Chapter 222 – Helped in Another Country
“…It’s Prince Remlik.”
The eyes of the crowd moved from Roda and Fule, and turned to the prince with long golden hair.
Prince Remlik.
So this was the son of the Vader King…
There was no doubt that this was one of the most powerful people within Vader.
And while it was easy to get distracted by the handsome face, the thing that was most notable was the platinum, shining armor and sword.
Mithril… We had finally found it.
So it was worn by high-ranking people after all.
However, there was no time to observe it calmly.
It wasn’t just nobles, but royals now.
And considering the equipment, he was likely quite strong.
I had to take Fule and Shia away at once… That was what I thought, but something seemed strange.
Prince Remlik moved in between Roda and Fule. And then he asked Roda with a puzzled expression.
“Lord Roda. What is going on here?”
“Thi-this human woman struck my cheek!!”
“Human?”
Prince Remlik turned to look at Fule.
And Fule replied without backing down.
“He tried to punch me, so I gave him a little slap. That is all. But more importantly, prince. Or whatever you are. Is this a country where you can enslave anyone just because you want to?”
“Of course, it…”
“There is no such law in this country.”
Prince Remlik said, interrupting Roda’s words.
And after looking at how scared Shia was, he continued.
“I understand the situation now. Roda tried to take away this child by force. How very rude… I am sorry.”
“Ye-yes.”
Fule was taken aback by the prince’s apology.
And so was I.
Langs was filled with Vader people who looked down on the other races.
However…this Remlik was different.
He not only admitted that the Vader noble was in the wrong, but he had even bowed his head.
As Roda looked stunned, Remlik turned to the guards.
“Take Lord Roda to the mansion. I will contact the Governor later.”
“Are-are you mad, Prince Remlik!! I am the Governor General’s son!!”
“All the more reason for you to set an example for the people… And yet you have been committing crimes. Guards, take him away.”
The guards were quite stunned by this, and did not move.
Roda’s face became red and he shouted angrily.
“These guards only obey me and my father! Just because you are the Vice King do not think that you can order everyone around!”
“I am the Vice King of the Southern Province. I believe Governor Langs is one of my subordinates.”
“But you have no right to control the army! His Majesty the King is the only one who can punish a noble! The Vader people are fed up with your actions! I will tell my father about this!”
“Please do. A confession of your behavior would save me some trouble.”
“Tsk!! …I hope you have a safe journey back, prince. I hear that there are fifty thousand people in Langs who have had enough of your tyranny! Hey, we’re going!!”
Roda glared at the prince as they left the market.
As for the spectators, they all muttered to each other as they slowly dispersed.
“He always takes the side of the other races.”
“He bowed to a human. How shameless.”
“He must be a half-breed. That is why he cannot become a dragon.”
“Hey, keep your voice down.”
It seemed like Remlik helped people other than Vaders regularly.
What Roda had tried to do was not unusual, and Remlik would warn them every time he witnessed it.
Also, he could not transform into a dragon.
The dragon people who came to Sheorl had been able to change into something like a Lindwurm. I suppose Remlik was not able to do that.
Perhaps that made him a target for mockery.
And so he was not very popular with the Vader people…
In any case, we had been saved because of him.
And while I wanted to thank him, I hesitated to get involved with a prince.
As I wondered what to do, Shia quickly bowed her head to Prince Remlik.
“Uh, um. Thank you!”
“You do not need to thank me. It is my duty to create a safe place where everyone can live… I should apologize to you for having to experience such a horrible thing.”
“No-not at all! It was not your fault, Your Highness!”
Shia said frantically.
However, Fule remained cold.
“I am grateful for your help. But to be honest, I never want to return to this city again.”
Similar things seemed to be happening every day…
And Fule did not like that.
However, this was the prince.
It was possible that he would take offense.
But…
“Indeed… It is all because of my failings. I am truly sorry.”
Prince Remlik said with another bow.
He really did not have the intimidating air of a prince.
Though, I was likely the same…
As for Fule, she glanced over to us, and then replied.
“…Well, do your best. We must be gone now. Let’s go, Shia.”
Fule took Shia’s hand and guided her over to us.
However, Remlik then called out to her.
“Please wait.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Well…if you do not mind. There is something I wanted to ask. Where did you come from?”
Fule was surprised to be called.
However, she was ready to answer such questions.
“Where? Amolis, of course.”
“Amolis… But you speak the Vader tongue very well.”
“We are merchants, so surely it is only natural to learn the language? What are you trying to say?”
“It sounds like you are speaking the Vader tongue. However, the movements of your mouth are different. And so I believe it is the result of some kind of magic.”
He was very observant…
I became a little frantic, but Fule replied calmly.
“Huh, impressive. However, I’m using a very expensive magic tool, and so I did not want to talk about it. It might get stolen after all. Would you mind keeping it to yourself?”
“Of course, I will not tell anyone… But more importantly…”
Remlike turned to look at the stall that we had set up.
“The hell worm materials you are selling are also incredibly rare. In these parts, you would have to go far south, past the checkpoints in order to acquire them.”
“…A merchant does not reveal such information. Now, we must go to a different city.”
Fule said bluntly, and tried to get away.
However, Remlik continued.
“Please wait. I am not trying to interrogate you. However, I am curious, after seeing you people.”
Remlik said, and then he turned to me and Rienna.
By this time, the crowd had dispersed completely.
And so he had noticed our presence.
I suppose it was because we were humans.
Rienna turned to me, as if to ask about what we should do.
However, Remlik did not seem to be displeased to see humans.
Perhaps this was an opportunity to acquire more information on Vader.
But there was also something a little astonishing about his insight.
It was possible that he could make us say something that we shouldn’t.
But I also felt something like kinship towards him.
Even if there was a huge difference in physical appearance, it was like we were similar in many ways.
In any case, it would look very unnatural if we just ran away now.
And I wanted to offer some words of gratitude at least.
And so I approached Remlik and called to him.
“Thank you. You helped my friend.”
Rienna also bowed to him.
“Well, it was my fault. However, you people really are…”
Remlik was looking at my mouth.
Perhaps he could tell that we were actually speaking in Barleon.
And so I answered so that he would not become suspicious.
“We are travelers who came from the Barleon continent to the west. We wanted to see Vader, and so we decided to travel while doing business here. We just said Amolis, because it is the most famous human country here.”
It was true that we wanted to see Vader.
Of course, it was mostly for reconnaissance and inspection.
As for Remlik, he seemed to be satisfied by this explanation.
“So you did come from a different continent then! Yes, judging by the way your lips moved, I thought it would be Barleon. I see! Baleon humans!”
Remlik smiled happily as he stared at us.
It was like he was seeing something very rare.
…Was it really such a big deal?
“It is my first time meeting people from Barleon… Still…”
Remlik muttered with a far away look in his eyes.
And then Fule said to him,
“Prince. I don’t mean to be rude, but we’re in a rush. Can we go now?”
“Uh, yes. Sorry to keep you! …And I’m sorry for everything.”
He apologized once again.
“While you might have bad memories of Langs, there are also wonderful places in Vader. And so I hope you can enjoy the remainder of your journey… I will do my best to make Langs a better place by the next time that you visit.”
“Thank you. We will come again if there is an opportunity.”
“Aye. We will meet again.”
Remlik smiled and waved his hand.
And so we waved back and went on our way.
Rienna then whispered.
“He was a very kind person.”
“Aye. A very unusual man.”
It was best to not assume that all Vader people were like that.
He would be rare even among humans.
And then Fule muttered.
“Well, he did not seem too reliable though…”
“I didn’t get that impression, but… Hmm?”
Shia had been keeping her eyes on Prince Remlik as he left the plaza. And her nose and ears were twitching.
“That man…because of me…”
“What is it, Shia?”
“That Roda… He and his friends are hiding in the alley together… Surely they mean to get their revenge.”
Shia had a very good sense of smell and hearing.
And so she must have detected the change.
Indeed, there did seem to be people gathered in that direction. I could tell from the magic energy.
And they were lined up…it was the movements of trained soldiers or guards.
Roda had been quite furious.
Not only that, but Remlik was not popular with the Vader people.
It was possible that they did not mean to just hurt him, but to murder him as well.
Remlik did not have any guards… Would he be able to run away from so many?
Rienna turned to me.
“Lord Heal. I am ready.”
She did not even need to ask.
She knew what I wanted to do.
“…He helped Fule and Shia. And so it is our turn now.”
“Good. There is no other option!”
Fule said in a cheerful voice, but Shia looked desperate.
“No! If you do that, the Governor General will have you all executed!”
I shook my head.
“Don’t worry. No one would attack the prince so boldly. They will surely be disguised.”
“If they are hiding their identity, then we do not need to hold back!”
“Fule. I still ask that you show some restraint.”
Said Fule and Rienna.
“Tha-that’s not what I meant…”
Shia said with a troubled expression.
She probably thought that we could not win against them.
And so Fule tried to reassure her.
“Don’t worry. You saw how strong we are when we first met, didn’t you? Leave it to us. You can just hide in the back and watch.”
“But…it’s all my fault…”
Shia said tearfully.
She felt guilty that we and the prince were going to be killed because of her.
Fule hugged Shia and said,
“You did nothing wrong, Shia. They are bad people, and we are going to go and punish them.”
“Sister…Fule…”
Shia hugged her back.
I wondered if Shia had a sister at home.
Regardless, it seemed like many of the people here learned to live without relying on others.
But Fule was someone she could rely on. She must have been able to believe in her now.
Riennna, Fule and I looked at each other and nodded.
“Let’s go then. We must save Prince Remlik.”
“Yes!”
“Aye!”
And so we left the plaza and chased after Prince Remlik.
Chapter 222 – Helped in Another Country
“…It’s Prince Remlik.”
The eyes of the crowd moved from Roda and Fule, and turned to the prince with long golden hair.
Prince Remlik.
So this was the son of the Vader King…
There was no doubt that this was one of the most powerful people within Vader.
And while it was easy to get distracted by the handsome face, the thing that was most notable was the platinum, shining armor and sword.
Mithril… We had finally found it.
So it was worn by high-ranking people after all.
However, there was no time to observe it calmly.
It wasn’t just nobles, but royals now.
And considering the equipment, he was likely quite strong.
I had to take Fule and Shia away at once… That was what I thought, but something seemed strange.
Prince Remlik moved in between Roda and Fule. And then he asked Roda with a puzzled expression.
“Lord Roda. What is going on here?”
“Thi-this human woman struck my cheek!!”
“Human?”
Prince Remlik turned to look at Fule.
And Fule replied without backing down.
“He tried to punch me, so I gave him a little slap. That is all. But more importantly, prince. Or whatever you are. Is this a country where you can enslave anyone just because you want to?”
“Of course, it…”
“There is no such law in this country.”
Prince Remlik said, interrupting Roda’s words.
And after looking at how scared Shia was, he continued.
“I understand the situation now. Roda tried to take away this child by force. How very rude… I am sorry.”
“Ye-yes.”
Fule was taken aback by the prince’s apology.
And so was I.
Langs was filled with Vader people who looked down on the other races.
However…this Remlik was different.
He not only admitted that the Vader noble was in the wrong, but he had even bowed his head.
As Roda looked stunned, Remlik turned to the guards.
“Take Lord Roda to the mansion. I will contact the Governor later.”
“Are-are you mad, Prince Remlik!! I am the Governor General’s son!!”
“All the more reason for you to set an example for the people… And yet you have been committing crimes. Guards, take him away.”
The guards were quite stunned by this, and did not move.
Roda’s face became red and he shouted angrily.
“These guards only obey me and my father! Just because you are the Vice King do not think that you can order everyone around!”
“I am the Vice King of the Southern Province. I believe Governor Langs is one of my subordinates.”
“But you have no right to control the army! His Majesty the King is the only one who can punish a noble! The Vader people are fed up with your actions! I will tell my father about this!”
“Please do. A confession of your behavior would save me some trouble.”
“Tsk!! …I hope you have a safe journey back, prince. I hear that there are fifty thousand people in Langs who have had enough of your tyranny! Hey, we’re going!!”
Roda glared at the prince as they left the market.
As for the spectators, they all muttered to each other as they slowly dispersed.
“He always takes the side of the other races.”
“He bowed to a human. How shameless.”
“He must be a half-breed. That is why he cannot become a dragon.”
“Hey, keep your voice down.”
It seemed like Remlik helped people other than Vaders regularly.
What Roda had tried to do was not unusual, and Remlik would warn them every time he witnessed it.
Also, he could not transform into a dragon.
The dragon people who came to Sheorl had been able to change into something like a Lindwurm. I suppose Remlik was not able to do that.
Perhaps that made him a target for mockery.
And so he was not very popular with the Vader people…
In any case, we had been saved because of him.
And while I wanted to thank him, I hesitated to get involved with a prince.
As I wondered what to do, Shia quickly bowed her head to Prince Remlik.
“Uh, um. Thank you!”
“You do not need to thank me. It is my duty to create a safe place where everyone can live… I should apologize to you for having to experience such a horrible thing.”
“No-not at all! It was not your fault, Your Highness!”
Shia said frantically.
However, Fule remained cold.
“I am grateful for your help. But to be honest, I never want to return to this city again.”
Similar things seemed to be happening every day…
And Fule did not like that.
However, this was the prince.
It was possible that he would take offense.
But…
“Indeed… It is all because of my failings. I am truly sorry.”
Prince Remlik said with another bow.
He really did not have the intimidating air of a prince.
Though, I was likely the same…
As for Fule, she glanced over to us, and then replied.
“…Well, do your best. We must be gone now. Let’s go, Shia.”
Fule took Shia’s hand and guided her over to us.
However, Remlik then called out to her.
“Please wait.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Well…if you do not mind. There is something I wanted to ask. Where did you come from?”
Fule was surprised to be called.
However, she was ready to answer such questions.
“Where? Amolis, of course.”
“Amolis… But you speak the Vader tongue very well.”
“We are merchants, so surely it is only natural to learn the language? What are you trying to say?”
“It sounds like you are speaking the Vader tongue. However, the movements of your mouth are different. And so I believe it is the result of some kind of magic.”
He was very observant…
I became a little frantic, but Fule replied calmly.
“Huh, impressive. However, I’m using a very expensive magic tool, and so I did not want to talk about it. It might get stolen after all. Would you mind keeping it to yourself?”
“Of course, I will not tell anyone… But more importantly…”
Remlike turned to look at the stall that we had set up.
“The hell worm materials you are selling are also incredibly rare. In these parts, you would have to go far south, past the checkpoints in order to acquire them.”
“…A merchant does not reveal such information. Now, we must go to a different city.”
Fule said bluntly, and tried to get away.
However, Remlik continued.
“Please wait. I am not trying to interrogate you. However, I am curious, after seeing you people.”
Remlik said, and then he turned to me and Rienna.
By this time, the crowd had dispersed completely.
And so he had noticed our presence.
I suppose it was because we were humans.
Rienna turned to me, as if to ask about what we should do.
However, Remlik did not seem to be displeased to see humans.
Perhaps this was an opportunity to acquire more information on Vader.
But there was also something a little astonishing about his insight.
It was possible that he could make us say something that we shouldn’t.
But I also felt something like kinship towards him.
Even if there was a huge difference in physical appearance, it was like we were similar in many ways.
In any case, it would look very unnatural if we just ran away now.
And I wanted to offer some words of gratitude at least.
And so I approached Remlik and called to him.
“Thank you. You helped my friend.”
Rienna also bowed to him.
“Well, it was my fault. However, you people really are…”
Remlik was looking at my mouth.
Perhaps he could tell that we were actually speaking in Barleon.
And so I answered so that he would not become suspicious.
“We are travelers who came from the Barleon continent to the west. We wanted to see Vader, and so we decided to travel while doing business here. We just said Amolis, because it is the most famous human country here.”
It was true that we wanted to see Vader.
Of course, it was mostly for reconnaissance and inspection.
As for Remlik, he seemed to be satisfied by this explanation.
“So you did come from a different continent then! Yes, judging by the way your lips moved, I thought it would be Barleon. I see! Baleon humans!”
Remlik smiled happily as he stared at us.
It was like he was seeing something very rare.
…Was it really such a big deal?
“It is my first time meeting people from Barleon… Still…”
Remlik muttered with a far away look in his eyes.
And then Fule said to him,
“Prince. I don’t mean to be rude, but we’re in a rush. Can we go now?”
“Uh, yes. Sorry to keep you! …And I’m sorry for everything.”
He apologized once again.
“While you might have bad memories of Langs, there are also wonderful places in Vader. And so I hope you can enjoy the remainder of your journey… I will do my best to make Langs a better place by the next time that you visit.”
“Thank you. We will come again if there is an opportunity.”
“Aye. We will meet again.”
Remlik smiled and waved his hand.
And so we waved back and went on our way.
Rienna then whispered.
“He was a very kind person.”
“Aye. A very unusual man.”
It was best to not assume that all Vader people were like that.
He would be rare even among humans.
And then Fule muttered.
“Well, he did not seem too reliable though…”
“I didn’t get that impression, but… Hmm?”
Shia had been keeping her eyes on Prince Remlik as he left the plaza. And her nose and ears were twitching.
“That man…because of me…”
“What is it, Shia?”
“That Roda… He and his friends are hiding in the alley together… Surely they mean to get their revenge.”
Shia had a very good sense of smell and hearing.
And so she must have detected the change.
Indeed, there did seem to be people gathered in that direction. I could tell from the magic energy.
And they were lined up…it was the movements of trained soldiers or guards.
Roda had been quite furious.
Not only that, but Remlik was not popular with the Vader people.
It was possible that they did not mean to just hurt him, but to murder him as well.
Remlik did not have any guards… Would he be able to run away from so many?
Rienna turned to me.
“Lord Heal. I am ready.”
She did not even need to ask.
She knew what I wanted to do.
“…He helped Fule and Shia. And so it is our turn now.”
“Good. There is no other option!”
Fule said in a cheerful voice, but Shia looked desperate.
“No! If you do that, the Governor General will have you all executed!”
I shook my head.
“Don’t worry. No one would attack the prince so boldly. They will surely be disguised.”
“If they are hiding their identity, then we do not need to hold back!”
“Fule. I still ask that you show some restraint.”
Said Fule and Rienna.
“Tha-that’s not what I meant…”
Shia said with a troubled expression.
She probably thought that we could not win against them.
And so Fule tried to reassure her.
“Don’t worry. You saw how strong we are when we first met, didn’t you? Leave it to us. You can just hide in the back and watch.”
“But…it’s all my fault…”
Shia said tearfully.
She felt guilty that we and the prince were going to be killed because of her.
Fule hugged Shia and said,
“You did nothing wrong, Shia. They are bad people, and we are going to go and punish them.”
“Sister…Fule…”
Shia hugged her back.
I wondered if Shia had a sister at home.
Regardless, it seemed like many of the people here learned to live without relying on others.
But Fule was someone she could rely on. She must have been able to believe in her now.
Riennna, Fule and I looked at each other and nodded.
“Let’s go then. We must save Prince Remlik.”
“Yes!”
“Aye!”
And so we left the plaza and chased after Prince Remlik.
