Princess Menea’s Request

“So we meet at last, my hero. I am Menea Lumork, the princess of a small kingdom to the east of the Shiga Kingdom.”

The girl was lovely, with light-pink hair that cascaded to her waist in gentle waves and emerald-green eyes. And she was addressing me with the look of a maiden in love.

I glanced over the information in the AR display next to her.

She was sixteen years old. Level 9, with the “Etiquette” skill and a far more unusual one: “Summoning Magic.”

She was barely five feet tall, with youthful features, but already she had a slim waist and a large bust. Most likely a C cup but one step away from reaching a D.

If it wasn’t for the difference in our social status, I’d be interested in wooing her in another four or five years.

But as it stood, I’d never met her before.

Nor the escort knight standing behind her, of course.

I did rescue her in the guise of Nanashi the Hero during the incident this afternoon—that yellow demon appearing in the old capital stadium, the giant monster fish fight, and so on—but there was no way she could have figured out my real identity from that.

“I would like to enlist your help to save my homeland from its hardships. If the Saga Empire wills it…”

She must have mistaken me for Hayato, the hero of the Saga Empire, because of my black hair and Japanese features.

But how did such a mistake lead her to track me down to my temporary residence at the count’s mansion?

…Oh, I guess I should resolve this misunderstanding before I contemplate the cause.

“Your Highness, I’m afraid you are mistaken. I am not the hero of the Saga Empire.”

“…Huh?” The princess’s adoring smile changed abruptly to an expression of genuine surprise more befitting of a sixteen-year-old.

“However, it is an honor to meet you. I am Satou Pendragon, an honorary hereditary knight of the Muno Barony.”

“…Are you not the Savior Chef Satou of whom Mistress Karina spoke?”

Miss Karina, please stop spreading around strange nicknames…

“I am hardly worthy of any such title. That aside, how did you mistake me for the hero of the Saga Empire?”

I gestured to the sofa as I spoke, trying to keep my tone light and curious to avoid giving the impression that I was interrogating her.

“…Well, you see…”

To summarize the explanation that Princess Menea reluctantly gave:

There had been a lot of people gathered around the hero at the prince’s castle, so she couldn’t even get near him, much less ask for his help. She heard that he was going to see me, so she came here to find him.

Then, seeing my black hair, dark eyes, and Japanese facial features, she mistook me for the Saga Empire hero himself.

I was curious as to why the hero would be coming to see me, but first I decided to check his location on my map.

Just as I executed the search, there was a knock at the door, and the house butler, Mr. Sebaf, peered inside.

“Sir Satou?”

Behind him was the very same man I’d been looking up just moments before.

“Please come in.”

Needing no further explanation from the old butler, I invited the hero inside.

“Hey, thanks.”

The hero entered the room clad in his blue armor.

With his sporty haircut, thick eyebrows, and manly smile, he cut a pretty handsome figure.