The Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom
The Ruler of the Empire
Translated by: S3
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*****
The place was exceedingly cold. It wasn't just the temperature; it was as if the freezing air itself could frost over a person’s heart. Within that palace, where not a single wasted word or movement was permitted, a man sat with his legs crossed on a lavish chair atop a chilling marble dais. He let out a breath, looking thoroughly bored.
「...What is this? This nonsensical letter.」
「It is from the King of the Wizrain Kingdom. In a roundabout way, it accuses our country of atrocities for raising an army and crossing the border without prior notice. Well... his logic is reasonably sound.」
「Don't talk nonsense!」
The man immediately tore the letter to shreds, his face flushing a dark reddish-black with rage. This man was the King of the Albalu Empire, Rigoberto Jean Albalu. His swept-back bangs revealed a well-featured countenance, but his gaze possessed a sharpness that made any onlooker wither.
However, the man in the black robe who had hidden his face did not let his raspy voice falter, continuing in a flat tone.
「My King, tearing it up is all well and good, but the name of the Myuberta Kingdom is also listed on that document. It would be safer to concoct some plausible excuse—stating that the reason for crossing the border was not for the conquest of Wizrain...」
「In the first place, isn't the Queen Consort of Myuberta nothing more than a hostage? To Myuberta, wasn't that country a mere vassal state they could discard? I cannot believe they would go so far as to deploy troops for Wizrain's sake.」
「It would seem their public display of having no more than necessary contact was merely an act.」
「So everything was within their palm.」
Rigoberto shifted his crossed legs irritably, his fingertips tapping restlessly on the armrest. He closed his eyes in annoyance, and when he opened them again, his face was cold and composed, as if he had discarded his emotions somewhere.
「How foolish...」
To Rigoberto, his own words and thoughts were everything.
「Wizrain... that country was originally formed through a selfish independence from our nation. In other words, ev-ery-thing-there-be-longs-to-me.」
Therefore, those who could not understand were simply foolish humans. (Conviction is such a terrifying thing...) the man in the black robe snickered in a voice so low only he could hear it.
「Wizrain, and Maals. That means both are mine. Then the mines and ore sleeping in the lands of Maals... the "Dragon Scales" are also mine. Am I wrong?」
「No, my Lord. That is exactly right.」
「Maals should have just lived in the shadows as a vassal state of our empire. They've developed quite the strange greed. ...It can't be helped. Shall we burn the city of Wizrain once more? It pains my heart slightly to damage my own land, but it is a parent's duty to discipline an incompetent child.」
With a casual face, he made a blunt proposal. 「Wizrain will become mine anyway, and Maals will find it easier to obey us if their source of reliance is burnt to the ground.」
「Hmm... I thought that raid was a good idea on my part, serving as a trigger to cause internal and external chaos. Unfortunately, according to reports, the surveillance has become much tighter, making it difficult to infiltrate carelessly.」
「How disappointing.」
Rigoberto's leaning posture slumped as he leaned back into his chair. It was a gesture like that of a young child.
「It can't be helped. Outwardly, we should offer a superficial apology... Hey, Shadow.」
「What is it?」
Rigoberto did not know this man's name. "Please call me Shadow"—he had appeared before Rigoberto one day saying those words. The man always hid his face, and other than the fact that he was a man, his strange tone made it impossible to tell if he was a youth or an elderly person who had grown old and wise.
However, Shadow brought all kinds of information to Rigoberto. It was this man who had been the first to report that a new mine had been found in the country of Maals.
「I have no interest in where you get the information you feed me. However, if you have any foolish ideas, consider your life forfeit.」
「My, my, how terrifying. ...I, too, have a bit of a sentimental attachment to that country.」
「...Oh?」
For a moment, Rigoberto raised an eyebrow with amusement, catching a tremor in Shadow's tone.
「The Dragon Scales, you see. I was making them.」
Rigoberto was taken aback by those words, which were spoken quite casually. Then, he burst into a grand laugh. He couldn't tell if it referred to a mine or if it was meant literally, but in any case, it was a preposterous tale.
「And? Was it completed?」
「Unfortunately, no.」
「I knew it was impossible!」
He could do nothing but hold his stomach and laugh.
「No, no, it was almost complete, you see? However, I was interrupted by a dragon.」
「Oho, a dragon. I had heard rumors that one was born in the land of Wizrain...」
Whether it was Wizrain or Maals, he had sneered at them for worshipping such ancient things. But if it were a fact...
「Shadow, Wizrain is mine... which means, well.」
Rigoberto grinned, showing his teeth ferociously.
「—That dragon must also be mine, without a doubt.」
After a slight pause, Shadow replied slowly. His tone suggested he was smiling.
「Yes, of course. That is exactly right.」
***
About a month after Cross had set out for the campaign, he and his troops returned. They had already exchanged letters several times through message magic, so Elna understood the circumstances, but her state of mind was different seeing the real thing. The sigh of relief she breathed was still fresh in her memory.
Time passed without her being able to meet Cross, who was busy with one thing or another, but on that day, she had rarely been summoned to Cross’s office. There was still time before the appointed hour, so Elna, feeling idle, tried to do even a little work as a maid, but she encountered a bit of a problem. No, it wasn't just a bit; she was in quite a bind.
Lately, she had been visiting the city to help with reconstruction instead of being at the castle, so it had been a while since she had worked as a maid. And simultaneously, it had been a long time since she had seen Noma.
Noma and Elna were currently sweeping the garden with their backs to each other, without a word or even a single smile between them. (It’s as awkward as when we first met...) Elna thought, realizing that she was the cause. From inside Elna's pocket, the Hamster Spirit peeked its face out, its nose twitching as it looked around.
「U-um, Noma!」
「...What is it?」
Noma turned around slowly with a voice that bordered on cold. For a moment, Elna wanted to run away, but she gripped the handle of her broom tightly, set her mouth, and braced herself.
「I'm—I'm Elnalfia!」
After shouting, she frowned, thinking, (Wait, that might be hard to understand,) and corrected herself. 「I'm the reincarnation of Elnalfia!」
Hearing Elna's statement, Noma first blinked blankly. However, her face gradually turned bright red, and perhaps out of anger, her arms holding the broom began to tremble violently as she glared intensely at Elna.
(I understand your feelings,) Elna nodded deeply in her heart, but she didn't let it show on her face, simply staring at Noma with a dead serious expression. She hadn't intended to deceive her, but since the result was the same, there was no difference. She was prepared to accept any verbal abuse.
However, the words that followed were unexpected.
「I already know that, you idiot! I heard it from Jipi!」
「F-from Jipi...」
When the capital was burning, Jipi had been working on the rescue as a soldier, and he must have seen Elna's monstrous strength many times since then. As Elna realized this, she saw Noma swing her hand toward her. Elna reflexively closed her eyes and waited for the impact, but what came next was just a powerful embrace. The sound of Noma's broom hitting the ground echoed.
「I was so worried!」
Elna was startled and opened her eyes wide, reflexively putting her hands on Noma's back.
「T-that day, the—the capital was burning, and no matter where I looked, Elna wasn't there!」
Gradually, Noma's voice broke into sobs. Elna felt herself being squeezed even tighter. Elna was stunned by the small trembling and Noma's voice. Then, she gradually realized that a thin, transparent film was covering her own eyes. She imagined Noma's feelings. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, large tears spilled from both of Elna's eyes.
「I—I thought you had died, that day...!」
There had been no time to contact her. That was just an excuse, and Elna felt miserable for making her dear friend anxious. She could do nothing but apologize, saying, 「I'm sorry,」 as they both sobbed. Then they both cried loudly, and Elna squeezed Noma back tightly.
***
「You apologized because you thought I already knew Elna was Lady Elnalfia, right?」
「Yeah, that's right...」
Elna and Noma sat huddled in a corner of the garden, their eyelids swollen. Elna felt embarrassed for crying like a child, but her heart felt light because the fog that had been inside her had cleared.
「Like I said before, of course I know. They say the rumors in town are quite something. I was startled when Jipi told me, and Jipi was surprised too... But Elna is Elna. If you want me to revere you, I will, of course.」
「The great dragon was my past life, it's not me, so it's fine. I don't really know if the dragon was great or not anyway.」
「I see. Then, we'll stay as we've always been. But... I know that Elna saved the city, of course. Thank you so much.」
「...Yeah.」
Noma sniffled manfully as she stared straight ahead. Elna blew her nose into a tissue she had. Even she was surprised by how much she had just cried. For now, she had to pull herself together.
The heavy silence was broken by Noma's deep sigh.
「...The skin on my hands from the water had finally started to heal. And yet, you've covered yourself in burns like this.」
As if touching a fragile object, she gently lifted Elna's hand and frowned painfully.
「It doesn't hurt that much. It was at a level I could endure, and besides, it's already mostly healed.」
「But that doesn't change the fact that it was painful.」
「I suppose...」
Elna gave a strange reply.
「...Um, I'm sorry.」
「I don't care about myself anymore. More importantly, it's about Lord Vaid, isn't it?」
「Cro... Lord Vaid? Why?」
「Because.」
Noma sniffled once more, glancing at the dumbfounded Elna. Then she rubbed the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand.
「You're getting married, aren't you? To Lord Vaid.」
*****
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