According to Nyran, the fourth prince was his older brother, who had returned from the elf lands .
“Aaron . But you’re supposed to return to the elf territories . ”
“The only people that need to go are Nyran and Kaider . I’m not even an Adventurer . Besides, since I’ve been away for so long, fewer people inland will know my face . ”
Aaron replied to the king . Chiharu looked at him . No, they looked so much alike that anyone would see he was royalty at a glance . However, she kept this to herself . As for Maki, she was a little blunter .
“No, we don’t want to go with royalty . Can you please introduce us to someone who won’t stick out? Like a merchant . ”
“You’re not satisfied with me?”
“Yes, well, not in that way . ”
“So you are unsatisfied?”
“Yes . ”
Maki and Aaron glared at each other .
“Wait a minute . Why are you acting like it’s already been decided that you’ll go at all? It’s too dangerous . And this is inland . I feel bad for the merfolk chief, but we can’t risk losing the Saintesses . ”
Kaider said . Maki replied calmly .
“We don’t need your permission, Kaider . ”
“What! You are being willful!”
“I know that I am! But sometimes you have to do things, even if it is willful!”
Now it was Maki and Kaider who were glaring at each other . However, Kaider’s eyebrows lowered .
“Please . Only be that way when I can protect you . I’m worried . ”
He said .
“Kaider…”
“Maki…”
“Ugh, can you two do this some other time?”
Kilian interrupted them . Maki and Kaider quickly looked away .
“What should be done…”
Kilian said as he held his head . And then Edwy answered .
“It cannot be helped . We must send them out . ”
“Edwy!”
Chiharu smiled . Yes . Chiharu looked cute when she laughed . Edwy almost smiled himself, but he forced himself to keep a straight face .
“They’ll just run away by themselves if we don’t let them go . So it would be better to just accept it now . ”
He said .
“Maki . Aaron shouldn’t have too much trouble blending in with the inland people . In fact, he often runs away and disguises himself as a commoner in order to play around, just like you two . And so you should allow him to accompany you . ”
Uh, run away and play around? How rude . Maki thought .
“And I will go as well . ”
Edwy said, much to her surprise .
“Edwy . Uh, you’ll stick out too much . ”
“What? I won’t stick out if I wear a hat . ”
“But your eyes . ”
“There are plenty of inland people with blue eyes . It shouldn’t be a problem . ”
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“Uh, but you really don’t look like a commoner . ”
“But I do . In spite of what you might think, I’m used to living in town . Besides, what do you think I’ve been doing all of this time?”
Indeed . And so they were all in agreement .
“But, what about the elf lands?”
“I was just an extra anyway . Nyran is the main person who must go . He can just say that the Midland prince was tired from his dwarven journey . ”
“Arthur will be very sad if something happens to you . You are his only son . ”
Chiharu said quietly .
“But it was our world that took you two from your parents . If you two are going to be put into danger, then I cannot stand by and watch . ”
Chiharu was surprised . Since when had Edwy become so strong? They stared at each other for a while .
“Hey, you two . So, in other words, you’re going to dress up as merchants and do a little digging, right? There shouldn’t be anything dangerous about that!”
Aaron said . Chiharu and Edwy looked away from each other .
“Then it will be me and Edwy who accompany the two saintesses . We can move around while pretending to be merchants . And then perhaps we can have a few more people come who won’t draw attention . ”
Aaron started to say . And so Maki interrupted him .
“Um, that won’t do . It can’t look like Lowland is involved . ”
“I know that . ”
Aaron said with a grin .
“We’re just going as guards for the Saintesses . It is all just a coincidence that we were there . ”
“It seems too extravagant for guards…”
Chiharu looked a little dazed . How had it come to this? They had wanted to go with some merchants .
“It’s perfect . I brought back a lot of Soluna oranges from the elf lands . We can sell those . They are very popular inland . Even if we stick out a little, people will be happy . ”
Aaron said as if it had already been decided .
“Also, it will take three days by carriage to go to the mirror lake after we cross the border . And it takes three days to get to the border from here . So, what will you do?”
He asked Maki and Chiharu .
“We were going to ask Sauro and Saikania to take us . Of course, they would stick out if they went all of the way . So they would take us to a town close to the border . Then we would go by carriage . ”
“I hadn’t thought of that . Aeris’s airship would draw too much attention, so we can’t use that… But I haven’t been carried by the birdfolk since I was a child . ”
Aaron said with a chuckle . Maki laughed too .
“Well, no one is forcing you to come with us . ”
“No, it will be a good experience for me . Besides, if I don’t go, you’ll have no shadow guards or Soluna oranges . ”
“You’re petty . ”
“Hmph . And you’re ungrateful . ”
“We didn’t even want you . ”
They glared at each other . Would they be alright? Chiharu was unsure .
However, Aaron was quick to move . Within the day, he ordered that the Soluna oranges be prepared to be taken out, and he sent out some guards on horseback to move ahead of them . This was so they would arrive at the border town at the same time as the birdfolk .
As their plans had changed so suddenly, Aeris, Kaider, and Nyran were incredibly worried . However, Aeris still had to take the airship to the elf lands . And he also wanted to see the dungeon with his own eyes .
Furthermore, he knew that as an elf, he wouldn’t be any help to them anyway . And while Kaider and Nyran wished their duty didn’t demand they be elsewhere, they knew that they couldn’t ignore it and follow the Saintesses . If they did, it was Maki and Chiharu who would be blamed .
And they had to think of all of the other people as well .
“Maki and Chiharu . I wish you didn’t have to go . ”
Aeris said sadly . Chiharu took his hand and looked at his face .
“We’re not going in secret this time . And Edwy will be with us . So we’ll be fine . ”
“Let me at least replenish myself of you first . ”
Aeris said as he sat down and pulled Chiharu to his side .
“You too, Maki . ”
And so Maki sat on the opposite side of him . Aeris held them on both sides in order to recharge from their energy, or something . And then he let them go .
Maki and Chiharu then moved over to Grudo and hugged him from both sides . Grudo then patted them gently on the hand .
“I’m not worried about you two at all . You should do what you feel is best . ”
“Thank you . ”
Kaider and Nyran watched on a little jealously, but they were not bold enough to say they wanted to be replenished as well .
“Don’t do anything stupid . ”
“And don’t work at night anymore . ”
That was all that they could say .
“Yes, we won’t . ”
“I’ll be careful . ”
And so Kaider and Nyran had no choice but to look them in the eyes and cling on to those words .