The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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If you delve deeper into it, the postal system in modern society is incredibly complex.

In an effort to simplify the process as much as possible, rather than having a direct postal route from one location to another, there’s an almost crude method in place where all packages are sent to a central logistics center and then is sorted all at once. Thanks to modern transportation and classification systems, this approach is feasible.

Without either of these advancements, however, the system would instead delay parcels by making them take an extra step, potentially arriving even later. In some cases, the parcels might get buried among countless others, never to be found again.

Therefore, in a medieval world like this, it’s often best to entrust letters or packages to a reliable person who’s already heading to the target area.

In my case, that reliable person was a merchant who visited our territory once or twice a month.

“…Did you not bring a moose with you this time?”

Likely recalling how I previously brought along three moose last time, the merchant looked at me with a rather wary expression.

Perhaps it was because moose themselves were a bit intimidating. Even a docile moose could look menacing enough to be somewhat scary at first glance. However, had I not negotiated with the moose beforehand, they would have been restless and unruly the entire journey back.

“Ah, were you able to sell the moose properly? They were quite tame since I handled them in advance, wasn’t it?”

The merchant stared at me for a while at my question.

…Why is he looking at me like that?

“…Yes, it was very calm. I also managed to find a buyer willing to pay a good price.”

“That’s a relief. Then, would it be alright if we could do business in moose again next time? There are a few things I’d like to get.”

“Perhaps it’d be better to consider something else. I’d be happy to pay a good price, but it will be much better if the goods weren’t alive.”

Something that wasn’t alive.

If there had been a nearby gold mine, I’d have mined it, but there weren’t any such natural resources around here. Nor did I have the means to search for such resources, either.

“I’ll think about it.”

Should I consider stripping the moose skin? It would be cheaper than a live moose, but in that case, I could prepare a larger quantity from the start.

At my answer, the merchant sighed slightly in relief. The sound was barely audible, but I noticed a long puff of breath escaping him.

“So, what have you come to find this time? I brought a few trinkets that are popular among the ladies in the capital, just in case you’d be interested.”

“Oh, it’s fine. I’m here to ask a different favor today.”

I still had a bit of sugar left, and I wasn’t interested in accessories. The merchant knew me well enough since he’d watched me grow up, so he was aware of my preferences. The accessories were probably meant for the young ladies in the Grand Duchy, like Amelia, rather than for me.

The merchant didn’t seem surprised, as if he’d expected me to decline.

I took a letter from my pocket. It was written on a thinly prepared moose skin—what should I call it? Moose parchment? In any case, it was a letter written on moose skin prepared like parchment.

It was from a moose I’d hunted myself. Since it was about the size of a small cow, there was quite a lot of hide to work with. It was much thicker and stiffer than regular parchment, which made it a bit inconvenient for everyday use, but it was the best option available in our territory. For short letters, I could cut it into small pieces, making it fairly usable.

“A letter?”

“Yes, it’s a letter to Lady Amelia… Could you deliver it for me? I’ll pay you for the service.”

“Oh, payment isn’t necessary. I have to stop by that area on my way back anyway.”

Thankfully, the merchant offered to deliver the letter without additional compensation.

“Thank you.”

“There’s no need. As one of my regulars, I can at least take care of a small favor like this for free.”

“I’ll throw in an extra moose for you next time.”

“…If possible, please make sure it’s dead and prepared.”

The merchant firmly requested this favor in response to my offer.

*

In medieval fantasy worlds, it’s often depicted as brimming with hobbies and activities to pursue.

Magic is portrayed as an all-encompassing power that substitutes for most of modern society’s key functions, while Japanese light novels sometimes take it further by suggesting that video games exist in such worlds. Even if that might be the case in large cities, in the territory of Delkis, it’s just a distant fantasy.

Why? Because the people of Delcys couldn’t use magic.

Not that it’s all bad. They can deflect magical attacks from enemies with their bare bodies. Although moving rocks to drop on heads or hurling fireballs are a separate issue, Delkis soldiers are so strong that they can headbutt incoming stones and wave their hands to disperse fireballs. Hence, it’s not just a myth that they can fight ten, even a hundred enemies alone.

Still, because of their lineage, which keeps them far from magic, Delkis people can’t enjoy the conveniences magic brings to others.

So, while I can’t speak for other territories, Delkis remains something like a grim medieval village scene from an American or British drama.

With such a desolate territory, my only pastime was roaming the forest with the wolf pack.

Searching for mountain potatoes that grew year-round regardless of the weather, occasionally spotting winter berries, foraging edible mushrooms…

…It seemed like I was gathering food for survival, but in truth, there was nothing much else to do.

Not directly in the Baron’s family, but among the commoner kids, there were some my age.

But they were only seven. Even if their bodies grew quickly, it didn’t mean their minds did too.

Playing with them… Well, to be honest, it didn’t feel like playing; it was more like babysitting, which wasn’t very pleasant.

So, I chose to roam with the wolves, enjoying endless camping adventures.

And today, as usual, I was wandering through the forest with the wolf pack—

“Huh?”

Noticing an unusual sight, I made an exclamation that broke the surrounding silence.

It wasn’t strange to see people traveling along the forest paths. The merchant visited regularly, messengers came from the Grand Ducal House, and occasionally people came from other territories seeking a knight from the Barony… Despite being in a remote area, we had more visitors than one might expect, given our unique circumstances.

So, even if the visitors were a group of knights in full plate armor on large warhorses, it wasn’t all that surprising.

However, the fact that their armor bore the emblem of a rearing lion—a lion’s side profile standing on its hind legs—was a different story.

That emblem belonged to the Royal House of Alwen.

Behind the royal knights in the lead, I saw a young child on a horse, somewhat smaller than the warhorses yet not quite small enough to be called a pony.

This child, too, wore plated armor, though it didn’t look suitable for real combat, likely because it was made for a child. The armor looked much thinner than that of the knights, and if you looked closely, simple fabric was exposed between the joints.

Moreover, he wasn’t even wearing a helmet.

The lack of a helmet could be one thing, but I couldn’t understand why he had no winter gear when his nose and ears were red from the cold.

Bright, slightly long, gently wavy golden hair with a sharp gaze and lips pressed into a thin line.

Was he about ten years old? His face still looked quite childish.

“Prince Evan.”

The first prince of the Alwen Kingdom.

And the future ‘Crown Emperor.’

If you’re wondering why a kingdom’s prince would be crowned as Emperor rather than King, the reason is simple.

The current King of the Alwen Kingdom was the second son of the former Emperor of the Saxon Empire.

Because the Alwen king had no heirs, the closest relative’s son was adopted and placed on the throne. Conversely, in this generation, the current emperor has no heirs either.

It was still fine now, but in the original story, the Emperor would remain without children in the future as well.

Even if the first prince becomes emperor, it doesn’t mean the empire will take over the Alwen Kingdom. The same arrangement existed in the previous generation.

Of course, there were various political intricacies, but… it wasn’t something I needed to worry about.

What mattered was that I was the first to discover such a distinguished guest.

In the original novel, he was known for his rather annoying personality, but I wonder how he was at this age.