We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Prince Friel and Laira.
Taking Laira and Prince Friel’s hands, I returned to the plaza.
In the plaza, the Dragon Race people were enjoying their meals as usual.
Despite the sudden visit of the Twin Princesses and Prince Friel, there was no flustered atmosphere, nor were there any people trying to grab me and interrogate me about the situation.
But now I understand that this is their way of showing consideration. They must have suspected something was up since we brought them, but they probably trust that we will solve the problems ourselves. And they must believe that we will consult them if necessary.
Occasionally, glances are cast in our direction, but the scene of everyone making noise as usual, eating in circles with their companions, was free of suspicion or tension.
And Mistral and the others had already prepared food for us and were waiting.
As I was beckoned, I took Laira’s and Prince Friel’s hands and went to Mistral’s side.
Ruiseine, being considerate, served drinks and various kinds of food on small plates.
Priscilla-chan and Nimia, perhaps impatient, were already devouring skewers of venison. Well, they are children. It would be cruel to make them wait just for our convenience, so it’s understandable.
However.
Hey, Twin Princesses!
What are you two doing!
Yufilia and Nina were not in our circle with Mistral.
So, where were they?
For some reason, the Twin Princesses had become the center of attention among the group of elders like Koa.
Perhaps they had already had some alcohol, as cheerful laughter continued to erupt. Yufilia and Nina were going back and forth between Koa and the other elders in the circle.
The grandfathers’ eyes were glistening, and the grandmothers welcomed them with gentle smiles, as if watching over their beloved grandchildren whom they had to attend to.
You’re too familiar too quickly!
Is this one of the Twin Princesses’ special skills? They might seem self-centered, but they can be surprisingly considerate. However, they always place themselves at the center of things, turning the situation to their advantage.
Perhaps it’s a survival skill learned as royalty.
I don’t think it’s due to their virtue.
For now, it’s probably fine for the Twin Princesses to be like that. It’s a relief for us that they are getting along with the Dragon Race people.
Leaving the Twin Princesses to their own devices, we began our dinner.
We ate the individually served dishes and the food served on large platters, sharing them amongst ourselves.
This was a familiar way of eating for us, but Prince Friel seemed different.
He looked slightly surprised at the sight of us reaching out to eat together, and his chopsticks weren’t moving.
“Laira, what are you doing? Entertain our guests.”
“Hahahaha!?”
“That’s right, Laira-san. Because you ran off, dinner was delayed. This is your punishment for letting the Prince wander off.”
Perhaps this was Mistral and Ruiseine’s way of showing consideration. Laira and Prince Friel seemed too conscious of each other, making them tense. The awkwardness between them was palpable.
Not everyone can easily get along with others like the Twin Princesses. Moreover, Prince Friel and Laira have a very special and complex relationship. While it might be good for them to slowly open up to each other over time, this might be a situation where forcing them together is the quickest solution.
“Well then, I’ll switch seats.”
With me sitting between them on either side, Laira and Prince Friel were at my flanks. I deliberately ignored their attempts to stop me and moved between Mistral and Ruiseine.
“Um, this is delicious.”
As expected of Priscilla-chan. She didn’t seem to care about the slightly awkward atmosphere.
Priscilla-chan, with her mouth full, approached Prince Friel and tried to offer him the skewer of venison she was holding.
“No, Priscilla-chan. You shouldn’t offer the Prince something you’ve already started eating.”
Laira gently intercepted the half-eaten venison skewer Priscilla-chan was offering to Prince Friel, and instead took a new piece of meat from the large platter and placed it on Prince Friel’s small plate.
“Everything in this village’s food is delicious.”
“Ah, thank you.”
The two of them smiled bashfully. Laira was naturally kind, and Prince Friel seemed to have an honest personality.
Although it was forced, Laira began to take care of Prince Friel without any refusal. Prince Friel also didn’t seem to mind, and he ate the skewer Laira gave him with relish.
“It’s subtly flavored, but very delicious.”
“Once you get used to the diet here, human food feels too strong.”
“Is that so?”
Although it was awkward, they did have some conversation. Once I confirmed that things seemed to be going well, we also started eating our own meals.
Priscilla-chan settled on Laira’s lap, and while bothering them both, she stuffed her mouth with meat. Laira wiped her mouth and forced her to eat vegetables too. While struggling with Priscilla-chan, she also recommended various dishes to Prince Friel, telling him what was delicious and what was rare. Prince Friel, as he was encouraged, savored various dishes.
Priscilla-chan seemed to be acting as a good buffer between the two of them. To Mistral’s remark that Priscilla was also useful, we all laughed.
And so, the mealtime ended without incident.
Ah, there are still some people who haven’t finished, but let’s ignore them.
We headed to the inn where we were staying. Prince Friel, hesitantly, followed Laira and entered the room.
“Now, let’s discuss what to do next.”
What to do next, of course, refers to Prince Friel’s situation. Whether to allow the Prince’s stay or not, and whether to cooperate with the dragon hunt.
Should we make a decision on our own, or should we ask for Prince Friel’s opinion and incorporate his thoughts?
Mistral concluded that they should hear Prince Friel’s opinion.
“I want to hear what you want to do, and how much resolve you have.”
“Yes.”
We sat in a circle in the room. Mistral and Prince Friel, facing each other, exchanged serious gazes.
“I desperately want to become a splendid Dragon Knight who commands dragons.”
“Why?”
“In my country, royalty is not considered fully grown until they become Dragon Knights. I have a goal. But if I’m not recognized as a fully grown individual, I can’t do anything. That’s why I want to become a Dragon Knight.”
“What is your goal?”
“I want to save my older sister. I want to show my sister’s oppressors that they were wrong. I want to change the flawed system of our country!”
Prince Friel glanced at Laira for a moment, then summarized what he had told me and Laira to Mistral and Ruiseine.
The distorted world within the royal castle of the Yorttenitos Kingdom. He wanted to correct the wrong ideas of his mother and brothers. But with his current lack of power, he could do nothing.
Therefore, he wanted to hunt dragons first, become a Dragon Knight, and be recognized as an adult, and then find his currently missing sister and make her happy with his own power, he explained passionately.
At the mention of his missing sister, Mistral and Ruiseine looked at Laira with a strange expression but did not interrupt.
“The current Yorttenitos Kingdom is making mistakes. That’s why I want to correct them.”
“You say you want to correct them, but how? Even if you become a Dragon Knight, it’s not something that can be easily changed, a country.”
“W-well, that’s true, but…”
“Or are you saying that you will become the next king, surpassing your older brother?”
“Ugh.”
Mistral’s sharp指摘 left Prince Friel speechless.
Although I think Prince Friel’s thoughts, will, and goals are wonderful, there is no concrete path shown. The Prince’s words are personal idealism, and pursuing them would involve many difficulties. Mistral sternly questioned how he intended to correct them.
Prince Friel’s expression gradually clouded over at Mistral’s words.
Perhaps Prince Friel had a clear goal, but he hadn’t thought about the specific path to get there. He probably thought that capturing dragons and becoming a Dragon Knight was everything, and once that was achieved, things would proceed as he wished.
Hadn’t he realized this on his own before? The Twin Princesses seemed to know the Prince’s circumstances and goals, but why didn’t they point them out?
No, the Twin Princesses are different. While they cooperate, they don’t get too involved. After all, Prince Friel is a prince of the Yorttenitos Kingdom, and they are princesses of the Armēdo Kingdom. Interfering too much would turn it into an issue between countries.
That’s why they would cooperate emotionally with the dragon hunt. But beyond that, they must have decided not to interfere with matters within the Yorttenitos Kingdom.
Then, did the Prince himself not realize the magnitude of the problem?
He probably didn’t. Until Mistral pointed it out, he was probably intoxicated by his own goal and will. He was probably intoxicated by the idea that he was doing something noble, and wasn’t looking at reality.
Although it’s a harsh evaluation, Prince Friel’s thinking was too naive. It was a naivety born from not experiencing hardship as royalty, and a result of his surroundings.
The Prince himself claims to have worked hard, but was it truly hard work that risked his life? While saying he wanted to change the flawed world, he mentioned he was worried about being watched and couldn’t speak to his sister. In the end, he cared more about others than his own thoughts. Can such a person truly work with all their might? I have doubts.
And then Prince Friel finally realized his own naivety due to Mistral’s指摘, and only now understood how difficult the path he was about to take was.
“But, I…”
Prince Friel tried to retort something, but there was no point in saying empty words to Mistral or us. He knew that better than anyone, and that’s why he couldn’t form words.
It was Laira who extended a helping hand to the dejected Prince Friel.
“Um, may I say something?”
“Please do.”
Mistral smiled and urged Laira on, perhaps happy that Laira, who had such a complex situation with Prince Friel, had intervened herself.
“Elnea-sama mentioned this evening. When we were discussing whether to stay at the Mimicho Race village or here, you suggested we return to the village for now.”
Yes, I did. Even if we were returning to the Mimicho Race village, we couldn’t fly from the Dragon Mausoleum to the Moss Garden without returning to Mistral’s village first.
“That means, to move forward, we must first set aside the larger issue and deal with the immediate small problem.”
The important issue of which village to stay in. But indeed, nothing could have progressed at that time without returning to Mistral’s village.
“I also believe that the problem within the Yorttenitos Kingdom is a very significant one. However, I think that if His Highness the Prince does not resolve the issue of becoming a Dragon Knight now, he cannot move forward. Therefore, I believe it would be acceptable to approve His Highness the Prince’s dragon hunt in Dragon Peak this time.”
“But if we help him become a Dragon Knight by hunting dragons, we will indirectly interfere with subsequent issues. Can you take responsibility if chaos is brought to Dragon Peak because of that?”
We might be able to manage, but if Mistral were to interfere with the dragon hunt, it could escalate into a conflict between the Dragon Race and the Dragon Race. Mistral was concerned about that.
“I agree too. While I do want to help the Prince, I still think it’s meaningless if he doesn’t capture dragons with his own power.”
“I agree with Elnea-kun as well. With just one word from Elnea-kun, curious dragons will surely gather. However, I don’t think that would be for the Prince’s sake.”
Ruiseine also agreed with my words.
Laira, now at a disadvantage, had a somber expression, just like Prince Friel, and looked down.
As Laira said, the problems within the Yorttenitos Kingdom may be left for him to seriously consider in the future. However, we must also seriously consider the dragon hunt.
If we are not careful, there is a risk of the Dragon Peak Alliance collapsing.
As everyone fell silent, Mistral looked around at us, and then sighed softly.
“It can’t be helped. I’ll present a maximum compromise.”
We focused our attention on Mistral. Laira and Prince Friel also looked up, gazing at Mistral with anticipation.
“We, the Dragon Race, cannot intervene. Therefore, you humans must solve it yourselves. However, Elnea, you are also prohibited from interfering. As the initiator of the Dragon Peak Alliance, you cannot willingly cause trouble with the Dragon Race, can you?”
Ruiseine and Laira are in very close positions to me. However, if I don’t interfere, it’s their problem, so I can say that even I, the Dragon Race Mistral, don’t know about it. This is the boundary that allows me to say that.
Luiseine and Laira nodded at Mistral’s compromise.
Prince Friel seemed not to fully understand, but it couldn’t be helped. After all, he didn’t know our positions or the circumstances within Dragon Peak.
However, he was delighted by the change in atmosphere to one of cooperation.
