MTLNOVEL Chapter 9 - Silver, Black
“Kyaaaah!”
In her room, Kiera screamed looking into the mirror.
Black hair was growing from her roots.
Though she currently had silver hair, her natural hair color was black.
After gaining the hero’s power, silver hair had started growing.
But having black hair appear was a clear signal that she had lost the hero’s power.
“Wh-why…?”
As she kept looking in the mirror, fear filled her two eyes.
What would happen if the duke’s family found out she had lost her power?
Would they withdraw their sponsorship?
They only knew that Kiera’s physical condition was poor, but hadn’t figured out that she had lost the hero’s power.
“This can’t be… why is this happening to me?”
Kiera wrapped her arms around herself and trembled softly.
She desperately tried to think what the reason could be.
But no matter how much she thought, she couldn’t figure it out.
Really couldn’t figure it out.
Nothing had changed.
She hadn’t done anything.
When no answer came despite trying so hard, what came to mind was ‘him’ – someone she never wanted to recall twice in her life.
‘Could Han Maru’s departure be the cause? Could it be…’
Suddenly the door burst open.
“Kiera, still no power back today?”
It was Natali, rudely entering without knocking.
“I’m dying to spar with you like before. There’s no one worthy here. All trash.”
She walked in energetically and pulled out a chair from under the table to sit.
Then she looked at Kiera who was sitting blankly in front of the vanity.
“Why are you silent like a mute?”
Kiera, having received a big shock, spoke quickly with somewhat excited demeanor.
“Where did the others go?”
“Lucy and Yoris? Probably playing with the new porter.”
“What porter?”
“Lucy said she was bored and got a porter.”
“The House of Toledo promised to provide ten servants free of charge to accompany our adventure, so why get a porter?”
“Ask her directly. How would I know what that prickly mage girl is thinking?”
At the same time in the building’s backyard.
While Yoris watched with his hands behind his back, Lucy was giving instructions to a young man.
“Can you lift that?”
The young man’s eyes widened round seeing what Lucy pointed to.
“Th-that, you want me to lift that!?”
“Why? Can’t you?”
“C-can one person even lift something like that?”
What Lucy pointed to was a magical machine the size of a cart.
Made of metal, it looked extremely heavy.
“The guy before could lift it. You can’t?”
“I can’t! I can’t!”
The young man waved his hands and ran away saying he was quitting.
Lucy crossed her arms and frowned.
“Coward bastard.”
“Such a reaction is normal. Mr. Maru was the unusual one.”
Yoris approached with a smile.
“I wonder why our mage wants to bring in another porter after kicking out Mr. Maru saying the distribution was too small?”
“I need someone who can take my temper.”
“A punching bag, so to speak?”
“Yeah. These days I’m going crazy with no one to vent my anger on.”
“Then why did you kick out Mr. Maru? He was such a good punching bag.”
Lucy glared at him.
“Don’t pin it on me when you also joined in kicking him out.”
“Ahem.”
“When the king specifically points out someone to remove, would there really be any retainer who could ignore that?”
“I too was one of those retainers. I repent.”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean while grinning.”
“Hehe, I’m sincere. These days I miss the fish dishes where Mr. Maru would personally remove the bones.”
“Come to think of it, you’re a priest serving god but you quite thoroughly tormented Maru.”
“Torment? I was training Mr. Maru’s inner self. Thanks to me, he didn’t get angry easily, did he? Our Mr. Maru.”
“Phew.”
Lucy shook her head and let out a long sigh.
“Anyway. Recently our party has lost its laughter. We need something fun.”
Sitting at the vanity, Kiera gestured to Natali.
“You’re telling me to come there?”
When Kiera nodded, Natali got up from her seat and approached her.
“What is it?”
“Look at my hair.”
“What about your hair? Huh? What’s this? Black is growing in? Wasn’t it originally white?”
“This started after I lost the hero’s power.”
“Is that bad?”
“It’s a bad sign.”
Kiera bit her lower lip and made a worried expression.
Natali placed her hands on both her shoulders.
“Don’t worry. The power will return.”
That’s when.
There was a sound from the door direction.
Kiera quickly turned that way.
Oh no.
The door was open!
Kiera furrowed her brow.
“Didn’t you close the door?”
“Ah, I was careless again. Sorry.”
Before Natali could move, Kiera headed to the door first.
Opening the door and looking into the corridor, she saw a young maid standing with a silver kettle.
“Hello Lady Kiera. I came to change your water.”
“Water?”
Kiera carefully examined the maid’s expression for a moment.
‘Did she overhear that I lost my power?’
Sweat formed in her clenched palm.
After staring intently for a while, seeing the young maid getting restless, she reluctantly said.
“Come in.”
“Ex-excuse me.”
Shortly after, the young maid put down the new kettle and left the room carrying the old one.
Afterward, Kiera could hardly focus on her conversation with Natali.
So she sent Natali away and soon left the room herself.
She hurriedly searched for the young maid.
Fortunately, she spotted the young maid heading somewhere.
‘Don’t run away.’
Kiera picked up a fist-sized rock from the yard, hid it in her clothes, and quietly followed.
As time passed, all sorts of thoughts shook her head.
‘I finally got the sponsorship. The amount is large too. I can’t ruin it here.’
When the young maid entered a shabby corridor where servants passed by, Kiera, unable to overcome her fear of possibly losing everything, impulsively got right behind the young maid and raised her hand holding the rock.
“Kitty!”
At someone’s calling voice, the young maid turned around.
“Yes?”
A fat middle-aged maid was standing at the other end of the corridor.
“What is it, ma’am?”
“Did you change the kettle in the master’s room?”
“I’m going to do it now.”
“Alright, hurry and change it.”
“Yes.”
After the middle-aged maid left, the young maid also left.
Kiera emerged expressionlessly from a nearby corner.
‘It’s not time yet. No need to rush.’
If she hadn’t heard the middle-aged maid’s footsteps, she would have struck right then.
She blamed herself for becoming too sensitive because of the black hair she saw in her room earlier.
Rather, she felt fortunate the middle-aged maid had appeared.
She was barely able to hold onto her reason.
Kiera continued tailing the young maid afterward.
And only after eavesdropping on the conversation between the maid who entered the duke’s room and the duke could she finally let out a sigh of relief.
It was just trivial chitchat.
She threw away the rock she had been holding until then and returned to her room.
She collapsed onto the bed.
“Haah…”
She turned over and lay looking at the ceiling.
She thought for a long while, blinking her eyes.
“If I lose the hero’s power… the person I can rely on… would only be Maru after all…?”
She was becoming increasingly scared.
Taking a deep breath, she absently kneaded one plump breast.
“He has a soft heart anyway, so he’ll forgive everything if I cry.”
“Your ordered venison steak is ready!”
Kingdom of Basilite.
A restaurant in some village.
The large table was loaded with abundant food.
“Come on, don’t hold back.”
“You eat a lot too.”
Maru started devouring the food like someone possessed.
Edward, sitting across from him, smiled with a satisfied expression.
“I’ll pay so order more if it’s not enough!”
“Do you have money?”
Maru gulped down a cup of alcohol while chewing noisily.
“Ahh~ This is the taste~!”
“Oh my, come to think of it, I don’t have any money.”
Edward examined his appearance.
Having stolen clothes from a fallen bandit, he looked unsightly.
Like some mountain bandit.
“burp, ate well after a long time.”
After the meal, Maru paid.
He had packed all the gold and treasures he could from what the bandits had accumulated into a sack and carried it.
Since he only had gold coins, when he handed one to the restaurant owner auntie, she was surprised.
“Oh my, what’s this? We don’t have change here.”
“No change needed. Keep it.”
“Really? Oh my, young man must be rich. Hehehe.”
“And this is a tip for making such delicious food.”
Drunk with red cheeks, Maru took out a pearl necklace from his sack and put it around the auntie’s neck.
Having always lived in hunger, he had finally eaten really well.
Being in such a good mood, he was generous.
“Oh my~ Thank you!”
The auntie was overjoyed and immediately ran to the kitchen to show her husband.
The surprised husband rushed out of the kitchen.
“What kind of people are you to have so much money? Are you adventurers?”
Maru pointed at Edward and made up an excuse.
“He’s a prince.”
“Th-this person is a prince?”
“Indeed. I am Prince Edward of our proud Kingdom of Basilite.”
Edward said confidently, but the husband looked at him doubtfully.
“Hey! Folks, impersonating a prince can get you in big trouble. If you’re drunk, go sleep it off. Anyway thanks. Come back often.”
“Yes~ Sell lots!”
After leaving the restaurant, they walked aimlessly.
They had no particular destination.
“What should I do now. Maybe find an inn and get some proper sleep.”
While walking and pondering, Prince Edward kept following and chattering about this and that place.
Finding it strange, Maru stopped abruptly.
“What are you doing? Go home.”
“Home? Ah, you mean the castle where I live? Want to go? Great! Let’s go!”
“No, no. You go home alone. We should part ways now.”
“Hmm? You achieved the great feat of subjugating the bandits but plan to just leave? His Majesty will surely grant rewards!”
“You take that. I’ve eaten my fill so I’m good.”
Maru lifted the sack of gold and treasures on his shoulder to show.
Though it was so much that even five people would struggle to lift it, to the current Maru it was light as a feather.
“That won’t do. You must receive it.”
“I said it’s fine. You’re called the fool prince, right? Just say you did the subjugation this time. Won’t people see you differently?”
“People will see me differently…?”
Edward thought seriously before nodding vigorously.
“You are truly admirable! Then I’ll eat well too! As you would say!”
“Alright, alright. I’m going now. It was fun meeting you.”
“May the gods bless your journey.”
“You take care too.”
“I’ll quickly go to the castle and spread word of my achievement. Take care!”
After saying goodbye, Edward immediately ran off somewhere.
“He’s kind of draining to be around but an interesting guy.”
Maru smiled contentedly and walked on.
After a while.
He felt someone following behind continuously.
Glancing back, it was Edward.
He was following hesitantly.
Maru turned around with an annoyed expression.
“What else? Say it quickly.”
“My friend!”
Edward ran over with a bright smile.
With his blonde hair and slender jawline, he really was handsome looking.
“I’ve had a great idea!”
“What is it?”
“Well! How about we keep traveling together, build achievements where I take the credit and you take the treasures! Isn’t that a great idea!”
“…What?”
Maru was so dumbfounded he just blinked before tilting his head.
“Want me to give you a knuckle tap? I’m really good at those.”
“By the way, my younger sister is very pretty!”
The prince brought up something completely unrelated.
“I can trust you enough to introduce her! Just say the word!”
“The princess…?”
He’ll show me the princess?
The princess…
Though I’m not interested in introductions, I am curious what she looks like.
After brief consideration, Maru smiled brightly.
“Then shall we go take a look?”
Seeing princesses from different countries would make for an interesting story to boast about someday.
With such thoughts, he followed Edward out of curiosity.
“But handle the achievements yourself. I’ll just look at the princess and leave right away.”
“If that’s really what you think, it can’t be helped. Regrettable, but I understand.”
“I left home telling my mother I’d achieve great deeds. Please understand.”
“What? Alright, leave it to me! I’ll help ensure that oath to your mother is definitely kept!”
The two headed toward where the carriages were.
Bright sunlight shone on the path they walked.
When Maru had just arrived in this world.
In his teens.
“Mother. Does our kingdom not have a princess? We seem to have everything else but I don’t see any princess.”
The queen caressed young Maru’s cheek with a loving smile.
“Why wouldn’t we have a princess? She’s right in front of you. I was the princess before becoming queen. I was called Princess then.”
Maru frowned deeply.
“Aw, but mother you’re an old princess. I want to see a young and pretty princess, not an old one. Huh…? Why are you suddenly crying?”
A few days later.
Walking through the market in commoner’s clothes, Maru happened to discover a beggar girl asking for alms.
He ran straight to her.
“Hey! You!”
“Me…?”
“Yeah you! You’re the first person I’ve seen in this castle with dark black hair like mine. Be my younger sister!”
“Younger… sister?”
“Yeah! From now on your nickname is Princess. Got it?”
“I’m hungry so if, if you give me just one coin I’ll do it… younger sister…”
This was Maru and Kiera’s first meeting.
Now it had become a memory they both wished to forget.