We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
It’s dangerous.
“Elnea-kun, I’m cold.”
“Just a little longer. Please bear with it a bit more.”
“Can I hug you tighter?”
“Yes. Hold on tight.”
“Ah, I can feel Elnea-kun…”
I also felt Sefina’s warmth, and my body grew warm.
“Warm and cozy.”
Yes, I can feel Ares-chan’s warmth too.
“Hmph. If you’re that cold, shall I just burn it away?”
“No, no, what are you going to burn away?”
And so, Ares-chan, Sefina, and I are traveling on Revalia’s back!
It’s dangerous. Being alone with Sefina is dangerous in many ways!
With that said, as soon as Sefina’s body temperature returned to normal, we started our journey. I put clothes on Sefina and quickly left our base cave. Vol had just returned after getting bored of teasing Id, so I explained that I needed to take Sefina to the royal capital and asked for Revalia’s help.
And now. In the sky.
Sefina is hugging me tightly from behind. Ares-chan, of course, is hugging me from the front. I’m struggling to activate the Blessing Technique to protect everyone from the cold. However, with an incomplete technique, and being hugged tightly from both front and back, I can’t use dragon arts properly.
In the end, we huddled together and endured the cold.
Revalia flies east at a speed that I can’t tell if she’s being considerate or not.
There is a considerable distance from the ancient ruins near the Dragon’s Mausoleum, north of Dragon Peak, to the flatlands.
It took time for Sefina’s body temperature to return, and it was uncertain whether we could reach the royal capital before sunset.
But knowing Revalia, I’m sure she’ll do her best. Mainly for her own reason of not wanting to spend the night with Sefina, a human she’s almost met for the first time.
We huddle together on Revalia’s back, enduring the cold as we look down at the snow-covered Dragon Peak.
Apparently, Ares-chan only intends to warm me. Sefina is shivering behind me.
Is it jealousy?
“When we get back, I’ll punish you, punish you.”
“No, no, what are you going to report?”
Ares-chan’s eyes as a young girl are scary.
She looks up at me as if glaring.
As a silent protest, she hugged me tightly. But even if Ares-chan, in her child form, hugged me tightly, it was only warm, not painful.
“When my strength returns, I’ll punish you.”
“You’re going to punish me!? That’s so unreasonable…”
“Oh, if you’ll keep me by your side, I’ll gladly take your place?”
“No, Sefina, please do your best in the royal capital.”
“You’re not very kind. By the way, how far did my sisters go?”
“To the fort of the Yorttenitos Kingdom, where they fought demons in the east. To the Demon Race’s Country in the west.”
“You’re trying to evade the question, aren’t you?”
“Guh.”
This time, Sefina hugged me tightly from behind. It wasn’t just a hug, she was squeezing me!
It’s… painful. As an adult with high physical ability, Sefina lacks the gentleness Ares-chan has. The pain as if I’m about to be crushed assaults my upper body.
Is this jealousy?
“Well, it’s fine. I don’t want to be enemies with my sisters, after all. Especially, you know, that girl from the Dragon Race looks terrifying.”
Yes, I can’t say anything.
“Oh yes, speaking of my sisters, be careful. Their mother is a formidable opponent. Many noblemen have proposed to her, but they were all rejected by her mother. No one can overcome that challenge.”
“Challenge?”
Yufilia and Nina are royalty of the Armēdo Kingdom. The first and second princesses. I’ve never heard them talk about receiving proposals. With their carefree personalities, even though they are beautiful women, I sometimes thought that men might be put off.
Apparently, according to Sefina, they are still very popular with noble and wealthy men. Not only within the Armēdo Kingdom but also many applications from the Yorttenitos Kingdom.
Perhaps Sefina, who’s telling me this, also receives numerous marriage proposals.
Perhaps the princesses want to go out into the world because they dislike such unwanted marriage proposals.
The twin princesses also seemed to be running away from Grave’s proposal.
However, it seems that the challenge set by the twin princesses’ mother is impossibly difficult, and no one can overcome it.
“I can say with certainty that this challenge can never be overcome. Not even by you.”
“Is it that difficult?”
“It’s not difficult, it’s impossible…”
What could be the challenge set by the twin princesses’ mother? Even though Sefina knows the content of the challenge and knows me, I can’t imagine a challenge that she claims is absolutely impossible.
“But, isn’t it strange? Wouldn’t a mother normally want her precious daughter to get married?”
It might not be limited to daughters. My mother and father must want me, their son, to get married too.
They want to see grandchildren, right?
“Her way of thinking is different. She will go to great lengths to crush any marriage proposal that would make her elder daughters unhappy. Because she is a mother, she wishes for their happiness more than anyone. She will never let them marry a man who cannot overcome the challenge; that is her way of thinking.”
“But you say it’s an impossible challenge for me too?”
“Yes, it’s impossible. No matter how much I love the elder princesses, I absolutely cannot overcome that.”
What kind of challenge is it? I still can’t imagine a challenge that Sefina would declare so definitively.
“Even if you, Sefina, who knows the content, were to take on the challenge now, would it be impossible?”
“It’s impossible. I despaired when I learned the content of the challenge a long time ago.”
I want to know the content of the challenge. If it’s a challenge that evokes despair, I want to take countermeasures as much as possible before it’s given. My true feelings conflict with my earnest thought that I shouldn’t cheat.
From the perspective of sincerely caring for the twin princesses and definitely getting married, maybe I have to overcome the challenge by any means necessary. However, I still feel that preparing for it in advance by knowing the content beforehand is just a makeshift, bad move.
After all, the challenge set by the twin princesses’ mother is an extremely difficult task born out of her deep love for them, isn’t it? I hesitate to deceive that sentiment.
Besides, even Sefina, who knows the content, says it’s impossible to break through. Doesn’t that mean advance preparation is also impossible?
“What will you do? Although it’s impossible to break through, shall I tell you the content?”
Sefina asks, perhaps sensing my inner turmoil.
“It would only be a small solace that it’s better than not knowing.”
Hmm, I ponder and come to a conclusion.
“Thank you. I appreciate your consideration. However, I’ll have to decline. I want to face the challenge fair and square.”
“I see… that’s just like you.”
Sefina smiles behind me.
“Although I’ve said all this, I have a proposal. Marriage is a desperate situation for my elder sisters, but I’m much easier to handle. What do you say?”
Haha, I laugh at Sefina’s proposal.
This woman is truly direct with her desires.
“Sefina, let’s be fair and square too.”
“Oh, you say that. Well then, be prepared. I’ll make you cry ‘hii hii’ again.”
“No, no, I’ve never cried ‘hii hii’!”
Ares-chan, please stop glaring at me from below. And Sefina, please don’t say things that could be misinterpreted.
“Fair and square, huh? Actually, I had one countermeasure, but it seems you didn’t need it.”
“If you had told me, would you have taught me it?”
“Of course, I would have told you. However, if I had told you, perhaps I would have lost the love of my elder sisters.”
“It was the right decision not to ask.”
What I thought was a casual conversation turned out to be a test. A shiver, different from the cold, runs through my body.
Perhaps that challenge has already begun!?
“Do your best, I’m cheering for you. And when you fail, come back to me.”
“Come back to you? My home is not with Sefina from the start.”
“Oh, how cruel. I hold your secret, you know?”
“What secret!?”
Sefina laughs meaningfully.
Scary! This woman is the most calculating among the sisters!
“Elnea?”
“Uwah. Ares-chan, what is that suspicious look? You and I are one, Ares-chan, so you know everything about me, right!?”
“When we get back, I’ll have Mistral punish you.”
“Hii…”
I’m being framed. I’m innocent…!
Sandwiched between a young girl and a beautiful woman, I scream “hii hii.”
Revalia sighs, seemingly fed up with our commotion on her back, and continues flying east.
And before the sun sets beyond Dragon Peak, we reach the flatlands.
Perhaps because we flew almost due east from the north, we emerged near the Wyvern Hunting Ground.
Revalia lets out a great roar and begins to descend southward. Once on flat ground, our journey in the sky is almost over.
As their shouts echo, a landscape different from the Wyvern Hunting Ground begins to spread out before our eyes.
A little while ago, we should have seen the fort and outer wall guarding the royal capital to the north. But now, no obstacles protrude from the ground. Instead, the dry, grass-colored plains transform into a white landscape like Dragon Peak.
Although the white landscape is similar, we know that the royal capital’s is not snow.
It’s forts, outer walls. Everything that was on the ground—buildings, household goods, tools—has been turned into white ash by Asher’s dragon arts and piled up.
“What a shame. I wanted to be with you a little longer.”
“I’ll return to the royal capital when the year is over.”
“I’ll be waiting for you eagerly.”
“No, no, I’m not returning for Sefina’s sake.”
“I’ll be waiting, for *you*.”
“Kyaaa.”
A breath in my ear makes me let out a strange scream.
Initially, I thought he was a person with a cool appearance and demeanor, but I was mistaken. He is cool on the inside, or rather, manly. His actions are bold, and he forcefully pulls others towards him.
His strong demeanor is something I lack, and if I let my guard down, I’ll end up playing the maiden role.
It’s dangerous…
As we continue our final commotion, the appearance of the royal capital becomes clearer.
Even so, it’s just a white, flat plain.
The only thing that stands out, illuminated by the setting sun, is a group rushing towards us, kicking up the ash from the white land.
“Revalia, can you rendezvous with that knight order? Gently, softly.”
“You’re very demanding.”
Despite saying that, Revalia begins to descend. However, Revalia is a wyvern, and she is a tyrant!
With a terrifying roar and powerful wing beats, she lands with momentum.
Startled by Revalia, the cavalry scream and flee like startled rabbits.
Farewell, knights…
“What do we do now?”
“Don’t know. If you’re unhappy, walk.”
Well, I have no complaints or grievances towards Revalia for bringing us this far kindly.
In the first place, there’s no way horses could approach Revalia, a wyvern. Even if Revalia had landed cautiously, the horses would have fled out of fear of the wyvern.
The fact that we could get somewhat close must be due to them being well-trained, excellent warhorses.
We have no choice but to dismount and wait for the knights.
Revalia landed at the southern end of the Wyvern Hunting Ground, and if we walk a little further, the white plain indicating the ruins of the royal capital will spread out.
When the demons attacked the royal capital, I entered the city and acted without thinking. But now that things have settled down, I don’t want to enter the royal capital carelessly.
I haven’t greeted Ruiseine and the twin princesses’ parents yet, but marriage is only allowed after the year of departure ends, and I’m not permitted to return to my hometown without dire necessity.
During the year of departure, you are not allowed to return home unless there is a special reason. I don’t think I should be allowed to enter the royal capital just because I brought Princess Sefina, the third princess, here as a special exception.
I want to spend this year honestly and fairly too.
Therefore, I still don’t want to enter the royal capital, which is visible before me.
Sefina also seems to understand my position and is waiting with me for the knights to return.
Even from a distance, Revalia’s imposing roar and appearance are conspicuous.
If Revalia has arrived, something must be happening, so the knights must have come running. And it would be best to hand over Princess Sefina to the knights after delivering her.
So, we wait for a while.
Knights approach from a distance.
It seems the horses were too scared to approach.
I empathize with the knights running in their heavy armor, screaming.
By clicking the heart, you can easily convey your support. (Login required)
Support
Login if you have an account.
Learn more about the reading experience possible on Kakuyomu.
