Chapter 113

At 15:00 on January 9th, part of the content was revised.

After writing ‘Finding a woman to become the companion of the hero’ at the top of my to-do list, I set off with the hero and the cavalry.

Arcadia.

The nation formed by survivors who endured the wastelands of Arcad.

A country that struggled valiantly against hardships and tribulations.

“To be honest, things were so dire we’d almost given up hope, but His Majesty made a great decision.”

“A decision?”

“Yes. He used the royal crown passed down through generations of the royal family as collateral to secure land for the commoners and large quantities of food.”

Hmm… That crown must surely be the one I gave them long ago?

Using an artifact of immense value to humans as collateral to obtain land and food… reminds me of characters from Romance of the Three Kingdoms borrowing troops by pledging their imperial seals.

This king seems like a rather interesting person.

“After that, we unified the survivors of Arcad with the tribes already living on the borrowed land to establish the nation of Arcadia.”

“It wasn’t easy though. The borrowed land turned out to be terrible for farming. Weeds grow like crazy but crops don’t.”

“Hoo…”

Weeds flourish but crops won’t grow… could it be soil quality? Or maybe terrain issues?

Though I’m not entirely sure, it appears the land secured through the crown’s collateral wasn’t in great condition.

“Thanks to that, all the farmers ended up raising cattle, horses, and sheep instead. Luckily, the hills are quite fertile, so there was enough grass to feed the livestock. It was a fortunate turn amidst our misfortune.”

Indeed, agricultural-focused Arcad moved regions and reborn as pastoral-focused Arcadia.

This change is… rather intriguing.

“We also formed a confederation with the original tribes and managed to coexist peacefully. That person over there is from one of those original tribes.”

A horse-beastwoman walking nearby waved cheerfully with a smile.

Ah, she’s definitely a horse-daughter.

“We’ll tell you more about it once we reach Arcadia. It’s not too far from here.”

And so, we headed toward Arcadia.

The place we arrived at with the cavalry wasn’t really a city, or even properly called a village.

It looked more like a campsite filled with nomadic tents.

A pastoral nation centered around livestock… hmm… sounds like Mongolia?

“It may not compare to other countries’ towns, but welcome to Arcadia.”

Despite lacking proper buildings, the vitality of the people living here was palpable.

Shepherds feeding their cattle, dog-beastmen herding sheep to the right places, horse-beast merchants pulling carts loaded with various goods…

Everyone was striving hard to survive.

Ah, what a pleasing sight indeed.

As we wandered among the people…

“Our patrol report is complete, so this individual will guide you both to meet the king. Please enjoy your time in Arcadia.”

The two cavalry members excluding the horse-beastwoman bowed slightly before heading towards a tent located a bit further away.

Hmm… judging by the number of horses tied there, it might serve as a stable tent.

Or perhaps it’s the cavalry barracks.

“This way please. I’ll guide you to where the king is.”

The horse-beastwoman led us to a large central tent.

“Do everyone live in tents?”

“Yes. Since we move periodically to areas with grass for our livestock, we can’t build permanent structures. Even the king’s residence… well, there’s no difference.”

Truly remarkable. Arcad was clearly an agriculture-centered nation, yet despite some divine curse, they completely transformed their foundational industry.

It’s fascinating, though perhaps circumstances left them no choice?

Maybe the king had to make such bold decisions.

Following the horse-daughter… ah, horse-beastwoman’s guidance, inside the large tent…

“Hmm. The military situation of each tribe doesn’t seem too bad. How about securing food?”

“The southern fields produced an excellent harvest, so we were able to purchase sufficient food supplies at low prices.”

“Good. Then… hmm? Who’s there?”

The two individuals discussing something noticed us entering the tent. One appeared to be the king with sharp eyes, and the other his servant.

“I am Epona from the 5th Patrol Unit. I met the hero and the Dragon Priestess while patrolling the old lands of Arcad and have come to guide them here.”

“Hmm? The hero and the Dragon Priestess?”

At that moment, the king’s gaze shifted.

His sharp eyes softened into a warm, friendly expression akin to an approachable uncle.

“My goodness! To think we’d have such distinguished guests in this humble place! Welcome! I am Makairodous, King of Arcadia. Please call me Makai.”

Makai…? Such an unusual name. Feels somewhat Japanese-like.

With the king’s respectful greeting, the hero stepped forward, bowed, and spoke.

“I am merely the hero chosen by the Goddess of Life. And this is…”

“Ah. The representative of the goddess known as the Dragon Priestess. Nice to meet you.”

“Ho ho! To think I’d get to meet the legendary hero and Dragon Priestess in person. Truly, life is full of surprises!”

“You’re not even forty yet, so stop saying things like that.”

The servant standing beside the king muttered under his breath. With his long beard, he seemed displeased seeing his younger king complaining about age.

“Hmm, are you dissatisfied? Oh wise elder.”

“Grr…”

Whoa, that remark was a bit harsh. The servant didn’t willingly lose his youth, after all.

“Then… since we have esteemed guests, let’s conclude today’s work here!”

“Your Majes- wait! There’s still unfinished business!”

“Nonsense! Isn’t the hero and the Dragon Priestess more important than that? Come now! Put it aside! Let’s postpone until tomorrow!”

Wow. Watching the king forcibly shove several papyrus scrolls onto his servant…

Is this kind of king acceptable?

The servant sighed deeply as he began organizing the dumped papyrus scrolls, while the king ignored him completely and spoke up.

“Let’s see… yesterday Filio said he’d slaughter a lame cow. Surely he couldn’t have finished roasting such a large animal in just one day… you there, go buy some meat from Filio.”

Saying that, the king pushed his servant’s back.

“Your Majesty…”

“Come now, do me a favor! It wouldn’t look good for the king to personally go buy meat, would it?”

“Considering how Your Majesty got drunk with the commoners just a few days ago and suffered from a hangover, I find that statement hypocritical.”

“W-well, that was different! It was the coming-of-age ceremony for someone’s daughter! The king simply couldn’t miss such a celebration!”

Hmm… where did the king’s dignity vanish to? Though incredibly close to his subjects, there’s not an ounce of regal authority left.

Still, having a king like this could be amusing.

“Anyway, understood. Since we have honored guests, we must entertain them properly. However, the expenses will be deducted from the king’s personal funds.”

“Wha? Wait, I thought I spent all my personal funds already?!”

“It’s the end of the month.”

“Oh no!!”

Feels like watching a comedy sketch.

Thus, the servant left the tent, and the horse-beastwoman who introduced herself as Epona followed suit upon the king’s gesture.

“Alright then, now that things are settled… we can finally have a calm conversation.”

The king, Makairodous, smiled gently.

No trace remained of the affable uncle roughhousing with his servant moments ago in his curved gaze.

“I never expected the representative of the goddess to visit. I assumed the goddess had abandoned the survivors of this land.”

The sudden shift in atmosphere startled the hero slightly.

But this must be his true nature.

The king who sold the crown to save his people couldn’t possibly be merely a bumbling uncle.

“I didn’t come because there was no reason to. It’s not abandonment.”

“No reason to come… does the goddess still refuse to lift the curse?”

“Well, once declared in the name of a deity, declarations cannot be easily rescinded. Not until that foolish one acknowledges his mistake and repents at the temple. Still, the survivors here are surprisingly spirited.”

A curse preventing even a single blade of grass or insect from growing.

A curse making it impossible to secure proper food, threatening to destroy the nation.

In this era where logistics are limited and agriculture/hunting dominate…

Such a curse is truly devastating.

Yet the king before me has somehow managed to gather the people and persevere despite the cursed land.

That deserves commendation.

Smiling faintly, the king spoke.

“Spirited… is that what you see?”

“…”

I remained silent without responding.

“The refugees from Arcad barely cling to life. They blame the goddess’s curse and the foolish little brother who caused it.”

The king continued speaking with his smile intact.

“Ah, I’m not denying the blunders of that stupid little brother. That fool committed sins deserving death dozens, hundreds of times over. How dare anyone commit direct blasphemy against the Supreme God at their temple.”

That stupid little brother…

So this king is his older brother, huh?

Well, with a second prince, having a first prince isn’t unusual.

“However, decades have passed. After such a long time, shouldn’t the curse lifted from the land by now?”

The king stared at me coldly.

Seeking an answer from the representative of the goddess, from the goddess herself.