I ran toward the castle under the scorching heat of the sun, which was growing hotter and hotter.
It made my breathing uneven and caused my body to tire out faster than usual.
It was rare for the afternoon to be this hot; normally, it was still within a tolerable range.
Along the way, I kept feeling a strange discomfort in my chest.
It felt so tight, as if something bad was happening.
But this shouldn't be a problem, right? It's normal to feel tightness in the chest when running under the blazing sun.
I didn't know whether this was just because I was running or if something bad I didn't want to happen was really taking place.
Either way, I had to reach the castle and decide what I would do next.
——
Finally, after running with all my might, I arrived in front of the guard post.
I immediately took shelter under the roof, trying to catch my breath.
The guard there noticed me and approached, perhaps curious about what I was doing.
"You're the man who went out with Rosalia-sama earlier, right? What are you doing here?" asked the guard.
Ah, right, I always met this guard whenever I went out with Rosa-chan.
"I want to go to Rosalia's room. She must be resting there, right?" I said.
I stood up again, intending to leave the post as quickly as possible.
But the guard grabbed my hand, as if refusing to let me go just yet.
"Rosalia-sama? She hasn't come back yet, you know."
"Besides, didn't Rosalia-sama leave with you? Where is she now?" asked the guard, looking confused by my behavior.
I felt the same confusion. What did he mean?
"What do you mean? She went home first because she got sunstroke, didn't she?" I said, my voice slightly shaking.
For some reason, my mind was suddenly filled with all kinds of worries.
"Don't joke around! She hasn't returned, and she was supposed to come back with you!" the guard said, looking a little angry at my words.
——
Rosa-chan hasn't returned? Wait, didn't she go home earlier?
It's possible she fainted on the way back, but I didn't see her anywhere.
Could she have gone somewhere else before heading home? It's possible, but given her condition, that seems unlikely.
Lately, there have been many kidnapping cases...
Wait! I hadn't even considered that Rosa-chan might have been kidnapped.
The person who bumped into me earlier—I saw him carrying someone with yellow hair.
Could that have been Rosa-chan?!
At least, I'm not sure yet. But the possibility is high.
Rosa-chan hasn't returned, I didn't see her in any of the shops...
The only remaining possibility is that Rosa-chan was kidnapped by the person who bumped into me earlier.
——
I stood still, my mind filled with thoughts of Rosa-chan.
Thinking about what I should do to save her.
"Hey! Don't just stand there—" the guard shouted at me.
I immediately grabbed his shoulders. I was panicking badly.
"Listen! Gather all your comrades and start searching for Rosa-chan!" I said, filled with worry.
"What's going on—" before he could finish his words, I ran straight into the castle.
I couldn't report this kidnapping case to the King right away.
If that person found out, things would only get worse. My relationship with Rosa-chan could be destroyed in an instant.
There was only one person I could rely on right now—Vern-san.
The person who had interacted with me the most since I came to this world.
I was sure he would understand my situation and be willing to help me.
To find him, I decided to go to the kitchen, the most likely place he would be right now.
BANG! I opened the kitchen door a bit too forcefully because I didn't want to waste any time.
Inside, there was only the cook. I didn't see any sign of Vern-san.
"Did Vern-san come here earlier?" I asked the man.
He turned to me, looking somewhat confused.
"From your voice... You're the white-haired maid from before, right? You're... actually a man?" said the cook, sounding a little disappointed.
I didn't expect him to recognize me. Normally, an ordinary person wouldn't be able to tell.
"From how you're acting now, I can tell you're in a serious situation, right?" asked the cook.
"How did you know that—" I said.
Could it be that this cook wasn't just an ordinary chef? Maybe he had another hidden identity I didn't know about.
"Instinct... and if you're looking for the Head Maid, she's in the princess's room. She might be tidying up the table and the bed," the cook explained.
I immediately turned around and hurried off toward Rosa-chan's room.
"Young man, don't worry! I'm sure you'll be fine!"
That voice echoed in my ears, and somehow, it made my heart feel a little calmer than before.
That's right, I would be fine. What mattered most now was saving Rosa-chan.
——
When I arrived at Rosa-chan's room, I immediately saw Vern-san tidying up the scattered books.
She was doing it very calmly, as if she were used to this kind of work.
She looked confused as she saw me rushing toward her.
"Has your date with the princess ended already?" asked Vern-san.
"Forget about that... I lost track of Rosa-chan without realizing it—" I said, averting my gaze.
I heard Vern-san's footsteps approaching, and in just a second, she slapped my cheek hard.
SLAP. The sting was intense, though I knew I deserved it.
I looked at her face; she was crying after hearing what I had just said.
She didn't look angry or furious, but more like a mother hearing news of her child's accident.
She must have felt sad and worried, especially since she had been with Rosa-chan for so long.
Hearing this must have been painful for her—and I was the one who told her. I was becoming more and more pathetic, wasn't I?
"Where did you lose her?" said Vern-san as she wiped her tears.
"In one of the alleys in town... Rosa-chan got sunstroke, so I let her rest there and went to buy some water..." I said.
"Is that all?" asked Vern-san.
"When I came back, she was gone, so I returned to the castle thinking she had gone back ahead of me..." I continued.
I wasn't sure if she would believe my words, but at least I had told her everything that happened.
There was no reason left to lie—everything I did now could affect Rosa-chan's life.
"Was there anyone suspicious you saw when you came back after buying the water?" Vern-san asked, looking straight at me.
She wanted to find any clues that could help.
"When I came back, someone bumped into me—he was carrying something with yellow hair in front of him," I said.
"That person—what did he look like?" asked Vern-san again.
"I don't remember clearly... but I saw a small dragon-shaped emblem on the back of his clothes," I answered.
That's right—I did see a dragon emblem on his back, but why was I only remembering it now?
Vern-san immediately started walking toward the door.
"You, join the castle troops to search. I'll report to the King," she said before her footsteps faded away.
Now, maybe reinforcements had been gathered.
But what should I do?
Wait for Vern-san and the others to find Rosa-chan?
If I joined the castle troops, I wouldn't be much help. I could only use a sword—and even then, only basic skills.
When I had a sword fight with Cyve, I only did what little I could.
This whole incident was entirely my fault, and yet here I was, being so useless...
Well... maybe I should just join the castle troops anyway.
Perhaps my creation skill might finally be useful this time.
Even though it hadn't helped me at all so far, it was the only thing I could still rely on.