Intermission 1 Daily Life of Senior Magicians
-x-X-x-
The Kingdom Magic Research Institute, also known as the Ilarion residence.
"Hey Ilarion, I'm coming in."
The man who entered with these words was Arthur Verasis, a magician and advisor to the Court Magician Order, sporting an impressive long white beard, a magician's gray robe, and a large staff, looking like a typical magician.
"Oh, it's you, Arthur. Hope you at least brought me a souvenir."
Ilarion Baraha, the owner of the room, looked up from the letter he was reading to see Arthur.
"A souvenir? What is that?"
"What do you think? It's a term by Ryo. I so much enjoy discussing magic with him."
"…Oh Ryo, you've gone and gotten yourself involved with such a difficult fellow… poor lad."
Arthur responded to Ilarion's words, shaking his head.
Then, he suddenly looked at the letter Ilarion was reading.
"Hm? A letter?"
"Mm-hmm. It's a letter from Roberto Pirlo."
Ilarion said and put away the letter he had finished reading.
"Roberto Pirlo? You mean the Roberto Pirlo of the Union? Now, that's unusual!"
"Do you know any other Roberto Pirlo? Him too…would have been a fairly decent magician if he had just given up his burdensome position to his successor and devoted himself to magic…"
Ilarion shook his head and said with a look of deep regret on his face.
Seeing this, Arthur chuckled.
Reason being that, he's aware of Roberto Pirlo's status, and the fact that it's not an easy position to give up.
"I agree that he's an excellent magician, but…you do realize that if he were stronger, we wouldn't be here alive, right? Well, I guess the matter of his position can't be helped."
With that, they both moved toward the reception area.
Just then, Ilarion's secretary, Surah, brought coffee.
But just as they both took a sip, the alchemy tool in the corner of the room began to whirr.
And Surah pressed the button to answer.
"This is the Kingdom Magic Research Institute."
"Please inform Lord Ilarion immediately. A Greater Bear has emerged from the forest east of the royal capital. The Knights and the Magician Order are currently away from the royal capital on a training exercise. As such, the Royal Guards are asking for his help."
Ilarion nodded quickly.
Seeing this, Surah replied.
"Lord Ilarion says he will be on his way immediately."
"Now then, I'm setting out."
"I'll come with."
Ilarion stood up and so did advisor Arthur.
East of the royal capital.
It's an area with a reasonably large forest, but there is no record of a monster as large as a Greater Bear ever having appeared in the area.
At least, not in recent decades.
The Greater Bear that emerged from the forest was surrounded at a distance by guards with shields raised.
"How could this thing appear here? In the royal capital of all places…"
Ilarion looked at the scene and blurted out.
"Well, during the Liberation War and after the war, Imperial soldiers ravaged the forest and fled into the woods…. It must have upset the balance of things in ways we can't imagine. It will return to normal after a while though…"
Arthur replied, shaking his head slightly.
"Well, let's get on with it."
Ilarion readied his staff and chanted.
"I command thee Wind, thy body is a boundless blade, pierce and subdue that which hinders me
The blades of wind that were fired in rapid succession split into five parts, eventually forming fifteen blades that pierced through the entire body of the Greater Bear.
Normally, it would be impossible to overwhelm a Greater Bear, a wind-attribute monster, with wind-attribute offensive magic.
But Ilarion Baraha could do it.
He recited three chants in rapid succession….
"Your ridiculous chanting speed is as fast as always."
Arthur was stunned next to him.
All three chants were chanted in about three seconds.
It was far beyond the level of 'fast-talking'.
"Hmph. It is my only redeeming feature after all. I wish to be able to use no chant as well, like Ryo."
Ilarion replied.
"Come to think of it, I saw Ryo outside the city walls this morning."
Arthur said, remembering.
"Outside the city walls? What was he doing there?"
"Beats me…. I only caught a glimpse of him."
"Speaking of no chant, I just remembered something. Schwarzkopf's daughter used magic without chanting."
Advisor Arthur said, recalling the scene from the withdrawal battle on Desborough Plains.
"When you say Schwarzkopf's daughter…are you talking about Natalie? She was to take over the Schwarzkopf family for her achievements in the liberation war, wasn't she? It's a good thing to be young, the possibilities are endless."
"Yeah. But now that she has taken over the family, Natalie might leave the Magician Order. It's not easy losing a capable colleague."
Arthur lamented, shaking his head.
"But Arthur. You followed me, and yet didn't do anything."
"Well, it's because I'm a fire magician."
"Fire-attributes are indeed unsuitable for hunting. It burns everything, that even the materials from the defeated monster become unusable."
"I won't deny it, but…Ilarion, your wind blades also pierced the entire body of the Greater Bear, so we can't use the bearskin, can we?"
"Ah…"
At least, the Greater Bear's magic stone was successfully recovered.
-x-X-x-
Intermission 2 Ryo on a Certain Afternoon
-x-X-x-
"Phew, the quality of curry rice in the royal capital ain't too shabby, right?"
For some reason, Ryo had become an amateur curry critic.
After eating curry rice with Prince Willy as promised, he dropped him off at school and headed for the royal castle himself.
That was when he heard a sound.
According to Ryo's memory, it was the sound of a sword fight.
However, the place was especially close to the royal castle in the royal capital.
He had heard from Abel that…the buildings lining the street were all noble residences…and they all belonged to upper-class nobles above the rank of Count.
As a matter of fact, the mansion of the Duke of Rondo, which Abel had prepared, was also located in that neighborhood.
The sound of sword fights in such an ultra-luxurious residential area…if it were nighttime, it would be understandable, but it was only one o'clock in the afternoon.
At that time of the day?
"Ah, could it be sword practice or something?"
Ryo muttered.
That certainly seemed likely.
The sound was coming from the direction he was trying to walk.
And when he turned the corner, he found himself in the middle of a sword fight on the road.
It doesn't appear to be a noble's sword practice as he had thought.
A blond young man in his late teens and a chestnut-haired man about thirty years old were fighting.
A little further away, a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties was lying on the ground.
He was either dead or unconscious….
The two were evenly matched in the fight.
The blond was slightly ahead, but the difference could be easily overturned should there be an accident.
Ryo on the other hand didn't mind lending a hand, but he wasn't sure who he should help.
It would be bad if he went and helped the bad guy, wouldn't it?
So he decided to leave it to chance.
And since it would be tactless to interrupt them ….
(
Sure enough, he found a guy lurking in the opposite corner, about to fire an arrow.
(＜Icicle Lance>)
"Gohh…"
His usual ice lance, but with a rounded tip, suddenly emerged right next to the one lurking to fire an arrow, struck him in the stomach … and the man fainted in agony.
"Now, no one will interrupt you."
Ryo muttered and turned his attention back to the sword fight.
Almost simultaneously, the chestnut-haired man's sword was deflected, and without a moment's pause, the blond young man's sword was plunged into his heart.
Without any hesitation.
"Yikes… scary."
Ryo muttered.
He most likely didn't hear that.
He probably noticed even while he was fighting.
The blond young man pulled out his sword, turned to Ryo, and pointed it at him.
As if he was asking, "Are you my enemy, too?".
Ryo shook his head and said.
"Just a passing Magician."
He bowed his head a little and started walking toward the royal castle.
"Oh, right. I have to decide what souvenirs to take with me next week when I visit the Western Forest."
He muttered.
When Ryo was completely out of sight, the blond young man sheathed his sword and walked away.
Ignoring the two dead bodies and the one in agony.
As if he knew whose minions they were without having to investigate ….
The blond young man's silver cloak had a crest painted on it.
Ryo had seen it too, obviously, but since he knew nothing about the crests of the Kingdom's nobles, he paid no attention to it …
If only there had been someone who understood even a little bit about the crests of the Kingdom's nobles…like say, Prince Willy, whom he ate curry with, he might have informed him.
And would be like, "That's the crest of the Duke of Silverdale".
He might even have enlightened him about the blond young man.
And would be like, "He's no young man, that's Lady Faith, the daughter of the Duke of Silverdale".
It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between a handsome man and a beautiful woman in their late teens.
What a complicated world indeed.
As far as Ryo was concerned, what to get as a souvenir for his trip to the Western Forest was certainly more important than such matters…
Ryo entered the royal castle and went straight to Abel's office.
The owner of the room was still drowning in papers.
It had not been long since the battle for the liberation of the Kingdom ended, but it seemed that the King had no time to rest….
"Doesn't seem like much has changed from back when you were at your Rune office."
"Hmm? Oh, Ryo."
At the sound of Ryo's voice, Abel looked up from his papers for a moment and immediately turned back to them.
Ryo gave a proper report to Abel.
Ho-ren-so, in other words, reporting, contacting, and consulting, is common practice for working people.
"I've been on a bit of an adventure. This morning, I almost got skewered by
"I'm afraid you lost me there for a bit…. And if I'm not mistaken, Icicle Lance is your magic, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"So how could you get skewered by it?"
Abel asked quizzically.
"Well, I was just trying to perform a little experiment and it bounced back at me."
Listening to Ryo's words, Abel understood what had happened.
"Ryo, I bet you attacked the walls of the royal castle!"
"How'd you know that!?"
"It's so obvious! Have you forgotten that gramps Ilarion once said that he tried attacking it with
Abel remembered the story from a conversation during a strategy meeting before the Battle of the Royal Capital.
"'Yes, exactly. So I put up an
"Holy shit…"
"King Richard is one remarkable individual. That's some amazing alchemy right there."
"…So, the ice lance that bounced back, hope you didn't get hurt?"
"Nah. I cut it apart with Murasame. I've thought up a good training method using the castle walls. I'll unleash my icicle lance at the castle walls, and when it bounces back, I'll slash it with Murasame…I can train both magic and sword, killing two birds with one stone!"
"Yeah, forget it."
Ryo looked dissatisfied after being denied.
Muscleheads are so terrifyingly abnormal … Abel thought as he looked at Ryo in front of him.
Abel decided to change the subject.
"So, curry with Prince Willy, well, that's fine and dandy, but a sword fight on the road? Was it here in the royal capital?"
"That's right. Oh, but some time ago, you also had a sword fight with Roman the Hero on the streets of the royal capital. I suppose it's not exactly out of the ordinary. In fact, a fight happens in the middle of the day in an upscale residential area and no one comes to stop it."
"The one between me and Roman…couldn't be helped. It was more of a set up. Moreover, we seldom hear of sword fights in the royal capital. In the upscale residential area…no less?"
"Right. You know the place where you prepared the Duke of Rondo's mansion? It's not far from there. I won't be surprised if it's actually an unsafe neighborhood, and you tried to strike a bargain for a cheap piece of land or something!"
Ryo turned a suspicious gaze to Abel.
"Don't be silly! That area is strictly for residences of upper-class nobles above the rank of Count. So, a sword fight breaking out in a place like that…. Argh, this doesn't bode well. That explains the lack of news about it. I can see why no one would want to poke their nose into it…. It's probably a dark feud between upper-class nobles."
"And King Abel turns a blind eye as he let it happen…. Hmm. It can't be, he is allowing the nobles to crush each other!? What a frightening scheme. How dreadful, Abel…"
"How did you reach that conclusion! Admittedly though, I'm a little curious, so I'll look into it…"
After that, Ryo ended up lying on the sofa in Abel's office, reading a book on alchemy that he had borrowed from the royal castle library and kept in Abel's office.
It was the same as when he was in Rune.
As it turned out, even after becoming the premier duke, Ryo did not change much….
-x-X-x-
"Hey Scotty, don't you think we're kind of being overworked?"
"Yeah, I think so too. Just when you think the liberation war is over, now we're being worked to the bone from all these exercises."
Knight Zack Cooler asked, and Knight Scotty Cobook agreed.
In fact, after the liberation of the Kingdom, they were given a little time off…but with the subsequent exercises day after day, it wouldn't be surprising to find one or two disgruntled members.
"No thanks to the new Knight-Commander being all fired up…"
"Seeing as rival organizations are steadily recruiting members, I guess as a long-serving Order, we have to soldier on."
Zach pointed out the cause of the problem, and Scotty pointed out the root cause of the problem.
In the grandstand, His Majesty the King, watching the exercise, and the newly appointed Knight-Commander after the war were talking.
"Commander Dontan, I see that the Order is beginning to shape up."
"Thank you for your kind words."
That's right, Dontan became the Commander of the Kingdom Knight Order.
He was once the captain of the convoy that escorted the delegation to Twilight Land, assisted the former Knight-Commander Marquis Heinlein in the Southern Army, and led an infiltration team into the royal castle to take custody of King Stafford IV.
He was personally appointed by King Abel.
With that, Zack and Scotty's status also rose a bit….
But that wasn't the only reason the 'Knight Order' became such a hot topic.
The Kingdom Knight Order was completely reorganized as a Knight Order directly under the King.
Until now, it had been a male-exclusive Knight Order.
Due to traditions and other sorts of nonsensical reasons….
There are a lot of women in the royal castle.
Some of them are of noble status.
From their point of view, even though they are members of the Kingdom Knight Order, there were times when being escorted by men…was a little inconvenient.
Therefore, there had been calls for female members for a long time.
And Abel took heed of those calls.
He thought it would possible at this time when the entire Kingdom needed to be rebuilt while undergoing major changes.
However, the real problem was that it would be very challenging to include female knights in an all-male Order….
This led to the idea of creating a women's Knight Order.
The official name had not yet been decided.
But they were being called the Valkyrie Knight Order.
In the future, it will be a Knight Order under the direct control of the King and Queen.
Although at present, they are still in the process of recruiting suitable members.
However, the core members were well-known for their abilities.
Commander: Imogen
Deputy Commander: Camilla
Magic Captain: Miu
Scout Captain: Abigail
Rescue Team Leader: Scarlett
They were the members of the 'Valkyries', a C-rank party belonging to the royal capital.
Abigail and Scarlett are commoners, but Imogen is the daughter of Viscount Comrie, Camilla is the third daughter of a Baron family, and Miu is the daughter of Marquis Westwing, a great western noble.
No Kingdom noble could openly express their dissatisfaction about the lineup.
Furthermore, the name 'Valkyries' is well known not only to the people of the royal capital but also to many citizens of the Kingdom for their participation in the resistance and liberation war in the royal capital, so it fit perfectly with the notion of the reformation of the Knight Orders in the Kingdom.
At the moment, about half of the buzz in the royal capital was about those girls.
Unlike conventional Knight Orders, the Valkyrie Knight Order had an internal 'Magic Corps', 'Scouting Party', and even a 'Rescue Team', aiming to be able to operate independently and autonomously.
To that end, Miu, Abigail, and Scarlett were also included.
From the perspective of the Kingdom Knight Order, a rival Knight Order was born!
However, the members of the Kingdom Knight Order did not oppose it at all.
Dontan, in particular, who became the Knight-Commander, knew of the abilities of the 'Valkyries' right from when he participated in the diplomatic mission to Twilight Land, and he unanimously agreed to the creation of a Knight Order centered on the Valkyries.
That is usually the case when a country is in the process of recovery.
There's no time to drag down others.
And instead, they look for ways to better themselves…there is plenty of pie to go around. No need to undermine others to get a slice….
That was the case throughout the Kingdom and especially in the royal capital.
"At long last, we're finally here!"
Abigail the scout declared, imitating Imogen.
Imogen was surprised.
Miu and Camilla shook their heads slightly as they somehow understood the connotation.
And Scarlett was grinning as usual.
They were in the Valkyrie Knight Order headquarters, newly set up in a corner of the royal castle.
"Er, Abigail?"
Feeling confused, Imogen asked.
She understood that Abigail was mimicking her, but she was lost as to the meaning behind her statement.
"You've finally secured a base, right next to your beloved King Abel! "
"! "
Camilla shook her head again.
But this time, Miu didn't.
Instead, she spoke up.
"There are a lot of ways to go about becoming the second queen, such as becoming His Majesty's concubine."
"A-A concubine…"
"Is that an actual method…?"
Miu explained, Imogen blushed, and Camilla muttered, shaking her head three times.
"I guess … aiming to be the queen is impossible?"
Abigail asked, looking at Miu.
"Yeah. I mean the candidate for the queen is just too domineering."
"Well, she is a saint after all…"
Miu answered, and Camilla agreed.
"Uh, listen girls, all these talks about the queen or the concubine and whatnot…I only admire him…"
Imogen's words fell on deaf ears.
Even in the midst of all this, Priest Scarlett, the Rescue Team Leader, was drinking her coffee, and smiling as usual.
There was always an air of calm around her.
And the reason why Imogen sometimes hug her for comfort.
"Scarlett…none of them are listening to me…"
She complained.
"You just admire His Majesty, don't you, Imogen? And you're satisfied with just being near him, right?"
Scarlett said, smiling benevolently.
"Yes! Exactly! I'm satisfied with just that! That's why you're the best, Scarlett!"
Imogen was delighted, someone finally understood her.
Miu muttered as she watched the two of them.
"Speaking of which, Scarlett too…"
Camilla continued.
"Right, His Majesty Abel's friend…"
Abigail muttered further.
"She said she was fond of the premier duke, Lord Ryo…"
It would seem that admiration and romantic feelings are similar, but slightly different….
-x-X-x-
"Kenneth! Is Kenneth in~?"
At the entrance of the Royal Alchemy Workshop, a robed magician-looking man was shouting.
After shouting a few times, there was finally a response from inside.
"Uh, yes, yes, just a moment please."
And the person who came out…wasn't Kenneth.
Such a vaguely familiar development.
A déjà vu…..
The Royal Alchemy Workshop fled the royal capital before it fell and moved its functions to Rune city.
With the Liberation war of the Kingdom of Knightley having come to an end, all its functions finally returned to the Royal Capital just recently.
As if in anticipation of this, a robed, magician-looking man came to visit.
Last time, the man had made it to this entrance unnoticed by the guards.
This time, however….
The man who answered the door was Radden, Baron Kenneth Hayward's subordinate.
"Huh? Ryo? Long time no see…but wait, we didn't receive any notification from the guards."
As Radden was saying this, he noticed a guard running hurriedly from the gate saying something.
"Your Excellency, please wait~"
This time, Ryo had properly shown the guards his 'Duke of Rondo' identification plate and entered.
However, instead of waiting to collect the plate back, he just rushed to the entrance using
Thus explaining why the guard rushed after him….
Same as the last time, Ryo was taken to one of the largest rooms in the alchemy workshop, called the 'Analysis Room'.
There, as before, Baron Kenneth Hayward, the master of the workshop, and the artificial golem of the Union that had been seized….
"The golem is…gone…"
Ryo looked around, his eyes wide open.
Muttering "the golem is gone" over and over again as if in delirium ….
Kenneth looked very uncomfortable.
Ryo's delirious roaming continued until Radden brought coffee for both of them.
Then, Ryo finally accepted reality.
He got down on his hands and knees and hung his head downward in a pose of despair.
"I'm sorry, Ryo. When we were evacuating from the royal capital, we disposed of…or rather melted it down."
"Eh…"
"At the direction of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I suppose it was to prevent the Empire from seizing it."
"Oh…from His Royal Highness Cain…"
The royal alchemy workshop had fled the royal capital and escaped to Rune in the south before the fall of the royal capital, at the direction of the then crown prince Cain.
On his deathbed, Cain, anticipating the defeat of the Kingdom army and the fall of the capital, had given that order.
Thanks to this, he was able to prevent Kenneth and other alchemy-related materials of the Kingdom from falling into the hands of the Empire.
Even before his death, Ryo held crown prince Cain in high esteem.
"If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince gave the order, it can't be helped. In fact, he prevented it from falling into the hands of the Empire."
Ryo nodded magnanimously, said so, and stood up.
He was back on his feet.
However, he suddenly wondered.
"But did that thing…melt so easily?"
As was the case on the battlefield, although they were punctured by 'Vaedra' and were besieged by numerous duchy troops and stopped working, it would not have melted from fire-attribute magic.
Neither did it look like it was going to melt easily when he last saw it in this 'analysis room'.
Kenneth then smiled a little and answered the question with a question.
"Ryo, do you know what 'fusion magic' is?"
"Fusion magic?"
Ryo tilted his head…but he remembered having heard about it.
"I think I once heard about it briefly when I was discussing magic with Lord Ilarion. Something about 'fusion magic with alchemy' being announced or something…"
"Yes, that's it!"
Kenneth replied with a broad, excited nod to what Ryo had recalled from his faint memory.
"Actually, I presented it a year ago…"
Kenneth said, a little embarrassed.
"For real…?"
Ryo was surprised.
It was only natural.
Ilarion had once said.
That, "The theory may well change the future of magic in the Central Nations".
Of course, Kenneth Hayward is a genius in alchemy, whom Ryo had taken the liberty to call his alchemy master…but it seems he was a genius beyond his imagination….
Nevertheless, neither Ilarion nor Ryo understood the details of 'fusion magic' very well.
To begin with, alchemy itself aims to 'manifest magical phenomena through the use of alchemy tools'.
To add on top of that, fusion magic using alchemy…?
"Well…there are quite a few applications, and the theory is extensive, but the easiest kind of fusion magic is probably the one that allows magic to be layered."
"Ooh~! "
Ryo raised his voice in admiration at Kenneth's explanation.
It was a very straightforward explanation.
"By layering fire-attribute magic on fire-attribute magic, you can raise the attainable temperature."
"Oh, I see! Making it possible to melt the golem."
His doubts were finally dispelled.
However, Ryo was shocked by Kenneth's next words.
"But I don't think it has anything to do with you though."
"Huh…"
Ryo was suddenly thrown off balance.
"I mean…I've seen your magic before…and you can stack them on top of each other normally, right?"
"Oh…"
Right…in Ryo's case, layering was a common practice for him….
The fusion magic that Kenneth described was a breakthrough in 'chant magic', which is common in the Central Nations.
Ryo, who felt like he had been smacked on the head, caught sight of the tablet on the desk.
Kenneth was operating it when Ryo came into the room.
It looked a bit like the stone tablet that he once saw Michael (pseudonym) holding in the white room when he was reincarnated….
"Kenneth, is that… slab, an alchemy tool?"
He wasn't quite sure how to describe it, so he compromised and used the word 'slab'.
"Yes. Though, this is just a control slab. The main unit is in the next room."
No way, wireless connection!?
Well, considering that the 'Residual Magic Detector' used in the investigation of the Great Tidal Bore sent information from inside the dungeon to the tent on the ground, it didn't seem to be that difficult.
Long live magic!
"Before returning to the royal capital, we were able to exchange information between several cities in the south and the royal capital. Up until now, the adventurers' guilds in the larger cities have been able to communicate with the royal capital, though it seems to be a 'communications network' that was created a long time ago. At the time, I heard that the Lords' residences and the Royal Castle were also connected, but due to repeated wars, rebellions of the nobles, and vandalism by the populace, they are no longer in use. So, it's like restoring them… only with newer technology…"
It would seem some kind of network was connected.
"That communications network that was created so long ago…was it by chance, done by the founder, King Richard…?"
"Very astute! His Majesty Richard was even considered to be the greatest alchemist of all time, so we've been out of luck in our efforts to restore that technology thus far. So instead of restoring the technology, what I did was integrate with a new technology…"
Kenneth seemed to have done something extraordinary….
It was a level still out of reach to Ryo.
Sure enough, the summit of alchemy was still very far away!
He would have to keep at it!
Kenneth, while explaining, activated the 'control slab' and showed Ryo a projection of something.
"These are…the connected cities? Rune, Acre, Kyradea…hm? Even Kona village!"
"Yes. Kona has become famous in recent years for its coffee. So, the royal castle asked me to include Kona village as well."
Kenneth laughed, somewhere between a smile and a chuckle.
(Nice one, royal castle!)
Ryo praised in his heart.
Then Ryo had a flash of inspiration.
"A souvenir for the Western Forest…this could work."
Obviously, it wasn't about connecting them to the communications network or bringing along a control slab.
But something that can be found in Kona village and Kyradea….
-x-X-x-
More than ten days after the liberation of the Kingdom of Knightley.
A carriage stopped at the entrance to the 'Western Forest' in the western part of the Kingdom.
A man in a robe alighted.
After the man alighted and the large luggage on the roof of the carriage was unloaded, the carriage left for the Marquis of Hope's territory.
The robed man walked into the forest with the large luggage in tow.
But that was too reckless a sight from the point of view of those living in the territory of Marquis Hope.
Reason being, it's the 'Western Forest'
The forest where elves have been granted autonomy, and the elves who fought to the death against the Empire were still in high alert….
Fwish.
The man in the robe was advancing forward, and as if to intimidate him, an arrow pierced the ground a little distance away.
"Another step forward and the next arrow goes through your heart! Turn around and go back the way you came!"
A warning voice echoed through the forest.
But the robed man, who perhaps didn't hear the voice, continued onward, not slowing his pace at all.
"This guy…"
The elf who shot the arrow muttered angrily.
Another elf agreed with his sentiment.
Before long, about ten elves had surrounded the man.
"This is your last warning. Leave now, or we'll put you down!"
The same voice that issued the first warning, warned the robed man again.
But the robed man did not stop.
On the contrary, if one were to look closely at his expression, he was aware.
He was wearing a faint smile on his face.
Perhaps this was the development he was hoping for….
Since his reincarnation into 'Phi', he'd been out of luck encountering the 'cliché developments that follow otherworld reincarnations' and things always deviated from the norm at the last minute…but right now, it was finally going according to the script!
"Would you quit it already, you fools!"
A voice echoed through the area.
The voice struck the elves lurking in the forest around the robed man.
"O-Obaba-sama?"
One of the elves spoke anxiously.
The Great Elder of the Western Forest, known as Obaba-sama, emerged from the darkness.
"That person is an envoy of King Abel."
"What…?"
The elves were rendered speechless by Obaba-sama's words.
Perhaps because they were still young and inexperienced elves.
They most likely couldn't make out the 'fairy elements' overflowing from the robed man, like Obaba-sama could ….
"Ah, Obaba-sama, it's been a while. It's nothing much, but I hope you like this souvenir."
"Indeed it has, Sir Ryo."
Thus, the robed man, Ryo, visited the western forest.
Obaba-sama and Ryo walked in front of the group.
And the dozen or so elves followed behind them.
They looked puzzled.
"Sorry about that, Sir Ryo. They didn't mean to offend you. But ever since the Empire attacked us, they have been a bit oversensitive."
"Oh please, don't worry about it. The imperial army has been sent back to their country, so things will slowly go back to normal and become peaceful."
Even Ryo could respond appropriately to the situation when necessary.
Obaba-sama turned to look at the 'souvenir' that Ryo was pulling.
"Sir Ryo, are you really all right with that? Wouldn't it be easier to have my people carry it?"
"It's all right. I freeze the ground as I pull it so it slides easily and it's not tiring at all."
"Wow, impressive…. It's exactly as Sera said, your mastery of magic is also quite something…"
Obaba-sama nodded in admiration at Ryo's answer.
"Speaking of Sera, where's she?"
"Hmm. She's in the village. I came alone because I fear something terrible may happen if she learned that these lot pointed arrows at you."
The elves who had been following behind them trembled at her words.
It would seem that Sera was as awe-inspiring even in the western forest 'as usual'.
"Yeah, that's Sera, all right…"
Ryo nodded.
Respect and awe are two emotions of the same nature.
One could say that they are two sides of the same coin.
However, awe can easily turn into fear.
The difference between the two is extremely thin.
In that sense, the difference between respect and fear may only be twice as wide….
Will their awe of Sera turn into respect? Or will it turn into fear…?
Who knows?
After walking for a while, the group arrived at the elven village deep in the western forest.
As soon as Ryo and Obaba-sama were seen at the head of the group, an elf, who had been watching out for the group's arrival from the edge of the village, shouted.
"Ryo!"
Then she leaped into Ryo's chest at a tremendous speed.
"H-Hey, Sera."
Ryo managed to catch her.
The result of his daily routine training…maybe.
"You came as promised."
Sera said happily.
Her smile was dazzling.
"Yeah, I'm here as promised."
Ryo smiled, too.
He's always loved Sera's smile.
Sera suddenly glanced at the group of elves carrying bows and arrows who were following Ryo and Obaba-sama.
Then she said.
"Thank you for escorting Ryo."
"S-Sure…"
The guard captain's voice trembled just a little as they answered.
Ryo was taken to a large house in the center of the village.
It was the house of the grand elder, Obaba-sama.
Sera explained that the house was made large enough for the executives of the Western Forest to gather there on occasion.
She seemed very happy.
"I live here too."
"Oh, really?"
"I mean, Obaba-sama is my grandmother after all."
"…Huh?"
Ryo's brain could not keep up with Sera's sudden confession.
It took him a good ten seconds to comprehend it.
"I had no idea…"
Ryo muttered.
Sera did mention that her parents had already passed away.
But Ryo didn't really probe into it because she said it while looking a little sad.
He thought that when Sera finally becomes comfortable with talking about it, he wouldn't mind listening then.
Ryo handed the official letter from Abel to Obaba-sama.
Appearances aside, Abel was the King ….
"And here's the souvenir."
Ryo said and opened the large bag that he had pulled all the way from the carriage.
Lo and behold….
"Coffee beans…rice and…spices? This smells like…curry spices!"
"Bravo!"
Sera arrived at the correct answer just by looking.
Well, except the spices which would be by their aroma.
Ryo got the freshly roasted Kona coffee beans from Kona village through the Royal Alchemy Workshop's communication network.
And then obtained spices used for rice and curry from Kyradea.
As souvenirs for the western forest.
"You're amazing as always, Ryo! They're perfect!"
Sera spontaneously hugged him.
Ryo looked abashed.
And Obaba-sama watched on.
But after a while, intruders popped up.
"Excuse me."
About ten young elven men.
Ryo remembered having seen the one in the lead once before.
His name was…
"What is it, Roxley?"
Obaba-sama asked.
Roxley had once drawn his sword against Ryo at the Elven Autonomous Region in the royal capital and had his hand broken by Sera as soon as he drew his sword.
After that, he was mentored by Sera, and furthermore, before the fall of the royal capital, he was a young man who had grown up to assist Carson, the chief of the Autonomous Region.
Ryo, of course, did not know his actual age.
"Please forgive our sudden visit, Obaba-sama. These men insist on speaking to Sir Ryo…"
Roxley said and looked at those who had followed behind him.
Some of them looked like the ones who attacked Ryo in the forest earlier….
Sera tilted her head.
Obaba-sama, on the other hand, frowned.
Perhaps she had an idea as to the reason for the visit.
"You do understand that Sir Ryo is an envoy of King Abel, right?"
Obaba-sama said in a low voice.
Those who entered the room scrunched up their faces a little, but still summoned up their courage and said:
"We, naturally, understand that. Still, we would like to receive some pointers from the Lord Envoy in martial arts."
At that moment, a violent wind blew through the whole area.
Sera's piercing gaze stung the young men.
"You lot…"
Her voice was even lower than Obaba-sama's.
The young men's faces were not only tense, but some were even shaking.
"Lady Sera, I, too, would like to ask for some guidance from Sir Ryo."
"Roxley, even you…"
Roxley requested too, and Sera glared at him.
But Roxley, unlike the others, said it brazenly.
"Please!"
"Sure, why not?"
Ryo's single remark dissolved the tense atmosphere.
"Ryo?"
"You trained them right, Sera? I'm kind of interested in the elven melee combat techniques. If there's an open ground, that would be perfect."
"I'm so sorry about this, Ryo."
"Don't sweat it. Um, so how far can I go? I wouldn't want anyone to end up getting badly hurt…"
"Oh, you're welcome to cut off a limb or two. Fools who can't gauge their opponent's strength will probably end up dying in a ditch somewhere without a clue how they died anyway. So, why not let them experience death firsthand, maybe that'll teach them."
Sera dared to say in a louder voice.
So that the young men who were preparing at a distance could hear her.
"Absolutely not …you know that I'm the only one in the village right now who can reattach a severed limb…"
Obaba-sama said, shaking her head slightly.
Since it was for mock battles, both swords had blunt edges.
Making it very unlikely to sever a limb with it, obviously.
The referee was Obaba-sama.
"Well then, begin!"
Clang.
"Huh…"
In just one stroke, the young elf's sword was blown away and Ryo's sword was thrust at his throat.
"I-I yield…"
"Next!"
"Oh-ryaaa!"
Clang.
"What…"
Once again, with a single stroke, the young elf's sword was blown away, and Ryo's sword was at his throat.
"I yield…"
"Next! "
All ten young elves had their swords blown away in a single blow.
"I'm the last, please teach me well."
Roxley came out.
"All right, come on!"
Ryo was totally in coaching mode.
After Sera left for the western forest, Ryo became one of the instructors of the Knights of the Rune Frontier County.
His role was basically to beat up the knights, and now, he's completely gotten into it.
Roxley was quite strong.
Stronger than all the elf youths up to now, all ten of them combined.
But….
"How naive!"
He stepped forward in the face of Roxley's incoming head-splitting strike and deflected his sword away, then rammed his sword into his unguarded torso.
"Ughh."
Roxley fell to his knees.
He didn't throw up, either because he was well-trained or just sheer willpower….
As of then, many of the village elves had gathered around the grounds and turned into spectators.
But due to the overwhelming difference in strength, there was hardly a peep.
Only then did Ryo finally notice his surroundings.
(Crap…did I overdo it?)
Nevertheless, the young men were the ones who came to ask for pointers, so who could blame him?
Then, Ryo caught sight of Sera doing some kind of warm-up exercise.
"Er…Sera?"
"That should have served as a good warm-up for you right, Ryo? Besides, it's not always good to hold back. I haven't had the chance to let loose either."
"Yeah…right, I had a feeling it was going to come to this."
A sword fight between Ryo and Sera.
A sword fight that would boggle the minds of all the elves in the western forest unfolded on the grounds.
Needless to say, not a single elf doubted Ryo's ability after that….
-x-X-x-
"I delivered the official letter you entrusted to me to Obaba-sama of the Western Forest."
Ryo reported this as soon as he entered the King's office chamber in the royal castle.
Ho-ren-so is the basic rule for working adults.
"Got it, thanks."
Abel looked up, glanced at Ryo, said so, and immediately returned to the documents again.
As usual, he was drowning in documents….
Normally, Ryo would say something like, "If you're really grateful, why not treat me to a slice of cake or something", but not today.
He wasn't always like that!
Even Ryo knew how to choose his timings.
Like if the cake and coffee were already prepared, as it was today, he would not have to bother to ask for them!
Yup, he'll never grow sick of having that!
"Abel, have you approved the plan? The training plan I proposed using the walls of the royal capital."
"What are you talking about?"
"Huh…. I submitted a request to use the defense features of the royal capital walls to train my magic and sword, have you forgotten?"
"You once told me that you launched an ice lance against the city walls, and when it got repelled, you slashed it with your ice sword…"
"Yeah, exactly! When I said I wanted to do that as a form of training, you told me to submit it in writing…"
"I think I may have said something like that…"
"Well, I submitted it before heading to Western Forest, so I believe it should have been approved by now, right?"
"I honestly have no recollection of it, though?"
"Abel, are you signing these documents without going through the content? I don't really think that's a good idea if you ask me…I mean, a seal of approval is not something you can just randomly stamp on a document like that."
"Of course not…I properly go through them. And, for the most part, I can usually tell if I approved them or not. So, I'm afraid the one you're talking about hasn't crossed my desk."
"Tell me you're kidding…"
It should have been submitted two weeks ago.
And yet it didn't reach him?
Ryo thought that this was the very reason for Japan's low productivity and that the 'same' thing had begun in the Kingdom as well….
Ryo shook his head repeatedly.
'Submit in writing'…the root of all evil!
"Excuse me."
With that, the chief chamberlain entered.
"Your Majesty, we have new documents for your approval."
A mountain of documents….
But Abel's expression no longer wavered seeing that.
He had disciplined himself.
Or had already lost his mind.
Either way, he wasn't elated….
"Here, thanks."
Abel instructed, and the chief chamberlain left the room, leaving a pile of documents to be approved.
Ryo approached the pile of documents.
Curious to see if his document was among them.
Although there was no way he would be able to find it within that mountain of documents…
But!
A miracle happened!
At the top of the mountain of documents, was the document Ryo had submitted!
So it was only a matter of time now.
When Abel is done approving the documents he was looking at now, Ryo's document would be next….
Abel then approved the current documents and placed them in the 'Approved' box.
Then he picked up the unapproved document, the one at the top, and started going through it.
It was Ryo's document.
Ryo was smiling, the excitement was written all over his face.
Abel's face, however, was completely devoid of expression.
With a hint of anxiety, Ryo followed Abel's gaze and paid attention to the movement of the pen in his right hand.
His gaze drifted to the end of the document…
"Denied."
He heard Abel mutter.
"Huh…. Abel, what did you just say?"
"Hmm? I said denied?"
"Why…?"
"The royal capital walls exist for the public good. To then use it regularly for training is just…. If it's just to train, I'm sure there are other ways. But this proposal is out of the question."
Ryo despaired.
But then it hit him.
Then he snatched the document from Abel's hands.
"Hey…"
Ignoring Abel's protests, he rewrote the document.
Then he handed over the revised document.
"Load testing to make sure the royal capital walls are in good working order? Checking if the city walls are in good working order by loading them with offensive magic?"
"That's right! If the castle walls aren't in good working order when the time comes, we'll be in trouble! So, allow me to carry out the check."
"…Not good enough."
"What?"
"There's no definitive reason to leave this to you. Give me one good reason why I should entrust it to you, Ryo?"
"Geh… The mechanism of the walls…yes, because I want to figure out how the walls work from an alchemical point of view! That's why I have to be the one to do it! "
"Ho-hoo~. So to put it simply, you want to unravel the alchemy behind the city walls that once eluded not only Kenneth, but also Frank de Verde…what a tall claim."
Abel said while grinning.
"Grrrh… Sure, it won't be easy. So I will have to go at it dozens or hundreds of times. Just don't pressure me for results right off the bat!"
Ryo countered a bit.
"Still…can you manage it alone, Ryo?"
"If I can't, I can always enlist the help of the dragons from Rondo Duchy. I'm sure they possess some pretty amazing offensive magic like Dragon Flame and the like where they spit fire from their mouths! With that kind of firepower, we can unload it all at once and see."
"No, please don't…. I don't mean whether you have enough firepower, but rather your proficiency in alchemy, whether you can handle it all on your own…"
"I know more than you, that's for sure!"
"Well, obviously…. You know what, fine. I'll permit you on the premise that you share whatever you find out about the walls with me."
"You got it!"
Upon receiving Ryo's reply, Abel signed the document.
"For starters, I'll start with Icicle Lance Shower 'Fan', triple volley!"
"Wait a minute…. Is that what I think it is? The one that destroyed the weapons of Raymond's army during the Battle of Gold Hill…"
"Yeah, it's the one."
"That means that tens of thousands of ice lances…will bounce off the walls and come straight at you, correct?"
"I guess so. I will cut all of them down. It won't be much of a training if there's no pressure."
"So it's a training exercise after all…not that load testing operational excuse."
Abel's mutterings were only known to himself.
-x-X-x-
(I am Ashley Buckland, the head of the East Gate Royal Capital Guard. For a long time, I was a member of the Kingdom of Knightley's western garrison, but after the liberation of the Kingdom, I was transferred to the Royal Capital Guard. Coming from a Count's family, I was put in charge of the east gate immediately after my transfer. More often than not, I would be the target of envy and jealousy, but I was blessed with a good workplace and have been allowed to work for the past month without any such problems.
When I was in the western garrison, some of my colleagues used to harass me because I was relatively young, but that has never happened to me here. My subordinates listen to my orders and are very hard-working. Normally, most of the garrison in a city would be slacking off in their work, but I guess it's different in the royal capital.
So, I have no complaints about the job or my workplace. No problems whatsoever. Except for one thing that troubles me occasionally…if I had to say….
And that would be Duke Rondo.
His Excellency Ryo Mihara, the Duke of Rondo… the Duke of Rondo is a newly established dukedom after the war, and His Excellency is the premier duke. He is a very close friend of His Majesty the King, and rumor has it that he was the one who used the grand water-attribute magic at the Battle of Gold Hill. Rumor has it that it was an extremely grand magic like in legends, the whole battlefield was covered in ice….
Such a bigshot, without any attendants and wearing just a magician's robe, would just wander outside the castle…. Even then, he produces a guild card, not a duke's plate, so the newbies of the garrison pass him without realizing that he is the Duke of Rondo…like I did.
Then, His Excellency runs a short distance away from the castle gates, where he begins to unleash his magic…against the walls of the royal capital.
When I first saw it, I couldn't help but run up to him to stop him….
"Hm? Don't worry, the walls repel magic, so they won't break."
His Excellency said so…and he was certainly right…. But, he probably didn't realize that I was stunned and couldn't utter a word. He actually shot an ice lance. Which, indeed hit the walls and ricocheted back toward His Excellency. His Excellency slashed at it. With a light blue sword, which I couldn't tell where he took it out from. It's called an ice sword apparently….
After that, His Excellency released several ice lances at the same time, and began to strike them down with the ice sword. It seemed like some kind of training, from the looks of it…. Although he said he was checking to see if there was anything wrong with the function of the walls… sorry but, nobody is going to believe that excuse ….
Oh no, that is disrespectful. The third daughter of a Count family questioning the premier duke… if it becomes public, my entire lineage could be wiped out.
So, from time to time, His Excellency the Duke of Rondo uses the walls for training…. I reported it to my superior anyway for the record, but he shook his head several times and said:
"Just pretend you didn't see anything."
From then on, the garrison has been turning a blind eye to His Excellency's actions…. And honestly, I can't say for sure if that's the best course of action. Of course, if His Excellency's actions had victimized the citizens of the Kingdom, I would have carried out my duty and tried my best to admonish him…even at the risk of my family getting wiped out! But that's not the case….
No one is complaining, on the contrary, His Excellency even helps out from time to time.
He cuts and transports stones and wood to be used in the city's recovery efforts…. Even the workers he's assisting are most likely unaware of the fact that he is a Duke….
And as the third daughter of a Count family, I must admit that it's a situation that is totally lost on me…)
"Thanks for helping out again today, Ryo."
"Don't sweat it, chief. We all want the capital to be all nice and new as soon as possible."
There were workmen repairing the various facilities in the capital that were damaged during the liberation war as well as the ones that were neglected during Raymond's rule.
They were repairing not only public facilities but also, in some cases, even facilities belonging to merchants and individuals.
It seemed that the reason for that had to do with… a discussion about whether it would be a good look for the Royal Capital, which is the face of the Kingdom, if only public facilities were cleaned up and the rest were left in a state of disrepair.
As for the financial aspect, a considerable amount of money will be paid out by the Royal Government apparently, but at present, there simply wasn't enough manpower.
Not only in the royal capital, but in the entire Kingdom, recovery efforts and reconstruction work were underway, so there weren't enough blacksmiths, stonemasons, woodworkers, and other craftsmen to go around.
Especially in the royal capital, there were almost no masons….
"On the day the royal capital fell, quite a few of the stonemasons from the royal capital came here to quarry stone…. They ran into a little trouble with the transportation which dragged on until late in the night. And they weren't about to work in the night, so they tried passing the night in the quarry shed over there, and that's when it happened…"
The person who explained this to Ryo some time before was the chief in front of him.
Incidentally, that chief is a blacksmith.
Since there weren't that many stonemasons in the royal capital at present, Ryo often helped him to cut the stones.
Using
One time, after Ryo bought his Rune house, he remodeled it and installed a bath.
The bathtub itself was made of wood that looked like hinoki cypress, but the entire bathroom was constructed out of granite.
And he had used his
So, he knew very well that his water-attribute magic would come in handy in cutting wood and stone.
"Wow, your water-attribute magic never ceases to amaze me, no matter how many times I see it, Ryo."
"Oh please, you flatter me."
Ryo was embarrassed by the praise he received from the chief.
"Anytime you're not around, I have no choice but to quarry the stones myself, but I just can't do it as well as the masons or the way Ryo's magic cuts it out perfectly."
"You are a blacksmith, aren't you, chief? Do you also work with stones?"
"Nah, stone is not my thing. I do blacksmithing and woodworking. Originally, my job is to make carriages."
As chief said that, he ran toward the direction where it seemed he had been called from a distance.
The apprentice, who was listening right beside him, supplemented his information.
"The chief's carriages are amazing. They have a reputation for being very comfortable to ride in, even though he doesn't use alchemy or magic."
"That's indeed amazing."
Ryo replied, thinking of the guild carriage that uses alchemy to reduce vibrations.
But to reduce the vibrations without using alchemy….
Then Ryo remembered a conversation he had with Abel a long time ago.
He recalled Abel mentioning it while they were riding in the guild carriage.
That there was now a carriage that was comfortable to ride and doesn't employ alchemy.
And the name of the maker was… one he had also heard back on Earth as it turned out….
Only that on Earth, he's a well-known gun maker….
"Kalashnikov…"
"Oh, so you do know of him after all! That's the name of the chief."
"Oh, my!"
What a small world.
Ryo returned to the King's office after helping with the quarrying of the stones.
"Abel, the walls were in good working order again today."
"Hm? Of course they are…. It's been up and running since King Richard's time."
"See, that carelessness may later bite you in the ass. We must always be prepared."
"O-Okay…. Well, thanks for checking."
"Oh please don't mention it."
Ryo was somehow embarrassed by Abel's words.
Carrying on a conversation is such an arduous task….
"Which reminds me, you remember that chief I occasionally help out with quarrying, turns out he's actually the infamous Kalashnikov."
"Quarrying? Oh, you're talking about the city's recovery efforts. Yes, as I recall, Kalashnikov, the famous carriage maker, was put in charge of it. I remember signing the papers."
"Abel, you knew about this, and you kept it to yourself!"
"Er, I'm just finding out now myself that you're helping out with that though?"
"Ugh…. Well, now that you know, please pay me too!"
"Forget it."
"Why not?"
"Because, you're a noble, Ryo. It is only natural for a noble of the Kingdom to work themselves to the bone for the benefit of common people."
"Noblesse oblige…privilege entails responsibility…"
Ryo muttered and let out a deep, deep sigh.
Nobles don't always get to be arrogant and pompous as in some fantasy story world it seems….
-x-X-x-
The temporary branch of Gecko trading company in the royal capital.
It seemed to have been renovated from the mansion of a certain Count that was stripped of their title during the liberation war.
"Mr. Gekko…a go-getter indeed…"
Ryo proceeded through the gate, muttering to himself as he did so.
One could generally grasp the layout of that kind of building and the location of the courtyard.
When he arrived at the courtyard, sure enough, a mock battle was taking place.
A mock battle with
All the participants had already learned to use them as naturally as breathing air….
It's surprisingly easy for people to acquire skills if they work at it diligently and honestly.
Of course, the younger one is, the more pronounced the effect, but the tendency does not change with age.
The more diligently and honestly one works at it, the quicker it is acquired.
Maybe it's because it's rarer to encounter mental blocks that way….
Or is it more neuroscientific, a characteristic of the hippocampus or the amygdala? Or even perhaps the A10 nerve?
Ryo didn't know the clear reason, but he was aware that such a phenomenon exists…as a fact.
While thinking about such a seemingly difficult subject, Ryo nodded and watched the mock battle between water-attribute magicians unfolding before his eyes.
"Ah, Master Ryo!"
One of the kids amid the mock battle noticed.
"He's really here!"
"Master, I can now control sixteen
"I'm now able to generate
…It seemed that if one worked diligently and honestly, they could learn even faster than he imagined.
"That's amazing, all of you!"
Ryo praised them and looked at the magic of each one of them in turn.
"All right, kids, break time is over."
"Yes sir! "
Chairman Gecko came out of the mansion, got a good reply to his announcement, and Ryo's apprentices left for their posts.
"Hello, Mr. Gecko."
"Ryo, oh, excuse me, Your Excellency Duke Rondo, you're most welcome here."
"Please, call me Ryo as you have always done."
"Is that so? Alright, Ryo."
He still hasn't gotten used to being called 'Duke Rondo' by his old acquaintances.
Whether he would eventually get used to it is…highly doubtful.
"Actually, we are going to have a tasting of our new cake, would you like to join us?"
"I'd love to!"
He was, of course, informed in advance that Ryo would be visiting today.
That's why he could access the courtyard so easily….
Meaning, all these were all part of Merchant Gecko's calculation, including allowing him to participate in the tasting of the new cake.
After all, Gecko is a go-getter….
The two headed for the table where one other person was already sitting.
"Ah, Mr. Cohn, it's been a long time."
"Oh hi, Ryo. I mean, Duke Rondo, sorry…"
"Nah, Ryo is fine…"
Ryo had a similar exchange earlier.
He was beginning to think that it was a pain in the ass to correct it every time….
Cohn is a former C-rank adventurer from the Inbury Duchy.
When the Inbury Duchy was destroyed, he drifted to the Kingdom with Gecko.
Although on paper, he's a member of Gecko trading company….
"I'm thinking of going to the northern part of the Kingdom."
Cohn said, taking a bite of the fruit cake with figs that was served.
Ryo also took a bite.
The sweetness of the cream and the slight sourness of the figs were in perfect harmony and complemented each other.
"That's quite nice!"
As for whether it was intended for Cohn on his future plans, or about the fig cake….
Ryo watched Cohn's behavior and said.
"Mr. Cohn, at a glance you look like an adventurer, but your table manners are very refined."
That's right, although Cohn had stubble all over his face and a shabby looking outfit….
"Oh. Actually, I have properly trained in this kind of thing a long time ago. Thanks to that, I don't have to embarrass myself in front of a noble, so…I'm always glad that I did."
"Oh, I see."
Cohn spoke with a distant look in his eyes, and Ryo nodded broadly in agreement.
It appeared that the fact that people are often judged based on their education is no different in any world.
It is very rare to 'only' be judged based on one's ability.
It is good to know that.
If one were to think that they weren't evaluated properly even though their ability should be good enough, it's because they were evaluated poorly in the area of general common sense and general education.
If it were only within that person's organization, they might say that it's unfair! However, if there is a possibility of engaging with external influences… it is inevitable that the person in charge would be reluctant to have someone who lacks general knowledge as a representative of their organization….
How very sad.
"Come to think of it…Ryo actually bears some resemblance to that guy…"
"Huh? Did you say something?"
"No, nothing."
Cohn remembered his old schoolmate from all those years ago.
But he had a feeling that if he said anything, something bad would happen…something very, very bad, so he kept his mouth shut.
Sharp intuition is one of the traits of a good adventurer.
Just as Cohn, Ryo, and Gecko were finishing their fig cakes, a man who appeared to be the steward of the mansion entered and whispered to Gecko.
"Please show him in."
The person who entered the room was His Majesty the King of the country.
"Sorry for dropping in out of the blue like this, Gecko. I heard you have completed that request, so…"
King Abel entered the room and started talking.
Cohn saw this and immediately stood up and bowed.
When impeded by a chair and a table, it seemed that one didn't have to get down on one knee to bow.
Ryo, of course, remained seated.
"Hm? I think you are Adventurer Cohn, right? It's been a while. Leaving that aside…how come you are here, Ryo?"
"Abel, just so you know, the fig cakes are all sold out! And trying to score a free cake is an utter abuse of your authority."
"There's no way I'm here for that …. I only dropped by because I heard the Valkyrie Knight's insignia was ready."
Ryo pointed out the King's abuse of authority and Abel cleared up the misunderstanding.
"The Valkyrie Knights, that's the Order that was created around Miu and her party the Valkyries. You're really giving it your all aren't you, Abel."
"O-Of course…"
"Your Majesty, it is ready in the other room."
Gecko said and led Abel out.
Ryo, of course, did not follow.
Although a little curious about what the Valkyrie Knight's insignia looked like….
"Here is the second sample product, 'Burned Pudding'."
"What a surprise!"
That's right, he couldn't tag along because the second sample item was served.
Moreover, it wasn't just any pudding, but burned pudding….
Ryo realized that he had never had pudding since he came to 'Phi'.
"It made me realize that there is still so much I have yet to try…"
Ryo made a gloomy remark, but had on a smiley expression and a cheerful voice.
"I guess your life is as complicated as they come too uh, Ryo…"
Cohn muttered as he began to eat the burned pudding alongside him.
Needless to say, the burned pudding was surprisingly good.
-x-X-x-
That day, the crepe shop in the royal capital was crowded.
Yeah, that crepe shop that appears from time to time. The one with the bananas and whipped cream diamond blend!
Of course, it was Ryo who coined the term diamond blend for crepes, as he always does….
Ryo joined the line like it was the most natural thing to do.
He was supposed to head to the royal castle to meet His Majesty the King soon ….
Now, crepe or Abel?
It wasn't even a choice!
"The crepe obviously! Oh, right. I should get a souvenir crepe for Abel, too. That way he won't be offended."
As a bribe of sort.
If he paid the bribe out of taxpayers' money, he would surely get scolded, but if he paid it out of his own pocket money, it shouldn't be a problem.
Thinking about this, Ryo got in the queue, and after a while, a huge and luxurious carriage pulled up in front of the crepe shop.
Which naturally stole all the attention.
It got Ryo's attention as well.
He remembered seeing the crest on the door somewhere…but he couldn't recall where.
The door opened and a pair of man and woman got out.
A ridiculously handsome young man and an astonishingly bewitching beauty.
It was the True Ancestor of vampires and Agnes, Duchess of Alba.
Agnes was holding hands with the Lord Progenitor, looking very happy.
Ryo was also a little happy to see them getting along so well with each other.
The two of them noticed Ryo.
"Huh? Ryo?"
"Oh my, Master Ryo. It's been a long time."
Both the Lord Progenitor and Agnes smiled and called out to him.
"Ah, yes, it truly has been some time. Um…why are you two in the royal capital?"
Even Ryo sometimes asks questions in the realm of common sense.
"Well, we're just taking a stroll."
"A stroll…"
The scale at which the Lord Progenitor operates is often incomprehensible even to Ryo….
It seemed that even the capitals of other countries were considered within walking distance.
"Lord Progenitor opted to accompany me to pay a courtesy visit to King Abel."
Agnes answered happily.
She seemed very happy to be able to travel with the Lord Progenitor.
"We are heading to the royal castle after this, would you like to come with us?"
"Sure. I'm heading to the royal castle too myself…"
"Then, you can ride in the carriage with us."
"Eh? Are you sure, I mean, I wouldn't want to impose?"
Upon the Lord Progenitor's invitation, Ryo looked at Agnes.
He wondered if he should interrupt their private time together.
"Sure."
Agnes nodded happily.
"Master Ryo knows about our relationship. So, there's no need to hide it now."
That seems to be the case….
They were openly flirting on the streets of the royal capital…what did she mean hiding …?
"Well then, I'll buy you one as well, Ryo."
Saying that, the Lord Progenitor approached the owner of the crepe shop and ordered.
"Three sets of crepe."
Almost without waiting, three sets of crepe were packed, and the Lord Progenitor returned with them.
Meanwhile, what about those in line?
Not a word.
They did not move at all.
Their mouths were wide open.
"Here you go."
"T-Thank you very much."
Ryo received the crepe from the Lord Progenitor.
"Um, Lord Progenitor. The people in the line are not moving, have they been charmed or something?"
"Hm? No? I didn't do anything…and neither did Agnes, apparently."
Both the Lord Progenitor and Agnes remained smiling and took a bite of the crepe.
"Aw this is good!"
"Yes, it tastes really good."
Agnes was delighted, and the Lord Progenitor complimented it.
"Yeah. The world is at peace…"
Ryo decided not to worry about anything.
Then the three of them got into the carriage.
Inside the carriage of the Duchess of Alba.
"Um, Lord Progenitor. Actually, there's something I've always wondered…"
"What is it?"
The Lord Progenitor inquired about Ryo's concerns in high spirits.
Agnes, next to him, was leaning against his shoulder and arm….
"According to my knowledge from Earth, vampires have to suck human blood to survive, but…I wonder how that is done in Twilight Land."
"Oh, that's easy. Land has a blood donation system."
"Blood donation…. I see, so people can get juice or something if they donate blood?"
Ryo nodded broadly.
People donate blood and get juice in return. Wonderful!
The Lord Progenitor added while laughing.
"Yes, that's how it is in Japan. In the United States, for example, you get paid for donating blood, right? That's how it is in Land. I think it was food or snacks or something…because money seemed to be a major challenge. I started the program, but the government is in charge of its operation, so I'm not really clear about the current details of the program."
"I see."
"The collected blood is delivered to each vampire's home in a certain number of units. It's like a water dispenser. Once it runs out, it gets refilled. And the blood can be stored in the dispenser for several years, and it actually tastes better than if it were sucked directly from a human."
"Whoa…"
"It's alchemy. I named it the Bloody Dispenser."
"Wow, that name actually sounds kinda cool…"
Ryo was not surprised to see the Lord Progenitor smiling as he spoke.
Ryo was supposed to be the goofball, but…the Lord Progenitor may just be a natural at it compared to him.
The Lord Progenitor added more shocking information.
"But you see, in fact, vampires can live just fine without the need to suck human blood."
"Eh…"
"How do I put it…. Right, people love eating cake. But they can survive just fine without it, right? Just like that."
"Human blood is a sweet treat …. What can I say, it makes so much sense."
Ryo nodded several times.
Because it was an explanation that made a lot of sense.
"Speaking of which, Duchess Alba is going to pay a courtesy visit to Abel…what about you, Lord Progenitor…"
"Oh me, I am just a plus one."
"A plus one…"
"Yeah. Since I don't hold any official position in Land."
"Yeah about that too. The Lord Progenitor is the de facto ruler of Twilight Land, right? So, how come you don't hold any official position."
Ryo's question was answered by the Lord Progenitor with the biggest smile ever.
"Well, wouldn't it be cooler to rule the country from behind the scenes?"
"Sure! I totally get it!"
"Right? I knew you would understand!"
Everyone has their own idea of romance.
Well….
Either way…Ryo had committed a grave mistake.
But he was still yet to realize it at this point.
Yup, he forgot to secure the bribe for Abel...