CH 91

“Ugh……I feel sick……”

“Are you okay?……”

I rub Tetra’s back.

She’s entering her twelfth week so I had thought it’s around the time she’d stop getting morning sickness but……

She still keeps getting it.

By the way, Julia had been relatively normal, as if nothing had happened, since the early stages of her pregnancy. I wonder if it’s because of her body constitution.

“We have some grapes here but would you like to eat some? It heard it’s much less objectionable to have at least something in your stomach.”

“……Fine. Give me some ice……”

I call over a servant and order him to take some ice from the ice room.

There should still be some of the ice we’ve gathered in winter.

“………Why is it that I’m suffering like this while that purple girl is so lively……”

“Who’s the purple girl.”

Julia quips while rolling her eyes.

She has a stone plate in her hand.

“Julia, what’s that?”

“It’s medicine for morning sickness. It’s something written from a book a bought from a Cretian merchant. I’ve already tested it on myself so it’s safe.”

She shows me the stone plate.

On it is a green colored syrupy object. This is definitely something bitter, huh.

“I don’t want it if it’s bitter.”

“I thought you’d say that, so I brought some sugar.”

Julia adds some white sugar she took from her breast pocket to the green object.

She then mixes the two using a pestle. It became more droopy thanks to the sugar.

“Here you go, say ah~”

“………”

Julia feeds the medicine to Tetra’s mouth via a spoon. Tetra’s expression warps.

“Blegh…….Bitter………”

“Don’t you know that good medicines are bitter?”

To think that it’s still bitter even though she added that much sugar…… What in the world were the ingredients……

“I think that the truly good medicine are sweet and effective medicines……”

“Yes, yes. There’s three more spoonfuls left so do your best.”

Julia indifferently brings the droopy green medicine to Tetra’s mouth. Tetra takes it with an adverse face.

After everything had been taken completely, Tetra mutters.

“Surprisingly……I’m getting a little better.”

“See. That’s thanks to me. Thank me.”

“But it’s painful that it was bitter.”

“You’re not very honest, huh.”

The two laugh together.

I’m really saved the these two get along so good. I don’t want to experience a suffering like that of Lord Equus after all.

For the meantime, Tetra won’t have any problems if Julia’s here.

Rather than me who is a guy, a companion who in real-time experiences the same sufferings as you would be a whole lot better.

“Well then, I’ll be going, okay?”

“Almis, aren’t you getting busy lately?”

“Hm? I guess. A little troublesome matter has… ah, don’t worry about it. It’s not something important. The two of you should just think about the children in your bellies.”

I leave the room.

“Raymond, what are the replies of each country?”

“……For the meantime, Lord Equus told us that he believes us. The Eville kingdom had sent a reply that they want to believe our country. King Belvedere is silent. King DeMorgal seems to be extremely angry.”

“I see……shit….who in the hell is responsible and where did he come from? To go and spreading that curse……”

I let out a curse word.

Everything started around two months ago. A curse targeting the produce that were nearing harvest had been cast.

The countries that suffered damage were the Belevedere Kingdom, the Eville Kingdom, the DeMorgal Kingdom…….and also the Equus tribe.

Thankfully, each country had sufficiently built some spell countermeasures, so they didn’t suffer that much damage.

Each country started their independent investigations and discovered that the curse’ scope was extremely huge. Furthermore, they noticed that, for some reason, only the Rosyth Kingdom wasn’t subjected to the curse.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t manage to find a specific culprit. However,……..the Rosyth Kingdom was suspicious.

As such, each country had sent us letters of complaint.

Those from the Eville Kingdom, Belvedere Kingdom, and DeMorgal Kingdom had come at roughly the same time. For certain, these three countries had come together before hand.

The one from the Equus tribe had come independently so I don’t think they had exchanged information with the other countries.

“It seems Lord Equus completely didn’t mind this time’s curse. In the first place, that country didn’t have that much cultivated land, after all. Our relationship, as well as the alliance, will stay the same. Furthermore, they even went as far as to propose to conduct a joint investigation.”

“I see……we’re saved that they’re giving us their complete trust, huh. I can’t thank Lord Equus enough.”

Well, in reality, our country and the Equus tribe can’t find a reason to be antagonistic towards each other.

If you sensibly thought about it, they’re thinking it’s a plan to rip apart our country’s relationships with other countries.

Then again, we’re talking about a mutual relationship of deep friendship.

“Eville, Belvedere, DeMorgal – these three countries are completely distrusting us, huh.”

“It couldn’t be helped. We aren’t that friendly in the first place, yes? Furthermore, we’ve been throwing spells at each other in fixed intervals since long ago, yes?”

There exists a previous conviction, huh.

“It’s good fortune that Julia-sama had gotten pregnant. Her power, after all, would be necessary if you wanted to seriously cast a curse after all. If she’s pregnant, then it means it’s impossible for her to participate. That should stop all suspicions as mere suspicions.”

“Well, it wouldn’t change the fact that they’d still doubt us, huh.”

I’m being thought of as a new king eager for territorial expansion by the other countries. It’s because I took some considerable amount of territory from the DeMorgal Kingdom after all.

Even if I said I won’t do such things, it’ll only arouse more unnecessary suspicion. It’s impossible to avert deterioration of relations.

“Well, it’s not something we need to worry about that much. This much has happened in the past after all. It’s something similar to territorial disputes. With this, the three countries probably wont attack and invade us. What we should be vigilant against are retaliatory curses.”

“Julia is pregnant after all……Our country’s anti-curse abilities have remarkably decreased. With this, it won’t be a joke if we received an attack from all three countries at the same time.

I hurriedly released the proclamation of Julia’s pregnancy.

Well, they didn’t know about it, so things couldn’t be helped.

“However, Julia has habitually put up anti-spell barriers. Those should still have some strength remaining. If we make a general mobilization of the other sorcerers, then we should be able to bear with it. ……Well, even without Julia, we would need a system of constructing anti-curse barriers with enough security anyway.”

Now that I think about it, I now understood how much of an important existence Julia is for this country. Peacetime anti-curse can be secured.

“It’s probably necessary to construct anti-curse system utilizing gods immediately, huh.”

“If we used that, the sorcerers’ burdens would greatly decrease……but the problem is which god to settle on, huh.”

In this system, a legend is absolutely necessary. That’s only natural. There’s no point in praying a god that doesn’t exist.

Of course, there are legends in the Adernia Peninsula.

However, it’s not organized up to a high level similar to that of Cretian legends.

The Adernians don’t have a chief god.

Furthermore, instead of gods and the like, animistic beliefs such us in the spirits of the deceased and the faeries are going strong up until now.

Thus, this becomes a problem of which god should we deify and entrust this country to.

Should it be god A? God B? Or maybe even God C.  Everyone should assent to the chosen one.

We’ve already received a draft system from Julia. She, however, seemed to have found it difficult to decide on a chief deity.

“Our country doesn’t have a qualified god after all, huh…..what should we do with that……hey, what’s with you staring at my face?”

“Nothing, There’s a common saying……a proverb from Claris, see…….that sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees.”

What is it? Jeez. Staring at me like that.

Ah, is this about the story that I’m the son of the Griffon?

However, rather than being the target of worship, isn’t Griffon-sama more of a target of fear? Aren’t those two whole different things?

“You’re the son-in-law of the Griffon, yes? Something like your real father being Mares, the God of War and Agriculture.”[TLN1]

“Is that how it goes now?”

“Yes. It seems it’s being influenced by your crop rotation innovations and your victories in the previous wars. There have been several theories circulating since the beggining but Mares’ is the one that makes the most sense ((to the people)) right now.”

Although I don’t really know who my real father is…..

I do know he’s definitely not a god.

That said, the rumors around me seem to be calming down huh.

Although there still are huge exaggerations and embellishments such as me growing wings enabling me to fly the skies as well as being able to run across the land with brawny legs.

They seem to be enjoying themselves, above all.

“Then should we make Mares our chief god?”

“Doesn’t Mares only have a few believers? For me, I think his mother, Hainaut, Hainaut’s husband’s sister, Zelvia, and Arne, who was born from Zelvia’s head, would be most suitable. These three gods are, after all, Mare’s relatives and their names often come up in rituals, so they are easily recognizable. Besides, Zelvia is very much the patron god of the Rosyth Clan, you know.“[TLN2]

Let’s explain things a bit!

Zelvia is the god of the sky so he’s quite the major male god in the Adernia peninsula. Besides, he could change is gender through shouting so he’s also a female god.

His wife’s sister is Hainaut. She’s the goddess of birth. Tetra and Julia offer prayers to this goddess everyday.

Arne is the one born from Zelvia’s head. Even I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about here. If I’m not mistaken, Zelvia just said “My head hurts” and out comes a subordinate god called Arne. I forgot why in the world Arne’s in Zelvia’s head. It’s probably not for a satisfactory reason.

Also, my father (according to the setting) Mares is a god conceived and born from Hainaut all by herself.

Normally, if you think about it, to conceive, an egg and a sperm would be necessary but…well, I guess you don’t need things like that for the gods and the like.

If they will it, there’s a way, I guess.

……If I recall correctly, my father (according to the setting) was conceived when Hainaut breathed in pollen, or something…

“In otherwords, in the family register (?) , my father is Mares and my grandmother is Hainaut. My granduncle-slash-grandaunt would then be Zelvia while Arne would then be my aunt. [TLN3]

…….I don’t want to join such a non-sensical family.

“Hey, I didn’t in anyway say myself that I’m the son of Mares. How did it become official all of a sudden?”

“Beats me. However, this country had been beset by internal troubles and foreign pressures for a long while ((until you came in the picture.)) The citizens, too, are feeling that atmosphere. They’re expecting much ((from you.))”

Is…….that so?

“Or rather, is this fine? To officially recognize that I’m the son of Mares? From the standpoint of the Rosyth clan?”

“We don’t mind. As you might know, the founder of the Rosyth Clan, the first King Rosyth is born from the union of Zelvia and the daughter of a human. For Zelvia’s son-in-law’s son to be you……isn’t that fine?”

Ah, is that so?

I guess it’s fine if you’re fine with it.

“With this, divine lineage would amass on our Rosyth clan…..it will greatly increase the centralization of power.”

Raymond happily posits.

I guess there’s that too, huh.

“It’s widely known that Zelvia is the Rosyth clan’s guardian deity but him being the sky god is generally not that well known to the commoners. Hainaut is generally popular among the commoners, but she doesn’t have that much followers among the warrior class especially amongst the males. Arne is the goddess of employment and also of sorcerers so she has a wide following amongst the sorcerers and the employed but she’s not that close to the farmers that form a huge part of the country’s citizens.”

“That’s where it makes sense in using Mares who is the god of both war and agriculture. This should arouse interest even amongst the relatives of your father in law, yes?”

Well, I guess it’s not bad. It’s a good idea to prepare three gods and not get tied down to one.

Besides……

“Zelvia, Hainaut, Arne correspond to the God of the Sky, the Queen of the Gods, and the Goddess of Wisdom respectively in Creatian legends. You can use as reference the Cretian methods on how to worship them.”

“That’s how it is.”

There’s an emerging Cretian population on the southern part of the Adernia peninsula. In the neighboring country in the south, the Belvedere Kingdom, a fifth of their population are either Cretians or mixed raced. Even our own Tetra is mixed raced.

That’s why as one would expect, it has become a mysterious matter where local Adernian gods have mixed and united with the Cretian gods.

“How long can it be done?”

“Let’s see……With such a large-scale curse, at the very least around for months of preparation would be necessary. The three gods are quite popular in our country so each place should have a temple for them. If we hurry, maybe two years?”

“Is that so? Even if we won’t have her participate, let’s ask for Julia’s opinion. She’s the most reliable in this field. However, let’s hide the outline of this time’s turmoil from her.

I don’t want to put unnecessary anxiety on the two who’re pregnant.

I want the two to just focus on the childbirth as much as possible. That’s the only thing I can do for them.

“After that, we would need to ask for father-in-law’s permission, huh.”

In the Adernia peninsula, they have a way of thinking that the chief authority lies in the father of the house.

In a word, father is the most distinguished.

Politically speaking, I’m more distinguished than father-in-law. However, culturally speaking, father-in-law would be more distinguished than me.

Therefore, it’s necessary to give him face.

“Isn’t it fine?”

Father-and-law says while looking at the garden (hemp field).”

If you want to enjoy the scenery, wouldn’t another place than this be better?

“I won’t have any qualms about your plans. You’ve already earned the royal crown, after all.”

“Is that so?”

“Later, I’ll be leaving this palace.”

“Ha?”

What in the world is this guy saying.

“Aren’t I always being a bother by being here in the palace? There’s a good place with a great hot spring and nice scenery. I intend to retire there. In a week, an estate, while small, would be completed there after all.”

If you had just told me then I would have you made a large estate.

“That’s just unnecessary trouble. There’s no need to spend a huge amount of money for a person nearing his death. On that note, I want to see my grandchild soon.”

“Just wait for a little while more. Please hang on and do your best. Julia will surely give birth to a healthy child.”

It’s not good to rush such a thing. Premature birth is a difficult matter after all.

“I’ll have you visit at fixed intervals.”

“Yes, let’s go with that. I’m busy too after all.”

Father-in-law laughs with a grin.

Such a tanuki-like smile as usual, huh.

“Again, I’ll entrust to you my daughter and the kingdom. Please don’t let me regret this, okay?”

“I’ll show you a job well done you’d be proud of in the afterlife.”