Bad Feelings Have a Way of Coming True
The words that slipped out of my mouth sounded exactly like something a murderer would say when caught, but when Lord Runken gave me a doubtful look, I quickly reconsidered. That didn’t seem to be the case.
Then—
I noticed the two knights behind me had gasped audibly.
Turning around, I saw both of their faces had gone pale.
It was rare to see Kevin, usually the cheerful one, looking like he’d swallowed a rock.
Confused, I turned my gaze back to Lord Runken.
That’s when it hit me—like a sudden flash of realization.
Where had Lord Runken just come from?
And what exactly had he said…?
A dragon had appeared earlier.
The moment it vanished, Lord Runken appeared.
And his words were—
“If you saw it, then it can’t be helped.”
“Please keep this matter quiet. Your Majesty, and you two knights as well—this must go no further.”
If it wasn’t the words of a murderer caught at the scene, there was only one answer left.
I felt the color drain from my own face, much like the two knights behind me, as I voiced a single theory.
“... Lord Runken… are you… the dragon?”
To anyone else, that would have sounded utterly absurd.
Yet here, now… it felt like the only logical answer.
He gave no reply.
“──”
Which likely meant… that was my answer.
(No way… no way… Lord Runken… is a dragon…!?)
My brain couldn’t comprehend it.
Confusion piled atop bewilderment, and all I could do was blink repeatedly.
Then, I remembered something every citizen of Leviathan knew—a founding legend.
“Long ago, Leviathan was home to a dragon. But foolish humans accidentally killed it.
That dragon had a human companion, considered its closest friend, who became the first king of Leviathan’s royal family.”
It was said that out of pity for the slain dragon, the ancestors of the Runken Ducal House held its funeral rites.
That’s why the Runkens were known as a family of holy priests.
I could only imagine the expression I was making.
Lord Runken stood before me, looking both troubled and perplexed, which likely meant my shock was written all over my face.
In a faint whisper, I asked him:
“… Wasn’t the Runken Ducal House… a family of priests?”
At my question, he fell silent for a moment, likely debating whether to answer.
Then, choosing the latter, he replied slowly.
“… That tale… has been passed down with certain distortions. I suspect you would have reached the answer on your own even if I stayed silent, but… I’ll answer.”
After prefacing it that way, he continued in a single breath:
“To avoid being used… to prevent needless conflicts…
Our ancestors chose to bury the existence of the dragon.
They chose to take human form—nothing more, nothing less.”
“… And the spirits… they exist?”
“… They do. Even now… right nearby.”
There was a brief pause before his reply.
I was left speechless again.
I glanced instinctively to where he had indicated, but I saw nothing.
“… Are they angry?”
It had originally been said that the spirits’ anger was causing the abnormal weather.
When I asked, Lord Runken gave a quiet nod.
“They are angry. And… very weak.”
Apparently, dragons and spirits could usually communicate.
But the spirits were now so feeble that even that was impossible.
The reason, it seemed, was the opening of this forbidden zone.
According to Lord Runken, there were spirits all across Leviathan.
They liked humans, were mischievous, and enjoyed playing.
Since there were many places where spirits bathed, it wasn’t practical to designate the duchy itself as a protected area.
Listening to his explanation, I finally—finally—felt my initial shock begin to settle.
And I let out a heavy sigh.
“This… if it goes public, it’ll be a disaster, won’t it…”
“It would cause an uproar,” Lord Runken agreed. “That’s why I must insist—no one can know.”
He pressed his point firmly.
I nodded deeply.
Of course I had no intention of revealing such a colossal secret.
If this leaked, it would cause unimaginable chaos.
I made sure to have both knights swear to silence, and we agreed to later formalize it with a secrecy pact between myself and Lord Runken.
A so-called magic contract—
Specifically, a “blood contract,” which reacts to mana violations.
It was typically reserved for high-value merchant dealings and rarely used otherwise.
(But in this case, something of this magnitude could shake the entire kingdom… It’s only natural to take the utmost precautions.)
With that decision, everything was settled.
As we left the forbidden zone, Sarasa, Mary, and Lilia were waiting.
Noticing Lord Runken with us, they gave puzzled looks, but before they could ask, Sarasa called out in a flustered voice.
“Your Majesty—Lady Clementina! We have urgent news!”
“… What happened?”
Seeing the usually composed Sarasa this shaken gave me a terrible sense of foreboding.
And, as these things tend to go… bad feelings were rarely wrong.
Not this time either.
Stepping away from the gatekeepers, I asked her directly, and Sarasa replied in a hushed yet frantic voice.
“His Majesty… His Majesty has arrived…!!”
………… Excuse me!?
What do you think about this chapter?
