Ch.6464. Sianella’s Male Knight (1)

The Princess Adelheid’s coming-of-age ceremony was conducted with splendor and solemnity in the vast garden of the royal palace.

Several high priests blessed her with Divine Power.

The royal knights pledged eternal loyalty to Adelheid and the royal family…

Furthermore, the king of the Kingdom of Aicilia firmly declared that Adelheid Aisilia would inherit the legitimate right of succession as the next monarch.

The reason was apparently because she had inherited the blood of the founding king who established the kingdom most strongly.

I suppose this must be referring to the atavism mentioned at yesterday’s banquet.

Among their words of praise, I focused on one particular statement.

‘One who has inherited the blood of the ancestor who slaughtered thousands of demons and established the country, more strongly than anyone in history.’

Isn’t that an intriguing story?

With the world facing destruction from a demon invasion, no less.

She’s the one who has most strongly inherited the blood of someone who was so good at slaying demons.

If the Sianella family inherited the power to destroy demons from their ancestors, then Aisilia inherited the blood of that great lizard, the master of that magic.

‘We’ll likely get entangled often.’

In these times when demon worshippers are rampant, if demon-related incidents increase, I’ll inevitably become involved with Adelheid, whether I like it or not.

Of course, when I first fell into this dungeon world, didn’t the Status Window inform me?

That the world’s will for survival would begin to lead me toward a new destiny.

To save a world once conquered by demons…

A princess of one country wouldn’t be enough. Even establishing connections with the emperor of the neighboring empire would be insufficient.

In the end, this “world’s will for survival” or whatever, along with quests, will surely entangle me with Sione and Adelheid.

‘…Just thinking about it is exhausting.’

She looked at me with such suspicious eyes at yesterday’s banquet.

And she also said she wanted a private audience with me after this coming-of-age ceremony.

Two days ago, it was Noah and Sione’s misunderstanding. Yesterday, it was Aria and Sione’s sudden outburst that drained me.

And now, to top it all off, a private audience with the princess.

When will my fortunes ever improve?

“Sigh……”

As I tried to relieve my frustration with a sigh,

Sione, who was watching Adelheid’s ceremony beside me, observed my expression and quietly asked.

“Ray, is there perhaps some problem?”

At Sione’s voice, I gently turned my head to look at her.

Unlike yesterday, Sione was dressed in a fresh sky-blue dress with a bright atmosphere, showing a worried expression.

“I was just catching my breath, so you needn’t worry.”

“…For that, your expression didn’t look very good.”

Sione narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.

Her hair, which had been cut at the boundary of spring and summer, had grown a bit by autumn, and it swayed on her shoulders with her movement, almost touching them.

I wonder what kind of answer she wants, staring so persistently.

I tried to just give a small smile and move on.

But Sione starts staring at me again, making me self-conscious.

If she wants an answer that badly.

It wouldn’t be bad to tease her a bit.

“I was just thinking about Lady Sione who was drunk yesterday.”

“Ah, th-that.”

Sione cut off her words, greatly embarrassed by my statement.

After showing a momentary flustered expression, she composed herself.

“…Forget about yesterday.”

“I’ll try my best.”

“No, don’t try, just forget it.”

“Could you forget it with just one command to forget, Lady Sione?”

“Ugh……”

Sione gritted her teeth and lowered her head as if frustrated.

Ainel, who had been quietly watching us, asked.

“Did something happen yesterday?”

“Well……”

Sione looked up at me with desperate eyes.

If I tease her any more, she might cry.

A woman of principle shouldn’t show tears carelessly.

I stopped my teasing there.

“Lady Sione tripped over her own feet yesterday… that’s what we were talking about.”

“…I hope you didn’t show such an unseemly sight to others.”

“Since she fell in my quarters, no one but me witnessed Lady Sione’s fall.”

At my words, Ainel nodded while glaring at Sione.

“To think you’d trip over your own feet… Sione, while staying in the capital, you are not to touch alcohol at all.”

“…I will do so, Mother.”

As we were talking, the princess’s coming-of-age ceremony finally ended.

As the solemn atmosphere concluded, a somewhat freer atmosphere began to form.

With the kingdom’s key figures, foreign ambassadors, and high-ranking members of different races all present,

The nobles all began to converse with each other, accompanied by their guards.

Ainel also seemed to be looking for someone and said after scanning the surroundings.

“I have someone I need to speak with, so you two look around this place.”

“…Can’t we go together?”

This shy master of mine can hardly open her mouth even with me by her side.

I desperately need Ainel’s help.

Unfortunately, Ainel shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but I have quite important business.”

At Ainel’s mention of important business, Sione showed a reaction.

“May I ask what this important business is?”

To Sione’s question, Ainel, unusually, answered with the corners of her mouth raised.

“With the help of my friend, I’ve finally found the last clue to reach the level of Master.”

“Is that true?”

“If I can reach it, I might soon become the kingdom’s new Master.”

Sione nodded as if entranced.

A gaze full of admiration.

It’s a natural reaction.

None other than the level of Sword Master.

A knight who can draw out sword energy of a different caliber from an Expert and crush enemies.

Who wouldn’t admire someone who possesses enough power to change the tide of war?

“It won’t take long, so please take care of Sione until then. This time, Sione absolutely must not drink wine.”

“I will comply.”

As I bowed my head in agreement to Ainel’s words, she went off to find her friend.

Sione and I began to look around the garden filled with people.

Somehow today, Noah Velleia wasn’t clinging to me, and there were no piercing gazes like Feira Feiosha’s.

So there was no need to waste energy on their relationship with Sione.

If there was another issue…

‘There are too many stares directed at me.’

Other nobles glancing at me.

It seems the sword at my waist is the cause.

If they’re going to look, they should just look directly. They’re not perverts, but their furtive glances make me more self-conscious.

As I tried to walk around the garden as nonchalantly as possible, ignoring others’ gazes,

Sione spoke to me while staring at one side.

“Judging by those pointed ears… it seems elves have come here.”

“Elves, you say?”

“Yes, the eastern border of the kingdom is adjacent to the great forest where elves live. It seems they’ve participated in the coming-of-age ceremony to promote goodwill.”

As Sione said, elves could be found in one part of the garden.

Pointed ears and universally beautiful appearances that far exceed the average human standard.

As I was captivated by the sight of elves I hadn’t seen in a long time, my master glanced at me and casually asked.

“Men and women alike, they’re a race famous for their universal beauty… Ray, what do you think?”

“About the elves’ appearance?”

The elves’ appearance…

Certainly, their beauty is enough to make even men who are stingy with women gape.

Unfortunately, I’m not fooled by their beautiful appearance.

“I have no interest in elves’ appearance.”

“Really?”

“After all, a person’s inner self is more important than their outer appearance.”

The race steeped in a sense of superiority, elves.

Beings born with the blessing of spirits, possessing exceptional magical abilities from birth.

Born with a different starting point from other races, and given a long lifespan by the gods.

While pretending to be kind and empathetic on the outside, they inwardly sneer and mock.

These damned pointy-eared ones have a gloomy habit of enjoying their racial, and by extension, personal superiority from the depths of their psyche.

Knowing the perverted nature of these elves,

I don’t place much value on elves’ appearance, so I answered that way.

“Hoho, is that so?”

I don’t know why Sione is so pleased.

“Hehe……”

She quietly laughed shyly, as if she were a girl in love.

She seemed to be unfolding some kind of unrealistic fantasy again.

But if she’s happy.

I had no intention of ruining her mood, so I just stepped back and watched her.

“By the way….”

It’s troublesome if elves are here.

I cooled my head and observed the elves.

One man and two women. Three in total.

I’m not sure about the men in this world who can’t receive mana.

But basically, elves who can handle spirit power can sense the spirit energy.

If I approach within the range where elves can sense energy, they will be able to feel the spirit energy I possess.

‘This has become troublesome.’

Literally.

The limitation of race.

Humans find it difficult to possess spirit energy.

No, it’s more accurate to say that all races except elves find it difficult to handle spirit power.

As such, even women who can handle mana find it difficult to possess mana with spirit energy, unless they are elves.

What if a human, especially a man who rarely awakens mana, is exuding the scent of spirits?

‘They’ll almost certainly try to cling to me.’

It’s already strange enough to possess spirit energy.

If I possess enough energy to operate spirit magic, not just a tiny amount.

Out of curiosity about the identity of this primitive short-lived race possessing the special power of elves,

They will show unwanted intense interest.

I saw races like beastkin and dwarves, but no elves, so I was relieved.

But to suddenly see elves like this.

I had weakly hoped that today might pass quietly, but that hope was completely shattered.

However, unlike my cooled mood, Sione, who had been shyly smiling to herself,

Was now looking at the elves with sparkling eyes, finding them so fascinating.

“By the way, I’ve heard that elven bows are famous for being excellent… Ray, do you know about this?”

Full of expectation, she asks not about elven abilities or characteristics,

But about elven bows first.

She’s become quite the archer now.

I smiled slightly and answered.

“Elven bows… apart from being sturdy and flexible, they’re not that good. It would be much better to use other wooden bows with magic enchantments.”

“Hmm…? Then are all the stories about elven bows circulating in the world false?”

I shook my head to deny her words, and Sione frowned, urging me to answer quickly.

Unable to resist my master’s urging, I gave her the answer she wanted.

“If the user is human, that is.”

Elven bows.

They are indeed excellent bows, as is known to the world.

Of course, only when those bows are handled by our superior elven lords.

“The reason elven bows are strong and excellent is because they have the effect of maximizing spirit magic. That’s why elven bows are superior to any other weapon for elves who handle spirit magic. But not for us. Beings who aren’t elves can’t handle spirit magic except in special cases.”

“Then the reason elven bows are famous is……”

“I think they became famous because the sight of elves handling bows with spirit magic spread.”

The arrows shot by elves with spirit magic are quite flashy and powerful.

It’s not strange that stories about elven bows would spread.

Perhaps she had imagined herself sweeping the battlefield with an elven bow.

Realizing that elven bows are not suitable for humans, Sione showed her disappointment without hiding it.

I gave her one hope.

“You don’t have to be so disappointed. We have dwarven bows instead of elven ones.”

“Dwarves… you mean that race skilled in craftsmanship?”

“Of course. What other race is as skilled in crafting weapons and armor?”

Unlike our great elves, the inferior short-lived races have the dwarven lords.

“Dwarven bows have excellent durability and draw strength. Moreover, they are friendly with ordinary mana, making them the best bows for races like us humans.”

Of course, since I can handle spirit magic,

I preferred elven bows over dwarven bows.

But for archers with ordinary mana like Sione, using a dwarven bow would be the best choice.

After receiving one suspicious glance from Sione about how I knew all this,

As I was slowly satisfying her curiosity, the surroundings began to buzz.

Wondering what was happening, as Sione and I looked around,

Suddenly Sione stiffened and muttered.

“Princess…?”

I wondered why Adelheid, who should be talking with other high officials, was mentioned by Sione.

Hiding behind Sione, I faced the direction she was looking at.

I could see Adelheid approaching, her purple eyes fixed unwavering on Sione and me.

Then, Adelheid, who stopped in front of none other than Sione and me,

Rather ominously, curled up one corner of her mouth only after calmly taking in my appearance, looking past Sione.