Pain Eats Away at People

Greetings out of the way.

Even if foot traffic in front of the castle was light, standing around too long would attract attention.

He could feel the gate guards sending looks that said please move along.

… No, wait. They were looking at Princess Yupe in her disguise.

"If we dawdle, it'll be nightfall before we know it. Let's get going."

"Mm, got it. I'm just tagging along, so lead the way."

Together with Azu and the others, they set off for Luido with Princess Yupe in tow.

Luido had no portal, so they needed some form of transportation.

Borrowing horses from the castle would have worked, but this time he'd arranged something else.

"Where are we going? The gate to Luido is that way."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine."

"Hmm?"

She wasn't convinced, but she followed without pressing the matter.

She had no intention of getting in the way of work.

The woman had her wild side, but she was solid when it counted.

She had an intense on-off switch, perhaps.

Might as well chat while they walked.

"Come to think of it, you didn't bring the Royal Shadows? I heard they were practically your personal guards."

"They're around somewhere, I imagine. But I can't monopolize them forever, so I've allocated some to Tianis as well. Assassination attempts are a real concern, even I'll admit. They're training new recruits, but since it was done in a rush, there are still gaps."

Princess Yupe's previous scheme may have failed, but it was no laughing matter.

Without Finn, the assassination would have succeeded.

He scanned their surroundings, but couldn't spot anyone who looked the part.

You'd need Finn or Alexia to pick them out.

"When you're pushed to the edge, rational thought goes out the window. I learned that firsthand. Just to be clear, I would never normally do something like that. Burns over my entire body, hovering between life and death, and when I pulled through and looked in a mirror, all I found was despair. I couldn't move, couldn't do anything but lie in bed, and I thought I'd lose my mind."

That must have been how she was when they first met.

Covered head to toe in bandages from severe burns.

Her voice had been hoarse from the aftereffects, if he recalled correctly.

A woman this beautiful, stripped of it all in an instant.

Devastating was the only word for it.

It was like losing what made you, you.

"That's when the man who was Secretary of Military Affairs brought me an offer, saying the Church of the Sun God could heal me. He'd never once mentioned the Church before that… but I jumped at it immediately. The heat and the pain were constant, and thinking straight was next to impossible."

"That sounds… incredibly hard."

He'd never suffered injuries like that, so he couldn't truly empathize.

But he could imagine how terrible it must have been.

Princess Yupe laughed it off with an ahaha.

"What I did afterward was a disgrace to the royal name, though. Turns out the 'treatment' wasn't exactly conventional, either. Something about a vessel for an apostle… Honestly, my memories from after I received the Church's treatment are hazy. I remember having my neck cut, but I think I was just doing whatever I was told."

"I'm sorry."

"I told you, don't apologize. You did it to protect yourselves."

In the end, Princess Yupe had made a full recovery from those horrible burns, without so much as a scar.

The Church of the Sun God's signature regenerative power had been on full display.

The power itself was later stripped from her.

Even so, for Princess Yupe to be alive and well like this was nothing short of a miracle.

"Abandoned at the very end… Thinking about it is making me angry. I gave him everything, and that man never put me first. Next time we meet, he's going to pay."

"Weren't you in love?"

"Yohane, did you know? A woman never forgives a man who abandons her. There isn't a shred of love left. Even the favor of treating me wasn't really for my sake in the end, and boy, did I have terrible taste."

She muttered that she'd make him grovel.

Coming from Princess Yupe, the threat carried real weight.

Elza, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

"You never had any faith in the Church of the Sun God to begin with?"

"None. I consider myself my own god. Though these days, I'll admit there might actually be one out there."

"I see. So because you had no devotion, losing the power didn't turn you into a sacrifice…"

"I don't know what goes through their heads. Everything went through that man. I never met any of their leaders directly."

"You really are lucky."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Heavy conversation had carried them all the way to a large trading house.

This was the same one he'd previously signed a major contract with for Luido's processed goods.

Today, a procurement wagon headed for Luido was departing, and he'd arranged for them to hitch a ride.

"Ah, there you are, Yohane-san. We've been expecting you."

The trading house's representative came out to greet them.

They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

"My, I don't believe I've seen this lovely lady before. And your name is?"

"Oh, this is…"

Right, he'd forgotten to mention that Princess Yupe would be coming.

Things had been so hectic that details slipped through the cracks.

Princess Yupe removed her glasses and took off her hat.

Her hair was still tied up, but the representative recognized her at once.

Remembering faces was part of a merchant's job.

"Forgive me, Your Highness. Please, my apologies."

"You're forgiven. I don't have succession rights anymore, so there's no need for 'Your Highness.'"

"Please, allow me the courtesy. Congratulations on your recovery."

"Thank you. I appreciate the help."

"I'm afraid it's only a simple wagon, but… Yohane-san, what is the meaning of this? Why is Princess Yupe here?"

"She said she wanted to come along to Luido."

"If I'd known, I would have prepared a proper carriage! Every other wagon has already been dispatched!"

He was genuinely distressed.

So her popularity with the common people was real.

He had her sign a handkerchief he'd been carrying and declared it a lifelong treasure.

"At the very least, please use this."

He produced a cushion for Princess Yupe.

He pressed the driver repeatedly to be careful before seeing them off.

"This has its own charm, doesn't it? Royal carriages look grand, but they're so stiff. Surprisingly cramped, too."

"I half-expected you'd give up once you saw it was a wagon."

"Why would I? This is fun. I invest plenty of money and effort in my appearance, but I'm not some nouveau riche. Anatia's far worse in that regard, don't you think? She's a princess from filthy-rich Alsarm."

That was true. Anatia did have a certain high-society air about her.

Once the wagon started moving, Princess Yupe watched the passing scenery with obvious delight.

She radiated the joy of someone truly savoring life.

… Then, worn out from all the excitement, she fell asleep partway through.

What a free spirit.

Good thing she'd worn trousers.

In a skirt, her sleeping posture would have left her in a rather indecorous state.

Her face lolled against Azu, and she kept pressing closer until Azu wore an expression that defied description.

"Azu, we're almost there. Hang in there."

"This is nothing. Ugh."

Any fan of Princess Yupe would have wept with joy, but for Azu, it was simply a nuisance.

"Excuse me for a moment."

Elza gently touched Princess Yupe's shoulder.

Then she activated her healing miracle.

"She's not even a vessel, and yet there are no lingering effects… Thank goodness she didn't fall into their hands. If they'd gotten hold of her, they would have experimented on her until she died."

"With those people, I wouldn't put it past them. They've done some pretty horrific things."