Lilia and Lunamaria’s spat—if you could even call it that—had finally cooled down. Seeing them return to their usual selves, I decided now was as good a time as any to bring up something I’d been considering.
Since the timing of Isis’s visit was still a complete mystery, I put that aside for the moment and broached the topic of the Treasure Tree Festival.
"I heard about this a little while ago, but apparently, there’s a festival called the Treasure Tree Festival coming up soon in the Elf Forest?"
"The Treasure Tree Festival? Yes, it’s certainly around that time. I’ve never attended personally, but it’s the largest celebration the Elf race holds."
"Oh? You’ve never been either, Lilia-san?"
I’d always had the impression that Lilia-san knew everything there was to know about this world. Since I’d heard it was a fairly famous event, the fact that she’d never participated came as a surprise.
Lunamaria-san seemed to realize that I was bringing this up because of my previous suggestion that Lilia-san needed a change of pace. She nodded once and spoke up in her usual tone.
"...I realize it’s easy to overlook, but despite being an old maid, she is technically a former princess and a knight division commander. She rarely had the opportunity to venture beyond the capital’s walls."
"I feel like an extremely unnecessary comment was tacked on there... but yes, as Luna says, I haven’t traveled much outside the Royal Capital. My position as royalty was a bit awkward, so I was largely excluded from diplomatic affairs."
"For all her posturing as a muscle-brained wild child, Milady is quite the sheltered young lady."
"...I flatly deny the first half of that, but the second half is generally correct."
It was easy to forget because of her friendly, approachable personality, but Lilia-san was a member of the royal family with a claim to the throne. She was the King’s much younger sister—a delicate position to be in—and because the King doted on her, he’d been reluctant to let her leave the capital.
As a result, while she had gone on occasional sightseeing trips with Lunamaria-san, they were few and far between. There were many regions she only knew of through books.
"Setting that aside, Kaito-san, does this mean you’d like to attend the Treasure Tree Festival?"
"Y-Yes. It sounds like a famous event, so I thought it might be nice to see it, if possible..."
"...Wouldn't that be a wonderful idea? The Elf Forest is famous for its lush beauty. Both Milady and Miyama-sama have been so busy lately; I think a change of scenery would be perfect."
When I nodded in response to Lilia-san’s question, Lunamaria-san backed me up with an encouraging word. Judging by the way she glanced at me and nodded, she seemed to approve of the festival as a way for Lilia-san to relax.
The conversation seemed to be moving along smoothly... or so I thought, until both of them suddenly took on pensive expressions.
"...It really is an ideal choice for sightseeing. However, I’ve never visited the Elf Forest, let alone the festival. I’m a bit worried about the logistics."
"Are you not familiar with the area, Lunamaria-san?"
I recalled hearing that Lunamaria-san was a mix of half-elf and Demon. I figured that having elven blood might mean she knew the forest well, but she shook her head.
"My father was a half-elf, yes, but he passed away when I was very young. My mother used to take me to festivals in the Demon Realm, but I’ve never actually set foot in the Elf Forest."
"Oh... I see."
"Yes. And since the Treasure Tree Festival is an event centered on the Elf race, it would be best to ask a pure-blooded elf for details."
The reception was positive, but the lack of concrete information was clearly a sticking point. Lilia-san wanted to go, but as our guardian, she wanted to make sure she had all the facts first.
That was when a certain woman came to mind.
"...Wouldn't Sieg-san know the details?"
"Of course! Sieg is a pure-blooded elf, and she’s originally from that forest. Luna, is Sieg on patrol right now?"
"Most likely... I’ll go fetch her."
It turned out Sieg-san was indeed from the Elf Forest, making her the perfect person to consult. At Lilia-san’s request, Lunamaria-san went to find her.
Among everyone working at the mansion, Sieg-san was one of the people I spoke with most often. I felt comfortable asking her questions, which was a lucky break.
A short while later, Sieg-san arrived. After a brief explanation of the situation, she nodded understandingly and took a seat on the reception sofa, ready to answer my questions.
...She sat right next to me as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Was it just me, or was she a bit too comfortable? Wait, she smells really nice... Stay calm, Kaito. Keep it together.
"S-Speaking of which, I don't even know where the Elf Forest is located. Is it far away?"
"..."
"I see. So traveling by carriage would be difficult?"
"..."
"Traveling by flight... is that some kind of magic?"
"..."
"Wait, dragons? I see... So there are transportation methods like that, too."
Apparently, the Elf Forest was quite a distance from the capital. Going by carriage would take far too long, so the standard method was to travel by Wyvern.
I hadn't known this, but using Wyverns for travel and transport was a major industry here, complete with specialized companies. In Earth terms, it was essentially the equivalent of taking a flight.
"In that case, the timing should work out. Is the festival open to anyone?"
"..."
"That’s a relief. I heard it was about hunting and harvesting...?"
"..."
"Ah, okay. So it’s a two-day event."
"..."
"I see. The first day is the Hunting Competition, and the second is the harvest."
"..."
"Oh, really? I’m looking forward to that!"
Sieg-san explained that the Treasure Tree Festival spanned two days. On the first day, participants would hunt in a designated area, and a winner would be crowned based on their catch.
On the second day, a harvest was held in a safe zone. Even children could participate in that part, meaning I could join in without any trouble despite my lack of hunting skills.
Then, on the second night, the game from the hunt and the fruits from the harvest would be cooked and served in a massive feast to give thanks for the year’s bounty.
"..."
"Wow, so there are a lot of participants every year?"
"...Um, excuse me. Could you two wait a moment?"
"Eh?"
"...?"
Just as I was getting the full run-down from Sieg-san, Lilia-san suddenly cut in. Sieg-san and I tilted our heads in unison and looked her way. Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san were staring at us with utterly dumbfounded expressions.
"Kaito-san, what exactly have you and Sieg been doing for the last few minutes?"
"What? I was just getting an explanation about the festival from Sieg-san..."
"...Sieg isn't supposed to be able to speak. Miyama-sama, how are you understanding what she’s saying?"
"Well, just sort of... through her gestures and her general vibe, I guess?"
I tilted my head, genuinely confused by their bewilderment. Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san traded a look, their expressions turning into a mix of disbelief and exasperation.
"...Milady, do you have any idea what they were saying?"
"...No. To me, it just looked like Sieg was nodding or moving her hands occasionally while Kaito-san talked to thin air."
Ah, right. I’d forgotten.
Thanks to my Sympathy Magic, I could pick up her intent through her emotions. Combined with her gestures, the "conversation" was perfectly clear to me. But to Lilia and the others, it must have looked like I was having a one-sided dialogue with a mute woman.
"I see. Sieg... is the reason you’re so eager to act as Miyama-sama’s guard because you can actually communicate with him without a notepad?"
"..."
In response to Lunamaria-san’s question, Sieg-san gave a deep, firm nod. Then, she seemed to realize something and turned toward me in a slight panic, waving her hands frantically.
She was desperately trying to tell me that it wasn't just because it was convenient—she genuinely liked me as a person.
She was clearly worried that her previous nod might have hurt my feelings, but having a beauty like Sieg-san tell me she liked my company was enough to make me feel incredibly bashful.
I’d always found her easy to talk to, so I made an effort to greet her whenever I saw her around the mansion. Sieg-san was a kind person who never reacted poorly, but I’d secretly worried if I was just being a nuisance.
But seeing her panic like that made it clear. Aside from Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san, the person I talked to most in this house genuinely enjoyed my company. That realization made me very happy.
Dear Mother, Father—Sieg-san told me all about the Treasure Tree Festival. And, even better—it seems I’ve finally made a new friend in Sieg.
Next time... Arrival of the Death King