Chapter 168: The Little-Winged Telt
Chancellor Galt glanced sideways at the face of Raide following behind him and smiled wryly.
When Raide lets his guard down with someone, his emotions tend to show easily in his atmosphere and expression.
Recalling Raide’s way of speaking earlier, Galt almost burst out laughing.
He had deliberately made a mistake in word usage that he would normally never get wrong, as if to be sarcastic.
Thinking that after drinking together several times he had let his guard down a little, for Galt—who was surrounded by people with whom he could not let his guard down—there was something pleasing about it.
Yet regarding his own mental fatigue he intended to take revenge; that much should be allowed, Galt thought.
Raide’s face earlier had clearly looked displeased, but even so Galt had no intention of stopping.
He intended to take revenge for the headaches up until now.
Facing forward, Galt laughed amusedly without making a sound and continued walking while guiding.
I noticed that the chancellor’s back walking ahead was trembling slightly and made an exasperated face.
He seems to be enjoying himself, of all things... honestly.
Roy walking beside me had a somewhat tense face, so I lightly placed one hand on his shoulder, smiled, and spoke.
"Don’t be too nervous... though saying that is difficult, think of it as having been allowed into a rare place and enjoy it."
"Haha, I can’t do it like Instructor Raide. But you’re right. I’ll try to enjoy it."
At my words Roy laughed and nodded as if a little relieved; I nodded back and removed my hand from Roy’s shoulder.
I could not speak to Felica and Karinal behind us, but from their appearance, thanks to Felica serving as Karinal’s conversation partner, Karinal’s complexion had improved considerably.
Following behind the chancellor and walking down a long straight corridor, we came up against a single red door.
When that door was opened and we entered, Sharle whispered "We have entered" in a small voice by my ear and informed me.
I had not thought we would be able to enter the royal family’s living space so easily, but the chancellor had probably done something so that we would not notice.
It is a section one could not enter even in the game; I cannot believe it would open and allow entry with just a simple action.
Looking left and right, it seemed to be a corridor.
A corridor with a dark-red carpet that was not too gaudy laid out; several doors were visible ahead.
And right in front of us was another red door; seeing the chancellor straighten his posture before that door, I realized that the royal family was beyond it.
The moment I also straightened my posture and braced myself, I was suddenly spoken to from the side and was surprised though I did not show it on my face.
Turning my face sideways, a maid who had bowed was standing there; looking at Felica and Karinal she spoke.
"Lady Felica, Lady Karinal, preparations for a change of clothes have been made, so this way please."
"Eh, a change of clothes?"
"Yes, as Her Highness Princess Letia requested."
"...Understood. Raide, later."
"I-I’ll be going."
When a princess’s name is brought out one cannot refuse, of course.
I answered the troubledly smiling Felica with a nod and lightly tapped the shoulder of the worried-looking Karinal, smiling.
Roy beside me was already wearing a tense expression, and the chancellor in front of us was smiling amusedly.
I let out a small breath and nodded to the chancellor; the chancellor faced forward at my state and opened the door.
Inside, to my surprise, was a garden.
The path where people would walk was leveled with stone paving, but the rest was trimmed like a lawn.
Even though it is the center of the castle, light—perhaps sunlight from above?—was shining in, and it was brighter than I had expected.
And what surprised me when I looked was not the figure of King Adom sitting at a round table set in the center of the garden and looking this way.
Nor was it the figures of the queens sitting on either side of King Adom.
You’re kidding... Why is that here...
A single large tree towering behind King Adom.
At first glance it looked like an ordinary long-lived tree, yet the sparsely growing leaves bore leaves of various colors—red, yellow, blue.
I know that tree well; it is a tree one cannot see unless one adventures through various places in free play.
Its name is the Fairy Tree.
A special tree that grows in the fairy village; among the fairies it is said that places where a Fairy Tree grows are safe.
The principle is that it stretches a barrier over a certain range of the place where it lives, and it is said that the longer the years pass the more powerful it becomes.
In actuality the barrier of the fairy village is solid, and one cannot enter except by forming friendly relations.
Similar special large trees grow in the villages of each race; I think this was a measure by the Overwald management so that the villages would not be ravaged by players.
But this is the royal capital, not a fairy village.
There I realized why the royal family’s living space is in the center of the castle.
To protect the Fairy Tree... in the worst case the result of prioritizing protecting the Fairy Tree even over the lives of the royal family.
But that figure is...
Following the chancellor’s bow to King Adom, Roy and I also bowed and followed behind the chancellor.
When we tried to place one knee on the floor before the luxurious round table, a stop was ordered in King Adom’s dignified voice, just as with the chancellor.
"Enough, stop. Today let us stop the formalities. Right, Raide?"
"...Ha."
"Is that the son of Ryude?"
"Ha. I am called Roy."
"Hmm... He has a better countenance than what I heard from Ryude. ...Kuku. Did you meet a good instructor or something?"
"Yes. Someone I can respect."
"Kuhahaha. Typical of you, Raide?"
"I am honored to be thought of that way by my student."
Absolutely the mischievous and tomboyish parts are inheritance from King Adom.
Or is it inheritance from the queens as well? Both of them are whispering into King Adom’s ear while grinning tremendously...
Sitting on the left side from my view is the First Queen, Queen Alyusha, mother of Princess Allerias.
And sitting on the right side is the Second Queen, Queen Risha, mother of Princess Letia.
The two are sisters, and I have heard they were originally commoners.
In actuality the game profile also explains it that way, so it is certain.
King Adom taking commoners as consorts is amazing, but the commoners studying and working hard to reach that position is far too amazing.
...Though from the look of it they seem quite tomboyish.
King Adom turned his face toward the Fairy Tree behind him and spoke a little sadly.
"Originally I could have shown you it in full bloom... but this year it seems to have no energy."
"...May I ask a question?"
"Nn? Fine, speak. And do not be formal; speak as you like. You know this old man dislikes formality, do you not?"
"I shall endeavor. Was the position of the table changed?"
"...It seems it was changed. What of it?"
Queen Risha whispered into King Adom’s ear and answered for him; King Adom rubbed his chin with one hand, furrowed his brows, and looked at me.
...Ah, so that is why I could not get the thing I was aiming for.
While making a difficult face and thinking of a reply to King Adom, Sharle stroked my cheek and spoke.
"Please move as you like."
"...I am surprised. Alyusha, Risha, look. Sharle is making that kind of expression."
"King Adom, please look around as well."
"This is..."
"I am also surprised..."
Queen Risha spoke to King Adom in a quiet voice, and together they looked around with surprised faces.
Queen Alyusha also looked around while murmuring in a way of speaking that commoners would find approachable.
I also looked around like King Adom and the others, but aside from the waiting maids I could confirm no other figures.
Sharle’s figure is probably visible to King Adom and the others...
Well, setting that aside... first let us do something about the Fairy Tree.
I asked Sharle in a small voice to bring a certain thing, and in place of a reply she stroked my cheek.
"King Adom, I would like permission to approach the Fairy Tree and permission to take something out of my magic bag."
"...Act as you like and show us."
"Gratefully."
I placed a hand on the shoulder of Roy, who was wearing a worried expression beside me, smiled as if to reassure him, and approached the Fairy Tree.
When I came right in front of the Fairy Tree I took out a small single-person table and chair, setting them as close to the Fairy Tree as possible so that they faced toward King Adom.
Suddenly a wine bottle appeared from the side; I received it with thanks to Sharle and poured wine into the wine glass she had brought together with it, placing it on the table.
I had requested cheap wine, but of course there would be none in the royal castle...
I also poured wine into a wine glass for myself, brought it close to the glass placed on the table, looked up at the Fairy Tree, and spoke.
"It is not wine of Fairindal, but please forgive me. ...To the peace of the little-winged Telt, cheers."
『Ahahaha, cheers!』
Someone lifted the glass placed on the table and gently clinked it against my glass with a chin.
Smiling at the long-unheard voice that rang in the head like a bell, I turned my eyes toward the woman drinking the wine deliciously.
From the height at which she was sitting her stature was about 160, with hair that glowed white and gently and seemed about to reach the floor.
A childlike cute countenance, transparent wings on her back, and breasts about the size of a pear.
She drained the glass of wine, looked at me with an amused smile, and spoke.
『Why do you know the way to invite? I thought there was no one left who knew...』
"Well, I wonder why. Considering and solving mysteries is the best snack for you all, right?"
『Aha, you know that too! I had heard the stories but you’re interesting, you! Ahahahaha!』
"I’m glad you seem to be enjoying yourself."
While speaking with her that way, flower petals floated down from above to my feet; I looked up at the branches.
There, completely different from a moment ago, multicolored flowers were in full bloom.
As expected, when one says Fairy Tree, this is the sight...
I also put the wine glass to my mouth, took a sip, and poured wine into her empty glass for her.
Placing the glass on her table and looking toward King Adom, he had approached rather closely.
King Adom and the two queens were standing frozen with eyes wide open looking at her; the same was true of the chancellor and Roy.
Suddenly recalling, I turned my face toward her who was drinking wine and asked.
"By the way, is the way of calling you Tetorin or Tetorinri?"
『Geez, too interesting! That’s a name I thought of thousands of years ago!』
"Then Tetorin."
『Correct! Hey you, you’re going to keep me company thoroughly today, right? You understand that too, don’t you?』
"I would like to keep you company, but... the place is..."
"Enough, this old man permits it! Stay here and keep Lady Tetorin company. This old man has also come to have a mountain of things he wants to ask you..."
"...As you command."
King Adom pressed one hand to his forehead as if tired, and the queens on both sides were worrying over him.
Tetorin laughed amusedly at King Adom’s words; just when I thought she had suddenly become quiet she slowly stood, looked at King Adom, and smiled gently.
『King Adom, I’m sorry I couldn’t convey my thanks to your family for so long. Thank you for protecting me.』
"Those words... this old man, the 26th king, will take responsibility and have them conveyed to later generations."
『Um, to later generations? And a little too formal, maybe? I’m the same as you; I dislike formality. Ah! I was looking forward to what happens from now, so don’t stop it!』
"I understand regarding the way of speaking. And be at ease; I have not the slightest intention of stopping it."
King Adom said that and looked at me with half-lidded eyes; realizing I could not escape, I smiled wryly.
I had thought I could divert it with the Fairy Tree matter, but come to think of it Tetorin’s playful side was pure-blooded...
From my perspective, not knowing what will be done, the anticipated "punishment" is something frightening...