"Demanding...?"
"Only those prepared to be shot themselves should fire a gun at someone else... Wasn’t that how the saying went? If you’re going to impose your demands on other people, you need to be prepared for them to make equally demanding requests of you. We can discuss everything else after that."
Qiu Nuoya gave Viktor another bright smile.
As expected, Viktor’s expression stiffened slightly, and he nodded repeatedly without saying a word.
Good, good. I sincerely hope this will keep Viktor’s possessiveness under control, at least a little.
[ Nuoya~ Nuoyaaa~ ]
Having somehow managed to get Viktor under his thumb and make him listen, Qiu Nuoya turned his gaze toward Mochi, who was bouncing up and down while calling his name.
"Hm? What’s wrong, Mochi? Did something happen?"
[ Lumiel says Xiao Tao is calling for you~ ]
"Huh? What? Did something happen to Xiao Tao?"
[ Um, someone is bothering him, and he’s having a hard time. He wants you to help~ ]
Mochi’s explanation was rather vague, and Qiu Nuoya could not quite grasp the details. Still, he understood that someone was apparently giving Xiao Tao a hard time.
When Qiu Nuoya asked Mochi where they were, the slime cheerfully replied, [This way~] and began bouncing along to lead him there as usual.
Qiu Nuoya hurriedly followed.
"Nuoya, did something happen to Xiao Tao?"
"I’m not entirely sure, but it sounds like he’s calling for help, so I’m going!"
"You’re not sure? Don’t tell me you’re planning to stick your nose into another troublesome situation again."
Viktor sounded thoroughly exasperated.
But Qiu Nuoya was simply the kind of person who could not ignore someone asking for help. What else was he supposed to do?
Besides, Viktor knew him well enough to understand that this was just how he was. Qiu Nuoya was confident that, even if Viktor complained, he would reluctantly come along with him in the end.
Qiu Nuoya followed Mochi as the little slime bounced along in front of him, leading him down a long corridor.
They were in the guest wing of the royal castle. They had been told that they were free to move around as they pleased within this wing, so Qiu Nuoya assumed there would be no problem with leaving his room. Even so, the servants’ curious gazes followed them as they passed.
To be fair, their usual casual clothes were hardly appropriate attire for the royal castle, making them stand out even more. However, the servants had probably already been informed about their situation, as no one stopped them or questioned where they were going.
Mochi continued onward without the slightest hesitation, eventually leading Qiu Nuoya to a garden adjoining the guest wing.
They had been told they could move around freely within the guest wing, but did that permission extend to the garden as well? Qiu Nuoya hesitated for a moment, unsure whether they were allowed to enter.
"Nuoya, what’s wrong?"
"Oh, it’s nothing. I was just wondering whether this garden counts as part of the guest wing..."
"You’re as conscientious as ever, Nuoya. Don’t worry. Any area we aren’t permitted to enter is protected by defensive barriers, so there’s no way we could get in, even if we tried."
"Oh, I see. So there are barriers."
Qiu Nuoya had actually been wondering whether the royal castle was a little careless with its security, considering how few guards seemed to be stationed around the place.
As it turned out, there was no need to worry. Magical security measures had been installed throughout the castle, which was probably why the number of guards could be kept to a minimum.
If someone tried to enter a restricted area without permission, the guards would presumably rush over and stop them. Otherwise, they seemed willing to leave their guests alone unless they did something particularly troublesome.
Mochi continued bouncing confidently through the garden, following a route it seemed to know well. The garden itself, however, was so maze-like that Qiu Nuoya doubted he could find his way back to his room alone if he were told to return without a guide.
"Why is this garden so complicated?"
"This is another security measure to keep intruders out. If you take your time and observe the garden, you’ll naturally begin to understand the paths. But if you rush in without thinking, you’ll end up getting lost."
"I see. So even the garden has security measures built into it."
The meticulously maintained garden was beautiful. Flowers of every color bloomed in abundance, and the shrubs had been carefully trimmed into pleasing shapes. Yet Qiu Nuoya was impressed to realize that this lovely landscape also served as an elegant defensive barrier.
Beyond the beautiful maze, a fountain finally came into view.
The moment Mochi spotted it, the little slime began to slow down.
At the same time, Qiu Nuoya heard voices coming from ahead. Someone seemed to be arguing, and he immediately had a bad feeling about it.
Words like "Hero" and "Divine Sword" kept cropping up in the conversation. The voices also sounded familiar.
Qiu Nuoya was certain that the people waiting by the fountain were none other than Xiao Tao and Warren.
At the same time, however, Qiu Nuoya could also hear the unfamiliar, firm voice of a young man, along with the softer voice of a woman who seemed to be trying to calm him down.
The person arguing with the young man was presumably Warren, but was the young man the one who had picked a fight with him? Qiu Nuoya had no idea what was going on, and he was not sure barging into the situation without understanding it was a good idea. Instead, he hid behind a hedge and cautiously peeked out to observe them.
As expected, Warren was there, along with Xiao Tao, who looked nervous and thoroughly at a loss.
Facing them were a well dressed young man and a woman wearing an elegant modest dress.
The young man appeared to be around Warren’s age, perhaps a little older. As for the woman, Qiu Nuoya was surprised to recognize her face.