Who Could Have Loved the Monster Princess? - Chapter 33
There were over a hundred hidden flags. But the participants and their supporters combined numbered in the thousands. The average contestant would probably struggle to find a single flag.
“It would be difficult for the candidates to find them on their own, and since we’re choosing the next owner of Bittern, a territory close to the Capital, the nobles will be going all out. Do you think they’ll just stand by?”
The maids exchanged glances. Rose, Lily, and Daisy are the daughters of the Duke of Staedt’s vassals. They still clearly remembered the time when duchy almost collapsed after my uncle had passed away.
Without a master, the duchy was plagued for a time by those who sought to tear it apart and take the pieces for themselves.
“We can’t just let them…”
“That would never happen.”
“Right.”
Their opinions were perfectly aligned.
These three taught me a lot when I first came to the Staedt Mansion. Initially, I hired a new head maid and other maids, but there were too many spies and too many people who taught I was a monster, so these three became my dedicated handmaidens.
“Do you have a candidate you support, Miss?”
“No.”
I didn’t want to get involved in such power struggles, and the last thing Staedt needed was more land.
As the hour approached noon, the time for the tournament to begin, the imperial tournament representative took the podium. After introducing himself, he began to explain the rules of the event.
“I would like to thank all of our guests for participating in this event, which is being watched over by the Sovereign of the Empire. This is already the 5th Flag Hunt competition, so we assume that you are familiar with the rules we provided in advance. Please check the medals we distributed when you registered.”
I glanced at my medal. The white medal had the number 3 on it, above a large star. The medal was merely proof that I had attended the tournament as a representative of my family, but it didn’t indicate the family or any specific status.
“Competitors will be traveling in teams for safety purposes. Anything that happens if you leave your team is at your own risk.”
The consequences of straying from the team weren’t just going missing or being attacked by roaming monsters. During the first competition, there was an incident where individuals hired mercenaries and assassins to try to steal the flag I found, leading to casualties. It was all because of the allure that finding the Imperial flag allowed one to make a wish.
‘Well, it’s not like I got involved in manipulations and misconduct willingly.’
Due to such incidents, from the second round onward, participants had to conduct their exploration under the watchful eyes of Imperial knights. It was meant to be an event for noble unity, not a competition meant to instigate civil war immediately after the war.
“Once outside, you will find an Imperial Knight wearing an armband with the appropriate emblem. As soon as you find the flag, notify the imperial knight. If you fail to notify him and the flag is lost or stolen, your acquisition will not be recognized.”
The representative went on to explain the precautions for participation. Noble participants who had joined the competition for many years were already heading outside to find their teams.
I stood up and told my maids, “You guys go back to the palace.”
“I’d like to come with you…”
Daisy raised her hand. I shook my head. No man’s land meant that whatever was in this territory would be strange and dangerous no matter what precautions were taken. It wasn’t just me having bad feelings about it. The eerie atmosphere of this abandoned land seemed to be growing stronger.
‘’Ruined towns are supposed to feel a bit like this, but…’
Ruins often haunted by resentful spirits, victims of violent crimes and war.
“The Bittern estate is a bit dangerous.”
The faces of the three darkened upon hearing my words. They were worried about me, and it warmed my heart to see that.
I chuckled and added, “It’s not dangerous for me.”
“Yes, we know.”
“Of course, Miss. Have a good time.”
“Make sure to find what you’re looking for.”
I nodded.
Daisy added, “If you can, be sure to find the Crown Prince’s flag too!”
Why? I nodded anyway and moved to find my team. Using my height, I easily spotted the knight who was the manager of my team. I recognized most of the people around me.
Some of them were more than just acquaintances.
Among the participants, there was a young man with light reddish hair that looked close to pink. It was Sean Onra wearing his slightly faded white priest robes as usual. At first glance, he looked like a gentle deer, a kind man who liked flowers and poetry.
However, even though he looked like that, Sean was one of the Five Heroes, having communicated directly with a god at the age of five and later becoming a High Priest. Three years older than me, he retired after fulfilling his role following the defeat of the Demon King, and now lived in a small rural village, mingling with the locals.
Even though he was no longer a High Priest, he still didn’t seem to fit in with these worldly competitions.
‘Wait…? Why is Sean here?’
His face turned toward me as if he felt my gaze, and then he smiled broadly.
“Darling, over here!”
At the word “darling,” the people around me looked at Sean, then at me. Then they looked at Sean again with faces that seemed to say they had seen something they shouldn’t have.
