Less than a minute after Hime-sama left me, she returned. However, she was not together with Charlotte, she was alone as she ran lightly toward me.
When she arrived in front of my body, which was still lying helplessly on the street, I saw her lower her head while I looked at her from my upside-down perspective.
"Please forgive me, Yukito-san..." she said with a disappointed expression.
"There is no need to apologize, Hime-sama!" I answered in panic. "By the way, where is Charlotte-san? Were you unable to find her?" I asked.
With her head still lowered, her eyes showed a rather strange reaction to me, empty. Her expression suddenly froze as if she did not want to answer.
"Hime-sama?" I asked again to make sure she was alright.
She gently rubbed her cheek with the tip of her index finger, then stood up straight and moved to the side of my body. She held out her hand to me, intending to help me stand up.
"... Haven't you answered my question yet?"
Once again, she did not answer. Could I take that as a sign that she had some reasons that I was not allowed to know?
...
I accepted her outstretched hand and then tried as hard as possible to stand up.
No matter that my spine made the same sound as when I stretched in the morning, I still forced myself.
I used all the strength I had, perhaps only a small part of it went into pulling her hand. For the rest, I used the little strength in my abdomen as if I were doing sit-ups.
It truly felt torturous for several seconds. I gathered all the air that entered my mouth, then held it in tightly as I struggled to rise.
I finally breathed a sigh of relief when I managed to sit up, touching my chest as I tried to restore my breathing to its normal rhythm.
"T-thank you... H-Hime-sama..." I replied haltingly.
—
Hime returned carrying a box of bread and some water stored in a special cloth bag after going to the nearest shop.
Seeing that I had not fully recovered yet, she decided to buy food and drinks for me.
"Just eat, Yukito-san. There is no need to hesitate, for the time being, I am sure they will not find us here," she said as she lowered herself to sit against the wall beside me.
As I picked up one of the loaves of bread and began to bite into it, she spoke again. "I am still curious about this. Did you unconsciously come to this place, Yukito-san?"
"This alley is rarely passed by many people. In fact, this is my first time coming here. Could it be that you have also been here after being driven out today?"
I swallowed the piece of bread that I had been chewing, then stopped eating to explain why I was able to bring her here.
"You may not believe this... But, I have a strange ability in which something inside my head gives me assistance, like hints about what to do."
She looked at me in surprise, somewhat confused by what I was talking about. Her gaze seemed to say, "What is this person talking about?" when I glanced at her to see her reaction to what I had said.
"Because of that, I was able to enter the palace and bring you here," I continued.
"... Does it sound like a voice speaking directly into your head, like telepathy?" she asked immediately.
I merely gave her a slight nod, my hand moving to take another bite of the bread.
From her response, I felt as though she already knew about "Yuu-chan." It was as if there was something that I did not know, yet she understood it clearly.
A drop of sweat from nervousness ran down from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes trembled slightly, but she tried to calm herself by taking a deep breath.
"By the way, did you already know that other people can see your status screen?" she asked again.
"No... Is that possible?" I replied, having never even thought that such a situation could happen.
She then asked me to open my status screen once again. I followed each of her instructions carefully while trying to remember how I could display the screen that automatically showed my attribute values.
"Now then, please move it a little. I want to take a look."
Swipe, swipe.
"Ohh... So this is the status that you have? No wonder my father regarded me as an ordinary citizen..." Hime-sama said with a bitter smile, as though she had already expected that things would end up like this.
Wait a minute. How could she see it?
Before I could ask, Yuu-chan said something again. (I am sorry for not telling you sooner, Yukito-sama. This is entirely my fault...), she said.
"That voice is the one you hear, right?" Hime said while looking at me with a clear smile on her face.
"Yes... That is what I meant earlier—... Huh? How are you able to hear it as well?"
... Everything feels even more confusing after I woke up. Could someone turn back time and bring me back to when I was still lying there a few moments ago?
——
According to Hime-sama, other people can see my status screen if I allow them to see it directly. On one condition: I must allow someone else to stand in my position.
That is why everyone can see another person's status screen as long as they have permission from its owner. No matter who they are, it is one of the rights possessed by every person in this world.
And about that voice. Or, as I know it better, "Yuu-chan," the thing that speaks inside my head after introducing itself as my status screen.
It is not a blessing or a special attribute. Rather, it is a skill whose condition is extremely rare. Only around one in a hundred people possess it, and I am one of them.
The voice is useful to its owner because it provides information that the owner does not know as they visit various places.
A Legendary Mage from the distant past created it. Even now, many people still hope that they can obtain the skill created by that Mage.
"Because I looked at your status screen too, that voice was also able to enter my head," Hime-sama said once again, giving me an even brighter smile than before.
"Heee..." I replied as I listened carefully to her explanation... Although I did not remember everything that she had just said.
"So, what is her name?"
"Her name? What name are you talking about? Do you think that I named my own status screen?" I replied, foolishness beginning to take over my thoughts.
Hime covered her mouth with her clenched hand, then let out a small laugh as she tried to hide it, even though I could still hear her laughter.
"That is not what I mean, Yukito-san. I mean that voice. She must have told you her name, right?"
Oh, so that was what Hime-sama meant? Seriously, did my head become stupid after she made me fall earlier?
(Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sephira Hime-sama. Please call me Yuu-chan, if you do not mind.)
"Wow~ In that case, Yuu-chan, can you hear my voice?" Hime-sama asked.
At that moment, I realized something. Yuu-chan wanted to be called "Yuu-chan." This solved my assumption that her real name was Yuu.
(Of course. I can hear your voice clearly.)
Excitement had appeared on Hime's face. Her beautiful expression radiated an even stronger aura. Feelings of joy, enthusiasm, and excitement flooded her entire body.
With eyes that had begun to sparkle with strong curiosity, she started talking to my status screen for the next several minutes without seeming bothered in the slightest.
——
Almost ten minutes had passed, even after the bread and water that Hime-sama had given me had been completely finished. She was still busy talking to Yuu-chan. Naturally, I could not help but wonder why she had suddenly become so enthusiastic.
All kinds of questions were directed at Yuu-chan. I simply remained silent and listened to their conversation without any intention of interrupting or joining in.
As for Yuu-chan, she answered every one of Hime-sama's questions clearly and in a slightly higher tone than when she spoke to me.
Whether it was because she considered her conversation partner to be a woman, or because she had been programmed to speak politely to those of higher status, I did not know.
"Hey, Yuu-chan, may I continue talking to you after this?" Hime-sama asked.
"Of course, Hime-sama. I would also be delighted to speak with you again," Yuu-chan replied.
I simply nodded to myself, feeling happy that "my status screen" had managed to attract Hime-sama's interest.
It did not feel as though Hime-sama saw me as nothing more than a burden or an ordinary citizen. It had to be because she wanted my help, just as she had said.
... At the very least, I would fulfill her request and then immediately distance myself from her and the royal family in order to avoid the troubles that would eventually come my way.
Hime turned away from Yuu-chan and looked at me with eyes that had now calmed down. They no longer sparkled, yet they still reflected my figure in her pupils.
"Yukito-san, I have another request for you."
"... Anything for you. I will help in any way I can," I replied.
It did not matter whether I appeared too obedient or behaved like a dog taking orders from its master. The truth was that Hime-sama intended to bring me back to the palace after His Majesty had cast me out.
"What are your plans after this? Do you still intend to stay in Necvalion?" she asked.
... Come to think of it, she had a point.
After kidnapping her and bringing her here, my name surely no longer had any place in this city. On top of that, rumors about me would probably spread very quickly.
If I stayed here for too long, my life would most likely fall apart before I even had the chance to enjoy it. If that happened, what choice should I make now?
Oh, right! That option still exists!
"... I was thinking earlier about becoming an adventurer and traveling to many places."
"Perhaps like someone who works hard in the guild to raise their rank while, at the same time, journeying to other cities. Maybe? That is all I can think of right now," I replied.
Hime-sama touched the back of my hand, which I was using to support myself on the road, as though she were trying to hold it.
"May I come with you and become an adventurer as well?" Hime asked.
I was immediately shocked and nearly fell over again upon hearing her request, which sounded strange coming from the mouth of a princess.
"No, no. You also have a status and dignity that you must protect in this city, don't you?" I replied.
She looked at me with an expression that was clearly dissatisfied with my answer. She did not even show the slightest emotion.
Several seconds passed before she let out a rather heavy sigh and agreed with my suggestion.
"Yes... You are right. At the very least, for now, please think about my request."
"Very well, if that is what you wish," I answered.
She then pulled her hand away from mine and brought both of her hands together in front of her chest, as if she were about to create something.
"Yukito-san, have you ever seen magic with your own eyes before this?"
I shook my head.
"The scope of magic is extremely vast. Everything here, absolutely everything, is surely connected to magic."
"Whether it is a living creature or an inanimate object, magic must have played a part in creating them. By using magic, some things that sound impossible can become possible if you work hard enough."
"For example, this."
A moment later, I saw blue wind gathering between her palms. It seemed to be collecting there, yet when I looked more closely, it resembled smoke moving according to Hime-sama's will.
Was that what she meant by magic? Did that mean this was the form of magic itself?
Above her head, a strange circle appeared. The circle contained countless lines within it, forming a pattern that looked unfamiliar to me, and in an instant—
Boom!
The light dazzled my eyes. When I opened them again, I discovered that her hair had turned blue.
"W-what happened to your hair?" I asked, feeling somewhat frightened after witnessing something extraordinary unfold before me. Was this a miracle? Was I dreaming?
"Fufu. No, Yukito-san. Look."
Her hair changed once more. It became red. Whoa, and then pink. She continued changing the color of her hair, leaving me unable to stop staring in amazement.
At last, Hime-sama stopped. She decided to use black as the color of her hair.
If I may be honest, Hime-sama now looked to me like an ordinary girl with no royal blood whatsoever.
The black color contrasted so well with her appearance that she looked like a commoner, just like me, without changing her true face. Had she done that as a disguise?
"Perhaps I will use this for now," she murmured.
"Alright, let us move somewhere else, Yukito-san. I would like to discuss my request in another place. You do not mind, do you?"
"Of course," I replied with a nod.