SWNOVELXO Volume 1 Chapter 57 - The Kidnapped Princess
I woke up, feeling the urge to urinate.
“Ah, I fell asleep on the floor again…”
Sleeping somewhere other than a bed makes various parts of my body ache. I’d just been acting cool about not wanting to wear a watch because it would dull the sensations in my arm, but now my arm hurts from sleeping on the floor. This isn’t good.
As I sit up, I notice Kaede-chan nearby, hugging her knees and looking at her smartphone.
“Ah, you’re awake, Kaede-chan?”
“No, I also fell asleep. I just woke up and came back from the bathroom.”
I remember now. Kaede-chan had gone to sleep first, and I thought I’d lie down for a bit but ended up falling asleep too.
“What time is it now?”
“It’s 2 AM.”
So it’s still nighttime.
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
Though I notice that Kaede-chan seems a bit low-energy, I head to the bathroom to relieve myself first. After finishing, I come back to find Kaede-chan still engrossed in her smartphone.
“What’s wrong? Something happen?”
I ask, sensing that something is off.
“Senpai, do you remember what today… or rather, yesterday was?”
“Ah, the auction!”
I’d completely forgotten and quickly open my smartphone. Given that it’s 2 AM, the auction is obviously over. I check the final bid.
“One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million…”
The final price was 1.245 billion yen.
“Once it’s over a billion, it’s all the same, isn’t it…”
I mumble after checking the auction price.
“Yeah… why is it so expensive?”
“Don’t know. Let’s ask Satsuki-san next time.”
“Sure. What now? Drink? Sleep?”
I think we should sleep; my head’s not clear.
“Let’s sleep. I’ll be heading home. I have to move tomorrow.”
Right, I have some tidying up to do as well.
“But there are no trains at this time.”
“I’ll catch a taxi at the station.”
I can’t let Kaede-chan go alone at this hour.
“Then I’ll take you to the station. It’s not safe for a cute girl like you.”
I pat Kaede-chan on the head.
“Hehe, thank you.”
After drinking a recovery potion to sober up, Kaede-chan and I leave the house and head to the station. We manage to catch a taxi en route, and I put Kaede-chan in it.
“Thanks for the ride, Senpai. Let’s talk day after tomorrow. I’ll be waiting.”
Kaede-chan bows her head as she gets in the taxi.
“Sure, see you at your new place.”
“Goodnight.”
“Night.”
As I wave, the taxi drives away. I return home and decide to sleep without taking a bath.
The next morning, thanks to the recovery potion, I avoid a hangover and wake up early. After a bath, I eat breakfast and start my final round of tidying up.
I’m in the middle of cleaning the room I’ve lived in for four years, coordinating via messaging apps. The person I’m texting is Nanapon, not Kaede-chan.
“12 billion! Isn’t that insane? And there are two of them!”
This message had come in right after the auction ended. I only noticed it when I woke up this morning.
“Right. Your share is 240 million yen. Save it for now.”
Eleanora-san is the one replying, not me. If it were me, Nanapon would switch topics too quickly.
“At a watch store now lol”
Ah, he’s already in the mood to buy. That’s too soon. At least wait until the money comes in.
“You haven’t got the money yet.”
“I have 800,000 yen but it’s not enough. Just window-shopping for today.”
He’s already spent 200,000 yen. Is he going to be alright?
“Don’t start spending all at once; it’ll look suspicious.”
I send this, but there’s no reply. I resume my cleaning, worrying about where this is going.
After finishing most of the cleaning by late morning, all that’s left is to pack up the fridge and other items. Then I’m ready to move.
“Finished quicker than I thought since there’s so little stuff…”
What to do now? I could move today, but the landlord is coming tomorrow. Maybe I should stay one more day.
“Maybe I’ll go shopping…”
Perhaps I’ll buy some gifts for the landlord and neighbors.
As I start changing out of my cleaning clothes, my phone chimes. It’s from Eleanora-san, so it must be Nanapon.
I look at the phone, expecting he might have already bought something.
“…Sigh. Idiot.”
I unintentionally let out a sigh after looking at the message.
“Sorry… I’ve been caught by some strange people. They’re asking for Eleanora-san. The location is Diana Mine. They speak broken Japanese, so I think they’re foreigners. I’m really sorry.”
How did they find out about the connection between Eleanora-san and Nanapon? And what about Nanapon’s clairvoyance? Well, if he was ambushed suddenly, it’s understandable.
In any case, foreigners, huh… They speak broken Japanese, so it’s probably not those two.
“Guess I’ll go. Can’t just leave him… But, Diana Mine, huh?”
Nanapon could get there, but broken Japanese-speaking foreigners going to the guild? Seems unlikely.
“What’s the situation? Are you there too?”
After sending this, a reply comes immediately.
“I was walking, and suddenly got kidnapped in a car. Now I’m in a car in front of the guild. We’re heading to Diana Mine next. This will be my last contact. They said to come.”
Hmm… Doesn’t make much sense. Well, whatever.
I put down the clothes I was going to wear as Okita-kun, take a TS potion from my bag and drink it. Then I put on a black robe and go to the bathroom to insert colored contacts.
“The rescue won’t be by a prince but a witch… Well, that’s probably better for Nanapon.”
After getting ready, I operate my smartphone and call someone.
“Hello?”
The one who answers is Satsuki-san, the guild master.
“Ah, Satsuki-san? Do you have a moment?”
“Hmm? Eleanora? What do you need? Ah, you hit the jackpot yesterday!”
Satsuki-san seems excited about the 1.245 billion yen from the auction.
“That’s for later. It seems Nanapon has been kidnapped.”
“What? Harry and Claire?”
“No, probably not those two. I’ll explain when I get there. And check if Nanapon went to the Frontier alone.”
“Fine. Should I call Kaede too?”
“No, she’s busy.”
She’s doing something very important. Yes, preparing for cohabitation!
“Tsk!”
Satsuki-san hangs up.
“She really is petty…”
Though I’m disgusted by Satsuki-san, I decide it’s best to hurry to the guild. I drink an invisibility potion, cancel the invisibility in a secluded area, and hail a taxi.
After getting in, I operate my smartphone and call another person.
“Hellooo? What’s up?”
Claire cheerfully answers the phone.
“Hello. Where are you now?”
“In front of the guild you’re a member of.”
“See any strange cars?”
“A black luxury car is parked. A girl came out of it.”
That’s the one.
“I have a favor to ask, is that okay?”
“Sure, but I have a condition.”
“Hehe, an item bag?”
“Exactly! 1.245 billion? Are you crazy?”
I hear that the item bags were won by a Japanese company and a British millionaire. Unfortunately, Claire couldn’t win the bid.
“Try harder. You can afford it.”
“If you hadn’t said you’d offer more, I wouldn’t have even tried.”
Oops, seems like I said too much.
“Help me, and I’ll sell it to you for 10 billion. Or 2,000 kilos for 30 billion.”
“2,000!? Do you have no limits?”
“Should I make it 10,000? That’s 10 tons.”
I wonder how much that would be…
“…Are you serious?”
“Of course I’m joking. I have one stock of 1,000 kilos. I’ll sell it to you without auctioning.”
“10 billion… Fine, I’ll buy it.”
Considering the fees, 10 billion should be enough.
“Then please wait for me. I’ll be there soon. Oh, at the back entrance.”
“Got it.”
After hanging up, I put my smartphone in my bag.
“That was an amazing conversation.”
The taxi driver says with a wry smile.
“Don’t leak it. People are nosy.”
“I won’t. If rumors spread, it would be obvious it was me.”
“Kobayashi-san, huh? I’ll curse you if you spill.”
I read the driver’s name displayed above the meter and threaten him.
“I won’t. I’m a pro too… Uh, can you really curse people?”
Nope.
“Hehe, want to go bald?”
“Absolutely not.”
Thought so.
I definitely don’t want that either.