CHAPTER 64 – THE「ABSOLUTE」FEELING OF RELIEF
Inside the carriage going to the capital of Comotoria, there is Melissa and me, and also Chibi Dragon who was lying down.
「My bad, asking you to come with me」
「U〜un, Kakeru is always helping me after all. Besides, if it’s Comotoria, I should be of help」
「I heard from Althea that its a country which the Solon Church has a huge authority, is it true」
「Un. The current king is a devout follower」
「What kind of person is he?」
「It’s a 70 years old Ojii-san」
「A 70-year-old Jii-san is the king huh, then, the age of the prince is quite old right」
It somehow felt strange, imagining a prince who is forty or fifty, I couldn’t help but laugh.
It’s not like there are contradictions with a prince being forty or fifty, but if you say prince, the standard image is a cool and young one so I couldn’t help but laugh.
「The crown prince should be 9 years old this year」
「Fue?!」
『Don’t let out such strange voices』
『Otou-san, how cute』
The Demon Swords pointed that out.
「It’s a 70 years old Jii-san, and the crown prince is his son right? And he is 9 years old」
「Un」
「He’s pretty vigorous, huh」
「It seems like he had a hard time. Also, that was the reason why he was faithful to the Solonism」
「What do you mean?」
When I asked that, Melissa answered.
She said that in the region of Comotoria where late marriages are common, the first child he had was when he was over 30 years old.
The child who was born at that time was a girl, meaning, a princess.
There was no problem with that.
The next child who was born was a girl.
There was still no problem.
The third child born was a girl.
Buzzing sounds started to be heard here and there.
The fourth, the fifth, the sixth, they were girls too.
Seven, eight, nine, tenーーuntil the thirteenth, girls were continuously born.
All of them are children born with miracles, thirteen consecutive children.
“The king is cursed”, there was many rumors like that.
「In fact, he was being possessed by something. That was removed by the great priest of the Solon Church ten years ago, and with that, a boy was finally born」
「It’s like that huh」
A successor was finally born, well, he would really be a follower with that.
But, a successor when he got old huh, I somehow remembered Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Hideyoshi was also being called a playboy when he was young, but in the late years, he became a tyrant because of the love for his children.
I wonder if that king was alright.
「Myu〜?」
Chibi Dragon who was lying down raised her head.
She was tilting her head at first, but she started crying “Myu〜, myu〜” towards the wall.
『O-chan?』
「Is there something. Stop」
I ordered the coachman, and the carriage stopped.
I went down from the carriage and looked at the direction where Chibi Dragon cried to.
There was nothing there with one glance, but looking carefully, I saw a scene more than a kilometer far away that someone is being attacked.
A knight-like person, was attacking the carriage.
「Eleanor, Hikari, let’s go」
『Umu』
『Un!』
「Melissa, you stay here, Chibi too」
「Did something happen?」
「I’ll explain later」
It looks like its an emergency. I sprinted.
I ran the distance of more than a kilometer without thirty seconds.
The person inside the carriage was already dragged out from the carriage.
It was a 13-14 year old girl, and judging from her clothes, it looks like she’s a lady or a princess.
And the one attacking her had a crest that I had seenーーit was knights wearing armor with the crest of the Comotoria Army.
「To betray your master, what a filthy man!」
「This is not a betrayal. It is an order」
「What did you say!」
「Please forgive us. Be prepared!」
The knight slashes down his sword towards the girl without reasoning.
*Gakiーn*! I drew out Eleanor, and get in between them while parrying.
「Who?」
「Who are you!」
A girl being attacked, and the knight attacking. I heard them at the same time, and both of them were surprised.
A girl without arms, and an attacking knight.
I instantly decided, and saved the girl.
After I had cut down all of the knights that were attacking the girl, I said to her.
「Are you okay」
「Yes」
It was a quite courageous girl.
「I am Yuuki Kakeru, you are?」
「I am called Aura・Torideca・Comotoria」
「Comotoria? Don’t tell me you’re a princess?」
「I’m the thirteenth princess. Rather than that, Yuuki Kakeru you say, the Great Sage Althea’s?」
「Yeah, that’s right」
“It’s easier if you know”, I nodded.
However, the situation seems troublesome.
The thirteenth princess, attacked by the knights wearing armor with the crest of the kingdom.
It really seems troublesome.
I took Aura with me, and returned to the carriage.
I tied up the knights, and left them behind.
「Aura-sama!」
「Saint-sama?」
It looks like the two know each other, and got surprised the instant they faced each other.
I heard about the story, so thinking that there was a high possibility that they know each other, I was not surprised.
「Why is the Saint-sama here?」
「I’m on the way to Krades with Kakeru. Instead, what happened to Aura-sama?」
「I don’t know! Why did that suddenly happen」
「Kakeru?」
“What does she mean”, Melissa asked.
I asked Aura.
「The man earlier, was that man your subordinate?」
「He’s father’s subordinate, a man that can be trusted」
「Clues for the reason that that man would attack you」
「There’s none!」
It seems like Princess Aura was quite irritated. Well, she was almost killed so it can’t be helped.
「……you have a clue huh」
「Mu?」
I looked at Melissa. Melissa was looking at Aura with an ambiguous expression.
Aura bit her lip, she had the face that she was holding back on something.
Cluesーーit looks like there was some.
The silence continued for more than five minutes, and from there, Aura heavily said.
「Since last year, my Onee-samas had continuously died from accidents」
「Continuously?」
「Astrea-oneesama, Clora-oneesama, Shima-oneesama, Daphne-oneesama, and Eunice-oneesama. Within just a year since last year, six big sisters had died from accident」
「You saying Onee-sama, means the princesses born 13 consecutive times」
Aura nodded.
「Five people dying from an accident within a year huh. ……it doesn’t look like a coincidence」
「Leda-oneesama and Lena-oneesama died from sickness」
「……that’s not a coincidence」
It’s too consecutive. If it comes to this much, there could only be the smell of conspiracy.
「Any clues?」
「……」
She bit her lips again, and didn’t say anything.
“Don’t tell me”, I thought.
I remembered Toyotomi Hideyoshi who had a successor when he was old.
There’s no way, right.
Aura who doesn’t say anything, and for her, Melissa said.
「Aura-sama. How about asking this person, asking Kakeru for help?」
「This person?」
Aura looked at me very suspiciously. On the other hand, Melissa looked at me with eyes full of trust.
「That’s right. If its Kakeru, he would save whoever it is, and solve the problem」
“Absolutely”, Melissa said strongly.