CH 86

Chapter 86 – Evening Drink.

Side: Yuki

Today we’ll be having a dinner party with the King of Rochelle. I was told that the King and myself will be meeting together for a drink tonight.

It’s already been 5 days since the King arrived for his visit.

We finished the interview with the Grand Master of the Adventurer Guild and the tours of the different small Dungeons are almost over too.

Afterwards I will just relax, living my daily life inside the Dungeon. 1)

(King)「Son-in-law, what is this drink?」

(Yuki)「Ah, it’s a strong liquor. Is that okay?」

(King)「I’m not afraid, so please be generous.」

(Yuki)「Well, that’s brandy. It is wine which was distilled and then aged inside a barrel… Well, I think it’s about 5 times stronger than wine. Alcohol content should be 55%」

(King)「55… Fufufu」

The King of Rochelle looks at the amber in the glass and laughs.

(Yuki)「Is something wrong?」

(King)「No, isn’t the alcohol content something that only someone who is extremely used to the feeling of drunkenness would know? That description is very precise. As one would expect of my son-in-law, someone who comes from an isekai2).」

(Yuki)「…… When did you notice?」

(King)「No, It was guesswork. Since you started settling people inside the Dungeon. Around that time I guess.」

(Yuki)「And so, what was the deciding factor?」

(King)「Oh, the decisive factor is this Dungeon. No matter how you look at it, this place resembles the characteristics of a story from ancient times about another world. Where it was particularly important to entrust the administration to the people of the nation. Well, unlike the methods in the story, you seem to be going about things in a fairly pragmatic way.」

Well there is no particular reason to try to hide it, but then what about……

(Yuki)「So, despite knowing that, you still intended to hand over the Princess… Shera to us? What were your real true intentions.」

(King)「Fu, no. I can’t manage something as skillful as deceit in that way. I’m not as nimble as you. There would’ve been an uproar if her matter had been left unmanaged for even one more day」

He said that and grinned with his whole face.

In a way, he’s just like a brat.

(Yuki)「Puh, that is a King’s convenient excuse.」

(King)「Well, I was planning on considering about the Princess while I looked at this Dungeon. However, I had already decided that I could entrust her to you on the first day.」

After sparing some words he drank a mouthful of brandy.

(King)「… Hkuh~!! It’s strong.」

(Yuki)「But, is it delicious?」

(King)「Umu.」

I replace the melted Ice and top up the brandy inside the empty glass again.

(King)「… Otherworlders. Many are called saviors and bestowed a number of miracles upon this continent. At the beginning, there were places where such summons were accidental, but now they are usually purely intentional isekai summonings, where countries essentially kidnap foreign people and force them to do their bidding.」

(Yuki)「….. Sounds reasonable.」

(King)「A long time ago, back when I was still a young man, I was a violent adventurer. I was living carefree, being the fifth in line I didn’t have to worry much about, being a royalty. During that time I met a man who was not an adventurer. Even though I was fully aware that I was a green youth, even if from royalty, meeting someone from an Isekai, a so-called savior, was my dream.」

The King of Rochelle is reminiscing over his past while he drinks a little alcohol.

(King)「The man was black-haired and wielded a mysterious weapon. It was the same kind of weapon that Seraria has. No amount of magical power could be felt from him, but with his sword and swordsmanship, he felt unrivaled and eventually managed to cut the sword of the devil sword’s wielder. Despite being neither a soldier nor an adventurer, he was more than properly trained.」

(Yuki)「… And that person was from an Isekai?」

(King)「Oh that’s right, he said he was called Kamiizumi Nobutsuna3)」

(Yuki)「Buho… Uhtsh, Gehoh, Gehoh!?」

(King)「Are you okay? Do you know that name? Are you friends?」

No, I’m just aware of him, but isn’t he a master swordsman!?

Although I don’t know much about him.

(King)「I owe my unprecedented level 5 in swordsmanship to him.」

Oh, it’s real.

He seemed to have been good at teaching.

(Yuki)「This Kamiizumi did he have anything special from an isekai?」

(King)「Uh? Oh, I’m well aware of such things. His clothes for example, though they weren’t like yours… I heard he was wearing a yukata, or perhaps something close to that? It was not a dresscode according to any literature I had heard of, but he himself said that he was just a practitioner of the sword and that the yukata was a part of it.」

(Yuki)「How old was he?」

(King)「Oh, he looked like he was in his late twenties. He told me that he carried Tenju4) and was then rejuvenated. I thought it was a joke.」

…. Uwah, the master swordsman reincarnated with his memories?

Cheating? 5)

(King)「So, do you know about Kamiizumi? That teacher was a strong warrior who could do everything in regards to swordsmanship. Please if you ever see him, let me meet him by all means.」

Oi oi, that must be it.

(Yuki)「Let’s see, in my world… No, in the country where I lived, there was such a person called a 「Sword Saint」. That man that lived somewhere between 500 and 600 years ago though.」

(King)「Sword Saint… I am convinced. That was the Sword Saint. If he wielded a wooden stick, neither his hands nor his feet could be seen.」

(Yuki)「It was probably impossible to measure, his level with the sword…」

(King)「I’m well aware of that. I had him show me once, but his level exceeded 300 and the swordsmanship he reached was said to be infinitely exceeding.」

…… Hey, Luna. What is spelling of rule?

No, if it is about Kamiizumi Nobutsuna I’m convinced.

(King)「Oh, I left the main topic. Then, what led my son-in-law here from another world?」

(Yuki)「Ah, you mean why I am a Dungeon Master, even though I am foreign to this world?」

(King)「That’s right. Looking at my son-in-law, I remembered my teacher and instinctively repaid his favor a little. I hope that someday I can meet some people from the same town as him, I would be honored to assist them a little.」

(Yuki)「But that’s not just a bit of help.」

(King)「Hahahahah. You don’t need to worry about the details, I gave a reward appropriate to the results. Unlike my master who was exploring the world, you are interesting in various ways. The Dungeon here is a good example. You are someone who has been tied down to this world. 6)」

Ahh this guy… isn’t this King showing off a little too much?

(King)「… My son-in-law, isn’t the purpose of making this town inside this Dungeon to establish connections with the other countries?」

(Yuki)「No, I’m just doing that for the sake of improving my life.」

(King)「Hahahahah. Let’s keep it as such. Let’s end the difficult talks.」

(Yuki)「…… Now is still too early. The time will come.7)」

(King)「Really…… Well, delicious.」

He shake his glass and the sound of the ice hitting the side echoes.

(King)「I entrust you with my daughter, Seraria.」

Saying that, the King of Rochelle slightly tilted his head.

(Yuki)「She is a good daughter.」

(King)「Thank you.」

Both of us laughed with a refreshed smile.

I wonder what it looks like from the side.

(Yuki)「… What would you like to do? I can offer you the Guardian Appointment, you’ll be able to call anytime. I could also convert your castle into a Dungeon to provide you with safety if you would like.」

(King)「… Fu, I’m grateful for your offer, but I will abstain from it. I would like to be an inhabitant of this continent till the end. It may be incomprehensible for my son-in-law but…..」

(Yuki)「No, I understand… What you’re trying to say. You would cease being someone who lives by this continent, it’s rules and the people in it. There’s nothing bad about it, it’s your way of life isn’t it?」

For my words that neither affirm nor deny, the King merely nods and drank.

(King)「I’m thinking about living until the time I could see my grandchild’s face, around that time?」

(Yuki)「She’s extremely assertive.」

(King)「Kuh, Kuhahaha!! That Seraria huh. I was afraid she would become a heroic woman because of intense training and her prejudices, but it seems like it’ll be okay.」

(Yuki)「Oh, do you think she inherited her character from her mother?」

(King)「No, well that’s not wrong I suppose. Aria’s and Seraria’s mother is different from Herge’s.」

(Yuki)「Oh, I’ve heard about that.」

(King)「Both are companions I met back when I was an adventurer. Kakuya8) is the mother of Aria and Seraria, she is a user of both the sword and magic. Herge’s mother was the team healer.」

(Yuki)「So are you saying it’s from her?」

(King)「Oh, she was a good wife. My relationship with her was good. For my daughters, both were important mothers. Too bad that Kololi9) caught an illness. Seraria was very young at the time and even now she’s still convinced that it’s because I neglected her mother, putting priority on taking care of political affairs. To make amends, I put her in the care of Herge’s mother, but when she gave birth to Herge, her body weakened quite a lot.」

(Yuki)「… Is that so.」

(King)「It has been hard raising them by myself as a man. For a while I thought that Seraria might remain in a state of celibacy10) for her whole life. For this, I have to thank you.」

(Yuki)「Weren’t you trying to keep your daughter?」

(King)「I do feel lonely that my daughters are leaving the nest, but… I want to see them flap their wings and soar high in the sky.」

In that way, the drinking quietly continues.

(King)「Oh, would this be okay?」

(Yuki)「What is it?」

(King)「Even now, I still want a son, but I never gave birth to a male. That’s why, it’s a dream that I had forgotten.」

(Yuki)「And that is?」

(King)「To be able to drink alcohol together with my son.」

(Yuki)「Mou you’re already drinking.」

(King)「Oh, let’s go with it for now.」

We raised our glasses.

「「Kanpai」」

We hear the chime of the glasses colliding with each other.

The night is still young.

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Afterword of the author

It was a conversation between the King and Yuki.