Book 5: Epilogue
Epilogue: Towards the First Trip Abroad
1st day, 4th month, 1,547th year, Continental Calendar
It was the day after the Lunarian Orthodoxys Spring Announcent Festival was held.
The Spring Announcent Festival yesterday had been pretty lively, so the castle town would be busily cleaning up after it today. I was spending the day in the governntal affairs office, staring down a single piece of paper.
Liscia, who had just co into the room, looked suspiciously at and asked, Is sothing the matter, Souma?
Hmm? Oh, I was looking at this. I showed Liscia the piece of paper I had been staring at.
The piece of paper had three characters, or symbols, sothing that I couldnt make sense of, lined up on it. Starting from the left there was an arrow-like triangle pointing to the left, combined with a square; two vertical lines and sothing made with a vertical line with five horizontal lines crossing it; and an umbrella-shaped symbol.
Liscia looked sideways at the piece of paper Id given her. Whats this?
Its apparently a portion of the Lunalith oracle that rula saw. ?
rula rlin had co along with Souji Lester, the bishop wed invited as a counterasure against the Lunarian Orthodoxy. Her research primarily focused on spirits and magic, and her long years of research had produced an incredible wealth of knowledge, so I had welcod her with open arms.
Now rula was at Genia the overscientists laboratory where there was all sorts of equipnt available.
It seed curse ore, which absorbed magic, was a very interesting subject of research for rula. She and Genia were spending day after day together, engrossed in their research.
What sort of chemical reaction would the eting of overscientist and magic researcher have on this country? I was kind of looking forward to it, and kind of worried...
Sothing had happened the first ti Id t rula.
The oracle shed said had appeared on the Lunalith ca up in conversation, and when I asked her for details, rula shook her head in disappointnt.
They call it an oracle, so I think what appeared was text; but it wasnt in a writing system from any country in this world, so I couldnt figure out what it said. If Id had a little more ti, I might have at least been able to figure out if they were phonographs or ideographs, but...
It seed she hadnt had the ti to properly commit it to mory. Her life had been in danger, so I could hardly bla her for that.
When I asked her if there was anything she rembered, no matter how minor, shed said, It really is just a small fraction, but I recall... it went like this...
And then shed written these three incomprehensible characters or symbols onto a piece of paper. rulas mories were vague, so these probably were exactly as shed seen them.
In the end, the only thing we knew was that these sorts of incomprehensible characters or symbols had appeared as an oracle.
Liscia seed to realize sothing and said, Ah...! If the writing isnt from this world, could it be from yours?
Yeah, I said. That was sothing I suspected, too, but Ive got absolutely no idea what they are...
I couldnt claim familiarity with every writing system on Earth, obviously, but I could at least say that in more than a decade of living in Japan, I had no recollection of seeing this kind of writing (?) before. The one in the middle might look a bit like the kanji for pray or samurai if you looked at it the right way, but as for what the arrow-like one that ca before it, and the umbrella-like one that ca after it were... I had no idea.
I gave up and put the piece of paper away inside the governntal affairs offices desk. Well, even if I could read just three characters of it, it wouldnt do any good. I cant neglect my duties just because Im curious about it, after all. Lets forget about it for now.
And so, Liscia and I got started on my paperwork for the day, but... I had one of the consciousnesses I had split off thinking about it.
Events sotis took place outside the Kingdom of Friedonia. If sothing bothered , when it was a dostic matter, I could bring on new people, assign personnel to the issue, and assign a budget to get it investigated. I had my position as king, after all.
However, when it was in another country, I couldnt investigate.
If it was sothing the relevant country had already investigated, it was possible I might acquire the information through diplomacy or espionage. However, if they hadnt investigated it yet, I had no ans of acquiring information about that matter. Because it was another country, I couldnt dispatch a team to investigate, either.
What if, included in that information this country couldnt get its hands on, there was sothing that could decide the fate of our own nation? What if we found out about it too late? Whenever I thought about that, I felt unable to sit still.
The world was not complete with just one country. Especially if I was staying inside the castle, it was only natural that there would be things I couldnt find out that way. I still... had so much to learn about this world.
I need to learn more. Much more, about many different countries...
While swamped with governnt work, that was what I thought about.
It was a mysterious space.
It was as if I were in an abyss where no light seed to reach; or perhaps I had been thrown out into deep space, in a place where I was unable to tell up from down.
I was floating in the middle of that space.
I could breathe properly. But my thinking felt hazy sohow.
Oh... This is probably a dream. Im in a dream world.
Sotis while dreaming, I would realize it was a dream.
When I was sleeping at sothing like a kotatsu, where it was hard to fall fully asleep, I would realize it was a dream and think that I needed to wake up quickly, see a dream of waking up, realize I was dreaming again, dream of waking up... and it went on like that. That was close to how I felt right now.
While I was drifting along in that dozing state, a light suddenly appeared before .
The light gradually grew larger, eventually reaching many tens of tis my own size. The light that grew to a massive size eventually began to form into sothing. As it took form, the once strong light gradually weakened. And then...
What appeared before my eyes was one massive silver dragon.
Its sense of presence was overwhelming. It had curled horns like a goat. Claws and fangs that looked like they could rend steel. Powerful wings spread wide. Its body was covered with a smooth silver fur, and its blue eyes seed gentle sohow. It was a dragon that was masculine, and yet felt motherly.
I had been told that wyverns and dragons were completely different before, but... now I could understand. This creature was so dazzlingly divine that it felt absurd to compare it to a wyvern.
Could it be that youre... Mother Dragon? I asked.
It was a hunch. I had heard of this before. They said there were sentient dragons living in the Star Dragon Mountain Range, and they were ruled by a beautifully massive white dragon. The dragon before my eyes was so beautiful I would have described her as a silver dragon, not a white one, but she fit the image of Mother Dragon perfectly.
Mother Dragon neither confird nor denied, but her unswerving eyes that stared into mine told the answer was yes.
Then Mother Dragon stretched that long neck of hers. Even just her head on its own was incredibly big, and if she had felt like it, she could easily have swallowed whole right there. I panicked a little, but my body didnt move, as if it was sewn in place.
Fortunately, Mother Dragons head didnt open its mouth as it approached, and her large nose just ca up close to my chase. Then she gently inhaled through her nostrils. We stayed like that for a short while, and then Mother Dragon slowly pulled her head away from .
You who have a familiar sll, she spoke.
Huh?! I thought, shocked.
I heard a voice. It had the tone of a gentle elderly woman. Was this Mother Dragons voice, maybe? I thought that it might be, but she hadnt opened her mouth.
You who have a familiar sll.
Id heard it again. Yes, I definitely felt like it was coming from Mother Dragons direction.
This... voice that seems to be speaking directly to my brain, is it yours? I asked.
Mother Dragon looked as if she had nodded. This is the only way we can talk when in dragon form.
Thats interesting...
What a mysterious ability it was. I didnt know if it was communication magic or perhaps telepathy, but, well, this was a dream, so anything worked, I guess. But still... having a conversation with Mother Dragon in my dream was like sothing out of an old fantasy movie.
...Could it be that youre showing this dream? I asked.
No, she spoke. This is a dream, yet it is not a dream. By synchronizing our consciousnesses, I gave birth to a pseudo-dream, and thus was able to create a space for us to talk like this.
Mother Dragon explained all that as if this were all very natural.
Synchronization of consciousness, pseudo-dreams... The scenery was like sothing out of a fantasy movie, but the vocabulary coming up was awfully systematic. It was almost like she was familiar with science fiction.
I had heard there were intelligent dragons in the Star Dragon Mountain Range, and I had assud that intelligence was just enough that they could speak like humans, but maybe their intelligence far transcended that of the races of mankind. If that was the case, what an unfathomable country they were.
...So, Madam Mother Dragon, why is it that youve arranged for us to et this way? I addressed her as I would a queen, doing my best to feign composure.
Even though Id asked just to see what shed say... I had so idea why she had contacted .
It had to be the chadra, the thing which Genia had gone and made out of the bones wed excavated. If the Star Dragon Mountain Range got angry at us, saying, Dont play with the remains of our kind, our country would have no choice but to offer an earnest apology. eting a real dragon for the first ti, I was able to reaffirm one thing for myself: We had to be sure we never made enemies of them.
It was said that the monster that a dragons remains could turn into, a skull dragon, was able to destroy an entire country, wasnt it? That probably ant that dragons had that much potential to begin with. It helped to understand why even at the height of their power, the Empire hadnt been able to lay a hand or a foot on the Star Dragon Mountain Range. Or rather, it was reckless that theyd ever decided to pick a fight with beings like this in the first place.
While I was feeling a cold sweat running down my back, Mother Dragon seed to be smiling slightly.
I have nothing to say about that.
Huh?! Did she read my mind?!
I told you, this is a place created by the synchronization of your mind and my own. Even without speaking, you should be able to hear my voice.
... ...So we can communicate just by thinking, is that it?
When I chose to think what I wanted to say, without putting it into words, Mother Dragon nodded.
Well, damn. We werent just having a heart-to-heart; what was in our heads was open to the other party.
There could be no fairer place to negotiate, but it ant that I couldnt lie to her, either. No, maybe as great as Mother Dragon was, she was good enough to tell lies in her own heart? When I thought that, Mother Dragon shook her head.
Even I cannot do that. No creature can lie in their heart.
Is that right? I asked.
Yes. Also, you dont need to say things out loud, you know?
No... I find it a bit unsettling, so please let speak out loud.
This was a space where nothing could be hidden. I decided to ask her about it straight out.
So, about the chadra... you were saying you had nothing to say about it?
I have no intention of telling you what you can and cant do with remains when the soul has already departed, and, on a physical level, the bone had been replaced by stone.
...Even if they were the bones of one of your kind?
You people put the fossilized remains of your own ancestors on display, too, she said. I cant say I have no reservations about it, but it is unavoidable. All living beings eventually die, and then rot away. Animals, plants, humans, and dragons alike, we all return to the soil in the end. In that case, are we to lant that as we tread the earth, we kick those who were once our brethren?
I was surprised. Even though she was an object of worship, Mother Dragon spoke in realistic terms. Also, if her ntion of returning to the soil was in reference to being broken down by microbes, I really couldnt afford to underestimate the dragons knowledge.
If its not about issues with the chadra, why have you set up this eting? I asked.
Mother Dragon narrowed he eyes a little. You who have a familiar sll, King of Elfrieden and Amidonia, Sir Souma Kazuya. I would like for you to co visit the Star Dragon Mountain Range.
The Star Dragon Mountain Range? I asked.
Mother Dragon nodded quietly. In the near future, we will hold a ceremony for the young dragons of the Star Dragon Mountain Range to form riding contracts with the knights of the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom. I would like for you to participate in that ceremony.
Huh?
I was going to participate in the dragon knights ceremony? ...Wait, didnt the Star Dragon Mountain Range have no diplomatic relations with anyone outside of the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom? When I tried to ask for more details, Mother Dragons body began to shine like when she had first appeared. It was so bright, I squinted my eyes.
Just before her form vanished, Mother Dragon left with these words:
There is sothing I wish to entrust you with.
When I opened my eyes, I was on a bed in a dark room.
I looked around with my mind still hazy. It was probably still night. It was dark, but the moonlight streaming in through the window allowed to make out the inside of this neat and tidy Western-style room.
This is... Oh, right. Im in Liscias room.
Last night... or rather, every night lately, unless I was especially busy with work... Id gone to sleep and woken up in Liscias room. Of course... well... that was so we could do a lot of fooling around.
When I looked next to , as expected, I found Liscias sleeping face. It was hectic the next morning if we did it in the governntal affairs office, and when it ca to my room, half of it was my doll-making workshop, and the other half was where we spent ti as a family, which made it awkward; so, as a result, we were using Liscias room every night.
Nngh... Liscia, who had been lying on her back next to , asleep and naked, seed to lift her head up, but then rolled onto her side. Then, slowly opening her eyes, she rubbed the sleep from them and looked at . Mmm... Souma?
Sorry. Did I wake you?
...No. Its fine. Whats up?
Oh... I just had a kind of incredible dream...
A dream?
That was when it happened.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
Suddenly, there was a sound like that. It was a mysterious sound, almost like a siren, or perhaps the howling of so creature. We could hear it from a considerable distance, so it must have been at a very high volu, but it didnt make our ears ring at all. It wasnt going to wake those who were asleep, probably. I had never heard it myself before, but I imagined it was like the singing of whales.
I put on my shirt, and pulled on a pair of pants, then got out of bed and went over to stand by the window. When I did, I saw a large shadow in the sky flying away to the northwest.
How unusual, said Liscia. Thats Mother Dragon on one of her sightseeing flights.
Liscia stood next to , naked except for the blanket wrapped around her.
Sightseeing flights? I asked.
Its my first ti seeing it myself. On rare occasions, there are tis when Mother Dragon flies around the continent. She doesnt do anything in particular, but the Mother Dragon worshipers say that good fortune cos to those who see her out on her sightseeing flights.
Good fortune... huh.
Liscia seed to think it was a coincidence, but when I considered the dream Id just had...
It was a dream, and yet not a dream... Is that it?
I had a premonition that sothing was about to happen again, and I let out a small sigh.
The next day...
While I was still concerned by the events of last night, I was working like usual in the governntal affairs office when an exhausted Pri Minister Hakuya ca in.
Whats wrong? I asked. You look horribly tired.
Hakuya walked over, and then said to with a tornted look, Your Majesty... Could I ask you to get away from the castle for a while?
...Co again?
Get away from the castle? He was telling to get out of the castle? I was kind of the king here, you know?
Youre overthrowing ? I asked. Really, Hakuya, if you want the throne, its okay, I dont mind letting you have it.
Dont talk nonsense. I dont want that thing.
That thing? Now listen...
Its fine. Just listen. Just recently, you announced the date of your wedding ceremony, right?
When Hakuya asked that, I nodded.
The other day, Id announced that I, who was still just a caretaker who had not formally ascended the throne yet, would carry out the coronation ceremony which would make the fourteenth king, along with my wedding ceremony with Liscia and the others, at the end of this year. I had decided to do it this way because handling the big events all at once would be easier on the national treasury.
However, Hakuya said it was causing a problem.
The castle is now being flooded with proposals from nobles, as well as from the kings of dium-sized and small states in the Union of Eastern Nations, all of whom want to form marital ties with you, sire. Theyre hoping to slide in now, before the marriage ceremony happens.
Its a last minute rush of suitors, then? I said. Cant you just refuse them?
We could, but... these are all houses whose position makes it hard to refuse when they say, Even if you are going to refuse, we would like to et with you at least once before you do. Recently, the number of marriage proposals brought to the castle has been on a rising trend, and the section responsible for them is about ready to burst at the seams.
...There are that many people sending marriage proposals? I asked trepidatiously.
No, they arent just for you, sire. The single n at your side who are seen as having promising futures, every one of them, have been receiving a fairly large number of marriage proposals, too.
So if they couldnt marry into the royal family, they at least wanted to marry a retainer with a promising future. That was probably an easier challenge for them to clear than becoming a mber of the royal family, after all. Honestly... if you were to say that this was all nobles ever did, it would be true, but... still, it was impressive that they could keep it up like this.
Incidentally, the most popular of your retainers is Sir Poncho, Hakuya said.
Poncho? Now there was a surprise.
Not Ludwin, the handso captain of the Royal Guard?
Its true, Sir Ludwin is incredibly popular, but the House of Arcs is a great house, and the only people who can propose to him are of the nobility and the knightly class, said Hakuya. On that point, Sir Poncho is of low birth, and so even common rcantile families send marriage proposals to him. Furthermore, while Sir Ludwin feels out of reach, many won seem to think they could easily seduce Sir Poncho.
...Hes being taken lightly, huh.
If the marriage proposals were piling up for Poncho, that ant he was popular, too. Though he was pudgy and rotund, he was also a gentle and considerate young man. More than that, his food was delicious. On top of that, he had led the country to a solution for its food crisis; and if you considered the way he was almost worshiped as a god of food in the Amidonia Region, there had to be a lot of won who would want to marry him.
Poncho was known for giving ground when pushed, which they had seen from his appearances on the broadcast programs. For any woman even slightly confident in her appearance, it might not have been unreasonable that they thought they could push past his defenses with sheer montum. In point of fact, Poncho was not very good at fending off those sorts of advances.
Hmm... I was happy to hear that a good retainer like Poncho was a hit with the ladies, but I was hoping he would continue doing good work for in future, so I didnt want anyone too weird catching him.
Have you taken counterasures? I asked.
Yes. I have already asked Madam Serina to act as Sir Ponchos assistant. She attends arranged marriage etings with him, and drives off won who approach him purely out of personal ambition.
Oh... No need to worry, then. If Serina was there as Ponchos assistant, it would probably be fine.
There were so issues with Serinas personality, but she was extrely graceful and beautiful. If she was at his side, the won who were only a little confident in their appearance, and who thought they could seduce him, would back down.
I had often asked her to serve as Ponchos assistant before this, but Serina always said things like, When I go to such efforts on a gentlemans behalf, I hope he will get his act together a little more. I am working very hard, so please, treat to a al again soti.
Though she complained, and it was obvious she was only doing it because she wanted his food, she seed to be proactive about looking after Poncho. Poncho loved both to eat and to cook, and Serina was hooked on the junk food from Earth that he and I were developing together.
Serina seed unaware of it because she had let her sadistic tendency to bully cute girls get out of hand, but it felt like he had completely tad her with food. He was a timid man you couldnt leave alone, and she was a strong-willed woman who tended to ddle, so they got along well and... Wait, huh?
Serina attends Ponchos marriage etings, right? I asked.
Yes. I hear that many won excuse themselves when they see what the woman standing next to him looks like.
Isnt that like... Serinas unconsciously sheltering Poncho?
...
...
We looked at one another, awkward looks on the faces of liege and vassal alike.
...Yeah, it was best we not get involved in this matter. It would be uncouth for us to butt in and say anything. For the mont, I decided to change the subject.
Ahem... Anyway, Ill bet its not just Ludwin and Poncho, is it? You must have a significant number of proposals coming your way, too, dont you?
Hakuya was handso, and he was the closest of all the n close to . I couldnt imagine the ladies and nobles of the world would let him get away. When I brought it up, Hakuya got a look on his face like he had bitten into sothing unpleasant.
I... have no intention of taking a wife just yet.
Its not that you arent interested in won, though, right? Are you one of those guys who thinks marriage is too much of a hassle?
No, said Hakuya. I do intend to have a wife and children so day, but I want to find and choose a partner for myself. I wouldnt want soone else to force a marriage on .
...Youre saying that to ? I asked.
For Liscia and , our betrothal had been totally forced on us. Even with Aisha and Juna, theyd both initially approached with other motives because of their positions; and when it ca to Roroa, she had brought her whole country with her so that she could protect the people of the principality through marrying . I hadnt t a single one of them in an ordinary way.
When I pointed that out, Hakuya bowed his head to , more flustered than I would have expected from him. I apologize. I didnt an to speak ill of your betrothals, sire...
Its fine. I an, in my world, the majority of people thought the way that you do.
In Japan, marriages were generally for love and with the consent of both parties.
In this world which hadnt managed to throw off the feudal system, the higher their position in society, the less freedom people had in that regard. In particular, when it ca to the marriages of the knights and nobles, their aning as a bond between houses was majorly important. Like with Ludwin and Genia, or Hal and Kaede, there were cases where the houses were already associated with one another, but those were rare exceptions. In most cases, the higher up you went on the social ladder, the more the houses expectations determined ones marriage choices.
Though, that said, if soone had enough authority, like I did, it was an issue that could be dealt with. It had co up with my betrothal to Juna, but if we had arranged to have her adopted into a noble family, it would have been possible to adjust the status difference between us.
In Hakuyas case, he was the Pri Minister of this country, so he could do sothing like that. So, in this case, it was an issue with Hakuyas views on marriage.
Well, if there was one thing I could say, it was that no matter how it got started in the first place, love was love. My bond with Liscia and the others was so deep now that I couldnt imagine parting with them.
Hey, so loves have started in a relationship that was forced on people, you know? I asked, speaking fondly of my own loved ones.
Hakuya looked taken aback, then smiled a little. ...I suppose youre right. When I see you and your family, sire, I start to think that maybe it would be all right.
But for now, you still have no intention of marrying anyone?
I apologize.
Hmm... Well, if he wanted to wait for his ideal woman to appear, I supposed that was an option. Maybe he had already t soone like that, and was engaged in a one-sided love right now.
But as your king, let say, you had better start training your heir in case the worst should happen, I said. Im sure youd like to be able to settle into an easy retirent nice and early, too, right?
Thats true. I think Ill look for a good ti to take on an apprentice.
Oh, I guess an apprentice works, too. Co to think of it, youve been teaching Tomoe, havent you?
Tomoe was my little sister by adoption, and I loved her dearly. Recently she had been learning reading, writing, and arithtic from Hakuya, and he was apparently teaching her this countrys history, too. Id heard that she was an enthusiastic learner, and Hakuya was responding to her by becoming an enthusiastic instructor.
When I brought it up, Hakuya smiled wryly. I gave in to your little sisters drive to be of help to her big sister. Though she is not especially clever, she does have passion, so I believe she may beco an accomplished individual given ti. Though, that said, I have no desire to place my heavy burden on your little sisters shoulders.
Havent you already turned into a doting teacher? I asked.
My opinion is based on a calm evaluation.
Hmm... Well, if Hakuya was thinking about this stuff in his own way, that was good enough, I guess.
Hey, wait! How did we get onto this topic again? I asked.
From talking about how were swamped with marriage proposals for you, sire, Hakuya said. And on that note, I want you to get out of the castle for a while. If you are not present in the castle, it is easy to refuse the nobles who insist on you just eting them once.
Oh, right. If I wasnt present, I couldnt et them even if I wanted to. His plan was to be evasive and avoid giving any straight answers while we waited for this wave to subside, no doubt.
But what about my governnt work in the anti?
Fortunately, there are no pressing concerns, and the country is stable right now. For your ordinary governnt work, you can use that creepy Factory Arm machine of yours and it will handle the job just fine, wont it?
Dont call it creepy, I said. Well... I guess youre right.
He was talking about the human arm-type manipulator that Genia had developed: the Factory Arm #1. By attaching the Factory Arm #1, which could move like a real human arm, to a mannequin, I was able to perform my governnt work from a distance. It was creepy to look at, so it wasnt popular with those who had to visit the room, like the bureaucrats or the chamberlain, but it was a very handy thing to have.
It was true that, so long as I had it, there was no need for to stay in the castle.
So, once Im out of the castle, what are you expecting to do? I asked.
Well, in order to provide an environnt where its easy to shut out nobles who want to et with you, while also being closed off and easy to secure, I was considering a short-term enrollnt in the Royal Academy or Royal Officers Academy for you, but... Hakuya pulled out a single letter. Now that sothing like this has arrived, I believe I will send you abroad.
Abroad? I inquired, looking at the letter. There was a dragon crest on the wax seal.
Hakuya bowed his head. I took the liberty of opening it and perusing the contents. It is a letter of invitation to the Contract Ceremony in the Star Dragon Mountain Range.
Madam Mother Dragon sure works fast, huh.
Hm? What do you an?
Hakuya looked at questioningly, so I explained to him what had happened last night. When Hakuya heard I had spoken to Mother Dragon in my dreams, he had an excited look on his face that I didnt often see from him.
What an honor that must have been!
You seem awfully high strung. Hakuya, are you one of those Mother Dragon worshipers?
Oh, no... Its true that my family were Mother Dragon worshipers, but Im not that pious myself.
Okay, then what has you so excited? I asked.
Hakuya shrugged his shoulder exasperatedly. The only nation the Star Dragon Mountain Range has ford diplomatic relations with is the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom, but there are rare occasions when Mother Dragon will make an exception and invite a specific individual to have them form a riding contract with a dragon. From what Ive heard, the first king of this country was also invited to form a contract with a dragon.
Oh, the first king, whod been summoned from another world like .
Bringing together the various races, founding the Elfrieden Kingdom, forming a contract with a dragon... hed sure acted a lot more like a hero than I ever had. Excel probably knew all about those tis, so maybe it would be good to talk to her about his achievents at length soti.
Well, unusual as it is, is it really sothing we should be in such a rush to go do? I asked.
There is sothing in common between you and the first king, sire. You were both summoned from another world. Thats why, for so, you remind them of the first king. If you manage to form a contract with a dragon there like the first king did, the number of people who view you and the first king in the sa light will increase. If the people respect you more, the country will beco even more stable.
Id be borrowing the authority of the first king, then, I mused. That sounds like itd lead to inflated expectations, and I dont like it.
Be willing to put up with that much, please. You are doing your job as a king, but your title as hero is being left to rot. In order to avoid losing to the Empire or the Orthodox Papal State in terms of dignity, considering that both of them have saints, Ive been thinking we need sothing prestigious.
I get what you want to say, but... dont get your hopes up too high, okay? I hedged. Its not guaranteed that Ill be forming a contract with a dragon. I an, I might only have been called there as a guest of honor.
Having warned Hakuya, I rested my cheeks on my palms and thought about it. For a start, if I were to assu it was already decided I would be going to the Star Dragon Mountain Range... then the next thing to decide was who I would take with .
...So, there you have it, its been decided Im going to the Star Dragon Mountain Range.
It was a few hours later. I had gathered my companions in the conference room for the announcent.
Present were my four fiances, Liscia, Aisha, Juna, and Roroa, as well as Pri Minister Hakuya, Captain of the Royal Guard Ludwin, Finance Minister Colbert, my honorary little sister Tomoe, and the maids Serina and Carla, for a total of eleven people, including myself.
Youll be going out of the country, right? Are you going to be okay? Liscia asked, sounding concerned, so I nodded.
Ill have the Black Cats watching over from the shadows along the way. Mind you, I really cant have them enter the territory of the Star Dragon Mountain Range with . Still, once were in the Star Dragon Mountain Range, there probably isnt anyone whod try to ss with us. Besides, Ive been given permission to bring a few companions with into the Star Dragon Mountain Range. Hakuya, how many was the limit again?
Up to five was what the letter said.
Nodding in response to Hakuyas answer, I turned to face the rest. That being the case, I want to bring about five people. Were going incognito, so I dont want to stand out, but its outside the country, and we dont know what might happen. Thats why, as much as possible, I want people who are capable warriors. Aisha, I definitely want you with .
Yes, sir. I will protect you with my life, Your Majesty.
Thats no good, I said. Youre already recognized by the people as a candidate to beco my future second primary queen. I know its weird for to say this when Im the one who needs protecting, but dont say youll give your life for . Make sure you protect yourself properly, too.
Y-Yes! Understood! Aisha bobbed her head up and down, nodding.
Next I looked to Liscia. On the other hand, the one person I cant take with this ti is Liscia.
...Can you give a reason? Liscia asked with a look of discontent on her face. She clearly wasnt satisfied, but she was willing to hear out first.
If Im the top authority in this country, youre number two, I said. We estimate the trip abroad will last about a month. We cant have the top authority and his number two both away for that long. Im sure theres no risk to our lives, but think what would happen if sothing delayed our return. In the event that happens, I need to have left behind soone who can run the country for .
...Youre right. Its unfortunate, but... I can accept that, Liscia said with a sigh.
I regretted it, too. She was a reliable girl, and I really did want to bring her.
Liscia brought a hand to her chest, as if trying to shift her mindset. Ill hold down the fort while youre gone. In exchange, can you try not to be too reckless?
Yeah. Ill be relying on you.
With Liscia having accepted it, I turned to Juna next.
As for Juna, who can handle both fighting and intelligence gathering, Id really like to have you along, but we cant take you off the educational program for too long, now can we?
...Thats right. Its a sha.
Oh, oh! ! ! I wanna go! Roroa raised her hand and started hopping up and down trying to get my attention.
Colbert imdiately pinned her arms behind her back. Y-You cant, Princess! Weve expanded to so many different enterprises, I need you here to help manage them all! Besides, you have to appear with Juna on the educational program, dont you?
Roroas shoulders slumped. Aw... but I wanted to go on vacation with Darlin, too.
Its a trip abroad, okay? I said. Well all go on a family vacation together eventually.
Wed better, darlin!
Of the remaining mbers, I looked to Carla.
Carla, I want you to co as a bodyguard, too.
M-?!
Out of everyone here, Im looking for soone with martial ability and nothing important to do, so youre the most appropriate choice.
U-Understood, Master! Carla cried.
Carla, take care of Souma for , would you? Liscia walked over to her and took her hand gently.
Carla let go, took a step back, and saluted her. Leave it to , Liscia. I swear my master will co back unhard!
While watching that exchange between two friends out of the corner of my eye, I addressed the group.
For the rest, theyre not here, but I think Ill take Hal and Kaede. Hals martial prowess cos guaranteed, and I know him well. Kaedes a powerful earth mage, too, after all. For now, I think Ill take those four as my companions. Everyone, work on that assumption and...
U-Um! Big Brother. Tomoe hesitantly, but using a clearly audible voice, raised her hand.
Tomoe? What is it? I asked.
T-Take with you, please!
Whaa?! everyone cried out in surprise.
The timid Tomoe, who did everything she could to stay out of the way of the adults in the castle, was suddenly acting aggressive. Maybe the only one who wasnt surprised was her teacher, Hakuya.
Um... its outside the country, you know? I said. It could be dangerous, too...
I-I want to see more of the world! Not just the castle. I want to see more of everything, and to eventually be soone who can support my big brother and sister! Tomoe clenched her fists tight as she made her appeal.
We had been protecting Tomoe up until now, but shed said she wanted to be able to support us. Tomoe was eleven years old now. If shed been a boy, itd be a period in her life where shed still be doing stupid stuff; and as a girl, she was about to hit a sensitive period. I was happy to see this change in her as a mber of the family, and also concerned.
Sire... Hakuya said. If possible, I would like you to take your little sister along.
I was still at a loss for words.
During this period, I have judged that broadening her horizons will help her to grow, he continued.
Well sure, even in my world there was a saying, If you love your child, let them go on a journey, but still. I crossed my arms and thought about what to do.
Please, Big Brother... Tomoe pleaded with teary eyes.
When she asked with those cute puppy dog eyes that reminded of this old comrcial with a chihuahua, I really struggled to co up with my answer.
We had things covered in terms of martial ability. With Aisha and Halbert there, we could respond to almost any situation.
But still... it could be dangerous...
I was conflicted between my concern for her as as her big brother, and my desire to grant her wish as her big brother. After nearly two minutes of agonizing over it... in the end, I gave in to the earnest look in Tomoes eyes and raised the white flag.
Okay... Ill allow it. But only after youve gotten permission from Tomoko. That was Tomoes mother. If you cant get her permission, I cant take you with . Also, none of us will be talking to her about this matter. You need to convince your mother on your own. Is that still okay?
Yes! Tomoe energetically nodded.
I dont know what happened between Tomoe and Tomoko after that. However, in the end, Tomoe managed to convince her.
When Tomoko appeared alongside Tomoe later, she must have been worried deep down. Your Majesty, please take care of my daughter, she said, and bowed her head to resolutely.
It seed the apple didnt fall far from the tree. I ant that in a good way, of course.
Well, my companions for the trip were decided.
Off we would go.
Onward to the country of dragons, the Star Dragon Mountain Range.
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