The Male Slave of House Sianella - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: The Male Knight of Sianella (1)

Princess Adelheit’s coming-of-age ceremony proceeded with splendor and solemnity in the vast royal gardens.

High priests bestowed blessings upon her with their holy power.

The Royal Knights pledged their eternal loyalty to Adelheit and the royal family.

And the King of the Aisilia Kingdom formally declared Adelheit Aisilia as his legitimate successor and the next ruler of the kingdom.

The reason, he proclaimed, was that she carried the strongest concentration of the founding king’s blood in generations.

It seemed to be related to the atavism she'd mentioned at yesterday’s banquet.

Among their endless praises, one phrase in particular caught my attention.

‘…The one who inherited the strongest concentration in history of the ancestor’s blood, who established the kingdom after slaying thousands of demons…’

How could I not be intrigued by such a statement?

This world was destined to be destroyed by a demon invasion, after all.

And this princess possessed the strongest bloodline of the one who was said to be so skilled at slaying demons.

If the Sianellas had inherited the Demon Slaying Authority from their ancestor, then the Aisilias inherited the blood of the great dragon, the progenitor of magic.

‘…We're bound to cross paths again.’

In these times when demon worshippers were running rampant, if demon-related incidents escalated, I would inevitably become entangled with Adelheit, whether I liked it or not.

After all, hadn’t the status window told me when I first arrived in this dungeon world? That the world’s will to survive would guide me toward a new destiny.

To save a world once conquered by demons…

I’d need to forge connections not just with a princess, but even with the Emperor of the neighboring Empire.

So the world’s will to survive or whatever would inevitably involve quests, Sione, and now Adelheit.

‘…Just the thought is exhausting.’

Adelheit had already looked at me with suspicion at yesterday's banquet.

And she’d even declared she would meet with me privately after the ceremony.

I was already mentally drained from Noah and Sione's misunderstanding two days ago, and then Aria and Sione's impulsive actions yesterday.

Now I had to deal with a private audience with the princess?

When would I finally catch a break?

“Whew…”

I let out a sigh, trying to release some of my pent-up frustration, and Sione, who was watching the ceremony beside me, noticed my expression and quietly asked,

“Ray, is something the matter?”

Sione, dressed in a refreshing sky-blue dress unlike yesterday’s black one, and adorned with bright makeup, looked at me with concern.

“I was just taking a moment to catch my breath. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“…You didn’t look like you were just catching your breath.”

Sione narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. Her hair, which she’d cut at the cusp of spring and summer, had grown out a bit since then, now swaying just above her shoulders as she moved.

Just what kind of answer did she want that made her stare so intently?

I’d hoped to just smile and move on, but…

Sione continued to watch me expectantly.

If she wanted an answer that badly…

I might as well tease her a bit.

“I was just thinking about Lady Sione…drunk last night.”

“Ah, th-that.”

Sione stammered, clearly flustered by my words. She took a moment to compose herself and said,

“…Forget about what happened yesterday.”

“I’ll try.”

“Not try, forget it.”

“Could you simply forget about something like that, Lady Sione?”

“Ooh…”

Sione gritted her teeth and looked down, seemingly annoyed.

Ainel, who had been quietly observing us, asked,

“Did something happen yesterday?”

“Well…”

Sione looked up at me with pleading eyes.

If I teased her any further, she might actually start crying.

A brave warrior shouldn't shed tears so easily.

I decided to stop my teasing.

“Lady Sione tripped over her own feet…we were discussing that.”

“…I hope no one else saw such an embarrassing display.”

“She tripped in my room, so no one besides myself witnessed her fall.”

Ainel nodded, her gaze fixed on Sione.

“To trip over your own feet…Sione, you are forbidden from drinking any alcohol while we are in the capital.”

“…I understand, Mother.”

We continued our conversation for a bit longer, and finally, the Princess’s coming-of-age ceremony came to a close.

The solemn atmosphere dissipated, replaced by a more relaxed air.

Since important figures of the kingdom, ambassadors from other nations, and high-ranking beastfolk were present…

The nobles began mingling and chatting amongst themselves, each accompanied by their guards.

Ainel, also seeming to have someone she wanted to speak with, looked around and said,

“I have some business to attend to, so why don’t the two of you look around?”

“…Can’t we go together?”

Sione, who struggled to initiate conversations even with me present, clearly needed Ainel’s support.

Unfortunately, Ainel shook her head.

“I’m afraid I have a rather important matter to attend to.”

Sione reacted to Ainel’s words.

“If it's an important matter, could I perhaps hear what it is about?”

Surprisingly, Ainel smiled faintly as she replied,

“Thanks to a friend’s help, I’ve finally found the last piece of the puzzle to reaching the Master realm.”

“Is…is that true?”

“If all goes well, I should soon become the kingdom’s newest Sword Master.”

Sione nodded, as if mesmerized.

Her eyes shone with admiration.

It was a natural reaction.

The realm of Sword Master, after all.

A knight capable of wielding Aura Blade and crushing enemies with their swordsmanship.

A warrior possessing enough power to single-handedly change the tide of battle…who wouldn’t admire such a person?

“It won’t take long. Until then, I’ll leave Sione in your care. And ensure she doesn't drink any wine this time.”

“I will do as you say.”

I bowed my head in agreement, and Ainel went to find the friend she'd mentioned.

Sione and I began to explore the crowded gardens.

Today, Noah Beleia wasn't clinging to Sione, nor were there any hostile glares like Feira Feiosha’s. There was no need to be mentally drained by dealing with their relationships with Sione.

The problem was…

‘…There are too many eyes on me.’

Other nobles kept glancing in my direction.

It seemed to be because of the sword at my waist.

If they wanted to look, they should look openly. These furtive glances were incredibly annoying.

As I tried to ignore their stares and continued exploring the gardens…

Sione, gazing intently at something, spoke,

“Judging by those pointed ears…it seems some elves have arrived.”

“Elves?”

“Yes, the eastern border of the kingdom meets the Great Forest where the elves live. They’re probably here for the coming-of-age ceremony as a gesture of goodwill.”

Just as Sione had said, I spotted a group of elves in a corner of the garden.

With their pointed ears and beauty far exceeding the human average…

As I was momentarily captivated by the sight of elves, whom I hadn’t seen since arriving in this world, Sione glanced at me and subtly asked,

“Elves are famous for their beauty, both men and women…Ray, what are your thoughts?”

“About the elves’ appearance?”

The elves’ appearance…

Their beauty was certainly captivating enough to make even men indifferent to women swoon, but…

Unfortunately, I wasn’t swayed by their beautiful faces.

“I have no interest in the elves’ appearance.”

“Really?”

“A person’s inner self is more important than their outward appearance.”

Elves, a race steeped in elitism.

Beings born with the blessings of spirits, possessing exceptional magical abilities from birth.

Perhaps because they were born with advantages over other races, and even blessed by the gods with long lifespans…

These forest fairies, outwardly kind and empathetic, inwardly mocked and looked down on others.

They possessed an insidious habit of reveling in their racial, and even personal, superiority.

Knowing the true nature of these perverse elves…

I placed no value on their beautiful faces. That’s why I answered as I did, but…

“Is that so…?”

Sione smiled shyly, as if pleased with my response.

“…Heehee…”

She giggled softly, like a maiden in love.

She seemed to be lost in some ridiculous fantasy, but…

If she was happy, I had no intention of ruining her mood. I simply stepped back and observed her.

“By the way…”

Elves here were problematic.

I cleared my head and carefully observed them.

One male and two females. Three in total.

I wasn’t sure about the men of this world, who couldn’t receive mana, but…

Elves, who could wield the power of spirits, could sense spirit energy.

If I approached within range of their senses, they would inevitably detect the spirit energy within me.

‘This is troublesome.’

It truly was.

The limitations of race.

Humans had difficulty wielding spirit energy.

No, not just humans, but all races besides elves struggled to handle the power of spirits.

Even the women of this world, who could use mana, rarely possessed mana infused with spirit energy.

So what might happen if a human man, especially one from a race where even mana awakening was incredibly rare, emanated such a strong scent of spirits?

‘…They'd definitely cling to me.’

It was already peculiar enough for a human to possess spirit energy.

But for a human to hold not just a trace, but enough energy to wield spirit magic…

Driven by curiosity about this savage, short-lived race possessing the unique power of elves…

They would inevitably shower me with unwanted attention.

I’d seen beastfolk and dwarves, but no elves, so I’d thought I was safe, but…

To suddenly encounter elves here…

My faint hope for a peaceful day had been thoroughly crushed.

Unlike my deflated mood, Sione, who had been giggling shyly to herself, was now staring at the elves with wide, sparkling eyes, apparently quite fascinated by them.

“By the way, I hear elf-made bows are renowned for their excellence…Ray, do you know anything about them?”

She asked with such anticipation, not about the elves' abilities or characteristics, but about elf-made bows…

It seemed Sione had truly become an archer.

I chuckled and replied,

“Elf-made bows…well, aside from being sturdy and flexible, they’re not particularly good. A magically enchanted wooden bow would be a far better choice.”

“Hmm…? Are you saying all those stories about elf-made bows are false?”

I shook my head, denying her words, and Sione frowned, urging me to explain.

Unable to resist my master’s insistence, I finally gave her the answer she wanted.

“If the user is human.”

Elf-made bows.

They were indeed excellent, just as the rumors claimed.

But only when wielded by those superior elves.

“Elf-made bows are strong and powerful because they amplify spirit magic. That’s why, for elves who can wield spirit magic, they are the best weapons. But that doesn’t apply to us. Unless under special circumstances, those who are not elves cannot use spirit magic.”

“Then why are elf-made bows so famous…?”

“Probably because stories spread about elves using bows with spirit magic.”

Elven arrows, empowered by spirit magic, were indeed quite flashy and powerful.

It wasn’t strange that stories of elf-made bows would spread.

Sione, who must have been imagining herself sweeping across battlefields with an elf-made bow…

couldn’t hide her disappointment upon learning they weren’t suitable for humans.

I offered her a sliver of hope.

“There’s no need to be so disappointed. We might not have elf-made bows, but we have dwarf-made bows.”

“Dwarves…are you referring to that race renowned for their craftsmanship?”

"Of course. Who else could be better suited to creating weapons?"

Unlike those superior elves, those inferior short-lived races had the dwarves.

“Dwarf-made bows are not only durable but also have excellent tension. And since they are compatible with ordinary mana, they’re the best bows for races like humans.”

Of course, since I could use spirit magic…

I preferred elf-made bows to dwarf-made ones, but…

For archers who wielded ordinary mana like Sione, dwarf-made bows were the best choice.

After enduring Sione’s suspicious gaze as I somehow explained all this…

and just as I was slowly satisfying her curiosity…

A commotion arose around us.

Sione and I looked around, wondering what had happened, and…

Sione suddenly froze and muttered,

“…Your Highness…?”

Why was Adelheit, who was conversing with other high-ranking nobles, suddenly the subject of Sione’s words?

I moved behind Sione and looked in the direction she was facing.

Adelheit was walking towards us, her violet eyes fixed on Sione and me.

And after stopping right before us, Adelheit, in a rather ominous gesture, calmly looked me over before turning her gaze to Sione and smiling faintly.

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