The Exam Ends

Author: Unicoon
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n8138gc/16/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

A lesser dragon.
A savage monster of subjugation rank C.

That savage monster lay on its back, twitching.
Lady Ulrika approached the vacant Princess Charlotte.

“Mm. You seem unharmed.”

Addressed, Princess Charlotte snapped back to herself.

“I am unharmed. More importantly, Natasha!”

“Natasha is fine. See.”

Lady Ulrika pointed behind the princess.

“Phew… treatment’s done… I think she’ll be all right now…”

Olivia was dripping sweat, limp.
She had used up her mana on healing magic and was exhausted.
In exchange, Natasha’s wounds were cleanly treated.

“Hoh! Splendid skill at healing magic. Livi has a talent for it!!”

“No, I’m still far from it.”

“Ugh… huh…?”

Natasha, who had been asleep, slowly came to.
Princess Charlotte rushed over.

“Natasha, you’re awake!”

“Lady Charlotte… you’re safe?”

“Yes. I’m glad you’re safe too!”

Princess Charlotte scooped Natasha up and hugged her tight.
Natasha, held, and Olivia, watching, both went wide-eyed with surprise.

“Lady Charlotte? Why all of a sudden… ah, ow ow…”

“Ah… sorry…”

“She isn’t fully healed yet, so please keep her still.”

Leaving Natasha with Olivia, Princess Charlotte came to Lady Ulrika.

“Um…”

“Hn? What is it?”

“Th-thank you… for saving us…”

Princess Charlotte bowed.
An attitude unthinkable from her usual self.
Natasha and Olivia froze, stunned.

“Never mind me. There’s someone you ought to thank, isn’t there?”

“Someone I ought to thank…?”

“Natasha put herself on the line to save you, did she not?”

“Y-yes… that’s true.”

“And you must thank Livi as well.”

“Olivia too…”

“Livi asked me to help you, you see. That’s why I saved you.”

“So that’s how it was…”

Princess Charlotte turned, and bowed—

“Thank you, both of—”

“”Don’t! We only did what was natural!!””

Natasha and Olivia sat up in a flash.
Together they pinned Princess Charlotte down.
Injury damage and healing-magic fatigue seemed to have flown away.

“But I should thank—”

“I’m fine, I’m all right, so please don’t mind it!”

“A member of the royal family like Lady Charlotte must not bow her head to a maid like me!”

Princess Charlotte tried to bow.
Natasha and Olivia desperately tried to stop her.
Lady Ulrika came over to the three of them in a fluster.

“Charlotte is a fortunate one. Both of them are truly worried for you.”

“B-but I… I did terrible things to everyone…”

Princess Charlotte hung her head, dark-faced.
Lady Ulrika patted that head.

“You did well too, Charlotte. You properly tried to protect Natasha. That was admirable. Protecting the people is a royal’s duty.”

“Eh,” Princess Charlotte gasped.
Tears spilled from her round, wide eyes.

“I… I… ah… au…”

She collapsed on the spot, crying.

“Uuh… uuu~… uuh… sniff…”

“Please calm down. It’s all right now.”

“Please don’t cry, Lady Charlotte.”

“Uuu… Natasha… Olivia…”

Held by the two of them, Princess Charlotte kept shedding tears.
Then a loud voice rang through Parateno Forest.

“The exam is over! Examinees, return at once!!”

“Oh? The exam’s over. In the end I couldn’t defeat any monsters… that one wasn’t on the paper… and I felt sorry for it…”

Lady Ulrika hung her head, looking at the lesser dragon.
The lesser dragon had not been among the exam’s subjugation targets.

“Well, never mind. Let’s go back!”

Lady Ulrika’s smile returned in a flash.
She did not seem all that down, in fact.

And so Lady Ulrika’s entrance exam came to an end.