This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
I have mixed feelings about the prince's name. I couldn't come up with a better name so I just stick with the original. Let me know if you guys can come up with a better suggestion^^**
Although we had been bickering a lot ever since he started talking, he was still a precious sword that my dad made for me....he was my friend after all.
I won't let anyone take him away!
I vowed to pretend not to hear Ex as much as I could when I got to the capital.
But then, the sword flashed a bright light several times as if he was angry.
[Who said I'm your friend? You're just a cheeky little brat! I'm the great holy sword, Ex! This isn't the time to be friends with a brat like you!]
"Hey, you! Stop reading my mind!"
[Hmph, what am I supposed to do when I keep seeing them? And you foolish brat. If you know I can read your mind, you could just answer in your mind, too. Are you planning to ignore me, huh?]
'I'm just ignoring you now.'
[HEY BRAT!!]
As the sword continued to vibrate and light up, my dad looked alternately between the sword and the window as if he felt anxious.
"Um...Eve? Sweetie? Did Ex say something?"
"Huh? Yeah, he is talking. But he's just spouting nonsense."
[This brat is seriously!!!]
"Then can you please tell him to be quiet....?"
Dad was feeling restless in his seat, trying to sheathe and unsheathe Ex as if it would calm the angry sword.
Neigh!!
At that time, right after my dad said that, the horse that pulled the carriage stopped along with a long neigh.
".....?"
Soon after, the knight opened the carriage door and looked at us.
"Is there something wrong? What was that light just now?"
"...Ah!"
This was the very reason why my dad told me to be quiet. I made eye contact with the knight and nodded, quietly putting Ex back into his scabbard.
"Nothing happened...nothing!"
"Haha, as you can see, there's nothing going on. I'm sorry for troubling you."
After my father and I apologized, the knight briefly looked inside the carriage with a puzzled expression before starting the carriage again.
A week in a carriage just went by like that.
We finally made it to the capital after running for a week.
The week-long journey didn't feel as exhausting, thanks to the fact I stayed at the best inns and ate a lot of delicious food.
However.
"Agh...I want to rest."
It was never easy to travel to the capital by carriage for a week, so I blinked languidly on my dad's back.
After completing the week-long journey, I became even more curious as to how the royal knight suddenly visited us.
'I mean, how could you send a carriage in just two days?'
It took a week just to arrive in the capital....
[You fool. Do you think the prince is walking by feet like you? The royal family and aristocrats can travel using the portal.]
"Portal?"
[You fool! Talk to me inwardly! Yes, portal. It's a luxury for a commoner brat who can't afford to travel around like you. You can go to the end of the earth in just three minutes with that.]
Are you telling me something like that exists? The capital is really full of wonders.
Riding piggyback on my dad's back, we arrived at the Prince's palace and couldn't stop admiring everything that I witnessed for the first time in my life.
My dad dropped me off after we arrived in front of the palace's entrance.
"Sweetie, we have to walk from here on. Because we are in the presence of His Highness the Prince."
"Ah, yes! I can walk on my own now!"
"Good, we can't take Ex with us. We can't bring weapons when having an audience with His Highness."
I hesitated over my dad's words for a moment.
"I-I know, Dad. But what if someone steals Ex while we're away?"
Ex, who quietly listened to our conversation, chipped in with a scoff.
[Hah, seriously. Your concern is useless, brat! This great body of mine cannot be held by just anyone!]
My dad also said the same thing.
"Don't worry, Eve. Nobody is going to steal Ex from you. Let's go in now."
"Okay!"
Immediately, I entrusted Excalibur to the royal guard who was at the entrance of the prince's palace.
[Wow, brat. You're giving me away so quickly. How heartless.]
"Let's go, Dad~"
Ignoring Ex, I clasped my dad's big, warm hand. We walked into the prince's palace hand-in-hand.
The servant who greeted us said the prince waited for us in the reception room and led us there.
Still holding my dad's hand, I walked slowly while admiring the interior of the palace.
The prince's palace, which I would never have imagined visiting, was much bigger, fancier and prettier than I expected.
As I was busy admiring the surroundings, at one point, we arrived in front of the reception room.
"You may enter."
The servant said, after knocking at the door politely several times to announce our arrival.
Soon after, the huge door opened in silence, and we entered the room at the same time.
Inside the reception room was the prince himself sitting relaxedly on the huge sofa as if he had been waiting for us.
Beside him stood a man with neatly-tied brown hair, who I saw in my house the other day.
He looked at us with a cordial smile, followed by a slight nod.
"Please come over here. The Star of the Empire, His Royal Highness Prince Remart Calix, is waiting for you."
'Remart Calix.'
I recited his name in my mind.
I thought it was a name that suited a young boy with silver hair and red eyes.
At his guidance, we stood before the prince.
"I see His Highness the Prince."
My dad greeted him politely. He pretended to be calm, but his hand that was holding mine was shaking like an old carriage.
I tightened my grip on his trembling hand, imitating what he said without hesitation before bowing my head.
"I see His Highness the Prince."
After that, I slowly raised my head and glanced at the Prince's face.
The prince sat alone under the pouring afternoon sunlight, looking all noble and upright, and such a figure was much more beautiful than the boy I saw in a shabby robe in my house.
His youthful countenance made him look thirteen or fourteen at best.
But his cold gaze emanated a distant aura that didn't fit a boy his age.
"You must have gone through a lot of trouble coming here."
When I stole a glance at him, Remart broke the silence with a relaxed smile.
'I've gone through a lot of trouble, indeed.'
I was traveling on a carriage for the whole week.
But thanks to the prince, I was able to stay at the best inn in the village and enjoyed the best holiday, so it was a blessing in disguise.
Recalling the satisfying vacation, I looked up at the prince.
He brought the steaming teacup close to his lips before motioning us to sit with his chin.
So we sat down very cautiously.
With my hands settled on my lap, I was anticipating what the prince was going to say next.
At that time,
I made another eye contact with the brown-haired man behind Remart.
He smiled warmly every time we locked eyes.
I wondered if it was right to smile back at him in this kind of setting, but I also thought it was impolite to not reply to his gesture.
"...Hehe."
I forced my tense lips to go up and smiled at him.
He tilted his head slightly as if satisfied and then turned his gaze to the prince.
Soon after, Remart squinted in displeasure when he noticed that my hands were empty.
"What about the Ego Sword?"
"About that....I was told that weapons aren't permitted to be brought inside, so I left him outside."
I answered politely, clenching and unclenching my empty hands.
Remart had this 'oh!' look on his face as if it didn't cross his mind, and he continued to stare at me.
The red eyes that seemed to be studded with rubies were locked on me.