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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 67 – Favorite Food
Time goes back a bit when Ain went to the Monster Arena.
“There are monsters everywhere…”
“There are some very unusual ones. There are no water creatures like the Sea Dragon…”
Ain somehow managed to fall asleep last night, even though he had a hard time falling asleep. He’d been looking forward to this day so much. It was a pleasant day and not too cold.
“But there are a lot of people here.”
It was like the White Rose during the morning rush hour. The popularity of the arena was obvious.
The crowd came from all over the continent and the world to see the many beasts and rare monsters. The arena was a well-known tourist attraction in Ishtalika.
“It is a famous tourist attraction. It’s also a valuable stage where you can see rare monsters in a safe place. That’s why so many people come here.”
Ain looked around excitedly as if his eyes were shining.
A big dog with two heads, a giant slime. Even a big bird with four wings… So many monsters gathered in one place.
“Is that a Wyvern…?”
In front of the cobblestone arena, he spotted a large, eye-catching creature. The creature looked very impressive in the arena made of stone piled upon stone.
“Let’s see… yes, that’s right. They are called Ash-Winged Dragons, a race of Wyverns that are out there.”
“Huh… Can I go near them?”
“It’s okay. All the monsters brought here can be approached as long as you don’t touch them without asking permission. After all, the nobles want to show off their precious monsters.”
Ain, convinced, walked over to the Wyvern he had just noticed.
“Wow. It’s huge!”
The Wyvern, which could be as large as 15 meters with its wings open, attracted a lot of attention. Even Ain was impressed by the gesture, staring at the Wyvern with his mouth agape.
“It’s a magnificent size, and it’s well cared for… but it doesn’t seem to have much experience in the real world.”
“It’s a big one. But how do you know it has not fought many battles?”
There were several men at Wyvern’s side.
The chains in their hands were connected to the Wyvern, so it was easy to imagine that they were the ones in charge of managing the Wyvern.
“The Wyvern’s wing membranes are too clean. Not that there aren’t examples of this when it comes to strong monsters like Named…”
Obviously, it did not appear to be that strong. But the Wyvern in front of him must have been carefully nurtured, showing off its beautiful appearance to everyone.
…The Wyvern was spreading its wings and showing off to those around it when it suddenly caught Ain’s eye.
“Hmm? Is it looking at me?”
“Yes. It froze completely when it saw Ain-sama…”
The Wyvern stared at Ain without blinking. The wings that had been spread out gradually folded down to a smaller size.
“Wha-, you. What’s wrong with you?”
He thought he was taking care of Wyvern. “What is it?” He extended his finger toward the Wyvern as if to convey his intention.
The Wyvern, seeing this gesture, immediately folded its wings and backed away a bit. At that moment, it also retreated, looking at Ain without blinking.
“Hey, what’s that?”
“It’s on guard, Ain-sama. Or rather… it’s not that it’s on guard; it’s more like it’s afraid of you. I never thought you could scare even the Wyverns.”
“I don’t know if I should be happy about that.”
The Wyvern finally backed up to the wall. As it did so, it curled up in a small circle as if to hide itself with its wings. The people around it seemed to wonder why this was happening, and their voices grew louder.
“What’s going on? Why is our Wyvern so scared?”
Then, a pig noticed the commotion… No, a well-built nobleman came to the scene. The man in charge of the Wyvern began to explain to the nobleman what had happened.
“I see… you are the one! You did something to our precious Wyvern!”
“Huh, me?”
Like Moses parting the sea, the place opened up, and Ain and Chris took the spotlight. …The nobleman then pointed at Ain and opened his mouth to make Ain pay the price.
＊＊＊
Even if he tried to reminisce in a daze, this troublesome scene would not go away anywhere. Nor would it improve the atmosphere of the place.
“Fuh! I am the head of the venerable Oink family, Sage Oink. A nobleman in charge of several agricultural regions! Consider your position. I have the power to do whatever I want to you.”
Who was being rude? If he corrected it, it made no difference to the other party. After all, Ain was the crown prince, so even though he hid his appearance, he was far above the rest in terms of power. ——Or rather, Ain’s biggest question was, “Who is this?”
“I see, Sausage.”
After hearing his name, he blurted out what he thought of him.
“Just so you know, he is from the Viscount’s family. What do you want me to do? Should I cut him off?”
“It’s scary, so don’t say such a thing so easily.”
If Ain said the word ‘yes,’ Chris would cut him off in an instant. There was that trust; there was no way he could have expressed affirmation because of that trust. Or rather, the cause this time had something to do with Ain, even if it was unintentional, so even Ain did not want to do something so outrageous.
‘So take your hand off the rapier. First of all, you have to calm down, right? Also, keep your heels on the ground’, Ain thought.
“I beg your pardon, Viscount Sage. But she is my precious woman, and I cannot agree to this… And under the orders of His Majesty the First, such trafficking-like remarks will be condemned. So, as you might expect, you should refrain from going too far with your remarks.”
“I thought you were dressed pretty well, but I see you’re a nobleman as well. So it’s all right… Do you know what I mean? For us nobles, it’s all about sincerity and appearance.”
(“Oh, this is bad. This is not good after such a clear and obvious violation.”)
The words uttered by Sage probably did not reach the gallery watching from afar. As expected, he seemed to have taken care of that. It seems that he was careful not to violate the words of His Majesty the First right in front of them.
“Oh…”
“Don’t be shy; be firm.”
Chris beside him seemed embarrassed and pleased by the word ‘precious woman’ and had a tight face. ‘Is that good enough for you, escort?’ He thought to himself. But since today was a semi-private day, Ain couldn’t say too much.
“If you want to fight today, of course, we will compensate you. I will pay you with money or goods. Can’t you settle it with that?”
“You don’t have to say that; just shut up and rent the girl out. It would be cheap.”
Sage liked Chris. She might not look like her usual self, but she was still a beautiful woman. And to Sage, Chris was so beautiful that an evening with her was worth more than money.
“I can’t do that. So please, let me get you the money. I’ll have a third party assess it properly, and I’ll also compensate you for today and… compensate you separately.”
Instead of taking the low road, he could have just given him a quick dismissal. Not that he didn’t have such thoughts, but looking at Sage, who looked like he would raise havoc if he hit him, he was reluctant to end the matter so easily.
“I told you I like that woman. Don’t make me repeat it! I’m from a viscount family, but I’m still in charge of managing many estates, and I can talk to other nobles as well…”
(“Hmm… I’ll add a charge. It sounds like a leading question, but, well, it was Viscount Sage who first reversed His Majesty’s words…”)
“Serve the people” and “Be a man and do not sell the people.” …These words were left by the first Unified King, and they are still cherished and written into the law.
Looking over at him, Chris still looks embarrassed. But seeing that her left arm is attached to the rapier at her waist, she can probably bring Sage’s head to him in an instant if he said, ‘Cut him off.’
He could be sure that it would be done in an instant, without anyone around them noticing if Chris moved.
“So. What’s your name? You’re not badly dressed, and you’re a member of the nobility, aren’t you?”
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I have not been given a title, but I am…”
The status of Crown Prince is not treated as a title here in Ishtalika. And since Ain isn’t really a prince, he didn’t really have a title.
Since he didn’t have a title, let’s call him the son of some trading company, and what about a pseudonym? He thought he could use Grint’s and the others’ names without permission, but Sage interrupted his next words.
“Oh, enough. I’m not interested in that because it doesn’t make you a nobleman. I don’t care if you don’t use the name anymore because I don’t want to remember it anyway. Even if you have a little money, you are still an upstart with no honor or anything.”
…He had never seen such a corrupt nobleman in Ishtalika before. But this was also a good experience, Ain thought. In any case, he would remember his name well.
“You. Do you keep any monsters?”
“Uh… You mean in my house?”
“Oh, that’s right. How about that?”
When he said that, the image of El and Al, the twin Sea Dragons, came to mind.
Could we call it a magic transformation? The result of feeding them too much wonderful food was extraordinary, and the image of them growing up big came to his mind.
“Yes. But…”
They were probably being fed a lot by the castle staff and Katima, and were growing up nicely.
Or maybe they were out at sea hunting today? Fishermen reported that the number of monsters in the waters near the port had decreased drastically.
This was obviously due to the work of the twins, who had grown huge and were probably already a threat to the nearby seas. …No, in fact, they might already be the masters of the surrounding seas, and thinking of that, Ain naturally smiled.
“The problem is that they are aquatic monsters, so it’s hard for me to show them off.”
“Oh. An aquatic monster? That’s just fine… What do you think? I have an idea.”
With a grin and an amused expression on his face, Sage continued to bombard Ain and Chris with demands.
＊＊＊
Despite the difficulties they encountered in the light of day, the sun began to set gradually between evening and night… creating an indescribably beautiful pattern in the sky. The area was buzzing with activity, and the smell of numerous stalls filled the air. An event had just finished, and many spectators were leaving.
“I didn’t know it was so spectacular.”
“I haven’t seen so much magic in a long time. I was so excited.”
At first, the plan was to enjoy the Monster Arena, but that plan was changed. The reason was that it was impossible to guarantee that Ain’s presence would not have an effect on many monsters.
So, thinking about it, Ain suggested to Chris that they give up the plan and go somewhere else.
By the way, of all the monsters he saw today, the one he liked best was a giant slime. Somehow, it looked cute to Ain.
After that, they went to another specialty of the magic city. They visited the Magic Arena.
“Aren’t they supposed to fight with magic?” Ain wondered, but after hearing Chris’ answer, he was convinced.
It was natural to get seriously injured when you clashed with magic. It was not realistic to think about healing those injuries. That was why the event was set up as a competition.
Adventurers could also participate, and many events were held there every day.
There were many events that took place every day, such as the creation of giant ice blocks that can reach tens of meters and many lightning magics that run around the venue. Seeing so much magic that Ain had never seen before it was a very exciting day for him.
“Chris-san, you don’t mean that there aren’t people in the royal capital who can use magic as well, do you?”
“Of course there are. There is no place to use it. And it’s not a very fuel-efficient field either.”
“Not very fuel efficient?”
“You can’t unleash flashy magic that many times. So after you use it, you are nothing more than a target.”
The reason why it was difficult to use powerful magic on a human body was because of the absolute amount of magic power. Therefore, it was not something that could be offered cheaply.
“It is best to choose the right situation and use a little bit at a time. Especially if you’re an adventurer, you can adjust and activate a number of them to defeat the monsters.”
Wouldn’t it have been a little easier in the time of the Sea Dragon that Ain defeated if there had been mages like there were now? That’s what he thought, but it didn’t seem to work out that well.
After all, it’s all about endurance.
The giant monsters were all fierce individuals who had been able to survive until now because of their mighty endurance. That’s why they could usually withstand any magic that humans could use. Even if it was a powerful blow, they could withstand it.
“Oh. I’m sorry, Chris-san… can you give me a minute?”
“Y-yeah, it’s okay, but… Is something wrong?”
As Chris explained, Ain seemed to have found something and started walking in a slightly different direction. He seemed to have a destination and kept walking towards it.
“Ain-sama, what in the world did you find?”
“I thought he went in here… Oh, there he is.”
They went to a shady area next to the stadium. It looked like a small rest area, with benches lined up under some planted trees. Ain walked up to a middle-aged man sitting there.
“Hello, good evening.”
“…Hmm? Oh, good evening. Is something wrong, little boy?”
When Ain spoke to the man, he answered with a good-natured look on his face. Chris thought the situation was a bit of a farce. She wondered what was going on.
The man was dressed in clothes that looked a bit more expensive than the average commoner, but there were a lot of merchants and such. It wasn’t anything that stood out.
“Uncle. Did you win your bet?”
“I was lucky enough to win today. Thanks to that, I have more money in my pocket.”
“That’s good. Well then…——”
The preliminaries were over. Ain finally got down to business.
“Have you finished your research? Or will it take a few more days?”
“Uh, what in the world are you talking about, little boy?”
“All right, let me rephrase it a bit.”
Suddenly, Ain’s demeanor changed. It was filled with a kind of charisma, a kind of dignity that one who should be at the top should possess.
“…You can put aside the issue of chain of command for now. I’m asking for a report so you can put that first.”
These were unconnected words, but the other man understood what he meant. Hearing this, the man bowed his head once to Ain and then spoke the following words.
“Yes. Then, I am entrusted with the order of “Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince.” If you wish, I can give you the materials that Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince might be looking for by the end of tomorrow.”
“Huh? Ain-sama… what in the world is he talking about…?”
Chris was the only one who did not understand what was going on. The two men already seemed to have a common goal and seemed to be communicating with each other.
“Then I’ll have this ready for you. …Oh, come to think of it, there are about three of you. You returned to the royal capital yesterday, right? Did you bring back the personnel for Katima-san?”
“As you say, but did you know that much? …Since when?”
“From the White Rose, is that correct?”
“That’s correct as well. This didn’t make any sense to me at all.”
The man exhaled easily and showed a sign of surrender. Chris, still not understanding the meaning, asked Ain again.
“A-Ain-sama. What in the world are you talking about…?”
“Sorry, sorry. This person is Warren-san’s secret agent. He seemed to be acting more cautiously than usual, and I think that’s why Chris-san couldn’t figure it out.”
“Huh… How did Ain-sama know?”
It was true that Warren’s secret group was very skilled. But Chris would have been able to notice them if they had been working nearby. However, there was a reason why she could not notice them this time. This time, they had prepared one of the most skilled members of the group and made him work deeper and more carefully. This was fatal, and Chris did not notice it.
If they had been a little closer to Ain, Chris would have noticed.
“I guess I just got used to it because there is always the same kind of presence. Especially since I’ve been bedridden for six months since I came back from Euro, I’m strangely more aware of all kinds of presence. So it’s even more so.It’s getting very impersonal,” Ain muttered.
“Well, that’s how I knew you were checking out my morning problems, and my hunch was right.”
After these words, Ain looked at the man.
“As you said. …The owner of the Majolica Magic Stone Shop made this magic tool, and due to its influence, it is difficult to recognize Your Highness the Crown Prince from your appearance, so I judged that you are the Crown Prince from your attire.”
“Don’t tell me that you know all my clothes?”
“Of course I do. It’s necessary knowledge.”
At this point, he couldn’t help but make a blank face. He had never thought that they even knew what kind of clothes he owned.
“I mean… Come on, get back on your feet, Chris-san. You don’t have to be so down about it.”
“B-but I’m the escort, and I didn’t notice. I can’t believe that Ain-sama was aware of it…”
“In my case, it has to do with the fact that I was used to the presence, and maybe I’m growing by absorbing magic stones. So don’t worry about it. See, I’m a good boy.”
After being patted on the head, Chris seemed to calm down a bit and finally looked up. If she had a tail, she would probably be wagging it at a very fast pace! Ain wondered if there were any magic tools like that…? He decided to ask Katima someday.
Chris was kind of cute, like a dog these days. So he thought she’d look good with it.
“So. Did you find the ‘dust’?”
“That’s already done. I’ve already informed His Excellency.”
“I knew it… So what did Warren-san say?”
“He said he would wash out the relationship and squeeze out the pus. Also, rest assured that Varra-dono and Mei-dono have arrived safely at the castle and are under protection.”
“I see. I’m glad to have received two pieces of good information; thank you.”
As expected, a lot of dust seemed to come out when he hit Viscount Sage. Warren decided to take the opportunity to investigate this matter thoroughly. Besides, Ain could be sure that Varra had arrived safely at the castle.
“I am honored by your compliments. …But one more thing, will Your Highness the Crown Prince really accept his proposal?”
“Ah, a duel between two water monsters, right? I don’t mind.”
Sage’s proposal was as follows. The proposal was to have a battle between a water monster like Ain’s and a water monster belonging to Sage. The winner of the battle would accept the proposal.
“If so, I would like you to set a date for the duel with Viscount Sage at an appropriate time.”
“Does that mean you want time to finish the investigation?”
“Yes, that is correct. The place for the duel will probably be a large river about an hour away from the royal capital. It is connected to the water source that flows through the capital, so it will be no problem to bring the Sea Dragon there. Also, the monsters owned by Viscount Sage seem to be managed in the area upstream of the river, so it is a perfect location.”
Considering the size and depth of the river, it would be no problem… He ended his explanation with those words.
To be honest, Ain was thinking of refusing the proposal when it was made to him. He knew that he was after Chris’ body anyway, and he didn’t want to accept it, just in case. But then Chris overheard Ain.
Even though he was a child, there was no way that a mere nobleman could possess a monster that could defeat an adult Sea Dragon like that…
So he took him at his word and agreed to a duel.
“So? What kind of monster is Viscount Sage proud of?”
The only question that remained was, what exactly was this water monster that Viscount Sage owned?
“It’s a medium-sized Kraken. It’s certainly powerful, but it’s… well, how should I put it?”
“Hey, Chris-san. I think Kraken is…”
“Yeah. It’s a Sea Dragon’s favorite food.”
He told himself that the twins deserved to eat their favorite food once in a while.