The Sun Prince - Re:Zero OC

Things quickly calmed down after that, and with Leip's body being unceremoniously burned to nothing but cinders alongside his office and marked as an 'accident' for the moment.

We would have to decide whether to explain the truth of the matter, as there was quite a bit of evidence of Leip's plans in his office that I had kept, or we could decide to pass it off as an accident until the end, but that decision could come later.

For now, it was time to wind down, and with Priscilla ordering the maids to clean up after the mess of battle, and Schult heading into his room to sleep, I was left alone with the royal candidate in her room.

And with my newly discovered feelings present in my mind… I was quite anxious.

"Fool. Why are you, who fought so valiantly against so many skilled opponents, now quaking in your boots? Are my divine charms that frightening?" Priscilla asked from the chair opposite me.

"Huh? Uhh… no, there was just… something on my mind," I said, looking out the window.

Shit, she caught me.

"Hoh? Something on your mind, you say? Speak, then," she demanded.

Well… if she was offering… and other than the issues concerning my feelings…

"Priscilla-sama… that sword you had… and the fire that healed me… what were they?" I asked. "I know you have some skill in Yang magic, but I don't know of any spells like that."

I looked back at her, watching as she leaned back against the chair, lifting her feet to rest on my knees.

I guess I was now a footrest.

An acceptable outcome, considering who was using me at the moment.

"That sword… was the Yang Sword. A gift granted to me by the world, likely as thanks for blessing it with unmatched beauty," she said, turning her head to look out the window. "And the fire… that was my Soul Marriage Technique."

"Soul Marriage Technique?" I said, confused.

The Yang Sword… I think that I had heard of it before.

It was one of the ten divine blades, if I recall correctly.

For Priscilla to have such a treasure… well, I was definitely curious, but it wasn't entirely surprising, considering it was her we were talking about.

But I had not once heard of this 'Soul Marriage' before, and a fire that could heal someone so quickly… I had a feeling that I would have heard of it under normal circumstances.

"Yes. It is a technique developed in my homeland, and something that activates with specific conditions," she said.

"I see… what are the specific conditions?" I asked.

Her eyes darted back to me, eyebrows furrowing as she began to dig her heels into my leg.

"It isn't something you ought to know, fool," she stated, a light flush adorning her cheeks.

So it was something personal…

I understand. A footrest shouldn't ask for too much.

"Regardless, while I am sure learning of those gifts of mine was enough, I am hesitant to leave that as your only reward. You did quite well in proving your loyalty, after all," she said, moving the conversation forward. "So speak your mind, fool. What is it that you wish for?"

A light blush came to my cheeks as I briefly thought of some… impure requests, but that was quickly drowned out by a shake of the head, as well as Priscilla's scornful glare.

I could only hope she wasn't able to tell what I was thinking at the moment.

But what did I want? Well… that was quite simple.

Especially of the recent revelations of the Yang Sword and the Soul Marriage Technique.

My lady… she was just too interesting.

"I want to know more about you, Priscilla-sama," I said. "So… if it's alright… could you tell me your story?"

Her glare increased in intensity before she then released a sigh, returning her gaze to the window and towards the shimmering sky.

"This… is simply a story about a girl," she said wistfully, causing me to sit up to listen. "She was born as a princess of a nation to the south, with a barbaric tradition of succession that matched its barbaric culture. A land of war and strength."

So 'this girl' was Priscilla.

And Vollachia… so she was former Vollachian royalty.

How ironic, considering my past.

But that certainly would explain what Yae said about needing to watch out for them.

Succession could get quite messy.

"And… what was this girl's name?" I asked.

After all, Barielle was the name inherited from the late Leip, and I truly wanted to know as much as I could about the woman before me.

Priscilla's eyes darted to me, her eyebrows furrowing for a moment before she frowned.

"Prisca… Prisca Benedict was her name," she stated. "But say that name to anyone, and I will cut you down with the very Yang Sword you have just learned about."

"Ah, of course… I wouldn't think of it," I said.

So her name was Prisca… I guess we shared something else in the fact that not only were we former royalty, but also bared a different name.

I… liked that we were so similar.

"This girl had a friend in her youth, that which later became her sworn sword. A knight, if you will. But alas, with the violence that was to come from her brothers, as well as the betrayal from that very sworn sword… Prisca was fated to die, and to be reborn with a new name… and consequently, a new fate," she continued, staring back out the window. "With that, the girl went through various things… yes, many things… and with a final chance meeting with that old friend, she was able to find herself yet another chance at life to the north…"

Watching as she continued staring in silence, I noticed some conflicting emotions present in her face.

There was definitely some stuff missing from that story, but I wouldn't dare ask for more, especially when it made her make such a pained expression.

"Priscilla-sama, I-"

"And that is the end of it," Priscilla said sternly, interrupting my words. "That is more than enough of a reward for a fool like yourself, and don't think of it as anything more than a children's story."

"A-Ah… I understand," I said, giving her a smile as she turned to me.

Her eyes narrowed.

"…So be it," she said, shaking her head before she glared at me once more. "And Selian… tell this story to anyone, and I truly will cut you down."

That… was not an empty threat.

And while I could probably win in a fight, if it was that Yang Sword… well, I wasn't planning on saying anything anyway, so I shouldn't worry about it.

"Of course I won't, Priscilla-sama," I said, bowing my head. "Besides, it's an honour to have a story shared only between the two of us…"

She briefly raised her brow in curiosity.

"Hmph. Arrogant fool," she said, her lips spreading into a smirk. "Now it is about time I head to bed."

"Of course… my apologies for keeping you up so late," I said, getting up from my chair.

"No matter. It was an interesting day, so I am more than pleased at the moment," she said.

"I see… then, goodnight, Priscilla-sama," I said, bowing once more as I headed towards the door.

As she said, it really had been an eventful day.

And with the baron now dead, alongside the fact that Priscilla was still not presented as an official candidate in front of the Sage Council, it was only going to get more troublesome in the coming days.

Haa… after such a big fight, I really was worn out.

While my mana had already replenished, and I had been completely healed by the Soul Marriage Technique, I was still tired in my spirit.

Yeah… I think a bath would be nice, and then, I could have a long rest, and hopefully not wake up until the afternoon tomorrow.

Yes, that sounded good-

"Selian. Wait," Priscilla said, bringing me to a stop right before I reached the door.

"What's the matter, Priscilla-sama?" I asked, turning around to face her. 

She simply stood next to her closet, a deep frown etched on her face.

"That maid you dealt with… that was my personal one, right?" she asked.

Oh… 

"Yes, I believe I told you of her betrayal… are you… angry, perhaps?" I asked.

"Hah. As if. The trash simply found its way into the dump while I was away, so there is no possible way that I would be angry," she said, shaking her head. "It's just… she was the one that always dressed and undressed me… so this is most troublesome."

Ah… I see.

So that was the problem.

And unlike regular clothes, the large dress that she wore didn't make changing out of it by herself an option.

"I'll go get another maid. Just wait right-"

"No," she said, causing me to pause. "Instead, I'll have you do it."

Uh… sorry?

"I… believe I may have just misheard you. Could you repeat that please, Priscilla-sama?" I asked.

"Have you gone deaf? I said I'll have you do it," she said, giving me a wide smile.

…Huh?

"Y-You mean… changing your clothes?" I replied, completely confused. "You want me… to do that?"

"Precisely," she answered.

Wait wait wait.

This… this was definitely wrong.

A knight wasn't meant to do this, right?

No, actually, I think a knight would kill themselves before allowing themselves to undress their lady.

And while I wouldn't kill myself for it… I doubt I could survive for… other reasons.

"Y-You can't be serious, Priscilla-sama," I said, shaking my head as I tried to control my flustered state. "There are still many maids here that can perform that duty. Besides, I am a man. It would be completely out of my station to do such a thing."

"Ah… perhaps, but you misunderstand something, Selian," she said, a faint flush beginning to form on her cheeks. "I am not asking you. I am ordering you."

Why!?

Why would you want that!

You're embarrassed too, aren't you!? I can tell that much! So why put yourself through this!?

Of course… that thought left my mind as soon as I took in Priscilla's face once more.

That teasing smirk of amusement… those sparkling eyes of joy… 

No, she indeed was embarrassed about such a thing, but she pushed through it by knowing that I was even more so.

This sadist!

"Selian. Come here. Now," she ordered, her voice stern yet tinged with amusement.

"Y-Yes… Priscilla-sama…" I said, surrendering.

She really had me held by the collar, huh?

Dammit…

And so, I then completely cut off all my emotions… or, well, I tried my best to.

At the start, it was quite simple, but as soon as I untied and pulled down the top, revealing her pristine skin and incredibly alluring back… well, my composure was shot.

And so, I decided to cut off my senses next.

Hear no evil, speak no evil, and most importantly… don't see anything at all.

Luckily, Priscilla seemed to be going easy on me, as she did as much of the work in getting out of her dress, and while I did catch a short glance of her complete figure dressed only in her undergarments, I quickly got out her nightdress to cover her up while calming down my excitement.

Was this considered a punishment, or a reward?

I had no clue anymore.

Just thinking of those legs, and that waist, and that back…

Seriously… while many said she was beautiful in public, and they were surely correct, seeing her like this… well, let's just say I was very glad to be in this position rather than anyone else.

Because if it were another, man or woman… they would surely lose themselves to their lust, and promptly get cut down by the Yang Sword.

As I began tying the first string on the back of her nightdress, one that was a beautiful red silk, formed to fit her perfectly, Priscilla decided to break the silence that had permeated the room since the start of my task.

"Selian, you seem quite skilled at this," she said. "While incredibly clumsy, your touch is still comfortable enough to not irritate me. How curious."

"You must be joking, Priscilla-sama…" I said, shaking my head.

And please don't tell me my touch is comfortable. I might end up doing bad things.

"Hmm… not only that, but you also have quite the pleasing face, along with a respectable strength," she said, seemingly ignoring my words. "You must have had many broads throwing themselves at you during your travels… Just how much experience does my knight have in these matters?"

Uhh… well, I wouldn't deny that I had been chased a few times, especially whenever I visited a tavern for a meal, but I wasn't very impartial to those types of women.

Not that I thought such a lifestyle as impure, but rather… well, let's just say that I didn't want to test just how effective healing magic was against STD's, especially for a cheap thrill with women that paled in comparison to the beauty before me.

Besides, doing stuff like that should be reserved for someone you love… or at least, that's what I thought.

And such, I had remained a virgin.

…In this life, at least.

"No. Rather, I'm quite innocent," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Does that disappoint you?"

"Hm? No… In fact, it pleases me quite a bit," she said, turning back to smirk at me. "And for your own curiosity… I am inexperienced in such matters as well."

Oh… well, I wouldn't lie and pretend I didn't like that.

But even with so many husbands… well, I could guess that she would defend her virginity if she wanted to remain that way, and had the strength to as well.

In fact, maybe more than one of her husbands fell victim to the 'Bloody Bride's curse' by falling too deep into their lust like that.

But not me.

I was a gentleman, so even if I liked her romantically at the moment, and eventually fell completely in love, I wasn't so dumb as to-

Feeling Priscilla's hand on my neck, my entire body froze in shock as my mind blanked.

"So… seeing as we're both so lacking in the field of intimacy…"

She pulled herself forward, her breasts that were barely being held my her nightdress pressing against my chest as her mouth closed in on my ear, her warm breath sending an intense shiver down my spine.

"Then… how about we learn about it together~?"

Her hand then snaked up to lightly grasp my hair, and I felt the world disappear, if only for a moment.

W-What?

What… what was going on here!?

Was I… going to do it?

So soon?

So fast?

She… she was awfully bold, huh?

But even then, was this right?

Physically, I definitely wanted it, but in terms of mentally… urgh, I didn't know!

"Fufu! Ah, you truly are amusing," Priscilla said as she suddenly backed off, my hand reactively reaching to grasp the empty air where she had just been.

"Regardless, from now on, you will help me get dressed like just now, both in the morning, and at night," she said, sitting down on the bed.

She was going to kill me…

"Ah, and Selian," she said, causing me to face her, noticing her serious expression. "To be in my divine presence, much less have the freedom to touch it, is a gift impossible for people to attain. You are incredibly lucky. And so, from now on… you are to only look at me. Is that understood?"

I slowly nodded my head, my emotions rising as I thought over how to respond.

Would this be considered too presumptuous?

Probably… but I wanted to say it anyway.

You could say that it was a form of my greed.

And from those words from earlier before she cut down that Gilian guy… how not anyone could find their way into her heart… and this privilege she was granting me…

Maybe, it would be fine to say it.

"Of course, Priscilla-sama," I said, bowing my head. "But… I would ask that you grant me the same privilege, and only look at me in turn…"

Looking back up, I saw that rather than being upset, like I had expected, her face was set in a small grin of mirth.

"Hmph. That is awfully arrogant of you… but I suppose I'll accept," she said, brushing her hair off of her shoulder. "You are amusing enough to retain my attention for now, but do not get conceited."

"I… I wouldn't dream of it, Priscilla-sama," I said, looking down at the ground.

Damn… why did it feel so embarrassing now?

I thought it would feel cool to put my foot in the ground, but instead…

"Hmm… before you go, fool, tell me… that Duchess, the other royal candidate…"

"Ah, you mean Crusch-san?" I answered her.

"Yes, her," she said, her eyes narrowing. "You understand that she is fated to be my opponent, correct? Being my knight is akin to being her enemy."

Oh… right, that.

"Don't worry, Priscilla-sama," I said, smiling at her. "While I respect Crusch-san, you are my first priority. I promise."

After all, I was uniquely drawn to this woman.

I wanted to be her strength.

I wanted to follow her.

Finding a person to follow… even if many would have reservations about such loyalty, it made me feel comfortable, knowing I had an important place at her side.

This must be what Fourier meant by 'finding a woman' to be my purpose.

She released a small breath, her head nodding in acknowledgement, but her eyes… they remained trained on me with a harsh glare.

"I see… then I suppose that is acceptable," she said. "But Selian, you fool… from this moment forward, you are to call me without an honorific. Do not take this privilege lightly."

…What?

"Are you sure, Priscilla-"

"I am certain," she cut me off, narrowing her eyes at me with her cheeks a tint rosier. "Now leave, before I decide that you would be better suited as a footrest to kneel at the end of my bed for the entire night."

Uh… what exactly had happened to the arrogant girl I had come to know?

And… was Priscilla always this cute?

—

A few months had passed since the death of Leip Barielle, the former baron of the land, and since then, Priscilla had completely taken over the barony.

As Leip had no children, she was the sole inheritor to his titles and lands, so there were, thankfully, no issues with succession.

I guess that old man left us with one last gift before his passing.

Anyway, since then, the land had begun to prosper under the joint efforts of Priscilla and I's management, as well as my lady's divine luck.

I… was severely lacking in the aspect of land management, but I was getting better with each passing day as I studied and experienced the role.

Besides, while I might not have been the best, anything was better than what Leip had done in constantly draining the land of its resources.

As it turns out, he had been hemorrhaging money from taxes and trade fees, draining the people's finances to collect a vast sum that went… nowhere.

There were thankfully still some savings, which went a long way to starting some of the initial policies we implemented, but there was still a giant gap as to where most of the money went.

How odd… although his co-conspirators, like Gilian, might have been an unrecorded expense.

But still… that was an awful lot of missing funds.

Well, whatever.

It wasn't our problem now.

In terms of the nation of Lugunica, the knights had already completed an initiative where every citizen was tested with the insignias to see whether they were a royal candidate, and as a result, four of the five possible rulers had reportedly been found.

I wonder… considering everything that had happened, as well as her bloodline… could Felt be the final one?

It was definitely possible, but I wasn't in a rush to find out at the moment.

There was also some sort of non-aggression pact with the neighbouring Vollachian Empire that came about during this time, but I didn't know too much about it.

I could only hope that this meant we wouldn't have any trouble with Vollachia in regard to Priscilla's origins and our borders with the southern nation, or at least, not as much.

And in that same train of thought… I had to get stronger.

Priscilla could handle herself against most opponents and in most situations, but not all of them.

And while I was stronger than her, that didn't mean I was invincible.

Yeah… the woman I liked was on her way to be the ruler of this nation, and that would certainly lead to some hardship.

It wouldn't be good to simply remain content with my current level.

And so, here I was near the small forest behind Priscilla's manor, honing my skills through training.

Staring at the training dummy in front of me, I raised my weighted practice spear, the end blunted to not destroy my equipment within the first few strikes.

Taking a short breath, I then launched forward, stabbing at each vital point with precision and blurring speed.

Head, neck, heart, armpit, stomach, thigh, kidney, and then, finally, a leg sweep that was powerful enough to cut the dummy in half.

Those things were really a pain to rebuild, but at least it helped me somewhat train my magic.

Moving onward, I then raced through the second stage of my little training course, running through the woods that were littered with hanging targets.

This was to train my teleportation, coordination, speed, and parrying abilities.

Appearing in front of the first hanging target, I struck it cleanly just like the dummy before teleporting to another one.

This continued until all the targets were swinging wildly, where I then moved my focus to parrying them perfectly, striking in the perfect spot with a fluid movement to send it upwards and halt its motion.

A feat of intense control.

And so, with this portion of the course finished, there was one more stage to complete… my magic.

What was obvious with my last fight was that I lacked an effective ranged option.

I had been through more than a few fights over the years, and not one would have been easier with a ranged attack, as I could simply appear before them… but I wasn't fighting alone anymore.

I had people to protect now.

And sacrificing my body to rush to someone's protection wasn't an option, at least without finishing the job first.

After all, without Priscilla's help, I would have been in quite the trouble from my previous display.

And so, hopping through the woods, I landed at a clearing with many targets carved into the surrounding trees, many of them charred black from my previous runs.

With this, there were two options that I was trying to add to my arsenal.

The first being the basic Yang attack magic, Jiwald.

It was a spell that formed a beam of concentrated light that could burn through a target, and while it was useful, I still had trouble with it, which likely was due to my imagination.

After all, for me, Yang magic was akin to 'connection'. 

It was because of this basis that I was able to use teleportation to such an insane degree, surpassing even the greatest mage of the kingdom and likely the world, Roswaal L. Mathers.

But a beam of concentrated light?

What did that have to do with connection?

I wasn't sure, and as such, my skill was lacking in comparison, having to switch my imagination of the element from connection to controlling photons and pure energy.

I knew some scientific basis for it… but it was still hard to get the hang of.

Pointing my finger forward, I focused on the mana flowing from my gate and through my arm, twisting to my desired effect as I released it, a beam of energy instantly hitting its mark, leaving behind a hole and the faint smell of burning wood.

It was strong, yes… but not strong enough.

This could deal with most average enemies, but I could deal with those easily anyway, and stronger people would simply dodge it or shrug off the attack.

Not to mention being so slow… oh well. At least I could use it without the chant now.

I guess I would just have to train some more in order to improve.

Now, onto the second method of ranged attacks. One that was even further behind my magic in development.

But that made sense.

After all, I was entering completely foreign territory to both myself, and the world, at least as far as I knew.

My memories of my past life were extremely faded, save for a few distinct events, and the details of my knowledge were extremely poor.

I could only suspect this was due to having a baby's brain and being unable to retain all the information, but that wasn't important right now.

Anime and manga… I had enjoyed consuming that media through the later stage of my life.

And in those, there were many examples of ranged slashes with the sword, where you could cut apart your opponent from meters away.

At first, I tried to do this with the mana in my body that enhanced my strength and weapon, somehow forming it into something that could be launched outward.

This, of course, didn't work… kind of.

Launching slashes from far away was impossible, but I could still flare it outwards in close proximity, such as when I cut that appa with a stab of my spear. A trick that Priscilla liked me to perform whenever we toured a city with the available produce.

But with such a failure, I began thinking of a way to link it to what I knew of magic.

The aspect of connection… connecting two places with each other… could I not do the same with my weapon and an opponent?

Not that I would just teleport my spear to them, but rather, linking them with my magic so that even if they were far away, they could still be reached by my spear.

Narrowing my eyes, I concentrated on the target in front of me as I readied my spear, sending out a trail of Yang mana to connect it to the tip of my weapon.

And then, with a strong thrust, the wind whistled as I imagined the power of the strike travelling through the link of mana, connecting with the target and shattering the burnt bark into pieces.

"Haa… figures," I said, shaking my head, watching as the tree remained perfectly intact with no signs of damage.

It didn't work this time either… but I was getting there.

I… think.

Well, there was no use lamenting such a thing.

Walking back toward the starting point, I looked up at the clear afternoon sky as I wiped the trail of sweat from my face.

Hmm… it was a nice day outside.

While Priscilla was currently occupied with some reading, maybe we could survey the town today.

But then again, I had already done so this morning, a habit that I picked up as part of my morning routine alongside my usual training.

It wasn't much, just some physical training to remain in good shape, some practice of basic spear techniques, balance training by standing on said spear, and some unarmed combat.

Usually, this would be done in the comfort of the manor's yard, but I had decided to check up on the town during the same time as my warm-up runs, ensuring that it was safe and no other problems arose.

It was a good way to gain and keep the trust of the people, after all.

"Selian-sama!"

Hearing the high-pitched voice of who had essentially become my little brother, I turned over to Schult, who was dressed in his usual butler uniform.

"What is it? Something wrong?" I asked.

"N-no, everything is swell, indeed," he said, shaking his head. "I-It is just that Priscilla-sama requires your assistance, yes!"

"Ah… I see. Then, thank you, Schult," I said, patting his head as I passed by.

Now as for what the princess wanted… well, at this point, I had no clue, but I was sure it was something to do with teasing me.

She did that an awful lot these days… like that incident with the bath…

Oh well. 

As her knight, I needed to face such dangers head on and with courage.

And so, I marched forward.

Such was a regular day at the Barielle Barony.