༺ S1. The Prince, The Flower, And The Resistance – 3 ༻
“Do you perhaps have a job?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Struck by a piercing, painful question from Centra, the Second Prince’s complexion turned pale.
“Ahhhh, don’t make that face! I know it’s not easy for imperial citizens to find jobs…….especially for those with blond hair.”
It was a persecution imposed on the imperial citizens, especially those who bore the blood of the Imperial Family.
Although it was only for three days, Irid had experienced it far too many times, to the point that he was sick of it. Even without his status, Irid was still a valuable asset and a high-caliber talent. The position of an Imperial Prince demanded as much authority as it did extensive learning.
As such, he had studied literature, martial arts, calligraphy, horse riding, hunting, considerable combat skills, and thorough knowledge of the imperial laws.
Yet, he still couldn’t find a job. The persecution had robbed him of even the slightest opportunity to at least struggle.
Irid reminisced about his original world.
The Empire was sustaining its massive labor needs through slavery. Not only did they turn criminals into slaves, but children born to slaves were also enslaved.
Until now, he hadn’t really considered the cruelty of the slave laws, but…….
Maybe the Empire’s slave system, and the discrimination against other races, had more flaws than he thought.
“At our inn, ummm…….Job placements? We offer those.”
“…….Jobs?”
“Yes! There are many like Irid, not slaves but not treated as free citizens either. There’s a small group of such people. And it’s a bit embarrassing, but I lead that group………If Irid’s okay with it, then perhaps…?”
“I’m against it.”
“Ronya!”
Ronya, the female mercenary, interjected with an objection. She scanned Irid skeptically from head to toe and spoke.
“Everyone we’ve taken in so far at least had their identities verified. But not this guy. I did some background checks while you were feeding him.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“Nothing. There were no traces of his past at all. Even the people I asked in other cities didn’t have anything on him. Nobody knew a vivid yellow-haired blonde called Irid except for the Wither Emperor. It’s like this guy suddenly fell from the sky one day.”
That was actually true. He had been transported to the future, 100 years later, by a wizard’s Dimensional Travel Magic. Since he appeared beyond his time, he had no connections and no proof of identity.
Irid checked the tattoo on his wrist. He had indulged in luxuries like eating stew and washing with warm water for the first time in a while. Now, the time he had left was about 5 and a half days.
The warmth of the inn and the concerned look in Centra’s eyes. The warmth conveyed through her gaze. Centra’s hand fidgeted, as if wanting to hold his again.
Irid looked out of the inn’s window. Outside, there was nothing but chilliness.
He truly, truly did not want to leave.
Irid faced Ronya squarely. Though his spirit had been crushed by the continuous shocks, the actions ingrained in him over decades did not fail. He imitated the arrogance of Imperial Blood.
“Bring me a document.”
“……What?”
“The inn’s ledger, contract, policy proposal, anything. Just bring one sheet of any document. I shall prove my worth with that.”
“Hey, you’re being suspected right now, you know? Who would trust documents to a suspicious g…….”
“Are you talking about the suspicious guy who couldn’t even get a job after getting beaten for three days? Also, the uncertainty of my identity and my personal ability and character are separate matters. I swear, I shall not cause any loss to Centra.”
“That’s why I have no reason to believe in your wor……!”
Irid quickly cut off Ronya by turning away. It was pointless to persuade someone who was doubtful just for the sake of being doubtful. He changed his target. While facing Centra instead……
No, while slightly glancing at her from the side, he asked.
“What do you think?”
“Sounds good! I actually have a contract that needs reviewing. It’s for a sewer cleaning service, so could you check if there are any issues?”
“Anytime.”
“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”
After receiving the contract from Centra, Irid found three poisonous clauses, six typos, and a violation of standard employment forms in just five minutes.
Five more minutes later, he had three suggestions for revisions.
The Emperor of a vast empire needed to solve all kinds of major and minor issues. Naturally, as someone who aimed for the throne, a prince was expected to have monstrous document-reviewing skills. Or have a loyal retainer who was excellent at it.
The Second Prince, weak in power and short on talented individuals, had no choice but to improve his own document-reviewing skills and that finally shone in the future, 100 years later.
“……This is….”
“W-Wow……..”
Even the picky and blunt Ronya, who looked for faults with all her might, couldn’t find any. There was an enormous intellectual gap between the mercenary and the prince.
At the surprised reactions of the two, Irid’s lips curled up, but he then felt confused. Was it really right to feel proud for using skills learned for governing an empire on a sewer cleaning contract?
This was a clash between the pride of a prince that was nurtured for 20 years and the desire for recognition of a commoner born in just three days.
However, this confusion was swiftly forgotten when Centra reached for his hand.
“Hmm. Mhm, I’ll hire you!”
“I’m in your care.”
Their hands shook up and down.
===============================================================
Three days had passed since Irid began handling the paperwork.
He woke up from a bed in the morning – Irid had just learned that commoners used straw mattresses instead of bed mattresses – and ate stew prepared by Centra.
Then, he worked on various documents next to the grumbling Ronya, who constantly picked a fight.
And he would occasionally glare at people Centra brought in. Ronya did the same beside him.
The paperwork was plenty, but it was a small amount for a prince. The mountain of documents was swiftly sliced through by Irid’s work pace, leaving only a few remaining.
As he had more free time, he sometimes used it for a simple stroll. (He walked inside the inn, too scared to go outside.)
And he often chatted with Centra and sometimes with Ronya.
These days, he frequently looked at the watch tattoo on his wrist. Centra, seeing this, would say ‘Did a bug bite you or something? I’ll apply some medicine!’ It seemed like the tattoo was invisible to others.
The scales of the watch tattoo started moving from 1 to 0. There were only about two and a half days left. The end was approaching.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“What’s with that dead look?”
“……Nothing. It’s nothing.”
“You’re making that face and it’s nothing? You have never learned to lie before, have you, Irid?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“This bastard….”
Irid thought he should perhaps tell Centra. About the fact that he would leave for a distant place in two days. But if……the disciple of the Purple Magic Tower Master had mastered the art of Dimensional Travel Magic….
If he could be returned back to the same world, then there would be no need for farewells. Whenever he wanted to share warmth in this shabby inn room, he could just ask him for Dimensional Travel, after all.
It would have been nice if he listened a bit more about Dimensional Magic. He regretted not doing so.
When there were no guests in the inn, Centra often left her spot. Seeing that the laborers, blondes mixed in, occasionally visited the inn asking ‘Is Miss Centra out again today?’, it seemed she often went out.
“Hey, Wither Emperor.”
“What, Mercenary.”
Now he could let Ronya’s constant insults naturally slide. Although just hearing the two words ‘Wither Emperor’ still stressed him to the point of a headache, thinking of it as the babble of an uneducated fool made it a bit better.
“I have an errand for you, so go and do it.”
“I made a contract with Centra, not with you.”
“I was trying to tell you to go and meet Centra.”
“Where do I need to go?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Irid felt a bit embarrassed at himself for unknowingly responding in such a quick and enthusiastic manner.
“…….This is why I hate bastards with balls hanging from their crotch. Hey, go to the intersection near the Eastern Adventurer Guild. She said she went to buy ingredients, so go and help her.”
“I shall.”
Irid carefully reversed his rag to cover his blond hair. Centra had washed it cleanly, so it didn’t smell.
After preparing to leave by picking up a large basket placed in the cupboard, Ronya spoke softly.
“Hey, but you know.”
“If you have something you want me to do, say it before I leave.”
“No, it’s just……Be mentally prepared. The Founding Festival is soon, you know?”
“The Founding Festival?”
“Yeah, a festival commemorating the day the Kingdom Alliance won victory over the Empire. It’s in two days.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Coincidentally, it was the same time as Irid’s return.
“After the Founding Festival, it’ll be hard to see Centra. We’re moving into a new era, you see.”
“What era?”
“Obviously, the era of beer and bellows. Go and come back.”
At Ronya’s significant words, Irid recalled the documents he had processed. There were suspicious parts in some of them. It felt like logistics were being diverted elsewhere and items that could be used as weapons were accumulating. He could have investigated if he wanted to, but he didn’t bother.
After all, Irid was a stranger and someone who would leave soon.
As such, he decided to bury the fact that this cozy inn was being used for Resistance activities.
===============================================================
Irid walked through Crownhall, once the capital of the Empire.
As someone who frequently conducted inspections, Irid was very familiar with the geography of the area. He knew all the shortcuts in the back alleys, which allowed him to protect himself from numerous threats.
Dangers such as retired soldiers or noblewomen that seemed to encroach, encircling him in a far too suspicious manner.
As he was hiding his blond hair and walking confidently, no one thought of Irid as a slave. He went to the location next to the Adventurer Guild as Ronya had mentioned and waited for Centra.
“⋯⋯?”
Tap, tap. Tap.
The sound of hurried footsteps. Was someone running away? Irid calculated the direction of the sound and the surrounding geography, then mentally mapped out the escape route of this person.
He didn’t want to get involved in any commotion.
However, if the escapee was a murderer….And if they posed a threat to Centra……
Even though it was just a slim possibility, it concerned him, so Irid jumped over the wall.
He crossed his arms and waited at the end of the escape route. If his prediction was correct, the person would appear soon. 3, 2, 1…….
“Wahh!”
The escapee, surprised to see Irid blocking their path, hit the brakes hard.
It was a bizarre outfit, the likes of which he had never seen before. The outfit, made of a black, glossy material, tightly enveloped the entire body, revealing the person’s curves.
It was full-body tights.
While he could understand its functionality, did the person not feel any shame for revealing their figure so completely? With these thoughts, he looked at the face of this strange individual.
It was Centra, her face flushed red.
“…….Centra?”
“T-This. About this….Let’s run for now and talk about this later!”
“That way is not a good route. Follow me. This direction is better for evading the guards.”
“……Got it!”
Irid, without looking back, jumped over another wall. It was because he couldn’t possibly bring himself to look, knowing that the owner of that body was Centra……….
