Chapter 810: How to Entertain Guests 1
Since Princess Ran is nearly recovered, I decided to postpone asking Dianne about their situation (since Fiona is training intensively) and instead consult with the other leader, Irina, once more.
“We can still afford to take it easy, right?”
“……Aren’t you being a bit careless?”
“The distance from Saint Gardo to this land takes over two months unless you travel by dragon. There’s no need to rush back and forth to fulfill our obligations. Above all, the princess left behind that instruction about 『Weaving the myth』, didn’t she? If it means 『She is undertaking a great endeavor worthy of being recorded in the sacred texts at the cost of her life, so observe quietly and await good news』, then the situation won’t change much. We could easily let her stay a full year before she triumphantly returns”
“That long?”
“Well, that might be a bit extreme. ……But I think we should leave her be until she speaks up herself. That attendant of hers still hasn’t become anything worthwhile, has she?”
“I wonder if she ever will……”
Since Dianne is patiently pushing her so hard, there must be some potential. Her motivation for the special training is high too. But no matter how much drive she has, there’s the barrier of talent. Not everyone can become an Ace Knight. Anzeros and Aurora both trained with swords since childhood to become Ace Knights, but Fiona is already a grown woman. Even with a great instructor, will it really go that smoothly?
“Don’t you trust Dianne?”
“I believe everyone has things they can do. But the idea that people can become anything if they just try hard……well, that’s a bit much”
“Hmm. Well, accepting that you can’t become something extraordinary, then seeking the best possible option within those limits……that was your methodology, wasn’t it?”
“Summing it up……I guess that’s what it comes down to”
I never really thought about it consciously. ……But now that she mentions it, maybe that’s true. I never aimed to become a superhuman from the start. Even if I couldn’t become that, if I did everything I could to achieve a result, I could accomplish something. That’s the approach I’ve taken with everything. Turning that around, it could also mean I’ve consistently ignored the whole idea of personal growth.
“You are a hero. That too is one truth. But Dianne is also a hero”
Irina narrowed her eyes, amused.
“She has her own firm convictions and vision. She isn’t blindly rushing. Don’t be so impatient for results”
“I’m not……rushing, but”
Well, maybe my fussing is misplaced. I don’t understand diplomacy or etiquette at all. Even when acting as a dragon rider, I’m still feeling my way about when to push and when to pull back. At this stage, where I haven’t even figured out what standards to use for what actions, I probably shouldn’t be pressuring someone like Dianne or Irina, who should be far more grounded than me.
“Then how about giving the princess a tour? Polka is small, but your territory is vast. The princess came here determined to experience something worthy of myth. She deserves a rich experience that matches that resolve”
“Show her around……”
My territory, well, it doesn’t mean 「A place where I can get as frisky as I want」, but rather 「A place I know is safe」. In that case, the elven territories are one option, and several towns in Celesta could be candidates too. As long as the public order isn’t terribly bad, with two or three dragon escorts, no one would dare touch her. Kalwin is safe, I suppose. As long as she doesn’t go strolling around the surrounding areas where monsters run rampant, she’d be far safer there than in the streets of Rennesto. ……Actually, monsters have probably become much less common now, thanks to the dragons’ extermination efforts. And so, various thoughts crossed my mind.
“…Dragon palace”
“Mu?”
“In a way, it’s the safest place in the world, right?”
Misty Palace. Despite being not far from Polka, this dragon’s nest wasn’t even known to exist among Polka’s residents until a few years ago. Well, it seems quite a few residents still don’t understand it even now.
“Considering the princess’s 『Myth』 plan to enter the dragon’s lair, this might be the perfect place to observe”
“Hmm. That sounds good. ……Maia, is that alright?”
Asked in the same tone Irina used with me, Maia—who had apparently been on the roof—first leapt down outside the window, then jumped back up, cleared the window, and entered the room.
“Our palace is fine. I don’t think anyone would mind who comes”
“Who comes, you say?”
“Well, hardly anyone ever comes anyway. Just the occasional elf or wild animal wanders in”
……So, unknown in Polka, and since the silver clan elves are treated as a subordinate clan, there’s absolutely no reason for thieves to break in either.
“I think everyone would be happy to welcome guests of Andy-sama. It’s not the most exciting palace, though”
“Most people would be thrilled just to visit a Dragon Palace, so it’ll be fine”
……Huh? Wait, is that really true? Isn’t Naris the only one who’d be excited about entering a Dragon Palace for the first time? I wondered about that myself, but since it was a plan that wouldn’t cost much time or money, I went to fetch Princess Ran right away.
“……Y, Yes! I’d love to go!”
“……Emm. Are you sure? You’re not pushing yourself?”
Princess Ran froze for a moment before nodding bravely, so I think she was actually a bit scared. But that 「Mythically delicious」 line probably left her no room to back out. Fennel, who’d just brought tea to the princess’s room, chimed in encouragingly from the side.
“It’ll be fine. The blue dragons are truly kind folk. ……As long as you don’t touch their sore spot”
“!?”
“Ah, no, it’s embarrassing, but because our silver clan has long been on friendly terms with the blue dragons, we occasionally get members who get too big for their boots. Some have even been punished for it”
“……So it happens, huh”
Being a subordinate clan yet close to the dragons also means they can easily act forcefully, using that power as a shield.
Even without directly inciting the dragons, they could likely silence opponents just by hinting at the ultimate threat of dragon violence. For better or worse, dragons care little for social justice. They judge only individual righteousness and resolve.
Such injustices likely couldn’t be punished fairly in most cases. ……But what if someone tried to truly 「Abuse」 the dragons, crossing the clear line between good and evil, and it conflicted with their unique values? ……In the end, people like Faeser and Old Man Gusto, who got off lightly despite their terrible sophistry, were just the beginning. There must have been silver elves who did truly disgusting things.
“When you say punishment……you mean a quick death?”
“No, a bite. ……While still alive”
“…………”
I sometimes forget, but dragons do eat humans. They just don’t eat them often because they taste bad. Laila sometimes talks as if she’s eaten them before. Even if they seem rational, when they get seriously angry, dragons will bite without hesitation. They just don’t have the same natural aversion to seeing human flesh as food that humans usually have. ……As I was telling this terrifying story, Princess Ran’s face had turned ashen.
“Ah, umm……I guess……no, I mean, well!”
The princess, who had almost backed out, rallied herself, deciding she couldn’t run away after all. Fennel and I cleared our throats. This wasn’t a conversation we should have had in front of someone like her. Yeah.
“It’s fine. If you’re worried, I’ll bring the silver dragon too”
“Huh?”
“Dragons do tend to develop a bit of rivalry if they’re different colors, you see. But to maintain their dignity as intelligent dragons, they tend to refrain from bold actions. Emma and Leda are my direct subordinates, so they’ll stand by me no matter what”
“……Umm……that just makes it worse……”
“?”
Princess Ran’s face grew increasingly grim. As I watched her with a slightly puzzled feeling, Emma appeared silently behind me and whispered.
“You’re already trying to avoid unrest, so why suggest something that stirs rivalry between dragons?”
“……Ah, uh, no, I meant like even a useless soldier like me avoids looking bad in front of another country’s troops, you know?”
“I understand that intention, but to those who fear dragons, it just looks like adding fuel to the fire”
……Oh, right. My sense of dragons really is warped…—I just thought if they’re scared, they should get more allies.
“……You don’t need to be so tense just for a simple village tour”
Maia looked utterly disheartened. Well……hearing your hometown described like it’s the first stop on the road to hell can’t feel good.