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The Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom

Tacky Glass and a Hamster

Translated by: S3

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

*****

Shanra, shanra ♪♪♪.

The mysterious sound audible in the air was the rubbing of dragon scales. The dragon flew through the sky, carrying the sound from the heavens. Noticing the glittering scales, people spread their arms wide, awaiting a blessing.

「Elnalfia, look, they are waving. Why don't you wave back?」

「Do not spout such nonsense. I am a dragon.」

Elnalfia had been granted magic by Vaid. That was why she understood human speech. Though dragons are existences of a higher order than spirits, they were originally born from nature all the same, making their existences similar. Seeing the sullen Elnalfia, Vaid grinned—a smile Elnalfia had reputed to be spiteful—and said, 「I'm not joking, that's exactly why.」

Because she was a dragon equivalent to a god, even the slightest reaction would delight the children, he said. Such a thing, Elnalfia thought. She was feared by humans, fled from by humans. She had simply repeated that cycle. Ah, but still.

「Will the tail do?」

「It doesn't matter at all.」

He possessed enough value to make Elnalfia easily discard the hesitation within her.

Her tail was Elnalfia's pride. When Vaid stroked it, she felt strangely happy.

She didn't know if the children waving desperately from atop the hill understood, but when she gave it a heavy sway, a cheer echoed out. Too loud, I can't stand it, she thought, exhaling a breath fun, then sharply increased her speed gun, disappearing from their sight. Then, it became noisy above her head. Vaid was clutching his stomach, laughing like an idiot. She considered dropping him right then and there.

「No, stop, stop. That wouldn't be a joke. No, but still. Do you mind if I laugh one more time?」

Vaid’s lips curled into a chuckle, mimicking Elnalfia's words as he whispered in his raspy voice. She climbed even higher into the sky in response. It meant stop it.

She flew through, soaking her body in the damp clouds. But with a single breath from the Fire Dragon, her body dried crisply in an instant. Beyond the clouds, a pure, unadulterated deep blue sky spread overhead. The carpet of clouds looked just like a country of its own. No, perhaps there is another country above these clouds, Elnalfia would think in idle moments. A place so high, high up that even Elnalfia could not reach it.

「...Hey, Elnalfia. I'm sure that even if I die, I won't forget you.」

A line murmured suddenly, instead of a sigh of admiration. It sounded like that, but in reality, this was his catchphrase. Again, she thought, amazed. 「I can't forget today.」「It is good that you have days you cannot forget every day.」 Of course, that was sarcasm.

「It's true, it's true. These are the words of your precious partner. Carve them into your heart and believe them once in a while.」

「Fine, I'll carve them. I will live much longer than you. I'll see you reincarnated and mock you for not remembering.」

「Elnalfia! Truly, your scales are beautiful! They look like they're sparkling in the light!」

「Don't try to change the subject so quickly.」

There were days like that, too.

How lonely it is to have too many memories. Humans do not recall their past lives. Surely, it is because lonely things are unnecessary. So Elnalfia decided to throw it all away, too. Because she is just Elna now.

「Listen here? You absolutely, positively must not open your mouth about this cheap glass originally being yours...!」

「I know, you don't have to say it so many times. I know, I know. Yes, yes.」

「Say 'yes' only once! Don't make me complain like I'm dealing with a baby!」

「Yeeeess.」

「Don't stretch it ouuuut! Don't stretch it! Don't stretch iiit!」

Laura stomped her feet in a rage as she spoke. Elna reflected that she had let a little too much Elnalfia slip out. Elnalfia was not just a person who had disappeared, but a dragon, so she had to properly become a human. She cleared her throat.

「I won't say it. It's fine. Are you satisfied with this?」

Though her tone still ended up sounding quite haughty, she must have looked a bit more admirable compared to before. Laura blew a puff of breath from her nose. It was Laura's habit.

「Hmph. I don't believe for a second that you're Elnalfia, anyway. But it would be trouble if people started getting suspicious. This is just a piece of cheap glass, right? It makes me laugh to think you just happened to have glass that looked like a scale.」

Laura played with the glass, clattering it in her hand. Because she was doing that, the necklace accidentally slipped from her hand, but Elna rescued it smoothly.

「Even if it's cheap, it's supposed to be a dragon's scale right now, so you should probably treasure it.」

「You've been cheeky lately! Do you understand your position!? I could crush "something" other than this, you know!」

And it was immediately snatched away. The usual threat.

Watching Laura's back as she stormed off in anger, Elna muttered, 「I know...」 Peaceful bird song could be heard.

It was a magnificent garden, incomparable to the Baron's estate. When one says "garden," one imagines an enclosed plot of land, but this was nothing of the sort. A river flowed, there was a pond, the trees were carefully pruned, and flower fields stretched endlessly. It was the center of the country, where the sacred sword Chiarore was said to be pierced, and it was the Royal Garden.

Yes, Elna was still at the royal castle.

When she met Vaid—or rather, saw his figure—she intended to run home immediately. Just as she was about to turn her body away on the spot, he had shouted, 「Elna!」

The owner of the voice was Laura. She likely wanted to show off her happiness to Elna. She was smiling triumphantly, but she must have realized immediately that it was a blunder. After all, the dragon scale Laura held was originally something Elna possessed. Laura should not have let Elna stand out; she should have sent her back to the countryside immediately.

Vaid threw a question at Laura, and in a fearful tone, Laura explained that Elna was her younger sister. Laura wasn't so ignorant of the world as to add words like "mistress's child" or "not related by blood" in front of people, so she didn't mention it then. Vaid had said, quietly enough to show no emotion,

「If you are Elnalfia, you will need to stay in the Royal Capital for a while. You must feel lonely, so let your sister remain in the royal castle as well.」

She really wanted to be spared, but she couldn't exactly spurn the words of a nation's King.

Hearing Vaid's words, Laura's face had gone pale. But seeing that Elna said nothing, she gradually regained her composure. She called Elna out to the royal castle garden, away from prying eyes, to tighten the leash so Elna wouldn't get carried away—that was the situation.

Of course, even without the reminder, she had no intention of telling the truth.

After all, Vaid didn't remember anything. It would be a foolish story for her to be the one dragging the past along after being reborn.

When she thought that, a mysterious sound echoed in her chest. She didn't know what it was. 「Ugh,」 Elna held her head. Then, 「Daa!」 she stretched out both arms and stomped her feet dan on the ground. She is healthy, so this is fine. Let's decide it's fine. Before she knew it, spirits were gathering around Elna. Fire spirits were the most numerous, followed by wind. Some were the size of a pinky, others the size of a palm, all with different appearances, curling up muchamucha and playing. But when Elna struck a pose with a dan, they followed suit. Dan. It was starting to feel a little fun.

***

Before she realized it, spirits had started gathering around Elna frequently. 『Congrats again on this day.』 When she gave them magic power, they each said their thanks and left. 『The weather is good, iz da best.』 Many must be coming from far away. It is good.

For the time being, Elna had thought she would just be allowed to live idly in a corner of the royal palace, spend her days appropriately, and disappear once she was forgotten. However.

「I have been ordered to serve as Lady Elna's attendant. My name is Noma.」

Facing the girl who said this while elegantly folding her slender, tall frame in a bow, Elna wondered what kind of joke "attendant" was. Unfortunately, it wasn't a joke or anything of the sort.

The private room given to her was spacious with a fluffy bed, and Noma and the other maids took the initiative to look after her every need. With nothing particular to do, she was free to walk around the royal castle, and when her body was scrubbed shiny in the bath, she let out a scream, pigyaa. Elna didn't like water very much.

It was fine if it was just a bucket over the head, but being submerged in a large bath made her feel zoawzowa—unsettled and shivery. 「Lady Elna, please do not struggle!」 Noma scolded her with unexpectedly strong spirit, so Elna, on the verge of tears, cried pigyaa again. ...And then, she was made to change into a magnificent dress. When she looked in the mirror and wondered who the stranger was, it was herself. Good heavens. 『Byoo-tee-full!』 The hamster spirit with the thick accent, to whom she had given magic, had settled on Elna's shoulder before she knew it.

It had been a week since Laura was known as Elnalfia. Laura aside, surprisingly, Elna was receiving quite high treatment as well. 『Iz Vee-Eye-Pee, yessir!』 the spirit, which looked like a hamster, expressed by wagging its small tail piko piko, and that was exactly how it felt.

For the treatment of a mere sister of the Holy Dragon, she felt it was going a bit too far. Vaid, haven't you changed too much since reincarnating? No, since he reincarnated, he is a stranger, so of course he has changed. The old Vaid had a sharp edge, cutting off what needed to be cut off with a pleasant look on his face; he would have tossed out a nameless girl like this while laughing.

But there was no use complaining.

As the dragon, Laura was apparently treated the same as Elna, and she seemed to whisper insults about Elna into Vaid's ear every day. She didn't want to hear what they were, but watching the distant behavior of the maids gave her a vague idea.

When she poked her head into the hallway, Noma and the others were speaking in hushed whispers, so she involuntarily held her breath. It seemed her presence was conveyed to them, and when their eyes met with an "Ah," the mood was incredibly awkward.

So, she returned to her room pretending not to have heard, just as always.

It was like this back in her hometown, too. Laura hated whatever Elna had. And she would shout loudly to declare that her reasons for bullying Elna in the mansion were perfectly just. This was what Laura's mother had done to Elna's mother, so Elna thought it was only natural for it to be inherited by the daughter.