Chapter 1 : C1 part17
Different World Nation Alchimyra -The Weakest King and the Unrivaled Army
Chapter 1 part 17 “Meanwhile, in Leve”
The time rewinds a little.
Leve left the king’s bedroom and closed the door silently.
She wished she could have had a guard by his side for protection, but it was the king’s order, so there was no choice.
A mix of frustration and unfamiliar emotions welled up inside her, and she felt like an undesirable expression had appeared on her face when she exited.
It was unbecoming of a close aide to the king. As someone in such a position, she always had to remain calm and composed. Showing emotions was out of the question.
She deeply reflected on herself and let out a sigh.
“The Commander of the First Legion. How is our king faring…?”
“He has regained consciousness. If he has any matters to discuss, he will request your presence. Each legion commander is to send messengers as separate royal orders have been issued.”
One of the Living Armors, sentient inanimate objects in the form of full-body armor, stood by the door, receiving the king’s instructions and shouldering the task of delivering the message.
Meanwhile, Leve herself remained in the corridor, aligning herself with the other Living Armors against the wall, assuming a posture of readiness.
However, doubts began to gnaw at her.
Though she had been told to be summoned if needed, would the king truly call upon her?
After all, she had recently committed the heinous and catastrophic failure of allowing harm to befall the king.
She had no assurance of being trusted or given the opportunity to be called upon.
“…Come to think of it.”
The punishment for her failure had not been delivered.
It was mentioned that it would be dealt with later… and just moments ago, Leve recalled the incident and blushed.
In hindsight, she felt that she had exposed an incredibly embarrassing sight to the king. The events that befell her, as she leaned close to the king’s side, were far beyond her expectations.
At first, she had anticipated a reprimand.
However, the palm that landed on her head lacked the force of a strike, and instead, from the movement of that hand, she could even discern a hint of gentleness.
It took several seconds for her to realize that her head was being gently caressed.
Such an unexpected event it was.
From the sensation in her palm, memories from the past resurfaced.
It was a recollection from the early days of this country, a time when Leve was still weak and small.
Even back then, Leve used to have her head stroked and praised by Helian.
However, such rewards abruptly ceased after the First War of Turmoil, around the time when Leve was appointed as a close aide to the king.
In their place came rewards from the king in the form of wages and equipment, among other things.
Indeed, it did fill her pockets.
She was able to indulge in luxuries that were unimaginable during the early days of the country.
The newly acquired equipment was prioritized to be handed down to the subordinates of legion commanders, and Leve herself had repeatedly exchanged her beloved weapons.
However, for Leve, being able to have her head caressed by her master brought her far greater joy than any material possessions.
And suddenly, without any forewarning, it happened to her.
It was truly a reward that had been absent for a hundred and thirty years.
However, Lieve denied without a moment’s thought that there had ever been such a rewarding event. On the contrary, she had just committed a mistake that could be deemed fatal.
Then why was she blessed with such a delicious experience? She pondered, tilting her head, but couldn’t recall any particular reason.
…Nevertheless.
The touch of the king’s hand was truly delightful.
However, consumed by that sensation, she had exposed herself in a clumsy and flustered manner before the king whom she admired.
Just remembering it made her cheeks flush with heat.
She must reflect deeply to ensure she never again embarrasses herself in such a manner.
But, however.
It was truly a wonderful experience…
“…………Um, Commander of the First Legion.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Did something good happen? You seem to be in a remarkably good mood.”
One of the Living Armors lined up nearby unexpectedly uttered those words without any context.
For some reason, their gaze was directed towards Leve’s waist area.
“…Are you half asleep? In the midst of an unprecedented crisis facing the country, you dare say I seem to be in a good mood?”
“Oh, no, I-I apologize! It must have been my imagination as a low-ranking officer! I just froze in my tracks a moment ago, yes!”
“Froze? What are you talking about? I don’t understand the meaning.”
Leve stared at the armor with a piercing gaze.
Can this puppet, who babbles about nonsensical things, truly fulfill the honorable duty of guarding the king’s chamber?
Though Leve had no authority to dismiss the Living Armor due to Balran’s authority, she felt an urge to immediately remove them from her ranks and kick them away in frustration.
“…But, regardless, this time it was a long one.”
What comes to mind is the revived king.
To be frank, it’s truly worrisome.
After all, he slept for more than half a day.
The king, who was treacherously murdered by the detested ogre, did indeed revive on the throne, but he still hasn’t woken up.
This has never happened before.
Doubts about whether everything is truly alright cross my mind.
The king treats himself as if he were a disposable item or something of the sort.
There have been more than a few occasions where I grit my teeth, wishing he would take better care of himself.
The recent expedition abroad was no exception.
The king ventured into a forest of unknown dangers for investigation, personally leading the way.
Such a proud figure.
It’s in moments like these that I feel fortunate to have him as our king.
However, even so, I wish he would value himself a little more.
And thus, the brave king fell victim to the hands of foolish rebels and met his demise.
It was all because our own strength was lacking in every aspect.
We must strive harder.
From the depths of my heart, I believe this to be true.
“Hmm…”
…However.
However, if we were to entertain a hypothetical scenario.
Yes, let’s consider this purely as a hypothetical scenario.
If we were to dedicate ourselves to continuous improvement,
Serve the king diligently,
And be blessed with opportunities for rewards,
Would he once again caress our heads…?
“………… Commander of the First Legion?”
The equipment bestowed upon us is already of the highest caliber.
In recent times, rewards have mostly been in the form of monetary gains, accumulating without much purpose.
Let’s ponder for a moment.
Is it possible to receive head caresses in exchange for monetary rewards?
“No, I am certainly not making this request for my own selfish desires.
Given the current state of the country, facing such a crisis and suffering a major economic blow, it is not feasible to release large amounts of money from the national treasury as before.
Therefore, this proposal is made with the intention of benefiting the nation by receiving rewards in a way that does not harm the economy.”
“………… Um, Commander of the First Legion?”
I have indeed committed a great failure.
To redeem myself from the grave mistake of allowing harm to befall the king, mere accomplishments would not be enough.
It could take several decades, if not more.
However, let us consider the future, several decades from now, when making such a request to the king.
“The king would surely be perplexed.
As someone who has already grown into a respectable adult, it is natural to be regarded with suspicion for uttering such whimsical words, even if it was acceptable during my childhood.
However, what if that wish could be granted?
Perhaps it could take place in the audience chamber.
Ideally, it would be in a private room or an office where no one would disturb us. But it may be too much to ask for the king’s own chamber.
What happened earlier was an exception within exceptions.
But it felt so pleasant.
The sensation of having my hair ruffled and tousled is something I will never forget, no matter how many decades pass.”
“…………Commander of the First Legion, your tail has been hitting my foot for quite some time now, with a thumping sound.”
It had been a long time since someone touched my ears.
Because they only touched my right ear, it felt unbalanced.
I wonder if they will stroke my left ear next.
It would be delightful if they could pinch it a little.
If they could rub it between their index and middle fingers, that would be the ultimate bliss.
“And having a hand descend upon my neck was a novel experience.
The human king, compared to us beastmen, had a lower body temperature. When his touch reached my skin, I couldn’t help but shiver at the chilly sensation.
The collar choker engraved with the country’s emblem—my neck avoided its grasp. However, the fingertips that touched my neck, once I calmed down and felt them, were pleasantly cool and moist.
“…Commander of the First Legion? Can you hear me?”
However, what happened next became a problem.
The king buried his face in the nape of my neck.
As someone who had been guarding the king all this time, I hadn’t taken a bath for a whole day. Now, I couldn’t help but worry.
Did I sweat a little and become smelly?
If only I had Eltina cast a cleansing spell on me in case such a situation arose.
If I have the opportunity again, I should thoroughly wash my body.
As for the fragrance, should I consult Camilla?
In a way, she’s an expert in that area.
Personally, we don’t get along well, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
To be honest, my sensitive nose dislikes perfumes, but I will endure it.
If push comes to shove, in my complete humanized form, I can deceive others with my keen sense of smell.
So, I want it to happen once more.
But wait, perhaps it’s better if I do it instead.
Though I’m accustomed to smelling the king’s scent on a daily basis, I’ve never buried my face in his neck.
What sensations would I experience if I let my nose touch the king’s neck?
And if, by any chance, I were allowed to lick it, what would it taste like?
Just imagining it brings a sweet delight.
Oh, what should I do?
My head is tingling.
If I achieve significant military feats that could rival the collapse of a nation, would it be enough to plead for such a request?
If there were a suitable enemy country, I would definitely want to be at the forefront.”
“Commander of the First Legion, I apologize for interrupting your seemingly delightful mood. However, if you could kindly refrain from using your tail to strike the subordinate’s legs, it would be greatly appreciated…”
Chirin.
The sound of a transparent bell reached the ears on top of my head.
In an instant, I gracefully moved from the corner of the wall to directly in front of the door.
Simultaneously, I retrieved a handheld mirror from my magical pouch, the Magic Pocket, and checked my appearance.
Due to the swift movement just now, my hairstyle had become slightly disheveled, so I tidied it up with a small comb.
As for body odor, I decided not to dwell on it at this point.
However, in all other aspects, there were no issues.
Having confirmed my own perfection within a mere 0.8 seconds, I calmly knocked on the door of the bedroom.
For some reason, one of the Living Armors, a magical armored being, blinked its helm’s gaze as if taken aback. But Leve did not pay it any mind.