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The Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom

The Story of the Bud Begins Here

Translated by: S3

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*****

The beautiful sound, zaa zaa, like rain pouring down, was the gentle sound of the wind softly stroking the infinitely vast grassland. Elna recovered her mother's remains and built a grave. Having no land of her own, she was granted permission to bury the bones in a corner of the royal castle garden. Her mother was a woman who could never go anywhere during her life, always worrying only about Elna, so Elna was glad she could at least make a grave in a place with a good view.

Vaid stood quietly behind Elna, who was praying, whispering her mother's name in her heart. He offered a prayer to Elna's mother as well. Then, slowly lifting his face, he murmured, 「I'm sorry.」 Was the apology directed at her mother, Elna, or both?

「From the beginning... you knew everything, didn't you? You also have memories.」

「Ah, that is correct.」

The sudden revolt was all an act put on by Vaid and the others.

「I understood that the girl's words were false. Because you were present. I knew immediately, just by looking at your eyes, that you were Elnalfia. Of course, there was no way I wouldn't know.」

Elna understood Vaid's words, too. It wasn't about logic. Deep down in her heart, she clearly understood that he was Vaid. No matter how much his appearance changed, she couldn't mistake him.

「However, the only thing that understands her lie is the memory within me. Such a thing cannot be evidence. On the contrary, she possessed the evidence of the dragon's scale. I cannot unilaterally create a crime based solely on my own judgment just because I am the King. It is precisely because I am the King that I cannot. Besides, even though she lied, she is still a young girl. There are times when one is simply tempted by the moment. I wished for her to honestly admit the falsehood herself.」

So Vaid waited. But Laura only continued to whisper Elna's lies to Vaid and never told him the truth. He called for her parents, hoping they might reason with her, but he never imagined they would escalate the matter. That was why he staged the whole performance, to create a situation where they would have no choice but to speak honestly, and to teach them a small lesson. Yet, Vaid himself never anticipated this development—that Elna would step forward and reveal herself as the Dragon.

「You looked bored, you see. I thought you didn't wish for a life as a dragon. I thought I should pretend not to see it.」

「...That might be true, but. No, I was just sulking.」

She remembered, but Vaid didn't. Thinking that, she was only a tiny bit upset, like a child. And now she thought that using fire magic to protect Laura was perhaps an act of thoughtless retaliation on her part. She looked down awkwardly, but Vaid, responding, 「I see, you were just sulking. How insufficient I am,」 continued without seeming to mind.

「Also, that girl Laura told me various things about you, but well, no one in the castle believes it. The more one lies, the more one feels a sense of dissonance. If you noticed anything suspicious in the castle staff's behavior, it was sympathy, then. But the cause for the misunderstanding lies with me. I apologize.」

「That's fine, but... Sorry, it's embarrassing when I think about it.」

Thinking about this always made her cheeks burn.

It was only bones. There was no soul there. She knew that. Certainly, the dragon's nature bound her, and she couldn't deny it. But it was so utterly and shiveringly embarrassing that she, as a dragon, couldn't even retrieve bones from mere humans and had to submit to their demands. She didn't want him to know, even before she recovered Elnalfia's memories.

Vaid laughed at Elna, who lowered her face and blushed behind her ears.

「What is there to be embarrassed about? Even if you have Elnalfia's memories, you are certainly a sixteen-year-old girl, and you are also Elna. You fought well all alone up to this point. You endured a long time on a battlefield of one. You are, without a doubt, a warrior. Yes, there is no mistake!」

The young man who scooped up Elna's hands and said this—with a grin that was somehow spiteful and slightly tactless for calling a girl a warrior—was overwhelmingly nostalgic. Jiji, jiji, the Hamster, Fire, and Wind Spirits had gathered at their feet before they knew it, making a lively wachawacha commotion. It was always like this. When she was with Vaid, many people came, and came. And then.

Everyone died.

Everyone died, leaving Elnalfia behind. A human lifespan was but dust before a dragon who lived for eons, and the fun, joyful, and happy times passed in an instant. Vaid tried to live long and healthily, but death comes equally to all humans. Elnalfia embraced her master, who died only saying, Your scales are beautiful, wrapping herself around him in a coil, and wept. He wouldn't move anymore. She would have given him any number of her scales. She would have given him any number of them, clutching them in her hands.

In time, the man became bone, and she hugged it carefully, dearly. But even that scattered like dust, and the dragon wept.

She wished for him to be reborn, wished for him to forget her, and she remembered that distant day.

Vaid often said he would never forget her, even if he died, and she understood that it was because he worried about Elnalfia being left behind with her long life.

No matter how much she wished, no reincarnation was found. In the meantime, the dragon also grew old. Just when she was about to quietly disappear from the world with the small joy that she could finally die herself, countless spirits seemed to dance around her. They were the ones she had shared her magic with. Strangely, she wanted to convey a message to someone. Her small, but great, wish that she had held for so long.

「I wanted to die with you!」

It was Elna's throat that trembled.

「I wanted to die, I wanted to die, I wanted to die with you, I hated being alone, I didn't want anyone to disappear, I don't care if I lose my power, I don't care if I'm small, I don't care if I have two legs! I wanted to become human and die with you!」

If there was a next life, she wanted to become human. The trembling scream shot across the grassland, and she was embraced tightly from the front. She gasped fuu fuu, repeating her breaths. She couldn't breathe out. She couldn't breathe out anything more. Just as she thought that, a spirit let out a cry, pii. The spirits who had heard Elnalfia's wish and conveyed it to a distant god. Had a whimsical god granted Elnalfia's wish, or had Elna's own vast magic simply created and twisted her next life?

The spirits were crying. A great chorus of wailing. They cried like children, waan, waan. Then, Elna started crying too. She cried the loudest of all. In truth, she wasn't just a little upset. She was very, very angry. Why didn't Vaid recognize her? When she was so full of him.

But the reality was that he understood Elna's life. He saw the dragon and Elna as separate beings and respected that. He accepted Elna's words that she was sulking and wanted to go home, and tried to pretend he didn't know the truth. Because not everyone necessarily wishes to enjoy life as a dragon.

He held her so tightly it was painful, and then, he abruptly ripped himself away bari. Vaid's cheek was slightly flushed, but he instantly covered it up with the advantage of his age. Elna, a mere girl, understood nothing. So all she could do was apologize.

「I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Vaid...」

「No, why are you apologizing...?」

Elna was sniffling zuzuri and her face was a mess, but she was so self-pitying right now that she could only repeat her apologies.

「Because, I... I can't fly anymore...」

She probably wouldn't lose to the young Vaid in simple jumping power, but flying byun byun above the clouds with him on her back was certainly impossible. To Elna, this was the result of her selfishness: she had become a powerless human, and all traces of her as a dragon were gone. No, in terms of spirit arts, she was undoubtedly number one in this country, no, in all countries combined, but in Elna's values, such a thing was negligible, like dust that would blow away.

「I've become useless... I'm sor- sorry, Vaid...」 When she lamented this, he replied with an exasperated, 「What are you talking about...?」 Vaid muttered butsukusa, 「It can't be helped,」 and with a heave, eiya, he lifted Elna's slender waist. 「Nanu,」 Elna was surprised. And then, he spun her bun bun, guru guru.

「Gya, gya, gya~~~!!」

「Nha ha ha ha」

As if his King mask had fallen off poron, Vaid laughed with immense delight. He truly looked spiteful, thrilled beyond measure that he could tease her. After being spun gurungurun fully in the grassland and finally put down, Elna was exhausted, more from the incomprehension of what was just done to her than from any actual damage.

「How was that? You flew.」

「I didn't fly...」

「You did fly. If I got serious, I could probably make you go byun more.」

「Stop it. You're thin, but surprisingly muscular, seriously stop.」

That was a point of difference from the previous Vaid. In any case, Vaid sat down dokkoise on the grass, and Elna followed suit.

「If you can't fly, I'll make you fly. It's as simple as that.」

「That's absolutely not it.」

「Right, Elna, did your mother give you your name?」

The subject seemed to change abruptly, but Elna nodded obediently, kokuri. 「Mhm. She probably took it from Elnalfia's name. It's a good name, isn't it?」 She felt a little shy about that and nodded slowly. Though the names sounded similar, it meant her mother had wished for the Dragon's protection for Elna's happiness.

「Actually,」 Vaid spoke quietly, as if confiding a secret. Elna swallowed gokuri, waiting for him to continue. 「My name is...」 Gokuri, gokuri.

「Vaid Calda Draga Fel Crossgard...」

Honestly, she wanted to believe she had misheard.

「No, seriously. The King of this country has traditionally succeeded the name Vaid, right? But if every boy born is named Vaid, it would be confusing. So, they add other characters to the name Vaid—names of the father or grandfather—and when that's repeated, it ends up being this long. Also, 'Dora' is often included, meaning 'dragon' or something. This country loves dragons too much. Seriously, too much.」

It was truly terrible.

I can't possibly remember that, Elna trembled, wananai. Why did it turn out this way? She wished they had stopped at the first or second generation.

「Vaidcaldadoragaf... cough, what?」

「By the way, this doesn't include the family name. This is just the given name length.」

「Awa, awa, awawawa...」

「I understand what you want to say. I understand. I've thought it many times myself. So, officially I am called Vaid, but my mother and siblings call me Cross. I am Vaid, but I am Cross. You are also Elnalfia, but you are also Elna. There's no need to cling to the same name.」

「Please call me Cross,」 Vaid, no, Cross, told Elna.

「And there is no need for us to maintain the same relationship. If you can't fly me, then I will lift you up anytime!」

Elna was taken aback, and then she felt like crying and laughing at the same time. Vaid slowly transformed within Elna's heart into Cross, the young King. The change was by no means unpleasant; if anything, it was comfortable.

「...Okay. Um, Cross.」

「Mhm. Then, as the first step to changing our relationship, how about becoming my wife?」

「That's fast. And I don't understand.」

「It's fine. There's a proper reason. First, the fact that Elna is Elnalfia has become known. As the reincarnation, you are granted rights equivalent to a ducal house, albeit for one generation.」

「Y-Yeah.」

It was a bit too sudden, but she had caused a spectacle, so that part couldn't be helped. She was relieved to hear that the soldiers whose armor and swords she'd melted, mistakenly thinking they were rebels (she hadn't wanted to kill them), were merely embarrassed iyan and had been bought new gear. The one-generation privilege was exactly what Laura had sought. Elna, of course, had no interest in it whatsoever.

「However, this privilege allows for a certain degree of leeway to be extended to your parents and siblings. This was established as law by a previous King, considering the dragon's characteristic of valuing family. Therefore, it's not something I can arbitrarily change right now.」

Laws are refined and changed over a long period of time. For Cross to change it by his own unilateral decision would be the beginning of a dictatorship.

Elna frowned, hearing the word 'family.'

「Mhm, I've heard you're not actually related by blood, but since you are listed in the family registry as an adopted child... The Calzeed family's crimes are currently being discussed by the council. And even if they become criminals, this system won't change. That... wouldn't be what you wish for, would it?」

Elna nodded kokuri.

It was true that she didn't wish for them to receive excessive punishment, but she certainly didn't want to be involved with them anymore.

「That's why. If you become my wife, you will be removed from the ducal house register recognized for Elna and entered into mine. Simply, you'll be moved. That way, you won't have any ties to the Baron's family anymore. It wouldn't be so simple for a normal noble, but I guess no one imagined that the King would marry Elnalfia's reincarnation. If it's not written in the law, it's safe.」

「T-That, no, you just said you couldn't change it arbitrarily, that's a bit too much.」

「I didn't change it arbitrarily. I just found a loophole. So, this is not a problem.」

That wasn't the problem, Elna thought, becoming flustered, kushakusha. The spirits surrounding them watched with bated breath, wondering what would happen. Go, go, Cross! No, no, Elna, you can still dodge that punch! They were having fun, weei weei, but this was no spectacle. This was a life-changing event.

「Um, I look like this, and...」

「Look like what?」

「I'm not big and blue like before.」

「I told you that just now. It's not a problem.」

「And my hair is all messy...」

「Messy?」

When he mentioned it, she looked down in embarrassment. Laura often told her that. The daughter born to an ugly woman is still ugly! And so, Elna felt somehow inferior as a person.

「Elna, you are beautiful?」

So, she thought the words spoken to her were a misunderstanding, and even after she understood, she thought it was a joke or a word of encouragement. 「Mhm. She was probably jealous, and that's why she bullied you even worse, well, something like that,」 he murmured, seemingly convincing himself, but Elna fidgeted sowasowa at the unfamiliar words. If she could fly, she probably would have fled.

Cross placed a hand pon on Elna's head. The words, 「I'm sure your mother was a beautiful person, too,」 made her so happy, and she savored them deeply. And then, she nodded small, 「Mhm.」「Well, I don't care what you look like. But how about becoming my wife, for now?」 And the topic came back again.

「No, that is, how should I put it, the subject is too... And there seem to be other ways, too!?」

「Of course there are. But this is the fastest.」

「I'm having trouble because it's too fast!」

The small dragon roared gaou. Ei ya, ei ya, the spirits cheered, wai wai, looking amused.

「That's right, the scale...!」

「You mean this?」

Seeing Elna suddenly speak up in a rush, as if she'd just remembered something, Vaid took out the dragon scale—the one that Laura had stolen—from his pocket, chari. Elna was relieved to see that he had, after all, retrieved it. And seeing it resting in Cross's hand felt strangely right.

「It's important, isn't it? Don't lose it this time.」

「...Will you hold onto it, Cross?」

Elna was surprised by the words that came naturally out of her mouth.

「Um, how should I put it, I've had it since I was born! So, I felt like it was connected to me, so, well!」

She was surprised, so she quickly added strange words. But she felt that she was reborn in this country, holding a single dragon scale, precisely to give it to him like this, so maybe there was nothing wrong with it. Even Elna, who was saying it, didn't understand, so the one receiving it couldn't possibly understand.

Despite that thought, Cross nodded with a knowing look, fumu, gripped the chain attached to the scale, and held it up high.

When the sunlight combined with the scale, and a ring of light sparkled, 「Mhm,」 Cross murmured again, and said only one word.

「Good.」

He just said that and smiled.

Yet, Elna was uncontrollably happy. It took a long time, but it finally reached him. She desperately bit her lip to hold back the tears that were about to spill. But Cross noticed immediately and lightly nudged her forehead. He pressed his hand against her eyes, saying, 「Don't cry,」 and she couldn't stop the tears from wetting his palm, poro poro.

「Honestly. When did my wife become such a crybaby?」

「...I'm not, your wife...」

Being called his wife already, all she could do was sniffle and somehow reply.

Thus, the two met again, and the tale of the Kingdom of Wizrain slowly began to unfold.

As a long, long love story between the young King and the girl, cherished by later generations. No, to young boys, as the heroic saga of the King and the valiant Dragon.

But no one knows that yet; it is a tale like a bud, quietly sprouting toward spring.