaaan!”
“What kind of cat is that?”
“Mmghh!”
Luna covered Lexia’s mouth, but it was already too late.
“!? W-what was that loud voice?”
As the soldier was about to look into the bushes, Tito immediately let out a faint cry.
“Myaw, myaww…”
“…What, a kitten, huh? Then the one earlier was the parent cat?”
“The parent cat was probably upset because it was trying to protect its kitten. It’s alarming…”
Lexia wiped her forehead as the soldiers moved away.
“Phew, they’re gone. Nice work, Tito!”
“T- thank you very much…!”
“But my cat impersonation was pretty good, too, wasn’t it?”
“Lexia, don’t you ever impersonate a cat again.”
“Why?”
After that, they stepped into the spacious garden, passing the occasional guard passing by.
The well-maintained garden hedges were lined with colorful flowers, and clear water flowed through the canals.
“The garden is so beautiful.”
“Where is Laila-sama?”
They looked for her for a while, hiding behind the trees.
“I couldn’t find her anywhere. My intuition told me she was definitely this way, but…!”
Lexia found a girl in a dress in a red-roofed arbor.
“Laila-sama!”
At the sound of Lexia’s voice, Laila, a girl as beautiful as a doll, turned around as if she had been struck by a jolt.
Her eyes widened when she saw Lexia and the others rushing toward her.
“Le-Lexia-sama. Why in the world are you here?”
Her long blonde hair was curled vertically, and her eyes were big and reminiscent of topaz. The elegant appearance, while still exuding the splendor of a large flower, is unmistakably that of Laila, the beautiful first princess of the Regal Kingdom.
Laila was even more dazzled when she saw Lexia in her traveling clothes.
“And that outfit, could it be…?”
“Yes! I’m not here on an official visit as a princess but as a traveler!”
“Besides, we’ve been trespassing…”
Laila was even more taken aback by Luna’s tired mutterings.
“W-why would you do that? How in the world did you get…?”
“We are on a journey to help those in need!”
“J-journey? And you’re hiding your identity…? That’s a dangerous──”
“And Laila-sama was the first person we had to help.”
“Eh?”
Lexia gently took Laila’s surprised hand.
“I heard from Orghis-sama. Is it true that you are engaged to the first prince of the Sahar Kingdom? Laila-sama, you are not the type to accept a political marriage. Orghis-sama was worried about you.”
“…That’s why you came all the way here…?”
Laila’s voice was muffled, but she tightened her lips and bowed her head.
“…Thank you. But no matter what you say, I have no intention of going back. If the Kingdom of Regal and the Kingdom of Sahar are united, they will be a great force to protect each other’s countries. It is my duty as a princess to devote myself to the peace and tranquility of my people.”
“Are you sure about that, Laila-sama? You said that if you were to marry, it would be to the strongest man.”
“Well, fufu. It is true that I said that one day, isn’t it? But for the sake of the country──”
“Not only that, but you also told me before that you wanted to be close to the people of Regal, to watch over their happy faces as a princess, and to be there for them.”
“That’s…”
Lexia looked straight into Laila, who was looking down as if she was trying to escape.
“Certainly, it is important for countries to join forces. But it doesn’t have to be a political marriage. Peace at someone else’s expense is a fragile thing. I don’t think the people of Regal would want Laila to lose her smile. I wouldn’t want Laila-sama to be sad either, you know.”
“…..”
Laila’s expression clouded with sadness. Although she was acting stoutly for the sake of her country and her people, it was clear that Laila did not want this engagement.
“Beside… Hey, Laila-sama. Accepting a political marriage means jumping into the middle of a power struggle. It’s not as if there won’t be people who will be averse to you in the future… No, even at this very moment, you could be in danger, you know?”
“That’s….──”
When Laila’s eyes were downcast, the fence behind her shook slightly. A sharply glowing object flies toward Laila.
“Watch out!”
Tito, who had been watching the surroundings, cleaved her claws toward the flying object.
Kiinn. With a clear sound, a silver piece fell to the ground.
It was a knife broken in two.
“There!”
Luna released her string at the fence, but the suspicious presence was gone in a moment.
“Luna, what was that?”
“It was an assassin. They must have been aiming at Laila-sama.”
Laila paled as she looked down at the broken knife.
“Who in the world and why…”
“Someone must not be happy about this marriage. Is it the royal faction that doesn’t approve of the first prince being associated with the Regal Kingdom, or is it those who want power… the world is as troublesome as ever.”
This was not unusual for Luna, who belonged to the Dark Guild, but Laila stood cowering, unable to hide her shock.
“Laila-sama…”
When Lexia was about to snuggle up to Laila, Tito suddenly perked up and listened closely.
“Someone’s coming! Maybe that assassin from earlier is here again…!”
“No, that’s not the same presence! But it would be bad if they found us here! Take cover, Lexia!”
“Mggh!”
Luna pulled Lexia behind a pillar, and Tito went into hiding.
Soon after, a young man with a pale face and a thin build appeared.
“Hello, Laila.”
“Prince Zazu…”
Laila nervously greets the man with a strange smile on her face.
Lexia whispered as she observed from behind a pillar.
“That’s Laila’s fiancée──the first prince of the Sahar Kingdom! From the looks of it, he’s far from the type of guy that Laila-sama likes…”
“Shush, don’t show your face too much!”
Prince Zazu turned his head to look at Laila with a weird look in his eyes.
“How are you feeling today, Laila? Are you eating well? Are you feeling feverish, sore throat, or any other unusual symptoms? If you feel any part of you is not feeling well, you can immediately contact me….”
Zazu, who had been speaking in a hushed voice, suddenly leaned forward.
“Oya, oya, oyaa? You don’t look so good, do you?”
“I-is that so?”
“Yes, that’s right! Your cheeks aren’t very pale, and your hair isn’t shiny. …Is there something wrong?”
“Nol. I’m just not getting enough sleep, so that may be the reason.”
Laila tried to dodge it, smiling unconcernedly.
Then Zazu suddenly peeled his eyes open and exclaimed.
“Lack of sleep… lack of sleep, you say? Oh no, this is a big problem; your health must not be compromised! You came all the way from the Kingdom of Regal, and you are my precious…”
Halfway through his words, Zazu seemed to realize that Laila was overwhelmed.
He quickly backed away and kept a straight face.
“No. No, no, no, sorry. Well, I’ve got some business to attend to. I’ll have the pills delivered to you later. Take one, and you’ll sleep better…”
Zazu turned around as he was about to leave.
“Oh, yes. I heard a noise a while ago… and I think there might be some unsavory people after you. Be careful.”
Lexia and the others looked up from their positions on the pillars to see Zazu leave with an eerie smile on his face.
“That’s too suspicious!”
“Don’t shout too loud!”
Luna looked at Lexia with dismay as she shouted with all her might.
“Did you see that? That glaring look in his eyes! The unnatural words and actions! That’s not how one should behave toward their beloved fiancée, and it’s definitely not right!”
“H-he was a bit of an odd prince…”
“Prince Zazu comes by every day to check on my health.”
“It’s a strange thing to do when he himself looks so unhealthy. And he says, ‘Be careful; there may be people after you.’ How can he be so irresponsible?”
Luna muttered to herself as she looked at Laila, who looked tired.
“(Certainly… It’s a strange situation, even if it is just a political marriage. There is also the assassin thing. I think Lexia is right about this engagement; there’s more to it than what it appears).”
Lexia looked back at Laila, unconvinced.
“Hey, Laila-sama, are you sure you want to marry him?”
“…Yes. It is my duty as a princess.”
Laila said stubbornly, but her mumbling sounded as if she were saying to herself.
“(It is natural to feel uneasy in this situation… coming to a faraway foreign country for an unwanted marriage, and then having your life threatened by assassins.)”
Luna kept her mouth shut as she thought about Laila’s feelings.
“Lexia stared at Laila’s dark and somber profile, her face gloomy and thoughtful, but eventually she raised her eyes.”
“Staying cooped up in the palace will only block my mood. Besides, there’s no guarantee that there won’t be another attack soon. …Listen up, everyone. I have a good idea.”
“A good idea?”
Luna and the others looked at her, and Lexia took a deep breath.
“──Let’s go sightseeing!”
“Are you an idiot?”
“What do you mean by an idiot?”
“Obviously, this is not the time for this!”
“Ara, this is exactly the time to do it. If there are assassins, it’s better to blend in with the crowd so they can’t get to you. And whoever the mastermind of the assassination is, I’m sure they will reconsider their plan after this failure. If they go after us easily, they are just another enemy, and more than anything else; we have Luna and Tito on our side. If they attack us without a plan, we’ll be able to eliminate them all at once, right? It would be even more convenient.”
“…You’re trying to make a point, but all you want to do is go sightseeing.”
“That’s right, is that bad?”
“Hah…”
Luna held her forehead and muttered to herself as Lexia puffed out her chest without a trace of regret.
“(…In fact, the hardest targets to assassinate are those that move unexpectedly. And it makes sense since it’s easier to distract an assassin in a crowded place. …Lexia herself is in the complicated position of being the child of a concubine. Perhaps it’s because she’s been caught up in royal family ties since she was a child that she’s unconsciously learned how to protect herself…).”
“Hey, Tito, you want to do some sightseeing too, don’t you? Aren’t you interested in the gourmet food of the Kingdom of Sahar?”
“Fuwahh!? Ah, y-yes…!”
“(…I might be imagining it after all.)”
Laila, on the other hand, was unable to keep up with the conversation and was appalled.
Lexia looked back at such Laila.
“Laila-sama, have you already looked around the royal capital?”
“N-no… I’ve only been to the royal capital by carriage; I haven’t left the palace.”
“Then let’s go there even more so! It would be a shame not to enjoy the bright and sunny land of the sun!”
“You know… things are different between you and Laila-sama.”
“What, Luna? These kinds of things are just fine if you’re in a sightseeing mood! If you stay in a depressed mood, you won’t have any luck. If you don’t know what you should do, it’s best to do what you want to do. Right, Laila-sama?”
“Y-yes.”
When Laila nodded involuntarily, Lexia smiled and held out her hand.
As if guided by a dazzling smile, Laila accepted her hand.
“Then let’s go sightseeing in the Kingdom of Sahar!”
The four of them left the royal palace and went out into the city.
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