Chapter: 186
“Who are you?!”
Even in a drunken state, the King reacted to my sudden appearance.
His response—a small drink in hand, aimed threateningly at me—was rather comical, to say the least.
Regardless, looking at the King, reeking of alcohol, I decided to speak up.
“Just think of me as a passing traveler. I heard you’re troubled by some issues with your wife.”
“H-how do you know that…?”
“Let’s skip the boring part about how I know. Instead, I have a suggestion for you.”
The red-faced King, intoxicated, merely frowned at me.
Well, considering that he was facing a suspicious-looking little girl who just appeared out of nowhere and didn’t call for help, that was a clear indication that he wasn’t in the right state of mind to make judgments.
For me, this was convenient. It allowed things to proceed easily.
“Do you want to reconcile with the Queen?”
At my words, the King, unable to make a proper judgment, gazed at me with bleary eyes. He then nodded slowly.
“I want to reconcile! With the Queen! With the one I love! Why do we have to be apart like this?! Why did a human like that come from the Queen?! Why?!”
The King, seemingly filled with pent-up rage, unleashed it once more.
If I’m dealing with someone in such disarray, it’s far easier to manipulate them.
“Very well. I can help resolve the issues that arose from the birth of a cow beastfolk from the Queen, but—there’s one condition.”
“A condition? What is it? Are you asking for wealth? If that’s the case, I can give you as much as you want!!”
Indeed, a statement befitting a King of a wealthy city-state.
However, that’s not what I was after.
“I heard a cow beastfolk referred to as a monster resides in this city. If you hand him over to me, I’ll offer my assistance.”
“The monster? Why would you want him?”
“Got my uses for him.”
Upon hearing my words, the King paused for a moment to think, then nodded readily.
“Fine. I don’t know what you plan to do with that nuisance, but I’d be grateful if you took him away! Take him as you please!”
Without a hint of hesitation, the King was selling out his own child. What a heartless father!
But from the King’s perspective, that child likely wasn’t his. It’s understandable in that case.
Without modern genetic testing, there’s no way for them to believe that the monster cow beastfolk is truly their son.
So.
“Then, to start, I’ll need a strand of hair.”
“Huh? Hair? Why?”
“To solve the problem. If you don’t want to give hair, a drop of blood will do. It’s just for a simple verification.”
“Just a strand of hair will suffice?”
The King quickly plucked a strand of hair from his head and presented it to me.
Did he dislike the idea of giving up a drop of blood that much?
“Great. One strand of hair. I’ll make good use of it.”
“But can you really reconcile with my wife using that hair?”
“Of course.”
“How exactly?”
I merely smiled slightly at the King. Explaining it to someone drunk and unable to think would be a hassle.
“We just need to resolve the cause of the conflict.”
Since a cow beastfolk was born from the human couple, it led to suspicions about the Queen’s fidelity. If it can be proven that the beastfolk is indeed their child, wouldn’t that solve the conflict?
Though it might lead to another issue later on… oh well, that’s not my concern!
I’m only here to take that cow beastfolk!
“Now then, this should be done quickly, so you should close your eyes for a moment. After a little nap, everything will be resolved.”
With that, I lulled the drunken King into a slumber, then slipped out of the room, hiding my presence.
Next, I headed to where the Queen was.
Unlike the King, who was drowning in drink, the Queen had a saddened expression as she caressed a small piece of clothing.
She was engulfed in profound sadness. Once a remarkable beauty, the Queen now gazed mournfully at the fabric, her complexion pale.
“What sin does that child bear…?”
The Queen sighed deeply.
“If there’s any sin, it’s my fault for not being able to give birth to a human child. Why did he have to be thrown into the underground maze? It’s truly too much… Your Majesty…”
Hmm. Unlike the King, it seems the Queen considers the child labeled as a monster to be her own.
Well then, that makes things easier.
“Forgive my intrusion for a moment.”
“W-who are you?!”
“A passing traveler.”
Throwing out a phrase that wouldn’t hold much weight, I smiled slightly.
“I came here after hearing rumors about the monster cow beastfolk, and it seems that child is yours.”
“W-who?! An intruder?! An intruder!!!”
“Isn’t it a bit silly to be shouting when we were having a nice conversation? Well, I guess that’s a normal reaction.”
The real problem lies in the fact the King was having a conversation with a suddenly appearing stranger while inebriated.
“No matter how much you shout, the people outside won’t hear you, so don’t waste your energy. Ah, the door won’t open either.”
The Queen tugged at the firmly closed door, grunting in frustration, but the barrier sealed it tight.
I just wanted to have a calm conversation, but I suppose talking to an unexpected intruder would be rather unconventional.
“Stop your futile efforts and let’s talk, shall we? Queen, don’t you want to save your child?”
At that, the Queen’s efforts to open the door halted. The child. Her child. The one called a monster.
“What did you just say…?”
“I said it plainly. Isn’t that child in the underground maze? Don’t you feel pity for him?”
Even though rumors have spread that he’s a monster, a mother yearning for her child would surely find it heartbreaking just to think of that.
And that’s where I strike.
“If I were to help, I could bring that child back.”
Here, I’m proposing something different, unlike the King. The King desires reconciliation with the Queen, while what the Queen desires is to… save her child from the underground maze.
If I can satisfy both desires simultaneously, I will have upheld my promises to both parties.
So.
“What do you say? Are you interested in hearing more?”
I smiled gently, as the Queen let out a tense breath.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“Isn’t this too much! Your Majesty!!!”
“Yes, it is.”
“Even if the child was born a cow beastfolk! He is still my child! I endured great pain to give birth to him! Just because he has cow horns, you can’t treat him as if he’s not yours!!”
“Indeed, that is indeed excessive.”
“Normally, you praise cow beastfolk as reliable and strong! How can you switch your standpoint so easily?! This is too much!!!”
“That’s true. If we go back a couple of generations, there might very well be bull beastfolk in our lineage. It’s entirely possible that your grandmother is part cow beastfolk.”
“Right! That makes sense! The only man I have ever loved is you!!! You think I could betray you! I never thought you would be so petty!!!”
“Men are all the same. A little suspicion, and their attitude flips entirely. Or maybe you just fell under my spell, and that’s how you see it.”
“Exactly! Really! You’ve been drowning in wine, neglecting politics and only drinking! It’s truly too much!”
“What can I say? I thought it was a pure love story, but now I’m trapped in the nightmare of suspicion! I thought it was a pure love story, but now I’ve lost my sense of judgment!”
“Pure love? What does that even mean?”
“Pure and innocent affection. Loving only one person with no room for anything else.”
“Oh my…. That’s a wonderful sentiment.”
“Right? Pure love is great! Pure love is the best! You should shout it too!!! Pure love is the best!!!”
“Pure love is the best!!!”
Somehow, I had ended up getting on good terms with the Queen.
Hmm. I didn’t plan on getting this cozy.
“Anyway, to retrieve your child from the underground maze, I’m trying various means, so would you be willing to part with a strand of hair?”
“Hair? I could give you a handful! If it means saving my child!”
The Queen said that, grabbing a handful of hair. No, that’s more than I need.
“Just one strand is sufficient; please don’t overdo it.”
The Queen then plucked a single strand of hair and handed it to me.
“How are you going to save my child with just hair?”
“Nothing fancy. I just plan to prove the blood relation between the King and the child. If I can prove they are related, the King will have nothing else to say.”
“That makes sense, but… how is that possible?”
I withdrew the King’s hair that I had on reserve and explained.
“Body parts carry the life information within them. That’s how the proof can be established.”
I couldn’t explain all the genetics and such. This vague explanation should suffice.
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