The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 13

Chapter 13: Runaways’ Encounter

“…A princess?”

In response to the unexpected confession, even my own voice sounded foolish. Aria nodded with a mischievous smile.

“Yes, though I ran away from home about a year ago, so now I’m just Aria.”

“Why did you reveal that?”

“Maybe to make it easier for you to believe what I’m about to tell you. Have you heard of the Mildrea Empire’s Red Lion Legend?”

“…You mean the story of the first Emperor Mildrea, the ‘Founder Emperor’?”

I had come across that tale while studying, given that my former fiancée had connections to the Mildrea family. It was about a young boy with a red lion who united the warring lands, which would later become the Mildrea Empire.

“This is a story passed down in the royal family. According to the legend, the red lion that accompanied Emperor Mildrea was a rare drop. We called them ‘Imperial Relics.'”

“Wha…”

“It’s called the Crimson Beast Roar Sword, ‘Justileon.’ Mildrea researched it, gathered information from the records of the time, and found that rare drops were highly likely to become weapons when their wielders acknowledged the one who defeated them. And you proved that in front of me.”

As she explained, I began to remember. That monster, the Chaos Crusader, had a distinct will. It insisted on single combat, even though it could summon multiple monsters, and it used magic only after I used it first.

It gave off the impression of a knight committed to the righteous path.

“So, are you telling me this is the result of a nation’s research and analysis?”

“Yeah!”

“But is it even okay to reveal this? It seems like information that would be considered a national secret.”

“Hmm… Well, I want you to trust me, and I don’t think you’d blabber about it to others. Also, it wouldn’t be fair if only I knew your background, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“It actually caused quite a stir. The disappearance of Serk-Grantos, the prodigy who was at odds with the gods, triggered internal changes in the Berga Kingdom.”

The sheer volume of information she had just relayed momentarily left my head blank.

“Wh… why do you think I’m Serk?”

I had many questions, but first and foremost, I wondered how Aria had recognized me as Serk.

“At the time you disappeared, a portrait was sent to Mildrea. I saw it while I was sneaking out of the castle.”

She casually mentioned that she often sneaked out of the castle.

“I didn’t pay much attention to it then, but your name and the portrait became quite famous after the shocking events that followed.”

“What happened?”

“Many academy teachers and officials in the Berga Kingdom were exposed for corruption and were dismissed or transferred. Even some nobles in high positions. With all that turmoil, Bardel-Grantos smoothly took control.”

Hearing this, I involuntarily swallowed. While it made sense that my older brother could accomplish such things, I never imagined he’d be doing them after I left home.

“In any case, because of all that, I remembered your name and your portrait since it seemed to resemble the wanted posters.”

“I see.”

“Anyway, considering all of that, I felt like we’d get along. Both of us ran away from home, after all. That’s not something you come across every day, right?”

Aria seemed to sense that the atmosphere had grown heavy, so she tried to lighten it up. She called a server, and two jugs of alcohol were brought over.

“Let’s start with this! To commemorate our party formation and to wish for a rare drop!”

“…Sure.”

There were things to think about and ponder, but for now, I decided to set them aside. The information I had received was overwhelming, and with a confused mind, I picked up a jug.

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

We clinked our jugs together and took a drink. For the first time in a while, I enjoyed a drink.

—

The next morning, I woke up to find Aria sleeping in the same bed, completely naked.