Chapter 160
Why did Elna come here?
That question kept circling through my head. In addition to the people-repelling barrier, visits to me should have been blocked off. Without measures like that, there was no way Orihime could have reached my room.
But there was no point thinking about that now.
The first thing I needed to think about was how to survive.
"Al... So you're having a good time with a girl in here, after even putting up a barrier around your room? Must be nice..."
"No, calm down. This isn't what it looks like."
"How am I supposed to calm down in this situation!? I saw members of the Second Imperial Guard Knight Order milling around, so I slipped past them to check on you, and what do I find!?"
Was this their fault!?
What a disaster! Instead of protecting me, they'd gone and brought the threat right to me!
Damn it! If possible, I didn't want Elna to find out that Orihime was the Celestial Princess.
"Elna, calm down for now. You've got the wrong idea."
"Indeed. You there, intruder. Leave at once. Arnold and I are busy."
"!?"
I couldn't help staring wide-eyed at Orihime.
How foolish. Had she abandoned all animal instinct? To behave so freely even toward the one woman in the Empire whom no one should ever anger...
As one would expect of the Celestial Princess.
"Intruder...? That's my line! Why are you sitting on Al!? He's an imperial prince, you know! Get off him!"
"Why should I take orders from you? My presence here is the victor's prerogative. I won't get off until I am satisfied."
"What!? You! Al, what's going on!? Who is this woman!?"
"Uh... It's a long story..."
"If you wish to know my name, give yours first. That is, if you have a name worth giving."
With that, Orihime gave Elna a mocking smile.
Elna snapped.
She had drawn her sword to break the barrier, and now pointed it at Orihime as she declared her name in a fury.
"Fine! I'm Elna von Amberg! The next head of the House of Amberg! Now, state your name too!!"
"No, Elna, she's not anyone important—"
"Oh? So you are of the House of Amberg after all! My name is Orihime Kuon! I am the Celestial Princess of Mizuho, a nation in the Far East!"
Saying that, Orihime cut me off and announced her name and rank with a smug look. She had actually gone and done it.
The Empire's House of Amberg and Mizuho's celestial foxfolk. The Hero and the Celestial Princess—the continent's strongest spear and hardest shield.
If the continent's spear and shield learned of each other's existence, trouble was inevitable.
Had this been an official visit, it would have been fine. But it wasn't. Since this was unofficial, Orihime could act as she pleased without causing a problem, and discourtesy toward her wouldn't be much of an issue either.
The visit wasn't going to come to light. That was why I could treat Orihime so casually, but Elna and I had very different perceptions of the Celestial Princess.
To me, she was little more than some important person from another country. But the House of Amberg was different.
The House of Amberg had always prided itself on being the strongest. They were descendants of the Hero who saved the continent, and a family capable of wielding the Holy Sword, the ultimate weapon.
The House of Amberg harbored a fierce rivalry toward anyone who could stand on equal footing with them. That was how confident they were in their own strength, and they had consistently proven their ability.
That was precisely why I had wanted to keep Elna from meeting the Celestial Princess, who was rumored to be capable of stopping even the Holy Sword.
Elna wasn't the sort to respond maturely in a situation like this.
"The Celestial Princess...? I hadn't heard you were in the Empire."
"It's only natural, given that this is a top-secret visit. Even though the Empire has the House of Amberg, it seems they haven't told you anything important."
"Oh, there's no need to inform the House of Amberg about a guest from some tiny country in the Far East. The House of Amberg isn't idle, unlike some people."
Sparks flew between them.
It seemed the House of Amberg wasn't the only one harboring a sense of rivalry. Orihime was unusually provocative too.
More importantly, couldn't they just leave already...?
"Oh? You don't look all that busy to me. I am currently on official business, but what business brings you here?"
"I'm here on official business too. Guarding the prince beneath you is my duty."
"Oh, is that so? Then you may leave. I am more than enough protection for him. After all, when it comes to putting up barriers, no one in the world is my equal."
"That won't do. Those flimsy barriers of yours worry me."
"And yet you seemed to have quite a hard time breaking those flimsy barriers. I only made them in my spare time."
"Oh, what a coincidence. I was destroying them quietly, so as not to inconvenience those around me. If I'd gone all out, barriers of that level wouldn't have been enough to contain the damage."
They kept provoking one another with words.
For an exchange between the Hero and the Celestial Princess, it could almost be called subdued, but this was probably the calm before the storm.
Both were desperately trying not to lose their composure, but their cheeks were twitching.
They were probably nearing the limit of their patience.
"You...! I will not tolerate any more insults! My barriers are the best in the world! I will not lose to a Hero who can do nothing without the Holy Sword!"
"What did you say!? You inherited a legendary artifact too, didn't you!? I know about it! You use it to maintain the barrier around your entire country, right!? Maybe it's the artifact that's strong, not you!?"
"How dare you!? You insolent has-been Hero, whose fame has lately been stolen by adventurers!"
"Who are you calling a has-been!? The House of Amberg's fame hasn't fallen! It just hasn't reached you because you're out in the sticks, has it!?"
"Mizuho is not out in the sticks! It is a developed nation with thriving maritime trade! Clearly, you haven't studied enough!"
"So what if it flourished in the Far East!? At best, it's a second-rate imitation of the Empire, which the House of Amberg has protected and cultivated!"
"How dare you!? Don't get so high and mighty just because you've grown powerful in a safe zone without monsters! Don't act like you're the strongest just because you can beat ordinary people!"
"What did you say!?"
One insult led to another.
They continued to escalate.
This was getting very bad. I might be in the most dangerous place in the world right now.
Since I couldn't flee while lying down, I sat up and pushed Orihime off me.
"What are you doing!?"
"Hah! Was I too heavy for you?"
"Grrr!! Don't get cocky! If you call me heavy, it's because of my chest! Unlike you, I don't have a pathetic bust!"
"What!? It's just fat in the end, isn't it!?"
"It's proof of my maternal nature! A woman whose only talent is waving a sword around wouldn't understand!"
"Gahhh!! I can't forgive you for that!"
What a low-level squabble.
Elna and Orihime moved close enough to reach each other and glared.
Elna looked slightly down at the petite Orihime, but Orihime coldly glanced at Elna's chest, angering her even further.
This was the battle between the Hero and the Celestial Princess that the entire continent had anticipated and speculated about. It could hardly have been more ridiculous.
"Al! Say something!"
"There's no point relying on Arnold! Arnold is already under my spell!"
"What did you say!?"
"I have a bigger chest than you, and I'm cuter to begin with!"
"You're just praising yourself!"
Orihime thrust out her chest and smugly basked in her victory.
The difference in their self-confidence was beginning to show. Orihime was completely self-assured wherever she went. She never yielded even in an argument, flaunting her groundless confidence before others.
Elna did not possess that level of self-assurance. In fact, she was not allowed to have that much confidence.
The House of Amberg was, after all, a noble house, and it respected the imperial family. The Celestial Princess, on the other hand, was closer to Mizuho's guardian deity. She was more popular than the king, and her words carried influence. That was only natural, since Mizuho depended on the Celestial Princess.
That was the difference between them.
This was not a question of superiority, but when it came to arguing, Orihime's refusal to waver made her strong. Though one could also say she simply didn't listen to others.
"Of course I'm cute, and of course men prefer cute girls! So leave! There is no place here for a girl who can do nothing but swing a sword!"
"Grrr!! What do you even see in a girl like this, Al!? Her ears!? Her tail!?"
Elna shifted her target to me.
This was bad. I hadn't expected her to turn on me at this moment.
I had been wondering how to mediate, but this was no longer the time to think about that.
"No, I..."
"Her ears! I have a feeling that's it!"
"Pervert!"
"I didn't even say anything..."
I let out a deep sigh.
Now, I had a feeling they'd insult me no matter what I said, but I couldn't just leave them to it.
If this continued, it could end in a contest of strength at worst.
Just as I was thinking that—
"Your Highness! His Majesty requests your presence! His Eminence is to accompany you as well!"
A knight from the Second Imperial Guard Knight Order entered my room and delivered the message.
If Father was summoning me, the plan might have moved forward.
Well, if that was the case, I had no objection.
"Understood. I'll go at once. Also, tell them I'm bringing Elna with me."
"Huh? No, Your Highness... His Majesty—"
"I know he didn't summon her. But he'll have to call for her eventually, so it should be fine. Now that they've noticed Orihime's presence, there's no point keeping her hidden."
It would be a problem if I left Elna here and she took out her frustration on people all over the place.
Well, I wouldn't say that out loud.