Reincarnate as Prince: Change Magical World with Industry

89 Ladies

The next morning, Tai'dra and the scouts were discharged. They left immediately to meet their family and to report their findings to the headquarters.

This left Janus, who was still peeling off his scars and warts with ointment, and Haruna, who was still weak and lethargic, alone in the infirmary.

He and the rest of the group were awake and chatting for most of the night. They all took turns consoling and comforting Ramgol, who was still upset by the death of her Moxy, the only casualty of their expedition. Ramgol blamed his faulty crossbow and sleepdarts, cursing the weaponsmiths and the gods in every imaginable way. If any of his weapons had been working perfectly, his companion of two years should still be alive today.

The little dwarf finally stopped sobbing as soon as Janus promised him a replacement immediately.

On the contrary, Janus couldn't shake his excitement. The possibilities of taming larger creatures and having them live in the village as companions or even a serving force for the army appealed to him. The gorge left by the Rhinosaurs which was now unpopulated could be the perfect ground.

He borrowed a copy of Tai'dra's field notes and spent the morning writing down each possible creature he could find and take with him. His list consisted of Cockatrices as a replacement for horses, due to their sharp claws and axe-like beaks. Boartusks could serve as mounts for smaller creatures such as goblins and I'reen, while Gruffgoats were likely suitable for the heavier dwarves.

He was on the foot of his bed scribbling frantically when he heard noises from the other bed.

Haruna was crying.

Oh no. What do I do?

He was tempted to make an excuse to go outside and call Yvaine. But she would be holding class at this time, and he wouldn't want to interrupt their exams.

The excursion was indeed a very stressful one. Even with the powers, they possessed, traversing the mysteries of the forest can be a daunting task even for seasoned veterans.

Janus closed his book and poured a few cups of tea. He slowly glided his way towards Haruna's bed, which was concealed by rods and curtains.

"Lady Haruna, is something amiss?" Janus whispered.

"It's nothing. Leave me alone." She said without looking up.

She was huddled in her bed in a fetal position. Whatever it was she was feeling--- Janus had an inkling---that this wasn't caused by Lizzie's attack.

"Come on. Is anything the matter? You know you can tell me anything right? I've brought some tea. Perhaps this will calm you down."

She moved to look up at him. Her eyes were all red and bloodshot. He had never seen her this vulnerable before. She was wearing her white royalty robe, snugly cut in Gaddi fashion. Made for the sweltering heat of the neighboring deserts. She had brought a lot of her own personal belongings with her. Truly, she was as part of this village as him or anyone in the council.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and sat on the bed.

"Can I have some tea please?"

Janus handed it to her.

Haruna patted the bed beside her. She was inviting him to sit.

Janus was startled by this, but he did as he was asked. He felt her warmth sitting so close to her. It felt better than sliding into his own Wellspring.

After a few sips of tea, she spoke.

"I failed you. I was supposed to be there for your safety, for you to conduct your... your..."

"My experiments?" he said.

"Yes, whatever you were doing out there. Getting caught up in creepy bugs and whatnot. I was supposed to be there to help you, but I messed up. Time and time again I messed up."

"No, Haruna. I'm telling you, it's not your fault."

"Isn't it though? First I failed to shield you from the Millipede, then after you were stung I threw a useless spell at the Basilisk, getting caught in its gaze at the same time. Twice I failed you and botched up the whole operation. If not for my clumsiness we wouldn't have ended up in the Infirmary. I was useless. Dead weight. Tai'dra and those hunters must hate me by now." She sobbed, hands covering her face.

Janus knew exactly how she felt. All too often he felt that he had failed the village in his decisions. Years ago he summoned a necromancer due to misusing his powers, just a few weeks later his careless planning and inaction led a herd of rampaging beasts running amok inside the village.

"No, it's not your fault. Yes, you made mistakes, but no one blames you for it. You were out of your comfort zone, we all were. The records were incomplete. Heck, the Forest of Mists isn't exactly the most risk-free environment to conduct experiments in. If anything, it was my fault for being unprepared." He said.

"But I almost got you killed! Time and time again. It was my carelessness that led you to unearth Mudghardu, and now it was my fault you've got... whatever this is." Haruna's hands gestured towards his face.

Wait. Janus thought. Do I really look that hideous? There must be a mirror here somewhere...

But his self-consciousness was cut off by Haruna's sobs.

Janus sighed.

"I know exactly how you feel. But you know what, you did something great out there. And it made all of the difference."

Haruna looked at him, perplexed.

"What's that? I don't remember anything I did of note. Putting out the fires was just me cleaning up my mistakes."

Janus chuckled despite himself. "Well, I'm not quite sure how you forgot this, but you carried me. From the Millipede encounter to the wagon. Which from my estimation was a thirty-minute trudge. You held me up when I was too weak to walk. Could you imagine only having a goblin and a little tabby cat carrying you on their shoulders? It would have taken ages for us to arrive through the dense vegetation. Who knows what could have happened if we delayed for a single moment? The Basilisk could have run away after devouring poor Moxy completely, preventing me from commanding her. The swarm could have overrun us if we were too slow. Don't discredit yourself Haruna."

She looked at him. Wide eyed and amused. On the side of her mouth, there was a small beginning of a smile.

Janus breathed in her scent. Her face was too close. Dangerously close. At the back of his mind, he pictured Cornelia fuming at him.

Haruna laughed. The loudest and most cathartic laughter she'd ever expressed in his presence. She was clutching her sides and kicking the floor.

Janus was surprised, but also amused at this sudden outburst.

"What's the matter? Did I say something wrong?"

"I just imagined you getting carried by Luffin and Rozon by the shoulders. You're easy as heavy as both of them. No way you could have survived that." She laughed.

Janus smiled. "Right? Now, don't sell yourself too short. You've been valuable in that operation. And that's not all. You've done a lot for this village. You're training our latest generation of spellcasters. Born and bred from Wayward home. We owe a lot to you, and everyone is thankful to have you here with us."

"Everyone?" she asked.

"Yes, everyone. Do you know that you're Yvaine's favorite person? She's told me a couple of times that she often feels like an outcast. She had no one else in her life who understands what it's like to be a princess until you came and stumbled along with those steps years ago."

"Really? Is that how she feels?"

"Of course. I should know. She's my sister."

Haruna's eyes lightened up, she paused for a moment. Then sobbed again.

"Wait. What... Haruna? Why are you crying again? Was it something I said?"

"It's just... It's just..." she said.

"That's the sweetest thing that anyone's ever said to me." She sobbed and buried her face in her hands again.

Janus was flustered. Again?

There was something inside him, despite all of his ignorance in dealing with women, that told him he shouldn't make a girl cry. Whatever the reason.

He scrambled in search of a handkerchief, but there was none in sight. He shook the kettle for some tea, but there was no more water in it. Only leaves remained at the bottom in a thick sludge.

He was running out of options.

Haruna must have noticed him scrambling, for she raised her head and smiled at him. Tears still streaming at her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"It's just... You're still crying. I don't want to see you cry. Is there anything I can do?"

 "I'm fine now. Thanks." She laughed. "Although... come to think of it there is one thing you could do for me. But it might feel weird."

Janus gulped. "I mean. I am already weird. That's nothing new."

She smiled and whispered. "Remember when I carried you, the way your arms wrapped around me? Can you do that again, please? For even just a moment. I hope it's not too weird."

Janus breathed in. Trying to look nonchalant about it. "No, not at all."

He pulled in closer, wrapped his hand around her, and she cried till her eyes were dry.