Chapter 29

"Come here." (Come in.)

With a broad smile, I extended my index finger, and the hornet gently landed on it. If I were the old me, I would have been too scared to let it land on my finger, fearing it might sting me, but I was different now.

‘I can feel that the hornet is friendly towards me.’

Of course, it was just the ability to communicate with natural beings; there was still a chance it could sting me if it suddenly got angry.

“Hornet. Do you know where the poison is?” (Hornet. Do you know where the poison is?)

Vroom. The hornet flew up, circled briefly, and then flew off. It seemed to mean that it knew.

“Where is it?” (Where is it?)

Vroom. The hornet flew towards the window.

‘It seems to be telling me to follow it...’

“Hmm.”

When I didn’t follow, the hornet made a vroom sound and landed on my head, seemingly a bit annoyed.

“I’m trapped here, you know.” (I’m trapped here, you know.)

Sigh. I cupped my cheeks with my small hands and sighed deeply. It would be great if I could communicate with animals like I do, but unfortunately, it was impossible to have a conversation with insects. Only very basic communication was possible.

‘What good would it do to find the location of the poison? I can’t move anyway.’

I recalled the conversation between Oscar and the Situation Minister that I overheard in my sleep.

“Right. The poison side completely destroyed all evidence. I told them to give up on that and search for the boundary guardian who was bribed.”

“I hope the search is successful.”

　Ultimately, the tracking of the poison failed. But I could find their location. I wanted to reveal that I could communicate with all living beings and help them, but I couldn’t make a decision easily. People with many abilities end up being used. Since my goal is to leave the imperial city someday, it’s better to appear as useless as possible.

‘That’s why I handled the magic stone mine incident secretly.’

Ugh.

“Why is that?” (Why is that?)

I know, but I can’t just let it go. This is also crucial evidence of the person who tried to kill me. After a long time of deliberation, I suddenly stood up from my seat. ***

[So, you came looking for me?]

I gave a sheepish laugh to the sheep who was tapping its tail irritably.

‘There’s no one else I can ask, right? Okay?’

[How dare you use me for such trivial errands!]

‘But you said you’re the... um, the strongest and coolest divine beast in the world, didn’t you?’

[That, that’s true!]

‘A simple request like this should be easy for you to fulfill, right?’

[Of course!]

The sheep lifted its head proudly. It seemed very pleased with itself. The sheep’s white horns gleamed bravely in the sunlight.

‘...So simple.’

[What?]

‘No, no. I know you’re just pretending. You’re so cool, Lord Sheep!’

I continued to stroke the sheep and flatter it for over ten minutes, occasionally speaking to be mindful of the guards’ gazes.

“Aww, you’re so cute!” (Aww, you’re so cute!)

[Hehe.]

“You’re so cool!” (You’re so cool!)

[Hehehe.]

Finally, the sheep, which had been flattered by my compliments, followed the hornet. I marveled at how quickly it disappeared. Still, a divine beast is a divine beast.

“Phew.”

I had done one thing. All that was left was to wait. *** One month later, I attended the regular meeting again. The ministers seemed happy to see me, greeting me with broad smiles. They didn’t seem to mind the presence of the Situation Minister behind me.

“It’s a relief to see you looking healthy, Your Majesty!”

“Do you know how worried the gods were? This gentleman fainted from crying so much and had to be carried away on a stretcher, hehehe!”

“Oh, no... Why are you saying that? It’s embarrassing.”

To think they cried so much for me, it was touching but also a bit burdensome... I gave a ‘hehe’ laugh to the minister whose face had turned red with embarrassment, and he blushed even more.

“Oh, I have no other wish but for Your Majesty to be healthy!”

“I’m strong.” (I’m strong.)

“Aww, that’s right, that’s right. You must be strong.”

One of the ministers, with tears in his eyes, started to sniffle, and soon the other ministers joined in. I blinked in surprise. The meeting room was about to turn into a sea of tears. To prove my health, I stood up abruptly.

“Ouch, it doesn’t hurt! Really!” (Ouch, it doesn’t hurt! Really!)

“Wow. How can such a small body... Wow...”

“We must find the culprit who dared to attack you! Wow...”

“We don’t know how much you must have suffered. Sob...”

But the ministers didn’t just calm down; they started to sob even more.

“...”

The one sobbing the loudest was, of course, Duke Gadenia. I looked back at the Situation Minister for help, but he turned his head away with a look of extreme disgust.

‘No help there.’

It seems I have to handle this myself. I scanned the meeting room, where almost everyone was crying. I placed my hands on my hips and shouted sternly.

“Stop!”

“...!”

“Stop crying! It’s my command!” (Stop crying! It’s my command!)

Miraculously, the ministers stopped crying. I marveled at my newfound leadership. Seizing the moment, I added a threat.

“Cry again and you’ll be executed.” (Cry again and you’ll be executed.)

My threat seemed to work; no one cried anymore. ...Though occasional sniffles could still be heard. I praised myself for handling the crisis and sat back on the throne.

‘Sigh. Taking care of ministers is hard.’

Finally, the atmosphere was right to start the meeting. One of the ministers who hadn’t cried spoke up.

“Hehe. The gods have missed Your Majesty’s smile. It’s good to see you, hehe.”

‘...Duke Havier.’

My gaze darkened as I looked at him. He was a human trash who pretended to be kind but was plotting to harm others.

‘He was the one who tried to kill me.’

Whenever I recalled the moment when a blade was about to strike me, I still flinched. The thought of him feigning fear right next to me while he had ordered the attack made me feel incredibly disgusted.

‘Why did he try to kill me?’

During the month I didn’t attend the meetings, I thought deeply about the reason, but I couldn’t come up with any plausible guesses. Even if I died, my position could be filled by the Situation Minister or Oscar. My influence was that insignificant. Now, I am...

‘The mascot of the imperial city.’

That’s all I am. Killing me would bring no benefit.

“The gods have missed Your Majesty’s smile, hehe.”

In response to the duke’s words, I gave a small smile. If he liked it so much, he could see it more often.

‘I’ll make sure you can’t even see with your eyes one day.’

I hadn’t been idle during the month. At first, I tried to tell the Situation Minister that Havier was behind the assassination attempt. But I had to give up on that.

‘To do that, I’d have to prove my abilities.’

I didn’t want to become a valuable asset to the empire. On the other hand, I couldn’t take revenge alone; I was just a two-year-old child. I could only pretend to take revenge when I was about three years old, old enough for my expressions to be understood by others. Until then, I had to stay in the imperial city and grow stronger.

‘I don’t want to die...’

“Pardon, what did you say?”

“Nothing.”

After answering Lysandro’s question roughly, I quickened my pace. I wasn’t idle during this time; running was now easy for me. Thud!

“...Ugh.”

Sometimes I tripped, but...

“Ha ha ha, you really do fall a lot. It seems you fall once a day!”

“Don’t laugh.” (Don’t laugh.)

“Cough, I understand.”

I glared at Lysandro, who started to chuckle, and continued walking. My destination today was the same as always.

“Sheep!”

At the entrance of the forest, I called out loudly, and a golden lump fell from the tree. It was Sheep, who had grown bigger over the months.

[Why are you so late today? I’ve been waiting!]

‘It’s cold because it’s winter.’

[Do you think I’m not cold? I’m cold too!]

I laughed sheepishly and stroked Sheep’s head, which was pouting. I wanted to bring Sheep into the imperial city and live together, but the boundary wards on the buildings prevented it. I was told that my abilities needed to be stronger for Sheep to break through the wards. Lying with my head on Sheep’s curled body, I spent a leisurely time. Soon, animal friends from various parts of the forest started to appear.

‘Toto!’

[Grass. Munch munch.]

‘Here, have some grass.’

I secretly made the weeds in front of Toto grow, and Toto happily started to munch on them, clearly hungry because of the winter.

‘Sheep, isn’t this proof that I’ve become much stronger?’

While not as many as the swarm of hornets, the number of animals I could communicate with at once had increased significantly. I also communicated with plants more often, reviving withered flowers and restoring rotten trees. But Sheep shook its head firmly.

[You’re still far from it. Besides, you’re still a baby. You need to grow more.]

‘Sigh...’

I sighed deeply, scratching my head, and hugged the neck of the winter deer, affectionately called Ssem.

[Maple. Get on. Let’s run.]

‘Huh? No, the bad humans will say no.’

[Humans. Scary.]

Pointing at Lysandro and his men, Ssem shivered, its thin legs trembling in fear. I rested my chin on my hand and fell into thought.

‘The northern forest is now within my territory.’

I had encountered or greeted almost every animal there. To grow stronger, I needed to communicate with more animals, but the forest inside the city was too small.

‘Should I expand my territory...’

But how? To do that, I would need to go outside the imperial city, and the Situation Minister would never let me.

“An attack!”

A distant cry reached my ears. Startled, I looked up, and Lysandro quickly picked me up. The commotion grew louder.

“The devil of Develin has appeared!”

I opened my mouth wide in surprise at the name I hadn’t heard in a long time.