Arriving at the royal barracks with Max and Lemonade in tow, Parker strolled past various rooms with a hurried, yet refined gait. Nodding to some soldiers wharbed in red gambeson, she made her stairs and headed directly for an ornately decorated door, approag and violently tearing it open before ushering the two pyers inside.

  “Aha!”

  The moment Max stepped inside, a figure rose up from their chair and whizzed toward him with dizzying speed. Max followed with his eyes.

  “Oho indeed, you have a quick eye, very impressive. Dahlia was right about you.”

  ‘Woah.’ Max was surprised by the man’s speed. Just from that movement alone, he could tell that this person’s physical attributes exceeded level 70; they were even faster than the assassin he’d fought earlier.

  “Greetings hero, you must be Gun!” The man collected Max’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “I must admit, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

  ‘Ow.’ Max winced in pain as his hand was crushed. Ign the pain, he quickly looked the man up and down, gauging how to respond. “I-it’s an honour. Then, would you be the prince?”

  “Oh, where are my manners?” The well-dressed man cleared his throat. “Yes, that’s correct. My name is Virtus Antonius Eleutheria, sed-born and prince of the Kingdom of Eleutheria, where you currently stand.”

  Max got to one knee and bowed slightly, “It’s an honour to meet the prince.”

  “Ah, you don’t o do that.” The prince pulled him back to his feet. “You’re not one of my subjects, so there’s no need for you to bow to me. If anything, I should be the one bowing after you rescued my cute cousin.”

  Max was surprised. ‘Wow, I was expeg the prio be quite arrog- Wait, cousin?’ He paused. “...Ah, then I presume Lady Parker is your cousin?”

  “That’s correct. She didn’t tell you?” The princed at Parker, who avoided eye ta the doorway, befrinning. “Dahlia Parker – is my cousin on my mother’s side. A prodigious spearwoman, gifted both with tremendous talent and supreme beauty. Well-known for having once mao-”

  “S-stop!” Parker waved her hands, blushing. “Y-you don’t o aggrandise! Just my name is enough!”

  An exaggerated sigh emerged from the prince’s lips as his gushing was cut short. “Oh well, I guess it ’t be helped. My cousin is too humble to even-”

  “Stop!!”

  ...Max took advantage of this moment of wholesome bullying to survey the room he’d eo his side, an elliptical meeting table covered most of the room, bordered by a dozen uniformed officials who watched the ongoing iion with amusement. Aside from that, there was also a girl, seemingly ie teens, who leant against one of the side walls. She wore an embroidered silk dress, and it did not escape Max’s notice that she shared aical light-blonde hair colour with the prince.

  “All right, I’ll stop, I’ll stop. I still o reward my cousin’s saviour, after all.”

  ‘Reward?’ Max’s attention snapped back. A reward from the prince of a kingdom was uo be anythirian.

  “Yhness, that’s really not necessary; I’ve already received pensation from the-”

  “From the Novus town guard. Yes, I’m aware. Still, I’d like to give a little somethira to show my gratitude. You won’t turn me down, will you?” He smiled with a hidden pressure.

  “Ah, no, then I will gratefully accept, Yhness.”

  “Call me Virtus; I dislike all that formal stuff,” Virtus spoke as he started fishing around in one of his pockets. After a few seds, he took out a small ring. “Ah, here it is.”

  ‘A ring?’ Max was intrigued. ‘Is the prince giving me an accessory item?’

  The ring gave a bright fsh, and an item emerged out from it. Max’s eyes widened. ‘A ste ring?! That’s certainly here wasn’t anything like that in- Uh? Bow?’

  Max’s thoughts malfuned as Virtus passed him a rge bow, which Max accepted with both hands as though he were receiving a precious artefact.

  “It’s... beautiful.” Max’s eyes sparkled.

  Entranced by the smooth texture of the wood on his fingers, he took a moment to admire the bow’s craftsmanship. Despite having the great length of a longbow, its limbs formed a delicate curvature at both ends in the decisive shape of a recurve.

  In terms of appearahe wood ale red, striking the perfect baween pleasing to the eye and not audy. Dark patches presehemselves in the grains, c across its length in uable – yet soothing undutions. But that wasn’t all. There was something else...

  “Gun?” Virtus shook his shoulder.

  “Ah?” Max broke out of his reverie. “Ah! Sorry, I got carried away. This bow – just what is it?”

  “Ha, I’m gd you like it.” Virtus smiled. “This bow is directly from the pace treasury. Its power is g pared to our standard armament, but its durability and craftsmanship are excellent. I specuted it would be best in the hands of a talented, low-level archer such as yourself.”

  “I’m honoured...” Max was about to tinue speaking but saw movement from the light-haired girl he’d noticed earlier.

  “Halt. Give me that.” The girl walked up to Max and took the bow, turning it around in her hands to i it. Max didn’t object, as he suspected this robably Virtus’s sibling.

  Now that he observed her properly, she definitely had the appearance of a princess. She had smooth, fair skin without any fws, and a small blue jewel as a stud earring which matched her eyes. Her silvery-gold hair was woven into two sleek braids which crossed the sides of her head symmetrically and coalesced into a wide ponytail at the back. She was extremely pretty, and Max already guessed that she would be idolised by the male pyers... ‘Probably the female pyers too, actually.’

  Unfortunately, Max’s intuition told him that she would have a prickly attitude to go with it.

  “This... I reise this bow. Isn’t this from the treasury’s upper level?” She stared at Virtus.

  “Yes, that’s correct.” Virtus showed an uned expression. “Is there some sort of problem?”

  “roblem?” The girl was slightly flustered. “Of course there’s a problem! You ’t just give top-level items away as you please; they’re practically national treasures!”

  “I’m fully aware of that. The reason I-”

  “Are you truly?” She spoke incredulously.

  “Yes.” Virtus’s voice became firm. “Are you going to let me expin?”

  “...” The girl crossed her arms aed, despite showing a slight frown.

  “I’m sure you’re aware of the mana explosion which occurred ireasury a few weeks ago. Due to an artefact malfun, a mana surge caused part of the upper level’s roof to cave in, leading to widespread flood damage.”

  “Aly art of this makes it okay to give away national treasures?”

  “I was getting to that.” Virtus narrowed his eyes. “Do you think you could let me speak for more than two sentences without interrupting?”

  “That depends, you give a direswer instead of a long, droning monologue?”

  *Sigh* Virtus rubbed his forehead. “The identification records for this bow became destroyed due to water damage. As things stand, we have no indication of what the significe of this bow was, not historically, nor in a utilitarian sehe pace appraisers ’t eve a read on it and nearly all of the experts are in sensus that its power was either weakened by water damage, faded over time, or never existed in the first pces, as the bow might have only bee for orative purposes. Either way, there’s not much reason to hang onto it now.” Virtus took a breath. “Satisfied?”

  “As if! You think I don’t know where the explosion was? Keepsake items are kept on the opposite side of the building. You’re basically handing him a national artefa a silver ptter!”

  “Tsk.” Virtus clicked his tongue.

  ‘...??’ Max watched them argue with silent awe. The plexity of this world and its NPCs was so extehat it didn’t even feel like a game anymore. These two royals... seemed more intelligent than actual pyers? How were they so real?!

  “Did you just ‘tsk’ me?!!” The girl looked appalled.

  “Look, even if the bow does have special features, our inisance of them renders it basically useless to us; Rodrick studied the thing for aire week and came up empty. Besides, I’ve already given it out – you’re not seriously suggesting I humiliate myself by taking it back, are you?”

  “Grr.” The girl gave Virtus a final natre before turning to Max. “...”

  Feeling her eyes pierg into him, Max returned his best amicable gaze and quickly switched into sweet-talking mode. “Yhness,” Max put a hand to his chest, “I promise that I would do my utmost to uhe bow’s potential.”

  “...” She tiaring for a few more seds, making Max feel slightly unfortable. “It should be ‘Your Royal Highness’ on the first address, then ma’am in subsequence.”

  “My apologies, I will make sure to remember that.” Max firmed she was indeed a princess.

  “Good. Now then...” She came closer and flicked a hair out of his face, still unsmiling. “I’ve heard that you subjugated twenty orcs by yourself. Is that true?”

  Max noticed an expensive perfume but ig to focus on his respoaking a guess at this girl’s personality, he decided not to speak more words than necessary. “Yes, that’s true.”

  “Good, then at least you’re not pletely useless...” Her lips pursed slightly, as she appeared to sider. “Fine, you have the bow. You did save my cousin after all.” She returhe red bow to Max’s hands. “I expect that you’ll use it well.”

  “So rude.” Virtus joked. “You didn’t even introduce yourself.”

  “Must I do so every time I meet someohe girl retorted with exasperation. “Though he is quite promising for a mere level eight.” She met Max’s eyes. “My name is Sophia Minerva Eleutheria, third princess of the kingdom and alsic advisor to the king. I’ve spent the past few days listening to reports of ‘heroes’ rampantly itting crimes ay try so it’s rather refreshing to meet someone who isn’t a plete piece of... well, scat, excuse my nguage.”

  Before Max could respond, Sophia tinued, “Since we’re oopic of introdus, who is this bald man c behind you?”

  Max turo find a frightened Lemonade who looked like he wao run away. Of course, Max would never let him do that. “This is Lemonade, a good friend of mine who supplied health potions to aid Lady Parker’s retreat when she and her subordinates were in dire need. He is a renowned figure among the heroes and is widely listeo among our people.”

  Virtus perked up. “Oh? A hero ambassador? Iing.” He massaged his . “Very iing.”

  Lemonade nearly choked on air at being uedly thrown in the deep end.

  Sophia stepped bad reached for her pocket. “It seems like you also helped my cousin. Take this as a token of ratitude.” She tossed him a small ring.

  ‘Now!’ Max thought. ‘Ingratiate! Ingratiate yourself with the princess! This is your ce!’

  “Th-thank you, Your Royal, uh, Greatness.”

  ‘Nope, fumbled it.’ Max shook his head tragically.

  “Close enough.” Virtus ughed. “More importantly, if it’s really true that you have sway with the heroes then we could use your help.”

  ‘?...!!’ Sophia suddenly looked armed. “No, absolutely not!”

  “What was it she said before Dahlia returned?” Virtus ignored her and iuro the military men who had been waiting at the meeting table. “Not enough men to spare? Ha! A trifling quandary when we just summon five thousand immortals to the battlefield!”

  “You do realise the heroes all under level ten still, right?” Sophia’s voice came from behind him. “They’re also untraihey would be useless even by on fodder standards.”

  “Ignore her,” Virtus tinued, “you’ve heard of Sir Gun’s feats; they’re not all useless. The orpound is still small, so this is the best time to attack. A force of five thousand men plus the heroes should be enough.”

  “...” Virtus seemed to be fishing for volunteers, but the table was silent, so he picked on someone. “Lloyd, I hear your casteln has been quite bored tely.”

  The grey-haired man known as ‘Lloyd’ showed a greatly uhused expression.

  “Novus happens to be closest to your territory, sooo...”

  “Gah, fine, fine! I’ll send Stewart over. But you’d better not take any casualties now that you have the heroes there.”

  “Thank you, Lloyd. I assure you that your men are my top priority.”

  “You’ve got to be joking,” Sophia remarked derisively.

  Virtus turned his full body to face her with evident irritation. “I never joke about people’s lives, Sophia. Novus is in an eic crisis; people are losing their livelihoods and some their very lives. I won’t stand-”

  “And how many more would lose their lives if this started another war?”

  “...Then what? We should let our enemies push us around without resisting? Ignore our people in need and allow the eo expand into our territory unchecked?” He gave a sharp gre.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You certainly implied it.”

  “I just think that we ot be exposing the heroes’ existeoo early. If the Demon Army were to discover the herht now, do you think they would stand idly by and watch them get stronger? No, they would surely attempt to annihite our kingdom while they still have the ce.”

  “So, you would ighem.” Virtus discarded the rest of her words. “If you holy believe that abandoning our people is the best option, you just leave the rht now.”

  “They just move to aown!”

  “Okay, leave.” Virtus poio the door.

  “...Ugh, dense as always.” Sophia brushed past Max as she headed for the door. “Father will hear of this.”

  “I do not care.”

  She closed the door delicately behind her.

  Virtus turned back to the lords at the table. “Apologies you all had to withat. Sir Lloyd, I believe this is a matter of great urgence, so I would arrange for my retio meet Castel at Novus in about a half-day from now. Does that sound acceptable to you? I uand it is short notice.”

  “Ha, I see. Before the old man stop you; very cheeky.” The lord thought for a moment. “That should be fiewart would be ready even if I summoned him in his sleep. Though I hadn’t thought you would apany them; do you pn to lead the attack?”

  “Yes, that is my iion. I’d like to gauge the ability of the heroes with my own eyes.”

  “I see. Well, I’ll make the arras then.”

  “Splendid! Thank you, Lloyd.” Virtus turned around. “Of course, my cousin’s crush and the hero bea will obviously apany me.”

  “Th-cr-what?! N-no!” Dahlia was caught horrifically off-guard. “I am merely grateful tun for saving me, don’t say eous things!”

  Virtus grinned. “Then why do you keep calling him ‘Sir’ even though he’s a oner?”

  Dahlia’s face turomato-red.

  “Haha. I kid of course, I kid. I’m sure you were just being polite.” Virtus looked between Max and Lemonade. “On a more useful note... are you two versed in horsemanship?”