Meeting the Golden King
by Afuhfuihgs
I know Luna adores the Hatchling, but if I can revive Luna, that’s all that matters. The Hatchling doesn’t particularly like me either, and I’ve only provided it with food, so there’s no real bond there.
I’m just glad there’s a way to use the Hatchling in the most valuable way possible.
I asked Raellan about a sudden, uneasy thought.
“But, will we be able to meet the Golden King?”
“I already applied for an audience under the name of Perelkus a few days ago. We can meet the Golden King tomorrow morning. I’ve also booked two seats on the direct portal to El Dorado in advance. It’ll be departing soon, so we should head to the portal station.”
Raellan added, as if to ease my worries.
“If the deal goes well, we can return to the capital before the labyrinth opens.”
I felt a shock throughout my body. Unlike my concerns, Raellan had already finished all the preparations. From what he said, Raellan had been planning to make a deal with the Golden King for days. I felt goosebumps on my back and stood up.
“Then let’s leave right away.”
However, unlike me, Raellan still seemed to have no intention of moving from his chair, so I tilted my head.
“Aren’t you coming with me?”
With this level of preparation, I thought he would have thoroughly prepared for the deal with the Golden King as well. But Raellan shook his head, contrary to my expectations.
“I’m not going.”
“Didn’t you say you booked two seats?”
“Yeah.”
Raellan looked at me with the gaze of a professor looking at a failing student, as if asking why I was repeating what he said, so I rubbed my forehead.
“…?”
As I was bewildered, Eunice grabbed my shoulder from behind.
“I’m going to El Dorado with you.”
“…Not Raellan?”
The plan to use the Hatchling seemed to be filled with Raellan’s personality, who loves to manipulate people. So, I naturally thought that Raellan, the leader of the plan, would be with me.
Raellan explained to my puzzled expression.
“I’m sending Eunice instead of me on purpose. I have a tendency to push situations to the extreme.”
“I asked Modest to get information about the Golden King and the Gold Dragon. I thought there was a high possibility that the Golden King would read Raellan’s tendencies, judge that troublesome things would happen, and stop the deal.”
I understood the situation at Eunice’s words and nodded. I glanced at Raellan and muttered without realizing it.
“Surprisingly, you’re good at self-awareness.”
It was a careless murmur mixed with my true feelings, thinking that this person also thinks like this. Raellan chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
“Understanding the tendencies of a strategist is more important than anything else. Even if it’s yourself. Don’t you know that knowing and still doing it is more dangerous? Hehehe.”
Instead of answering, I turned to Eunice and said.
“Let’s go, we’ll be late.”
“…Okay.”
I ignored Eunice’s gaze, which seemed to say that the two of them surprisingly get along well.
***
We woke up in the accommodation booked by Raellan and headed straight to the mansion where the Golden King lives, on time.
Following Raellan’s advice that the Golden King, who obtained the Hatchling, might ignore the contract, I put the box containing the shell that fell off when the Hatchling Luna had collected hatched, into the space warehouse as evidence.
“…I’m somehow nervous. The day has come when I see the Golden King with my own eyes.”
Eunice seemed nervous and kept wiping the sweat from her palms on her skirt. After confirming that no one was watching, I took out a beer candy from the space warehouse and handed it to her. Eunice quickly put it in her mouth and sighed.
“…I’m only a sophomore, but I have to negotiate with the Golden King, who is actually a Gold Dragon… It’s too much pressure!”
“He trusts you and entrusted it to you. Raellan thinks your abilities are sufficient.”
“…That’s even scarier. Raellan keeps trying to teach me these days. It’s good to learn a lot… but I’m a little scared of why this person is suddenly doing this. Is it time for him to die?”
I stroked my chin at Eunice’s appearance, who was seriously worrying and continuing to sigh, and said.
“He’s probably thinking of growing you and recruiting you.”
“…What are you talking about? I’m already a member of the rescue team.”
I was also embarrassed by Eunice’s words, who didn’t understand. Realizing that Eunice hadn’t fully understood Raellan, I scratched my cheek and said.
“Raellan is thinking about what will happen after Roel wins against the God of Chaos. You’re a commoner like me, so he’s probably trying to recruit you as a member of the Perelkus family.”
“…What?”
I realized that my explanation was insufficient at the gaze that seemed to be saying what nonsense I was talking about, and rubbed my forehead. It seems that Eunice, who only received the memories of what I experienced, didn’t realize what I did when I directly experienced Raellan in another world.
“…Raellan is definitely planning to win. Of course, he’s also thinking about what will happen after that. He could become an enemy of Roel, who defeated the god. Wouldn’t he try to recruit as many useful talents as possible?”
Eunice’s mouth dropped open at my explanation. I pretended not to hear her muttering “Crazy bastard.” and turned my head.
Just in time, a maid approached us, as if it was our turn, and guided us.
As the guest who had entered first came out, the maid held the open door and gestured for us to enter.
What we saw when we went inside was a girl lying on a red sofa with her legs sticking out. Eunice whispered softly as she looked at the girl who was exuding a languid atmosphere with her eyes closed.
“Could that be… no, is that her?”
“…That’s right. She’s the Golden King.”
I cleared my throat loudly for no reason to let her know that we had entered. But the Golden King didn’t seem to have any intention of opening her closed eyes. I elbowed Eunice, who was silently frozen, and signaled her to just start.
“Ah, uh-huh.”
Eunice, who had come to her senses, cleared her throat with a hem, hem.
“It’s an honor to meet you. My name is Eunice, and I was born and raised in El Dorado. This is my friend, Ross.”
At that moment, the Golden King’s slender fingers twitched slightly. We looked at her, wondering if she had woken up, but scratched our chins at the Golden King’s appearance, who was as unresponsive as a corpse again.
“The reason we applied for an audience is because we have information that the Golden King might be interested in.”
“….”
When the Golden King didn’t say anything, Eunice looked at me and gave me a look that said, “What should I do?” I silently handed Eunice the box containing the Hatchling’s shell that I was holding and whispered.
“…Do it yourself.”
“Hey, you, you bastard!”
“…Utilizing a strategist is my role.”
While we were arguing in small voices, the maid, who had been killing her presence to the point of blending in with the background, said.
“If you have any tribute, you can hand it over to me.”
At those words, Eunice quickly handed over the box she had received from me. The maid, who received the box, glided silently to the Golden King and held out the box.
The Golden King, who had been using magic to examine the contents of the box while lying down with her eyes still closed, slowly opened her closed eyes. The Golden King had golden eyes like Bella, as she remembered.
“…This is.”
“It’s the Hatchling’s shell.”
Eunice said, not missing the opportunity, as the Golden King showed interest. The Golden King gestured to the maid to open the box and checked inside the box while lying down.
“…That’s right.”
Eunice glanced at me, as if to say, “End of appreciation.” I felt like she was going to close her eyes again, so I had no choice but to open my mouth.
“The Hatchling has hatched.”
“….”
There was no answer. I could see that the Golden King was gradually losing interest, so I said urgently.
“…It eats well too.”
“….”
“It also likes women. Strangely, it hates me though….”
Despite my efforts, the Golden King’s eyelids were about to close again. I wondered if there was anything that came to mind and said whatever came to mind.
“It doesn’t seem to be able to fly yet, and it’s black, of all things.”
At that moment, the Golden King’s eyelids, which had been heavily sinking, widened. Then, she got up from the sofa and turned her head towards us. At that reaction, Eunice and I unconsciously took a step back.
“…Black?”
Eunice nodded vigorously at the Golden King’s question.
“Yes, yes! It’s definitely black!”
“Hatchlings with color don’t exist?”
“…Then what is it?”
I subtly recognized the space coordinates at Eunice’s empty muttering. I was thinking of running away if things went wrong.
But the Golden King was staring at me blankly. Did she notice that I recognized the space coordinates? As I was nervously thinking, the Golden King asked in a low voice.
“…The Hatchling?”
“Ah, we put it in a safe place….”
Realizing that it wasn’t the answer she wanted at the sight of her slightly closing her eyelids again, I quickly changed my words.
It seems that the Golden King’s way of speaking is very unique. It wasn’t a question of where the Hatchling was, but a question of where we got the Hatchling.
“We obtained the Hatchling’s egg as the final reward in a place called the Trial Room in the Transcendence Academy.”
“….”
For some reason, the Golden King stared at me with a scary gaze. After being silent for a while, the Golden King let out a languid sigh and muttered quietly.
“That kid….”
“Yes?”
Ignoring Eunice’s words, the Golden King, who had fixed her gaze on me, opened her mouth.
“Can I meet it?”
At Eunice’s action of quickly poking my thigh, I nodded and said.
“If you help us, you can not only meet the Hatchling, but also have the Hatchling if you want-! …I mean, you can meet it.”
At that moment, Eunice stepped on my foot. I endured the pain and looked at her as if asking what she was doing, but Eunice widened her eyes as much as she could and said with her mouth.
,There’s no need to say you’ll give it to her when you’re just meeting it!
Eunice is right. But I think this is the Golden King’s unique way of speaking. As I expected, the Golden King’s eyes were slightly sparkling.
“…What do you want?”
My role is over. I pointed to the Golden King with my chin, and Eunice, who belatedly came to her senses, said.
“The church is also planning to participate in the labyrinth that the imperial palace will open. If you show the Golden King’s powerful strength against the church, the entire continent will-“
“One day.”
“…Yes?”
“Round trip included.”
I explained in a small voice to Eunice, who didn’t understand the Golden King’s words.
“…She said she’ll only fight for one day. Including the time to return from the capital to El Dorado.”
“….”
Whether she had good hearing despite my small voice, the Golden King nodded slightly and lay down on the sofa again. It seemed that she closed her eyes because she was too lazy to talk anymore.
0 Comments