Chapter 267

"Good grief... I got rejected."

After explaining the situation to Clael and Reina and failing to recruit them, Eric looked up at the sky as he left the hotel.

He let out a deep, heavy sigh toward the sky where snow was falling steadily.

(If possible, I would have liked to borrow Reina's help... but I got turned down after all.)

Eric's desire to ask Reina for help wasn't driven by ulterior motives.

It was because he thought things would go more smoothly when talking to the person he was about to meet—Shedelielya the Songstress—if Reina were present.

Shedelielya the Songstress was a special existence.

Though she wasn't a Saint, she could use miraculous powers, and there were even stories of her calming plagues and disasters.

However... he had also heard some suspicious rumors.

That the source of her power was evil, or that she gained it by offering sacrifices... he had heard such unsettling information.

(That's why I wanted Reina to be there and hear her opinion... but I guess things won't be that easy.)

Even if Eric was the Crown Prince, he couldn't force Reina to do anything.

Reina was a Saint. An irreplaceable existence, and in some ways, even more important to the country than Eric.

Forcing a Saint could incur the wrath of the goddess. There were even tales of royalty who were struck by lightning for forcing marriage upon a Saint.

(If I can't borrow Reina's help, I'll have to solve this on my own... No, I'm not alone. I'm lucky to have comrades and a fiancée I can rely on.)

Fortunately, Vincent and the others had offered to help with this matter.

His fiancée, Carrot Laurel, was a duke's daughter, skilled in conversation and experienced in negotiations.

She would surely lend a hand in the dialogue with Shedelielya the Songstress.

"I know... I'm blessed. More than I deserve."

With reliable comrades and a compassionate fiancée, what more could he ask for?

(I'm greedy. Despite having so much, just not having Reina by my side makes me feel this 'incomplete.')

Feeling the hollow space in his chest, Eric stomped the snow beneath his feet.

There's no point in wishing for what I can't have... If I can't borrow Reina's help, I'll have to handle it myself.

"Hm?"

"............"

Eric was about to return to his hotel by carriage when he suddenly noticed a figure at the edge of the road.

At first, he thought it was just a passerby, but it turned out to be someone he knew—and for some reason, the person was limping.

"Hey, you!"

"............"

When Eric called out to the person, a boy turned around and their eyes met.

The boy was a student of the Royal Academy. He had a gloomy face, wore a black coat with a long scarf, and had an eyepatch covering his left eye.

"You're Shura Heizen, right? Is something wrong?"

Eric recalled the boy's name.

Shura Heizen... Yes, that was the name of the student.

Shura was limping, and blood was dripping from the hem of his trousers. He seemed to be injured.

"What happened to that injury!? Let me treat it. Get in the carriage!"

"...Leave me alone."

However, Shura showed no concern for Eric and tried to walk away.

Eric quickly grabbed his shoulder, forcibly stopping him.

"Wait! You can't just ignore that injury..."

"You're the one who laid a hand on me... Take responsibility."

"Gah!?"

Immediately afterward, a shock struck Eric's head.

A tree branch nearby had hit Eric's head. The branch, broken by the weight of the snow, had landed squarely on his skull.

"Guh, ah..."

"Hmph..."

Leaving the collapsed Eric behind, the gloomy boy—Shura Heizen—dragged his injured leg and walked away.