kscans

Chapter 71 - The Foreign Prince and Little One

"His Highness Prince Marrow and Lady Jorje, arriving."

As their names were announced in a loud voice, the two glided into the hall. Marrow was dressed in black trousers and a jacket, with a blue dress shirt. His tie and handkerchief were red, a striking combination with his silvery white hair, giving him an elegant appearance. Little One was no less stunning.

She wore a simple, light blue dress with a beautiful décolletage, and from her left shoulder to her lower right, a magnificent arrangement of flowers. Red flowers modeled after large sasanqua camellias, with layers of orange and dangling tassels of pink and green. The flowers became smaller as they went down, and at the waist, a field of flowers spread from right to left. The flowers and kumihimo braided cords decorated her waist exquisitely. Bouquets of similar vibrant red flowers were placed at key points on the dress, and the hem was adorned with three-dimensional embroidery of these flowers.

The crowd, as well as the royalty on the dais, were left speechless by the eye-catching couple. The two approached with smooth steps and bowed respectfully.

"To be invited this evening is the greatest of pleasures. We thank you for the honor of beholding your noble visages."

"It has been some time, Your Majesty the King."

Next to Marrow, Little One also smiled sweetly. Her long black hair was tied back loosely in a half-updo, also adorned with a large sasanqua camellia. The royals, seeing the little girl in her finery after so long, held their breath.

"My, this is… you are beautiful, Chihiro. I almost didn’t recognize you."

"You flatter me."

As Little One’s eyes curved into a smile, Theodore spoke up.

"That is a wonderful dress. Is it a gift from someone?"

He knew Chihiro’s dresses. He had heard about them from the maids who tended to her room prepared in the royal palace. Theodore, who had been thinking of giving Little One a gift, was careful not to give her something she already had.

Among that information, the dress before him was not listed. The dresses prepared for her in the royal palace were all supposed to be simple.

In that case, the only possibilities left were that it was a gift from someone else, or handmade by the Count’s family.

"Your insight is much appreciated. It is a gift from His Highness Prince Marrow."

Instantly, the royal men shot him a sharp glare. It was not a look one should give to an eleven-year-old child.

Marrow trembled, but encouraged by Little One’s overlapping fingers, he straightened his back.

"It is a token of my gratitude for kindly agreeing to be my partner this evening."

Marrow looked at Little One, slightly embarrassed. Returning his gaze with a faint smile, the two took their leave from the King’s presence.

Before the King, who was gripping the armrest of his chair and glancing at Romel, could open his mouth, Romel shook his head.

"You must not."

Romel muttered with a sullen look.

"But I, too, wish to give something to Chihiro."

"Do you think she will accept a gift without reason?"

"But!"

"It is futile."

At Romel’s cool reply, the King persisted with a growl. The people around them were also whispering, and the atmosphere was somewhat unsettling.

Prince Masahad glanced at this curiously, then watched his younger brother with rapt attention. This was not what the report said. Marrow’s actions and attitude were so refined and dignified, it was as if he had been born in this country.

A report had come saying that his grades were not a problem, and that he was a passing grade as a Frontier noble. If he studied further, he would not be inferior to the high-ranking nobles.

This is not good. My plan…

Ignoring Masahad, who was glaring daggers at his brother and his partner, the banquet proceeded, and the orchestra’s music echoed. At that signal, the King and Queen, and the Crown Prince and his fiancée, glided onto the hall floor. While watching the two couples dance with light steps, Little One was captivated by Wilfe’s fiancée, whom she was seeing for the first time.

So that’s Alistair’s older sister. She’s beautiful. Wilfe takes after the King, he has a thing for pretty faces.

The little girl let out a small chuckle. Marrow handed her a fruit water and sighed heavily.

"You saved me. I’ve never been so nervous in my life."

He glanced at a tall man dressed in a long robe. He wore a long-sleeved mintan shirt with a sleeveless, luxurious caftan. The shalwar pants were paired with smooth leather boots, giving him an air of the privileged class. The delicate embroidery and jewels on the caftan also drew the eye, and his exotic appearance attracted envious gazes from the surrounding nobles. However, his head was not covered with a fez. He wore a cloth wrapped like a loose turban. It was a luxurious item with gold and silver decorative threads, and it matched the vibrant colors of the caftan well.

"You don’t wear a fez?"

At Little One’s mutter, Marrow’s eyes widened.

"You know a lot. The fez is for commoners, informal wear. Royalty and nobility use turbans. They cover their entire head to show respect to God."

"The Creator God?"

"Ah, it’s different from that. It’s more like a local deity… Donautil has a different mythology. About the god who created Donautil."

Little One’s heart pounded in her chest.

"...The Noble One?"

"What. You know about it."

Marrow’s face relaxed in relief.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Finding a loose thread in an unexpected place, Little One couldn't help but look up at the heavens.

While Little One was screaming internally, three apothecaries had been summoned to the adventurer’s guild in the castle town.

"You are the ones who left this book in the guild’s library, aren’t you? Would you care to explain what this is all about? And a detailed explanation as well, please."

The muscular Guild Master smiled sweetly. The three apothecaries in question hung their heads with looks of despair.

To think there was someone who could read ancient script.

A book of moth-eaten parchment. Spreading the several volumes on the table, the Guild Master traced a problematic section with his finger.

"Here. The ‘Kodoku Curse,’ that’s the barrier trap that was in the Queen’s Forest, isn’t it? There are many other dangerous curses written here. And what’s more, the script used for these annotations isn’t the common tongue. What language is this?"

The Guild Master glared at the three with his sharp eyes. He had been an adventurer full of dreams.

He had discovered many ruins in the past and, wanting to read the ancient script he found each time, had studied it on his own for a long time. This time, for better or for worse, that knowledge had been useful. While examining documents for Chihaya, the Guild Master’s eyes had caught several unfamiliar volumes, and upon checking them, he found them to be books with outrageous content. He immediately investigated their origin and discovered that these three had brought them in.

The Guild Master sat opposite the three and twisted his lips into a fierce grin.

"Let’s have a nice long talk. We have plenty of time."

A shiver ran down their spines, and the screams of the three terrified men echoed throughout the adventurer’s guild all night long.

The night progressed with each person holding their own thoughts. Just as the banquet, one act of the night, was about to draw to a close, it happened.

"Kyaaah!!"

With a loud noise, a large number of soldiers entered the hall. The troop serving as Prince Masahad’s escort had suddenly burst in with weapons in hand.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Ignoring the surprised King of Frontier, the soldiers headed straight for Marrow. Targeting Marrow meant that Little One, who was by his side, was in danger. In an instant, many spells were cast and flew through the air, and the large number of soldiers who had entered were quickly neutralized.

"Wha…?!"

They probably didn’t even understand what had happened. Most of the soldiers were speechless, looking down at their own immobile bodies. Rocks firmly gripped their legs. Ropes of water restrained their bodies. Blades of wind shattered their weapons into tiny pieces.

And snakes of fire roamed around them, flickering their red tongues and licking the soldiers with their heat.

"What is the meaning of this? This is the royal palace of Frontier! Depending on the circumstances, your lives will be forfeit!"

Marrow shielded Little One with his back, controlling the snakes of fire. Seeing this, Prince Masahad was also speechless. He looked like a magician from a fairy tale.

But this was not the time for that. He narrowed his eyes and barked at the escort soldiers.

"What are you all doing?! Who ordered such an outrage?!"

The soldiers looked at the shouting second prince as if mocking him and spat out their words.

"We serve the royal family rightly. We have no obligation to serve a rebel."

"What did you say…?"

Prince Masahad’s eyes widened in shock. Little One glanced at him, then looked at Romel. Romel gave her a small nod and lightly raised his right hand. Then, all the restrained soldiers were swallowed by the floor.

"For now, we will imprison them underground. We will talk later."

Romel’s lips curled into a grin. The banquet continued as if nothing had happened. The knights showed no signs of agitation and continued their solemn guard duty by the walls.

What just happened?

While the two princes of Donautil were left speechless, the Frontier royal palace proceeded as usual.

"I knew this was a magical nation, but… this is too much, isn’t it?"

Marrow muttered in amazement, and Little One couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

It was she who had incorporated this kind of emergency training into the knight order. A way to use magic efficiently to instantly neutralize and suppress an opponent, and a method of imprisonment. She had held meetings with Romel and Harold many times, conducted monthly emergency drills, and had trained the knights until they could perform it like an assembly line.

This was the first time it was showcased, but it was quite a splendid display of skill.

Seeing the dumbfounded Prince Masahad being led to a rest area by Romel, Little One tilted her head with a complicated expression.

She didn’t know what had happened, but she knew it was an extraordinary situation. The soldiers they had invited in had suddenly attacked. Prince Masahad, who had brought them, would not get away with it either. What would happen with Donautil?

While watching Marrow with concern, the banquet ended, and Little One also decided to stay at the royal palace to see how things would unfold.

Unaware of the presence of something stirring in places no one knew, the situation gradually sank into a dark, deep swamp.