Journey to the Old Kingdom
Near one of the restaurants
"We wish you good luck, sir."
"Really? Is the price of that kimono two hundred gold coins! By hell, at this price, I could buy a house of one hundred and fifty meters in the best street in the capital."
"I must save some money to buy a house."
After buying a new dark kimono made of thick fabric mixed with dark red stripes, the kimono matched wide sleeves, and a wide belt wrapped tightly around his waist, with dark pants. Over his hair, he wore a wide-brimmed hat, and his long silver hair was tied with a string on top of his head in a ponytail. This appearance made Akayama look like one of the noble sons, but despite its expensive price, Akayama did not feel satisfied; his anger continued boiling inside him while heading to one of the famous restaurants.
"Where is that fool?" Akayama muttered to himself, still searching for a certain person.
In front of him, he saw someone waving with his right hand, wearing a white silk kimono engraved with dark blue patterns symbolizing the sea dragon. Akayama smiled and said, "I haven't seen you for a while, Ryuta."
Ryuta, with his usual laugh, said in an annoyed tone, "You scoundrel! Were you the cause behind that cursed attack?"
"Heh, it seems you've caught me. Yes, I am the cause behind this attack," Akayama said with his usual cold smile.
Ryuta shouted, "You bastard! Didn't you have to do it on a different day? Why do it during my holiday!" Ryuta clenched his fists in anger and began biting his lip.
Akayama, in a laughing tone: "What's wrong? You'll see, they'll say you're insane."
Ryuta, whose hand was still clenched, said in a hoarse voice, "Shut up, you bastard."
Akayama continued mocking Ryuta, ignoring his words: "Hahaha. Really, I didn't notice from your clothes similar to Yusuko that the mark of madness has started to show on you."
The wind began to blow in the area, scattering some dust over Akayama's robe. Akayama closed his eyes before exploding in anger and said in a deep voice: "Enough talk. Let's enter the restaurant before my new robe fills with dust."
Ryuta yawned, and then his pupils widened in shock. His anger disappeared, and a big smile formed on his face. He said in a suppressed voice before laughing loudly, "So the cold, emotionless person fears getting his robe dirty."
Akayama smiled faintly again, still with his eyes closed, and said in a deep, laughing, and angry tone at the same time: "Do you want to die now, Ryuta? Enter the restaurant now before I think of a hole to bury you in."
Ryuta, now worried, returned to his normal state without mocking. He wanted to take revenge for Akayama's mockery, but Akayama had raised it to the level of killing. Ryuta scratched his light beard with his left hand and said in a calm and fearful tone at the same time: "Alright, alright, I'll enter." While saying that, Ryuta was not worried about Akayama's words but thought to himself: "How has nothing changed in him since the first glance? He should have grown like me, but his appearance hasn't changed since he turned twenty. I must ask him about this."
Ryuta entered the restaurant, which was originally not a restaurant but a café called the Blue Dragon Café. Its fame was not because it was luxurious, but because the café preserved its shape for several decades, making it a historical heritage site for the empire.
Akayama and Ryuta sat on wooden chairs made from sugi wood, considered the oldest wood in this era and used to build this café. Normally, the place would be noisy, but there was no one since it was early.
Ryuta smiled faintly and said in a calm voice: "Alright, what will you order now?"
Akayama was not concerned with anything and replied in a sharp accent: "I'll order green tea. I am used to drinking it every morning. Now, what do you want from me, Ryuta? I haven't seen you for five years. Why did you want to go to this café specifically?"
Ryuta nodded to the waitress and told her what Akayama wanted. Then Ryuta laughed and said in a firm tone: "Haha. As usual, Akayama, you start with questions directly. You have always been cold. There are many things to talk about. As for the reason we went to this café, it brings back some memories. Ten years ago, we used to come here all the time." Ryuta's expression changed, and his smile disappeared. Then he said in a sharp voice, "After this cursed war."
Akayama relaxed, took a sip from the cup of tea that arrived quickly, and said calmly, "Yes, the same place as I knew it. They are still fast with orders."
Akayama looked at the windows and observed the green trees in front of the café. He thought to himself: "It's a natural tree; its leaves gradually fall until it dies, and another tree is planted. Yet what I find is fake, but what others find is real. If all that were real, what would my feeling be and what would my fate be?"
After thinking about that, Akayama continued speaking with Ryuta and said: "I know what your question is, Ryuta, and I know it's not one of the things you wanted to meet me for. Why hasn't my appearance changed? That's your question, isn't it?"
Ryuta's eyes widened for a moment and then said: "Yes, that's what I wanted to ask, Akayama. Is it because of your power?"
Akayama looked at him and said sharply: "No, it's not my power. I don't know either. Since I turned twenty, my body growth stopped."
In response to what he heard from Akayama, Ryuta said: "I apologize for my rude question, but do you know what happened in the Old Kingdom and the Wizard Empire?"
While Akayama sipped his tea, he said calmly: "Do you mean the destruction incident that happened in the Wizard Empire? I was present and witnessed what happened."
Ryuta became sharp and said: "What happened there?"
Before he spoke, Akayama said in a hoarse voice to Ryuta: "If you want information, pay two hundred gold coins."
"By hell, are you trying to take advantage of me! Now man, I am your friend."
Akayama said in his calm voice: "When it comes to money, friendship disappears."
Ryuta, annoyed, said: "Alright, alright, I'll pay."
Akayama looked at the ceiling and said in a sharp and firm voice: "At the end of my fight with Yusuko, a dark energy emerged that devoured the Wizard Empire."
Akayama opened his mouth, and a smile split his face. Ryuta became tense, and then Akayama continued: "You didn't ask me anything without being sent for it, right, Ryuta?"
Ryuta was silent for a moment and said grumbling: "Yes, the Emperor sent me to investigate this empire, and I went for training."
Akayama said mockingly: "Wait, he's still obsessed with training as usual."
Ryuta smiled and said laughingly: "You're the only one who comments on the Emperor. The Emperor sent Roku to investigate the Old Kingdom."
Akayama smiled: "I like this boy."
Ryuta shouted loudly, shocking everyone in the café: "Of course, you'd like him! He's said to be brutal as you used to be. I wish, Akayama, I had done what you did."
Akayama was surprised and asked in a voice full of confusion: "What do you mean?"
Ryuta, beginning to tire, answered: "If I had hidden my identity as you did, you would now have peace without disturbing me with these missions."
Akayama laughed and said: "As I knew you, you are still lazy by nature."
Ryuta was silent for a moment and said in a sharp voice devoid of any emotion: "What are you planning, Akayama?"
Akayama smiled and said calmly: "Nothing, nothing, Ryuta."
End of Chapter