CHAPTER 2: THE ROYAL INN

**Kuro**

Really, me, a king? This was a good—no, a bad joke! I mean, I’m not underestimating my capabilities, but for someone who had no intention to stay in his ‘kingdom’ for long, the people of Cherwind could’ve chosen a better candidate…

“…”

Oh, right. It was Ursura who forced them to accept me; it’s not that they had any other choice. That bear-woman…she really trusts me, eh?

For several weeks after being proclaimed as the rulers of the Kingdom of the Beastmen, Ursura and I had been busy attending to the affairs of the people and of the state. Sending diplomatic requests to the other tribes, overseeing projects aimed at alleviating the lives of the population, and dealing with monster threats, it’s the everyday problems of a monarch that we had to confront the moment we rose from our beds.

Merely thinking about those things always give me the shivers.

But, honestly? Those matters paled compared to the first few days of our rule; those were the worst! See, since Cherwind had no single king or queen before, there was no ‘culture’ of organization among the Beastmen above the traditional ‘tribal’ levels. For the humans, while they allotted their lands according to the importance of the lord who ruled over it (the Duchess of Malvette was the paramount lord of the Enclave), the political subdivisions of their lands was utterly chaotic, and personal interests sometimes overlapped claims in several parts of their territories…leading to disputes and small-scale conflicts.

Heh, a typical problem of a feudal setting.

However, now that things had changed, we sought to reorganize the Kingdom into a more ‘proper’, easy-to-govern land. For this, I introduced the ‘prefecture’ system. It’s fairly simple; we divided the territories we control into prefectures, based on geography rather than racial and ethnic lines. Each local government unit was headed by a governor and a prefectural council to assist. And because we already adopted the calendar of the humans, it was also possible to set term limits to those governors and the council members, thus limiting their power and influence.

The theory was perfect when we drafted it, but when it was implemented, it was…hell. The humans and Beastmen were initially resistant to the changes, but we convinced them to settle down and try the new system for now. But it’s not that we didn’t understand where they were coming from. I mean, it’s been generations of the same way of governance, and the people were naturally uncomfortable with the things they were not familiar with. The Beastmen, in particular, were used to keep among their own tribes…sometimes even to the detriment of the other beastfolk. I even got a counsel before that I should just leave the things the way I saw them when I first came here…

But I beg to differ.

It was easy if I went that way. Nevertheless, if we chose to follow the traditional Beastmen tribal divisions, our vision for a united, and strong Beastmen kingdom would be far from happening. These people see themselves as a part of their tribe first, rather than as a citizen of their kingdom. And as someone who hailed from an extremely ‘regional’ country, I didn’t wish for that to happen here.

True, this kingdom may hold together for a few years at most, but an internally divided people will never stand a chance against a determined foe.

“…”

Come to think of it, our kingdom’s name is rather exclusive as well. I guess I should raise this matter to Ursura later on.

As for the humans, surprisingly, they were more open on these matters than the Beastmen (though there were also several dissenters). Perhaps they were eager to try something new, and they found that chance when intermingling with the other race became an option to them. I could at least say that it was a step towards progress.

A big, yet single step…one among the hundreds, or maybe thousands, that this kingdom needs to take to achieve its goal to stand tall among equals.

Of course, with the system of governance set, the next thing we had to tackle was the economic development. The Human-Beastmen wars drained a considerable amount of resources from both sides, and they exited the conflict exhausted and empty-handed. It required no rocket science to say that we had to start the jumpstart its recovery. As the rulers of this land, we had to facilitate the return of economic activities by making improvements in the communications and transportation of—

“Kuro!”

“!!!”

My train of thoughts immediately dissipated when Ursura’s voice crashed through my mind. I looked up and there she was, in front of my desk and glaring down on me.

----------

“You’re wallowing in your own world again,” were the first words the bear-woman spoken to me, “Did you get a proper sleep?”

“H-Ha?” I didn’t notice she let herself in my room; maybe she was knocking on my door this entire time, yet I could not answer her. In any case, judging from her sour expression, I’d say she’s in no better mood today.

“Nevermind I asked,” Ursura pouted, grabbing a bunch of parchment from my table, “I can clearly see on your face that you didn’t. You stayed another long sleep going through these plans and reports again?”

“Well…”

“Chief!” it was Rishnu. Apparently, she came in with Ursura and helped herself to the towers of parchment scattered around, “Look at those terrible bags under your eyes! You should get some rest!”

“Oh? Is it that terrible?” my hands instinctively went to my eyelids.

Ursura and Rishnu nodded.

“I see…well, let me just finish reviewing this plan in my hands, and I’ll take a break.”

“No! You told me that yesterday, and yet you didn’t take heed!” the bear-woman forcibly pulled the parchment from me, “As queen, I hereby order you to take a rest.”

“Hoh? You’re getting assertive over me now, huh?” I smirked, “Have you forgotten that I’m the king? We’re equals.”

“Kuro, I’m not joking.”

“…”

Those words alone were enough to tell that Ursura was dead serious on what she said. As if to further reinforce her ‘orders’ to me, she never took off her glare.

“R-Right…” I don’t want to make her angry, so I just averted my gaze from her.

“Chief, I thought you didn’t want to be a king?” Rishnu asked, “Yet you’re forcing yourself to do more than what a king should!”

“Heh, it’s precisely for that reason I’m doing this,” I winked at her, “If everything in this kingdom is smooth sailing, then I can rest easy and step down as a monarch.”

“And return to Chersea…”

I looked at Ursura when she said that. I knew there’s a meaning behind those words, but I never wanted to give much thought about it. I made it clear to them I wanted to go back to Chersea from the start, though I didn’t intend to leave unfinished promises behind.

Well, I did make a promise to Ursura that I’d bring her to Chersea with me.

Though, it’s kind of confusing to me how’d I do that.

Haa…perhaps I should just think about it when we get there. Besides…

“Haa…”

“You sighed again, Chief?” Rishnu commented.

“Ah, yes. I just…I honestly don’t know how to deal with these…” I pointed towards the parchments; the plans and proposals we had for the kingdom. “I feel like, the more I delay, the more it’d increase.”

“But you won’t get anything done properly if you don’t rest,” our Chief Royal Doctor reminded me, “Didn’t you tell me that before?”

“Oh…right, yes. I did.”

“Kuro, those things won’t run away even if you leave them,” Ursura grabbed my hand and pulled me gently towards the door, “Now come with us, you need to have your break. Rishnu, help me drag this bloke out of his cave!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Where are you guys taking me?”

Her Majesty the Queen smiled and winked at me, “Just shut up and you’ll see.”

----------

Ah, when was the last time I saw the clear, azure skies of Cherwind? That sun—or whatever kind of light it was—in the sky that gently touched my skin, and initially blinded me…it certainly felt like it’s been forever since I got out and enjoyed my life.

“Oh, it’s His Majesty the King! Hello, good sir!”

“Greetings, kind ruler!”

“Have fun on your trip, Your Majesty!”

Well, looking around Malvette, I could safely say that our hard work was paying off. The marketplace was bustling with activity once again. Children playing around instead of looking desperately for something to eat. What’s even better was that, I could see humans and Beastmen talking and intermingling with each other.

A big improvement from the hate-filled ‘Enclave’ before…

“Where are you taking me?” I asked my companions, Ursura and Rishnu, as they never let go of my hand.

“Just follow me!” the bear-woman replied, with excitement in her voice, “And we’ll not let you off this time; you’ll go somewhere else if we did!”

“Ha? I thought you wanted me to sleep?”

“We do, Chief!” Rishnu answered, “But…”

“But what?”

“Tch. Keep your lips sealed, Rishnu!” Ursura got annoyed, “This is a surprise, remember?”

“Sorry, Your Majesty.”

“What are you guys up to, I wonder?”

“We’re not telling you anything!”

Figures. I could only laugh to myself. While I do think it’s great to enjoy and take a break from my duties from time to time…

“Is it His Majesty’s consorts?”

“Aren’t the Queen and the Chief Royal Doctor cute? His Majesty sure is lucky to have them as his mate!”

“Look at His Majesty’s face! It’s as red as beet!”

Guys…while I don’t deny that the ladies I’m with today are stunners, you’re horribly wrong to think they’re my partners…romantic partners, that is.

“…”

Hmm…I guess it’s not that bad to have some beautiful ladies walking with you. Well, while I don’t see them as ‘mates’—as the Beastmen put it, Ursura’s case was different in a way. I mean, I don’t hate her; in fact, I love this pretty bear-woman beside me. But then, my heart belonged to Maddie foremost. And I guess, I couldn’t take any more fiancées that what I currently had, no?

What the heck? Why am I thinking of such things? I shouldn’t be selfish and let Ursura realize she could find a better mate than me!

And Rishnu? Nah, she’s a child. While she may be harboring feelings for me right now, those would eventually come to pass as she grows up. It’s just ‘puppy love’; the sort of feeling my students back on Earth always mistake for ‘true love’.

“…”

Damn it! Why are these kinds of thoughts filling my brain lately? Maybe I’m just exhausted…

“We’re here!”

“!!!”

My companions stopped before an elegant, yet imposing building somewhere around the main city square. From its looks, I could tell it was newly-built; the gilded wooden beams and pillars looked new, the white walls had no visible holes or moldy spots, and even the paint was still bright and vivid.

“This is…?”

“Malvette’s famous Royal Inn!” Rishnu happily revealed, “It’s currently the best inn of this city, with wealthy patrons regularly coming over to stay!”

“Oh…”

“I reserved a room for you, Kuro,” Ursura smirked and tapped my shoulder, “Why don’t you enjoy your time here for a bit?”

“Eh? But why—”

The bear-woman interrupted me, putting her finger over my lips, “If you’re thinking that it’s cheaper and better for you to stay in your room back at the Black Tower, I’d say it’s bullshit. I know you’d only get back to your work, and drop the break. As the queen, I can’t allow that to happen, especially when you’re so bent on working yourself to death.”

“Oh…haha!” I could only scratch my head, “You sure know what I would do…”

“Of course,” Ursura proudly puffed her chest out, yet her face was blushing, “I’m only looking at you ever since…I fell for you.”

She whispered that last part, but I still heard it. Well, I wanted to respond properly to her feelings, so I won’t run away this time. I gently patted the bear-woman’s head and told them…

“Alright! I’ll enjoy my break then!”

----------

“Welcome to the Royal Inn, Your Majesty!”

“Y-You’re…”

The receptionist smiled sweetly at me the moment I entered the inn. Ursura and Rishnu went back to the castle, saying that I should enjoy my time alone. However, I’m utterly surprised by the person who greeted me. The receptionist even did a graceful curtsy, but what got my attention was her wagging tail behind that added to her cuteness.

“If you can still remember, Your Majesty, I’m the dog-girl you saved from a human before, Missy.” There were tears welling up from the corner of her eyes, which she tried in vain to hide.

“Wha—”,

“Are you surprised, Lawrence? Or…should I call you Your Majesty, King Kuro of Arles, the legendary ‘Commoner General’ of Chersea?” An old woman then stepped beside Missy and gave her respects.

“Madame Bellefort!”

The old lady had a wry smile on her face, “I’m impressed you still remembered me, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, please, just call me Kuro.”

Madame Bellefort shook her head, “That won’t do, Sire. You’re now a king; Kuro the Liberator among the Beastmen, and Kuro the Unifier for the humans like me. It’d be disrespectful if I refer to you only by name.”

“But I’m not used to—”

“That won’t do Your Majesty!” Missy exclaimed, feigning an angry expression, “To us, you’re more than a hero and a king. Please allow your humble subjects to give you the honor and respect you deserve!”

I stared back at Madame Bellefort; she just nodded and smiled.

----------

At Missy’s insistence, she and Madame Bellefort escorted me to my room, which was actually the biggest and the most prestigious in that place. I tried to have it exchanged for a modest one, but the dog-girl wouldn’t let me.

“Please give it up, Your Majesty,” Madame Bellefort chuckled as she served me a cup of lightflower tea. Missy was busy making final arrangements for my stay, so it’s the Madame who was left to talk to me, “The owner decided to give you this room the moment Her Majesty the Queen made a reservation, so it shall be yours.”

“Owner, you say? You’re not the owner?”

The old lady shook her head, “Now, I’m just a manager for this place. If you got problems with your accommodation, please talk to the owner, Missy, over there.”

“Huh?”

“Well, after the destruction of my brothel—when a hailstorm devastated Malvette, Missy is the only one that never left me. So when Your Majesty emancipated the Beastmen slaves, I gave my entire fortune to her, and she got this inn for us.”

“I see…such a kind soul.”

“She is. Imagine, I treated her bad, bought her for my brothel. And yet, not only did she forgive me, she also took care of this old human lady when my other girls left me. That’s why, I’ll do my best to ensure Missy’s future.”

Somehow, the conversation was taking a weird turn. However, it’s only a small part of me that didn’t like the direction of our talk, so I guess I’m just assuming things.

“Your Majesty, would you please take Missy as your mate?”

I nearly choked on the tea I was drinking.

“M-Madame! What are you telling His Majesty?” Missy was bewildered about the idea.

“Haha!” the old woman kept on teasing her, “You know we humans don’t last long, unlike your people! Now that I’m old, I’m just making sure that your future is bright, my dear Missy!”

“P-Please don’t s-say such sad things, Madame!” the dog-girl would occasionally throw awkward glances at me, “Also, it’s embarrassing to His Majesty! He wouldn’t pay attention to a ‘soiled’ woman like me!”

“Oi,” something snapped in my mind when I heard that, “Lady Missy, please refrain from looking at yourself as a ‘soiled’ woman. What happened to you in the past shouldn’t determine your future! It isn’t even your fault! Have confidence in yourself; you even made this beautiful place!”

The dog-girl fell silent upon my rebuke, and her face was red in embarrassment. Well, I better set her mind right. If there’s anyone to blame in what happened to her—and the other Beastfolk—it should be those who can’t keep their hands to themselves.

“Oooh…” Madame Bellefort swooned, “Looks like you angered the king, Missy!”

“Huh? What? No, I—”

“It’s alright, Your Majesty…” There were tears in Missy’s eyes once again, “I really appreciate your kind words…I’m glad that you’re the one who saved me.”

“Oh…”

“Then what are you youngsters waiting for? You should have se—”

“Your Majesty, please enjoy your stay at our inn,” the dog-girl collected herself and cut the Madame on what she was about to say. Once she was sure that everything in my room was in order, she dragged the old lady out, with the latter relentless in teasing former.

And then, silence.

Haa…it’s really nice and fluffy to hear stories like that, especially when you have played a part in someone’s success. It just shows that your effort isn’t wasted.

“…”

Looking around my room, I could tell that Missy and Madame Bellefort spent considerable time in making this place cozy and homely. There was a large bed at the corner; it could fit three people, probably. The bedding was incredibly soft, as if embracing my body when I tried laying down. And the opulent furnishings reminded me of my old room back at the Holy Palatial Gardens.

There was also a balcony where I could sit by and relax while watching the beautiful Malvette skyline, or the citizens of the city plying through the cobblestone roads of the square. As if to further impress me, they also got me a personal bathroom with running water from the aqueduct outside!

I guess I really should thank Ursura and Rishnu for the treat.

“…”

But that would come for later. For the meantime, I changed from my casual clothes to the bathrobe the inn provided, so that I could hop in the bath before I doze off…

----------

“Kuro…”,

When I opened my eyes, the beautiful form of my beloved, Maddie, was before me. Her lovely smile shone against the backdrop of the Holy Palatial Gardens, and apparently, I was lying on her lap.

“Wake up, my sweet Kuro!” her gentle, soothing voice calmed my heart, though I wanted to tell her I was already awake…

At least in this dream.

“If you don’t open your eyes…” she playfully pinched my cheeks, and traced my nose with her fingers, “…I’ll be forced to kiss you!”

“Hoh? Then, I won’t do it.”

“So you really want my kiss, no?”

“Of course. I’ve always yearn for you, ever since I was taken away.”

“Alright…” Maddie slowly drew her lips near mine, but I never let her reached me. I wrapped my arms around her, and took the initiative myself.

I guess I’m really missing her. If possible, I don’t want our kiss to end.

“…”

But yeah, we both have to breathe, even if this is a dream.

“Wha—” Maddie was flustered by what I did.

“Caught you off-guard, milady?” I teased, before reaching out for her hair and caressing it, “Ah, now I wanted to meet you again outside our dreams. That’s why, I’m doing my best so I can leave Cherwind without regrets.”

“Leaving Cherwind…huh?” Maddie’s eyes were downcast.

“Don’t worry! We’ll meet soon, and I’ll be bringing my friends too, so you can meet them as well.”

“Oh…” For some reason, this Maddie of my dream blushed once again, “Well then, please give your best, my Kuro!”

“You bet I am!” I ruffled her short, fluffy hair again.

Wait…when did Maddie’s hair turn short and fluffy?

I opened my eyes once more, this time, it’s for real. And much to my utter shock and confusion, it was Salis’ flustered face that greeted me.

“That…” it was Minahaba, who’s equally red, lying beside me opposite of the owl-girl.

“Err…”

“C-Chief! W-We didn’t know th-that y-you’re such a…p-p-p-p-p—””

“P?”

“Passionate kisser!” she finally blurted out.

“Wha—” I could feel my blood draining from my face, “What did I just do?”

Salis remained silent and skittish. But from her expression alone, I could surmise I crossed the ‘forbidden line’.

“I’m a failure as a teacher and an adult.”

“Huh? What—no, Human Chief!” the owl-girl quickly stopped me from getting up, “It’s not your fault, okay? I-I’m just surprised that you did that, but yes, I promised to remain by your side. So yes, this is bound to happen!”

“Yes, Chief!” Minahaba put her arm over my chest, “Please relax; it’s your break today, remember?”

“B-Besides…” Salis continued, touching her lips, “…it’s not like I hated what you did…”

Err…that’s not the point why I’m panicking, Salis. But in any case, there’s an even more pressing matter I should clear up to them…

“By the way, what are you guys doing here?”

----------

When everything finally settled down, I was surprised to learn that not only Salis and Minahaba were present at the Royal Inn. Rishnu, as well as Teviki, also came, along with their ringleader, no other than Her Majesty the Queen herself, Ursura.

“Yes, you did shock me,” I admitted to them as we shared tea, “and you also brought along the children.”

“I’m not a child anymore, Chief!” the mantis-girl protested.

“So she says,” Ursura backed her up.

“You haven’t been declared an adult, Rishnu, so technically, you’re still a child,” I reminded her, “And what do you supposed to think we’ll do here?”

Rishnu was startled by my question; her cheeks went red as well, “Uhm…isn’t it to help you…you know, relax, C-Chief? Chief Gislaine told us that human males, especially the royalty and the nobles, love to do se—”

“Okay, that’s enough! I understand already!” Once this is over, I’m going to have a nice little chat with Governor Gislaine.

“Chief! What do human kings love to do?” Teviki asked.

“They love to relax,” was Minahaba’s answer to her.

“But Rishnu said it was ‘se’ and Chief interrupted her!”

“It’s ‘send their worries away’, which means relaxation,” Salis added.

“Oh…”

“Little Teviki shouldn’t bother with adult matters yet. You should just play around, chibi-Tiger!” I was smiling, but I’m sure the ‘adults’ in the room could feel the impending doom that was about to befall them.

“No!” the tiger-girl stood her ground, “Teviki wants to help Chief relax!” She protested, going as far as pouting to prove her point.

Goodness, she’s way too cute and precious!

Anyway, going back to the others…

“Hey, look, I’m aware of your sentiments, guys. I know you just wanted to help me, but,” I paused for a bit to make sure they’re listening, “you should do ‘those things’ with the one you love.”

“What things?” it was Teviki again.

“Relaxation, haha!” Ursura was caught off-guard, and she was jittery.

“Teviki loves Chief, so Teviki will help Chief relax!”

“Ah, you’re right, Teviki!” Rishnu hugged the little tiger-girl, “I also love Chief! And Rishnu’s definitely not a child anymore!”

“So am I Chief,” Minahaba had a confident smirk on her face, “And you can’t deny the fact that I’m a full-fledge adult now.”

“I don’t think my genius self should repeat what I just said but, my feelings are the same as well, Human Chief,” Salis smiled while she played around with a small pen knife, and staring at me.

What are you thinking while holding that knife, Salis?

“So Kuro, I don’t think it’s still unclear to you whose side loved you more,” Ursura proudly declared, “Between Chersea and Cherwind, it’s obvious who wins!”

What? Are we in a contest here? But in any case, I guess I couldn’t hide the fact that their words and feelings touched my heart. I mean, they were—after all this time—always thinking of me? Me, who’s only reason to do all the things I did was to return to Chersea? Hadn’t I been acting selfishly? Come to think of it, Cherwind accepted me as I am, compared to the humans who saw me as an obstacle, or a threat. I guess, it’s not that bad if I turned around and decide to stay here.

However…

“…”

Maddie’s lonely smile as she nearly died back then crossed my mind. That beautiful saint who tried to harm herself because she was unloved by the man she yearned for all her childhood…

Yes, I don’t want her to experience that again. I will come back to Chersea; back to her loving arms. I will not leave Maddie alone.

“!!!” I pulled everyone’s hands towards me and hugged them.

“K-Kuro?” “H-Human Chief?”

“I’m sorry guys, call me a fool but I still wanted to go back,” I told them, “However, I’ll bring you all with me.”

“To Chersea?” Minahaba asked.

I nodded. “That’s why, I’ll double my efforts to fix everything here, so you can all come with me.”

What supposed to be an ‘erotic’ long sleep became a wholesome, friendship-themed event. Teviki also threw herself for the group hug, and I guess we had a fun time at the Royal Inn.

And yes, I did ask Missy for a separate room for me, to avoid ‘sticky situations’.