Enkaruna Ada Nordorund.
I belong to the personal guard of His Highness, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Egdoarm, and I serve as one of his attendants. There are five of us in total: three men and two women.
Since the court is mostly made up of men, His Highness has said that he wants more women to be active. It’s a very uplifting feeling!
I am a magic swordswoman. I can also use flight magic, and I’m quite fast, which is why I was selected for this mission to Chenkaslar … I don’t want to go…
There’s someone over there, Ekvar Karlsroa, whom I really don’t like. That guy is insane. Especially when it comes to work, he becomes strict and cold-hearted.
He escaped from the former head of the mages, summoned the King of Hell, and somehow resolved that only to end up having to apologize in Chenkaslar …
When he’s in a bad mood, I don’t want to get close to him. He seems to have a personality that makes him want to fight…
To even enhance the attack power of an Orichalcum sword further shows his perversion. The sword is already hard and sharp enough without that!
The sword was given to the five of us attendants by His Highness, and it was enchanted at the research institute. By the way, since His Highness had a bad relationship with the former head of the mages, he didn’t ask the court mages to enchant it.
Orichalcum doesn’t work well with magic, so only one type of magic enhancement could be applied. Everyone had their preferred attributes enhanced, and I had my magic power increased as a substitute for a staff.
Once again, enhancing the attack power of Orichalcum is a crazy design!!!
In the Kingdom of Chenkaslar , there’s no need to hide our identities anymore, so I just told the checkpoint that I’m a soldier from Egdoarm. I passed through without any trouble. The town seemed normal.
It had a somewhat pastoral feel, not really an urban area.
While walking, I spotted a woman with violet hair before Ekvar. She wore a white robe, and I knew this must be the former court mage apprentice caught in the middle of the turmoil. A woman unlucky enough to be guarded by Ekvar.
“Hello, are you Ilya?”
“…Yes, I am Ilya, but… how do you know my name?”
Alright, this woman doesn’t seem like the type Ekvar would dislike. I feel a little relieved now. Could it be that she’s the one Ekvar is so fond of?
“I’m Enkaruna, a colleague of Ekvar. I’ve come to see him.”
“Ekvar’s colleague? Thank you for coming all the way here.”
She lowered her head politely. She then invited me to her house. That’s great!
“You’re unlucky too, having Ekvar as your guard. He’s quite eerie, isn’t he?”
“……? Eerie? I think he’s a womanizer, though?”
She looked at me curiously. Is he still hiding his true nature?
The town was quieter after noon, and the streets seemed wide. Stalls and small shops lined the road, and when customers left the café, the pleasant scent of coffee wafted through the air.
“He loves fighting, and will even smile while fighting dragons. He also enjoys fighting large groups. He actually likes training for those and does it willingly. He’s crazy!”
“…Dragon hunting is also a hobby of Lord Belial, so I don’t find it strange. He’s strong and dependable.”
Wait… Could there really be women who can tolerate being with him? No way! She’s being deceived by his charming surface persona!
I need to help her see the truth!
“But, didn’t you get scolded for using forbidden magic?”
“I did get scolded. When it comes to magical research, I can get carried away.”
She smiles sheepishly. Wait, she wasn’t scolded in military mode? That’s impossible!
“Really… He even said he’d resign if you got dismissed, but you weren’t scolded?!”
“Dismissed…? What are you talking about?”
Wait—she doesn’t know about that!?
We continue talking as we walk. As the shops become sparser, her house seems to be near.
“You see, you failed to stop the activation of forbidden magic when you were near it. That means you weren’t strong enough. You couldn’t keep going with the mission like that. Plus, it was seen by someone from another country. I think His Highness actually wanted Ekvar to return, and thought it’d be best to settle with just a dismissal. I didn’t think Ekvar would ever resign from the personal guard. We were the ones who panicked.”
Upon hearing this, she covered her mouth with both hands. It seems she had no idea.
There’s no way she wasn’t reprimanded. She was under surveillance too.
“I… I didn’t know at all…”
“…It’s fine. You don’t need to know. This is an issue for us in Egdoarm.”
Oh, here he comes! Ekvar… He seems a bit angry. “You don’t need to know”—but she’s the one involved here!
“Ekvar, I’m sorry! You should’ve told me… I would’ve been more careful!”
“…It’s fine. It was only a pay cut. I’m living in your house, so there wasn’t a real problem.”
Ugh, that sweet-looking expression! After seeing Ekvar’s devilish side, it’s unsettling seeing him act like this. Ekvar isn’t the type to threaten someone with a smile saying “you can lose a limb”!
Different personality, that’s strong.
“…So? Why did you come, Enkaruna?”
Ah, he’s definitely not a good guy. His gaze is completely different!
“…I didn’t want to see you, but I had to meet with you, and I also have something from His Highness. A birthday gift. I’ll give it to you later.”
“Birthday? Ekvar, it’s your birthday?”
When Ilya heard the word “birthday,” she looked up at Ekvar. He seemed to be vaguely staring ahead.
What’s with that reaction?
“Ah, I guess it might be. I forgot. His Highness never forgets, huh?”
“Then I’ll prepare a present too. As a thank you and apology!”
“Great! I’m happy about that, I’ll look forward to it.”
“How about something handmade? Homemade dishes could be nice.”
He’s the type who’s weak to simple things like that. Judging from his reaction, it’s clear he likes her. Maybe I should support them a little.
I have to be careful though; otherwise, I’ll get looked at suspiciously later.
“…Cooking…”
“Enkaruna, I’m better at cooking than her…”
“Eh?”
I thought since he owns a house, he’d be doing chores. Ah, but he’s a court mage apprentice, so he can hire anyone to do that.
“What about sewing? Embroidered handkerchiefs are often given as gifts among nobles.”
“I can’t do that…”
She looked so dejected! Ah, Ekvar’s gaze is scary! This might be my last day alive…
“Ah, right. If it’s handmade, how about an elixir? Would that be good?”
…Huh? Does that count as handmade?
“…Y-You’re giving me an elixir? I’m really happy!!”
“I’m glad you’re happy. I have Amrita and Soma as well. You don’t want mana potions, right?”
“Those three are great, I’d be so happy to get them!”
Wait… This isn’t a birthday present, it’s a tribute! She’s giving them for free!?
Ekvar really does praise her in the reports, she’s really skilled! I didn’t just fall for her charm. I don’t feel any particular allure from her.
She was even said to be stronger than Sebirino Osa Arens. To think she could surpass Lord Arens, it’s hard to believe. The report even said that, as someone who’s not a magic expert, I can’t fully judge her abilities.
That’s why I’m here in the first place…
It’s clear that she’s no ordinary person if she’s able to just give away such top-tier items so easily!
“That’s not fair! I want some too!!!”
“You have nothing to do with this. You’re here on a mission, so get to work!”
Saying that, I nudged her and started walking toward the house. Is she treating me like I’m not here!?
Your Highness—Ekvar’s personality is still the worst today!
