The Desperate Princess of a Fallen Kingdom Was Looking for a Hero... So I (the Hero) Decided To Look With Her - Chapter 6

The forest before dawn was steeped in a silence like layers of deep blue ink. The damp scent of soil from yesterday’s rain lingered in the chilly air, settling like sediment. It was a liminal time, nocturnal creatures had ended their activities, while those of the day had yet to awaken. Countless stars shone as if reluctant to fade, their final glimmers dissolving into the milky light seeping from the eastern sky.

Soon, that light became sharp silver arrows piercing through the treetops, peeling away the forest’s darkness bit by bit. Dewdrops on the leaves sparkled, reflecting the light, as if the entire forest had been dusted with diamond powder. Birds began singing hesitantly, one by one. What started as solitary chirps soon overlapped in response from all corners of the forest, swelling into a grand morning symphony.

The early summer sunlight filtered through the trees like thousands of spotlights, painting the mossy carpet in vivid green. With every rustle of the wind, the dappled patterns of light and shadow swayed gently, as if the forest itself were breathing softly. It was a morning scene brimming with hope, as all life began to stir.

And then, one colossal phenomenon shattered that divine tranquility.

“HAAAA-CHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!”

It was less a sound and more a shockwave.

The old tent at ground zero couldn’t withstand the unreasonable pressure from within, bursting apart with a dramatic rip as its fabric scattered in all directions. Poles bent at unnatural angles and flew through the air, while sleeping bags and blankets soared skyward like laundry caught in a tornado. The blast violently shook the surrounding branches, sending birds that had been basking in the morning light into panicked flight. Nearby tents that had barely held their form wobbled wildly from the aftershock.

At the center of this apocalyptic disaster, a bleary-eyed young man, Yuu sat up sluggishly, bare-chested. He scratched his messy black hair vigorously before rubbing his nose with a sniff.

“Ugh, I knew my nose was itching… Mornings are chilly, huh?”

Behind him, a woman stood like an avenging goddess summoned from hell. Her long red hair, tied carelessly, reached her waist, and her disheveled leather armor exposed both the valley between her ample breasts and her toned abs. Despite her glamorous physique, her beautiful face was twisted in wrath like a demon, veins throbbing at her temples. This was Zanna, the female leader of the bandit gang Red Lion’s Fang.

“You… You did it again…”

Her voice was low, crawling along the ground. Yuu finally noticed her presence and turned around nonchalantly.

“Hm? Oh, Zanna. Mornin’.”

“Mornin’ my ass, you walking disaster!!!!”

Zanna’s roar completely drowned out the birds’ chorus. She stomped toward Yuu, grabbed his ear with her slender fingers, and yanked hard.

“Owowowowow! Wh-What’s the big idea?!”

“‘What’s the big idea,’ he says?! This is the third tent! How the hell do you destroy half our base with a single morning sneeze?! Explain yourself, damn it!”

“Well, y’know, when you gotta sneeze, you gotta sneeze… It’s a bodily function?”

“Your ‘bodily functions’ are natural disasters! I keep telling you to hold back a little!”

“Hold back a sneeze? That’s impossible, isn’t it?”

Yuu tilted his head with genuine confusion, showing no remorse. Zanna trembled with rage before finally releasing his ear with a rough sigh, resignation clear on her face.

It had been a week since Yuu had been picked up by the bandits as a bodyguard. By now, the gang was losing the energy to even react to his absurd antics. Yet, at the same time, everyone had begun to notice the strange change this endlessly cheerful, guileless young man was bringing to their rough-and-tumble group.

As breakfast preparations began, the hideout suddenly buzzed with life. Burly men sat on crude logs around the campfire, whittling wood with knives or maintaining their weapons while chatting idly. Sparks crackled and vanished into the damp morning air. From a hanging pot rose the simple but appetizing aroma of dried meat and beans stewing.

“Dammit, no prey again yesterday. Those merchant caravans have been increasing their guards lately,” grumbled Gido, the one-eyed man, glaring at his chipped sword.

“Tell me about it. Our earnings keep dropping. Last time, there was a whole squad of knights in shiny new armor,” added Vargas, a bear of a man, sharpening his massive axe with a grunt.

“Taxes keep rising too. It’s all because of those damn officials that we’re stuck hiding in the woods.”

Their conversations always went like this. The world never bent to their will. Their complaints and grievances were universal shared not just by outlaws like them but by anyone living in this world. The only difference was that for them, “things not going their way” directly impacted their daily meals and survival.

“Speaking of which, where’s the new kid? Haven’t seen him since yesterday.”

“That one’s hopeless. No guts. Gets sulky the moment he can’t find prey. Back in our day…”

The older members began grumbling. Every group had its struggles. People had different thoughts, different desires. No matter how much Zanna, their leader, rallied them, they’d never all move in the same direction. Each followed their own immediate rules of convenience and emotion. Yet, Red Lion’s Fang somehow maintained a semblance of order. Thanks to Zanna’s overwhelming charisma and their shared goal of “putting food on the table.” It was a living, breathing collective, changing shape day by day to survive.

Into this circle of rough men, Yuu casually inserted himself with a cheerful, “Hey, is the meat done?”

“Must be nice being you. Bet you’re happy just munching on berries when you’re hungry,” Gido remarked with a slightly barbed tone. Yuu grabbed a bone-in chunk from the pot, wincing at the heat before taking a hearty bite.

“Mmph, mmph… Nah, I’ve got my own problems too.”

“Oh? Do tell. What could a carefree guy like you possibly worry about?”

The men grinned, eager for entertainment. Yuu swallowed and answered with complete seriousness.

“Zanna’s punches hurt way more than they look.”

“…………”

A beat of silence then the men burst into laughter.

“BWAHAHA! That’s what you get!”

“You get punched by her at least once a day!”

At the center of it all, Yuu laughed along without a care. His boundless cheer was like a powerful purification spell, lightening the hideout’s heavy atmosphere. Zanna watched from a distance, arms crossed, an exasperated but fond smile playing on her lips.

By afternoon, a grim-faced member reported to Zanna while guarding the food storage.

“Boss, we’re down to three days’ worth of dried meat. We still have beans and dried mushrooms, but…”

Tension rippled through the group.

“Damn… That failed raid’s really biting us now.”

“Even when we hunt, there’s barely any game lately.”

Zanna rested her chin on her hand, thinking deeply before finally looking up.

“Fine. Today, we all hunt. We’re bagging at least one deer or boar. And someone’s fishing at the river. Got it?!”

“Yeah!”

The men roared in agreement. Among them, Yuu lazily raised his hand.

“Okaaay! Leave the fish to me!”

Zanna’s face twisted with dread.

“…You better not evaporate the whole damn river again. Got it?”

“Relax! I’ve learned my lesson!”

Yuu thumped his chest confidently. His baseless confidence only deepened Zanna’s unease.

Half an hour’s walk from the hideout, a river wound through the forest. About ten meters wide, its surface glittered like golden scales under the sunlight. The water was so clear the riverbed stones were visible, with occasional flashes of silver fish darting past. The coolness eased the stifling summer heat.

“Alright, you lot set up nets upstream! We’ll herd the fish from downstream!”

Vargas barked orders as the men took their positions. Some waded into the shallows with crude spears made of branches and vines, while others spread old nets in pairs. But the fish were clever and quick, slipping past the splashing shadows with ease.

“Damn it! They’re too fast!”

“Hey, over there!”

After nearly an hour of struggle, their haul was just a few palm-sized minnows. Frustration and fatigue showed on every face.

Meanwhile, Yuu sat leisurely on a riverside rock, watching. Eventually, he stretched and stood.

“Alrighty, my turn!”

He strode toward the river’s center as the men stared in confusion. Zanna watched with bated breath.

Yuu stopped midstream, held his hands over the water, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. The air around him trembled faintly.

(If I go too wild, Zanna’ll yell at me again… Gotta hold back… Hmm, not heat electricity this time.)

Pale blue sparks leapt from his fingertips, spreading across the water like a spiderweb in an instant. The current carried the charge not violently enough to boil the river, but perfectly calibrated to stun the fish.

Then, the unbelievable happened.

Countless fish that had been darting about suddenly froze, floating belly-up on the surface. Large and small, they drifted toward Yuu’s feet like subjects granted an audience with their king.

“…………Huh?”

The men gaped in unison. Net-holders and spear-wielders alike stood dumbfounded.

Yuu opened his eyes and nodded in satisfaction.

“Nice, worked like a charm! C’mon, guys! All-you-can-catch buffet!”

Snapping out of it, the men erupted.

“Holy…!”

“What kind of magic was that?!”

“We’re set on fish for months!”

They cheered, hurling the unconscious fish ashore until the bank was carpeted in silver.

A short distance away, Zanna clutched her head.

(Okay, sure, the river’s not evaporated. The ecosystem’s probably fine? But that’s not the point!)

She marched over and thunk planted a fist on Yuu’s head, packed with equal parts affection and exasperation.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“Your version of ‘normal’ isn’t normal, you freak of nature!!”

That night, the hideout held its first feast in ages. The savory scent of roasting fish filled the forest. The men stuffed themselves, passing cheap ale and trading crude jokes as if their daytime struggles were long forgotten.

Zanna leaned against a great tree’s roots, quietly observing the lively scene with a wooden cup in hand.

Yuu was, as usual, at the center telling tales of his original world: metal birds that flew through the sky, magical slabs that let you talk to people far away. The men laughed, calling it nonsense, yet listened with shining eyes.

(We’ve really picked up something unbelievable.)

Zanna took a sip.

Since he arrived, it’s been nothing but chaos. Tents destroyed, parts of the forest turned into craters, rivers full of unconscious fish. A never-ending headache.

(But…)

She looked at the men’s faces. They were laughing truly laughing. Had she seen smiles like that in recent memory? Before, everyone had been quietly terrified, constantly worried about their next meal or their lives. Their smiles had been layered with exhaustion and resignation.

But now? Yuu, this walking paradox of absolute reassurance and unpredictable absurdity might have loosened the invisible chains around their hearts.

Zanna realized her lips had curled into a smile without her noticing.

(Well… maybe this isn’t so bad once in a while.)

She raised her cup again. The early summer breeze gently ruffled her red hair. In the distance, an owl hooted. Yuu and the others showed no signs of stopping their revelry anytime soon.