Although Her Highness Iris's saintly concern had created a force field of sorts around Kōichi Hayashi and Kazuma called "Royal Sanctuary," the world beyond it remained every bit as hostile.
At the other end of the banquet hall, Aqua was standing on top of a table performing her signature act, "Nature's Beauty." Crystal-clear water streamed from her fingertips and formed a brilliant rainbow, drawing wave after wave of cheers from the surrounding Adventurers.
Darkness, meanwhile, was surrounded by a group of passionate Knights. Being praised as the kingdom's "Sturdy Shield" had left her face flushed with that familiar twisted, perverse excitement, but to everyone else, she merely looked like a noble Knight overcome with modesty and emotion.
As for Kōichi Hayashi and Kazuma, aside from the occasional pastry Iris passed them, the area around their table remained as desolate as a cursed graveyard.
"Kōichi, I can't take this anymore... My soul's been worn thinner than the floor I slid across on my knees."
Kazuma listlessly set down his cup of cheap barley tea, his eyes filled with the weary resignation of a man who had seen too much of the world.
"I'm going back to my room. I'm going to hug that gem-encrusted scimitar and rebuild my dignity in my dreams. Every time someone cheers in here, another piece of my heart breaks. You should come back soon too, though someone as shameless as you probably doesn't have a heart to break in the first place."
With that, Kazuma staggered out of the banquet hall like a wandering ghost, watched by a worried Iris.
Kōichi Hayashi watched him leave, the corner of his mouth twitching.
He had no intention of turning in this early.
A place like the royal palace was full of opportunities waiting to be discovered.
"Your Highness, I'd like to take a walk through the garden as well. It might help clear my head while I reflect on the mistakes I made during the battle."
Kōichi Hayashi gave Iris an elegant bow, wearing such a sincere expression that even he was almost convinced by it.
"All right, Brother Kōichi. But please don't blame yourself too much. In my heart, you'll always be the bravest."
Iris waved her little hand goodbye, her eyes full of concern.
...
After leaving the noisy banquet hall, Kōichi Hayashi stepped into the cool moonlight spilling across the palace's immaculately maintained gardens.
He took a deep breath of the chilly night air and felt the concentration of Aqua in his lungs finally drop by a considerable amount.
He wandered aimlessly along the colonnade, keeping an eye out for any decorations that looked particularly valuable.
As he passed a secluded terrace, however, a faint metallic clinking caught his attention.
Kōichi Hayashi held his breath, sharpened his senses as an Adventurer, and quietly peeked around the corner.
At the edge of the terrace, shrouded in shadow, a petite and nimble figure stood with her back to him, skillfully fiddling with the base of a decorative statue.
She wore a light green cloak. Her short silver hair glimmered faintly beneath the moonlight, and the distinctive dagger of a Thief hung at her waist.
"That's strange. The information clearly said that dangerous Divine Treasure was somewhere around here... Could they have hidden it even deeper inside?"
Her voice was bright, with just a hint of frustration. Even while talking to herself, she had an energetic quality that made her naturally likable.
Kōichi Hayashi raised an eyebrow.
That familiar figure. That unmistakable voice...
"Well, well. Isn't this Chris? So the Royal Capital's very own 'Robin Hood' sneaks into the royal palace in the middle of the night to earn a little extra spending money?"
Kōichi Hayashi crossed his arms and slowly stepped out of the shadows, an unreadable, mischievous smile on his face.
The figure instantly froze.
Then she jumped straight into the air like a startled rabbit before frantically spinning around. The moment she saw Kōichi Hayashi, her pretty face, marked by a faint scar, turned bright red as her eyes darted nervously from side to side.
"Wah! W-Why are you here?! No, wait, I-I was just... um... I came here to admire the scenery! Yeah! The palace looks amazing at night! Haha... hahaha..."
Chris laughed awkwardly while desperately trying to use her cloak to hide the statue pedestal she had already pried halfway open.
She looked so guilty that she might as well have had the words "I'm a thief" written across her forehead.
Kōichi Hayashi made no move to expose her. Instead, he leisurely leaned against a nearby white marble pillar and watched the flustered "Robin Hood" as though she were performing in a circus.
"You came to admire the scenery and somehow ended up prying the floor apart. Chris, your dedication to researching palace architecture is truly inspiring."
Kōichi Hayashi chuckled, his voice full of teasing.
"So, what exactly are you looking for? Without a reasonable explanation, I can't guarantee that a patrol of guards won't just happen to pass by in the next few seconds. After all, Her Highness Iris herself has acknowledged me as a hero who helped save the nation. I imagine my report about an intruder would carry a fair bit of weight."
The moment Chris heard the word "guards," she shrank back in alarm.
She dejectedly lowered the crowbar in her hand, her beautiful eyes filled with hesitation and pleading. In the end, she had no choice but to move closer to Kōichi Hayashi and lower her voice.
"Fine, fine! I'll tell you! Just don't call the guards. Please, whatever you do, don't call the guards! Actually... I'm tracking a very dangerous Divine Treasure called the Soul-Swapping Necklace. It originally came from Heaven, but somehow ended up in the mortal world. If the person wearing it makes eye contact with someone else and recites the incantation, their souls will swap bodies!"
As Chris continued, her expression grew increasingly serious. Her playful demeanor disappeared, replaced by something resembling the solemn responsibility of a divine being.
Though in Kōichi Hayashi's eyes, she looked more like a child who had misplaced an important toy.
"Just think about it! What would happen if someone with bad intentions got hold of something like that and swapped bodies with His Majesty the King or Her Highness Iris? The entire country could be ruined! I sensed its presence somewhere nearby just now... Kōichi, you're smart. Can you help me?"
Kōichi Hayashi had only been half listening at first.
But the moment the words "Soul-Swapping Necklace" and "Her Highness Iris" collided in his mind, it was as though lightning had struck his brain.
An image of Iris from the grand hall that afternoon suddenly flashed through his thoughts.
The little princess in her magnificent gown had indeed been wearing what looked like an antique necklace around her neck, set with a strange blue sapphire.
At the time, he had assumed it was simply ordinary royal jewelry. But now that he thought about it, the energy coming from that gem had definitely felt a little unusual...
"Hey, Chris."
Kōichi Hayashi's expression turned strange as he pointed toward Iris's bedchamber deeper inside the palace.
"This necklace you're talking about. Does it have a teardrop-shaped blue sapphire with silver decorations around the setting that look like wings?"
Chris's eyes went wide.
She grabbed Kōichi Hayashi's arm with astonishing strength.
"Yes, yes, yes! That's exactly it! You've seen it?! Where is it? Take me there, quick!"
Kōichi Hayashi stared at Chris's anxious expression while his mind began racing through the possibilities.
If that thing really was hanging around Iris's neck, then this situation had just become very interesting.
Iris seemed particularly fond of the necklace. Simply asking her to hand it over would definitely arouse suspicion.
Having Chris steal it was another option, but with her clumsy infiltration skills, she could easily alert Claire. And if that happened, Kōichi Hayashi would be dragged down with her as an accomplice.
More importantly, if that useless Kazuma ever learned such a thing existed, then with his twisted personality, he would absolutely find some way to swap bodies with Iris and spend his time enjoying life as royalty, wouldn't he?