Hiroaki was suddenly proposed to by an Earth Dragon’s princess.
Azura is dragging me by the hand and running through the village.
“Wait, wait!”
The villagers are staring at us with strange expressions. As expected from a Dragonkin, her strength is incredible. Even though she’s just a girl, she’s immovable.
I was dragged along like that and taken to the palace in the back of the village. The old stone building is truly magnificent. In front of me, a long stone staircase soars upwards. And since she’s climbing it at the same speed, I’m on pins and needles, afraid I’ll stumble and fall.
My breath is faltering and my body is swaying. Azura, on the other hand, seems perfectly fine. The servants working in the palace look at me, exhausted, with expressions that say “oh, you again.” I’m sure this princess is always like this.
At the end of the hallway, two girls stopped us.
“Oh, Azura, greetings.”
“Wh-what, is she a friend? More importantly, I want some water.”
“Ah, greetings. Let me introduce you, this is Hiroaki, who will be my husband.”
At Azura’s words, the two girls exchanged glances and then started laughing.
“Eh, no way? You’re going to marry him?”
“Our father and mother will be sad too.”
“Sh-shut up! I will be the king of my tribe. Hiroaki, these two are my cousins.”
I see. Whatever, I just want to be let go. The two girls narrowed their eyes and glared at me. It gave me an unpleasant feeling.
“Hmm, he he, I hope you can get married.”
“Well then.”
With a snort, the cousins left.
“Come on, Hiroaki, this way. I’ll show you around. This is my private room.”
What I finally arrived at was a spacious room. From the open window, I could see a vast forest stretching endlessly. The wind blowing in dried my sweat.
“Do you like it?”
“Ah, yes. Hey, why are you doing this?”
“Why? Because I like you.”
How selfish. Is my opinion being ignored?
“But I haven’t said I’m okay with it. Besides, as you can see, our races are completely different. I don’t think the villagers will accept this.”
Then she pouted.
“I know that. But there is no man in this village that I want to marry.”
“Think about it. Even if that’s the case, I’m a traveler. I’m no different from a vagrant with nothing.”
It’s not exactly the same, but the meaning is similar. Moreover, I don’t think a race like Dragonkin would accept humans… even if they were Elves. But Azura smiled with an air of confidence.
“That’s not true. I know. You have many slaves, so you’re not just a vagrant.”
“Sl-slaves? Are you perhaps talking about my companions?”
“Companions? You mean those women. It’s amazing how you gathered so many people from different races. I’ve never seen anything like it either. I’d say you’re quite a capable person, and my father and mother will understand.”
No, no, they’re not slaves. Even so, Azura didn’t seem convinced.
“No, I can’t marry you. Besides, you’re still a child, and we’re different races. I can’t just become husband and wife with someone I just met.”
“Hmm, you’re going to refuse my offer? Look, you can rule not only this village, but this entire forest.”
I shook my head. I wouldn’t be happy even if I were given something like that. As I stubbornly refused, Azura’s eyes seemed to change.
“I see. You absolutely refuse, don’t you? Then you don’t care what happens to your companions.”
“Wh-what, that’s unfair!”
“Hmph, think carefully. Well then, I’ll go introduce you to my mother.”
I was left alone in the room. Should I run away and help my companions? But considering the worst-case scenario, I couldn’t act rashly. I don’t know the extent of her authority. It’s unlikely I’d be executed for no reason.
For the time being, I should sit down and calm myself. I poured water from a nearby pitcher into a cup. I guess I can have this much. Calm down. My mother would definitely oppose it if her daughter suddenly brought home a strange man. Or is this common among Dragonkin?
I have limits to my imagination when I don’t understand the culture. After drinking several cups of water, I finally caught my breath. Alright, I need to find my companions and escape as soon as possible. The villagers must want that too.
When I put the cup I was holding back on a nearby table, the door slid open and someone entered. Have they returned already? That was fast.
“–!!”
Seeing that figure, I instinctively reached for my dagger. Gray skin and pointed ears, a Dark Elf!
“Haha, you’re in trouble too.”
The young Dark Elf is grinning. Why is he here?! Did he follow me? Was my presence already discovered?
