How I Ended Up Becoming the Imperial Princess While Trying to Pay Off an Illegal Loan - Chapter 15

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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015.
The phrase “loyal comrade” grated on him just as much.
‘If I’m being honest, aren’t I the one more deserving of that title?’
Leon’s mood had soured considerably, and he fell into a pattern of clenching and unclenching his fists before finally releasing an exasperated sigh.
Though the squadron members had brought out dried meat and simple provisions, he barely touched them before abruptly rising from his seat.
“Everyone’s eaten? Shall we move out?”
“Huh? Already? Couldn’t we rest a bit longer?”
“Didn’t you hear a large-type monster has been sighted? We’re short on time. And you there.”
Leon pointed directly at Rubian.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“You’ll handle all the cleanup here.”
“But… Your Highness, as you know, cleanup duties are supposed to rotate among the groups in turn—”
“Are you questioning my order?”
Leon’s expression darkened with sudden anger—a reaction rarely seen from someone who typically kept others at bay with an icy demeanor.
“No, of course not! My group will take care of the cleanup!”
“No. Just you.”
“…Pardon?”
Rubian’s face went blank as he asked for clarification.
“I said you alone. The rest of you, let’s move out.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Tamia watched the exchange between the two men unfold, tilting her head in confusion.
‘…That’s strange. It looks like Rubian has somehow rubbed Leon the wrong way.’
Tamia’s intuition was spot-on.
* * *
Even after sunset, the party rode hard for quite some time before finally pitching camp in the darkness.
Leon’s tent normally would have been his alone, but now two sleeping bags lay neatly at opposite ends—a considerate arrangement by Kallen, who understood Leon’s aversion to women.
“Great, I’ll sleep without a single awkward moment tonight. Sleep well, Leon!”
Tamia grinned at the two sleeping bags, claimed the more comfortable-looking one, and wriggled inside.
But Leon found himself unable to lie down. The resentment that had twisted his chest throughout the day still hadn’t settled.
As he fidgeted with the empty sleeping bag, Leon finally posed an absurd question to Tamia.
“Tamia.”
“Hmm?”
“Does your father happen to miss Rubian? If you’d like, I could arrange for him to return to the Count’s household.”
“Send Rubian back to Father?”
“Yes. What do you think?”
A brief silence fell. Then Tamia laughed softly and replied.
“Oh, Father wouldn’t exactly welcome that. He hardly participates in subjugations anymore, and back when we used to hunt monsters together, he always complained that Rubian lacked skill.”
“Then what if we simply expelled him from the Griffin Squadron altogether? We cannot keep those without ability here.”
A glimmer of hope appeared in Leon’s eyes. Yet Tamia offered an answer that disappointed him once again.
“Still, compared to three years ago, his skills have improved markedly. His forearms have gotten noticeably more muscular too.”
“…His forearms?”
Only then did Leon retrace, step by step, how Tamia had come to follow him here.
He hadn’t been paying attention the night before, but from the moment Tamia had tied that gold chain around his wrist, her gaze hadn’t left his forearm for a second.
In the bedroom she’d suddenly asked him about the Griffin Squadron members’ forearms, pestered him to visit the training ground, and then—
‘…This morning too, the moment we arrived at the training ground, she ordered the members to roll up their sleeves and show their forearms.’
Leon’s lips curved upward, and a laugh escaped him.
“Heh.”
Ah, so that was it.
In the Griffin Squadron, no one possessed biceps and forearms more developed and sculpted than Leon’s.
Rubian’s forearms naturally couldn’t even be considered competition.
“Go to sleep, Tamia. There’s something I need to attend to.”
“Hmm? It’s quite late though?”
“I’m in the habit of training even briefly before sleep—keeps the body sharp. Rest well.”
“Okay, I understand. Sleep soon.”
Leon yawned widely and stepped outside the tent, leaving Tamia to turn onto her side.
Come morning, Tamia would witness forearms that resembled nothing short of a work of art.
* * *
The next day.
Leon looked at least five times more exhausted than yesterday, with dark circles shadowing his face and bloodshot eyes.
Yet his spirits couldn’t have been higher.
“Hmm, we must be getting closer to the Southern Region. It’s gotten rather warm.”
Leon casually rolled up his sleeves while muttering to himself, and Tamia sidled over to poke his forearm firmly with her finger before walking away.
“Wow, Leon! You’ve been doing your physical training properly at night, haven’t you? Your arms should be this toned!”
It was the kind of crisp morning that made you want to hum.
The group hurried through breakfast and rode off toward their destination once more.
As Leon had said, the temperature climbed steadily the further south they traveled.
After a brief stop for lunch, they resumed their determined ride toward the Cades Belt when they spotted a group approaching in the distance and slowed their pace.
“Whoa, whoa. Kallen, go check it out.”
“Yes!”
At Leon’s command, Kallen rode toward the group.
They were a mixed crowd of men, women, and children—refugees from the Cades Belt who had fled from monsters.
“……It’s the Griffin Squadron!”
“Oh, thank goodness. Now I can breathe easy.”
Those steeped in fear finally exhaled with relief when they recognized the Griffin Squadron’s flag.
“Yes, we are the Griffin Squadron. You’re safe now.”
“Sir knight, we’ve never seen anything like this before—large-type monsters appeared all together. What are we to do?”
“Will we be able to return home safely?”
While the refugees clung to Kallen and poured out their anxieties, Leon and the rest of the party arrived before them.
Leon dismounted and approached the man who appeared to be their leader.
“Explain the situation. The monsters seem to be appearing earlier than usual.”
“We’re nearly two weeks ahead of schedule. The monsters always appeared at set times, so we’d let our guard down—but then suddenly the alarm horns sounded!”
“And large-type monsters appeared alongside them?”
“Yes, fortunately it moved quite slowly, so escaping wasn’t difficult, but in all my years I’ve never seen anything so massive. My heart’s still pounding.”
The leader, still anxious and breathing heavily, suddenly spotted Tamia among the group.
“Good heavens, isn’t that Lady Arderin!”
“You know me?”
Tamia tilted her head in confusion, then hopped down from her horse.
“Of course! You came to the Cades Belt five years ago with Count Arderin. You saved us back then too.”
“Oh, I remember now. That skinny old fellow, right?”
Having recognized him, Tamia rushed forward and offered him her hand.
“Ha, well, I’ve put on some weight since then.”
“Skinny old fellow, what did the large-type monster look like?”
“It was easily over ten meters tall—a humanoid creature with extremely thick, hardened skin. But its movements were very slow.”
“Ah, I’ve heard my father mention those. He said they show up occasionally in the Eastern Region, but I didn’t expect one here in the south. Tch.”
Leon, who had been listening to the exchange between the leader and Tamia, interjected.
“Tamia, can you handle it?”
“I’ve never faced one, but I know its weaknesses well enough. No problem. Let’s go!”
Leon watched Tamia burn with determination and vault back onto her horse, then turned to the leader again.
“Where is the large-type monster now?”
“The knights said they’d lure it to the southeast, where there are no settlements.”
“Good. Everyone, listen up! We’re planning our strategy here before we move out!”
At Leon’s raised voice, every member of the Griffin Squadron dismounted in perfect unison.
Tamia scrambled down with them.
“We’re splitting into two units. Kallen leads the second unit to sweep through the Cades Belt and handle the small to medium-type monsters, while the Crown Prince’s Consort, my first unit, and I head southeast to take down the large-type. Does everyone understand?”
“Yes!”
“Twice a day, we’ll send messenger birds to report on both fronts. Whichever unit finishes first will regroup with the other. That’s all!”
Tamia found herself watching Leon with fresh surprise as he organized the situation and issued orders.
‘What is this? Leon actually knows how to get serious when it counts?’
Watching him command the Griffin Squadron with clean efficiency and no trace of his usual playfulness, Tamia swallowed hard without meaning to.
Seen in his element, he carried an unexpected dignity.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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