Chapter 51: Obstructed Development: Anticipated Adventure
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Under normal circumstances, taking over as king should mean a life of endless enjoyment.
But for Ash, it had transformed into endless overtime, making him question why he'd chosen to take on such a thankless task in the first place.
Yet, since he'd already taken over the kingdom, he couldn't just abandon it; leaving it poorly managed would feel wrong. So, he forced himself to continue working.
Just like that, a month slipped by in the blink of an eye.
On the eve of his scheduled departure, he found himself still working overtime, preparing arrangements for the kingdom during his absence. And then…
"Come on~" Ash patted his thigh, and Linie, the quiet girl who usually lurked in the shadows, understood the signal and approached him. She climbed onto his lap without hesitation, willingly acting as a personal heater on this cold northern night.
Feeling her warmth in his arms, he experienced a rare touch of comfort in this harsh world, but…
"Linie, you must work hard and not let me down."
"Yes, Master Ash." Linie nodded with obedient sincerity, showing no resistance.
She was indeed well-behaved, but… after an entire month, there didn't seem to be much progress.
Maybe he was being too impatient, but the most notable change he'd observed was her understanding his gesture of tapping his thigh, then coming over to sit on his lap unprompted.
This odd "progress" made him feel strangely unsettled, even causing him to question his own life choices.
Aura, who was flipping through a magic book beside him, noticed his unusually gloomy expression and couldn't resist poking fun:
"Ash, are you really training your future woman here? Just like the king before you."
"…Don't think of me as some twisted pervert. I'm not raising anyone for that purpose!"
"So, you'll do it without raising her? I've heard a lot of nobles in this kingdom prefer that approach. Actually… it seems like most nobles in human lands have those interests. I didn't expect you to pick it up so quickly after becoming a noble! Looks can be so deceiving~"
Aura covered her mouth with one hand, smirking as the words "enjoying this" practically shone on her face.
Ash shot her a glare. "…Enough with your nonsense. Sometimes, I really wonder if you're even a demon."
"You're hardly one to talk, Ash."
"Fine, I don't want to argue with you. Just help me find a proper teacher for the child soon."
After training Linie for a month, Ash realized he didn't have the spare energy to teach a child on top of his duties. He'd have to delegate, but…
"…Why are you staring at me like that?"
Ash's gaze lingered on Aura for a moment, and she turned away, as if subtly signaling her lack of interest in handling the responsibility.
This only confirmed his suspicion: this particular "ally" was of little help.
Sighing, he set Linie down and approached Aura. Lightly tapping her on the head, he ensured she faced him directly and then spoke, enunciating each word:
"I'm simply asking you to find a teacher for this child. Don't delay it. Also, I have to leave tomorrow for some important matters, so please secure a good teacher and stay in line… I likely won't return for a while, so from now on, the kingdom and Linie are in your care, understand?"
"Are you still worried about me?"
"…It's you that I can't be at ease with." Though he was concerned about Aura, he was also worried about others. All he could do at the moment was place a hand on her head, giving it a gentle shake before sighing in reluctant surrender. "But… I really do have to rely on you."
"Ash, you're always so long-winded. Hasn't anything changed in these five hundred years?"
"…Do you think I want to be like this?"
"Don't you…" Aura started, then hesitated. "Never mind. I'll handle it properly. Satisfied?"
Aura frowned, choosing to abandon any further rebuttal.
This surprised Ash slightly. He reached over to tidy up her tousled hair, a smile of relief crossing his face as he said, "Aura, you're finally starting to understand a bit about my role as an elder."
"…You mean, the joy of bullying the younger generation?"
"Oh, stop talking nonsense. Have I ever bullied you?"
Aura didn't respond, simply looking at him with an expressionless face.
Reluctantly, he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, maybe a little. But you can't just pick up all my bad habits, you know? There are good ones too…"
"Oh? And what's 'good'?"
"Uh… let me think about it…"
Though he believed he'd been a decent role model in the past, the question took him by surprise. Smiling awkwardly but politely, he stood and patted Aura on the head.
"Anyway, it's late. You should get to bed, or you'll never grow taller."
With that, he turned and began to leave, but Aura suddenly grabbed the edge of his cloak, her expression shifting into a sly smile. "Don't worry, I'm already 500 years old. But don't you want to share what exactly your 'good qualities' are?"
"...Don't make me hit you before I leave." His smile vanished, and he turned back, giving her a pointed stare that made Aura release her hold. Clicking his tongue in mild annoyance, he muttered, "Tsk… the answer still ends up being force, doesn't it?"
"The result matters; the process, not so much."
"Isn't that usually what villains say?"
"Enough bickering. I have a lot to do and no time for your nonsense!"
Tiring of this rebellious banter, he took Linie—who had been quietly listening to their argument—and made a quick exit.
Left alone, Aura watched him depart, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Busy, aren't you? Wanting to be a good king but lacking capable people… of course, you need a loyal executioner! Linie happens to be a good child~ Oh, I'm so considerate!"
To avoid any potential scolding, she decided to carry out the task, but with her own twist: she'd ensure Linie became a loyal executioner, but wouldn't bother teaching her any government skills. After all, when the time came, she could simply say that demons were suited only for battle.
…
The following morning.
Eager to escape work and ready for a bit of adventure, he left the royal city at dawn.
"...I hear there's an old elf lady out there, but there's also supposed to be one that looks like a dwarf? And according to tradition, there's bound to be a brave, beautiful girl, a gentle priest sister… maybe even a little dwarf loli! This is really exciting~!" he murmured, grinning to himself as he quickened his pace.
It wasn't that he considered himself indecent; he thought he was perfectly normal.
But after all these years, he hadn't met many beautiful women, or even any who were remotely interesting. He just wanted a taste of youthful adventure.
So, as he left the royal city and Aura behind, his mood lifted noticeably, his steps growing lighter. For the first time in what felt like ages, he felt as if the long-awaited breeze of youth was finally blowing his way.