Reporting to Queen Tianis

Still recovering, he'd held off on the drinking. Someone needed to be around to handle the aftermath.

He made up for it by eating plenty of meat to rebuild his strength.

The cleanup after the feast was taken care of by their hosts.

He herded everyone into the room that had been prepared and called it a night.

Carrying the three who'd passed out drunk on their backs, with only the younger non-drinkers to help, was no small feat.

But they'd earned it. He decided to let it go.

This time had been genuinely dangerous.

A bit of bad luck and they might not have made it.

He'd acted on the belief that he needed to see things firsthand, but he couldn't afford to die and leave Azu and the others behind.

He'd need to be more careful going forward.

Being worried about was nice, but keeping them out of danger in the first place was a master's duty.

The next morning, a clear blue sky greeted them.

He made Elza and Alexia drink water to stave off hangovers.

Evalin was perfectly fine. She should have been drunk, but apparently she doesn't get hangovers.

After thanking Kitan for the night's stay, they headed outside the city.

The burning stone issue was now resolved.

"Are you going to keep living in that forest, Evalin-san? You've never thought about relocating?"

"… I have no intention of moving at this point. Quiet places with rich forests and abundant magical power are more limited than you'd think."

"I see."

There was a saying: let sleeping dogs lie.

This whole ordeal had made it clear that elves wouldn't interfere with humans unless provoked.

"Come to think of it—"

He'd been about to say his goodbyes and head home, but something came to mind.

She might be able to help.

Since they'd gotten to know each other, he might as well ask while he had the chance.

"We have a Wind Elemental Stone, but I've been told its magical power is completely depleted. Would you be willing to take a look at it?"

"… I'm surprised. You have a Wind Elemental Stone as well? Having all four elemental spirits gathered in one place is almost unheard of."

"It's been one thing after another. Before I knew it, that's how things ended up. Right now it's just sitting there like a paperweight. Seemed like a waste."

Evalin looked more surprised than she had at any point during their acquaintance.

Through everything, her expression had never wavered, but now genuine surprise showed on her face.

Elza had said something similar, he recalled.

That gathering all four elemental spirits was extremely difficult.

And that it strengthened Azu's Apostle power as a result?

Still, it felt like they weren't making much use of it.

"I can't say without seeing what condition it's in. I'm going back to that house and staying put, so bring it to me in person. I'm curious myself."

"Understood."

When it came to spirits, an elf would know more than anyone.

Hopefully something would come of it…

But first, back to the Royal Capital to report to Queen Tianis.

They promised to visit again and traveled to the nearest city with a portal.

Along the way, Azu was constantly fussing over his health. She must have been truly worried.

No matter how many times he told her he was fine, she wouldn't listen.

This was probably going to continue for a while.

The price for making her worry, perhaps.

Having her glued to his side at all times was a little much, though.

"Like a little cat."

"How adorable."

Teasing voices drifted from behind.

Azu heard them but seemed intent on ignoring it.

Using portals along the way, they arrived at the Royal Capital and made their way to the castle, heading for Queen Tianis's office.

The capital's reconstruction had progressed even further; it was nearly indistinguishable from how things had looked before the disaster.

One nice thing about having an official title was not being kept waiting at the castle entrance the way he used to be.

Neither Anatia nor Princess Yupe seemed to be at their posts.

Perhaps the peak of the busy period had passed.

At the worst of it, even Anatia, who always kept herself impeccably groomed, had ended up with messy hair and bags under her eyes.

A little breathing room was essential for living like a human being.

He waited in the office, and Queen Tianis entered the room with two others in tow.

"Sorry to keep you. I was on a break."

"My apologies for the interruption."

"Don't worry about it. I was just about to get back to work anyway."

The child queen Tianis had once been was growing into a dependable young lady.

The nobles' betrayals, running the kingdom, losing her entire family at once. So much had happened that she'd been forced to mature whether she liked it or not.

Having watched it all from the sidelines, he had feelings about that. For now, he'd do what he could to support her.

"This was about the sudden halt in burning stone shipments, right? The price in the Royal Capital's market has been stuck at a high point, and the petitions have been piling up. I'm grateful you moved on it so quickly… Submit your expenses later and I'll cover them. Now then, let's hear the report."

He laid out the events in the mining city in chronological order for the three of them.

The mine being sealed off. The elf Evalin. The Mosquito Monster outbreak and the forest spirit's corruption.

He debated how to explain the Monster Pit and ended up glossing over it, saying they'd managed with the elf's help.

Elza could handle it, but the strain had clearly been enormous.

She thought she'd hidden it, but when she'd first stood up, the color had drained from her face.

"So elves really do exist! Is she pretty?"

"She was quite beautiful, yes."

"Hmm. Prettier than me?"

Princess Yupe, it seemed, was more interested in the elf's looks than anything else.

She considered herself the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, and the main topic had clearly taken a back seat.

Even Anatia couldn't help a wry smile, though her eyes were fixed on him.

Was Anatia curious too, perhaps?

"Sis. This really isn't the time for—"

"It's important! To me! So, well?"

Princess Yupe stared at him intently.

Long lashes. A well-proportioned face. He could see why she was confident.

"I'd say you're more beautiful, Your Highness. Having seen your face so often, I wasn't even nervous."

"Naturally! I am the most beautiful, after all."

Satisfied with the answer, she broke into a beaming smile and dropped the subject.

Queen Tianis let out a sigh.

Anatia was muttering something under her breath.

He cleared his throat and continued the report.

When he mentioned being stung by a Mosquito Monster and falling under a curse, Queen Tianis shot to her feet.

"Are you all right?"

"It was apparently quite close, but as you can see, I'm fine now. Please don't worry."

"If you say so… But I can't afford to lose you right now. Don't do anything reckless. And besides, it would make me sad."

He hadn't expected her to value him that much. That made him a little happy, actually.

Come to think of it, he didn't think he'd ever heard how Queen Tianis felt about him.

"There is no replacement for you, Yohane-san. Please refrain from putting yourself in danger."

Anatia came up close and squeezed his hand tight.