Volume 6 - CH 5

Chapter 5: Even if this Love was Prearranged 

Parnam, capital of the Kingdom of Friedonia. 

With the antiquated, but still impressive, castle, the orange roofs that gave the city its color, and the round city walls that encircled them, it was a city that felt, in some way, nostalgic. 

However, beneath all of that were Souma’s reforms to public hygiene, as well as the installation of a sewer system and transportation network, which had produced a city that was efficient and livable in a way that belied its old-fashioned appearance. This city was like a symbol of the Kingdom of Friedonia as it began to amass power. 

Now, for all that Parnam was undergoing rapid advances, there were also occasionally bizarre rumors that spread inside the city. Urban legends, one might call them. 

Last year brought rumors of the moving mannequin, and the kigurumi adventurer. These naturally subsided when sightings of moving mannequins came to an end, and when mentions of the kigurumi adventurer had started to bring responses of, “Oh, you mean Little Musashibo.” 

However, of late, a new rumor had begun to take their place. 

It was... 

“The Dark Shadow That Moves through the Night Sky.” 

This was how one metal goods seller, Mr. A, related the tale: 

“I was hitting the bottle pretty hard that day, so I don’t remember so well, but... I was drunk off my hind end, on my back, staring up into the sky, when something passed overhead. It was all... blackish, coiled, and long.” 

Here was another account from a merchant, Mr. S: 

“I was comin’ back from my delivery to the castle that day. It was a clear day, and ya could see the moon and clouds right clear, but for some reason, the area ’round me went and got real dark all of a sudden. That was when I realized there was a big ol’ shadow passin’ overhead. It was blockin’ out the moon’s light. I got right scared, and my legs gave out, but the shadow flew over top of the castle and then, poof, it vanished. Here’s hopin’ it ain’t an ill omen of things to come...” 

There were many sightings such as these, and it caused uncertainty among the townsfolk who were concerned that a monster might have come. However, when Chris Tachyon broadcast the truth behind these sightings from the castle, things began to calm down. 

They say the two responsible for these rumors received a harsh reprimand about it later from their guardians. 

I was now on Naden’s back, flying through the night sky. The fantastical situation of flying through the sea of clouds beneath a starry sky on a ryuu’s back made my heart dance. It got me so pumped that, without even meaning to, I started humming the opening theme to an anime I watched long ago. 

Incidentally, on our route back to the kingdom, we passed over the Orthodox Papal State of Lunaria. In my former world, it may have been fair to ask if I was infringing on their airspace, but here, while civilizations may have mastered the skies, there was no concept of airspace rights. In this world, there was yet to be a system of international law that would allow other countries to take issue with wyverns and other such flying creatures being used to pass over their territory at high altitudes. 

There was one clear, simple reason for that: They couldn’t enforce it. 

For instance, if a wyvern entered a country’s airspace, there were no radar systems in this world with which they might detect it. It wouldn’t be possible to monitor all of their airspace, without a system like radar, using only patrols. 

Because of that, such patrols were limited to the areas over major cities. This was done to prevent a small aerial force from entering their airspace to drop bombs over a city, or to drop off spies. Also, if a group was flying in formation close to the surface, they would be quickly spotted by those on the ground, and it would be possible to catch them. 

So, turning that around, as long as we didn’t fly near the ground, in a formation, or over cities, it would be possible to pass over another country. 

I sent Poncho to other countries to gather cooking ingredients in the past. On those occasions, we sent messengers to those countries to secure proper permission for him to land there. However, when passing over another country at high altitude like we were doing now, there was no need to tell them about it. 

That said, if anything did happen, the country in question couldn’t be held accountable for it. This was a situation where we couldn’t complain even if they shot us down; but Naden was flying higher than the average wyvern could, so I wasn’t worried about that. That was why, when traveling from the Star Dragon Mountain Range to the Kingdom of Friedonia, we cut across the Orthodox Papal State of Lunaria. 

Naden flew the route that our relaxed trip had taken nearly a week to cover in a mere two to three hours. 

“Hey, Kazuma... is this really okay?” Naden asked. The closer we got to the capital, Parnam, the more worried her questions sounded. “Parnam is the capital of Friedonia, right? Flying inside their territory is one thing, but if I fly over the cities, won’t it become a diplomatic issue and cause them to attack us?” 

I patted Naden on the back to reassure her. “It’ll be fine. I’ve already notified them.” 

“You say you’ve notified them, but... we’ve been in the air all this time!” 

“It’s a bit too much effort to explain, but, well, just think of it as my magic.” 

I had used a mannequin with the Factory Arm #1 that I’d left part of my consciousness in with Living Poltergeists so that it could do paperwork while I was away to write a message. The message said, “Be back soon. Will be riding in on a long, coiled creature. Don’t be surprised.” So they knew we were coming. The Factory Arm #1 was incredibly creepy to look at, but it could be used to relay messages like this, so it was still handy. 

“I’m more curious how you were able to explain the situation to an entire kingdom, though...” Naden said. 

I couldn’t read her expression when she was in ryuu form, but Naden’s voice sounded dubious. 

“Well, let’s just say... I’m in a position to do that,” I said. 

“You say you have four fiancées, too, so you’re no ordinary guy, are you, Kazuma? Maybe you’re really important in the kingdom? Like a major noble?” 

“I’m an ordinary guy,” I said. “One who’s been forced into an extraordinary position, that’s all.” 

When I gave her an answer she could infer as much as she wished from, the city of Parnam with its lightmoss streetlamps and the moonlit Parnam Castle came into view. 

I’m back, I thought. 

The way that I felt, even though I’d only been gone for about half a month, was proof that this castle had already become my place to return home to. 

“Naden, land in that castle’s courtyard,” I directed. 

“The castle?! That’s okay?!” 

“It’s fine.” 

That was where people were waiting for me to come home. 

Naden remained floating in the air, holding me in her mouth until she could put me down on the ground. Then she immediately took on human form herself and landed, too. 

The castle courtyard was pretty large, but it was still a bit too tight a fit for Naden to land there in her ryuu form. If she tried to land that way, the royal gardeners would probably cry. We technically had a heliport-like space for wyverns to land, too, but the courtyard was closer to the inside of the castle. 

When we landed in the courtyard, the guards went stiff as if they couldn’t believe what they were seeing, but they immediately saluted us and rushed inside. Not long after, Liscia, Hakuya, Juna, and Roroa came out. 

When Roroa saw me, she immediately raced over and, using all of her momentum, leapt at me and gave me a flying tackle hug. “Welcome home, darlin’!” 

“Urgh... I-I’m home,” I managed to say. 

Roroa was light and delicate, so I hadn’t been knocked on my rear end or anything like that, but I had to spin around about one and a half times to kill her momentum. Roroa’s arms were securely fastened around my waist, and she was snuggling up against me like a cat, pressing her face into my chest. 

“Darlin’, I’ve been so lonely without you.” 

“Lonely?” I objected. “It’s only been about a week.” 

“If I can’t see your face, whether it’s a day or a year, it’s all the same. Juna was actin’ restless, too, and while Big Sister Cia’s been feignin’ calmness, her brow was all wrinkled up.” 

““Roroa!”” Liscia and Juna shouted. 

While they both shouted at her for spilling the details of how they’d been while I was gone, Roroa laughed and hid behind me. 

Ah... It was a bit vague, but it felt like I’d come home. 

“Liscia, Juna, I’m home,” I said, smiling. 

“Oh! Welcome home, Your Majesty.” Juna fixed her posture and bowed. 

“Welcome home.” Liscia spoke in an exasperated tone. “You came back so suddenly, I was surprised.” 

“Suddenly?” I asked. “Didn’t you get the message saying I’d be back?” 

“It took too long before it came. Do you have any idea how many messenger kuis Aisha sent, worrying about your safety, Souma?” 

...Oh. Now that she mentioned it, I’d left Aisha and the others behind in that village. I guess we could have picked them up on the way here, huh. 

“I heard the Star Dragon Mountain Range were going to be explaining the situation to them, though,” I said. 

“It’s meaningless unless you’re the one to tell them yourself,” Liscia retorted. “In the letter she sent me, Carla said that Aisha nearly took a swing at the messenger who came from there.” 

“What? That’s scary...” 

“Carla and the others desperately stopped her. Honestly, it almost turned into a diplomatic incident. Though it seems they acknowledged the fault was largely with them for taking you so suddenly, and then the envoy began apologizing.” 

“Aisha... When it comes to me, she can be so indiscriminate,” I sighed. 

Starting an all-out war with the dragons wouldn’t be funny. Show some self-restraint, please. 

“It just shows how much she cares for you, doesn’t it?” Liscia retorted. “Make it up to her the next time the two of you are together.” 

“Okay...” 

Then I addressed Hakuya, who had been sitting out of the conversation. 

“Did anything unusual happen while I was away?” 

I looked Liscia straight in the eye as I spoke. 

“Besides, though Naden’s birth and abilities may be special, she’s an incredibly ordinary girl.” 

“Whoa, Souma!” Naden objected. 

But I hadn’t meant that in a bad way. The way she laughed, cried, dealt with her complexes, sulked, fell in love... There couldn’t have been many girls in this era who were so girly. 

“I find that ordinariness charming,” I said. “So... I’m sure I can love her.” 

“I see...” Liscia cast her eyes downward, looking as if she was considering something. Then, when she looked up again, she turned to Naden. “I know how Souma feels now. So... Naden, it’s your turn.” 

“O-Okay!” Naden burst out. 

Liscia nodded, then turned back to me. “Souma, could you give Naden and me some time alone now?” 

Alone... Huh? She wanted to interview Naden privately?! 

“That’s...” 

“Roroa, Juna, take care of Souma,” Liscia directed. 

Roroa and Juna took me firmly by the arms. I tried to shake them off, but they definitely weren’t letting go. 

“Well, this’s an order from the future first primary queen, after all, so there ain’t much else we can do about it,” Roroa said. 

“Hee hee,” Juna giggled. “I suppose not. We have no other choice here.” 

They said they had no choice, but didn’t they kind of seem to be enjoying it?! 

When I looked to Hakuya for help... 

“It seems this is a family discussion, so I’ll take my leave,” was all he said before quickly leaving the room. 

He ran away?! 

Liscia took Naden’s hand and started to walk away from us. “Now then, Naden, it’s a bit awkward to do this here, so let’s go back to my room. Oh, but before that... How about a bath first?” Liscia added, running her fingers through Naden’s long black hair. 

“Huh? A bath?” 

“Your hair’s all tangled. As a girl, you need to take better care of it. Come, I’ll wash it for you.” 

“Huh? We’re going together? Huh?” 

Dragging Naden, who was at a total loss for what was happening, along with her, Liscia left the room. I tried to stop her, but Juna and Roroa pulled on me hard. 

“No, sire, you can’t do that. It’s best to let girls work these things out themselves.” 

“Leave this to Big Sister Cia, darlin’. You stay right here for Nadie’s sake.” 

“Juna, Roroa...” I said slowly. 

It seemed like everyone had Naden’s best interests in mind. I was happy to see them doing their best to accept her, even if it might have left them with complicated feelings. However, Roroa and Juna’s smiles had an intimidating edge that left no room for dispute. 

“Before that, we’re gonna make you tell us what happened between you and Nadie in the Star Dragon Mountain Range, and why she likes you so darn much!” Roroa shouted. 

“You won’t be getting any sleep tonight, so prepare yourself,” Juna added. 

“...Go easy on me, please,” I sighed. 

Sorry, Naden. Please, do your best on your end. 

“How is it? You’re not itchy anywhere, are you?” 

“I-I’m fine...” 

I’m Naden. I was currently in a bath, being washed by Lady Liscia. 

S-Someone, explain this situation to me! 

To calm myself down, I reviewed a little of the situation so far. 

In order to form a dragon knight (or, in my case, would it be a ryuu knight?) contract with Kazuma, I had come to the Kingdom of Friedonia where he lived. But I’d been hit with the shocking revelation that Kazuma’s real name was Souma Kazuya, and he was the king (but he wasn’t crowned yet, so only provisionally). 

And that was how I’d gotten here. 

I was buck naked, and an equally naked Lady Liscia was washing my hair for me. Lady Liscia’s clear, white skin made even my heart race, despite being a member of the same gender. I was sitting with my legs in a “W” position, while Lady Liscia stood on her knees behind me, scrubbing my long black hair. While her chest might not have been as large as the blue-haired lady’s, I could feel her very pretty swells pressing against the back of my head. 

...Yeah, I needed to say it in my head one more time... 

Someone, explain this situation to me! 

What in the world was going on here? I had the candidate to become Friedonia’s first primary queen washing my hair for some reason. 

I turned to Lady Liscia and hesitantly asked, “Um, Lady Liscia? If I may ask, why exactly are you washing me...?” 

“Because your hair was a mess, that’s why. You’ve got good material to work with, so you should pay better attention to your appearance... Well, not that I was one to talk, until recently, at least.” 

“I-I see...” 

Pai said something similar before, hadn’t she? 

Then Liscia grinned. “Also, you can just call me Liscia.” 

“I couldn’t. You’re going to be the queen of this country in the future, aren’t you?” 

“You came here to become one, too, didn’t you? Souma seems to be charmed by how normal you are, so I’d be happy if you would treat me like you would a friend. Okay, close your eyes now.” 

“Ah...!” 

I closed my eyes when she said that, and then she poured a bucket of hot water over my head. The soap suds that were stuck to my head were washed away, and my hair clung tightly to my skin. I shook my head vigorously. 

When she saw me do that, Lady Liscia... Liscia gave me a wonderful smile. 

“You’re like Tomoe when you do that.” 

“Tomoe?” 

“My adopted little sister. She’s an eleven-year-old mystic wolf girl, and she’s just the cutest.” 

“Really? I might want to meet her, then...” 

“If you marry Souma, she’ll be like your little sister, too. Be nice to her.” 

While talking about things like that, we got into the tub. It was a large, round tub, and three women could have fit into it easily. While I was still feeling tense, I sunk myself into the water. 

“Just so you know, this bath is exclusively for members of the king’s family,” Liscia, who was soaking in the water across from me, explained. “I often bathe here with Aisha, Juna, Roroa, and Tomoe.” 

“Family... D-Does Souma come in here with you, too, sometimes?” My heart raced at the thought. 

Liscia shook her head with a wry laugh. “Souma says, ‘We’re lucky enough to have a nice big tub in the castle, so I’d rather use that one,’ so he’s always going to the bathing area used by the castle guards. He plans his trips there around when there won’t be many people there.” 

“I-I see...” 

“Did you want to get in this tub with Souma, Naden?” Liscia teased. 

“No! I think I’d still be a little... embarrassed...” Burble, burble. 

Wait, what did I mean, “still”?! Hold on! I know I was the one who said it, but that was way too embarrassing! 

I sank my face half way into the water. Liscia watched me with a smile. 

“Naden... You wanted to form a dragon knight contract with Souma, right? That basically means you want to be his wife...” 

“...Yeah.” 

“What made you decide you wanted to marry Souma?” 

Liscia was looking me straight in the eye. The look on her face was a gentle one, but she wouldn’t look away, and was trying to thoroughly evaluate what kind of person I was. Even if I gave her a nice-sounding answer to get into her good graces, she’d see through me in no time. 

That’s why I straightened my back and answered with my honest feelings. 

“Because... Souma showed me the me I had never known!” I decided to stand up in the tub, and hit her with exactly how I felt. “He taught me that I was a type of dragon called a ryuu. He taught me how to fly. He taught me what I always wanted to know, about what sort of being I am. That’s why I want to be with Souma, the one who understands me! I want to be the dragon Souma rides!” 

“I heard all of that in Souma’s explanation,” Liscia said quietly. “But can you say with certainty that those feelings are your own? Madam Tiamat was the one who sent Souma to your side, wasn’t she?” 

She’d hit upon a sore point. But... if I backed down here, what kind of woman would I be? 

I brought my hand to my chest, then looked straight back into her eyes. “You’re right, Madam Tiamat may have arranged for Souma and me to meet. But, I can say without a doubt, my desire to be with Souma is entirely my own.” 

Liscia’s eyes went wide when she heard my once-in-a-lifetime confession. 

I turned the question on Liscia. “Or what... Are you going to tell me that a love that starts out prearranged by someone else isn’t real love?” 

I felt a little sad as I said it. 

Liscia leaned forward hard, sinking the upper half of her body into the water with a splash. She stayed like that, with nothing more than bubbles rising to the surface. Was it about ten seconds that she stayed under? I got worried, so I called out to her. 

“U-Um... Liscia?” 

“Bwah!” 

With a loud splash, Liscia came back up. Wh-What was that?! I sat back down in the tub, and Liscia shook the water from her hair, scratching at her cheek awkwardly. 

“Sorry. Your confession there made me feel a little embarrassed myself.” 

“Wha?! What are you saying, Liscia?!” 

“Like I said, sorry. But you had the perfect comeback there. Is a love that starts out prearranged by someone else not real love? If you put it that way, mine was the same, and I don’t think any of the others could argue with you, either. I mean, all of our meetings were arranged in some way.” 

Liscia smiled as if indulging in fond memories.