Chapter 785: Myth Weaver 5
By noon the next day, we had safely arrived in Polka.
“Is this our destination……?”
“Are you surprised it’s just a small country town?”
“Eh, yes……no, I mean”
“You can’t see it, can you? It’s not the kind of place where anything special happens”
Today, Polka was sunny. Gentle green fields stretched out before us, with distant mountains shrouded in blue haze, and forests. The houses were so small that they could easily be called a hamlet in another place. Polka was called a town only because of the Baron’s mansion; otherwise, it would naturally have been called a village. Without nobility, only peasant culture could flourish, so the atmosphere would have been quite rustic. In that sense, Polka is a region that is surprisingly refined for its size. Of course, the commoners are still commoners, but simply being near noble culture improves people’s manners and makes them naturally respectful toward those from other worlds. Of course, being a spa town thanks to the sacred springs probably also contributed to cultivating that pleasant atmosphere. In the face of illness, all people are equal. In some cases, even nobles may visit. A place where the negative aspects of the countryside are fully exposed, where the world seems to be self-contained, and where values are stagnant—such a place wouldn’t work. In that sense, it was truly a good environment, I think, when I look back on my childhood. We weren’t wealthy, but everyone was healthy, which made everyone’s spirits bright, and there was a constant flow of visitors, keeping things lively. Well, that’s beside the point.
“Hilda! Could you take a look at this girl?”
“Oh, welcome home, Andy-kun☆ ……What, you want me to examine this girl? She doesn’t look that unhealthy……maybe her complexion is a little bad. What’s wrong with her?”
I think she’ll be fine if she soaks in the sacred spring, but there is the example of Lady. I’ll find Hilda and have her examine her just in case. As usual, Fiona tried to rush out shouting, 「You rude person!」 so I left her to Anzeros and Sharon. Fiona was dragged away toward the Smithson house. They’ll probably give her a good lecture there, and if necessary, some form of discipline. We discussed this while Fiona was sleeping peacefully, along with Princess Ran, Dianne and Chibi Laila.
“Umm, Smithson-sama. Who is this person……?”
“She’s Dianne-san’s older sister, Hilda. As far as I know, she’s the best magic doctor in Celesta”
“Oh, don’t flatter me—all you’ll get is my nipples showing☆”
“Don’t show them. …Also, technically speaking, she’s in the same position as the dragons and Irina—my lover, I guess”
“Chichi-chichi. Me-su-do-rei☆ To be more specific, I’m Hilda, the married pregnant slave”
“Married……pregnant……?”
“That’s a complicated matter, so we’ll discuss it after the examination and treatment”
I had anticipated Hilda’s response, so I brushed it off casually, but to be honest, I’m still unsure about her position, so please don’t worry too much about it.
So, I left her in the care of Hilda (and Irina, who was both the responsible party and the guide) and hurried to the baron’s mansion with Dianne and the others. It was an unexpected visit from a foreign royal family. Throwing the Baron into this situation without any preparation was pretty harsh. As a lord, you can’t just ignore a high-ranking visitor from another country. For the sake of the country’s reputation, we must offer them a proper welcome, even if it means throwing away our fortune.
“Taking a foreign noble around suddenly is a problematic act in that sense as well. Even if neither of them wants to be treated that way, we have no choice but to do so. This time, Irina is also responsible, so we will probably have to split the costs”
“……I will reflect on my actions”
“It’s not your responsibility alone, but you should keep it in mind. Until now, we’ve been able to manage thanks to the greater cause of military duty, but from now on, we’ll have to think carefully about such matters as well”
I feel a little remorseful after what Dianne said. No matter how much money you have, it’s not nice to be suddenly presented with expenses like that.
“Well, if we hadn’t brought her along, Fiona’s life would have been in danger, so this time……”
“No, you should feel a little responsible, Naris. If you had wanted to, you could have easily shaken her off and run away”
“Don’t make me worry about diplomatic considerations! How can I make a normal decision when I’m trying to hold in my pee!”
Naris protests to Dianne. Well, I know that Naris has a policy of not using violence outside of her duties, but I can’t help but worry when she goes missing so easily. ……Yes. I’m the one who’s most likely to go missing, right? Don’t say that to me. I know.
Fortunately, the Baron kindly agreed to let Princess Ran and Fiona stay at his mansion.
“What kind of luck is it to happen upon a princess in disguise at a tourist spot and be forced to take her away?”
She said that, but that’s what I want to know. And the female slaves who had gathered at the Baron’s mansion out of admiration for Selenium and Jeanne only gave me a 「Not again」 look when they heard about my mysterious encounter. Well, three of them actually jumped on me.
“I want to know more about the people of Saint Gardo, so can I come with you?”
Gloria, who seems to have developed a creative interest.
“A knight who gets scolded by Naris-chan like that sounds interesting”
Tetes, who was saying something scary.
“If my foolish brother has done something rude, I must go and apologize”
Aurora.
“Then, we will prepare to welcome the princess. Could you give us until evening?”
“Yes, of course. I have something I need to ask her about”
I made an appointment with the Baron to visit again in the evening, and went back to Princess Ran.
After wandering around town looking for them, I heard that Hilda had taken the princess to Cosmos’s shop, 「Leslie House」.
“Maybe it’s because Celestia don’t tend to be too shy around nobles”
“Well, it’s probably just because this place and the cat beast house are the only places in town where you can calmly ask questions”
I nodded in agreement after hearing Dianne’s explanation. When I entered the store, I saw the princess with a red face, talking to Hilda, Cosmos, and Cima.
“Ah……”
“Hey, Andy-kun☆ Did you take care of everything?”
“Yes, but……weren’t they talking about something strange?”
I already had a pretty good idea, but when I asked, Hilda stuck out her tongue.
“It was just a self-introduction. Cosmos and Cima’s self-introductions were just a little stimulating☆”
“Well, I can’t introduce myself without any erotic elements♪”
“And I’m a slave by profession and a cook by trade, so♪”
They’re definitely doing this on purpose. You shouldn’t be enjoying dirty talk with teenage girls.
“Control yourself, Irina”
I nudged Irina, who was watching and drinking tea, and she shrugged her shoulders in exasperation.
“That girl is planning to offer herself to you. What’s wrong with telling her that we have enough women?”
“That’s right. That’s what I meant”
I almost forgot about that. Hurriedly taking a seat near Princess Ran, I assumed a posture to listen. The medical examination was just a formality. Taking her to the sacred spring would cure her illness. What I really needed to ask was about this 「Myth」. What was that?
“Princess. What do you mean by myth? Why is that something I need to know?”
“……Are you referring to the story where I offer myself to the dragon rider?”
“Yes. But I don’t understand what it means to weave the myth”
“……It means exactly what it says. It is the act of adding a new passage to the sacred text of the Saint Gardo Kingdom”
Princess Ran’s face was still slightly flushed, and she cleared her throat. I braced myself for another asthma attack, but Cosmos-san handed her a clay cup filled with sacred spring water, so I guess she’ll be okay……I hope.
“We treat that authority as something very important. ……How do you understand the concept of mythology, Smithson-sama?”
“Eh, ah……”
When asked again, I found it difficult to answer.
“It’s about gods……right?”
I asked the other girls around me to confirm. Was there another definition?
“……Myths are stories that become the archetypes of people’s hearts”
Princess Ran straightened her posture and began to speak.
“It is not necessary for gods to appear in them, but they are stories that will eventually be given god-like characteristics. They are stories that make those who hear them feel awe, straighten their posture, or aspire to be like them. They are stories that support and shape people’s lives”
“……Haa”
It’s definitely different from what I thought, but when asked if I really understand it, I still think it’s a vague definition.
“……But people are aware of this. As long as there are beings like elves, dragons, and holy beasts that live for ages beyond our comprehension, the stories we humans weave to discipline ourselves will inevitably have limits to their truthfulness”
“…………”
Well, that’s true. The 「Ancient and great things」 that guarantee the authority of religion, such as gods, spirits, and miracles, lose their power in the face of long-lived species. Humans cannot remember events from two hundred years ago, but at the same time, the rapid succession of generations makes it impossible to accurately pass down stories from a thousand years ago. However, elves have experiences they can share as part of their own lives. This allows them to refute the basis of human faith through personal experience. Elven faith is more resilient, but it is so ancient that its meaning becomes vague. Additionally, the existence of holy beasts can sometimes shake even elven faith. For these reasons, religious nations are considered oddities in continental history. They are not expected to last long.
“However, the Saint Gardo Kingdom has chosen to accept this”
“What do you mean?”
“We weave myths with full knowledge of the truth. For the sake of future generations”
The princess speaks of the truth of her country with strong determination.
“For now, it may be dismissed as a tall tale embellished as divine guidance. Everyone knows this, but they remain silent. With the intention that it will become the truth in the future. ……We, the royal family, are creating a story that people in the future will believe and live by……. We are willing to sacrifice ourselves to write something worthy of being recorded in the sacred texts”
“……???”
E, Emm. What do you mean?
“I see. An artificial myth……it’s not a complete lie……you mean you’re going to combine history with gods to create it?”
Gloria pointed and said so, and Princess Ran smiled ambiguously and nodded.
“Therefore, we will entrust ourselves to the will of the gods……we will voluntarily put ourselves in that situation. And we pray that it will become a beautiful story”
“……Wait, so……what about me? What happens to me?”
“……Well, this is a bold request, but”
Princess Ran blushed again.
“A princess suffering from a congenital illness suddenly appears before a dragon rider, who falls in love with her and cures her illness in exchange for her purity, and she returns home in triumph……don’t you think that’s a beautiful story?”
“Well, yeah. I guess it’s kind of romantic”
“Right!”
“But isn’t that kind of thing usually done with a more passionate love? Not with someone who’s twice your age and already has dozens of lovers!”
“That’s within the realm of artistic license!”
Calm down, Princess. Actually, is she sure that’s really how she wants to offer her purity?