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chapter 64
Name
We changed our course and advanced south west.\n
Since we have been riding on Firo for a while without a wagon, Iâm getting cramps.
âIs there a cart somewhere that we can steal?â
Since I already have a bounty. Itâs just a wagonâŠâŠ
âNoo~!â
Firo seemed to have a reaction to that
âFiro wonât pull a cart that is stolen.â
Is this perhaps some Philo Rial sense of justice?
âStealing aside, itâs quite uncomfortable to ride Firo for a long time.â\n
âDoes the second princess also think so?â\n
âUmmmâŠâŠâ
The second princess gives me an unpleasant look and avoids my question.\n
whatâs wrong?
âEven though it will be dangerous, maybe we could have Raphtalia buy a wagon in a villageâŠâŠâ
It would be nice to just have something to ride in.\n
Should I ask that shadow?
âOops, it looks like nightfall soon. Shall we take a break?â
Just as we were about to rest.
âââGua!?âââ
A wild Philo Rial A appeared!\n
A wild Philo Rial B appeared!\n
A wild Philo Rial C appeared!
The Philo Rials saw Firo and raised their voices.\n
They look familiar. Ah, theyâre the ones that ran away immediately before.\n
Somehow these Philo Rial have the expressions of those determined to complete their mission, but after a while they run away again.
âWhatâs that?â\n
âHow rare, being able to encounter Philo Aria and Firiru classes in the wild.â
The second princess seems to be looking at those Philo Rial with entranced expressions.
âIâve this suspicion for a while now, but second princess, you really like Philo Rials right?â\n
âYup! AhâŠâŠâ
After the second princess nodded, she looked at me with an unpleasant face.\n
Just what did I say?\n
GuâŠâŠ\n
Firoâs stomach growls.
âIâm hungry.â\n
âDo not eat each other.â\n
âFiro-chan is such a glutton.â
The second princess pokes Firo with her fingers.
âEheheâ
Itâs good that they are close, but their behaviour is a little disgusting.\n
Like some idiot couples.
I finish preparing the camp-fire and start cooking.
âHey, second princess.â
I give her todayâs dinner but she refuses it with a frown.\n
What on earth did I say?
âMel-chan doesnât want to eat?â\n
âIâll eat. ButâŠâŠâ
The second princess seems to be at a loss.\n
What is going on?
âWhatâs wrong?â\n
âNothing.â
When Raphtalia asks the second princess picks up her dinner.
âWhatâs wrong Mel-chanâ\n
âUmâŠâŠâ
Firo asks the second princess and she shows a troubled face.
âI donât have the power to brainwash you know.â\n
âThatâs not it!â
The second princess turns away and pouts.\n
Her usual attitude doesnât change. She happily chats with Firoâs human form and, talks with Raphtalia happily.\n
But for some reasons she only gives me an unpleasant face, or just ignores me.\n
I canât understand at all.\n
After finishing our meal, I heard a few strange cries in the distance.
âThe cry of Philo Rial!â
The second princess strains her ears to listen carefully.
âThe second princess really likes Philo Rial huh.â\n
âYup!â\n
âWhy do you like them so much?â
When the second princess noticed I asked the question she gave me another unpleasant look.\n
Another Philo Rial cry is heard.
âBecauseâŠâŠPhilo Rials are legendary holy birdsâŠâŠâ\n
âLegendary?â\n
âYes. It is a common belief that Philo Rials are companions of Heroes that save people from demons in the olden times.â\n
âThat so?â\n
âYes, in the past during another wave of calamity, the heroes used them as mounts.â\n
âThere were waves back then?â
Since it was something I heard from trash I disregarded it.\n
However, there was a prophecy of the wave.\n
I wonder if that was it. Glass also said that thinking of the wave as a simple disaster was a big mistake.\n
Though I donât know if Iâll get an answer, I might be able to get some hints from the second princessâs story.
âWhen travelling with mother, she told me the story of Philo Rials.â\n
âInterestingâŠâŠWhat stories?â\n
âYou see Philo Rials are the mounts of heroes, their support,and also their protectors.â\n
âRight now Firo here is the same.â
Raphtalia answers while looking at Firo.\n
Certainly, Firo is the cornerstone of our offensive power. Her legs are fast and strong.\n
Without Firo, earning money through peddling would have been very difficult. Not to mention our lives right now as fugitives are only possible thanks to her.
âYes. The legends also describe the Queen of Philo Rials.â\n
âIs that so?â\n
âUmm, the Queen of Philo Rials was also a heroâs mount, and she helped them fight against the wave. It is said that the Queen of Philo Rials who also participated in the wave at that time is still alive and watching over the world to this day.â
Did I just use such a legend as a substitute horse?\n
That also explains the reason why Firo was called a holy bird.
âYou see,my dream is to one day meet the Queen of Philo Rials.â
The second princess embraces Firo affectionately while saying so.
âThe Queen of Philo Rials. They are capable of various transformations.â\n
âWell, Firo is probaby also the Queen of Philo Rials. She has all kinds of transformations abilities too.â\n
âThatâs right! And since I could become friends with Firo-chan my dream was realized.â
Second princess, is that the reason you wanted to become friends with Firo?
âQueen huhâŠâŠâ
Incidentally I start thinking about the second princessâs mother.\n
I donât know what kind of persons she is, but if possible I would like to have a talk with her and ask about the story.\n
Since she is also a parent of that bitch. Half in expectation, half in resignation, according to degojaruâs storyâŠâŠI have to admit she does seem to be a good person.\n
Hmm?\n
I have a feeling there was some sense of incongruity just now.\n
I compare Firo with the second princess.
âAhh, so thatâs what it was.â\n
âWhatâs wrong?â\n
âWell, according to legend the Queen of Philo Rials is still alive now, does that make Firo a princess of the Philo Rials?â\n
âEh, so are you saying Firo-chan is not the Queen?â\n
âWho knows. Though there is no way to prove that the actual Queen still exists right?â
As if the second princess understood something she shook her head.
âThen are you saying that my dream of meeting the queen still hasnât been fulfilled?âŠâŠâ\n
âDid I say something bad?â\n
âNo. Just that I would like to meet her some day.â\n
âWhat do you want to do after meeting her?â\n
âI want to be friends!â\n
âI see I see, when the time comes Iâll help you out, second princess. After the world becomes peaceful together with Firo you can search for her.â\n
âWhat about Master~?â\n
âIâm going back to my own world.â
There is no reason to remain in this world, and if I had the choice I would go without hesitation.\n
Though I do not say that.
âNo~! Firo wants to go with Master!â\n
âNo, Thereâs no way people of this world can come.â\n
âI want to go! I want to go!â\n
âEndure it. Because the second princess will be your new master.â\n
âNo~!â
Oh my, its gotten quite noisy.
âReallyâŠâŠNaofumi-sama will leave if it becomes peaceful.â\n
âYeah, what about it?â\n
âNothingâŠâŠâ
Raphtalia mutters while looking at the camp-fire with deadpan eyes.
ââ-Donât call me that!â\n
âHm? Second princess whatâs wrong?â
The second princess seems to be talking about something while trembling.
âWhat did you say?â\n
âStop calling me the second princess!â
While looking at me with tears in her eyes the second princes shouts.
âWhat is with you suddenly?â\n
âThe second princess is not a name! I am Melty!â\n
âWhat? Isnât that obvious?â\n
âWhy does the Hero of the shield-sama not call me by my name!?â
It seems the stress from the journey has finally exploded.\n
Raphtalia and Firo were just as surprised as I was and looked at the second princess with eyes of bewilderment.
âHow many times do I have to say!? My name is Melty! However, Hero of the Shield-sama just keeps calling me second princess, second princess! Thatâs not my name, thatâs a position!â\n
âWhat? Did you just want me to call you by your name?â\n
âThatâs not what I mean! why is Hero of the shield-sama ostracising me!?â\n
âOstracised? Well, you are an outsider from the party after all.â\n
âBut we are friends sharing joys and sorrows now! Donât just call me by my position!â\n
âHmmâŠâŠBut donât you call me Hero of the Shield?â
I can say the same about this second princess.\n
My name is not Hero of the Shield.
âThen Iâll call you Naofumi in the future. So Naofumi has to call me by my name too!â\n
âHaahâŠâŠâ\n
âHey! Call my Name! Naofumi!â
To call me by my first name without even adding honorifics.\n
Though if I donât reply she is going to become even noisier.\n
Since I am troubled that there may be night-attacks despite camping out, I donât want to make too much noise.\n
In the first placeâŠâŠ the second princess even calls Raphtalia with honorifics.\n
But I remember the bitch calling my name with âsamaâ.\n
That bitch called me Hero-sama butâŠâŠ\n
Well, this is probably alright.
âFine. Melty. Is this fine?â\n
âYou better remember it!â\n
âYeah Yeah.â
Was she just displeased recently because I was calling her the second princess?\n
such a troublesome fellow. Or is it because sheâs a girl?
âFiro was surprised.â
Yeah. Firo is noisy, but sheâs not hysterical.\n
Is it just noisiness peculiar to children?\n
Though for Firo itâs fine, since her age is correspondingly short.
âSo princess Melty did mind it.â
RaphtaliaâŠâŠHow did you know?\n
My name was called without me noticing.
âSince you helped me, give me your hand.â
Since she insisted I shook her hands.\n
Her fighting style is reliable, but unlike Firo it has good affinity with me who uses a shield.\n
She can help with my business when peddling, and it should be easy for her to disguise herself.
âAre you praising me?â\n
âIs there something wrong?â\n
âSeriouslyâŠâŠâ
Why does Raphtalia looked troubled?\n
I feel like something strangely annoying happened.
âWell should we sleep early to get ready for tomorrow?â\n