Although he had already admitted it somewhere in the corner of his mind, Hiro had yet to abandon the hope that this was all but a dream somewhere in his heart.
「What should I do from now on……」
Hiro cradled his head as his gaze fell to his feet.
As the pain in his cheeks affirmed that this was another world, one would think that he’d be in a miserable state…….
However, it was more important to find out whether there was a method of returning to his original world; to confirm whether or not there was a way to get out of this situation.
In addition, he had to worry about how he should proceed. The boy’s worries came surging at him one after another.
Tapping the shoulder of Hiro who had to deal with such concerns was the girl sitting right in front of him.
「Don’t get so depressed. It’ll be fine. You’re not going to be charged with treason(1) after all.」
「No, I’m not really depressed by something like that……-wait, treason(1)?」
As if she didn’t hear Hiro’s feeble voice, the girl abruptly brought one hand to her chest as an elegant smile surfaced on her face.
「I guess introductions would be a good place to start. I am Celia・Estreya・Elizabeth・Von・Grantz(2). The 6th Imperial Princess of the Grantz Grand Empire. I’ve just turned 15. Everyone calls me Liz[T-1]. It’s fine for you to call me that as well, Hiro.」
「…………」
If I were to address an Imperial Princess by her nickname, certainly that would be considered blasphemy(1), wouldn’t it?
In the first place, it’s probably best for me to stop using this sort of language.
I’d rather not be beheaded at such a young age.
「What’s wrong?」
「If I call you Liz, that wouldn’t that be disrespectful(1)?」
「It’s fine. I said I’m alright with it, after all. I mean, even that Dios hasn’t been charged with treason(1).」
「Aah, now that you mention it……then I’ll be calling you Liz as well.」
Seeing how she was so amicable during their first meeting, this girl might just simply be an approachable princess.
「Yup, it’s good that you’re obedient. But as expected, even Dios doesn’t call me by my nickname.」
「Uoooooooo, I was tricked!? Then as I thought, it’s blasphemy(1)!?」
「Ahahahaha, it’s fine, don’t worry about it. But I think it’s best if you don’t use my nickname in front of others. Leaving Dios aside, you might upset the guys at the fort if they found out.」
――how does it feel to be messed with by someone younger than you[T-2}?
Although the girl was holding her belly in a joyous uproar, I really want her to stop playing around when it comes to matters of life and death.
But I wonder. Why she was treating me so kindly, to the point of even letting me use her nickname?
「I have something I wanna ask, but……」
「What is it~?」
「Why are you being so nice to me?」
「I mean, you’re alive, right?」
「Huh?」
Unable to comprehend the meaning behind her words, Hiro tilted his neck to the side.
「I mean, Cerberus didn’t bite you, and the spirits weren’t making a fuss either.」
「Err……if Cerberus bit me, or the spirits were making a fuss, what would’ve happen?」
「Well, you’d’ve died. The woods from earlier……Anfang Forest is what they call it, by the way. A lot of spirits make that place their habitat. Though the First Emperor contracted them to act like guardians in exchange for living there, the spirits have continued to dutifully guard the area, even after 1000 years. So those who aren’t royalty can’t enter, nor can they leave the forest alive.」
「So I was in such a dangerous place……」
Having been told such a disturbing tale, Hiro felt a chill run down his spine.
Perhaps because Hiro’s face (contorted by fear) was so strange, Liz endured her laughter as she spoke.