Chapter 8: The Imprisoned Prince

I Became the Secretary of a Hero! — LNCrawler · All chapters

ELIAS’ popularity was bounds beyond what Aki expected. Just having him escort her through the halls had every servant and soldier bowing to them, and at the end of one hallway, they were surrounded by maids carrying plates and cups to prepare for breakfast.

“Good morning, Lord Elias, Lady Aki!”

“The weather is most splendid today, is it not?!”

“Did you already eat breakfast?”

The charming women adorned in maid outfits called out to Elias from all directions. He withdrew a step, overwhelmed by their peppiness.

“Ah, g-good morning, ladies. What a blessing it is to see you all in good spirits today,” Elias smiled at them, inciting the women to prattle on with even more ferocity.

“Oh, thank the Goddess! Today will surely be a fortunate one for I had the opportunity to speak with Lord Elias in the early hours of the morning!”

“Were you able to sleep well last night, Lady Aki? You must be worn-out from living in an unfamiliar world. I shall bring you something to help you relax next time. How does tea sound? Or maybe incense? Perhaps flowers too,” one of the maids suggested. “Rare tea leaves are often imported to the castle.”

The maid went on to tell Aki all about the teas she especially recommended. Aki thanked her, and as she listened to what the maids had to say, they gave the impression their kingdom was prosperous. The presence of the heroic figure sent from the heavens, Elias, living in their country played a large part in their prosperity.

Aki thanked the maids crowding her and walked away to find Elias cornered by yet another gaggle of maids down the hall. She kept her distance as she absently watched them. Seeing Elias surrounded by people from outside their circle needlessly brought back her earlier feelings of bitterness.

Elias is this world’s hero, admired and loved by all and therefore can never belong to just one person. No matter how much I fall for him, my feelings won’t reach him. I guess I won’t have that problem if I never let myself develop feelings… If I keep my feelings within the realm of admiration, I’ll never get hurt. It’s not too late to stop myself.

As Aki took in Elias smiling at the maids, the notebook lightly vibrated in her inner pocket. Thinking the Goddess sent her another message, she quickly pulled the notebook out to see the normal leather notebook highlighted in a faint glow. She went to open it, when it suddenly floated into the air and headed down a dark passageway hidden in the corner of the hallway as if it were trying to guide her.

What’s going on? Is the Goddess telling me to go in that direction?

Caught by surprise, Aki looked toward Elias, but he hadn’t noticed her as he was still immersed in conversation with the talkative maids. She hadn’t told him about the notebook yet, so it wouldn’t be easy to explain the situation to him now. While she wasted time debating what to do, the notebook steadily floated deeper into the dark passageway, its light growing dimmer the farther it went as if to rush her into following it.

Guess I’ll just have to go after it for now! I’m sure Elias will find me if I stray too far away, Aki made excuses to herself as she turned away from Elias and ran down the dark passageway after the notebook.

The silver glowing notebook floated farther and farther down the eerie passageway that gave Aki chills. The passageway was constructed without any windows, not even a transom window. The walls were splotchy, giving the illusion water leaked in behind the paint. Fresh air must have had a hard time entering the passageway because the air was stagnant. Obviously, the passageway was created differently from the lavish main castle hallways.

…Is this like a hidden passage hidden in plain sight that you can find if you look hard enough in an RPG? Leo will throw a fit if I ever tell him about that. Aki recalled Leo’s jovial expression to cheer herself up as she single-mindedly followed the notebook in front of her.

The passageway seemed highly unused, suggesting few people ever passed through it.

Will I come across a super strong monster that’s the secret boss at the end of this passage? Or do I not have to worry about it because this counts as inside the Goddess’ barrier? Blegh, maybe I should have brought Elias with me after all.

Regretting her choice too late, but not wanting to turn back now, Aki falteringly trudged on and before long, arrived at the end of the passage. A small wooden door marked the end of the road, and the notebook bounced up and down in the air in front of it. Just as she reached for it, the notebook abruptly lost its light and dropped into her hand. Startled by the complete darkness surrounding her, she instinctively opened the wooden door.

Everything suddenly came into view. Along with the blinding sunlight, Aki saw an open-air bridge leading from the castle to a spiral tower. The spire on top of the tower seemed to pierce into the light-blue sky. She looked out across the bridge and saw a vast open plain extend beyond the distance. She wondered if the open plain was the Field Elias told her about.

The edge of a blue ocean could be glimpsed at the farthest point she could see. She strained her eyes again to see black specks scampering across the Field like a herd of wild animals.

Are those monsters? I can’t make out their shape from here. Coming across the magnificent scenery, Aki forgot her fear and walked through the door. She stood in the center of the bridge and spread out her arms as she inhaled deeply. The warm spring air filled her lungs before she stretched and exhaled it out.

“Mm, this feels great!”

She spun around to take in the new world’s scenery with delight. The wind blowing up from the ground below pleasantly rustled her hair and clothes. It reminded her of the excitement she felt when she first arrived in this world and laid eyes on its unworldly beauty. Unlike the asphalt and building filled city she lived in, the scenery here brought her right into the arms of Mother Nature.

She was about to embark on a journey to protect this beautiful world. It was going to be a perilous journey, but her heart pounded with excitement over what was to come.

Is Nako enjoying similar scenery somewhere in this world? …Together with the Dark Lord. Thanks to Nako, Aki remembered her original goal and reluctantly turned her back on the scenery to follow the bridge to the spiral tower.

She blocked the sunlight with her right hand to get a better look at the top, but it was an imposing stone tower that boldly pierced the sky past the point she could see from where she stood. For such a magnificent tower, the path to it sure was creepy and dark. Something felt off.

The notebook didn’t react in her pocket. She assumed she was supposed to enter the tower. She pushed the tower’s heavy iron door open. Inside the cramped tower was a spiral staircase twirling around like a tornado. The farther up the stairs went, the darker it became, rendering it impossible to tell how many stairs there were to the top. She put her hand to her forehead as she looked up at the dark space and sighed heavily.

“Wow, do I have to climb these stairs? I don’t want to tire myself out before we even set foot outside the castle,” she muttered. The notebook vibrated in her pocket as if it were scolding her. Maybe the Goddess was angry she wouldn’t do it.

“Fine, I’ll do it, bossy Goddess!” She saucily responded to the creator of this world.

Aki placed her hand on the cold tower wall to support herself in the darkness as she began ascending the stairs spiraling around to the right. Round and round she went. Dizzy and winded, she wondered if the top was any closer. The last step ended on a needlessly spacious floor.

The top floor was round to fit the shape of the tower and was split down the center by a wall with a single wooden door leading to another room. A castle guard stood protectively in front of the door with his lance pointed toward the ceiling. The guard’s eyebrow rose suspiciously upon noticing Aki.

“Who goes there? Do you have business with the master of this room?” the guard asked in a clearly unwelcoming tone.

Aki flinched, but decided there was no point in climbing thousands of stairs if she let him send her back now. She boldly stepped forward.

“Pardon my sudden intrusion. My name is Aki Konishi. I was chosen as the Hero’s Right-hand and came all this way under special circumstances…” Aki carefully explained. She hadn’t explained about the Goddess’ notebook to Elias and the others yet—she was afraid of the guard’s reaction if she told him her notebook guided her there.

He had no issue with her reasoning; rather he seemed more skeptical about her title. He eyed her suspiciously.

“The Hero’s Right-hand? You?”

Her face still wasn’t widely known around the castle. She was well-aware she was overly homely to be the Hero’s Right-hand, but it felt like a slap across the cheek to have someone plainly show it on their face. But she couldn’t back down now. She needed to find something to prove her identity.

Unable to endure his silent intimidation any longer, she determined talking to him was the best option for now. “Although I have nothing on me to prove my role as the Hero’s Right-hand, it is the truth. You can confirm it as soon as you speak to Elias—”

The castle guard’s expression instantly changed upon hearing Elias’ name. “Did you say Elias? Am I correct in assuming you’re referring to the Hero Elias Leland?”

“Ah, um, yes. I was just with him…”

Just as Aki started regretting not bringing Elias with her for the second time, a calm male voice came from inside the room, likely having heard her conversation with the guard.

“Guard, what is the matter? Did an acquaintance of Elias’ come?” His voice was slightly high-pitched and the clip, precise tones were testament to a noble upbringing.

Surprised someone was even in the room, Aki looked at the door. Meanwhile, the guard trembled at the voice.

“Y-Yes, sir. A woman calling herself the Hero’s Right-hand is here.”

“I see. Please allow her in,” he immediately consented.

The guard seemed to question his choice, but couldn’t defy his master. He reluctantly moved away from the door to let her in.

“Go inside. Refrain from any rude behavior—or else,” the guard emphasized from the side when Aki stood in front of the door.

She didn’t know who the room’s master was, but from the guard’s reaction, they were no ordinary person.

“Pardon me.”

Aki gulped down the nervous lump in her throat and quietly pushed the door open. She gasped upon seeing the inside of the room. The room was furnished with furniture and items boasting the finest gold workmanship unsuited to a room sitting on top of an isolated tower.

From what she could see, golden vases, plates, statues, and candles liberally lined a sideboard. A crimson carpet laid out unabashedly below her feet was embroidered beautifully with golden thread.

An enormous bed took up the center of the room and a thin man sat on it. His pale blue long hair cascaded onto the bed behind him, and his calm half-closed eyes were a deep blue seen only in precious gems. His ephemeral appearance seemed as if it were going to be absorbed into the unduly decorated luxurious room. He looked like a neatly dressed doll placed on the bed to complete the room’s look.

The man smiled at Aki with a sickly white face. “How do you do? I never thought I would have a guest in this room. Are you the current Hero’s Right-hand?”

“Ah, y-yes, I am.” Aki’s response was delayed as she had been so taken with his appearance. Whether he noticed that or not, he covered his mouth as he let out a cute little chuckle. His pale-blue hair spilled onto his shoulders.

He’s a very feminine-looking man. He’s seductive enough to make even a woman’s heart pound.

Excited over having a guest for the first time in ages, the man spoke to her with enthusiasm, “This generation’s Right-hand is a beautiful young lady then. I envy Elias.”

The man said Elias’ name the same way one would speak of a friend. Aki walked into the room wondering who he was and stopped, leaving space between them.

“Excuse me, who are you?” she asked.

He smiled self-derisively. “I am Arnold Claudius Theophilus. The crown prince.”