--Let's go back in time.



　Levee left the king's bedchamber and closed the door without a sound.

　She wished she could have stayed by his side to guard him, but the king had ordered it, so she had no choice.



　I think my face was filled with a mixture of frustration and unexplainable emotions as I left the room.

　That is unbecoming of a member of the king's entourage. As a member of the King's entourage, I should always be calm and collected. Showing emotions is out of place.



　She reflects deeply and sighs.



"Commander of the First Army. How is our king? ......"

"He's awake. They will call you if they need you. The king's orders have been given separately. Send word to the corps commanders.



　One of the "living armors" - inorganic demons in full body armor with a will - waiting in front of the door is given the king's instructions and entrusted with the task of carrying the message.

　Levé herself, like the Living Armor, stood in line against the wall of the corridor and took up a waiting position.



　But she feels uneasy.



　She was told that the king would call her if he needed her, but would he really?

　After all, she had just made the worst possible mistake of letting the king die.

　She did not know if he would trust her.



"...... Speaking of which..."



　No punishment has been meted out for the blunder.

　He had been told that the punishment would be given later, ...... and he blushed as he remembered the incident that had just occurred.



　Thinking back, she felt that she had exposed herself to the king in a very unprofessional manner. It was such an unexpected event that had befallen her as she had taken shelter by the king's side.



　At first, I thought it was a reprimand.

　However, the palm that was placed on his head did not have the force of a blow, and in fact, the movement of the palm was even gentle.



　It took me a few seconds to realize that I was being patted on the head.

　It was such an unexpected event.



　The touch of his palm brought back memories of the past.

　It was a long time ago, in the dawn of this country, when she was still weak and small.

　Even back then, Rieve used to receive compliments and pats on her head from Helian.



　However, such rewards stopped after the First War, when Rieve was appointed as a member of the King's entourage.

　Instead, they received rewards from the king in the form of salaries and equipment.



　This certainly enriched their pockets.

　They were able to enjoy luxuries that were unthinkable in the early days.

　Newly acquired equipment was given priority to the corps commanders, and Levee has been exchanging his favorite weapons time and again.

　However, for Levee, being patted on the head by her master was much more gratifying than such things.



　It came to me suddenly and without warning.

　It was the first reward I had received in a hundred and thirty years.



　But had there ever been an event that could have given me such a reward? On the contrary, I had just committed a fatal blunder.



　She tilted her head and wondered why she had been blessed with such a delicious experience, but she could not think of any reason.



　I have no idea. ......

　The king's touch was very pleasant.

　But I was so intoxicated by the touch that I ended up looking like a flustered mess in front of the king whom I loved so much.

　Just remembering it makes my cheeks burn.

　I must be very careful not to show my ugly face again.

　However.

　It was a good one. .......



"............ that, First Corps Commander."

"Mm?　What is it?"

"Something good happen to you?　You seem to be in a very good mood."



　One of the living armorers in the lineup uttered such words without a trace of context.

　For some reason, his gaze was fixed on Levee's waist.



"...... Are you sleepwalking?　The country is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis, and you of all people seem to be in a good mood?

"Oh, no, no, I'm sorry!　It must have been my imagination!　The movement has just stopped, yes!

"Movement?　What are you talking about? I don't understand.



　He stares at me.

　How can a wooden figure who talks nonsense be in charge of guarding the king's bedroom of honor?



　The living armorers are under Balan's command, so Levee has no right to dismiss them, but if they were under his command, he would dismiss them immediately and kick them to the curb, he muses in frustration.



"......But still, this was a long time coming."



　I am reminded of the revived king.




　To tell you the truth, I'm worried.

　After all, I had been asleep for more than half a day.

　The king whose murderous ogre has murdered his own lord and father has been resurrected on his throne but has never awakened.

　This had never happened before.

　Doubts about whether he would really be all right came to my mind.



　The king treats himself as if he were an expendable commodity.

　More than once or twice, I have chafed my teeth wishing that he would take a little more care of himself.

　The same is true of the recent out-of-country expedition.

　The king himself went to the forest where he did not know what dangers might be lurking.



　I'm proud of your back.

　It's a figure that makes me glad he's the king.

　But still, I wish he had taken a little more care of himself.



　And so the brave king died at the hands of a foolish traitor.

　All because we are not strong enough.

　We must be diligent.

　I agree with you from the bottom of my heart.



"Mmm."



　......But.

　But.

　Hypothetically.

　Yes, this is just hypothetical.

　Diligence upon diligence,

　For the king's service,

　If I had the opportunity to receive a prize.

　Would you pat me on the head again ......?



".................. First Corps Commander?"



　The best equipment has already been given to you.

　Recently, the only reward I have received has been money, but it has been accumulating without much use.



　Let's think about it.

　Is it possible to get a pat on the head instead of money?



　No, I am not saying this for my own desire.

　With the country in such a situation and the economy hit hard, it is not possible to release a large amount of money from the treasury as in the past.

　Therefore, this proposal is made with the country in mind, .



"............ Um, First Corps Commander?"



　I certainly made a blunder.

　It will take more than ordinary achievements to recover from the fiasco that resulted in the death of the king.

　It will take decades, if not longer.

　But think of what will happen decades from now when you demand such a thing to the king.



　The king will be puzzled.

　When I was a child, but now I am an adult.

　I think it is natural that he would be suspicious of such a request.



　But what if that wish were granted?

　The place would be the audience chamber.

　Preferably in a private room or in his office, where no one would bother him.

　I don't have high hopes for the king's bedchamber.

　That was an exception to the rule.

　But it felt good.

　I'll never forget the feeling of my hair being ruffled, even decades later.



"............First corps commander, your tail has been on my leg since a little while ago,......, you know, just like that."



　It had been a long time since I had had my ears touched.

　Since he only touched my right ear, my balance was not good.

　Next time, could you please start from the left ear and stroke it?

　If possible, I would appreciate it if you could pinch it.

　It would be great if he rubbed it between his index and middle fingers.



　And it was refreshing to have a hand on my neck.

　As a human, the king's body temperature is lower than that of the beastmen, and the cool sensation of being touched made me shiver.

　The choker was engraved with the emblem of the country.

　The fingertips that avoided it and touched the neck, however, felt nice and cool when I felt it calmly.



"...... First Corps Commander?　Can you hear me?"



　But then there was the problem.




　The king buried his face in my neck.

　I had been guarding the king all day and had not bathed for a whole day.

　It bothered me as if it were a new thing.

　I was sweating slightly, but did I smell?

　I should have asked Eltina to cast a cleansing spell on me.

　Next time I have the chance I will wash myself carefully.

　I should consult Camilla about the scent.

　She is an expert in this field, in a way.

　Personally, she is a bad match for me, but I can't turn my back on her.

　To tell the truth, I have a good sense of smell and I do not like perfume, but I will endure it.

　If push comes to shove, I will be able to disguise my nasal quality by taking on a fully humanized form.

　So please do it again.

　But wait.

　It's one thing to have someone do it for you, but how about doing it yourself?

　I've always smelled the king's scent, but I've never buried my face in his neck.

　I wonder what I would feel if I touched the tip of my nose to his neck.

　And what if I were allowed to lick it?

　It tasted so sweet to think of it.

　Oh, my God.

　My head is going numb.

　Would I be allowed to do it if I'd done enough to bring the country to its knees?

　I'd love to have the best spear if there's a reasonable enemy.



"Commander of the First Army! I'm sorry to interrupt your good mood... but it would be greatly appreciated if you could stop beating your legs with your tail..."



　--Chillin'.



　The sound of a transparent bell reached the ears at the top of my head.

　A moment later, it moves from the wall to directly in front of the door.

　At the same time, he takes out a hand mirror from his magic pouch and checks his appearance.

　His hair was a little disheveled from the high-speed movement he had just made, so he combed it with his hand comb.

　I don't know about body odor, but I'll let it go now.

　Other than that, however, I have no problem.



　After confirming his perfection in a convenient eight-tenths of a second, Rieve knocks quietly on the bedroom door.



　For some reason, one of the living armors was flashing Helm's eyes, as if taken aback, but she did not pay attention to it.