Volume 7 Chapter 10 (1/2)

After Returning to the Country Arc – 3: The Flower that Blooms in the Field and the Bird in the Cage

The summer sun had begun to set, and it was getting a little cooler.

I was in the governmental affairs office, fighting with the doc.u.ments that had piled up while I was away in the republic. Why, when I was working so hard, did the amount of work left not seem to be decreasing?

There was always work I needed to do. I couldn’t fight 24 hours a day... I wanted to go home... This was home, though...

Augh... I can’t concentrate anymore...

I had been working in the office all day today, so my mind was exhausted.

Physical labor brought about lethargy of the body, but mental labor brought about impairment of mental function.

I leaned back in my chair.

The sense of exhaustion felt stronger than usual.

It’s because Liscia’s not around...

Ever since Liscia, who had always helped me in a secretarial role, was found to be pregnant, she had been resting at Sir Albert’s former domain. I still hadn’t found time to go see her.

With days going by in which I couldn’t see her, I now understood that Liscia had been a soothing presence, just by being near me. Even when I was tired, when I looked at her well-balance proportions wrapped in a red military uniform, I felt like I could try a little harder

If I told her I’d been ogling her during work, would I be in for another lecture...?

I wanted to talk to Liscia... No, for now, it didn’t even have to be Liscia. I just wanted someone to talk to.

Sigh... Time to call it a day, I guess.

If I forced myself to work and entered the wrong information somewhere, it was bound to create more work down the line. I was running out of concentration, so it would be better to leave the rest until tomorrow and get some rest.

There was a sudden voice from the terrace, which should have been vacant.

“Your Majesty, may I have a moment?”

Considering the time, it was probably one of the Black Cats. It used to make me jump every time I suddenly heard my name, but... it had happened often enough, I was used to it now.

As expected, the unit’s second-in-command, Inugami, was the one to open the terrace door and come in.

“Did something happen?” I asked.

“Yes, sire. I have something I would like to report.”

After I heard Inugami’s report, I was left agape.

“Huh? Why is she here?”

“It will do you no good to ask me. I suggest you address the matter with the person in question.”

“I guess you’re right... But I’m impressed they knew.”

“The one who found her was a member who went to the Republic of Turgis,” the man said. “If any of the other members had found her first, it would have been dangerous. For her, of course.”

“I know. How could she do something so dangerous...?”

I pressed my palm to my forehead and sighed. Seriously, what was she thinking?

“So, what will you do?” Inugami asked, looking to see how I would respond.

“...Can you lead her here?” I asked wearily.

“You wish to meet with her?”

“We could run her off, but she’s not the type to give up.”

“Understood. Please, wait a moment.”

Inugami went out to the terrace. He had to be going to get her.

I leaned back in my chair, thought about what was to come, and became a little gloomy.

We now turn back time to around when the sun was low in the sky.

In Parnam, bustling with people who had finished their daily toil, there was a green-haired girl walking down a shopping street

“Yeesh, everyone just goes off whenever they want...”

The one who walked along, muttering that to herself, was the adventurer Juno. The party Juno was a member of had returned from the Republic of Turgis to their usual base of operations in the royal capital Parnam.

Juno stuck her hand in the pouch at her waist. There was more money in there than usual.

Here I am, with hazard pay, but I don’t really want to drink alone...

The emergency quest they had taken in the republic had resulted in a hefty reward

Even divided between the five of them, the money had been enough to pay for all of their new equipment, and they had decided they would each spend the day doing whatever they wanted.

The swordsman Dece had invited the mage Julia, who he had a thing for, out to dinner, while the brawler Augus had said he was off to party hard at a place with pretty girls. The priest Febral was childhood friends with the innkeeper’s daughter, so he had said he was going to go see her.

All of that being the case, Juno was now left out.

Sigh... Isn’t there something interesting around here...?

“Hm?”

Suddenly, down the road, Juno spotted something. A roly-poly silhouette that walked with slow, easy steps.

“I think I’ve found it,” she said with a grin. “Something interesting.”

The object walking down the street was the kigurumi adventurer, Little Musas.h.i.+bo.

He had once been treated as an urban legend and viewed as an oddity by the townsfolk, but because he was now a major character on the Prima Lorelei Juna Doma’s broadcast program Together with Big Sister, he was popular with the children.

“Hey, it’s Little Musas.h.i.+bo!” a child cried.

“He’s so round. And so big.”

As proof of that, there were children waving to him now. That was an impressive show of popularity.

Little Musas.h.i.+bo gave the kids a thumbs-up.

Juno tilted her head to the side as she looked at the kigurumi adventurer.

Come to think of it, I saw a program with Little Musas.h.i.+bo in it, didn’t I? Dece and the others were saying he probably just lent them his kigurumi suit, but those moves... He looks like the real deal

For Juno, who had gotten to be able to sense Little Musas.h.i.+bo’s feelings from the way he moved, she could see that it was the same person (?) inside this Little Musas.h.i.+bo. Not only that, she had previously encountered him running errands for the castle.

Is it like I think... and he’s got some connection to the castle?

Her suspicions were turning to certainty.

Juno tailed Little Musas.h.i.+bo. She kept a constant distance from him, her eyes on his back as she pursued, and as expected, Little Musas.h.i.+bo headed for the main gate of Parnam Castle.

Little Musas.h.i.+bo showed something to the guards there, they saluted, and he was allowed to enter.

Did he show them something like a pa.s.s? But, even with a pa.s.s, would they really let such a blatantly suspicious person (?) through?

Even if that kigurumi was appearing in a broadcast program produced at the castle, there was no knowing who was inside it, so shouldn’t they be more cautious? Or did he have something that would make the guards let him pa.s.s just by showing it to them?

Was he a person (?) with a strong enough connection to the castle that he would have a thing like that?

Juno understood Little Musas.h.i.+bo less than ever.

Even after waiting for some time after that, there was no sign of Little Musas.h.i.+bo leaving the castle. That he had only come to run a little errand... seemed unlikely to be the case.

By the time she noticed, the sun was setting, and the area had gotten dark.

Maybe I’m right. Maybe he really is connected to the castle. Ohhh, I wonder how. But it’s a castle... It’s probably a bad idea to try sneaking in.

If she crossed the walls of Parnam Castle without permission, she would likely be arrested for trespa.s.sing. If that happened, it wouldn’t just be her problem; she’d be inconveniencing Dece and the rest of her party, too.

Hmm, what to do?

Juno was trapped, paralyzed at the border of curiosity and reason. She did not realize that, at that moment, she had become a “suspicious person staring at the castle.” Or that there was a group that existed to guard against such people, and expose them if found.

Juno had long since gone from the being the watcher to being the watched.

Ah!

By the time she noticed, it was too late. There were countless presences surrounding Juno.

No, how could a scout like me fail to notice until I was surrounded?!

Juno, who excelled at sensing the presence of enemies in a dungeon, had allowed them to close in on her so easily. There was no doubt her opponents were skilled.

Wh-What do I do...? What now...?

Juno tried to get a feel for the presences. Polis.h.i.+ng every nerve in her body, she searched for their locations.

When she did, she realized there was only one direction with no people in it. Despite being otherwise so perfectly encircled, there were no people in the direction of the castle.

I smell a trap, she thought. It’s too blatant, but... it’s not like I have any other choice.

Juno resolved herself, and took off in that direction. The presences around her moved, too.

They aren’t attacking? But I’m still surrounded.

While searching for the presences, she looked for a place where she could escape. She was running in the direction where there were no presences, but she sensed she was being led somewhere.

Wait, I’m super close to the castle?!

Having focused on nothing but running away, at some point she had crossed the castle wall, and gotten close to the castle itself. If she got caught now, she would be dealt with as an intruder.

Juno clambered up a wall, jumped around on the roofs, and ran around desperately.

Eventually, she landed on a terrace. There was an open gla.s.s door.

C-Can I go in here, hide, and wait them out?!

Thinking that, she tried to enter the room...

“And stop.”

“Wha?!”

The young man who came out of the room blocked her way.

“There are important doc.u.ments in here, after all,” the young man said in a relaxed tone that you wouldn’t antic.i.p.ate from someone unexpectedly encountering a suspicious person on the terrace. “There are rules against anyone entering who doesn’t have to.”

However, as she was on the run, Juno was desperate.

“S-Sorry! I might look suspicious, but I’m not! I was just being chased and they cornered me in here, so... um... hide me for just a little while!”

Juno ran her mouth as fast as she could, but the young man sighed.

“Calm down a little, Juno. I more or less know the situation.”

“...Huh? Why do you know my name?”

“How many times have you asked that question now, I wonder...?”

With that, the young man took another step forward. When she saw his face, which had up until now been covered by a shadow, clearly, Juno’s eyes went wide with surprise.

“I-It’s you! You’re the guy we just met in the republic, aren’t you?!”

“Yes. We met in the refugee camp, too, I believe,” the young man said with a wry smile and a shrug. “I might add, we’ve gone adventuring and drank together, too.”

“Huh? What’re you... Huh?!”

Then the young man pointed towards the room. In there was Little Musas.h.i.+bo, approaching with slow, easy steps. Little Musas.h.i.+bo’s “head” was wide open for the flabbergasted Juno to see. Inside, he was... empty.

The young man spoke. “I move it using my own unique magic. I am the person in the costume, despite being outside the costume, you could say.”

“Then you’re Mr. Little Musas.h.i.+bo’s real ident.i.ty?!”

“Well, yeah, that’s more or less what I mean.”

The young man extended his hand to Juno.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you... though I suppose it’s not the first time. Still, I haven’t given you my name properly, so let me introduce myself. I am Souma Kazuya. The one who was controlling Little Musas.h.i.+bo.”

“Souma Kazuya... Wait, that’s the name of...”

While they were shaking hands, Juno’s brow furrowed at the familiar name.

The young man said, with a wry smile, “Do I really make that little of an impression in my normal outfit? Yeah. I’m the provisional King of Friedonia.”

At this point, Juno’s mind went completely blank.

It took some time for Juno to recover from her confusion.

“Th-Then what? You’re Little Musas.h.i.+bo, and you’re the king, so that means Little Musas.h.i.+bo is the king? ...Ah! Sorry, I need to mind my manners.”

“No, the way you normally talk is fine,” I told Juno with a wry smile. She was babbling incoherently now. “I told you we were comrades before, didn’t I?”

Juno puffed up her cheeks and looked away. “...I don’t want someone who was keeping something so important a secret a comrade.”

“I couldn’t tell you because it was so important. Besides, even if I had, I doubt you’d have believed me, would you?”

“That’s... Well, maybe not. Fine, I’ll act like normal.”

With that said, Juno sat herself down on the railing at the edge of the terrace.

I stood with my back leaned against the same railing, and we were finally in a position to have a relaxed talk.

Then Juno’s eyes started darting around the area.

“What is it, Juno?” I asked.

“Nah, I was just wondering where the presences that were chasing me up until a moment ago went.”

“Oh. Those are my people. I asked them to guide you here.”

“Those were your underlings?! I was super scared, you know?!”

“It was your fault for spying on the castle. If you were unlucky, you might have been killed out of hand for being a potential troublemaker. Who knows what would have happened if they hadn’t contacted me...”

At that reasonable argument, Juno groaned, unable to come up with a response.

“Um... Sorry,” she said. “I just really wanted to know who you were...”

Juno was acting meek. It wasn’t like her, so I laughed.

“Well, it’s fine. And? How do you feel, knowing my true ident.i.ty?”

“I’m relieved to have my doubts cleared up,” she admitted. “But why’s the king playing with dolls?”

“It was just an experiment at first.”

From there I gave Juno a simple summary of how Little Musas.h.i.+bo had come to be.

Wanting to test the range of my ability, I’d registered him as an adventurer and had him go all sort of places, he had met Juno and her group because of that, we’d ended up adventuring together, and so on.

I also explained that I was able to see whatever Little Musas.h.i.+bo saw.

“Wha?! Then you saw when my breastplate melted, too...”

“Uh... Yeah. It’s a good thing you didn’t end up not just showing your b.r.e.a.s.t.s, but your ribs as—Ow!”

“Don’t talk about my b.r.e.a.s.t.s!” Juno planted a hard kick in my flank.

I was just paraphrasing Dece, though!

“Ow... Hey, I’m kind of the king, you know?” I complained.

“You said we’re comrades, and to act like normal, didn’t you?”

My agony must have made her anger settle, because Juno was cackling. “Come to think of it, what happened to that awful salamander?”

“I sent the military in to put it down,” I said. “We couldn’t leave it be forever. We stripped the body down to its bones and sent it to a research inst.i.tute. There’s a replica on display in front of the museum.”

“Those ma.s.sive bones were that salamander?!”

“Looks like it was the one that ended up showing off its ribs, huh,” I said jokingly.

“It sure did!” she replied, with a big laugh. “I see. Then the hand I saw when we were eating at the cafeteria was your hand?”

“It sure did!” she replied, with a big laugh. “I see. Then the hand I saw when we were eating at the cafeteria was your hand?”

“Ah! That’s why the princess conveniently came along, huh.” Juno clapped her hands, seemingly satisfied with the explanation.

Was she talking about the time I’d collapsed at the banquet and Liscia had shown up to collect me? Now that I thought about it, Juno knew Liscia, didn’t she? If you included the time in the refugee camp and our encounter in the republic, too, she’d also had contact with Aisha, Juna, and Tomoe.

When I told her that, Juno was taken aback.

“Without knowing it... we met some really important people.”

“It sure is a small world,” I agreed.

“Normally it’s a little bigger!” Juno said angrily.

Her reactions were fun, so I was enjoying this.

Then, wiping her smile away, she spoke with a little concern. “But still, how is it being a king?”

“What’s this, out of nowhere?’

“Nah, I was just thinking it must be a ha.s.sle.”

“Well, yeah,” I agreed. “But so is every job, right? Being an adventurer means you’re always putting your life on the line, doesn’t it?”

I looked idly into the dark sky. Oh, hey, the stars were out.

“King, adventurer, or baker, it’s all the same. If you face your work head-on, you’re putting your life on the line. If you keep trying hard like that, someone will help you. For me, it was my family and retainers, while for you it’s Dece and your party, right?”

“Sure is. ‘The longer you walk, the more hands there will be to support you.’”

“I’ve heard that before.”

“It’s a line from a children’s song. The one we sing to children when they start to walk.”

Ohh, the one Juna had sung for me that one time. When I felt like I might be crushed by my responsibilities as king, and I couldn’t sleep, Juna sang me a lullaby...

It had been a long time since then, and the number of hands supporting me had gone up, but how far had I been able to walk?

“I’d actually like to ask you something,” I said. “What do you think of this country, Juno?”

“What do I think?”

“I mean, do you think it’s a good country? I want your frank opinion.”

“Hm... It’s an easy country to live in.” Juno placed her hand under her chin and thought as she spoke. “There’s a wide variety of foods, and, as an adventurer, being able to get around by rhinosaurus train is nice and easy. Having proper roads makes quests to protect traveling merchants easy, too. Oh, also, this country terminated its contract with the guild to conscript all adventurers in the country in times of war, right? Being able to stay here and know we won’t be drafted if a war comes is good.”

“I see, I see...”

Like I thought, it was different from what an ordinary citizen thought of as a “good country.” I didn’t often get the chance to hear opinions from adventurers, so it was interesting.

“Turning that around, it makes it easy for adventurers to gather here, though,” Juno said. “If too many adventurers gather, the compet.i.tion for dungeons gets higher, so you could say that’s a problem.”

“Well, for the country’s part, we’re happy to have dungeons cleared earlier.”

“For us adventurers, they fill our bellies, and feed our spirit of adventure. You went on an adventure using that doll, so you understand, don’t you? That exhilaration.”

“Well, yeah... I know the stories of your feats of martial prowess are a source of entertainment for the people, too.”

Besides, dungeons played a role in the local economy. That was why the state shouldn’t get involved more than necessary. I wanted dungeon cores for the Jewel Voice Broadcast, but I also wanted to avoid causing any unexpected problems.

“So, well, do your best, adventurer,” I said.

“Don’t talk like it has nothing to do with you! If you can use that doll, you can be an adventurer too, can’t you?”

“But now you know I’m the one controlling it. I was thinking of stopping the adventuring.”

“That’d be a waste, you know,” she said. “I know the doll’s empty, so I can use it to slow down the enemy, sacrifice it, or use it as bait without hesitating.”

“You’re totally planning to get it wrecked. It wasn’t cheap, you know.”

“Hey, let’s adventure together again. I swear I won’t say a word about who you are.”

Juno put her hands together and pleaded, so I shrugged.

“Well, if your tongue slips, I can just have him retire then, I guess.”

“I’m telling you, it won’t!”

From there we argued over some silly things, and by the time I realized it, a fair amount of time had pa.s.sed. It felt like having a good conversation with a friend I hadn’t met in a long time. Talking with a like-minded companion really was fun.

That was why...

“I hope we can talk like this again sometime.” Those words came out of my mouth naturally. “I want to hear more about the castle town, and about all sort of other inconsequential things.”

“...You want to make me your spy?” Juno asked.

“That’s not it. I have better spies available, after all.”

“Well, of course you do... I learned that firsthand.” Juno clutched her chest and trembled a little. She must have been truly terrified to be chased by the Black Cats.

“If I’m in the castle all the time, I feel like I’ll be disconnected from the people,” I said. “That’s why I want to hear about the little things that went on in town. Like how one lady was saying, 'These vegetables are too expensive! Make them cheaper!’ or Gonbe’s baby caught a cold.”

“Who’s Gonbe supposed to be?” Juno chuckled and nodded. “Sure. When I’ve got free time, I’ll chat with you. Is this a good time of day?”

“Let’s see. I’ll tell the spies to show you in.”

“I’m getting an escort from those guys...? Well, it’s fine.” With that said, Juno stood up on top of the railing. “We really got talking, didn’t we? Well, I should be off.”

“Yeah. Be careful on your way back. I’m looking forward to the day we can talk again.”

“Sure thing. I’ll try to have an interesting story ready for when that time comes.”

“All right, I’ll have something to eat prepared next time.”

“Sounds good. The food in that cafeteria was delicious, after all.”

Juno turned to go, but then she suddenly looked my way.

“If you get sick of living in the castle, just tell me. I’ll take you on an adventure anytime,” she said with a smile.

“Well, if you get tired of living like a tumbleweed and want to settle down somewhere, tell me,” I replied with a laugh. “I can introduce you to any number of places where you can live where you work.”

“Ha ha, nice comeback. Well, later then.”

“Yeah. See you next time, Juno.”

Juno jumped down from the railing, bounced along the rooftops as she vanished into the darkness of night. As would be expected from the party’s scout, she was nimble.

Watching Juno’s back as she left, I whispered to myself, “If I get sick of living in the castle... huh.”

That day would surely never come. Because there were people precious to me here.

There is a debate over which is happier, the flower that blooms in the field, or the caged bird.

It is meaningless.

The flower and bird each have their own happiness.

After Returning to the Country Arc – 4: The G.o.d-protected Forest’s Longest Day

— In the middle of the 8th month, 1,547th year, Continental Calendar —

On this clear day, I was flying through the sky on Naden’s back while she was in ryuu form.

This height had scared me at first, but after a number of times being sent out to do weather reporting, I was now completely used to it. Now, I could even sleep at an alt.i.tude of 1,000 meters.

Though Naden gets mad if I sleep...

“Is something the matter, sire?” Aisha asked.

“It’s nothing,” I told her.

It was just that today Aisha was seated behind me, with her hands wrapped tightly around my waist. That was because we were heading to Aisha’s homeland, the G.o.d-protected Forest.

“Still, why are we going to the G.o.d-protected Forest so suddenly?” Aisha asked.

“Because we got engaged, but I haven’t gone to give my regards to Sir Wodan. We’ve been communicating with letters, but I’ve been meaning to find the time to go see him.”

“It was to see him about the betrothal?!”

“Yeah. I’ve already talked to Liscia’s parents, and Juna’s guardian is Excel, so I’ve spoken with her. For Naden, Tiamat is like her mother, so the formalities are taken care of there, too. For Roroa... I intend to visit their grave soon.”

Near Van, the former capital of the Princ.i.p.ality, there was a grave for the Amidonian royal family. Roroa’s parents lay at rest there. I couldn’t imagine Gaius would have blessed our marriage, but I had to believe that Roroa’s mother, a cheerful woman according to Sir Gouran, would have pacified him.

“So, that being the case, we’re visiting Aisha’s family home, huh?” Naden asked.

“Urgh... If that was what this was about, you could have told me. I’m not mentally prepared...” Aisha ground her forehead against my back.

Leaving the confused Aisha alone for a bit, I talked to my other fiancée, who was kindly giving us a ride.

“Sorry, Naden. Making you give Aisha a ride again, too.”

I gave her a pat on the back.

She turned her ryuu head around to look our way and replied, “I don’t really mind if it’s Aisha,” using her telepathy. “She’s ridden me before. Besides, ‘the partner of my partner is like me partner.’”

“Yeah, you were saying something like that before.”

Aisha, who seemed to have recovered from writhing in embarra.s.sment, tilted her head to the side. “Hm... If Naden and I are partners, which of us is the husband?”

What is this stupidity Aisha was suddenly spouting? ...was what I thought, but Naden pondered the question with a surprising amount of seriousness.

“Hmm, wouldn’t it be you, Aisha? You’re strong, after all.”

“In your ryuu form, you’re strong, too.”

“But compared to Juna, you’re more of a husband type, wouldn’t you say?”

“Comparing me to Juna isn’t fair! She’s more of a woman than anyone.”

“In this form, my b.r.e.a.s.t.s are bigger than hers... Wait, saying that just makes me sad. But when you think of it that way, isn’t Liscia the most like a husband?”

“Lady Liscia is gutsy,” Aisha agreed. “In a way, she’s better husband material than His Majesty.”

“You’re just saying whatever you want...” Hearing the two of them talk, my shoulders slumped. It was true enough; I was nowhere near as gutsy as Liscia. “Still, in the end, you’d both prefer to be the wife, right?”

““Well, of course.””

“For my part, I need both of you to be my brides.”

“Sire!” Aisha cried.

“Souma!”

The two both smiled bashfully.

I was embarra.s.sed having said it, too.

“It’s awkward having my superior flirting right beside me, you realize?” Hal complained.

He was flying beside us on the back of Ruby, who was in red dragon form. He looked at us with a face like he’d been forced to drink boiled sugar.

His mount was looking at Naden with her golden eyes, too.

“You, too, Naden,” Ruby rebuked and then looked away sulkily. “If you’re a dragon of the Star Dragon Mountain Range, keep yourself together when your knight is riding you. That is the dignity expected of a knight’s partner.”

“Souma’s not a knight, he’s a king, so there.”

“Don’t quibble! That makes him higher than a knight!”

“Oh, geez, shut up!”

The two of them started arguing high up in the sky.

While they weren’t as hostile as they had been when I’d first met the two of them, neither of them had changed their stubborn personalities, so fights like this were a daily occurrence.

That said, they did it as friends.

As my fiancée, Naden’s position was far higher than Ruby’s, but the fact they could fight on equal terms showed that Naden and Ruby didn’t let that come between them. They were each the only person the other knew from their homeland here, after all.

Then Naden said, “Nyahh!” and barred her teeth. “You can stop worrying about me and get along with your own knight, can’t you?! That fox-eared mage isn’t here today, so you can get as lovey-dovey as you want.”

“Wh-What are you saying?! I wouldn’t...”

“Oh, my, what’s this? Your face is all red, Ruby?” Naden teased.

“It’s naturally that color!”

After that, Naden and Ruby kept shouting and having a good time. Where did the dignity expected of a knight’s partner go...? Well, if they were getting along and fighting with each other, I could let that go.

“But there wasn’t any need for me to come, was there?” Hal asked. “If Young Miss Aisha and Young Miss Naden are with you, isn’t that enough to protect you?”

It was true; when I had the greatest warrior in the kingdom, Aisha, and Naden, who in her ryuu form could probably take on over ten wyvern riders at once, with me, there was no point in bringing Hal to protect me.

However, there was a good reason for bringing him along.

“When I sent Sir Wodan a letter saying, ‘I will come to visit soon,’ I was asked to bring you with me, too,” I explained. “It seems Sir Sur has been wanting to see you.”

“By Sir Sur, you mean... Ohh, that dark elf who came to reinforce us before, huh?” Hal said, clapping his hands.

Back when the Forbidden Army and the Army had been staring each other down near Randel, there had been a unit of dark elf archers rus.h.i.+ng to their aid as thanks for the relief they’d received after the landslide disaster. The one leading those reinforcements had been Sir Sur. Our troops had been stretched thin at the time, so I was still really grateful remembering that a.s.sistance.

“But why does he want to meet me?” Hal asked. “He’s already repaid his debts, hasn’t he?”

“Oh, well, it seems the one who really wants to meet with you is Sur’s daughter. She was apparently one of the people you saved while searching for survivors with me.”

“...Yeah, I don’t remember her. We saved a lot of people that time, after all.”

“Even if you’ve forgotten her, she hasn’t forgotten you. You’re the man who saved her life, after all.”

“Only because that was the mission...” Hal scratched at his head.

He wasn’t good at accepting excessive praise. He might run wild at times, but that straightforward nature of his was very like Hal, and it left a good impression on me.

“Let her thank you, at least,” I said. “Now then... Come on, Naden, Ruby, don’t just keep fighting forever. Let’s hurry on to the G.o.d-protected Forest. Sir Wodan is waiting for us.”

“Oh! Yeah. Roger that.”

“R-Roger.”

And with the two dragon girls having come to their senses and picked up the pace, we headed for the G.o.d-protected Forest.

The green leaves of the G.o.d-protected Forest shone in the summer sun.

When coming to provide aid before, we had stopped the rhinosaurus train outside and headed for the village on foot, but this time we were coming from the air, so we could land directly in the dark elf village.

“H-He really came on a dragon!” an elf exclaimed.

“That’s a big’un...”

They weren’t wary because we had notified them in advance, but the dark elves curiously watched the ryuu and the dragon descend from a distance.

When we touched down and Naden and Ruby took human form, the people who had been watching from a distance rushed in like a dam had just burst. Surrounded by dark elves of all ages, from children to adults, we ended up getting manhandled.

“What?! You girls are dragons?!”

“Wowwie! Hey, transform again!”

“Why, King Souma, how good of you to come visit.”

“You were a great help last time.”

“Hey, Lady Aisha, good of you to come back.”

“Lady Aisha, congratulations on your betrothal to His Majesty.”

“Is this red-headed girl Sir Hal’s partner? She’s a beauty.”

“Who is this black-haired kid? Huh? She’s not a kid?”

That was about how it went, with the questions flying fast and it not being clear who was saying what to whom until somebody clapped their hands.

Looking in the direction of the noise, Aisha’s father Sir Wodan was looking on with a wry smile.

“Everyone, His Majesty and his entourage have only just arrived. It is rude to surround and interrogate them like that.”

When Wodan lightly told them off, the dark elves stepped back seeming a little embarra.s.sed.

Now that we were free from the crowd, we could finally catch our breaths.

“You’re a lifesaver, Sir Wodan,” I said gratefully.

“No, no, the villagers were being rude. However, this is because when they learned that you, who came to the aid of our village, were coming to visit, they all became excited about how they had to welcome you. Please, forgive them.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m grateful for the warm welcome.”

Sir Wodan and I exchanged a firm handshake. In that moment, the dark elves all started clapping...

I dunno, being this welcome was kind of embarra.s.sing.

“Now, it won’t do for us to stand here talking forever,” Sir Wodan said, indicating which direction he wanted us to go. “Please, come to my house.”

“Chief.” A hand went up from inside the crowd of dark elves.

The one with his hand raised was Sir Sur, who had lead the reinforcements that came during our battle against the Army.

“I wanted to invite Sir Halbert to my own house,” he said. “Would that be all right?”

“Hmm, what do you say, King Souma?” Sir Wodan asked.

I smiled and nodded. “I don’t mind. That was why I brought him along in the first place.”

“Thank you,” Sur said. “Now, Sir Halbert, please come to my house.”

“O-Okay?”

Hal was dragged off with Sur pulling him by the arm. Ruby hurried after them.

Having parted with Hal, Aisha, Naden, and I went to Sir Wodan’s house.

Looking at the village along the way, I could see almost no signs of the disaster that had happened here before. Their houses were in a forest to begin with, and many were simple, so it must not have taken long to rebuild them.“You’ve come a long way towards recovering already,” I commented.

“That is thanks to your generous provision of materials,” Sir Wodan said. “Thank you, sincerely.”

“I ought to thank you. Thank you for sending those reinforcements during the recent war.”

“It was nothing. Those are the times when we most need to help one another.”

As we walked, we entered Wodan’s house.

Having been shown through to the living room, Wodan offered me the head seat at the table, but I firmly declined.

“I’m not here as a king today, but as a single man, here to take Aisha to wife. Please, sit at the head of the table, Sir Wodan.”

“...I see.”

Sir Wodan sat in the head seat, while I sat across from him. I had Aisha sit next to me, and Naden sat a little behind us, waiting.

Then I bowed my head. “Even though my betrothal to Aisha was agreed on, I must apologize for having been so busy that it delayed my coming to give you, her father, my regards. Please, give me your daughter... give me Aisha as my wife.”

“P-Please, Father.” Aisha hurriedly bowed her head.

When I glanced over, Naden was bowing her head along with us.

Sir Wodan sighed a little. “Raise your heads,” he said.

When I raised my face, Sir Wodan had tried to force a smile, but failed. It was an awkward expression.

“I am sure Aisha requested this marriage, didn’t she? There is no need for you to bow your head, Sir Souma. This is complicated for me as a father, but if it is my daughter’s wish... it seems I must give you my blessing.”

“Fatheeer...” Aisha said tearfully, her voice full of emotion. Sir Wodan gave her a smile, then returning his face to normal, he looked me in the eye.

“We dark elves are a long-lived race. Aisha is younger than you, and will live longer, I am sure. Even if you reach the end of your natural life, you will be leaving Aisha behind. Do you understand that?”

“Yes.”

The life of an ordinary human like myself, when looked at by a member of a long-lived race like Naden or Aisha, had to look like a short thing. Even so, Aisha and Naden both wanted to be with me.

In order to ensure they did not regret the time spent with me, I thought from the bottom of my heart that I would endeavor to be a good king, and a good partner. Even if a time when we would be forced to part was to come...

However, it seemed what Sir Wodan wanted to say was a little different than what I was reflecting on. He began to speak, sounding like he had found some sort of enlightenment.

“However, long-lived as our races are, if we cannot live to the end of our natural lives, it is possible for us to live a shorter time than humans. We can die in war or accidents. If we catch epidemic diseases, we die quite easily. My own wife, Aisha’s mother, lost her life to such a disease. If you let your guard down because she is long-lived, Aisha may pa.s.s on before you do.”

I was silent.

“So, please, take care of Aisha. Give her a new family and fond memories for the time when, someday, you go on ahead of her.” Sir Wodan quietly bowed his head.

A father’s wish was always for his daughter’s happiness.