Chapter 136
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 136 – People Who Came
The day after Heim’s party left the harbor.
The fleet of Isthalika, with Ain on board, had arrived on the island a little earlier.
Among the many fleets, Ain, who had disembarked from the Princess Olivia, had come to see how the twins were doing.
It was just after sunrise, as the morning sun shone on the sea.
“You’ve really grown up, haven’t you?”
“Kyuruaa…!”
“Gyaau! Gyaau!”
The twins’ heads floated on the water.
Katima’s nutritious meals continued as usual. They could also be called “magical modifications.”
Perhaps due to the influence of these meals, the twins, who had grown so well, were already over 30 meters long.
And while El, the older sister, was still the same, it seemed that Al, the younger brother, had started to change his voice a bit. It was a little sad.
The twins came along to act as bodyguards.
It was because they were twins who faithfully obeyed orders that they were trusted and brought along.
“Hey, Ain. I just heard that we didn’t run into any monsters on the way here.”
“Eh? I thought it was a decent distance, but is that really true?”
Krone came over to Ain, who was talking to the twins.
“Yes. I think it’s no joke that El and Al have become the masters of this area…”
Krone crouched down next to Ain, looking back and forth between Ain and the twins.
“Actually, I’ve heard it from the fishermen as well. Apparently, even the small monsters have stopped showing up when they go fishing.”
Then Chris came along.
The information Chris told them had been heard by Ain in the past. However, it seemed to be especially noticeable lately.
“Huh… So when they go hunting, they go on a little expedition?”
Since they were growing well, there should be no problem with their food.
Then, they must be able to hunt one way or another.
Krone and Chris basked in the peaceful atmosphere as they watched Ain play with the twins.
This seemed to go on for a few minutes, but then Ain stood up and opened his mouth.
“…By the way, it really is an amazing sight, isn’t it?”
He took his eyes off the twins and looked at the Ishtalika fleet at anchor.
In the middle was the White King.
It is the battleship used by the King of Ishtalika, and it was not only the largest of the battleships currently in Ishtalika, but it was also strong in terms of defense and attack.
It was the battleship that Sylvird lent to Ain when he went to Euro.
The parts that Ain destroyed have already been repaired.
And on either side are the two ships, Princess Olivia and Princess Katima.
Although they are inferior to the White King, they were still the best battleships in Ishtalika.
Of course, they were also much larger than normal battleships, and the sight of the three of them lined up together was extremely intimidating.
Moreover, there were many more battleships gathered from the surrounding ports, so it looked like they could destroy a small country in a few hours.
“Yes. If you give the order, we can quickly destroy the ‘port city’ of Heim.”
“I’m not going to give the order, you know?”
The port city of Heim… Ain sighed, thinking about how localized it was.
Chris’ feelings about Heim were more complex than most people’s.
Maybe that was why she seemed to have become even more polished this time.
“Here we go… Let’s go soon; I think the old men are waiting for us.”
“That’s right. Shall we go and have a look at the completed facility then?”
“I’m looking forward to it; it’ll be the first time I see it.”
So Ain accompanied Krone and Chris to the finished facility.
＊＊＊
The island had a mild climate and was located in an area with calm seas.
More specifically, the island had a flat shape, and the wind speed was not too strong.
In other words, it had the right conditions for a meeting.
“Grandfather, I’m back.”
“Oh, Ain. How were the twins?”
Ain went to the stone-built main conference room.
It was in the center of the completed facility, with waiting rooms for both countries on either side.
As soon as they arrived, Krone went to see Warren.
Chris then went to see Olivia.
“It was business as usual. Come to think of it, I didn’t see a single monster.”
“Hmm, I was surprised too. Even if they are friendly, they are still sea dragons, so they can still be called the kings of the sea, I guess.”
Ain nodded in agreement and looked around the main conference room.
“It’s very nicely done, isn’t it?”
The floor was covered with a bright red carpet, and the stone used was the white material Ishtalika loved.
The large windows were also covered with pristine gla.s.s, and you could tell that this was definitely not a cheaply made room.
“No matter where we are, we must act as Ishtalika. We cannot do anything that would lower our dignity.
If you put it nicely, it’s pride. If you put it badly, it’s arrogance.
How you saw it depended on your point of view, but Ain had no objection.
“But it’s a deeply moving moment, Ain. After all, it’s a meeting with them.”
“I suppose so.”
For sure, Ain’s former family would also come.
Especially when he thought of Logas, he didn’t even know what expression he would use.
He didn’t want to express his resentment, but his feelings might change at the last minute.
“I heard they’re coming in a large group, too. I wonder what kind of arguments they’ll have.”
Ain smiled wryly when he heard these words.
“I just hope they don’t lose their temper during the meeting.”
“Hahaha, you’re right!”
Sylvird laughs at Ain’s words.
“By the way, Ain. Are you nervous?”
“I don’t know.”
What was Ain’s state of mind right now?
The reason for asking was that Logas and Grint were coming.
“Don’t answer a question with a question…”
Sylvird spoke to Ain, who gave a vague answer with a puzzled expression.
“Actually, I don’t really understand. But I don’t think I will become mentally unstable…”
“…If that’s the case, that’s good. It means you’ve grown up.”
Sylvird said this and then stroked Ain’s head.
Even though Ain’s body had grown a lot, Sylvird was still taller than him.
“G-Grandfather! I’m not a child anymore!”
“What are you talking about? No matter how old you get, you’ll always be my grandson.”
With a rea.s.suring smile, Sylvird continued.
“…So even if I am 50 years old, it will be the same, right?”
“As long as I’m alive, it won’t change.”
Ain looked resigned when he heard this.
Sylvird looked at him and seemed amused.
…And as they did, Katima appeared, looking tired.
“Hah… why did I have to come too-nya?”
Her tail seemed to hang a little more than usual.
Her steps also seemed a little heavy.
“Father, it’s not too late-nya. Can I go home now-nya?”
Katima said, looking at Sylvird with hopeful eyes.
But her hopes were to be dashed without much ado.
“I have told you many times. I cannot allow that.”
“W-why not-nya? I don’t think it makes sense for me to stay here-nya!”
That’s right. There’s almost certainly no point.
With Warren and the others in charge of the meeting, Katima had no work to do.
But even so, there’s a reason Katima was brought here.
“I want you to tell me-nya! Why was I also brought to this island-nya…?”
Ain knew why.
Since Sylvird seemed reluctant to speak, Ain looked at Sylvird and spoke for him.
“Listen, Katima-san. …The reason you were brought here…”
“! You’re going to tell me, aren’t you-nya?”
——Her way of approaching was annoying…
Ain thought as he saw Katima clinging to his waist.
But he held back and explained why Katima was brought along.
“Well, if there’s no one to stop Katima-san, it’s dangerous, you know?”
——Huh?
Katima looked stunned, but that was indeed the reason she was brought here.
Everyone who came to this island this time was someone who could stop Katima.
Laralua was in the castle, preparing for any eventuality. However, she would need a little more power to stop Katima.
…If that’s the case, it’s not possible to leave Katima in Ishtalika.
“It seems dangerous to leave you alone… don’t you think?”
“S-so that’s why I was brought here-nya…? It’s like I’m chained up because you’re afraid your pet will make a mess-nya…”
She made a very shocked expression, but there’s no denying what she just said.
After a short while, Katima collapsed to the ground as if she had melted.
“I’ve lost all my strength-nya… Please, I want you to take me to the ship-nya.”
Sylvird didn’t know what to do at the sight of the princess, who didn’t look like a princess at all.
“Dill! Excuse me, can you come over here?”
Ain called to Dill in a loud voice.
Dill ran over when he heard Ain’s voice.
“What can I do for you?”
“I’m sorry. Could you take Katima-san to the ship?”
When Dill heard this, he noticed that Katima had melted into the ground.
He looked surprised, as was only natural but quickly regained his composure.
“I don’t know what happened, but I understand.”
“I’m sorry. Please take care of my daughter…”
Sylvird called to Dill, blushing with embarra.s.sment.
“P-Please leave it to me. ——Excuse me, Katima-sama, I’ll take your hand.”
“It’s c.u.mbersome-nya. Please carry me on your back-nya.”
What did she say?
Ain thought, but Dill asked him with his eyes what he should do, so he nodded and gave his permission.
“W-well then, please excuse me…”
Katima was carried by Dill and, as she said, on Dill’s back.
Katima, being carried on Dill’s back, just looked completely relaxed.
“Ah… that’s just right-nya. Then I’ll leave it to you-nya.”
“Understood, Your Majesty. Ain-sama, now, if you’ll excuse me.”
And so Dill left the meeting room with Katima on his back.
The sight of a handsome man like Dill carrying a huge cat on his back.
But it was definitely not a picture-perfect scene.
“Ain, don’t you think it would be a good idea to ask Dill to take care of Katima in case of an emergency?”
He spoke as if it was a good idea, but Ain’s answer remained the same.
“Grandfather? Pushing something on someone does not count as an emergency.”
“You’re right.”
＊＊＊
By the time Ain finished checking out the island’s facilities, it was past noon.
Several hours behind Ishtalika, the group from Heim finally arrived.
“That must be Ishtalika’s fleet…”
Elena, who had disembarked from the ship, could not take her eyes off the fleet in front of her.
The battleships were even larger than she had imagined. These were the ships that belonged to the Ishtalika royal family, which she had not been able to see during her last visit to Ishtalika.
Not only were there three of them, but the sight of so many battleships lined up together, many of which were not in Magna, was truly spectacular.
Elena wasn’t the only one who was confused by the sight—Logas and the others were as well.
“H-hmph…! They’re just big; they’re not a big threat!”
Still, Tigre’s bravery left Elena in awe, and she felt respect for him.
“Y-You’re right! If we have the courage of Heim, something like that won’t even be an obstacle!”
Grint spoke next.
His eyes and steps were unsteady, but his tone was strong.
“Kyuru…?
“Gyaau…?
“H-hey! What are these creatures…!”
The twin sea dragons approached the ship, perhaps curious about what had come.
The two giant creatures approached and eyed the Tigre and his companions.
“Kyu?”
“Gyaau, gyaau…”
The twins raised their voices as if conferring as they emerged.
The Heim Knights stood in front of the Tigre, protecting him even as they felt fear.
Logas stood at the front with his sword drawn and his guard up.
“Your Highness, please step back.”
“U-umu, yes! I’m counting on you, Logas!”
——But what huge monsters they are.
In his heart, he thought about the two of them.
How strong are they? What kind of monsters are they?
While they remained in a stalemate, a man called out.
“El, Al! His Highness is calling you!”
Tigre looked in the direction of the voice, trying to see who had come.
The man who had come was someone he had seen before.
It was a man named Dill who had been Ain’s bodyguard.
“Kyuaa!?”
“Gyaau!”
Then, with a powerful dive, they returned to the direction where Ain was.
“Kyururuu… peh!”
But as El walked away, she spat water at Heim’s ship.
To Heim’s men, it looked like she was just spitting water, but Dill had a different opinion.
It was clear that she had spat at them…
“The two monsters you saw earlier are the Crown Prince’s pets, and they will not harm humans.”
At this point, Dill decided to pretend that he hadn’t seen what El had done.
Meanwhile, Grint also recognized the voice and shot a glance in the man’s direction.
“My name is Dill. I serve as the Crown Prince’s personal bodyguard.”
“Father! That man is the one who fought me in Euro!”
Grint approached Logas and said in a gruff voice.
“I see. That’s the man called Dill.”
Logas then observed Dill’s stance.
The son who had never lost a fight and the opponent who had completely defeated him.
There was no way he wouldn’t be interested.
“I will lead you to the facility that has been built. Please, this way.”
Dill continued on his way, paying no attention to the agitation of Heim’s group.
Meanwhile, Tigre felt bad about Dill’s failure to apologize for the twins earlier.
“Wait. My father and older brother have not come down yet.”
King Heim and the First Prince, Leyfon, were still on the ship.
Tigre told Dill about this.
“I’ll show them around later, too, if that’s okay with you.”
“If that’s the case, you can show them around when we’re done. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
——Please, this way.
Dill said, continuing to lead them without stopping.
There was no need for him to go to such lengths.
“——Kuh…!”
Tigre, his face showing his irritation, was about to point out that this was rude.
But when he saw that Dill kept on walking, he decided to hold back.
“By the way, is that rude Crown Prince here?”
It was just a bit of mischief.
He wondered how the man called Dill would react if he told him.
It was only a few words, but Dill stopped when he heard them.
“…Yes, of course. Our Crown Prince is not influenced by personal feelings but is carrying out his official duties. That is why he is here today.”
Dill was a bit sarcastic about Tigre’s actions in Euro.
This was in reference to the incident where he suddenly arrived without warning and interrupted a meeting of another country.
Unfortunately, this level of sarcasm had no effect on Tigre’s ears.
After telling him this, Dill immediately moved his feet and stepped forward.
“Hmph. That’s fine, then. There’s also the matter of the last time. I have a lot to say.”
——What kind of nerve does he have?
Dill could not understand Tigre’s words, which seemed to stir things up on purpose.
He even wondered if Tigre understood the purpose of this meeting.
Then Logas, who had been observing the situation, opened his mouth.
“You are Dill-dono, I a.s.sume. I have a question.”
It was unexpected that he opened his mouth.
Dill stopped again, this time turning to look at Logas.
“Is something wrong?”
“Well, there is something.”
“Please, don’t hold back.”
Seeing that he was having trouble speaking, Dill encouraged him to continue.
“Is Olivia here?”
——Ah, that’s not right.
Logas called out Olivia’s name.
Hearing this, before answering the question, Dill told Logas something else.
“It is rude to call a princess by their first name. Princess Olivia is the second daughter of the royal family of Ishtalika. With all due respect, she is not someone a mere n.o.ble should call by her first name.”
He told Logas this with a firm att.i.tude.
“Ah, that’s right. I apologize for my rudeness.”
Surprisingly, Logas apologized without hesitation.
To be honest, it was a bit disappointing.
“I understand. Please be more careful next time.”
Normally, an apology like that wouldn’t be enough to make everything go away.
But considering the current situation, he decided it was the best thing to do.
If Chris had been here, she would definitely have attacked him. That’s what Dill thought.
“I will answer your question. Princess Olivia is also here, but please understand that you will not be able to meet her.”
Dill made sure to say this so there were no misunderstandings.
“Can’t you do something, even if it’s just a word?”
What was there to say now?
Dill thought as he saw Logas persisting.
“At least it’s not something I can decide.”
For now, he’d avoid giving a definitive answer.
In fact, it was not something Dill could decide on his own.
“Then if it’s Ain…”
Then Dill reached for the sword at his waist.
“…..?!”
Logas also saw this movement and quickly grabbed his sword.
Even though he did it unconsciously, Dill regretted grabbing his sword.
If he had grabbed the sword, it would have caused a lot of trouble.
“Logas-dono, Ain-sama is our crown prince. He is not someone a mere n.o.ble should address without an honorific. I apologize for that, but from now on, I will refrain from answering your questions, Logas-dono.”
“…I’m sorry.”
——It happened again.
Why did he apologize so quickly? Dill wondered again.
He couldn’t understand what he wanted to say now.
…If this was how it was going to be, he wished he’d just been an “unpleasant guy” from the start.
Dill’s impression of Logas was that he was a man he didn’t understand. That was all.
“Logas-dono, let’s calm down for a moment, shall we? I understand how you feel.”
“Elena-dono… I’m sorry. I seem to have lost my composure, which is out of character.”
Elena spoke as if to defend Logas’ mistake.
This woman was Elena… Krone’s mother?
Dill listened to their exchange and turned his attention to the woman named Elena.
What kind of reunion would she have with Krone at the meeting? Dill can’t help but wonder.
“I’ll continue the tour. Please, this way.”
But first, the job he had been a.s.signed took priority.
He was distracted at times, but he steeled himself and went about his duties.
In this way, he changed his att.i.tude.
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