SML Ch 59

Chapter 59

“Wow, those birds drop that easily? I guess royal treasures really are on another level….”

Volant muttered in pure astonishment, his face brimming with unfeigned admiration. The birds remained frozen on the ground for quite a while, and as Reynald’s party approached, they began trembling violently before promptly coughing up the springs lodged in their throats. It was clear evidence that their magical energy had been depleted.

They then took off into the sky as though frantically fleeing from humans. The swiftness of their retreat was so absurdly quick that it almost made all the hours Reynald’s group had spent exhausting themselves each day over the past several days seem utterly pointless.

“See? I told you I’d get it right this time!”

“This is incredible! As expected of a prince from the royal capital… If we can use a method like this, Alex won’t have to suffer anymore, right?”

Serna and Volant were chatting away as if they were perfectly in sync, but Reynald cast Alex a sidelong glance, feeling a strange sense of unease. Until now, Alex had shown no dissatisfaction toward Serna and had treated him with nothing but kindness, yet there he was—his expression weighed down, walking swiftly toward the youngest prince.

Naturally, Serna assumed Alex was approaching to share in the joy. While Reynald hesitated, debating whether to intervene, Alex closed the distance in an instant and stood before Serna.

“Alex, starting tomorrow you won’t have to go through all that trouble anymore! All we need to do is shine this at the birds and it’s over in one blow…!”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I don’t think you need to help us to that extent.”

Reynald felt relieved that Alex had at least managed to phrase it politely, but Serna clearly looked flustered at those words.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I’m grateful for your concern, but didn’t you say that’s a treasured heirloom of the royal family? I believe it would be wiser not to carry it around carelessly and show it to others. Should it be misplaced, the consequences would be dire.”

At first glance, it sounded like a reasonable argument. This wasn’t just some convenient magical tool—if it truly was a royal heirloom, the risk of losing it thoughtlessly was far too great.

And if it escalated beyond simple loss, things would get far more complicated. Even if the residents of this domain were simple and good-natured, they weren’t entirely free of desire. If someone happened to steal it, the incident would become catastrophically severe.

Yet Reynald didn’t nod in agreement right away; instead, he quietly studied Alex.

…That excuse feels awfully improvised. Just like Serna earlier.

It wasn’t that Alex’s words were completely insincere, but it was obvious that wasn’t the real reason for stopping Serna. He’d merely found a convenient pretext to use as cover.

“Hmm, what you’re saying isn’t wrong, but… Alex, did I make some mistake toward you in the five days we’ve spent together?”

Serna, sensing it instinctively, broached the topic carefully. Naturally, Alex shook his head.

“Sorry? No, nothing like that at all.”

“But still… I mean, um. Isn’t there another reason you’re saying this? I can’t shake that feeling.”

When Serna fixed him with a slightly persistent gaze, Alex awkwardly averted his eyes. He clearly didn’t want to openly clash with Serna, even if he felt uncomfortable.

Or perhaps this young man was searching for an opening to finally voice what he’d been holding back? Perhaps he wanted to say it but lacked the pretext to bring it up—and now, with the slightest excuse, he might speak…

“I just… I simply don’t think it’s worth taking unnecessary risks for something we’ll only use for a short while.”

“For something we’ll only use for a short while?”

“…Aren’t Your Highnesses planning to take our lord with you, in the end? I doubt you intend to drag this out until next year.”

“Well, yes, that’s true.”

Serna, blurting it out carelessly, quickly wore a look of regret. He’d realized, belatedly, that it wasn’t the right moment to say that aloud. And that one remark only seemed to sour Alex’s mood further, which had already been strained to begin with.

“That royal treasure—once Your Highnesses depart, we won’t be able to use it anymore, will we? If you take our lord with you, you won’t have any reason to care about this domain anymore either. So I’d prefer if you didn’t interfere any more than necessary.”

“Uh, um…?”

“Of course, we’re grateful for your willingness to help. If we rely on Your Highnesses, this year will be easier for us. But come next year, we’ll have to drive the birds away the same way we did this year… and I don’t think that’s something we’ll feel good about.”

“Why wouldn’t you feel good about it?”

“Because we’d constantly be reminded that there is a better way. We’d end up wasting our energy and time on these chores, ruining our spring days, knowing all the while there was an easier option we couldn’t use. …Admittedly, it’s a bit of a twisted argument when I say it out loud.”

It wasn’t impossible to understand what he meant. There was a difference between struggling all day under the assumption that this was the only way to repel the clockwork birds, and knowing there was an easier way but still being forced to waste time with an inefficient one.

So, this young man is thinking ahead to next year—that’s why he can’t welcome Serna’s offer. He fears that becoming accustomed to convenience now will make the hardship feel even worse later.

To endure harsh conditions knowing there’s a better way is harder than enduring them in ignorance. Alex was simply saying he’d rather not know than accept Serna’s help.

Still, Reynald couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more behind Alex’s reaction. True, part of what he said must have been sincere, but… there was something else—something harder to define.

And perhaps that “something” was connected to why Alex had lashed out at Reynald so abruptly when they first met.

“Hmm, I think I get what you’re saying. In fact, there were other villages during extermination campaigns that had similar situations…. Still, I’m curious about something, Alex.”

After listening to Alex’s words, Serna—rather than getting angry—seemed thoughtful for a moment before posing a question.

“Why don’t you ever ask us for help?”

“Excuse me?”

“You could at least try negotiating with us—ask if we can spare a single mage to handle small problems in the domain, or something like that.”

“……”

“Even if Reynald goes back to the capital, this will still be his land. From a formal standpoint, that wouldn’t even be an unreasonable request. So why do you give up without even bringing it up?”

Alex fell silent for a long time, at a loss for words—as though he had no idea where to begin, or how to explain. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, hesitating endlessly.

It looked as though he couldn’t find the language to express some deep-rooted resignation festering inside him. This wasn’t necessarily about distrust of Serna; rather, it seemed more like a fundamental fear embedded in how this young man related to people at large.

Someone would have to step in to mediate. But how? Reynald was watching Alex closely, searching for a clue, when—

“Um, little prince!”

Volant, who had been quietly observing, suddenly interjected himself into the conversation for some reason. Serna tilted his head in mild confusion.

“Huh? Well, I’m not that little, you know… Sure, I’m smaller than you guys now, but I might grow taller later, so could you just call me by name?”

“Oh, sorry. Prince Serna! Anyway, um—there’s no option where you don’t take our lord with you, right? I get that sending a mage isn’t impossible, but that part is?”

“For now, that’s the case. Unless we persuade him, Father won’t even let us back into the royal capital. For the time being, we’ll watch over things, but in the end…”

As he answered smoothly, Serna suddenly realized something, his eyes lighting up.

“Ah, so that’s what this is about! Is that it?”

When Serna widened his eyes and nodded, Volant looked relieved and nodded back in unison. The most crucial part of the conversation had been omitted, yet somehow the two of them seemed to understand each other perfectly. While they bonded over this mysterious mutual understanding, Reynald could only stand there, bewildered.

“Ah, yes. That’s what I think too… By the way, Your Highness, I do think Alex has a point. I mean, that treasure’s really precious, isn’t it? What if you drop it by accident and an earthworm swallows it, or a passing thrush snatches it away?”

“What kind of example is that? What earthworm in the world would swallow a mirror this big—hold on, do giant earthworms even appear in your fields? And what thrush? Is that even a monster?”

“Is that what you call an Earthsworm? They’re like three meters long and pop up sometimes. Anyway, this land’s crawling with bizarre monsters, so if you just carry that treasure around anywhere, people nearby might die of fright. I really think we need another method.”

Throughout, Volant carried the conversation along with a bafflingly cheerful attitude. As Reynald had noticed back at the lake, this young man was strangely like Serna’s natural enemy—utterly oblivious, yet uncannily good at poking Serna where it flustered him most.

Alex, meanwhile, looked completely lost as he watched the two of them talk. Even though the subject matter concerned him, he seemed unable to comprehend what was happening. Volant, seemingly satisfied with what he’d said to Serna, now turned to Alex.

“And Alex, you should calm down too… The mirror’s given us some breathing room, so why don’t we spend that extra time coming up with a more long-term solution?”

“A long-term solution?”

“Yeah. Even without mages or royal treasures, it wouldn’t hurt to find an easy way to chase off those crows ourselves. Am I wrong? From what I hear, that mirror is a pretty amazing item—maybe if we study it, we can develop methods we can keep using even after next year.”

“Hmm. Hey, Volant? What exactly are you trying to say here?”

“I’m saying you should spend more time talking with Prince Serna. It’s not like you actually dislike him, right? Anyway, let’s head back to my place and discuss this. This isn’t really the best spot for it…”

Volant gave Reynald a polite nod and dragged Alex away. Meanwhile, Serna, rather than explaining what he had supposedly understood, simply beamed and began preparing to head back to the castle.

I have no idea how Volant managed to resolve that situation, but…

With a confused sigh, Reynald had no choice but to follow after Serna.

Footnotes:

• Earthsworm: Likely refers to a giant worm-like monster common in fantasy settings, distinct from normal earthworms. 
• Thrush: The bird mentioned may also be a local monster variant rather than the common bird species.