The King's Grace
I wondered if the poor video quality was making me hallucinate. Even the wizard sitting quietly across from me, assisting with the communication spell, seemed visibly shaken.
The king had bowed his head. It was an action he would rarely show even to the emperor.
How could any expression be too much when offering gratitude to my savior?
“……I am Your Majesty’s subject, and Your Majesty is my king.”
I may not have been the most loyal servant, but that was an undeniable fact. As long as I was a noble of Dmitry and he was the king, protecting him was a duty engraved deep in my bones—whether I wanted it or not.
It was only natural that I would die for him. But it was never natural for him to bow his head for me.
There was an immeasurable gap in status between the king and me. That was what a class-based society meant.
In short, the king had no need to thank me.
No. Every day I have lived has been thanks to the talented people who protect me. I am grateful for every moment I continue to live because of you.
I know it is only natural that you, as my subject, protect me. But if there had been no sincerity behind it, I would not be alive today.
I knew why Dikel III received boundless love from his people and respect from talented individuals, but experiencing it firsthand made him far harder to betray than I had imagined.
He was wise, dignified, and never lost his royal bearing—yet he bowed his head without hesitation.
Of course I had no intention of betraying him, but when he acted like this, I felt like I had no choice but to devote my loyalty. It was rather troublesome.
No matter how much he was my king, eagerly following someone had never been my style.
By saving me, you saved the father of my children. Furthermore, you saved the king of the people and prevented chaos in the kingdom. You are truly my hero.
Ugh. That actually gave me chills.
Being praised by the king was undeniably rewarding.
On behalf of everyone in Dmitry, I thank you.
What a charming man. To think that in all my years, I would actually feel tempted to offer my loyalty.
What can I give you in return? If there is anything you desire, speak freely.
“……There is something I would like to request.”
Go on.
“First, please station a wizard at my family estate. We need communication facilities. I still haven’t been able to speak with my family. It’s incredibly inconvenient not being able to contact them.”
That works out perfectly. I have already granted permission to establish a magic tower in Crowell territory due to the explosive population growth. I will of course station a wizard there as well. If there are no issues, you should be able to communicate freely within a year.
Human competence really shines in moments like these. How could he prepare exactly what I needed so perfectly? I thought that I had met quite a good king.
Will that be enough? If you need financial support as well, tell me anytime.
That would never be necessary, but I smiled anyway. Honestly, I was probably the richest person in all of Dmitry.
“There is actually another request. In fact… there are quite a few. Would it be all right if I told you everything?”
Let me hear them first.
“While escaping the jungle, I discovered a child with talent for Spirit Magic. By some strange fate, she turned out to be the daughter of someone I knew long ago. I would like to enroll her in Drike Academy as my junior. Would that be acceptable?”
That should not be difficult at all.
“I will become her guardian. Ensuring her identity will also be my responsibility.”
The king showed no sign that it would be a problem. Since the king had readily given permission, even the dean would have no choice but to approve.
At this point, Iel’s right to veto had been completely erased. Practically annihilated from the universe, one might say.
It seems that is not the only request you have. Tell me everything.
“If I reveal my true feelings completely… you might find me quite arrogant.”
I am well aware that you are a difficult talent to handle. The reason you act obedient toward me is because it benefits us both. It is simply more convenient that way.
“……”
I would like to hear your true feelings.
Well, one couldn’t become king by being stupid.
I had to admit it. I rather liked this king.
“Those are welcome words. However, what I desire may be quite difficult to grant.”
What is it? Do you desire enormous power that surpasses your birth?
“No. What I desire is simply… for you to grant me complete freedom. More than power, that is what I want.”
Freedom.
“Please do not bind me anywhere. Your Majesty, please respect my life as an individual. Please do not try to rule or control me. If you can protect that for me, I will swear my long-term loyalty of my own free will.”
The mere fact that the word “loyalty” had left my lips was shocking enough. And I meant every word.
If the king could grant what I wanted, then I could also give him what he wanted.
What the king wanted was none other than my loyalty. That was surely why he was treating me so well.
You are a difficult person.
“I suppose so?”
Freedom is the opposite of power. Yet at the same time, it comes from power. Without power, one cannot be free.
“You are absolutely right.”
The reason you specifically ask me for freedom is because I am the one with the rightful power to protect it—and also the one with the power to take it away… You are a very intelligent person. I will respect your wish. I shall grant you the power to be free.
This was exactly why smart people were nice to talk to. We understood each other so well. I expressed my joy with a wide smile.
It seemed the king desired me far more than I had thought.
That also meant I could act a little more freely from now on.
I was worried about what to do once you returned, but since your desire is clear, I have no choice but to grant it.
“I am honored that you respect my wish. If I may ask for one more favor while I am at it, the road back may take a little longer, Your Majesty.”
Longer?
There had been one issue bothering me these past few days—whether or not I should follow Ash.
It was a matter of curiosity versus annoyance, and a battle between reason and interest.
And today, I had decided. I would follow him for now. Curiosity and interest had won.
Parting with Ash felt slightly disappointing, but the bigger burden was the thought of returning to Dmitry.
Once I realized I wouldn’t be able to live as leisurely as before, I suddenly wanted to enjoy this freedom a little longer.
I really, really didn’t want to hear that damned “Saint” title anymore.
Why is that? I heard that due to your constitution, you cannot use warp magic… Does that mean traveling by land will take even longer?
“Yes. There is someone I would like to observe for a while.”
So you mean to go on a journey.
“Do you think I am being too childish?”
Not at all. You are still young. It is an age when one wants to travel… I had such a time once myself.
Our king really gave out bonus points like they were nothing. At this rate, he might actually make me loyal.
Very well. Do as you wish. If your wish is freedom, then this is where it must begin.
“Thank you for your generosity. The dean seemed to want me to return as soon as possible.”
It must be a political decision. Since he cannot yet judge the influence you will have, he probably wants to keep you close for now. However, my thoughts differ. You need time to first understand yourself. Experiencing the world will surely help.
“Those are reassuring words.”
I will wait for your safe return.
“It probably won’t take that long.”
After a rough calculation, Ash had at most half a year left.
Within that time, he had to gather all the guardians and return to the imperial palace. If there had been more time, I wouldn’t have considered watching, but half a year felt just right for spectating.
A person everyone thought was dead has returned alive. What does time matter in the face of that?
Everything was going so smoothly that my mood improved on its own. If the king had ordered an immediate return, I would have had no choice but to obey. Fortunately, it seemed he would respect my freedom to some extent.
Whether he would still react so calmly once he learned that the person I wanted to observe was the Crown Prince of Elan remained to be seen.
I would keep that a secret for now. Explaining how I found out would be annoying, and being forbidden from going would be irritating.
There is something I would like to ask you. It has been on my mind for a while.
“What is it?”
On that day, what was the secret behind your ability to block the dragon’s attack?
It was a question thrown at me when I was completely off guard, but I didn’t panic. I had expected someone would ask eventually.
“It is Spirit Magic. I am a Spirit Master, after all.”
Is something like that possible with Spirit Magic? I have never heard of such a thing. To think Spirit Magic could be that powerful…
“No. To be completely honest, it is simply that I am powerful.”
……Ah, I see.
I knew I should be humble in front of the king, but what could I do when it was the truth?
Perhaps because I had said it so confidently, the king seemed momentarily at a loss for words.
Spirit Magic, you say…? Strange. The Spirit Masters in the palace said it was a power they did not know.
“It is an ancient power that has now been forgotten. I swear it is not an evil force.”
I would like to know more.
“That is… because it is a very… secretive power… no matter how curious Your Majesty may be… it is difficult for me to explain…”
I glanced once at the wizard sitting across from me, then looked back at the king, pretending to be conscious of the other person’s presence.
After heavily implying that it was hard to speak, I finally let out the words with sorrowful eyes.
My plan was perfect. As always!
“What I can tell Your Majesty is that this power is so strong… that the cruel truth is that every time it is used, my lifespan decreases.”
What?
“That is why it is a power that must never be revealed to others.”
That cannot be! It sounds almost like a forbidden art…
“Yes. A taboo. Exactly that. Great power always comes with a massive price. It is originally a dangerous force that humans cannot bear. Because using it causes such side effects… it must be kept strictly secret.”
Oh dear… To think you made such a sacrifice.
While I was pitifully scamming the king, Rai, who had been hiding in my clothes, could no longer hold back and interrupted the conversation.
…Um, excuse me? Master? I don’t remember receiving any of Master’s lifespan? How much lifespan does it take? It would be easier to just eat a flea’s liver.
It’s a lie, obviously!
Why would you tell such a lie?
In case there’s a war and they try to send me to the front lines… What if they order me to block every attack? If I make it so that every use shortens my lifespan, they won’t order me around so often, right?
Aha! As expected, Master is a genius of petty tricks!
Can’t you just call me a genius of Spirit Magic?
I was impressed by my own brilliant brain, but I wasn’t stupid enough to show it in front of the grieving king.
Still, that Rai bastard had subtly called me a flea just now… Well, since he had lived for over ten thousand years, human lifespans probably did look that short to him.
It was annoying, but deceiving the king in front of me was more important right now.
“The reason the dragon took me that day was because it became interested in this power. It wanted to know how a human could block its breath.”
There was nothing more convincing than a lie mixed with just the right amount of truth.
The king knew little about Spirit Magic, and since a dragon’s breath was considered one of the great powers no human could possibly stop, he had no choice but to believe my story about a forbidden art.
Lifespan was an excellent excuse. After all, that lifespan could be as short as five minutes. Surely no one would complain later even if I lived a long life.
I see. Was it also because of that power that the dragon spared your life?
“Yes. The dragon also advised me that it would be best to keep this power secret.”
To think it is that dangerous…
Dangerous indeed. If everyone became rich, what meaning would there be in me becoming rich! I was the type of person who could smile while lying.
“Your Majesty. Strength is both a blessing and a curse. Therefore, I have made a firm promise with the dragon to end this power with my generation. That has become my mission.”
Although I spoke in a roundabout way, the conclusion was “do not ask about this power in detail.” The king could no longer press the matter in front of the Dragon Shield.
How much of your remaining lifespan is left?
“I cannot know for certain, but it does not seem like it will be very long.”
Probably around seventy years?
While observing the king’s still-doubtful expression, I quickly pulled out the secret weapon I had prepared.
I had a trump card that could completely change this awkward atmosphere.