The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

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Shione Shianella’s death is certainly no light matter.

At first glance, it might seem like the demise of the second princess of the prestigious Count’s House who had just begun her rehabilitation.

But viewed from a broader perspective, it signifies that this world is on the path to destruction, following its original fate.

Shione’s death is so perilous that it threatens not only my journey back to Earth but even my very life.

Even if it was just a phrase seen in a quest, it didn’t exactly fill me with joy.

“Demon worshippers and fanatics…”

They’re perfect candidates for bringing chaos to an entire world.

Among the numerous worlds I’ve conquered, quite a few have begun with demon worshippers and ended up destroyed by uncontrollable demon invasions, after all.

This place is probably one of those doomed worlds.

It’s certain that the future in which I lost my life resembled a hell, filled with demons.

I retrieved the sword I had loosened far away and caressed the hilt.

I really shouldn’t ease my tension recklessly.

This is the world of an S-rank dungeon, so being careless is definitely a no-go.

The villains of S-rank dungeons are not only cruel but exceptionally vile as well.

Even at this moment, which seems utterly peaceful, it’s clear that underestimating the fanatics, who aren’t even demons, is just asking for trouble.

I found myself watching Shione, who had already fallen into deep sleep, breathing softly.

“That lucky brat.”

She should consider meeting me as pure luck.

The longer I pondered, the more I found Shione’s peaceful sleeping face infuriating, especially since she seemed completely unaware of the situation.

She isn’t even my fiancée, yet here I am facing all sorts of hardships just to let her encounter another’s engagement.

“…But.”

There was still one thing to be thankful for.

First, the fact that Lady Diolia, the knight who has reached the high level of a Sword Expert, is accompanying Shione for her protection.

No matter how insane the fanatics may be, they’re unlikely to attack Shione in broad daylight.

If luck favors us, we should be able to leave the town quietly without any incidents.

While I repeatedly stroked the hilt to gather my thoughts, I finally spotted a rather sizable town out the window.

I distinctly remembered Shione saying we would reach a small village.

But it seemed like she had misheard Lady Diolia, who mentioned this place was smaller than Shianella’s domain, and took it to mean something else.

Well, I guess it’s time to wake her.

I shook Shione’s shoulder.

“Princess Shione, it’s time to wake up. We’ve arrived at the town entrance.”

“Yawn… Thanks for waking me up.”

As Shione stretched with a small smile, she tidied up her tousled hair, arranged her bedding, and sat down.

She looked delighted, like a child coming to an amusement park, taking in the scenery of the town.

“Lady Diolia definitely said it was a small town, but it seems pretty big compared to what I imagined.”

“Perhaps Lady Diolia referred to it in comparison to the city of the Count’s House.”

“Oh, I think you’re right. Diolia did seem to imply that.”

After all, it appears that Diolia’s notion of “small” was based on a comparison to the Count’s House.

Shione, who had been quietly watching outside, withdrew her gaze.

“For the first time in my life, I’m really excited to visit a town or city outside the Count’s House.”

“You’ve never left the Count’s House before?”

“That’s right.”

Shione nodded slowly.

“When I was young, I swung a sword in the territory and briefly wielded a spear and some books, but after that, I just hid in my room. Honestly, I can barely remember the times I played outside the lord’s castle.”

Well, it’s not surprising when you’ve been compared to others continuously, feeling as if your pride has been depleted to nothing, and falling into self-loathing, isolating yourself with thorns for not just months but years.

Seeing Shione speak so factually about her situation made me feel a hint of sympathy for her.

And yet, Shione wore an innocent and pure smile.

“Maybe that’s why I’m really looking forward to this place. Don’t you feel the same?”

“…Hearing you say that, I too am looking forward to it.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

With that, Shione silently raised the corners of her mouth and closed her eyes.

Her expression was as peaceful as the smile she had on the day she severed her long, troubled past.

*

We stopped the carriage at the town entrance. The path leading deeper into the town wasn’t well-kept enough for us to ride through.

We promised the driver we’d meet again at the entrance the next day.

“I know a decent inn around here, so let’s head that way.”

I wasn’t certain how many times I’d been here before, but thanks to Diolia, we quickly found an inn to stay for a night.

The rooms inside the inn were neat, lacking any musty odor, making it sufficient for a night’s stay.

Even Shione, who was used to relaxing on luxurious beds wrapped in soft blankets, didn’t seem dissatisfied with the inn.

Shione and Diolia each had separate rooms, while Ian and I would share one.

Ian said he would go to the church during the day, so I could choose which bed to sleep in.

After we were assigned rooms, just as I was unpacking next to the window, Shione and Diolia came into the room.

I wondered what had them come looking for me first, considering I could have easily walked myself when the work was done.

Shione opened her mouth.

“Have you unpacked everything?”

“Yes, I’ve laid out all the things I brought along.”

“In that case, let’s go explore the market together.”

So they were here to invite me to play.

Well, it’s not a bad suggestion, but I couldn’t accept it.

Given that everyone had been well-fed thanks to my cooking, I needed to restock on supplies.

Not to mention, I needed to buy some snacks for Shione and other necessities.

“I’m sorry, but I need to buy preservation food for our travels and things to keep Shione nourished…”

“That’s fine. Lady Diolia has volunteered to take care of the supplies.”

“Excuse me?”

“What I mean is, you can take the day off and leave the rest to Diolia.”

I barely managed to suppress the astonishment from my face at Shione’s words.

“How can I leave my duties to Lady Diolia and wander around with Princess Shione? Isn’t it dangerous to roam without protection?”

The only reason I felt somewhat secure to take on such a risky quest was because I was under the assumption that Diolia would be guarding Shione.

It would be troubling if Diolia were ever to leave Shione’s side.

I cast a glance at Diolia, who was quietly standing behind Shione.

“Today, I will take care of your duties, so follow Shione’s words.”

“I… appreciate the sentiment, but shouldn’t you be protecting Princess Shione?”

“Princess Shione has already promised to carry a weapon for self-defense while walking through a crowded market, and besides, it’s broad daylight.”

Diolia’s eyes deepened as she stared at me, as if she were trying to see right through me.

“Moreover, I’ve seen your swordsmanship a few times, and even as a man, I believe you can handle lowly ruffians without much trouble.”

“But…”

“Also, Princess Shione mentioned she has something she wants to talk to you about.”

“…Understood.”

…Right, there’s no way something would happen during the day.

And even though Shione had lost faith in her abilities before, considering she is now a Sword User, if she genuinely engages, she’d be stronger than I am right now.

However, no matter how bright the sun may shine, there’s always a chance for mishaps.

I suppose it would be wise for me to gear up just in case.

“May I quickly change my clothes?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“I’ll change right away.”

I checked the quest before getting dressed in the leather armor I had brought from the carriage.

The cool texture of the leather felt pleasantly chilling against my skin.

After confirming I had donned it securely, I strapped my sword to my waist.

I didn’t bring a bow.

After all, there was no way I’d let Shione trail after me while bearing a quiver on her back.

The realization struck me.

Quests don’t come without reason.

At the very least, there would be a point in this town where Shione would cross paths with demon worshippers.

If I didn’t keep my wits about me, I would end up tangled in even more trouble.

Once I finished preparing and stepped out, Shione glanced over me, and then spoke.

“You’ve suited up in leather armor. Aren’t you being a bit overly cautious?”

“Didn’t you say you’d protect my back? I did this all for your sake, so I hope you can overlook it.”

“…Thank you.”

With my words, Shione averted her gaze and softly replied.

I decided to ask her about something I had heard from Diolia.

“Lady Diolia mentioned you wanted to talk to me about something… what was it?”

“Ah, um, that…”

Shione hesitated, struggling to answer, and instead tugged on my shirt sleeve.

“Let’s just go outside and talk about it later…!”

With that, she led me, a faint smile on her face.