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The Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom

WIZRAIN

Translated by: S3

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

*****

Just where had the original Priest vanished to? Honestly, Elna and the others had imagined the worst-case scenario, but surprisingly, the location where the Priest was being held captive was quickly discovered.

The person most responsible was Kakami—the girl who had offered Elna an umbrella on the day of the festival. Living in the church, she had noticed the Priest being replaced one day. Although the impostor was made of clay, his appearance was identical. Despite having no firm conviction or solid evidence, she trailed the 'Priest' when he slipped out of the church late at night and discovered his hideout.

The fake Priest could mimic his appearance, but not his mannerisms or knowledge. That was why they kept the real Priest alive, attempting to draw out his memories little by little to play the role without arousing suspicion in others. However, confining a person and keeping them alive was a time-consuming and laborious task, and it was likely they never intended to keep up the charade for long.

It was fortunate that Kakami noticed the replacement early, and that the switch had not occurred long after the rumor of Elna's stepsister, Laura, falsely claiming her past life had spread through the city.

When Elna visited the church, Kakami had just evaded the fake Priest's surveillance, helped the real Priest, and escaped with him. That must have been why the Priest-impostor had asked Elna about the vanished Kakami's whereabouts.

「I have something I need to work hard on too. Will you cheer me on?」

Elna recalled Kakami's small shoulders and her attempt to convey something to Elna. In the Kingdom of Wizrain, where rain was scarce, people felt inconvenienced by the meager rainfall but had no concept of using an umbrella for it. Umbrellas were strictly for use under the sun. Yet, Kakami, unconstrained by existing common sense, had used an umbrella on a rainy day. Elna couldn't help but think that her flexible mindset, which also allowed her to notice the unnoticed replacement of the Priest, would surely save many people in the future.

Seeing Cross nod solemnly and say, 「It seems the Duke of Halburn's name was merely used. I'm relieved he wasn't involved,」 Elna felt like laughing.

The suspicion regarding the Duke's involvement was clearly a chance guess that had fallen upon him due to his close relationship with the Elnalfia faith. However, to clear himself of suspicion, the Duke of Halburn reportedly sat down in a chair and earnestly cooperated with the inquiry.

Everything that came out was proof of his innocence, but for Cross and the officials conducting the interrogation, they struggled to bite their lips and maintain composure in the face of the Duke's voice—which, though meant to be whispered, boomed with splendid diaphragmatic projection—and the chair that had collapsed beneath his massive frame.

Even after the chair broke, the Duke attempted to continue the conversation while sitting precariously, which led to a hasty interruption and the delivery of a giant, dedicated chair for the Duke. This incident is likely to become a legend told for generations.

「I figured it would be fine since I didn't see the Duke in the memories I saw in the water,」 Elna said with a smile, walking softly, rustling the tender grass beneath her feet.

The vast expanse of green leaves deepened their color, and the Great Tree of Kiarole gently towered in the distance. Winter came early and was short in the Kingdom of Wizrain. The white sky had suddenly become a vibrant, eye-opening blue, to the point where the white breath she had exhaled a little while ago felt nostalgic.

The shortness of winter was rumored to be due to the worship of Elnalfia, the Fire Dragon, but Elnalfia had never truly disliked winter. Or rain, for that matter. Everything that changed in this country was dear to her, and yet, her own unchanging nature was hateful and painful.

As Elna walked, Cross followed behind her. However, perhaps due to the length of his legs, even when Elna walked at a brisk pace, Cross would slowly catch up to her in a single stride.

「...By summer, Baron Calzeed, and those who gained privileges while knowing of his atrocities, will receive their due retribution.」

In other words, this included Elna's stepsister and her mother. Elna suddenly stopped walking. Standing side-by-side with Cross, she closed her eyes and let out a breath. She understood what Cross was trying to tell her. That was why the only word she could offer in response was, 「I see.」

「I understand your wish not to take a human life. We will not take the lives of everyone, but there are some who cannot be spared. This, I cannot concede. I apologize.」

「...I know that if I'm going to live as a human, there are laws that must be upheld.」

At the continuation, 「After all, you are the King,」 Cross's eyebrow twitched. A whooshing wind passed between them, billowing Elna's hair, which was neither red nor brown, and her skirt.

「...Hey, Cross.」

Seeing his expression, the feelings Elna had been turning over inside, wondering how to convey them, swelled up. Her heart thumped softly, sending a feeling of tension all the way to her fingertips. 「What is it?」 Cross asked, instantly shedding his somber look and smiling at Elna.

「You actually want to be the King of this country forever, don't you?」

At Elna's words, his expression instantly froze.

「...What do you mean?」

「The talk about wanting to hand the throne over to your brother. That was a lie, wasn't it?」

Facing each other and gazing at the frowning Cross, Elna carefully chose her words. 「No, your actions weren't a lie. It's not that—」 But even as she intended to be careful, the words spilled out of her mouth.

「You've decided that Lord Feliol will be the next King. But Cross, you absolutely want to stay with this country until the very end. Because it's precious to you. There's no way you don't love a country you named Wizrain, a country that feels like your own child. You want to cherish it, to protect it, until the very last moment of your life!」

With every word Elna shouted, Cross's face twisted in agony. Of course, he loved this country. It didn't matter if it was his past life or the present. Elna, now merely a girl, shouldn't be able to understand his suffering and internal conflict—wrestling with his intertwined personalities, and trying to let go precisely because he loved it so much. But the feeling of love...

「Stop letting go!」

Of course she understood. She had been reborn in this country, clutching the Dragon Scale, all for the one she loved most. Clang. Shala-ri, shala-ri!

The sound of glass rubbing together from the sky must have been Elna's imagination. She mimed clutching the scale that should no longer be hanging from her neck. Her scale was now dangling from Cross's neck. It absorbed the light of the sky, twinkling and flickering, and swayed dully on Cross's chest.

He was not a man who ever let his agitation show. Yet, at that moment, his mouth twitched, and he spat out, 「Nonsense.」 Realizing his reaction, he took a deep breath, composed his face, and slowly replied.

「Deep down, I feel this country is mine. A foolish king who thinks that way can't possibly lead the people, can he? I'd be just like that noble. Just like the wicked man who ruled this land, whom I—no, whom Vaid—defeated! I certainly possess the memories of a hero. But in the end, they belong to someone else... I am not such a great person.」

Just as Elna lamented that she could no longer fly, Cross was also just a man. Because he had the memories, he compared himself, stared at the unreachable ideal, and could only suppress his emotions to the breaking point.

「...I also don't think a country belongs to the King as an individual. Certainly, that might be wrong. But something like that—」

Elna desperately reached out, grasping Cross's lapels with both hands. She pulled with all her might. Cross's tall frame came closer, and when she looked up at his face, their foreheads nearly touched.

「If you want to think it, you can think it as much as you like! No matter what you think deep down, no one will know unless you say it out loud! You just have to make the effort! Keep striving to protect this small, vulnerable country, not as a foolish king, but as a wise king!」

She felt like crying. As she shouted, Elna's eyes became increasingly blurry with tears. She didn't even know why she felt this way. Elna loved this man who knew the past, suffered from it, and yet tried to move forward. She was so frustrated that she didn't know the name of the man she loved that she engraved his long name in her heart. He was Vaid. But he was also Cross. He was not a seasoned hero or a brave warrior, but a young man still suffering and lost on the journey of life.

「Don't let go of what you love...」

Her fingers trembled as she gripped Cross's clothes, and her voice was hoarse with tears. Cross just stared in a daze. Elna immediately sniffled and wiped away her overflowing tears with the back of her hand. Then, she pulled Cross again and got as far as 「So,」 before her momentum suddenly disappeared. Cross looked at Elna suspiciously, and Elna opened and closed her mouth repeatedly.

「S-So, s-so, so, so!」

「O-Oh.」

「C-Cro, Cro, Cro-Cro.」

「What is Cro-Cro?」

「If Cross!」

「Oh, me.」

「If Cross is worried about making a mistake!」

She made up her mind. She swallowed hard.

「I'll be with you!」

...She had blurted it out with momentum. Cross, still being pulled by the neck, looked bewildered, unable to grasp Elna's true meaning. She could make any excuse, saying she meant that she would stop him, just as he had stopped her. But that wasn't the essence of it. At that moment, Elna remembered Duke Lionel Halburn. Those who use fire magic are often passionate and devoted. She didn't know if that applied to her, but her body was hot right now.

「S-So, s-so, so!」

「Hmm...?」

Seeing the dumbfounded Cross made her feel utterly frustrated, thinking he's the one who's been saying it all along. But at this point, Elna thought, what the hell. It felt like fire mana was swirling all through her body. In fact, it probably was. Her entire face, from her fingertips to the tips of her ears, was in a terrible state. Elna's face rapidly flushed crimson.

「—I'm saying I'll become your wife!」

Her voice, louder than she intended, rushed across the meadow and echoed loudly. It was loud enough to shock the birds flying in the sky into falling. The person she shouted at was simply gaping. Seeing that face, she thought, this guy. You jerk. Idiot. Big idiot. Idiot!

As she was mentally cursing Cross with her poor vocabulary, he stammered, 「W-Well, that is, um...」 For some reason, Cross was flinching. He turned his face away from Elna and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

「...You've been asking me to marry you all this time. Was it a joke?」

「N-No way. I'm always serious. But, somehow, when it actually happens, I'm sorry. ...Wait, are you sure? This is marriage, you know? It means you'll become my wife, you know?」

「I know! I know how difficult it is to marry into the royal family. I'll just use the name Elnalfia to brush off all the complaints and grievances. I'll use whatever I can.」

「No, that's not it. It's that, right? That too, but, right? There are other things, aren't there?」

「Other things?」

It was the complete opposite of their conversation a little while ago. When Cross proposed, Elna had been confused about what to do. So, she understood what he was trying to say. Therefore, she decided to state it plainly.

「I like you, Cross. Of course I'd be happy to be with you.」

At that moment, Cross fell. He slipped from Elna's grip and physically fell. He plopped down on his rear in the meadow and sat there, looking faintly bitter, but a closer look revealed the tips of his ears were bright red. So, Elna sat down next to him and gazed at the young man who possessed the memories of a past hero.

Incidentally, the usual Hamster Spirit was still in Elna's pocket, but it peeked its head out, assessed the situation, and quickly withdrew with a forceful 「Not now, gonsu!」 However, to the spirits gathering around Elna and Cross as if to ask what was going on, it kept its small pink finger tip pressed against its palm, shushing them: 「Shh, ham, gonsu! Shh, shh!」 Elna pretended not to notice the commotion.

「...It's quite embarrassing to say this, but...」

Next to Cross, who had buried his face in his raised knees while sitting, showing only his red ears, Elna braced herself for what embarrassing story was coming and nodded, 「Mhm.」

「...The first time I saw you, I realized you were Elnalfia, but at the same time, I also thought, What a lovely and beautiful girl.」 And that was more embarrassing than she had imagined. Perhaps to hide her feelings, Elna's mouth puckered slightly.

「No, the talk about appearance doesn't matter. I wouldn't bring up marriage with someone I didn't love.」

...That was a roundabout answer. Just as she was thinking, 「...It means I like you too,」 he looked at her with eyes that were too honest, and Elna trembled.

Her heart was thumping wildly. The man hailed as a hero was the Fire Dragon's partner and family. They were bound by a trust and affection too deep for words, and that bond remained solid, never loosening. But—but. The people here were a girl whose soul was a mix of human and dragon, and a mere young man struggling and lost on his own path.

They stared at each other, their faces bright red, then for some reason, they simultaneously squeezed their eyes shut, only to slowly, slowly open them again, thinking, no, that's wrong. Elna cautiously peered at the young man. Cross was smiling.

「...You look just like an apple.」

Saying that, Cross stroked Elna's cheek and smoothly brought his perfectly sculpted nose closer to Elna's. At that moment, the Hamster Spirit, which had been secretly peeking out of her pocket, opened its eyes wide in a panic and quickly curled up, trying to hide its face.

Rain fell.

「Eh, w-what is this...?」

「This is...」

Hearing the sound of something pouring down, she initially thought it was rain. But it was different. Yellow flower petals overflowed from somewhere, filling their entire field of vision like heavy drops of rain. A rumbling sensation made them tremble, and they placed their hands on the ground. It was so overwhelming that it was impossible to tell if it was falling from the sky or welling up from the ground, and Elna involuntarily waved both hands, crying out, 「Whoa, whoa, whoa!」

While she was startled and clinging to Cross, whose hand had grabbed her wrist with a 「Calm down,」 a powerful wind raged, lifting Cross's necklace and making his hair fly, causing her to involuntarily close her eyes.

「Elna, look. A dragon.」

But at Cross's words that a dragon was flying, she blinked and looked up. The petals gathered, flew into the sky, and crossed over to the distant clouds. Shan-ra, shan-ra, shan-ra... Strangely, it felt like the sound of glass ringing.

「...What on earth was that...?」

「They were the petals of the Great Tree of Kiarole. I told you they blow fiercely all at once in the spring, but that it's gotten more incredible than in the past, right?」

「Y-You did... but! But still!」

This was not something that could be casually dismissed. The tree had certainly grown larger, but who would have imagined that it had transformed into something so massive it could cover the entire meadow?

Elna glared up at Cross with an accusing feeling, but then realized that in her shock over the Great Tree's petals, she had fallen right between Cross's knees. She instantly sprang out like a cat. Cross stared down at the suddenly empty, lonely space between his arms, looking somewhat pathetic.

「............」

A strange silence fell between them. Looking closely, not all the petals had flown away; some were clinging to both of them. It was hard to see the color in his golden hair, but one was stuck to Cross's head. Elna slowly reached out and picked it off, which made his arm shoot out forcefully. She was seized by both arms and stared down at by his frowning face. Of course, she could escape anytime she wanted.

But she wanted the excuse that she couldn't escape.

Just as the shadows of their mouths were about to touch, they both cried out, 「Agh!」 and jumped back to put distance between them. Elna was rolling in the meadow, her face bright red and covered by her hands, so she couldn't quite see what Cross looked like or what pose he was in.

「Isn't this a little too hasty...?」

However, hearing his pathetic voice, she could somehow imagine the scene.

「Yes. I think so too...」

「Alright. Slow. We'll go slow. Little by little.」

「Let's go little by little... Yes, let's... That's a great idea. I can't take it.」

「I might not be able to take it in a different sense.」

「I feel like something's off, but I'm really glad we agree.」

「But in the end, you'll be my wife.」

「W-Wife!」

She almost retorted, but swallowed hard and said, 「...I will.」 She kept repeating Cross's satisfied reply, 「Good.」 in her mind.

She exhaled slowly and gazed up at the sky while still lying down. The clouds drifted slowly, and the wind tickled her cheek.

The Hamster Spirit, apparently thinking the coast was clear, scurried out of her pocket and began playing with Elna's hair, ruffling it. Feeling a sense of relief, she reached for the finger of Cross, who was also lying down. He immediately grasped her palm tightly, and the water that had fallen from her chest seemed to seep into her entire body.

When she was a dragon, she thought she could do anything. But Elna was now a human, a girl. Even while dragging along the feelings of a dragon, she walked the path of a human. She couldn't help but wish for Cross to be right beside her.

「That's right, I have to protect her」

He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular. Cross, who muttered this softly, had a look of resolve in his golden eyes, reflecting the color of the sky.

「Since I love her I can't possibly let it go...」

He hadn't explicitly said what he meant, but Elna told him, 「Yes.」