Risou no Himo Seikatsu - Volume 10 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 — Contract of the Ivory Cathedral

Three days had passed since Zenjirou’s arrival in the Twin Kingdoms.

This was the first time he’d set foot in the other royal palace the royal families possessed: the Ivory Cathedral.

As the name implied, it was very different from the Purple Egg Palace, being a building that was mostly white. Additionally, while the former was built with the Southern Continent’s tendency towards round roofs, the Ivory Palace followed the architectural style of the Northern Continent.

The coloring was part of it, but the whole building felt somewhat calmer than the Purple Egg Palace to Zenjirou as he walked down its long corridors to the audience room. His name was loudly proclaimed, and he walked down the aisle formed by rows of various generals to the throne before stopping and waiting for the monarch to speak.

So far, things were the same as they had been in the Purple Egg Palace. He surveyed the old man enthroned on the dais.

So this is Pope Benedict Gilbelle... he thought to himself. I seem to remember him being just about in his sixties but he actually looks more like his age than King Bruno. He looks older, at least.

Indeed, the pope was an old man with a long white beard.

His complexion was still good, but his small, withered frame made him look every inch the old man. However, his voice had lost none of its strength, sounding like that of a man much younger.

“I am Pope Benedict of the Twin Kingdoms of Sharou-Gilbelle. I am sure old Bruno has extended our greetings for the country as a whole, so I greet you on behalf of the Gilbelle family. Welcome to the Ivory Cathedral, Your Majesty.”

“I am Zenjirou, husband to Queen Aura I of the Kingdom of Capua. It is an honor to meet you, Your Grace.”

The pope’s kindly voice had done much to relax him as he repeated the well-practiced greeting. As the words passed his lips, he couldn’t help but remember the previous occasion—the memories of King Bruno ambushing him with his abdication as soon as the formalities were observed were still fresh in his mind.

The man seemed to intuit Zenjirou’s tenseness. “I am glad to hear it. You can relax. Unlike Bruno, I am not one to discomfit my guests with wild announcements in a place like this,” he said. His grin made it obvious it was a joke. Then again, the joke was at the expense of another monarch, so Zenjirou wasn’t entirely sure whether he could laugh at it or not. Instead, he made a vague noise of acknowledgment and decided to avoid questioning what he did not know on that front.

“I have here a missive from my queen to Your Grace,” he said instead, pulling out the letter and handing it to one of the pope’s subordinates to pass to him.

Once the letter reached him, Benedict broke the seal and glanced through it. One of his long brows rose for a moment, but his expression soon returned to its usual placid smile as he responded to Zenjirou.

“Ah, very well. Please inform Her Majesty that she is completely understood. I will provide an official response via letter in the future. Would that be acceptable?”

“It would. Thank you.”

Since Zenjirou hadn’t read the letter personally, that was all he could say.

“Well, while we are no strangers, our positions on our thrones mean that I can neither go to visit her nor can she do the same. Convey my well-wishes for her health, would you?”

“I certainly will,” he answered.

It was a slight surprise to hear that they knew each other, but Aura’s ability to teleport to the Twin Kingdoms meant that it shouldn’t have been. Teleportation required a detailed mental image of the destination. Unless you had the unfair advantage of a camera like Zenjirou did, that meant that you needed to have spent a fair amount of time in any destination. He seemed to remember Aura saying almost exactly that. Therefore it was entirely unsurprising that she and Pope Benedict would know each other.

Once the relatively meaningless chitchat was done, the pope moved to the main topic.

“I have heard what you have come to our land for, Your Majesty. You wish for the Gilbelle Papacy to dispatch one of its healers to ensure Her Majesty’s health during her pregnancy, correct?”

Zenjirou nodded at the statement from the pope. “Indeed. I hope we can come to some arrangement.”

This was the tensest time for Zenjirou. This was the only reason he had dared to set foot in the country despite knowing the Sharou family would be ready and waiting. Bruno’s initial negotiations provided a healer for at least a month, but he couldn’t let his guard down until everything was settled. There was a fair possibility of more unreasonable demands.

Unaware of Zenjirou’s tension, though, the pope gave an easy agreement. “Indeed. I have heard from Bruno. He caused you quite the issue, I understand. Very well, I shall dispatch a healer as you wish.”

Zenjirou didn’t manage to hide his shock at the easy assent. “Thank you,” he said as the pope gave him a grandfatherly smile.

“You may decide the time period as you wish. However, the payment will, of course, be stipulated to correspond to its length. Also, the burden of transport for the healer, guards, and attendants will fall upon you.”

“Understood,” Zenjirou answered immediately.

The conditions the pope was imposing were standard, so there was no need to negotiate them. The details for payment would need to be decided at a later date, but the fact that it would be “stipulated” meant that it would be money, so it was just a matter of the sum that would be asked. It seemed like he would avoid any ridiculous demands from nowhere this time.

“The choice of the healer will, of course, rest with us,” the pope said before quickly adding, “It will be a woman, though, naturally. You can rest assured of that.”

“I thank you for the consideration,” Zenjirou replied.

A male healer for a pregnant woman like Aura would cause multiple issues. As they were considered physicians, they would be allowed within the inner palace in the course of their duties regardless of gender. There was no real taboo against the men seeing female patients either, but a female healer would still be for the best.

“It is only natural for the Queen of Capua, after all. Isabella, step forward.”

“Of course, Your Grace.”

A woman approached from the walls of people surrounding them. She looked to be in her late forties or so, with the extra padding that came with such an age. She was neither tall nor short and wore a white dress—the emblematic color of the Gilbelle family. Put simply, she was like a plump—but refined—grandmother.

“I presume you have been listening?” the pope asked. “You are to head to Capua and see to Her Majesty Queen Aura’s health. Your other actions should follow the stipulations set forth.”

“Understood, Your Grace,” the woman—Isabella—said with a polite bow. Then she turned to Zenjirou. “It has been a while, Your Majesty. As you have heard, I am to be dispatched to Capua. This stay may be much longer than the last, but I hope it goes well.”

Isabella Gilbelle was the person who had helped Zenjirou when he was sick with The Blessing of the Forest. He was rather ill when they’d met, so his memories were somewhat vague, but she was familiar enough that the greeting felt natural.

“Likewise. A visit from a healer of your stature is a fine honor.”

His response was genuine. Isabella was said to be one of the top five healers in the papacy. He couldn’t think of anyone more reassuring. It would likely end up rather hard on the treasury but considering the value of her aid, it was nothing to complain about.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” he continued with a bow of his head, gratitude in his tone. “I look forward to working with you, Lady Isabella.”

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

It was the evening of Zenjirou’s audience with the pope. Bruno and Josep were meeting in the neighboring Purple Egg Palace with somewhat grave faces.

It was a private room, so the illumination was not accomplished via fire—even static fire—but with light balls. They were a far brighter, whiter light that gave off no heat, much like LEDs or fluorescent bulbs.

The topic of their meeting was the letter they had received from Aura. Bruno was the addressee, but with Josep’s position as next in line officially decided, he was able to read it as well. In fact, not ensuring that he had such information would cause greater problems in the future.

The letter they were pondering was distilled down to the following three points:

Aura would not be visiting foreign countries due to the need to protect the throne, along with the possibility of further children. Therefore, Zenjirou would be tasked with international visits while she remained in Capua.

She would, as a rule, approve and agree with his conduct on those visits.

If people wanted to negotiate directly with her, they would need to give diplomats in the kingdom more authority or else replace them with someone who already has that authority.

Once the two had finished reading, they let out a sigh in unison.

“This has become an issue,” the younger man commented.

“Indeed it has. Queen Aura may be young, but she had the skill to survive the war.”

He’d heard the full details of the letter’s delivery from Lucretia. Despite having two letters for people of ostensibly equal rank, only the letter to Benedict had been delivered personally by Zenjirou, while the other had been passed off to Lucretia, his mediator. It was a clear message that he was unhappy with the king. Additionally, judging by the letter, the queen was permitting it.

“It would appear that His Majesty does not just dote upon his children, but will overreact when they are brought up,” Bruno commented.

“Truly. It is certainly a weakness, but one to be wary of exploiting lest we get burned as well.”

“Like this time.”

Josep fell silent at his father’s words. Still, they were the king and king-to-be. They wouldn’t just let this pass. They would organize things and feel out their choices.

“If our two countries are to associate into the future, then the only person who will be visiting will be His Majesty. After all, only he and Her Majesty can use teleportation. Said point of contact is currently showing reticence towards you and me,” Bruno summarized.

“Meanwhile, he seems to be well-disposed towards Largo. At least more so.”

“Indeed. That would make Largo a likely point of contact. It would be best to avoid that,” the king said with a sour look.

As far as the public was concerned, Josep and Largo were political rivals, despite their siblinghood. In truth, they were well enough disposed to each other that they had private meetings to ensure that neither caused permanent harm to the country. Still, they did have political disagreements. Both men present would rather deal with Capua personally than go through Largo.

“Negotiating through His Majesty will be rather difficult. I would therefore prefer to carry out the negotiations within Capua with Her Majesty directly, but...” the prince trailed off with a slight shrug.

His father picked up the thread. “The letter then becomes an issue. Her Majesty wants the diplomats there to either have more authority or be replaced by those who do.”

The Sharou family could not simply agree to that. As the country’s name implied, the Twin Kingdoms of Sharou-Gilbelle was a nation that consisted of two royal families ruling side by side. The general understanding was the Sharou family dealt domestically, while the Gilbelles were international. It therefore followed that the diplomats’ authority was determined by the Gilbelle Papacy.

Naturally, most of the diplomats were nobility close to the Gilbelle family, while the Sharou family had very few diplomats beholden directly to them. The knight Mareno Militello was a strong piece they had to play. Unfortunately, there were no other diplomats under the Sharou family’s auspices that had a higher position.

Additionally, they could not simply elevate Mareno without consulting the Gilbelle family as well. In other words, the letter meant that to negotiate directly, they would need to involve the Gilbelle family. It went without saying that although the two families had formed an alliance to rule the country, there was a never-ending tug-of-war for power between them.

“His Majesty’s rudeness and Her Majesty’s disadvantageous conditions would normally be a simple official protest that could be waited out...”

“But with this sent alongside it, we cannot do so,” Josep sighed, picking up a pseudo-marble from the box on the desk. He rolled it across his palm.

If they had wanted to hide it, they could have waited until Francesco was back in Capua before showing him. Purposefully bringing it into the country was unquestionably an unofficial method of ensuring the king knew about it.

“These are still useless as they are, though they are very close in some ways. I would be unsurprised if they managed something usable before long,” the king said, eyes sharp.

The best medium for enchantments was a transparent sphere. That Zenjirou had brought such things from his world was a surprise, but nothing in comparison to the shock from this creation. Regardless of how many he had brought, the items from his world were limited in number. If they were possible to recreate in this world, however, that drastically changed the situation.

“I would like to get the method of construction. Still, that is not something we can rush. If we do, the rift between us will be a certainty. For the time being, we will have to get ourselves in a position where we can trade periodically for these gems once Capua starts producing them in earnest,” Josep said.

“Indeed. However, our co-negotiator is rather ill-disposed to the both of us, to be blunt. Negotiating directly with Her Majesty will mean making a demand of the Gilbelle family’s diplomats,” Bruno sighed.

“Which means she is suggesting two possible routes to obtain them once they become a commodity. The first is to work through His Majesty, while the second is to negotiate with her. In the former case, Largo will be our negotiator while in the latter, that will fall to a diplomat from the Gilbelles.”

From their perspective, the former meant their negotiator would be a political rival within the family. For the latter, it would be a political enemy within the country as a whole. Either would want to stymie such talks.

“From a cost-benefit perspective, the third option is the best,” Bruno stated.

“I suppose so, yes.”

The third option was obvious.

“Our best choice is to dispel the tension between us and work directly with His Majesty rather than through Largo.”

“So it would seem.” The prince shrugged. The impression Aura’s letter had given had already driven the pair to a conclusion. The marble production was not so meaningless to Capua either. For anyone but an enchanter, they were just “slightly rare gems.” In other words, they were only valuable to those who could use them for magic: the Sharou family.

With that in mind, as soon as Capua managed to produce them en masse, Aura would be thinking of negotiations with the Sharous. It was hard to say whether the best route for her was via the Gilbelles or the Sharous—albeit indirectly through Largo. In addition, all the information they had indicated that her relationship with Zenjirou was close. The combination meant that they could easily see her wishing to either support or elevate him.

“Once they succeed in creating these, our relationship will have to get much closer. They are geographically distant, though. In that respect, ignoring His Majesty’s abilities with teleportation would be far too inefficient.”

Zenjirou could carry even a hundred marbles by hand through teleportation. However, if they didn’t use that and instead sent deliveries by land, it would be a month-long trip each way. The rainy and blazing seasons would also see to it that the journey was impossible for large portions of the year.

However they skinned it, excluding Zenjirou would do them little good. Bruno put his hand to his chin and considered.

“With the potential value on the table, a slight concession is well within allowances. An unofficial chastisement of one or two of us is nothing. The concern lies with what it is that angers His Majesty. Until we understand that, the situation is too fluid for my tastes.”

In all probability, it was the involvement of the child prince, but Bruno was wary of making such a judgment without certainty. The prince inclined his head in agreement, but also added a warning.

“That is true, but we need to ascertain whether he is truly angered first.”

“Indeed,” the king agreed.

Feigning anger during negotiations was a tried-and-true trick of the trade. They needed to determine whether an angered negotiation partner was truly angry or feigning it, or their response could be incorrect. For the former, it was an emotional problem, so the most important part of the solution was a sincere apology. However, in the latter case, the “anger” was strictly to push negotiations, so an apology that gave them no benefit would be of no use.

Josep continued the conversation as he considered it. “We can also ill afford to forget that Queen Aura stands behind him. My personal view is that His Majesty is likely genuinely angry. However, we need to remember that if this is a solely emotional problem, Her Majesty gave him permission to show those emotions and cause issues in this way.”

“True. If he is angered, then it is likely to do with his previous visit. However, he showed no malice or aggression towards us before he returned to Capua temporarily. In other words, he chose not to show those emotions.”

“Yes, and now that he has returned once again, he is willing to display them. That means that Her Majesty has instructed—or at least allowed—him to do so.”

“Which means that we should consider profit to be part of it as well as emotions. Fortunately, the negotiations for these jewels will benefit Capua as well. If we can satisfy His Majesty, we should be able to get a relatively good deal.”

“We need to investigate first. I will talk with Francesco, Bona, Largo, and Lucretia. They are the people who have had the most contact with him,” Josep suggested.

“Do so. It goes without saying, but take care with Largo. You are publicly estranged, after all.”

“I understand, father,” Josep said, offering a polite bow before he stood to leave.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Several days passed. During Zenjirou’s time in his annex of the Purple Egg Palace, he was unable to fully calm down.

There were currently a few others in the room with him. His maid, Ines, his guard, Natalio, and his link to the Twin Kingdoms, Lucretia. Permission for Freya to enter the country had been granted without issue. Zenjirou had sent a soldier to Capua via teleportation with a letter to that effect. The man had returned immediately in the same way with letters from both Aura and Freya.

If there were no issues, Freya and her attendant would be arriving that day.

“Perhaps we should head to the arrival point?” Zenjirou suggested, very aware of the time. Lucretia inspected the shadow cast by the light through the window before nodding.

“We should. I will show you there.”

The dip of her head caused her bundle of hair to sway in time with her movements. She was, without a doubt, the tensest person present. Her expression as she walked ahead to guide them was wary. While her eyes were fixed forward, they weren’t focused on anything. She was likely thinking of the princess—Zenjirou’s guest—and her arrival.

Lucretia’s intuition and bias had pegged Freya as a rival the very moment the princess’s name had left Zenjirou’s lips. The information she had gathered after the fact had merely served to underscore that decision. That Freya had accompanied Zenjirou to a wedding in Aura’s place meant that she was a de facto candidate to become a concubine of his.

As someone aiming for the same thing, the sense of rivalry Lucretia felt was inevitable. However, she was more curious than anything else. This woman had managed to get into her position in less than a year since meeting Zenjirou. If possible, Lucretia wanted to be on good terms to find out how she had done so.

Three spouses would be no problem for a male royal. Once they were on equal footing as spouses, they would certainly be competing for the man’s favor. However, Lucretia’s desire for them to be on good terms was genuine. Her wishes could be summed up with the drastically selfish “Help me become his concubine. After that, I’ll kick you back down.”

The group reached the familiar room after a long walk through the corridors of the Purple Egg Palace. This was the one room in the Twin Kingdoms where teleportation was permitted. Arrivals and departures all took place here.

This meant the room was now deeply familiar to Zenjirou, and he nonchalantly checked his watch once he was inside. “Five minutes according to schedule...” he murmured to himself.

Only moments later, there was a change. With no fanfare whatsoever, the empty central area of the room was suddenly occupied by a tall, blonde warrior. She was clad in familiar leather armor and held a milky-white but yellow-tinged short spear in her right hand. There was a large bag—akin to a mountaineering rucksack—on her back.

This was Skaji, Freya’s protection and aide. The transition had made her reflexively take a combat stance. However, once she’d inspected the room and understood the situation, she soon relaxed.

“Pardon me, Your Majesty,” she apologized with a polite bow.

Zenjirou simply raised a hand in answer. “It is fine. You are the advance guard, after all. More importantly, you should move. Princess Freya will be following soon, will she not?”

“Thank you for your consideration,” the warrior replied, practically gliding away from the area.

Zenjirou could only use teleportation twice per day, so he would usually only do so once in order to have a spare usage left in case of emergency. Aura could use the spell three times at most, so she was able to regularly employ teleportation twice per day.

Before long, another figure appeared in the same way Skaji had. She had short, blue-tinged silver hair, sapphire eyes, and unblemished white skin.

Zenjirou held out a hand to the woman clad in a deep red dress, which seemed to clash with her natural coloring. “May I offer you a hand in welcome, Your Highness?” he asked with a smile.

She took his hand with a smile blooming on her own face. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Lucretia was lost for words seeing the princess wearing the emblematic color of the Capuan royalty while being escorted by a member of said royal family. She soon recovered, though, remembering her own role as she forced a smile.

“I believe you are Princess Freya of the Northern Continent’s Kingdom of Uppasala. I am Lucretia of the Broglie family and welcome you on behalf of the Twin Kingdoms of Sharou-Gilbelle.”

“Thank you for your greeting, Lady Lucretia. I am the first princess of the Kingdom of Uppasala, Freya. This is my associate, Victoria Kronkvist. She goes by Skaji.”

The warrior—Skaji—dipped her head at Freya’s introduction.

“It is good to meet you both, Princess Freya, Lady Skaji. I beg your pardon, but your attendants have yet to arrive. It may be an inconvenience, but please wait here for a little longer.”

The lack of attendants to greet a guest of honor from another country was somewhat impolite. However, Freya and Skaji were well aware that their arrival had been sudden.

“Very well. I will leave that to you,” Freya replied, offering a slight shrug.

In truth, the lack of accurate timekeeping and commensurately rough estimates of time in this world meant that delays like this were not exactly rare. The argument about whether the arrivals were early or the greeting was late would be endless. Zenjirou himself didn’t yet realize it but his possession of multiple timepieces accurate to the second could be a powerful weapon.

On this occasion, Aura had specified the time she would send Skaji and Freya in the letter she had sent. Having seen it, Zenjirou had been able to act in the same way he had in Japan, arriving five minutes early to receive the visitors without wasting time.

Lucretia took advantage of this resulting extra time, unable to hide her excitement as she spoke to Freya. “Your Highness, if you would permit a slightly rude question, did Her Majesty allow you to wear that outfit?”

The question was practically pointless since Aura was the only one who could have cast the teleportation spell that had brought Freya there. Still, the red dress was shocking enough that Lucretia was willing to ask the question regardless.

Freya straightened as if to show off the dress better before she answered. “Of course. In fact, Her Majesty was the one to give me this dress. She said that as I am to be His Majesty’s partner here, I would need suitable attire.”

Aura had personally gifted the dress in addition to officially recognizing her as Zenjirou’s partner abroad. She was being treated as a concubine in all but name even internationally now.

“That’s...wonderful,” Lucretia answered.

“Thank you, Lady Lucretia.”

“Would you be willing to call me Lucy, Your Highness? I would like to build a closer relationship with you over the time to come.”

Her words were accompanied by a meaningful glance Zenjirou’s way. Freya immediately understood what she was implying.

“That is not something I can simply decide on my own,” she replied with an equally meaningful look at Zenjirou.

The lack of subtlety both of them were showing was obvious even to Zenjirou with his limited exposure to such politics. The “closer relationship” Lucretia wanted was with him, not Freya. Mentioning “the time to come” when addressing someone who was all but his concubine showed that she wanted the same. Her behavior had been obvious from the beginning, so it wasn’t a shock. Still, Zenjirou couldn’t avoid finding it bothersome.

Leaving things as they were would make matters even more problematic, however. While Zenjirou was pondering what he could say to move the conversation along, there was a knock at the door.

“What’s that?” he asked, taking advantage of the lifeline to forcefully change the subject.

Lucretia looked hurt for a moment but immediately covered it with a smile before addressing him and her maid in turn. “One moment, Your Majesty. Flora?”

“At once, Lady Lucy.”

The maid headed to the door and returned after a moment.

“It would appear Her Highness’s attendants are ready. May I show them in?”

Neither Zenjirou nor Freya had a reason to say no. Zenjirou exchanged a glance with Lucretia, and after she had nodded, raised his voice slightly.

“You may. Show them in.”

The woman who was shown in was clad in a purple dress. Her dark blonde hair was artfully tied up but still visibly dry. Her left eye was a vivid blue, her right eye a misty white. She looked around twenty or so. Zenjirou was at least partially familiar with her.

“Oh, Princess Margarita. Truly?” he asked in surprise.

The woman smiled and nodded in response to his shock. “Indeed. It was a direct order from King Bruno. He said that considering Princess Freya’s goals here, I would be appropriate. It is an honor to meet you, Princess Freya. My name is Margarita Sharou and I am to be your attendant for your stay here in accordance with orders from my grandfather, King Bruno.”

The young woman was known to be on a similar level to Francesco as an enchanter. She was the woman who had enchanted Zenjirou and Aura’s wedding rings. Zenjirou had visited her during his last visit and thanked her, but he had not associated with her any further.

His association with Francesco made it easy to forget, but it was far from easy to meet with such an accomplished enchanter. That was to say nothing of the fact that a royal acting as an attendant was certainly exceptional.

“A princess of the Sharou family aiding me in my stay here is an honor that is hard to articulate. I look forward to working with you, Princess Margarita.”

“Princess Margarita is known for her abilities in enchanting, rivaling even Prince Francesco’s. Is that not the case, Lady Lucretia?” Zenjirou asking for her input was what finally prompted him to realize that Lucretia—Zenjirou’s attendant—had been standing there with a hard look on her face.

“Lady Lucy,” her maid said, tugging hard on her dress.

Still incapable of hiding her surprise, Lucretia jerkily nodded her head—like a broken animatronic—before speaking. “I-Indeed, she is. I have always looked up to Mary.”

“Uh...Mary?” Zenjirou asked, taken aback by the almost familial tone.

“Ah?! N-No, I mean Princess Margarita. She is famed as one of the most capable enchanters in the Twin Kingdoms.” Her shock had originally left her lost for words and then resulted in her using a nickname for the princess.

“Ah, I suppose that most people from the Twin Kingdoms would look up to skilled enchanters. Does that mean the healers are equally respected in that way?” Zenjirou asked, offering no further allusions to the gaffe while mentally promising himself to look into it later.

It seemed that the Sharou princess was grateful for the lifeline as well. “Indeed they are. It pains me to say it, but they may be even more respected. Frankly, I feel that I cannot measure up to those capable of healing the senses, limbs, and organs,” Margarita said with an almost shy smile.

Lucretia pulled herself together and gave a slight sigh. “Princess, please take more care of yourself. Not even Prince Francesco has needed the Gilbelle family as much as you.”

Margarita chuckled slightly. “My apologies for the concern. I shall be more careful.”

The conversation sounded slightly off even to Zenjirou, who had barely interacted with her. From what he knew, the princess specialized in weapons and armor. Days of gazing into the furnace weakened her eyes, while the soot and smoke damaged her lungs. Making a mistake with the iron could even cost her a limb. It seemed that much of her earnings from the magic tools she made were used to pay for healing several such ailments each year. According to the princess herself, the loss of limbs happened when she was younger and the only treatments she had now were for her organs and senses. Those were really just pointless excuses, though.

Yup, she’s just the same as Prince Francesco and Princess Bona, Zenjirou thought to himself. She might play her part as a royal, but she’s a researcher at heart. King Bruno and Prince Josep are the opposite, true royals and statesmen. They rarely have time to make magic tools. I suppose Prince Largo would be the closest to a balance between the two sides?

Perhaps the Gilbelles were split between politics and healing as well. The conversation had moved back to the main topic while he was considering that.

“My apologies. I got caught up in the conversation. Princess Freya, I will show you to your room. I apologize, but the lack of information has led to us placing her in a separate annex from Your Majesty. Is that acceptable?”

Zenjirou offered a faint smile at the princess’s question after the look directed towards Freya’s dress.

“That is fine. Are there any issues for you, Princess Freya?”

“It is as you say, Your Majesty,” she answered with a tactful smile.

Once Freya had been shown to her chambers, Zenjirou returned to his own and lounged around after shutting out all of the non-inner palace maids. He would have loved to have shucked off the stifling third uniform and just lay around on the sofa, but there were things he had to prioritize.

“Ines, investigate the relationship between Lucretia and Princess Margarita. Nicknames aside, her behavior when she saw the princess wasn’t normal.”

“I understand,” Ines said, offering her usual bow.

Zenjirou gave a semi-subconscious thanks as his mind moved on to the next issue. “I never would have expected her to be tasked with acting as Princess Freya’s attendant. I’m just checking to be sure, but that’s not normal, right?” he asked, casting his eyes up to Ines where she stood behind the sofa.

“Indeed. Ordinarily, it would be a role given to a high-ranking noble’s daughter like Lady Lucretia. Her Highness’s position means that, even if it is exceptional, it is not unthinkable, I believe.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Her fame as an enchanter may have caused you to misunderstand,” she began explaining. “Princess Margarita is not exactly part of the main core of the royal family—albeit in a different way than Prince Francesco. What with her being a woman, married, and that marriage being to a branch family member at that, she is very low in the line of succession. Although she is a royal, it is in a surprisingly casual sense.”

“Ah, right. The Twin Kingdoms have loads of members from both families,” he commented, realizing the thrust of his misapprehension.

He had started judging everything by the Capuan royal family’s standards. However, there were only two adult members in said family, so it was an exception among exceptions. A country as vast as the Twin Kingdoms easily had—even discounting the elderly and infants—more than a dozen members of each royal family.

With such a number, there would be members of those families who were politically sidelined. It was far from unthinkable for those members to carry out miscellaneous “prestige duties.”

“Of course, Princess Margarita is the daughter of the second prince, Prince Philibert. She would ordinarily be much closer to the core. However, marrying someone as far removed as her husband also removed her from that sphere.”

In summary, Ines’s explanation confirmed that the appointment was abnormal, yes, but not out of the question if there was a good reason.

Zenjirou fell into thought.

“So there’s something that makes it worth treating Princess Freya as special. Maybe because she’s a rare visitor from the Northern Continent? The different treatment might also be because Aura’s letter and those pseudo-marbles were that big of a deal? Hmm, it might be out of the norm, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad change. Maybe I don’t need to be that paranoid about it.”

In much the same way there were limits to his time and stamina, there were also limits to his mental fortitude. He had an almost literal mountain of things he had to do and consider. Adding in curiosities would leave him without the ability to address them all in detail.

“First things first, I need to figure out the list and schedule for sending people to Capua.”

Zenjirou was the only person here who could use teleportation, so the itinerary would have to place him last. Francesco and Bona, Freya and Skaji, Ines and the other three maids, Natalio if possible, and Isabella and her attendants. Even if there were only three attendants, that meant more than ten people in total. Until they were all in Capua, Zenjirou couldn’t make the journey home himself.

“I wonder if I could head back partway...” he mused, mood dampened by the mandatory lengthening of his stay.

Ines considered it for a moment before giving her opinion. “I would imagine so. Although each of them has been scheduled from the outset, all are nobility and cannot be neglected. I would say that it would be acceptable for you to return temporarily to ensure the courts are ready to receive them. In fact, if there are any further additions, I would wager it would even be preferred.”

“Nah, there aren’t going to be any others, surely,” Zenjirou said, unable to hold back a rueful grin.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

The next day, Zenjirou held the meeting both Talajeh and Fiqriya—of the Elementacatto and Animeeum families—had requested.

“Your Majesty, thank you for taking the time to see us today,” Talajeh began with.

“We are deeply grateful,” Fiqriya added.

Zenjirou waved a hand. “It is only natural to accommodate representatives of the four dukes. That said, I am indeed possessed of little spare time. Let us cut to the root of the matter,” he suggested.

Zenjirou truly was as busy as he intimated while in the Twin Kingdoms. Isabella’s aid had been secured, but the specific fees and her assistants needed to be finalized. There were also the matters of Aura’s letters and the pseudo-marbles that needed a considerable amount of contact with the Sharou family. He was also in the position of having to stand for Freya, who had arrived to purchase magic tools of her own.

The pair seemed to take that into account, merely exchanging glances and nods before doing as he asked.

“Then I shall do precisely that and cut to the chase, Your Majesty. Before you return to Capua, would you be willing to send Talajeh and myself there?” Fiqriya asked. Both her face and voice seemed to hold no emotion as she asked the question.

“Naturally, we will compensate you for it,” Talajeh followed up, her own face flashing a gorgeous—if polite—smile.

That was two more people that wanted teleporting. Depending on the circumstances, it could also include protection and servants. Zenjirou held back a sigh, a slight ache beginning to build in his head.

“Would you tell me why?” he asked after a pause. “I cannot grant you permission to enter the country on my own. Even if I were to speak on your behalf to Her Majesty, it will hold little weight without a reason.”

Talajeh was the first to reply. “My objective is, simply put, negotiation. Do you recall that I wished for a magic tool imbued with a space isolation barrier?”

“Ah, I do. I believe you mentioned using it in the Elementacatto gold mines,” Zenjirou recalled.

The family had mines that supported their fiscal power, but excavating under the shifting desert sands led to constant deaths from cave-ins. Thus, Talajeh wanted a magic tool that could create protective barriers. However, making it would require the space-time magic of the Capuan royal family. It therefore inevitably required the cooperation of both an enchanter and space-time magic user to create the item and provide the spell.

With Aura’s pregnancy at present, the request was akin to asking for his aid both here and at home. He let out the sigh he had thus far suppressed before moving to confirm.

“I will probably be the one dealing with it, but I cannot be party to making a magic tool without Her Majesty’s permission,” he stressed. “On that front, arranging the negotiations and carrying them out will fall to you. I will not be assisting.”

“Of course. It is worth it.”

“The actual creation will also need either Prince Francesco or Princess Bona to provide support. Have you discussed this with them?”

“Not as yet. I intend to do so after our arrival, but I do not foresee any problems.”

“I suppose not,” Zenjirou answered. His own impressions quite agreed with that. Neither royal would turn down the prospect of creating something interesting with space-time magic. Considering Capua would be spending a great sum on Isabella’s presence, they were unlikely to object either. It would seem he had no choice but to accept the request.

Understanding that, he changed tracks and moved his gaze from the busty woman to the slighter woman at her side.

“I understand Talajeh’s goals. But what prompts your own desire to head to Capua, Fiqriya?”

Her near-stone-carved expression slipped to allow the slightest hint of a smile at his question. “I will need to explain a little of my own circumstances before it can be made clear. I am a magic researcher,” she stated.

“I have heard that. I believe you are seen as one of the most accomplished mages in the country,” he replied, recalling Lucretia’s words about the woman before him.

“I am grateful for the praise you offer,” she said. “The research I am carrying out is more specifically on the magic language. However, I have—though it pains me to admit it—come to somewhat of an impasse. I have long since hoped to borrow the expertise of Sir Espiridion, one of the leading lights in magic on the continent.”

“I see,” Zenjirou replied.

He could more or less accept her answer. He was a rank amateur given his origins in another world. That meant he didn’t have a real sense for these things, but he had heard that Espiridion was considered extremely gifted. That was precisely why he looked askance at her upon hearing her request.

“I understand the enthusiasm, but I am unsure whether that is feasible. Espiridion is an extremely busy individual.”

Someone with a post as important as the head court mage would not necessarily be able to discuss research with foreigners. Fiqriya had likely understood that from the beginning. Her expression didn’t change at all as she nodded.

“I am aware of that, of course. However, I would hope that you could ensure this reaches him in that case,” she answered. As she spoke, she placed a thick bundle of parchment in an envelope on the table. It was sealed with wax. Zenjirou had more or less memorized the four dukes’ seals, but this was not the Animeeum family’s. In all likelihood, it was Fiqriya’s personal crest.

“And this is?” he asked.

“The record—or at least part of it—of my research until now. Several of my original incantations are included. It is impossible to fully record the language of magic in a written form, but I believe Sir Espiridion would be able to reproduce my results using it. Please ensure this reaches him.”

“Are you sure?” Zenjirou asked after a long pause. Her statement that it included original incantations had caused him to stop reaching for it and seek confirmation.

Fiqriya’s slender shoulders offered a gentle shrug before she answered. “I do not mind. They were byproducts of my research into the language and they are of no practical use. However, I believe that showing Sir Espiridion this will demonstrate that I am not simply trying to leech off his knowledge,” she declared.

A girl of around twenty years was claiming that one of the oldest mages on the continent would benefit from an exchange of information with her. Regardless of her apparently cold exterior, it seemed she was burning with passion internally.

Zenjirou nodded and had Ines take the envelope. “Very well. I will ensure that it reaches him. However, I can make no guarantee of anything further. That would mean the great expense of traveling all the way to Capua might be a fool’s errand. Are you certain that is acceptable?”

“That is fine,” she answered immediately. “My research has stalled regardless. Leaving the country for the first time may lead to some developments simply due to the change of pace.”

The fee for teleportation was a decent amount even from the perspective of royalty and nobility. Apparently, it was not a particular burden for Fiqriya of the Animeeum family, though.

“Very well. Then let us make preparations with a view to that. How many people will both of you wish to take? Too many will be impossible.”

Nobility above a certain rank would almost never travel alone. The norm was to have several people with you for both protection and to serve you. This was even more true when the noble in question was a woman.

However, Talajeh and Fiqriya both subverted his expectations in a good way.

“I will ask for only a single person to assist with my luggage,” Talajeh said.

“I will be alone,” Fiqriya said easily.

“Are you certain?” Zenjirou asked. The two of them nodded.

“Indeed. As far as we have been able to ascertain, there is some degree of leeway in the maids and guards assigned to Princess Bona,” Talajeh began.

“We intend to have several of them assigned to us. In addition, we will have people from both of our families join the relief being sent via the land route. That will be once we transition to the active season, though.”

“Ah, so that is your plan...”

Zenjirou’s own comings and goings through teleportation had made him forget that normal soldiers made the trip between the two countries over the course of a month. For longer stays, they didn’t need to send everyone via teleportation.

“I understand the situation,” he continued. “There will be three of you sent to Capua in total. You and a subordinate, Talajeh. Then you are on your own, Fiqriya. The final decision is contingent on Her Majesty’s permission, but I assume there will be no issue with the journey itself. However, I will warn you once again that I cannot guarantee any success in either of your endeavors. It is entirely possible that you will gain nothing from the journey. The standard fee will still be payable even in that case. Is that acceptable to both of you?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. That is the nature of negotiation, after all,” Talajeh said with a sweet smile.

“That is no issue. The opportunity is enough; I shall do the rest on my own,” Fiqriya agreed, her own smile barely visible.

Once the two of them had left, Zenjirou let out a deep sigh.

“Well, that scuppers my plans. This goes beyond sending a letter with a soldier however you consider it. I will need to return to Capua and discuss it with Her Majesty in person.”

There were still knights in the room for his protection, so he couldn’t speak quite as plainly as he might in the inner palace. However, he still spoke his thoughts aloud to confirm them to himself.

Ines responded, “I believe that would be for the best. Ladies Talajeh and Fiqriya are guests Capua is not expecting. Unless time is made to inform the country, preparations will be lacking. What were your thoughts on the others?”

Zenjirou considered for a few moments before replying. “Ideally, I would have Princess Isabella and her retinue sent as soon as possible. I would have Prince Francesco and Princess Bona follow. Then I would need to return and discuss the rest of our plans in detail. After Her Majesty grants permission, I would need to return and send Talajeh and Fiqriya. Princess Freya and Lady Skaji would follow once they have come to a conclusion for their purchases. The three maids and Natalio would be sent around the same time.” Once he had summed that up, he added to his conclusion. “Of course, the schedule may need to change slightly in either direction depending on the situation in Capua. But you and I would be the final two.”

Using all of his mana while in the Capuan royal palace would not be much of an issue, so he would be able to cast the spell twice on the final day he was in the Twin Kingdoms.

With that in mind, the one other person in need of teleportation on that last day would be Ines. She was the one he wanted to keep on hand for as long as possible.

Her voice had its usual calm tone as she replied, “Then let us make preparations in that vein. Frankly, it seems as if there will be no end to people asking, so perhaps it would be better to refuse any further requests?”

“You’re right,” he agreed. “We would be better served by a firm decision like that.”

Proper consideration made it obvious. It was practically inevitable that when the sheer convenience of a person capable of casting teleportation was present in their own country, people would be crawling out of the woodwork for the chance to use it. The prospect of shortening a perilous month-long journey to an instantaneous trip would inspire endless hopefuls to line up for it, even if the cost was considerable.

If he accepted each and every one of them, Zenjirou would end up stuck in the Twin Kingdoms without end. He had his own plans. Barring a request he couldn’t ignore, he decided he needed to prioritize those plans.

“So, it is time to focus on my own agenda for now. Once the matter of the healer has been decided, the next step is negotiating for the cooling magic tools and Freya’s purchase. Since both negotiations are for magic tools, perhaps doing so at the same time would be best?”

“Indeed. That will be easier for them as well, should you be willing.”

“Make the preparations, then,” he instructed her. I want things to go as smoothly as possible, so informing them ahead of time will make things easier.

“I understand,” Ines replied with a short bow.