Chapter 0206 The Time is Out of Joint
-x-X-x-
Abel was pinned to the ground with his left leg cut deeply and several sword slashes in other places.
He had bled quite a bit but was still clearly conscious.
"To think there are four vampires…"
Abel said, glaring at Count Roberto Rijo.
"Gotta give it to you, you're pretty good for a human, I guess that's an A-rank adventurer for you. But at the end of the day, you're still just a human. How utterly foolish to pick a fight you can't win."
"Well, there are certain battles that one shouldn't shy away from. Not that I expect a vampire to understand that."
Abel answered Roberto's words with a grin.
"I can't believe you can still run your mouth in this situation. Fine, maybe I should cut off your head right here. There are many others to use for public execution."
With that, the soldiers holding Abel down lifted his upper body, making it easier to cut off his head.
Then Roberto raised his sword.
"Are you sure you want to kill him?"
The voice blew through the area, and the four vampires, including Roberto, involuntarily shuddered.
Then they looked back toward the door.
A young man walked into the mock battleground.
He was neither fast nor slow, as if walking at that speed was a matter of course…his movements had been refined over the years.
He was simply walking, but his presence made onlookers feel…as if he alone has all the answers.
"L-Lord Shinso*…" (TLN: Lit. True Ancestor, so henceforth 'Lord Progenitor')
Roberto swallowed hard and finally spat out the words.
"Why are you here…?"
"I'm a bystander and an observer. So, I am free to show up everywhere?"
The person called 'Lord Progenitor' came up to Abel and the others and looked at Abel as if to confirm something.
"Hmm…. So Roberto, let me ask you again, are you really sure you want to kill this man?"
"Y-You may be the Lord Progenitor, but even you cannot meddle in the government of the country…"
Roberto was visibly nervous but still tried to put up a brave front, perhaps because he did not want his position to be threatened.
"Of course not. I have no intention of meddling in the affairs of the country as per the stipulated agreement."
When the Lord Progenitor said that, Roberto exhaled softly, clearly relieved.
Then, he straightened up and said clearly.
"Yes, I'm going to kill him."
"I see…"
The Lord Progenitor replied softly, then turned to Abel and continued.
"Adventurer Abel, you heard Count Rijo…are you okay with that?"
The Lord Progenitor must be aware of Abel's identity.
Or so he was implying.
Why not reveal his identity now, and settle this diplomatically.
"I am Abel, an A-rank adventurer. Nothing more, nothing less."
"So you say…"
With just a slight sigh, the Lord Progenitor replied.
As Roberto raised his sword, the Lord Progenitor turned to walk away from Abel.
At that moment, the Lord Progenitor heard Abel murmur.
"Damn, I guess that phrase fits this desperate situation perfectly. The time is out of joint."
The Lord Progenitor's reaction was swift.
"Wait, Roberto!"
With the sword traveling at an extremely fast speed, the Lord Progenitor caught the sword that Roberto had swung down and flicked it back.
"W-What!?"
"Hold, Roberto."
The Lord Progenitor said once again as he repelled Roberto's sword.
As surprised as Roberto was, it was Abel who had already resolved himself, who was even more so as the sword was stopped midswing.
When he opened his eyes, the Lord Progenitor had inserted himself in front of him to catch Roberto's sword.
Roberto and the other vampires were surprised by his actions.
"Lord Progenitor?"
"I suddenly have a few questions for this lad."
When the Lord Progenitor said that, he turned to Abel and asked.
"Adventurer Abel, what did you just say?"
"…Huh?"
Abel had no idea what the Lord Progenitor was talking about.
So, he simply returned the question….
"You worm! The Lord Progenitor just asked you a question, are you deaf…?"
"It's okay, Roberto. Adventurer Abel, what was it you said just now?"
Abel answered, recalling what he had said.
"Earlier I said…damn, I guess that phrase fits this desperate situation perfectly…?"
"Mm-hmm, and after that."
"Oh…. The time is out of joint."
"O cursed spite. That ever I was born to set it right."
Picking up after Abel's words, the Lord Progenitor continued.
"How did you know the rest…?"
Abel was astonished.
He didn't expect anyone other than Ryo to utter such strange words.
"Adventurer Abel, how did you come to know those words?"
"I learned it…from a friend of mine. He is an adventurer named Ryo who also happens to be with us in Land right now."
Upon hearing these words, the Lord Progenitor's eyes widened in astonishment and he let out a small cry.
"He's here! That's good!"
The Lord Progenitor nodded repeatedly.
Then he said to Count Roberto Rijo and the others behind him.
"Roberto, I forbid you to kill this man."
"I-I'm afraid, even if it's the wishes of the Lord Progenitor…"
"Roberto, are you asking me to repeat myself?"
There was no particular feeling or emotion behind his words.
He just said it.
He just said the words plainly, but…the moment they heard the Lord Progenitor's words, Roberto and the other vampires looked like they were about to jump out of their skin.
They clenched their teeth, cold sweat began pouring down their faces like a waterfall, and eventually, they even began to weep.
"M-My…a, apologies…sir…"
When Roberto finally said those words, he dropped to one knee and bowed his head.
Abel was released from his restraints and his injuries were healed by the Knight Order's healers, who had returned to normal.
"Now, Adventurer Abel, I have decided to take you under my wing for now. The only condition is that you introduce me to your friend Ryo."
"Introduce you…"
"Oh, don't worry. I promise that I will not harm him. I just want to talk to him about a few things. So, where is he at the moment?"
"As I recall he's at…Duchess Alba's residence."
Hearing this, the Lord Progenitor fell into a deep depression.
"At Agnes' place huh…"
"What, is something wrong?"
Abel was worried about Ryo's safety, too. In case the place he went to turned out the same as his….
"Agnes hates more than anything to be sidetracked in the middle of something. Even I can't intervene…because she could be a real piece of work when she's angry. All I can do now is hope that Ryo comes back without incident… unfortunately that's about the only thing I can do right now."
"Are you kiddin' me…?"
Duchess Alba's residence dining room.
There, the endless sword fight continued.
Sir Griffin outstripped his opponent in speed and power.
But the two were evenly matched in skill.
Looking only at that aspect, Sir Griffin had an overwhelming advantage.
In fact, Sir Griffin was attacking and Ryo was defending…and that was pretty much the outline of the clash.
And it had been going on without stopping.
(What the hell is up with this guy…why is it that I still can't break through his defense after all these attacks?)
As expected, Sir Griffin had become frustrated and impatient.
It was the first time he had attacked so extensively and unable to break through…well, except against one other person…. But that person was overwhelmingly superior to him, so it's only natural that he couldn't gain an advantage over him.
Since the Lord Progenitor is exceptional, it could be said to be a matter of course, but…against a human opponent, it was inconceivable.
Ryo on the receiving end was as solid as a rock.
If he decided to go on full defense mode, even Sera's Wind Equip wouldn't be able to break through in two hours.
And Ryo was accustomed to being on the receiving end.
When he came to 'Phi', the first person he learned swordsmanship from was the Water Fairy King in the form of a Dullahan, and after that, he had a lot of sparring with Sera in her Wind Equip form.
Basically, he's repeatedly only had sword fights with those better than him.
So for better or worse, he became good at receiving attacks.
Being on the receiving end continuously, generally tends to eat away at one's psyche.
Because a single mistake, and it's over.
However, if you consider that 'there's no need to take risks and go on the offensive', it's not necessarily all bad.
Ryo decided to see things in such a manner.
All living things…no, not only living things.
Even robots and machines… can't always keep moving.
The problem of 'energy supply' always looms.
The term, 'running out of battery' or, in human terms, 'running out of stamina'.
Needless to say, this problem exists not only in humans but also in vampires.
Into the countless thousandth round of their sword fight, came another of Sir Griffin's diagonal slash.
As expected, his stamina was running out, and his sword slashes were becoming slightly dull.
Before the moment when he was about to bring down his sword, Ryo took a half step and closed in with his right foot, and parried the sword before Sir Griffin applied power to it.
Then, he stepped forward with his left foot, rotated his hips, and threw a three-quarter punch with his left fist, which he had released from Murasame, diagonally upward from the waist.
A 'smash' as they say call it in boxing.
"Ugh."
The words leaked out of Sir Griffin's mouth unintentionally.
The strike caught Sir Griffin in his flank, stopping him in his tracks. Just as some hero once unleashed on a great general….
At that moment, he withdrew Murasame's blade and used the recoil from the smash with his left hand to thrust his right hand this time, wielding Murasame's blade as a knife, at Sir Griffin's throat.
Once it was thrust deep, Sir Griffin's body was sent flying backward.
Then he stopped moving.
Without a doubt, Sir Griffin wasn't negligent with his stamina.
It's just that Ryo's stamina was extraordinary.
Stamina…endurance is something that anyone can develop if they only try hard enough.
And in a battle, the last one standing is the winner.
Endurance is essential to stay standing until the end.
That very endurance made the difference between victory and defeat in the sword fight between Sir Griffin and Ryo.
The result became clear the moment Ryo's skill surpassed Sir Griffin's by only a fraction, due to his drop in stamina.
The so-called 'Active Defense'… it was Ryo's victory thanks to his stamina, which surpassed human limits and way beyond that of a vampire's. (TLN: Continuously cutting off the opponent's offense or maintaining a rock-solid posture)
"I guess it's Master Ryo's win."
Agnes said and snapped her fingers.
At that moment, the strange feeling that Ryo had been feeling since earlier disappeared.
"The magic nullification has…"
"Yes, I've disabled it."
Agnes said and called the butler, ordering him to patch up Sir Griffin and prepare the carriage.
"Uhhh~…?"
Ryo tilted his head, unable to read her intention.
"Right now, everyone is restricted from moving around in the capital. But if you're with me, you can move freely. So, I'm taking you back to the guest house."
"Oh…right, thank you very much…"
Abel and the Lord Progenitor left the mock battleground and returned to the front of the guest house.
"Um, Lord Progenitor…what exactly is your position?"
"What?"
The Lord Progenitor's carriage got a free pass through the capital, where the knights of various lords were stationed at several checkpoints.
Even the Land nobles were being stopped and searched.
"Well…how do I put it…right, I guess you could say that I'm the director of a private library, that's the best way to describe it."
"Okay…sorry, but I'm kind of lost. I mean your official position in the country…"
"Oh, I see what you mean, in that case, none."
"Official status…"
"None, whatsoever."
"But everyone treats you with reverence…Count Rijo, for example, I believe was even trembling…"
Abel asked, recalling the scene at the mock battleground.
"That wasn't…because of my status in this country, but because of my status within the vampire tribe. It's pretty high up among the vampires, just so you know."
When he said that, the Lord Progenitor smiled a little.
They walked side by side into the guest house.
Naturally, the entrance was guarded by a group of knights from some territory, but when they saw the Lord Progenitor, they gave way.
Moreover, Abel noticed that the knights were sweating profusely and trembling just slightly.
Must be due to the status of the Lord Progenitor.
The adventurers and knights of the mission had gathered in the state guest house dining room.
"Abel! "
When Abel and the Lord Progenitor entered side by side, Knight Zack was the first to notice and shouted.
At the sound of his voice, the other adventurers and knights gathered around.
"Oh, Zack, guys, are you all right?"
Abel tried his best to sound calm.
"Abel, the five members of 'Valkyries' haven't come back yet."
Showken, the leader of the adventurers, reported.
"The 'Valkyries' huh? Where did they go?"
"Miu was summoned by His Highness the Grand Duke…"
"Ah, I see."
Miu is the Grand Duke's granddaughter.
The timing meant that the Grand Duke would have been besieged by the vampire nobles and their knights.
Miu and her party were most likely dragged into it.
"Lord Progenitor, the lady whose name was just mentioned, Miu, is the granddaughter of the Grand Duke. Perhaps she got dragged into the fight when she was meeting with the Grand Duke…"
Abel turned to the Lord Progenitor and reported.
The Lord Progenitor tilted his head a little and thought about it, then said.
"Silas' child that's related to the Kingdom … you must be talking about the one that got married to Marquis Westwing. I see, her daughter became an adventurer and came to Land, huh?"
After the Lord Progenitor said that, he called for a knight from some territory standing outside the dining room.
The knight who was called was clearly trembling and breaking out in cold sweat.
"I heard that there are five adventurers in the care of the Grand Duke. There is no need for them to remain in the castle. Please arrange for them to return to the guest house."
"I…um, I don't have the authority to…"
The knight replied, sweating an incomparable lot compared to earlier.
"Hm? I see, then I will go there personally. But if I go alone, I'm not sure if those kids will listen to me willingly…"
"I will go with you."
Abel said.
"Oh, that'll be very helpful. Shall we?"
The journey from the state guest house to the castle was underway.
"Are those five the only ones missing?"
"That seems to be the case. The negotiator and other civilian officials were in the conference building…. Which leaves Ryo, the only one left."
"Yeah…and that's what worries me the most."
The Lord Progenitor sighed deeply.
"Is this, Ryo fellow a swordsman?"
"No, he is a magician."
"Eh…"
Hearing Abel's answer, the Lord Progenitor was at a loss for words.
"What is it? Is something wrong?"
"Yeah…. Could very well be."
In his mind, he was thinking of the 'magic nullification' alchemy tool installed in Duchess Alba's mansion.
If that thing were to be used, the magician would be a sitting duck.
Praying that Agnes wouldn't try killing the adventurer named Ryo…was about the only thing the Lord Progenitor could do at the moment.
"P-Please stop."
The knights desperately tried to stop the Lord Progenitor. But without touching him.
The knights kept falling back at the speed at which he was walking, keeping a certain distance as if their arms would melt if they touched him.
From Abel's point of view, it was quite a pitiful sight.
Then, the Lord Progenitor opened the door leading to the Grand Duke's reception room, without knocking.
"What…"
"Abel! "
A man and the Grand Duke stiffened at the back of the room.
And the 'Valkyries' who raised their voices cheerfully.
Grand Duke Silas, who had frozen when he saw the person who entered the room, was the first to move.
He immediately got up from his chair, came before the Lord Progenitor, and got down on one knee.
Seeing this, the Valkyries were stunned.
Can't blame them.
The person on his knee was the Grand Duke of Twilight Land after all. In other words, the highest-ranking person in this country.
And that very person got down on one knee and bowed to the young man who entered the room without hesitation.
"It's been a while, Silas."
Those were the words of a man of authority.
The atmosphere that the Lord Progenitor had been wearing until then was neither unfriendly nor heavy.
Something similar to the heir apparent of a refined noble, so to speak.
However, from the moment he uttered that single sentence, the atmosphere completely changed.
Everyone present felt it.
Not only Abel, but even the members of the 'Valkyries', who knew nothing about the situation, recognized that the person to whom the Grand Duke kneeled on one knee was an extraordinary individual.
"It's a privilege to have graced us with your presence in such a place, please allow me to…"
"It's fine, don't worry about it."
Grand Duke Silas' words were interrupted by the Lord Progenitor.
Then he looked to the back of the room and opened his mouth.
"Vicente, I need to talk to you."
The person to whom the Lord Progenitor spoke was Marquis Vicente Espiel.
Vicente, who was spoken to, appeared to be imposing from a distance.
But, on a closer look, it was quite clear. That he was trembling slightly and desperately trying to put on airs.
"L-Lord Progenitor, excuse my words…you cannot meddle in the affairs of the country…"
"Have I said anything about that?"
That one sentence gave Vicente a powerful shock.
The words contained neither a hint of anger nor irritation.
He simply said it.
And even though he had simply said so….
Vicente's face went from white to pale.
"O-Of course not…"
It was all he could manage to get those words out.
Vicente's mouth was dry, and he swallowed several mouthfuls of fresh saliva as an uncontrollable shiver ran through his body.
"Marquis Vicente Espiel, I am sending these Kingdom adventurers back to the state guest house. Do you have anything to say about that?"
"No, sir…"
As if to announce his decision, the Lord Progenitor asked Vicente, and Vicente simply accepted without question.
"You also detained the negotiator and the civilian officials of the Kingdom. I will have them return to the state guest house as well. I take it you have no problem with that, either."
"No, sir…"
After saying that much, the Lord Progenitor turned around and looked at Grand Duke Silas, who was still on one knee.
Then he asked Vicente.
"Vicente, what do you lot plan to do with Silas?"
"S-Silas is…going to be executed for treason…"
"No."
Vicente's answer was met with a soft, but sharp, cry from Miu.
"Hm…"
The Lord Progenitor glanced at the Grand Duke, then at Miu, and finally at Vicente before saying.
"Vicente, I'm taking Silas under my wing, leave the matter of his fate to me for the time being. I forbid you to execute him."
"L-Lord Progenitor, you can't just intervene in…"
The matter of custody of the Kingdom's diplomatic mission was one thing, Vicente had to accept it because it was not an intervention in politics, but the Lord Progenitor's action to stop the execution of Grand Duke Silas, he couldn't take lying down.
Which was why he raised his voice….
"You lot are staging a coup d'etat, correct? You have neatly taken control of the political center and the heart of the capital. It's of little consequence whether you execute Silas."
"B-But then…"
"Vicente, are you going to make me repeat myself?"
His final words were clearly laced with anger.
As if by some magical power, the words not only struck Vicente, but also made the legs of everyone in the room wobble.
Vicente's knees gave way as he dropped to the floor, his eyes drooping.
His eyes were even filled with tears.
"My…apologies…"
"It's all right. Now, everyone, let's go back to the state guest house. Abel, please help them up."
The last words were said with the return of the air of a refined noble's heir.
Three of the Valkyries were seated, but they managed to get up and returned to the guest house.
It had been some time since Abel, the 'Valkyries' and the civilian officials, led by the negotiator, returned to the guest house.
"Phew, finally, I'm back."
"Ryo! "
The Water-Attribute Magician had finally returned to the state guest house.
And it was Showken who spotted him first, and with that cry, everyone in the dining hall looked toward Ryo.
And at the same time, a bewitching beauty who came in from behind Ryo also came into view.
"Duchess Alba…"
One of the civilian officials, who knew her appearance, muttered involuntarily.
But the little murmur passed unexpectedly well and was heard by many in the delegation.
And then to the ears of one individual not part of the delegation, who was in the back of the dining room.
"I see, you came too, Agnes…"
"L-Lord Progenitor!?"
The Lord Progenitor stood up and approached Ryo and Agnes, and Agnes' eyes widened in surprise at his presence there.
However, she quickly came to herself and performed a curtsy with the hem of her skirt.
Seeing this, the civilian officials were surprised.
Duchess Alba, who boasts of a power that surpasses even that of the Grand Duke in Land, just paid proper homage to an unknown individual….
They had never heard of such a person.
The only conceivable explanation would only be a king or emperor of another country.
"But why, Lord Progenitor?"
"Oh, Agnes, I escorted Adventurer Abel back here you see. And also to see Ryo."
"What? Me?"
Ryo tilted his head as hard as he could.
He had no recollection of making acquaintance with a beautiful man, much less one as good-looking as the one in front of him….
Although he doesn't….
(I see, they meant Lord 'Progenitor' when they were addressing him as Lord Shinso huh…)
In the vampire community, the 'Progenitor' is the pinnacle of all vampires. In some cases, he may even be the ancestor of all vampires.
The superbly beautiful guy in front of him looked like he was in his twenties, but of course, it was most likely just appearance.
Ryo concluded to himself.
The Lord Progenitor turned to Ryo, smiled at him, and suddenly muttered a verse.
"The time is out of joint."
"…O cursed spite."
"That ever I was born to set it right."
Involuntarily, Ryo also muttered the rest of the passage, and finally, the Lord Progenitor muttered the final verse.
"How, did you know about Hamlet…?"
Ryo was surprised. Wondering if there's a Shakespeare in this world as well.
"Yeah, well, even if there's another Hamlet, only Mr. Hidekatsu Nojima could render such an astonishing translation, wouldn't you say?"
"…"
Yes, the original text goes.
The time is out of joint, O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right.
To translate this as 'The time is out of joint, O cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right'…is too genius a translation.
The fact that he knows this translation proves that he's a Japanese….
"You…"
"That's right, I'm just like you, Ryo."
It would seem that Ryo just met the second reincarnated person since he came to 'Phi'.
-x-X-x-
"I thought as much."
At the back of the dining room, four people were sitting on a sofa, the Lord Progenitor, Agnes, Ryo, and Abel.
Agnes was leaning on the Lord Progenitor looking all happy.
She seemed uninterested in the conversation.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, recreating such perfect ramen would be impossible unless…you truly love tonkotsu ramen and have eaten it hundreds or thousands of times."
"Oh…you had it at Agnes', didn't you? The chef over there is the best in Land. He could reproduce my recipe perfectly, it was quite tasty wasn't it?"
The Lord Progenitor said, smiling and nodding repeatedly.
"Unbelievably so, it was a masterpiece in a bowl."
Although Ryo had two bowls.
"That good huh…"
Abel muttered next to Ryo.
"Yeah, it was amazing. I'd love to bring it to the Kingdom if possible…"
"That's probably not going to happen."
Ryo stated, and the Lord Progenitor responded, shaking his head with a sad look.
"I went through a lot of trouble just recreating that…"
"The challenge is with the noodles, isn't it? The kansui…"
Ryo said, and the Lord Progenitor nodded broadly.
"As expected, you know your stuff. Ramen noodles absolutely need 'kansui', but it's difficult to obtain. And that'd be the biggest reason why you won't be able to reproduce it in the Kingdom."
"Hmm? Wait a minute…I thought Lord Progenitor succeeded in chemically synthesizing kansui, now I see that isn't the case."
"Not at all, it's not through chemical synthesis, but natural kansui that I discovered."
It is said that the original form of ramen was discovered on modern Earth in the 17th century, when it was found that kneading flour with water from a saltwater lake in Mongolia produced noodles that had great elasticity and texture.
The inland saltwater lake is called Kanko, from which the word 'Kansui'… 'water from Kanko' was derived.
In other words, 'kansui' originally existed naturally and continued to exist until the 21st century.
In Japan, however, the use of natural kansui was prohibited by law until recently.
"Since you can't obtain natural kansui, it's impossible to reproduce it in the Kingdom."
Ryo became depressed along with those words.
"In fact, I decided to build a nation on this land because of that natural kansui…"
These words surprised not only Ryo but also Agnes.
"Agnes, keep this a secret from the rest, okay?"
"Uh, sure, of course. It'll be a secret between me and the Lord Progenitor!"
Agnes was happy to share the secret with her beloved Lord Progenitor.
(What a guy…to build a nation for the sake of ramen…. Indeed, food is the cornerstone of a nation…)
Ryo was impressed, albeit with a slightly biased perception.
So from the bottom of his heart, he said.
"Lord Progenitor…I am deeply impressed."
The Lord Progenitor was a little embarrassed.
"Um, I have a few other things I'd like to ask…"
Ryo was able to solve the biggest mystery in Land, the mystery of the ramen, but there were several…other mysteries that were of course insignificant compared to the ramen.
"Of course, I can answer as many questions as you want me to. We come from the same place after all."
"Same place as Ryo…"
Abel muttered softly. Although it was a really low murmur, Ryo, who somehow heard it, decided to pretend he didn't.
"Well, it's nothing much compared to the mystery of the ramen, but why overthrow the government…the coup d'etat, to be precise?"
(So for these two, 'Ramen' is more important than the overthrowing of the government…?)
In his heart, Abel was surprised and dismayed, but wisely prevented himself from expressing it.
For he knew better than to offend either Ryo or the Lord Progenitor.
And, somehow, he felt that if he so much as attempted to make fun of the ramen, he would be shooting himself in the foot….
"Oh, I believe that's just to pass the time."
"…Huh?"
Sure enough, even Ryo didn't see that one coming.
"Isn't that right? Agnes."
Agnes, who was suddenly questioned by the Lord Progenitor, freaked out and then opened her mouth while avoiding his gaze.
"Um, well, the thing is…"
"Ahh…. I knew it."
The Lord Progenitor gave a small sigh before continuing his words.
"It's been a hundred years since this country was founded. I think the vampires who joined us have had enough of peace and quiet. You see, we are immortals, and therefore live forever…as long as we don't disintegrate that is. We are a race that is extremely difficult to multiply, but also difficult to diminish in number. For those who live a long time, it is very important to have something to pass the time. Our lifespan, you see, is totally different from that of a human…so, it's near impossible to really grasp what I'm talking about."
The Lord Progenitor sighed as he said that.
Ryo felt that the Lord Progenitor himself might be tired of uniting his kind.
He must have been uniting those vampires for a long time….
"I came to this land after a cycle of building nations in many different places or fighting with other races. For me, I'm happy with this land because I acquired kansui and perfected my longtime dream of making ramen noodles…"
"I have to say, I envy the idea of immortality. Because it means that you can spend all that time creating civilization, don't you think?"
"Creating civilization?"
Ryo loved simulation games back when he was on Earth.
He was addicted to The Ambition of the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, several kingdoms games, mini strategy games, and of course, one something Meier civilization game.
Creating civilization from scratch over thousands of years…an immortal could certainly realize any one such game.
Ryo passionately explained.
Then…
"This really takes me back…I used to play that game too."
With a very distant look in his eyes, the Lord Progenitor recalled his days back on Earth.
For him, it was a memory of thousands or even more than tens of thousands of years ago.
"I guess…only a vampire can do something like that in real life huh."
The Lord Progenitor muttered with a smile.
It seemed to Ryo as if something popped into his mind regarding the country.
After that, while talking about some other things, it suddenly occurred to Ryo.
"By the way, Lord Progenitor. About the magic nullification contraption that you made and installed in Duchess Alba's mansion…"
Hearing this, Abel was surprised.
(Please tell me you're joking! An artificially engineered magic nullification?)
It was astonishing.
Even more than that ramen thing…not exactly, but in Abel's mind, of course.
If magic nullification becomes common, it would drastically change the face of society.
However…
"Hm? Oh, there's a misunderstanding surrounding that. That was just something I picked up."
"Picked up?"
"Agnes, did you not explain properly…oh, looks like you didn't, it's written all over your face. I found that one in a ruin when I was taking a walk. This was before I moved to the Central Nations. All I did was set it up, reduce the power because it was too strong, and then adjust it so that Agnes could control it. Anyway, that made Agnes' property a magic-neutral field, and if anything happens, she can easily take care of it."
"Lord Progenitor!"
Agnes hugged the Lord Progenitor even tighter.
"So, to clear up any misunderstanding, magic nullification isn't something I can whip up either."
Abel was relieved to hear those words.
Ryo seemed a little disappointed.
"But I am confident that I have a deeper understanding of magic than most people. After all, the one who introduced magic chant to the Central Nations is yours truly."
"What?"
Ryo and Abel were unanimously surprised.
"It was quite difficult to discover 'chant' that works with the logic of this world, you know. But thanks to it, half of the population can use magic, can they not?"
So it was you~!
Ryo exclaimed in the back of his mind.
Ryo momentarily recalled the memory before his reincarnation to 'Phi', he was happy to be among the elite, since 'only 20% of the population could use magic', but then later became disappointed as it turned out that a lot of people could actually use magic.
However, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing because the Lord Progenitor's actions were also to help people….
"There certainly was also the aspect where it's more convenient for us vampires to have the people of the surrounding countries only able to use weak magic. The weaker our neighbors, the better. I won't deny that."
It wasn't just about helping people.
"Does this include … 'martial arts'?"
Abel asked a question for the first time.
"Yes."
The Lord Progenitor nodded toward Abel and continued.
"The knights who protect Land are human. I wondered if there was something that utilizes magic they could employ to make them stronger…. It was another thing I had been working on before coming to the Central Nations. It was only a hundred years ago that I managed to put it together into a proper form."
"So, all the knights in Land…"
"Yeah, most of them can use 'martial arts'."
It was shocking.
Even if each one of them is not a mighty warrior…one could say that they are much stronger than, say, the knights of the Kingdom.
"We're not a big country, nor did I intend it to be one. A few elites are all that is needed."
The Lord Progenitor said with a smile.
To Abel, that smile was simply eerie.
Two days later.
The diplomatic mission left the ducal capital.
Accepting trainees from the Kingdom and establishing mutual embassies in the ducal capital and the royal capital.
Those were the main contents of the agreement.
The next day, it was announced that Grand Duke Silas would abdicate after six months and that his son, Norton, would succeed him as Grand Duke.
Silas was given a fiefdom in the vicinity of Karnak, a city close to the Kingdom, to live in seclusion.
Everything else remained the same.
The coup was completely covered up.
The people involved too, went about their business as though nothing happened.
The only difference was…there was now more traffic between Duchess Alba's residence and the Lord Progenitor's 'library' than ever before.
-x-X-x-
"It's so peaceful~"
The carriage was filled with the fragrant aroma of Kona coffee, soothing the minds of those weary from the journey.
The transparent coffee cup made of ice in their hands presented a very fantastic view due to the amazing contrast with the devil's liquid that was swaying inside.
The perfect taste, the enchanting atmosphere, and the captivating aroma that captivates all…captivated Ryo, who slowly flipped through the materials in his hand and lost himself in the 'scenery with coffee'.
What else could this be described as if not peaceful?
But the other side of the carriage…could very well be a battlefield.
The adversary is a bunch of tough-looking documents.
Homework from an older brother.
In a tough struggle with an A-rank adventurer.
"If I were to caption this scenery, the most fitting would surely be 'An Elementary School Student on the Last Day of Summer Vacation'."
Ryo looked at Abel with a gaze that contained a great deal of pity as he said it.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I sure as Phi know that you're making fun of me."
Abel said so, but he did not break his concentration.
Then he raised his voice a little.
"Goddamn it! Just when I thought I was all done, I find a whole bunch left at the bottom of my bag! How the heck did this happen…?"
"I can think of a few…"
Ryo's mutterings were met with a quick glare for a moment, and then Abel immediately returned to his struggle with his homework.
"All for the sake of world peace, how burdensome…"
Ryo said as he sipped his coffee.
After a while, Abel, who had been wearing a furious expression all through, changed to a pained face, the speed of his pen slowed down…and finally, stopped moving completely.
At this point, even Ryo became concerned.
"Abel?"
"It's nothing, just…"
Saying just that, he remained with a bitter expression on his face…pondering something again.
Ryo peeked at the 'homework' in Abel's hand.
"Regarding the demise of the Inbury Duchy…? That's a very pertinent current affair."
"Well, the questions were set by my older brother after all. They only contain practical questions…the impact of the fall of the Inbury Duchy on our Kingdom is multifaceted."
After taking a breather, Abel asked Ryo.
"Ryo, why would a country fall?"
"Abel, that is the same as asking why do people die?"
"Those are two different things, right?"
Abel refuted, tilting his head.
"They are the same. Both have a life expectancy. Though in the case of the Inbury Duchy, it's more of a sudden illness than reaching its life expectancy…"
"Sudden illness…?"
"Well, normally, a country's life expectancy is two or three hundred years."
"Huh? That short?"
"Yup. five hundred years at most. According to a great historian…who was once a politician, a judge, and finally a historian. Well, maybe not exactly the life expectancy of a nation, but rather the life expectancy of a polity. Either way, the rise and fall of a nation is an esoteric subject that, on its own, takes decades of research and study into the depths of historiography enough to write dozens of books. It's certainly not a subject that can be casually explained in a carriage, that's for sure."
"O-Oh, I see…"
The historian Ryo was referring to was, of course, Ibn Khaldun, and the rise and fall of nations was Edward Gibbon's 'History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'.
For Ryo, who took a leave of absence from his university major in Western history, the rise and fall of nations was a very interesting topic…but he understood that if he got stuck in it, getting himself out would prove to be as difficult as trying to get out of a swamp.
Now, for someone like the Lord Progenitor of Land who has eternal life, it might be interesting to get started on this research~ or so his mind wandered.
"Also, although I used the expression 'sudden illness', when there's a huge nation bordering another small nation, the small nation is more likely to be swallowed up. One biomathematician even formulated such a historical event into a mathematical formula."
"Hm?"
Abel seemed lost.
Ryo sighed and gave up trying to explain the rest of the story.
"The point is, we've already got a formula for the rise and fall of a nation."
"T-That can't be true…"
Abel, who will (likely not) become king in the future, didn't want to believe such a thing.
If truly the fall of a nation can expressed…by a formula, then where does that leave the people who live there…the ministers, bureaucrats and officials who work selflessly….
"Of course, it's not absolute. And personally, I think that once a country goes through a major civil war or a major war turning it into a battlefield, it goes through a reset. So I don't think you need to worry about it too much."
"… Then, Ryo, are you saying that after a certain amount of time, a country should go through a civil war or a war and start all over again?"
"No, of course not. You see, after a war or a civil war, the neighboring countries will start circling in like sharks trying to make a move, naturally. When that happens, the survival of the country itself can go either way…so it's best to avoid the war altogether if possible."
Ryo stated clearly.
And then continued.
"Abel, the duty of a ruler hasn't changed since ancient times."
"Which is?"
"To make his people happy."
"That sounds vague…"
Abel kept frowning.
"Not really. Do just one thing, and I assure you the people will be happy. And by doing so, many of the problems that befall a country can be nipped in the bud before they arise."
Ryo said, nodding vigorously.
"Just one thing?"
"That's right. I'm talking about improving the country's economy. And I'm not talking about the specifics and nitty gritty of it all, no! It's important that the 'people feel that the economy is doing well'. In the first place, the word 'economy' is derived from…nah nevermind, scratch that. As long as you do this, there will be no threats to public security. Because if the economy is doing well, there will be no room for insurrection. Moreover, you'll start seeing an increase in the marriage rate and birth rate. So the population of the country will increase, even without an immigration policy. The people's willingness to work will also increase. Because when there's hope for the future, they will be more willing to buy things, like houses and other stuff, which also means that there won't be shortages of things to sell. Which will in turn, further improve the economy. So Abel, 'Making the people think the economy is booming', is the axiom that great rulers have always adhered to throughout history."
-x-X-x-
Acre, the capital of the Marquis Heinlein's domain.
A certain noble's mansion in the city.
This is the base of the 'White Brigade', a B-rank party from Rune city, in Acre.
Phelps, the leader of the White Brigade, is the heir to the Marquis Heinlein household, who owns the city of Acre, so even though they belong to Rune, he's been using the White Brigade quite a bit.
"I knew it, there's something strange going on up North…"
Phelps muttered as he compared several reports.
Beside him was Sheena, the deputy leader, who had just brought a fresh pot of coffee.
"Sorry Shena, but could you please get those four in here. They should be somewhere in the mansion."
When Phelps said this, Shena bowed once and left the room.
Three minutes later, Sheena and the other four who had been summoned came into the room.
"Leader, you called~"
A man carrying two swords crossed on his back announced as soon as he entered the room.
He's Blair, the dual swordsman.
"I keep telling you, Blair, your communicating skills could really use some work!"
A man with a staff longer than his own height gave Blair a quick pep talk.
He's Wyatt, an earth-attribute magician.
"All right, cut it out both of you."
The man who interceded between Blair and Wyatt, who started arguing, was dressed in priest's clothes.
He's Gideon, the priest.
"…"
The last man entered silently, only shaking his head.
He's Lorenzo, the scout.
Phelps and Sheena, plus these four, make up what Hugh McGrath calls 'the core of the White Brigade'.
And these four were called by the other members of the party.
The 'Four Heavenly Kings'.
If Ryo had heard this, he would have said.
"How chuuni!" (TLN: Short for chuunibyou. The term for the fantasies of second year junior high school adolescents.)
"Listen up guys, I want the four of you to take a trip to Duke Flitwick's territory in the north."
"Flitwick, as in the royal prince's territory?"
"Blair, His Royal Highness you mean…"
Phelps said, Blair reiterated, and Wyatt complained about the language.
"Right, His royal Highness this, His Royal Highness that."
"You wanna go? How about we take it outside…"
"Okay, that's enough."
Blair and Wyatt's banter was a regular thing, so Phelps paid no mind to them whatsoever.
It's priest Gideon's role to stop them.
And after Gideon had stopped them, Phelps picked up where he left off.
"I think there's going to be a rebellion or something similar. And within a year if I'm right."
"Damn…"
Sure enough, even Blair understood the gravity of the situation and stopped fooling around.
The Flitwick dukedom, ruled by the king's brother Raymond, is one of the most powerful fiefdoms in the north.
With Carlyle, the second largest city in the north, as its capital, the vast and fertile territory is famous for its wheat production.
If a rebellion were to occur in such a place…and worse, if it were the rebellion of the king's younger brother, many nobles would rally at his back.
Those who cannot hope to rise in the ranks under the current king may join the king's brother Raymond in an attempt to turn the tables.
If it goes badly, it could lead to a civil war that could split the Kingdom in two….
"What exactly are we supposed to do, leader?"
Priest Gideon asked.
"I want you to bring back evidence of the rebellion if you can. But you don't have to risk your lives to do it. Since I'll be needing everyone's help the most afterward."
"So, as for suppressing the rebellion…"
"That won't be necessary. I don't think we'll be able to suppress them so easily, and perhaps we'll be better off dealing with them after they've rebelled."
"Whoa, spooky."
The one who made the retort was Blair, the dual swordsman.
Blair was aware of the fact that their leader, Phelps is one of the best frontal attackers in the Kingdom, so much so that he could be called an elite even among knights, but he's even better at luring and scheming.
Now, for someone like Phelps to say things like, "after they've rebelled", it's only natural he felt a sense of dread.
"Well then, we're off."
Thus, the White Brigade's most elite 'Four Heavenly Kings' were sent to the north.
-x-X-x-
"Hm~m, Abel is just so cool, don't you think~?"
One female swordsman was watching the only A-rank adventurer from a distance.
"Imogen, you're going to inherit the viscountcy…so no matter how incredible the A-rank adventurer, you can't marry him unless he's a noble now, can you?"
A female magician made a practical suggestion to her good friend.
"Miu, it's not about marriage. It's just a little longing, so to speak."
Imogen's cheeks were a little red as she said this.
"Ho? So, you're just looking to have some fun huh?"
"Hey Abigail, tune it down!"
As the two were exchanging their words in a reasonably quiet voice, Abigail, a scout from the same C-rank party, 'Valkyrie', came up to them.
Behind her, Camilla the spear user, and Scarlett the priestess also came.
Imogen's flustered voice was quite loud, that Camilla and Scarlett joined in.
"What are you guys…is this about the male adventurers? Not only Abigail, but you too, Imogen…I don't think a girl should be too loose in my opinion…"
"You misunderstand, Camilla, I'm merely admiring…"
Camilla, a tall, beautiful spear user with a model's figure of 180 centimeters in height, complained while slightly shaking her head, and Imogen refuted the false accusation.
"Still going on and on about a guy's looks, well, not that I don't get where you're coming from, but for me…I believe, a man is only as good as his ability to earn a living. A steady income is the way to go…"
"As expected of Camilla, the third daughter of a baron house."
"We're not exactly wealthy, you know. I can't even count on any support from my own family."
The third daughter of a baron house, Camilla, the spear user, answered earnestly to the words of Abigail the scout, who is from a commoner background.
It doesn't seem like they're on the same page, but it happens all the time.
"Wait a minute, all these talks about earning a living and such…I was just talking about my longing…"
Imogen's mutterings didn't reach anyone
"Then, Camilla, are you perhaps gunning for a knight of the kingdom or something?"
"What do you mean gunning…I've never looked at a man in such a manner."
Camilla, the spear user, furtively refuted the words of Abigail the scout.
"But if we're talking about a knight, then rather than someone like Zach Cooler…"
"…W-Well, I guess I'll go with Scotty Cobook."
Abigail led the conversation, and Camilla answered looking downward.
Hearing her answer, Abigail nodded repeatedly.
Scotty is certainly smarter and cooler than Zach.
Poor Zach….
Priestess Scarlett was smiling as usual while listening to such conversation.
The air around her is always relaxed, no matter the occasion.
"So, what's your type, Scarlett?"
Abigail asked, turning to Scarlett.
After tilting her head slightly and thinking about it, Scarlett answered.
"For me, it'll be Ryo, the magician."
"Ah, him~"
All four of them answered in unison.
For some reason, Ryo took the top spot of the 'cute' guys in the diplomatic mission.
-x-X-x-
The diplomatic mission arrived at the royal capital without any problems.
After the dissolution ceremony, they dispersed to their respective designations.
The royal knights went to the newly built Knight's Order station.
Adventurers to their guilds.
Negotiator Ignis and the civilian officials to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
And Ryo to the alchemy workshop.
Ryo and Abel were scheduled to leave the royal capital for Rune city in the guild carriage tomorrow morning.
Therefore, if they have any business to take care of, it can only be tonight.
So Ryo did not hesitate to go to the Royal Alchemy Workshop where Kenneth was.
Abel, on the other hand….
From the basement of the 'Ilarion Residence', Abel went through a hidden passageway in the royal castle and knocked on the crown prince's stone door.
As usual, the door opened, but it was not the crown prince.
The honest-looking man's face was familiar.
"Daniel, right? The crown prince's chamberlain."
"Yes, Prince Albert. Please come in."
Abel knew from the signal before opening the door that the person behind was not the crown prince, but yet couldn't stop his heart from racing.
As it turned out, the crown prince was in bed.
He could no longer walk.
"Oh, Albert, you're here."
"Big brother…"
Abel couldn't form any more words.
"Albert, don't look at me like that. I already knew things were going to turn out this way early on. I can't believe I held on this far, to be honest. Besides, although I can't walk anymore, my brain still works just fine."
The crown prince smiled.
Abel would never forget that smile for the rest of his life….
"By the way, did you finish the homework?"
"Yes, all of it."
"Really, that's good. I guess you've always taken things seriously in that respect, Albert."
The crown prince nodded and took out one of the submitted homework assignments and flipped through it casually.
"Hmm…sure enough, quite an interesting answer."
"Am I…wrong?"
Abel asked with an uneasy look on his face.
"Hmm? Oh no, not at all. Needless to say, there is no absolute right answer to many of these questions. As long as you follow the law, it's up to Albert to figure out the rest."
That's what makes it difficult. Abel thought.
"The people are what makes a country and the royal family. As long as you don't forget that, I think you will make a good king."
With these words of the crown prince, the brief meeting of the two brothers came to an end.
-x-X-x-
Lord Aubrey, the governor of the Union, seemed troubled.
The reason was that the return of former Inbury citizens who fled to the Kingdom after the annexation of the Inbury Duchy by the Union was slower than expected.
Which was due to the deteriorating public order situation in the eastern region of the Kingdom.
During the war, those who fled the Duchy to the Kingdom were accepted into the Kingdom as so-called refugees.
Most of them first fled to the eastern region of the Kingdom, but since the security situation in the eastern region of the Kingdom was already deteriorating at that time, many of them did not stay in the eastern region but went further to the northern, southern, and even the central regions of the Kingdom where the royal capital is located.
Even when the war in Inbury was over and they were ready to return to their home country, they found it difficult to return because of the dangers in the eastern region of the Kingdom that lies in between.
"Roughly twenty percent of our initial estimate."
Lord Aubrey let out a small sigh at the report of his aide, Lamber.
"If I were a refugee, I wouldn't want to go back to Inbury, if it means going through that eastern region of the Kingdom, that's for sure."
"Exactly…"
Both Lord Aubrey and his aide Lamber understood that in their heads.
But even so, twenty percent of their estimate was still too small.
"I suppose this is also one of the Emperor's schemes, huh…"
"That can't be right, you think His Majesty Rupert has something to do with it?"
"I should think so. At the very least, the Empire is certainly behind the chaos in the eastern region of the Kingdom. And if the refugees are not able to return because of this, wouldn't it be more prudent to assume that this is within the Emperor's plans?"
"Okay, but why would the Emperor take such measures to keep the Inbury refugees within the Kingdom?"
"I have no idea…"
Lamber's question could not be easily answered, not even by Lord Aubrey.
"Lamber, what's the biggest problem that will result from the influx of refugees?"
"That would be…the deterioration of public order, I guess."
An increase in the number of refugees will cause a deterioration of public order.
This is a problem that cannot be avoided no matter how well-organized the governing structure is.
The same is true on 'Phi' as it was on Earth.
"But more people means a better economy, doesn't it? I don't see how the Kingdom's economy improving benefits the Empire."
Lamber asked.
"…Has the Kingdom's economy improved since our annexation of Inbury?"
"…No…actually, there's no such indication at all."
"Right? Just simply accepting refugees is not enough to boost a country's economy. Unless they are properly integrated into the country's commerce and tax collection system, the economy will not improve. And with the current governing capacity of the Kingdom, it seems unlikely that the refugees can be smoothly integrated into the national economy."
It's plain stupidity to think that a country's economy will automatically improve if the number of refugees increases.
It is only when the increased number of people earn money, spend, and pay taxes that they contribute to the country's economy.
Unless the country proactively performs the integration, 'accepting refugees' won't make anyone happy….
The refugees will just become economic slaves for cheap labor….
Even refugees are people who have families…and there is no way they will continue to accept such a situation forever.
And if legal methods don't improve the situation…they will try a not-so-legal approach.
Violent solutions, represented by riots.
Which will further worsen public safety.
Which begs the question, how many people in the heart of the government understand that….
Unfortunately, not nearly enough in the Kingdom.
"Is the Emperor purely trying to disrupt the Kingdom, further aggravating public security…?"
"If so, to what end? That's the question we should be asking."
Lord Aubrey muttered, and Lamber picked up on his mutterings with yet another question.
"I should probably move, even if it's just the elite troops to the border area. So that we can respond in time in case something happens."
Lamber simply nodded at Lord Aubrey's mutterings.
"Deteriorating public security…nothing could be more bothersome."
-x-X-x-
Volume 1, Final Part, Kingdom of Knightley War of Liberation
Chapter 0213 Final Arc, Preface
-x-X-x-
Northern region of the Kingdom of Knightley, Count Gother's domain.
A large-scale demonstration was taking place in the central square of Goya, the fiefdom capital.
"Hand over the food, huh?"
A swordsman-like adventurer murmured as he looked out at the square from the window on the second floor of the inn, spectating the demonstration.
"I'm glad we were picked up by the Marquis."
A man, who seems to be a magician, seated on a chair replied.
The priest-like man next to him nodded at his words many times.
"I second that. Thank the heavens for Master Ilarion. Still, Oriana and Isaiah are not back yet?"
The swordsman took out a pocket watch and checked it while looking at the door.
"Hector, you worry too much. Those two will be fine."
The moment the magician said that, the door opened and the two entered.
"Hector, I have the instructions."
Scout Orianna handed the instructions to party leader Hector.
"Really!"
Hector was overjoyed as he took the instructions.
And read through it.
The four party members waited for Hector to speak.
Then, Hector read out the instructions.
"Return to the royal capital."
"Alright!"
The four exploded with joy.
The spearman Isaiah made a fist pump many times, and the magician Kenji and the priest Tarlow hugged each other.
They are the C-class party belonging to the former royal capital, 'Morning Star'.
The party that tried to kidnap Abel before the royal capital disturbance.
After that, they were involved in the explosion to destroy the evidence and went missing, but in fact, they were protected by Ilarion Baraha, and from there they became adventurers stationed in the royal capital under the Marquis Heinlein family.
Since the power struggle within the royal castle had not settled down yet, their survival was kept secret.
Therefore, even though their current mission didn't go through the adventurer's guild and didn't earn them any points, the five of them were satisfied with the substantial additional rewards they received from the Marquis Heinlein family.
However, it was also true that the one-month survey of the Count Gother fief was not very enjoyable, and it was also true that the young people had become nostalgic for the splendor of the royal capital.
"Father, 'Morning Star' has left the fief's capital Goya and are headed for the royal capital."
Acre, the city in Marquis Heinlein's domain.
Phelps reported to his father, Marquis Alexis Heinlein.
"Good work. When they reach the royal capital, are they going to be secret agents to investigate Count Lawrence?"
"No, he is sharp, so the secret investigation will continue to be conducted only by those who are trained to be agents. Morning Star will be a reserve force at the 'Ilarion Residence'."
Count Harold Lawrence, the current Minister of Home Affairs.
Everyone agrees that he is the youngest and most capable of the ministers.
However, if such an excellent person betrayed them…
(Honestly, this country is already…)
Alexis thought internally, but managed to stop himself from voicing it.
And shook his head over and over.
Only ten years ago, his homeland, the Kingdom of Knightley should have been at the height of its prosperity….
He wondered why they were in this situation.
Was it a bad move to resign from the position of Knight Commander and return to his territory?
Or perhaps Arthur Verasis should have been appointed as the leader of the Court Magician Order instead of the advisor?
Whenever he started thinking about it, he was plagued by memories of various past actions.
But it wouldn't change anything.
He will do whatever it takes to leave a good country for his son's, Phelps', generation, and the generations after him.
Alexis Heinlein resolved to do so.
-x-X-x-
"Did any message come from the Empire?"
"Yes, Your Excellency Minister of Finance. The disturbance in Count Gother's fief has implicated people from the Empire and the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement that 'The Empire will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of their citizens'.
They were in the Minister of Finance's office located in the royal capital Crystal Palace's castle, commonly known as 'Palace'.
Finance Undersecretary Schart was reporting to Finance Minister Fuka.
Minister of Finance Fuka utilized all his wiles to redirect the investigation away from himself regarding his involvement with Duke Flitwick, the Union, and Knight Commander Baccara before the royal capital disturbance.
Furthermore, he continues to occupy a corner of the palace as a key member of the nation who had contributed greatly to bringing the royal capital disturbance under control.
The announcement from the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the same report delivered to all the other ministers, reached Fuka.
"In other words, it's a declaration to dispatch an army to the Kingdom? It's the usual pattern."
'Protecting one's citizens' is a technique often used in all ages and countries.
Of course, it will lead to war.
The Empire and the Kingdom have been fighting wars consisting of tens of thousands of soldiers every few years for the past 30 years.
The case this time round seemed to be the trigger for the same once again.
Normally, that would be a 'usual' thing, and preparations would proceed solemnly, but the Kingdom had not yet recovered from the chaos of the royal capital disturbance.
Due to the disturbance in the royal capital, the Kingdom's Knight Order was destroyed and is currently being reorganized.
Besides that, the guards in the aristocratic district during the turmoil died, weakening the military strength of the royal capital and its surroundings.
Furthermore, with the deteriorating public security situation in the eastern part of the country, which has continued for some time but showed no sign of subsiding, the shortage of military strength was becoming conspicuous throughout the Kingdom.
"The Minister of Military Affairs urged the northern lords to participate in the war."
"Is that so… Even if we draw, the lords who participated in the war will have to be paid a reward from the national treasury… The financial burden will increase even further…"
Minister of Finance Fuka immediately came to the realization that there was an issue with his authority.
Indeed, no state action is more expensive than war!
"Well, we can consider the rewards for the feudal lords after the war…will there be soldiers from the royal capital?"
"Yes. Although it is still being reorganized, the Kingdom's Knight Order will appear. Also, the Court Magician Order and the Kingdom's First Army. And conscripted militia."
"That is… going to cost money too…"
Fuka said with a deep sigh.
His tone became even more direct compared to before and it seemed that Fuka's feelings of despair were deepening with each passing moment.
The southern city of Rune was peaceful.
It was especially peaceful around Ryo.
It was peaceful as usual.
Wake up before sunrise.
Stretch vigorously for 30 minutes.
Then, outside the ramparts of Rune, he runs while creating a miniature Tokyo Tower with ice on his hands, feet, and shoulders.
Have breakfast, and then devote his time to alchemy until noon.
During that time, Sera would come by and read a book in the living room.
For lunch, they often eat together at restaurants near the east gate, such as Houshoku-tei.
After that, it's usually mock battles at the lord's mansion.
For dinner, sometimes he eats at home, sometimes he eats at the adventurer's guild cafeteria or a shop he chances upon.
Then he takes a bath and goes to bed.
An astonishingly routine life.
There are two forces that could disturb this regular life.
The first is the three people from 'Room 10'.
And the other …
"Ryo, are you there~?"
An A-rank adventurer swordsman who walks in through the side door without even knocking.
He came in expecting Ryo to be there, but was surprised to find a female Elf reading a book in the living room.
"S-Sera…"
"Hey, Abel. Ryo is reading alchemy materials at the back."
"Yes, I was reading, but it seemed that some suspicious swordsman came in, so I came out."
Abel was surprised, Sera kindly pointed where Ryo was, and Ryo came out from the back.
"O-oh, my bad."
"If you really think so, you should at least bring some souvenirs. Right, those delicious crepes sold in the city for two people!"
"I agree, you should bring that with you. As expected of Ryo, you have such good suggestions!"
Ryo asked for a crepe and Sera rode on the idea.
"Hey now, you guys… recently, you've been polishing your cooperation."
Abel complained with a loud sigh.
"Of course. Good food is justice!"
Ryo declared loudly, and Sera nodded her head many times.
"This time, Ryo and I have an urgent request from the guild."
"Me and Abel? That's unusual."
"Well, my group is still in Kona Village… The place for the emergency request is Bemberton Village."
"It would take two days by carriage from Rune to reach Bemberton."
Abel told him the location and Sera added the information.
"Yeah. They want us to go as soon as possible, and the guild carriage has been prepared and is already in front of this house."
"I see, it can't be helped…"
Saying that, Ryo placed the documents he had in his hand in the back room, and came out with his usual bag, Murasame, Michael's special knife, and a robe.
"Shall we go? I'm sorry, Sera. I'll be gone for a while."
"Umu, be careful."
Saying that, Sera gently hugged Ryo.
Abel's cheeks turned bright red for some reason when he saw that spectacle.
"Well, even so, your preparations were quick."
Inside the carriage, Abel started talking.
His face was still a little red…
"Well, it's just some stuff to take on adventures, potions, and preserved food. And don't worry, I packed some roasted Kona coffee beans."
"Just as expected..."
Abel replied, expressing admiration and exasperation at the same time.
"So, first things first, what is the urgent request for me and Abel?"
A party consisting of the two of them had never received an emergency request or nomination request before.
"It seems to be wyvern subjugation."
"What…"
It was unexpected even for Ryo.
It appeared that the City of Rune wasn't very peaceful either.
Ever since Ryo came to Rune, he had never seen a wyvern, nor had he received a subjugation request.
Not even once but ….
"Speaking of which, wasn't it talked about that 'Room 10' subjugated a Wyvern before?"
"Yeah. I heard that they encountered and defeated one with the help of Acre's C-rank party 'Six Petals' during a different request. There were nine people, but the guys from Room 10 were still D-rank, right? It was a big deal."
Hearing Abel's praise, Ryo nodded happily.
The three people from 'Room 10' were former roommates.
If they were active and an A-rank adventurer praised them, he would of course be happy for them.
"However, the way they beat it was outrageous…"
"Yes… Amon was tossed into the sky…"
Ryo commented while remembering the story of the Wyvern subjugation he heard from the three of them.
"Gorky, the Shield-user of 'Six Petals' tossed him … Lately it seems to become a trend for swordsmen to fly across the sky…"
Abel said while pretending to be serious.
"Why don't you try flying too? Ask Warren…"
"Yeah, absolutely not."
"So, Guilmas chose us this time, as expected, to defeat the wyvern safely, with less risk, and as soon as possible, unlike what the guys from Room 10 did. Also, it appears that there have not been any casualties yet so we should complete the request before it happens."
"I see."
Ryo and Abel defeated dozens of Wyverns on their way from Rondo Forest to the City of Rune, and once asked Guild Master Hugh McGrath to sell the magic stones.
Therefore, Hugh recognizes that these two can safely defeat Wyverns.
"But this time it's a request, right? I might be targeted by some strange noble if we complete the request too smoothly."
When Ryo expressed such concern, Abel suddenly thought, 'It's too late now', but the words that came out of his mouth were wisely different.
"It seems that this emergency request will be, at the same time, marked as 'classified'. This is rarely done, but only the Guild Master who sent the request and the Grand Master of the Royal Capital can see the request contents. It is secured by magic or alchemy, so it's an expensive option that can only be done once a year."
"Then I can rest assured."
Ryo nodded once and smiled.
It seemed that he was seriously worried about being watched by a strange noble.
"Now that that is resolved, let's make some coffee."
Said Ryo as he started grinding Kona coffee with an ice mill.
-x-X-x-
When Ryo and Abel arrived at Bemberton Village, it was utter confusion.
It stands to reason that even in the frontier, encounters with wyverns were something that doesn't happen even once in a lifetime.
If such a beast was seen right next to the village where they live, it would naturally cause a clamor.
Nonetheless, there was no way they could hear decent information from the villagers who had lost their composure, but thankfully when the two of them reached their destination, a man who appeared to be a soldier came running over.
"You're from the Adventurer's Guild in Rune, aren't you? A swordsman and a magician."
The soldier-like man came up to them and asked with conviction.
Two adventurer-like men who he had never seen before appeared at this timing and with advanced notice from the guild that two adventurers would be coming, anyone would be confident to claim so.
"Yes, we are."
Abel answered as the representative.
"Thank god, we've been waiting for you. I'm a subordinate of Baron Plage and I'm appointed as the garrison commander of this manor. My name is Lines."
"Well met. This time, it's a classified request, so we can't tell you our name."
"I understand. I'm sorry to jump straight to business, but regarding the wyvern …"
The place where it was seen was about 500 meters south of the village.
Only one grazing cow was killed and no one had been injured yet.
"Okay. Then the two of us will head there. Please let the guild carriage rest. The coachman will take care of the horses and maintenance, so just help to find a place."
"Understood."
Is that really enough? Garrison Commander Lines' eyes spoke volumes of his thoughts.
However, both Abel and Ryo deliberately ignored his gaze.
Then they started walking south.
"The garrison captain a while ago was young, wasn't he? Probably in his twenties?"
"Yeah, I suspect the garrison consists of just two people, or he might even be the only person in it."
"A one-man garrison…"
It sounded like it could be the title for something, but when he thought about it, it was somewhat sad…
That said, even on modern Earth, police officers and doctors on remote islands were often posted alone… so it's not strange.
Ryo forcibly decided to think about it that way.
"The Rogue Wyvern and the Rogue Garrison."
"What's going through your mind again? You think you're writing a story?"
When Ryo said something that sounded like the title of a novel that somehow came to mind, Abel sharply retorted.
Abel is a capable man.
They didn't have to walk far before they caught a glimpse of the wyvern in flight.
"It's flying without any care in the world."
"Well, of course. It would have been a huge hassle if we didn't see it from here, so it's great news that we spotted it."
"How big do you think it is?"
"Surprisingly, this stray wyvern is as good as an adult. Usually, most stray wyverns are juveniles. I heard that the one Niels and his party defeated was also a juvenile."
"I see."
It looked about the same size as the wyverns that Ryo and Abel overhunted in Rondo Forest.
Adult wyverns must have nested in that mountain.
"So, are there any conditions imposed on this subjugation?"
"Conditions?"
"Like how to defeat it, submission of evidence, and such."
"No. It seems that the magic stone will belong to the two of us. As for the proof of subjugation… normally, a wyvern's right eye is cut out as proof, but… whether it's the garrison captain or the people of the village, I don't think they can identify a wyvern's eye…"
"Hmm..."
Ryo was thinking about something, but then he nodded once.
"Well, let's drop it to the ground for now."
"O-oh."
"
When Ryo chanted, two extremely thick ice spears formed in the sky, piercing the wyvern's wings and crucifying its body to the ground.
"Okay!"
"As always, you make it seem so easy… it makes me think that the Wyvern's 'Wind Protection Membrane' is a lie."
"It's more normal than a swordsman flying in the sky."
"Yeah, that's certainly absurd too. In the first place, people aren't meant to fly. Not just swordsmen."
When Abel said that, Ryo glanced sideways at him.
It looked like … there was a sparkle in his eyes.
"Abel, that's too ignorant. There is a technique called Breakdown Rush in the world."
"Ooh, that's nostalgic. Breakdown rush, is that, isn't it? That delusional tactic Ryo used to speak of."
"Delusional tactic… what a way to put it."
Ryo knew the pain of not being understood.
The world is cold, the world is harsh.
But he won't lose to it!
"Okay! That ignorance, I shall enlighten you! Take a good look."
Saying so, Ryo took out Murasame from the scabbard and created the blade.
And announced.
"
Then, to the left and right of Ryo, two more Ryo appeared. Clones.
"Impossible…"
Abel was at a loss for words.
However, that was not the end.
"
Including Ryo's true body, the three Ryos fired countless ice spears at the wyvern that had fallen to the ground. At the same time, water gushed out from the backs of all three Ryos and they rushed forward at the same speed as the ice spears.
The impact of the ice spears and the slashing attacks from the three Ryos, it all happened in an instant and converged all at once.
What remained was the corpse of a wyvern riddled with countless ice spears with its head and legs removed.
"Body double avatars, an icicle lance shower, and a rush with water jets …a Water-Attribute Magician's version of a breakdown rush."
Ryo explained with a proud look.
However, Abel remained frozen even after the explanation was over.
"Um? Abel?"
What the heck was that?! Ryo, expecting a reaction along those lines, asked once more, perturbed by the lack of reaction.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I must have been dreaming…"
"No, this is reality~"
(No, no matter how abnormal Ryo is as a magician, from creating clones to charging as though instantaneous teleportation… No, no, no, I must have been seeing things. Yup, let's pretend I didn't see it.)
Abel made a secret pact with his heart.
That said, he had no choice but to acknowledge the wreckage of the Wyvern in front of him.
He decided to just say something about that.
"Ryo's Icicle Lances really does ignore the Wyvern's 'Wind Protection Membrane'."
He was repeating himself but he glossed it over.
The wyvern in front of them still had its wind protection membrane even after it was grounded. And yet, countless spears of ice pierced the wyvern's body.
"Ah… I think that's probably because my Icicle Lances use constant acceleration compared to the magic that other magicians use."
"Accele… what?"
"I guess you won't understand even if I explain it as the difference between a bullet and a missile. How do I put it … right, the Wind Protection Membrane is maintained by the Wyvern constantly blowing wind out from its body surface, right?"
"Yeah, that's apparently the case."
Abel also had knowledge of Wind Protection Membrane.
"So, attack magic from chanting is probably given the power to move forward only at the moment it is released. It's like a bow and arrow. It's given the force to travel forward, and after that it's just inertia, that is, it continues to fly forward with the remainder of the initial force, right?"
"Well, yes."
"But in that case, the wind that keeps blowing from the Wyvern's body, in other words, the headwind, will continue to resist, until the strike eventually loses the force to travel forward. But my magic continues to accelerate even after it's released. It's like holding a spear in your hand and running toward your opponent. Even if there's a little wind, you'll keep going forward, right? That's probably the difference."
"I see. I somewhat understand."
Ryo remembered the constant acceleration he learned in science class in elementary school. Luckily he listened to the lesson properly.
As for magic cast through chanting, he just arbitrarily thought it was probably something like that.
If he had the chance someday, he would love to meet the 'True Ancestor' who created the chanting magic of the Central Nations and try to challenge his current hypothesis.
(That said, to have created all the chants, the True Ancestor is amazing.)
The countless icicle lances were calculated precisely, so the wyvern's magic stone was completely intact.
Moreover, its body was cut open with a spear and the magic stone was easily taken out.
Putting the magic stone in his bag, Ryo declared.
"Subjugation complete!"
"Ohh…"
"...Oops."
"What's wrong?"
Ryo involuntarily muttered, and Abel asked if anything was wrong.
"This subjugation, Abel did not do any work…"
"Ah..."
Previously, Abel was the one who finished off the wyverns during their wyvern hunt, but this time the wyvern fell victim to Ryo's 'Breakdown Rush', so Abel…
"An A-rank swordsman leeching a C-rank magician…"
Ryou mumbled vaguely.
"Hey, it's not my fault!"
Abel claimed that it was not in his control.
"Abel, it can't be helped. Let's bring the wyvern's head as evidence of the subjugation. I'll have Abel carry it."
"Th-this…?"
It easily weighed over 100 kg.
"Am I seriously going to carry this…"
An air called despair covered Abel.
Abel was pulling the Wyvern's head with one hand.
Obviously, Ryo wasn't a demon, so he laid an Ice Bahn under the wyvern's head.
That made it easier to drag.