kscans

Chapter 108 - The Princess's Thanks

As soon as I woke up, Tina spoke.

"Shinsuke… thank goodness. I was so worried."

Tina's eyes were filled with tears. I'd clearly made her worry a lot.

With tears welling, she continued.

"Also, there's something I need to say…"

Her expression instantly shifted to one of anger.

What followed was a lecture so unforgettable I couldn't erase it even if I tried. It wasn't a stream of insults, but rather a torrent of her feelings—about me, about herself, about how much she had worried, and how much pain she had been through. She poured it all out for me to hear.

I listened in silence, occasionally nodding as if to show I understood.

As the lecture continued, a soldier entered the medical room.

"Uh, excuse me for interrupting. The General has ordered me to check if you're able to move now that you're awake. How are you feeling?"

To the soldier's question, I replied.

"I don't think I can move just yet. Please tell the General that I'm not well."

As I spoke with an apologetic tone, the soldier said.

"Understood. Please take your time and rest."

He bowed and left the room.

Once we were alone again, I asked.

"By the way, where is this? This room looks pretty expensive."

Tina answered my question.

"This is the medical room in the Imperial Castle. After you lost consciousness, the General had you brought here. He was very grateful. He even wanted to award you a medal of honor. I turned it down for you."

At her explanation, I said.

"That's a relief. I wanted to avoid standing out any more than I already have. Just repelling the Minotaur made me conspicuous enough."

Seeing my relieved expression, Tina said.

"If you really think so, then please refrain from acting so recklessly. If you jump into a fight just because there's a monster to hunt, of course you're going to stand out. This is a country where strength is everything, unlike the Kingdom. Whether you want it or not, if you show your power, you're guaranteed a corresponding reward."

She whispered the part about the Kingdom.

Considering the relationship between the countries, it wasn't something to be said aloud.

Thankful for her consideration, I continued to rest quietly.


In the capital, in the damaged district.

General Goltor was listening to damage reports.

The path the monster had taken was severely damaged, with many buildings completely destroyed. The number of injured was high, with many serious cases, but the number of fatalities was low. It seemed the monster had no intention of harming people, only passing through.

In a way, that was a blessing.

Buildings could be rebuilt, no matter how many were destroyed. But human life could not be brought back. Not unless one dabbled in the ancient forbidden arts. The General pushed those thoughts aside and focused on his work.

Specifically, he was listening to the reports from his soldiers, swiftly and accurately dispatching personnel, and giving instructions on the amount and transportation of supplies. He had temporary tents set up for those who had lost their homes and was overseeing the distribution of food. He was commanding the efforts on the ground.

Under the General's proper instructions, the soldiers worked quickly and smoothly.

Of course, not a single one of them complained about his orders.

As he gave instructions, the General muttered.

"Still, it's a wonder the damage was contained to this extent. Was that monster not interested in humans?"

An officer nearby answered his question.

"According to the soldiers, the monster headed straight for the great wall. During that time, the citizens were evacuating in a panic, but it seems to have marched on without even a glance in their direction."

He read from a summarized report.

The General was thinking. Why did it head straight for the great wall, and by extension, the border? Was there something there? Or was its objective the group of monsters beyond it? He could speculate endlessly, but now that the monster had been defeated, its true intentions were lost to mystery.

But the General had heard from Princess Yorune that the monster was what Empress Grine had transformed into.

At first, he couldn't believe it, but there were multiple witnesses, and above all, the fact that Empress Grine was gone was undeniable. Could it be that she still had her consciousness?

If so, it would make sense that she headed for the border without causing damage to the capital. After all, annihilating monsters was Empress Grine's objective. However, even if she was conscious, if she became a monster and attacked, subjugation was inevitable. He resolved to keep this to himself and take it to his grave.

After organizing his thoughts, a soldier approached him.

"General Goltor, the adventurer in question has awakened."

At this report, the General said.

"I see. Given his injuries, he should be resting now. Is he resting peacefully?"

To this question, the soldier replied.

"Yes, sir. He himself said he was not well. He is currently with his partner, a beautiful woman."

He reported.

The General thanked him for his hard work and gave the soldier his next orders.

After bowing, the soldier headed back to his post.

The General wondered if he would have a chance to speak with the two of them at length.

First, of course, was the matter of their reward.

Repelling the Minotaur, subjugating the unknown monster… they had accomplished such great deeds. It was only natural to give them a corresponding reward. However, the man himself seemed to dislike the spotlight.

In that case, perhaps they could work together to come up with a reward that was both discreet and satisfying. Having reached this conclusion, he continued his work, hoping to finish as quickly as possible.


In the medical room.

I re-examined my own body.

There was no pain from the broken bones all over my body. They said I was fully healed by the High Potion, and it seemed to be true. But the fatigue was overwhelming. I couldn't move properly. I could probably force myself to move, but the person next to me wouldn't allow it.

Besides, I had no reason to move right now.

I decided to take it easy and wait for my recovery. Just then, someone entered the room.

When Tina and I turned around, we saw a beautiful woman in a jet-black dress.

She said.

"I am relieved to see you have awakened. My name is Yorune. I am the first princess of the Empire, and I am acting as regent."

She held the hem of her skirt and gave an elegant curtsy.

Tina immediately stood up and bowed.

I wanted to do the same, but my body wouldn't move properly.

I said.

"Your Highness, my name is Shinsuke. I apologize for my current state."

To my apology, the princess replied.

"Please, do not concern yourself. You are the one who saved this country. I will overlook such minor things."

She answered with a smile. I was glad she seemed to be a kind person.

Both Tina and I thought so.

The princess continued.

"Then, allow me to say this again. On behalf of my people, I thank you for saving this country from the unknown giant monster."

She said, bowing her head slightly.

I was a little surprised by her gesture. For an ordinary citizen like me, it was common courtesy to bow while expressing gratitude. But for someone of high standing, especially royalty, it was not something to be done lightly.

The fact that she did so told me just how much danger the country had been in.

Tina said.

"Your Highness, please raise your head. I fully understand how grateful you are from your words just now."

She spoke on my behalf to stop her.

While still bowing her head, the princess said.

"Lady Tina, you are right. A member of the royal family should not bow their head so easily. However, before I am royalty, I am a person living in this country, and I wish to express my gratitude. Thank you."

She said with a smile as she raised her head.

After being shown such sincerity, it would be rude to argue.

Tina and I accepted it in silence.

The princess continued.

"Now, my personal thanks are over. From here, I would like to offer you a reward as a member of the royal family. However, I have heard from Lady Tina that you dislike standing out?"

To this question, I replied.

"Yes. The reason I subjugated the monster is because I am a hunter. I simply hunted a monster that threatened my livelihood and brought harm. Please do not concern yourself."

To this answer, the princess replied.

"However, this matter is far too significant. To do nothing would affect the prestige of our country. I would very much like for you to accept a reward."

The princess looked a little troubled.

I thought for a moment.

"In that case, how about this?"

I made a certain proposal.


The next day. On the castle terrace.

An announcement echoed from the royal capital.

'There will be an important announcement in the castle square.'

Upon hearing this announcement, the citizens flocked to the square.

It was common sense to attend unless there were exceptional circumstances when an Imperial Command was issued. After the square was filled with people, two famous figures appeared on the terrace.

One was Princess Grine. The other was General Goltor. (Note: Narrator seems to have misidentified the princess as Grine, it is Yorune.)

The citizens watched in silence.

The princess spoke.

"I have gathered you all here today for one reason and one reason only. To present the hero who subjugated the giant monster that attacked this country two days ago and saved us all: General Goltor."

With this declaration, the citizens erupted with excitement.