The Princess in the Chicken Coop - Chapter 1.4
The original plan was simple. Wake up the cursed princess and remove the thorny vines surrounding the Kingdom of Syenn. If the story about the curse turned out to be entirely made up, then identify and remove the cause of the thorny vines that wouldn’t disappear even when burned.
How had that simple plan become so tangled?
Owell, who had finished checking for any more hidden magic circles, approached Lenok as he sighed.
“So how did you know, Your Majesty? That that chicken was Princess Soria?”
“She said so herself.”
“…Pardon?”
The expressions of those looking at him were all the same. How could one converse with a chicken – that pure question and bewilderment.
“Enough. Why ask if you won’t believe it anyway?”
“How could we not believe it? It’s just… it’s such an unbelievable story that it’s hard to…”
Owell trailed off, averting his gaze.
It’s a repetition of the conversation. Lenok irritably ran his hand through his hair and immediately turned towards the door. Owell and the knights shouted something behind him, but Lenok left only the words not to follow him as he headed outside.
Syenn Palace.
It was said to be so white that it was difficult to look at in broad daylight, a statement that remained as a jest. Now, after many years, it was broken and worn in various places.
Neither its past glory nor its original splendor remained. However, traces of it could still be faintly seen.
Lenok crossed the long corridor and headed straight to the central hall.
The first thing that caught his eye was a portrait. A large portrait hanging on the wall is immediately visible upon entering.
The painting within the frame, which had completely fallen off on one side, seemed to have escaped the passage of time, preserved in an almost perfect condition.
Lenok, feeling a strange sensation, stood in front of the portrait he had passed by without much thought when entering.
His dark red gaze slowly scanned the woman in the portrait.
She looked to be just over twenty. The straight neck revealed beneath her hair tied up in a single round bun, the eyes gazing straight ahead, and the gently curved lips naturally captivated one’s attention.
After all, one of the reasons the stories about the Kingdom of Syenn spread from tavern to tavern, from child to child, was Soria’s outstanding beauty.
Lenok stared at the portrait for a long time before shaking his head.
“…It’s impossible to imagine. That this woman is the same as the chicken I just saw.”
Muttering absently, he finally gave up trying to accept it and came out of the palace.
In any case, he couldn’t let Soria slip away. She was the only key to removing the vines surrounding the royal palace.
‘She jumped out through the back window, so she must have gone to the rear garden or the main palace.’
He pulled his sword from the saddle tied to a tree trunk.
Although she was clearly the princess of an independent kingdom, albeit close to a fallen one as her indignant shout suggested, the courtesy he had shown ended with the attack just now. They had already passed the level where dialogue alone would suffice.
Lenok clicked his tongue softly as he secured the sword to his waist. There was still no sign of his knights rushing out from inside.
Lenok briefly looked at the main gate, shook his head, and then moved towards the rear garden.
‘…I wonder if I should praise them for following orders well.’
It had been three years since he ascended to the throne of the emperor.
His Majesty the Emperor of the empire, who should have no worries as the empire was at its peak, was deeply troubled today as well.
‘Should I replace the captain of the knights?’
What was the problem, he wondered.
Even as he pondered, his feet moved steadily towards the back garden of the palace without stopping. If the interior of the palace, enclosed by walls, was somewhat preserved, the state of the back garden was more miserable.
The back garden, which should have been in full bloom with well-trimmed trees and flowers, was more accurately described as overgrown with weeds everywhere. It reminded him of the thorny vines he had struggled with for days to pass through.
Lenok’s brow furrowed. As he looked around and entered deeper, he suddenly paused.
“I wish you’d make up your mind whether you want to run away or not.”
Well, it’s not like one can control every falling feather, but when white feathers are scattered here and there in a place full of greenery, one can’t help but think they’re providing directions.
With mixed feelings, he followed the trail of feathers.
One step. Two steps.
He didn’t go very far.
“…I’d like to have a conversation, Princess.”
Lenok spoke to Soria’s rear end, which was buried in a hole.
Let’s have a talk, he said.
His gaze fell on the quivering tail feathers. Even just looking at the feathers that beautifully wrapped around her plump flesh, one could tell.
She was, by all accounts, an excellent chicken. If the imperial chef saw this, he would have marveled at the perfect ingredient.
However, regardless of appearances, inside was Soria. A genius magician, the last royal of the Kingdom of Syenn, and at the same time, the heir to the throne.
‘They said she was a genius.’
Lenok muttered, finding it hard to believe, as he lifted the chicken that was trying to burrow into the ground.
She seemed to have no intention of resisting, coming up obediently as he pulled. The softness of the chicken feathers filling his hands felt strangely new.
He carefully examined the red comb, yellow eyes, and the beak that somehow looked dejected.
“You should know better than anyone that running away won’t solve anything.”
There was no trace of the figure from the portrait. But setting aside the fact that she had introduced herself as Syenn Brianne V. Soria, she had used magic. Twice, at that.
“For now, let’s pretend that everything that happened in the room just now didn’t occur. We were both surprised, after all.”
Normally, it would have been a matter to be dealt with severely as it threatened the emperor’s safety.
Even if the emperor forgave, the crime would be passed to the court and strictly punished by nine judges.
By saying he would overlook something that should be done, Lenok was being quite generous.
[What did you say?]
“I said I’ll pretend what you did didn’t happen.”
Lenok forgave Soria’s sins with an extremely merciful expression. However, for Soria, who had no knowledge of the laws of the Crotia Empire, it was just bewildering.
Her beak moved slightly.
[What, such…]
If it weren’t for this appearance, it wouldn’t have ended as lightly as before. The magic from earlier was, literally, at the level of a child’s play that she had succeeded in when she was just six years old.
It’s no exaggeration to say that magic is a battle of talent. In that respect, Soria was born with it. To be more precise, Soria ‘as a human’ was a genius.
But what of it? It’s all past glory now!
[Leave me alone.]
Soria shed tears drop by drop. She was frustrated.
