Chapter 149: A Reunion with a friend

Tauro and Aeris were rushed by Sebas, placed in the carriage and left the inn.

“By the way, Sebas-san, what now?”

“I’m still in the service of His Highness.”

Sebas immediately answered Tauro’s question.

“What about this carriage?”

“…His Highness thought It would embarrass Tauro-dono if we sent out the royal carriage.”

“Oh, so you remember what happened last time.”

The last time they went to pick up Tauro, the reversi instructor, in the royal carriage, there was a big commotion and they had to change inns.

Prince Fleue had heard about it and remembered, so when he went to pick up Tauro this time, he instructed him to lower the carriage to the level used by nobles.

“Of course. His Highness still considers Tauro-dono to be an important friend and he said that he didn’t want to embarrass him.”

Sebas replied, smiling.

Aeris, who was listening to the exchange between Tauro and Sebas, was inwardly puzzled by the fact that the prince’s name was mentioned and that the prince and Tauro were friends, which was beyond her imagination.

Tauro, as Aeris knew him, was a peasant boy who lost his mother at an early age, ran away from his violent father at the age of six and became an adventurer at the age of eight.

She had no idea where he had any connection to royalty.

Even if it was a contact with the nobility, she thought it was not direct since it was through an introduction from Sharga, a scholar whom he met through dungeon research and the Garfish Trading Company….

Come to think of it, I think some of the nobles I met with showed signs of knowing Tauro.

It didn’t turn out to be about Tauro, though, because the conversation was mainly about me the whole time…

Aeris was alone, wondering about the past of her companion sitting next to her and her thoughts went round and round.

“ Aeris-san. Is something bothering you?”

“Oh, no…. I’ve never heard of Tauro being friends with royalty…”

Aeris answered Sebas’ question honestly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve been keeping it a secret because I didn’t want to be misunderstood or misinterpreted if I told you too much, so I kept it a secret…”

This was the first time Tauro had explained to Aeris that he had visited the capital before as an instructor of Reversi.

“…When I bought Reversi at the Marches Trading Company and we played it at home, you lost on purpose, didn’t you?”

Aeris had once proudly told Tauro that it was a popular game in the capital, but Tauro had almost always lost to Aeris.

It turned out that he had done it on purpose.

“…I’m sorry.”

“..Enough! I know you let me have the win.”

Aeris puffed out her cheeks and pretended to be angry, but everyone could tell that she really wasn’t that angry.

While they were talking, the carriage arrived at the royal castle.

The peaceful atmosphere for a moment changed and Aeris felt nervous as she was pulled back to reality.

Even though her father was a leading figure of the Neutral faction, the child Aeris had never been involved with the royal family.

It would be absurd to tell her not to be nervous.

On the other hand, Tauro was more nostalgic than nervous, as he had been concentrating on his visit.

“Is this your first time at the Royal Palace?”

Tauro got out of the carriage and spoke to Aeris, trying to soothe her nervousness as Sebas led them through the palace.

“Ah, of course! It wasn’t normal for me to go in and out as a child!”

Aeris unintentionally raised her voice in nervousness and her voice echoed in the corridor of the royal palace.

She quickly covered her mouth and looked around her.

“It’s alright, it’s the domain of His Highness Prince Fleue’s residence up here. If you make a little noise, you won’t be blamed.”

Sebas said to reassure Aeris.

As Aeris bowed her head in appreciation, Sebas stopped.

It was a massive door that Tauro was used to seeing.

When Sebas knocked and announced that Tauro and Aeris had arrived, there was a response from inside, “Come in”.

When the door opened, the silhouette of the fifth prince Fleue appeared against the light coming through the window.

You could tell from his pointed ears that he had elven blood in his veins.

And there he was, not the chubby Elven image, but the tall, slender Prince Fleue.

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