Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
Once the baron had been safely locked away in the oubliette, I headed straight for King Randolph’s private quarters.
「Has it ever crossed your mind to knock?」, he sighed wearily.
「Of all the times I’ve entered without knocking, you choose to comment on this one?」
You’re right, replied the king. Seated on the sofa, he smiled at me. The last rays of sunlight trickling in through the window were rapidly fading. I sat on the opposite sofa, and he called for a servant who brought a bottle of spirits and two glasses to the table.
「I won’t stay for long.」
「C’mon, don’t be such a wet blanket.」
I poured some of the amber-coloured spirits into each glass.
「To think that the mighty King Randolph would let a few scathing remarks get to him」, I said nonchalantly. 「How naive.」
「It has been lingering in the back of my mind all this time. Almeria’s presence is a powerful one — I must admit that having my daughter around has helped tremendously in suppressing the nobles’ dissent」, the king said with a bitter smile.
We both took tiny sips of spirits.
「Your policies have made them unhappy, although understandably so.」
「What would you do if you were in my shoes, Roland?」
「I don’t know what nobles really want, so it’ll all be pure speculation. But do you intend to have only Barbatos himself executed?」
「That is the plan, yes.」
「If you leave the roots of a plant intact, it will grow again in due time. I suggest making sure that any potential risks are conclusively stamped out.」
「He has no children, for one. And I’m not going to do something so foolish as to start beef with his relatives. If there are individuals who come to take revenge in the future, then it will be of my own doing — and I will put a stop to it when the time comes.」
Opening the letter, he let the moonlight fall onto the parchment and the familiar blue-green words materialised.
「‘Destruction of Ferland’… ‘methods to be taken to achieve that goal’. I can scarcely imagine someone having the capacity to think of staging something like this in a kingdom that has just been through a war.」
「It’s been a while since I last saw Almeria. How is she?」, I asked.
「My daughter? As the headmaster of the orphanage, she makes frequent trips there and back.」
「I see. If I’m not mistaken, Barbatos was saying that killing him wouldn’t quench the fires of inquisition, right? He must have been prudent in his preparations. I haven’t asked him about it, of course, but I find it plausible that his ‘methods to be taken’ include getting rid of Almeria.」
The baron would be interrogated on this matter eventually, I thought.
「But who could possibly get rid of Almeria other than you?」
「There’s a high chance that Barbatos was working with Aimée.」
「That can’t be!」, exclaimed the king, returning his glass to the table.
Not one to sensationalise matters, I told him why I suspected as such.
「So from your appearance at the underground arena, they figured out your abilities and all your pseudonyms… that makes sense. Aimée… now that name brings back memories, even though I never knew her all that well.」
In the beginning, I was never directly affiliated with the royal family. It was only after Aimée’s departure that I had taken her place. From what the king had said, I inferred that he had never worked closely with her. Even though he had never asked me to do much either, he had somewhere along the way become a person who I could feel at ease with.
「For such a well-prepared person, there’s no way he hasn’t already made plans to bump off the thorn in his eye.」
「He’ll have to take on Almeria, though? She’s not any girl — you know that better than anyone else.」
「Ah, Almeria is strong when faced with an army」, I agreed. 「But when faced with individual human beings… she’s not used to killing others. There’s a huge difference, especially considering that her opponent specialises in assassination — which includes taking her opponents by surprise. It won’t be an even match.」
The king breathed a deep sigh.
「Please stop. If you tell me that with such a serious face, I can’t help but be overcome with worry…」
「I don’t like to sugarcoat my words. As long as I’m speaking to a man, I will give him the straight facts. Anyway, I’d like you to make sure that Almeria follows a different routine every day from now on. But of course, don’t bar her from leaving the castle or anything.」
「Huh. Are you serious about this plan…!?」
「Yes」, I replied with conviction. 「If only I was here to be a jester.」
The king’s shoulders drooped.
「Just when I thought Almeria was safe after we called off the deal with Reubens… and now we have to deal with an assassin?」
「Not just any assassin — one that even I have to be wary of. An absolutely terrible enemy to go up against.」
「Please stop… I will die of worry at this rate…」
「I’ve said what I came here to say」, I replied, turning around to leave.
At that moment, the king called out to me.
「Wait.」
We toasted about five times.
「After all, I am a friend of yours」, he said.
「Is that you or the alcohol talking? You’re too cheerful for a man getting on in years.」
He hadn’t seemed particularly jocular during his audience with Barbatos earlier.
「And likewise, you are a friend of mine.」
「Okay, okay. The phrase ‘vice versa’ was invented for a reason」, I grumbled.
The king guffawed when he saw me sulking. We had talked for so long that it was almost daybreak. I suddenly recalled what Lyla had said ages ago —
It’s lonely to be a king.
As the ruler of a kingdom, you have the final say in every matter. The only person you can rely on is yourself.
「If anything happens to me, please accept Almeria.」
「Hmph. Now that’s certainly the alcohol talking. I refuse.」
「What!? Why?」
If anything does happen, I thought, it’ll probably happen to me and not him.
He tried his luck again.
「I must say, Almeria’s a great beauty. And she’s a good girl.」
「I know. I hope she finds a good partner.」
「You hope!? She’s yours for the taking!」
「I’m done with you and your drunken ramblings.」
While I could pour my heart out to Lyla without reservation, I couldn’t say the same for King Randolph. But for the king, he may have no one aside from me and his daughter. As the morning sun bathed the room in warm sunlight, I heard snoring coming from him.
「I know that what I have said is cause for worry. But fret not, for I will protect your beloved daughter. She is not only part of my inner circle, but also an invaluable friend and disciple.」
I covered the sleeping monarch with a blanket and left.
Kufufu, chuckled Lyla when I got back to Vadenhaag. 「There’s quite the hubbub outside.」
Converting her to her feline form, I went outside with her and Rodje to see what the commotion was about. We found a long line extending from the castle to the outskirts of the city — a long line ending in a stack of familiar-looking boxes.
「Not too shabby an idea, human.」
「Relocating the goods was the best option. It just happened that this country needed them.」
「Leyte already ordered her soldiers to claim the arms」, explained Lyla. 「What you see here are the rations.」
「Queen Leyte said that there isn’t enough room in the castle, and instructed us to distribute it to the people instead」, added her servant.
And that’s why the citizens in the capital had lined up — to absorb the unexpected surplus of rations.
「Confiscating goods from someone attempting treason and using them to help a developing country instead… it feels good」, commented Lyla, nodding.
「Thanks for the giant ‘Gates’, by the way. They were a big help.」
「That’s right. My magic sense is still second to none!」
「Oh right. Did you know that we were planning to do something for this country, human?」
「Ah, Rodje –」, said Lyla hurriedly, pawing at her servant’s feet.
「The dry rations — meat and yams — you brought over will be gone in an instant. But Lylael-sama has made better plans!」, continued Rodje.
「Right. The two of you have been rather secretive lately… and it’s because of that?」
「Please stop… anything more, and…」
Rodje seemed intent on establishing for the millionth time how wonderful her master was. Ignoring Lyla, she continued with her monologue.
「After taking this country’s climate and land condition into account, Lylael-sama brought suitable crops from the demon realm here in secret! I know, because she allowed me to follow her! Those crops, being strategically important, will eventually make it onto the international market. This country will prosper, and food shortages will be nothing more than a distant memory! Do you get it now, human? Contrary to your short-sighted plans, ours will ensure the country’s prosperity for ten… no, a hundred years to come! Are you not impressed by Lylael-sama? Uhahahaha!」
「And what part of that was your doing, you idiot elf?」
「B-But… Lylael-sama! As Rodje Sandsong, it is my duty to knock some sense into this clown! I have to show him how merciful and benevolent you are, that you will even help a nascent state –」
「Shut up! That doesn’t mean you should divulge every single detail! You’re the clown! Make yourself scarce this instant!」
Rodje’s shoulders slumped and she left unhappily at her master’s order.
「Seriously! I just can’t believe her!」, complained Lyla between snorts after Rodje was gone.
「What drove you to do this?」
「A sense of guilt, more or less. I don’t know what Vadenhaag was like before, but its present condition was my army’s doing.」
「Atoning for your sins?」
「Well… pretty much」, she muttered softly, looking away.
I now understood why she didn’t want anyone else to know of her intentions. The crops she had brought here, ‘Will Yams’, were known to treat dehydration and general illness. I would have imagined that demon crops were impossible to cultivate here, but she said that she had done her due research.
「Is it palatable to humans?」
「Using my tried-and-tested recipe, anyone will find it absolutely delicious.」
「I find it hard to have faith in anything you say.」
「I’ll make you taste it too. Maybe you’ll become unable to live without my cooking!」
「You’re full of confidence as always.」
Let’s head back, said Lyla, turning around.
「But I do hope to see such a day」, I added.
「…Even if that day never arrives, I’ll be content as long as I can watch this country prosper.」
Hearing her noble words, I scooped her up and let her perch on my shoulder. Looking forward to this fabled dish, we slowly walked back to the castle.
Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
Once the baron had been safely locked away in the oubliette, I headed straight for King Randolph’s private quarters.
「Has it ever crossed your mind to knock?」, he sighed wearily.
「Of all the times I’ve entered without knocking, you choose to comment on this one?」
You’re right, replied the king. Seated on the sofa, he smiled at me. The last rays of sunlight trickling in through the window were rapidly fading. I sat on the opposite sofa, and he called for a servant who brought a bottle of spirits and two glasses to the table.
「I won’t stay for long.」
「C’mon, don’t be such a wet blanket.」
I poured some of the amber-coloured spirits into each glass.
「To think that the mighty King Randolph would let a few scathing remarks get to him」, I said nonchalantly. 「How naive.」
「It has been lingering in the back of my mind all this time. Almeria’s presence is a powerful one — I must admit that having my daughter around has helped tremendously in suppressing the nobles’ dissent」, the king said with a bitter smile.
We both took tiny sips of spirits.
「Your policies have made them unhappy, although understandably so.」
「What would you do if you were in my shoes, Roland?」
「I don’t know what nobles really want, so it’ll all be pure speculation. But do you intend to have only Barbatos himself executed?」
「That is the plan, yes.」
「If you leave the roots of a plant intact, it will grow again in due time. I suggest making sure that any potential risks are conclusively stamped out.」
「He has no children, for one. And I’m not going to do something so foolish as to start beef with his relatives. If there are individuals who come to take revenge in the future, then it will be of my own doing — and I will put a stop to it when the time comes.」
Opening the letter, he let the moonlight fall onto the parchment and the familiar blue-green words materialised.
「‘Destruction of Ferland’… ‘methods to be taken to achieve that goal’. I can scarcely imagine someone having the capacity to think of staging something like this in a kingdom that has just been through a war.」
「It’s been a while since I last saw Almeria. How is she?」, I asked.
「My daughter? As the headmaster of the orphanage, she makes frequent trips there and back.」
「I see. If I’m not mistaken, Barbatos was saying that killing him wouldn’t quench the fires of inquisition, right? He must have been prudent in his preparations. I haven’t asked him about it, of course, but I find it plausible that his ‘methods to be taken’ include getting rid of Almeria.」
The baron would be interrogated on this matter eventually, I thought.
「But who could possibly get rid of Almeria other than you?」
「There’s a high chance that Barbatos was working with Aimée.」
「That can’t be!」, exclaimed the king, returning his glass to the table.
Not one to sensationalise matters, I told him why I suspected as such.
「So from your appearance at the underground arena, they figured out your abilities and all your pseudonyms… that makes sense. Aimée… now that name brings back memories, even though I never knew her all that well.」
In the beginning, I was never directly affiliated with the royal family. It was only after Aimée’s departure that I had taken her place. From what the king had said, I inferred that he had never worked closely with her. Even though he had never asked me to do much either, he had somewhere along the way become a person who I could feel at ease with.
「For such a well-prepared person, there’s no way he hasn’t already made plans to bump off the thorn in his eye.」
「He’ll have to take on Almeria, though? She’s not any girl — you know that better than anyone else.」
「Ah, Almeria is strong when faced with an army」, I agreed. 「But when faced with individual human beings… she’s not used to killing others. There’s a huge difference, especially considering that her opponent specialises in assassination — which includes taking her opponents by surprise. It won’t be an even match.」
The king breathed a deep sigh.
「Please stop. If you tell me that with such a serious face, I can’t help but be overcome with worry…」
「I don’t like to sugarcoat my words. As long as I’m speaking to a man, I will give him the straight facts. Anyway, I’d like you to make sure that Almeria follows a different routine every day from now on. But of course, don’t bar her from leaving the castle or anything.」
「Huh. Are you serious about this plan…!?」
「Yes」, I replied with conviction. 「If only I was here to be a jester.」
The king’s shoulders drooped.
「Just when I thought Almeria was safe after we called off the deal with Reubens… and now we have to deal with an assassin?」
「Not just any assassin — one that even I have to be wary of. An absolutely terrible enemy to go up against.」
「Please stop… I will die of worry at this rate…」
「I’ve said what I came here to say」, I replied, turning around to leave.
At that moment, the king called out to me.
「Wait.」
We toasted about five times.
「After all, I am a friend of yours」, he said.
「Is that you or the alcohol talking? You’re too cheerful for a man getting on in years.」
He hadn’t seemed particularly jocular during his audience with Barbatos earlier.
「And likewise, you are a friend of mine.」
「Okay, okay. The phrase ‘vice versa’ was invented for a reason」, I grumbled.
The king guffawed when he saw me sulking. We had talked for so long that it was almost daybreak. I suddenly recalled what Lyla had said ages ago —
It’s lonely to be a king.
As the ruler of a kingdom, you have the final say in every matter. The only person you can rely on is yourself.
「If anything happens to me, please accept Almeria.」
「Hmph. Now that’s certainly the alcohol talking. I refuse.」
「What!? Why?」
If anything does happen, I thought, it’ll probably happen to me and not him.
He tried his luck again.
「I must say, Almeria’s a great beauty. And she’s a good girl.」
「I know. I hope she finds a good partner.」
「You hope!? She’s yours for the taking!」
「I’m done with you and your drunken ramblings.」
While I could pour my heart out to Lyla without reservation, I couldn’t say the same for King Randolph. But for the king, he may have no one aside from me and his daughter. As the morning sun bathed the room in warm sunlight, I heard snoring coming from him.
「I know that what I have said is cause for worry. But fret not, for I will protect your beloved daughter. She is not only part of my inner circle, but also an invaluable friend and disciple.」
I covered the sleeping monarch with a blanket and left.
Kufufu, chuckled Lyla when I got back to Vadenhaag. 「There’s quite the hubbub outside.」
Converting her to her feline form, I went outside with her and Rodje to see what the commotion was about. We found a long line extending from the castle to the outskirts of the city — a long line ending in a stack of familiar-looking boxes.
「Not too shabby an idea, human.」
「Relocating the goods was the best option. It just happened that this country needed them.」
「Leyte already ordered her soldiers to claim the arms」, explained Lyla. 「What you see here are the rations.」
「Queen Leyte said that there isn’t enough room in the castle, and instructed us to distribute it to the people instead」, added her servant.
And that’s why the citizens in the capital had lined up — to absorb the unexpected surplus of rations.
「Confiscating goods from someone attempting treason and using them to help a developing country instead… it feels good」, commented Lyla, nodding.
「Thanks for the giant ‘Gates’, by the way. They were a big help.」
「That’s right. My magic sense is still second to none!」
「Oh right. Did you know that we were planning to do something for this country, human?」
「Ah, Rodje –」, said Lyla hurriedly, pawing at her servant’s feet.
「The dry rations — meat and yams — you brought over will be gone in an instant. But Lylael-sama has made better plans!」, continued Rodje.
「Right. The two of you have been rather secretive lately… and it’s because of that?」
「Please stop… anything more, and…」
Rodje seemed intent on establishing for the millionth time how wonderful her master was. Ignoring Lyla, she continued with her monologue.
「After taking this country’s climate and land condition into account, Lylael-sama brought suitable crops from the demon realm here in secret! I know, because she allowed me to follow her! Those crops, being strategically important, will eventually make it onto the international market. This country will prosper, and food shortages will be nothing more than a distant memory! Do you get it now, human? Contrary to your short-sighted plans, ours will ensure the country’s prosperity for ten… no, a hundred years to come! Are you not impressed by Lylael-sama? Uhahahaha!」
「And what part of that was your doing, you idiot elf?」
「B-But… Lylael-sama! As Rodje Sandsong, it is my duty to knock some sense into this clown! I have to show him how merciful and benevolent you are, that you will even help a nascent state –」
「Shut up! That doesn’t mean you should divulge every single detail! You’re the clown! Make yourself scarce this instant!」
Rodje’s shoulders slumped and she left unhappily at her master’s order.
「Seriously! I just can’t believe her!」, complained Lyla between snorts after Rodje was gone.
「What drove you to do this?」
「A sense of guilt, more or less. I don’t know what Vadenhaag was like before, but its present condition was my army’s doing.」
「Atoning for your sins?」
「Well… pretty much」, she muttered softly, looking away.
I now understood why she didn’t want anyone else to know of her intentions. The crops she had brought here, ‘Will Yams’, were known to treat dehydration and general illness. I would have imagined that demon crops were impossible to cultivate here, but she said that she had done her due research.
「Is it palatable to humans?」
「Using my tried-and-tested recipe, anyone will find it absolutely delicious.」
「I find it hard to have faith in anything you say.」
「I’ll make you taste it too. Maybe you’ll become unable to live without my cooking!」
「You’re full of confidence as always.」
Let’s head back, said Lyla, turning around.
「But I do hope to see such a day」, I added.
「…Even if that day never arrives, I’ll be content as long as I can watch this country prosper.」
Hearing her noble words, I scooped her up and let her perch on my shoulder. Looking forward to this fabled dish, we slowly walked back to the castle.
