It took a considerable amount of time before we were released from the barrage of questions.
“... That was dreadful.”
I went to an unpopulated balcony where I chilled my heated up body with the cold air.
Matthias-san and Rebecca-san are intimately dancing within the dancing circle, so they are not with me. It had left me by myself, but I encouraged them to go for a dance.
“Oy, commoner. Don’t get too cocky just because you have received His Majesty’s favor!”As if waiting for me to be alone, several young masters came over to pick a fight with me with an incomprehensible pretext.
“Errr... I don’t think I am acting cocky or anything though?”
“Stop talking back! Don’t get carried away just because you are at this party!”
“Right! Understand already that this party is not suitable for commoners!”
These people with distorted reasoning that are going after me are the kind of people who think they are better than everyone else. Therefore, it’s clear that they won’t listen to anything I say.
It has been a while since something like this happened~ I am relieved that Allen and Elena aren’t here, because of they were, they would end up throwing themselves at these young masters immediately until they wouldn’t be able to move like that adventurer before.
Using a force against the nobility would cause some problems after all.... However, how do I get myself out of this situation?
I can’t use force, words don’t connect... should I evacuate? Should I move to a more public place and swiftly join up with Matthias-san and Rebecca-san?
“What are you doing there?”
While thinking of escaping from here, I heard the voice of a third party.
“Y, Your Highness!?”
It was the third prince, Alfried-sama.
“I am asking you. What are you doing there? I think I heard some inappropriate remarks?”
“No, that’s not the case at all.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course.”
“Well, let’s leave it at that. I’d like to borrow him for a while, that fine with you?”
“Y, yes. We will excuse ourselves.”
With the prince’s entry, the young masters were bound to disperse. Moreover, while leaving, they left a “You got lucky today” remark.
“... What did they want to do?”
“Majority of the people here are pleased with you, so they probably wanted to chase you out, Takumi-dono.”
“Ah! Sorry about that. Thank you for helping me, Alfried-sama.”
I was dumbfounded by their sore loser threat, but recalling that I haven’t given my thanks to Alfried-sama yet, I conveyed my thanks in a hurry.
“No, that wasn’t your fault, right? You are here because you were invited by Father. Rather, I should be the one apologizing. I am sorry about those fellows.”
“No, that’s not something Alfried-sama should be apologizing for.”
Alfried-sama was earnestly apologizing, but I don’t think it was required.
“You are quite tolerable, Takumi-dono~ Ah, please call me Al. We are close in age, so I don’t mind if you speak casually to me.”
“Then, I will address you Al-sama. Please, call me Takumi.”
“I don’t mind the honorifics, but... the surroundings would be noisy, so it can’t be helped.”
Al-sama was a very friendly person. We could build a good relationship if he was to be my friend~ I insolently thought.
“Come to think of it, why have you come to the balcony, Al-sama?”
“Ah, I wanted to talk to you.”
“Yes? About what?”
When I asked why he came to the balcony, Al-sama was averting his gaze a little.
Something he wanted to talk about? While thinking about what it could be, I wanted for him to speak.
“... About the other day.”
“The other day? Ahh... about us happening to see you in the town?”
“! I, I see. So you really did notice me at that time.”
It appears that Al-sama wanted to talk about his incognito stroll in the town.
Nevertheless... he somehow guessed that I was able to notice him.
“Yes. You really do take after Tristan-sama. I was able to tell immediately.”
“... I see.”
Al-sama hung his head in dejection.
“I will tell you just in case, but I have no intentions of spreading rumors. Besides, as long as it doesn’t cause trouble for the surroundings, I don’t really oppose your incognito walks.”
For the time being, I followed up with what Alfried-sama seemed to be concerned about.
“... You think so?”
“Yes.”
“That would be a great help.”
“Nono.”
As I thought, what Al-sama was worried about was whether his strolls would be exposed to others.
“Does Tristan-sama and the rest not know?”
“No, I did not tell anyone, but I believe that Father and others know. I think they are aware, but just not saying anything.”
“Is that so?”
Is that so? That’s rather convenient...——
“Did Tristan-sama perhaps traveled incognito as much as you do before? That’s why he isn’t saying anything, perhaps?”
“Eh? N, no, surely not!?”
Al-sama seems surprised, but I don’t find it impossible. That’s why I think that if he doesn’t go overboard, his strolls might be overlooked.
“Well, anyhow. I don’t know how often you go for the strolls in the town, but your current pace seems to be overlooked~”
“I see!”
Al-sama was delighted from hearing my words. He must like walking in the town a lot.
“You were here, Your Highness. Did I not tell you to refrain from going alo——”
At that time, the red-haired guard that was with Al-sama before arrived. He was apparently looking for Al-sama as he tried to reproach him the moment he found him, but he stopped once he noticed me.
“Oh my? You are...”
“Hello. I am an adventurer, Takumi. Thank you very much for your assistance the other day.”
“... Not at all.”
When I told him my thanks for assisting me by throwing the coin, he was dumbfounded.
“It seems that Takumi has noticed our identities.”
“... As I thought, it was like that, huh——ahh, how rude of me. My name is Najack Ignis.”
“Najack is my personal guard. Ah, he’s also a nephew of Countess Ruven.”
“Eh? Then Najack-sama is Wald-sama and Velio-sama’s cousin?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
From what Al-sama said, I understood that the Ignis Household is Rebecca-san’s maternal family.
“Hee~ I wasn’t aware.”
“It’s only a little, but I heard about you from Obaasama, Takumi-dono.”
“Eh? Is that so!?”
“Yeah, my Father and Obaasama seem to be keeping close contact, so I heard various things...”
“......”
Najack-sama’s words were muddy at the end for some reason.
Rebbeca-san, just what did you tell your parent’s home!?
“Oh! I heard about them too! Takumi’s tales of heroism!”
“!?”
Seriously, wait a moment! What do you mean by heroism!
I was curious about what stories they heard, but I had a bad feeling that I would regret asking, so I decided to not ask in the end.
“......... Ah~ that reminds me, is it all right for you to be this far for this long from the hall, Al-sama?”
“Yeah? Ahh, this much shouldn’t be a problem... it would be better to return soon though. You are coming back too, right?”
“Indeed, I should.”
“In that case, come with me. It would be troublesome if something like before happened again before you could meet up with Count Ruven, right? If you are with me—”
“Nono, as expected, I can’t use a prince a shield.”
“I don’t really mind? Alright, let’s go, Takumi.”
When I returned to the hall while escorted by Al-sama, Matthias-san, Rebecca-san and naturally Tristan-sama and the rest of the royal family were delighted that Al-sama and I became friends.
The royals have only a few friends because of their status, so people like me are apparently rare. Al-sama himself told me “by all means”. I thought that I could become good friends with him, so I decided to accept.
Like this, I made a friend from the royal family.
