"Why is the queen the most powerful, even though she's a queen?"
Well, it's just the rules. But when you think about it, it does seem odd that a queen is overwhelmingly stronger than soldiers or knights. The queen is just too powerful.
"Hehe, it's like you're the king and I'm the queen."
"Yeah, I guess..."
I might not be a king, but Shion is indeed as strong as a queen.
Later, I tried playing a game of chess with Shion, using it as an opportunity to teach her. Although she was just starting out, Shion made some interesting moves, which made the game quite enjoyable. As we were playing, Holly suddenly appeared behind Shion.
Where had she been? Neither near me nor Shion.
Even though Shion and the Holy Sword were in the same place, Holly could move quite freely. Holly floated, watching our game, and was grinning. It's not like her to find our game amusing, so I wondered why she was laughing.
"Pff... It's so bad it's funny!"
Typical of her! Criticizing a child's first attempts is the worst thing an adult can do. Although, she's not really at an adult level.
"It's obvious Crow is going easy on you. It's sad you can't see that..."
Shion, without acknowledging Holly's taunts, became expressionless.
Scary! An emotionless Shion is terrifying!
But seriously, is Holly really committed to fighting the Demon Lord with Shion? I can't feel any sense of partnership.
Suddenly, Holly moved closer to me.
"Hey Crow, instead of playing with this boring kid, why don't you come with me? I found a new saintly sword..."
"Go away."
In an instant, Holly disappeared.
"What?! Wait! What just happened?!"
Shion, without a hint of surprise, continued to move her chess pieces.
"Hold on! Shion! Holly disappeared!"
"It's fine."
"It's not fine! Where did she go?"
"She just returned to the Holy Sword."
"Without my permission, Holly can't come out of the Holy Sword. So, I'm not letting her out for a while."
Whoa. So that's the power dynamic between the hero and the divine sword?
Then again, maybe past heroes also kept their divine swords sealed when they didn't want their privacy invaded. Especially when they were with a loved one; no one would want a jealous, sharp-tongued spirit around.
Shion stared at the Holy Sword, which was propped up against the table. "Or maybe, I should keep her sealed forever... until she cries and apologizes."
"No, no, no! Let's forgive her, okay?" "She may have a sharp tongue, but she's not inherently bad... Well, maybe she is, but it's still pitiful!"
"She might be somewhat cute, but well, let's forgive her!"
"If you say so, big brother, I'll forgive her. But not now. She's disturbing our chess game. It's annoying."
What a situation. I started playing chess with the hope that it could help Holly and Shion get along better, but it seems to have worsened their relationship.
Well, Holly brought it upon herself. Holly, being a spirit, can't lie. If someone makes a bad move, she can't help but speak her mind about it.
While lost in these thoughts, I heard a knock on the door.
"Huh?"
"Crow-sama, may I come in?"
It's a familiar voice, likely one of the maids who look after Shion and me.
"His Majesty requests your presence. Can you come to the audience chamber?"
Upon hearing this, Shion seems dishappy.
"...Later..."
"No, it can't wait! It might be urgent!"
"Then, can I come with you?"
With a cute tilt of her head, Shion pleaded with me. But after seeing her emotionless face earlier, even this adorable expression seems scary.
All I could do was nod in agreement.
Being summoned by the king is not a situation the old me could have imagined. But now, every few days, I'm summoned by King Dalia. Usually, we discuss mundane topics like my student life or how Shion is treated as the hero.
Frankly, being called by the highest authority in the country and talking in a hall filled with high-ranking officials is just nerve-wracking and not particularly enjoyable.
But it's not like I can just refuse.
"...Your Majesty, it's Crow. I'm here as you requested."
I muttered as I entered the audience chamber. I have no knowledge of how to talk with superiors, especially royals or nobles. I just wing it with manners and etiquette. That's why I'd rather not talk to the king or the likes.
"Glad you could make it, Crow."
King Dalia, seated on his throne, greeted me. But when he noticed Shion next to me, he exclaimed,
"Whoa! The hero is with you too!"
He looked genuinely surprised, much like my usual reactions.
Staring intently at the flustered King Dalia, Shion remarked,
"Didn't you just address my brother informally? Why are you acting so high and mighty?"
"My apologies!"
She was seriously intimidating the highest authority in the country.
I'm starting to understand the feelings of those who sent assassins after me. Was Shion always this confrontational with authority figures like the king? Such a domineering attitude.
"Shion, stop it. You can't act like this...!"
"Big brother, if we leave him be, he'll get full of himself, right? It might be better if you become the king and he just disappears."
"You can't say things like that! Absolutely not!"
Though Shion pouted in dissatisfaction, she shifted her gaze from me to the king and asked,
"So, what do you want with my brother?"
She continued to address the king with a condescending tone. Well, she's not just acting superior; she is superior. Because she's the strongest.
"Ah! Today, we wanted to present a gift to Crow-sama, the one most credited with discovering the hero. I apologize for interrupting your time together!"
King Dalia seemed quite intimidated by Shion, looking pitifully cowed in her presence. However, upon hearing the king's intent to present a gift to me, Shion's expression brightened.
"Eh? Are you giving something to my brother?"
"Yes, indeed!"
"Yay! That's great, big brother. The king is commendable for giving you a gift."
"Thank you very much! I'm honored!"
Listening to the conversation between the king and the current hero, I couldn't help but think that this country might be in trouble. The highest authority of a nation humbling himself and feeling honored for giving a gift to an individual...
From now on, the mood of the hero might be determined by whether or not the authorities bestow gifts upon me. The number of people wanting to assassinate me probably won't decrease.
I approached King Dalia and whispered to him, "I apologize, Your Majesty. I will talk to her later."
"No need, it's the least I can do as recompense for falsely accusing you. Just be grateful you're still alive."
He seemed even more shrunken than necessary.
"By the way, what is the gift?"
"Well, actually..."
Oh?
Gathering himself, King Dalia began to explain the reward intended for me.
"Recently, we captured a wild black horse that had been terrifying the local residents. We used the military to do so. It's a magnificent horse. We thought it would make an excellent warhorse if tamed, but no one has been able to ride it."
"I've heard that you are an expert horseman. Would you be willing to try riding this black horse?" That's not a reward; it sounds more like a challenge.
Though I'm said to be good at horse riding, it's just a rare average skill I possess. If the king has deemed that nobody can ride the horse, it means all the military experts in horsemanship have failed to do so.
I'm not eager to ride such a daunting horse.
"Big brother, you're good at horse riding? I want to see you ride."
"Let's try it out then. The horse is tied up in the courtyard."
Between the king and the hero, I found myself in a tricky situation.
Accompanied by the king and his guards, Shion and I went to the castle courtyard, where she usually trains.
There stood the horse, a massive black stallion. Its presence seemed to say, "I choose my rider." Such intimidating creatures often desire to be ridden by heroes or great warriors. Why on earth do they want to give it to me?
I approached the black horse, which already had a saddle and bridle on, all the while pondering these thoughts. Even though I wasn't doing anything provocative like approaching it from behind, which horses hate, the stallion flared its nostrils and glared at me as I got closer.