C 158
"Welcome."
As soon as we got off the ship, a large crowd of people filled the port.
They all seemed to be Suins. Some had perfectly human appearances, while others had hanging ears and tails.
Not only that, there were also cases where the faces resembled those of animals.
And there was even a person who looked like an upright-walking, talking animal.
I heard that some can be humanized and some cannot, depending on the Suin, and that certainly seemed to be the case.
And as soon as I got off the ship, the person standing in front of me was a very familiar figure.
"Ah... the king from before?"
It was Hashat, the king of the Suin Kingdom.
He greeted me with crossed arms, dressed very informally.
"It seems like you've grown a lot."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
After the proper greeting, the crowd began to cheer all around.
"Whoaaaaaaa!"
At the same time, a thunderous roar erupted.
"Welcome to the Suin Kingdom, Great Dragon!"
A banner with those words written on it waved very colorfully. I opened my mouth in surprise at the unexpected hospitality.
"No, what is this?"
I didn't need this kind of hospitality.
"I heard that my dad contacted them in advance..."
Why am I receiving such a strange greeting?
As I blushed with embarrassment, Richard gently blocked my way.
"Eirin, are you okay?"
"Yes... I'm just embarrassed, to the point where I want to bang my head against the wall and die..."
How much did the word spread throughout the neighborhood that I'm a dragon?
"No way, Dad..."
"Oh, they requested your entry documents and residency permit. This is the hospitality our kingdom offers."
"Ah..."
I was relieved that my father wasn't behind this. Because we can't cause such inconvenience to other countries.
"I'm glad you came. I heard that you officially assumed the position of matriarch of the family."
"Ah, yes."
"I received a letter telling me to treat you so that not a single hair on your head gets harmed..."
A letter?
The king fell silent and smiled faintly. Those eyes were very significant.
From the awkward side.
"I think I received three or four letters."
"Three or four letters?"
"No, I think it was more like five or six."
The king rubbed his chin and spoke cheerfully. It was a very terrifying statement, as I didn't know what kind of letter he received or how he received it.
"I thought the Dragon seemed to be growing up with a lot of love."
"..."
How many people know that I left the capital?
Well, I hate even thinking about it.
"Even one from the imperial family."
"... Even the imperial family?"
Enosh, it surely wasn't you, was it?
The king slowly stepped aside. Then, an extravagant carriage stopped in front of me.
"Ah..."
For reference, it's filled with flowers... No, it was the type of carriage I didn't want to ride.
Should I say it's so flashy that it looks quite gaudy?
I didn't have the courage to say that, so I silently got into the carriage. And I felt even more embarrassed.
This was because the carriage was filled with exotic, bright flowers.
My nose hurt from the pungent smell of the flowers. I let out a brief sigh. My head was spinning.
"Well, they didn't ask me to do this, but it seems like everyone was waiting for you."
"Ah... thank you."
I quietly got into the carriage.
Perhaps due to my sensitive sense of smell, my eyebrows furrowed slightly because I felt a bit distressed.
Richard came up to my side, lightly held my hand, and then let go.
Then, as if by magic, the headache disappeared.
To be precise, I thought it would be more accurate to say that the scent I had been smelling had disappeared.
I no longer felt the overwhelming fragrance.
When I turned my head to look at Richard with surprised eyes, Richard smiled.
"Weren't you feeling uncomfortable?"
Seeing Richard make a very small noise, I responded by nodding gently.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
After we got in, the king also entered the same carriage as us.
He glanced at both me and Richard briefly, then smiled and asked.
"Have you found a companion?"
"... Ah."
When I looked at Richard's gaze and hesitated to respond, Richard calmly spoke up.
"That's not the case. After all, I'm just pursuing her."
"Oh, that would be great if you succeed."
The king smiled and nodded.
"I hope this endeavor is successful."
"Thank you."
The king smiled faintly at Richard and then turned to me. There was seriousness in that look.
I became nervous without realizing it and straightened my back.
"Yes, I heard from the letter I received from your father that you had a favor to ask of me."
The king, with his arms crossed, furrowed his brow, then opened the carriage window and said.
"It seems the smell is really bad."
But I thought it would be similar even if he opened the window.
Now there's no smell thanks to Richard, but there were still many blooming flowers outside.
A cool breeze came in to refresh the scorching heat and circulated the air in the carriage.
"Yes, I was wondering if I could purchase red iron from the Red Mine."
"Red iron?"
The king's eyes opened slightly.
Perhaps it was something he didn't expect. Well, if you come to a foreign country and suddenly ask for a special type of iron, who would readily grant it?
"I can match the price as much as possible... However, if the amount is high, it would be good if it could be reimbursed in installments over several years..."
Even from the perspective of the person making the request, it was a very audacious statement.
His face seemed like it would sink as he spoke, but I endured it and looked the king in the eyes.
"May I ask how much you need?"
"One ton."
"One ton? That's not a small amount. The production of red iron is not very high."
I nodded.
I thought both red and blue iron would be difficult.
"I know. So the price is as high as possible..."
"Why do you need red iron?"
"There's something I need to find crucial information, and I heard I need a ton of red iron to obtain it."
"Mmm..."
The king with his arms crossed looked at me silently with a very serious expression.
I nervously swallowed.
"I really need your help."
"Agreed."
"That's because... what?"
I thought he would keep saying no for a few days, but an unexpected response came.
And faster than expected.
"I still have more offers prepared..."
I planned to find some things that the Suin Kingdom might need and gradually start trading with them...
"Is that okay?"
I asked carefully, wondering if I had heard correctly, and he nodded.
"I said I would."
"Oh, thank you... the price is..."
"I'll give it to you."
"What? But..."
"This is my apology to you. It was a long time ago, but I did something really wrong to a young dragon."
The king's words reminded me of something I had long forgotten.
So much had happened in the meantime that I could barely remember anything.
"They say family is very important to dragons. Even if it's just for a moment, a very short moment for you."
"... Even so, the price for that has already been..."
I thought Uncle Charniel had squeezed everything possible out of him. Isn't that right? The Emperor and Dad must have made their moves too.
"Well, that was a national compensation."
The king nodded and said.
"Indeed, it would have been very generous of the empire to end it with that level of compensation."
That was true.
This might have been possible because the king had arrived first, bowed his head, and sought peace.
"That reward was given to the empire, and this is my personal reward to you."
"... Thank you."
"However, even though I said I would give it... the Red Mine has another owner."
The king rubbed his chin and looked embarrassed. That's why my expression also turned serious.
"Yes, it's an independent owner..."
"I'll write the letter, but even as king, he won't listen to me; you'll have to ask for permission personally."
"Who is the owner?"
"The Snow Leopard. There's a snow leopard living in the Red Mine."
My eyes widened at the king's words.
"If you need red iron, you'll need his permission to obtain it."
The king said with a stern expression. His facial expression seemed to indicate that he couldn't help it.
"But they're just giving it to me..."
This was fortunate compared to the expectations of some difficulties.
"Yes."
When I nodded, the king smiled satisfied.
Soon, the carriage I was in, while smiling, arrived at the palace.
"First, rest your fatigue and have a hearty meal. I'll show you the way later."
"Thank you."
As soon as he finished speaking, he jumped out of the carriage.
Richard followed him, and I stepped down, holding Richard's extended hand.
Richard and I followed the servants into the palace.
