SML Ch 47

Chapter 47

“The fact that they are precious to me does not mean I am obliged to let myself be swayed by them, does it?”

After a brief moment of thought, Reynald finally replied as such. Perhaps the two princes would feel a little hurt if they heard him, but since they were not here, it should be fine. The royal guards might pass the words along, but that could not be helped.

Even after hearing the answer, Alex still looked bewildered. Reynald calmly added an explanation.

“Rather, you could say I endured all this time for the sake of their honor. Life in the royal capital has never suited me.”

“…I see.”

“Thanks to monster subjugations and other excuses, I was able to flee here and there and endure until this age… But I have always found the simple life of the frontier far more comfortable, while living in the capital—luxurious yet fraught with complications—has always been burdensome. That is why I have always wished to retire, to leave the royal city behind and live quietly in the countryside.”

It was only natural that the king or princes would not understand Reynald’s feelings. They were born and raised in the royal capital, and likely found that peculiar atmosphere comforting. Reynald, however, had always felt like an outsider ill-suited to that place for as long as he lived there.

This land, where he had barely set foot for a few months, felt far more comfortable instead—like finally wearing clothes that fit after years of suffering in garments too tight and stifling.

“This place isn’t nearly as tranquil and leisurely as you seem to think, my lord. We’ve merely been fortunate this year; next year we might not be able to do anything and starve to death. And in this land there are monsters far more aggressive than those frogs that hardly amount to anything.”

Alex spoke in a dissatisfied tone. He was not wrong, but somehow it did not sound like words spoken with real conviction.

“Even so, if we keep struggling, we’ll manage to survive somehow. I’m used to this kind of life, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“……”

“Wasn’t that the same thought that keeps you here as well, Alex? If you hated it, you’d have left long ago.”

“…I merely have nowhere else to go.”

“You must have wandered through countless villages coming all the way here from the south at such a young age, right? Of them all, you stayed here because you judged this place the best, didn’t you?”

“How did you know I came from the south…? No, putting that aside—watching you, my lord, you truly are peculiar. To choose to remain in a strange land with no dear ones, and for such a reason, no less.”

“Precious people are something you create. Given time, won’t you and the others of this domain become precious to me as well?”

At that, Alex’s face suddenly flushed red, his gaze wavering. Did he think Reynald was teasing him? He had not meant it that way at all.

As Alex fumbled and failed to answer, groaning awkwardly, Volant—watching from the side with an amused grin—joined the conversation.

“Still, my lord, I take it you do enjoy being with us?”

“Of course I do. Each day feels fresh and new with you all.”

“That’s a relief. We feel the same, actually.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. When we’re with you, even our usual daily life feels more enjoyable… We would prefer, if possible, that you stay here a long time. Of course, who knows what the future holds.”

Volant added, “I’m sure Alex feels the same,” causing Alex, still red-faced, to jab Volant sharply in the side. No, wasn’t retaliation supposed to be done secretly? Doing it so openly only made it more obvious…. Reynald thought so for a moment but chose to ignore it and simply smiled.

“Hmph, your attitude has improved quite a bit. It feels like just yesterday you were calling me an old coot and hurling insults.”

“T-that was only because we didn’t know any better back then!”

“Really? Are you sure you don’t still think I’m some crazy old man spouting nonsense?”

“Oh, my lord! Please!”

When Reynald teased them with a joke, Volant’s face turned almost as red as Alex’s as he flustered in embarrassment. While they were playing around and chatting, a boat carrying half a giant fish was already slowly approaching from across the lake. At the prow, Arun and Serna were waving in their direction.

Upon reaching the lakeshore, the princes tilted their heads curiously at the sight of the two flushed young men. To divert their attention, Reynald smiled and greeted them.

“You returned safely. Are either of you injured?”

“No problems at all! Monster fishing is surprisingly fun.”

“Shall we switch places, Sir Reynald? The cart should still have space for another half-fish.”

“No, I think it best to end the fishing here for today. Once the sun sets, this area becomes dangerous; let us have a quick meal and depart.”

Though the Anuras1 appeared cute and docile now, by nightfall they would become frenzied—downright aggressive. The young men, princes, and royal guards were all exhausted from fishing anyway; better to replenish their energy with food and leave straightaway.

Using firewood they had brought on the cart, they lit a fire and grilled the fish’s belly meat. The youths explained that the belly portion, rich in fat, spoiled quickly and should be eaten first.

“These are freshwater fish, so eating them raw is dangerous—be sure to grill or boil them well!”

“Freshwater fish? Well, it is a lake, so I suppose that’s accurate… but considering the octopus in its head is the main body, calling it freshwater fish feels…”

“Let’s not sweat the details, Lord Arun. Anyway, you shouldn’t eat monster meat raw.”

The youths and princes busily grilled the fish while chatting idly. The richly flavored belly meat needed only a sprinkle of salt to taste excellent.

Far off, the Anuras were holding a feast of their own with the fish they had received from Reynald’s group. Even from a distance, one could tell how pleased they were—giddy at the rare chance to enjoy such prized fish for free.

“It’s a strange feeling, isn’t it? To dine in peace with monsters right at our doorstep.”

“That’s one of this land’s charms. I believe, given time, you princes will grow accustomed to it as well.”

Reynald answered Serna as they continued their meal. The two princes’ faces were filled with wonder and curiosity—perhaps similar to what Reynald himself had felt upon first arriving here.

From then on, the princes’ party continued frequenting the lake, somehow managing to procure food.

Most of their haul was the demon-octopus-fish, but at times they also brought back the corpses of bears that ambushed humans. As Volant had mentioned earlier, bears were unexpectedly common around the lake.

The bears seemed to know the brightly colored frogs were poisonous, rarely attacking the Anuras; humans, however—lacking such defenses—were seen as easy prey. All the more so when they carried carts brimming with delicious fish. Inevitably, the bears often ended up as prey themselves instead.

“Heide, could we trade bear pelts for food in nearby villages?”

“Hmm, perhaps in villages with ample stores, but around here? Doubtful… At this season, everyone’s granaries are thin, so you won’t get much. Best store them well and sell when traveling merchants pass through later.”

Even so, the domain’s people were delighted with the knights’ efforts. The fish they caught were plentiful enough not only for themselves but also to share with the villagers—welcome news for residents who subsisted on coarse bread, garden greens, and dwindling wyvern meat.

To repay the visitors, villagers helped with laundry, cleaning, and other chores, gratefully accepting fish in return. The princes and royal guards showed no arrogance or entitlement, responding with humility; thus relations between the guests and villagers remained amicable.

Time passed peacefully; already, six days had gone by since the princes’ arrival.

“They say the supply wagon will arrive by tomorrow morning, my lords. Looks like today will be our last day fishing.”

“Really? That’s good news… though a little sad too. Lake fishing has been quite fun.”

Serna smiled wistfully, truly disappointed. It seemed the princes genuinely enjoyed their rustic retreat. At first, they had fixated solely on retrieving Reynald, but perhaps they, too, had chosen to use this as a chance for rest.

Yet it seemed they were not simply idling away in the countryside. As they prepared for their final fishing trip, Serna quietly approached Reynald.

“By the way, Sir Reynald… what do you suppose that lake truly is?”

“Well… I tried to check its name on the map I brought, but since this is the frontier, the information is vague and imprecise.”

“It really is an unknown land… Fascinating.”

Indeed, as Serna said, it was odd—such a massive lake, and yet no one had known of it until seeing it firsthand. Reynald considered unfolding the map and investigating the region again, but all he could confirm was that this land was practically uncharted, left untouched.

“It can’t be helped—it’s a frontier after all.”

Reynald shrugged lightly. “Frontier” referred to the easternmost and northernmost reaches of the Kingdom of Carbonel—regions still only partially developed. Though technically within the kingdom’s territory, these lands remained largely neglected for various reasons.

The northern frontier was once inaccessible due to the red dragon of Mount Luen, but with the dragon’s fall, it has become approachable… As for the eastern frontier, harsh climate and swarms of miscellaneous monsters made it too troublesome to develop.

Even fully settled territories constantly struggled with monsters; how much more so, then, in lands barely touched? This domain was one such place—ignored and nameless. Thus neither the forests inhabited by the swine-beasts nor the lake home to the Anuras bore any proper names.

“If resources allowed, I’d like to investigate further… It’s a shame we’ll have no reason to return after today.”

Listening to their conversation, Arun added quietly. The prince seemed strangely interested in the nameless lake. In fact, Arun’s fishing skills had improved remarkably day by day; left unchecked, he would likely spend entire days happily reeling in monsters. Watching him wrestle with hooked beasts, muscles straining, was thrilling even from the sidelines.

“If you wish, you’re free to visit the lake anytime. Do you enjoy monster fishing that much?”

“It’s my first time, but it seems well-suited to me. And besides…”

That’s a problem for a prince to have, Reynald thought with a wry smile, but Arun’s own expression turned serious as he spoke again.

“During the past six days, while closely observing beneath the surface… I glimpsed something massive moving in the lake’s depths.”

“…Something massive?”

“I can’t be certain of what I saw. It could’ve been dust stirred by currents, nothing more. But if I had more time to watch, I could confirm it.”

Reynald and Serna exchanged puzzled glances. They, too, had observed the lake while fishing, but all they had ever seen were ordinary fish being preyed upon by demon-octopus-fish. When they asked the youths, they also shook their heads—none had seen anything unusual.

Was it merely Prince Arun’s imagination? No… When he commits to observing something, his intuition is astonishingly sharp…

A vague sense of unease prickled at Reynald. On impulse, he loaded several giant-monster crossbows and extra swords onto the cart—equipment they normally left behind. If nothing happened, all the better; but should trouble arise, they would be prepared.

He could only hope those preparations would prove unnecessary. With that quiet prayer in his heart, Reynald set out on their sixth day of fishing.

Footnotes

1. Anuras – A species of brightly colored, frog-like monsters inhabiting the lake. Their appearance is deceptively cute, but they are highly aggressive, especially at night. ↩