kscans

Chapter 134 - The Little One and the Gods' Banquet

"For now, let’s all just relax tonight, okay?"

The Little One beamed.

They were at the Castrato Royal Palace. She had sent word ahead that she would be staying in the royal capital for one night, and the Crown Prince had replied with an offer to host them at the palace. Since she also needed to return the two younger princes who had been in her care, the Little One readily accepted.

"My bride, will you sleep with me in my room?"

Louis Charles tilted his head with calculated coyness. Augfel shot him a sharp look, cutting him off.

"Brother. I believe I explained that that particular discussion is now void, did I not?"

Charles puffed out his cheeks with a pout, glancing repeatedly at the Little One before looking up at the Crown Prince as if pleading for help. The Crown Prince, too, wore a troubled expression.

Six months had passed. The drug’s effects had frozen Charles’s inner clock. While he possessed knowledge, his mind had developed with the maturity of a child. Augfel had been desperately trying to correct this, and Charles had now grown to a point where he could make reasonable judgments. Yet, though his heart was a child’s, his intellect was not. Augfel was at his wits’ end with Charles, who would slither through any conversational gap to make a pass at the Little One.

"It was a verbal promise, but it was made by the king of a nation. Should it not be fulfilled?"

"It was the rambling of our father. Frontier has absolutely no involvement."

"...In that case, what if I were to propose anew?"

"Her Highness the Princess already has a fiancé."

"...Fel, why are you being so mean to me?"

"That is not the issue here!"

Everything proceeded in this manner. It seemed like they were having a conversation, but their words never truly connected. Despite the many difficulties, Charles had undergone the ritual in Frontier, learned the principles of magic, and acquired a high level of magical power, making him an important figure in the Castrato Kingdom. At tomorrow’s coronation, a royal pardon for his crimes would be announced. By taking the lead in training new mages, he was also set to clear his name of the disgrace of patricide. Under normal circumstances in Castrato, it was a crime that would not escape the death penalty. However, the Crown Prince intended to spin it into a beautiful tale, framing it as Charles having nobly accepted the infamy in order to stop the atrocities of their tyrannical father.

"...And in truth, that is exactly what happened. It was because of my own powerlessness that I caused needless suffering for my subjects and my people," the Crown Prince said, laughing self-deprecatingly.

The many outrages of the late King of Castrato were well known not only to his retainers but to the citizens as well. It was said that there were none who would condemn Charles for stopping him. On the contrary, they revered him.

Though the facts were different, all’s well that ends well.

It may have been a matter of circumstance, but if it meant these three brothers could live without trouble, a lie was a justifiable means to an end. After receiving word from the Little One, the Crown Prince had replied with a request for her to attend the coronation. He had even scheduled the ceremony to fit her plans, which brought them to the present. The twins and Hyrulia were invited as honored guests and were to stay in a detached palace on the royal grounds, along with the Little One’s retinue.

"Have you decided on the Gyoku-rei, Your Highness the Crown Prince?"

It was a simple bit of small talk, but the Little One was curious about the Imperial Decree, a tradition passed down through the nations of Arcadia. It was the first official command issued by a new monarch upon their ascension. Whatever the reason, this order could never be overturned for all eternity. In a way, it was a trial that tested a ruler’s aptitude. If one were to utter something filled with self-interest or something cruel and unjust, they would be immediately stripped of their position. A misstep could even lead to lifelong confinement. The knights of Arcadia swear an oath to the gods to protect the people. For this reason, and this reason alone, the knight orders were permitted to overthrow their superiors. If a monarch issued a Gyoku-rei that proved them unfit to rule, the knights had the authority to strike off their head on the spot.

Well, such a violent event rarely occurred. Usually, the monarch would be bound and apprehended, with the whole affair ending in their imprisonment. And so, no matter how foolish the ruler, at this moment they would issue a splendid imperial command that would make even a wise king raise his eyebrows in approval.

After the Little One’s question, the Crown Prince fell silent for a moment. Then, as if savoring each word, he murmured, "I have a few candidates... but none of them feel quite right. ...I am still wavering."

It seemed a frank admission of his inner thoughts. The Little One gave a small nod of understanding, and after confirming their plans for the evening banquet, she headed toward the detached palace where they would be staying.

"I’m going with my bride, toooo," she thought she heard from behind her, but she ignored the auditory hallucination. As he watched the Little One stroll away, the Crown Prince let out a faint sigh.

"...So, Hyrulia, what will you do? Will you not succeed the ducal house?"

After a short rest, the twins and Hyrulia joined the banquet. It was a reunion of relatives who had not seen each other in some time. There was no end to the things they had to catch up on.

"Let me see. I probably will not. My cousin has already inherited the earldom, and I would like my uncle to continue as head of the ducal family."

"Is that so. That is a great help to me as well."

Count Jaizary had opposed the former king head-on. His political ideology was close to that of Frontier and similar to the Crown Prince’s own views. While the former king had found him a nuisance, he was a coveted talent for the Crown Prince.

"Then, what of marriage? As the daughter of a ducal house, there will not be many men who are a suitable match."

The one to make this probing comment was Charles. For him, who wished to make the Little One his bride, such topics were likely not a distant matter. The Crown Prince looked at his younger brother, who had matured only in the strangest of ways, with an exasperated gaze.

"I would rather not. In Frontier, suitability is of no concern, you know?"

Hyrulia chuckled, leaving the three Castrato brothers looking puzzled.

"Well, but... there is the matter of status, and you are of different nationalities. The problems would be endless, would they not?" said Augfel, who was completely smitten with Hyrulia, his eyes fixed on her as if for confirmation.

"Oh my. You can simply cast aside your status. I have the position of a lady-in-waiting, after all. I will have no trouble making a living."

She smiled softly, dropping her bombshell.

Even the servants were rendered speechless. Ignoring the stunned faces of the Castrato party, Hyrulia continued. "I happen to know someone who recently gave up his title as a marquis to be with his beast-human fiancée. Is that not right?"

Hyrulia cast a meaningful glance at Dorfen, who stood behind the twins. Startled by being suddenly drawn into the conversation, a blush crept up Dorfen’s cheeks. The Crown Prince did not miss it and stared intently at the Little One.

"Is such a thing permitted in Frontier?!"

Now the target of a concentrated barrage of stares from the Castrato side, the Little One shifted uncomfortably.

"Well... if two people who love each other wish to be together, and their status is an obstacle, I see no problem with them choosing to discard it. It would be quite a struggle to overcome the difference in status without doing so, would it not?"

If one wished to become a commoner to be with their partner, she would not stand in their way. So that was it.

He had a position as a knight. That would be sufficient to support a wife. And if his wife were also a commoner, there would be no issue if they could not live a life of luxury. In the end, it all came down to their own feelings.

The king himself permitted it. What a country Frontier was.

The Crown Prince’s eyes widened, his pupils trembling.

In reality, the royal family, who had no problems where the Little One was concerned, had only reluctantly approved it, but the people of Castrato knew nothing of that. This conversation, which overturned the entire foundation of politically arranged marriages for the nobility, caused the Crown Prince to look at Charles with a pained expression.

Their father may have intended it as a political strategy, but even now, his younger brother yearned for Princess Chihiro. In fact, he was far more obsessed than before. How many such heartrending loves must have been trampled upon in the past?

The Crown Prince narrowed his sharp eyes. He had decided on tomorrow’s Gyoku-rei.

"...Moved by these sentiments, I hereby declare. From this day forward, Castrato shall abolish all restrictions on marriage based on social status. Let this be my Gyoku-rei, and with it, I shall become king."

The unexpected Imperial Decree left the people speechless.

They exchanged glances, and then a chorus of joyous cheers erupted. Such matters were delicate. There would be those who welcomed it and those who found it troublesome. But every noble had at one time or another tasted the bitterness of this issue. This was not a command. It merely increased people’s options. Many problems would surely arise from this. Still, the Crown Prince had taken a progressive step that anyone could understand.

"He beat me to it..."

Watching the entire scene from the guest of honor’s seat, the Little One placed a hand on her forehead and gave a happy, wry smile.

Eventually, she had wanted to propose the same bill in Frontier. A bill to shatter the world’s conventions. A precedent had now been set in Castrato. She was happy, and yet regretful. Her heart was a mix of complex feelings, but for some reason, her spirits felt clear and bright.

And so, leading the world, an Imperial Decree that intervened in the rights of the people was born in Castrato. The Little One applauded this bill, the first of its kind outside Frontier to be made for the people, with a beaming smile and a round of applause.