Chapter 4: A Day Off in Parnam (part 3)

This was like discovering that there were dinosaurs still living in some

unexplored region of the world. Or like seeing a pandemic of a virus thought to be

eradicated. Though, whether that hypothesis was right or not remained to be seen.

"Well, what then?! The monsters and demons that destroyed the Northern

Countries didn't 'come here,' they 'returned,' is that it?!"

"That, I don't know," I said. "It's dangerous to jump to that conclusion at this

stage."

What were we trying to fight against? What were our enemies? It was a question

where choosing an easy answer wasn't going to cut it.

"Also, there's one more thing bothering me..." I went on.

"There's more?!"

"Even setting aside the issue of the bones, I needed to get that sedimentation pool

made. So, I had the scholars keep archaeological records of the bones that were dug

up. The thing is, a full skeleton's worth of the largest and best preserved dragon

bones has gone missing. Even though I know it was disassembled for display and

sent to be stored at the Royal Parnam Museum..."

"So, it was stolen, then?" Liscia asked.

"That would be good news... Well, no, not good news, but still. With a full, 20-

meter-tall dragon skeleton, even if you disassemble it, it's not going to be easy to

transport. Despite that, there's no sign that it was taken out of Parnam. And yet, the

bones are still missing now. It's as if the full set suddenly started to move, took wing,

and flew away."

"Ah! No, it couldn't be! A skull dragon?!" she cried.

"That's what the scholars suspect."

A skull dragon. Apparently, there were monsters like that.

They say a raging dragon can level a kingdom. Dragons have vast stores of

magical powers within their bodies, and those reserves remain in their bodies after

death. Normally, the magic power gradually drains out, but when a dragon dies with

regrets (or, rather, when its body is left in a bad environment for too long), on rare

occasions, it may turn into a skull dragon.

These skull dragons are designated by the country as Special A-Class harmful

creatures. Winged ones can fly, even though they have no membranes between their

wings, and they spread a miasma that brings death to all living things. They can also

use the dragon's Dragon Breath technique from when it was alive, so when one

appears, it is a living (unliving?) disaster that requires the full mobilization of a

country's military to defeat. That alone was reason for smaller countries to go to the

Star Dragon Mountain Range, where the dragons live, to seek assistance.

However, this time, things were different.

"If that were it, Parnam would already be enveloped in miasma," I said. "The

scholars performed a magical test to make sure there was no risk of that happening,

after all. There shouldn't have been any magic left in that fossil."

"I see... That's good."

"Still, that's why I don't get it. Where did those dragon bones vanish to?"

It had already been close to a month since the dragon bones vanished. Despite

that, there was still no sign of them, so did that mean they had been carried outside

the walls somehow, after all? If so, what was the purpose? There was apparently

little use for the bones once the magic left them. They had lost their value as a magic

catalyst. The best that could be done with them was to put them in a museum (of

course, I would need permission from the Star Dragon Mountain Range for that) and

use them as a tourist attraction.

I didn't get it. That was why it bothered me.

I lay down on my side. Liscia frowned at me, but I didn't care.

"You're getting your clothes dirty, you realize?" she commented.

"They can be washed. Besides, considering my position, I can get someone else to

wash them for me."

"A king can't let himself get dirty all over," she said.

"Yeah, I'm sure dignity is important and all, but... it's a pain in the butt."

"As one of the people who forced this on you, it's not my place to say it, but give

up and accept it."

"Right, right. Whew, having time where I'm off completely sure is nice." I

stretched my arms and legs wide. How relaxing it was to not have a single part of my

spirit working.

Now that I thought about it, I had been working constantly since coming to this

world. There were things to do, things I ought to do, things I had no choice but to do,

piles and piles of them, and so I had been using my head all the time. Having this sort

of time where I didn't need to think about anything... it was the best.

"Ahh... I wish I could just melt away and return to the soil," I murmured.

Liscia was silent. After seeing me like that, she seemed to think for a moment,

then hesitantly said, "Do you want... to rest your head in my lap?"

◇ ◇ ◇

I sat with my knees bent, resting Souma's head on my thighs.

When someone rests their head in your lap, they can either do it with their body

lying horizontally or vertically from your perspective. This was the vertical variety.

When I peeked down at him, my face was reflected upside-down in his eyes.

Souma's head was lying between my two thighs, and it tickled a little.

"Th-This is... kind of embarrassing, you know." Souma's face was a deep shade of

red.

...I was sure mine was, too.

"Who do you think this is most embarrassing for?" I asked him. "The person

giving the lap pillow, or the person using it?"

"I don't know... Maybe it's 'for the people watching,' don't you think?" he said.

"Ha ha ha! You could be right."

If Aisha hadn't been asleep, what expression would she have made?

When she saw us looking like a couple who were engaged, would her face have

turned red? Or would she have said, "Princess, I'll not allow you to do that! If anyone

is to be his pillow, it will be me!" or something oblique like that?

When I saw the fondness that girl showed Souma, sometimes I felt there was

something more than just loyalty there...

Somehow, I suspected that out of those two options, it would have been the latter

of the two.

"...Do you think we look like we're engaged?" I asked.

"Well, in name only," he said.

"In name only..."

Any time it came up, Souma always told those close to him that our engagement

was just temporary, and he was only holding onto the crown for a little while. Once

the kingdom was reasonably stable, he probably planned to abdicate the throne to

me. I felt like that was the reason he always carefully explained the reforms he was

carrying out to me. I think I understood enough of who Souma was as a person to

figure out his intentions there.

Souma didn't desire excessive wealth or fame. He just wanted to live in peace and

quiet. For Souma, being a "king" bound by "noblesse oblige" was the exact opposite

of his calling in life. Even though my father had made the decision, I felt awful that

we had pushed this burden off onto him.

...But, right now, this kingdom was changing to center around Souma.

This country, which had been thought of by the surrounding nations as a moldy

old kingdom that never changed, was now changing. It was thanks to Souma that we

had been able to cope with the deepening food crisis. As for Hakuya, Poncho and the

others, they had only volunteered to serve because Souma was there. Even if the

throne were abdicated to me, could I keep them all tied down here?

But besides that, more than anything, I myself wanted Souma to stay in the

kingdom. And so...

"Souma... Does it bother you to have me as your fiancée?" Those words naturally

came to my lips.

Souma's eyes went wide, and he turned his bright red face to the side. "...It's not

fair for you to put it like that."

"O-Oh, yeah?" I stammered.

"Then are you fine with it, Liscia? Having me as your fiancé?"

"I don't mind." I was a little surprised myself that I was able to say it so clearly.

Though, after I did, I felt just a little embarrassed. "You know, I think you're better

suited to rule this country than I am, Souma."

"Even if I'm suited for it... are you going to get engaged to someone you don't

love?"

"Isn't that what it means to be royalty?" I asked.

"I'm not royalty. Besides... I'd rather marry for love."

"Then... do you hate me, Souma? Can you say for sure that you'll never fall in love

with me?" I asked.

"Urgh... I told you, it's not fair when you say stuff like that. The thing about men

is, if a girl shows even the slightest hint of liking them, they'll fall for her. That's the

sort of creatures we are. If a beauty like you says that to me, Liscia... there's no way I

wouldn't start to feel conscious of you."

Souma had said something that sounded like an excuse. He was surprisingly calm

and realistic in his duties, so it was funny to see him flustered in a situation like this.

I giggled. "You can make the country move, but you're hopeless when it comes to

this."

"...I lack the experience. In so many ways."

"I spend all my time in my studies and military duties, so I haven't had much

experience either, you know?" I said.

"Don't act like it's the same for guys and girls. Our base specs when it comes to

love are completely different."

While we were talking about that, a hesitant voice spoke up. "Um..."

When I turned around, Aisha had woken up at some point, and she was looking at

us with a wry smile that looked like it had been concentrated to three times the

usual intensity.

"How much longer do I need to pretend I'm asleep for?" she asked.

""...""

We both leapt into the air.