Leviathan #2
I had been skeptical from the moment I first heard the report.
But as the details piled up, my certainty grew.
This. This is an event I know.
The Great Spirit of Water, Leviathan.
The gist of the incident is that a massive whale flying through the sky suddenly crashes into the human realm, triggering abnormal weather patterns...
I knew the event was due to happen sooner or later, but it occurred much faster than I anticipated.
"Y-you mean a spirit, Your Majesty?"
"The Great Spirit that only appears in legends...?"
Yes, that very Great Spirit.
Since the Great Spirits in this world are depicted as near-mythical beings, I can understand why the ministers are wearing such bewildered expressions.
"Then isn't this a much more serious matter than we thought? A Great Spirit, of all things..."
No.
That’s not necessarily true.
The truth is, Leviathan isn't a spirit with any malice toward humans. It’s just a stray. A lost child that suddenly fell into the human world and is wandering around.
It’s just... significantly larger in scale than your average stray.
"But it's causing heavy rain..."
"From its perspective, it's just moving about. It likely doesn't even realize it's causing harm to humans."
"Good heavens."
The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry’s jaw dropped at the sheer scale of the situation.
Drought? Torrential rain?
Those are just collateral damage caused by Leviathan simply existing and moving around.
If that thing had actually decided to go on a rampage, a small kingdom would have been submerged and wiped off the map by now.
Of course, I would have noticed, rushed over, and cracked its skull open before that happened.
Even for me, I’d rather not make an enemy out of a Great Spirit if I can help it.
The problem is.
"It seems to be leisurely flying above the clouds for now, but..."
Once it stops flying and starts descending, the entire region will be completely submerged just from that act alone.
You could consider the surrounding area as having been dyed by a pseudo-spirit realm.
That is the level of existence a Great Spirit holds.
If possible, I needed to resolve this before it descended to the surface, or at least handle it swiftly if it did.
"Then, what must we do?"
"Hmm."
Honestly? The high-ranking officials have nothing to do. If I had to say, maybe post-incident cleanup.
What are they going to do against a Great Spirit? Without spirit affinity, they can't even communicate with it. It would be a miracle if they didn't get hit by a water bomb due to Leviathan's carelessness.
"You all are to prepare to handle the aftermath once Leviathan is returned."
Even as I said this, I didn't have a proper way to send Leviathan back.
To be precise, I don't know how to send it back peacefully.
If it were just a matter of beating it up and forcibly repatriating it to the Spirit Realm, that would be possible, but...
First off, how was this event resolved in the original work?
Serena solved it.
How? Well. She just really, truly solved it well. Apparently, Leviathan was moved by Serena's kind nature.
In the first place, Leviathan had no intention of harming humans, so there wasn't much to be 'moved' by, but still.
Then, what about the issue of Leviathan returning to the Spirit Realm?
Serena solved that with a miracle, too.
Does that make sense?
It’s a world where such things make sense, which is why I’m in this position right now.
In fact, regardless of whether it’s a romance fantasy or any other genre, the protagonist always tends to pull off absurd feats with a straight face.
"Summon Serena."
She is the protagonist, after all.
Maybe she'll play her part this time?
***
"It's been a while, Your Majesty..."
"Hmm."
Is that really Serena?
It’s been a while, so why does she look like she’s half-dead? Her complexion is ghastly.
If it weren't for that signature sunshine-like aura, I wouldn't have recognized her. Even that aura is a bit... like sunlight obscured by heavy, gloomy clouds.
"Have you been well?"
"Y-yes."
She clearly hasn't been well. There’s no strength in her voice. Just how hard has Elizabeth been working her?
"Is the work manageable?"
"O-o-o-of course."
No, it isn't.
Anyone can see it's absolutely not...
But this is all your own doing, Serena.
You should have just focused on your romance.
"For now, would you like a cup of tea?"
"Ah, th-thank you."
The tea Lily brewed is top-tier. Serena, who had been trembling, quickly regained her composure.
"...Um, Your Majesty. You summoned me..."
"That I did."
But if I bring up the business now, you look like you might faint, so it’s hard to get the words out.
Let’s start with some small talk.
"Tell me how you've been getting by."
"Ah, well."
Serena rolled her eyes.
"...After academy classes end, I receive training from Lady Elizabeth, and by then the day is almost over..."
I chose the wrong question...
I swallowed a sigh.
"By the way, you were still attending the academy, weren't you? Elizabeth should have made sure you received attendance credit."
Serena avoided my gaze.
"The time I spend at the academy is the only time I get to rest..."
Elizabeth, you monster...
"Ah, but it was nice that I received a salary even though I'm a trainee."
You're a graduate student, aren't you...
"It was the first salary I'd ever received. It felt different from the allowance my parents send me."
"That must have been nice. What did you do with your first paycheck? Did you buy something delicious?"
"Ah, well, I gave about 90 percent to my parents to help with the household expenses back home."
...
You said you get an allowance from your parents.
"And the remaining 10 percent?"
"I bought something delicious at the dessert cafe in the academy! It's incredibly good, you should definitely try it sometime, Your Majesty."
Why is this?
I’m not a particularly sensitive person, so why does this feel so bitter...
Seeing her look so haggard while saying this makes me feel very strange.
This isn't the Serena I know.
Of course, she wasn't the Serena I knew the moment she stopped being a 'man-crazy' girl, but still.
This isn't right...
"Recently, I've become a bit closer with the staff in the Internal Affairs Department. They are all very kind people."
"Is that so?"
"Especially a person named Louis; we've become quite close. We decided to start a dessert-tasting club together."
Louis? That’s a man’s name.
Don't tell me. Has Serena, the legendary man-crazy girl who swaps men every route, finally...
Did she find a man to heal her weary life?
At my question, Serena averted her eyes.
"Mr. Louis is, um, a married man..."
That's a bust.
"The dessert club is because Mr. Louis's wife runs the cafe..."
I'm the fool for having expectations.
"Th-this isn't my fault."
Serena protested, sensing my gaze.
I suppose it was just me making assumptions.
She might feel unfairly judged.
"Tsk."
That’s that, but disappointment is still disappointment.
"Hing."
Serena’s shoulders slumped.
The fact that she doesn't tremble but just looks dejected when the Emperor clicks his tongue... she really is the female lead for a reason. I watched the whimpering Serena for a moment.
If she keeps working like this, won't her opportunities to meet people dwindle until she has no chance for romance?
Should I send her to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs...
While I was pondering, she spoke up.
"Um, Your Majesty."
Serena, who had been cautiously watching me, said:
"Even though I can see my future, aside from that, I'm just an ordinary girl. And even that isn't such a great ability..."
"So?"
"My grades at the academy were just average, too..."
"I am aware that you were intentionally maintaining moderate grades."
"Huk."
Her expression said, 'How did you know that?'
How, indeed. I know because I played the game from your perspective.
Even if she wasn't at the very top, she was comfortably in the upper tier.
That’s why Elizabeth is holding onto her. If she were a total failure not even worth teaching, she would have returned her to me long ago.
"Don't play games and just say what you want to say."
"I-I-I just don't understand why Your Majesty treats me so specially."
Is she wondering why I’m personally looking after her, when she’s just a mere student from an ordinary family?
Instead of answering, I applied silent pressure for her to continue.
Serena stammered as she continued.
"If Your Majesty has some special expectation for my ability, I'm afraid I might not live up to it..."
So that’s it.
She’s afraid that if she fails to meet expectations, the Emperor will be disappointed and fly into a rage.
Is that all?
I thought she was wondering if I liked her or something.
If she had thought that, I would have flicked her forehead.
It was a realistic concern, in its own way.
The sunshine-like retriever Serena, who used to have no worries, is now having realistic concerns.
I suppose this is just what happens when you're worn down by life.
"First, let me tell you one thing."
"Yes...?"
"I don't expect anything grand from you."
I have Elizabeth, and I have Lily. For ordinary tasks, the ministers are also reliable enough.
In the midst of all this, what could I possibly expect from Serena?
It’s enough if she just does her part from time to time.
That could be the so-called 'future sight,' or it could be an inexplicable ability as the female lead.
"I-is that so?"
In that sense.
"Serena. I have a task for you."
"...Am I forbidden from going home for another week?"
Elizabeth.
What on earth have you done?
The atmosphere was clearly warm, but the moment she heard 'task,' she started trembling with PTSD.
How did the bright, sunshine-like human retriever end up like this?
...
Well, what's done is done.
It wasn't because I was resentful that she wouldn't date.
I whispered quietly to the haggard Serena.
"If the job is finished well, I'll let you leave work early."
"R-really?"
"I'll even give you some vacation time."
"...!"
Life returned to Serena’s eyes. This was the Serena I knew. Is she really that desperate for a vacation...
"What is the task I must do? I will work hard at anything!"
"It is to soothe a whale flying in the sky and send it back home."
"Pardon?"
Serena’s face went blank.
"Me?"
Yes. You.