But Ariel remains silent, looking shocked.
"Something wrong?"
"... No, now I think about it, it was Derrick's death that caused me to want to be king."
Ariel seems to realize something, placing a hand by her mouth.
"Then, can you discuss that in details?"
"Details, but it was almost 10 years ago. I might have forgotten a lot about Derrick..."
"Please try."
Ariel chugs down her tea, holds down her chin, closes her eyes.
Searching her memories.
Staying like that for some time, suddenly Ariel reopened her eyes.
"Derrick Redbat was my Guardian Magician. He would always lecture me on the path to kingship."
"Yes."
"Back then, I didn't care about fighting against my brothers for the throne, and to be honest, I hated Derrick's lectures."
"So you didn't want to be king then."
"Yes. Back then, I would rather have tea like right now, and scheming with Luke on how to bed the palace girls. That was enough."
"Huh?"
10 years ago, wasn't Ariel-sama only 10 then?
Luke too?
Are all Asura Kingdom nobles this... advanced?
Well, that's fine. To each their own.
"Right. There were others that offered plans to make me king, but they were all pushing me for their own interests."
Yeah, I had friends like that too.
"Back then, only Derrick was earnest about it. He believed that if I were to become king, the country would change for the better. Only now do I realize that..."
"Oh?"
Ariel talks about what happened.
What happened in Asura Kingdom.
Before Sylphy was teleported.
Ariel was having tea in the garden when the Metastasis Event happened.
Derrick went to the toilet, so only Luke was guarding her.
Of course, they never expected a magic beast to appear.
But a magic beast did appear.
The first to notice was Derrick, who's returning from the toilet.
He began an incantation as he rushed towards Ariel.
He prepared a magic attack as soon as he saw it.
But he stopped his incantation to yell and get Ariel's attention.
That's how Ariel finally noticed the magic beast and managed to avoid a fatal blow.
But it was too close.
The magic beast pressed in.
Luke made a move, but it was too late.
It was Derrick that rushed in, squeezing himself between Ariel and the magic beast.
Derrick died instantly due to the blow by the magic beast.
Apparently, the transported Sylphy managed to subdue the magic beast, but... that's a different story.
"If Derrick didn't stop his incantation, he might have subdued the magic beast, and wouldn't have died."
"But if so, Ariel-sama might have died instead."
"Indeed. Death, or at least a serious injury."
Sounds like Derrick bet his life to protect Ariel.
"Derrick's final words were, [No matter what, please be king.] I get the feeling that at that moment I finally realized that Derrick wanted me to be king out of sincere feelings."
Ariel continues.
"Not only that, at death's door because of the magic beast. It was my first time that I felt in the depth of my heart, that I must be king, I can't die here."
Ariel clenches her fist over the table.
Her pupils dilate, focused on that clenched fist.
"How, why did I forget that... something that important."
Ariel, her shoulders shaking, looks downcast.
Regret.
Regret for forgetting what set her on her path.
I don't know how I should respond.
Neither does Sylphy or Luke.
But Ariel, saying nothing, raises her head.
Like casting off a shadow.
Has remembering her beginnings helped her recover what was lodged in her heart?
That's a good thing.
"..."
But right now, the most important factor of a king is still missing.
We're back to where we're started.
Maybe Sylphy and Luke have another idea?
"That's great, but, we still don't have an answer for the king factor. What could it be..."
"No, Rudeus-sama."
To the troubled me, Ariel slowly shakes her head.
An almost invisible smile shines through her radiant face.
A face you can't help but lose yourself in..
To the fascinated me, she says.
"I know the answer."
Oh?