Chapter 69: Days in the Territorial Capital

My body is light. I feel like I can move better than even before I was cursed. No lethargy as if wearing lead armor all the time, no constricting pain. I was liberated. Liberated from Uncle’s [Curse]. Ritsu was continuously elated by the feeling of liberation from the curse.

“Fufufufu.” “Lady Ritsu?”

She is looked at suspiciously by Ji (Gramps)—Gen, running beside her.

“Sorry. I’m just happy my body moves as I wish.” “I see.”

Gen smiled as if understanding. Following Gen are Gin, Mei, Shirabe, and Tsuzumi. Those who protected me ever since I was cursed. I must repay their kindness. And I must make Uncle pay for his deeds, Ritsu renewed her determination. They stop their feet. In a forest far from the highway. Here, they won’t stand out.

“[Winged Beast Servant]!”

Holding her hand toward the sky, she concentrates her mind earnestly. …Connected! After a while, a single black dot appeared in the distant sky. It gradually grew larger, eventually flapping giant wings and landing before Ritsu and the others with a basari. Spirit Bird Simurgh. With a giant body resembling a raptor large enough to grab an elephant, and crest feathers and tail shimmering in five colors and seven shades, it is Ritsu‘s partner. Ritsu‘s ‘Gift’, [Winged Beast Servant], was a powerful ‘Gift’ that allowed her to command any winged creature. However, there are strict conditions for command; one must communicate heart-to-heart with the partner. One cannot command a bird they just met and don’t know.

“Oboro!” “Kuaaa”

When Ritsu ran up to the Simurgh, the giant bird lowered its head. Letting Ritsu, who hugged its neck, do as she pleased, it purred—kurukuru—just like a cat. This Simurgh… Oboro, was a bird Ritsu hatched from an egg. The egg was something her late father, who learned of the ‘Gift’ bestowed upon Ritsu, ordered from a distant country. Three-year-old Ritsu was always by the egg’s side, hugging and warming it constantly, and brilliantly hatched it. The Spirit Bird chick hatched from the egg recognized Ritsu as its parent and showed no resistance to accepting her ‘Gift’. Ritsu and Oboro became able to communicate, connecting through something like telepathy even when far apart. However, after Ritsu collapsed from the curse, Oboro became emotionally unstable and stopped accepting anyone’s words. Furthermore, because Ritsu‘s uncle, blinded by greed for expensive Simurgh materials, attacked Oboro, Oboro disappeared from the village.

“Sorry for worrying you. I’m healthy now, so it’s okay.” “Kua”

Ritsu strokes Oboro‘s head as it nuzzles against her. Seeing the close master and servant, Ji, or Gen, hesitated to interrupt, but called out as it was getting too long.

“Umm, Lady Ritsu. It is about time.” “Ah… right.”

Ritsu, who forgot time in the reunion after a long while and the comfort of Oboro‘s feathers, returned to herself.

“Oboro, can I ask you to carry everyone to the village?” “Kuaa”

With a cry, Oboro turned its back to Ritsu and the others and crouched on the spot. Oboro‘s back is wide enough that even with all six of them, there is still room. More than ten people could ride. There is a belt on Oboro‘s neck, from which several decorative cords extend. When Ritsu and the others got on Oboro‘s back, they gripped those firmly.

“Let’s go, Oboro!” “Kuaaaaa!”

Flapping its wings greatly—basari—Oboro departs for the sky. The gracefully flying Simurgh circled once over the forest, determined the direction, and began flying towards the destination.

◇ ◇ ◇

Three days have passed since coming to the territorial capital. We were spending time as we pleased, but Father was moving energetically, especially with reports on the recent situation of the territory, meetings with officials, and discussions with merchants. It’s hot recently, so I hope he doesn’t push himself too much. I also ordered items I thought of at the market from a tailor, paid a special fee, and am having them made in a hurry. If possible, I want them completed while we are in the territorial capital. And while doing this and that, the capture target Leon Remus Traumerei came to our Ducal House. …He came.

“Thank you for inviting me this time.”

I didn’t invite you. The one who invited you is that idiot prince over there. …is something I couldn’t say even if my mouth were torn, so I just put on a pleasant smile.

“Oh, Leon! Good to see you! Alright, let’s have a mock battle!” “Eeh!?”

Jean, appearing suddenly—hyokot—dragged the just-arrived Leon from the entrance while saying muscle-brained things. Swordsmanship is a gentleman noble’s pursuit, so science boy Leon should be able to use it to some extent. Since nuisance disappearing is very welcome, I dare not interject. Just seeing them off with a smile. To Elliott remaining at the entrance, Estelle speaks with a pleasant smile.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince too, please go over there without minding us.” “Eh? No, I…” “No, no. Please do not worry about us. Please deepen your friendship just among gentlemen.” “I-Is that so? Then…”

Elliott, yielding to Estelle‘s pressure that allowed no refusal, hurriedly chased after Jean and the others.

“Phew. The nuisances are gone.” “Nuisances, you say… He is the Crown Prince, technically. That way of speaking is bad.”

Bianca leaks an exasperated voice at Estelle‘s sharp tongue. No, saying ‘technically’ makes you plenty disrespectful too, you know?

“Because, even though I can finally be with Lady Sakuraile and Bianca-san from morning till night, having those people with us too… isn’t it a nuisance?” “No well, I also thought that a little but…”

Bianca thought so too. Yeah, I thought so too! What is so sad that I have to be with fellows who bring trouble? If not just Leon, but other capture targets also stop by the territory, I’ll cry. Playing with female friends I get along with is much more fun. But if I clear encounter events with capture targets, I might be able to summon new stores… No no, I can clear events without meeting capture targets. Well, most events are in the Royal Capital, so leveling up is probably impossible until we return. Wait, if it’s a Leon-related event… no, no, a wise man keeps away from danger. Getting greedy leads to nothing good.

“So, what shall we do? Ah, how about painting for the first time in a while?” “Lady Sakuraile and Estelle are good so it’s fine, but… I’m bad at drawing…”

Bianca shows reluctance at Estelle‘s proposal. I attended a design vocational school in my previous life, so I have some artistic sense. Not professional painter level, but I drew pop illustrations for products and simple explanatory illustrations. However, when it comes to Estelle, she is so good at drawing that I want to run away barefoot. Unlike her parents, Estelle, who wasn’t very active, apparently spent a lot of time drawing at home. They say ‘Heaven doesn’t give two gifts’, but that’s a lie. Or is this what they call protagonist heroine attribute? However, ‘good at drawing’ here is by this world’s standards, meaning realistic skill. Like, she has sketching power and drawing ability, but somehow deformed pictures or manga-style pictures seem unfamiliar to her, and she showed great interest in my drawings.

“Ah, then want to try reading manga?”

I took out a Shonen manga found in a pawn shop summoned by [Store Summoning] from my pochette. Unfortunately, the text is Japanese so only I can read it, but since this work is set in a fantasy world, I think it will be easy for the two to understand. It’s a comicalized version of a novel that also became an anime. Orthodox fantasy, is it called? Sitting on chairs in the gazebo (azumaya), Bianca and Estelle took positions on my left and right as I opened the comic book on the table. While pointing at panels and speech bubbles, I read the lines and sound effects. At first, the two were listening just to be polite, but eventually, perhaps drawn into the story, they were listening to my story engrossed even from an outsider’s perspective. By the time we finished reading volume one, the two were completely captivated by manga.

“L-Lady Sakuraile! The continuation!?” “Umm, sorry. Only this was sold…” “Kuh… I’m curious about the continuation!”

Estelle and Bianca drop their shoulders in disappointment. To tell the truth, for this work, I’ve read the original novel and watched the anime, so I know everything that happens next. But if I talk about that, it becomes a question of how I know… Sorry, please wait until I can summon a bookstore.

“However, this thing called manga enters the head very easily. You can immediately understand a person’s emotions from their expressions…” “Umu. If ‘Orphelia of Molendo Country’ was made into a manga, wouldn’t it become a very easy-to-understand story?” “Ah, that’s nice! If there was something like that, I’d want to read it!”

‘Orphelia of Molendo Country’… if I recall, isn’t that some stage play? A story based on a true story from about five hundred years ago, performed on stage by various troupes many times. Content-wise, it’s a story about a princess who lost her country standing up without giving in to various hardships, and eventually achieving reconstruction. However, depending on the troupe, the story development varies, and the ending is vague like multi-endings: ending up with the second prince of a certain country, becoming a saint serving god, or leaving the country to her younger brother and going on an adventure alone. It probably changed shape every time it was passed down by word of mouth like a game of telephone. There are similar myths on Earth too. Stories in this world are basically myths or historical dramas. There aren’t many complete fictions. Since they use bards and such to spread the achievements of their country’s heroes or monarchs, it probably inevitably becomes like that. For citizens, it’s entertainment, but for nobles, it’s something to spread hearsay. I’m being done in too… What if a stage play or book called ‘Princess of the Holy Sword’ comes out eventually… Even now, the story has not just a tail fin but dorsal and pectoral fins attached; if it gets embellished any more, I’ll be too embarrassed to walk in town. Please let that not happen. Goddesses, seriously, I beg you.