After hearing Sylvia's words, I started seriously considering whether we should accept her proposal or not. Besides the money we would earn from it, we would also have a place to stay for a while. Moreover, considering Sylvia was a princess, she would surely know more about this world than regular folks, as I could tell that most people in Guinovam were illiterate and barely knew how to count. Of course, there were rare exceptions, like shopkeepers and others of that sort. With all these thoughts in my mind, I turned to my companions and asked.
"What do you guys think? Should we accept?"
Upon hearing my question, Saemi, Fujiwara, Aoi-sensei, and Ana turned to me, seemingly pondering the matter. Saemi was the first to decide and promptly shared her idea.
"If you think we're strong enough to do it, then I think we should accept. We'll have a good place to stay and earn good money that we can use in the future"
Aoi-sensei nodded in agreement and said.
"I was thinking the same as her. Personally, I don't think we'll have any disadvantages if we accept this deal. I mean, we're strong enough for it, aren't we?"
Ana didn't seem like she was going to interfere, and Fujiwara seemed indifferent to the decision I would make. But after listening to Saemi and Aoi-sensei, I already had my answer. I turned to Sylvia and said.
"We accept your proposal"
Upon hearing my response, a smile formed on Sylvia's lips. She seemed genuinely happy with my answer, and Rena, on the other hand, appeared relieved.
"I'm glad to hear that. Now, Rena, could you show the palace to them? I think they'll need to know the place since they'll need to protect me"
Sylvia requested, looking at Rena with a kind and warm smile. Upon hearing Sylvia's words, Rena made a slight bow and replied.
"As you wish, Sylvia-sama"
After that, we stood up and prepared to go on a little tour around the city. However, just as we stood up, Sylvia seemed to remember something and added.
"Oh, I almost forgot. You must still have some questions, right? In that case, feel free to ask Rena. She is well-informed about various things"
Hearing Sylvia's words, Rena turned to us and made a slight bow, ready to answer any questions we had.
"Please feel free to ask me anything"
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After leaving the garden where Sylvia was, Rena guided us through the palace, introducing us to various important places. We passed by locations like the bathrooms, the kitchen, and the rooms where we would be staying. The rooms were truly spacious and luxurious, which would provide us comfort during our stay. It was evident that all of us girls could sleep together without feeling uncomfortable.
Moreover, Rena revealed to us some secret passages that only she, Sylvia, the king, and the queen knew about. I confess I was confused as to why she showed us these places, but Rena explained that although these passages were originally intended for escaping the palace, they could also be used for invading it.
This information surprised us, but it was understandable that the palace's security would have mechanisms for protection. Rena was fulfilling her role of informing us about everything that could be relevant to our mission of protecting Sylvia.
Also, Rena made sure to tell us that she trusted us, considering that Sylvia also trusted our ability. Though, personally, I didn't really care much about what others thought, after all, we were here on business and I would fulfill my part of the deal to protect Sylvia.
However, I acknowledge that it's always more comfortable and advantageous when others also see us as reliable and competent for this mission. It can make our integration into the palace easier and make our stay more harmonious and productive.
After the tour of the palace, we returned to the garden where Sylvia was. As soon as she noticed us, she waved with one of her hands, showing a warm smile on her face. As we approached, Sylvia asked enthusiastically.
“How was the tour? Did you have fun?”
Ana, with a small trickle of drool coming from her mouth, replied excitedly.
“There's so much delicious food here... can't wait for lunch”
Ever since we passed by the kitchen, Ana seemed amazed by the amount of delicacies being prepared by the chefs, which got her excited for lunch. The other girls also expressed their satisfaction with the palace and their willingness to accommodate us during our protection period. While I pondered our next steps, Fujiwara uttered a sentence that I definitely wasn't expecting.
“I liked the flowers in this garden more. It was surprising to find Hydrangeas, Daisies, and Tulips in this world”
Said Fujiwara.
Hearing those words, I turned to her with a look of disbelief. It almost seemed surreal to hear Fujiwara talking about flowers, something we didn't expect from her.
“What's up?”
Fujiwara asked, raising an eyebrow in response to my reaction.
“It's me who should be asking the same. Since when do you know about flowers? I mean, why on earth do you even know about them in the first place?”
I inquired, genuinely surprised. She puffed her cheeks as if slightly offended and turned her face away.
“Humph, even though I have the body of an adult, my heart is still that of a maiden”
Still incredulous about the situation, I chose not to press Fujiwara to reveal more about her knowledge of flowers. Perhaps there were more hidden facets to her personality, but for now, the mission and our stay at the palace were the priorities.
While dealing with this unexpected revelation, I noticed Sylvia watching our interaction with a smile on her face, probably finding amusement in the situation. Her laughter brought a relaxed atmosphere to the conversation, dispelling any tension that might have arisen.
“I'm glad you all like the place”
Sylvia said while releasing a small laugh, looking at Ana.
“As we don't want to keep our esteemed guest waiting too long, what do you think of having lunch? The chefs must already be preparing the table”
Sylvia said with a smile, and the one who reacted the most was Ana, who became incredibly happy with the idea.