Chapter 119

I was about to check the conclusion of the Future Diary again. To find the hint the future was giving me, a hint that could change my end.

But just then, someone tapped lightly on the tent and spoke. It was Paras.

—Leonardo, are you sleeping?

Paras' voice was young, but his way of speaking was so mature that it felt strangely incongruous. I closed the diary, hid it under a blanket, and answered.

“No, I’m awake.”

—Then I’ll come in for a moment.

Paras entered the tent. As soon as he saw my face, he smiled brightly and sat down across from me.

I had felt it before, but Paras seemed to genuinely like me for the simple reason that I was his ‘nephew.’

“I came because I have something I want to give you before I leave.”

“Before you leave… you’re leaving now?”

“Mm. I’ve been away from Foothill's Rest for too long, so I think I should go now. As an Elder Elf, I have a duty and responsibility to protect the sanctuary and the other Elves, so I can't be away for too long. Well, you have the blood of an Elder Elf mixed in, but you’re a Half-Elf, so you don't need to worry about that.”

“Ah… yes.”

As I nodded dubiously, Paras ruffled my hair again and said.

“I just scouted this area and the other mountains. There are no monsters, so you don't have to worry. There might be some I missed, but Barut and Jereuth should be able to easily take care of most monsters, so that won’t be a problem either.”

To have scouted this mountain and others in such a short time.

I had caught a glimpse during the battle with the monsters during the day, but Elves seemed to be a truly agile and fast race.

After stroking my head for a while, Paras withdrew his hand and continued speaking in a slightly more serious voice.

“I overheard you talking with Jereuth and Barut earlier, and it seems there's some kind of problem. It sounded like monsters might attack your kingdom.”

“Yes…. It’s not absolutely certain, but—.”

“There’s no need to try and reassure me. No matter if you are the king of humans, we are family. I am the adult and you are the child, so you can just speak comfortably. People can become family without being related by blood, and you and I are even related by blood, aren't we?”

“……That’s right. It seems monsters will attack the kingdom within a few years. The scale is not certain, but it will be quite large.”

“Do you want me to help with that problem?”

Did I want him to help?

I answered immediately.

‘If the Elves help, we might be able to handle the Gargoyles. Easier than I thought!’

“I-if you could help, it would be a really great help.”

“Hmm.”

At my words, Paras crossed his arms and nodded his head. He closed his eyes for a moment in thought and then answered cautiously.

“I truly want to help you. But helping a ‘human kingdom’ is not a matter I can decide. Helping you this time was helping ‘family,’ but fighting for your kingdom is fighting for ‘humans.’ So I cannot give you an answer right now that I will fight monsters for the human kingdom.”

“…….”

“But don’t be too disheartened. When I return to Foothill's Rest, I will discuss this matter as well. I can't just ignore it when my nephew is in crisis. That old fart of an Elder—ahem, your grandfather will surely want to help you.”

“My grandfather?”

“Yes, your grandfather.”

Paras, who finished speaking with a light smile, undid the bow and quiver he was carrying on his back. Then he took out a specific arrow from the quiver and handed me the bow and that one arrow.

“Take it. It’s a gift. It's a gift I should have given you when you were born, but I'm only giving it to you now.”

“A gift… No, it's alright. I'm already grateful for your help this time.”

“When an adult gives you something, you take it.”

“…….”

“And I told you, didn’t I? That it was originally yours.”

Paras half-forced the bow and arrow into my hand.

“That bow is the one your mother left behind when she left Foothill's Rest. It’s the bow used by your mother’s mother, her mother’s mother, and her mother’s mother before that. It’s made from the bones and sinew of an Alpha Gryphon, the leader of the Gryphons, and a branch from the Tree of Life that falls once every 500 years. It’s a precious item, so you must never lose it.”

Alpha Gryphon? Tree of Life?

I had no idea what those were. Even though I had read a fair number of books since coming to this world.

But hearing Paras speak like that, I could tell it was a ‘really’ precious item.

“And this arrow. This arrow is made from a tree that I personally watered and imbued with my magic when I was young. The arrowhead is a Gryphon’s claw, and the fletching is also a Gryphon’s feather. It possesses a level of accuracy and destructive power different from ordinary arrows, and it’s enchanted with magic that makes it return to your hand after hitting its target.”

“Ah… I see.”

“Haha, you don't seem to understand well. You'll know when you use it later. You are the son of one of the greatest archers in Elven history, so if you put in a little effort, you will shine brightly.”

I briefly examined the bow and arrow in my hand before replying.

Since he was giving it to me, I'd take it.

“I understand.”

“Then I shall be on my way.”

“It’s very dark outside, will you be alright? You even gave me your bow.”

“Haha, a nephew worrying about his uncle, why are you so cute?”

“Ugh…….”

“An Elf can move through the forest even with their eyes closed. And even without a bow and arrow, I have a dagger, so don't worry.”

Paras ruffled my hair again, hard, as I stared at him blankly and nodded.

As Paras was leaving the tent, he turned back, looked down at me, and left one last remark.

“Leonardo. When you have time later, or if you need any help, come to Foothill's Rest. Your grandfather will be very happy to see you. Though he’s a bit of a cranky old man.”

Come to Foothill's Rest if I need help… is that it.

‘Actually, I need help right now. If the Elves were to help me, I might be able to fend off the monster army’s attack with surprising ease.’

But.

‘I have things to do in the kingdom too. I've been away from the royal capital for too long as it is.’

I had to return to the royal capital as soon as possible and prepare for the war against the monster army. Of course, even without me, the royal capital was steadily training and nurturing soldiers, but I needed to accelerate that process.

‘And also, I need to check if the kingdom’s bandits are being dealt with properly.’

While I had many things to do like this.

I was fundamentally worried that I had been away from the royal castle for too long.

I thought Olivia would be handling things well, but I was still worried. In the first place, it's never good for a king to be away from the castle for a long time.

‘I don’t know how much time it will take if I go to Foothill's Rest. If the war preparations get delayed because of that… that would be the biggest mistake.’

“I understand. I will be sure to visit later.”

“Do that.”

“But how can I find the other Elves in Foothill's Rest?”

“How you find Elves in Foothill's Rest?”

Paras tilted his head as if he didn't quite understand my question.

Then, like a teacher delighted by a child’s innocent question, he smiled and answered.

“The Elves will know of your presence before you even enter Foothill's Rest. The trees and animals will tell them. And the moment you step into Foothill's Rest, any Elf will appear and greet you.”

“…….”

“So you don't need to look for Elves in Foothill's Rest. We will find you.”

***

The next morning.

We packed up the campsite where we had spent the night and decided to go our separate ways from the mountain peak.

Barut said to Grondar.

“The Elf left yesterday. Then I will also head back to the Wasteland of Ruin, so return safely. Grondar! Don’t you go to the human kingdom and do anything foolish! If I hear so much as a rumor that you gave a bad impression of the Giants, I won’t let you off easy!!”

“Yeah!”

And so Barut headed for the Wasteland of Ruin—

Jereuth showed me a map and guided us to the mountain where we had left Kartum.

“Your Highness, I believe it would be best for us to head west first. To about here on the map… we should be able to call Kartum from there. Kartum will probably have the other horses with it, so we can divide them up and ride.”

“Grandpa Jereuth! Then is there a horse there that I can ride?!”

At the question from Grondar, who had at some point started calling him ‘Grandpa,’ Jereuth let out a hollow laugh and nodded.

“There should be. But have you ever ridden a horse?”

“No. Giants don't really ride things like horses. But I want to try!”

“It’s not something you can ride just because you want to. Riding a horse is also a skill. Once we get there—.”

“If I can't ride, then I'll just run. I don't know if I can run faster than a horse, though!”

“……Do as you wish.”

Jereuth replied dubiously and then picked up his pack and spoke to me.

“Then, Your Highness, we shall depart.”

“Yes, Commander.”

And so, the eventful sealing of the Minotaur was coming to an end.

Before descending the mountain, I looked at the place where the Temple of the Minotaur had been, the place where the king had died.

‘In the Future Diary, the future me regretted it so much. 「I should have learned more from the king and talked with him more」— he said.’

But I was different. I felt like I had learned everything I needed to learn from the king. Also, I felt like I had talked with him a lot.

At the very least, I had enabled him to smile while looking at me, his ‘son,’ and decide his own end.

‘That alone would have made this journey a success. At least, more so than the future me.’

***

The capital of the Plank Kingdom, the 'royal capital'.

The royal capital had two sets of walls. One was the outer wall that protected the city of the royal capital, and the other was the inner wall that surrounded the royal castle.

It went without saying, but soldiers stood guard 24 hours a day at both the outer and inner walls.

It wasn't just guard duty. To preemptively block nearby threats, knights led soldiers and patrolled the villages and mountains near the royal capital.

—I said it was a matter of course, but in fact, it wasn't a ‘matter of course.’ When the nobles were running rampant and the kingdom was not functioning properly, there were no soldiers properly standing guard at the walls. There were no knights and soldiers patrolling the villages and mountains around the royal capital.

At best, the knights of the 3rd Knight Order were guarding the castle gates as a minimal defense.

Caw— Caw—!

Just as the knights and soldiers protected the royal capital from within and without, Seria's crows also flew around the royal capital all day long.

Very few in the kingdom knew what those crows were doing, but one could surmise they played a role similar to the patrolling and guarding soldiers.

Perhaps they were even watching someone.

A soldier standing guard on the wall, Hans, thought as he looked out at the plains outside the royal capital.

‘The weather is really nice today. A bit cold, though.’

Hoo—.

His breath was visible.

‘Today is guard duty in the morning, training in the afternoon… and in the evening, organizing the supply warehouse for the next batch of recruits.’

Although Hans had enlisted not long ago, he was slowly getting used to military life. He was also getting used to the crows flying in the sky.

At first, Hans found Seria’s crows unsettling. Not just Hans, but the other soldiers and the citizens of the royal capital felt the same.

It was inevitable, given the sense of unease that the black birds called ‘crows’ inherently gave off.

‘But it's different now. Those birds are a welcome presence.’

Seria’s crows were ‘good friends’ who found people's lost items or helped soldiers find thieves. Hans had also lost a wooden doll he had made for his younger sibling, and a crow had found it for him.

‘Time to focus. Stop daydreaming. I don't know when something might happen—.’

Just as Hans was thinking about his duties.

Dudududu…….

In the distance, so far away it was hard to see, a small cloud of dust could be seen rising.

One might think it was a merchant guild or soldiers on patrol outside the royal capital, but it felt different. The number was too small to be a merchant guild or a group of soldiers.

‘What is it…? Should I report it?’

Grip—.

Hans gripped his spear tightly in this first-time unexpected situation. He could feel sweat forming in his palm.

Just then, he saw a group of knights running from below the wall. And all of them were senior knights.

It was extremely rare for senior knights to come to the walls at this early hour. Hans, though flustered, tried to salute immediately.

‘V-v-v-Vice Commander Hagen?!’

“N-nothing to report while on du—!”

Before Hans could even finish saying ‘nothing to report.’

The knight at the front, Hagen, spoke to the soldiers guarding the castle gate.

“Open the gate! His Highness is returning!!”

There was, in fact, something to report during his duty.

And, a crow was perched on Hagen’s shoulder.