Book 5: Volume 4 Chapter 5, The Designated Request

Translator: Kazumi

Editor: Silavin

 

The Crown branch of the Smith Kingdom had grown considerably since its early days.

 

In the beginning, the movement of goods and people was severely restricted. But as its usefulness became undeniable, those restrictions were gradually lifted.

 

The branch now operated almost identically to the teleportation gates connecting the towns of the Central Continent. Of course, because both sides were crossing into foreign territory, checkpoints and customs duties remained firmly in place.

 

The current arrangement had taken years to settle into something stable, built slowly through accumulated experience since the teleportation gates were first established.

 

Even so, the detailed rules were still shifting and would undoubtedly continue to change. This was something entirely new for everyone involved, and trial and error was simply expected. Yet despite all the effort it demanded, the mutual benefits were clear enough that there had never been any serious talk of closing the branch.

 

If anything, discussions had begun about increasing the number of teleportation gates. That alone said much about how significant the benefits from Amamiya Tower had become for the Smith Kingdom.

 

It was into this branch that a Nobleman arrived, accompanied by a large entourage, Prince Christophe of the Smith Kingdom himself.

 

He had not sent word ahead. His sudden appearance caused no small amount of confusion among the branch staff. Normally, Christophe would have made arrangements in advance precisely to avoid such a scene, but this time, something had made that impossible. There was something he absolutely had to do, and it could not wait.

 

For that purpose, he had used his position to summon a particular adventurer.

 

That adventurer was, of course, Kousuke, known here as Kou.

 

When branch staff came to the inn where he and Kouhi were staying, the two of them were quickly ushered in. Upon confirming that the room held only those directly involved, Prince Christophe did something neither of them expected.

 

He bowed.

 

“I’m so sorry for summoning you so suddenly.”

 

Kousuke, who had been quietly preparing a mild complaint, found all the words drained out of him.

 

“Huh?! Oh. No, it’s fine, but… is something wrong?”

 

He was technically in a position to be more assertive, but being treated with such deference by a Prince of a foreign country left him oddly off-balance. That feeling, at least, had not changed.

 

Visibly relieved by Kousuke’s response, Christophe gestured for them to sit.

 

“First, those standing with me are my close confidants. They are already aware of who you are, Kou-sama.”

 

He indicated the guards beside him. More had accompanied him to the inn, but there had not been room enough for everyone, and Christophe himself had sent the others away. The remaining guards had been present during the previous incident and already knew Kousuke’s activities as ‘Kou’. Christophe had taken the precaution anyway which, Kousuke supposed, was simply how the man operated.

 

Even so, he still did not understand why the Prince had personally come here.

 

“I see. So, what can I do for you?”

 

“I’d like to make a request,” Christophe said carefully, “specifically to ‘Lord Kou,’ the adventurer.”

 

“…What?”

 

Kousuke let out the word before he could help it. This was not the sort of request a Prince came personally to make.

 

Christophe, apparently reading Kousuke’s expression with some accuracy, continued in a measured tone.

 

“I know this isn’t something I should be asking of you directly. But there are… circumstances.”

 

“What circumstances?”

 

“Our Royal Family has a motto, that we must be capable of making the medicine ourselves.”

 

The type of medicine went without saying. It was medicine made from Frie Grass.

 

Kousuke had known the herb was important to the Smith Kingdom, but it surprised him that the Royal Family was personally involved in its preparation.

 

“So this is a request to gather Frie Grass?”

 

He kept his phrasing careful. Even in a room where everyone present already knew his true identity, his current standing was still that of the adventurer Kou. He had no intention of letting his words slip.

 

“No. The Frie Grass itself is delivered directly to the Royal Family. The problem is the other herbs.”

 

“Ah.” Kousuke nodded slowly. A single medicine rarely uses only one ingredient. That made sense. Still, he tilted his head, something nagging at him. “But wouldn’t it be difficult for me to gather them alone?”

 

He was also traveling with Peach at the moment, which meant he could not go off too far. He glanced at the Prince, wondering whether Christophe had already accounted for that.

 

It seemed like he had.

 

“You may be imagining something more difficult than it is. The ingredients I need aren’t rare products of this region.”

 

“…What?”

 

“Everything I need right now can be gathered nearby.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Yes. Ordinarily, someone else would have handled this. But due to certain circumstances, asking that person has become… complicated.”

 

After listening to the explanation, Kousuke quietly filled in what was not being said.

 

The job had previously been given to the Succubus. It was practical training for lower-ranking members, the sort of work that fit naturally into a curriculum. But the recent turmoil had made that impossible. He did not imagined Succubus being assigned something so routine, but thinking about it now, it made a certain kind of sense.

 

Understanding the situation well enough, Kousuke found himself agreeing with little hesitation.

 

He had already planned to stay close by during Peach’s activities and take on some Crown assignments in the meantime. If the materials were all within a short distance of town, there should not be any real complications. The only unusual element was that the request was coming directly from Royalty.

 

However, since ‘Kou’ was already reasonably well-known within Crown, that should not cause problems either.

 

Among adventurers, it was understood when someone had received a designated assignment. What was less clear, and deliberately kept so, was who that request had come from. Protecting the client’s identity was a duty shared by the Crown and the guild alike. When Royalty was involved, it went without saying that their name would never surface.

 

“In that case, I’ll accept. How will the materials be delivered?”

 

“Through the standard Crown office procedures.”

 

The Prince himself would not need to be present for the handoff. Kousuke noted, quietly, that if that were always the case, Christophe could simply have sent a subordinate from the start. There must be a reason why that had not been an option. Royalty, in their own way, was bound by considerations that looked trivial from the outside.

 

“Understood. When does it begin?”

 

“We’ll need to go through the proper procedures first. A few days, most likely.”

 

Christophe had never handled something like this directly before, and he admitted as much. If anything, bypassing the usual urgency classification would probably add to the timeline. He called in an official to confirm the details, and the conversation became straightforward.