kscans

Chapter 32 - The Duchess and the Little One, Part One

"What are these?"

A short while before Augfel left the Castrato royal castle.

After burying Hyrulia’s foster brothers, the Little One and her party were in the Western Forest. Before the little girl’s eyes was a pair of pure white spiders.

The translucent, pure white spiders also had red markings, making them look just like Joker, though their colors were different. The two-meter-tall white spiders looked at each other and clicked their fangs kachi kachi.

"They’re my children. A bit different in color, but they’re lookers. Take them with you."

Raising a large foreleg, Joker poked guri guri at the Little One’s head and slowly turned his own away. "Honestly, you. You stick your neck into trouble on your own, so I can’t take my eyes off you."

The giant spider’s shoulders slumped as if letting out a great haaah. Perhaps sensing something from the atmosphere, though they couldn’t understand the words, Dorfen and Adonis exchanged wry smiles. Beside them, Hyrulia’s face was stiff at the sight of the large monster she was seeing for the first time. In Castrato, too, there were those who tamed monsters as a noble pastime, but she had never seen one so enormous.

"How amazing. To think you were able to tame such a large monster."

Tame?

As Hyrulia stared up at Joker in a daze, the others’ eyes widened. The question slipped from Dorfen’s mouth.

"Tame? Do you mean to domesticate monsters?"

"That is correct. In Castrato, it was a pastime of the high nobility. I was too afraid to keep one myself, however."

The girl’s cheeks flushed slightly as she said it was embarrassing.

No, that’s not the issue. Well, it is, but it isn’t.

She was unaware that her own words were a bombshell.

"What do you mean, tame monsters? I’ve never heard of such a thing!"

In any country, monsters were objects of fear. They had vanished from lands where magic had been lost and were supposed to exist only on the frontiers, outside of Frontier.

And what’s more, to tame them?

As the members from Frontier stared with wide eyes, Hyrulia tilted her head with a koteri.

"I have never kept one myself, so I do not know the details. However, I have heard that if you have a magic stone, monsters will obey. And that they use special feed."

Upon hearing that, Joker’s eyes glinted menacingly.

"Magic deprivation. Monsters cannot live without magic. They weaken as if starving and eventually die. That is why they cannot defy them. The people who give them the magic from the magic stones, that is."

It was the same as a person dying of thirst in a desert, unable to resist the craving for water. At Joker’s tone, which was filled with undisguised disgust, the Little One also agreed. It was the easiest way to break a living creature’s spirit. But it was not a commendable act.

This world probably has its own logic. But to think there’s a method like that.

It was a practice that had arisen from the land losing its magic. Which means…

"After the next pilgrimage is over, isn’t Castrato going to be destroyed?"

The next pilgrimage would circle the frontier regions.

If it succeeded, magic would be revived throughout the entire inland. In other words, the monsters of Castrato would no longer need to obey humans to receive magic. She didn’t know how they were being treated, but if the monsters were content to live in a way that made them despise humans.

There was no doubt they would attack humans after the magic was restored.

This has brought about a strange side effect. Well, I suppose I should at least give them a warning. In any case, it’s their fault.

For the Little One, the Lords were the standard for monsters. She was surrounded by the intelligent monster Lords and felt an affection for them as if they were family. Frankly, she didn’t care what happened to Castrato. Still, she thought she should at least give them a warning, and later, the Little One would consult Romel about it.

It is a side note that Romel gave a very nice smile at that consultation.

The white twins, given to her as her own, joined the Little One’s squad, each with three small spiders on their backs. Another increase in strength for the one-man army. An incredible amount of firepower. What’s more, these spiders could pull the carriage on their own, suru suru. The spider moved forward without a sound, its legs moving washi washi. It was a bit of a horror scene.

No, it was apparently full-on horror.

It was also a charming mishap that the passing carriages and people fell into a state of pandemonium and were almost subjugated by adventurers led by the knight order.

Watching the knights turn back with sullen faces, the Little One muttered to herself.

"Is this my fault-nyo? It’s not, right?"

The Little One unconsciously sucked her thumb.

This was a habit she had when she was troubled, and it had not gone away since her memories had awakened.

"Hiro, your finger."

"Ah."

Pointed out by Chihaya, the Little One stuck out her tongue with a teheh and quickly hid her finger. The finger she was unconsciously sucking was the golden one. Amused by the gesture, Dorfen picked her up, and the Little One and her group got into the carriage.

The carriage, once again on the move, was pulled by a large spider. On the roof of the pulled carriage were large frogs. Honeybees flew around them, and bringing up the rear, guarding it, was another white spider.

A scene that would send chills down one’s spine at a glance. It would be some time before people grew accustomed to the abnormal situation of monsters running wild.

"You know. I can only think you were truly born under such a star."

Having returned, the Little One took Hyrulia and eagerly sought an audience with Romel. He responded immediately, and in the usual office she was shown to, Romel greeted them with a full-blown dark smile.

Why?

As the puzzled Little One tilted her head, Romel stood up, supporting himself on the desk, and took Hyrulia’s hand with a graceful gesture.

"I am Romel von Liglett, fourth son of the former king of Frontier. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Using his handsome features without reservation, Romel smiled at Hyrulia with a fragrant smile. Affected by his fierce charm, Hyrulia also lifted the hem of her dress and curtsied.

"So you are His Highness the Prince Regent. I am Hyrulia. For certain reasons, I have lost my family name. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Hyrulia-sama… I perceive you to be the daughter of the Grand Duke of Castrato. For what reason are you here?"

It was likely a rhetorical question. It seemed Romel had a directory of nobles from many countries registered in his head. In other words, her identity was known. That must have been the reason for the dark smile. Come to think of it, he had made a similar face when Sakura was involved.

Hou hou, the Little One nodded and sucked her finger.

Catching sight of the unconscious gesture, Romel’s brow furrowed menacingly. Noticing his gaze, the little girl hid her finger with a pyah. From the expressions of the others besides Chihiro, Romel judged that they had brought her along without knowing anything. It was typical of the Little One, but Romel wished she would learn that it always led to a huge commotion.

Letting out an involuntary deep sigh, he listened to the Little One’s story.

After hearing the full explanation, Romel looked at Hyrulia.

"So, you want to make her your lady-in-waiting?"

"Yes. I don’t have a female attendant right now, you see? So I was wondering what you thought."

It wasn’t a bad idea. If only she weren’t a noble of Castrato.

Romel looked at Hyrulia and the Little One with a complicated expression.

No matter that she had been exiled, the fact that she was of legitimate Castrato royal blood remained unchanged, and if something were to happen in that precarious country, there was a high possibility she would be sought after to be used. Being in a neighboring country just a stone’s throw away like Frontier, she would be found immediately.

Hyrulia had only told the Little One that she had been exiled and had collapsed, but the shining orbs behind her had explained the detailed circumstances to the Little One as well. It was a topic that was difficult to discuss here. So, Chihiro put a certain meaning into her gaze and stared fixedly at Romel. He must have understood. Romel decided to welcome her as a guest of the count’s household for the time being and to discuss what to do next later, thus concluding the meeting.

Watching them leave one by one, Romel picked up the Little One and sat down on the sofa.

"So?"

Seating the little girl on his lap, Romel took down her hood and slowly combed through her soft hair. His fingers, stroking her head, were ticklish. Held in Romel’s arms, Chihiro told him Hyrulia’s backstory.

Romel was speechless at the sheer brutality of it.

There were probably countless such stories in the uncivilized Arcadia, but he couldn’t help but feel dizzy at the Little One’s ability to pick up the victims of such incidents so precisely.

"That’s why I want to make Hyrulia my lady-in-waiting. In a pinch, my family can protect her, right?"

That was certainly true. The Little One’s squad was already famous in the Frontier royal capital. It would be harder to find an opponent who could win against the monster army, secretly known as a one-man army.

Once again, the Little One sucked her thumb, chuchu. The first time her memories awakened, she had done the same, sucking her finger while looking at her brother who was frightened of Pochiko-san. This was proof that the Little One was relaxed. Not on guard. No hidden meanings. Completely at ease, she was in a state of asking for something. Romel would admonish her when others were around, but he allowed it when they were alone. A cute child looking up at him while sucking her finger. A devilishly cunning innocence. Romel didn't know a single person who could win against it.

"Understood. I will handle it somehow."

His brow furrowed, and while letting out a grand sigh, Romel let out a melting smile.

"Thank you, Romel!"

Beaming at that, the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck. Romel hugged her back and patted her back pon pon.

The civil servants who had been watching over the two of them let out a soft sigh of relief. They knew that Romel always unconsciously looked up at the skylight. A gaze that would suddenly lift at the slightest thing. Romel’s subordinates were well aware of what he was waiting for.

Riding the waves of a turbulent life, the Little One always blazed a trail far beyond expectations.

Surrounded by extremely indulgent people, led by Romel. The Little One is doing well today too.