WCSVL 12

Chapter – 12

Beloved Child.

*—I will be sending a child named Ruri your way soon. Please look after her for a while.—*

That single line, with no context or explanation, had been sent to Klaus via a water mirror a few days before Ruri’s arrival.

As soon as her sons had become self-sufficient, their mother had handed the house over to them and moved deep into the forest to begin her leisurely retirement. Dragons were naturally laissez-faire by other races’ standards, but even so, leaving behind children who—though employed at the castle—could hardly be called fully fledged adults had prompted some complaints from Klaus and his siblings.

However, when she retorted, “You’re my children with *him*—there’s no way you’d be that fragile,” and they turned out to be just that, they had nothing left to say.

If it weren’t for her evident motherly love, they might have gone astray, but she never gave them reason to doubt her affection. She was eccentric, but she made sure to keep in regular contact. Klaus and the others had accepted her for who she was and let her go.

And now, from that same mother, a rare message outside her usual correspondence had arrived—and this was it.

Klaus racked his memory but recalled no one named Ruri. She must have met her after moving to the forest. He found it unusual that his mother was asking for a favor, but he didn’t think much deeper than that.

A few days later, as Klaus stepped out the gate to head to the castle, he was met by a pristine white cat and a spirit. Startled by the unusual combination, Klaus soon found himself swept up in a torrent of further surprises.

The letter from his mother had led him to assume the messenger would be human, so he was taken aback. Furthermore, the letter he received confirmed that the cat before him was indeed his mother’s envoy—and contained a line he could not overlook… no, a warning.

—

*—The Ruri I’ve sent as my messenger is my Beloved Child. Do not let so much as a scratch come to her.*

*Ruri knows nothing of Beloved Children, nor of this world. So please, teach her the common sense of this world.—*

—

Beloved Child…

That single phrase sent a chill down Klaus’s spine.

But before him stood only one spirit. It was common for those favored by spirits to have two or three accompanying them. That alone wouldn’t qualify as a Beloved Child. Yet when he tested it, spirits gathered in numbers he had never witnessed in his lifetime.

*What on earth has she saddled me with?* His mother’s name echoed with resentment in his mind.

Judging the situation beyond his capacity, Klaus acted quickly. He strictly ordered his household not to approach Ruri’s room under any circumstances, then set off for the castle at a record-breaking speed.

His unusual haste and the violent way he threw open the door left the Dragon King—who was in his office at the time—and the officials waiting for signatures staring in astonishment.

“I request that everyone be dismissed.”

At Klaus’s first words, the Dragon King raised an eyebrow. But he asked no pointless questions and dismissed everyone except a few of his most trusted aides.

Remaining in the office were the Dragon King, Klaus, Agate, Finn, and the Prime Minister, Eukleia.

“What’s the matter, Klaus? This isn’t like you.”

“A Beloved Child has appeared.”

At the words “Beloved Child,” no one understood at first—but after a beat, their eyes went wide.

“Wh-What…?”

“Is that true?!”

Though he appeared composed, the Dragon King’s voice trembled slightly. Agate, on the other hand, had bloodshot eyes and leaned forward excitedly, as if about to grab hold of Klaus. Their attitudes differed in intensity, but both were utterly astounded—as were the other aides.

A Beloved Child: one who is especially beloved by spirits.

It was said that the first king of the Dragon Kingdom was also a Beloved Child. Such individuals appeared from time to time in this world, bringing both blessings and strife.

Spirits gathered around a Beloved Child, and the land prospered through their power. In this world, being favored and protected by spirits was synonymous with wielding influence over the world itself.

Thus, nations and powers sought to claim the Beloved Child for themselves, and blood had been spilled more than once or twice. There had also been incidents where, during such conflicts, the Beloved Child was harmed, and the enraged spirits retaliated with devastating force.

After repeated conflicts of this nature, the Four-Nation Alliance agreed that the Beloved Child’s whereabouts would be determined by the child themselves, and other nations were to follow the policy set by the four most powerful countries. Yet that did not mean there were no longer those who coveted the Beloved Child’s power.

The basic principle was that once a Beloved Child was found, that nation would protect them immediately before other nations could interfere.

“Your Majesty, we must provide protection at once! What race are they?!”

“…A cat.”

“What? A cat tribe?”

Cats had relatively low mana among demi-humans, and cases of Beloved Children appearing among them were rare. Agate’s enthusiasm dimmed slightly.

This was because Beloved Children varied in their capacity as such.

How much cooperation they could garner from spirits depended on how attuned their mana was to the spirits’ preferences. At the same time, without sufficient mana, they couldn’t wield powerful magic. A cat with low mana might not be able to fully utilize the spirits’ power—so his disappointment was understandable.

Still, the mere gathering of spirits would bring benefits to the Dragon Kingdom, so the disappointment quickly dissipated.

However, Klaus hesitantly corrected Agate’s misunderstanding.

“Um… no, not a cat tribe—it’s an ordinary cat.”

“…A cat? Not a cat tribe?”

“Yes.”

“Are you certain?”

At a loss for words, Agate gaped silently. In his place, the Dragon King asked again, and Klaus nodded firmly.

“Yes. It had only one tail.”

The difference between a cat tribe and an ordinary cat was the number of tails. Ordinary cats had one, while cat tribes had two or more.

“However, it’s hard to call it an ordinary cat. The cat’s name is Ruri, and I believe she possesses mana on par with Your Majesty’s…”

At that, the Prime Minister Eukleia, who had been listening silently, strongly objected.

“There’s no way a mere cat could have power equal to that of our noble Dragon King! You must be mistaken!”

“At first, I thought it might have been coming from the spirit beside her, but I’m certain I’m not mistaken. Moreover, she can use telepathy and possesses enough intelligence to converse with me without issue.”

“A cat with telepathy?!”

Klaus explained to everyone the exchange from the receipt of Chelsea’s letter up to that very day.

“Chelsea…!”

The sentiment contained in Agate’s growl as he called Chelsea’s name was likely the same as what Klaus had felt earlier.

“We don’t know how Chelsea found this Beloved Child, but that cat is likely a type of magical beast. Occasionally, highly intelligent ones are born among them.”

The Dragon King’s words were met with agreement from Klaus.

“Yes, I recall my mother mentioning that a magical beast with strong mana lived in the forest. It must be that creature.”

Unaware of their grand misunderstanding, the group reached a consensus, and the discussion turned to the future of the Beloved Child.

“Well, at least being able to communicate is a relief. What’s the child doing now?”

“She’s staying at my house. I’ve instructed my household not to approach her. I want to avoid any mishap that might anger the spirits.”

“A wise decision. We’ll take care of the Beloved Child at the castle.”

Klaus let out a sigh of relief and relaxed his expression.

“That’s a great help. My mother also asked me to teach the child the common sense of this country, since she seems to know nothing about it.”

“Understood. I’ll decide after meeting her.”

“If she knows nothing of our ways, she should be easier to handle, no?”

Agate chuckled.

At that moment, an intense, bone-chilling shiver ran down everyone’s spines—the Dragon King included—and they all turned their attention to their surroundings. Near the window, several spirits floated into view.

“Spirits…?”

*’We came to warn you.’*

*’Warning, warning.’*

With narrowed eyes, the spirits repeated the word “warning.” The Dragon King and the others, who had never heard of spirits behaving this way, instinctively tensed.

*’Warning number one!’*

*’Number one~’*

Though the spirits were clearly angry, their manner of speaking somehow undermined the tension. Even though they knew it was serious, the atmosphere began to loosen.

*’You must not hurt Ruri!’*

*’Those who hurt her deserve death~’*

Hearing the name “Ruri,” everyone understood what the spirits had come to warn them about.

*’Warning number two!’*

*’Two~’*

*’You must not ignore Ruri’s will, either.’*

*’Those who do shall be punished by all of us!’*

At that point, Eukleia interjected.

“Then it’s all right as long as we persuade her and get her consent, isn’t it?”

The spirits huddled together and murmured among themselves. After reaching a conclusion, they turned back.

*’If Ruri agrees, it’s fine—but we won’t tolerate forcing her to do anything she dislikes.’*

*’What we mean is, don’t take advantage of her ignorance.’*

*’Next, warning number three~’*

*’If you make Ruri sad…’*

*’Fire attack~’*

*’Water attack~’*

The fire and water spirits spoke over each other and began arguing about which method was better.

From the Dragon King’s perspective, either meant a crisis for the nation, so they firmly rejected both—but the spirits continued their debate with the casual air of deciding what to have for dinner.

*’Why not do both?’*

One of the spirits, seeing the stalemate, offered that suggestion. The others brightened as if struck by a brilliant idea.

*’Yeah! After we burn everything to ash, we’ll wash it all away with water.’*

*’Let’s call the spirits outside the capital too!’*

*’Ooh!!’*

Raising their fists, the spirits looked ready to charge out at any moment. Eukleia, pale-faced, shouted desperately.

“Wait! We haven’t done anything to her yet!!”

Realizing they had completely lost sight of their original purpose, the spirits went “Oh!” and smiled sheepishly.

*’Hehehe, that’s right.’*

*’Oops, my bad~’*

If Eukleia hadn’t stopped them, the capital might have been swept away on a whim—a thought that sent chills down everyone’s spines.

*’Anyway, just remember that.’*

*’Don’t forget—we won’t forgive anyone who bullies Ruri. Well then, bye-bye~’*

The spirits departed like a storm, leaving the room in silence, each person lost in thought.

After a moment, the Dragon King spoke first.

“Klaus, can that Beloved Child control her emotions? Is she the type to throw a tantrum like a baby whenever something displeases her, or act without restraint?”

This was an important question. A single whim of Ruri’s could lead to an attack on the capital. If she threw a fit over the slightest thing and set the spirits on them, they’d be in serious trouble. If she were like a child who couldn’t endure anything, the potential damage was immense.

“No, she didn’t seem that way. When we spoke, she was calm and well-mannered. Ah, now that I think about it, she also reprimanded the spirits when they became noisy.”

“Did the spirits listen?”

“Yes, when she told them to be quiet, they obeyed.”

The Dragon King pondered again, then reached the same conclusion as before.

“Still, meeting her in person is the best way to be sure. Has she agreed to come to the castle?”

“I don’t think she was very enthusiastic…”

They had just been warned not to ignore her will. Klaus’s voice naturally grew quieter.

“Then confirm her wishes first. If she doesn’t want to come, there’s no need to force her. Finn, you go too. If she declines, you are to remain as her guard.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Understood.”

Klaus and Finn bowed respectfully and left the office to fetch Ruri.

A deep sigh escaped the Dragon King, as if to say, *What a troublesome affair.*

“We’ve had no Beloved Child in the Dragon Kingdom for some time—are they all like this?”

He asked Agate and Eukleia, who remained behind, but both shook their heads, saying they didn’t know.

“Currently, there are Beloved Children in the Spirit Kingdom and the Beast Kingdom, but I’ve never heard of spirits showing up personally to deliver warnings.”

“It’s likely a difference in their capacity as Beloved Children, isn’t it? If so, this child must possess mana that appeals greatly to spirits.”

“We’ll receive great blessings, but it seems she’ll bring equal chaos.”

“I’m glad she appeared in Nadasha and not elsewhere.”

“Absolutely.”

The Dragon King lowered his gaze to the documents on his desk and let out another heavy sigh.