Zevien looked at the two knights and said sincerely with a somber expression, "I am busy. I already told them I don't have time to participate in the princess' quest."
The knights were more powerful than Zevien and had full-body armor with a giant sheathed sword behind their back. It was not wise to act hastily or speak rudely.
"Why must you make things troublesome for yourself?" one of the knights spoke while shaking his head, "just meet with the princess and then leave after you are done."
'Should I escape, Tarto?' Zevien asked.
"Meow~ I suggest you quietly go with them without making a ruckus. You won't be able to escape from them," Tarto replied.
"Fine, let's go," Zevien said indifferently while sighing inwardly.
The knights nodded and turned around before walking while those three girls walked side by side with Zevien while giggling.
"It would be a waste if you don't participate, handsome."
"Yep, yep. We only heard about demi-humans but have never seen one. Those physical features as those ears, tail and even those marks on your cheeks make you look cute and handsome, hehehe."
"Tsk," Zevien clicked his tongue in annoyance but didn't reply.
...
After walking for a few minutes, he arrived at the plaza, 'damn, it was this near?'
There were many men here wearing luxurious robes with makeup on their faces. At the center of the plaza sat the princess on a chair. She was as white as snow and had white hair with ruby eyes. Her beauty was enhanced by the white dress she wore with blue and red embroidered designs.
The princess looked at Zevien and raised her eyebrows in surprise as she saw his furry cat ears and tail behind his back. She nodded with a smile and asked, "I heard you are not interested in me? I find it hard to believe that a young man is not interested in a princess of the kingdom."
"Huh? Why is it hard to believe?" Zevien asked with doubt.
The men present looked at Zevien with disdain after hearing his question. They were also jealous of him.
"Of course, it is hard to believe," the princess chuckled while shaking her head, "who wouldn't want to have a connection with the royal family? Or even get a chance to marry me? It would be normal if you were a middle-aged married man, but you don't seem like one."
"I am seventeen, almost turning eighteen," Zevien scoffed, "anyway, I already have someone I love. So, I am not interested in you."
The princess's eyebrows flared as she asked with a curious light in her eyes, "who is more beautiful? Your partner or I?"
"You will not like the answer," Zevien said plainly.
"How dare you?!" A man wearing medieval noble-type clothes glared at Zevien.
The princess raised her eyebrows at the man and snorted, "Zangris, you think I am shallow enough not to digest someone else's opinions and thoughts? If he says his partner is more beautiful, he must be right. After all, everyone has their preferences."
"Apologies. Princess Nerissa," Zangris bowed and apologized to the princess, "it is just…I can't imagine anyone more beautiful than you."
'Bastard got a chance to praise princess like that.'
'Damn.'
The other young men present cursed Zangris internally.
"Can I go now?" Zevien asked with a bored expression.
"Why in such a hurry?" princess Nerissa chuckled lightly and said, "I choose you to accompany me into the dungeon. The magic power I am sensing from you also meets the requirement to enter the dungeon."
"What do I gain for doing this?" Zevien asked, "if there's nothing for me to gain and you are asking me to accompany you for nothing, then sorry."
"It is already a reward for you that princess chose you to accompany her, humph."
"Princess, there's no need to choose this demi-human who doesn't even care about you. But we will do our best to protect you as we care greatly about you."
The men started speaking fervently to gain the favor of Princess Nerissa, but she snorted in repose and spoke, "I don't need your protection. You all are weaker than me, humph. I just want two men to accompany me as it is the requirement to open and enter the dungeon."
After saying that, princess Nerissa looked at Zevien and said with a smile, "you will get a reward. Usually, I would have rewarded you with a thirty-minute tea time with me at the Moonlit lake pavilion since it is easier and less troublesome. But you don't seem like you will accept that reward?"
"Correct," Zevien nodded with a smile, "so, what will be the reward? If I am not satisfied, then I will leave."
"I will allow you to open one chest in the dungeon. The content of the chest will belong to you."
"Deal!"
…
Ten minutes later, Princess Nerissa, Zevien, and another man called Arai went deeper into the town with four knights accompanying them. The three of them sat inside the carriage while the knights surrounded the carriage on the horses.
"Is the dungeon inside the town?" Zevien asked, confused. He thought they would leave the town since a dungeon would usually be outside, according to the games he played. Naturally, this was not a game, and that's why he asked.
"Yep. The dungeon's entrance is in the castle's backyard," princess Nerissa said with a nod.
"Okay," Zevien nodded surprisedly.
'I wonder how dungeons will be here? Oh, wait! I need to ask how long it will take to clear the dungeon. If it exceeds my time here….'
"How long will it take for us to clear the dungeon?" Zevien quickly asked and clarified, "because I will disappear within two hours."
He didn't want to disappear without getting to open the chest and getting the reward.
"Huh? What do you mean to disappear? You can't leave the dungeon before clearing it," Arai spoke with a doubtful expression.
"I will disappear, and that's decided. So if you need three people to clear the dungeon, then you should choose someone else," Zevien spoke assertively.
"Nah, it's fine. It will only take an hour to clear the dungeon," princess Nerissa said with a grin, 'let's hope you two survive for an hour.'
Tarto was startled after hearing Princess Nerissa's thoughts and told Zevien, "yo, this princess is cooking something. Still, you must accompany her because you can't escape now."
'What?' Zevien was startled, 'what do you mean?'
"I don't know in detail. I just captured her thoughts," Tarto said as he told Zevien what princess Nerissa thought in her head just a few seconds ago.
After hearing what Tarto said, Zevien frowned, 'either she is cooking something, or the dungeon is simply dangerous, which was why she hoped we wouldn't die halfway. Maybe she didn't say it out loud in case we get cold feet?'
"Whatever it is, you can't back off now," Tarto said while snickering, "it will be a good experience, I am sure."
After twenty minutes, they reached the castle's backyard and went underground through a path before arriving in front of a demonic-looking door. There were three hand-printed slots on the door.
"Put your hand there," princess Nerissa said as she placed her right hand in the center slot.
Zevien walked to her left side and put his hand in the left slot while Arai placed his hand in the right slot.
*Crrrr...*
The door opened slowly before revealing a passage with bloody thick vines attached to the walls and on the ground.
'What the...'
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