We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
A journey pairs well with companionship; the world thrives on kindness. I only realized that the period before a trip, whether an excursion, a journey, or a pleasure outing, was the most enjoyable, and that time would pass in the blink of an eye, after I started attending school a year before our departure.
After all, I had never traveled before then.
And I was reminded anew that the most peaceful time was when I was caught up in the Mother’s Federation’s travel plans, preparing and arranging this and that.
“Sefina. Why are you here?”
“Sefina. Why are you so eager to go?”
“It’s unfair that only my older sisters get to go!”
The cause of the sisters’ quarrel was undoubtedly Sefina.
Before departing. Sefina, who had predictably arrived early at the Dragon Forest, our designated meeting place. Seeing her, we could only offer a bitter smile.
“It’s fine. Don’t be so strict.”
“No, we will be strict. Sefina-she-sama will stay behind with us!”
“Oh, Cerise-chan. You can just stay behind with the Hero. I’ll be sure to buy you souvenirs.”
“Th-that’s unfair! Even Lystea and I haven’t entered Dragon Peak yet!”
Cerise-chan retorted that Sefina-she-sama was also staying behind due to official duties.
Not just Cerise-chan. The women of the Hero’s entourage, who had come to see us off as the Queens were traveling together, moved to restrain Sefina.
However, Sefina gracefully dodged them and easily defeated them all.
“You still need more training. Is this all you can do without the Hero joining in? Cerise-chan, your handling of dragon energy is sloppy. Go home and train obediently.”
Sefina looked down at Cerise-chan, who had been thrown to the ground, with her usual cool demeanor. She seemed to be on the verge of letting out a dismissive, un-princess-like scoff of “Hmph.”
“Cerise and the others should enter Dragon Peak on your own with the Hero. By the way, Sefina. You are not needed either.”
“Cerise and the others should try harder with the Hero. By the way, Sefina. Your ability is also insufficient.”
“Hey! Ganging up on me is unfair!”
Sefina, who had been gloating, was easily pushed down by her twin sisters who joined in the fray.
Hmm. It seems that even with Sefina’s fighting prowess, she couldn’t defend against the perfect coordination of Yufilia and Nina.
“Kugh. I won’t accept that my mothers can go but I can’t.”
With an armlock applied, Sefina showed a pained expression. However, she did not surrender and put up a desperate struggle.
“I have also endured for a whole year. I have properly fulfilled the role Elnea-kun asked of me.”
Since last winter, Sefina had been stopping people who recklessly tried to enter Dragon Peak at the last moment.
Thanks to Sefina, the number of reckless individuals had decreased considerably. The Dragon Race and dragon-people were very grateful that the number of foolish lost people had decreased.
“Even if my older sisters stop me, I will enter Dragon Peak alone! I have trained enough to do so.”
Sefina glared at her twin sisters who were restraining her.
Perhaps this past year had been difficult and harsh for Sefina. She kept her promise to me and fulfilled her duties. However, Dragon Peak always loomed behind her, and there must not have been a single day she didn’t think of it.
Having set foot there once, she understood its severity better than anyone. That’s precisely why she must have trained.
But now, she learned that her mothers were entering Dragon Peak on a trip. She probably couldn’t hold back any longer.
Then, as if unable to bear watching the sisters’ quarrel, a woman intervened. She was a strikingly cool woman who bore a slight resemblance to Sefina.
“Sefina. Are you resolved? We will go on our trip, indulging ourselves completely with Elnea-kun and the others. But it’s different for you, isn’t it? You have the resolve to go of your own will and advance with your own power?”
“Mother. Of course, I have that resolve and determination.”
Perhaps she was thinking the same thing as me. The woman who intervened, Cerelia-sama, Sefina’s birth mother, asked with a stern expression. In response to her own mother’s question, Sefina nodded firmly.
Sefina’s coolness is undoubtedly inherited from her mother. Cerelia-sama is also strikingly beautiful. …Or rather, what is going on!?
It’s not that I just noticed it now. I had noticed it from the beginning, but my mind refused to accept it.
But it seems the time has finally come to face reality.
“…Um. Are the planned number of people significantly larger than what we were initially told? My mother, and Risene-san. Sera-sama and Renaira-sama. Madrine-sama is unavoidable, but…”
Among the women exuding a glamorous presence befitting royalty, my mother was the only one who looked like an ordinary middle-aged woman. Louisene’s mother is Risene. Yufilia and Nina’s mother is Sera-sama. Renaira-sama, who suddenly decided to join from the Yorttenitos Kingdom, and the bonus Head Miko, Madrine-sama. I can understand this much. But then… Looking around…
“Oh my. Since it’s the Mother’s Federation, don’t you think we should be included too?”
“No, I never would have thought of it!”
Sphira-sama, Cerise-chan’s birth mother, said this with her impressive chest puffed out, as if it were natural to join. Anessa-sama, the birth mother of the First Prince Rubion-sama, and Camila-sama, the mother of the Second Prince Rudoriado-san, were also carrying luggage and were fully prepared to go. Furthermore, hidden behind the noble ladies, Karen-san, the head servant of my family home, had also cleverly joined!
“Hohoho. I must boast to Rubion. He’ll surely throw another tantrum and take it out on His Majesty and Rudoll.”
“Rudoriado was envious. Well, I left him behind with a smile.”
Seeing Anessa-sama and Camila-sama laughing “Fufufu, Hohoho,” I could only feel drained.
“Hey, Mistral…?”
When I looked at my reliable wife, wondering what to do with these people, Mistral smiled at me.
“I’m sorry. I kept it a secret just from Elnea.”
“Whaaat?!”
“Because if I told Elnea-kun, he would have run away.”
“Yeah. If I had known, I would have run away! Or rather, everyone knew, so there were no further objections to Sphira-sama and the others joining, right!?”
Oh, what a thing.
Only I was unaware of the truth.
We decided not to keep secrets within the family!
My wives comforted me as I was overcome with despair. Priscilla-chan and Ares-chan also joined in, patting me as if to console me.
“Um. Fiorina and Rim will also join us midway.”
“Fun, fun.”
“Kugh. It’s fun for everyone else, but it’s tough for me!”
More participants mean more worries. Furthermore, the Queens of the Armēdo Kingdom and the Yorttenitos Kingdom are all present. If anything happens, it would be a catastrophe! My spirit as the person in charge was already worn out before we even departed.
“Well then, Elnea, do your best!”
Lystea, who came to see us off, cheered me on with a half-smile. Slaton was even rolling with laughter.
The two men, while pitying me, still saw off the runaway Mother’s Federation without stopping them.
“Elnea-kun, please take great care of Madrine-sama, won’t you?”
“If anything happens, it’ll be a disaster. Ah, please bring back some souvenirs!”
The Miko, Kiiri and Inea, were more worried about Madrine-sama than me! I suddenly felt like retreating into seclusion.
“Come on, Elnea. Pull yourself together. We’re about to depart.”
“Uuuugh. In that case, I wish I had stayed at our house in the forbidden territory.”
“Now, now, Elnea-kun. Let’s take it easy.”
“…The biggest worry is you, from the Demon Race’s Country! Absolutely, I mean ABSOLUTELY, refrain from acting on your own in Dragon Peak!!”
Even though Lily had already returned, I wondered why Ruilala was still lingering. I had questioned her extensively on the way here, but her evasive and smiling responses made me realize anew that such things are meaningless with demons.
“Well then, if everyone is ready, let’s depart. I will be in charge of guiding you through the Dragon Forest.”
“Carly-san, I’m counting on you.”
Waiting patiently for us, who were noisy even before our departure, was Carly-san of the Mimicho Race.
The reason the Dragon Forest became our meeting place was that, just as Sefina bore the duty, entry into Dragon Peak requires certain qualifications. It is a place that not even first-rate adventurers can easily enter, and one’s safety is not guaranteed. For our kin, even royalty, to enter on a trip would be outrageous to those who desperately wished to enter. Therefore, we would enter stealthily from the Dragon Forest.
“I assume you understand, but please do not stray. If you stray, you will be disqualified at that point, correct?”
“Yes, please do that!”
Carly-san was my only ally. It’s a secret that I had malicious thoughts that the Mother’s Federation should all get lost. Ah, it’s good that no one here can read minds.
“Elnea.”
As I was addressing the Mother’s Federation, who had started their town gossip, saying, “Well then, let’s depart,” Lystea spoke to me.
“Well, what I mean is, I’ll gratefully accept the advice, or rather, the curse? From the Demon Lord. We’re going to do our best not to lose to you, but if anything happens, we’re counting on you, okay?”
“Yeah. Anything other than Lystea and the others’ mothers’ travel plans, just say the word!”
“When you go to the Demon Race’s Country, I’ll be counting on you too!”
“Slaton, don’t worry. Ruilala will joyfully guide you then!”
“I refuse!”
“All humans are terrible.”
As the men talked like this, I ended up being the last one ready after the order was given.
“Well then, we’re off. Please tell the King that we have departed safely.”
“Please give my regards to the Demon Lord if you meet him again.”
The travel group and the send-off group waved goodbye to each other and parted ways in the early morning Dragon Forest. We proceeded through the Dragon Forest, with Carly-san at the front. In the end, Sefina decided to go to Dragon Peak with us.
“Ares-chan, let’s go!”
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
“Hey! You two!”
And immediately, two young girls disappeared into the depths of the forest. We all laughed at the energy of the young girls, with one casualty, or rather, deserter, right from the start. Still, those two would absolutely not drop out. Rather, if they were left behind, they would certainly return, even if it meant influencing the Bewildering Technique of the Dragon Forest.
“What a bother. Well, their escort will be fine.”
Carly-san, feeling embarrassed as a fellow Mimicho Race member.
In addition to Carly-san, the guide, there were Mimicho Race warriors waiting around. Surely, someone must be following them. Besides, there is nothing in the Dragon Forest that could harm those two. The magic beasts that had already settled in the Dragon Forest were also holding their breath. Or rather, they had gone deep into the forest to play with the magic beasts!
“Mom, I’ll carry your luggage.”
“Oh my, how strong you’ve become.”
“Of course, I’ve grown too. We have to walk to the entrance of Dragon Peak from now on, so you need to conserve your strength.”
Once we enter Dragon Peak, the Earth Dragons will be waiting for us. However, we have to walk through the Dragon Forest on our own. Mom has never traveled properly, nor does she have any background as a former adventurer; she’s just an ordinary person. So, I can’t let her overexert herself.
“Yufi, Nina?”
“Ah, Elnea-kun’s mother is enviable.”
“Louisene, carry it as if it were training.”
Then, seeing the interaction between me and my mother, the other members of the Mother’s Federation began to offload their luggage onto their daughters one after another.
“Renaira-sama, I will carry your luggage.”
“Thank you.”
Only Laira seemed to have taken her luggage herself.
“…Mistral?”
“Madrine, you carry it yourself. If you act spoiled, I’ll leave you behind?”
“Kgh! At least let me be spoiled a little!”
Madrine-sama was arguing with Mistral like that, but she was properly carrying her luggage. That’s right. Madrine-sama, having traveled with Yufilia and Nina in the past, was quite capable. She hadn’t brought anything unnecessary for the journey, and she showed no signs of unease while carrying her luggage and walking.
And so, the grand journey, which had caused such a commotion even before departure, began.
Oh, I wish all members of the Mother’s Federation would drop out in the Dragon Forest… “Meow.”
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