The king’s journey was politically meaningful.
Pale had told the Goblin King that, but it was only 4 days after their departure that the Goblin King truly understood those words. The Goblin King passed the small villages near the City Where the King Sits(Revea Su), but didn’t go through Facing East(Garm Su), and instead went down the road toward the unexplored Western region. The journey was slow out of consideration for the king’s health.
To the goblins, who could run the whole day and reach the northern volcanic region, their pace could indeed only be described as slow.
It was the beginning of the 4th spring of the King’s Calendar.
A season wherein the short-statured, ripening wheat ears near Revea Su swayed, where the cold of the winter waned, and where the wind gently caressed the skin. The arrangements of the lodgings they would be staying at have already been taken care of by those who’d gone ahead of them. Sturdy seats and a robust bed would be prepared each time they stayed at one for the king.
In the villages they passed by, local specialties when available would be prioritized over other cuisines. Of course, they’ve been promised a handsome reward, so the purse of the villages were fattened up nicely, but the Goblin King had lost his taste, so the ones who were truly enjoying the local specialties were Reshia and the humans.
Since the first day they departed, Reshia had already guessed the king’s condition.
“Your Majesty, do you feel unwell anywhere?”
Reshia asked, and the Goblin King tried to lie his way through just like with Pale, but Reshia was a saint who’s visited many villages and examined a great number of sickly and wounded people. So there was no way that the king’s amateurish attempts of hiding his condition would work, and before he knew it, Reshia was upon him with a sermon.
“You mustn’t lie, Your Majesty; otherwise, even the parts that can be healed won’t be healed! When I was──”
Memories of their life together in that small, old village flashed through the king’s mind, and a nostalgic, wry smile surfaced on the king. But because Reshia took that the wrong way and her sermon was made longer, he couldn’t tell her.
Eventually, the Goblin King surrendered, and told her everything he knew about his condition. A rather clumsy showing for the king trying to conquer the continent.
Since then Reshia has been openly speaking about the king’s poor health. In her words, bad things were bad, and there was no point in hiding them.
“There might be enemies somewhere! Who knows who’s watching!?”
Gi Za was against it, but Reshia puffed up her chest.
“That’s a job for Pale-san and the rest of the army!”
In other words, she was leaving the problem to them, but Gi Za had no words to rebut with. The front lines have already moved to the East, and their enemies were just isolated minor nations. The battles nowadays didn’t even require the king’s presence.
The Holy Kingdom Alsas and the Oceanic Kingdom Yarma were indeed annexing the minor nations, but even with the power of the minor nations added to them, they were not a threat. Pale and the army believed that the four generals would be more than sufficient to deal with them.
Gi Za and the others also considered the health of the Goblin King to be the number one priority; which is why, being able to learn of any changes to the his health was a welcome thing.
“Mu mu mu…”
Gi Za knit his brows and groaned, but he had no choice but to give his consent.
“Since Your Majesty can’t taste, I’ll be taking this,” Reshia said.
Reshia would do this from time to time when she ate with the Goblin King, but the Goblin King had a big heart and let her do as she pleased. It was because he knew that she was doing her best to put on a cheerful front.
“Mmm~ I prefer a slighter thicker taste though. Let’s ask them to improve it under your name, Your Majesty,” Reshia said.
“Wait, that’s not good. Isn’t this supposed to be a traditional cuisine?” The Goblin King said.
Of course, he would interject from time to time too to keep her from going too far.
“There’s liquor too. Can you drink, Your Majesty?” Reshia said.
“They say liquor is the best medicine, but I don’t think it’ll work,” the Goblin King said.
“Are you sure, Your Majesty? The so-called best medicine isn’t just for the body. It can help you expel all the poison in your heart as well,” Reshia said.
“…Are you sure it’s not just because you want to drink?” The king asked.
“How could you even presume that!? I am a devout believer, it would be terrible for my reputation if word were to get out that I wished to drink liquor, but, yes… If Your Majesty really wants to have a drink, it would only be proper of me to accompany you as your drinking partner. By the way, I heard this from the villagers, but apparently, they produce grape wine at this village, and their wine is being sold as far as Revea Su, so their wine must surely taste good. What’s more is that it’s a definitive trait of this village. I had someone show me to the underground storage room earlier, and the variety of grape wine here is comparable to the high-class bars of Revea Su!”
“…Fine, I’ll have some.”
“Great! Let’s enjoy it together then!”
Reshia was so happy she looked like she was about to hum. As her long hair swayed, she asked for some grape wine, and before long, the local grape wine was quickly brought before the king.
“Go ahead, Your Majesty. Try it.”
The Goblin King emptied what he’d been served, but he just tilted his head and knit his brows.
“As I thought, I can’t get drunk.”
“Isn’t the amount just lacking. I think it’s very delicious.”
Reshia and the Goblin King shared a toast, but the effects of the liquor weren’t evident on either of them. A tinge of red did appear on Reshia’s porcelain white skin, but the Goblin King was completely unaffected.
When they’d emptied three bottles, Reshia’s eyes loosened as intoxication filled her, and a wave of drowsiness seemed to be attacking her. The Goblin King wryly smiled and recommended for her to sleep as usual, but Reshia suddenly remembered something, and opened a medicine box to take out some round medicines.
“This morning, I took, this medicine. Here, yours.”
The Goblin King still had no idea what kind of medicine this was supposed to be, so he just stared quietly at the medicine Reshia had handed him, but the drunk believer apparently didn’t like that.
“Hah? Are you saying you’re not going to drink the medicine I’m giving you!?”
Reshia was even starting to talk weird. The Goblin King glared at her. Apparently, the universal truth not to argue with drunks went beyond worlds.