Chapter 364 An Incognito Date in the Capital ④
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Prince Roland of Canaria and Lady Unia, daughter of the Duke of Greter, were on an undercover date. It seemed Lady Unia had little interest in the trendy cafes of the district; instead, driven by a “selfish” curiosity for something more grounded, she led them straight into the heart of the Adventurer’s Guild¹.
”Well, well! If it isn’t Roly!” a voice boomed. “Hauling around a beauty like that? Damn, kid, you’re starting to look just like that bastard Kento!”
”Yeah, no kidding,” another added with a grin. “It’s a damn eyesore for the rest of us. Get a room or pick a better spot for a date, would ya?”
”A-ahaha… S-sorry,” Roland stammered.
The local thugs didn’t waste a second giving him a hard time. Since I’d been dragging him here for the last few days to earn some pocket change for this very date, he’d become a regular fixture among the ruffians – for better or worse.
”Wait, I get it now,” one thug laughed. “I thought you were working like a man possessed just to stay alive, but it was all for date money? That’s the punchline!”
”I’ll be. You’re a lucky girl, little lady,” the other said, leaning in. “This kid was covered in blood and monster filth while butchering carcasses just for your sake. Not to mention the heavy lifting and all the shitty paperwork we shoveled onto him.”
”W-waaaah! Why would you tell her all that!?”
The thugs certainly knew how to twist the knife. Roland was panicking, but the cat was out of the bag. Honestly, while he wanted to keep his ‘commoner’ labor a secret, I think it was better she heard the truth.
”Roland… is that true?” Unia asked softly.
”No, well… don’t worry about it,” he replied, looking away. “It’s just something I wanted to do.”
”…I’m so happy,” she whispered, her eyes softening. “Hey, let’s eat. I want to hear everything. Tell me about the work you did.”
”What? No way! It was disgusting! That’s not the kind of thing you talk about over a steak!”
”I don’t care! I want to know!” Unia insisted.
Her eyes were practically sparkling. Considering she was the one who insisted on a ‘dive’ like this, Roland’s struggle was actually a massive turn-on for her. There was no point in him trying to act the cool prince anymore.
As the thugs cleared out to let them eat, they looked over the menu. Unia’s excitement only seemed to grow.
”Hey, do you think they’re serving the same monsters you butchered?”
”Maybe? I mean, I did spend all day yesterday dismantling a Giant Bear², but…”
”Then I’m having that! Oh… wait. It’s a little expensive, isn’t it?”
”I-it’s fine! Order whatever you want!” Roland blurted out.
The situation was becoming a comedy of errors. You had a Prince working as a part-time butcher, a Duke’s daughter eager to eat the bear he’d gutted, and the same girl worrying about his finances while he acted tough with an empty wallet.
It was almost sweet, in a twisted way. But I was genuinely worried about his tab. The prices here weren’t exactly ‘cafe’ levels. While I was calculating his remaining copper, Marm – the guild’s receptionist and resident poster girl – stepped up to the table.
”Ready to order, Roland?” she asked.
”Ah, yes! The Giant Bear steak, please!”
”One bear steak for the gentleman. And for the lady…?”
”Actually, give the steak to her,” Roland corrected. “I’m… not really that hungry. I’ll just have the squirrel-bean soup and some bread.”
”Roland, you’re pushing yourself again…” Unia sighed.
”I’m fine! Totally fine!”
He was lying through his teeth. To any onlooker, it was a noble sacrifice, but to him, it was a fiscal disaster. Marm, thankfully, decided to throw the boy a bone.
”You’re a growing boy, Roland. You need to eat. Don’t worry about it – I’ll just put the bill on Kento’s tab.”
”T-that’s even worse! If I start relying on him, who knows what kind of hellish ‘Internship from Hell’³ he’ll put me through next! Look, if you can do credit… can I just put it on my own tab?”
”Fufu, sure. As long as you keep working hard for us,” Marm teased.
”I will! I promise!” Roland shouted, desperate.
Between the Prince paying for dinner on a guild credit line and the way they both treated me like a looming shadow, I had plenty of reasons to complain. But Roland finally seemed to relax once the internship talk was over.
”I’m sorry, Roland,” Unia said. “I feel like I’ve forced you into a difficult spot.”
”No. I did it because I wanted to. Seeing you happy… that’s all the reward I need.”
Unia’s face flushed. “You’re right. Thank you, Roland. I’ll make sure to enjoy it.”
Well said, kid! He’s a bit of a klutz, but he’s finally figuring out how to be a lead. As I sat back with a proud ‘I raised that boy’ grin, Muse whispered to me from the shadows of my Concealment Magic⁴.
”…His smooth-talking is starting to resemble yours, Master. It’s uncanny.”
”Is that so? He must have an incredibly brilliant and handsome teacher, then!”
”……”
”Hey, don’t just go silent. It makes it awkward.”
”No… it’s just that a year ago I would have argued. Now, I’m not so sure,” she replied.
”Wait, really…?”
It was a bit uncomfortable, but I’ll take the win. Soon, the food arrived. The Giant Bear steak was a masterpiece – sizzling and hissing on the hot iron. It smelled incredible.
I realized then that we hadn’t eaten since dawn. Muse reached into the darkness and pulled out a wicker basket.
”I just whipped up some sandwiches. Would you like one?”
”You made these, Muse?”
”I am a maid, Master. I’m quite handy in a kitchen.”
”Thanks. Don’t mind if I do.”
The sandwich was top-tier. It was a shame we were eating in a magical void instead of a nice park, but the view of the date was entertainment enough.
”…! It’s amazing!” Unia exclaimed, taking her first bite. “I’ve never had monster meat, but this is so tender… Is it the chef, or are Giant Bears just this delicious?”
”I’m glad you like it,” Roland smiled. “I helped out in the kitchen a bit earlier, and the guys there really know their stuff. It’s probably a bit of both.”
While Muse and I polished off our lunch, the couple dived into theirs. Unia was a whirlwind of expressions – every bite led to a new question about the seasoning or the sear. Roland just watched her, his eyes soft. I suppose the back-breaking labor was worth it if it meant seeing her that happy.
Of course, it also meant I was going to work him like a dog on his next ‘field trip,’ but he’d probably thank me for it. As I was mentally scheduling his next shift, Unia stopped eating and turned to him.
”Hey, Roland. You have to try this.”
”Eh? What do you mean?”
”Here. Open wide. Ahhn.“
”!?!?”
The legendary feeding move! I didn’t see any literal hearts in the air, but man, this girl was a natural. I almost jumped out to tell her to stop corrupting my student, but Unia looked dead serious.
”N-no, I couldn’t possibly-!”
”Why not? You paid for it. Besides, you should see the results of your hard work, shouldn’t you?”
”I… I guess that makes sense, but…”
”Come on. Ahhn.“
”A-ahhn…”
”Well? Is it good?”
”I-it’th… dith-lith-uth…” Roland managed, his face turning bright red.
Completely defeated by her pace, Roland took the bite right off her fork. I’d bet my shop he didn’t taste a single thing.
—
Trivia:
- Roland’s money was earned specifically by butchering the ‘Giant Bear’ served in this chapter.
- Kento is watching the date while literally sitting in a magical shadow right next to them.
- Roland is so afraid of Kento’s training that he’d rather take on personal debt than have Kento pay for his meal.
- Unia is a ‘Duke’s Daughter’ but enjoys monster meat and guild-hall vibes, showing her unusual character
—
Character Insight:
Roland shows significant growth in his willingness to perform manual labor for his convictions, moving away from pampered royalty. Unia demonstrates a lack of class prejudice and an appreciation for sincere effort. Kento is beginning to take genuine pride in his ‘student’ despite his cynical narration.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The ‘ahhn’ feeding trope is a staple of rom-com light novels, used here to bridge the gap between Roland’s physical toil and their romantic development.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Roland – he younger brother of Queen Cecile and the heir apparent to the Canaria throne. Clean, golden-blonde hair, same color as the Queen, innocent, beautiful face that could be mistaken for a girl but dressed in a boy’s formal wear.
• Unia – The third daughter of the house of Duke Greiter. Has blonde hair tied in an intricate style, dol-like beauty, and expressionless face.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
• Marm – The attractive, red-haired, tanned receptionist at the Adventurer’s Guild. She wears a uniform that emphasizes her ‘nice body.’ She is kind and acts like a supportive ‘big sister’ figure to Kento. Looks like Mirajane Strauss from certain series.
• Muse – Cecile’s trusted attendant and chief maid, Muse handles sensitive, discreet tasks like espionage and product acquisition. Have sharp, black eyes, wearing maid uniform, and have expressionless face.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply