...What?

　I can't understand what was said and I can't help but ask him back.
　The king does not seem to care about such rudeness and continues to speak.

You know that he who has the blood of a god becomes a brave man, don't you?
Yes, yes....
"A brave man is the trump card against the Demon King. We cannot afford to lose them. That's why so many branches of the family were created and their blood divided. Did you know this?
No, no I haven't heard of it.
I suppose. If it becomes known that there is more than one person with divine blood there may be some who come up with the unthinkable. For example, they might claim that they are the true heroes. In order to avoid such confusion, this matter was to be strictly controlled. The fact that there is more than one person with divine blood is something only the head of the branch family knows about.
Why are you telling me this?

　I had a certain premonition.
　I already understood what the king was trying to say.
　Still, I dared to ask.

''There was a branch family in the Beast Tamer's village as well. Its name is ... the Shroud. Your House.''
What?

　After listening to the story so far, it was somewhat predictable, but....
　Still, when I was actually told that, I was shocked.

　I'm God's blood...?
　No one told me anything about it.
　Not my father and mother, not the people in the village, not anyone....

'Is that true?　There must be some mistake...
'I was doubtful at first. It was too good to be true, the fact that there was a survivor of a branch of a long-defunct family was too good to be true. But the more I investigated you, the more I became convinced of my suspicions.
....
It goes beyond just being a beast tamer and uses multiple powerful species. Not only can you use the most powerful species, but you can also use ghosts and other insects. We will expose the injustice of the Horizon lords and accomplish the defeat of the demons that rampaged through the southern continent.
You've been doing a lot of research, haven't you?
I'm sorry. It's not as if your intention was to go through all these hoops to get to the royal family. Also, since I recognized the name Shroud, I had to do some research.
How could you do that in such a short time?
We've got the best people in the world at Wangcheng.

　The king smiled fearlessly.

'My research into you has convinced me that you are a survivor of a branch family. You are a survivor of a branch of your family, and you have divine blood in your veins.
It's...

　It doesn't feel real to me to be told that out of the blue.
　It's obvious.
　Even if I was suddenly told that I'm qualified to be a brave person, I never thought about that.

　But.........there was a part of me that was convinced.

　At first I thought it was obvious but........
　As everyone says, my power as a Beast Tamer is far beyond the normal range.
　Not only that, but my growth rate is also outstanding.

　If the reason is that I have the blood of a god, then it makes sense.
　It explains a lot of things.

''You are also a brave man.
I'm ... the hero...

　I still can't feel it.

"...What does the king want from me?
Not now.

　The king looked up at the night sky.
　What was reflected in his eyes?
　Only he knows that.

''Arios was chosen as a brave man because, most of all, his blood is thick. The thicker the blood, the stronger the power. With this in mind, I made Arios a brave man. But........aside from his power, I'm not sure if his heart is worthy of being a brave man.

　Well, it's just like that.
　I can't find a single word to defend him.

'If something happens in the future that shakes things up in a big way then I may seek a brave man to replace Arios.
Is that what I am?
'I'd like to add it to my list of candidates. Without mincing words, it's a backup.
'Straight to the point...'
'There's no point in mincing words. Besides, I've decided that it's better to hit you straight on, instead of trying to cover it up.

　He is a good judge of character.

"When the time comes, I'll need you to help me. How's that?　Can you help me?
It's very selfish of me.

　The other party is a king, but those words come out of my mouth.

　Carrying Arios as a brave man........
　As soon as it goes bad, they turn to others.
　I don't think it's fair to say that it's selfish.

'I will do whatever it takes to protect this country. That's what being a king is all about.
....
'Well, if you ask me yourself, I don't have to give you a quick answer. I'm going to rely on Arios for the time being. As for anything else, I haven't really thought about it in earnest yet.

　So that means you're thinking about it somewhat.

'Just keep it in a corner of your mind. Just remind yourself of it from time to time and think about it. And if you can...I hope you'll be prepared for the moment of need.
I don't know if I'll be able to meet your expectations?
"You are a 'good' man. I believe you would never abandon your people.

　It was a cowardly thing to say.



----------



　The party went on late into the night
　The party ended when everyone was drunk.

　Kanade, Tania, Sora, and Luna, who seemed to have been drinking heavily, blushed, and fell asleep as soon as they got into bed.
　Nina, still a child, didn't drink, but she ate a lot and got sleepy, so she also went to bed quickly.
　Tina couldn't eat the food, but she seemed to be drunk from the atmosphere and went to bed as well.

'Fuu,'

　After putting everyone to bed, I leave the room.
　As expected, the rooms are separated by gender.
　I'm supposed to use the room next to mine.

".........

　I just didn't feel like going to bed right away, so I went down to the courtyard.

　It's a very large courtyard.
　Lots of greenery and flowers are in bloom, and a small river has been created.
　Out of nowhere you can hear insects buzzing and nature playing in the background.

'How can I help you?'

　I turned around and saw Sarya-sama.
　She was wearing pajamas, not the dress she wore at the banquet.

　Is it okay to see the princess in her pajamas?
　I hesitated, but decided that since Sarya-sama was imposing, it must not be a problem.

'I'm going to catch a bit of a night breeze.'
Can't you sleep?
'Well I've got a lot to think about,'
Is that related to the conversation you had with my father?
'You're very perceptive. Perhaps you can read people's minds?
Hmmm, I don't know.

　Sarya-sama smiles mischievously.
　She seems to have a surprisingly mischievous personality.

What did my father say to you, my dear?　Did he ask you to do something that would get Miss Lane in trouble, or something like that?
Well ... sort of.

　I was told not to mention the blood flowing inside me, so I blurted it out appropriately.

'Well I'm sorry, I think my father said something reckless.
Oh, no. I don't think Lady Sarya cares about...
'Because my father's problems are also my problems. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know.
Dear Sarya...
'Of course, even if my father isn't involved, if you have a problem, just let me know. I'll help you if I can. I haven't yet repaid Mr. Lane for his kindness, you know.
Thank you. I'll be there for you when you need it.
Yeah, you can count on it.

　The blood in me....
　And of the promise made to Lady Sarya....

　A lot of things have happened since I came to this royal city.
　Maybe this is the turning point in my life.

　What will I do in the future?
　I look up at the night sky and think about it, but I can't find the answer.