90 Part 2
“Have we done the world a favor by building weapons? Have not many people been hurt by the weapons we have created? …Oh, well. My days are numbered, I suppose. After I am gone, the Deer God will restore this land to its former glory. I should be apologizing with death, but I don’t have the strength to do so. You must wait, all of you, until my life is over. Wait…”
“My Majesty!”
Unable to take it anymore, I left the Dwarf King’s chambers. The King would not give me permission to kill the deer. But if he does, what can I do? I went back to my room thinking about that.
In the room, breakfast was already laid out for us. Everyone seemed to be waiting for me to come back and hadn’t touched their food at all. I urged everyone to have breakfast, and I decided to eat too.
The soup was completely cold, the bread was hard, the salad was getting watery, and each dish felt like a punishment for my unworthiness. In such a depressed mood, it was hard to eat, and I ended up leaving more than half of the meal that was prepared for me.
After a while, Prime Minister Yuri came to my room accompanied by Dr. Lecornai.
“I’m sorry… I couldn’t do anything.”
“There is no need for the Marquis Versam to apologize. It was good to know that the deers could not be stopped by the Marquis’ barriers. One of the options has been eliminated. The only thing left to do is to choose the remaining option and try to practice it. And if that doesn’t work, we can always come up with a new plan.”
Lecornai is speaking eloquently from his hood, without the Prime Minister.
“You’re right, Doctor. We’ll do what we can, that’s all.”
“What do you intend to do?”
“I’ll subdue the deers.”
“But the king said that he would not permit subduing deers.”
“That’s right. That’s what he said. However, if I may say so… The King is no longer able to smelt Orichalcum, which only the Dwarf King is allowed to do. He has become physically incapable of wielding the heavy black steel hammer. Therefore, it is safe to say that he is not qualified to be the King. Therefore, the next king, his son, Galto, will issue the order to defeat the deer.”
“So, do you want me to join you in taking down the deers?”
“No, I’ve come to tell you that the King has requested something from the Marquis.”
“A direct request?”
“Yes. He would like you to return to the Hedata Empire as soon as possible, inform His Majesty of the devastation in the Principality, and then ask for reinforcements in the form of relief supplies.”
“We will restore the Principality’s farmland while the Marquis Versam returns. And by the time the Marquis comes back to the Principality, new crops would be sprouting.”
Lecornai puffed out his chest. Rather than his confident attitude, I felt the King’s strong will to save his people at all costs, and that was what moved me.
“…I understand your request to the Emperor for relief supplies.”
“It would be best if you leave tomorrow morning. Lady Considine has asked me to take care of you.”
“Lady Considine? May I ask why?”
“Master Considine has been appointed as the captain of the deer strike force, and we leave tomorrow morning.”
“Why is a female Lady Considine being appointed?”
“In fact, Mr. Garto is suffering from the same disease as the King. However, it is not as bad as the King’s and does not interfere with his daily life. However, when it comes to going into battle, it is a different story. We don’t want his health to be affected.”
“But is it okay to have a woman as captain?”
“Lady Considine is very good at magic, despite her appearance. The troops that will take down the enemy are mainly adventurers from within the Principality. Many of them are skilled with swords, and with Lady Considine’s magic and the swords of the adventurers, we should be able to defeat them quickly. Lady Considine’s troops can escort you till the border and you will be able to return to the Empire safely.”
“I… I appreciate your concern.”
“I hope you have a relaxing time here.”
“When we leave tomorrow, one of my men will accompany her. He is an expert in recovery magic and will be of great help to Lady Considine.”
“As expected of a doctor, you are very dependable.”
To tell the truth, I wanted to go back to the mansion of the Empire right now, but for some reason I couldn’t say that I would go back right now, perhaps because I owe it to myself. I had no choice but to spend the night in the Principality of Niza. Then I transferred to the mansion and told Rico and the others what had happened.
“I see… That must have been tough.”
” It’s strange that deers can pass through your barriers. I would like to visit the Principality of Niza if I am allowed to find out why the deer are on a rampage.”
“I’ll look up the deers in the university library.”
“Please come back soon…”
The dining room of this mansion is really relaxing. More than anything, I was happy to see how relieved everyone seemed to be when they heard I was coming back. I wish I could have stayed here forever, but even though I regretted leaving, I returned to Niza with the dinner that Rico and the others had prepared for me.
When I went to bed at night, I could not sleep. I wondered why my barriers hadn’t worked on the deers or on the King. But more than that, I wondered if there was anything I could do to help the Dwarf King’s grim determination. I can’t help but think about that.
Perhaps it was because I was thinking too much, but for the first time in a long time, I had a sleepless night.
90 Part 2
“Have we done the world a favor by building weapons? Have not many people been hurt by the weapons we have created? …Oh, well. My days are numbered, I suppose. After I am gone, the Deer God will restore this land to its former glory. I should be apologizing with death, but I don’t have the strength to do so. You must wait, all of you, until my life is over. Wait…”
“My Majesty!”
Unable to take it anymore, I left the Dwarf King’s chambers. The King would not give me permission to kill the deer. But if he does, what can I do? I went back to my room thinking about that.
In the room, breakfast was already laid out for us. Everyone seemed to be waiting for me to come back and hadn’t touched their food at all. I urged everyone to have breakfast, and I decided to eat too.
The soup was completely cold, the bread was hard, the salad was getting watery, and each dish felt like a punishment for my unworthiness. In such a depressed mood, it was hard to eat, and I ended up leaving more than half of the meal that was prepared for me.
After a while, Prime Minister Yuri came to my room accompanied by Dr. Lecornai.
“I’m sorry… I couldn’t do anything.”
“There is no need for the Marquis Versam to apologize. It was good to know that the deers could not be stopped by the Marquis’ barriers. One of the options has been eliminated. The only thing left to do is to choose the remaining option and try to practice it. And if that doesn’t work, we can always come up with a new plan.”
Lecornai is speaking eloquently from his hood, without the Prime Minister.
“You’re right, Doctor. We’ll do what we can, that’s all.”
“What do you intend to do?”
“I’ll subdue the deers.”
“But the king said that he would not permit subduing deers.”
“That’s right. That’s what he said. However, if I may say so… The King is no longer able to smelt Orichalcum, which only the Dwarf King is allowed to do. He has become physically incapable of wielding the heavy black steel hammer. Therefore, it is safe to say that he is not qualified to be the King. Therefore, the next king, his son, Galto, will issue the order to defeat the deer.”
“So, do you want me to join you in taking down the deers?”
“No, I’ve come to tell you that the King has requested something from the Marquis.”
“A direct request?”
“Yes. He would like you to return to the Hedata Empire as soon as possible, inform His Majesty of the devastation in the Principality, and then ask for reinforcements in the form of relief supplies.”
“We will restore the Principality’s farmland while the Marquis Versam returns. And by the time the Marquis comes back to the Principality, new crops would be sprouting.”
Lecornai puffed out his chest. Rather than his confident attitude, I felt the King’s strong will to save his people at all costs, and that was what moved me.
“…I understand your request to the Emperor for relief supplies.”
“It would be best if you leave tomorrow morning. Lady Considine has asked me to take care of you.”
“Lady Considine? May I ask why?”
“Master Considine has been appointed as the captain of the deer strike force, and we leave tomorrow morning.”
“Why is a female Lady Considine being appointed?”
“In fact, Mr. Garto is suffering from the same disease as the King. However, it is not as bad as the King’s and does not interfere with his daily life. However, when it comes to going into battle, it is a different story. We don’t want his health to be affected.”
“But is it okay to have a woman as captain?”
“Lady Considine is very good at magic, despite her appearance. The troops that will take down the enemy are mainly adventurers from within the Principality. Many of them are skilled with swords, and with Lady Considine’s magic and the swords of the adventurers, we should be able to defeat them quickly. Lady Considine’s troops can escort you till the border and you will be able to return to the Empire safely.”
“I… I appreciate your concern.”
“I hope you have a relaxing time here.”
“When we leave tomorrow, one of my men will accompany her. He is an expert in recovery magic and will be of great help to Lady Considine.”
“As expected of a doctor, you are very dependable.”
To tell the truth, I wanted to go back to the mansion of the Empire right now, but for some reason I couldn’t say that I would go back right now, perhaps because I owe it to myself. I had no choice but to spend the night in the Principality of Niza. Then I transferred to the mansion and told Rico and the others what had happened.
“I see… That must have been tough.”
” It’s strange that deers can pass through your barriers. I would like to visit the Principality of Niza if I am allowed to find out why the deer are on a rampage.”
“I’ll look up the deers in the university library.”
“Please come back soon…”
The dining room of this mansion is really relaxing. More than anything, I was happy to see how relieved everyone seemed to be when they heard I was coming back. I wish I could have stayed here forever, but even though I regretted leaving, I returned to Niza with the dinner that Rico and the others had prepared for me.
When I went to bed at night, I could not sleep. I wondered why my barriers hadn’t worked on the deers or on the King. But more than that, I wondered if there was anything I could do to help the Dwarf King’s grim determination. I can’t help but think about that.
Perhaps it was because I was thinking too much, but for the first time in a long time, I had a sleepless night.
