Chapter 4: A Little Trip

The evening gatherings for the fiancé selection had started to become less frequent.

While that was a relief, something else had been bothering me.

During these events, Milia carried herself with the usual grace of royalty. But the moment we slipped away, I could sense the tension beneath her composed exterior. She tried to act cheerful, yet unease flickered beneath the surface.

Had something happened?

After days of noticing this change, I finally asked her about it—

“It’s nothing you need to worry about. Focus on choosing a fiancé instead of sticking your nose in my business, idiot.”

That was her response.

And so, with no answers, a week passed. The festive atmosphere following the defeat of the evil dragon had begun to fade, and the town’s energy returned to its usual rhythm.

As for me, I transitioned from being a guest to officially joining the knight order, placed in the rather vague position of “Hero.”

Well, the knights were good people, so it wasn’t bad.

That’s how I found myself heading out on a mission to hunt magical beasts in a somewhat distant area—

I sat in a carriage, far more comfortable than the one we’d used during the evil dragon subjugation, though it still jostled me around.

Across from me, a girl with pale golden hair leaned on her elbow.

Milia.

This mission wasn’t about hunting a specific magical beast. Ever since the evil dragon’s defeat, magical creatures had become more active in certain areas, and our task was to thin their numbers.

The extent of the problem was still unclear, but sending the entire knight order felt excessive.

Honestly, it would probably be faster if I just handled it myself.

Probably.

That must have been what the knight commander thought when he gave the order… or so I assumed.

“...This reminds me of when we were traveling.”

“It hasn’t even been a month.”

“I know that. But still… a lot has changed, hasn’t it?”

Apparently, someone had to supervise my activities.

I guess the kingdom doesn’t trust me much…

The knight commander had planned to assign someone, but Milia stepped in.

“If Yusuke needs a partner, I’m the most efficient choice.”

That was what she said.

The knight commander objected, but she pulled rank—using her royal authority or something—to push it through. And just like that, we were outside the royal castle together for the first time in a while.

Maybe she just wanted a break.

She sat across from me, relaxed.

Instead of the elegant dresses she always wore in the castle, she had on the same practical coat and pants from our journey, a magical cloak draped over her shoulders.

It was the Milia I was used to seeing.

Or at least, it should have been.

But after getting so accustomed to her royal attire, seeing her like this again felt strangely out of place.

Then, out of nowhere—

“...Yusuke, do you still want to go back to your world?”

She asked it so casually.

“...I don’t know. I’m not sure.”

I answered honestly.

A part of me does want to go back.

Hunting magical beasts like this is fine. But those evening gatherings in the castle… the fiancé search…

They’re exhausting.

Sometimes, I just want to run away from it all.

“...When there’s too much weighing on me, I feel like running away too,” Milia murmured.

“I get that.”

But even so… I don’t want to leave her.

Not yet.

Not until I understand what’s been troubling her. Not until she can smile when we say goodbye.

“You’re amazing, Yusuke.”

“...Not really.”

“No, you are.”

“Milia, you’re the amazing one.”

“...That’s not true.”

A small silence fell between us.

Back when we traveled together, we’d bicker over the silliest things.

Now, we sat in quiet companionship, exchanging only the occasional, trivial remark.

And just like that, the journey continued—until we arrived at the mountain village that was our destination.

---

“Take this! ≪Wind Cutter≫!”

I channeled my mana and unleashed the spell.

Blades of wind sliced through the air, cutting cleanly through everything in their path.

For most mages, this spell would barely be enough to wound a target. But with my talent, it became a lethal force—cleaving through trees and magical beasts alike in a single strike.

A boar-like magical beast fell in two, the trees behind it collapsing as well. I let out a deep breath.

Still got it.

Then, I glanced over at Yusuke—

He moved effortlessly, weaving between the trees without breaking pace. In one swift motion, he cut down two… no, three of those beasts in an instant.

…He’s still incredible.

His precision, speed, and sheer strength—everything about him surpassed me.

“Phew…”

Unlike me, Yusuke wasn’t even splattered with blood. He wasn’t sweating either.

I had the advantage of taking enemies down from a distance, but for someone fighting up close—dodging, countering, avoiding blood splashes while cutting down the next beast—the difficulty was on a whole other level.

All around us, the corpses of magical beasts littered the ground. One, two, three… honestly, I’d lost count.

We’d been hunting from morning till night. By now, we must have taken down at least thirty.

Even a large magical beast had shown up, drawn by the scent of blood—but we’d dealt with it. With that, the biggest threat was gone.

Magical beasts, unlike normal animals, are creatures infused with mana. They’re vicious, but not endless in number.

With this much thinning, the danger should be minimal now. Any stragglers could be handled by the village’s self-defense force or hired adventurers from the guild.

“Alright, let’s call it a day, Yusuke.”

“Yeah, let’s. It’s getting dark.”

Moving my body helped clear my mind a little.

You could call it escapism.

The sun was setting, painting the sky in deep shades of crimson.

At night, magical beasts become even more dangerous.

Unlike us, they can see perfectly in the dark.

I used a fire spell to burn the corpses of the magical beasts.

If you don’t destroy them like this, they can turn into zombie-like creatures.

They’re not edible anyway, so burning them is the best option.

Magic flames are easy to control, so there’s no risk of starting a forest fire.

“Alright, cleanup’s done. Let’s head back to the village.”
“Yeah, let’s.”

Still, Yusuke’s really gotten used to this.

Even though he’s from peaceful Japan, he doesn’t hesitate when taking down magical beasts.

Maybe it’s because they look grotesque compared to normal animals, making it easier to distance himself.

But mentally and physically, he’s grown a lot since we first started traveling.

Back then, I was too busy to really notice. But now that some time has passed… I feel nostalgic for those days, when he still had a bit of that childishness left.

By the time we returned to the village, a feast was already prepared.

It was their way of thanking us—a small gesture of appreciation.

Since we were staying the night, we had no choice but to join in.

Rabbit steak, stew…

I got to taste commoner dishes—no, commoner luxury dishes—you’d never find in the castle.

Oh, and by the way, they don’t know I’m the Ninth Princess.

To them, I’m just the female mage traveling with the Hero. Only the nobility know the truth.

If word got out, it would just cause unnecessary trouble.

After the feast, we were led to a guesthouse prepared for us.

It had already been cleaned, meaning they must’ve made arrangements in advance.

That part was fine, but—

“Hey… there’s only one bed.”
“...Oh, you’re right.”

A single bed, big enough for two.

This is clearly meant for a couple.

...Ah, I get it now.

The villagers—especially that female village chief with her overly warm gaze—I understand what they’re thinking.

“...Tch, they think we’re a couple. It’s because of those bards, isn’t it?”
“Bards…? Wait, there are people singing about us?”
“They’ve turned the story of the evil dragon subjugation into some exaggerated love story. Apparently, the popular version is that the Hero and the female mage are in love.”
“Oh, uh, I see. I don’t go to taverns, so I didn’t know…”
“You don’t drink, after all.”
“Well, yeah…”

I sighed at Yusuke’s flustered reaction and sat down on the bed.

Yusuke and I aren’t that kind of relationship… but a lot of people seem to misunderstand.

I mean, there’s no way a guy would fall for a girl who used to be a guy, right?

“By the way, why don’t you drink?”

“Uh, I guess the laws from my old world are still stuck in my head?”

“…If you’re not planning to go back, you should learn to drink a little. You’ll probably be offered alcohol at those evening gatherings eventually.”

“That’s true, but…”

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right? So—”

I reached into my bag and pulled out a bottle filled with a pinkish liquid.

“Here, it’s fruit wine.”

“Huh!? …Why do you have that? Did you steal it?”

“Idiot, the village chief gave it to me.”

The old lady had asked, ‘Hero-sama, you don’t drink, do you?’ and I’d panicked, blurting out, ‘I can’t drink in public.’

In this world, adults who don’t drink are often looked down on.

Trying to be considerate, she’d smiled and said, ‘Please, enjoy this wine together,’ before handing it over.

It felt rude to refuse, so I accepted it.

…Not like I thought it was lucky or anything just because I hadn’t had enough to drink.

“I don’t know what fruit this is made from, but…”

I opened the lid and took a small sip.

Sweet… but definitely alcoholic.

It tasted kind of like bananas. Yeah, easy to drink.

“Here, it’s mild, so it’s perfect for your first time.”

“Huh… me? Drink?”

“What? You saying you won’t drink my wine?”

“That’s such a classic alcohol harassment line…”

“There’s no such thing as ‘alcohol harassment’ in this world. Too bad for you.”

I handed him the bottle.

Yusuke hesitated, his cheeks tinged red.

…Is he still worried about indirect kisses or something?

“…Do I have to drink?”

“No, not really. If you’re genuinely against it, you don’t have to.”

I was half-joking when I offered it, but I wasn’t about to force him.

Still, if he’s going to live in this world, it’s better to have some experience with alcohol.

And more than that—he’s not planning to go back, is he?

That’s what I’m really trying to confirm.

…I know I’m being a little sneaky.

And I hate myself for it.

Gulp.

Yusuke took a sip of the wine.

And then—

“Cough, cough!”

He choked.

“Ah… you took too big of a sip.”

“Ugh…”

This time, he sipped it slowly, more carefully.

Well, it’s his first time. That’s normal.

“…Hey, pass it to me.”

“Oh, sorry.”

I took the bottle back and took another sip.

…Damn, it’s sweet.

The color’s pink, too. What kind of fruit is this made from?

Well, it’s tasty…

I glanced over at Yusuke and noticed his face was flushed.

“…Hey, Yusuke. Your face is red.”

“Huh? Oh, is it…?”

“Are you already drunk?”

“No, I don’t think so… well, maybe. Maybe I am.”

“Which is it?”

It didn’t seem like the alcohol content was that high… but my body felt kind of warm, too.

Probably not just the alcohol—more like something in the fruit itself.

…Wait. Now that I think about it, I have heard of a fruit like this.

Around this area, near the village… what was it called again?

I think it had other effects besides just warming the body—

“…Yusuke?”

“…………”

He looked dazed, like his mind was somewhere else.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I moved closer, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“…Huh? Oh, yeah… I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. You’re slurring your words.”

Was it because he took such a big sip at first?

He choked, but it seemed like he’d swallowed most of it—

“…Milia.”

Suddenly, his hand reached out toward me.

“Huh? Wha—”

And then—

Squeeze.

Yusuke hugged me.

“H-hey…! What are you doing!?”

“…You smell really nice.”

“D-don’t sniff me! Idiot!”

I shouted at the suddenness of it, but Yusuke just fell silent.

I couldn’t see his expression.

“Hey, don’t go quiet on me! And where are you touching—”

Squish.

He groped my butt.

“Kyaah…!?”

A sound I’d never make slipped out.

It felt… strange.

My senses were heightened, to the point where even a normal touch felt overwhelming.

Panicking, I tried to figure out what had caused this.

There was only one explanation.

The wine.

But he wasn’t just drunk. It was more like…

He was aroused.

He didn’t seem like he was planning to do anything too reckless, but the way his hands were moving—definitely not appropriate.

That’s when it finally hit me.

The fruit that grows around here… it looks like a peach.

It’s incredibly sweet and warms your body when eaten. But if you ferment it—

It becomes an aphrodisiac.

Is it a common name? Love Fruit.

Straight to the point.

That village chief… that damn meddling old woman!

She must’ve thought we were a couple and did this on purpose!

This could be a crime, depending on the situation!

But I can handle this.

Thankfully, I’m a genius mage.

Even if the aphrodisiac is kicking in, I can still use magic.

I channeled my mana, constructing a detoxification spell.

It worked on things like this too.

I circulated the magic through my body, neutralizing the effects, then focused it into my palm.

With all the force I could muster—

“Where do you think you’re touching, idiot!?”

“Huh…!?”

I slapped Yusuke across the face. Hard.