Chapter Text
“You what?!” Enji slammed his fists on the armrests on his throne “You will not go to Liesen to directly aid against the impending barbarian onslaught, Shouto!”
Shouto raised an eyebrow lazily at his father; a small, yet challenging smirk tugging at his lips upward “I am simply here to report my course of action, father,” turning around and making his way towards the exit of the throne room, Shouto didn’t bother looking back at his enraged father and his concerned mother and older sister “I didn’t come here to follow your orders.”
As soon as Shouto left the throne room, Enji slammed his fists harder on his armrests “Consarn that child!” he growled, slumping in his seat slightly with a sigh “Fuyumi.”
“F-Father!” Fuyumi blinked her eyes in surprise at the sudden call of her name “Did you need me to do anything?”
Leaning his cheek on his fist as he reclined in his seat, Enji sighed “Send for an envoy to Liesen. Tell them to meet my bastard of a son while he’s travelling.”
As Fuyumi stood up and made her way towards the doors, Yukiho’s brows creased “Why don’t you just send your sons to-“
“We can’t be having those two idiots looking after Shouto.” Enji groaned, not turning to look at Yukiho as he started to brood.
“They’re your sons, too, Enji,” she narrowed her eyes at her husband “You’d do well to not call them idiots of all things.”
Enji sighed “Yes, dear.”
---
“How did it go, sire?” Tenya saluted at Shouto, earning him a gesture from the man to be at ease.
“It went rather well,” Shouto shrugged, which earned him an unimpressed look from his guard captain “What?”
“Knowing king Enji, I am assuming it went down horribly,” Tenya readjusted his glasses with a sigh “Either way, if we leave now we can reach the Liesen border town of Bierva in five days.”
“Let’s get going, then.” Shouto smiled at Tenya before raising a curious eyebrow at the third person in their company. She was a woman a little bit shorter than him and had her black hair up in a high ponytail. The revealing suit of armor that she wore unnerved Shouto to no end; there was no way that that thing was protective in any way.
“And this is…?” gesturing towards the woman, Shouto smiled at her when she had bowed when her presence was addressed.
“I am Momo Yaoyorozu, your highness,” she kept her head down, making her bangs obscure her eyes “I am sir Tenya’s second-in-command.”
Shouto nodded his head at the recollection of seeing her at his duchy “Ah, yes, that’s right. You’re his secretary, are you not?”
She nodded in response, relenting in her bowing and straightening her posture one second later “That is correct, sir. He insisted I come along to escort you to Liesen.”
“Indeed,” Tenya stepped forward, the scabbard of his sword clinking against the plates on his waist “She may specialize in clerical work back in the barracks but her skill with the halberd is second to none, sire.”
“I will trust in your judgement, captain,” Shouto strode forward past his two subordinates, ascending the steps as he continued to converse “Let us make haste, for the faster we arrive at Liesen, the faster we can aid them.”
The two nodded in agreement, following after Shouto.
---
“An envoy has arrived from Annover, sir Toshinori,” a man clad in armor announced to his superior “He claims to be requesting a special escort for prince Shouto.”
“Enji’s youngest son, hmm?” Toshinori grinned, dismissing the guard “Very well, let him in!”
“Greetings, Holy Knight,” a man clad in black clothes entered the room with a bow. His short yellow hair was the easiest thing to spot on him- actually, it was his tail “I have come from the kingdom of Annover to formally request for an envoy for prince Shouto who is on his way here as we speak.”
“I am assuming this has something to do with the impending barbarian invasion?” Toshinori raised an eyebrow questioningly, which earned him a nod from the messenger.
“Quite so,” standing straight, the blond took out a sizeable pouch of gold “King Enji has already arranged for the monetary payment along with his regards.”
Toshinori guffawed and stepped forward; taking the pouch from the messenger’s hand and nodding his head “I’ll send my best trainee to escort young prince Shouto.”
“Midoriya!” Toshinori bellowed, startling the messenger a bit. He’s heard tales of Toshinori Yagi; the Mighty Holy Knight, but to think that he held such presence and power in person was just astounding.
In a flash of green, a boy with messy black hair and freckles entered the room, saluting at his commander as he straightened his posture “You called, sir?”
“Go to the Whispering Woods and meet with prince Shouto there,” Toshinori nodded, tapping Izuku on the shoulder “Can I count on you to make sure that he gets here safely?”
Izuku bit at his lower lip and nodded his head aggressively “You can count on me, sir!”
“That’s the spirit, boy!” Toshinori laughed “And what do we say before we embark on a mission?”
“Plus Ultra!” Izuku screamed out, earning him a pat on the head from Toshinori “I’ll be on my way now, sir!” saluting one more time, Izuku disappeared as quickly as he appeared in the same flash of green.
The messenger cleared his throat “Pardon my presumptuousness, Holy Knight, but isn’t that boy too green?” he clicked his tongue at the pun that he had made.
“Worry not, young messenger!” Toshinori grinned widely “He is not the only envoy that I plan on sending for the safety of young prince Shouto.”
“If you would be so kind to wait, I plan on sending another person to meet up with your prince-“
“Tokoyami!” Toshinori bellowed again; this time, the messenger was prepared and didn’t flinch “Call for Aizawa and meet me in the meeting room!”
From a shadowy corner of the room, a robed man with a bird’s head emerged and nodded his head “I’ll get to it, sir.”
Toshinori smiled and turned to look at the messenger “You’re one of Annover’s secret agents aren’t you?”
The messenger didn’t speak a word and stood still in his place, which made Toshinori laugh boisterously.
“It looks like Enji’s been training you lot rather well!” he gestured at the messenger to follow him “What’s your name, son?”
“…Mashirao,” the messenger pulled at his mask down “Mashirao Ojiro.”
“Well then, young Mashirao!” Toshinori smiled “I hope you’re prepared to fight in a war-“
“Because the barbarians are going to come soon.”
---
“So, miss Yaoyorozu,” Shouto started, leaning back slightly as he placed his hands on the dirt below “I recall seeing you at town and-“ he gulped audibly as he scanned her body, his eyes taking in every single curve and contour.
“Forgive my rudeness, but that… armor of yours,” he turned to look up at her, finding that she actually had quite the pretty face “I’d say it’s a far cry from your normal secretarial getup from what I remember.”
“Plus it does not seem to be beneficial in any way as a means of protection.”
“That is because of her magic, your highness!” Tenya suddenly spoke up from behind Shouto, startling him a bit. Placing down various logs that he had cut up from the forest just now, Tenya wiped at his brow “Her magic enables her to create practically anything using her own cells.”
“T-The gaps in my armor make it easier to will them into existence, your highness.” Momo lowered her face slightly, feeling embarrassed that her armor was more or less called out for being too provocative.
Shouto nodded his head “Ah, I see. That’s quite the magic you possess, miss Yaoyorozu.”
Momo turned her head upward to look at him with disbelief, seeing a small smile on his face made her smile too “T-thank you, sire!”
“I have managed to harvest a few edible fruits and vegetables whilst I was out chopping trees, sire.” Tenya squatted down and placed the vegetables on a small sheet beside the fireplace “Yaoyorozu! Kindly make a pot for us to cook them in, I’ll be getting some water-“
“That won’t be necessary, captain,” Shouto smiled at Tenya “I think we’ll be fine having rations for dinner tonight.”
Tenya blinked his eyes a few times in disbelief and sat himself down with a huff “This is why princess Fuyumi keeps nagging you about your eating habits, sire.”
Shouto laughed heartily, with Tenya chuckling in response. Momo watched as the two shared a few more jokes in between of their teasing, a smile creeping up her lips as she saw sides of her stern captain and stoic prince that not many get to see.