─King Marihect’s side─
“Your Majesty. Sir Sullivantos is here.”
The servant’s words made me nervous.
It’s been a few years since they left the front line, but their influence is still great.
Besides, when they come with Ko, they’ll wait in the waiting room with Ko, but if they came alone, I can’t expect that.
Akinists are originally free-spirited and are not a race that keeps to the rules.
Captain Rodokiaus uses honorifics with me because he’s still young, even waiting for his turn for the audience, but…I wonder how long this will continue…
As the Akinist got closer, I heard noisy voices.
He probably couldn’t sit still in the waiting room.
I heard a voice say “Please wait!” many times.
Sullivantos appeared with a loud banging sound from the door opening.
“Ko is pregnant! Decide on the child’s name! That’s all!”
“Pregnant!?”
Seemingly not interested in my surprised voice, he has already turned on his heels.
Seems like he really just came to say that.
Immediately, the servant reported that Sullivantos had left the castle.
(Ko got pregnant again…?)
It’s only been two and a half years since Eldred was born.
Is it because they’re mates?
Or is it because it’s Ko?
Maybe because Captain Rodokiaus is fond of Ko?
For them to have a second child so quickly…
Moreover, even though one of them is an Akinist.
It’s said that they could only have one child in their lifetime.
──I have never been so happy.
I told the Council to decide on the name immediately…!
Postponing the future schedule, I gathered the ministers to open a council.
────
──
It takes a little time to decide the name.
I have to look at the names of past Akinists and read a rough description of what they did.
Even if they’re born in Marihect, some Akinists have traveled to other countries.
Some, like Sullivantos, were born in other countries and settled down in Marihect.
I try not to use the names of such Akinists as much as possible.
──it’s like wishing that they won’t leave Marihect in the future.
…it’s really just wishful thinking, but I can’t help it.
That’s because they’re a race that I don’t want to pass on to other countries.
I don’t have a way to stop it, so it’s superfluous.
Meanwhile, an audience appeared.
Ko, who is supposed to be at home.
I hurriedly headed to the audience room.
What happened?
…even if something happened, Sullivantos and Artemia should be there.
“Ko! What’s wrong!”
As soon as I entered the audience room, I said that…perhaps because he was pregnant, he didn’t kneel, and Ko, who was sitting in a chair, had a stern look.
Did something really happen?
“…I’m sorry to worry you. This time, I didn’t feel sick so I came. I’m thinking of asking my child’s name directly…”
He looks calm as usual.
The surroundings are a little tense but that’d be unavoidable since Ko is pregnant.
Not to mention that he didn’t even go out last time.
“…I’m sorry. I got you to come all the way, but the name hasn’t been decided yet. I will report it once it’s decided.”
“…I see. I’ll wait. …then, I’ll take a walk in Seidask today. What about Rodo? Back to work?”
“I’m not going to leave Ko.”
“I see. …then, please excuse us.”
He briefly talked to his family, bowed to me, and stood up.
Apparently, he’s in really good shape this time.
“El. It’s this king who gave you the name “Eldred”, you know? And your dad’s name was also given by this king.”
“Fatha, towether!?”
“That’s right. Together.”
I watched the conversation between parent and child without speaking.
I’ve seen Captain Rodokiaus shortly after his birth, but he didn’t seem pampered by his parents, nor did the two spoil him.
There was no particular conversation and it seemed that they were not interested in each other.
Is this the difference between an Akinist and a half-Akinist?
…but the half-Akinists I saw in other countries are the same as pure Akinists, they’re not interested in their surroundings.
…Eldred seems to only be interested in his family.
However, it’s unusual for him to have someone to be interested in.
…is it because one of his parents is Ko?
“El likes father, right?”
“Yesh!”
“…”
By all means, it seems like he likes his mother, Ko, more than his father, Captain Rodokiaus.
“Ko, it’s dangerous to walk around town.”
“…it’s fine.”
Captain Rodokiaus picked up Ko and left the audience room.
Eldred walked beside them while Sullivantos and Artemia followed behind.
Currently, Ko is in the safest place.
Those who’d call out to him even in this state would be very naive.
Ko is a beautiful person, and for those who don’t know he’s the partner of Captain Rodokiaus, he’s the target of call-outs.
Just the other day, a prince from another country called out to Ko and I rushed over but it ended with “the prince is banned from entering Marihect”.
I hope that no more bad things will happen.
────
──
“Your Majesty. The castle town seems to be in great turmoil.”
“Did something happen?”
The servant rushed to tell me, and I frowned.
If something happened to Ko, those three wouldn’t stay silent.
Not only that, Eldred, too, and a new life will also come out of Marihect.
I just want it to stay like that.
“That’s…the Akinist, even though it’s his own child, lifted it up and walked…I heard it’s his partner’s wish…”
I don’t understand the confusion of the servants.
It’s said that Akinists would only be obsessed with their mates.
They don’t show their children the same interest as parents should have.
For some reason, they had the perception that the child will grow up even if left alone and didn’t try to keep in mind the knowledge of raising children.
In particular, Captain Rodokiaus has inherited these Akinist traits.
The fact that he had no interest in anything other than his mate, I understood in a sense.
…is it because Ko told him?
Or does Captain Rodokiaus have a slight feeling of compassion for the child?
I didn’t see such a gesture in the audience room.
“It seems that there are too many people gathering so there are obstacles in traffic.”
Those who know Ko would long for him and call him a “miracle healer”.
He used to be called “Erideya’s return” but Ko’s power is not that kind of thing.
There’s no record of anyone who can easily use power similar to regeneration magic.
In other words, the existence of Ko is rarer than the rare race of Akinists.
The act of trying to see the rare existence of only one person in the world might be unavoidable in a sense.
“Let’s go.”
No matter who says what, I won’t have the ear to hear it.
I think it’ll be solved if we send out soldiers but it’ll be a gloomy atmosphere, and it can be predicted that there’ll be a backlash from the people.
…but if they’re gathered in front of Ko, the Akinists would be angry.
────
──
When I headed to town with several escorts, including the Captain of the First and Second Corps, there was a crowd.
The five people in the center seem to have stopped, perhaps because they’re doing something.
The people looked at me and opened a way.
Thanks to that, Ko and his family seem to have noticed me.
“Did Your Majesty come too?”
Ko was giving something to Eldred, who was held up by Captain Rodokiaus.
Eldred didn’t seem to feel any tension towards his father.
Is it because Ko is by his side?
Or, as he said because he likes his father…?
“…eh?”
“That’s right. El, it’s around your mouth. Fufu.”
Ko, who is wiping the child’s mouth with a smile, can only be seen as a sweet mother.
Is there anything he can get angry about with his children?
“Motha, twank yu.”
“You’re welcome. …El is cute after all.”
Ko’s face when stroking Eldred is very loose.
“Cwute, Motha!”
“Eh? The cute one is El.”
I’m not the only one healed by the heartwarming conversation between the parent and child.
“Fatha, Motha is the best!”
“Eh? Dad is cute too, you know?”
It can be asserted that no one affirmed Ko’s words.
The only person in the world who calls an Akinist “cute” is Ko.
“Ko, why don’t we go home soon?”
Captain Rodokiaus picked up Ko by handing Eldred to Artemia.
As expected, is he not interested in the child?
“…I’m really worried.”
Contrary to his words, Ko smiled.
“When you come back to Karzen, play with El, okay?”
“Got it.”
(What!?)
Captain Rodokiaus, did you ever treat yourself as a “father”?
I want to see such a scene, but…I can’t say it lightly and considering that there are outsiders, something might go wrong.
…should I ask Ko next time?