CH 20

We have left the borders of the Kingdom of Halkeginia and are heading for the Kingdom of Ernia. The Kingdom of Ernia is the largest granary in the Orient, and although its territory is not that large, about 70% of its land is covered with wheat fields. It is probably about time to sow the seeds.

However, the Kingdom of Ilas and the Kingdom of Elunia are in a state of diplomatic relations. No wheat from the Kingdom of Ernia is available in our country.

The Kingdom of Halkeginia and our country have the worst diplomatic relations, but we still help each other economically, so we have no connection with the Kingdom of Ernia.

Besides,

In the past, Eric said terrible things to Mandane, the princess of the Kingdom of Ernia, one of the three beautiful women of the Orient Continent, and caused her heart to be broken.

This is not going to be a simple matter. But I have to do it.

For now, what is important is Sophia and Sera.

I’m also concerned about how they feel about each other, given their different identities. I need to be kinder to them.

However

Sera continued

It was lunchtime, and we stopped the carriage to eat sandwiches we had brought from the Kingdom of Halkeginia, but Sera was looking away from us, looking fidgety and uncomfortable.

“Sera chan? What’s wrong? Don’t you want to eat?”

“I-I’ll eat somewhere else, so you two take your time!”

“Sera-chan!”

Saying that, Sera runs to the bushes with a clatter of her feet.

“……”

Sophia has an unflattering expression on her face as she watches Sera’s back.

After lunch, the three of us were on edge. Sera, who is clearly concerned about me, and Sophia, who has a gloomy look on her face. The heavy atmosphere did not change, and before we knew it, night had fallen.

It was time to go camping.

I was a member of the camping club when I was a student, so I am somewhat familiar with the outdoors. So I stopped the wagon near the canyon, pitched the tent I had brought with me, and made a fire.

“Eric sama! Awesome! You’re very handy!”

“Yeah, actually, When I was in school, I was the head of the camping club …… and I’ve always loved this kind of outdoor activity!”

“Y-yes, …….”

D-Dangerous! I just ended up, out of habit, talking about the time when I was Yamaoka Seiji. Well, I don’t think anyone would believe me if I told them. ……

“I’m going to get ready for dinner now, so …… you two take your time. ……”

“Y-yeah….. please.”

With that, Sera takes the pot and goes to the water’s edge.

“Eric.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m going to go hunt some animals. I need meat. ……”

“Yes!”

“(glances)　”

“……?”

“(Glanceglanceglance)”

“Let’s go together?”

“……, yeah.”

cute ……

But,

“Ahhhhhh! Why is everything following me!”

“”Vaaaahhhh!””

“Eric! Don’t move! I can’t finish them!”

“If I stop, these giant boars will send me flying! Aaahh!”

“Vaaaahhhh!”

“Eric! Where in the world are you running to! The further in you go, the more boars you’ll see!”

I apparently have a constitution that is favored by the beasts of other worlds. After running around like a maniac for a while, Sophia, who had been following me, used her physical abilities to cut down the giant boars in one fell swoop.

When I saw them falling to the ground, I couldn’t help but fall to the ground.

“Haa.Ha…I thought I was going to die.”

“Eric……From now on, if you are chased by wild beasts like this, don’t run away, come to me. I will protect you.”

“Haa…… haa…… ah…… ah…… ah…… it’s hard to breathe ……”

“…… pfft! Hhahaha!”

“Why are you laughing ……”

“Sorry. I was beaten by Eric, and I belonged to him. But my man is chased by that little boar, and he makes such a disgusting sight, pfft.”

“No, this one’s much bigger than me …… well, it’s not too shabby ……”

“Eric is funny after all. Fufu.”

“Haha,…… it was worth the run because I got to see Sophia’s smile!”

We laughed heartily for a while. Then, as if by design, silence fell.

The chirping of insects tickled my ears, and the sky was littered with stars. And then I see the face of the maid who supports me in the shadows.

“Eric ……”

“What?”

“I’m going to go hunt some other animals, because it would be terrible if a beast appeared where we are camping. So go to Sera.”

“Eh?”

“Because, Eric, I’ve been worried about her for a long time. ……”

“…… Sorry.”

“Eric is kinder to me than anyone else. But if I try to monopolize that kindness, it’s just my selfishness. There is no Eric’s kindness there.”

“Sophia, ……”

“I believe in Eric.”

Sophia grips her sword and looks at me with a serious face. Sophia is a healthy Sophia. I approach her and give her a kiss,

Chuu!

I put my lips on hers and told her how I felt.

“Sophia, you can be selfish when it’s just the two of us. I will take care of everything.”

I patted Sophia’s cheek and then went to the waterfront where Sera was.

“I …… think I’m starting to like Eric a lot more. ……”

When I arrived at the water’s edge, Sera was diligently washing the grass and berries from the area. But then she noticed my footsteps and turned around.

“Eric-sama?!”

“Yo! Sera chan!”

“What’s the matter? I thought you were with Princess Sophia!”

“Yes! I was, but I came here because I was wondering about you, Sera chan.”

“Oh, I see. …… I’m fine!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, I’m sure!”

“Really, really, really, really?”

“Really, really, really true. ……”

“No more lies. Sera.”

“……”

“Why are you avoiding us?”

“! That’s …….”

“I want to hear what you really think, Sera chan.”

I caught Sera with a serious face and she turned her head and wriggled her mouth against my back.

Then, as if she had made up her mind, she began to speak in a tone of voice that stifled her emotions.

“The true feelings of a servant girl are insignificant. All I can do is to support Eric-sama so that he can be happy with Princess Sophia and other princesses. So please don’t worry about it. ……”

After saying that, Sera starts washing vegetables and nuts in the pot again.

Her back figure seemed to exude a sense of melancholy.

One maid crouched under the moonlight. Her hair, braided and tied in two knots, sways, and her slender figure arouses the desire to protect her. Sera is a commoner, not an aristocrat. But her face is beautiful enough to be a royal maid.

The voice she utters tightens my heart. No matter how hard she tries to hide her emotions, I can clearly hear the faint trembling in her voice and her attitude that she does not want to disappoint me.

fragile appearance

So I can’t resist. Even if she is a commoner and a maid, I want to make her happy.

Sera, who has gone through so much hardship, who has worked harder than anyone else to devote herself to me.

She deserves to receive love. She has the right to be happy.

And I have a duty to take good care of her.

In this other world, commoner maids are nothing more than disposable tools, except for the best of them. But I, who had lived in peaceful Japan, could not allow such a thing.

In this world, there is a class system, and Sophia is royalty while Sera is a commoner. However, in my mind, Sophia and Sera are both pretty girls with the same personality.

Of course, I have to follow the rules of this world. I am a royalty myself, so I have to follow the rules of this world, even more so.

However, there is no law that says royalty must not love commoners. What exists is only the stereotypes of prejudiced people. We must destroy that.

Royalty, nobility, or commoner,

I will stand up for what I think.

I will give them all plenty of love and satisfy them. I will give them more love than they can ever get enough of.

With that in mind, I stand behind Sera, who is crouching down to wash the fruit, and bend down to give her a gentle back hug.

I bend down and give her a gentle back hug.

“! Eric sama ……”