Chapter 605: Interlude
Editor: Tseirp
Captain Lu Yao returned to Prince Ryun’s royal residence and told Prince Ryun and Chief Chamberlain Lin Shun the entirety of her conversation with her master, Lord Rowon.
“Lin Shun, what do you think?”
“I think we should inform Duke Rondo as well.”
Because of that exchange between Prince Ryun and Chief Chamberlain Lin Shun, Captain Lu Yao went straight to visit the neighbors.
When she arrived at the Rondo manor, a golem immediately came up to Captain Lu Yao.
It had a yellow scarf tied around its neck.
“Oh—Friendship Token No. 2-kun. Long time no see.”
Captain Lu Yao smiled and greeted it before she could help herself.
Of course, because Friendship Token No. 2-kun was an Ice Golem, it could not speak.It didn’t show any special reaction…
But Captain Lu Yao patted its head.
She had been borrowing it every day up until a week ago; it had followed her around day after day and peered at the magic formulas, so she had grown very fond of it.
However, with Prince Ryun’s investiture as imperial prince approaching and Captain Lu Yao’s duties increasing as captain of the royal residence’s Yulin Guard, she had reluctantly sent it back to Ryo…
“Hello, Captain Lu Yao.”
“Duke Rondo, I’m sorry for coming so suddenly.”
Ryo greeted him, and Captain Lu Yao apologized for the unannounced visit.
“Captain Lu Yao is the temporary master of Friendship Token No. 2-kun, after all. Don’t worry about it—come by anytime.”
Ryo said with a nearly overflowing smile.
Captain Lu Yao didn’t seem to understand the term ‘temporary master’, but she did understand that she was in a position to command Friendship Token No. 2-kun.
“Actually, the reason I came today is…”
Escorted into the room, Captain Lu Yao began and then related her conversation with her master, Lord Rowon.
When she had finished, Ryo and Abel were surprised.
“Lord Rowon—the one who taught you the ‘mana amplification string’ that was used on those gauntlets, right?”
“The mana amplification string? Ah, yes, that’s right. He taught me that long ago.”
“I’d wanted to ask him about that before any fighting starts.”
Ryo murmured, nodding slightly.
“Before fighting? Do you really think you’ll be fighting Lord Rowon, Duke Rondo?”
“It’s possible.”
Ryo said decisively.
He did not explain.
Abel, listening at the side, thought to himself.
(Probably one of those classic story developments.)
He could see right through what Ryo was thinking.
After passing on what was necessary, Captain Lu Yao returned to the royal residence.
On her way out, lingering with obvious reluctance, she stroked Friendship Token No. 2-kun several times.
“I told her many times she could take Friendship Token No. 2-kun to the royal residence…”
Ryo said to no one in particular as he re-tied the golem’s scarf.
Of course, he was fully aware that Abel was sitting beside him.
“She’s the captain of the Prince’s Yulin Guard, right? The Yulin Guard is like the palace guard, isn’t it? She won’t have time to train her troops properly.”
“I think so. I heard Captain Lu Yao also trained the former magic bombardment unit, and they were quite impressive.”
“That’s true. Units change entirely depending on the person who trains them.”
Abel nodded at Ryo’s words.
One of the king’s duties is to inspect the kingdom’s knightly orders and magic corps.
Those inspections don’t just involve watching a parade; sometimes they include mock battles that look like real combat.
Mock battles with hundreds of participants are fierce enough that, while there are no fatalities, serious injuries can occur.
Of course, during those fights, not only regular but even spells fly about… to an unknowing observer, such an exercise could easily be mistaken for actual combat.
That’s why Abel understood the importance of training.
In single combat, the only thing at stake is one’s own life.
But in group combat, if one person slacks off, dozens or hundreds of lives can be endangered.
Training is necessary to make people understand that.
Still…
“Training people is pretty tough, you know.”
“Not everyone is like you, Abel—not everyone will keep working hard on their own.”
“I’m not saying I always work hard at things I hate.”
“For example—magic! You slacked off at magic!”
“No, I just had no aptitude for it…”
Abel smiled wryly and shook his head at Ryo’s teasing finger.
Abel’s father, the late King Stafford IV, could use magic.
But Abel’s late older brother, Crown Prince Cain, also could not use magic, just like Abel.
“Some people genuinely can’t do it from birth; that’s just how it is.”
Abel shrugged.
“Well, everyone’s different. Do what you can—that’s all you can do.”
“That’s true.”
The two laughed together.
“I’m really looking forward to it in five days.”
“You mean the Kyoonkai or whatever it’s called.”
“Yes, that’s it! A concert hosted by the entire palace—that’s amazing.”
“I suppose princes and imperial prince factions will perform, and maybe even members of the Shitaifu class. But listening from afternoon until night straight might be exhausting, right?”
“The Emperor likes the arts. If you love something, you can do it forever… just like Abel and his sword.”
“Yeah, put that way, I can understand it a little.”
Abel accepted Ryo’s analogy.
Indeed, if you love something, you can lose track of time.
Those who are forced to attend and don’t like it might have a hard time, though…
“Won’t Princess Shio Fen perform from Prince Ryun’s residence? And Mifa will join the ensemble too.”
“Yeah—she came to ask me about that the other day.”
It seemed Abel was not only Mifa’s sword instructor but also her violin teacher.
“When a formal consort is presented, that consort performs at the Kyoonkai… thinking about it, it’s a huge custom, a sort of binding tradition.”
“It’s meant as a public presentation of the consort. If she performs here, everyone will know who she is.”
“But what if her playing is terrible…”
“Someone who will be the legitimate consort of a Darwei prince should have that level of refinement. As part of her education.”
“The royal family is terrifying…”
Abel said casually, and Ryo shook his head slightly.
In every era and in every world,
it’s not simply a matter of ‘lucky to be born royal’.
Royals must acquire skills ordinary people never need in a lifetime.
Likes and dislikes don’t matter.
A normal person might go mad under such pressure.
That’s what royal life is like.
People who haven’t lived it couldn’t possibly imagine it.
“Also, they’re the grand finale… they’re playing last in the program, right?”
“Of course—it’s meant to introduce the presenting consort.”
“You saying that makes me think your sense of normal is way off, Abel.”
“Is it? I’d think that’s only natural if you’re royal.”
Usually, Ryo is told he can’t understand by Abel… but matters related to royalty and the royal household are indeed far removed from ordinary folk.
Still, some things are the same whether you’re royal or common:
Both eat meals, after all!
“Well, anyway, we’re officially invited. Listening to wonderful performances and getting to eat palace food all-you-can is fantastic!”
Ryo looked very pleased.
“All-you-can-eat palace food…”
“Getting to eat palace cuisine all you want is something ordinary commoners like me rarely get to do.”
“You wouldn’t call the Premier Duke an ordinary commoner.”
Abel chuckled and shook his head slightly.
Even so, Abel himself was curious about palace cuisine.
He had tasted it at Prince Ryun and Princess Shio Fen’s banquet, and it was indeed delicious.
Of course, Abel was the king of Knightley and had eaten dishes prepared by the castle’s finest chefs… but the palace food was different in its own way.
“Good food is justice!”
“That can’t be argued.”
Ryo and Abel both looked forward to the Kyoonkai itself, but even more to the meals that would be served.
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