Reincarnated into a Game As the Hero’s Friend

you in this kind of place? While asking that in my head I bowed to him and he returned my bow.
I always thought about this since I met Laura but aren’t the royals in this kingdom a bit too humble?

After that, I stand up and let the Royal Grandson sit on the bench while I stand in front of him.
The gaze that I felt, is it Prince Ruwen’s hidden guards?

“Your Highness, pardon me for asking but is there something you need me for?”

“Ah, no.
I just want to talk to the hero of the recent demon outbreak.”

I almost blurted out ‘who do you mean by hero?’ Fyuh… That was dangerous.

“I feel honored by your praise, but I am not great enough to be called a hero.”

“But while laughing, Lord Father said you have the character of a hero.”

Crown Prince, your son seems to have taken your joke seriously.
Spare me the hero title and just give it to Mazell.

Though It’s rude to keep negating the Royal Grandson’s words.

“At that time, I was unable to go to the frontline.
I kept thinking about how great it would be If I had the courage like you, Viscount.”

What are you talking about, Your Highness, you’re 10! The reason why I thought a 10 years old kid going to the frontline is strange might be because of my memory of the previous life.

Wait, now that I think about it, it’s not unprecedented for a young kid to go to a battlefield.
I mean, Minamoto no Yoritomo[1] had his first campaign when he was 13 years old.
If it’s only to let the child see the battlefield on the sideline, then younger than 13 years old is fine.
There’s a case like Kikkawa Motoharu[2] but he’s an exception.

“When I was around your age, Your Highness, I was a scaredy cat.”

“Really?”

“Yes.
Feeling fear is natural, Your Highness.
Once you get used to something, you will naturally feel the courage.”

Though it’s a problem if you ended up loving war, Your Highness.
Still, as expected of royalty.
He didn’t feel it was strange for him to be the only one who was sitting while talking.

“But someone once told me the battlefield did not suit me.”

“Your Highness, there’s no need for you to pay attention to what others say.”

Though I say that, it’s true that this little prince can pass off as Laura’s ‘younger sister’ if he dresses up like a woman.
He will definitely grow up to become a beauty.
I won’t say that right in front of his face though.

“I had once heard the story of a man who was nicknamed ‘princess’ when he was young but became a famous general when he grew up.
That is why, Your Highness, there is no need for you to worry.”

Well, Chosokabe Motochika’s [3] ‘princess’ nickname wasn’t because of his appearance, but he was nicknamed ‘little princess’ so I didn’t lie.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, it is.
Only results matter.
That is why, Your Highness, you merely need to prove them wrong.”

I’m technically in the same generation as him so why did I even tell him this kind of thing like an adult, is what I thought inside.
I feel somewhat complicated.

“Ru…Your Highness, you are here,” As I was thinking about something like that, a lovely child-like voice called His Highness.

The person who almost called His Highness by his name is a girl about the same age as His Highness.
Unlike His Highness’s blond hair, she has black hair.
When she noticed me she gave me a skillful curtsy like an adult. 

“Pardon me for interrupting your conversation.
I am Rosemary El Schramm.”

“Thank you for your politeness.
I am Welner von Zeavert.”

A noble courtesy must be returned with a noble courtesy so I returned her curtsy with a gentleman bow.
I will ignore the fact that Miss Rosemary almost bit her tongue when she was talking.

“I often heard rumors about you, Viscount-sama.”

“You flatter me.”

Let’s just answer it like that.
But Schramm, huh.
I remember it’s a marquis house.
Still, to see a ten years old girl acting like this, as expected of nobles.
Her family must’ve drilled the noble’s manner into her from a very young age.

Since she almost called His Highness by his name, they must be quite close….Let’s just leave it at that.

“Viscount.
I apologize as we were in the midst of talking.”

“Not at all, Your Highness.
I also just remembered I have another appointment.”

Since His Highness bowed to me he must have a prior appointment with Miss Rosemary.
It didn’t feel like His Highness disliked Miss Rosemary so I must be the third wheel between them.

We bowed to each other and separated.
The sight of a blond boy and a back-haired girl getting along while they entered a building as I looked back is quite pleasant.

At the same time, that sight makes an unknown feeling fill my heart.
Miss Rosemary didn’t appear in the game but as expected in this world, the Royal Grandson also has his own relationship.

If the Royal Grandson died at the demon outbreak, will that girl cry? If at that time I just ignored everything and ran away… Even if I did that technically it’s not my fault that the Royal Grandson died… right?

Will that girl die when the capital got attacked? If an attack happened right now will those two become lifeless corpses? Where will they lay? What sort of expression will they have on their deathbed?

When a man that didn’t care about the news of children’s starvation in the newspaper, saw a child that didn’t have enough money to do his surgery on television, he immediately tried to gather money for that child.

It was a story that I’ve heard many times in my past life.
That’s how humans are.
The impression of what they saw is stronger compared to numbers.
People move because of a story, not numbers.

That’s how it is for me too.
When I think about the demons’ attack on the capital, what crosses my mind isn’t about how many victims it will cause but rather, the image of those two children dying.
Is it hypocritical for me to not want that image to become a reality?

“So what if it’s hypocritical?”

It might be hypocritical but I will definitely change the result.
It’s better than doing nothing while having goodwill.
Is this the kind of time they said to show a bitter smile? As I made an excuse to no one, I walked out of the garden and left the palace. 

Plus, I also managed to investigate what I wanted.

♦

T/N: I always thought of the palace as the only ‘place where the royal family is living’ .
I never knew that there was even a public area in a palace.
Thought stuff like office area always popped off here and there in a medieval fantasy setting stories, but it’s the first time I heard something like ‘public area’ where nobles can freely walk around.