The Queen's Gift

"Hold still."

"Kkieee! Kkieee! Kkiek!"

The gargoyle thrashed and shrieked beneath Maru as he pinned it down.

While one hand crushed its head into the ground, the other rained blows down on its chest, one after another.

Foul-smelling drool kept smearing across the hand that held its skull down. It stank so badly he could barely breathe, and between the filth and the reek, all he wanted was to finish this quickly. If he approached the princess smelling like this, she would run away from him on the spot. He prayed there was a stream somewhere nearby where he could wash his hands.

"Time to say goodbye."

Resolved to tear the thing apart, he gripped the gargoyle's head and shoulder and wrenched them in opposite directions with all his strength. He clenched his teeth and pulled—and huh? It wouldn't give.

"Kkeuuhh!"

The hulking monster from the coast had been speared clean through with the strength he had now, yet no matter how hard he yanked on this thing, its hide showed no sign of tearing. The skin was extraordinarily tough and dense.

He tried three times before concluding it was hopeless. Shaking his head with a deep sigh, he muttered to himself.

"It drank the Elixir... is that what's doing this?"

Perhaps the Elixir's lingering power had turned the creature's hide into an iron shell. The effects wouldn't last forever, but he had no way of knowing how long they would. Meanwhile, the thing kept thrashing beneath him, and just holding it down was becoming a struggle—not from exhaustion, but from sheer disgust at staying this close to it. Now it was even vomiting up the innards of the horse it had eaten earlier, and he was about to lose his mind. He needed a different approach, fast.

Is there anything I can use...?

As he glanced ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blankly around, his eyes caught on a hand axe that had spilled from a shattered cargo crate. Its blade, forged from blue-tinged metal, gleamed a frosty silver. The handle appeared to be made of some jade-like material, smooth and polished to a slick finish.

If his bare hands wouldn't work, why not try a tool?

Maru immediately shouted to the two people hiding beneath the overturned cargo wagon.

"The axe! Toss me that axe over there!"

"The axe...?"

The two hidenn figures blinked in confusion, then snapped to their senses, scurried over, and brought it back to him.

"H-here you go, sir!"

"Thank you."

"Kkiieeeak!"

The two retreated a step, faces pale with fright. In their eyes were both terror of the gargoyle and astonishment at Maru.

"This time you'd better believe I mean to cut you down!"

Maru hammered his fist into its skull and bore down on the gargoyle with his full weight. Then he raised the hand axe in his right hand, aiming for the midpoint between the creature's head and shoulder.

Thud!

He brought it down without mercy. The blade split the hide with ease and buried itself deep in the creature's shoulder. The gargoyle let out a hideous wail. Its resistance grew far fiercer than before.

"Oh, it's working?"

Maru clenched his thighs tight, pressing down even harder on the creature's body, and swung again and again.

Thud!

Thud! Thud!

Thud-thud-thud!

Flesh was shredded into ribbons as blood sprayed in every direction. With a blade only the size of his palm, the axe was far smaller than a standard battle axe; it took strike after strike to carve through the body. He felt like a butcher at the block—but the feeling was nothing short of exhilarating. And so, in that fashion, he killed the gargoyle.

"Hah... hah! Well, this is... awfully handy."

Once he'd finished the creature off, Maru rose to his feet and turned the axe over in his hands, examining it from every angle. His own palms were painted red with blood, yet not a single drop clung to the blade or the haft—this was no ordinary axe. It was remarkably light, too. Light, yet devastatingly powerful. A true masterpiece of a weapon. He found himself wanting to keep one.

"That's an Ogre Hand Axe. It's forged from Bluelight Ore—a specialty of our kingdom."

Audrite had come up beside him at some point. "Do you like it?"

"..."

Maru hesitated for a moment, then tossed the axe carelessly onto the ground. He wanted it, sure—but it had been loaded into the cargo hold bound for a foreign country, and he couldn't bring himself to be greedy. He'd have to stop by an axe shop in the market district sometime when he had a free moment. All those years living as a prince, he'd only ever used swords—only now, having happened to try an axe, did he discover just how thrilling one could be.

"No. I was just staring at it because it's fascinating. It cuts beautifully, by the way."

"Is that so?"

Audrite said it lightly, but her gaze lingered on Maru, studying him from below. There was something odd about the way she looked at him.

"What is it? Do I have something on my face? Ah—right, I must reek."

"The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠smell doesn't bother me. You got that way helping us, after all. It's just... you're an incredible fighter. It was impressive."

"You don't need to flatter me. I'll report everything honestly—I'm not going anywhere, so don't worry."

"This isn't about digging into your past. I truly meant it—I'm telling you my heart was pounding, that's how amazing you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were."

Audrite frowned slightly, looking a little hurt.

"Guardian, sir!"

The onlookers who had been watching from a distance came swarming over. One by one they pinched their noses and grimaced at the sight of the gargoyle's shredded corpse, yet they spared no admiration when they looked at Maru himself.

"To think we never truly knew you all this time, Guardian."

"You could earn a knighthood for this, sir!"

"I always knew the Guardian was a remarkable man! He's not one to fear a mere demon!"

"As a knight myself, I swear it—from today, you'd best set down your pen and take up the sword. It would be a waste to let such talent rot away."

Amid the clamor, Maru all but fled from the crowd. Audrite followed behind him, smiling brightly.

"Once we reach the palace, I'll report to His Majesty, and then let's meet again. We have so much to talk about—today's cargo from a far-off land, and the story of how you caught a gargoyle."

Maru wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled. "Yes, understood."

In the distance, a troop of riders came galloping into view. The knights dispatched as reinforcements were only just now arriving.

"Lucy, you're a mutt. A filthy mangy bitch."

In front of Maru's door, Maru hurled the insult straight at Lucy, who stood before him—and her whole body trembled as an ecstatic expression spread across her face.

"Haaaahh... do you know how long I've waited for you to call me a mutt? I'm so happy... hehh..."

"You like it that much?"

"Mm. Just to make it official—say it again?"

"You're a mutt, you mangy bitch. A mutt. A mutt."

"It just keeps getting better...! I'm so glad..."

"You're completely insane."

Maru clicked his tongue at the sight of her pleasure-drunk face and pushed the door open.

"Come on, get in. Once you're inside, tell her everything you know—no exaggerations, just the honest truth."

Inside the room, Audrite sat waiting in a chair, dressed in an elegant gown. The silver tiara perched on her head caught Lucy's eye. The moment Lucy realized the princess would be watching, she quickly composed her slackened face and looked up at Maru.

"Tell her everything?"

"Yes. Everything."

"Even the story of how you got kicked out?"

"Yeah."

"Isn't that a painful and humiliating memory?"

"I'm fine with it."

After sending Lucy inside, Maru closed the door behind her. Tales of Kiera's false abortion claims and the rest of the Hero party's dirty laundry would sound far more credible and persuasive coming from a neutral third party like Lucy than from his own mouth. So he'd made her an offer: he would call her a mutt to her heart's content, and in exchange she would go to the princess and honestly recount everything she'd seen and felt during her days in the Hero party. Along with that, he had given her a firm warning: lie even once, and he would kill her.

Once Lucy's account was done, he planned to go in himself and tell the story of his childhood. Talk of his childhood would inevitably lead to where he'd grown up and who his parents were—and in the end, he would have no choice but to reveal that he was a prince.

Maru was still agonizing over it. To reveal, or not to reveal.

"Whew."

And yet, given the mood of things, it somehow felt like the words would come out of him on their own. The relationship with Kiera had careened into catastrophe partly, he thought, because he hadn't been honest enough. So ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this time—for this romance alone—let him try walking a different path.

He was still turning these thoughts over when his subordinate Oliver appeared at the door.

"Guardian! Thank goodness you're here—I nearly had to search all over for you."

"Is there something urgent you need signed?"

"I just received word, sir. His Majesty has announced that an unsealing ceremony will be held shortly at the plaza by the docks. All principal ministers are commanded to attend—only knights and junior officials are excused."

"It's almost evening, though?"

"From how eager His Majesty is to see it, I suspect something truly remarkable must be inside."

"Hmm... all right. You can go."

"Yes, sir! I'll take my leave then!"

Oliver bowed crisply and dashed down the stairs.

"Of all the times to hold it."

Maru deliberated for a moment, then sighed and opened the door. Nothing to be done about it.

"I never had any intention of spurning Sir Maru—it was Kiera who stirred things up, saying we should torment him, and that's how it all came to pass."

"Oh my, is that true?"

Audrite covered her mouth, her face full of pity.

"Didn't Sir Maru ever get angry?"

"Angry? Him? No—Maru is just... such an easy person to play with... no, wait. He's such a kind person. Kiera, that—forgive me. Kiera was the Hero, yet she hardly seemed like a Hero at all. Looking back now, the thoughtful Sir Maru was far more Hero-like. Anyway, Kiera's abortion remarks were a pure, utter lie—you mustn't believe them. She's always been good at putting on airs, and she's a hypocrite through and through. She wore a false mask every single day of her life. It was as if she had no idea what morality or sin even meant."

Lucy savaged her former comrade's reputation with relish, delight plain on her face, while Audrite's heart ached through every word.

"Sir Maru must have suffered so much."

"Well, I looked after him quite a bit, so that must have been some comfort to him at least."

"That was kind of you."

Audrite took Lucy's hand in both of her own and smiled gratefully. Just then, the door swung open with a clatter.

Lucy flinched. Maru stepped inside.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid my personal history will have to wait. His Majesty is holding an unsealing ceremony at the docks."

In the deepening blue of early evening, torches stationed around the docks flickered to life one by one.

Maru stood among the ministers gathered before the dais, cold sweat beading in his palms. Only after arriving here did he learn what the "unsealing ceremony" actually was. A certain minister had told him.

"It is a gift sent by Her Majesty the Queen of the Ra Iskandaria Empire!"

A gift from his mother.

Maru froze where he stood. It was utterly out of nowhere. And once again, impossibly awkward.

So she found out after all.

Where could she have picked up the trail? His letter had clearly mentioned nothing more than "a certain noble household." And now she had sent a gift directly to the king of this country—which could only mean his mother had positively confirmed that her son was residing in this kingdom's palace.

Her instincts are as sharp as ever. Unbelievable.

He wasn't a child anymore, yet she tried to meddle in his affairs at every turn—it was enough to drive him mad. It wasn't that he disliked his mother's attention. But the moment his true identity came to light, the people around him would change. They would never treat him with genuine warmth again. They would fear him, stop speaking honestly, say only what pleased his ears, and grovel at his feet. Should he slip away again without telling her... A thousand thoughts crowded his mind, but for now, he resolved to simply watch the ceremony. Let's see what she sent. Please, let it be nothing much.

On the seats of honor atop the dais sat the King and Queen, Prince Edward, and Princess Audrite in a row. They chatted among themselves, giddy and delighted. It was only natural—a gift from the revered heroine of the kingdom. She was the savior of the realm; whatever it contained, the gift was bound to be extraordinary.

"Attention, everyone! We shall now unseal the cargo!"

Burly men descended on the cargo with crowbars, unwinding the iron chains and tearing away the wooden planks. Before long, a sleeping baby gryphon within a cage and several wooden crates came into view.

"Oooh! A gryphon!"

The ministers let out a chorus of gasps. The baby gryphon, safely delivered here thanks to magic, awoke the moment it breathed the open air. Stretching its wings wide like a cat arching its back, it let out a clear, melodious cry. The crowd's cheers swelled even louder.

"Ho ho. The Queen has sent us a priceless gift indeed."

The King stroked his white beard with a contented smile. Audrite rose from her seat into a standing ovation.

"How magnificent!"

The gryphon was a species found only in the Ra Iskandaria Empire—the highest of all gifts one nation could offer another.

So far, so good.

Maru exhaled a sigh of relief as he watched the dais. At the chamberlain's direction, laborers were prying open one of the wooden crates. When the lid finally came off, several portrait paintings spilled out.

The workers arranged the portraits in a neat row so the King and his ministers could view them. Ten portraits in all. Each depicted a young nobleman, handsomely painted, each with a different look. Beneath every portrait was a detailed profile—the family lineage, the region of birth, and the man's age.

"What is this?"

No one understood the Queen's intent; heads tilted in confusion all around. Then the chamberlain unfolded the letter that had come enclosed in the crate and began reading it aloud.