An Encounter With Bandits

“Hah! Almost there, aren’t we? I can’t wait to get off this carriage. The road’s getting really bumpy, and my back is aching.” Ryan complained as he rubbed the back of his neck.

They had rested in several inns from time to time when the horses needed to rest, but the constant travel still had taken its toll on Ryan’s physique.

“Allow me to give you a massage, Your Highness!” Joan said and moved to the seat right beside him.

“Thank you, Joan. Your hands feel great,” Ryan said, relaxing at her touch. She would never even lay a single finger on him out of respect, let alone give him a back massage. But now, she rubbed circles on his lean and toned body, making sure that her touch would heal him in more ways than one.

“That was amazing.” Ryan sighed in pleasure after the massage ended.

“Y-you’re welcome, Your Highness. I did my best.” Joan blushed. She was glad that the Prince’s back was turned toward her, so he couldn’t see her face.

“Do all maids know how to give massages? Were they taught to do this beforehand?” Ryan murmured.

Joan cleared her throat as she rubbed a pressure point on the prince’s shoulder. “No, not at all.”

“… Hah, it seems that you really like this maid. Then why aren’t you making her swear fealty to you? It’s been days,” The voice of the Grimoire spoke in Ryan’s head.

‘There needs to be a proper ritual to this, right? I’ve seen how my father ordained knights who made vows to serve him and this kingdom. It has to come from Joan’s heart for it to really count, right?’ Ryan replied in his mind. ‘There’ll be a proper time and place for that. Just you wait. Honestly, you’re itching for progress too, huh?’

“T-That’s… that’s simply because you have no other best choice!” the Grimoire said. “We’re heading to Stonefall Village, and the people there will be humble farmers, blacksmiths, and the like. A maid formerly working in the royal palace will fetch you the most points simply because of her background!”

Ryan momentarily glanced over his shoulder and met Joan’s gaze with a warm smile.

The woman looked at him in confusion, and didn’t seem to react to the Grimoire’s words.

At first, Ryan was worried that Joan would hear the Grimoire, so he mostly kept it tucked in between the upholstery, but the Grimoire assured him that only Ryan could hear its voice and that it actually didn’t like to be squeezed in between cushions.

“I deserve to be treated with more respect! I am a book beyond thousands years of age, not just some random book that should be tucked between chairs and awful butts!” the Grimoire said, outraged.

Ryan smiled and let out a small sigh. He really doubted that the Grimoire could be damaged through normal means. It didn’t look old and probably had magic protecting it from wear and age.

It just liked to be treated well.

— — — — — —

“Can you rub me a little lower there?” Ryan said.

“W-where?!” Joan’s hands were steady, but her voice rose an octave higher.

“My back. It really needs more pressure,” Ryan chuckled. He didn’t think Joan was this easy to tease because she was so serious before. It turned out that it was all a facade to hide her cuter personality.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

“You really should stop calling me that, Joan. I’m not the Sixth Prince of the Finis Kingdom anymore. Ryan is just fine,” he said amicably.

“I will try, but it’s hard…” Joan said.

Ryan smirked. “We’ll get there.”

The trip to Stonefall Village was relatively peaceful. Even though Finis Kingdom was a bit lacking compared to some other human kingdoms, it was still a kingdom that did its best to provide safety for its citizens.

Unfortunately, there would always be danger.

Danger that King Reginald failed to consider when he started with a far more pacifistic and cautious route.

The further an area from the capital of the Finis Kingdom, the more stricken with poverty it was, and with it came the reason for crime.

Ryan’s carriage was the only one on the misshapen and bumpy road. While it was no royal carriage as he was no longer actually a Prince by name, it was still modestly luxurious, easily attracting the eyes of bandits.

A number of them suddenly surrounded the carriage.

Out of everyone assigned to accompany Ryan, it was actually only Joan who would fully come with him.

Even the carriage and its driver would return to the palace after he had been sent to the village, and now, the driver trembled in his place.

There really was nobody else except the three of them. Even guards were forbidden to come along because Ryan was just a commoner.

“Why did the carriage stop?” Ryan frowned.

“Oh no, oh no. We should have hired mercenaries in the last city. I knew I was forgetting about something.” The Grimoire groaned. “Are you good at swordsmanship? Magic?”

“Not that much.” Ryan muttered in a low voice as he peered through the curtains and eyed the idiots that were barring him from getting to his destination.

While he knew his way around the sword, he hadn’t exactly expected that he’d be facing some common thuggery and thievery on his way to Stonefall Village.

He reached for his sword, but realized that it wasn’t with him.

“Ah, I left it in with the rest of the luggage,” Ryan cursed underneath his breath.

Now he needed to talk his way out of things until he grabbed hold of his weapon.

“We’re doomed! Quick, hide me! I am your most valuable possession, so you can leave everything behind and beg for your life.”

“Seriously?” Ryan couldn’t believe the Grimoire for a moment. What if he actually just used it to chuck at the bandits?

That didn’t actually sound like a bad plan.

“Please wait just a moment, Your Highness. I will take care of this.” Joan suddenly stood up from the chair and let out a frustrated sigh.

‘How dare these people interrupt my time with the Prince?’

She cracked the bones in her neck and then stepped out of the carriage before the Prince could even stop her.

Joan had never been able to use her skills inside of the palace and acted as an ordinary maid because there were several guards and knights available.

However, the Luxem Family would never allow any of their blood to have no bodyguard.