[We must find a woman to be the hero's companion.]

This was written at the top of the to-do list, and then the hero and I moved with the cavalry.

Arcadia.

Arcad, the country formed by the survivors who lived in the wasteland.

A country that struggled to survive amidst hardship and adversity.

"To be honest, the situation had become so dire that we were half-giving up, but His Majesty made a big decision."

"A decision?"

"Yes. He pledged the crown that has been passed down for generations in the royal family as collateral to secure land for the people to live on and a large amount of food."

The crown that has been passed down in the Arcad royal family... that must be the one I gave them.

Hmm. To use an incredibly valuable treasure like that as collateral to obtain land and food... it reminds me of the characters in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms who borrowed troops by pledging their imperial seals.

This king is quite an interesting human.

"After that, we integrated all the survivors of Arcad and the tribes already living on the borrowed land to establish the country of Arcadia."

"It wasn't an easy task, to be honest. The borrowed land was not very good for farming. Weeds grew well, but..."

"Hmm..."

Land where weeds grow well but farming is difficult... is it a problem with the soil quality? Or the terrain?

I'm not sure, but the land they borrowed by pledging the crown doesn't seem to be in good condition.

"As a result, the farmers who used to cultivate the land ended up raising cattle, horses, and sheep instead. But fortunately, the hills were quite fertile, so there was enough grass for the livestock to graze on."

I see. So the agriculture-centered Arcad has transformed into the livestock-centered Arcadia through this change.

This transformation is... quite interesting.

"We also allied with the existing tribal groups, and somehow we've been living together well. That person over there is from one of those original tribes."

A smiling wolf-like woman waved at us from a distance.

I see. She's a wolf-person.

"I'll tell you more details when we get to Arcadia. It's not too far from here."

And so we headed towards Arcadia.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The place we arrived at with the cavalry was somewhere between a city and a village.

It was a sort of encampment with numerous tents, typical of a nomadic people.

A nomadic nation centered on livestock farming... hmm... Mongolia?

"This place may seem meager compared to the villages of other countries, but welcome to Arcadia."

There were no proper buildings, but the people living here were brimming with vitality.

The shepherds feeding the cattle, the wolf-like dogs herding the sheep flocks, the wolf-like merchants pulling carts and selling various goods.

Everyone was striving to live.

Hmm. A pleasant sight.

As we walked among the people,

"The two of us need to report the results of the patrol, so this person will guide you to the king. I hope you have a good time in Arcadia."

The two cavalry members other than the wolf-woman bowed slightly to us and headed towards a tent in the distance.

Hmm. Judging from the many horses tied up, that tent must be serving as a stable.

Or perhaps it's the barracks for the cavalry.

"This way. I'll guide you to where the king is."

The wolf-woman led us to a large tent in the center.

"Do they all live in tents?"

"Yes. Since we have to move to places with enough grass for the livestock at regular intervals, we can't build proper buildings. And even the king's residence... we can't just move an entire building, so it's no different."

It's quite remarkable. Arcad was clearly an agriculture-based country, but to completely transform the core industry like this, even with a supposed divine curse...

How peculiar. Or perhaps the king who made that decision was bold.

As we entered the large tent, guided by the wolf-woman,

"Hmm. The military situation of the tribes is not bad. How about the food supply?"

"The farming in the south has been excellent, so we were able to purchase a sufficient amount of food at a low price."

"Good. Then... hmm? Who's this?"

The two people who seemed to be in the middle of a conversation, a sharp-eyed man who appeared to be the king and his servant, noticed us entering the tent.

"I am Epona from the 5th patrol squad. While patrolling the former lands of Arcad, I encountered the hero and Dragon's Priestess, so I came to guide you."

"Hmm? The hero and Dragon's Priestess?"

At that moment, the king's gaze changed.

His considerably sharp eyes quickly curved, not into the eyes of a friendly old man, but rather into a different expression.

"Oh my! To have such esteemed guests visit this humble place! Welcome, hero and Dragon's Priestess! I am Makairodous, the king of Arcadia. Please call me Makai."

Makai...? An unusual name. It somehow feels Japanese.

In response to the king's polite greeting, the hero stepped forward, bowed his head slightly, and spoke.

"Though unworthy, I am the hero chosen by the goddess of life. And this is..."

"Indeed. I am the Dragon's Priestess, the representative of the goddess. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hoh, this is quite something. To meet the famed hero and Dragon's Priestess in person, whom I've only heard rumors about. I must have lived a long life!"

"It's not appropriate for someone not yet 40 years old to say such things."

The servant standing next to the king muttered these words. Judging by his rather long beard, he seemed displeased that the younger king was lamenting about age.

"Hmm, are you dissatisfied? You who have lost your youth."

"Kuh..."

That's a bit too harsh. It's not like the servant lost his youth by choice.

"Well then... Since we have such esteemed guests, shall we conclude today's business here?"

"But, Your Majesty! There are still unfinished matters..."

"Oh come now! Surely the hero and Dragon's Priestess take precedence over such things! Come, set them aside! We can postpone them until tomorrow!"

Wow. The sight of the king forcibly handing over a few papyrus scrolls to the servant.

Is it really okay to have such a king?

The servant, having the papyrus scrolls forced upon him by the king, sighed and began organizing them. The king, paying no heed to the servant, opened his mouth.

"Now then! Yesterday, that baldy Phillio said he was going to slaughter the cow with the broken leg, but surely he couldn't have roasted the whole large cow in just a day... You there. Go get some meat from Phillio."

Saying that, the king pushed the back of the servant who had finished organizing the papyrus scrolls.

"Your Majesty..."

"Oh come now, do me this favor! It wouldn't look right for the king to go buy it himself!"

"I don't think that's something the king, who was drinking with the citizens and groaning from a hangover just a few days ago, should say."

"Well, I couldn't help it! It was the day my daughter properly became an adult! As king, how could I miss such a celebration!"

Hmm. Where has the king's dignity gone? This king is extremely friendly with his citizens, but seems to lack even a mouse's tail worth of dignity.

Well, it might be fun to have such a king around.

"In any case, I understand. Since we have such esteemed guests, we must treat them accordingly. However, the expenses will be covered by Your Majesty's personal funds."

"What? You mean I still have personal funds left? I was sure I had spent it all!"

"Yesterday was the end of the month." 

"Ah, I see!!"

Hmm. It's like they're doing a comedy routine.

With that, the servant left the tent, and the horse-rider named Epona also exited the tent at the king's gesture.

"Now then, with the place somewhat organized... we can calmly converse."

The king, Makairodous, gave a small smile.

But in those curved eyes, there was no trace of the friendly old man who had just been joking with the servant.

"I never expected that the representative of the goddess would come to this place. I had thought that the goddess had also turned away from the survivors of that land."

The sudden change in atmosphere seemed to catch the hero off guard slightly.

But well, this must be his true nature.

A king who made the bold choice to pawn the crown to gather his people would not simply be a clumsy old man.

"It's not that I deliberately turned away, but rather that there was no reason for me to come here."

"No reason to come... Do the goddess still has no intention of lifting the curse?"

"Indeed. I cannot retract a declaration made in name of the gods, unless that foolish one acknowledges his mistake and apologizes at the temple."

The curse that does not allow a single blade of grass or insect to grow. 

The curse that destroys a nation by depriving it of proper food supplies.

In this era where the distribution of logistics is limited and the economy is primarily based on agriculture and hunting, the curse is truly devastating.

However, the king before our eyes has somehow managed to gather and relocate his people, enduring in the cursed land.

That is certainly worthy of praise.

The king lifted the corner of his mouth and said.

"Lively, was it? That is how it appeared to your eyes."

"......."

I did not respond.

"The people who fled from Arcad are barely clinging to their lives. They resent the curse imposed by the goddess, and blame the foolish younger brother who was the cause of that curse."

The king continued without losing the smile on his lips.

"Ah, I am not denying the mistakes committed by that idiotic younger brother. That fool is a sinner who deserves to die countless times over. How dare he commit such sacrilege directly in the temple of the Supreme Deity."

That idiotic younger brother.

The king before me must be his older brother.

Well, it's not strange that there would be a first prince if there is a second prince.

"However, decades have passed. Isn't it time to lift the curse that has been placed on that land?"

The king looked at me with cold eyes.

Seeking an answer from the representative of the goddess, as if asking the goddess herself.