Kays Translations

Chapter 25: Encounter

The inside of the hastily prepared tent at the edge of Silverwood Forest had a tense atmosphere.

Count Strauss and Baron Dragon, both looking exhausted from not having slept properly for days, stared intently at the table where they spread out a map.

Various pieces were arranged on top of the map.

"Are you sure it's okay to search from this area?"

Count Strauss, with dark circles under his eyes, glared at Baron Robel with skull-like eyes.

"Yes, we've discussed it multiple times. This area has gentle slopes, and there are fewer bushes due to the abundance of shadow trees. Furthermore, the monsters here aren't particularly strong. If we're going to search, we should start from here."

Even with the addition of mages borrowed from the surrounding nobles, their numbers were originally scarce.

Mages were a valuable force on their own.

Since Silverwood Forest was vast, they had to prioritize and search carefully.

"But what if they went deeper?"

"Lucius and Matilda are there. They wouldn't venture deep into the forest without caution."

Lord Strauss turned to the few others inside the tent.

The surrounding nobles.

"What do you all think?"

"...Lord Dragon is the most knowledgeable about Silverwood. There's no one else."

"Agreed."

"I share the same opinion."

Everyone sided with Count Strauss.

Most of them didn't even make eye contact, displaying an awkward expression.

Many of them came reluctantly when called.

In fact, some even sent letters and people alone, citing busyness as the reason.

However, everyone stared at Count Strauss's back with a resentful expression.

They had gathered this many mages.

They couldn't remain silent. If they gathered military power carelessly, they would become enemies of all forces, fearing a possible rebellion.

Therefore, Count Strauss swallowed his pride and wrote down the details, including the circumstances, in a document, which was then sent to the messenger in the capital.

The response from the king was cold.

According to the report, the messenger received only one word: "Do as you wish."

It was painfully clear that the king was exasperated.

The king was probably more disappointed about involving Lucius than his daughter Olivia.

And it was only a matter of time before this scandal spread throughout the kingdom.

"The heir of the Four Great Noble Families is an irredeemable fool."

For the nobles in the long-neglected northern region, this was an unprecedented setback.

Therefore, the thoughts of the nobles other than Count Strauss and Baron Robel were aligned.

"We took a child from the northern region."

If only they had left their daughter in the forest without causing a commotion and instead adopted a child from a collateral branch, it would have been better.

But it was already too late. The family's reputation had fallen.

—We understand.

Count Strauss understood.

He understood everything and yet took his daughter.

If his daughter truly had no hope and was a complete fool, he would have abandoned her without hesitation for the sake of the northern region.

But she had some talent.

She had ambition. He didn't neglect her efforts.

She was only 10 years old.

Although she had countless shortcomings, she still showed glimpses of a great ruler, regardless of those.

Unable to abandon her after witnessing all of that up close, Count Strauss couldn't make the choice to forsake her.

At that moment, the entrance of the tent was opened, and a voice echoed.

"Someone has appeared from the forest!"

All eyes turned to the messenger.

"What... is it?"

Count Strauss's face twitched.

"Is it Olivia!?"

"There are three individuals, one adult and two children. It is highly likely to be them."

Everyone's expressions contorted.

Count Strauss thought to himself.

—This is the worst.

When they gathered people for the search, she managed to return on her own.

From the perspective of the nobles, they were involved in an absurd farce.

Moreover, it was a farce that threw away the fate of the northern region.

The nobles began preparing to withdraw with cold expressions.

"I'm glad, Count Strauss. I'm busy, so I'll take my leave."

"Likewise..."

"I shall take my leave as well."

Everyone spoke few words and left the tent.

Count Strauss and Baron Robel ran through the spaces between the search party waiting on the outskirts of the forest, barely acknowledging the farewells to the nobles.

The gazes of the nobles who had left the tent earlier were icy.

They had been called upon by their close relatives, taking along their families and subjects during this busy time of wheat harvest. However, just as the search was about to begin, the individuals in question appeared.

Among the search party that had been brought along, there were quite a few expressing anger and dissatisfaction.

Count Strauss endured the verbal abuse directed at him, pushing through the crowd, and reached the edge of the forest.

Baron Robel and the women who had overheard the news arrived shortly after.

Indeed, three figures were walking towards them from the edge of the forest.

"...Olivia."

Her long hair was a pale shade of blue, unmistakably his daughter.

Her clothes were tattered and torn in places, but there was no doubt.

The three of them had approached closely.

There were many things he wanted to say. There were questions he wanted to ask.

But his daughter was alive.

There had been moments when he thought she might no longer be...

Lady Strauss rushed forward, calling out Olivia's name, and embraced her.

Before the other nobles departed, they gathered around Count Strauss, wanting to catch a glimpse of the foolish daughter who had brought them to hell.

"Father, Mother, I apologize for causing you worry."

In her mother's arms, Olivia apologized.

Seeing her like that, relief flooded through him briefly, followed by a surge of anger.

"Do you understand what you have done?!"

"Yes, I understand."

Olivia gently released herself from her mother's embrace and answered with a resolute attitude.

"The future of the north has been sealed!"

"Sealed? What are you talking about? I disobeyed Lord Dragon and caused trouble for his son Lucius and the maid Matilda. I will accept the blame for that."

Her response ignited even more anger within him.

"Are you serious? Are you truly saying that?!"

Count Strauss's anger reached its peak.

"You have brought shame upon our family! For the next hundred years, no king shall be born in the north. In other words... this land is finished..."

Count Strauss fell to his knees, as if completely drained of strength.

"Father, my resolve remains unchanged. I will become the King."

Count Strauss thought Olivia had gone mad, obsessed with becoming king.

-Oh, how pitiful. How truly pitiful, my dear daughter.

Olivia had never spared any effort since she was a child.

She always struggled to become someone worthy of the Four Great Noble Families.

Her determination only grew stronger after her brother's death.

And now, she was broken.

That's how Count Strauss saw it.

The gazes of the nobles, their attendants, and the people gathered around them were filled with disdain and half-pity.

A mere ten-year-old girl carried the weight of everything. It was no wonder she was broken.

Ignoring those gazes, Olivia continued speaking.

"It seems that you, Father, and all the noble brothers here are mistaken. Why do you assume that I simply ran away from the forest?"

Olivia raised her left hand calmly.

"Come forth, Gryphon."

Particles flew from Olivia's left hand and formed a shape.

A head of an eagle, a body of a lion.

Screams erupted from the surroundings, and some began to flee.

In the natural world, encountering a Griffon meant giving up on the hope of survival with just a glance.

Count Strauss, as well as Robel and the women, stared in astonishment.

The surrounding nobles were similarly left speechless, their mouths agape.

Only Guffel exclaimed in joy.

"Oh my! This is splendid!"

"G-Gryphon?"

Words spilled out of Robel's mouth.

The Hippogriff is said to be a creature derived from the Gryphon.

By uttering the name from Robel's mouth, who possessed the Hippogriff as his familiar, the identity of the creature became certain.

The king's beast, the mightiest of steeds. It had many names, but very few had ever been able to summon it as a familiar.

"Olivia?"

Count Strauss was left speechless.

No, he tried to speak, but his words didn't go any further.

In hindsight, it was clear.

Not everything is justified by favorable outcomes.

However, there is a clear distinction between those who cannot achieve results and those who do.

Even if it happens due to a fortunate coincidence.

That is exactly what being a king is about.

Working hard, listening to everyone's opinions, behaving properly so as not to be blamed by anyone.

But if the country perishes, all of that means nothing.

Even children know that actions have consequences.

Olivia entered the forest without following the lord's orders. But the result was that she made a contract with the Gryphon and returned on her own feet.

Everyone else was an outsider.

It was what Count Strauss and Robel did.

That's why Olivia said it. She would accept the blame for not following Robel's orders.

"Still... the Northern region... hangs by a thread..."

Immediately, the surrounding lords objected.

"Count Strauss! Things aren't that convenient!"

"That's right. She caused such chaos. She bears responsibility for that."

"In the first place, what are you going to explain to the king!"

Lucius stepped forward.

"Everyone. It is true that Olivia-sama acted recklessly. She disobeyed Father's orders and ventured into the forest alone."

The lords nodded vigorously.

In contrast, Olivia seemed guilty and lowered her head.

"But it was all for the sake of the Northern region. Please think about it. Why did Olivia-sama seek the Gryphon? It was because no noble in the Northern region possessed a Gryphon. If someone in the Northern region had a Gryphon, she would have never resorted to such actions."

The faces of the surrounding lords darkened.

The mere existence of a powerful formula directly translates to negotiating power.

Everyone knew it, yet no one took action.

Everyone was simply waiting, hoping that someone else, not themselves or their own child, would take care of it.

It's not something that can be easily blamed.

In the first place, it's rare for a 10-year-old to reach the first or second level of magic core proficiency.

The " Enhancement of Mana Training" is a tedious and painful process. Even among the nobility, there are many children who cannot earnestly engage in studies that don't even involve much pain, despite their parents' instructions.

Furthermore, people are powerless before making a contract with a Formula.

Unless someone has already decided their own path as an adult, it's rare for parents to order their 10-year-old child, who knows neither right nor left, to jump into the Abyss of a Thousand Wishes. If all parents were like that, nobility would have ceased to exist a long time ago.

In the midst of such circumstances, Lord Strauss was scheming to have Lucius make a contract with a Griffin. It may seem heartless from a human perspective, but it's a rational decision from the standpoint of a pact lord.

Father, Lord Robel, was complaining to the point of venting his frustrations.

There must have been considerable negotiations taking place behind the scenes. I've heard that Father only complained to Lord Strauss once before when transferring his territory.

The scheming was solely carried out by Lord Strauss.

The one who took action was Olivia alone.

For the two who saw the political situation clearly, there was no time to leisurely wait for someone who might not even show up.

"Well, um..."

"Even so, yeah."

"Hmph..."

Lucius deeply bows to the feudal lords.

"In order to avoid criticism of the resolve she dedicated to the Northern region, I humbly request your generous treatment."

Olivia also bows her head.

"I deeply apologize for causing trouble to all of you with my selfish actions. As I mentioned earlier, I am prepared to face any punishment. However, I cannot give up on the future of the Northern region."

The feudal lords collectively averted their gaze at her dignified demeanor.

"I now declare it here. I will challenge for the next throne."

Lord Strauss becomes flustered.

"O-Olivia. Making such a declaration here will only create chaos!"

However, Olivia continues her words with firm resolve.

"Father, I have that determination and conviction. Lucius has taught me that. Lucius, show them your formula."

"Olivia, is it alright?"

Releasing a dragon in a gathering like this could cause great chaos.

"On the contrary, it's convenient."

"Well, if you say so."

Lucius raises his left hand.

He hasn't given a name to his pact yet. In fact, many people don't give names to their pacts.

"Come forth."

A massive amount of magic power flows out from his left hand, as if draining all the magic power from his entire body.

And a massive shadow envelops the area around Lucius.

The wings of the black-silver dragon create a colossal shadow.

"Ah, guh..."

"Ryuu..."(Dragon…)

"Goh, bugah!"

Those who were standing just moments ago, including his parents and the feudal lords nearby, collapse to the ground as if their backs were broken.

They have entered the shadow of the dragon.

If this wasn't a formula, certain death would be the only outcome.

Indeed, Guffel alone raises a voice of joy.

"Oh my, oh my! Oh my!! Oh my!!? This is incredible!! It's an evil dragon, isn't it?! Show us more! Show us more of its magnificence!!!"

Desperately, she approached the feet of the dragon.

Lord Robel and Emily, completely unable to comprehend what was happening, stood with their mouths agape.

The maid, Matilda, watches the bewildered state of the parents with an apologetic look.

The members of the search team who were lined up behind me were in a state of chaos and panic.

Compared to the Griffin and the dragon, the reasons for arriving at the Silverheart territory seemed trivial.

Everyone's minds were blown away.

Some tried to flee first, others prostrated on the spot and offered prayers, and some called upon their formulas.

"Calm down!"

Olivia shouted as she mounted the Griffin, which emitted a radiant light.

Flying above the search team, she called out to everyone.

"The Northern region has received the blessing of the dragons. The blood of the Dragon once again commands the dragons, bringing prosperity to this land."

Amidst the fear, Olivia and the Griffin, enveloped in a divine light, appeared as messengers from heaven.

The chaos transformed into madness, or rather fanatical devotion.

Gradually, chants erupted from the search team.

"Dragon! Dragon! Dragon! Dragon!"

The chant was so intense that it felt as if the forest itself was trembling.

Olivia circled above the search team and gracefully returned to Lucius's side.

"...Isn't this going a bit too far?"

"This is just right. It is the duty of a king to grasp the hearts of the people. That's why we came all the way to the forest, so we will make the most of it. It's also part of the pact with the Griffin, after all."

Olivia strokes the neck of the Griffin.

"They can't match us."

"Lucius, thanks to you, everything has fallen into place. I've shown many embarrassing moments, but watch me from now on. I will be a king with conviction."

"I simply did what needed to be done. Though the pact with the dragon is really giving me a headache."

Olivia looks up at the dragon with outstretched wings and smiles.

"Lucius is always like that. By the way, since I made a pact with the Griffin, you'll keep your promises too, right? You said you'd do anything."

Her mischievous smile, out of sync with her age, appeared remarkably beautiful.

"I already kept my promise. Didn't I tell you i'd do something about the dragons? Such an unreasonable request."

"I only said I made a pact with the Griffin. Becoming a noble Baron is Lucius's wish, isn't it?"

"Well, that's true. But... What do you want me to do?"

"When I become King... at that time..."

Olivia blushes.

"B-Become the king consort. To strengthen our connection as nobles..."

The last part of her words is unclear.

"What does 'king consort' mean?"

"...Ask Baron Dragon when you get back home."

Blushing intensely, Olivia turns her back.

The forest that stretches behind Olivia is bathed in sunlight, dispelling the cloudy weather that had persisted for several days. The light, to Lucius, seemed to foreshadow the future of this country.

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