I Have a Stalker of Noble Status. And to Make Matters Worse, their Numbers are Increasing (BL) - Chapter 45

“Haaaaaaah…”

Sitting in the common area of the student dormitory, sipping tea, I let out a deep, weary sigh and slumped face-first onto the table.

“What’s wrong, Lord Patrick? That was quite the dramatic sigh.”

“Ange…”

After confirming that no one else was around, I held up the sealed letter I had just received from the office.

“Wow. Another summons from the royal palace? Being a Hero sure is tough, huh?”

“It’s not just that—I have no idea what Queen and the Crown Prince are after, and it terrifies me. Every time I get called to the palace, Ray worries himself sick…”

I let out another exhausted sigh.

Ever since advancing to my second year, I had become the center of attention in the academy, making it impossible to relax.

The coursework was getting harder, yet my so-called Heroic Duties kept eating away at my time.

On top of that, Ray and the Crown Prince were constantly at each other’s throats, adding even more stress to my already overloaded mind.

Dear younger brothers, your big brother is about to go bald.

“So? What’s your plan to avoid it this time?”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out. Last time, I used ‘Heroic Duties’ as an excuse. Before that, it was ‘exam preparation’… I’m running out of reasons to say no.”

The royal family wouldn’t want to damage their relationship with the Hero, so I doubt my refusals would cause any direct problems for my family…

But at the same time, I definitely didn’t want to get on their bad side either.

“…Would you like some help?”

As I sat there, utterly defeated, Ange leaned in, peering at me with a mischievous grin.

“That would be a huge help, but… I don’t really have anything to offer in return. I don’t even have much pocket money…”

After that whole kidnapping incident back in my first year, the academy had arranged things so I didn’t have to spend any money on campus. Because of that, my family had stopped sending me an allowance.

That said, I was allowed to keep the loot from my Heroic Duties, including any items dropped by defeated monsters.

I also made some extra cash by collecting and selling medicinal herbs when necessary.

“Oh, don’t be silly! I wouldn’t take money from a friend. Besides, I can just earn my own!”

…Yeah. Ange was definitely a tough one.

She looked like a delicate, sugar-spun confection, but I knew better.

“So… you’re helping me out just out of the kindness of your heart?”

“Well, I would love to say that… but actually, I do have something I need your help with, Lord Patrick. Ufufu, let’s call it a mutual favor, shall we, Hero♡?”

Ange playfully winked as she spoke, a move that could probably enchant half the men in this kingdom.

But in my case? It sent an ominous chill down my spine.

What am I getting dragged into this time…?

◇◇◇

“…So this is the team we ended up with, huh?”

A week had passed since my negotiation with Ange in the dormitory.

Now, we stood outside the city gates, preparing for our mission.

Ange’s request had been simple:

“There’s an item I need, so I’d like you to come with me to a dungeon.”

“As long as I recruit Lord Patrick, Lord Raymond and Lord Maxwell will automatically follow! What a steal!”

That had been her exact reasoning.

And, just as she predicted, the moment Ray and Max heard I was going into a dungeon, they insisted on coming along.

“A dungeon!? That’s too dangerous—I’m coming with you!”

“Oh, that’s one of the dungeons that wasn’t in the original version of the game. This is my chance to gather data!”

…Yeah.

Ange had completely seen through their behavioral patterns.

Oh, and naturally, Lord Douglas was here as well.

Apparently, Ange had invited him personally.

Considering how easily he agreed, I had no doubt that he had fallen for her trap just as effortlessly as the rest of us.

…I think I need new friends.

Of course, even though no one had invited him—or even told him about this mission—Prince Chrisford was floating along with us as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

This was Chrisford Quality: the royal stalker at its finest.

In the end, our party lineup hadn’t changed from the usual, but the dungeon we were tackling today was significantly more difficult than the ones we had explored before.

It’s when you start getting comfortable that things become the most dangerous.

I refuse to put my friends at risk.

I need to stay focused—!!

…Yeah.

I thought that once, too.

“Hmm, I heard this dungeon was supposed to be high-difficulty, which is why I asked Lord Patrick to come along… but this party is way too strong. We breezed through all the way to the lowest level.”

As Ange pointed out, we had easily made it to the final floor.

Just like always, Lord Douglas charged ahead, I blasted monsters away, Ray cut them down, and the dungeon’s creatures barely lasted a few moments before being annihilated.

Thanks to Max’s precise mapping skills, we barely got lost along the way.

Before we knew it, we had reached the bottom floor without any real challenge.

Oh, and the prince? He just floated around the entire time.

“Ange, is the item you need on this floor?”

“Yep! It’s a drop item from the floor boss. Since most of the monsters here are undead, now that we’ve made it this far, it’s basically our victory!”

With a confident smile, Ange strode forward without hesitation, heading deeper into the dungeon.

It was true that a Saint’s power was especially effective against undead creatures…

But wasn’t Ange way too familiar with this dungeon’s details?

Feeling uneasy, I hurried after her, following her into the depths of the dungeon.