And this story with the princess... Why does it even bother me whether she's betrothed or not? It's ridiculous to think about it! What business does a simple plebeian have with royal intrigues, with her shining life? I'm not one of those who dances at balls or whispers poems under balconies. My lot is service, defending the homeland, standing in formation among nameless soldiers.
My future duty is simple: take up a sword and stand in defense of this land. My path is the front line, where the kingdom's fate is decided in mud and blood, where I'll be the tip of the spear, a living shield. I won't have to guard the princess's chambers—for that, there are noble knights in ornate armor, wielding magic and connections, aristocrats who wave wands like conductors.
Though war with the empire of "Kriver" doesn't appeal to me. This colossus will crush our kingdom like an elephant crushes an ant—a meat grinder from which few return. But if you look at it cynically, the marriage of Princess "Monaria" and the Prince of "Kriver" is the most sensible solution. A shaky bridge over the abyss, but necessary. Our country will survive, and that's the main thing.
Moreover, the princess can't be in love with a plebeian. Especially not one like me—weak in body and spirit, with skinny arms and a soul that's cracking at the seams. That's against all laws of nature, the height of absurdity, an oxymoron worse than "hot snow." Aristocrats are made for aristocrats, and we make do with what fate and circumstances give us.
And yet, her image sticks in my head like a splinter. As soon as I close my eyes, I see her not as an unattainable star, but as a person who might also be staring into the darkness and searching for answers. Nonsense, of course. This is imagination painting pictures where they shouldn't be. Love is a luxury, and I'm poor to the bone.
I'm thinking too much in vain—thoughts spin like a squirrel in a wheel, my head buzzes like a hive of enraged bees. Better to do something: study the pouch that Sir Leyon gave me. How to use it? How to retrieve items without looking like an idiot? Especially interesting are its magical properties—they say such artifacts can hold an entire arsenal while remaining light as a feather.