kscans

Chapter 157 - An Unexpected Celebration

I was back at my house in the otherworld.

I’d have to stay for at least half a month, so I’d stocked up on supplies assuming I couldn’t return to Earth. Most of it was food—I was keenly aware of how useless Earth’s convenient gadgets were here. Mulling this over, I entered the house and got my gear in order.

Just as we both finished donning our armor, ready for the hunt, a voice called out.

"Hey! Shinsuke! Tina!"

A shout echoed from the forest.

Recognizing the voice, we lowered our guard. It was Bardos, emerging from the trees.

"Hey, long time no see," I said. "What brings you all the way out here?"

"Perfect timing," Bardos replied. "Seriously, couldn’t be better. I’ve got something important to tell you. Apparently, there’s going to be a coronation ceremony in the royal capital soon. A letter came asking all A-rank adventurers to head over. Leona’s waiting at the gate with Sena. I came to see if you two were around."

"Sena?" I asked. "Is that your kid’s name? Sounds cute."

Knowing those two, I’d expected something a bit more… intense.

"Yeah," Bardos said, a little bashfully. "Leona said she wants her to grow up to be a proper, gentle lady. So we gave her a name to match."

Tina and I exchanged a smile. It was good to see they were living happily.

"Alright, you can stop gushing," I said. "You mentioned a coronation. Does that mean the prince is finally becoming king?"

I nodded, feeling a sense of significance.

I’d only met Prince Alphonse a few times, but I could tell he was a good person.

"Huh? Oh, you didn’t know," Bardos said. "It’s Princess Olivia who’s taking the throne. We’re about to get a queen."

That was a surprise.

"Lady Olivia is being coronated?" Tina asked, her face a mask of confusion. "Are you sure that’s not a mistake? Traditionally, the eldest son should become king, right?"

I had to agree. It’s the same with companies—the firstborn child is always groomed to be the successor. They get the best education from a young age so they can surpass their parents and lead the company to greater heights.

Of course, there are exceptions. If the eldest child is a complete slacker and the second child is a hard worker, the second might take over. But Prince Alphonse was known for being actively involved in policy. He’d had his failures, but his successes far outnumbered them.

That said, I’d also heard that while Princess Olivia was similarly involved, the prince’s achievements were still greater.

When I voiced this, Tina paused to think.

"No, it’s possible," she said. "I’ve heard a rumor that most of Prince Alphonse’s successful policies were originally Princess Olivia’s ideas, and that she let him take all the credit. I imagine it’s related to that. Do you know anything else, Bardos?"

"Beats me," Bardos shrugged. "If I had to guess, it might have something to do with her ‘Journey of Courage,’ or whatever it was called. Her visit to the Empire a year ago. Back then, the Empire was so unstable you never knew what might happen, and there’s this ballad about how the princess went there herself. A minstrel was singing it the other day. I wasn’t really interested, though." He looked completely indifferent.

Somehow, I could tell that was part of it.

"If that’s the case, then it can’t be helped," Tina concluded. "If the story has spread that widely, it’s only natural for people to see Lady Olivia as the rightful heir. I expect Prince Alphonse will settle for a position like chancellor. It’s highly unlikely he’d be sent off to govern some remote territory."

In a way, it made sense.

If he were incompetent, he’d be packed off to some fiefdom for the rest of his life, but the prince was both capable and diligent. A position as a close advisor was practically guaranteed.

"I see," I said. "Well then, shall we get going? Leona’s waiting, right?"

At my words, Bardos seemed to remember. "Oh, right, right! Let’s hurry!"

He took off at a run.

We followed close behind.

At the gate, we found Bardos getting an earful from Leona. Apparently, he’d taken too long. Sena, cradled in Leona’s arms, was sound asleep.

Must be a daily occurrence.

When Leona spotted us, she said, "There you two are. Took you long enough. Hurry up and make a cart. I already canceled the horse reservation."

"I don’t mind," I replied, "but using my skill in front of the gatekeepers…"

"It’s fine," Leona assured me. "There’s no need to hide it anymore. The lord gave an order to all the soldiers: as long as Shinsuke doesn’t cause any trouble, they’re not to speak a word of it."

The soldiers standing nearby nodded in confirmation.

It seemed I’d caused them quite a bit of trouble. Without any further hesitation, I used `Matter Conversion` to create an iron cart and sat down in the makeshift driver’s seat. The others climbed aboard, I poured in some magic, and the cart started moving. We were off.

If this were a classic manga, a huge band of thieves would be lying in wait to ambush the nobles traveling to such an important ceremony. We didn’t have much money, but we could still be a target.

Then again, with me, Bardos, and Tina, it would be a piece of cake. Leona was holding the baby, so she’d be sitting this one out.

After about half a day of travel, we encountered a band of goblins. There were twenty of them.

Just as Tina started to get up, Bardos stopped her. "No. Let me handle this alone." He stood, great axe in hand.

Undeterred by his battle stance, the goblins charged.

"Murderous Dance!" Bardos roared.

Spinning like a top, he tore the goblins to shreds.

It’d been a while since I’d seen that technique. It was even more polished than a year ago. Back then, it was just a horizontal spin. This time, his rotation generated a tornado of wind that specifically targeted the goblins as it moved. What’s more, he didn’t so much as touch the large boulders or trees nearby.

His indiscriminate attacks were gone, replaced by precise control. It was proof of his progress.

"You’ve gotten a lot stronger," I commented. "Unlike before, you’re not just attacking everything in sight."

Bardos grinned. "Of course. I can’t stay the same forever. Not for Leona’s sake." He answered with a slightly cynical smile.

Hearing this, Leona blushed and turned away. Tina and I looked on, slightly exasperated by their lovey-dovey exchange. Not that we were in any position to talk, given that we did similar things.

Just then, a thought struck me. "By the way, was this coronation decided all of a sudden? This is the first I’m hearing about it."

"I heard it was announced in the royal capital a week ago," Leona answered. "Messenger birds were probably sent to the other towns and villages a day later."

A week ago, huh? That was probably around the time I finished my guild work and was heading back to Earth. I’d gone straight to my house without stopping in town.

A few days later, we arrived at the royal capital.

The gate security was even tighter than usual, with guards meticulously checking the carriages of merchants and lords alike.

Merchants I could understand, but why inspect the lords?

I asked Tina.

"They’re probably checking to make sure there’s nothing wrong with the tribute gifts," she explained. "It’s one thing to prepare the finest items to celebrate the coronation, but if they’re cursed or have a sordid history… that would tarnish the new queen’s name. That’s why the lords are waiting without complaint. Causing a scene would be unwise."

But right on cue…

"Hey! How long are you going to take?! This is going to make me late for my audience with the Queen! I need her to remember my face as soon as possible! Do you understand me, you incompetents?!"

An enraged voice echoed through the area.

Looking ahead, I saw a young man dressed in expensive-looking clothes, yelling his head off. A noble, it seemed. He was surrounded only by attendants. Was he the lord?

As I wondered, a veteran knight approached him. "My apologies, sir. These are the regulations. A single oversight could lead to disaster. As you are the acting lord, I must ask for your patience."

He handled the situation calmly.

Acting lord, huh? So the actual lord couldn’t make it for some reason, and his son came instead. But his education was clearly lacking. It seemed no one had told him about the proper decorum required for such an important ceremony.

"Silence!" the acting lord snapped. "As if there could be anything wrong with the items I’ve brought! Stop your prattling and let me through!"

He wasn’t listening at all.

As the soldiers and knights hesitated, unsure what to do, the acting lord sneered. "What’s this? Can’t you even understand something so simple? The Queen certainly made a mistake in her choice of personnel. Well, once I become her close advisor, I’ll have to see about selecting more suitable people."

He said the outrageous words with a mocking smile.

The soldiers’ expressions hardened. The knights, with identical looks on their faces, gripped their weapons.

"Arrest them," the veteran knight commanded.

In an instant, soldiers surrounded the acting lord’s carriage.

Knights moved in and restrained the proxy and his attendants.

"W-what are you doing?!" the acting lord protested, his face panicked. "Do you have any idea who I am?!"

The veteran knight’s voice was cold. "We can tolerate a certain amount of complaints directed at us. However, we will not forgive an insult to Her Majesty the Queen, no matter the reason. Take them away."

The knights dragged the acting lord and his party off.

The proxy seemed to be shouting something, but no one was listening. They were led away from the castle, probably to the garrison. His words were blatant treason.

Not only would he miss the coronation, but he’d also be banished from the capital. Such is the end of the arrogant.

Having witnessed this valuable life lesson, we decided to wait quietly.

After a while, when it was our turn, the veteran knight saw us.

"Ah! It’s Shinsuke-dono, Tina-dono, Bardos-dono, and Leona-dono. We’ve been expecting you. Her Majesty the Queen gave orders that if the A-rank adventurers of Red Lightning and Wind Guard arrived, they were to be let through. Please, go right ahead."

He cleared a path for us.

We thanked him and proceeded toward the castle. The castle town was buzzing with the energy of a festival.