Mushoku Tensei: Reincarnated as a Beast Race-Chapter 111 - The Price of Weakness

The moon hung high in the sky, bathing the landscape in a silvery light and revealing the silhouette of a young redhead in the training field. Eris moved with intensity, her sword slicing through the air with precision as sweat streamed from her forehead, reflecting the lunar glow.

On the second floor of the house, a balcony offered a clear view of the scene. Ghislaine was leaning against the railing, arms crossed, while Lilia, beside her, watched the girl with an attentive gaze.

The silence of the early morning was broken only by the rhythmic sound of the blade cutting through the air and the labored breathing of the young swordswoman.

After a moment of contemplation, Lilia commented:

"Really, Eris is training hard."

Ghislaine remained silent for an instant, her red eyes following the movements of the girl below. Her tail swayed slightly, as if reflecting her state of mind.

Lilia adjusted her posture, feeling the leather of her new ranger armor against her skin.

Unlike the usual servant uniform she always wore, she now donned attire more fitting to her experience as a swordswoman.

Rygar had remarked that he found it strange for her to dress as a servant and not be armed, even though she was a warrior, so she decided to change.

Her training qualified her as an intermediate-level swordswoman in the Water God Style, so there was no reason to continue ignoring her former skills.

She could still perform servant duties even without the proper clothing, and wearing armor would be safer on long journeys in case of any accidents.

After a long pause, Ghislaine finally responded:

"She always trained hard with the sword. That has always been her greatest talent. Even though she didn't like studying or practicing etiquette, she loved the sword from the day I began teaching her."

Lilia diverted her gaze from the young redhead and fixed her eyes on Ghislaine with curiosity.

"But training even in the early morning?" she asked.

Ghislaine smiled faintly, a smile almost imperceptible but laden with meaning.

"I used to think there was no need to train so much after becoming an adventurer," she said, turning slightly to face Lilia.

"After all, few monsters or even humans were my opponents; even in my group, no one could defeat me. Even though later I encountered other difficulties, when it could be solved by force, it was easy... but now I don't think that way anymore."

Lilia tilted her head, showing curiosity.

"And why?"

Ghislaine's eyes returned to Eris, who was unleashing another sequence of vigorous strikes.

"I couldn't protect her in the Blue Dragons' cave," confessed Ghislaine, her voice serious, but with a weight behind it.

"I wouldn't have been able to protect her if someone other than Rygar had saved us, if that person had any ill intentions, I wouldn't have been able to stop them. I wouldn't have been able to protect her from an army like those Milis assassins we fought against."

She paused, "Now, even aside from those exaggerated and unusual monsters and armies, if the Desert Tyrant, Larax, were to set his sights on Eris, I wouldn't be able to protect her..."

She looked at Lilia before continuing:

"Rygar never stopped training. I didn't understand that when I first met him, but when I asked, he told me that as long as he wasn't the strongest, he would always be subject to the goodwill of someone else."

Lilia frowned.

"The goodwill of someone else?"

Ghislaine nodded.

"I didn't understand it either... then he gave me an example: if a God-level warrior woke up in a bad mood and was passing through Roa, who could stop him from massacring the entire Boreas family simply because he felt like it?"

She laughed softly, shaking her head.

"He sees the world in a peculiar way; it's an extremely difficult situation to materialize, but it makes sense in a way. As he usually says: the world is full of superhumans who can kill you in an instant without any consequences. How can ordinary people sleep peacefully when their life or death could be decided by someone else's mood?"

Lilia pondered these words, absorbing them.

"It really is a peculiar way of thinking... but the chances of such a situation happening are very low."

Ghislaine shrugged.

"Well, I will always encourage Eris to train. Otherwise, she will always be subject to the will of others, especially given her noble birth, and now that Lord Sauros and Lord Philip are dead, that's even more true. Even if I am there to protect her, I'm not good with politics."

Lilia turned her gaze to the girl training below them, her movements still firm despite evident fatigue. She thought:

'Does Aisha have that determination...?'

Sighing, she decided to change the subject:

"I talked with her... she truly likes Rygar. And I don't think it's just a childhood crush. Eris seems like the kind of girl who would dedicate her life to the person she chooses to love... What do you think?"

Ghislaine maintained her relaxed posture.

"Rygar doesn't see Eris the same way you and I do, as a woman. It's more the way he sees Aisha. But Eris doesn't give up easily... I believe she will become an incredible woman, and even Rygar won't be able to ignore her in the future."

A noise behind them interrupted the conversation. Lilia turned instinctively, only to see Aisha, still deeply asleep in her bed, moving amidst the sheets.

Confirming that it was just an involuntary movement of the child, she returned her attention to Eris, who now paused, panting and sweaty.

Then she asked:

"But don't you mind Rygar having more wives?"

Ghislaine kept a neutral expression, but her answer was direct:

"I don't mind, but even if I did, I wouldn't be enough..."

Lilia blinked, surprised by the statement. She was about to ask what she meant by that, but then realized and her face flushed.

Ghislaine continued:

"Rygar is still young, but he already has so much energy... When he grows even more, I believe I won't be able to keep up. And I truly believe that I myself will last much longer than average..."

Lilia turned completely red.

"I even recommended that he take you as a wife, in case Paul is dead," Ghislaine added, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"But he refused. So I suggested a concubine... and he still refused."

Lilia's eyes widened, feeling her face burn.

"Why would you even suggest that?! I am his disciple's mother and I am theoretically married! I could never betray the kindness that the Greyrat family showed me..."

Ghislaine remained expressionless and simply shrugged.

"Then it's fine... He didn't accept anyway. But he said he would have other wives... perhaps two more."

Lilia, still flushed, took a deep breath to calm herself.

"We will depart tomorrow night. I will finish the preparations..."

Ghislaine did not respond immediately, merely watching Eris once more, immersed in thought. The young redhead down below raised her sword again, determined to continue.

The early morning remained silent, filled only by the wind and the sound of the blade slicing through the air.

----

In the royal palace of the Kingdom of Kingdragon, a select group was gathered in the Throne Room.

Seated on the throne, imposing and with a calculating gaze, sat Leonard Kingdragon, the monarch of the kingdom.

Beside him, as always, stood his knight in black armor and helmet, known as the Black Lion. Before them, kneeling in respect, were four figures of high importance: Stevio Von Kingdragon, Julian Kingdragon, Philip Kingdragon, and Chagall Gargantis.

The king remained silent for a moment before finally ordering:

"Stand up."

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The four immediately obeyed, rising promptly. Each one of them had a distinct presence.

Stevio Von Kingdragon, the king's brother, had blonde hair and blue eyes, exuding a noble and charismatic posture.

Julian Kingdragon, the son and direct heir to the throne, shared the same physical features, but his gaze conveyed controlled ambition.

Philip Kingdragon, the third son, differentiated himself with brown hair and green eyes, always maintaining an expression that was impassive and introspective.

Finally, Chagall Gargantis, a General of the Kingdom, wore his armor and had prominent ears, revealing his mixed heritage between humans and elves. His serious face reflected his unwavering commitment and respect for the King.

Leonard directed his gaze toward Stevio and Julian, the two positioned to his left.

"As you already know, one of you will succeed me when I die." His voice carried a solemn weight.

"Your role at today's farewell banquet is to form a positive connection with Rygar Adolida. I am old now; I can hold on for a few more years, but death is near. However, the beast people live longer than we do. I need not say that this alliance with the Iron Legion and that young man could be the key to making the Kingdom of the Dragon King even more stable and prosperous for centuries."

He paused briefly, looking at his brother and eldest son.

"If, during my lifetime, this alliance remains firm, I will be able to rest knowing that I did the best for this kingdom. It is your duty, whoever succeeds me, to continue this alliance and make it even stronger. Understood?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" responded Stevio and Julian in unison, with seriousness and respect.

The king then turned his gaze to Philip, who maintained his impassive expression.

"My third son... I have always reprimanded you for your disinterest in anything beyond magic. But who would have thought that Rygar would like you?"

Philip remained expressionless, merely listening. Leonard continued:

"Rygar told me that you are an exceptional mage and asked that I fund your research and experiments, as he would be interested in the results. As a result, you are now the court mage. I know you won't make an effort for anything I ask you to do, so just be yourself—the same boring person you always are, because he seemed to like your personality."

Philip made a slight grimace upon hearing himself called "boring," but replied in a neutral tone:

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Leonard narrowed his eyes slightly.

"One more thing... Rygar mentioned something about the Sealing Chain of the Mad Dragon King?"

Philip shook his head.

"No, father. When I questioned him, he always said he knew nothing."

The king sighed heavily. "As long as he hides that, we cannot simply ask politely for it to be returned. And trying to force him to hand it over would be contrary to our goal of forging an alliance..."

The king sighed again.

"This chain has been in our family for generations. It was our kingdom's trump card many times... Now it has been stolen, and we can do nothing about it thanks to those two idiots..."

Leonard then turned to Chagall Gargantis, his general and trusted man.

"Chagall, now more than ever, we need high-level combat power in the kingdom. At the moment, we have a military force superior to the Iron Legion, but that will change as Rygar continues to grow. How is the recruitment of that man progressing?"

Chagall knelt respectfully before responding:

"Reporting, Your Majesty! That man's restaurant business is not doing well. His typical cuisine from the Demon Continent does not please the people here. He will soon go bankrupt and eventually accept my offer. Besides, I am searching for new talent throughout our entire territory. We will not fall behind!"

The king nodded, satisfied.

"Our alliance will only be genuine as long as both sides maintain a roughly balanced military power. Otherwise, one side will naturally be subordinate to the other. It is your responsibility to ensure that balance, Chagall."

The general replied firmly:

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Leonard then leaned back on the throne and said:

"Today will be the farewell banquet for Rygar and his group. Stevio, are the gifts ready?"

Stevio nodded with a slight smile.

"Yes, they are."

The King responded, "Very well, you will also be responsible for receiving the first emissaries of the Iron Legion who cross the sea, and then follow those who return to the Great Forest and make a complete list of all the resources in the Great Forest that we can utilize."

Stevio replied, "Understood."

The King continued, "Furthermore, when you are there, observe and make a list of the talented and well-born young boys and girls of the Legion, after all, I had so many children precisely to forge blood alliances; I need to know the prospects. That is all."

The king made a gesture with his hand.

"Very well. You are dismissed. Finish the preparations for the banquet."

The four nodded and left the room, each with their own thoughts and responsibilities.

Meanwhile, Leonard remained seated on the throne, observing the grand, empty hall, immersed in reflections about the future of the kingdom and the impact that Rygar would have on it."

-----

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