abcnovels
Book 14
Book 14: Chapter SS2
Chronicles of the Great Tiger Kingdom: The Legend of Gaten
The Flag of the Tiger, Gaten Bahr. Fuuga’s charge commander. He skillfully rode both horses and temsbocks using a feathered saddle reminiscent of Poland’s winged hussars. This man competed with Shuukin to be Fuuga’s best warrior and was a rare human among Fuuga’s mostly celestial retainers.
This is a story that happened while Fuuga was on the march with an army to liberate the Demon Lord’s Domain...
As Gaten was at the head of the procession, his feathers ruffling in the wind, Fuuga’s wife Mutsumi rode up alongside him.
“Sir Gaten.”
“Yes, madam? Is something the matter?”
Mutsumi smiled wryly and replied, “My husband is taking a nap on Durga’s back, so I have nothing to do. The scenery around these parts is as uninteresting as ever, so would you mind talking with me for a little while?”
“Bwa ha ha! Leaving his pretty wife alone to take a nap? Our boss has a lot to learn!” Gaten said with his usual raucous laughter. “Of course, if you want to talk to me, I’ll gladly play along!”
“Thank you. Now, let’s get right to it...”
Mutsumi decided to ask something that had been nagging at her for a while.
“I’ve been wondering, but why is it you maintain such a showy appearance, Sir Gaten? Those...feathers you have attached, for instance?”
“To stand out, of course!”
“I know that much. It’s in your personality.”
That wasn’t what Mutsumi meant to ask exactly.
“I believe you have a rare aesthetic sense. My husband is, in some respects, the same way. But...while I understand it in your personal life, isn’t standing out so much a disadvantage on the battlefield? For one thing, if you try to launch a surprise attack, you’re more likely to be spotted. And it must attract enemy soldiers who want to make a name for themselves by taking the head of a commander too.”
“Bwa ha ha! I have all the ladies and the enemies coming right to me!” Gaten replied with a laugh, but it didn’t seem funny to Mutsumi.
“Um... Don’t the people around you tell you you should stop?”
“They do, yes...” Gaten said before grinning. It wasn’t to laugh off her comments like he had until this point, but it was a wry or perhaps self-derisive smile. “Let me ask you a question in turn. What do you think of members of the celestial race like Fuuga?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Aren’t they super showy?!” Gaten’s eyes snapped wide open. “They’ve got wings! Not like the dragonewts who clearly exhibit their dragon blood, but ordinary humans with wings! That’s more impactful than a lot of beastmen!”
“Well, yes...that’s certainly true.”
In Fuuga’s forces, which included many members from a lot of different races, humans like Mutsumi and Gaten were actually in the minority. That was one reason why he felt this so strongly. Beastmen and dragonewts had such distinctive features that they gave the impression of being descended from animals or dragons. But celestials didn’t feel like they were descended from birds; instead, they were like beings that had transcended humanity. It might have been hard for anyone not of the human race to understand how this felt.
Gaten shrugged. “The boss and people who look like him gather everyone’s attention while fighting normally. Their appearance stands out, and they fight in a showy way. I’ve lived surrounded by people like that. If I don’t put in the effort, I’ll get ignored.”
“I see. That’s the origin of your fighting style, then.” Mutsumi sounded strangely convinced of this.
Gaten wasn’t merely a show-off—he was desperate to be noticed in a force full of commanders with great presence. That’s why, even if it put him at a disadvantage by becoming a target, he kept demonstrating “I am here!”
When you consider how Gaten often tries to show young Kasen that he has a sort of mature composure, it’s just adorable, Mutsumi thought.
“But, well, once I started doing it, I found it felt good too,” Gaten said jovially. “The more you show off, the more the men talk about you, and the more stories spread of your accomplishments when the war is over. Also, women who hear them look at me with respect. I just can’t stop now.”
Mutsumi’s shoulders slumped. “Sir Gaten...you just ruined it.”
“Bwa ha ha!” Gaten laughed the same as ever, even though it exasperated Mutsumi.
He’s not a bad guy, but... Mutsumi let out a small sigh.
As usual, it was hard to tell just how serious this show-off was.josei