Risou no Himo Seikatsu - Volume 12 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 — Victory Party

In the end, the travelers were unable to shake off Anna and attended the victory party. It was being held at night five days after the one-eyed mercenary brought back news of his victory. The venue was—naturally—the marquis’s estate. Sponsored by royalty and held to celebrate a great victory, it was far greater in scale than the welcome for Freya that Zenjirou had participated in previously.

While they had only five days’ notice, there were many nobles from a considerable distance away who had come to celebrate. That was likely a combination of the city’s prominent place as a port and the Husaria’s ability to spread information almost unfairly fast.

The princess herself had not left the estate, what with the preparations for the party, but the other two Husaria had ridden out to invite influential nobles from the surrounding areas.

The main people they focused on were those with territory on the coast. Those with access to the sea could use boats to travel far faster than by land.

While the estate was large enough to represent a seat of power, it was not enough to accommodate so many external nobles. Guests outside of the most important would be staying in the various establishments throughout the city.

Due to that, the travelers along with the Yans had vacated the Ancient Arbor and would be staying at the estate. Zenjirou had offered to set sail if preparing a room was too much, but there had been no reply.

What that meant in practice was that Lucretia had now been brought from the Ancient Arbor to the estate.

“Apologies for the inconvenience, Lucy,” he said to her.

“Not at all,” she replied with a full smile. “I have been most at ease thanks to your maids and guards assisting me.” Her shifting side ponytail reminded him of a dog wagging its tail.

Apparently, Lucretia had exchanged some gold coins from the Twin Kingdoms with the manager and used the money to go shopping.

Lucretia, her maid Flora, and Margarette—who Zenjirou had lent to Lucretia—were all hard to distinguish from the locals by sight. Due to that, they had been able to enjoy their shopping without any real incident.

“It was a rather new experience to go to the shop myself rather than summon a merchant. I overstayed somewhat.”

That comment was proof of her high position as nobility.

Still, Zenjirou was rather relieved she had not been overly put-upon by the situation. It made things much easier for the party that night.

“I see. I am glad to hear it. Incidentally, I imagine you have heard about the party tonight, but I will need to escort Princess Freya.”

There was a touch of excusing himself in his somewhat faster tone, but Lucretia offered an understanding look. It was not a feigned expression either. She seemed to realize that Zenjirou felt somewhat guilty about leaving her alone both this time and last.

“I know. I will wait here, so I hope you enjoy yourself.” That was why she spoke understandingly, to spur on those feelings. However, she didn’t expect his reply.

“Marquis Pomorskie has made an offer on that front. If his uncle is acceptable, he can offer an escort for you. He also indicated that while you would have to enter and leave together, you would be able to do as you pleased for the rest of the evening. What do you say?”

It was obvious that the marquis’s uncle—with the marquis himself being in his forties—would be in the latter half of his fifties. He was a gentleman starting to be classed as elderly. He was, of course, already married. He also had children, and even grandchildren. He was the perfect choice to escort Lucretia without causing any misunderstandings.

Indeed, it was far from rare for a girl to convince her grandfather to be her escort to these parties, although such girls were usually somewhat younger.

It was also possible that the marquis had judged Lucretia’s age to be younger from her stature and looks. Either way, it was still a chance for her.

“I will be there!” she replied immediately.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

It was the night of the party. Złota Wolność had won against their “old enemies,” and while the party was rather small for one being held by royalty, it was rather impressive for such a rapid turnaround.

Due to the party being to celebrate the victory, the mercenaries’ employer—Anna—and their commander—Yan—were both present. The mercenary being a former noble was rather convenient in this instance. He could dress as such without issue along with maintaining decorum as he interacted with others.

As for Anna, it would be unthinkable for her to wear her uniform, so she was clad in a crimson dress. It seemed that Złota Wolność had red as the emblematic color for their royals as well.

Capua having the same royal color meant that Zenjirou was also wearing a red outfit. However, his was not clothing from the Northern Continent. Instead, he was wearing the third uniform derived from the traditional clothing of Capua. There was no way he would be mistaken as part of the commonwealth’s royal family.

He surveyed the venue as those thoughts passed through his mind and noticed a surprising number of people wearing red. On the Southern Continent, an event hosted by the royal family would have seen only the royal family wearing those colors. Was it so different here? It seemed highly unlikely that the dozen or more people he could currently see wearing red were involved with the royal family.

Seeming to notice his roving gaze, Freya—her arm linked with his and wearing a pale blue dress—spoke to him.

“Sir Zenjirou? Is something the matter?”

“No. It is just that on the Southern Continent, there is an unwritten rule that only the royal family can wear their color at this kind of event. I was just wondering if that was different here.”

“Ah, that is true, now that I think about it.” As Freya wasn’t terribly familiar with the customs of Złota Wolność, she could say nothing for certain.

“So that isn’t the case for the entirety of the continent?”

“Indeed. In Uppasala, normal nobles do not wear the blue of our royal family. Of course, those recognized by the country are a different matter, and when those from our lands attend parties abroad, they specifically do wear blue to represent our home.”

“I see. That is more or less the same as on the Southern Continent.”

Did that mean it was just Złota Wolność that was different in this way? They were a country that allowed religious freedom, so in some ways, it would make sense if they allowed more freedom in fashion as well.

They had not exactly kept their voices low, so nearby people had been able to hear them. A young couple wearing red outfits smiled in their direction. Noticing the signal, Zenjirou escorted Freya over to them.

“I am Zenjirou, spouse of Queen Aura I of Capua. This is Princess Freya of Uppasala.”

“I am the first princess of Uppasala, Freya Uppasala.”

While last time, he had only used his name, this time, he followed Anna’s desires and purposefully introduced himself as the queen’s spouse. His position here was unofficial, but Anna was recognizing him as royalty. The situation was even more complicated than before.

The young man introduced himself in turn. “I am the current head of the Horszowski family of Złota Wolność, Eugeniusz. It is an honor to meet you both. This is my wife.”

“My name is Teresa, Your Majesty, Your Highness.”

The man seemed around the same age as Zenjirou, while the woman was four or five years younger. It was hard to tell for sure, but they certainly fit the category of a “young couple.”

Although Zenjirou had technically been the one to start the conversation, it had been due to a smile of invitation from the man. He immediately followed the line of questioning that made sense.

“There are many here wearing the same color as the royal family. Is there a reason for that?” he asked the couple, who were doing exactly that.

The two had seemed not to want to hide it and were in fact eager to talk about it. “That is due to us being nobles since the founding of our country. Such families are specially permitted to wear this color during public events. We are known as the Karminowa Szlachta,” the man said proudly, straightening.

His wife then interjected with a grin, “But that is the only extra right we get.”

It seemed to practically be a set conversation as the man laughed cheerily at the shot from his wife. Now that Zenjirou looked, not all of the people wearing red were in the finest of clothing. Quite a few had simply gone for the plainest outfits that would be permitted at the venue. The lack of other rights was likely the truth.

“She is quite right. The Horszowski family is a poor family for the nobility, with no lands of our own. If I had not managed to join the Husaria, I would not even be able to buy my wife a new dress each year.”

Zenjirou was taken aback by the husband’s statement. “Oh, Lord Eugeniusz, you are part of the Husaria? Were you one of those accompanying Her Highness the other day?”

The man laughed and shook his head. “No, I was not. I simply flew here once I heard of this party.”

“Your wife as well?” Zenjirou asked in surprise.

“Indeed. The two of us enjoyed the trip through the night sky on a single winged horse.”

“Ah, is that safe?” Freya asked hesitantly.

“I am long used to it now,” Teresa said with a reluctant smile.

So, it wasn’t the first time they had done something like that.

“That is...rather brave,” Freya said, unable to see their actions any other way. While someone like the princess, who could use flight magic, was one thing, Teresa riding behind her husband as he controlled the horse would take a lot of courage.

Teresa chuckled. “Thank you, but it is not all bad. Being able to ride as a couple has more benefits than you might think.”

She then began to explain some of them. They were, at least technically, the heads of a noble family. There were many formalities that needed both husband and wife in attendance. Being able to fly in on short notice to such events was rather convenient. Such a position—even if it came with costs—was well worth securing.

“I see. Then I assume you have a good deal of valuable experience, Lord Eugeniusz.”

“I would be willing to discuss it with you if you were interested,” the man offered.

“I would greatly appreciate it.”

“Then perhaps I should talk about the ascension of a new duke in the Duchy of Tirana? We needed to send someone in urgently, and that was the first time...”

Zenjirou spent a while listening to the young couple’s history. They were more like flying diplomats than knights.

“The conversation was well worthwhile, Lord Eugeniusz. I thank you,” Zenjirou said.

“It was an honor, Your Majesty.”

“I would gladly welcome you if you ever visit Uppasala,” Freya said to the man’s wife.

“I look forward to it if I ever have the opportunity, Your Highness.”

Zenjirou and Freya finished their conversation and parted ways. As Zenjirou let his eyes roam around the room, he spotted one of the very few familiar faces. The girl had her characteristic hairstyle—tied at the side—and was wearing a green dress over her slight frame. Lucretia.

She was accompanied by an aging man and speaking animatedly with a middle-aged couple. She seemed to be integrating well into the event. The other couple seemed well-disposed to her too. It made sense for a born-and-raised noble. She was clearly standing several levels higher than Zenjirou.

Her conversation seemed to have come to an end as the couple parted from her with smiles. Zenjirou took the opportunity to approach. His initial greeting went to her escort.

“Marquis Dolny, your assistance today is appreciated.”

“Why, Your Majesty, it has been a pleasure. Escorting a young beauty like this takes me back to my youth in body and soul.”

“Well, you have been a most agreeable escort,” the blonde said with a smile, her arm wrapped around his.

Zenjirou then directed his gaze her way. “Hey, Lucy. Enjoying yourself?”

“I am, Your Majesty.”

Her smile seemed to be the embodiment of the word “innocence.” If one were to point out a problem, it would be the accompanying clenching of her hands together in front of her chest, demonstrating the effort she was putting in. Such efforts were actually rather effective in social settings like this, though. In some ways, you could call her as diligent as the knights and soldiers who trained their art day in and out.

“I have rather enjoyed seeing this country’s culture. What about you, Lucy?”

“I quite agree. The kingdom is incredible. The food, clothing, and accessories—both personal and those that decorate the rooms—are amazing. Both the familiar ones and the things new to me. And look at this: the marquis has given it to me.”

As she spoke, Lucretia happily showed him a circle on the end of a stick. It was roughly palm-sized. The rear of it was a silver setting with golden flowers embedded into it as decoration. As he looked into the front of it, he saw his familiar reflection looking back at him.

“A mirror... A glass mirror?! Marquis, this is such a valuable gift.”

The man’s eyes narrowed briefly at his surprise before his face smoothed out into a kindly look. “It is nothing so major. While our continent has only very recently managed to make them, our country has a contract with the manufacturer. We can buy them before they hit the open market.”

“It is that precious?” Lucretia asked. “Then allow me to offer my thanks yet again.” Her big blue eyes had gotten even bigger as she spoke happily. It was likely the first time she had seen such a thing. Until now, she had probably thought it was the same kind of thing as metal mirrors. The only people who could tell the difference at a glance would be those who already knew of their existence.

“Allow me to offer my thanks as well, Marquis Dolny.”

Lucretia was even happier with Zenjirou’s thanks than the marquis was. He felt she was close enough that he would offer thanks for gifts given to her.

“Not at all. While I have grandsons, I have yet to be blessed with a granddaughter. It is a rather valuable experience for me as well.” His expression was the perfect fit for the kindly old grandfather.

“I see. I must admit that the luxuries of this country impress me. There is such a wide variety of food and drink, to say nothing of the art pieces.”

The other man puffed his chest out slightly as he answered.

“It is a source of our pride and represents us. That is the source of our wealth. I doubt there are any other countries with as many ties as our own. That has resulted in our benefits, though there are naturally some annoyances as well.”

The commonwealth publicly recognized freedom of religion, so they were able to negotiate with animistic countries, those that followed either the Church of the Fang or Church of the Claw, as well as those with other religions like the Red and White Dragon Kingdoms. The same went for countries on the Southern Continent as well.

The distance and commonwealth’s tendency to focus on land transport meant that it was a step behind the countries further south where intercontinental trade was concerned. Conversely, though, its position in the middle of the continent meant it could still get a slice of the pie.

“I suppose so. There are always those willing to take advantage of tolerance. The fact that tolerance has survived while the nation is prosperous is proof that it has not been done excessively. I have a lot of respect for the politicians and educators of this country.”

“I could ask for no higher praise,” the man said happily. “It seems somewhat disingenuous to say at a victory party, but we always intend to be open to a dialogue. Of course, there are occasions when one has to leave the table before anything else.”

“Regarding everyone as worth talking to in that way is a difficult thing to ask. That is what makes it so valuable.”

“My thanks. Well, I suppose I should specify that such dialogue would be for those outside of the White Empire.”

His tone was that of someone cracking a joke. Still, it was an interesting thing for Zenjirou, so he answered in kind.

“Oh, so you won’t sit down with the White Empire?”

“You know of them?”

“I would not say I know, but I have heard of them. They were a superstate that used to rule the continent, apparently, though I have also heard that their existence is disputed.”

The man offered a slight shrug. “There are indeed no documents or ruins that prove their existence. Well, strictly speaking, many documents have been found but have all been determined to be false.”

“Then it truly is just a fairy tale? My impression of the country so far makes me doubt you would show such hostility towards something barely thought to exist.”

Dolny gave a half smile and nodded. “You are quite right. However, this relates to the tales of our predecessor’s founding—the Kingdom of Poznań. Enough people believe the tale that ignoring it is impossible.”

He then gave a brief summation of the founding of the nation that had come before them. The kingdom had originally been under the rule of the White Empire, and their rule had been with an iron fist. The citizens had rebelled over and over, and the center of their rebellion had been the Krakow family with their flight magic.

However, as you might expect from the fact that it had happened multiple times, they had all been crushed. The kingdom had eventually been formed when the White Empire tried to rule even the true dragons and incited their anger, being destroyed.

The abbreviated tale didn’t sit quite right with Zenjirou. Repeated, failed rebellions that ended in further subjugation each time, only being freed by the supernatural true dragons defeating their oppressors. Would a country pass down tales that made them seem so pathetic? If they did, surely it would be more along the lines of, “Our ancestors were just and honest, and were therefore oppressed by the wicked White Empire. The true dragons had mercy upon us and wiped out the vicious empire, saving us.” They would surely stress their own righteousness and the empire’s wickedness.

The myth having such oddities in it served to make it seem rather credible, though. But if that was true, the Poznańs—along with the White Empire, of course—would have existed in the Divine Age, before the true dragons left humanity and the church was formed. That much, at least, felt impossible.

“Literature aside, the lack of any ruins is quite bizarre.”

The marquis agreed with the objection and then explained. “You are quite right. However, there are reasons that such things have never been found.”

“Oh?”

“The White Empire was a completely magic-based culture that did not rely on physical things at all.”

“A...magic-based culture that did not rely on physical things? That is rather hard to imagine. You mean to say they made no use of tools, constructed no homes, and just lived in the nude?”

The man shook his dignified gray-haired head in response. “No, they used magic for all of those things. The Twelve Royal Families all had lineal magic. The explanation goes that the force magic of the first family—the Nikitin family—along with the creation magic of the second family—the Makarov family—were even used for conveyances from their homes.”

Zenjirou imagined buildings and vehicles made by magic. The best he could come up with were the standard sci-fi cities, but using magic as their power source. That still left a question, though.

“Hm? I am not particularly knowledgeable about magic, but are the results not usually very short-lived?”

You could create a ball of water, but it would only remain a ball for a very brief moment before falling to the ground. Earth walls would remain semi-permanently, so he could understand the buildings at first. Then he thought about it and realized that it contradicted the lack of ruins after the empire’s collapse.

When he asked the question, the marquis chuckled before answering. “The other families played a part. The Orlofsky family’s contract magic and the Shulepov family’s enchantment magic made up for that—they were the third and fourth families, respectively. The combination of their spells allowed them to vastly increase the duration of each. Of course, however long spells are extended, magic is still magic. The true dragon’s strength unraveled the mana and it all returned to nothing. Anything that was left would naturally fall apart with no one to supply mana to it.”

“Contract and...enchantment?” Zenjirou couldn’t help but be hung up on the latter. Was it the same enchantment magic?

“Indeed. Well, there are no records, so there is no foundation for those assumptions. Still, it at least seems logical as an explanation for a civilization vanishing without a trace, no?” His tone seemed to imply that he, too, was not entirely convinced. He did not seem to be looking down on the story itself, but was instead reluctant to take any such explanation with no evidence.

Zenjirou’s mind was spinning with enchantment magic, though. The fourth family of the White Empire, the Shulepovs, had enchantment as their lineal magic. The Sharou family of the Twin Kingdoms of Sharou-Gilbelle had the same.

If a family with lineal magic was wiped out, then eventually the spirits would bless a new family with the same magic, so it was entirely possible that the Shulepov and Sharou families were completely unrelated. However, a royal family on the Southern Continent with the same features as those on the Northern Continent meant that it would be somewhat hasty to assume no connection.

Naturally, Zenjirou found his gaze drifting to the noble girl from the country in question. Someone who, by blood, was part of the Sharou family.

He kept the action as natural as possible to keep the marquis and anyone else around from making any assumptions. Lucretia was standing there, an empty cup in her hands and her usual smile on her face. However, her face was utterly pale.

Zenjirou could tell because of how familiar he was with her, but she was keeping her composure well enough that no one else would notice. He felt like looking her way might have been a mistake. The other two members of the conversation had followed suit.

Foreseeing things going badly, he quickly stepped towards her. Smelling alcohol from her drink, he spoke before anyone else could point it out.

“You look a little pale, Lucy. The drink you have is probably slightly strong for you. Has the alcohol disagreed with you?”

She responded, “Is it? I hadn’t realized, though now that you mention it, my stomach feels slightly uncomfortable,” she replied, putting a hand to her chest.

“Ah, maybe it hasn’t settled well with you. It can sometimes happen when you have a wider variety of food and drink. Lady Lucretia, perhaps you should rest over on the side for now,” the marquis suggested, fulfilling his role as escort with some concern as he held a hand out to her.

Lucretia had reflexively grabbed Zenjirou’s sleeve, though. “Ah...I, um...”

Her escort was the marquis, and Zenjirou was Freya’s partner. Taking the latter’s hand without Freya’s permission was somewhat immodest, but Lucretia’s younger appearance helped.

“Oh, well, I suppose His Majesty would be preferable here.”

Everyone knew that Lucretia was from the Southern Continent and had come with Zenjirou on the Glasir’s Leaf. It was only natural for her to fall back on someone from the same place rather than a partner she had only met for the first time that day. Besides, said partner was only strictly meant to escort her during the very beginning and end of the party, and the rest of the time, she was free to do as she pleased.

Zenjirou turned to Freya to ask for permission. “Your Highness, I apologize, but would you mind me heading to the side for a while?”

“Of course not. Lucy is a good friend of mine, after all.”

Spending more than three months on the same ship meant that the two had gotten closer whether they had wanted to or not. After all, they were the only two women of a similar age on the ship.

“Thank you. Lucy, there is a place to sit over that way. Can you walk?” the marquis asked.

“I can. My apologies, Marquis.”

“Do not worry about it. Relax and rest.”

They left the gentleman and silver-haired princess as Zenjirou led her by the hand to some chairs along the wall. Fortunately, the party had only just begun, so there were few people there. Once he made sure of that, he murmured into her ear, keeping his expression under control.

“I would like to hear the details later,” he said to her.

Lucretia’s expression didn’t change either as she replied, “Gladly, once we are back on the Southern Continent.”

He swallowed back his surprise before he spoke. “Very well. Until then.”

Her answer would come not when they left the country, but rather when they had left the continent. That itself was an answer. There was at least some connection between the Twin Kingdoms and the White Empire. It was information that was clearly going to cause issues in the future.

While it was somewhat indiscreet, Zenjirou couldn’t help his excitement. This was an ancient superstate that was considered a mere myth on the Southern Continent. While he knew it would cause him issues, he couldn’t deny that he was looking forward to finding out about it.

“If I may sit?”

“Of course.”

He took a seat on the chair next to hers. “You can relax until you have calmed down,” he said.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

She had already recovered a significant amount of color in her cheeks as she replied.

As Zenjirou and Lucretia sat next to each other by the walls, there was a stirring towards the front of the hall.

“What is it?”

“What’s going on?”

The two of them couldn’t see since the crowds were in the way. Still, a voice carried over to them before they could stand.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased that so many of you have made your way to this celebration of our victory!”

It was a young woman’s voice, strong and carrying. Zenjirou knew who it was without even seeing her: Princess Anna. After all, she was the one holding the event.

He didn’t know what she was going to say, but he knew there was a reason for her timing. The night had begun and almost all of the latecomers had already arrived. Furthermore, the people who would leave early had not yet departed, so this was the time of night when the most people would be present.

He was somewhat interested in why she had specifically picked this time, but considering he was here as another royal, he didn’t think he should join the crowds around her. Fortunately, he could hear what she was saying from where he was, so he remained seated against the wall as he listened to her speech.

“As I said to begin with, this banquet is to commemorate our saving Pomorskie from the foul grasp of the knights. Please, a round of applause for Commander Yan, the representative of the heroes who saved our city!”

The circle of people followed her request, all applauding at once. While he couldn’t see from his position, the commander must have also been in the midst of the crowd.

Anna’s speech continued. “Thanks to Commander Yan’s efforts, Pomorskie experienced no problems. It is a joyous occasion. However, does that mean the threat of the knights is gone? It goes without saying that the answer to that question is no! It is not! The knights even now maintain their strength as they seek our lands. I have succeeded in divining the next signs of their invasion!”

The people around her cried out in surprise. Zenjirou might not have been among them, but he certainly shared in their surprise. This attack was not their only plan—they were planning on further invasions? And Anna had managed to find signs of those plans.

He couldn’t help but look to his side. Lucretia’s eyes were equally wide in shock.

“And yet, it was hardly due to anyone’s skill or talent. The knights are simply not even attempting to hide it. They are massing troops on our northern border. Currently, they are ten thousand strong but will eventually be at least twenty, possibly even thirty thousand.”

Even more shocked exclamations rang out this time. It wasn’t something Zenjirou fully understood, but military movements in such numbers were exceptionally rare, even on the Northern Continent.

It seemed the knights were aiming to decide things once and for all rather than carry on with the skirmishes that had characterized their conflict with Złota Wolność thus far. The surprise attack on Pomorskie was more than likely intended as a foothold for their main invasion.

“The danger of the situation goes unsaid. I believe there is not a single noble who will sit and bury their head in the sand in the face of this crisis. Naturally, that is equally true of me. I will pass command of my men to Yan here and send them to the battlefield. I ask for all of your aid! And it will not be just our own country. I say we should pool our strength with those neighbors we can—those who stand against the knights. Tannenwald is likely to be the site of our conflict!”

Tannenwald was not a place Zenjirou was familiar with, but it was open territory on the border between the knights’ lands and Złota Wolność. There were a limited number of places where armies of such a scale could clash. As your opponent’s forces grew in size, you could inevitably predict where you would face off.

“Still, will the commander be under her employ at that point?” Zenjirou mused. “I thought the contract was only for this battle and then he’d be returning to the priest.”

“Was that specifically agreed, Your Majesty?” Lucretia asked from his side. “Was their contract explicitly for the defense against this one attack by the knights?”

While she was young, she was a born-and-raised noble. She was far more used to the tricks of wording and implications that royalty and nobility thrived on than Zenjirou.

He thought back and eventually shook his head. “No, it wasn’t. I think it was to lead the forces against this invasion from the knights.” As he spoke, he realized what she was doing.

“This means she is keeping to their agreement. She is explicitly including the forthcoming war as part of this invasion, not just the sneak attack, I should say.”

“I suppose that is what you should expect from royalty,” he replied, sighing without really thinking about it.

Silence reigned over the throng of people for a while.

“To Tannenwald,” a young noble finally murmured, breaking the silence with a fist to his chest.

That was the spark that was needed.

“Tannenwald...”

“To Tannenwald.”

“Now, to Tannenwald!”

One after another, the nobles spoke the battlefield’s name. It was quiet and scattered at first but eventually grew louder and more unified. Soon, everyone was practically chanting it as a refrain. Some of the men even had their fists raised gallantly towards the sky.

It was perhaps inevitable, but Zenjirou and Lucretia’s position against the wall excluded them from the cheering, both physically and psychologically.

“That’s some zeal,” Zenjirou commented.

“I suppose it is Her Majesty’s influence in effect,” Lucretia replied.

It was rather discomfiting to witness their fervor from the outside. Then, Zenjirou heard footsteps approaching and remembered the other person who was divorced from the situation.

“Princess Freya,” he said, calling the silver-haired princess’s name.

Her feelings had spread onto her face. They weren’t all of a kind, so he struggled to read her expression, but he could at least see the mix of anger and irritation, along with a reluctant smile.

“Is something the matter, Princess Freya?” Lucretia asked hesitantly.

The princess shook her head, the self-deprecating smile still on her face. “No, I am just reflecting on my carelessness, too late though it may be.”

“Your carelessness?” Zenjirou asked, looking at her, puzzled.

She let out a long, resigned sigh. “The Glasir’s Leaf will be departing soon. Princess Anna will be there with a grand farewell,” she said, her voice lacking any real intonation.

“Hmm?” He could tell from her tone that this was not a good thing. However, he had no idea why it was bad.

“I have made a blunder that will inevitably draw a scolding from my father once I return. Did you hear her speech? She said, ‘We should pool our strength with those neighbors we can—those who stand against the knights.’”

Zenjirou gave a small gasp of surprise. It went without saying that Uppasala—an animistic country—would be one of those neighbors.

“I beg your pardon, but you are only a princess. Surely even should she win you over, it does not mean the kingdom itself would become her ally?”

The self-recrimination strengthened on Freya’s face as she shook her head. “It is not a matter of how things will be taken at home. The issue is how the knights will take both my attendance at this party and the grand farewell as I leave.”

“Ah, I see,” Zenjirou replied, now understanding Anna’s plan fully.

Złota Wolność was asking for assistance from various countries for their war with the knights. A princess of Uppasala—an animistic country—was present where that announcement was made. Several days later, said princess would be given a grand farewell by the royal family of Złota Wolność as she returned to her homeland.

At that point, the knights would be unable to ignore her kingdom. Whether Uppasala would actually be participating in the war was unimportant. The possibility alone would make the knights wary, and they would have to prepare at least some of their forces for such an attack.

It was a significant military success for the princess. The assembly had gone from listening to a speech to being a rally, before eventually calming as their role was fulfilled.

Anna strode away from the loosening formation, blue hair glinting in the light. A middle-aged man with a single eye covered with an eyepatch watched her—Yan. Judging by the chagrined look on his face, being given command of the next battle had been just as much of a shock to him.

“Good evening, Your Majesty. I hope you are enjoying the festivities?” Anna said.

“I am, though not as much as yourself, I wager,” Zenjirou replied, instinctively returning some rather direct cynicism.

No one present had gained as much as the princess had. She doubtlessly was enjoying the festivities. After all, this victory party had enabled her to use Zenjirou’s position as a foreign prince consort to strengthen the possibility of her ascending to the throne, allowed her to draw out her contract with Yan to the next grand battle, and restrained the knights with an implicit threat of another country by using Freya. She must have been all but walking on sunshine.

“Indeed. While it was unavoidable in this instance, I understand the inconvenience that keeping you here must have caused. Additionally, you have greatly aided me during this victory party. It would impugn my honor to leave my thanks as words alone. Your Majesty, is there anything I can do to repay you?”

Despite her words, Zenjirou would much rather have had no involvement with the princess than have her offer him something in thanks. A forceful, intelligent, ambitious person was the worst kind of person to negotiate with.

That said, his experience in the world of business meant that he understood that as long as circumstances were beneficial for such people, they would not take exception to even a modest response—in which case, making a request without reserve was the way to get the most out of the situation.

“There is perhaps one thing. You see, Lucy here received a wonderful gift from Marquis Dolny. Lucy?”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” she replied, accepting his request to show the mirror.

Anna gave an exaggerated look of surprise as she inspected the finely detailed mirror. “Oh? My, my. Impressive, Lord Dolny.” It would seem that even to the royal family, a glass mirror was a highly valuable item.

Seeing her reaction, Zenjirou continued. “I would like nothing more than to give another to my wife waiting at home. Would you be willing to offer an introduction to the craftsman who created this—or their guild, perhaps?”

Anna frowned, seeming conflicted. “Hm, I would not mind. Unfortunately, it was not produced by our own country’s craftsmen, but by one of our neighbors’. I can write a letter of introduction, but even contacting and visiting them personally will take a significant amount of time,” she warned him.

“I see. A shame. I will have to wait until another opportunity to place a custom order.”

“Indeed. Then perhaps a letter of introduction and a glass mirror that the royal family possesses?”

“I would appreciate that,” he replied with a nod.

It went without saying that Zenjirou did not really want the mirror itself. Rather, he wanted glass that was transparent enough to be used for those mirrors. If he could either scout some of their craftsmen or acquire the methods they used, Capua’s marble production would leap forward.

Before the journey, he had been hesitant to upset the delicate balance of power and culture on the Southern Continent. However, seeing the technology gap firsthand made him feel like that wasn’t where his concerns should lie.

“I would welcome a good relationship with you into the future,” Anna commented.

“I quite agree.”

What constituted a “good relationship” was probably different for each of them. Still, they exchanged smiles of agreement even understanding that difference.