The party of Kelvin, guided by a soldier, meets the King in a temporary lodging establishment set up on elevated ground. The King is accompanied by his Minister, while Efil, who won the right to be Kelvin’s escort through rock-paper-scissors, stands behind Kelvin.
“Lord Kelvin, welcome. It is a small country with nothing much, but please, stay for a while.”
“Not at all. I never dreamed I would be welcomed so warmly for such a sudden visit. I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s kindness in bothering to see even a humble adventurer like myself.”
King Furnis displays a friendly demeanor, and Kelvin maintains a model posture for an audience. Though their conversation around the table appears harmonious, a fierce battle of wits rages beneath the surface as they try to read each other’s intentions.
(Did he say he never dreamed of it? To send a hero and then say something like that… Is he planning to cause trouble if the situation allows it!? Your Majesty, do not let your guard down! You will be caught off guard!)
(Hmm. I want to get to the volcano quickly, but we just crossed the sea. Sera, Shutra, and Rion are very interested in this country, so maybe it’s better to take a few days to rest? And we need to secure food for Mel too—)
The battle is largely one-sided. Kelvin uses a part of his [Parallel thought] to manage a polite conversation with the King, harboring no ill will.
“And it’s not true that you have nothing. Furnis has wonderful prey, doesn’t it? You are a modest king.”
“Is, is that so? I’m often told that. Hahaha…”
The Fire Dragon King who lives in the volcano, the path to the Underworld. Kelvin thought of these things and praised him with a straightforward heart.
(W, wonderful things? Is there something in our country that would be targeted by an S-Rank Adventurer— Huh! Th, that’s it! He’s after my beautiful daughters! I believe Lord Kelvin was the teacher of Touya, the hero. My daughters were actively approaching Touya. If he spoke of that to Lord Kelvin after returning to Delamis… It would explain why Lord Kelvin, known as a womanizer, suddenly arrived in this country! My daughters are beautiful, just like their mother, and I am confident they would be presentable anywhere. But! He will surely do something, something irreversible! I must somehow avoid this crisis—)
King Furnis’s sharp mind led his thoughts to an unclear conclusion from this short exchange. He quickly made eye contact with the Minister, who also gasped. It seemed the King’s intended message was perfectly conveyed.
“By the way, Lord Kelvin, do you have plans for the immediate future? Coming to the Western Continent must mean you have some business here?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, I have important matters to attend to and would like to depart as soon as possible…”
The King and Minister inwardly exclaimed “Oh!” at Kelvin’s unexpected words, though they showed no outward reaction.
“I would like to make various preparations… Three days. Yes, I would like to stay in town for about three days.”
“…I see, I see. It is an honor that Lord Kelvin, the famous adventurer, would grace our country with his presence.”
A super typhoon decision: three days of stay in Furnis. The King maintained a perfectly natural smile, but his stomach was twisting as if it were about to tear. The deadline of three days weighed heavily on them.
“Then, we will arrange lodgings for you—”
“There is no need to trouble you with such matters. Your welcome alone is more than enough for unworthy individuals like us. We will manage our own accommodations during our stay.”
“Hahaha. Lord Kelvin is not only skilled but also values etiquette, it seems.”
Their plan to guide Kelvin to pre-arranged lodgings failed. This made it difficult to ascertain where Kelvin would stay and where he might make his move. In the worst-case scenario, he might even sneak into the castle and attack them in their sleep.
((The possibility… is very high!))
It seemed very high indeed. It had paid off to obtain and study the latest Adventurer’s Registry. Both of them felt so from the bottom of their hearts.
“Then, Your Majesty, we shall take our leave.”
“Indeed. May the blessing of the Goddess be upon you.”
“Ah, and yes. As a token of goodwill, I have left something I caught at sea the other day outside. Please accept it.”
“Oh, really? I thank you.”
After Kelvin departed, King Furnis, who had left the lodging, nearly collapsed upon seeing the colossal giant squid lying on the beach (already dispatched by Efil). However, his mind was currently preoccupied with how to restrain his daughters.
***
Fire Country Furnis, Inn Tavern
After the audience with King Furnis, we moved into town and found lodgings. Dahak and Mudoph transformed into their human forms, while Boga, unable to do so yet, was released from summoning and returned to my magic.
“Still, to welcome us with such a display of soldiers, that was a bit unexpected. I’m glad I brought a souvenir.”
“It was worth it for my service of letting out a roar! Being able to hear a dragon’s roar up close like that is rare!”
“It must be that your efforts, Older Kel, have reached all the way to the Western Continent. Perhaps Setchán and the others spread the word?”
The King, the soldiers, and the townspeople—the Fire Country Furnis is truly a sincere and good nation. There are also many tropical fruits, and I could see myself visiting for a vacation now and then after things are settled.
“Master. I have calculated the provisions needed for our upcoming journey, and I believe this amount will be necessary.”
Efil handed me a memo. Hmm, I had bought a lot before flying between continents, and Sera had secured a large amount of fish during our intermediate stops, hadn’t she? Although my family is not lacking in money, seeing the concrete numbers makes me realize the difficulty of supporting Mel. Efil, who is doing the cooking, is having the hardest time.
“First, we need to go shopping.”
“Older Brother, I want to go!”
“Shutra?”
For some reason, Shutra was the first to raise her hand.
“You’re going grocery shopping, right? I’ve never gone shopping by myself. So, I want to try!”
“Well, a princess wouldn’t typically go shopping herself. But, there’s quite a lot to buy, you know?”
I showed Shutra the memo. The writing was neat, but the list, spanning multiple rows and with surprisingly large numbers, made me think it was for military logistics.
“…I’ve memorized it! Kuro can carry the luggage, so it’s fine, right? Please?”
Ah, that’s right. For Shutra, even a memo wasn’t necessary.
“It’s kind of like running an errand. It will be a good experience for Shutra—”
“Wait, Your Majesty! It’s dangerous for Shutra to go alone! I will go with her!”
As expected, or rather, as a certainty, Gerard stood up.
“Grandpa Jera, that’s not running an errand. In that case, I’ll go with her. That should put your mind at ease, right?”
“Hmm, Rion? Granted, but still…”
Grandpa, what are you talking about, apprehending two people who could defeat a hero? How overprotective can one be?
“That’s right… Mudo, could you go with them too? With your appearance, you’ll blend in naturally with the two of them. That should satisfy Gerard.”
I called out to Mudoph, who was quietly engrossed in reading in the corner of the room. The slightly cross-eyed girl, a little taller than Rion, reluctantly shifted her gaze from the text to me. She has blue hair now.
“If it is my Master’s order, I shall comply.”
“You can buy extra fruit if you want.”
“Understood.”
Mudo slammed his book shut with a surge of energy.
