Chapter 50 - The Minister's Return <3>
V
The next day dawned, and Ritz was awoken by Anna leaping onto him with a shout.
"I told you not to jump on me in the…"
He was about to yell, but the words caught in his throat when he saw tears spilling from Anna's large, emerald eyes. Her red hair, usually tied up, was still down.
He understood then that she must have realized he was there as soon as she woke up and came flying over.
"Because, I thought you'd left me behind!"
Anna said, sniffling loudly.
"Franz and I would be lost without you, Ritz! We wouldn't know what to do!"
"Anna…"
"You said we were comrades, didn't you, Ritz? You can't just disappear without saying anything!"
He glanced over and saw Franz looking at him with an expression of relief.
"…My bad."
The apology was Ritz's to give. He patted the head of Anna, who was wiping her tears on top of him, and offered Franz a smile.
Since he had snuck back in the middle of the night, neither of them had known he was there.
"You won't leave us again?"
He tousled Anna's hair as she asked in a nasal voice.
"I won't. I'll go with you all the way to your destination."
"Really, really? It's a promise?"
"Yeah, it's a promise."
He once thought he had saddled himself with a burden, but strangely, these two had become important to him as well.
Even if they hadn't said anything, he probably couldn't have abandoned them.
And as for what was happening now, they were actually in the middle of a costume fitting.
The clothes Ritz was currently wearing were the pure white military uniform of the Yuresla Kingdom Army. Its shape was slightly different from the dark brown kingdom army uniforms that Kenny and the others usually wore.
This was simply a difference in rank. The uniforms for ranks from the bottom up to field officer class were basically the same, but the uniforms for general officers and above were different.
Incidentally, Kenny was a major. For this return parade, the Inspectorate Department would also be wearing formal attire, so Kenny's formal uniform was also white, but it was distinguished from a company officer's by the number of rank insignias.
In the Yuresla Kingdom, the Prime Minister heads the political departments, while the Minister heads the military. Therefore, the Minister held the military rank of Marshal, and his formal attire was nearly identical to that of a marshal.
As a result, Ritz's outfit was a magnificent piece adorned with numerous decorations and a white cape, the mark of a minister. Some of the decorations appeared to be medals.
Ritz had no memory of it, but apparently, he had received them from Edward when he was in the army.
And so, to Anna and Franz, the getup looked like nothing more than a stage costume.
"Wow, Ritz, you look so cool!"
Anna cried out in pure admiration. Behind her, Franz gave a faint, cold smile and said.
"It's true, you're a sideshow incarnate."
Apparently, this was payback for unsettling them yesterday.
"Shut up, Franz!"
He felt a tug from behind and turned to see Anna pinching his cape, examining it intently.
"This is amazing! I want to wear one too! Such beautiful clothes. I'd love to try them on once!"
Apparently, what Anna admired was the feel of this cape. Honestly, Franz's words were correct. It was a complete sideshow.
"We must decide on clothes for Anna-kun and Franz-kun as well."
"Eh?"
As O'Connor said this, Franz froze. He had apparently thought that costumes had nothing to do with him. When Ritz grinned back at him, his expressionless face shifted to one of displeasure.
"You will both be coming to the Royal Capital with us, after all. Your current attire is simply not suitable."
Summoned by O'Connor, a chamberlain and a lady-in-waiting appeared, holding clothes, a coat, and a dress that, while not flashy, looked expensive.
The clothes handed to Franz were like a suit overall, but they came with a cravat at the collar and a pin to hold it in place. The pin was, of course, adorned with jewels.
Franz accepted the clothes offered by O'Connor with a sigh.
"Aren't you used to wearing this kind of thing, being the son of a rich merchant?"
When teased, he remained sullen and roughly put on the sleeves. Ritz found it amusing to think that he had probably worn nothing but clothes like these until he went to Orphe to train as a spirit user.
In contrast to the displeased Franz, Anna was in high spirits.
"Yay, a dress, a dress!"
Though Anna disliked restrictive clothing, it seemed she still longed for a dress. After all, Anna was a girl too.
"…Am I a sideshow too?"
Next to Franz, who was changing with a sigh, the ladies-in-waiting were dressing Anna in the gown, hiding her behind a large cloth they held up.
"Wow… it's silk… it's really silk…"
Hearing Anna's voice filled with wonder from behind the cloth, Ritz felt a strange sense of amusement. He remembered how Anna had admired all the different fabrics when they first arrived in Saradio.
Maybe he could buy her something small once he started getting a minister's salary.
"Ritz, Franz, how do I look?"
Ritz burst out laughing as Anna popped out from behind the cloth.
"The dress is definitely wearing you."
"Well, that's because it's too big!"
The ladies-in-waiting, armed with needles and measuring tapes, had already gathered around the pouting Anna's hem and waist.
"Your Excellency, may we alter this dress?"
At the lady-in-waiting's question, Edward, who had been watching the three of them with an amused expression, nodded.
"Yes, go ahead."
After measuring Anna, the lady-in-waiting took the dress and retreated to the back. It seemed Franz's clothes also needed hemming, so his were also carefully measured before being taken away.
"Don't you need any alterations?"
Asked in a teasing tone, Ritz shrugged.
"It fits better now than it did back then, if anything."
"That's true. Back then you were a slender, handsome young man who was worn by his formal uniform, but now that you've gained some gravitas, you look more like a soldier."
Being told that, he felt a mix of pleasure and complexity. It was true that after thirty-five years as a mercenary, he was confident his body was a size larger.
"That dress, was it yours, Ed-san?"
"No, it belongs to my wife."
"And Franz's was yours, Ed-san?"
"No, it belongs to my son."
It seemed the unplanned clothes for Anna and Franz were made to do with what the Queen and Crown Prince had at this villa.
Even Edward and the others hadn't expected Ritz to have companions, so they were lucky to have anything to wear at all.
Glancing at the two of them, Ritz returned to his preparations.
He styled his hair, checked it in the mirror, and then dusted white powder on his head. He was starting to look the part. The young attendant helping him pointed to a lock of hair at the back of his head.
"Your Excellency, wouldn't it be better to cut this back hair?"
"Absolutely not. This is my trademark."
"But…"
"If you cut it, I'll take off these clothes and use them as bedding in the cowshed. You don't have a spare, do you?"
"Ugh… we do not."
In the end, they settled on tucking Ritz's back hair into his collar. After fussing with his hair until he was satisfied, he turned around, and Anna and Franz burst out laughing simultaneously.
"R-Ritz! Wow, you have no bangs!"
"Don't put it like that, it makes me sound bald."
"And you have gray hair!"
"Going for that 'distinguished silver fox' look, are we?"
Ritz had firmly slicked his hair all the way back. Moreover, he had used white powder on his pitch-black hair to make it look like he had streaks of gray. In front of the two of them, he theatrically produced a beard and put it on.
"What's with that beard?"
Franz muttered in disbelief, while Anna stared at it with great interest.
"It's a disguise, obviously. And for the finishing touch…"
Ritz put on a golden monocle that rested on his nose. The chain on one side swung with a soft sound.
"Wow… you've gotten old, Ritz."
"'Gotten old' feels a bit harsh…"
He grumbled, but the reflection in the mirror did indeed look like a man transitioning from middle to old age.
This way, he wouldn't look out of place standing next to Edward or Shasta. He had been feeling that a young-looking minister just wouldn't do.
Plus, this would have various benefits.
"With this, you could even pass for Anna's grandfather."
At Franz's overly blunt words, Ritz furrowed his brow.
"Do you have a grudge against me or something?"
"Not particularly."
VI
As the massive crowd watched, a carriage proceeded slowly down the main street, led by the minister on horseback, followed by the Inspectorate officials.
Carrying the final work of the missing court painter, the minister who had been away from the country for many years had returned.
That period of absence was approximately thirty-some years…
Until the carriage entered the royal palace, the cheers continued to shake the city.
People shouted their praises to the minister and the inspectors.
Welcome back, Your Excellency the Minister!
Welcome back to the Royal Capital Sears!
Upon entering the royal palace, the party was greeted by the Prime Minister, the Queen, the Crown Prince, and the King, who, amidst the chaos, had mixed in with the crowd of onlookers and returned to the palace ahead of them disguised as a merchant.
Amidst a lively welcome by numerous high officials and the royal military band, Edward grasped Ritz's hand and shook it firmly.
In a resonant voice that defied his age, the king spoke to the minister.
"It is good to have you back."
Ritz replied with a prim expression.
"I have returned. It is a pleasure to see you well, Your Majesty."
Cheers erupted and the military band played. Amidst the noise, Edward spoke so that only Ritz could hear.
"Quite the popular fellow, aren't you, Ritz?"
"Shut up."
It was obvious that Shasta had pulled some strings behind the scenes to arrange such a welcome. Ritz secretly resolved to complain to Shasta about it later.
But the man himself appeared before Ritz surprisingly quickly.
"Welcome back, Ritz-san."
A middle-aged man with graying hair, meticulously smoothed down, extended a hand toward Ritz. From his tone, Ritz knew immediately who it was.
"Shasta… you've gotten old."
"…You're the exception, Ritz-san."
—In any case, the party had entered the Royal Capital, their first destination.