kscans

Chapter 215 - Reporting a Child's Growth

Using Arc's teleportation, we arrived in Frontier. We were in the same dining hall as before, where the King and Mia were standing and waiting for us.

I had expected to arrive in Arc's room or a guest room, so this was a surprise.

"Oh, hello."

I greeted the King.

"Ah, thank you for coming. There is a new face with you. Is that your wife?"

The King looked at my beloved future wife.

"Let's just go with that for now."

Officially, she's not. Actually, no, she's definitely not.

"Very well. The one with Clairvoyance is out of the question, but otherwise two or three makes no difference. However, I must ask for your utmost discretion."

The King said to Kaede-chan.

"Yes, sir. My name is Asakura Kaede. Unlike the adventurers Eleanor-san and Yoshino-san, I am a Guild employee."

"I see. I thank you for looking after Arc. And I welcome you."

"The pleasure is all mine, thank you."

Hmm, Kaede-chan is so mature.

"Now, there is a certain witch who complains if we stand around talking. Please, sit. However, Eleanor, I would like you to come to my room."

The King subtly dissed me and invited me to his room.

"Your room?"

"That's right. I wish to speak with you for a moment."

A talk, huh. Is it about Arc?

"Very well."

"Good. Arc, Mia, please see to our guests... Now then."

As the King gave his instructions, my vision changed in an instant. I had been moved from the dining hall to a room with nothing but a bookshelf and a desk. Of course, the only ones in this room were me and the King.

"Where are we?"

As usual, there are no windows. It feels like a confinement room.

"This is my office."

"So you people really do live in here."

"We do go outside, of course."

Well, I'm sure you do, but you're practically moles.

"Well, do as you please. What did you want to talk about? What about the delivery?"

"You gave the items to Arc, did you not? I will check them later, and once I have, I will pay you. It may take some time, so you should stay the night."

Well, I was planning to stay anyway without being told, so that's fine with me.

"I'll do that. So, what did you want to talk about?"

"First, I must thank you for what you've done for Arc."

The King bowed his head.

"About the TS Potion?"

"That, of course, but I am also grateful that you are looking after him."

"Well, he is a guest, and my disciple."

He's a cute one.

"Are you really planning to make him your disciple?"

"It's not like I'll be teaching him anything. I'm not smart enough to teach anyone anything in the first place, and I don't think I could teach Arc Alchemy or Swordsmanship. But I will at least look after him. I like children, after all."

And I want to put him in my debt.

"I see. Well, do as you like. As for Arc, I don't know what he will do in the future, but it is a good thing for him to have an acquaintance in Feire."

"That's true. Please get a good look at the people of Feire."

"He was complaining that there's no one decent there."

That brat really knows how to pick a fight.

"There were just a lot of rather unique people."

"Well, I suppose that's true. It is common for those who are similar to gather together."

Birds of a feather flock together. And just so you know, that includes Arc.

"For the record, he does watch TV and browse the internet, and he goes outside, so he is properly conducting his inspections."

"So I've heard, but he also said that thanks to a certain damn witch, that's all anyone talks about. It seems you've been up to quite a lot."

"I was just selling things. The public is making a fuss all on its own. Well, I do think putting an area of Frontier up for auction was going a bit too far, even for me."

I figured it was my last chance, so I went all out.

"The Emeraldas Mountains... Do you think they will sell?"

"Probably. But I made it a lease, just in case. You said I could have it, but this is better for you, right?"

"Well, either way is fine. The Emeraldas Mountains are a remote region with no practical use. I believe minerals that the people of Feire might like can be mined there, but..."

Worst case, these guys can just close the Gate and say goodbye. They probably don't need land they won't be using for a while.

"The lease agreement is set for renewal every one hundred years, so you can negotiate in a century."

"I will most certainly not be alive. I will have it recorded in a document for posterity."

"What is the lifespan of people from Frontier?"

"Around one hundred years. Records show that one person lived to be one hundred and fifty, but that is an exception."

One hundred and fifty is impressive, but it's not that different from us.

"Hmm, so it's the same."

"There is no great difference between us."

Are we the same people, I wonder?

"Oh well. As for the Emeraldas Mountains, preparations for the auction are underway, so I'll report back when things are decided."

"Understood. And about the Gender Reassignment Potion..."

The King hesitated.

"What? What is it?"

"Arc said he would live as a boy here and as a girl in Feire, but it seems he remains a girl. I was wondering if perhaps he is hesitant to change his gender."

Ah...

"Your Majesty, apparently Arc has changed, even if he doesn't look it."

"Hmm? He does not appear to have changed at all."

I completely agree with you there.

"He drank a TS Potion right in front of me, but he didn't change at all. But Arc said he had changed. Well, he would know, wouldn't he? Since there's clearly something in his lower body that wasn't there before."

Mine disappeared!

"Is that so... I don't understand. And yet you change so much you seem like a different person."

"About that, my theory is that the user's own desires are reflected. I wanted to become a person completely separate from Okita-kun, and Arc wished not to change very much."

"I see... That is certainly plausible."

The King nodded as he considered this.

"Would you like to try it too, Your Majesty?"

"No, thank you. To be honest, I cannot imagine myself as a woman, and I am reluctant to find out."

Why does everyone dislike it so much? It makes me seem like a weirdo for drinking it without any hesitation.

"In any case, Arc has apparently become a boy."

"Hmm, I am his father, yet I cannot tell at all."

"I feel the same way. That's why I tried to confirm it, but he really didn't want me to."

"Hmm?"

The King froze.

"Hmm?"

What's wrong?

"Wait a moment. What do you mean, 'confirm'?"

"Confirm whether he really changed, of course. I had the others leave out of consideration for Arc, so I was going to pull them down, but he resisted quite strongly."

"Do you not know the meaning of the word 'consideration'? Arc is, for all intents and purposes, a girl."

"He became a boy."

No, wait. So that's why... At that time, I was Eleanor-san. It might have been better if I was Okita-kun, of the same gender.

I suppose an innocent young boy would resist if a beautiful older woman tried to pull his pants down... or would he? I don't think so.

"He is at that age..."

"Those with unique skills are frightening... I can see why Arc calls you a damn witch."

What a vulgar princess (prince), calling me such things.

"Well, setting me aside, he apparently has changed, even if he doesn't look it, so you shouldn't press him on it."

"I would not do such a thing. You will understand when you become a parent, but children of that age are difficult."

I'll keep that in mind. I do want children, after all.