Chapter 16

By the fifth day, we were starting to slack off.

It seemed both Prince Bartona and I were feeling the same way, as we had stopped hunting seriously and were instead strolling through the forest while chatting.

"My! Look, Prince. There’s a huge mushroom growing over there."

"Oh, you’re right. Quite colorful and beautiful, too."

Just to be clear, this wasn’t a euphemism about Prince Bartona’s, ahem, equipment being large and colorful.

There really was an enormous mushroom growing there.

It looked similar to a fly agaric. However, instead of just red, the caps came in all sorts of colors—blue, yellow, green, purple.

Most strikingly, they were huge. Even the small ones were bigger than my face, and the largest looked big enough to shelter under during rain.

In areas where monsters appear—called demon zones—the closer you get to the center, the more the scenery diverges from a typical natural environment.

I’m not overly fond of hunting, but I do enjoy sights like this.

"Could this be due to miasma exposure? Fascinating."

Miasma is like a substance(?) that emits magical energy. If I had to draw a comparison, miasma is like radioactive material, and magical energy is like the radiation it emits.

When miasma accumulates in an animal's body, it causes them to become magical beasts.

Apparently, miasma affects not just animals but also plants, fungi, and other organisms.

I imagine it’s kind of like biomagnification—miasma builds up inside the body, eventually giving rise to magical beasts.

On closer inspection, there were bite marks on the mushrooms, which meant the animals around here were likely eating them.

"I wonder if they’re tasty?"

"…The question is whether they’re edible in the first place."

For the record, miasma and magical energy are generally considered toxic to all plants and animals.

Consuming a large amount all at once is fatal.

However, if you ingest it in small doses over time, you can build up resistance.

As an aside, there’s actually a tendency for children born to mothers with high magical power to develop greater magical ability themselves.

This isn’t limited to knights—it’s true for magical beasts as well, since most are born from other magical beasts.

At first glance, this might seem like a genetic trait, but it’s not.

Both knights and magical beasts have trace amounts of miasma in their bodies and bodily fluids, which they naturally emit as magical energy.

As a result, the fetus is exposed to miasma and magical radiation during pregnancy.

That’s why newborns have a small amount of magical power and a natural resistance to miasma.

What’s more, in mammals, the young are raised on their mother’s milk.

Naturally, even breast milk contains trace amounts of miasma.

This is why nobles and knights are more likely to develop magical power.

That said, the influence of the womb or breast milk is minor compared to the amount of miasma absorbed later in life through magic crystals and such.

In any case, both Prince Bartona and I have strong resistance to miasma.

Judging by magical energy detection, the miasma in the mushroom in front of us didn’t seem particularly strong, so eating it likely wouldn’t be fatal.

…However, before even worrying about the miasma, mushrooms can be poisonous in general.

"Let’s look it up."

I dismounted from my horse and reached into my own shadow.

My hand slowly sank into the shadow. To an observer, it would’ve looked like I was dipping it into black water.

I grabbed hold of the book hidden inside and pulled it out.

A large volume—a botanical encyclopedia—appeared.

"Oh… That’s the Barkes family’s heirloom magic, ‘Shadow Box,’ isn’t it?"

"Indeed. You are quite right."

Among the various kinds of magic, there are some passed down exclusively within specific families—these are called ‘hereditary spells,’ or simply ‘hereditary arts.’

Shadow Box is one of the more famous hereditary arts, and the Barkes family is my birth family, a cadet branch of the Dukes of Budoudarl.

For reference, in my formal name, Reselia el Budoudarl, the second part—‘el Budoudarl’—isn’t a surname.

‘Budoudarl’ is a place name, and ‘el’ is a preposition.

Literally translated, it means "Reselia of Budoudarl."

To put it in Japanese terms, it’s like saying "Yuriko of Tokyo."

Of course, there are probably many Yuriko-sans in Tokyo, just as there are many Reselias in the Principality of Budoudarl.

But just as "Yuriko of Tokyo" refers to a very specific person, so too does "Reselia of Budoudarl"—and that’s why this form of address is the most effective.

Most other Reselias, commoners like myself, probably go by something like "Reselia from So-and-So Village" or "Reselia, daughter of So-and-So, son of So-and-So" or maybe "Reselia, second daughter of the baker in the Such-and-Such district."

There aren’t any strict rules.

In this world—or rather, on the Western Continent—there’s no real equivalent to Japanese-style surnames.

The name "House Barkes" simply refers to the descendants of a man called Barkes, considered the founding ancestor, and applies to his male-line descendants.

Incidentally, the Barkes family is a noble lineage with many branches outside the Principality of Budoudarl as well.

So when referring to the entire Barkes family, we just say House Barkes.

If we mean the main family, we say either the Barkes Main Line or the Barkes–Budouberl House.

For branch families, we say something like Barkes–[Placename] House, based on their location or their castle.

"…Found it. It seems this one is poisonous."

"I’d be more surprised if something that looked like that wasn’t poisonous."

"Still, apparently, there are regions where people eat it."

"But it’s poisonous, isn’t it?"

"Apparently you can eat it if you detoxify it first."

I closed the encyclopedia and returned it to the shadow.

Next, I pulled a knife from my coat and cut the smallest mushroom off at the base.

“…Surely you’re not planning to eat that?”

“I’m not that much of a glutton, I assure you. I’ll simply take it back as a valuable specimen.”

Plant collecting and research is one of my hobbies.

Many medicines can be made from plants, so it serves a practical purpose as well.

I tossed the mushroom into the shadow.

“Quite a handy spell, isn’t it?”

“Not really. It has more drawbacks than you’d think.”

Shadow Box has no fixed storage limit.

However, the greater the total mass of what’s placed inside, the more magical power it consumes. That becomes its practical limitation.

And the energy consumption is quite steep—it requires a corresponding amount of magical reserves.

This isn’t unique to Shadow Box; most hereditary spells tend to be highly energy-consuming.

In other words, it’s not as convenient as it looks.

“Oh? Is that so? I’d love to hear more.”

“That’s a secret… at least for now.”

I pressed my index finger to my lips and gave a wink.

If I were ever to reveal it, it would be after marriage… though that’s still up in the air.

“Then I’ll hope that day comes someday.”

Just as we were exchanging those words, a powerful magical presence pinged on my detection.

This… probably isn’t a magical beast. Judging from its movement and speed, it’s likely a noble.

Prince Bartona and I placed our hands on the hilts of our swords and stared cautiously at the thicket.

“How’s the hunt going for you both—? Oh? Well, if it isn’t Prince Bartona and Princess Reselia. What a coincidence.”

The voice from the thicket belonged to Prince Karvenil.

As soon as Prince Bartona and I let down our guard, Prince Karvenil emerged from the brush on horseback.

Right behind him was Thor-kun.

Our eyes met.

And when they did, his face lit up in an unmistakably joyful expression, which he quickly tried to suppress with a flustered look.

Adorable.

“Princess Reselia and… Prince Bartona. How are things going?”

Thor-kun asked in a cheerful tone.

Judging by his mood, things must be going quite well for him.

“Ah, alas, terribly, I’m afraid…”

“We were just taking a short break together.”

Prince Bartona and I exchanged a quick glance and answered in sync.

Thor-kun frowned ever so slightly at our words, but then smiled and puffed out his chest.

“Oh? I see… Well, we just brought down a rather splendid trophy ourselves… didn’t we?”

“Quite possibly the largest game in this entire hunt.”

Thor-kun and Prince Karvenil spoke in a light, proud tone.

Somehow, it seemed the two had grown close while I wasn’t looking.

Well, it’s probably a good thing that the heir of a northern noble house and a royal prince are getting along… But did they really catch something that big?

Now I’m curious.

“May we see it?”

“Of course. …Show them.”

Thor-kun gave the order to a knight pulling a large cart.

The knight bowed respectfully, then pulled off the cloth covering the cart.

““Ohh…!””

Prince Bartona and I couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.

What was revealed was the massive head of a lion.

There are lions on the Western Continent that prefer to dwell in caves—this one must’ve undergone magical mutation.

Judging by the size of the head, the full body would likely be close to ten meters long.

They’d probably only taken the head because transporting the whole body would have been too difficult.

Still, as rare as it is, the fact that lions big enough to swallow a person whole exist in this world is terrifying.

Then again, it’s even more terrifying that nobles can hunt such beasts like it’s just sport or recreation.

“To take down something like that… It must’ve put up a fierce fight, no?”

Generally, the more magical energy a beast has, the larger and stronger it becomes.

Thor-kun and Prince Karvenil both surpass the average noble’s magical capacity, but even so, facing resistance from a beast like that could lead to injuries—or even death, depending on how the blows land.

"By sheer luck, I managed to bring it down in one blow."

"Sir Thor’s thrown spear pierced straight through its head..."

Thor-kun and Prince Karvenil excitedly recounted their battle with the magical beast.

Throwing a spear—that’s quite the bold move.

What would he have done if he missed? Was he planning to fight with a sword afterward?

Against animals, close-quarters swordplay seems dangerously short-ranged.

"As expected of Sir Thor. Your valor is clearly inherited from your father."

"No, I still have a long way to go... I’m nowhere near my father’s level. That’s exactly why, as a proud unicorn, I couldn’t allow myself to lose to a lion."

At Thor-kun’s words, the heraldic crests of both House Larknoll and the royal family came to mind.

House Larknoll’s crest bears a unicorn with an axe, while the royal family’s crest displays a lion with a sword.

It was difficult to discern his intent, but the statement carried strong political undertones.

"And I, as a lion who guards the kingdom—and as a man—couldn’t afford to lose to a magical lion either."

Following Thor-kun’s lead, Prince Karvenil said that with a measured tone.

He exchanged a meaningful glance with Thor-kun, then gave a deliberately theatrical smile.

As a man, huh…

"To think the magical beast had to face two sacred beasts. A pity, really."

Prince Bartona smoothly brushed off their comments, steering the conversation elsewhere.

A wise choice, in my opinion.

The way those two seemed in sync was starting to feel a little too rehearsed.

I suppose I’d better redirect the mood as well...

"With such sacred beasts guarding my back, I feel more secure than ever. As for my goat’s horns—"

I was aiming to bring the topic around to something like: Thanks to everyone’s protection, I can now face the Empire with peace of mind!

—when it happened.

Thor-kun’s magical aura suddenly wavered.

"Ugh… wha—?"

By the time I realized it, I had been thrown into the air.

I slammed hard against the ground.

A delayed, dull pain struck my abdomen.

"Wh-what just...?"

"Princess!!"

I had been struck.

As that fact registered, Delawear threw herself over me, shielding me with her body.

"Such disgraceful behavior!!"

From Thor-kun’s body, an overwhelming surge of killing intent-laced magical energy exploded outward.

Tension spiked through the area, and I could feel my body instinctively slipping into combat readiness.

My mind, still reeling in confusion, gradually began to clear.

"I’ll kill them. I’ll tear them apart."

Thor-kun shouted, yanking an arrow from his own arm.

Then, without hesitation, he charged into the thicket beyond.

"Y-young master!! Please wait!!"

The knight attending Thor-kun scrambled to pursue him.

Hmm… I was starting to piece together the situation.

"Princess, are you hurt!? Is anything broken—?"

"I’m fine. Thanks to Sir Thor’s quick reaction."

I stood up slowly, brushing the dirt off my clothes.

With my body protected by magic, a fall like that wouldn’t leave a scratch.

Well, the place where Thor-kun hit me still hurt a little, though.

"I was shot as well… Best not to move from here."

Prince Karvenil held up a single arrow as he said this.

It was made of brass.

Among metals, brass has the second-highest affinity with magical energy. It stores magic and amplifies the power of spells.

It's often used in projectiles meant for magical beasts and knights, as well as in inexpensive magic amplifiers.

For the record, what gets amplified isn't the total amount of mana, but rather the output of it.

Think of it like widening a faucet. The total water in the pool doesn’t change.

“Are you hurt anywhere? I can heal you if needed.”

“It was the second shot. I managed to block it with my magic.”

In general, a noble’s body is protected by an immense reservoir of mana.

Unless it’s a surprise attack, it’s nearly impossible to harm a noble who’s properly defending themselves.

That arrow stuck in Thor-kun earlier—he probably deliberately reduced his mana output to let it pierce.

If he had pushed me away while actively channeling mana, I would’ve been the one injured.

“For now, let’s stay together. I’m worried about Sir Thor, rushing off on his own. We should send support—”

Just as Prince Bartona began to speak, a sharp shattering sound echoed from afar—like glass breaking.

It was the sound of mana clashing.

At the same time, a wave of murderous intent burst forth.

T-Terrifying…

“““……”””

We all looked at one another instinctively.

Honestly, none of us wanted to go anywhere near that.

Bone-snapping crunches that had no place in the natural world, and human screams, rang out again and again.

We stood frozen, waiting for the sounds to stop.

About five minutes later, silence finally returned.

“…I’m going.”

I declared this clearly, then led Delawear and the others cautiously in the direction the sounds had come from.

Fortunately, the epicenter wasn’t hard to find.

“Whoa…”

A gasp escaped my lips.

The entire area had been flattened—trees smashed to the ground, knights strewn across the forest floor, bloodied and unmoving.

And standing at the center of it all was Thor-kun.

Around him, the knights of House Larknoll stood in a defensive formation.

“Sir Thor! Are you alright?!”

I approached carefully, making sure not to provoke the knights.

Thor-kun turned toward me slowly and raised his left hand.

The knights parted to let me through.

“I’ve taken care of the assailants. No major injuries to report…”

“That looks like a major injury to me!”

I glanced at Thor-kun’s right arm and cried out despite myself.

Besides the arrow wound, his arm was slashed all over, blood dripping steadily.

He’d probably suffered an internal mana burst—those are always painful.

“I’ll heal you. Please, don’t resist.”

“I-It's really not that—ow, ow…!”

I didn’t wait for Thor-kun’s reply. I touched his arm and channeled mana into the golden ring on my right hand.

Gold is the metal with the highest affinity for mana. It stores energy and amplifies magical effects.

That’s why nobles wear gold—to enhance their magic.

This spell requires a high mana output, so it can’t be used properly without the aid of gold.

“I’ve cast the healing spell. …How does it feel?”

I asked as Thor-kun flexed and unflexed his hand repeatedly.

He rolled his shoulder, then gave a small show of flexing his bicep.

“It moves fine now. …Thank you.”

…So it wasn’t moving earlier.

And yet he tried to say he wasn’t badly hurt… honestly.

Ah—focus!

“By the way, the assailant…?”

“Over there.”

“Oh my… eek!”

A sound of shock escaped me.

The attacker—the noble who had shot arrows at both Prince Karvenil and me—was in a truly wretched state.

His limbs were bent in ways they absolutely shouldn’t be, and his face was swollen beyond recognition.

“W-wasn’t this a bit much…?”

“I called for his surrender, but he tried to flee. He resisted fiercely as well. I had no choice.”

Thor-kun said this without a hint of remorse.

There wasn’t the slightest sign that he thought he might’ve gone too far… though honestly, it did feel like overkill.

I mean, when a noble charges at you radiating killing intent, anyone would panic and resist.

…Wait a second. Thor-kun took out not only this noble but all of his knights too—with just one arm?

Despite our mana levels being more or less equal?

…Okay, no time to be horrified.

First things first—he mustn’t die. We won’t get any answers out of him if he does.

I gathered my mana and began casting healing magic on the unconscious noble.

Before my eyes, his wounds closed and his injuries faded.

As the swelling on his face receded, his features became clearer… Hmm. Who was this again?

He looked familiar… Ah, now I remember.

A low-ranking count who clings to the royal family’s coattails.

If I recall correctly, he was fairly close to Prince Bartona.

Hrm… This might get troublesome.

"That’s an incredible spell. Could it be the Cartema family’s heirloom magic, Grace of Healing?"

"Yes. …It’s my mother’s legacy."

The Cartema family belonged to my maternal grandmother—my mother’s side of the family.

The direct male line had already died out, and I’m the only one left on the maternal side.

Which means I’m the only person in the world capable of using this Grace of Healing.

"In any case, the treatment is finished. His life shouldn’t be in danger… probably."

"You have my thanks. By the way… Princess Roselia."

"Yes? Is something the matter?"

When I asked, Thor-kun awkwardly averted his gaze.

"Th-that is… are you hurt at all? I, uh, might’ve pushed you a little harder than I intended…"

It seems he was still feeling guilty about throwing me earlier.

Well… it was painful, to be fair.

I practically gagged.

If I said something like, “Because of you, I might not be able to have children,” I wonder what kind of face Thor-kun would make?

…Not that I’m going to say that, of course.

"No. I’m completely fine—thanks to you, Sir Thor. You saved me. I’m grateful."

I gave Thor-kun a small bow and smiled at him.

A hint of red rose to his cheeks.

"I… I only did what anyone would have."

He still seems hopeless when it comes to girls.