kscans

Chapter 3 - Between Reality and Fiction

"Oh! Isn't this 'The Snow-White Knight's Tale'?"

In Litt's office, Jin pulled a book from the shelf.

"Is this Touli's?"

"Yes. It was a gift from Lord Litt."

Touli poured steaming tea into a cup.

"How'd you get your hands on this, Litt? It's the latest volume, isn't it?"

"I have my connections."

Jin flipped through the pages.

"Connections I don't know about?"

"A secret ceases to be a secret if it is told, as they say."

Litt accepted the teacup and took a sip.

"The kind you can't talk about, huh?"

"Don't worry, Jin. It's for our sake."

"In times of ash and in times of flame, friends stand together... was that it?"

"Hey, wait a minute. You've been reading 'The Snow-White Knight's Tale' too, haven't you?"

"It's popular in the Royal Knights as well."

Jin returned the book to its place and sat across from Litt. Touli offered him tea, which he accepted with a word of thanks.

"There's also 'The Reformation Count ~Does This Crest Not Meet Your Eyes?~' and 'The Lion King Comes!'. Surprisingly, the romance stories 'The Name of the Flower' and 'Swearing Truth at the End of the World' are quite popular too."

"I've read them all!"

Touli's eyes sparkled.

"I want to punish bad guys just like the Snow-White Knight and the Reformation Count!"

"More and more young men are saying that and trying to join the Knight Order. It's a huge help."

"Lord Litt! A letter of recommendation to the Royal Knights—"

"Who do you think is going to write that?"

Hmph, Litt snorted.

"That's mean!"

"No, it's not. Anyway, is that really okay, Vice-Captain?"

"Hm? What is?"

Litt pointed a sharp finger at Jin, who was sipping his tea.

"'Swearing Truth at the End of the World' is about a commoner and a noble eloping. It's one thing for the common folk, but won't morale in the Royal Knights suffer if it's being read there?"

"Ah, there was one case."

Jin's casual reply made Touli's hand slip. Clank. The lid of the teapot clattered to the floor.

"M-my apologies!"

"Hahaha. Don't be so flustered, Touli. A young knight was dead set on eloping with a prominent merchant's daughter, so I gave him a condition."

"A condition...?"

While Touli looked puzzled, Litt grimaced.

"You won, didn't you?"

"Ah. Of course."

As the two men nodded at each other, Touli shouted.

"Am I the only one being left out?!"

"Do you really want to hear a story where you already know the ending?"

Litt leaned back deeply in his chair.

"You probably said something like, 'If you're going to elope, it's reckless unless you have the skill to protect her on your own. You can go after you defeat me,' and then beat him to a pulp with your sword, right, Vice-Captain?"

"Thirty-six bruises, countless cuts, and two cracked ribs later, he gave up on eloping."

"Scary."

"Scary."

Litt and Touli's voices were in unison.

"Apparently, the girl's feelings cooled off too. If that's all it takes for a love to end, then that's all it was ever worth."

Jin's eyes grew distant.

"It's the duty of an elder to teach the youth about the harshness of the world."

The master and attendant whispered to each other.

"...Lord Jin is usually so gentle. The gap between that and his sense of duty is intense."

"...He's the best swordsman in the country. For better or worse, his self-discipline is strong."

"...Does he become a different person when he draws his sword?"

"...You haven't seen him in a real fight yet, have you, Touli? It's better if you don't."

"...You have, haven't you? What did you do?"

"...Well, that's, uh, something I can't say."

"You did something, didn't you?"

Faced with Touli's accusing stare, Litt deliberately changed the subject.

"So, Jin. About that shining second-magnitude star, the brilliant red bird, and the light blue small bird."

"Ah."

Understanding the coded language, Jin nodded gravely.

"The red bird (Lady Valona) has been around for a while."

"As part of the Royal Knights, you must often hear the red bird's song. What do you think?"

"Hmm. That's a difficult one."

Cradling his cup with both hands, Jin searched for the right words.

"Her bloodline is impeccable. The Philbard Ducal family. They have history and wealth. The Royal Family can't ignore them."

"And now the light blue small bird has appeared. To His Reckless Dreamer-ness, she must look like the bluebird of happiness."

"Don't tell me—an engagement annulment? That's ridiculous!"

Litt sighed at Jin's surprise.

"You never know. He's a reckless dreamer who loves to read stories like 'The Snow-White Knight,' 'The Name of the Flower,' and 'Swearing Truth at the End of the World.'"

"Don't say it twice."

"Should I call him a young master who can't distinguish between fantasy and reality?"

"I swear I will be the one to execute you."

"Well, thanks for that."

Slouching, Litt propped an elbow on the armrest of his chair and narrowed his jade eyes. Jin finished his tea and placed the cup on the small table.

"Litt."

"Hm?"

"Do you know a writer by the name of Pillord?"

"Hmm, what was that one? A story about a noble lady who kicks everyone else down, only to be kicked down herself by a village girl in the end?"

Litt looked to Touli, who nodded.

"The villainess genre."

"My head started to hurt three pages in, so I stopped reading, but apparently, that kind of story is quite popular."

"Within the Royal Knights?"

Jin shook his head at Litt's question.

"No, mostly in the castle town. It seems to be a hit with the common folk. A few of our knights heard about it on patrol. Also... with the daughters of the lower nobility."

"Because it's a kind of poetic justice, I suppose. Hmm."

"You don't seem interested, Lord Litt."

Touli poured him another cup of tea.

"Did you enjoy reading it?"

"Me? Hmm..."

Touli's brows furrowed in confusion.

"If we're talking about poetic justice, I prefer the works of Lord Torito Lute."

"Ah, the author of 'The Snow-White Knight' and the others."

Jin nodded in agreement.

"...Don't go adding 'Lord' to a mere writer's name..."

"Jealous, Litt?"

"It's not like that."

"Lord Lute also has excellent literary talent and extensive knowledge. He's known only by name; no one has ever seen him. It adds to the mystery and wonder. Maybe he's actually a noble, or even royalty."

Jin's cheerful speculation earned him a sharp retort from Litt.

"Shut it, you blockhead! Have you forgotten the favor I did you, writing that rejection letter for you?"

"I don't know why you're bringing that up, but I'd prefer to forget it."

"A friend in need is a friend indeed. I'll have that carved on your tombstone."

"If you're going to carve it with that beautiful handwriting of yours, at least make it something more clever."

Litt pressed a hand to his forehead at Jin's casual reply. His head felt heavy.

"...You see, that's what does it. That's why women fall for you."

"What is?"

"You blockhead!"

At Litt's shout, Touli theatrically covered his ears.

"Please don't be so loud. It's hardly news that your best friend Lord Jin is a natural-born prince charming."

"Ah, Touli. There is no finer attendant in all the world than you."

"If you have time for theatrics, perhaps you'd like to continue writing those invitations?"

The attendant pointed to a stack of paper on the desk.

"One hundred and eighty-five to go."

Litt grimaced.

"Whoa, that's a long road ahead."

"Don't rub it in, Jin. My beautiful right hand will be devoured by an iron snake."

"Tendonitis. I've gotten used to your peculiar phrasing."

Jin shrugged.

"But that's a huge amount. Haven't you delegated any of it to the other secretaries?"

"Orders from a certain First Prince."

"What?"

Jin frowned, perplexed.

"Apparently, every single invitation for this night party is to be written by First-Class Court Secretary Littrald Liton."

"You're kidding!"

"If only I were."

Litt settled back in his chair, crossed his long legs, and looked up at the ceiling.

"What is Lord Raoul thinking?"

Jin muttered.

"The guest list for a royal-hosted night party must be more than one or two hundred—"

"Five hundred and fifty-six pairs,"

Litt answered, leaving Jin speechless.

All of them, handwritten.

Normally, the work would be divided among the other Court Secretaries. Otherwise, it would be impossible to get the invitations to the guests by the deadline. It was common practice for any type of invitation to arrive one month before the event date.

No matter how fast the couriers rode, it was meaningless if the invitations weren't finished. For the invitations to a royal-hosted night party to be late would be a tremendous disgrace. The person responsible would be punished.

To be clear, his life was on the line.

"Don't look so worried, Jin."

Jade eyes, like jewels, reflected his friend.

"It's not like you don't know how fast I can write."

"But... Litt."

Writing invitations was not a Court Secretary's only job.

Beyond writing personal letters for the royals, their duties were wide-ranging: correspondence with foreign countries, directives to various territories and their fair copies, revision of policies drafted by government officials, and oaths and contracts issued under the king's name.

"'Not a day goes by that we don't see Lord Litt's handwriting.' That is the assessment of the nobility,"

said a voice, mature yet still that of a boy. The attendant Touli's eyes were unwavering.

"That's something to be happy about, isn't it? Besides, it's interesting."

"Interesting?"

Jin asked. Litt laughed like a king.

"Regardless of the content, the world turns according to my script. —Don't you find that interesting, Jin?"