The Prince with the Passive Skill

"My, my, what lovely young ladies you all are. I thought for a moment you might be goddesses rather than spirits."

Dressed in an ornate white military uniform, the textbook-perfect blond prince glinted his teeth at us the moment he laid eyes on us.

Something crawled up my spine. What was this… a chill? Had he done something to me? No, it was just a plain old shiver.

The prince looked about twenty. For a grown adult like that to call our Tria-chan a "lovely young lady"… ugh. A lolicon, maybe?

"…It's true our Tria-chan and the others are cute, but I don't like the way you're looking at them."

"Aaah, can I just go home, yo? I've got goosebumps, yo. Quit looking over here, yo."

"Now, now, you two. Since we came all this way, let's at least hear him out, 'kay?"

Tch. If Penpen says so, I guess I'll hear him out.

"…M-my apologies. Have I offended you? When a nobleman sees a charming woman, flirting with her is his manner of greeting."

"That's a whole other issue on its own, but I'm pretty sure Tria-chan is still very much a kid?"

After all, this was a girl whose looks were enough to get her stopped when she tried to order alcohol.

"…My apologies for that as well, but it's a misunderstanding. I have a passive skill with the following effect: 'Anyone in the direction my face is pointing, with no obstacle in between, feels as though they are being looked at by me.'"

"Hmm, is that so? …How do I put it, that sounds like a skill for an actor. Or maybe a politician? It'd be crazy effective for speeches."

"A keen observation. Exactly so. If not for my claim to the throne, I would have wanted to become an actor."

Hmm, hmm. Not a bad guy to talk to, actually.

"Ohhh, yo. …So who were ya hitting on, then, yo?"

"That, of course, would be y— oh dear, I've directed it at all of you again. It was not you, the black-haired one."

"Then it'd be me, yeah?"

"It's Pen."

"It's Pen, yo."

That, we couldn't argue with. Penpen was charming in all sorts of ways, and her charm was itself charming.

The real question is how she looks that way without ever tweaking her appearance. That's the mystery.

"By the way, what was the request again?"

"Ah. Yes, that. I would like to hire you as escorts. Would you be willing to lend me your strength?"

"…I see, yo. So with this skill, monsters get to swarm you however they please too, yo?"

"…Indeed. Diving into a dungeon is difficult enough as it is, but with this skill getting in the way, it becomes a dire affair."

Ah. So monsters, too, indiscriminately sense that they're "being looked at."

"…You know, maybe you should just wear a mask?"

"A mask won't work. My Beauty, ah, that's the skill's name. [Beauty] recognizes a mask as part of my face as well. I even tried wearing a bucket as a test once, but that made the effect trigger in every direction indiscriminately."

So it had been thoroughly tested.

…No, seriously, for real? That's so inconvenient it's almost past the point of being inconvenient.

"Actor or royalty really is your true calling, huh."

"Or perhaps a target, or bait. It's a troublesome thing. If I could get rid of it, I would. It's a loser skill."

"Sounds rough, yo. …So why the dungeon escort job, yo?"

"Apparently, deep within a dungeon, there's a way to seal this skill at will."

Ah, now the pieces are coming together.

"But you, personally, have to go all the way to the bottom of the dungeon. That's the catch."

"You catch on quick. I appreciate it."

Because of the skill, ordinary escorts weren't enough, so the request had come down to skilled adventurers like us.

And when it comes to a dungeon, you can't just bring a huge squad of soldiers along. A big army would only get in the way in the narrow passages.

"Ideally, a swift trip in and a swift trip back. A small elite force is preferable. And as for the lovely, ah, Penpen-dono, I hear you're in charge of preparations. I'll spare no cooperation I can give so that you may work to your fullest."

"Ohoho."

Ping. Penpen's eyes lit up.

"Y-you wouldn't mind if I used some slightly luxurious materials for preparations' sake, riiight?"

"I do not mind. That would be expenses, after all."

"Whoo! The prince really gets it!"

"Ah, maybe I'll bring Miitei-chan over too. For potion-making and the like, you'd actually be better off leaving it to Miitei-chan."

"What? I was told that only three of you had come to the Royal Capital…"

"We have a secret means of travel. Let's keep it between us, yeah?"

"I see. Best I not inquire further, then. It's likely some player-exclusive method."

The prince nodded repeatedly.

"Oh, come to think of it, I haven't gotten your name yet, Prince. What is it?"

"Oh, how careless of me. Forgetting to introduce myself, of all things… My name is Leonhardt. Leonhardt Majark Aurelia. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Heeh? Ah. So this country is called Aurelia?

First I'm hearing of it.