11 – 11. Street Inspection (1)
“Compression, Enhancement, Compression, Enhancement, Compression, Enhancement.”
After returning to the room, I first made a large quantity of the rose medicine.
Even if I take several at the same time, the effects won’t be stacked.
The maximum physical strength does not increase. Only the neutralization of debuffs is possible.
“After all, it’s a limit to heal up to the maximum.”
It’s best to get plenty of sleep and rest when you’re healthy.
The best treatment when you’re sick.
A good night’s sleep and deep rest.
If the patient doesn’t do these two things, no matter what kind of medicine is prescribed, it’s useless.
“Ugh, even so, the taste is just too awful.”
It tastes like mud cake made in the empty-dimensional hellish realm where the ancient demons live.
In other words, it’s disgusting.
“Eating five of these every day is a bit much.”
Looking closely at the synthesis skill in the status window, “Oh, can this work?”
The skill that caught the eye was the [Synthesis E] of alchemy.
He placed the rose medicine on the left and roughly grabbed a candy from his pocket, placing it on the right.
It’s a high-quality stick candy made with honey.
“Shall we try synthesizing the effect of the rose medicine with the sweetness of the candy? Since it’s a simple substance, it might work.”
He reached out and cast the synthesis spell.
Now, without consciously intending it, the magic circle was drawn and the mana found its place solidly.
— Hwaak!
A white light appeared, and soon the result came out.
Enhanced Rose Honey Candy (Synthesized)
Effect when consumed: Over 6 hours, it slowly heals 0.3 health reduced by internal bleeding
Quite sweet!
“This is it.”
He popped one honey candy into his mouth.
The dense sweetness spread to the tip of his head, making him feel alive through every sensation.
I’m alive, I’m alive.
He could eat as many candies as he wanted.
Of course, you have to be careful with cavities.
“Don’t you have a scaling skill?”
There’s nothing better for preventing cavities, really.
It feels refreshing and nice.
As I synthesized the candy, I realized that there wasn’t much time left.
It was the agreed meeting time with Asella in the backyard.
“It will cause a commotion if you’re late again.”
I grabbed my coat and hat and left the room.
***
The annex has relatively few residents. As long as I avoided the service robots, there wouldn’t be any noise, so I could quietly leave the room.
Asella wasn’t at the rose garden.
In the first place, the rose garden looked somewhat shabby, like a middle-aged man’s mustache because I had happily plucked them off all night.
There is still enough remaining, but I should order more cultivation from the service robots.
Where’s Asella, though?
Looking around, I spotted knights patrolling in the distance.
I discreetly hid in the birch forest.
“You’re late.”
“Oh my, you startled me.”
Suddenly, Asella stood beside me. Seems like she used some kind of magic to hide her presence.
I barely managed to control my fist, about to strike without even realizing it.
Honestly, this woman never lets her guard down for a moment.
Asella covered her flowing blonde hair by flipping her hood.
She took out a pocket watch from her waist and checked the time.
From Noble mtl dot com
“I’m not late.”
“If you were later than me, it wouldn’t be considered ‘late,’ right? Let’s go quickly.”
After saying that, Asella cautiously glanced around.
“Do you really need to sneak out?”
“It won’t be fun if we bring escorts. I want to see you just as you are.”
“Just as I am?”
“I don’t have a chance to see how Imperial citizens usually behave.”
“I don’t need to see, do I?”
“Eventually, when I sit on the throne, I should know who supports me.”
Asella calmly spoke with a grandeur.
He realized now that he had harbored thoughts of sitting on the emperor’s seat since he was young.
“Must it be done? Emperor.”
Asella glared at me intimidatingly.
[No. 056: 7% Hatred of the Villainess → 12%]
[Changed]
“What can I not say to this child?”
My current question was a minefield.
Asella chuckled.
“As someone who connects the bloodline of the royal family, it is only natural that I have goals to achieve. Confucius, my betrothed, please refrain from reckless remarks.”
“I will be careful.”
“Then lead the way.”
I stepped forward and headed towards the wall surrounding the backyard of the annex and the mansion.
There is a gaping hole in the middle of the wall.
It was a place I had already inspected while circling the mansion’s grounds.
“Let’s cross over here.”
“Here?”
Asella hesitated.
As a noble member of the imperial family, she must find this dirty hole offensive.
“It’s simple. Just bend down for a moment.”
I demonstrated first. I thrust my head under the wall, pushing my hips back and lowering my waist.
When infiltrating the Demon King’s stronghold, conditions were worse than this. This place is no different from a palace.
“Ouch.”
A problem arose. It seemed like I was stuck around my chest and couldn’t move forward anymore.
It looked spacious at first glance. Wasn’t this the hole I used before?
“Princess, could you help me a bit?”
“No, I won’t.”
Asella instantly declined. I expected that.
“You wanted to shove me into such a place?”
“That is a misunderstanding. Really.”
Asella frantically defended herself without her face being visible.
I hope the probability of a bad ending doesn’t go up suddenly – I’m getting more and more nervous.
“Your Highness? Are you there? Your Highness?”
The lack of response made my anxiety grow with each passing moment.
…I could hear a faint sound of someone breathing heavily.
It must be my imagination.
There was a loud crash after a while.
The wall of the fence had collapsed, and Asella had used magic.
I dusted off the dirt on my body.
Looking at me like a demon, Asella smirked.
“Well done. You won’t look like a nobleman if we go somewhere now.”
“…You’re exaggerating.”
I stood up from my seat and coughed a few times before shaking my head.
Was the cough a debuff?
Suddenly, there was a problem without enough time to confirm that.
“Oh, Father?”
Neria was looking at us.
Asella’s expression froze instantly, and Neria greeted us with a tense smile.
“I’ll take it from here.”
I bowed to Neria and spoke.
“Hello, Neria. Were you taking a walk?”
“Oh, yes. You and Your Highness are going outside?”
I took her index finger to her lips.
“Shh. We have to keep it a secret.”
“A secret…”
“I’ll be back by sunset. If you keep the secret, I’ll give you these honey candies.”
I took out honey candies from my pocket and put them on Neria’s palm.
Upon seeing it, Neria’s face lit up.
“Yes, I’ll keep it a secret. Take care.”
Neria, as elegantly as a noble lady, gently held her dress and greeted with dignity.
She is my younger sister, but she is truly graceful.
“It’s sweet!”
While she said that, she already forgot about the candy and innocently showed her delight, resembling a young child, which was adorable.
If only Asella had inherited half of Neria’s disposition, it would be wonderful.
I lightly tapped Neria’s forehead and turned to leave.
I’m heading back to Asella.
“You handled it well. You may continue with the departure.”
“Are you close with your younger sister?”
“Why are you suddenly curious about that? It’s nothing.”
“Don’t you have any candy to give me?”
Suddenly, candy?
The Rose Elixir is meant for me. It’s my portion.
I gave some to Neria as a gesture of goodwill. She enjoyed it last time too.
And I heard that Asella refused the candy brought by Cybres.
“I don’t have any.”
Upon hearing my response, Asella squinted her eyes and briefly closed her mouth.
“Fine. I was just saying not to do anything unnecessary, in case you were thinking of giving me some. Let’s go.”
Asella abruptly turned her body and walked out of the gap in the fence.
“Huh?”
[No. 056: 12% Hatred of the Villainess → 14%]
[Changed]
[No. 077: 2% Incarnation of Jealousy → 7%]
[Changed]
“Why did these percentages increase?”
Suddenly, red text lit up, and upon checking, the likelihood of a bad ending had unexpectedly increased.
“What was this again? I remember Asella burned to death. It was a fire spell.”
She was more wicked than the army corps.
That ended in an instant, but this slowly burned and killed her from toe to head.
“The reason is probably….” It felt like I had sworn loyalty to Asella. Or maybe Asella had mistakenly thought that way on her own. And she quickly concluded that I had betrayed her and burned everything down. “That’s coming up now.” A woman once said that when she holds a grudge, even frost falls in midsummer. Asella’s side was always calm and steady.
***
“It’s a lively street.” Fortunately, after coming down to the territory, Asella seemed to be in a somewhat better mood. “There’s a lot of gray unlike the capital.” Asella’s words were true, most of the buildings in Marquisate were made of gray bricks. It is the territory of the healing clan, Gotberg, but it doesn’t have a strong religious color. The shopping street in the small town is no different from any ordinary area. Adventurer parties who came to subdue rare monsters in the north often wander around.
“There is a lot of granite in this area. Is this your first time coming to the north?”
“It’s my first time coming out to the streets.”
“I see.”
“I want to try that.”
Asella pointed to a shop. They were selling the specialty of the north, butter coffee.
“Caffeine can cause sleep disorders in someone who is not accustomed to it. Considering the princess’s growth stage, it is best to consider your health…”
“Save the lectures for when you become a doctor.”
After giving a one-sided notice, Asella walked briskly towards the cafe.
I quickly followed her because if I left her alone, she would definitely cause trouble.
As we sat on the terrace, the owner came out quickly to take our order.
“You two are here. What can I get for you?”
“Two cups of butter coffee. Do you have decaf?”
“Decaf… We don’t have that on the menu.”
I had made a mistake by using the word caffeine.
“Just give it to us. The rest will be a tip.”
I paid 5 silver as payment. The owner was satisfied and left.
Ashella had been watching the streets all this time. There was nothing special, just observing each person passing by.
Well, it is a rare sight for me too.
During the war, even when I visited the village, I couldn’t rest so leisurely.
“Beautiful lady, would you like to buy some flowers?”
Some children approached Ashella and offered her flowers. It was evident that they were from a poor neighborhood based on their appearance.
With these kids, you can just give them a few coins and send them away. If you give them too much, they’ll bring along their friends, and that’s troublesome.
I was about to search in my pocket for a copper coin when I heard the child’s exclamation.
“Wow!”
What now? Ashella had already received the flowers from the children and paid them.
The problem was that Ashella handed them a gold coin.
A single gold coin is the kind of money an ordinary commoner has to work for two weeks to earn.
“Oh dear.”
Not only did she have no sense of money, but she completely lacked it.
She was the kind of person who would be asked how much a slice of bread costs during an interview and would never be able to answer, forever stuck in a state of confusion.
The children nodded and happily ran off. I sighed.
“Your Highness, shall we move?”
Ashella, who had been turning the flowers in her hands and observing them, gave me a suspicious look.
“Why? My coffee hasn’t even arrived yet.”
“You gave them too much money. You will soon encounter annoying troubles.”
“Annoying troubles? That sounds like something Hwangnyeo-sama would say. Don’t tell me how to behave kindly towards commoners.”
Ashella turned to face me.
“Did I do something wrong?”
A golden mana spun around her irises, half a turn.
The letters sparkled in the system window.
[No. 021: Commoner’s Crime 5% → 7%]
The probability of a bad ending increased.
It was a moment when I had to respond well.
During this situation, when I inferred Ashella’s thoughts.
“Hey, miss.”
Three large men approached us without notice.
“I want to borrow some money.”
The one who seemed like their leader whispered in a low tone.
I immediately understood the situation.
They were from the impoverished neighborhood, where I had just received gold coins from Asella. They seemed unrelated to them.
There was no doubt that they approached after witnessing Asella taking out the gold coins nearby.
The pattern engraved on their shirt chests.
I know what it means.
‘They are from the lower ranks of Shupre.’
It was a neighborhood with worse security than I had thought.
Did the top guys only come to my territory to cause trouble?
The men spoke up.
“We want to borrow some money. We have somewhere to spend it.”
Asella raised her head, glaring fiercely at the men.
Her eyes filled with contempt, as if she had found bugs.
[No. 021: Crime of the Commoner 7% → 25%]
The probability keeps increasing.
Although she appears calm, negative emotions are building up.
This is the limit.
“Guest, your coffee is rea-“
*Clink!*
I took the coffee cup brought by the innkeeper and immediately threw it to the ground, shattering it.
Everyone in the room stood up abruptly.
The men were startled and focused on me.
I shouted,
“Who do you think you’re scheming in front of? You bastards!”
It was time to return to being a rascal.