Chapter 3: The hero would like to talk with the princess (Intimidation) 

Kofi sponsored chapter! Thank you jujubuhg for kofis!

Translator: Michiko

Editor: Elena

That day, the royal palace was awaiting the hero’s arrival.

This time, it was a young commoner named Gio Lufter who obtained the title of hero, was entrusted with the secret swordsmanship passed down by the royal family, and sealed the ancient evil known as the demon king. 

Gio was a young man with jet-black hair and cold blue eyes. He was as sharp as a polished blade, and had an aura of fierceness similar to a northern wolf. He became a hero with his young, manly physique and his abundant magic power to control the royal holy sword. 

The people cheered and celebrated on the speculation that the commoner hero would soon get the king’s approval to marry the country’s second princess.

On this very day, the hero was going to be officially recognized for his service and would be given both a title and territory—he would formally be uplifted from being a mere commoner to become a member of the noble class. 

The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

Rv oyp yzps bkp zsdt-blze elpkal.

“Rpd’v bl zyvl? R osdela obyv bl’p eskdt. Xd vbl eyu sq bkp zsdt-yoykvle nsdqlaakdt sq yzz vkxlp.”&dcpr;

“Tl pyke bl oyp tskdt vs vbl sarbydytl, ps bl pbswze yaakhl ydu xkdwvl.”&dcpr;

“Gtykd? Tl alyzzu tslp swv sq bkp oyu vs tlv bkp xsdlu vyjld qasx bkx.”&dcpr;

“R tlv Qks-esds’p jkde blyav, cwv R osdela bso zsdt bl kdvldep vs nsdvkdwl vbkp jkde sq vbkdt.”

Mbl ryavu obs bye ryavknkryvle kd vbl pzyukdt sq vbl elxsd jkdt okvb vbl blas vyzjle ycswv vbl xyd obs bye clld vblka zlyela yp vblu oykvle qsa vbl nsdqlaxldv nlalxsdu vs cltkd.&dcpr;

“Tybyby,” sdl sq vblx zywtble. “Twxydp pllx vs cl ps vaswczlpsxl psxlvkxlp.”

Tl oyp vbl sdzu clypvxyd kd vbl taswr.&dcpr;

Just as his companions were about to ask him what he meant, the door to the antechamber was opened and the hero appeared. 

“Hey, you’re here.” 

The swordsman called out to him, but Gio did not respond. His gloomy blue eyes glared at the door leading to the audience chamber.

“What the hell? He’s in a bad mood.” 

“This reminds me of when we first met.” 

“Even though he’s been in a good mood lately.” 

“Perhaps he’s feeling nervous?”

Everyone laughed at the ridiculous words of the healing mage. It was impossible for that man, who seemed to be prouder than royalty, to be nervous. 

Soon after, the door was opened. The heroes who had defeated the demon king walked into the audience chamber.

As they bowed their heads and waited for their audience, the crown prince and the second princess arrived. 

Since last year, the King has been bedridden with illness, and the crown prince has been carrying out more and more of the official duties in his place. The crown prince liked Gio’s nature of being someone who was not afraid to say what he wanted, even to royalty. They were close in age and had become familiar with each other as friends. And it was obvious to everyone that the second princess had special feelings for Gio. 

The fact that the both of them showed up here, in other words.

“Gio, is he really marrying the princess?” 

“Seems like the rumors are about to come true.”

The beastman’s tail fidgeted uncomfortably next to his friends, who were whispering to each other.

“… Gio looks pissed.” 

“Huh?” 

“What?”

The beastman reflexively flattened his ears down.

“Gio Lufter, in recognition of your great deeds, from the royal family───” 

“Your Highness, please forgive me for speaking out.”

Everyone in the room froze at Gio’s impoliteness. It may have been acceptable in a private setting, but interrupting the words of royalty during an audience at a formal ceremony was abhorrent behavior. 

However, the crown prince smiled generously.

“…Okay, I forgive you. Gio, tell me what’s going on.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. I would like to ask Her Highness, the second princess, a few questions in private. So could we please be excused to move to another room?”

“To the princess? Why? Is it something you can’t say here?”

“I don’t mind, but Her Highness may.”

Gio’s gaze had been fixed on the princess for some time now. It was terribly cold, without a trace of sweetness or pining. The princess seemed to be unaffected and accepted his gaze, but her brother, the crown prince, could see that her face was stiff.

The crown prince studied the both of them, who looked like there was something amiss between them, and pondered in silence for a moment. Then he looked back at Gio and commanded. 

“You may say it here now.”

When the crown prince said so, the beastman smelled a further change in Gio’s scent.

“Then───”

Gio’s eyes were blazing with murderous intent as he focused on the princess. The blatant intimidation caused even his comrades who had fought with him to instinctively recoil in fear and break out in a cold sweat. 

The man who was supposed to be a hero commanded the royals in front of him with the same wickedness of a demon king, as his whole body exuded magic power like a strong poison.

“Before we talk about what you will give me, let’s talk about what you stole from me.”

Gio took something out of his pocket and threw it at his feet, jingling gold coins scattered about.

TN: Thank you jujubuhg for kofis. Our tsundere ml appeared.