I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 380 Outstanding Women

In the valley, Centurion Torres was pacing anxiously when he saw the black and white bear lying on the ground suddenly "awaken," its body trembling as it sat up. He quickly went over to it.

"My lord, is there any news?"

Torres' eyes were filled with hope.

"We have a direction now."

Monokuma twisted its head, its neck a little uncomfortable. It must have sprained its neck from camping in the wild too many times lately. It'll find someone to massage it later.

"Gather the men and make preparations. Tonight I will take some men out to get some supplies to replenish the food and medicine in the valley."

Monokuma paused for a moment.

"Make sure that people going out don't have night blindness. If they do, we must rule it out. This time we need to go out and walk at least five kilometers."

"Understood, my lord."

A glimmer of hope in a desperate situation is more precious than anything else, and Torres was extremely motivated. However, while gathering his men, he did not forget to inform the future princess, Elena Tia, of the news.

Soon, Martha, the maid who had led the way, came over.

Her steps remained steady, but there was a hint of imperceptible urgency in her eyes.

She walked up to the black and white bear, who was stretching its body and moving its stiff joints, and curtsied slightly, her posture respectful but her tone conveying an unquestionable message.

"My lord, Princess Elena is deeply gratified and grateful to hear that you have a plan and will venture out tonight. Her Highness wishes to meet you in person to express her gratitude and hear the details of your plan."

After Martha finished speaking, she lowered her head slightly, waiting for the black and white bear's response.

In her view, being personally summoned by the esteemed future princess was a great honor and a proper courtesy to this powerful ally.

However, Monokuma merely raised its eyelids, glanced at Martha calmly, and without even stopping its neck movements, spoke directly in its deep, flat voice.

"I'm busy, I need to rest and prepare for tonight."

Martha was clearly taken aback, seemingly not expecting such a direct, even "rude," rejection. She looked up and tried to explain.

"Your Highness just wants to..."

"I don't want to know what she's trying to do."

Monokuma interrupted her, his tone still indifferent, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself.

"Expressing gratitude? No need."

Hear the plan? The plan is to go out tonight to get some things, and when you come back, you'll have food and medicine. You don't need to know the specifics of how to get them.

As for seeing her?

Monokuma finally stopped moving his neck. He tilted his head slightly, as if he were thinking about a trivial question, and then gave a very clear conclusion.

"I'm not interested. This has nothing to do with completing my mission."

His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Martha.

The respectful expression she maintained on her face was somewhat stiff, and a hint of astonishment and disbelief flashed in her eyes.

Still clinging to the rigidly hierarchical society of Minicia, no maid had ever dared to so decisively refuse an audience with a prospective princess, and with such indifference.

"My lord, His Highness means..."

Martha wanted to try again.

"My meaning is also very clear."

Monokuma stood up abruptly, his massive body casting a shadow over Martha.

"I need to rest. Tell that prince that if he wants to help, he should keep an eye on the people in the valley and not cause trouble. When I return tonight, there will be supplies to distribute to everyone. That's all."

After saying that, Monokuma ignored Martha, who was frozen in place. He looked around, found a relatively dry and sheltered corner, and then lay down to rest.

Martha stood there, looking at the black and white bear lying on the ground. Her lips moved, but she swallowed the rest of her words.

She took a deep breath, and her face regained its trained calm, but the offended and confused emotion deep in her eyes lingered for a long time.

She glanced once more at the black and white bear, which seemed to be asleep, then turned around without a word and walked hurriedly toward the cave where the princess was.

Torres saw this scene from a short distance away and could only shake his head helplessly, casting an apologetic look at Martha's retreating figure.

The prince's guards have always acted in such an unconventional way, so it's normal that they don't understand.

However, this matter had nothing to do with him. As long as he could bring back supplies, nothing else mattered. He needed to hurry up and continue to select soldiers who could move around at night.

The black and white bear lay in the corner, its eyes closed, but it wasn't really asleep.

He was simply resting with his eyes closed, while simultaneously planning his route for the night and the potential dangers he might encounter.

As for the princess's summons and the nobles' favorability... he was completely unmoved.

His task list only included "Ensure the survival of members of the Tia family".

How to increase favorability with female NPCs?

That would be a complete waste of time and energy. Chris only cares about the result; he doesn't care about the process. Therefore, Monokuma has no desire to participate in such pointless social interactions.

Rest, work, and complete tasks—that's what really matters.

Martha hurried back to the cave where the princess was.

The thick curtains blocked out most of the view inside the valley, but they could not block out the heavy sense of despair.

In this difficult moment, a small oil lamp burning with animal fat was lit inside the cave, its dim and flickering light barely illuminating Elena Tia's pale and tired face.

She was sitting on a rock covered with coarse linen, with a closed, worn-out Neptune's Bible on her lap, her gaze somewhat unfocused as she stared at the cave wall. Even Martha's arrival couldn't attract her attention.

"Your Highness."

Martha's voice trembled slightly as she bowed respectfully.

Elena was startled awake. She looked up and glanced at Martha's expression, and she immediately realized what was happening.

"what's going on."

Martha lowered her head even further, took a deep breath, and tried to keep her voice steady.

"Your Highness, that official has refused to see me."

The already dim light inside the cave seemed to dim even more instantly, and Elena immediately showed a hint of anger.

"reason?"

Martha felt a tightness in her throat. She lowered her head and struggled to repeat the almost cold words of the black and white bear.

After Martha repeated Monokuma's words verbatim without embellishment, a strong sense of humiliation quickly surged through Elena's head, causing her pale cheeks to flush with a sickly red.

Her slender fingers gripped the sacred text on her lap tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, the pages crumpled into a ball.

"presumptuous!"

A low, angry rebuke almost escaped her lips, but Elena bit her lower lip hard, swallowing it back. Her full breasts heaved violently a few times before she closed her eyes, forcibly suppressing the surging anger.

Calm down, Elena! You must calm down!

A voice of reason screamed in her mind.

She is no longer the highly respected young lady in Tia Castle, but a refugee who has fled in panic, relying on loyal servants and soldiers for protection, and who may starve or freeze to death in a remote valley at any time.

The family glory, noble status, and princess title she relied on held no weight in the face of this cruel reality, nor in the eyes of this strange knight who only cared about "missions".

What the other side brought was the possibility of survival, a ray of hope in the eyes of the soldiers, while everything she was proud of now seemed so pale and powerless in the face of survival.

However, will it cause more trouble?

How dare he say she's causing trouble?

...But what he said seemed to be true. What practical help could she offer at this moment besides waiting and praying?
A profound sense of humiliation and a chilling reality battled fiercely within her. Ultimately, the instinct for survival and the responsibility to her people in the valley, like heavy lead weights, crushed her noble pride.

She slowly, very slowly, loosened her clenched fingers, and when she opened her eyes again, the flush of anger had faded, leaving only calm.

"……I see."

Elena's voice returned to its previous gentleness.

“Martha, go and ask the guards about the identity of that knight.”

"Yes, Your Highness."

Monokuma's identity was no secret among the Bagnian soldiers. Although few had seen him in person, thanks to the outstanding performance of the Han-Tang warriors on the battlefield, Monokuma, as the chief warrior, had gained considerable fame among the soldiers.

This is the main reason why Torres handed over command to the black bear without hesitation after confirming the bear's identity.

Therefore, Martha easily learned about the identity and affiliation of the black and white bear from the Bagnian soldiers.

Knowing that her master was a little angry, Martha didn't dare to delay and quickly ran back to repeat everything she had heard.

As for the players, let alone the noble ladies who grew up in the feudal society of Minicia, even the Bagnians under Chris's command are now somewhat confused and can only understand some superficial things.

Therefore, Martha's inquiries didn't reveal much; she only got a superficial understanding. When she shared this superficial information with Elena, Elena only had a vague understanding and could only interpret the unfamiliar words based on her own knowledge.

For example, Elena understood the word "warband" as a knight, a chief knight, that is, the great knight of a knightly order.

Furthermore, based on the Bagnian soldiers' accounts of the Templars and the Black and White Bear's performance on the battlefield, Elena understood that the Han-Tang Warriors were one of the most powerful knightly orders under Prince Chris in the Kingdom of Bagnian.

Monokuma is the most powerful knight in this order, so this man named Monokuma, despite his strange name, is not a commoner.

The title of Grand Knight implies that Monokuma is at least a hereditary nobleman with a fiefdom, a family crest, and an ancient bloodline.

Only a noble birth could support such formidable military strength, the prestige of commanding elite knights, and unparalleled achievements on the battlefield.

As for commoners, no matter how brave they are or how great their achievements are on the battlefield, at most they can become knights and receive a village or manor as their territory. They have absolutely no chance of being promoted to a commander-level figure like a grand knight.

This is the kingdom's ironclad feudal rule: even if a commoner knight saves the king, and the latter admires his martial prowess and virtue, the former cannot break this rule.

Therefore, when Elena "knew" that Monokuma was the Great Knight, the flame of humiliation in her heart caused by being rejected was instantly replaced by a more complex emotion, even tinged with a sense of bewilderment.

It turned out to be the case.

A look of near-enlightenment appeared on Elena's face.

It turns out I was the one who was rude.

That's why the great knight refused his summons.

Her status as a princess is still uncertain and has not been confirmed. The Bagnian soldiers call her "Your Highness Princess," but that is just a respectful title from the soldiers and does not mean that she is a princess now.

Elena Tia's identity, strictly speaking, is now merely that of the daughter of a fallen nobleman from the Kingdom of Minicia, and she has no foothold in the Kingdom of Bagnia.

The ice in Elena's heart melted quickly, replaced by a mixture of understanding, relief, and even... a rekindled hope, tinged with strategic considerations.

Her sense of humiliation has now been greatly reduced.

Being rejected by a commoner is a great humiliation, but being politely refused by a high-ranking and powerful knight on the grounds of a "mission"... while still unpleasant, it is something that can be "understood" or even "tolerated" within the rules of the aristocratic circle.

More importantly, her identity as the "Monokuma Knight" opened up new possibilities for her.

Such a powerful knight must be a very important right-hand man for Prince Chris! If she could gain his approval and goodwill, or even... a thought flashed through her tired but shrewd mind.

Gaining the support of a Grand Knight, or even an entire knightly order, would be of immeasurable value to himself and the Tia family's future standing in the Bagnian court.

"Martha".

Elena's voice regained its usual composure, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible decisiveness.

"Pass the message to Centurion Torres."

"Your Highness, please give me your instructions."

"First, we must fully cooperate with all of the 'Great Knight's' requests and not be negligent or questioning in any way. Whatever he needs, as long as we have it, we will provide it immediately. Even if he needs manpower, family members can provide assistance."

"second."

Elena paused, her gaze becoming deep.

"Please tell Lord Monokuma that I... understand the Great Knight's good intentions in focusing on the mission. I was inconsiderate before and disturbed his rest. Please ask him to take good care of himself, for the sake of the mission and for all of us."

"third."

Elena's fingers tapped lightly on the cover of the holy book, and a plan took shape in her mind.

"Go and check carefully whether we still have any well-preserved items that can represent the sentiments of the Tia family."
For example… that family crest ring my father left me, the one set with a sapphire?

Martha's eyes widened in surprise.

"Your Highness, that is..."

"Do it."

Elena interrupted her, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"At the appropriate time, perhaps we need to express some more substantial gratitude. For a great knight, ordinary words and summons may indeed not be enough."

Watching Martha accept her orders and leave, Elena sat back down on the rock, still exhausted, but her eyes were no longer empty.

She gently placed the Sea God's Scripture aside, her gaze seemingly piercing through the rock wall, landing on the tall figure resting in the corner.

"The Great Knight... Monokuma..."

She muttered to herself, a complex smile playing on her lips, a smile that held both calculation and a renewed fighting spirit.

Misunderstandings are sometimes the root of estrangement.

But in this valley of despair, this "beautiful misunderstanding" based on aristocratic perceptions unexpectedly provided Elena with a filter to re-examine the "players," allowing her to break free from the quagmire of anger and humiliation.

Instead, she repositioned and utilized this powerful ally in a more "pragmatic" way that was more in line with her identity.

The pressure to survive and the instincts of the nobility reached a subtle compromise at this moment.

(End of this chapter)