6. The One Who Is Called For…

In their bedroom at night, spent alone together, TiaraRose and Aquasteed spoke a little about the future. Specifically, they were considering to whom they should eventually bequeath the throne.

With three children who each love their country, TiaraRose and Aquasteed felt that no matter which one succeeded to the throne, there would be no problem.

“Normally, there would be no issue with the eldest, Lucia, succeeding the throne, but…”

Aquasteed trailed off. TiaraRose replied with a complicated expression.

“You’re right… Lucia loves this country dearly as well. However, Luca and Rio have taken in your power of the starry sky, Aqua. If one is to stand at the top as the King of Marineforest, having that power of the starry sky would surely be ideal.”

Of course, one could inherit the throne without such power, but in the event of an emergency, it would be better for the throne to be held by Stillca or Stillio, who possess the power of the starry sky. However, they did not yet know if Stillca or Stillio actually desired to take the throne. Both TiaraRose and Aquasteed felt the three were still too young to truly consider the weight of kingship.

Aquasteed’s expression softened as he gazed slowly out the window.

“There is no need to produce an answer immediately. Once things settle down a bit more, we shall talk to the three of them.”

“Yes. Though, I suspect Lucia might say she wants to become the Knight Commander.”

As TiaraRose laughed while saying this, Aquasteed laughed too. “No doubt about it.”

LuciaRose had always said she wanted to become a knight and protect the people she loved. She trained daily with the knights alongside Grimoire, growing stronger with each passing day. If she were to take the throne and be tied to a desk for administrative work, she would surely be itching to move her body.

Being able to easily imagine such a future, TiaraRose giggled once more.

Several days passed, and the day for Akari and Haruka to return to their country arrived.

“Aaaah~, I wanted to stay in Marineforest longer!”

TiaraRose gave a wry smile as Akari voiced her dissatisfaction and grumbled. Even if Akari was fine with it, it wouldn’t be good for her to be absent from Lapis Lazuli for too long.

“Prince Hartknights is worried about you. Please go home quickly and show him your energetic self.”

“…You’re right. I want to see Lord Hartknights soon, too. It’s lonely having to leave, but it’s also lonely not being able to see Lord Hartknights. It’s a bit of a contradiction.”

As she laughed, Akari placed her hands on the shoulders of Haruka, who was standing beside her.

“Come, Haruka. Let’s give our departure greetings.”

“Yes, Mother. Thank you very much for taking care of us.”

Seeing Haruka give a proper greeting, TiaraRose and Aquasteed told him to please come and visit again. Next, LuciaRose stepped forward.

“Haruka, come play again. Also, next time I want to try going to Lapis Lazuli! As a knight, I want to see more of the wide world!”

“Yeah!”

Before anyone realized it, the distance between LuciaRose and Haruka had shrunk considerably, to the point where they were making promises to play together. Akari watched this with a grinning face. Aquasteed looked a bit displeased, but it seemed he intended to respect LuciaRose’s will.

—I wonder if he’s starting to feel like his daughter is being taken away.

Watching Aquasteed, TiaraRose thought that even that side of him was adorable.

Stillca, Stillio, and Olivia also came to see Akari off.

“Akari-sama, Haruka, please come visit again by all means.”

“We’ll go visit with Lucia next time, too.”

“Yes! Please do come!”

Haruka responded to Stillca and Stillio’s words with a full smile. Behind him, Akari was nodding repeatedly, scattering flower-like auras while saying, “Come visit anytime.”

As for Olivia, she was teary-eyed. “You’re leaving already. It’s so lonely…” Today, unusually, she was holding her handkerchief to her eyes instead of her nose.

“Sniff… I’ve prepared some sweets for the two of you to enjoy during your journey. Levy.”

At Olivia’s call, Levy immediately presented the sweets on a tray. They were animal-shaped cookies in a cute bag, decorated with icing. Since Haruka had taken a liking to the animal sweets, it was a perfect gift. Akari’s eyes also sparkled. “They look delicious!”

“Thank you, Lady Olivia!”

“They’re wonderful! Thank you so much. Haa, I want to eat them already.”

“They are Levy’s handmade work, so they are quite delicious, you know.”

As Olivia stated this proudly, Akari cried out, “I’m looking forward to them~!”

A few days after Akari and the others started their journey back to the Lapis Lazuli Kingdom.

While TiaraRose was relaxing in her room, Sizulia and Percy suddenly appeared via teleportation. Their expressions were somewhat stiff.

“Our apologies, Lady TiaraRose. Do you have a moment?”

“To think such a thing would happen so soon after our appointment as Fairy Kings…”

“Both of you… what on earth is the matter?”

Seeing their panicked state, TiaraRose immediately sensed that some incident had occurred.

“First, calm down. Tell me exactly what happened.”

When TiaraRose asked slowly, Sizulia opened her mouth while clasping her trembling hands in front of her chest.

“Please forgive me. I’ve become quite distraught… The sea, and the sky and forest as well—it feels as if they are shivering.”

“Shivering…?”

Not understanding the meaning, TiaraRose repeated Sizulia’s words. From TiaraRose’s perspective, no abnormality had occurred in Marineforest; it was just a normal day. However, since the Fairy Kings were saying it, there was no doubt that something was happening.

—I wish I could feel it too, but I suppose the Candy Fairy King cannot sense abnormalities in the earth.

Feeling a bit inadequate, TiaraRose checked with them: “Have you reported this to Keith?”

Sizulia and Percy exchanged a look and nodded, and Percy provided the explanation.

“Of course, we went to consult with Lord Keith. However, well, he said there shouldn’t be a problem for the time being.”

“But we are anxious…! I cannot predict what is going to happen…!”

“I see.”

Since Keith has performed the role of Fairy King for a long time, he likely knows how to handle these situations. However, Sizulia and Percy had only just become Fairy Kings. It would surely be difficult for them to remain calm when an abnormality occurs.

—I would also panic if I felt such an abnormality.

“I will consult with Aqua and then go to Keith as well. Both as a Fairy King and as the Queen of this country, I must know.”

“Yes, please.”

Seeing the two nod, TiaraRose and the others ran to Aquasteed’s office.

After asking the guard knight in front of the office to announce her, TiaraRose went straight to Aquasteed. Many people were working there, but she had no room to worry about that now. With the two Fairy Kings behind TiaraRose, everyone present went wide-eyed.

“His Majesty Aquasteed.”

“Tiara. And Lady Sizulia and Lord Percy. …What happened?”

Seeing TiaraRose’s panicked state, Aquasteed immediately stopped his paperwork and ordered everyone to leave. Once TiaraRose confirmed that everyone except Elliot had left the office, she spoke.

“I do not understand it myself, but Sizulia and Percy say that the sea, forest, and sky are shivering. They say something might be happening in Marineforest…”

“For such a thing to happen…”

Aquasteed likely had never heard of such a phenomenon before either. He began to consider what it could mean with a serious expression.

“I intend to ask Keith what is happening. When Sizulia and Percy went to check with him, he said it was fine… but I am still concerned.”

“Yes, you’re right. It would be a disaster if something happened and the residents needed to be evacuated.”

It was better to have as much information as possible.

“Yes. Aqua, please stay here and give instructions in case of an emergency.”

“Understood. Be careful.”

“I’ll be right back.”

TiaraRose smiled and teleported to Keith’s location.

“Keith!”

“Hmm? Oh, Tiara. It’s rare for you to come alone. What’s wrong?”

When TiaraRose teleported to the Forest Fairy King’s castle, the master, Keith, was elegantly eating sweets and drinking tea. Despite Sizulia and Percy being in such a panic, he showed no signs of panic whatsoever.

—Perhaps it really isn’t something to panic about.

Feeling a bit relieved, TiaraRose stated the reason she had come.

“I heard from Sizulia and Percy that some abnormality is occurring, so I came to check.”

“Ah—…”

TiaraRose gave a wry smile at Keith’s attitude, which was as if he had only just remembered.

“It’s not as if something bad is happening. …Luca and Rio, those two have obtained the power of the starry sky. Because of that, the barrier at Marineforest’s border has wavered slightly.”

“The border barrier…?”

TiaraRose gasped slightly at the unexpected reason. Stillca and Stillio had received a portion of the starry sky power from Aquasteed during Akari’s “Magic Dock.” She understood that this was likely the influence… but in truth, TiaraRose didn’t know much about the border.

—The border was hardly mentioned in the game.

The “border” refers to the barrier erected at the country’s boundaries. When the King of that time changes, the barrier is re-erected. Currently, what surrounds Marineforest is a barrier designed using TiaraRose’s flowers, erected by Aquasteed.

“I only recognized the border as a boundary for the country, but it is certainly a massive undertaking, so it makes sense for it to have other meanings.”

For example, a barrier to prevent some kind of intrusion, or unique phenomena for that country—perhaps preventing fairies from leaving, for instance. But TiaraRose had gone to other countries with Keith and the others before. There shouldn’t be any power that rejects fairies or traps them inside the country.

“Keith, what exactly is the meaning of this border surrounding the country? Is there something I don’t know?”

When TiaraRose asked that, Keith laughed. “It’s not as if there’s anything so incredible about it.”

“Originally, the barrier was erected to show that this is one’s own territory. So, as long as that is understood at a minimum, there’s no problem. However—as I’m sure you know, Tiara—this barrier is something a King erects.”

“Yes.”

Seeing TiaraRose nod, Keith continued.

“I don’t know about other countries, but as far as Marineforest is concerned, this is a country we fairies cherish. The sea creates life, the earth nurtures it, and the sky watches over this entire country. We protect the abundance of this nation. Well, it’s more like we’re providing a helping hand.”

Unexpectedly, she heard from Keith’s own mouth just how much the fairies treasure Marineforest. Just those words made her very happy. As TiaraRose’s expression softened, Keith continued with a look of slight embarrassment.

“That doesn’t mean the country won’t be prosperous if the border disappears, though. It’s more like a lucky charm for peace of mind.”

“I see.”

Based on Keith’s explanation, there didn’t seem to be any special power in the border. However, if an abnormality was involved as it was now, that explanation didn’t quite sit right. When TiaraRose looked at Keith, he wore a face that suggested she had noticed.

“Are you hiding something?”

“Well, what I just said was a normal border. For example, if a King with strong power like Aqua erects the barrier, it holds somewhat more meaning.”

“!”

A powerful King—specifically because it was Aquasteed, an abnormality had occurred.

“For instance, it can keep monsters away from the vicinity of the border, or make the climate inside the country mild. Marineforest has a calm climate, doesn’t it? That likely has a bit to do with the power of the border barrier Aqua erected.”

The Marineforest Kingdom has four seasons, but snow never piles up meters high to the point where one cannot move, nor does it become so hot that people die from heatstroke. Marineforest is a very comfortable country to live in.

“…Then the current border is nothing but good things, right?”

“Yeah.”

Keith immediately nodded at TiaraRose’s words.

“Then why is an abnormality occurring at the border? You mentioned the power of the starry sky…”

Keith scratched his head and explained, “It’s the power of the twins.”

“Those two are… next-generation Kings with golden eyes. By taking in Aqua’s power, their magic has grown large, and the border itself is showing a reaction as if it’s desiring the next King.”

“——!!”

TiaraRose’s eyes went wide in surprise, and she instinctively covered her mouth.

“It’s not as if this hasn’t happened before in history. Don’t get so stiff.”

Keith placed a hand lightly on TiaraRose’s shoulder and told her “It’s okay” several times.

“But that means…”

That Stillca and Stillio are more suited to be King than Aquasteed—is the border barrier judging it so? At that thought, TiaraRose’s heart gave a heavy, unpleasant thud.

—It’s not that I dislike the idea of Luca and Rio having more power than Aqua.

However, her sons were still young. That worried TiaraRose, and she was also seized by the anxiety that their magic might run wild.

“It’s just wavering a bit; it’ll stabilize after a while. Well, it’s not like Aqua’s going to be King forever, right? You can just hand the throne to Luca and Rio at a good stopping point.”

TiaraRose could only give a wry smile at the casual way Keith spoke. He made it sound easy, but it wasn’t that simple. Though, compared to countries where struggles for the throne occurred, it likely was far easier.

“You’re right. However, Lucia is here as well, so it hasn’t been decided yet that those two will be the next Kings, you know?”

It was likely best for the two who possessed the golden mark of the King to become the next Kings of Marineforest. She thought so, but she wanted to leave a path for LuciaRose to become Queen as well.

“Both Aqua and I intend to have a proper discussion rather than a struggle for the throne, and consider who is truly suited to be the King of Marineforest.”

Seeing TiaraRose like that, Keith’s mouth curved into a slight smile.

“Well, that’s a very ‘you’ way of thinking. Isn’t it fine? It’s not as if someone with golden eyes must become King. There have been plenty of Kings without golden eyes until now, after all.”

“Yes.”

At Keith’s words, TiaraRose finally breathed a sigh of relief and calmed her heart.

End of 216