Risou no Himo Seikatsu - Volume 15 - Chapter 3.2

Watching the events take place from a little distance away, Zenjirou muttered quietly enough that only Freya could hear him, “They certainly are nervous.” His gaze wasn’t on Yngvi, but on the Capuan girls being introduced to him.

“It is little surprise,” Freya answered just as quietly, her arm still in his. “This is a huge fork in their lives.”

Zenjirou nodded silently. The girls speaking with the prince had all been investigated by Aura, their backgrounds inspected, after which they had been permitted to speak to him directly. They were, in essence, the cream of the crop. Still, the normal age for remaining unwed in this world meant that they were still teenage girls.

Despite being born into noble families and living with the knowledge that their families’ circumstances were paramount in their future plans, even if this marriage was something they wanted, there was no chance they would remain calm about marrying into a completely different world—the Northern Continent. There was an extremely high possibility that one of them would become Yngvi’s second wife and spend the rest of her life in a foreign country.

“I want to do what I can to help,” Zenjirou muttered to himself, this time quietly enough that not even Freya could hear him from her position at his side.

Zenjirou had literally married into a different world all on his own, so in some respects, he understood how they felt more than anyone. The person who could likely understand them almost as well was Freya, who had married into the Southern Continent. Fortunately, they had Zenjirou’s teleportation and her position as former royalty of Uppasala. They would likely be able to support the girl who became Yngvi’s second wife.

Of course, that assumed that her husband would also act in good faith. After that thought, the two of them turned their attention from the girls and guardians to the accessories the girls were wearing. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, and hairpieces made up the bulk of them. All of them were made of gold as well. The penny dropped for Zenjirou, and he began looking around for a specific person.

He soon found her. Her blonde hair drew the eye when among the group of primarily darker hair and skin tones present. Practically at the same time as he spotted her, she had looked towards him. Their eyes met and a smile made its way to her lips.

“Freya,” Zenijrou prompted.

“Of course, Sir Zenjirou,” she replied before they started walking slowly towards her.

“Talajeh,” he greeted her once they were close enough. “I hope you are enjoying yourself.”

“I am indeed, Your Majesty,” the blonde replied as her smile deepened.

Talajeh was from the Elementaccato family, one of the four ducal houses of the Twin Kingdoms. She had lush blonde hair, amber eyes, and lightly tanned skin, perhaps due to a mixing of blood between the native desert nomads and the migrants who had fled the Northern Continent.

She was adorned with plenty of gold—the local specialty of her homeland—using herself as a living mannequin to display her wares. Zenjirou looked meaningfully at the girls around Yngvi.

“It seems you have been a great help. You have my thanks.”

“Not at all,” Talajeh replied. “I should be thanking you for the good business opportunity. I hope it can continue.”

The smile on her face took on a decidedly calculating gleam. If one were to sum Talajeh up in a single word, it would probably be “mercantile.”

It was an unusual group for a noble girl from the Southern Continent to fall into. The gold jewelry the gathered girls were wearing had all been sold using her honeyed words. The accessories from the Elementaccato lands were high in purity and also finely crafted. It was hardly unfair business, but Zenjirou wasn’t exactly happy to see Capuan silver diverted to the Twin Kingdoms with his own eyes.

That said, it was hard to deny that he himself was one of the greatest assets to her business. After all, every time he teleported to the Twin Kingdoms, he was paid a fee to cast the spell on Talajeh so that she could take the coinage back and replenish her goods. However expensive the gold accessories were, she still only had what she could physically carry, so the currency outflow could be ignored. If the unidirectional purchases continued, though, they would need to sell something to the Twin Kingdoms to maintain the balance.

At that, Zenjirou recalled one of the most expensive things they could be selling. “That reminds me, have you heard how the barrier magic tool is progressing?”

Talajeh smiled as she nodded. “I have. Princess Bona has assured me that it is going well,” she said as she thrust her large chest out.

Capua’s space-time magic contained a spell that physically isolated an area, and Talajeh had requested a magic tool that used this spell. Aura and Bona were currently collaborating on it.

All Aura was doing was going to Bona’s workshop and casting the spell once a day, so the majority of the work was on the princess’s side. Of course, Bona didn’t have the time to spend every day creating a magic tool, so she sometimes took time off of it. That meant that it would be some time before it was completed, but apparently things were proceeding apace.

“So, everything is going well?”

“Well, ‘everything’ would perhaps be something of an overstatement, but things are certainly moving in the right direction.” Her expression was completely at ease as she spoke. Of course, being part of a highly placed noble family and working as a merchant meant that a poker face was indispensable. Still, there was no doubt that things were going well for her, so the expression was likely sincere.

“I would like to restock soon. Do you plan to visit the Twin Kingdoms?” she asked.

When Zenjirou was in the Twin Kingdoms, and only then, the combination of him and Aura made an instantaneous round trip between the two countries possible. Therefore, his presence in the Twin Kingdoms also gave the Northerners in Capua a chance to temporarily return home.

That said, the fee was significant even to the royal coffers. Talajeh was possibly the only person who expected enough profit from the return trip for the fee to be worth it.

“I am unsure. I will inform you before I go. After all, I wish to buy two of the Elementaccato specialties myself. Can I ask you to arrange that?”

Zenjirou’s words prompted the brightest smile she’d displayed so far that night. At the same time, Freya’s grip on his arm tightened.

If Zenjirou was asking for two pieces of jewelry, there was little need to say who exactly they would be for.

“Of course, leave it to me. In fact, would you be interested in visiting our estate in the capital? For you, we are willing to display even our reserved products that guests would not usually be shown. Of course, we would also offer a discount. If you were to visit our capital rather than our residence you would find even more valuable items, and we would not even charge you in such a case. We would guarantee your safety throughout the journey with our lives. In fact, I would even pay for your travel.”

Everyone, whether domestic or international, would want to invite Zenjirou—a caster of teleportation—to their homeland, but Talajeh was by far the most enthusiastic. If Zenjirou visited the place even once—or more accurately, if he photographed it—he would be able to use it as a destination directly.

“I will consider visiting the estate. The capital is out of the question, though,” he answered, a reluctant smile on his face at her zeal.

With people as motivated and capable as Talajeh, it was best not to give a reason when refusing an offer. If he did so, she could respond with a direct counterattack, destroying the reason he’d given.

“A shame,” she said.

The look on her face was one of a lion watching a gazelle escaping its grasp.

Although the evening’s festivities were for Yngvi to meet the candidates for his second wife, his socialization time was not only spent with them. After all, only those vetted beforehand by Aura were allowed to directly appeal to him, and that was an extremely limited number. Once conversation with those few had finished, there was still plenty of time left to be used for socializing with other people.

“It is an honor to have the chance to meet you, Prince Yngvi. I am Capua’s marshal, Pujol Guillén, and this is my wife, Lucinda.”

“An honor, Your Highness,” Lucinda added.

The Uppasalan prince responded to the couple’s greetings with a smile. “My brother mentioned you, Marshal. He called you a truly gifted warrior. It is just as much of an honor for me to meet you both.”

The massive man grinned broadly. He was one of Capua’s most prized warriors and the commander in chief of the army. The two had somewhat similar goals in terms of aiming to strengthen both their nations and their own influence, so conversation flowed freely between them.

“I envy the dash drakes, I must say. While their speed is minimally different from a horse’s, their stamina and strength are many times greater. I presume they require commensurately more food and water, but they still outstrip horses easily. If they could adapt to the climate and ecosystem of the Northern Continent, I would love to purchase some.”

“Meanwhile, the speed at which horses grow is exceptional,” the marshal replied. “Three or four years before they are fieldable is impressive. The drakes may be able to serve longer, but that is not necessarily always an advantage. Callous as it sounds, mounts are expendable to an army, after all.”

Comparing adult specimens of both showed much greater physical capabilities on the dash drakes’ side, yet being hatched rather than born meant that they were smaller to begin with and took at least ten years of rearing before they were able to work as mounts. As Pujol said, that wasn’t a benefit as a military resource. It was all too likely that an engagement would lead to a reduction in numbers, and the drakes were far less suited to quickly raising replacements.

“Above all, I must say I envy your nation’s smithing capabilities. Sir Völundr recently agreed to create a spear for me, and I have to admit it is all that is on my mind each night, despite how childish such excitement feels.”

Yngvi blinked in slight surprise. “Did Her Majesty order it?”

“No, it was his own generosity.”

“Incredible! There are precious few warriors recognized by him even in our homeland. Frankly, this is the first time I have heard of him making such an offer. You must be a truly exceptional combatant.”

Yngvi was now certain that his first impression of the marshal was correct. The smith’s estimation of a warrior was solely based on their capabilities on the front line. Absolutely none of it was due to leadership or command ability. For him to personally offer up a weapon of his own making was proof positive that Pujol’s skills were far beyond the norm.

“I maintain my skills enough that I will bring no shame upon my position,” Pujol replied. He had no reason to be humble in terms of his standing, his actual skills, or his personality, and though he did phrase it somewhat indirectly, he still made his position clear.

“Considering those skills will be protecting the country and that Lady Freya is of the same blood as me, I have to say it is heartening to hear.”

“They will be indeed. Still, I cannot monopolize your time for the entire evening, so we will take our leave here.”

“Excuse us,” said Lucinda.

“Of course, some other time,” Yngvi replied.

The three parted, smiles on each of their faces. Once the marshal and his wife had left, the next pair to approach the prince were conspicuous among the guests—a prince with blond hair and a princess with chestnut-brown hair that shimmered with silver.

“Ah, Prince Yngvi, might we take some of your time?” the former, Francesco, called with a grin.

“It is an honor to meet you,” Bona added, politely bowing her head as she followed behind.

Yngvi welcomed the two with a broad smile. “No, the honor is mine. I would be glad to be able to take some of your time, Prince Francesco, Princess Bona.”

Francesco—or rather, the country he represented—was a somewhat contentious topic as far as Uppasala was concerned. The Twin Kingdoms of Sharou-Gilbelle was a country formed from the remnants of the White Empire—a historical enemy of the church. That country had essentially ambushed Uppasala with a “symbol of friendship” in the form of the Lulled Sea that Freya had received from them. Inevitably, therefore, Uppasala was in a position against the church, on friendly terms with the Twin Kingdoms.

The results were not bad overall. The country was already one of the minority of animistic nations that didn’t have a good relationship with the church by any means. There were also definite advantages to a positive relationship, so the nation wasn’t against the current situation. Being forced into it by a trick, however, was another matter. They had to settle things in some way or they would be a laughingstock. Put bluntly, they couldn’t afford to ignore appearances.

That said, demonstrating their displeasure here and now against the prince and princess wouldn’t help Uppasala either. Yngvi understood that, so he was treating the pair as individual members of the royal family rather than representatives of their country.

“I see that the Twin Kingdoms are advanced in not only magic items, but the spells themselves as well. Those static flames are superb, and I would truthfully be interested in purchasing several,” he said, earnest in his praise. The reason for his response was the idea that Zenjirou had partially come up with: the magic tool version of this item was, as the name implied, a flame that was completely static. It was fixed within metal netting and could even be used on a rocking ship. This meant that as long as the metal wasn’t damaged, the flame wouldn’t be able to spread.

Uppasala’s main port of Logfort was a nonfreezing harbor, which meant that ships departed even during the winter. The port didn’t freeze due to the ocean currents, and the air temperature was usually below that of the water. Even so, ships set sail. Not only large trading ships, but smaller fishing vessels as well. There were fish that could still be caught during the winter months and those that could be caught only during those months. It was easy to see just how valuable a flame that could be maintained without fear of spreading would be.

“Those were His Majesty’s idea,” Francesco said. “Personally, I feel they were very worthwhile to make. The core is simple, so they can be created in a surprisingly short period.”

As far as the magic tool portion of things was concerned, it was just about turning the spell itself into an item. Enclosing it with the metal mesh and attaching the clamp to fix it in place on the ship was merely structural.

Yngvi’s eyes gleamed at the “surprisingly short period” part of the other prince’s statement. “Oh, is that so? How long, exactly?”

“Not even two months,” Francesco replied.

“Indeed, that would be roughly the time frame,” Bona agreed.

The excitement on Yngvi’s face dropped by half at that. As Francesco had said, two months was an extremely short time to create a magic tool, but it was far from what Yngvi had hoped for. He wanted mass production of the tools. A safe flame on a ship in the winter would make sailing and fishing far more convenient. One or two rare items would be pointless from that perspective, since they would need tens at least, preferably hundreds.

Francesco must have inferred from Yngvi’s expression that it was not the answer he was hoping for. “All magic tool creation takes time. If you like, I could modify some of my own? I could only part with two, though,” he suggested with a rueful smile.

“I could do likewise,” Bona added. “Though only the one.” Her hair sparkled as she smiled.

Static flames in the Twin Kingdoms were used for lighting, not heating, so most royals had a certain number of their own. Those like Francesco or Bona, who were particularly skilled in their craft, would often work through the night and absolutely needed light. Simply fixing a clamp to the bottom and enclosing the flame would not take a huge amount of time. Two or three items would not meaningfully change the national situation, but they could be used on the most important vessels during the winter.

“I would be most grateful. Would similar payment to His Majesty be acceptable?”

“That would be fine.”

While Francesco might have been an oddity of a royal, he still had enough common sense that he could manage at social events.

“I must say, Your Highness,” he said, “I can feel your determination to push Uppasala forward in every word and action you take. I rather respect it.”

Francesco’s words were not flattery, they were how he truly felt. Everything the silver-haired prince had done and said was fundamentally based on a desire to strengthen his country. That included his interest in the dash drakes, his desire for the static flames, and his initiative in intercontinental trade.

Even the main thrust of the night—searching for a wife—fell into that category. He had interacted with the women using fine manners, but those with decent insight could tell that his attention was more on the positions and statuses of the guardians behind them, which was neither bad nor particularly special. In fact, it was practically expected for a member of royalty.

The prince laughed. “Hearing such praise is rather embarrassing. I am simply doing what I should as a member of the royal family.” Indeed, he wasn’t being humble; that was how he truly felt.

Meanwhile, Francesco was someone who, if there was an exam for becoming royalty or nobility, would easily fail it, fail the retake, and then somehow make up enough extra credit to pass the course anyway.

“Not at all,” Francesco said. “Your actions are not merely ‘what you must do.’ They show an uncommon amount of zeal and superb initiative. I could never hope to imitate you.”

Yngvi’s expression stiffened for the briefest of moments as the other prince spread his arms out into a shrug. He replaced it with a smile quickly enough, though. “Indeed, my actions are of my own will rather than mere obligation to the royal family. However, I imagine you must be far too modest to say you could not imitate it.”

In contrast to Yngvi’s smile, Francesco had a completely open look on his face as he shook his head. “Not at all. I would never manage to muster the motivation.”

“Prince Francesco! Your phrasing!”

True or not, Francesco’s admission was not something to be publicly stated, so Bona was frantic.

Yngvi stalled for a moment before gathering himself. “Do not concern yourself with me, Princess Bona. Uppasala is a militaristic nation, so such forthright statements are far from rare. Still, I suppose a problem with your own motivation would be difficult to overcome,” he replied tactfully.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

The next day, Yngvi and Freya met in a room of the royal palace. Although they were twins, they were now part of two different nations and two different royal families. Ordinarily, it would have been inadvisable for them to meet alone, but both Zenjirou and Aura had allowed it.

Freya had not yet been married for long, but she had known both Aura and Zenjirou for a fair amount of time and had garnered a reasonable amount of trust. Now that she had married Zenjirou, Aura judged that she would not let information that would harm Capua slip.

Although they were in a distant place far from their home, the twins—whichever one you accepted as older—had been together since literally before birth. The two silver-haired, blue-eyed royals sat opposite each other, talking casually.

“Good work yesterday,” Freya said. “You were just as sharp as always in that kind of situation.”

Yngvi laughed. “Thank you. I was glad to see that my socialization passed muster here as well,” he replied, taking a cup of tea from the table.

“Well, while the specifics may change slightly, we are all human, so the fundamentals stay the same,” Freya said.

Having visited many countries on the Glasir’s Leaf, her words held a fair amount of weight. Of course, the differences in culture meant that there could be sore spots where they would never expect, so they couldn’t afford to let their guard down. Still, there was no doubt that Yngvi had carried out his interactions in Capua without issue.

“So, I would like to hear your thoughts first of all. Crown Prince Yngvi of Uppasala, did anyone from our nation catch your eye?” Freya asked, her tone somewhat exaggerated.

Her main goal for coming here today was to ask that, and it was also reasonable to say it was why they had been allowed to meet entirely on their own. It was an easy chat between two close individuals, and that was why she could ask the question. Neither Aura or Zenjirou—queen and prince consort respectively—would have been able to do so. Both of them would have to shift their focus to any of the girls Yngvi named. It was only because of their relationship that Freya could talk with him about it so casually.

Furthermore, having married Zenjirou, both royals were considered just as close to her. Inevitably, Yngvi was well aware that their discussion here could end up as part of another private conversation within the inner palace. If he named someone here, that name would reach Aura’s and Zenjirou’s ears as “a very credible rumor,” but being only a rumor, it would be easy enough to take it back if need be.

Yngvi was brash and hurried, though, so he—despite understanding the consideration Capua was giving him—disregarded that. “Well, Lady Mirella was pleasant. She was strong-willed and rather intelligent. She also knew her own role well. That Count Márquez was perfect, though. My future would definitely be bright if I was calling such an insightful, skilled man my father-in-law. In turn, Uppasala’s future would look good as well. Lady Octavia was also delightful. Despite having the wisdom of a noble, her personality and way of thinking are far more pleasant than what I would expect.”

His focus on each woman’s family and their standing rather than the women was, frankly, very much like the prince. Marriage to him was extremely political. He truly felt that there was no point in it if it did not benefit him, the royal family, and the country as a whole. Of course, he also understood that maintaining that benefit would require treating his wife in good faith.

“My one concern,” he continued, “is that Lady Mirella is adopted rather than being the count’s child by blood. In terms of relation, I believe she would be his niece? Additionally, Lady Octavia was not his first wife. What would their rights and obligations as her guardians be in that case?”

“As soon as she was adopted, their rights and obligations became just the same as they would be if she were their child by blood, at least by Capua’s laws,” Freya answered smoothly. She was a member of the Capuan nobility now, so she had learned at least a minimum about the laws of the land.

“Then that won’t be a problem. The count acts upon knowledge and calculation, while Lady Octavia acts on her emotions and principles,” he said, extremely confident about the two individuals he had met last night.

Freya remembered his boasts of how no one had yet betrayed his first impression of them. In truth, that ability of his was a large part of his skill in interpersonal relationships despite his egoistic nature.

“I see. Lady Mirella of the Márquez family is one of the maids in the inner palace, so I am fairly familiar with her and have to say she struck me the same way. Was there anyone else who left an impression? Oh, you needn’t limit yourself to the candidates.”

Yngvi grinned reluctantly at how blatantly she was using his insight for her own information gathering, but he still answered truthfully. “The first would have to be Marshal Pujol. I honestly think Eric’s excitement about having found Thor was no exaggeration.” Even their older brother had needed to put some effort in to hold a conversation with the marshal on equal footing. “First, he is strong. Ridiculously so. Honestly, I cannot even tell how strong. Obviously, I don’t just mean his individual strength, but his ability to lead as well. His ambition could certainly be an issue, but given how it links to his motivation, it could be a great advantage in crucial moments.”

While their focuses veered in different directions, that hunger for improvement was common between both the prince and the marshal, so Yngvi found it rather easy to understand the man. That was roughly how Freya felt as well.

“Right. Considering how things are going, he will be a useful asset to Her Majesty, though I wager she will have her work cut out for her keeping him under control. Anyone else?”

As she pressed, Yngvi’s expression changed completely, all emotion dropping from his face. “Prince Francesco of the Twin Kingdoms,” he answered after a pause. “He is skilled. I don’t know how skilled as a craftsman, but assuming he lives up to his reputation, I assume just as skilled as he is in politics.”

“Yet because of his manner, he doesn’t have a place in the line of succession despite being the first prince,” Freya noted, confused by her brother’s evaluation. As far as she remembered, Francesco acted as his reputation implied. He didn’t say or do anything that would cause a major problem for his nation, but he was generally frivolous and thoughtless, so she could see why he wasn’t suited to being the next king.

Despite that, Yngvi looked like he’d bitten into a lemon as he shook his head. “It’s a lie, definitely. Well, maybe not a lie, per se. He seems like he has the ability but refuses to use it due to how much he dislikes it. Yet he still has enough skill that he can keep acting as he wishes, because his strength in that area is just as high, if not higher. If I had to describe it, I’d say he’s like a flying horse that hates flying but loves galloping, and despite being a flying horse, is far faster than normal horses over land. That’s what permits him not to fly.”

Freya could certainly see where he was coming from. It made sense—being so careless and yet not careless enough to cause irreparable harm was certainly unnatural. Now that she could agree with his estimation of the man, she could also understand his displeasure.

“You hate him that much?” she asked after a moment.

“I loathe him,” Yngvi spat.