← Previous Chapter | Chapter Index | Next Chapter →

The Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom

An Envoy from Another Country

Translated by: S3

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

「Oh, Your Majesty! Have you heard the situation?!」

「Duke Halburn. You're fast.」

「Nonsense! I was just summoned because of a defect in the documents I submitted to the castle scribe!」

Nuah-hah-hah! The red-haired lion, no, the bearded man laughing from his diaphragm, was certainly a human being. Duke Halburn, who was bad at reading minds and always lived straightforwardly, was precisely for that reason nearly ensnared by malice from another country. Even after being cleared of suspicion, he continues to serve as Cross's right-hand man.

His large body made the two-seater sofa they were using seem like a single chair, but as soon as Cross entered the room, he stood up abruptly, and his eyes widened at the sight of Elna. He was an endearing person with comical movements. He started to say 「El—」 but caught sight of Commonwald and pulled in his chin, making a strange sound, 「Hmm.」

「Duke, Commonwald is already aware of Elna's situation. There's no problem.」

「Nuh-ho! That's right! Lady Elna! I am most relieved to see you well and in good spirits!」

「Ah... yes... You too, Duke. Truly.」

Duke Halburn moved his large body quickly, grasped Elna's hands, and pumped them up and down vigorously. Elna had been worried that the Duke would be going through a lot after hearing about his interrogation, but she was relieved to see he was as energetic as ever.

Putting that aside.

「Commonwald, where is the envoy from the Kingdom of Marls now?」

「We have concealed the fact of Lord Vaid's absence and asked him to wait due to your busy schedule. Since they arrived without prior notice, the onus is on their side.」

「Well, that's true. And their business?」

「He is instructed to convey it directly to the King.」

「I see. What is his demeanor like?」

「He is a gentleman. He showed no signs of displeasure and is quietly awaiting in the room we prepared. However, the envoy is completely alone...」

「He came alone, then.」

Cross let out a low chuckle.

「He must have been in a great hurry... but despite that, he shows no sign of impatience. This is quite something.」

As he sank into the sofa, he spoke with an amused voice, though he seemed to be forcing a wry smile.

Elna wasn't an expert in diplomacy, but she could understand the oddity of the situation. A sudden arrival of an envoy from a foreign country. And he's alone, yet despite the implied haste, his attitude suggests otherwise.

「The goal is likely Elnalfia.」

Probably everyone present had arrived at this conclusion. There's no reason why a rumor that has reached the Kingdom of Myuverta wouldn't have reached its neighbor, the Kingdom of Marls.

「Regardless of the specific business they wish to convey, it's highly likely they have come to confirm whether this country has gained the Dragon's power.」

「We certainly have gained it. In an adorable form, at that.」

Duke Halburn clapped his hands and laughed at Cross's words, but this was no time for jokes.

「So what should we do? Send him away?」

「There is no need to deliberately create an enemy. The Kingdom of Marls is hard to call a friendly nation, but we haven't interfered with each other for decades. It would be the residents near the border who suffer from a conflict.」

That's true, Elna decided, withdrawing the fingers she had been nervously cracking.

「And the movements of the Empire are also a concern. The reason our country hasn't had long-term relations with the Kingdom of Marls is due to its difficult location and its history. The Kingdom of Marls is land that was taken from Wizrain by the Empire. Although they achieved independence from the Empire over a hundred years ago, they still seem to be subject to interference here and there. We have tried to avoid getting involved unnecessarily, but this time, they might have come as a puppet of the Empire.」

—The Arbalur Empire. Compared to the Kingdom of Wizrain, which has become much smaller than in Elna's memory, this country still ranks as one of the major powers.

Hearing the word puppet, Elna's eyebrow twitched. That man who turned mere lumps of clay into human figures and manipulated them, treating them like toys. Although Cross had already defeated him, it was an unpleasant memory nonetheless.

「...Then, are you going to avoid meeting the envoy?」

「No, since he has come this far, we need a sufficient reason to turn him away. There is no option other than to meet him, but...」

Cross himself must be finding it difficult to judge the situation. That might be why the other party chose to arrive by surprise. It certainly won't be straightforward.

「Then I'll meet him too.」

When Elna proposed this so readily, the gazes of Cross, Duke Halburn, and Commonwald all fixed on her. Even the Hamster Spirit, which had moved onto the table at some point, gaped, squeaking, Didjic!?

「...Nonsense. I said there's a possibility he's here for you. We'll share the information, but you should hide so as not to be seen by him.」

「But we don't know if that's really the case, do we?」

Coming to investigate the reincarnation of Elnalfia is only a hypothesis. Rather, it's because they don't know that they are struggling with how to proceed.

「That's true, but...」

「Then, how about we confirm it? Even if we can't definitively say whether he's here for the Elnalfia rumor, we can at least find out if he knows my face. I am the favorite maid, aren't I? One or two maids won't stand out in the audience chamber.」

She patted her chest as if puffing it out, but Cross's only response was a frown.

「Whether he knows me or not. Just grasping that fact will significantly change how we proceed. Besides, if I say so myself, I'm the perfect bait.」

After all, everyone who has ever made a move on her has been repelled. She draws them in and knocks them out. The drawback is that she cannot kill people, but in the face of Elna's power, that's not even a handicap. Just like the recent kidnapping incident, everything can be resolved by herself alone.

Cross was silent. He placed his hand on his chin, not meeting her gaze, and tapped his index finger. Elna knew he wasn't ignoring her; he was just contemplating carefully, so they all remained silent, waiting for the King's decision.

「...Understood.」

But it didn't take long.

「Are you truly alright with this?」

The intent of his question to Elna was affirmation. Elna replied immediately, 「Of course,」 and nodded.

「Then, shall we prepare?」

「Are you going to see the Envoy?」

「No.」

To Commonwald's question, Cross showed a grin that was like a child's, or rather, if he were an adult, it would be a malicious smile.

「We shall make him wait sufficiently. Since I am apparently very busy.」

Although he didn't burst into laughter.

Was it just her imagination? Elna felt like she could hear Cross's extremely amused laughter.

***

Impatience will reveal one's true nature, and if the other party gets even slightly angry, we win—that was Cross's saying, and Elna agreed that it made sense. But she couldn't help but think this was a bit much.

Cross sitting on the throne, with Prince Feliol next to him. That much she understood. In the audience chamber, in addition to Duke Halburn, the dignitaries of the Kingdom of Wizrain were all lined up, the Royal Guards were wearing more dazzling decorations than usual, and while the knights were suppressing their emotions as per the King's command, she felt she could sense even a slight expression of bewilderment.

Of course, Elna stood among them. She felt like she would be buried among so many people, but she was positioned in a place where she would certainly be seen when the envoy looked at Cross, waiting there with the pretense of being a mere maid.

They had gathered this many people and decorated the chamber so elaborately. Naturally, they had spent a lot of time and, consequently, made the envoy wait and wait.

Elna tried to imagine herself in the envoy's position. No matter how long she waited, she would only be told the King was busy, and when she was finally ushered in, she would be greeted with an unnecessarily excessive welcoming party. She would probably be furious. She would be outraged about what all the waiting time was for, and she might also shrink back among the overwhelming number of people. After all, this was terrifyingly deep in enemy territory—an away game.

Though it was part of the strategy, Elna felt a little pity for the envoy. Cross, conversely, looked lively. Yes, this is the kind of person he is. Occasionally, she caught a glimpse of his past life as the Hero...

But it was about time for the envoy to arrive.

「If, if he's a bad guy, I-I'll, I'll throw, thr-throw a sunflower seed at him, gonsu...」

The Hamster Spirit poked its tiny face out of Elna's pocket, offering a sunflower seed with a distressed look and trembling pink paws. In the past, this seed had once led to the resolution of an incident, but it was the Hamster Spirit's precious snack. Elna gently stopped him with one hand, saying, 「I'll take the thought, thank you.」 The Hamster Spirit looked relieved, gnawed at the edge of the seed, and immediately tucked the contents into its cheek. Its expression seemed to sparkle a little more.

(Well, even without throwing a seed, if it comes down to it...)

Snap. She cracked her fingers behind her back without anyone knowing.

Since there were many Royal Guards present, the chances of her getting directly involved were low, and she prayed most of all that such a situation wouldn't arise.

Now, what kind of person would arrive?

「Lord Vaid, the Envoy is here.」

「Hm.」

Commonwald whispered into Cross's ear as he sat on the throne, and Cross nodded lightly. Elna's body naturally stiffened, and her back straightened. After that, she decided it was no use being nervous and resolved to act as normal. That would make it easier to deal with in case of an emergency.

The door slowly opened, and people's eyes naturally converged on it. Elna followed their movement.

The person who entered was a single, slender man.

His silver hair was slightly shaggy and curly, with long hair tied back in a ponytail. His loose clothing, which extended to his sleeves, had distinctive embroidery, which might be a unique design of the Kingdom of Marls. The moment he stepped in, the man's shoulders visibly jumped. His long bangs obscured his expression, but he must have been surprised by the scene inside.

While Elna understood why he was surprised, her chest felt strangely agitated. It was an unsettling, utterly peculiar sensation.

The man, though surprised, showed no other obvious reaction. At least, he showed no sign of impatience, and he walked steadily across the red carpet, stopping directly beneath where Cross was looking down at him, and bowed his head.

「Raise your head.」

Cross commanded.

The man slowly raised his head. As his hair moved slightly, silver eyes were revealed through the gaps in his long bangs. Thump, Elna's chest hurt sharply. Past memories flowed through her body, filling her entirely. She knew him. Elna knew this man.

「Kylevis...」

A mere breath of a sound escaped Elna's lips.