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The Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom

The Girl Encounters the Hero of the Past

Translated by: S3

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

*****

Let us rewind time just a little.

The fairy tale of the Dragon and the Hero is the founding story known by everyone in the Kingdom of Wizrain.

Hundreds of years ago, a blue dragon named Elnalfia carried the Hero Vaid upon her back and opened up the demon lands. Vaid made the Fire Dragon Elnalfia, whom everyone should have feared, his companion. With the sacred sword Chiarore in one hand, he boldly challenged the Demon Clan. Finally, from the wounds where he supposedly pierced the demons, verdure spilled forth in the blink of an eye; grains were born, and the sword Chiarore became a great tree that served as the foundation for the kingdom that exists today.

When recalling her memories as Elnalfia, she couldn't help but think they had embellished things quite a bit. The opponent wasn't a Demon Clan, but the local lord who oppressed the people. As for the overflowing greenery, that was just Vaid joining in with everyone else, heaving and hoing to till the land that had gone completely to ruin.

However, in those days, nobles were equivalent to gods. Mere magic from a pointed finger could take the lives of thousands of soldiers, and the land would dry up in an instant. Even after overthrowing such nobles, the infant nation that had just raised its first cry was targeted by many threats. Vaid dedicated his entire life to repelling all of them. Vaid was always by Elnalfia's side, and Elnalfia was always by Vaid's side.

And the descendants of Vaid, who became King, rule this country to this day. The story of his friend, the dragon, is a fairy tale known even to toddlers, a heroic saga, and a piece of carved history.

Within that history, there are words left behind by the First King, Vaid.

He established a promise so that one day, when he and Elnalfia were reborn, they could meet again. Just what was that promise? It remains a mystery of the Kingdom of Wizrain, unsolved no matter how many historical documents scholars unravel. furthermore, to find the soul of the friend and hero—though it was uncertain if they would even reincarnate—generations of kings have searched for Elnalfia. —And so, they gather the daughters who turn sixteen that year at the royal castle and ask: Is Elnalfia among you?

(I had heard the stories, but...)

Elna looked around restlessly.

Sparkling floors and furnishings. Magnificent carpets. Even a single wall was of a quality incomparable to the Baron's house. It was something Elna had never seen as a human, yet precisely because she had memories as Elnalfia, she understood the value of this castle. Knights were lined up along the walls. The gathered sixteen-year-old girls seemed unable to suppress their excitement, busy covering their mouths or looking down nervously while fidgeting.

In contrast to the girls, Elna was rather calm, carefully observing her surroundings. Laura muttered irritably at her, 「This is why a whore's daughter is so...」 Laura despised Elna's commoner mother. She felt no need to correct her perception of what kind of person the already deceased woman was; to Laura, a servant bought with money like a mistress must be nothing more than a whore. 「 truly vulgar. The clothes you're wearing, too—how miserable.」

As for the clothes, it couldn't be helped. Since she was welcomed as the second daughter of a Baron, she couldn't exactly wear a maid's uniform. She started to reply, then stopped. It became ridiculous. Seeing Elna's sullen demeanor, Laura was about to shout in irritation again, but looked around and huffed a breath through her nose instead.

—This was neither the Calzeed house nor their land. It was merely the venue for the annual customary event to search for Elnalfia's reincarnation.

Naturally, gathering every sixteen-year-old girl in the country would be difficult, so those gathered at the royal castle were girls with peerage, divided into lower and higher nobility. Commoners were confirmed verbally by auditors visiting their respective villages. It could be said to be incidental to family registry management.

Because of this traditional event, Elna was invited as the second daughter of the Calzeed family. The side doing the inviting likely didn't think Elnalfia's reincarnation was actually there; it was just a formal event. It felt somewhat apologetic.

The carriage journey was a bit cramped, but also interesting. Although it was a distance she could have flown in a woosh before, the current Elna had to be carried by horse to go far. When she saw the horses sense her presence and make strange buruhyuhyu noises, she laughed a little, but immediately put on a composed face when Laura glared at her. However, her first experiences as a human made Elna's heart dance, and her good mood seemed nothing but irritating to Laura.

「Listen to me. You came here as my servant. They say they will check each person formally, but you are to quickly step to the back and stay silent. This is a chance to get close to the King. I won't let it slip away... The Fire Dragon Elnalfia, the symbol of the Kingdom of Wizrain... if I become her reincarnation, I should hold power greater than a Duke. I will, absolutely, become the reincarnation... absolutely...!」

A Baron's lineage isn't enough, Laura thought, grinding the tip of her thumbnail with her teeth. I don't think a past life is something you become by working hard at it, Elna thought, but simply nodded with a 「Haa.」

「What is that half-hearted reply! I could crush that precious glass stone of yours, you know!」

Prepared as always, Laura dangled the necklace in front of Elna's eyes. When Elna involuntarily frowned, Laura puffed out her chest, looking satisfied.

By the way, if one were to ask why they gathered girls to ask, it is said to be because Elnalfia was "female." 「If that guy is reborn, surely it must be as a female again,」 the First King had leaked, leading to this situation, but wasn't that too haphazard? No, Vaid was a haphazard man. Forgetful, sloppy, yet endlessly cheerful. She grumbled in her head, unsure if she wanted to mock him or not. But what she disliked the most was that his careless words had actually come true. Elna had been reborn as a human, and a girl at that.

While she was thinking this and that, they were sixteen-year-old girls, nobles or not. The waiting time must have become unbearable. It was the same for Laura; fidgeting and wondering not yet, not yet, the dresses occasionally stuck together.

The skirts of their dresses were shaped like birdcages, looking ready to burst; they were likely wearing magnificent panniers underneath. The carriage ride to the Royal Capital had been difficult, filled entirely by Laura's dress. She had heard that recently, circular frames made of thin rattan were popular to create even more volume. Laura, and of course the other young ladies, had birdcages inside their skirts, and since they were packed into a room—however spacious—they bumped against each other. A spirit that seemed to have accidentally wandered in was looking deathly pale, floating while being squashed flat. Are you okay?

In contrast, Elna's shoes were tattered from daily work, and her Sunday best, which she had put on as a bare minimum, was ill-fitting and short. After all, her deceased mother had spent her meager savings to buy it for a young Elna, so the size was wrong. She had tried adding fabric bit by bit as she grew taller, but it had turned into something even more unsightly. Of course, this was also one of the harassments by Laura and her mother; the surrounding young ladies occasionally frowned when they looked at Elna. The setup seemed to be that Elna preferred this outfit, and Laura was troubled by her shameless, eccentric sister.

(Well, whatever, I'm going home soon anyway...)

The old Elna might have blushed in shame and trembled while biting her lip. But no matter what they thought, they were strangers she wouldn't be involved with in the future. Even if rumors were spread without her knowing, her Dragon Mind wouldn't be hurt in the slightest. It felt like, Humans sure have a lot of free time.

(I have no intention of announcing that I am Elnalfia, either...)

Even if the current royal family were Vaid's descendants looking for Elnalfia, to the current Elna, they were total strangers. Besides, it was obvious that announcing herself now would only lead to trouble.

So, fully intending to go home quickly, Elna stood dignified. She beckoned the spirit, which had been flattened and on the verge of death among the young ladies, with her finger and fed it a tiny bit of magic power. "Sorry 'bout that, thanks guv," the spirit said, burning to express its gratitude. It just talked a lot.

『Thanks, mate.』

It wasn't her imagination; it definitely said it again, then shouted 『Hey-yo!』 and disappeared energetically. It flew out the window and blended into the deep blue sky. Elna watched it go in amazement, but it made sense; by eating Elna's dragon magic, its rank as a spirit must have risen. High-ranking spirits come to understand the language of the one who poured magic into them. The language of dragons and spirits is the same. That was why she couldn't notice the change in her past life.

Wondering if its slight accent meant it was from the countryside, the final "Hey-yo" remained a mystery—did it think it was riding a horse? But it was fun, so it was perfectly fine, and Elna laughed. While she was doing that, she was assaulted by Laura.

「What are you grinning about by yourself? Totally creepy!」

「Is that right? Ahaha.」

「It's scary! Why are you suddenly smiling!」

Since she could squash her with a pop if she felt like it, the things that used to make her cry were becoming increasingly trivial. And even though Laura started the conversation, she pulled Elna's hair saying, 「Be quiet!」 It didn't particularly hurt or itch, but having the birdcage skirt go against her when she got too close wasn't great for her mood. However—the whispering around them grew louder.

The one who arrived was an old man with a beard curling long from his chin. His movements were very sharp as his footsteps echoed on the stone floor. To be specific, he moved in right angles. He proceeded in a straight line, then turned in reverse. The girls leaned back with a start. And in an instant, it became quiet.

「Everyone, thank you for gathering. And I congratulate you on reaching the age of sixteen. It is handed down that Lady Elnalfia was a lady. Please, may you also age beautifully and purely, just like Lady Elnalfia.」

The girls, frozen in tension, exhaled hou at the blessing.

「Yes, yes, truly...!」

「Lady Elnalfia is the model of a lady...!」

(Model...?)

A dragon is a... model? She could only tilt her head. And the young ladies agreeing with the old man smiled sweetly. Girls like Laura, trying to become Elnalfia's reincarnation themselves, were of course the minority. Most girls were happy to be invited to the royal castle as a kind of coming-of-age ceremony for their sixteenth year. That was the custom of this country.

「Now then, I am Commonwald, serving as the Head Chamberlain. We are terribly sorry to have you travel from so far. Though it is modest, we have prepared celebratory gifts and a banquet for your coming of age, so please enjoy yourselves.」

Pekori, Commonwald bowed at a right angle.

The young ladies, usually disciplined by strict parents, suddenly grew excited. Laura, however, bit her thumb kiri kiri, looking irritated.

「Before that, if I may ask each of you a question.」

At that moment, Laura snapped her head up. Sensing Commonwald's words were to check for Elnalfia's reincarnation, she flew out pyuu right in front of him. Forcibly squeezing through the girls, 「Me! I am...!」 Laura insisted. It was then. The pendant Elna had been clutching, today as well for the sake of harassment, slipped from her fingers.

Laura slammed face-first onto the floor. The smooth stone floor looked incredibly painful on the face. Seeing her fly out in front of Commonwald, the air went silent. The guard knights tried to rush over immediately, perhaps to protect Commonwald, but Commonwald stopped them instantly with his hand. 「This, is...」 The oval glass necklace that had slid to his feet with a cool sound. Picking it up with slowly trembling fingers, 「Lady Elnalfia's scale...!」

At the Chamberlain's words, the plaza went into an uproar.

「This is, without a doubt, the scale of the Fire Dragon Elnalfia, considered one of the founders of the Wizrain Kingdom...! W-Why, where did you get this...!」

「My...! This stone is something I was grasping when I was born! I myself thought 'it couldn't be,' so I was unable to tell anyone until today, but I have memories of flapping through this sky as a dragon!」

Laura immediately snatched up the necklace and held it high. It was incredible last-minute power; she had guts. Elna blinked at her sheer ad-libbing ability, conversely impressed.

Laura narrated. That this was something she had possessed since birth. That she held it dear precisely because she had memories of her past life. No, that's what I said a long time ago, Elna blinked again. The part about past life memories was Laura's ad-lib, but because facts were mixed in, a strange reality oozed out.

In other words, the promise Elnalfia and King Vaid decided upon so they could meet again when reincarnated—did it mean possessing her scale? —Witnessing this historical moment, the blushing girls whispered to one another. No, I don't know anything about that.

Eh, is it just me forgetting? Elna held her head. I really don't know anything about that. It was more like she just kind of had it when she was born. She never expected that something she held onto with such light tension would have such a heavy anecdote attached to it.

(I mean, weren't my scales light blue? Did they look like glass individually?)

She could only pile surprise upon surprise at discovering a self she hadn't seen yet.

Even so, Elna sighed. Laura's claim was quietly being accepted by the room, shifting from a buzz to acceptance. It was just a coincidence, but Laura had finally turned her wish into reality. She had quite the backbone. Staring blankly at her, cheeks flushed red and arms spread wide in excitement, Elna—sighed again.

It didn't matter.

Elnalfia is Elnalfia, and she is herself. If Laura takes the place of Elnalfia, she likely won't return to the Calzeed house. That would be, well, very peaceful and appreciated. Elna had a reason she couldn't leave the Calzeed family, so if that mansion became peaceful, nothing could be better.

The royalty of the Wizrain Kingdom were the descendants of her precious partner whom she always carried on her back. So it would be a lie to say she wasn't concerned, but she wasn't that interested. As long as it wasn't Vaid himself. —Just as she thought that and tried to look away fui, the commotion rippled even more violently.

「Ah, My Lord, you have arrived? It is a serious matter!」

「This is quite a commotion. I suppose I don't need to ask what happened to know.」

—Her skin broke out in goosebumps.

Elna opened her eyes wide and turned to look at a single point. It was too identical to the voice in her memories. But thinking again, she shook her head, no. It was very similar, but slightly higher and more resonant than the one Elna knew. He used to worry a little about his raspy voice. But she couldn't help but be curious and tried to see the man's figure, but with Elna's small body, she couldn't see over the young ladies who had packed even tighter in their frenzy at the man's arrival. If she tried to use her real strength poorly, it would be a disaster. Squish.

Next, when he was called 「King Vaid,」 she was surprised and thought she might stop breathing. But she remembered immediately. In Wizrain, men inherit the name of the First King. In other words, if he is the King, it is not strange at all.

So, breathe in, breathe out. Pressing down her leaping heart, she managed to peek at the man through the gaps of the elated girls. The man had a completely different appearance from Vaid. Yet, he was Vaid.

Vaid had a somewhat raspy voice, flowing black hair swept back on only one side, and droopy eyes that were needlessly handsome; his companions criticized him terribly for it. Yet, the village women all fell in love with him, and even after overthrowing the lord, declaring independence as a new nation, and becoming King, he captivated many princesses. From Elnalfia's perspective, he was just a muscle idiot, and his laugh revealed his spitefulness, which amazed her. But the current him was different. A handsome young man suited to glittering blond hair, a slender youth of twenty or so who didn't look suited to a tan.

And yet, he was undoubtedly Vaid. After all, he was the partner she had carried on her back, flying around the sky countless times. There was no way she wouldn't recognize his reincarnation.

In that moment, Elna retraced her memories all the way back and became just Elnalfia.

The dragon wep. Remembering the partner she carried on her back, shaking her glass scales, she simply wept, squeezing out a dragon's cry instead of human words. Only the perfectly round moon listened to the dragon quietly crying. It was night. Pitch black, a mysterious, quiet night with twinkling stars. No, that's wrong, she blinked.

She seemed to have been somewhere very far away.

This is the royal castle, and Elna is standing on two legs. And sunlight is overflowing from the windows, amidst a buzzing wave of people. Elnalfia is already gone. The dragon's memories are now quietly tucked away inside Elna's chest. She desperately steadied her swaying body and thought. Elna is Elnalfia, but she is unmistakably Elna. Even so, she could not suppress the noisy emotions.

At that moment, she and "Vaid" met eyes with a flash, as if locking together.

How much time passed? One second, or two? In the end, it might not have been much time. Vaid definitely looked at Elna, and Elna looked back at Vaid. Before she knew it, she was so nervous she couldn't breathe. Cheeks puffed out, lips pressed shut and trembling, Elna stared at Vaid. However, he looked away easily.

「You there, girl. Your name.」

「Y-Yes. I am Laura... Laura Calzeed, King Vaid...! P-Please, call me Elnalfia.」

「I see,」 Vaid nodded, acknowledging Laura as Elnalfia.

Thus, their memories of wishing to meet again even if reborn shattered simply like glass. Vaid didn't remember anything about his past life.

So, I'll disappear, she thought. She didn't want to stay in a place like this for even a second. She would go home quickly, cry just a little, and enjoy her current life. Even though Elna didn't actually have anywhere to return to.