CH 32

Chapter 32: The Lion King and the Young Lion

The journey back, which would normally take a week, now takes only four days thanks to Milano’s order for a forced march. After coming back home, Milano hurriedly explained the situation to King Schwan. Right now in the throne room, King Schwan and Queen Ibis are sitting on their respective thrones with tense expressions. In front of them are Kumahachi and Milano, who are kneeling with one knee. And lastly, standing behind Milano are Marie and Arue.

Gloominess fills the room, no one utters even a single word. Selene, who looks forward to seeing the Lily Flower Garden more than anyone else, got taken away by a dragon the moment she arrived there. Who could’ve predicted such a thing?

“Princess Arue, I couldn’t apologize to you enough for what happened to her……”

The first one to break the silence is Schwan. The mighty Lion King Schwan bows his head to a young princess from a lowly, small country. If envoys from other countries saw this scene, they’d be shocked for sure. But right now, no one in this throne room is in the mood to act surprised.

“No, you do not need to apologize, Schwan-sama. No one could have predicted that the dragon would attack. It’s akin to natural disasters that couldn’t be prevented. I’m sure she’d be very happy to know how much she is loved by the Helifalte royal family.”

Despite her deathly pale face, Arue managed to express her gratitude to Schwan in a dignified tone. In spite of the fact that Arue is nothing more than a princess from a very small country, she is the country’s first princess nonetheless. She isn’t your typical spoiled princess from who knows where. She studied hard for the sake of her unfortunate little sister, honed her intelligence through tears and sweat, and she knows how to act even in this depressing situation, unlike other countries’ so-called “princesses” who only know how to dress.

“Argggh……! I sincerely apologize, Princess Arue! It’s all my fault! It’s because I’m weak!”

Perhaps due to seeing Arue try her hardest to stay strong, Kumahachi cries out. Tears fall onto the floor as he clenches his fist so hard that it’s bleeding, still in the kneeling posture in front of King Schwan. He’s supposed to be Selene’s escort, but in the end, the most he could do was chip away a small part of the dragon’s scale. He couldn’t fulfill his duty of protecting her. This is his greatest humiliation as a warrior.

“You’re not at fault here Kumahachi! It’s me…… If only I hadn’t suggested going to the Lily Flower Garden to her……!”

And, as if moved by Kumahachi’s tears, Marie begins sobbing as well. She’ll never see her adorable little sister Selene again because of what she’s suggested to her. Marie’s little heart shatters just thinking about it.

“It’s okay, it’s going to be okay Marie-sama…… I’m sure Selene is alive and well. She’s a very lucky girl.”

Arue softly hugs Marie’s trembling shoulders, who’s hiding her tears with her hands. While Arue’s saying that to comfort Marie, it also seems like she’s telling herself that as well. In fact, Arue’s voice is trembling, as if she’s about to break down in tears.

Schwan casts a glance at Ibis. She saw his signal and silently nodded before rising from the throne and escorting Marie and Arue outside the throne room to console them. After all, Ibis’ specialty is healing grievances in the hearts of young maidens.

Only Schwan, Kumahachi, and Milano, who has been silently staring at the floor, remain in the throne room after the girls have left.

“King Schwan! I am…… My own powerlessness disgusts me! I’ve always boasted about how much I trained my sword, but look at the result…… How miserable! I’m nothing but a weakling! If my life could atone for this sin, then I shall……!”

“Kumahachi, look up at me.”

While Kumahachi continues to blame himself, as he did a dogeza on the red carpet, Schwan interrupted him in a timely and dignified manner. Obeying his master’s command, Kumahachi raises his face.

“Is that the way of the warrior back in your home country? To compensate one’s life when one fails?”

“Exactly, my lord. We carve out our own stomachs (harakiri), then we’re beheaded……”

“But does that really make up for the mistakes that were made?”

Kumahachi, who’s about to execute himself on the spot, is stunned. Schwan continues his speech solemnly.

“I’m not trying to deny the customs of your country, but how is that different from running away? If you carved out your stomach, well, what’s next? Your blood and organs would only sully the throne room, and I would lose a mighty warrior such as you, Kumahachi. How will that benefit anyone?”

“…………”

“Kumahachi, the reason I appointed you to such an important position is not because you’re my subordinate, but rather because I respect your sense of responsibility as a warrior. In fact, how many people on this continent do you think could stand up to a dragon and chip its scale?”

“If so, then how shall I atone for this sin of mine, my lord?”

“No one is blaming you. You’re the only one blaming yourself. If you insist on wanting to atone for your sin, then you shall work even harder for the sake of this country. Everyone, including me, wishes for you to do that.”

“……As you command.”

Kumahachi looked down for a while, and eventually he wiped the tears from his face with his kimono’s sleeve before replying to Schwan. There are still traces of tears on his face, but his expression is now resolute and determined.

“Kumahachi, you may go ahead and rest first. I wish to speak with Milano privately.”

“Yes!”

Kumahachi stands up and bows to Schwan at a sharp angle of over 90 degrees before leaving the room. Now there are only Milano and Schwan left.

“Father……”

“Good grief, we’re in a pretty big mess here aren’t we.”

Schwan sits back down on his throne, looking up at the ceiling. This is the first time he has ever experienced something like this. If he shows a pathetic side of his to the girls and his retainer, it’d only cause anxiety among them. He and Milano might be father and son, but there are also things that can only be talk about between men.

“I think…… I’ve made the right decision, father.”

“You’re right. You’ve made the right call. It’s exactly as Princess Arue said—no one could’ve predicted nor prevented the dragon from kidnapping her, just like natural disasters. If you mindlessly decided to chase the dragon, there’s only death awaiting you in the White Forest. But why……”

Schwan stops speaking midway and rises from his throne. He walks toward Milano, getting closer to him so that they could talk face-to-face, staring straight into Milano’s sky-blue eyes.

“You’ve made the right decision, you said so yourself. But why are you looking so dissatisfied?”

“But did I really make the right decision? When the dragon attacked, the only loss we received was Selene. No one is heavily injured. I think I can say the damage is minimal. But……”

“Militarily speaking, losing only Selene is the best outcome we could have.”

Said Schwan as he took out a piece of parchment from his pocket. On it wrote:

『Though she is not very noble, but she does show a glimpse of unique talents. I present her to our dear Helifalte Kingdom, may her talents bloom brightly, we hoped that she will prove useful in your country.』

“This is the contract you signed back in Aquila. And now you can use what’s written on here to your advantage.”

If the one who got taken by the dragon was not Selene but Arue instead, it’d totally be Helifalte’s fault, and they’d probably be held accountable. However, what’s written on the parchment only describes Selene as ‘someone not very noble that has magic power’, so if Helifalte decides to dismiss the case as just an accident and that they’ve lost only a single commoner, there will be no consequences for them.

“And what’s more, we also have the evidence that Kumahachi really did chip a part of the dragon’s scale. If we announced this incident as just a commoner getting kidnapped by a dragon, Aquila would probably not bother us any longer.”

“Father, are you saying that as long as our country’s image is not tainted, you don’t care about Selene at all!?”

Milano takes a step forward, speaking back to him aggressively, but Schwan only stares back grimly.

“Calm down. Your face looks like that of a calm and collected person, but you’re surprisingly short-tempered and explosive, aren’t you? Good grief, I wonder where you got that from. Listen up. You are to be the next king of this country, and one day you’ll need to carry the weight of an entire Helifalte kingdom on your back. Now, you need to decide what to do next. So, what is it that you wish for?”

“There’s only one thing I wish for.”

“And that is?”

“I wish to go save Selene.”

The moment he heard those words, Schwan exhales a long, deep sigh.

“Did you even listen to what I’ve just said? Did you really think that I, the King of this kingdom, would listen to your stupid request?”

“I really did think so.”

“Then you’re damn correct, you silly son of mine.”

The moment he said that, Schwan stomped on the carpet with tremendous force, so much so that the marble floor under the carpet is shattered.

“It’s just a stupid frickin’ flying lizard, yet it dares to take our precious Selene away from us!? Don’t fuck with me! Unforgiveable! Totally unforgivable!”

Schwan roars angrily, but fortunately there’s no one around him except Milano to hear that. Even though he’s past his prime, he still lives up to his name, Schwan the Lion King, and his lion spirit hasn’t faded yet. Sure, he loves his country and people, but what he loves the most is his family first and foremost.

Schwan knows that his son and daughter’s―― Milano and Marie’s relationship hasn’t always been that good, which has caused the relationships in his whole family to sour, and he’s very worried about it.

But then suddenly, a white young girl―― Selene appeared in their family life, and she solved the problem that worried Schwan marvelously. And not just that, even though she has been in their family for only a short time, his son Milano is growing up rapidly thanks to her, both mentally and physically.

He used to be impatient, as if he were trapped in a corner, but now his expressions are full of energy and vitality. Schwan’s not the only one who noticed the changes in Milano, his mother Ibis also noticed them as well. For Schwan―― no, for the entire Kingdom of Helifalte, Selene has already become an irreplaceable member of the royal family.

“Father.”

“What?”

“You said I’m ‘short-tempered and explosive’, but I think I inherited those traits from you.”

“You always have to have the last word, huh.”

Schwan smiles wryly. Milano smiles back in the same manner. Their family talks are now concluded. Next, they’ll have to discuss realistically whether it’s possible to rescue Selene or not.

“You said you’re going to bring her back, but what do you have in mind?”

“I think the reason the dragon brought her away is because there’s something in Selene that piques its curiosity. If its aim is to eat humans, then it should’ve targeted adult humans or any other larger animals. She’s too small to be valuable to carry her away just to eat her somewhere safe.”

“So, you’re saying that the chances of her still being alive are not zero, right?” But we still don’t know where it takes Selene to.”

“It should take her somewhere in the White Forest, based on the direction it flew off in. This is just my opinion, but I believe the dragon mistook Selene for an elf.”

“An elf, huh…… If I remember correctly, they’re a race with white skin and red eyes. We don’t have much information about them, but at the very least we know that they worshipped dragons. That certainly makes sense when you think about it.”

Milano nods to what Schwan said.

“Meaning that, there’s a possibility that Selene is currently in the elves’ captivity. And to confirm this, I’d like to send out a search team to the White Forest.”

“But everything you’ve just said is just speculation.” Maybe the dragon already ate her, and we don’t even know if Selene was safe when she was sent to the elves. It also could’ve ended up being a complete waste of time. You might even be considered a threat by the elves, so your safety is not guaranteed.”

“I’m well aware of the dangers. Many from Valbell entered the White Forest, and many of them were badly injured by the elves. And it seems to happen more and more these days.”

“And only humans with magic can enter the White Forest, meaning that you can’t take Kumahachi with you. Almost all of the people with magic power in our country are in important government positions. I cannot let your gamble destroy our nation’s might.”

“I’ll only ask for the bare minimum. I’ll also speak with each of them individually, and then I’ll form a unit with those who are willing to go.”

Schwan’s stunned. Simply put, this can’t even be called a plan or an operation. It’s literally just a suicide tour.

“That’s reckless.”

“Yes. But I still want to go nonetheless. Selene had said to me before that she hates me because I’m me. And now I finally know what she means by that.

“What do you mean by that?”

Milano closes his eyes. In this darkness, he saw the scene of a white young girl handing him food while smiling innocently, but he shakes the thought away. Now’s not the time to dwell in the past.

“I’m ‘Prince Milano’, and as such, I’ve made the right decision in that dire moment. A right decision for someone who, one day, will become a king. Right choice of words, right smile…… However, she saw through me. She saw the real me.”

“Fumu……”

“I’m Milano Helifalte before I’m a prince. Because of the prince title bestowed upon me, I’ve put myself through a lot of pain and suffering. And Selene saved me from those agonies. That is why I am willing to fight for her sake. Maybe I’m wrong or misunderstand her, but if a man can’t save a little girl he treasures, is he truly fit to rule a kingdom?”

Milano has already resolved himself. He’s willing to cast away his pride and title as a prince, all just to become an adventurer named Milano, so that he could venture into the White Forest of the elves and rescue Selene.

“Good grief…… You really are a silly son of mine, and I couldn’t care less what will happen to you from now on. Even without you here, I’ll still be as strong as ever. And Marie, she’s a smart girl, and I love her very much. I’ll find her a wonderful son-in-law, so wonderful that you’re no match for him. Remember that no matter where you die, this country will remain as safe and strong as ever.”

“Simply put, you’re telling me to fight without worrying about the consequences, right? Thank you for your kind words, Father.”

“……That’s right. Now, wait here for a second.”

Schwan suddenly turns around and walks back to his room, leaving the puzzled Milano behind. After a short while, Schwan comes back with a greatsword in hand. It’s rather a simple iron sword with no decorations on it except for a red jewel embedded in the hilt to reinforce the sword with magic power. Schwan casually swings the sword in a circle with one hand and holds it in front of Milano.

“This sword is……?”

“Take it. Your sword is broken isn’t it?”

“B-, but Father! This is your treasured sword……!”

“Yes, this is my beloved sword that I wielded when I was young. This baby is in a different league compared to the dull sword you used.”

Milano’s hands tremble as he receives the greatsword from Schwan. This sword, which shared its fate with his father when he was young, is much heavier than the broken, slender sword Milano used.

Milano recalls how, as a child, he desperately wanted to touch his sword and reached out his hand, only to be severely beaten by his father. That is the one and only time his father used violence on him out of pure rage. That is how important that sword is to Schwan.

“Can I really have this?”

“Of course not you idiot. I’m just lending it to you. I think that I’ve said this to you when you brought Selene here, but I’m raising you as a prince, not a robber.”

Milano smiles, Schwan smiles too. This is already good enough.

“I’ll depart as soon as I finish preparations.”

“You must come back. And if possible, with Selene by your side.”

“Yes!”

Milano replies to Schwan’s encouragement with a short but full-of-spirit answer. The White Forest, which only a few humans can enter, is home to the elves, about whom humans know very little. Many from Valbell seek the riches within the forest, but only those who abandon everything and flee with their lives survive. Information regarding the elves’ settlements is nonexistent.

And even if they found an elf settlement, Selene might not be there. It might turn out that the only thing they gain is the wrath of the elves and a waste of time. And if they are not careful, it might even cost them their lives.

Not to mention that, with the current situation between two races, we don’t know how the elves will treat Selene, who’s a human. She was thrown into an uncivilized land, there’s a possibility that she might be treated like a slave as well.

It’s too reckless to even call it a gamble. They have to make a miracle, as thin as paper, happen, one way or another.

“Selene…… I’ll go help you as fast as possible!”

Yet, Milano doesn’t falter one bit. Even if he has to go alone, even if he has to rip and tear through hell itself, he’ll still go. Selene was born with a cruel fate awaiting her, , but she does not let fate defeat her, rather, she showed him a ray of hope when all seemed dark to him. And this time, he’ll be the light that shines upon Selene.

How can he just abandon that little girl and live his life like it doesn’t concern him? Taking a deep breath, Milano carries the sword on his back. The sword still feels somewhat heavy for the slender Milano, but that weight gives him the courage to press on. Milano proudly took a step forward and left the throne room.

“The event that makes one go out into the world with his own two feet is always so abrupt and unpredictable……”

Schwan mutters, but Milano never looks back. This might be their last time seeing each other. Both of them are well aware of that, but between this father and son, no more words are necessary.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Good sleep!”

On the morning of her fourth day in the White Forest, Selene wakes up and stretches herself on the fluffy feather bed. The room Selene’s staying in right now is a specially custom-built room prepared by the chief Gee himself. The room is a hollowed-out trunk situated at the top of a huge tree.

Gee said that they use this room when the representatives from other settlements came to discuss something, so it seems like this room is an audience chamber. The view from this huge tower-like structure is spectacular, offering a panoramic view of the White Forest glistening in the sunlight.

The wooden room makes one feel at home, and a pleasant breeze flowing through makes it even more comfortable. The interior is decorated with many things, including fur carpets, and along the walls are colorful flowers planted into them. Although it seems cheap and simple compared to a human castle, depending on one’s taste, this might even be more luxurious than a castle.

Selene gets out of her bed in only her underwear and drinks a cup of fruit juice that was prepared on her bedside table in one gulp. She also doesn’t forget to put her hands proudly on her hips. She actually hopes that it was actually a mug of beer instead, and that the elves should also prepare a filefish as bar snacks, but that would be too selfish of her.

After quenching her thirst with a sweet and refreshing juice, Selene starts doing radio exercises. This is the heaven Selene has been searching for. But if she keeps quiet, she’ll be returned to human society in two weeks, and that must be avoided at all costs.

“Human, don’t want.”

Selene mutters to herself, forgetting that she herself is also a human. She must do something so that she can continue to live here for the rest of her life, in the place of hamony. And to achieve that, she has to somehow bring Arue here. And if possible, she’d like to bring Ibis and Marie here as well. If she can bring Ibis, Arue and Marie here, then her collection of three sizes—big, medium, and small— would be complete.

“Greedy, no good.”

However, Selene denied her own thoughts. Thinking about it realistically, convincing both Ibis and Marie would be difficult. She’d like to avoid being too greedy; instead of hitting two birds with one stone, she’ll end up hitting nothing instead. She’ll focus on her main objective first and, if possible, expand her influences, such is the way of a great strategist. Truly, the ultimate strategy.

“Gwahahaha! Plan is perfect!”

Selene praises herself for not letting her desires control her. Selene, who lives in a flower garden both in reality and in her brain, is unaware that such a way of thinking is literally desirous in itself.

『Princess, I’ve come back from a recon mission.』

As she’s wearing her usual white dress, Butler slips inside the room from the window. As usual, when she arrives in a foreign land, she’ll always order Butler to scout the area for her. Butler runs up to Selene and respectfully bows to her before reporting what he found.

『Summarizing everything I’ve found, I believe it is impossible for us to escape this area with no outside help. Seeing how much the elves are obsessed with you, it’d be best to trust the words of the elves and stay put until they send us back.』

“I see.”

『Being the only human in a village of a different race must have made you anxious, Princess. But please endure this for a little longer. If by any chance they don’t take us back to the human land, I won’t spare them any mercy when that time comes. If I’m not careless, I believe I can handle them all by myself.』

“No, me totally fine.”

Seeing Butler somewhat agitated, Selene smiles softly as she pats on Butler’s head. She’s trying to tell him that he shouldn’t be using violence as answers, even if the other party are the elves. Seeing Selene’s gentle expression, Butler’s ashamed of his own violent nature.

‘Even though she wants to return as soon as possible……’

It’s clear as day that Selene wants to go back to human society as soon as possible, otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked Butler to be a spy for her. Reality, however, is cruel. This elf village is pretty heavily guarded, there is no way for them to escape by themselves. There is literally nothing that they can do about this.

The only thing Butler can do right now is distract Selene from the loneliness of being unable to see her sweetheart, Prince Milano, even if it’s for a little while. And it frustrates him that he couldn’t do anything else for her.

‘Good boy, good boy……’

On the other hand, after hearing his report, she smiles in glee as she pats Butler. If they can’t escape, then that means there’ll be no interference from outside either. The biggest concern after she brings Arue-neesama here is that the debauched prince is going to chase her big sister to the elf village and attempt to take her back. Fortunately, it seems like that will be difficult for him when the time comes.

“Butler.”

『Yes, awaiting your commands.』

“Discuss, have.”

Now that she understood the situation, she must not waste time and discuss about the main subject―― bringing Arue here, right away.

『Discuss?』

“Un. Very, important.”

Seeing Selene’s expression tense up, he could senses that the atmosphere is turning serious, so he pulls himself together and await for his master’s words.