Traage Port
I managed to maintain my self-control, resisting Pritia’s suffocating embrace, which I hadn’t asked for. Gerard’s gentle hand on my shoulder after releasing me from his tree-trunk-like arms is something I’ll never forget. Meanwhile, Dahak shot me a gaze filled with jealousy. I really don’t want this. I’d rather he take my place. No, please, take my place. I’m begging you.
Despite facing hell the moment I arrived at Traage, I couldn’t show weakness now that I’d made a show of myself. Together with Tsubaki, who was clearly struggling to contain her laughter, we moved to Traage Port, where ships were already docked. A formidable group had already gathered at the port.
“Yo, Kelvin! Long time no see!”
“Was it since the Beast King Festival? You look well… or rather, you don’t?”
“Yeah, a lot happened earlier…”
From Gaun, a beastman party led by Sabato had arrived. They seemed to be the representatives of the Beast King, who remained in the country. The last time I’d met Sabato face-to-face was at the Beast King Festival, just as Goma mentioned. I’d heard through rumors that the Beast King had put him through quite the ordeal afterward.
“W-Why am I here with you, Lord Sabato? I’ll just be a hindrance…”
“Gahahaha, consider it a sign of how much Sabato trusts you, Guin!”
“Ehhh…”
Despite that, their core personalities seemed unchanged, and their interaction was similar to how it used to be. However, something felt missing. This feeling of missed expectations—what was it? Ah, I see!
“Goma, why haven’t you punched Sabato yet?”
“Hey! What kind of terrible thing are you saying, Kelvin!?”
It’s just that, without that, it doesn’t feel like I’ve met Sabato and the others.
“Fufufu, if my fist were to hit Sabato now, it wouldn’t end like it did before. I’ll save it for today.”
“Th-There you have it. Too bad for you.”
Sabato breathed a sigh of relief, patting his chest. What? Goma isn’t usually that lenient, is she? She used to be the type to just punch Sabato without thinking about the consequences. Could this Goma be an imposter? I should consider the possibility that she’s been swapped with the Beast King again, just like before.
“Hmm?”
“Oh.”
As I was overthinking, my eyes met Azgrad’s from Trisen. He was accompanied by the adult Shutra, as if they had planned it.
“Yo, Kelvin. You look energetic today as… wait, you don’t. What happened?”
“Ah, yeah, a lot happened earlier…”
Wait. Do I look that down today? Am I that bad off that people are worried? Pritia’s hug is terrifying… Efil, bring me a mirror.
“The day has finally come. I was so looking forward to it that I couldn’t sleep last night.”
“Brother Azgrad is, as usual, still childish about these things. Kelvin bro… please say something to him too.”
“Shutra, are you indirectly blaming me too?”
“Um… Shutra doesn’t understand difficult things.”
Shutra instantly transformed back into child Shutra and pretended not to know. Moreover, she was flashing a smile that would have undoubtedly knocked Gerard out in one blow. Hey, hey, don’t try to play dumb. I know you’re terrifyingly intelligent even in that state. Shutra, who lived in the mansion long enough to misremember my name, must surely know my motivations. Is she perhaps implying that I should correct myself based on that knowledge?
“No. Boys should retain a bit of their mischievousness. As a mother, it’s heartwarming.”
“…And who might you be?”
A magnificent, voluptuous woman appeared out of nowhere like mist, her arm around Azgrad’s shoulder. Given the presence I felt, her sudden appearance didn’t surprise me, but I was truly astonished by the size of her chest. Is she larger than Sera? Perhaps even larger than Estoria!? …Well, what can I do? I’m only human.
“It’s our first meeting, isn’t it? S-Rank Adventurer Kelvin. My name is Seraphia. I am Rozaria and Azgrad’s mother. My daughter and son always take good care of you.”
“Ah, it’s an honor. While I can’t say the same for your son, your daughter’s efforts are always helpful.”
“Hey. What do you mean by ‘while I can’t say the same’? I’ve hired Rozaria as a servant, so of course, I rely on her. As for Azgrad, he occasionally visits our home, plays in the underground training grounds, has tea with Hoover and the others, and then leaves. Since becoming King, he’s been relatively settled, but he still secretly used the Transfer Gate to visit last week. Honestly, battle maniacs are such a handful.”
But this is Azgrad’s stepmother, the Ice Dragon King Seraphia. Now that I look at her, she has white skin and black hair, resembling Rozaria in parts. Lately, Shutra has also started using Blue Magic. If Sylvia hadn’t been blessed, I would have wanted Shutra to be blessed instead. Well, I’ll have to rely on the future Ice Dragon King.
“Other Dragon Kings besides myself are also gathering here. Heh, it must be decades since all the Dragon Kings have assembled in one place. I’m seeing many of them for the first time, and I’ve been looking forward to this day.”
Seraphia cast a gentle gaze from afar at our dragons, who had recently become Dragon Kings. She somehow gives the impression of a true mother, even to Dahak and the others.
“Ah, believe it or not, Seraphia is the oldest among the current Dragon Kings. Looking young is important, you know.”
“Azu-chan?”
“Ah, crap! In that case, Kelvin, see you later!”
“Wait, Azu-chan! Mother’s not finished talking yet!”
Azgrad fled at breakneck speed, with Seraphia giving chase at an unbelievable pace. Somehow, her personality seems to be in a different direction from Rozaria’s.
“Is it possible that Azgrad intends to ride the Ice Dragon King for the decisive battle?”
“Yes. Brother Azgrad didn’t want to, but Rozaria had to go to Trisen for defense.”
“…Was that Shutra’s doing?”
“Hehehe~”
Shutra wore an innocent smile. Yes, it’s safe to assume that’s a “yes,” right? While pairing with Rozaria, his partner, is indeed a strong tag team, Azgrad, with his unparalleled mounted combat skills, should be able to ride even Seraphia, the Ice Dragon King. Azgrad possesses that kind of strength, and he’ll be more effective in that role.
However… since gaining both the personality of a child and an adult, Shutra has become even stronger. I’m not just talking about combat power, but especially in terms of mental fortitude. The calmness of adult Shutra combined with the bold ideas and actions of child Shutra allows both their strengths to be utilized… He’s become even more reassuring than before.
“Still, it’s amazing. So many people gathered here today. Trisen, Gaun, Delamis, and even Colette is coming, and Traage has prepared such incredible ships. This is the first time since the Great War that the four great nations are cooperating on such a large scale, isn’t it?”
“And let’s not forget all the Dragon Kings, the Hero, the Demon King, and the strongest perverts. It’s truly a star-studded lineup.”
“The one leading all these incredible people is Brother Kelvin! The representative’s speech for the departure ceremony is about to begin. The one where you speak in front of everyone! Brother, are you ready?”
…What? Representative’s speech? I didn’t hear about that. Who’s doing it?
“W-Wait, could that speech by any chance be…”
“Whether by chance or not, Brother will be doing it. It’s an important role to boost everyone’s morale before the decisive battle, so do your best!”
“…Shutra, to be blunt, I haven’t thought about anything. And I’m not the type to do it, so I’ll have Tsubaki-sama do it instead—”
“Brother will do it! (Nico)”
My mind went blank for a moment, but Shutra had prepared cue cards for me through the subordinate network.
