QTMWSFC Chapter 42.1

Two days later.

Time flew by. Before they knew it, the day of the formal ceremony arrived.

After only two short days of living together, the other four attendants in the side palace had already given Lant a warm welcome.

Although he looked cold and didn’t speak much, he was actually very warmhearted inside. Not only did he take good care of the princess, but he also took the initiative to help others.

When he noticed them struggling to heat water in the dead of winter, he would take the initiative to use magic to warm it for them.

When he saw them coming back empty-handed and dejected from the main kitchen, he would take the initiative to provide meat, though it was always bloody and unprocessed when he took it out.

When he saw they were running low on firewood, he would take the initiative to chop some. And in the end, finding firewood too inefficient, he simply set up a magic circle around the entire side palace.

When the princess was feeling unwell, he would take the initiative to remind her to put on more clothes to keep warm and would personally take her pulse and brew medicine for her. Of course, the brewing was just a cover. Lant was merely using that as an excuse to give Freya Health Pills to improve her constitution.

Not only that, but Lant also cleared a patch of land in the empty front yard and personally planted various fruits and vegetables.

Whenever food supplies ran low, his instinct for farming—etched into his DNA—would kick in. This way, even if the main kitchen made things difficult for them later, they wouldn’t have to worry about not having fresh ingredients. This skill alone completely won over everyone in the side palace.

Having grown up in the Royal Palace, the attendants had no access to the library’s books, nor could they obtain any seeds, so they had never learned how to farm.

The princess had a weak constitution and needed more nutrition, yet they were constantly being sabotaged when it came to food supplies. The attendants had been troubled by this for a long time!

Lant’s arrival dramatically raised the standard of living in the side palace. In just two days, he won their hearts and inadvertently deepened the relationship of the entire side palace. Even counting Lant himself, there were only seven people in the side palace.

Tonight, the palace would hold the formal ceremony for the new class of Royal Guard Knights. This was a tradition and also a public recognition of the social status of the Royal Guard Knights.

It marked that these people were no longer ordinary knights but had become half-nobles. Although in Lant’s opinion, it wasn’t that impressive. Crossing social classes? That’s just talk.

Hearing that there would be a banquet, the Holy Sword inside the portable space could no longer contain itself, clamoring to go out and see the world. But Lant absolutely refused to let it out.

What a joke. He went to get the Holy Sword in advance precisely to hide his identity as the Hero. How could he possibly let it show its face? Stay in the space honestly! Four years from now, there will be plenty of opportunities to go out!

The Holy Sword could only swallow its grievance and obediently comply.

“Lant! Someone just came by to deliver something for you! It’s your uniform! I left it by your door!” Lant was still wiping his family‑heirloom sword when Lita’s lively voice came through the door, then she hurried to the opposite room.

She still had to help Freya get dressed. Tonight was another big occasion, so she would have another headache over what to wear.

Other princesses had the headache of too many clothes to choose from. They had the opposite problem. There were too few clothes, practically no choice at all!

Lant opened the box and unfolded the uniform to take a look. The Royal Guard Knight’s uniform was primarily black with small accents of gold and red—a classic color scheme.

After changing into the uniform as quickly as possible and pinning on the badge, Lant took out a snow‑white coat from the space and knocked on the door opposite.

He had noticed that Freya, despite being a princess, did not own a decent coat. So he had gone out of the palace to have one rush-made. Fortunately, he had hunted several Night Forest Foxes during his time in the Night Woods, otherwise it would have been like the saying of “even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice”¹even a talented person cannot produce something out of nothing!

When Lita saw the white coat in Lant’s hand, she was momentarily at a loss for words.

“This… you’re not giving this to us, right?” Lita stammered and pointed at herself.

“Yes. Have the princess wear this tonight,” Lant said, stuffing the coat into Lita’s hands.

Freya heard Lita’s exclamation and hurried out of the room. Seeing the two of them fussing over a snow-white coat, she immediately understood that Lant was bringing something to her again.

“Lant, this fur coat is far too precious! I can’t accept it!” Freya had seen the coats worn by her other brothers and sisters, all of which had mixed colors. She had never seen one as pure and flawless as the one Lant was giving her now. This must be extremely valuable! How could she have the face to take it?

“I can’t use it anyway. You’re not in good health and you should keep warm. Actually, it’s not that valuable. I just hunted it casually when I passed by.”

Casually… hunted?

Lita felt like she could only stammer in amazement.

Maybe this was the world of geniuses. Even a beast as difficult to hunt as the Night Fox can be caught casually. She found it hard to imagine.

Freya’s expression was conflicted. She was moved yet hesitant. “Lant, you don’t have to do so much… How can I ever thank you enough…”

Lant looked at Freya’s troubled face and realized that in her eyes, his kindness probably seemed excessive. So his hand holding the coat also became hesitant. “Sorry… I… I didn’t mean to trouble you…”

“I just thought that what others have, you should have too… and we can have it!” Lant added in a low voice, with a hint of defiance.

“Pfft…” Lita and Freya were both amused by him.

“Thank you, Lant! Then I will accept it this time.” Freya no longer refused his kindness and took the fox fur coat. “Lant, thank you really, really! Thank you for being so good to me.”

As she spoke, Freya took the initiative to hug Lant.