1289: Fran and the Young King

「Here.」

「What is this…?」

「Curry. Eating it will make you feel better.」

Fran offered some curry she took out of storage to the young king.

S-She really gave curry to someone she just met…? Such growth! I’m trembling at Fran’s kindness!

「…Food? It has a mysterious aroma.」

「Nn. You can’t fight on an empty stomach.」

「I see. Thank you.」

Fran seemed a bit more excited than usual.

（If the king likes it, curry might spread to Raydoss.）

Oh, so this was all part of her plan to spread curry throughout the world! It was a calculated move! Fran wasn’t being kind at all!

N-No wait, wanting him to feel better was no lie! Probably!

（I’m sure Kareid will understand the power of curry.）

Uh, because of his name or something? Don’t tell me Fran was so favorable to the young king because his name sounded similar to the word “curry”.

It’s scary because that actually sounds like a plausible explanation…

All according to plan? Kareid’s eyes gleamed with excitement while stuffing his mouth with curry.

Without a word, the two finished their plates at practically the same time.

Fran was eating the curry too, of course. She had given herself a serving about three times the size of the one she gave Kareid. There were no complaints either, since she shared the fried chicken toppings.

Kareid did seem a little taken aback though, so maybe he’s a light eater.

The tension in the room eased up. Perhaps due to the warm meal, winning the young king’s stomach, or some combination of the two.

「It’s been a while since a meal left me this satisfied.」

「Heheh. Curry is the best.」

「Especially after my senses deteriorated along with my mutation, so I can hardly taste the flavor of food anymore.」

「!」

Fran shivered intensely with the shock visible on her face. Losing your sense of taste must be that terrifying to her.

Maybe she considered that to be scarier than losing a few years of lifespan.

「P-Poor thing.」

It’s incredibly rare to hear such emotionally charged words from Fran.

「I’ve gotten used to it by now. Besides, I don’t get very hungry either…」

It seems these circumstances caused him to almost stop eating altogether. Still, Kareid smiled at the empty plate.

「It was warm, with a strong flavor and aroma. Very tasty.」

「Of course, because curry is the best.」

Fran nodded approvingly.

「…You’re an adventurer, right?」

Kareid muttered quietly. His gaze was still pointed downward.

Nevertheless, his words were clearly directed at Fran.

「Nn. I am.」

「…Aren’t you scared?」

Kareid no longer had the face of a king that he had been wearing all this time, but that of a boy who was younger than Fran.

After finally facing us, his round eyes seemed to express uncertainty and appeared a bit teary. Coupled with his fluffy purple hair, he almost looked like a puppy.

「No, are you?」

「…To be honest, I am terrified.」

This was our first time hearing such weakness from the young king.

「I thought I had resolved myself… but I’m scared. Scared of dying myself, and scared of letting my people die.」

Kareid said that while stroking his own body.

「The flow of Chariot’s power into me has weakened, so much so that the binds restricting the king have completely vanished. The fact that I can talk about the divine sword and Evil God is proof enough.」

It seems his explanation about the fragments was only possible because of the weakening of Chariot’s binds. Even the king himself was prohibited from revealing Raydoss’s secrets to others.

「Which means more and more of Chariot’s power is getting diverted towards sealing the fragments. In other words, their revival is imminent.」

「Nn.」

「…Is it truly possible for us to defeat fragments of the Evil God?」

He had been feeling Chariot’s power up close since becoming king, so the weakening of that flow must be worrying.

Kareid looked as anxious as a lost child.

「There is something I’m scared of.」

「Is that so?」

「Nn. Fighting comes with a lot of pain. We might lose. We might even die.」

「That’s true.」

「But…」

Fran cut off her words there and stared into the young king’s eyes.

The strong will backing her seemed to have pressured him for a moment. But soon enough, he gathered the strength to stare back. Kareid was clearly concentrating on Fran’s next words.

「But… I’m more afraid of losing myself.」

「Losing yourself…」

「I was once a slave. But now, I’m Fran. Not a nameless slave, but Fran, the daughter of my parents, and Master’s disciple.」

To be honest, it wasn’t really an answer to his question. Fran probably doesn’t understand why she’s saying this herself. She just answered according to the whims of her heart.

However, Kareid seems to have sensed something within those words.

「I see. So that’s how it is.」

「Nn.」

「Thank you.」

He gave a strong nod, as if all the hesitation was gone.

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