“Hah…”

The princess’s cheeks, slightly flushed with a hint of red, stood out as she leaned against my shoulder. Her platinum blonde hair framed her beautiful face, and though she looked embarrassed, she showed a mix of reluctance and contentment.

Wait.

How did I end up in this situation?

Realizing what was happening, my face grew hot, and I tried to pull away, but the princess grasped my arm tightly.

“N-No.”

The princess’s face turned even redder, as if she were about to explode.

“If you pull away now… it’ll ruin everything we talked about earlier.”

Right, I remember walking up to the entrance of the princess’s chamber.

I carefully retraced my steps in my mind.

As I reached for the door handle, the door opened as if my presence had been detected, surprising me. I took that as a signal to cautiously enter.

Upon stepping inside, I instinctively looked toward the hearth, recalling my previous visit when the princess had remained hidden.

“…Haha, you found me right away this time.”

There she was, using the flames to obscure her body as she had done before. But this time, she didn’t immediately step out. She seemed to be fumbling with something, and then—

Thud.

She casually removed her own arm, as if it were a robotic part, and placed it in the fire. She must have been using her own body to fuel the flames.

But that wasn’t what shocked me.

The violence of the scene was censored thanks to the “Super Coward Mode.”

No, what shocked me was the princess emerging once again, seemingly about to walk out in the nude.

Startled by her actions, I immediately turned my back. I could hear the rustling of fabric as she dressed, and when the sounds stopped, I cautiously turned around to find her wearing a white dress.

“Why did you turn around? You’d have only seen bones anyway.”

“Well… as your body fully recovers when you’re dressed, I simply didn’t want to risk seeing anything improper.”

“Hm, thank you for your consideration.”

…Yeah, I couldn’t exactly say, I’m seeing your full form because of “Super Coward Mode,” or else I might be executed for “spying on the royal body.”

Once she seemed satisfied with her restored appearance, she nodded and walked over to me.

“I apologize for my unsightly appearance. The flames were weaker today, so I had to discard more of my body.”

“Of course, Your Highness. It is thanks to your sacrifice that I’m able to continue living.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

She smiled faintly, covering her mouth with her remaining hand. There were many thoughts running through my mind as I looked at her.

Soon, we both sat down at the table, exchanging simple pleasantries.

The princess already knew everything about me, thanks to the vice-captain’s reports. I, too, was aware that her daily life mostly consisted of observing the political situation while remaining in this chamber. So, our conversation didn’t drag on for long.

“So, I’m sure the vice-captain told you the reason I called for you this time?”

“Yes, I was informed that you wish to reward me…”

The princess nodded slightly, exaggerating her movement a bit.

“Tanton, I heard from the vice-captain that you’ve refused all the rewards and titles we carefully considered for you. Even the honorable position of Shinbikan was turned down! The other knights would be shocked to hear that.”

“…My apologies.”

“No need to apologize. That’s not why I called you here.”

The princess propped her chin on her hand and leaned a little closer to me.

“That’s why I called you personally. If I kept using the vice-captain as a messenger, I had a feeling you’d keep refusing. Were you planning to reject the reward I give you directly?”

“…No, Your Highness.”

Upon hearing my response, the princess smiled as if she’d expected it.

…It almost felt like the word royal command was another term for an unblockable attack.

Seeming lost in thought, the princess pulled back slightly and tapped her chin, looking downward. I thought she was considering what kind of reward to give me.

“I’ve thought of many things I could offer you, but I’m not sure which one would be best.”

…What could possibly require so many options? It wasn’t like I was going to reject anything she gave me.

After mulling it over, the princess made her decision and asked me directly.

“Tanton, do you prefer pretty women?”

…?

What kind of question is that?

“What do you mean…?”

“Just answer the question.”

“Y-Yes, of course. I am a man, after all…”

Her sudden change in tone made me sit up straight and answer. Hearing my reply, the princess’s eyes filled with determination, and she handed me something.

“How about a cup of tea? I’ve decided what to give you as a reward. This time, you won’t refuse, right?”

“N-No, of course not.”

Not suspecting anything, I took the cup from her and drank. Almost immediately, my consciousness began to blur.

Which brings us to now.

The princess’s trembling eyes met mine.

Why was she doing this, looking so embarrassed?

“Y-Your Highness?!”

I called out to her in a panicked voice, but she only cleared her throat awkwardly.

“I-I’m not doing this because I like it. It’s just… I’m so grateful to you, but you keep refusing everything. I thought if I didn’t do something like this, you’d just reject me again…”

So, did she spike the tea?

Is that why my memory’s all foggy now?

Even so, this is too much!

“Or…”

She looked up at me with slightly tearful eyes.

“Am I not good enough for you, Tanton?”

“That’s not it at all! I just… I wouldn’t dare make contact with Your Highness in such a way…”

It’s not like I could ever think she wasn’t beautiful. If anything, I was more afraid of getting in trouble for touching the royal body.

Flustered, I tried to explain myself, but the princess shook her head.

“…There’s really nothing I can do for you, Tanton. So, if this can help lift your spirits, even a little…”

She wrapped her arms around herself and rested her head against my shoulder again.

…I thought I could hear the muttering of a certain plant Outer God and dog Outer God in the distance, but I decided it was better for my mental health to ignore it.

“…How about we just stay like this for one minute?”

“…Okay.”

I had no way to refuse, so I obediently agreed.

A long silence followed.

I could hear the sound of my own heartbeat, and I worried she might hear it too.

Focusing on calming myself, I closed my eyes tightly.

“…I know this might seem like I’m just using rewards to make up for things, but I truly am grateful to you, Tanton.”

The princess was the first to speak.

“Ever since you joined the knights, the troubles in Rontan have greatly diminished. After the captain disappeared, I didn’t know what to do. But with the hunters inside the walls and you handling things outside, I finally feel at ease.”

Listening to her heartfelt words, I realized how much had happened.

I had freed Bell from the underground prison, eliminated Candle as he tried to enter Rontan, dealt with the Gardener, rescued the captain, and even sent the chef.

And now, I had helped resolve White Mask’s long-standing trauma with the dragonslayers and stopped the cultists.

Looking back, it felt like I’d done a lot in such a short time.

If I hadn’t been there, the hunter would’ve had to do all of that alone.

No wonder they called him the “Outer God Slayer.”

“There will be many challenges ahead. I’m sorry for always asking so much of you, but I’ll say it anyway. Please continue to uphold your chivalry for Rontan, and for me.”

The princess closed her eyes, looking more at peace now.

That’s right.

There was still so much to do.

The Torturer, the giant in the snowy mountains…

What I’d done so far was only the beginning.

I had to get stronger.

I had to bring peace to Rontan as soon as possible.

Then, maybe I could finally rest.

“I will make sure to free you from your burdens as well, Your Highness.”

“Burdens…”

She seemed to reflect on the word burdens for a moment, then nodded slightly.

“…I hope so.”

Her response felt a little vague, as if she were thinking about something else.

Even if the princess had secrets, I had no way of uncovering them.

Besides, she was the princess of Rontan.

Whatever she was concerned about had to be for the benefit of her land.

…

It felt like a lot of time had passed.

“Your Highness, I think it’s been more than a minute.”

“…”

“Your Highness?”

For some reason, she didn’t respond.

Because of that, it took what felt like another thirty minutes before I could finally leave her chamber.

As soon as I left the hearth room, I headed outside of Rontan.

The reason I came here was to summon the chef, something I’d been putting off.

Right now, my physical abilities were decent, but considering this world’s game-like structure, stronger enemies would surely appear in the future.

I needed to prepare accordingly.

Of course, I could train on my own, but that wouldn’t be enough to keep up with the pace of the story.

That’s why I needed the chef’s food buffs.

…Though I was still a bit worried about the consequences of summoning the dragonslayer.

Since summoning an Outer God within Rontan could cause trouble, I had come to the deserted “Gardener’s Garden.”

Hah.

Thinking about seeing that face again made me feel both excited and nervous.

Once I was ready, I raised the party flute to my lips and blew.

Bweeet.

As the trumpet-like sound echoed, I felt the space in my mind expand slightly.

I expected to hear a voice next, but instead—

A figure began to form before my eyes.

A swaying apron.

Knee-high black stockings.

A curvaceous figure.

Most of all, the warm, comforting atmosphere that radiated from her presence.

I recognized it instantly.

Woomph.

Before I could even react, the figure hugged me tightly.

“…!”

Surprised at first, I quickly realized who it was. The one holding me close lifted her head to meet my gaze.

“…It’s been a while.”

“…Yes, it has.”

The chef smiled at me, her expression tinged with nostalgia.