Banished Villainess

60 : The Festival's Aftermath

The original plan was for Sei, who has been relieved of his duties as a representative, to meet the prince’s party in front of a lodging house close to the dungeon in Whitey territory. However, no matter how long they waited for him, he never came for them. He should be arriving anytime soon if he rode a horse at noon the day after the festival and yet..

“Maybe something happened…”

Momo held her hands closely around her chest seemingly worried for him, but the prince was only thinking that the dungeon is far more dangerous than the capital. Their current party consist of him, Momo and Darck. Although Sei doesn’t fight on the frontlines, he excels at providing party supports such as supplementing information, creating maps, item management, finding opponent’s weak points, among others. He’s a necessary member that provides the party’s complex needs. He is also able to calculate the damage that his party member sustains and provide a necessary amount of recovery item accordingly, but now that he’s absent, pushing through with complete reliance on Momo’s degrading power was difficult.

“It must be Keith; that fool must have done something to force him to stay.”

“That’s rude… I would prefer if you stop making such false accusations, brother.”

Surprised by the sudden greeting, when Leddorio turned around, he found the subject of their conversation leaning at the door of the lodging house.

“Keith, you wretch! Since when have you been there?”

“Just now. I came here to tell you that Sei cannot come in his stead.”

“Is Sir Sei safe!?”

Unpleasantly turning his face away at Momo’s sudden approach, the 2nd prince retreats away and keeps his distance from the lady.

“He is safe. He chose to stay at the capital to show his sincerity as a man.”

“Just what is Sei doing in the capital?”

“Preparing for marriage.”

The words that Prince Keith uttered with an indifferent tone were incomprehensible to Leddorio for a moment.

“….What!?”

“Prince Yello, whose marriage is so important that prevented Sei from coming here?”

“As I said, he’s preparing for his own marriage. To his fiancee, Lady Missouri, of course.”

Leddorio’s party members widened their eyes in utter surprise. The 2nd prince said that Sei will marry his fiancée, and although Leddorio can see that happening, he still found it strange why he only decided to do it now of all times. He began to wonder just what happened to Sei while they were gone.

But then, Momo, vigorously scratching her hair in anger, had attracted his attention.

“What does that mean!?  Why would Sei get married, and with Missouri? That’s the bad ending of his route! Just what on earth…”

“W-What’s the matter Momo? Calm down.”

　After calming down Momo who was starting to make a scene, the prince asked his younger brother again.

“What on earth happened to him? I can’t believe that Sei would betray Momo…. Is this your doing, you wretch!?”
“You’re half-correct. But I’ll tell you the details at the observation session.”

After saying that, Prince Keith invited several soldiers with the crest of Margrave Whitey inside the lodging house. Two of them were carrying a large object covered with clothing with them inside.

“Keith, what is this about?”

Leddorio could only watch as the two of them carry such a large object towards the guest room. His younger brother only deviously smiled at the sight of him.

“Everyone wasn’t able to continue their observation because of your recent dungeon exploring, right? I thought that we could just do that in the lodging instead so I had them carry the whole thing.”
“You had them carry the magic mirror right from the capital!?”

“Of course not.  You do realize that’s our mother’s dowry, right? This territory is our mother’s homeland too and they had another one, so I only borrowed it. Well then, shall we start the observation now?”