The smoke from the explosion had yet to clear when the heavy, rhythmic clash of armor rang out from the shadows deep within the forest.
Kōichi sensed several sharp presences closing in at high speed. They were definitely not low-level forest monsters, but highly trained experts.
"Over there! Protect Her Highness!"
With a cold command, two figures shot across the scorched earth like meteors.
One of them wore ornate white light armor, her deep blue hair streaming in the wind, her gaze carrying a stern, unapproachable dignity. It was Claire, a royal guard.
Close behind her was Rain, with her neat short hair and an expression so calm it bordered on cruel.
The instant they landed, Claire moved in front of Iris with astonishing speed. Her rapier was already drawn, its tip aimed straight at Kōichi's throat.
"You despicable commoner! Step away from Her Highness at once!" Claire's voice trembled faintly with anger, her blade-sharp eyes sweeping over Kōichi and Kazuma. "You lured the noble Princess to a place this filthy and dangerous, and even dragged her into an illegal explosion of this scale. Just how many heads do you have to chop off?!"
"Um... Claire, it's not like that..."
Iris tried to explain, but Claire forced her behind her.
Rain shifted slightly to the side, the staff in her hand glowing with a faint, dangerous light. Her gaze passed over Megumin, who lay by the edge of the pit pretending to be dead, then over Aqua, who reeked from head to toe, before finally settling on Kōichi's face. Her voice was cold as frost.
"Kōichi Hayashi, Kazuma Satou. Although the Adventurers Guild records show that you have achieved certain merits, your overstepping and irresponsible actions today have gravely endangered the royal family's safety. Had Her Highness suffered even the slightest scratch, the two of you would already be corpses."
Crushed by the overwhelming pressure, Kazuma immediately raised both hands and hid behind Kōichi, muttering under his breath.
"H-Hey, Kōichi! They look like they seriously want to kill us! Hurry up and say something with that unbeatable gift of gab of yours! I don't want to be sent to the guillotine just for helping a kid skip class!"
Facing Claire's sword pressure, which felt as if it might pierce his skin, Kōichi calmly brushed the dust from his cloak and gave a polite, slightly helpless wry smile.
"Ladies, please calm down. I admit this does look rather like a crime scene... but believe me, this was merely a slightly intense extracurricular practical lesson. Not only is Princess Iris completely unharmed, she has just grasped the most important parts of the Adventurer's spirit: the bonds between companions, and the art of explosions."
"Shut up! Who gave you permission to address Her Highness by name!" Claire thrust the tip of her sword another inch forward, speaking through gritted teeth. "Especially you, Kōichi Hayashi! I always suspected there was malice hidden beneath that calm face of yours. You actually let Her Highness witness that disgusting display of bodily abuse, referring to Darkness, and those utterly tasteless explosions! You are defiling the royal family's sense of aesthetics!"
At that critical moment, just as Claire's rapier was about to touch Kōichi's neck, Princess Iris, who had been shielded behind her, suddenly pushed Claire's arm aside and strode between Kōichi and Claire.
"Enough! Claire! Put your sword away!"
That voice, usually soft and childish, now carried unmistakable royal authority.
Iris's small face was flushed red with anger. Her eyes, which usually sparkled with curiosity, now glared stubbornly at her most loyal guard.
"Y-Your Highness?!" Claire froze on the spot, startled by that sharp command. Her sword hand trembled, and the tip of her blade dipped slightly. "Please understand, I am only protecting you from these crude commoners of unknown origin..."
"I won't allow you to speak of them that way!" Iris spread her arms wide and stood in front of Kōichi like a mother hen protecting her chicks, her voice clear and ringing. "Kōichi-sama and Kazuma-sama are not commoners of unknown origin. They are friends who fought side by side with me and never abandoned me, even in the most dangerous moment! They are true companions!"
The entire area fell deathly silent.
The light on Rain's staff went out instantly. In disbelief, she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, her gaze moving back and forth over Kōichi's face, which seemed to be saying, Honestly, I'm pretty surprised too.
"F-Friends...?" Claire looked as though she had been struck by lightning. Her whole body stiffened, and her rapier dropped to the ground with a clatter.
She glared at Kōichi as if she were staring at the man who had murdered her father, her lips trembling.
"You must be joking... A man who spouts nonsense nonstop and even pushes a female Knight out to take a hit... has become Her Highness's friend?! I absolutely refuse to accept it! This filthy friendship is absolutely forbidden!"
"I don't need you to accept it!"
Iris looked back at Kōichi, and her expression instantly changed from anger to admiration and warmth.
"Kōichi-sama's tactics are wisdom, Kazuma-sama's sniping is decisiveness, Darkness-onee-san is bravery, and Megumin is the strongest! What they showed me is something those knights in the palace, who only know how to bow their heads and kneel, could never show me: real adventure!"
Kōichi looked at the princess's small back and felt a wave of emotion. Then, going along with the moment, he sheathed his longsword, put on the air of a wise and understanding elder, and gently patted Iris on the shoulder.
"All right, Iris. Don't blame Claire. She's only doing her duty. After all, wilderness heroes like us, who radiate freedom and untamed spirit, really are a little too difficult for guards who have always lived in a greenhouse to understand."
Seeing the situation turn around, Kazuma instantly straightened his back and activated bully-by-proxy mode.
"Ahem! Exactly, Claire. Did you hear that? This is the power of friendship! Sure, things got a little messy just now, but the result was good, right? Besides, if you're that fierce toward Her Highness's friends, it might damage the royal family's dignity, you know~"
Kōichi looked at Iris's determined little face and knew that this was the perfect moment to fully cement their status as friends.
He cleared his throat, dropped the tactical seriousness from earlier, and instead put on a considerate, far-sighted smile as he lightly walked over to Claire, who was still dazed.
"Claire-sama, since Her Highness has said so herself, there's no point in us remaining at a stalemate."
Kōichi spoke in an extremely natural tone, as though he were giving orders to his own subordinates.
"Look, Princess Iris has just spent quite a lot of energy defending justice. As her friend, I really can't bear to let her worry about these trivial matters any longer."
He pointed at Megumin, who was still sprawled at the bottom of the pit like a dried fish skin, desperately trying to scrape at the dirt with her chin.
"This young girl of the Crimson Demon Clan is the hero who saved Her Highness. Her current posture may not be very graceful, but it is a medal earned from exhausting her magic. I must remain by Her Highness's side to guard against any surviving enemies. Kazuma is physically frail, and as for the Goddess... well, she still hasn't washed her feet clean. So, may I trouble Claire-sama, a top-tier guard with exceptional stamina, to temporarily serve as this little hero's mount and carry her back to camp?"