Chapter 24

Today, I have two posts planned, so I will post the first one.

The second one will be posted after 6 PM, so please look forward to it.

— A certain day.

At the residence of Duke August of the Kingdom of Heim.

"Father, so we are going to Ishtalica..."

"It will be me and Krona, Alfred, and a few old servants."

A few days after receiving the confirmation from Ishtalica, Duke August and his son Harley were making plans to travel to Ishtalica.

"Then, will I proceed as planned?"

"Yes. Harley, on the day I leave the capital, I will appoint you as the head of the House of August. I will inform His Majesty accordingly, and from then on, the authority of the Duke's family will be yours."

Duke August had decided to pass the position of head to his son Harley. This was also part of the preparations for his journey to Ishtalica.

"Then, Father will leave the capital for convalescence in the trade city. And Krona will accompany me to the trade city for the sake of her important grandfather. Alfred and a few servants will take care of us."

"That's right. The trade city won't cause any major problems. Even if we say we're going to Eure for convalescence, it's possible that Heim might take some action."

"Yes. The trade city has many high-end inns built by wealthy merchants... I don't think it would be strange in terms of service."

The trade city of Bardland is a city governed by numerous merchants. The luxurious facilities they have built are extremely comfortable. They are so comfortable that not only the nobles and wealthy of Heim but also those of Eure and Rockdam use them, and the quality of comfort and service is unparalleled on the continent.

Therefore, Duke August decided to use it. To heal the fatigue of his body due to his age, he decided to retire and pass the position of head to his son.

Normally, the retirement of a Duke would be a significant event, but since he had already reached a considerable age and had mentioned to nearby nobles that retirement was not far off, it was unlikely to be viewed with suspicion.

"What did Elena say?"

Elena is Krona's mother and, from Duke August's perspective, his son's wife. She works in the castle and is very dedicated to her work. Due to her personality, there are several days each month when she does not return to the Duke's residence.

"She was as calm as usual. She said she would respect whatever decision her daughter made, but insisted that safety is the responsibility of adults."

"She is truly a capable wife. I can't help but feel she is too good for Harley."

"Don't say that. Indeed, my wife is more capable..."

Elena, Harley's wife, works in the castle's finance department. She is so talented that she could have become a minister if she were a man, and is rumored to be more capable than the current finance minister.

She comes from a low-ranking noble family, a baron, but has risen to her current position through her abilities. Krona, who has inherited her mother's personality, is a source of pride for Harley.

Seeing her work, Duke August introduced his son Harley to her, and Elena also liked Harley, leading to a quick marriage.

"Once the preparations are complete, we will head to Eure."

"Father and the others will wait on the ship in Ishtalica, right?"

"Yes. The ship is quite impressive. It seems to have rooms specifically designed for Ishtalica's nobles, and thanks to Lady Olivia's arrangements, we can stay there."

"Then, when we arrive, please convey my thanks as well."

"Yes, I will do that."

Initially, when they received the news that they would be staying on the ship, they braced themselves for a cramped life. While Harley could endure it for Krona, he was a bit worried if Krona could handle it. Then came the welcome offer from Lady Olivia.

"Should we consider this a final farewell?"

The possibility is not zero. I am taking a lot of money and jewels I have prepared to ensure that Krona can live comfortably there. Depending on the situation, I might also...

Once in the continent of Ishtar, it is difficult to return on one's own. This is why Duke August and Harley have made this decision.

*

"Ishtalica Species Guide...?"

Ein was doing research in the castle's library. He was gathering as much information as possible about the mysterious magic stone he had purchased.

"This looks good."

The book Ein picked up was a guide to the species existing in Ishtalica. It was a thick and large book, heavy enough to make the young Ein hesitate to pick it up.

"Heavy..."

"I'll take it."

When Ein said this, Chris took the guide. Seeing this, Ein felt a bit of regret.

"...I don't like you, Chris."

"Eh, eh!?"

Ignoring the flustered Chris, Ein opened the guide on the table.

"Ah, right. Let's start by looking up the Dryad."

Ein opened the table of contents, found the page for Dryad, and opened it. The page was easily found.

"Quite detailed."

The guide contained detailed information about the Dryad's nature of being rooted, their skills, and biological information.

"Dryads enrich the soil, so more crops grow. I see."

Dryads have the ability to enrich the soil. Therefore, the land where Dryads live is blessed with abundant crops.

"Reason for the small number of Dryads...?"

The page that caught Ein's interest read as follows:

Dryads have significantly decreased in number. This is due to a specific nature, the ability to be rooted. Using this ability, many Dryads have been hunted. Dryads, who are not particularly combat-capable, have coexisted with gentle species. However, they began to be hunted for their ability to enrich the soil. This is where the ability to be rooted comes into play.

When attackers forcibly interact with a Dryad, an unrooted Dryad becomes rooted to the attacker. Then, it becomes easy to threaten the Dryad with suicide, forcing many to follow the attacker. Some Dryads even chose to end their own lives.

"I feel really down, let's stop."

After reading this, Ein decided to take a break.

"Ah, Ein... What happened? Oh, I see, you were reading about Dryads..."

The revived Chris approached Ein, seemingly understanding what he had found.

"The reason why Dryads, and Lady Olivia, were afraid of and rejected interacting with Logas. Such incidents involving Dryads were common in the past, though they are rare now."

"I feel really bad."

"Such incidents were frequent. To prevent them, we protect them."

"Yes, please do your best. If anything happens to my mother, I won't forgive even you and Chris."

"Understood. ...Shall we go to Lady Lalarua to receive the dagger? And perhaps we can train together?"

This was Chris's consideration. Ein had learned about the disturbing information related to Dryads, which was closely tied to his own situation. Chris wanted to help Ein feel better through training and to give him the confidence of becoming stronger.

"Sure. I need to become stronger. Let's go get the dagger."

Thus, the two left the library. They ran into Lloyd, who happened to be passing by.

"Hmm? Were you doing research, Ein?"

"Yeah, but I'm done now."

"Is something wrong?"

Seeing Ein's unusually low mood, Lloyd asked.

"I was reading about Dryads and it made me feel bad, so I'm going to get a dagger from Grandma."

"I see. I have some good news for you, Ein. I've already gotten permission from the princess and the king."

"Good news?"

Ein was interested. He was wondering what required the permission of Olivia and Silvardo, but Lloyd's next words made him very happy.

"I think it's time for you to experience monster hunting, so I've discussed it with the king. After you receive the dagger, let's go to the nearby forest today. Don't worry, only weak monsters are there."

"Really!? Great, I'll go get the dagger right away, Lloyd!"

For Ein, who had long wanted to become stronger and hunt monsters, this was the best news. The Ripulmod he used with Katima in the experiment was only half a fruit, so it didn't count for Ein. Hearing Lloyd's words, Ein ran to the room where Queen Lalarua was, unable to contain his joy.

"Hey... Wait, Ein!"

"Chris, what did Ein find that upset him?"

"Information about past incidents involving Dryads."

Due to the distance, Lloyd asked Chris for the reason. Hearing Chris's answer, Lloyd's expression turned bitter.

"It must be painful for Ein. Going to get the dagger was probably the best decision to change his mood."

"Yes. I feel relieved to hear that. I'll go get the dagger and then look for you, Lloyd."

Saying this, Chris chased after Ein. Thinking of his kin and hating the past incidents, Ein needed support. Lloyd was determined to do his best to help him.

"Still, Ein's efforts are mostly for the princess, right?"

*

Led by Lalarua, they entered the treasury. There are several treasuries, and this one mainly houses weapons. Lalarua, Olivia, Ein, and Chris entered.

"Hmm, where was it?"

"Ein, don't touch anything, it's dangerous. Chris, please take care."

"Understood. I'll wait for you to find it."

"Hmm."

Lalarua searched for the desired dagger. The treasury was filled with many weapons, from giant scythes and spears to what seemed like holy swords and sealed magic swords. Lalarua seemed to have found what she was looking for.

"Chris, can you get that dagger over there?"

"Yes. ...Your Highness, are you sure it's that one?"

"It's the right one. It will suit Ein, don't you think?"

"Yes, I agree. It looks cool."

It seemed there was a recommended dagger for the mother and son, and Chris was asked to get it. The dagger Chris picked up was black and dull, with a red gem embedded in the handle. It was beautifully made and not at all ominous.

"Again, this is... a dagger suitable for a dark knight."

"Then it's Ein's now."

"Yes, it suits you, Ein. I'm glad."

Ein took the dagger. He decided to wear it on his belt, putting on the leather belt that was stored with it and equipping the dagger.

"It looks expensive. Is it okay to take it?"

"It's fine. I have the lord's permission, and besides, this dagger has been gathering dust in the treasury for a long time."

"Why? It's so beautiful."

The dagger Ein received was very beautiful and not something to be ashamed of using. He was puzzled as to why it wasn't being used.

"The name of this castle is White Knight, right? So, the kings and knights of the past... always sought white or silver holy swords and precious swords. That's why no one used this one."

Ein understood Lalarua's explanation. He could see the desire to emulate the first unifying king.

"Then I'll take it gratefully."

"Ein, you're going to the nearby forest, right? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. There are no strong monsters, and I have Chris and Lloyd with me."

"Yes... With those two, it would be difficult for anything to happen. Be careful."

Olivia also agreed and decided to let Ein go. With two of Ishtalica's powerful knights, it would be hard to find an opponent capable of causing any trouble.

Earlier, I checked the rankings and it seems we have maintained the 5th place in the weekly ranking for three days...

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