4,633Naruto was in the midst of his morning routine when he heard a thud outside his room that was followed by a series of shouting.
Raising an eyebrow, the shinobi pushed himself off of the floor and tightened his robe before making his way to the door. Taking a peek outside, Naruto was greeted with a ball of fur that attached itself to his face.
'Master of mine!'
"Ack! O-oh, Kiki!"
Prying the Kitsune from his face, Naruto found Megumin and Yunyun staring at him. Behind them, Darkness and Kazuma were wrestling on the ground, and Aqua was crying while holding her cheek off to the side.
"Hey guys… What happened here?"
With Kiki now wrapped around his neck like a scarf, Naruto fully emerged from his room while gesturing towards the scrambling duo.
"Ah, g-good morning Naruto-san! T-this is, umm…"
Yunyun started, but Aqua finally noticed the blonde and came running.
"Naruto! Kazuma finally snapped! H-he hit me!"
The goddess wailed before hiding behind the shinobi, her eyes glaring daggers at the man responsible for the handprint on her face.
"I-I see…"
Naruto thought while scratching at his whisker marks sheepishly. He had an idea as to why Kazuma had "snapped" and silently promised to make it up to the goddess later.
"Has everything been okay with you, Naruto-san? D-did Sylvia cause any trouble!?"
Yunyun asked in a hushed tone while nervously looking around as if someone might be listening in on them.
"No, actually, Sylvia and I have been getting along fairly well as of late. She's even been telling me a lot of interesting information! Although, she still lashes out at grown women…"
Naruto revealed before muttering the last bit regretfully.
Before Yunyun could ask about the information, she yelped when Megumin suddenly pinched her.
"Ouch! M-Megumin! Why are you-Ouch! Why are you pinching me!?"
"Because…! We're both the same age, damn it!"
Megumin barked as she continued her merciless assault on her self-proclaimed rival's sides.
"There you are, Naruto!"
Darkness, who had reigned supreme in her little skirmish with Kazuma with a face palm, tossed the pleading boy to the side and marched over to the ninja.
"Hey Darkness, how's it going? Ah, or should I refer to you as Lalatina while we're in the castle?"
Naruto greeted before flashing a foxy grin when he realized the Crusader was wearing a nice dress, which was now looking rather rugged thanks to her scuffle with Kazuma.
"D-don't call me that! You didn't cause any trouble, did you?"
Darkness demanded while poking the ninja's chest, a furious blush on her face.
"I'll have you know I'm the one who's been keeping things in order, ya know…"
Naruto replied with a huff, seemingly offended at the idea of Darkness putting him on the same boat as Kazuma.
"W-while it's true that Claire stated you behaved admirably, unlike that trash over there, I know better… Rain mentioned something about Iris placing an eraser on the door during one of her lessons amongst other pranks. Care to explain why Her Highness has developed such mischievous tendencies?"
Darkness further asked, and this time Naruto's face paled a little.
Now that he thought about it, teaching the first princess of a kingdom how to prank wasn't exactly what one would consider "proper".
But it was all Kazuma's fault for starting that stupid rivalry!
"Well, you know, umm… Oh! Would you look at the time! I need to get ready for my daily sparring session! See ya!"
Naruto quickly said before disappearing into his room.
"Oh no you don't!"
Darkness swiped at the ninja, but she was too slow and was quick to find that he had locked the door.
"The nerve of that man! After making Kiki worry so much…"
"Heh… I bet Kiki still hasn't let you pet her, huh?"
Kazuma remarked with a snarky grin, only to avert his gaze when his party's tank refocused her glare on him.
"Hah? Do you want to go again? Don't think I didn't notice you groping me earlier during our wrestling, you hopeless man!"
"I-I-I didn't grope you! It was self-defense! Anyone would have reacted that way when being attacked by an Orc first thing in the morning!"
"O-Orc!? You just called me an Orc again! I'll kill you!"
Just as Darkness was about to unleash her wrath on her scummy leader, a small voice spoke up on the other side of the hallway.
"G-good morning, Lalatina, everyone…"
Iris, who had likely arrived to ask Kazuma and Naruto to play, greeted her new guests with a timid smile.
Kazuma took one look at his adopted little sister and suppressed a smirk, an idea forming in his head. Taking a deep breath-
"AHHH! Iris! Help! This is what I was talking about! This is the real Lalatina! She's an Orcish woman who uses brute strength to-Guh…!"
"Quiet, you…!"
Darkness jabbed the boy in the side to shut him up. She then dusted herself off before facing the princess, although a couple of her hairs were still out of place.
"Good morning, Princess Iris. I apologize on behalf of my comrades for their behavior… Please forget anything that this man might have taught you."
"N-not at all, Lalatina! Onii-sama and Naruto-nii have been wonderful company for me here at the castle! They were no trouble at all…"
Iris responded with a small smile, causing the older girl to blink at the strange names the princess had given the boys.
'That's right, Darkness! You big blonde bimbo! Now hurry on out of here, you're only getting in the way of my alone time with Iris!'
Kazuma thought while smiling smugly. Of course his little sister would defend him-
"Other than the times where Onii-sama cheated in our games, said strange things about Claire and Rain, and badmouthed his party members, of course."
Iris added, causing the boy's smile to shatter.
"That sounds like something our fearless party leader would do."
"Did that hikiNEET completely lose it while staying here? Is that why he ruthlessly slapped me?"
"Tell me, Kazuma onii-sama… What strange things were you telling the dear princess?"
Everyone's eyes fell on Kazuma, who shrank into himself meekly.
Why was Iris lashing out again!?
'Ah, I did cheat again yesterday…'
Kazuma thought when he noticed the playful raspberry the little girl was sending his way while the others weren't looking.
So, he did the only thing he could.
"It's not cute when a woman nearing that age says onii-sama."
"!"
Darkness pounced on Kazuma for the third time.
At the same time, Naruto opened his door. He was now sporting his polished battle suit he was borrowing from the Symphonia family.
Kiki was still firmly wrapped around his neck, having refused to detach herself.
"Oh, hey Iris. I take it Claire is waiting for me?"
"Yes, and I don't have lessons today so I came to get Naruto-nii and onii-sama!"
Iris replied with a bright smile, earning a chuckle from the shinobi.
"Where did you get that suit, Naruto-san? It looks so crisp…"
Yunyun inquired while marveling at her party member's attire. Poking it lightly, she found that it was deceptively firm. But the boy seemed to be able to move without a hint of restraint. Was it enchanted, perhaps?
"Oh, this? I got it from Claire. It was kinda awkward at first, but I've gotten used to it now."
Naruto explained while showing off his (borrowed) battle suit. It was going to be a real shame when he eventually had to return it…
"T-that suit…!"
Darkness gasped upon seeing the shinobi, and she tossed the now disheveled Kazuma to the ground.
Shaking off the sense of deja vu, Naruto leaned back when Darkness was suddenly up in his face. Why was this girl so frantic?
"W-w-where did you get that suit!? Did you steal it!? You must return it at once!"
"How rude. Even I'm not dumb enough to steal something in the royal castle. Claire let me borrow this suit to wear when the Demon King's Army attacked the capital last week, and I've just been wearing it during our morning sparring sessions. If you don't believe me, then just ask her. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a sparring session to attend to."
Naruto briskly defended himself before taking his leave.
"C-can I pet Kiki-sama again?"
Iris asked as she followed along behind the shinobi, her eyes glued to the fluffy critter that was acting as the shinobi's scarf.
"Hey, hey! Will you treat me to some royal wine to make up for not protecting me from that rabid NEET?"
Aqua asked as she trailed behind the shinobi, not wanting to be left behind with her attacker.
"Ah… Should we go with? Or should we stay with Darkness-san?"
Yunyun asked while looking between Naruto and Darkness. On one hand, she wanted to stay with Naruto and ask him about Sylvia. But Darkness had made them promise to stay by her side while they were in the castle, and not to leave her sight no matter what.
"Something tells me Darkness won't get mad at us if we stay with Naruto, so let's just go with them. Plus, I want to see more of the castle!"
Megumin decided and pulled her fellow clansman along.
Darkness watched as the majority of their group left, her mouth agape with disbelief. Claire hadn't mentioned this in her letters… Also, what was awkward!?
Just what kind of developments occurred while those two were left unchecked here at the castle!? It was only a week!
"Iris made a big fuss over that suit the first time Naruto wore it. Is there something special about it?"
Kazuma asked as he picked himself off of the floor and grabbed his outfit that Sebastian had left for him. He needed to hurry up before Naruto gained more Iris points. They were even now, after all.
"That... is the suit meant for the eldest daughter of the Symphonia family to share with the man she courts. If Claire let Naruto keep it all this time…"
Darkness's voice faded as she slowly shuffled down the hall.
"Oh."
It seemed his plan to have Naruto keep Claire out of the way was working.
The group sat at a pair of tables in the courtyard as they watched Naruto and Claire spar. The servants had brought a second table upon seeing Darkness.
While Megumin cheered Kazuma on in his game with Iris, Darkness seemingly burned a pair of holes in the shinobi's back.
'How did those two get so close in just a week… and Claire of all people? It just doesn't make any sense!'
The Dustiness heiress thought while biting her nail irritably. While it looked like it was just a simple sparring session, Claire's expression seemed to be a little more joyful than her usual stoic demeanor.
'Although, the way Naruto's pushing Claire to her limits looks kind of fun…'
Darkness wondered if the ninja would train her that way.
"W-we have no choice, Kazuma! Explosion! Use Explosion!"
"I-I can't! That move was sealed when I used it the other day! Argh…! I can't let it end this way!"
Kazuma shouted in dismay as Megumin shook his chair, but Iris remained calm as she moved another one of her pieces.
On the other side of the table, Yunyun was watching Darkness with suspicious eyes.
'Why does Darkness look so worried… Could she be jealous that Naruto seems to be getting closer to Claire!?'
While Yunyun was also worried about the princess's bodyguard (for Wiz's sake), it seemed she also needed to watch out for the Crusader.
"Waiter! More wine please!"
Aqua shouted when she found her bottle was empty, and the nearest servant quickly ran off to fetch some more.
"Ah, please don't trouble yourself! My comrade has had enough to drink. We shall be departing after Naruto and Claire are finished with their training."
Darkness called out to the butler, earning a wave of complaints from the Arch Priest. She didn't know why Naruto had given that girl some wine when it was only morning, but she also felt bad for Aqua after Kazuma's spontaneous outburst earlier and had let it slide.
"Must you leave so soon? Wouldn't you like to stay in the capital for a couple days, Lalatina?"
Iris asked, her face flashing with a hint of loneliness.
This stung Darkness's heart, but she steeled herself and smiled softly.
"Iris, despite how they might act, Naruto and Kazuma hold a high standing in Axel. The adventurer's guild even asked me personally when Naruto was returning. Anyways, it's about time I take these two men back home. I promise to tell you lots of adventuring stories the next time I see you, Your Highness."
Lalatina spoke like a mother would to their child, but Iris looked like she was about to protest.
Kazuma smirked, knowing full-well that his little sister would defend his stay. During his time here, Iris had notably grown quite willful thanks to his mature influence. Surely she would tell Darkness that it was fine if they stayed for one or ten more weeks-
"I understand, Lalatina. Thank you for letting this selfish princess have her way for this past week. Oh, and this is checkmate, onii-sama."
Iris finally said with a nod while placing her final piece on Kazuma's side of the board.
'Please argue for your onii-sama's sake a little harder! Also, let your longing for your onii-sama to stay distract you a little more, will ya!?'
Kazuma thought with bulging eyes, and his face paled when Darkness turned towards him with a triumphant look. If they went home as it was, he had little doubt that Orcish woman would pulverize him the moment they got home.
"You heard the princess, Kazuma… Time to go back."
"W-wait! A farewell party! Yeah, that's right! We should throw a farewell party to commemorate our newfound friendship! Doesn't that sound nice, Iris!?"
Kazuma jumped to his feet and declared. Leaving aside how suspicious Iris was acting in not defending him, which was totally weird, he needed to buy some time so he could think of a way to extend his stay!
Iris's eyes lit up in excitement.
"Lalatina, would it be alright if I hosted a farewell party?"
"I-I guess it wouldn't hurt to let these men stay one more night… I'll be here to make sure they don't cause any trouble."
Darkness finally caved to the hopeful eyes of the princess, who smiled brightly upon hearing her response.
'Nice, little sister!'
Kazuma gave the little girl a thumbs up.
"I'll go tell Claire to make the preparations!"
Iris chirped before running off towards Naruto and Claire who seemed to be nearing the end of their sparring session, if the fact that the shinobi and Kiki were sitting on her back was anything to go by.
"I know you're only trying to extend your stay at this castle, but just know that Darkness is adamant on bringing you back home. I was worried, you know…"
Megumin noted before whispering the final bit.
"Huh? As the princess's official playmate, it's my sworn duty to play with her. So of course I'm going to do whatever it takes to stay. Even if you try to bait me with your tsundere nonsense, you're too late!"
Kazuma replied with a shrug, causing the mage to balk.
"You really are scum! I really was worried when you didn't even write to us this past week! What if you did something scummy and were executed! Aqua wouldn't have been able to revive you!"
"Hey, where was all of this passion while we were alone in your room at your parent's house? You were so quick to run away just when things were getting good, but now you're acting so affectionate towards me? If you like me, then just say so! In fact, if you admit it right now, I'll go home without a fuss!"
"Y-you…!"
Megumin's ears turned bright red, and she glanced at their audience before looking down until her face was hidden behind the brim of her hat.
"I-I like you… There, now let's go home and-"
"Rejected."
Kazuma stated flatly, causing the Crimson Demon's head to snap up in shock.
"Why do you look so surprised? Of course I know you're lying. This isn't the right type of mood for you to honestly confess your feelings to me. Where's the Explosion? The grand speech about dominating the world together? Don't think I'm the kind of man who is so easily fooled by a pretty face."
"Y-y-y-you…! It pisses me off how spot on you were just now, but even still! You deserve the names people call you! Scumzuma! Kazutrash! Garbage!"
Megumin shouted before she took off running.
"Hey! That last one was just an insult! Bah! Whatever… that girl just can't be honest with herself."
Kazuma huffed before settling in his seat with his arms crossed, only to find that Iris had brought Naruto and Claire to the table. They were all looking at him with mixed expressions of shock/scorn.
"What? Megumin was the one who tricked me into expecting something last time!"
Honestly, what was with this nosy audience? They weren't there! If they knew how Megumin had made him think she was getting into the mood before bailing on him to run off to her Demon King Army General boyfriend, then they'd definitely be on his side!
"A-anyways… I heard we were throwing a farewell party tonight?"
Naruto asked while scratching at his whisker marks awkwardly. He didn't know what was going on between Kazuma and Megumin, but he had an inkling given their conversation back in the Crimson Demon Village.
"Yes, but before that… Claire, may I have a word?"
Darkness asked and gestured for her fellow noble to follow her.
Claire cocked her head to the side before glancing at Naruto, who seemed equally confused. But then it hit her-
The suit!
Walking a good distance away from the group, Darkness turned around and smiled pleasantly.
"It makes me happy to know that Naruto seems to have earned your trust, Claire. Knowing how brash that man can be, I was worried he would do something uncouth in my absence."
"Not at all, Lady Dustiness! In fact, we owe Naruto-dono a lot for the service he has done for this kingdom! As I mentioned in my letter, Naruto-dono was the driving factor to the Royal Army's victory last week."
Claire was quick to assure her fellow noble.
"I see… Speaking of which, I cannot help but notice something that was not mentioned in your letter."
Darkness started, prompting Claire to stiffen slightly, before she continued.
"That suit Naruto is wearing… While it has been some time since you last showed me your family's arsenal, that suit belongs to your father who recently retired from the battlefield, does it not?"
"Y-you are correct, Lady Dustiness… But I can assure you, I hold no ulterior motives! In fact, Naruto-dono does not know the significance that suit holds! We were simply in a hurry to join the battle with the Demon King's Army, so I told Naruto-dono to grab anything he wanted from my family's arsenal… I did not think he would grab that suit out of all of our gear."
Claire frantically explained. If Lalatina, who was widely known for declining the pursuit of numerous noblemen, was showing this much concern towards a man… Well, Claire wouldn't dream of standing in her way.
Darkness visibly relaxed, further confirming Claire's suspicions.
"What a relief… Ah, but I apologize for that man's lack of tact. I will be sure to have a long talk with him when we return home."
"N-not at all, Lady Dustiness! It was my fault for letting Naruto-dono keep the suit in the first place. In fact, Kazuma-dono has even started teasing me in this regard… You must really have your hands full with that man."
Claire admitted while rubbing her arm sheepishly, earning a deep sigh from her fellow blonde.
"You don't know the half of it… Ah, this goes without say, but make sure to take back that suit before the party. Her Highness and Rain are one thing, but it could cause a scandal if the nobles were to find out."
"Yes, of course…"
Claire was relieved to have gone through that conversation without angering the Dustiness heiress. But at the same time, the thought of asking Naruto to return the suit made her heart feel a little heavy.
"By the way, Naruto really seemed to be pushing you hard during your sparring match. I have yet to train with him myself outside of quests… Is he always like that?"
Darkness asked while looking at the shinobi with an eager expression.
"Ah, no. Naruto-dono was actually going quite easy on me today. This was the first time I actually got to face him, given his circumstances. That Kitsune really is amazing to be able to suppress that spirit."
Claire replied while looking at the fluffy fox around the shinobi's neck. She really wanted to pet her, but just couldn't find the courage to ask.
"Yes, Kiki is quite adorable. But what I'm really curious about is those training sessions…! Did he get rough with you? Did he call you names? Did he tie you up in provocative positions!?"
"L-Lady Dustiness, you're getting a little close! H-he did get a little rough, and even made me do push ups while sitting on me until I burned out… But nothing indecent of the sort! His words were always very encouraging, it was quite an effective training style!"
"Tch… He's still too soft."
Darkness clicked her tongue before making her way towards the group, leaving behind a befuddled Claire.
Later that night, a banquet was now underway.
Even after having stayed at the castle for a week, the sight really was something to behold.
Nobles clad in fancy suits and dresses littered the brightly lit hall where countless tables filled with extravagant cuisine.
Kazuma looked around and noticed just how out of place he and his group felt.
Aqua had created a mountain of food for herself while pestering the waiters to bring her more cocktails.
Megumin, who was still mad at him for whatever reason, was scouring the hall while filling up a sack with meals that wouldn't go bad even if left out for a while. Was she planning on bringing all of that home with her?
Normally, Darkness would be just around the corner to stop those two out of embarrassment. But the Crusader seemed to be the center of attention.
Numerous male nobles surrounded the Dustiness heiress while barraging her with compliments.
From what he could hear, it seemed Darkness was rarely seen at such events.
As for Naruto…
"My word! This is amazing!"
"Extraordinary! Absolutely exquisite!"
"So this is the foreign dish that Alderp was telling me about!"
A second crowd had gathered around Naruto, whose clones had brought out a wave of ramen for the nobles to try. Without much surprise, the meal was a hit and those who had a taste were showering the shinobi with praise.
As expected, Naruto was no longer wearing the Symphonia battle suit. In its place, he wore a white suit with a golden tie that had been provided by the royal family.
Since they didn't want Kiki to draw too much attention, the Kitsune was currently disguised as a maid that looked very similar to Luna.
What was with those two, being the center of all of the attention? Wasn't this supposed to be his farewell party?
It must have been the power of blonde hair and blue eyes, Kazuma was sure of it.
Kazuma made his way over to Lalatina's crowd, passing by Yunyun, who was standing by a wall looking like a statue with glowing red eyes(creepy). He felt like making Darkness squirm for all the trouble she put him through earlier.
"Hey, Lalatina! My, you sure are popular, Lalatina! Have you tried Naruto's ramen, Lalatina?"
"Pfft…!"
Darkness, who had just taken a sip of her drink, nearly spewed it out of her mouth when her party member suddenly appeared behind her. Luckily for her, the noblemen were all staring at the newcomer with surprised looks.
Was Kazuma lashing out because of what happened earlier? Regardless, she had to act fast or this lot would misunderstand something!
"Oh Kazuma, my adventuring comrade… You mustn't act so familiar while in such a place, otherwise someone might misunderstand our relationship!"
Darkness said with a gentle smile, which seemed to alleviate some of the concerns the noblemen had as they immediately went back to complimenting the Dustiness heiress.
Kazuma could see the cracks in her expression, she must have been under quite a lot of stress.
Good.
But before he could continue his teasing, a loud, confident voice spoke up over the crowd.
"Surely the right man for a woman like Lady Dustiness, who has contributed so much to the kingdom, is not present tonight."
Alderp, in all of his hairy balloon-like glory, strutted towards the group while slurping down a bowl of ramen. His servant was holding another bowl, which the man greedily swapped for upon finishing his meal.
'Oh yeah, I should have figured that guy would be here…'
Kazuma thought with a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. He wondered how Naruto was holding up. Glancing at the shinobi, he wasn't too surprised to find the guy staring directly at Alderp. Although he was doing a great job hiding it, Kazuma could see the fire behind the ninja's blue orbs.
'Morrigan's not here, but that's not too surprising… With the amount of Priests they have in the castle, Alderp wouldn't risk one of them sensing her.'
Naruto thought with a mixture of regret and relief. He wanted to rescue the receptionist Succubus as soon as possible, but even if he did, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to break her out of Adlerp's devil's spell… After all, the Release technique hadn't worked on Jiraiya.
But he had to wonder, if Alderp was so obsessed with Darkness, why was he making such a claim that involved him too?
Naruto decided to find out for himself and walked over to the man, with Kiki following along behind him.
"Good evening, Alexei-dono. I trust that my dish suited your tastes?"
"Ah, yes. Indeed it did, Uzumaki-dono. In fact, I would love to have a discussion with you some time about serving this dish at my villa here in the capital."
Alderp handed the now empty bowl to his servant and wiped his face with a handkerchief. The man glanced at Kiki, looking her up and down, which caused a shiver to crawl up the Kitsune's spine.
Feeling his partner's discomfort through their Beast Bond, the ninja's blood boiled. But he bit down his temper and clapped his hands together joyfully.
"I look forward to it, Alexei-dono! But before that, I cannot help but wonder who this gentleman you are referring to as a suitable match for my adventuring companion."
Naruto replied while gesturing towards Darkness, who seemed taken aback not just by his showcase of proper etiquette, but also the fact that he seemed to be standing up for her.
"Oh? Are you perhaps implying that you might be an eligible suitor for Lady Dustiness, adventurer-dono?"
Alderp asked with a near-sneer to his face.
Naruto held back a snicker. This was something Luna had warned him about. Alderp had used his title in a demeaning fashion with the intention of riling him up.
The man might as well have said: "You? A lowly adventurer thinks he's good enough for a noble?".
Too bad for Alderp, because it actually had the opposite effect on the shinobi.
Up until now, Naruto's blood had been at a boiling point. But that subtle jab made him realize that he had absolutely nothing to fear.
After this week in the capital, he now had all that he needed to stand up to this corrupted noble.
He was ready for this.
"Not at all, Alexei-dono. As someone who has embarked on dangerous quests with Lady Dustiness and faced numerous high-value bounties together, we have forged a bond on the battlefield. A bond so strong that I would willingly lay down my life for her. While I am not courting Lady Dustiness, I only hope that her suitor would be equally willing to do the same."
Naruto eyed each and every one of the noblemen who surrounded Darkness, and they sheepishly gave her some space. Smiling at his friend, Naruto recentered his gaze upon Alderp, who was nervously adjusting his collar.
'I-I have to admit… That was actually kinda cool.'
Kazuma thought while staring at his fellow adventurer with wide eyes. He turned towards Darkness to see the girl looking down at the floor while playing with her braid. For some reason, the bashful look on her face was really pissing him off.
Where did she get off looking like that? Where was the perverted Crusader who spouted nonsense while charging straight into the frontlines? Who was this shy beauty who seemed to enjoy being defended?
'I swear to god if Naruto just unlocked the Darkness route…'
Kazuma thought with a twitching eyebrow.
"W-well, you certainly speak the truth, Uzumaki-dono. For the man that is most suitable for Lady Dustiness is, but of course, His Highness, Prince Jatis, who has been fighting on the frontlines against the Demon King's Army! Surely an honorable man such as him would put his life on the line for his wife!"
Alderp loudly declared, expecting a roar of approval from the suitors. But to his surprise, the group of men seemed skeptical.
"Normally, I'd agree… But after hearing that speech…"
"Right? Naruto-sama is a highly accomplished Hero Candidate, isn't he?"
"That's right! After saying such romantic words, there must be something there between the two!"
After hearing such things from the crowd, Naruto blinked.
"Eh? No, I was just-"
But his voice drowned in the sea of praise that arose from the nobles who seemed to relish the growing topic that was now Naruto and Lalatina.
Darkness herself was hiding her face behind her hands, her ears bright red from embarrassment.
While she appreciated everything Naruto had said, it really wasn't necessary. She was used to being the topic of debate as to who her potential husband might be, and she would slowly put down these rumors while they were still tiny embers within the noble community.
That's right, it would be fine so long as nothing further was said.
Their excitement would dwindle down eventually, she just had to limit her interactions with Naruto for the rest of the night.
On the other side of the room, Kazuma was grinding his teeth in frustration.
'Damn that shonen protagonist, he really did unlock the Darkness route!'
But all hope wasn't lost! He still had his trump card that he'd been working on all week for such a situation!
Blending in with the crowd, Kazuma spoke into the ear of a noble.
"I heard that Naruto-dono has recently gotten quite close to the eldest daughter of the Symphonia family…"
"What!? Is that true? Hey, who said that!?"
The man demanded, his eyes eager for more gossip, but Kazuma had activated Lurk and disappeared into the masses to spread more rumors which consisted of:
"I heard they've been sparring every morning for a week straight…"
"Is that so?"
And-
"I saw Naruto-dono wearing a Symphonia suit the other day…"
"No way…!"
Also-
"Perhaps it was an arranged marriage before Lady Dustiness met him…"
"A forbidden love triangle…!?"
Seemingly satisfied with his handiwork, Kazuma took a glass of wine from a tray that a servant was holding before taking a seat at one of the tables.
Now to enjoy the chaos that ensued…
"To think that man caught the eye of both the sword and shield of the kingdom…"
"He has blonde hair and blue eyes, he must come from an old noble family…"
"What a man… I'm so jealous!"
Talk about the "forbidden love triangle" had easily become the talk of the party. The only missing piece to the puzzle was Claire herself, who seemed to be absent.
But right on queue, the Symphonia heiress entered the hall alongside Iris and Rain.
All eyes fell on the poor woman.
'Eh? Did something happen?'
Claire thought while looking around for an answer, but no one seemed to have the courage to ask the swordswoman directly so she simply wrote it off as a reaction to the princess's entrance.
'I don't know how these rumors started, but I need to hurry and do some damage control before things get out of hand!'
Naruto thought and left the bristling Alderp, taking a mental image of the man's face.
'Oh no… Naruto isn't going to try and clear the air, is he?'
Darkness thought as she watched the shinobi make his way towards the princess and her bodyguards. She prayed to Eris that he didn't go too far.
"Good evening, Your Highness. Thank you for hosting this generous banquet. It has been an honor to spend time in your company this past week."
The shinobi greeted with a humble bow.
Iris had to cover her mouth to hide her smile. After having spent a week with this boy, it was almost too funny to see him acting so proper now.
Whispering something into Claire's ear, she curtly nodded her head towards the shinobi before making her way to her designated table with Rain.
"Her Highness expresses her gratitude for your service to the kingdom, Naruto Uzumaki-dono. May you bring even more glory to the crown in your future endeavors."
Claire was about to head back to Iris's side when Naruto gently touched her arm.
Whispers began to flurry amongst the nobles, and Naruto hastily retracted his hand.
That had been a mistake… He needed to choose his next words carefully.
'Oh no… You're doing too much, Naruto! You should have just left it at that!'
Darkness's face paled when she saw the sheepish look on the shinobi's face. She needed to stop him!
But Darkness wouldn't make it in time as Naruto opened his mouth again.
"My sincerest apologies, Claire-san, but it seems there are rumors circulating about us. Some would suggest that you and Lady Dustiness are rivals for my affections! Isn't that quite the notion? Hahaha!"
Naruto let out a hearty chuckle, expecting the woman to join him. But what he didn't expect was for Claire to blush and fall completely silent.
"C-Claire-san…?"
This was the part where she was supposed to deny it, and they would share a laugh together. Then all of these preposterous rumors would simply blow over…
So why was she silently stealing glances at him like that!?
To Naruto's relief, Claire's face returned to its usual stoicness as she fully faced him.
"W-while I cannot speak on behalf of Lady Dustness, all I can say is that I have grown to respect you over this past week, Naruto-dono… You are a marvelous warrior, an excellent chef, and a kind hearted man who has gone through many hardships. Any woman would be lucky to stand by your side."
Claire's words hung in the air for a moment, heavy with meaning. Even the crowd fell silent, seemingly waiting for Naruto to reply.
But the shinobi was speechless, having not expected such a heartfelt response from the girl.
Only just realizing the depth of her words, Claire's blush returned in full. She bowed her head and hastily made her way over to the princess's table where she firmly faced away from the onlooking audience.
Iris's eyes were wide with excitement. Never had she seen such an expression on Claire's and Lalatina's faces! Could there really be such a scandal in the midst!?
The princess found herself relishing the idea and had to hide her smile behind her hands again. She couldn't wait to see how this played out!
Against his better judgment, Naruto's mouth gaped for a few lingering seconds, a minor blush on his own face.
That… Wasn't a high class confession just now, was it?
'Heh… That'll teach those two to steal my thunder.'
Kazuma thought before making his way towards the princess's table. It was time to reward himself with some little sister time for a job well done, and with Claire in such a flustered state, she'd be too busy with her own thoughts to pester him like usual.
Coughing into his hand, Naruto turned around to face the crowd that was without a doubt whispering about what had just transpired. He was about to speak out again, but one look from Darkness was all it took to make him clamp his mouth shut.
He was so dead.
A/N: Oh Naruto… You were so close. :P