Chapter 780: Myth Weaver 2
There is only one dragon, Laila. The only passenger compartment for transportation is the 「Flying Sexroom」. In other words, there is no other means of transportation for Laila. A carriage is just a row of seats, so no explanation is necessary, but half of the 「Sexroom」 is completely a bed. There is a low bench along the wall that doubles as a wardrobe, but that’s all. If we were to carry a passenger of high rank, having them either lie on the bed or sit on the bench would be awkward. Besides, we made our entrance completely naked and cuddling, which was unnecessary. No matter how we try to cover it up, it’s obvious what kind of place the 「Sexroom” is and how we’ve been spending our time there. To casually have a princess from another country, who has no intention of getting involved, stay there for a day or two requires a thick skin. Well, I do feel a bit like just shrugging it off and saying, 「It’s just how things are」. After all, I’m a lecherous dragon rider—blame your bad luck for meeting me. But that’s not what I came here for. I didn’t want to cause an international incident in a foreign country, and I want to live peacefully from now on.I don’t want to push aside all the obstacles in my way and charge ahead. To be honest, the problem lies in the fact that I didn’t understand the situation in Saint Gardo and jumped in without going through proper immigration procedures. I couldn’t honestly say that I wanted to arrive on a dragon, so it was probably best to sneak in, get what I needed, and leave quickly rather than risk contacting the authorities. Still, I should have been more cautious. I got carried away, walked around naked, let myself wander aimlessly, lost track of Naris, and ended up revealing my dragon form without conducting a proper search. If I had been a little more cautious in any of those situations, I could have covered it up. I reflect on my mistakes. And I also think that maybe everything would be resolved if I just went up to the attic. Even if it’s just a guest room with a bed, the fact that a man and a woman are together makes it indecent. If there were only women present, it would simply be a matter of comfort. Yes. It’s obvious that sitting motionless on a hard chair for days on end is uncomfortable. There are 「Litters」 that allow people to move while lying down in various places. If the concern about the opposite sex were eliminated, wouldn’t that be possible on a larger scale? ……While I was thinking about various things, we returned to the 「Sexroom」 located in the suburbs of Basemaze.
“We will move around in this. It is a sturdy hut made of special wood that is a specialty of our elf territory. Even an ogre’s axe cannot damage it”
Irina said proudly as she opened the door. Princess Ran, who was about to step inside cautiously, was suddenly stopped by the female knight Fiona.
“Ran-sama, entering such an unfamiliar structure without hesitation……please refrain from such reckless behavior. Let me go first”
“Fiona……”
Princess Ran sighed deeply.
“If you don’t shut up, I’ll have more work to do”
“Ha……?”
“How can you say that when you were guided here by Irina-sama herself?”
“No, I just”
Fiona is still useless. She tries to act like a guard knight, but she lacks basic consideration for others. Every time she opened her mouth, she made remarks that could be interpreted as contempt, causing Princess Ran to apologize repeatedly to Laila, Irina, and me. Judging by their appearance, Princess Ran was around 13 or 14 years old, while Fiona was in her early twenties. Despite the nearly ten-year age gap, it was clear that Princess Ran was the one in charge of her.
“I hate to say this, but……wasn’t there anyone else who could serve as your escort?”
Sharon, back in her bikini armor, asks Princess Ran with a sigh. Sharon’s true identity is still unknown. Everyone probably thinks she’s related to Irina because of her name.
“Skilled knights are mentioned in the legends of my brother and sister. As for me, I’m in poor health, so even if I wanted to put my skills to use, I can’t even get close to the battlefield”
“Isn’t that just an excuse?”
“…………”
Princess Ran remained silent and went up to the hut. If she agreed, Fiona would get angry, but she couldn’t deny it either.
“It’s true that I lack combat experience. But being a knight isn’t just about being strong in battle. The royal family entrusted Ran with me because they saw that in me”
For some reason, Fiona followed suit triumphantly. Why did she have to say that to Sharon? She’s a princess and a Black Arm. ……But Sharon just looked confused, blushed, and hung her head.
“……Knight Chief, what do you think of that?”
“……For some reason, her words and actions make me feel embarrassed……”
“Ah……”
Naris also refrained from commenting. ……Yeah. It reminds me of myself when I was causing trouble under Felios’ protection. The difference in combat ability is like night and day, though.
When I insisted on going into the attic, everyone stopped me.
“I think that’s the most peaceful option……come on, it’s not good to have a man in the sleeping quarters of a royal woman, is it?”
“You’re being too considerate”
Irina frowned. Dianne crossed her arms and nodded.
“You shouldn’t be so deferential. It’s rude to her”
“Is that so……?”
“Don’t worry about the female knights. Even without Laila, Irina and Sharon are no less than the princess, so there’s no need for us to act subservient. You stood as their representative once, so act like it”
“……But how can I act like that?”
“You can stand your ground against the nine clan leaders of the North, who have thousands of years of history, so there’s no need to be overly deferential to a princess from a newly established country. We’re the ones extending a hand of goodwill”
“U, Umm”
I don’t really see a reason to act superior, though. As I pondered, Anzeros whispered in my ear.
“If you lose sight of who’s above and who’s below, your attitude will get complicated and you’ll look pitiful. You can’t confuse the hierarchy”
“……Ah”
So that’s it. In the end, I have to act superior.
“Above all, we can’t let that female knight get too cocky. If Andy acts like a lowly servant, she’ll definitely misunderstand”
“……Is that the problem?”
“That’s the problem”
Everyone nodded seriously. Then, Princess Ran, who had already entered the hut, came out and looked at me earnestly.
“Please make sure to handle that properly. It’s for Fiona’s sake, so she doesn’t act rudely in the future”
“……Huh? You can speak North-West?”
“I was just using their language because it was natural, but I can speak it. Fiona can’t, though”
Princess Ran said it matter-of-factly.
“Once again, I apologize for my rudeness, Smithson-sama. And I’m sorry for making you go through this. You’re a dragon rider, after all”
……How much does she understand? Did Irina explain it to her in the golden bath? Since we seem to be on the same page, I decide to ask her my question.
“I’ve been wondering, what is a myth?”
“It’s hard to explain in a few words……but I think you’ll understand as we go along. ……The royal family of Saint Gardo is the one who creates myths”
“?”
“The journey ahead will also become a myth. That is……cough”
In the middle of her speech, Princess Ran coughed softly, and it continued repeatedly.
“Cough, cough……cough, cough……!!”
Over and over again. No matter how long we waited, the conversation couldn’t resume.
“It’s an attack. Dianne, can you do anything?”
“I’m not as skilled as my sister. This is outside my area of expertise. Can’t you do anything?”
“There’s only an accumulation of spells in the northern forest. We ourselves can heal with the silver spring”
“This is bad. There’s nothing we can do”
Irina and Diane rubbed her back in confusion. Fiona rushed out and tried to carry Princess Ran in a princess carry, but……oh no, she can’t hold her.
“Ah……right, that might work”
Marone perked up her cat ears, jumped onto the roof of the hut, and started rummaging through her belongings in the attic.
“Marone! Did you find something!?”
“Hilda-san taught me how to make some medicine before! It’s not very strong, but she said it’s okay to give it to someone like Miril for now……”
Miril……come to think of it, Miril had a lung problem or something. I wonder if this is the same thing……but if it’s okay to give it to her 「For now」, then maybe it’ll help her whole respiratory system. After all, it’s Hilda-san.
“Found it!”
Marone jumps down. I take Princess Ran from Fiona and carry her to the bed, where Mira opens the water barrel and pours water into it. Then I give her the medicine……either it worked or the seizure subsided naturally, but Princess Ran’s coughing calms down, and she begins to breathe more slowly, though still painfully. ……This is pitiful. It’s a common illness. There must be many others suffering the same way in the world. She’s not the only one. But seeing her suffer like this before my eyes……knowing there’s a way to help……I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. I’ll forget about all the nonsense about hierarchy and formalities.
“Laila! Everyone! ……Let’s go!”
I shouted loudly, and everyone followed swiftly.