Chapter 131

Four in the morning.

After an outing with Remond and the other recruits, I slipped out of the barracks again today and came to my room.

“Then, Your Highness, I will be outside, so please call me if you need anything!”

Elly left, closing the door.

I answered her with a silent nod and headed straight for the bookshelf. It was to check the Future Diary.

‘Earlier at the training ground, Remond and the other recruits called me ‘family’…… perhaps that is what the Elves mean by family.’

Paras from the Future Diary and the Elven Elder had said it. 「“You can become family even without a single drop of blood mixed.”」—they said.

In other words, to the Elves, the meaning of family wasn't simply a narrow definition like marriage or blood ties. That was the human definition of family.

The Elven meaning of family was clearly broader.

Not just families formed by things like marriage or blood ties, but beings who could care for, devote themselves to, and sacrifice for each other even without such things—.

‘I think that’s what family means to the Elves.’

I had that thought all day today.

And, for some reason, I was also convinced that my thoughts were correct.

It was a pleasant conviction.

Thud— Swish—!

I took the Future Diary from the bookshelf and placed it on the desk.

I immediately opened the diary.

‘If my thoughts on the Elven meaning of family are correct…… then the future me must have succeeded in persuading the Elves to help the kingdom. Even if not to the extent of the Elves directly participating in battle, they would at least help me obtain the Gryphons.’

With that hope in mind.

I checked the future closest to the present.

…….

The four weeks of recruit training were over.

Due to an incident during the recruit training period, it was revealed that I was the King, but I still completed the training until the end.

After finding out that I was the King— ‘Leonardo’—Remond and the other comrades found it difficult to treat me as before. It was only natural.

…….

‘As I thought…… the contents of the Future Diary have changed!’

The disappointing part was that there was nothing particularly special in this chapter.

Except for the fact that my identity was revealed due to some ‘incident’ during recruit training.

‘I’m curious about what the incident that revealed my identity was…… but there are more important things to worry about right now.’

Swish—.

I immediately turned to the next chapter.

However.

‘……This is too distant a future to be the one closest to the present.’

…….

Three years had passed since I finished recruit training.

Three years. It was a time that passed in a real whirlwind.

Even after it was revealed that I was the King, I continued to train with the soldiers.

However, once my identity was revealed, the soldiers found it so difficult to live with me that I couldn't live in the barracks with them.

Instead, I commuted, returning to the royal palace after training to handle my duties, and then commuting to the training ground in time for the morning roll call.

The reason I continued my military life for three years even after my identity was revealed was simple.

It was to prove to the knights and soldiers that I would train with them and later go to the battlefield to fight.

That was my initial purpose for enlisting, after all.

I didn't directly tell the knights or soldiers my purpose.

However, even though I didn't say anything, just as I had hoped, the knights and soldiers gradually began to acknowledge and respect me not as a ‘King’ but as a single ‘comrade-in-arms’.

It was thanks to training equally as a single soldier, not a King, and going on various missions.

‘I really…… worked hard. I took the lead in everything.’

To become a single comrade-in-arms, not a King.

I had succeeded in creating the difference I had hoped for.

It was a truly eventful three years, but I was proud.

As an aside, the Giants also successfully migrated into the kingdom.

The land they settled on was a plain near the northern border of the kingdom, and honestly, it wasn't very good land.

Not only was it difficult to farm, but there were more mountains than flatlands. To be precise, it was rather barren.

However, the Giants wished to live there rather than in the fertile areas of the kingdom's center.

It was close to their homeland, the Wasteland of Ruin, and for them, who had lived their entire lives in a wasteland like a desert, a place in the mountains with a flowing stream was a utopia.

……Omitted.

I myself had changed a lot over the three years. It’s a bit much to say it myself, but I guess I’ve become a bit cooler.

When I first came to this world, I was a sickly pretty boy, but now I had become a man ‘between a boy and a young man,’ full of practical, lean muscles.

I had also grown quite a bit taller.

‘It would have been nice if I could have had bulging muscles like Jereuth…… but it didn't turn out that way.’

Anyway, the sickly ‘Leonardo’ who could collapse at any moment was no more.

In his place was a 16-year-old young king, respected by the knights and soldiers.

‘Now…… the time has come.’

That’s right. It was now time to meet the Elves of the Foothill's Rest.

An important moment was imminent.

There was a lot of important content in this chapter as well.

‘So, to summarize the contents…… it took me three years to be acknowledged by the knights and soldiers not as a King but as a comrade-in-arms. And I grew a lot physically during those three years.’

But there was something I didn't quite understand.

‘Wouldn't it have been possible to visit the Foothill's Rest first and then return to military life? It seems like it would have been more reassuring to meet the Elves first.’

That thought crossed my mind, but I decided to move on for now.

‘The future me must have had a reason for continuing military life for three years instead of visiting the Foothill's Rest. Although the reason wasn't in the Future Diary.’

Considering my personality, since I had started my military life, I might have pushed on until I achieved a satisfactory result.

Anyway.

‘Looking at the contents so far, it seems that gaining the trust of the knights and soldiers by investing three years was a great harvest. But the important thing is…… whether I was able to receive the Elves' cooperation when I went to the Foothill's Rest after three years.’

If something had happened to the Elves during those three years and I couldn't obtain the Gryphons.

Or if it stated that for some reason the timing was off and I couldn't receive the Elves' help…….

‘Then I'll have to change my strategy too. It might mean I have to depart for the Foothill's Rest even as soon as today.’

Swish—.

I turned to the next chapter.

Please, I hope the judgment made by the future me was the right one.

…….

Over the past three years, I had also been steadily preparing for the war against the monster army.

Of course, the one who actually led the war preparations was Jereuth. He ordered Ronak’s ‘Kingdom’s Bandit Army’ to scout the Monster Mountains and gathered supplies and weapons in preparation for the war.

What Jereuth focused on most during the war preparations was the establishment of a ‘communication system’. After trying the ‘communication crystal ball’ made by the elders of the Mage Tower a few times, he started applying it to the army without me mentioning it separately.

He was indeed an outstanding knight.

As an aside, only Jereuth and I knew about the monster army.

As a result, the knights and soldiers were a little shaken by Jereuth and me ‘preparing for war’, but it was only for a moment.

Thanks to the faith and trust I had given the knights and soldiers over three years, they supported me, believing there must be a reason for what I was doing.

The military had begun to support me.

Of course, Jereuth’s presence was still unrivaled.

‘……Why is it showing me things I don't want to see, instead of what I do.’

The Future Diary was showing the next three years of the future in a short but surprisingly detailed way, as if to summarize it.

That wasn't a bad thing. I also wanted to know as much about the future as possible, in detail.

But right now, there was something else I wanted to see.

Swish—!

I roughly turned to the next chapter.

‘……There it is.’

It finally appeared.

The content about the Foothill's Rest and the Elves that I wanted to check.

…….

I arrived at the Foothill's Rest.

Accompanying me was Yoanna, who had recently been distinguishing herself the most among the knights.

Yoanna was incredibly popular with the soldiers. Was there any soldier who would dislike a pretty, healthy-looking knight with a gallant personality?

Originally, Jereuth was supposed to accompany me.

But he was so busy with war preparations that he didn't even have two bodies to spare, so he couldn't come.

In front of the Foothill's Rest.

Before entering that magnificent forest, I spoke to Yoanna.

“Yoanna. From here on is the Foothill's Rest. The Elves won't attack indiscriminately since I'm with you, but you never know, so don't let your guard down. And if an Elf reveals itself, never attack first. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

With Yoanna’s vigorous reply, we entered the Foothill's Rest.

Step—.

It was the moment we entered.

“Nephew!”

A familiar voice I hadn't heard in a long time, it was Paras.

It sounded like it was coming from a bit of a distance, but in just a few seconds, Paras dropped from a tree and appeared right in front of me.

I immediately bowed my head in greeting.

“It’s been a long time. Para—.”

“Kid, why are you being so stiff! But, wow! My nephew has grown up so much?! You'll be as tall as this uncle in no time!”

Paras put me in a headlock and ruffled my hair vigorously.

……I had expected this kind of reaction, but experiencing it firsthand was a bit flustering.

“P-please stop……?”

Yoanna spoke like a broken robot, as if she didn't know whether to stop Paras's actions or just let them be.

Then Paras looked at Yoanna and asked.

“Who's this? Is it my nephew's wife?! You, you rascal! You didn't send any news for three years, it was because of such a pretty lady! As expected of my nephew!”

“W-wife……? N-no, it's not! It's not someone like me, but Lady Elly or Lady Olivia…… besides them, there's also Lady Helena…… I would never be Your Highness's…… how could I!”

I don't know why Elly, Olivia, and Seria's daughter, Helena, were suddenly being mentioned.

“Ah, so my nephew had other women. Then who are you?”

“I am Your Highness's escort—!”

While Yoanna was speaking with wide eyes and a beet-red face.

I cut her off and spoke to Paras.

“Yoanna is my family.”

“Family? So she is your wife—!”

“No, uncle. I am not married yet.”

“Not married…… but you call her family?”

Paras asked, his voice trailing off a bit.

Then, soon after, he smiled broadly, kissed my forehead, and smiled even wider.

Smooch—!

“Leonardo, you've realized the meaning of ‘family’. Even as a Half-Elf, you are still an Elf!”

“Yes. Even without a single drop of blood mixed—.”

“That's right! You can become family even without mixed blood! So, besides that child, do you have any other family?”

The question of whether I had other family.

It was an important question.

I answered solemnly, as I had thought of beforehand.

“Yes. I believe everyone in my kingdom is my family. Not simply because I have to take responsibility as their King, but because I sincerely wish for their happiness.”

“……”

“So, uncle. I have a favor to ask.”

At my answer, Paras's expression became a little serious before he smiled as if proud and nodded his head.

“A favor, you say. It must be related to what you mentioned in the Monster Mountains three years ago, right? That the monster army seems likely to attack your kingdom, so you're asking for help.”

“That is correct. So…… I would like you to help me obtain the Gryphons. The Gryphons are essential for the war against the monster army.”

I could feel a sense of surprise from Yoanna, who was listening quietly from behind.

It was probably because she was hearing about the ‘war with the monster army’ for the first time.

“Gryphons, hmm.”

Paras stroked his chin in thought, then spoke as if giving me a subtle hint.

“If what you want from me is help in obtaining the Gryphons, then of course I can take you to the cliffs of the Gryphons. It is my heart's desire to do anything for a family member.”

This was the newly written content of the ‘future closest to the present’.

‘……I was right.’

The Elven meaning of family.

The Future Diary didn't say exactly what I told Paras it was, but when I called her ‘family’ even though we weren't married, Paras immediately spoke as if I was correct.

And as soon as I read this.

A laugh that was both happy and difficult, a laugh that was definitely a smile but also felt empty, came out of me.

Ha, haha…….

“Did it…… work? Can I stop the monster army?”

No, there was still something I needed to check.

‘I need to check the ending.’

The diary stated that Paras would guide me to the Gryphons.

But it didn't say whether I would gain the Gryphons' acknowledgment.

‘If I obtain the Gryphons…… my ending will change.’

If I obtained the Gryphons, I would win the war against the monster army. I firmly believed so.

But if I couldn't obtain them…… the ending would probably still show me losing the war and dying.

“……”

Gulp—.

Swallowing my dry saliva, I turned to the last page of the diary.

The page that would show my life and the fate of this kingdom.