kscans

Chapter 114 - An Audience with the Princess

The next morning, I awoke in the royal castle. For a moment, I had no idea where I was.

Then I saw Tina sleeping in the adjacent bed and remembered. We’d been invited to the castle and even given a place to stay for the night. I stretched, got up, and opened the curtains just a crack. The sky was slightly overcast, with the sun peeking through here and there.

It was the very picture of weather in a cold region.

My movements must have woken Tina, because she sat up.

"...Good morning. You’re up early, as always," she said, her eyes still hazy with sleep.

"Morning," I replied. "Did I wake you?"

Tina shook her head.

I did a few light stretches and was about to put on my armor when there was a knock at the door.

"Excuse me. I’ve brought your breakfast."

A maid entered, carrying croissants, a bacon and lettuce salad, grilled white fish, and orange juice. A lavish five-course meal for each of us was laid out.

"Also," the maid continued, "Her Highness, Yorune-sama, mentioned that she has something to discuss with you both after you have finished your meal. When you are ready, please let me know. I will be waiting outside."

With a bow, she left the room.

Tina and I sat down to eat.

"Something to discuss?" I wondered aloud, mid-meal. "What could it be about? You think it’s about the children from yesterday?"

Tina considered my guess. "That might be part of it, but I believe it’s more likely about us. When we were brought to the castle, I gave a simple statement to the soldiers, explaining that I was an adventurer from the Kingdom. They probably don’t suspect us of plotting anything just because we’re from the Kingdom, but they must be curious. Why would we come to a place with monsters stronger than those in the Kingdom?"

She took a sip of her juice.

Adventurers take on quests and get paid. There’s nothing shady about it. But why would we purposely leave the safety of the Kingdom, where we could earn money just the same? It’s more common for adventurers to go from the Empire to the Kingdom, seeking a quiet life after growing weary of the constant fighting.

The adventurers who remain here are the ones who can’t bring themselves to abandon the money and convenient lifestyle the Empire offers. That means her questions will most likely be about me. I certainly can’t tell her the truth—that I came here as a spy. And I can’t very well talk about being from another world, either.

The only option is to mix in a little truth to make the rest believable.

Tina and I agreed on our story.

After we finished eating, while the maid cleared the table, Tina and I prepared to meet with Princess Yorune. Which is to say, we just took off our armor and changed into more comfortable clothes. It’s not like we had any courtly attire with us.

I wore my work clothes, and Tina wore a slightly high-quality version of a village girl’s dress.

Once we were ready, the maid said, "This maid will now guide you."

A new maid appeared, bowed in greeting, and led the way.

After a short walk, we arrived at an impressive set of doors flanked by two knights. The maid spoke with them for a moment, and the knights stepped away from the doors.

The maid stood before the entrance.

"Your Highness, Yorune-sama. I have brought our two guests."

From inside, a voice replied, "...Let them in."

At that single command, the maid opened the doors. She glanced inside, then turned to us. That was our cue to enter. Tina and I stepped into the room.

Inside, a magnificent desk stood at the far end of the chamber. In front of it, sofas were arranged on either side of a coffee table. The walls were adorned with paintings worthy of being called masterpieces, and there were several expensive-looking vases as well.

It was a room worthy of being called an office.

Princess Yorune, who was seated at the desk, spoke. "Welcome, Shinsuke-san, Tina-san. Please, don’t stand on ceremony. Have a seat."

She gestured toward the sofas. When someone insists like that, it’s best to comply. We quietly sat down. Princess Yorune moved to sit on the sofa opposite us. Three cups of tea were placed on the table, and the maid withdrew.

The princess took a small sip of her tea before being the first to speak.

"Well then, long-winded pleasantries are a bore, so let’s get straight to the point. What I want to know is this: can the current Kingdom be trusted?"

Her question took me by surprise. "...Trusted? Are you not well-informed about the Kingdom’s affairs?"

The princess answered my question with one of her own. "To my shame, no, we do not negotiate directly with the Kingdom. We always go through the Republic as an intermediary. However, we have received intelligence that the various nations will be sending envoys regarding this recent matter."

"As royalty, it is common sense for us to welcome these envoys. But the Kingdom and the Empire have a long history of poor relations. There’s no telling what they might try to do, taking advantage of the Empire’s current weakness. That said, I cannot let baseless speculation cause offense to our guests."

"And so, I want to ask the two of you, who have come from the Kingdom. Is the royal family of the Kingdom worthy of trust?" she asked, her expression serious.

I exchanged a look with Tina. This was not what we had expected, but I figured cooperating could help future relations between our nations.

"Well," I began, "I’ve only met the king once, but I found him to be a gentle person. When he spoke with me, his tone was kind, not commanding."

Tina added, "I agree. To elaborate, he can be quite strict when he feels it necessary, correcting injustices or punishing those who act against the country’s interests. While some nobles fear him, I believe he is fundamentally a serious and sincere man."

She took a sip of her tea.

Princess Yorune listened intently. "I see, that gives me a good sense of the king’s character. Next, could you tell me about the princess? Our intelligence suggests she will be part of this delegation."

Both Tina and I looked surprised at her words. I was shocked that the princess herself was coming, while Tina seemed inwardly exasperated that she was visiting yet another country.

I knew nothing about the princess, so Tina answered. "Princess Olivia is a person who has contributed greatly to the country’s reforms. She also has a rather curious nature and has always been interested in the affairs of other nations. I think it’s safe to assume she volunteered for this mission herself."

It was a diplomatic answer, unlikely to cause any trouble.

"I see, that’s very helpful," Princess Yorune said. "We must be sure not to let Olivia-sama be bored when she arrives. And one other thing… I also learned that you were both A-rank adventurers in the Kingdom."

Her lips curved into a sly smile.

The words caught me off guard. "Huh? How did you—?"

I bit back the rest of my question, but it was too late.

Tina spoke up. "Why did you resort to such a roundabout method?"

Princess Yorune seemed to understand her meaning. "Sometimes, it’s easier to learn what you want to know indirectly rather than asking outright. Honestly, it’s hard to believe that two people of your skill would have trouble staying in the Kingdom. That suggests you came to the Empire for a specific reason."

"But there was also the possibility you had done something illicit and fled the country. If people with your level of power were up to no good, it would be a major cause for concern."

"So, I asked if you had ever had an audience with royalty. Only A-rank adventurers are granted such an honor among commoners. It confirms for me that you are certainly not criminals."

She had laid it all out. She knew that if she asked us directly, we might have lied. So she changed the subject to something we couldn't easily bluff our way through. She was a royal, all right. She’d clearly studied the arts of intrigue.

"...You are correct," I admitted. "Tina and I were A-rank adventurers. However, we have temporarily relinquished that title. We have since become A-rank in the Empire, though." I gave a wry smile.

The princess continued, "I’ve heard about the Guild’s policies, but why go so far as to give up your rank? Surely there would have been no problem for you to continue living there as you were?"

It was a fair question.

I took a sip of tea before answering. "I wanted to know my own limits. In the Kingdom, you rarely encounter powerful monsters. But I heard they appear almost daily in the Empire, so I came here. I wanted to see how far my strength would take me in the Empire. That’s all."

After I answered, Tina added, "To answer your other point, the temporary relinquishment of our rank was a kindness from the Guild Master. He did it so that Shinsuke and I would always have a place to return to in the Kingdom."

She had covered for me perfectly. We weren’t lying, but we were leaving out the part about being spies. Her explanation was one that the princess could easily accept.

A moment of silence passed before the princess spoke again.

"I see. So it’s a sort of trial of strength. It seems I was overthinking things. I apologize for making you uncomfortable."

She bowed her head in apology. Tina and I quickly replied, "Please don’t worry about it," feeling a little flustered.

Then, the princess said, "As a token of my apology, if there is anything you wish to ask, I will answer to the best of my ability. Is there anything?"

I decided to take her up on the offer. "In that case, I will humbly accept. The weapons deployed on the border… the ones called Edgeson. How were they created?"

The princess replied, "The Edgeson were a long-held dream of the Dwarves, I’ve heard. Apparently, a certain doctor met with the Dwarves, and the contents of their discussion were so magnificent that they promised to build it. That doctor is likely long dead by now. After all, it was over a hundred years ago."

Her answer piqued my curiosity. "...‘Likely dead’? Does that mean you don’t have confirmation of his death?"

The princess nodded. "Yes, I haven’t heard the full details. Something about him suddenly appearing in a mirror. If you’d like to know more, would you care to visit their workshop? I can grant you permission to enter."

At her offer, I replied, "Thank you very much. I’d like to get ready and head over immediately."

Tina’s expression said she’d be coming with me.

"Very well," the princess said. "I will inform a maid. Thank you for your time today."

We thanked her, bowed our heads, and spoke a few polite words of farewell. Then, we left the office and returned to our guest room.