Chapter 0597 Advance Notice
-x-X-x-
That day, Ryo and Abel paid a visit to the next-door house.
By 'next-door', of course, it was the residence of the Sixth Prince Ryun and Princess Shio Fen.
This time, they were actually visiting with proper advance notice.
Granted, it was hard to say how meaningful an advance notice sent one minute beforehand really was.
"At long last, we're doing advance notices too! Etiquette is one of the things that makes humans human, after all."
For some reason, Ryo looked pleased.
"Yeah, that's fine and all… but an 'advance notice' is, you know. If it's Prince Ryun, a young servant from the mansion brings a letter asking whether a later visit would be acceptable…"
"Exactly, that."
"I get that we… Rondo Manor—don't have any young servants… but this, I mean this—"
Abel looked at the one who made the advance notice standing just beside them.
And sighed.
"What do you mean by 'this'! He's the leader of our ice golems! Name: Advance-Notice Officer No. 1-kun."
Standing where Ryo pointed was a single ice golem.
That was Advance-Notice Officer No. 1-kun.
At a glance, he looked no different from the golems that always cleaned Rondo Manor…
"What's different? He still can't talk, right?"
"Ugh… admittedly, he can't talk… But even without speech, he can deliver a letter! "
"Any golem could do that, couldn't it? What's the difference?"
"Look closely, Abel. It's totally different, isn't it?"
Ryo spoke in indignant tones… but Abel couldn't see any difference.
After staring for a while, he finally understood.
"That… ornament attached on top of the head?"
"Yes, a horn!"
In human terms, a decorative piece about ten centimeters long was attached a bit above the forehead.
It was the thing Ryo insisted on calling a 'horn'.
As if a sharp shard of iron had been stabbed into the head…
Of course, the horn was ice like the rest.
"That's a horn fitted to command units. In other words, it's proof this child is the leader."
"I see… Does this ornament…this horn—have some special effect?"
"Eh? No, it doesn't…"
"So it's not a magic stone that makes him stronger than the other golems or lets him move faster either?"
"N-no, it doesn't…"
Ryo answered Abel's check with a pained look.
"He doesn't have any particular combat power either, does he?"
"…He doesn't."
"I see."
"Ughh… I'll upgrade him eventually! And when I do, I'll make a golem that can beat you with a sword…! "
Advance-Notice Officer No. 1-kun stood there, as if above the ugly squabbles of humans.
Perhaps those clear, penetrating eyes were fixed on the world's future.
With his duty done, Advance-Notice Officer No. 1-kun went back to Rondo Manor alone, and Ryo and Abel were being shown in by the household staff.
Not to the private wing where Princess Shio Fen and her maid Mifa were—where the two were usually received—but rather to what might be called Prince Ryun's workspace.
More precisely, to the training ground built behind the residence.
"Duke Rondo, welcome."
"Prince Ryun, as conveyed by the advance notice, we've come to share information gathered over the past few days."
They exchanged polite bows.
Even among intimates, courtesy matters.
Behind Prince Ryun stood the usual attendants, who also bowed respectfully.
But Abel noticed something.
The faces among the attendants had changed.
Save for Lin Shun, the senior chamberlain whom Prince Ryun trusted most, and Wen Shu, a chamberlain the same nineteen years of age as Prince Ryun, the lineup had changed.
(Has he swapped in more capable personnel?)
Abel thought to himself.
Naturally, he didn't show it on his face, nor did he inform Ryo.
Even if you've figured something out, showing your entire hand is folly.
Information is strongest when you neither disclose it nor even let others know you possess it.
Once people know you have it, you have to steer toward using it effectively…
"You said there was a drill you wanted us to see—this is it?"
"Yes. I asked the renowned magician Duke Rondo to come all the way to the training ground because I wanted him to see it."
Where Ryo and Prince Ryun were looking, eleven people stood.
All but one of the ten wore something like large gauntlets on their left arms.
The one without a gauntlet—the captain—looked familiar…
"Isn't that Captain Lu Yao's Magic Artillery Unit?"
"Same one."
Prince Ryun nodded at Ryo's observation.
Captain Lu Yao and the Magic Artillery Unit had also taken part in the fighting on the Ryokusou Plain the other day, showing Ryo and Abel some astonishing magic bombardment.
The rate of fire in particular had been impressive.
But back then, they had used a collapsible device, carried on horseback, when firing.
Now, there was no such thing…
Captain Lu Yao raised her right hand.
As it fell, a command rang out.
"Fire!"
In that instant, attack magic of the fire attribute blasted from the left arms of all ten.
The power was considerable.
Stronger than what they had seen on the Ryokusou Plain the other day.
Moreover—
"Volley!"
A second salvo came almost without a breath in between.
Then a third.
And a fourth.
"Cease!"
At that command, the ten snapped back to attention.
"That is amazing!"
Ryo said, applauding.
Perhaps hearing the applause,
Captain Lu Yao approached, bowing her head.
"Captain Lu Yao, that was incredible!"
Ryo lavished praise.
"Thank you."
Captain Lu Yao folded her hands before her body and bowed.
Her expression was steady, yet full of a sense of accomplishment.
"Back on the Ryokusou Plain, I believe you used a collapsible device to bombard. That's been replaced by those gauntlets we just saw, yes?"
"Yes. With those gauntlets, there's no bulk, no setup time, and moving is easy, so the Magic Artillery Unit's applications will broaden further."
"Indeed! "
Ryo nodded over and over at Captain Lu Yao's explanation.
"From Duke Rondo's perspective, does it pass muster?"
Prince Ryun asked with a smile.
"Absolutely. Each shot seemed stronger than what we saw back in Ryokusou Plain. As for the rate of fire… how's the mana consumption? How many shots can they put out?"
"On Ryokusou Plain, three-round bursts were the limit. Even then, we had to pause about a minute afterward, and the cap was thirty sets…so ninety shots in total. With these gauntlets, four-round bursts are possible, and the interval drops to twenty seconds before the next four-round burst. A standard magician can fire close to three hundred shots."
"What! Triple the performance! That's fantastic."
Ryo nodded repeatedly.
"Looks like we've got Duke Rondo's stamp of approval. Well done, Lu Yao. Worth the effort of developing them."
"Yes, Your Highness—thank you."
The prince praised her, and Captain Lu Yao bowed with delight.
But just then Ryo froze.
It seemed something had occurred to him.
"Those gauntlets… they're alchemy devices, right?"
"Yes, Duke Rondo."
"Were they developed by you, Captain Lu Yao?"
"Y-yes… Duke Rondo."
Ryo's eyes widened as he asked, and Captain Lu Yao answered with a startled look.
"Captain Lu Yao, are you an alchemist?"
"Yes…"
"Lu Yao is a splendid fire-attribute magician, but she's also an exceptionally capable alchemist. The collapsible gun platform you saw on Ryokusou Plain was developed earlier and is used throughout Darwei. This time, Lu Yao single-handedly created the gauntlet-type gun platform."
To Ryo's question, Captain Lu Yao answered softly, and Prince Ryun sang her praises.
Prince Ryun clearly held Captain Lu Yao in very high regard.
Ryo was trembling—slightly, just slightly… but he was quivering.
After a moment, he turned to Prince Ryun.
"Your Highness, I'm on your side."
"Eh? Yes… I'm aware. I asked you to be."
At Ryo's sudden declaration, Prince Ryun replied, not quite following.
"I will not leak information that would disadvantage Your Highness's camp."
"…Very well."
"So, if possible, may I see the magic formulae of those gauntlets? I mean, of course, only if not just Your Highness but Captain Lu Yao agrees. And of course, of course, even if you refuse, I won't do anything to cause you trouble or anything like that…"
Ryo was explaining desperately.
"If Lu Yao is willing, I have no objection…"
"Uh, um…"
The prince granted permission with a laugh, but Captain Lu Yao's reply wasn't clear.
"I'll help in any way I can! With magic or with alchemy…"
"Um… well… the ice golems at your residence, Your Excellency…"
"Eh? You want one of them?"
"No! I'm interested in the golems' magic formulae and mechanisms…"
"I'll lend you one. I'll make it so you can examine the formulae."
"Really?!"
Seeing Ryo's bighearted offer, Captain Lu Yao lit up.
But a voice came from behind Ryo.
"You sure about that?"
It was the swordsman who always scolded him.
"Exchanging technology and knowledge between engineers is what opens a new horizon of the age!"
"Yeah, but the magic formulae you wrote for the golem are in the Central Countries' tongue, right? Can she read it?"
"Ah…"
Not a scolding—an apt point.
"As it happens, I studied the Central Countries' language before."
When Ryo voiced Abel's concern, Captain Lu Yao answered so.
She had studied it to understand rare alchemy tools made in the Central Countries and new alchemical findings published there.
"That's wonderful!"
Ryo exclaimed in surprise and admiration.
At that, Captain Lu Yao's face went bright red.
The party moved indoors.
Ryo and Abel; Prince Ryun, Chief Chamberlain Lin Shun, Chamberlain Wen Shu; and Captain Lu Yao—six in all.
The other attendants were given tasks and dismissed.
In other words, these three likely ranked highest around Prince Ryun.
From Ryo's perspective, Wen Shu carried a certain image from Ryokusou Plain, and he wasn't sure about him…
"His father was the late lord, remember."
Abel whispered, and Ryo remembered.
Wen Shu's father had governed the region around Ryokusou Plain.
Ruling near the capital means one has been trusted by successive emperors.
In any era and any state, you don't let someone you don't trust govern near the capital…
"So then, Duke Rondo—you said you had information to share today."
"Ah, yes. That's right."
Prince Ryun opened, and Ryo nodded.
"The other day, a little incident happened at my house…"
"I heard the roof was destroyed."
"Being next door, of course you knew."
Ryo gave a wry smile.
When Envoy Berke and the others took off, they blasted through the mansion's roof.
Naturally, it was a mess… and now carpenters retained by the Ministry of Works were repairing it.
Of course, Rondo Manor is large enough that living in the undamaged parts poses no problem.
"Well, the Phantomkins who left are one thing… but at the same time, there were people we captured. From them, we learned that the Fourth Prince, Prince Bin, is hiring adventurers."
"Oh… about how many?"
"All Third-Rank and Second-Rank adventurers in the imperial capital."
"That's…"
At Ryo's words, the four other than Abel were struck speechless.
Even Prince Ryun was no exception.
But he was the first to speak.
"Third-Rank and Second-Rank adventurers in the capital mean those attached to the Advanced Hall of the Mutual Aid Association. Last I asked, membership there was around seven hundred."
"I was told 'several hundred', so I think Your Highness's understanding is correct."
Ryo agreed, citing the explanation he'd received at the Association.
"Seven hundred Third-Rank and Second-Rank… what would that even cost?"
"Unthinkable…"
Captain Lu Yao and Chamberlain Wen Shu muttered, still looking stunned.
"I don't mean to doubt Duke Rondo's information, but… what's your source?"
Chief Chamberlain Lin Shun, apparently first to regain his cool, asked.
"Four Third-Rank adventurers I captured."
"Captured?"
"Ah, it's fine. Before I captured them, I secured His Majesty's permission to detain them."
"I—I see."
"We had the Censorate cooperate as well… though the adventurers themselves spilled everything readily."
Ryo nodded broadly as he answered Lin Shun.
Watching from the side, Abel felt there might be a misunderstanding… but decided not to worry about it.
He suspected the surprise was less about Ryo having imperial permission and more about how easily he'd captured them.
"In that vein, the Third-Ranks and Second-Ranks are with the Fourth Prince, but I actually think all the First-Rank and Special-Rank adventurers have also been hired."
"What?"
At Ryo's further remark, Prince Ryun furrowed his brow and asked back.
"I don't know exactly by whom… but first, not His Majesty. Also, not the Fourth Prince Bin we just mentioned. And probably—this is just a feeling—not the Third Prince, Imperial Prince Churei, either. It's from Prince Churei's expression when I met him at the palace."
"If neither His Majesty, nor Prince Churei, nor Prince Bin, then…"
"Then it's probably the most troublesome one. The Second Prince, Prince Kouri, has already made the strongest adventurers his pieces."
"I see… If it's Brother Kouri, that's plausible."
Prince Ryun nodded in agreement with Ryo's surmise.
"Brother Kouri, as Second Prince, is good at anticipating and laying many moves in advance."
"Ho-hoo."
"I'm not blind to it. Brother Kouri is closest to the next emperor's throne… to the crown prince's seat before that. Even so…"
Prince Ryun did not continue.
But Lin Shun, Wen Shu, and Captain Lu Yao all nodded firmly.
They knew they were far behind in the race for the next emperor.
Without taking a principal consort, he would remain merely an imperial son… Without advancing to Imperial Prince, he could be crushed easily by the overwhelming power that imperial princes wield.
For that reason, he had endured a long season of biding his time.
Thus, he was late to the competition.
But precisely for that reason, he had to go forward with a strong heart.
He had taken a principal consort.
He had achieved merit.
He had received His Majesty's informal consent to advance to Imperial Prince.
"I'll tell you, Duke Rondo. In one month, I will be elevated to Imperial Prince."
"Oh—at last!"
Prince Ryun announced, and Ryo rejoiced in surprise.
Without that elevation, nothing else could move.
"In a week, there will be an official announcement from the palace. Until then, keep it to yourself."
"Of course."
"That said, many will know before then. Information leaks from everywhere."
"Ah… true enough."
Prince Ryun and Ryo exchanged wry smiles.
"From here on, it will be harder than ever… Duke Rondo, I ask for your aid."
"Of course. Let us go forward together."
-x-X-x-
"They say he's finally going to be elevated to Imperial Prince."
"It's already been tough up to now, but it's only going to get tougher from here, huh."
Chatting like that, Ryo and Abel headed back to Rondo Manor from the neighbors'.
"Strife between brothers is… kinda painful to watch."
"Abel… you got along well with your older brother, Crown Prince Cain, didn't you?"
"Yeah, very well."
"And your father… his younger brother—Sir Raymond, the royal uncle who started that rebellion, right? You didn't get along with him, did you?"
"Well, no. That said… back in their prince days, I don't think their conflict ever went as far as trying to kill each other."
Abel answered with his head cocked.
Of course, he didn't know that era precisely, so it was more of a feeling.
"You never know. Out of sight of the official histories, there might have been blood-for-blood struggles. When it comes to intrigues like that, those in power will use every means to seal them away. Their thoroughness is terrifying."
"You say that like you saw it yourself…"
"I did see it!"
Of course—on movies, dramas, and in novels.
"Anyway, once Prince Ryun advances to Imperial Prince, the power struggle inside the palace will kick into a new phase."
"Yeah… that'll be the hardest front. By now, almost all of the Shitaifu stratum must have joined a faction under one of the three princes, right? How's he planning to handle that?"
"Numbers are power. We need to increase our numbers too… but there aren't any numbers left to increase."
Ryo fell into thought as well.
The instant they reached the gate, Ryo clapped his hands—
Right fist to left palm with a 'pon'.
A thought made visible.
And in times like these…
"It's bound to be a terrible idea anyway."
Abel muttered.
"If we can't increase ours, we can just decrease theirs."
"Decrease the opponent?"
"If you, Abel, go around every night purging the Shitaifu factionaries backing the three princes one by one, the enemy will shrink."
"Yeah, figured it'd be something like that!"
"It's the usual pattern. Patterning solves lots of problems."
"Pat…terning? What's that supposed to be?"
"It's your favorite tried-and-true method, Abel."
"How on earth is that my favorite!"
Even when your prediction hits, that doesn't mean you're happy about it.
For the record, both of them were carrying gifts—
Things Princess Shio Fen had sent them off with.
"What I've got is a pastry called poajuu, apparently. They said it's pretty filling, so I was advised to have it double as lunch."
It was currently 11:30 a.m.
"Mine, they said to use as dinner."
Abel was carrying something like a tiered food box—
Basically, a bento for supper.
"The neighbors—well, whether you call them residents or staff—there are a lot of people over there. They must have to prepare three meals for all of them every day, right? They told us not to worry since this is the extra…"
"People cost money."
Ryo voiced a concern; Abel shrugged.
As His Majesty the King, Abel had run a nation.
He knew from the kingdom government and the royal castle—with so many people working—how much even just the food budget costs.
"Thinking of it that way, our golem corps—starting with Advance-Notice Officer No. 1-kun—really shines for not costing anything to feed."
"True, they don't eat… but 'golem corps'?"
"Even if they're a cleaning unit now, they'll surely become a battlefield corps that protects our allies one day!"
Ryo declared with conviction.
Perhaps in his head, he saw a battlefield where golems danced and whirled.
"For the time being, once we're done eating, I'm sure they'll fulfill the mission of returning these boxes next door."
"Well, even that makes them useful."
Advance-Notice Officer No. 1-kun & Co. could not only deliver advance notices—they could return dishes, too!
"But… Ryo, aren't we just mooching meals off them?"
"Eh?"
"We haven't sent anything back in return, have we?"
"W-when you put it that way…"
Abel's point left Ryo aghast.
They'd been getting shared sweets and bentos, but it was true they hadn't sent anything from Rondo Manor.
"It's bad manners to just keep receiving. What should we do…"
Ryo entered the manor, thinking…then clapped his hands again.
Abel eyed him dubiously—
His earlier experience prompted that look.
"I'll gift them an ice statue I make."
"Ice statue?"
"Yes. A life-sized statue of Abel."
"As expected… a terrible idea."
Since it was exactly the terrible idea he'd expected, Abel didn't even shout anymore.
He just muttered.
"A token of friendship from the Kingdom of Knightley."
"Yeah—denied."
"Why!"
"It's just… weird."
"Then, to display the glory of the kingdom and King Abel, how about a 50-meter statue of King Abel? My, how vain you are."
"How does it come to that! Don't you dare!"
Tokens of interstate friendship… are complicated.
They went inside, sipped tea, and nibbled poajuu.
They looked like little buns, but inside were things like minced meat and something leek-like.
Ryo's impression was that they were like cooled shumai.
Whether that was accurate was unknown.
But they were certainly tasty.
"I see—this can pull double duty as snack and lunch."
"I feel like I could eat forever, but if you get carried away, you'll be in trouble."
Both of them knew:
Overeating is bad.
If you overeat, bad things happen.
Experience had made them wise.
"Abel, our situation has gotten rather complicated. Let's sort it out."
Ryo opened with that, took a sip of tea, and continued.
"First and foremost, our overarching objective is to return to the Central Countries."
"Right."
Abel agreed with Ryo's opening.
"But as His Majesty the Emperor said, there's some kind of 'Wall', and unless it opens, we can't proceed along the 'Corridor' to the Central Countries. It'll open in a year… no, about ten months now. From there, it'll stay open for at least five years, so during that window we'll pass through the 'Corridor' and return to the kingdom."
Ryo took another sip of tea.
"And until then, since we're idle, Abel suggested we might as well hoist Prince Ryun onto our shoulders and make him emperor."
"Hey."
Abel seemed to have complaints about Ryo's description.
Ryo ignored him and went on.
"To aim for the next emperor's throne, first you have to be named Crown Prince. To be named Crown Prince, you have to be an Imperial Prince. Staying a mere prince won't do. Currently, there are three Imperial Princes: Second Prince Kouri, Third Prince Churei, and Fourth Prince Bin."
"Mm."
"And the Sixth Prince Ryun, whom we're helping, will advance to Imperial Prince in one month."
"Hey, Ryo."
"Yes?"
"Someone just got skipped."
"Sorry??"
"Between the Fourth and the Sixth princes…"
"Ah! The Fifth Prince… who would that be?"
"No idea."
Ryo and Abel both realized they knew absolutely nothing about the Fifth Prince.
"He's about to be overtaken by Prince Ryun in becoming an Imperial Prince… I wonder what he thinks of that."
"Well, he might already be deceased…"
"Given he never comes up, that's possible too."
"A mystery prince… It's also possible he's pulling strings in the depths of the palace!"
"What do you mean, pulling strings?"
Ryo was thrilled at a classic story development, but Abel didn't play along.
"The prince who pretends to be dull-witted but is actually super capable, and in the end seizes the imperial throne—that's a staple of the genre."
"Sure. Let's hope the Fifth Prince is that guy."
For some reason, Ryo got excited on his own; Abel just shrugged.
While Ryo murmured that they should go ask someone tomorrow, Abel muttered,
"Either way, the one currently closest to the crown prince's seat is Second Prince Kouri."
"Yeah. He's apparently quite competent, and a fair share of the Shitaifu stratum belongs to his faction. However…"
"Right—despite being that capable, and despite strong backing from the Shitaifu class, he still hasn't been named crown prince. Moreover, when the previous crown prince died, he'd already advanced to Imperial Prince… If he'd been named the next crown prince right then, we probably wouldn't have this kind of turmoil now."
"Which means there's something invisible to the general public that makes His Majesty hesitate to take the plunge. Secretary Shau didn't seem to like Prince Kouri, either."
At that point, Ryo and Abel each took another poajuu.
"This is the right pace."
"Experience matters."
They were grown-ups now!
"Third Prince Churei is a martial artist. But he's straightforward to a fault and inflexible… I get the feeling he's not suited to be emperor."
"…Is that so?"
"The emperor we know can swallow both the clean and the dirty."
"You mean… the former Emperor Rupert of the Debuhi Empire, right?"
"Bingo! He's pretty scary, and he truly won't choose his means to achieve his ends, and he'll sacrifice lives without blinking… but he absolutely accomplishes what he sets out to do. There's a kind of… gravitas."
"He's among the top tier even within the ranks of emperors."
Ryo praised; Abel agreed while noting that even among emperors, he was exceptional.
"Well, flexibility is something a leader of a nation needs. For better or worse."
"So Abel, as king, you must have done lots of bad things too. And saying 'it's for the country!' or 'for national security!' you've been throwing innocent civilians in jail, haven't you!"
"Why do you always take it there?"
"I've seen it!"
Of course—in movies, dramas, and novels.
"Lastly, Fourth Prince Bin… he's still lacking."
"Why the lofty tone just for him?"
"Precisely because of that, he might do something outrageous. We'll need to be careful."
"Yeah…"
"He supposedly hired all the Third-Rank and Second-Rank adventurers in the Capital Mutual Aid Association—hundreds of them. Where is that money coming from?"
"He's a prince; wouldn't he have that much?"
"Clearly, the fruit of bribes from merchants and other illicit hoarding!"
"I don't think you should jump to that conclusion."
Abel questioned Ryo's groundless assertion.
Naturally, Ryo didn't give his doubts so much as a glance.
"Following the money is an iron rule of criminal investigation."
"Yeah, except this isn't necessarily a crime."
Then Ryo said, as if remembering,
"Speaking of adventurers—First-Rank and Special-Rank are hired by Second Prince Kouri, right?"
"Right."
"That's a powerful force."
"Can't argue."
And their conversation leapt outside the palace.
"There are threats to Darwei from beyond its borders, too."
"The Choouchi Empire up north. Envoy Berke and the others seem to have disappeared from the capital, though."
"They were Phantomkins… but is everyone in the Choouchi Empire phantomkins?"
"…"
Abel was struck speechless by Ryo's question.
"If so… depending on their population, they'd be an opponent humans can't beat, wouldn't they?"
"Even for Darwei, reputed as a superpower, that wouldn't be easy."
Both scowled as they sipped their tea.
"As for external threats, there's another."
"…There is?"
"The ghost ship Ruri."
"Ah… Well, it's an external threat, but not one that concerns Darwei."
"Right—if anything, it concerns us."
Both let out small sighs.
"You've got it rough, Ryo. Helping Prince Ryun, getting glared at by the ghost ship Ruri, and on top of that, Akumas show up all the time wanting to 'play' with you."
"I'll give you half."
"No, thanks."
The world, it seems, rarely goes the way you want…
-x-X-x-
The next morning.
The dishes, quickly but neatly washed by a water-attribute magician, were delivered to the neighbors by Advance-Notice Officer No. 1-kun.
But when he returned to Rondo Manor, there was a letter in his hand, which he passed to Ryo.
"Ah—according to this, as promised yesterday, Captain Lu Yao of the Magic Artillery Unit will bring the gauntlet over later."
Reading the letter, Ryo instantly brightened.
For the record, Abel had already started his daily flight training and was listening to Ryo while floating right there in front of him.
He really did seem to have learned to fly freely.
"At last—Abel the Aerial Swordsman is born!"
"What's that supposed to be…"
"A swordsman who fights without ever setting foot on the ground."
"No, this Flight Ring isn't fast, you know?"
Right—its top speed was about forty kilometers per hour.
Car speed.
Faster than running, sure, but for combat, it would be situational.
It might be effective for massed charges from a distance, but in close quarters, it'd be tough.
"That's where the aerial swordsman shows his skill."
"Yeah, I'll just be a normal ground swordsman."
Aerial Swordsman: not born.
Before long, Captain Lu Yao arrived alone.
Carrying a box.
"Duke Rondo, here is the promised gauntlet. I've removed the protections on the magic formulae, so you can examine them freely."
"Ooh! Thank you very much."
Inside the box Captain Lu Yao carried was the gauntlet.
After Ryo had had his fill of marveling, he summoned one golem.
For some reason, this golem wore a yellow scarf around its neck.
No other golem did…
"This is 'Friendship Token No. 2-kun.' I'll lend him to you."
"Thank you!"
Ryo introduced him; Captain Lu Yao smiled happily.
As usual, Abel muttered, why that name… but—fortunately—no one heard him.
"Right, I'll 'register' him so you can operate him… Could you look at No. 2-kun's head for a moment?"
"Yes."
Ryo placed his right hand on Friendship Token No. 2-kun's head and murmured something; the golem's head glowed faintly.
A gentle alchemical light.
"All right, registered. He now recognizes you as a 'provisional master', so he'll obey simple commands. Try giving one."
"Uh, um… then, please follow behind me."
Captain Lu Yao said, a little nervous, and Friendship Token No. 2-kun immediately lined up behind her.
When she walked, he followed right at her heels.
"Oh! He really follows! Amazing!"
"Right? He can carry up to 300 kilos… about five adults. Any more and… well, he can lift it, but he'll lose balance and topple. Still, he's built sturdy, so please try various things. If anything's unclear, come ask anytime."
"Yes! Thank you!"
Saying so, Captain Lu Yao dashed off.
Friendship Token No. 2-kun ran after her, scarf fluttering…
"So he understands the Eastern Countries' language too."
Abel sounded impressed.
"Yep. I built in a conversion dictionary between the Central Countries language and the Eastern Countries language, so he can recognize commands in either. He can't speak, but he understands what people are saying. Abel, don't say mean things in front of the kids, okay? They seem not to hear, seem not to see… but that's exactly when they do."
"Ah… right."
To Ryo, golems were apparently like children.
And so Abel went back to flight training with the Flight Ring; Ryo, clutching the gauntlet, to alchemy.
"Hm… as I thought, this part's a black box."
By evening, when Abel finished training and landed in the garden, Ryo was at a fairly large ice workbench, the gauntlet and Flight Ring laid out side by side, muttering that.
Both were connected to ice plates.
It was something Ryo often used when doing alchemy.
These plates projected the magic formulae.
Call it a reverse-engineering ice board, a kind of hacking tool…
"Black… what?"
"I mean an unparseable section of magic formula—strings that don't make sense…in fact, these two share an identical, incomprehensible formula."
"A gauntlet that fires fire-attribute attack magic and a ring that flies with wind-attribute magic? Totally different things."
"Exactly. And yet this string of 1,024 characters is present in both, in pretty much the same spot…"
Ryo answered Abel's doubt, head tilted.
It was like suddenly finding a 1,024-character block of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs smack in the middle of a Japanese text.
Too wildly different—too alien.
"At first, I thought it was a mana-saving circuit. Both the Flight Ring and the gauntlet run very efficiently, don't they?"
"True. I can fly all day and not run out of mana."
"Yes! And with the gauntlet, they said an average magician can fire about three hundred shots. In the kingdom, mages on the battlefield can't shoot anywhere near that many, right?"
"If I recall… for the Javelin line, the limit was around twenty at best."
"Eh? That few? I figured at least… seventy or eighty. Rin can do around that, can't she?"
Rin was the wind-attribute magician in Abel's party, 'Crimson Sword'.
"Rin's a B-rank adventurer, okay? Frankly, she's top tier among wind-attribute magicians in the kingdom. If you use Rin or old man Ilarion as your baseline, you'll be wrong about everything."
"So… not normal people."
Get too close, and you stop seeing straight.
"Well anyway, I thought it was about saving mana, but it wasn't. On the contrary, it amplifies mana."
"Mana amplification? Using magic stones?"
"That's the thing—it doesn't. The Flight Ring uses a wind magic stone, but the gauntlet uses no stone at all."
"So entirely off the user's mana. To get that punch and that stamina is impressive."
"Right. The stamina comes from needing very little mana per shot. And the reason you need so little is that this black-box section amplifies the mana… hmm."
"Naive question… how do you amplify mana without magic stones?"
"You don't."
"…Huh?"
Ryo answered as if it were obvious; Abel's face went slack.
"You can't possibly amplify mana with alchemy alone, no magic stones. If that were doable, everyone would do it—and someone would build an alchemical device that lets a single magician destroy a nation."
"Yeah, I'd rather no one build something that insane… So right, amplification shouldn't be possible. But this ring and gauntlet…"
"Yep, they are doing it. I measured the mana flow—it increases. It's baffling."
Ryo kept cocking his head, and Abel could hear him mumbling "No way…" over and over.
"Ryo, you do have a hunch, don't you?"
"Eh?"
"You've been saying 'no way' this whole time."
"Ah… um… remember that magic-power theory I told you before?"
"Magic-power theory? The thing about extra dimensions or whatever?"
"That one. If this black-box part is doing that…if this string enables it—then mana amplification is plausible. Strictly speaking, not amplification but reading in—or siphoning—mana from extra dimensions."
Ryo still looked doubtful.
"If you're hesitating this much, you think it's impossible with alchemy, right?"
"That's what I think. We magicians—almost unconsciously…do it: reading or using mana from extra dimensions. Even I can't fully analyze it…I only just finally got it into theory form. But whoever wrote these alchemical strings has already found a logical method to do it, and is using it in alchemical devices."
"…That's incredible."
"'Incredible' —or abnormal."
Ryo nodded repeatedly.
He'd only reached 'mana is gravity from extra dimensions' because, back on Earth, he was fascinated with theoretical physics—superstring theory—and had devoured books and magazines on it since grade school.
But whoever created these strings figured this out without that theoretical backdrop… If that's not abnormal, what is?
"That wasn't…something Captain Lu Yao herself discovered, right?"
"I don't think so. It's in the Flight Ring too."
"Right, that's true."
Ryo denied it; Abel remembered.
"Hey, Ryo, another simple question…"
"Yes?"
"The gauntlet is fire-attribute, and the Flight Ring is wind-attribute, yeah? And you said they share the same magic formula—not a magic circle?"
"Right."
"You taught me that while a magic circle can take any attribute's mana, a magic formula needs the 'appropriate' attribute: fire-attribute mana to trigger a fire formula, wind-attribute mana for a wind formula. Yet that black-box whatever is the 'same' formula—though the gauntlet is fire and the ring is wind."
"Exactly, Abel—fantastic observation!"
Ryo praised Abel's question.
That was, in fact, one of the keys to 'mana is gravity from extra dimensions'.
Which ties into why Djinns skilled with gravity can use other attributes' magic as well.
"This is pure conjecture, but I think this formula operates on mana before it splits—before it changes—into the six attributes."
"Before it splits into six? Fire, wind, water, earth, light, and dark? Does it… split?"
"In my magic-power theory, yes."
Even in Earth's theoretical physics, as expressed by E = mc², energy and matter are essentially the same—interconvertible—even in the classical theory of relativity.
And in particle physics, which deals with the subatomic, both energy and matter are nothing more than vibrations of 'strings'…
In short— pursued to the limit, they're fundamentally the same thing.
The four forces of physics—'gravity', 'electromagnetism', 'the strong force', 'the weak force'—were originally one.
At the universe's birth, they were the same; as pressure and temperature fell, they differentiated into four.
That much is common understanding in physics now.
One thing at the start.
Then it splits.
That flow is the logic of the world…
"Maybe I should ask Captain Lu Yao tomorrow."
If someone can tell you, it's no shame to ask.
You won't learn everything, but you might pick up a clue.
And he'd loaned her Friendship Token No. 2-kun, after all.
"We'll visit the neighbors tomorrow, asking, 'How's Friendship Token No. 2-kun doing?'"
All set and ready!
"By the way, Ryo—that golem you lent out…"
"Friendship Token No. 2-kun."
"Right. Is his power source… not you?"
"Abel—another excellent question."
Ryo praised him again.
Being able to ask great questions is proof of keen intellect—
And of thinking things through yourself.
So when someone asks a great question, you should praise them—over and over.
"I used to power them myself, but I'm trying various experimental setups now."
Saying so, Ryo picked up the gauntlet and the Flight Ring and walked from the garden into a room.
Abel followed.
It was the room where Ryo always holed up for alchemical research.
In the center stood a large ice desk, and on it, two blue magic stones sat on pedestals.
One pedestal seemed to be faintly glowing—
The light of alchemy.
"Don't tell me that glowing pedestal's stone is…"
"Yep, that's what's supplying the mana."
"And the golems… aren't physically connected, right?"
"Ultimately, I'd like to link them with invisible mana lines, like what magicians do…but for now, I'm transmitting mana via the water vapor in the air."
"That one unit powers all the golems that are moving?"
Abel asked, eyes wide.
Ryo grinned.
"Heh heh—surprised, Abel? This is bona fide mana-saving."
"Ah, the thing you mentioned earlier. Those magic stones—they're from the fish, right? The monster fish you called 'sardines'?"
"Yeah—caught with a returning tentacle* rather than a returning blade after we felled the Kraken, and then they went into our bellies—stones from those sardine-like monsters." (TLN: Capture arm)
They were blue stones about the size of a pinky nail.
Even so, in Darwei they were shockingly valuable—supposedly one such stone could buy a count's fief…
He vaguely recalled someone saying that, somewhere.
"Once, way out on the eastern edge of the Western Countries—the QC Duchy—I had a chance to disassemble a golem and tinker with it. QC's golems are overwhelmingly advanced in mana-saving tech… and I've applied that know-how here."
"That's impressive."
Ryo said it with pride; Abel offered honest praise.
Abel also knew that back home, Viscount Kenneth Hayward and the others were making golems.
He'd even seen a prototype.
It wasn't battle-ready yet, but it could walk on four legs.
The magic stone used as its power source, though, had been fairly large—
about half a wyvern stone…in other words, half a fist.
Compared to that, a pinky-nail stone was remarkable.
"What Kenneth's building is a prototype premised on battlefield deployment, so the concept differs from mine. That side is aimed from the start at a high-power unit, so they're deliberately designing it to run on large stones."
Ryo explained the difference in concept.
It wasn't about which was superior.
Different roles mean different everything.
Both were fine golem research.
"Of course, my kids will one day set out as an Ice Golem Corps to conquer the world!"
"Yeah… when you say it, it doesn't sound like a joke…"
Ryo thrust a fist in the air; Abel shook his head repeatedly.
Whether Ryo was kidding… no one could say.
-x-X-x-
A little past nine the next day.
"The sweet-and-spicy stir-fried pork and vegetables from last night were delicious. Abel, you're good at cooking too, aren't you?"
"Well, I basically just stir-fried it."
"No no, the balance of seasonings was exquisite. The kind of side dish that really makes the rice disappear."
"All sorts of things Warren taught me back in the day ended up helping."
Abel answered with a laugh.
"In the Crimson Sword, is Warren the best cook?"
"Yeah. Warren's cooking is pretty great. It's not that the others are bad—Warren's just too good."
"Somehow, I can picture that so easily."
Warren smiling as he cooks is such an easy scene to imagine.
The two were walking toward the neighboring house.
Of course, Herald* No.1-kun has already been sent ahead. (TLN: Previously Advance-Notice Officer No.1-kun)
They've learned to follow proper procedure.
Constantly evolving!
When the two arrived in front of the residence of Prince Ryun and Princess Shio Fen, a woman was already standing before the gate—
With an Ice Golem by her side.
"Huh? Captain Lu Yao?"
"I have been awaiting you, Duke Rondo."
Captain Lu Yao folded both hands over her chest and bowed.
"It's true we came because we wanted to ask you something, Captain Lu Yao… but that wasn't written on the advance notice slip, was it?"
"No, it was not. However, I also had something I wished to ask you, Duke Rondo. Besides, today His Highness Prince Ryun and Her Highness Princess Shio Fen have gone to the Imperial Palace, so they are not here. The other attendants have accompanied them, so I am left in charge of the house."
Perhaps once elevation to Imperial Prince is decided, things get very busy.
Captain Lu Yao guided the two, along with Friendship Token No. 2-kun.
Seeing No.2, Ryo nodded in satisfaction.
It seems seeing your creation working properly makes its creator happy.
"Last night I took a quick look at Friendship Token No. 2-kun's control system—well, the movement of its limbs."
"Ooh!"
"I have a rough idea of the control system, but I don't understand the cognition system at all…"
"Cognition system?"
"The part where it recognizes voices and moves? Also, the bipedal locomotion section is extremely difficult even on the control side…"
"No, but to look over all the rest in just one night… Captain Lu Yao, that's amazing!"
"I'm flattered."
Ryo praised her with a smile, and Captain Lu Yao blushed.
Behind Ryo, Abel muttered words no one else could hear.
"There it is—Ryo the people-charmer."
Once they were shown to a room and tea was served before the three of them, Ryo spoke up.
"The main reason we came today actually isn't Friendship Token No. 2-kun…"
"You had some questions about the magic formula on the gauntlet, didn't you?"
"You can tell?!"
"I saw the magic formulae on Friendship Token No. 2-kun, and Duke Rondo, your level in alchemy is unbelievably high. With that in mind, I thought you had probably deciphered all the gauntlet's formulae overnight."
"Oh, it's not that much…"
Captain Lu Yao straightforwardly praised Ryo's level in alchemy. And Ryo, bashful, demurred.
After finishing being bashful, Ryo continued.
"There is just one part—one magic formula I couldn't understand at all."
"Could it be the mana amplification…?"
"Yes, yes, that one! So it is indeed a magic formula—or rather, a string of characters— for mana amplification!"
Captain Lu Yao nodded as she spoke, and Ryo nodded back repeatedly, delighted.
But then Captain Lu Yao tilted her head slightly.
And then…
"My apologies, Your Excellency. As for what that formula actually does, I don't really know."
"Eh?"
"It's a string my alchemy teacher taught me long ago. If you use it, your mana is amplified so you can get big effects with little expenditure—that's what I was told. I learned it when I was still young… I remember it, but I don't think my teacher gave a detailed explanation even then."
"When you were young… Forgive me, you still look young now, Captain Lu Yao, but how old were you at the time?"
"If I recall, nine years ago—when I was ten."
"Alchemy at ten…"
"I had resolved in my heart to support Lord Ryun through alchemy."
Captain Lu Yao answered with a face brimming with resolve.
Yes— here too was someone who threw herself into supporting another from a young age.
"Between Abel, who defeated his tutor at eight, and you doing alchemy at ten, is this world nothing but precocious geniuses?!"
"No, I don't belong in that comparison."
Ryo lamented the unfairness of the world; Abel objected.
"Well, anyway. Captain Lu Yao, is that alchemy teacher still alive?"
"Lord Rowon… yes, I believe he is alive, but… where he is…"
"So this Lord Rowon is your alchemy master."
"Yes. He occasionally returns to the Imperial Capital… but he travels all across Darwei."
"Oh, come on…"
He couldn't proceed into the standard plotline— 'introduce-the-master scenario'.
Prince Ryun's party left the Imperial Palace as dusk was drawing in.
"I could hardly help it, I was kept late by the Ministry of War… but Shio, I told you that you could go back to the residence ahead of me, didn't I?"
"My apologies, Ryun-sama. I stopped by Chouonkaku."
Prince Ryun and Princess Shio Fen were in a carriage.
About thirty others were on foot.
Chouonkaku is one of the centers of the arts in the Imperial Palace.
As the character for 'sound' is in the name, there are many performance venues related to music, and instruments are well stocked.
There are also many performers and instructors on hand—of course, the abundance of talent is number one in Darwei.
"We're preparing for the Kyoonkai to be held in a month."
"Ah…"
At Princess Shio Fen's words, Prince Ryun grimaced.
The Kyoonkai is, in short, a concert.
Those of the Imperial Household naturally perform, and some from the Shitaifu Class also take part.
It is a grand concert by the entire Imperial Palace—on the surface.
In reality, it's also a place where each faction shows off its power.
Princes without factions will also perform, but no one pays that any mind.
Thus, it's said it's not 'Kyoonkai' but 'Keionkai'.
Incidentally, Prince Ryun dislikes the Kyoonkai and is poor at it.
Of course, as a Darwei prince, he can manage the arts above the average.
He can play a range of instruments, and at a level no one would point at in scorn.
But… he doesn't like it.
However, this time, 'I don't like it' won't cut it.
"Right after you take your primary consort and are elevated to Imperial Prince, it will be held. You'll be in the spotlight whether you like it or not… Besides, I and those around me are the ones slated to perform."
"Mm. I'm putting a burden on you."
Yes—at the first Kyoonkai after a prince's marriage, the primary consort performs.
This time, Princess Shio Fen would perform.
"I had the instruments brought out and tried a bit of ensemble."
"I see."
"The preparations are in hand, so please don't worry."
"All right, I leave it to you."
Princess Shio Fen answered with a smile, and Prince Ryun nodded.
"Rumor has it the Chief will unveil a new instrument."
"The Chief? You mean Workshop Chief Ron Shen. I hear he's a master craftsman despite his youth."
"The final form of that instrument—the piano—is to be unveiled; the ladies of the Shitaifu Class are all abuzz, and some reportedly even applied to have one installed in their mansions."
"What? Shio, do you want a piano?"
"No, I hear those applicants were refused as well. They were told to inquire again after the Kyoonkai."
"A piano… I've heard a performance on that prototype or whatever it is at the Ryusen Residence… it looked awfully difficult."
"My! Ryun-sama, you've heard the piano?"
"Ah, once. As for me… I prefer the violin."
At Princess Shio Fen's surprised look, Prince Ryun smiled wryly.
All those lined-up keys were, frankly, something he couldn't make sense of.
"I imagine mastering that would be quite hard."
Prince Ryun murmured—
Guh.
Ugh.
"Ambush!"
A shout like that was heard.
Immediately, Maid Mifa lifted the carriage flap and stuck her face inside.
"We're under attack. Please do not leave the carriage."
With only that, Mifa withdrew at once.
Prince Ryun and Princess Shio Fen would obediently wait inside the carriage.
"What are you doing! Deploy
"Wen Shu-sama, we can't deploy
"Since when…?"
Attendant Wen Shu grimaced.
The attack came at a crossroads. An intersection.
Throughout that area, it had become difficult to deploy magic.
"They're likely interfering with magic over the entire crossroads using magic-sealing talismans."
Beside Chief Attendant Linshun, Mifa drew her sword and reported.
"We were lured in."
Lin Shun muttered.
The guards had already spread out in preparation for the attack.
Even without his orders, they could move—the unit had drilled many times for scenarios just like this.
But unease outweighed reassurance.
"Even the fact they held us at the Imperial Palace this late is likely part of the plan."
Lin Shun murmured, and Mifa at his side nodded.
If things were going according to the enemy's plan, then they were still dancing on the enemy's palm.
Even though it took them far longer than usual, the magicians among the guards were forming a
Magic-sealing talismans don't make magic completely unusable like 'absolute nullification'.
You can still force spells to unfold and be generated.
But it takes time, and the mana cost is greater.
Even so, the carriage holds people who must be protected at all costs.
Protecting them is the highest priority.
No one understands that better than the prince and princess inside.
That's why even Prince Ryun—who would lead a charge at the front on a battlefield—is remaining inside and not emerging.
He understands that his presence there makes the enemy's attack more readable and is the most effective posture for interception.
And then…the attack began.
Clang, clang!
First, arrows rained down.
When magic-based defense is hard to perform, archery is highly effective.
The assailants, all with their faces hidden, knew that.
But…
"Charge the spots the arrows came from! The enemy's there!"
Chief Attendant Lin Shun knew that too.
They had to press for close-quarters combat.
With magic-sealing talismans present, the magicians'
Once the defending magicians' mana ran dry, the carriage couldn't be protected.
Therefore, they had to venture out before that happened.
The problem was the enemy's strength.
At present, they knew almost nothing.
But there was one thing they did know:
The enemy had greater numbers.
They had prepared this so thoroughly.
There's no way they didn't know their strength.
Knowing their strength and still choosing to attack… naturally means they were superior in force.
Even so, play every card you can.
"Before you stands His Highness, the Sixth Prince Ryun. Do you understand what you're doing!"
They surely did.
They attacked anyway.
Even so, it had to be said.
"To attack a prince is to bring the death penalty upon your entire clan!"
Chief Attendant Lin Shun's voice resounded.
Usually calm, seldom raising his voice, Lin Shun had passed through many battlefields to reach this point—
Together with Prince Ryun, and also without him.
Though his administrative abilities were highly valued, in essence, Lin Shun was a warrior.
His sonorous, rolling voice echoed through the whole crossroads.
For an instant, some of the assailants faltered.
But they immediately steeled themselves.
In other words, they knew it was the Sixth Prince Ryun and attacked anyway.
"Then I'll send you to hell."
Chief Attendant Lin Shun danced.
While giving orders, Lin Shun himself cut down assailants.
Catching that sight at the edge of her vision, Mifa murmured,
"Amazing…"
Lin Shun's sword-flashes were fast. And short.
No—precisely because his blade traced short arcs, the overall speed accelerated.
It was a trajectory of the sword Mifa had never seen.
It was different from the Bosuntar style she had studied.
Different from her master Abel's style.
But she understood how astonishingly strong it was…
At the same time, Mifa herself plunged into close combat.
While fighting, Lin Shun kept Mifa at the corner of his eye.
"As expected of Her Highness's trump card—this is not the sword of a sixteen-year-old."
He marveled, a faint smile touching his lips.
The primary consort of his master, and the lady-in-waiting she trusts most— wielding a sword Lin Shun felt he could entrust his back to.
As Chief Attendant, he could well afford a smile.
Of course, he knew Mifa swung her sword every morning and evening.
He knew her flashes were keen.
But on a battlefield, against true enemies, swinging a sword is another matter.
Yet… Mifa's sword did not dull in the face of foes.
If anything, it seemed even sharper.
"So this is what it means to be forged by a top-tier swordsman."
Lin Shun knew who her master was.
The bodyguard swordsman of Duke Rondo… no, the identity Princess Shio Fen had revealed to Prince Ryun and he alone had been told… King Abel I, the Liberator of the Kingdom of Knightley.
The hero-king sung of by bards.
Mifa, his direct disciple.
What she had learned was not only sword techniques.
Perhaps the heart of a swordsman had been hammered into her as well.
"Either way, reassuring."
Thus, before the carriage, a battle unfolded with Mifa and Lin Shun as the axis.
And at the rear of the carriage?
There, too, a man and a woman formed the core—
Attendant Wen Shu and Guard Captain Bizis.
Frankly, Captain Bizis did not rate Attendant Wen Shu highly.
In Bizis's view, he was a pampered boy high in self-regard without knowledge of the field or good judgment.
Even so, he was stronger than the other guards present.
"Right now, strength is what matters."
Captain Bizis had spent ten years as the queen's guard alone.
Naturally, within Bosuntar, the queen had never been attacked by brigands.
But they had encountered monsters while moving through a city, and she had gone to war to gain experience.
What she learned painfully then was that strength is justice.
No matter how correct your principles, they mean nothing before the strength called violence.
To continue being in the right, you must also possess the strength to continue.
And now is that time.
So Bizis cut down foes without the slightest hesitation.
She cut without an ounce of wavering.
Attendant Wen Shu, alongside her, followed suit.
He was still nineteen.
Because the previous Duke Montier had fallen in battle, he was the duke-apparent.
To be blunt, he was a rich kid…
Even so, his loyalty to Prince Ryun did not waver.
From the bottom of his heart, he believed Prince Ryun was the one fit to be the next emperor.
Naturally, there was no way he would let him die here.
Thus, his sword did not dull.
Even to Captain Bizis's eye, Attendant Wen Shu's blade was overwhelmingly keener than the other guards'.
The rear of the carriage was being held together by these two.
But…
"Aren't these assailants too strong?"
Attendant Wen Shu murmured, to no one in particular.
He and Captain Bizis were somehow managing to fight.
But that in itself was abnormal—
That only those two could surpass their opponents was abnormal.
The guards attending Prince Ryun here were the very elite of his command.
Trained daily, they were deemed able to match or exceed even the Imperial Guard.
And yet these elite were being outmatched one-on-one.
Moreover, the enemy had far more numbers.
At least twice as many.
If the enemy is stronger and more numerous… they would naturally be pushed back.
That was true not only at the rear.
At the front as well—where Mifa and Lin Shun were the fulcrum— as time passed, differences in numbers turned into differences in power.
And despite the time passed fighting, there was no sign of patrol soldiers or other keepers of the peace arriving.
"They must have put up people-warding talismans along with the magic-sealing ones."
"At this rate…"
At Lin Shun's analysis, even Mifa began to show urgency.
The assailants had yet to field magicians or sorcerers.
Naturally—after all, they themselves had plastered magic-sealing talismans across the crossroads.
But that also proved multiple sorcerers were waiting.
When they moved to finish things, those sorcerers would peel off the magic-sealing talismans and commit magicians and sorcerers.
In other words, the assailants still had ample reserves.
But the guards…
Mifa and Lin Shun were felling foes, but the guards were being felled as well.
Aside from Mifa, Chief Attendant Lin Shun, Attendant Wen Shu, and Captain Bizis, almost everyone had taken serious wounds.
There was no room to circulate potions.
The exceptions were the three magicians maintaining
But no one knew when their mana would run out.
They were sustaining
Even so…
"The enemy is too strong."
Even Captain Bizis muttered that despite herself.
-x-X-x-
Touch Me
"To attack a prince is to bring the death penalty upon your entire clan!"
Bullshi, people attacked a prince and emperor twice and they still released him with no consequences
-x-X-x-
Even so…
"The enemy is too strong."
Even Captain Bizis muttered that despite herself.
"Judging by their gear—adventurers?"
Mifa murmured in answer.
"They're not regular soldiers."
Words leaked from Chief Attendant Lin Shun.
Attendant Wen Shu said nothing.
He was too out of breath to speak.
Which meant…
"Ugh!"
His braced foot landed on a small stone.
He slipped; his posture collapsed.
Assailants would not overlook that.
Clang.
"Ugghh!"
"Wen Shu!"
Shouting, Captain Bizis struck in the same instant.
Her blow felled the assailant who had stabbed Wen Shu in the belly—but it left an opening in herself.
Assailants focused on Captain Bizis.
Catching that at the edge of her vision, Mifa moved.
She moved before thinking.
She slashed at the enemy that had gone for Bizis.
The result…
Chief Attendant Lin Shun was exposed to attacks from three directions.
The battle line that had been balanced on a knife-edge collapsed all at once.
From there, it was a complete melee.
The four of them cut down eight new foes, but all four took deep wounds.
Wounds that robbed them of the ability to continue fighting.
"This is bad…"
At last, even Chief Attendant Lin Shun let a despairing phrase slip.
Up to now, Lin Shun had never uttered anything negative.
He was mindful that he was the commander here.
But this was indeed bad…
"Give it up."
For the first time, a voice came from the assailants.
A man stepped out before the carriage.
Presumably their commander.
Like the others, his face was hidden.
"If we give up, will you stop the attack?"
Chief Attendant Lin Shun asked.
He knew full well that would never happen.
But right now, he wanted every minute, every second.
Even if people-warding talismans are posted, not everyone is blinded.
Some feel something is off; some can grasp what's happening.
A miracle like that isn't impossible.
The more time passes, the more likely the miracle.
In that case, buying time by talking is only natural.
"I might spare your lives."
"Don't lie."
Lin Shun shot back without a beat.
"You've no reason to let us go here."
At Lin Shun's words, the commander did not answer and only shrugged slightly.
Yes—he intended to kill them.
"Why target Prince Ryun in the first place? No, foolish question. Because you were hired."
"…"
"Why not be honest? You're adventurers from the Advanced Hall, aren't you? Your employer is Prince Bin, the Fourth Prince."
The moment Lin Shun spoke Prince Bin's name, a ripple of surprise ran through the assailants.
They hadn't thought they knew that much.
No, even they hadn't met Prince Bin himself.
But they knew the noble who came to give them orders was called "Lin Sui".
And in this Imperial Capital, "Lin Sui" is known to be the right arm of the Fourth Prince, Prince Bin.
At that point, even a child could tell who their true employer was.
Officially, however, Prince Bin was unconnected.
To maintain that fiction, he would never appear in person…
Even so, they reacted.
For Lin Shun, that was enough.
He had never expected honest answers.
"Enough."
Saying that, the commander looked around at his comrades surrounding the carriage.
And said,
"Kill them."
But…
"Guh!"
"Ugh…"
"Ah!"
Muffled cries rose here and there.
They weren't the voices of those guarding the carriage.
It was the assailants who suddenly began to drop.
"What?"
Even the commander was surprised.
At the time when dusk had fully given way to night—
Something was flying about, but it was hard to catch with the eye.
Clang.
The sound of someone knocking something aside rang out.
Clang.
The sound came from elsewhere too.
"Guh!"
Soon after, there were voices of someone apparently struck down.
It took all of three minutes.
A reversal of fortunes in just three minutes.
Brought about by just… one person.
"Fo-fo-fo. I thought there were people-warding talismans about and came to see—only to find magic-sealing talismans deployed as well. A most thorough ambush."
"Who goes there!"
"To shady assailants, I have no name worth giving."
In that instant, two more assailants fell.
"Magic? Impossible! There are magic-sealing talismans posted!"
"Mm. Thanks to that, it's rather troublesome to use magic."
The commander cried out, and a voice from the darkness laughed as it answered.
And from that darkness, an old man stepped into view.
He could hardly be one hundred and sixty centimeters tall.
He wore deep-blue Darwei Attire, leaned on a staff, and his white hair and beard were grown quite long.
He looked to be over seventy.
Yet his gaze was startlingly keen.
Something whooshed around the old man as it flew.
Even at a glance, the commander understood.
The old man was a powerful magician.
Stronger than himself.
But… there was no retreat now.
This was the last job in Darwei.
If they killed a prince, it would of course be their last.
They would take the large success fee and flee to a distant foreign land.
True, they had received a decent advance payment… but they would go as far as they could!
"Old sir, this doesn't concern you."
The commander spoke as if calm.
Because it was true.
They had looked into Prince Ryun's subordinates.
The magician to watch out for was Captain Lu Yao of the Magic Artillery Unit.
But Captain Lu Yao was a young woman.
Not an old man.
There was no elderly magician under Prince Ryun's command.
So he said again,
"Old sir, be on your way."
"And if I go, will anything good happen to me?"
The old man laughed as he asked—
As if enjoying the conversation.
"…You get to live."
With growing irritation, the commander answered.
"I see. Yet to witness an attack on a public thoroughfare and then walk away… that would be unseemly for a subject of Darwei, no?"
As the old man said this, two more assailants fell.
"You bast…"
"Yes, yes, that's exactly what assailants say, Second-Rank Adventurer San Ki."
"Wha—"
The old man called the assailant commander by name: Second-Rank Adventurer San Ki.
San Ki, the commander, was struck speechless.
"How…"
"How do I know your name? Simple. Because I remember your face and name. For all adventurers of Rank 3 and above registered in the Imperial Capital, I've memorized every face and name. Especially you, San Ki—you've been an adventurer a long time. Even with such a mask hiding most of your face, I can tell."
With that, the old man burst into hearty laughter.
It wasn't funny to the assailants.
All faces and names memorized?
Is that even possible?
Yet he had just named San Ki… despite most of his face being covered.
"There are, what, seven hundred or so? If I can't remember that many, what good am I?"
The old man said it offhand.
"Who the hell are you?"
From surprise to anger, San Ki demanded.
"I told you earlier—I've no name worth giving to shady assailants. Already forgotten?"
The old man shook his head slightly, smiling wryly.
But then San Ki finally caught with his eyes what was flying around the old man.
"Ice discs…?"
"Oh? Good eyes, San Ki. With it this dark, I thought you couldn't see clearly. As expected of a Second-Rank adventurer."
The old man laughed.
In that instant, San Ki understood.
Who stood before him.
Of course.
Wide as Darwei is, there is only one water-attribute magician who floats multiple ice discs and attacks with them.
"One of the Six Saints… Lord Rowon."
"Ho, correct."
San Ki said it as a near-whisper; the old man—Lord Rowon—laughed heartily and confirmed it.
The difference in their demeanors was a measure of the overwhelming gulf in power.
"Why… would such a big name be here?"
"Hmm. I was out walking and just happened to pass by."
"As if anyone would believe that lie!"
"If you decide from the start it's a lie, I suppose you can't believe it."
San Ki shouted; Lord Rowon laughed.
"We can't possibly win…"
San Ki muttered, then shouted,
"Withdraw!"
But…
"As if I'd let you run."
The instant Lord Rowon's voice was heard, agony lanced through both of San Ki's legs.
Not only San Ki—every melee fighter in the encirclement, every magician and sorcerer lurking nearby felt the same in their legs…
The ice discs had split and punched through both legs.
The split discs weren't large…but the damage to their bodies was.
Every one of them lost the ability to walk…
Multiple discs continued to wheel above the adventurers, as if to intimidate them.
They realized it wasn't mere intimidation but surveillance when someone tried to use a potion to heal his leg—and a small disc punched through his arm as well.
After that, no one tried to use a potion, and no one tried to flee…
When all was finished, Lord Rowon nodded once, satisfied.
As if taking that as a signal, a man and woman alighted from the carriage.
Prince Ryun and Princess Shio Fen.
"Oh ho… so it was indeed Prince Ryun's party. Which means…"
Looking over the fallen assailant adventurers, Lord Rowon continued.
"It seems adventurers have intervened in the Imperial Household's strife. That is nothing but a tightening of the noose around adventurers' own necks…"
He shook his head with a wry smile.
"Lord Rowon, you saved us from grave danger. You have our thanks."
"Think nothing of it. I just happened to pass by."
Prince Ryun offered his thanks, and Princess Shio Fen as well.
Lord Rowon answered with a laugh.
Meanwhile, Chief Attendant Lin Shun and the others were circulating potions they carried or had stored in the carriage, giving them to the guards.
"Lord Rowon, earlier you spoke that adventurer's name."
"Mm. Second-Rank Adventurer San Ki. He's a sort of coordinator at the Advanced Hall of the Adventurers' Mutual Aid Association here in the Capital. To see even someone like that dragged into this is lamentable."
"I see."
Prince Ryun nodded at Rowon's words.
"Well, it is most fortunate that Darwei has not lost someone of value such as Your Highness. And most fortunate as well that I need not see my disciple grieved."
"Yes—when I return to the residence, I will tell Lu Yao that we were saved by Lord Rowon."
"I appreciate that. Perhaps my standing will rise a little in my disciple's eyes."
Saying so with a laugh, Lord Rowon departed—
Refusing the reward Prince Ryun offered.
Several tens of minutes later.
Lord Rowon was shown into a room.
"Lord Rowon, I hear you saved Ryun just now."
"You hear quickly—as expected, Your Highness. Surely you won't scold me for saving a rival?"
Lord Rowon asked with a joking smile.
"Of course not. Ryun is a precious asset to Darwei. I would thank you, not scold you."
The master of the room smiled as he invited him to sit.
"It's been a while since you met Ryun, hasn't it? How did he look to you?"
"A tiger. To speak plainly, Your Highness—he will be your greatest obstacle to taking the imperial throne as the next emperor."
"I thought so."
Lord Rowon stated it outright; the room's master smiled as he agreed.
Being called the greatest obstacle somehow pleased him—
As if to say the assessment he himself had made years ago was correct.
"Oh yes, Lord Rowon—I've come by some wonderful coffee beans. Care to have a cup?"
"I'll gladly impose upon your kindness."
Prince Kouri, the Second Prince, invited him to coffee with a smile, and Lord Rowon accepted with a smile of his own.