Episode 128 〈 Queen of Rocks 〉
The sky is without a single cloud.
The streets were overflowing with people.
As she walked down the market street, Queen Rox lifted her head by her wide-brimmed hat.
“…How long has it been since I last came out of the palace like this?”
It feels like a country girl seeing the city for the first time.
“Aren’t you going to inspect the capital Irion?”
“At that time, she was a queen and could only travel by carriage. Also, because the people bowed….”
Queen Rox walked ahead with a wry smile. Then she spoke to a market merchant.
I followed behind Queen Rox. I
asked for a moment and walked around the city streets. I guess
it was because of that. Or maybe it was because I had another business
to attend to. The children fell while running between the shopping malls with drooping tents.
Queen Rox helped the child up and soothed him.
He was defenseless as so many people were coming and going. No, I guess
that was it.
I was surrounded by people . I glanced at the people.
“Oh! There are a lot of customers today!”
“I guess it’s because the weather is nice.”
I let out a hollow laugh at the words of the market merchants. I
see travelers, wizards, and mercenaries looking around the market streets.
Among them, there was a familiar face.
It was Edolf, a high-ranking Iron player. There were
many mercenaries, royal knights, court wizards, etc.
Disguised as a spectator on the street, she is escorting the Rox Queen.
Before we know it, the Rox Queen is holding a basket of fruit in her hand.
‘The head maid and the maids will like it,’ she muttered, pointing to the street with her finger.
Madou . Instead of a horse road, it was a place with a well-maintained river path and a ferry boat.
She smiled brightly and said,
“I’ve never been on a small boat like that before. How about giving it a try?”
“If the queen wishes.”
I smiled. I
‘m getting ready to leave anyway.
It would be nice to stay short and travel to the capital of Airans, a famous tourist destination.
I gave the money to the boatman.
I boarded the ferry and stretched out my hand to get Queen Rox on board.
The boatman started rowing. As soon as it started, the boat moved slowly.
I looked at the boatman.
The kind face that was greeting the guests just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
He was looking around with sharp eyes.
The boatman was also an escort.
I said to Queen Rox.
“The subjects are looking after you, the queen. “I think you care a lot.”
Queen Rox closed her eyes as if she was enjoying the cool breeze.
“I can’t help it because I’m the only royal. If something happens to me, there will be a fight among the nobles for the throne. If that happens…”
A civil war will break out. .
Queen Rox sat down, looked at me, and smiled.
“That’s why we’re looking for a successor.”
“Speaking of successors, has there been someone you have decided on?”
Queen Rox looked up at the sky,
“No, I have to decide now. I’m older too, so there are people I’m thinking about for now.”
Queen Rox smiled bitterly.
“The Marquess of Demik, the Duke of Brine, the Duke of Celery, etc. They are descendants of the royal family, albeit faintly. However, if you point out one of them, if something goes wrong, it could lead to another confusion in Airans. there is.”
Those who are envious and jealous of each other and want to ascend to the throne themselves.
Those are the nobles who inherit the royal blood.
Knowing this, Queen Rox did not seem to carelessly point out the successor to the throne.
“The only thing that doesn’t have any side effects is accepting the adopted child. “But.”
“It must be a bloodline issue.”
“A civil war will not break out, but there will be severe opposition from the nobles. There is also the possibility of becoming a puppet.”
“Do you have any other family? “A relative or something.”
“Another family…”
Queen Rox waved her index finger in the air.
As I gently moved my index finger like a music conductor, the air became tense.
The sound of water flowing, the sound of merchants on the market street, the footsteps of people, etc. All surrounding sounds were blocked.
I looked at Queen Rox.
She turned to face me and smiled softly.
“There are people with blood ties.”
I opened my eyes wide.
Before coming here, I did some research on the Ayrans royal family.
However, there was no talk of Queen Rox’s bloodline in the royal family.
“Do you have a family?”
“It’s a secret.”
Queen Rox smiled brightly and said.
“I once had a lover.”
lover? But do you call your lovers family?
As I was thinking deeply, I suddenly froze.
…Isn’t this dangerous?
I think I heard about the scandal of the queen who I thought was single.
“Can I complain?”
I was in no mood to refuse, so I nodded.
“thank you. “It’s a story from a very long time ago.”
That’s a story from when Queen Rox was young.
It is said that while she was learning magic at the royal family, she often thought of stories about the adventures of warriors and wizards.
A story about saving people in danger and having adventures.
She felt romantic in it.
“At that time, even though I was old, I immaturely escaped from the royal family.”
She wandered around the Forest of Demonic Beasts in Elusha.
It was because I wanted to go on an adventure and find magic ingredients.
“At that time, when I was getting lost and exhausted after wandering for days and days and enduring monster attacks, I met a man.”
He was a very strong and exciting paladin.
At that time, Rox felt his heart pounding for the first time.
Queen Rox showed a longing look in her eyes as if she was reminiscing.
“It was so simple. “I fell in love with him at first sight, perhaps because of the romance he created with the wonderful warrior who saved the princess in danger.”
She immediately went on a trip with royal permission.
The story goes that while traveling here and there, they formed a brief but romantic relationship and soon the two fell in love.
“When I returned to the royal family, I was in an uproar. In a way, it was natural. Because the princess of a country came back pregnant with a child. How embarrassed I was when my father had a blank expression on his face. “Because we couldn’t reveal whether or not the child was born, we used all kinds of methods to hide the fact that we were having a child.”
Queen Rox smiled and waved her hand.
I made an awkward expression.
Isn’t that a laughing matter, Queen?
It seems that all the royal families of this world have a temperament of assholes.
It seems like everything that worries subjects is the same everywhere.
Queen Rox raised her hands.
And then, in the air, he took on the appearance of holding a child and smiled happily.
“But when I first held my child, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. I, too, was truly happy to have become a mother and to have the fruit of a loved one. but.”
Queen Rox looked at me.
“The child is with his father now. Because of the difference in status, the child has no idea about this fact. So, I have a favor to ask.”
Queen Rox handed me a letter.
“Can I ask for this letter if something happens to me?”
I received the letter with wide eyes.
Why are you giving it to me?
In front of the beautifully wrapped letter was not only the royal emblem printed with melted candle wax, but also a protective spell.
“In that letter, there is a story about my child. Please tell that to the child.”
“Are you talking about me, not the royal family of Ayrance?”
“If something happens to me, I can’t trust anyone. But if it’s the prince.”
You can use the power of the Seonghwang family to find a successor.
Since I said he was a Holy Knight, he belongs to the Holy Emperor.
You won’t have any trouble finding it.
Am I trustworthy? What do you believe?
Queen Rox said with a curtsy.
“I’m telling you this because I trust my old traveling companion, Kelt.”
“…”
“Would you please tell me?”
I looked at Queen Rox.
There is satisfaction on her pretty face.
How can he make such an expression when he hasn’t seen his children for decades?
“Why don’t you meet your son in person?”
“it’s okay. “That child already…”
Queen Rox said with a bright smile.
“Because I met my son.”
**
The next day, I left the Kingdom of Airans, receiving a send-off from Queen Rox.
I rode a carriage prepared by the Airans royal family.
In the rattling carriage, I thought of Queen Rox.
It’s a truly strange feeling.
I looked down at the letter she gave me and asked Hans.
“Hans what kind of magic is this?”
The magic that hangs over letters. Since it was not a magic item, it was not detected even by the mind’s eye.
Hans put on his leather gloves in the carriage and glanced at the envelope.
“It’s a curse.”
“curse?”
Even though Hans saw me startled, he answered as if it was no big deal. He soon put on a leather apron as if preparing for surgery.
“Yes, but it is only opened if there is something wrong with the magician’s well-being. “There is a risk of fire if you force it open.”
…That’s a good thing.
That meant that it couldn’t be opened unless something happened to Queen Rox.
I gathered my thoughts and looked at Hans.
Perhaps because of motion sickness, cold sweat broke out on Hans’ forehead. Still, my hands were shaking.
“Then let’s get started. “Prince.”
“Are you planning on carving Aztalun on my body like that?”
Hans put on goggles and held a needle in leather gloves.
I grinned as I looked at my back covered in Elterra powder.
“Isn’t that what the prince wants?”
“Don’t hurt me.”
“Would you like me to give you anesthesia? Of course, as a side effect, pain comes all at once. A normal person would roll their eyes.”
“…Just do it.”
I wanted to engrave it while camping, but it took too much time.
Hans started carving runes on his back.
It looks like he created real letters thanks to the runes he saw in Ordin’s Noble Phantasm. I broke out
in a cold sweat.
It stings and the skin burns.
“Don’t worry. There won’t be any scars.”
I sighed as Hans mumbled to himself.
Ellis was next to me, wiping my sweat.
To forget the pain in my back, I spoke to Ellis.
Because I wanted to tell her something I had forgotten.
“Elise.”
“yes?”
Ellis tilted her head.
She might know.
The cause of those who were awakened by the holy power I injected.
I told Ellis the stories about the Northern Ronia prisoners.
Ellis’ eyes widened and said,
“Is that possible? ”
“After all, you don’t know either.”
I thought Ellis would know the reason why such a phenomenon occurs, but it seems I had too many expectations. Is
priest awakening actually impossible even with the laws of this world? Then, after all, it’s a game system…?
“Ah, but.”
I looked at Ellis.
“It might not be impossible…”
Ellis glanced at me, trailing off.
“What are you talking about?”
“There are two methods used to awaken spiritual power. “Methods widely used in today’s times…”
Reading the priest’s manual, practicing, praying, and gradually realizing the power of the Holy Spirit.
And another way.
“One of the things that has been done since ancient times. “It’s just drinking holy water and saying a prayer.”
“This is a method of feeding high-purity holy water every morning, lunch and dinner.”
It is a method of awakening by forcibly injecting powerful sexual power into the body.
In terms of martial arts, it was similar to a kind of elixir.
“Of course, that alone does not provide a complete explanation. Even if you do that, the number of people who can awaken is very rare and it is so inefficient that it is not used in modern times.”
In the end, the cause cannot be determined.
It was time to whet my appetite with regret.
I could see Alice’s hands gaining strength.
She was silent for a moment.
I opened my mouth carefully, thinking about something.
“There is an old story. ”
I tilted my head at the sudden words.
“It’s a story about a miracle performed by one of the priests.”
“miracle?”
“That man healed people with miracles from Gaia. And those who received the treatment were grateful and came to believe in the existence of God.”
Come to believe in God
That means.
“The number of believers is increasing. And although it was weak, I was able to use my holy power.”
“It’s one of those miracles that happens every time the world falls into chaos.”
There are many gods in this world.
They send those with fragments of God to earth to bring balance to the world.
“That is the saint and the saint.”
Ellis muttered softly.
Numerous disasters occurred in this world, and saints and virgins were born each time.
According to God’s will, the order of the world was corrected and those who disrupted the balance were subdued and saved.
And the entity that is currently disturbing the balance of the world.
Ellis nodded as if he had decided on something.
“I am now convinced of the prince’s words. “The power to increase believers.”
Ellis looked at me and said.
“The prince is a true saint with a fragment of God.”
Those words left me speechless for a while.
**
There is no awareness of sainthood. In the first place, it was irrelevant to me whether it was a fragment of God or a representative of Gaia.
You can find out for sure if you go to the north.
“It’s done. For now, some of it is finished.”
I looked at my back.
Golden runes shine.
I smiled at that sight.
It’s a letter from God.
Due to a simple fake, I was only able to fully recover and amplify my sexual power, but now it’s different.
Another ability.
‘Ability Transfer’
is an ability that Michael, the head of the Chaolium Church, could use.
Since it is real, the effect will be special.
I wanted to experiment with it.
Inside the carriage, I took out the bone fragments I obtained from Taitalos.
“What is that?”
“Wyvern bone fragment.”
One of the flying dragons of Taitalos.
No matter how much one reads and applies the magic books of ancient necromancers, controlling an ancient dragon requires considerable skill.
But with Aztalune, it’s a different story.
“Stop the carriage.”
Hans told the coachman at the driver’s seat to stop the carriage.
Drop the wyvern’s bone fragments on the floor.
I summoned holy water with my finger, and the holy water seeped into the wyvern’s bone fragments.
In addition, the Aztalun engraved on his body radiated golden light.
[Use divine energy.]
Bone fragments made of holy power pierce the floor and gather.
Two thick legs trampled the ground.
It shows off its elongated neck and tail.
It lifted its long snake-like head and spread its pair of bony wings wide.
Blue runes were engraved on the keel.
Through [Magic], the undead that had not been able to be ‘advanced’ until now were further strengthened.
There is no need to touch your hands. Aztalun’s ‘ability transfer’ is sufficient.
Hans froze in shock, and Ellis muttered in fascination.
“Born Wyvern…”
A small dragon known to be a descendant of dragons.
I held out my hand.
The large wyvern skull lowered its head and rubbed its head against my hand.
“It’s a long way to the north.”
I turned my head and smiled at Hans and Ellis.
“Would you like to take a ride?”