Chapter 0711 The Return of King Abel
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"We've finally made it back."
"Yeah. Feels nostalgic."
Facing the royal capital, Ryo and Abel wore deeply moved expressions.
"I've only been away for about a year, but since Ryo left before going to the Western Countries, it's been even longer for you, hasn't it?"
"Yes, that's right."
"I've been waiting this whole time, you know."
Sera raised a voice of protest.
"Ah, um, sorry…"
"Just kidding. For elves, a year and ten years are not all that different."
Ryo apologized, and Sera laughed it off as a joke.
An elf's lifespan is far longer than a human's.
Races with long lifespans seem to experience time differently from humans.
"While Ryo was gone, I found a lot of delicious restaurants in the royal capital."
"That's just like you, Sera! We definitely must go."
"I knew you'd say that."
Ryo answered with almost embarrassing enthusiasm, and Sera nodded.
But that was not all.
"But tonight there's supposed to be a banquet celebrating Abel's return, so you have to attend that too."
"Eh… but Abel is the guest of honor, so I can be absent…"
"Ryo is the Premier Duke, and you came back together with Abel, so you can't skip it."
"Ugh…"
Ryo had no way to resist.
He had given up on arguing back, but he took his frustration out on the king, who was nodding along as if everything made perfect sense.
"Keep nodding along like that when this is all Abel's fault!"
"Me?"
"Yeah. Because Abel was carrying that sword, Garwin's rampaging magic went and caused trouble!"
"Even if you complain about that to me."
Abel shrugged.
Hearing the two of them talk, Sera looked at Abel's sword.
"That's the sword you've been using for years, right?"
"Yeah. When I left the castle, I just grabbed one that was in the treasury at random."
Abel nodded in confirmation.
"Grand theft!"
Ryo sharply pointed it out.
"The statute of limitations has already run out."
Abel answered with a laugh.
"Besides, it was royal property in the first place, so I wasn't going to be charged anyway as the Second Prince."
"What about embezzlement or breach of trust or something…"
"Don't know."
"How outrageous!"
Abel shrugged, and Ryo lectured him from the side.
Sera laughed beside them…
"Well, as long as Abel is king, he won't be prosecuted, right?"
"Of course the kingdom has laws. If someone violates them, even the king can be charged… but there are no laws governing royal property."
"What do you mean…"
Sera asked with a smile, Abel explained, and Ryo was left speechless.
"Ryo too—your own assets… for example, if you remodeled or even destroyed the house in Rune or the house in Rondo Forest, that would be entirely up to you, right?"
"Y-yes, of course. They're mine."
"Royal property is the same. They were acquired by past kings and the royal family, then placed in the treasury. Anything in there belongs to the royal house, so there are no laws covering it. That's intentionally left unspecified."
"So that the king can give treasured items to loyal vassals as he sees fit?"
"That's right."
Abel nodded and continued.
"Even so, I don't think it's right to use everything up in my own reign. The kings of Knightley who will continue after me… I think these are things that should be passed down to them."
"So there are things that belong not to the royal house… but to the kingdom itself?"
"Of course. There are laws governing that, so even the king can't just make them his own."
"That's… a little reassuring."
Ryo knew.
Historically, when monarchs mixed up 'the kingdom's assets' and 'the king's assets', it became the root cause of chaos in a nation.
At the same time, he also believed Abel would never go down such a mistaken path.
In the end, it came down to people.
People are what throw countries into chaos, and people are what guide them onto the right path.
While they were having that trivial conversation inside the carriage, the party reached the entrance to the royal capital.
From there on, Abel would ride on horseback and proceed to the royal castle while showing himself to the citizens of the capital.
Naturally, Ryo and Sera would as well.
"M-myself, I can stay in the carriage…"
"Nope. Ryo and I are on horseback."
Ryo resisted, and Sera crushed that resistance with a smile.
"Ryo is to Abel's rear right, and I'm supposed to follow from the rear left."
"When did that happen…"
Sera explained, and Ryo was taken aback.
The outline of the entry procession had somehow already been put together.
"Knightley Kingdom has plenty of talented people. If you give them instructions, they'll handle the finer details properly."
Sera laughed.
Abel shrugged.
Ryo frowned, but gave up resisting.
Attendance at ceremonies was an obligation for anyone of a certain rank or higher.
Even Ryo understood that.
The Premier Duke was unquestionably a person of 'a certain rank or higher'…
From carriage to horseback.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Abel rode Feiwan, while Ryo mounted Andalusia.
Feiwan was as majestic as ever, while Andalusia looked delighted to have Ryo on her back again after so long.
As for riding Andalusia, Ryo was happy too, but he still decided to say a word to his boss.
"This happened because of Abel."
"This time, you gave up without much resistance, didn't you?"
"Well, because there's Andalusia, and because Sera is riding too…"
"Setting Andalusia aside, it seems the best way to persuade Ryo is to have Sera talk to him."
"Grrr."
It was a conversation between Abel atop Feiwan and Ryo riding Andalusia behind and to the right.
"Abel, you haven't forgotten your promise, have you?"
"Promise?"
"The weekly cake privilege!"
"Oh… was it weekly? I thought it was monthly."
"It's weekly!"
Ryo declared firmly.
To be honest, Abel didn't mind either way.
For Ryo, the truth was that even on days when it wasn't his privilege day, he would go ahead and order cake and coffee anyway.
In Abel's office.
The party advanced with Abel at the center.
The citizens of the royal capital welcomed them with cheers.
After a while, even those citizens noticed the two riders flanking Abel on either side.
"The graceful female knight on the left…"
"Looks like an elf?"
"Oh! Could it be…"
"The Kingdom's Grand Knight Commander…"
"Sera-sama, the First Knight!"
"And the robed person on the right?"
"So cute!"
"No, not that—I mean, he's paired with Sera-sama?"
"That robe… a magician? Any idea?"
"A magician who always follows His Majesty Abel…"
"Oh! Could it be…"
"Icefall…"
"Also known as the Silver Duke…"
"Lord Duke Rondo!"
Ryo seemed to have become famous too.
The party arrived in front of the royal castle.
A beautiful woman waited before the castle, and a small child stood firmly on their own two feet.
"Rihya, I'm home."
"Welcome back, Abel."
"Noah… you've become quite the fine young man."
"Father, welcome home."
Abel took Noah into his right arm and drew Rihya close with his left.
"I'm sorry for putting you through that."
"It's okay."
The emotions of the watching citizens surged up.
"Long live King Abel!"
"Long live the royal family!"
"Long live the Knightley Kingdom!"
Knights quietly wiped away tears.
For some reason, Ryo and Sera both nodded in satisfaction.
"This is what a peaceful country looks like."
"Absolutely."
Even after Queen Rihya and Prince Noah returned inside the castle, Abel kept waving to the citizens lined up along the street.
A suspicious water-attribute magician drew near from behind.
"I honestly think that kind of serious, sincere behavior is amazing."
"Serious? It's one of the roles of the royal family, isn't it?"
"But you weren't born into the royal family because you wanted to be, were you?"
"You can't choose where you're born."
"Have you ever wished you'd been born somewhere more carefree… as an ordinary citizen, or something like that?"
"No."
Abel answered instantly to Ryo's question.
"Ever since I was old enough to know things, I had my older brother. I kept watching his back, so I never once wished to live as anything other than a member of the royal family."
"Ah, Crown Prince Cain…"
That was right. Abel had admired his late brother, Crown Prince Caindish.
That name—Caindish—came up all the time… even Ryo could easily imagine just how large a presence he had been in Abel's life.
People are shaped by people.
The way they live, the words they give, the experiences they share—all of it becomes part of a person.
Not the organization they belong to, nor the place where they stand.
That is what it means for people to make people.
So it would not be an exaggeration to say that Caindish was what shaped the Abel of today.
And that Caindish had been called, from a young age, a vessel worthy of a brilliant king.
So Abel, too…
"A nation exists because of the people, and the king exists because of the people. If that is so, then I think it is one of the king's roles to give the people strength."
"It's because you can say that from the heart, Abel, that I respect you."
"Hm?"
Ryo praised him, and Abel tilted his head in confusion, not understanding what he meant.
From Abel's point of view, it was truly just the obvious thing.
So he didn't understand what there was to praise.
"As long as Abel doesn't stray from the path of a king, I'll keep supporting you."
"The path of a king?"
"For example, as long as you don't take away the First Duke's cake privilege."
"Fair enough. I'll keep that in mind."
And so, after nearly a year, Ryo and Abel returned to the kingdom.
-x-X-x-
Volume 4, Part 1, The Peaceful Kingdom
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The world was at peace.
In particular, the king's office in the Knightley Kingdom was at peace.
As always, Abel signed documents.
As always, Ryo was sprawled out on the sofa reading an alchemy book.
Nothing had changed.
"Abel has changed."
"Hm?"
"My eyes, which have been watching Abel in this very room all this time, cannot be fooled!"
Ryo sat up from the sofa and said that, striking a glasses-push-up pose.
He was feeling like a prosecutor cornering a suspect.
In Ryo's mind, prosecutors apparently wore glasses…
"You're not really 'watching' me. You're just lying there reading a book."
"The basics of surveillance are making sure the target doesn't realize they're being watched."
"You're the one openly admitting you're watching me…"
Abel's pointed observation was ignored by Ryo.
"Compared to before we were sent off to the Eastern Countries, Abel's workload has gone down."
"My workload?"
"That's right!"
Ryo said that and jabbed a finger upward sharply.
His target was the mountain of documents piled up on Abel's desk.
"Before, there was a lot more."
"Yeah…"
"It's been a month since we got back. Right after returning, maybe there would still be less work coming your way because it's been so long. But after a month, it should have gone back to normal. And yet, there are fewer documents."
"You're telling the wrong person."
Abel himself knew the reason.
"And you've been swinging a sword in the mornings too, right? You didn't have time for that before."
"Look at you, knowing I've been swinging a sword throughout the mornings. And here I thought you were busy sparring with Sera."
"Of course. I get information like that… huh? Throughout the mornings? You mean you're not just swinging a sword in the morning, but all morning?"
"Yeah, that's right. Sometimes I even spar with the knights."
Abel shrugged.
"I have confirmed that Abel has, day by day, been racing down the path of the battle maniac. Before long, you'll probably be called the King of Combat or the Sword King."
"What is that supposed to mean…"
After being sent off to the eastern countries with Ryo, Abel had remembered.
The feeling of wanting to get stronger.
He had once possessed it, back when he was the Second Prince…
And then lost it when he formed the 'Crimson Sword'…
What brought that feeling back was the water magician seated in his usual sofa right in front of him.
"I just remembered that I want to be stronger. That's all."
"Chasing strength alone is pointless."
"I don't know why, but I can't really accept that coming from you."
Words that would earn praise if spoken by a wise man seemed, when spoken by Ryo… Abel apparently could not fully accept them.
It seemed that with words, it was not the content that mattered, but who said them… that was how it worked.
"Well, I was away from the country for a whole year. It's only natural that things changed so decisions and the like can get made without me."
"I see."
Things that once required King Abel's approval apparently had been changed in various ways so they could be handled without it.
"But even so, somebody still has to make the decisions, right? Is it the Prime Minister's Lordship?"
"Marquis Heinlein is doing it, of course, but… it seems he's delegated a good chunk of it to the ministers."
"The Finance Lord and people like that."
Ryo nodded and answered.
Ryo remembered. He remembered the man called the 'Finance Lord Fuka'.
A man with a name similar to Fouquet, the Finance Minister in A. Dumas's classic The D'Artagnan Romances.
A 'Finance Lord' would be, in modern Japanese terms, the Minister of Finance, the person in charge of the Ministry of Finance.
But some matters had to be approved across multiple ministries.
Of course, Marquis Alexis Heinlein, the Prime Minister and head of the Prime Minister's Office, would handle them, but there must still be quite a few things that required the king's approval…
"There is someone who gives approvals in my place."
"The king's proxy…?"
"Under the kingdom's laws, the former king can do it."
"The former king? Abel's father? He's recovered!"
"Yeah. Come to think of it, you didn't know yet, did you, Ryo."
Former King Stafford IV.
He was Abel's father, but for a long time he had been drugged by the Empire's schemes, and even after the Kingdom Liberation War ended, he had still been undergoing treatment at the Central Temple.
When Ryo left for the western countries, he probably still could not even get out of bed…
"Sooner or later, I'll introduce you to him too."
"Eh… It's not like I need to be introduced or anything…"
"No way I can skip introducing you, the premier duke."
Abel shrugged.
An entirely valid point.
"I-I'm not good with adults…"
"You're an adult too."
In the Knightley Kingdom, people came of age at eighteen and became legal adults.
"I want my heart to remain forever young."
"I have no idea what that means."
"A long time ago, some great person said, 'Boys, be ambitious'."
"Adults can have ambition too, you know?"
"I-I suppose that's true…"
Abel said it with a tilted head, while Ryo was suddenly put on the back foot after being hit with one sound argument after another.
At times like this, it was best to change the subject.
"Does Abel have any ambitions?"
"I want to get stronger."
"Ah, yeah, besides that."
"Hmm… if possible, I'd like to travel the world."
Abel said it with a slightly distant look in his eyes.
For a former adventurer, it might have been natural.
At the same time, it might also have been an impossible wish for someone who had become king.
Because he could not leave the country for long periods of time.
But… in truth, Abel had actually been away from the kingdom for nearly a year.
"In my homeland, royal diplomacy was actually quite common…"
Ryo said that under his breath.
Of course, that had a lot to do with constitutional monarchy and the development of airplanes.
In a polity like the Knightley Kingdom's, which was close to an absolute monarchy…in other words, a government where a lot of power was concentrated in the king, it was easy for anyone to understand why the king would have difficulty leaving the country for long stretches.
"This might have been your last opportunity to travel and see the world."
"Hm?"
"Since Abel's father… the former king has recovered."
"Oh, I see what you mean. Well, the Empire too is being run by the former emperor, His Majesty Rupert, as emperor regent."
"The former crown prince… Helmuth, was it… was killed by the King of the Horsemen. And after that, no one else has become emperor. Even while we were away, it's been that way all along…"
"Yeah. By all rights, it probably should have been the emperor's younger brother, Conrad-dono… but he's still just a duke."
Maybe the world was moving more slowly than Ryo had expected.
"If Abel, the current king, showed up at the Imperial Capital in Debuhi, even His Majesty Rupert would be surprised, wouldn't he?"
"He would be surprised, sure…"
"Diplomacy is, in the end, between people. Even if conflicts of interest between countries naturally exist, if the person representing a country makes a promise, the other side's top leader will believe it… that kind of thing does happen. Of course, that only works if, at the very foundation, those two trust each other as people."
"Yeah, that's true."
Abel was thinking of the Empire's Rupert and the Union's Lord Aubrey, whom he had met on the battlefield.
Neither was, of course, someone you could let your guard down around.
And if it benefited their own country, either one would shamelessly deceive the other nation… or rather, would not hesitate to lay a scheme.
And yet, there were still parts of them he could trust.
Neither of them would casually sacrifice their own people… that much he could believe.
They were not trash.
That was what Abel believed.
"If you personally moving benefits the kingdom, I won't stop you."
"I see. Thanks."
When Ryo said that, Abel nodded several times.
"Actually, I've been consulting a lot of people about that."
"Consulting?"
"Rihya, my father, and maybe Marquis Heinlein."
"Oh, really?"
"Well, once it's decided, I'll tell you too."
"I'll be looking forward to it."
At Abel's words, Ryo nodded.
But Abel's words did not stop there…
"Hm. Just about time."
Abel glanced at the clock and muttered.
Of course, Ryo had no idea what he meant, but… sensing danger, he stood up and headed for the door…
"Hey, Ryo!"
"Eh…"
Naturally, Abel stopped him.
"We're going to see my father now."
"Huh? You just said you'd introduce me sometime, didn't you? Not today."
"Introducing you today, right now, seems best. Before you run away."
"Why does it have to be now…"
"My father's office is in the detached building. Let's go."
"Ugh…"
Abel grabbed Ryo by the collar.
And Ryo was dragged away.
To the people of the royal castle, the sight was a nostalgic, almost heartwarming one…
"Excuse me, Father."
Saying that, Abel entered the retired king's office in the detached building.
"Excuse me."
Ryo followed him in.
At this point, he was no longer being dragged by Abel.
Not only that, but the weak, helpless atmosphere he had while being dragged along was completely gone.
He was not swaggering, and he was not tensing himself up either.
He was just natural.
He was not putting on airs.
He knew it was pointless to try to look bigger than he was.
If so, then it was better to show him as he was.
Ryo was Ryo.
Seeing the two of them come in, former King Stafford IV rose from his chair.
So it was true that he had completely recovered.
There was not the slightest trace of the feebleness of someone who had been bedridden for so long.
A king to the core.
Ryo thought that Abel had the face of a king now.
He thought Abel had also acquired the dignity of a king.
He did not deny that.
But the former king, rising to greet the two of them…
(As expected of Abel's father.)
That was the honest feeling Ryo had.
The only time Ryo had ever seen Stafford was once.
It was the night they recaptured the capital, when Abel had come to see Stafford, who was receiving treatment at the Central Temple.
Ryo had watched the two of them meet from the corner of the room.
At that time, Stafford had not been able to speak a single word.
He had barely been able to nod in response to Abel.
The difference between then and now was astonishing.
"Father, please allow me to introduce Duke Rondo."
The instant Abel said that, Ryo dropped to one knee and bowed to Stafford.
"No, Duke Rondo, I'd like you to stand."
"Huh?"
Stafford took Ryo by the hand and helped him to his feet.
"I've heard that Duke Rondo is not a retainer to Albert… no, to Abel, but rather a friend. I am told that Carmelo asked this of you, and that you have been exactly that for him."
"Carmelo?"
"The former Marquis of Rune."
When Ryo tilted his head, Abel offered the clarification.
Indeed, Ryo had once been told by the then-Marquis of Rune, "I want you to be King Abel's friend".
Whether he was doing a good job of that or not, he still couldn't say for sure.
"I, too, was once a king, so… I know that a king cannot have friends."
Stafford said sadly.
"No, there were once people I could call friends. Ilarion, Arthur… they must have noticed something was wrong with me. But it was not a relationship or environment where they could speak frankly. That is what I once thought kings were… but after hearing about the relationship between Duke Rondo and Abel, I now think there may have been another possibility."
As Stafford spoke, his eyes softened, and he looked at Ryo.
Of course, Ryo listened in silence. Even Ryo knew this was not the time to interrupt.
"Duke Rondo, I ask that you continue to be a good friend to King Abel."
"You can count on me, Your Majesty."
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0713 Mithril Ore
-x-X-x-
The day after Ryo was introduced to former King Stafford, in the king's office.
As always, Abel signed documents.
As always, Ryo was sprawled on the sofa, loafing around and reading a book.
Nothing had changed.
"I am always watching to make sure Abel doesn't stray from the path of kingship."
"…I didn't say anything."
"I know! You're thinking, 'Ryo is loafing around again and not doing any work today,' aren't you!"
"I wasn't thinking that at all, but I guess that's true."
"Tch… how underhanded, King Abel!"
The same old scene, unchanged, unfolded before them.
"Next week, I'm going to Whitnash. You're coming too, right, Ryo?"
"Huh? I-I'm kind of busy with alchemy…"
"Well, I won't force you, but… I think it would be most fitting for you to go, Ryo."
"Huh?"
Ryo tilted his head at Abel's words.
Most fitting for Ryo to go? Hm? Was there really something like that?
But a king does not wait.
"Anyway, he should be here any moment now, so we'll hear the rest together…"
Before Abel could finish, there was a knock at the door.
The attendant who came in announced.
"Your Majesty, Viscount Kenneth Hayward has arrived."
"Ah, I've been waiting."
And so, Viscount Kenneth Hayward, the chief researcher at the Royal Alchemy Workshop, was shown in.
"Huh? Kenneth?"
"Ah, Ryo-san is here too. Perfect timing."
After bowing to Abel, Kenneth spotted Ryo sitting on the sofa and said.
"So Kenneth, too, has fallen victim to King Abel's tyranny! Even with important research to attend to, Abel must have used his rank and power to pressure you into coming to the castle."
"If put into words, I suppose that's what happened… but for some reason, I feel like I'm being accused of something unreasonable."
"That's because Abel's tiny conscience is pricking him. Kenneth, too, should join the Abel Victims' Association and denounce King Abel's tyrannical rule!"
"Yeah, no. Stop trying to stir things up, Premier Duke."
Of course, there was no such thing as the Abel Victims' Association.
A noble caught between one person with power and another, wondering how best to move… Kenneth did occupy such a position, but judging from the way he was laughing, he understood it was a joke.
"These three items are the ones Ryo-san brought back, correct?"
With that, Kenneth set the things he had brought onto the table.
A bracelet.
A brooch.
And a cylinder about the size of a juice can.
"Yes, yes. Loot from the Western Countries."
Ryo nodded.
They had been obtained during the battle with the terrifying bishops of the Western Church.
The concealment bracelet.
The fusion-magic brooch.
And the magic-nullification cylinder.
All of them were alchemy tools.
They were indeed things he had brought back… but he had no idea why Kenneth had them.
As usual, they should have been in his bag.
When he was blasted away to the 'Archipelago Region' by the runaway magic of the Djinn Garwin, the bag was not with him.
He had checked the beach where he was sent and confirmed that the condiments and other things he had kept in the bag were gone, so there was no doubt about it.
On the other hand, when he was transported straight to the battlefield from the Western Countries by the Djinn Merlin's teleportation… the bag had been there.
"I think I put the bag on the ground before the battle with Garwin."
"Yes. After the two of you disappeared, the bag containing these items was left behind on the battlefield."
At Ryo's words, Kenneth nodded.
Kenneth had recovered it and analyzed it while the two were returning from the Eastern Countries.
"Each one is an astonishingly advanced and intricate alchemy tool… I only recently finished the analysis."
"Even Kenneth had that much trouble…"
Viscount Kenneth Hayward was a genius alchemist representing the Central Countries.
No, he would likely become the kind of alchemist whose name would be remembered in history.
And yet these devices were enough to give even him trouble?
To be fair, they had been made by Cardinal Sacharias, who seemed to have been the greatest alchemist in the history of the Western Church.
You might call it a doctrine, or perhaps simply a difference in mindset and goals, but the Central Countries and the Western Countries likely had a huge gap in their way of thinking.
In that case, it was only natural that the analysis would take time.
"Especially this magic-nullification cylinder… to be honest, I still don't understand it."
"What…!?"
"There are several magic formulas I cannot comprehend. The troublesome part is that I cannot test them. Even the dark-attribute magic portion alone is quite difficult."
"Dark-attribute magic…"
Abel and Ryo muttered in unison.
Dark-attribute magic often affects the human mind.
So it was not something that could be casually tested.
"But even beyond that, there are several magic formulas for which I cannot tell what attribute they belong to."
"What do you mean, you can't tell the attribute?"
"Yes. Since I can't determine the attribute, I suppose I should call them attribute-less… but I could not understand them myself. Let me see… it would be like finding a sentence in the Central Countries' language with Eastern Countries' language or some unfamiliar script suddenly mixed in. Even the grammar is different, so I couldn't even figure out what was going on."
"Come to think of it, that's exactly what it was like."
At Kenneth's explanation, Ryo nodded, having previously glimpsed the magic formula on the magic-nullification cylinder.
If a Japanese sentence suddenly had Arabic mixed into it, or cuneiform, there would be no way to understand it.
Japanese text flows from left to right, while Arabic flows from right to left… and as for cuneiform, he had no confidence he could read it in the first place.
If all that were mixed together…
Yeah, that would be impossible.
There was no way to analyze that!
"That's the state of things, so we still haven't made much progress understanding the magic-nullification cylinder. But we do know one thing for certain: it would be a terrible idea to have anyone test it."
"Huh? Is that so?"
"Yes. Even setting aside the attribute-less part I mentioned earlier, the dark-attribute portion alone is dangerous. However, for the dark-attribute portion, we requested assistance from Twilight Land."
"Oh… Rosaria-san."
Ryo remembered.
The dark-attribute magician Rosaria, who had attacked the delegation as one of the assassination cult's members.
After being captured, she was protected in Twilight Land.
In the first place, there were very few people in the Central Countries who could use dark-attribute magic.
Officially, Rosaria was the only one the Kingdom of Knightley knew of.
The 'Soul Resonance' hanging from Ryo's left ear had also been made with Rosaria's help, using dark-attribute magic.
"Since she isn't an alchemist, it seems it was quite difficult, but there was one point that she was able to determine very clearly."
"And what was that?"
"That if an ordinary magician used that cylinder, there is a very high chance they would die instantly."
"Die instantly…"
Abel, who had been silent the whole time, murmured.
Ryo grimaced and said nothing.
To be sure, Bishop Abelardo, who had been using the cylinder, had not been in normal condition.
He had been dripping with cold sweat, and every so often his face twisted in pain.
He had not lost his life, but…
Perhaps that meant even someone with high aptitude would end up like that.
"Kenneth, please study that cylinder with the utmost caution. I want to avoid anyone losing their life during the analysis process, or the alchemy workshop taking any damage."
"Yes, understood."
At Abel's words, Kenneth nodded deeply.
"Setting the magic-nullification cylinder aside, the other two…"
Ryo's gaze moved back and forth between the concealment bracelet and the fusion-magic brooch.
"We've mostly figured out how they work. However, mass production is difficult."
"Mass production?"
"Yes. Marquis Heinlein asked whether mass production would be possible, so I've been researching that point as well."
"As expected of His Excellency the Prime Minister…"
Ryo was surprised by Kenneth's answer.
Indeed, alchemy tools for concealment, or for fusion magic in emergencies, would be highly effective if given to people engaged in intelligence work.
Prime Minister Marquis Heinlein was one of the foremost authorities in that area in the Central Countries.
"Kenneth, why is mass production difficult?"
"The parts, I suppose… both the bracelet and the brooch have one other important component besides the magic stone. That component is made from an ore that is not produced in the Central Countries."
"Not produced in the Central Countries?"
"Yes. It is called Mithril Ore, and there are rumors that it is traded in only tiny quantities on the Dark Continent… something like that. Since I was unable to analyze it myself, I asked for assistance from Viscount Rashata Debuo, the Folklore Officer of the Central Temple, and identified it that way."
Kenneth reported.
It sounded like an analysis carried out by the combined intellect of the kingdom.
"I see. The Dark Continent, huh."
Abel muttered.
The Dark Continent was said to be a continent stretching across the vast expanse south of the Western Countries.
Of course, neither Ryo nor Abel had ever been there.
No, come to think of it, was there anyone in the kingdom who had been to the Dark Continent?
After Kenneth finished his report, Ryo left the office as well.
And where he headed was the Kingdom Magic Corps Headquarters inside the royal castle.
Since it was the headquarters, the highest-ranking person was here.
"Hm? Well, if it isn't Ryo. What brings you here?"
When he entered the commander's office, the highest-ranking person… Magic Corps Commander Arthur Verasis, called out to him.
The Magic Corps adviser, Ilarion Baraha, who was usually with him, didn't seem to be there.
"Sorry to bother you when you're busy, Arthur-san. I just had something I wanted to ask."
Ryo got straight to the point after a cursory greeting.
"I heard that Arthur-san went to the Western Countries when you were young, but have you ever been to the Dark Continent?"
"No, I haven't."
Arthur's eyes went distant as he recalled the past while answering.
"In those days, the northern coastal region of the Dark Continent was in chaos. For a time, there was also a period when relations with the Western Church were bad, so the ways to cross over were limited. If I remember right, you could only go from the republic."
"The Republic of Mafalda?"
"That's right, that republic. We were often in dungeons near the Holy Capital, so… our ties with the Theocracy were deeper than our ties with the Republic."
"I see."
Adult circumstances existed everywhere, huh… Ryo nodded.
"Why are you asking about the Dark Continent?"
"Well, I heard a rumor about an ore traded there."
"An ore traded on the Dark Continent? Ah… I've heard of it, though only as a rumor. Something called Mithril Ore, right?"
"That's it! Even you only heard it as a rumor, Arthur-san?"
"Hm, when it comes to trade, yes. I've seen the ore itself, or rather, weapons made from it."
"What?!"
Ryo was shocked.
"Actually, Mithril Ore is probably the most famous ore used as a weapon material. Of course, if you tried to get your hands on it, the price would make your eyes pop out… more accurately, it doesn't even circulate, so you can't buy it in the first place."
Arthur laughed.
"I'm jealous. To have been able to see something so precious."
"Ryo, you've seen it too, haven't you?"
"Huh?"
Arthur said it with a smile, but Ryo had no idea what he meant.
Weapons made from ore that precious… no, he had no memory of seeing any.
"Ryo, even after you returned, didn't you still do mock battles in the mornings?"
"Yes. I do mock battles with Sera."
"The sword Sera uses is one of them."
"What did you say…"
A shocking truth, revealed now!
Twenty minutes later, Ryo was visiting the Elf Autonomous Office in the royal capital.
Sera, the next representative of the 'Western Forest', stayed at this office whenever she was in the royal capital.
That said, before Ryo and Abel returned from the Eastern Countries, she had apparently spent most of her time holed up in the Western Forest…
And when Sera was in the office, she was usually in the training hall.
The autonomous office had been devastated during the royal capital turmoil and abandoned when the royal capital fell, but after Abel retook the capital, it underwent large-scale renovations.
Originally, many of the houses around the office belonged to northern nobles who had defected to the Empire and to Prince Raymond, the king's younger brother.
Once King Abel's rule was established and all of those northern nobles were stripped of their power, many of the houses around the office also became vacant.
With King Abel's permission, the autonomous office absorbed and merged with those properties.
The grounds had become four times larger than before, and many defensive alchemical measures had been installed, turning it into a kind of fortress.
Inside one corner of that fortress stood a huge indoor training hall.
Every day, the elves there devoted themselves to training.
And the one leading them was Sera.
Just as she had once trained up the Rune Knights, she was now training up the elves.
That said, half of the training hall was unusable in the mornings.
That was because fierce mock battles were being held in that half.
Yes, fierce mock battles.
Mock sword fights between the instructor Sera and a robed magician.
That robed magician was Ryo.
Ryo came to the training hall, where he always held his morning mock battles, at a rare evening hour.
He peeked inside quietly…
As expected, the elves had been struck down onto the floor in a pile of bodies.
No, of course they weren't dead.
Rather, it was a familiar sight to Ryo.
It had been the same in Rune, too.
"Ryo!"
Sera spotted Ryo's face peeking in immediately.
A moment later, she rushed over and hugged him.
"What is it? Was the morning mock battle not enough? Should we clear away the ones lying around and continue?"
Sera asked happily.
Ryo was a little curious about how they would be cleared away, but he shook his head.
"I have something I wanted to ask. About Sera's sword."
"My sword?"
The sword Sera held was a wooden practice sword.
The wooden practice sword she used for training.
But when she fought against Ryo in mock battles, she used her beloved sword.
That fact alone was proof enough of just how much she was holding back during these afternoon training sessions.
"The sword is over there."
"Let me see it for a second."
The two of them walked to the back of the training hall.
The elves watching them… of course, most of them still sprawled on the floor… did so only with their faces or eyes.
There was no trace of hostility in those gazes.
Rather, there was respect and admiration… or perhaps a little fear.
The people here watched Ryo and Sera's mock battles every day.
They already knew exactly how strong Sera was.
After all, she was the one putting them through this brutal training day in and day out.
Yet, here was Ryo, who engaged in serious mock battles with Sera.
Though almost none of them had ever personally crossed swords with Ryo… his overwhelming strength was obvious enough.
Faced with such a person, there wasn't a soul who wouldn't feel deep respect, admiration, or a healthy dose of fear.
The two of them reached the back of the training hall.
Sera took the sword leaning against the wall and handed it to Ryo.
Ryo drew the blade.
It was a familiar sword… the one Sera always used for mock battles.
"This… is made from Mithril Ore?"
"Yeah. It's the last one my old party member forged for me."
Sera's face grew a little sad.
"It's supposed to be incredibly rare ore, right?"
"Even if Ryo says he wants it, I'm not giving you this sword, you know?"
"No, no, I would never ask for that."
Sera pouted as she spoke, and Ryo denied it with a wry smile.
"Do you happen to know if there's any leftover ore from when that party member of yours forged this for you?"
"Hmm, let's see… I'm not sure. The inheritance and keepsakes and all that were passed on to the disciples, so I'd have to ask. This sword alone was enough for me."
Sera said that, then took the sword back from Ryo and gave it a light tap.
"Does Ryo need Mithril Ore?"
"For me, not exactly… maybe Abel? Or the Royal Alchemy Workshop? Well, it seems like the kingdom would be happy if we had some."
"I see. In that case, shall we go pay a visit to his disciple and ask?"
"Eh! We can actually go?"
"Of course."
"Is the place far away?"
"It's in Rune City."
"…Eh?"
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0714 The Laws of the World
-x-X-x-
The Elf Autonomous Office was busy preparing for travel, with a carriage already readied.
"Next week, I'm going to Whitnash with Abel, so…"
"Yes, I have heard."
"Does it really take seven days by carriage one way to get to Rune?"
"Yes, under normal circumstances, it would take about that long."
"Under normal circumstances?"
Ryo tilted his head and looked at the carriage as the preparations continued.
It seemed to have a mechanism for reducing impact, so the ride looked like it would be comfortable… but otherwise, it looked like an ordinary carriage.
As long as it was drawn by horses, there shouldn't be that much difference in speed.
"If it takes two days going there, one day on the other side, and two days coming back, then we can get back in five days total. That should still leave us enough time to make the trip to Whitnash, right?"
"Yeah, it would… but wait. Two days one way?"
"Ryo, are you familiar with guild carriages?"
"I've used one. You can swap horses at guilds along the way, so they're fast."
He had used one before, when traveling from the royal capital to the city of Rune.
"We use the royal version of that."
"The royal version?"
"At the government offices and magistrate offices in each region, they'll swap out the horses for you."
"That kind of system exists…?"
It was the first Ryo had heard of it.
Of course, he had never used it.
"I'm special, you know."
Sera puffed out her chest and tried to look a little proud.
Ryo thought that even that kind of gesture was cute.
But special…?
"I'm the Knight Commander-in-Chief and Chief Knight of the Knightley Kingdom."
"Oh, right, the Knight Commander-in-Chief… that's so cool."
"Fufufu, it is, isn't it?"
"Knight Commander-in-Chief and Chief Knight of the Knightley Kingdom."
That was the position Sera had taken after Ryo and Abel vanished from the battlefield where they had fought the djinn Garwin, under the name of Queen Rihya.
It was a position no one had held since King Richard.
Holding command over all the knight orders under the royal banner, and simultaneously serving as the highest-ranking knight within the Kingdom of Knightley.
As a result, Sera's name, which had already become famous in the western forest defense battle of the Kingdom Liberation War, spread even further throughout the Central Countries.
As the kingdom's guardian.
It was just that Ryo, having been flung over to the Eastern Countries, simply hadn't known that.
"Then it's the combination of Premier Duke and Chief Knight."
"An average bandit crew would be wiped out in an instant…"
"Even a knight order could probably be brought down in five minutes."
"How terrifying."
Sera laughed, and Ryo shrugged… but what the two of them were saying was basically true.
Without question, they were a formidable pair.
"Right, right. That thing Sera was about to say earlier… the royal version of the guild carriage? Does that work between the royal capital and Rune too?"
"I usually use it to travel between the royal capital and the Western Forest, but apparently it can be used anywhere within the kingdom. I've got Rihya's seal of approval."
"So that's what was going on while I was gone."
"It's pretty convenient."
"I'm the Premier Duke, though… is there no such system for the Premier Duke?"
"Hmm… why don't you ask Abel about it?"
"…He'd definitely turn me down."
At Sera's suggestion, Ryo shook his head over and over.
Yes, he knew exactly what Abel would say.
Something like, "You're a noble, so pay for it yourself!"
"I'll seize it someday as a Premier Duke privilege!"
"W-well, all right."
After Ryo made his forceful declaration, Sera decided it was better not to say anything and accepted it.
Even though both were 'Firsts', it seemed there were all kinds of differences between a Premier Duke and a Chief Knight.
Two days later.
The two of them arrived in the city of Rune.
From there, they headed to the area near the East Gate, which might as well be called the workshop district.
Both Ryo and Sera knew the area like the back of their hands.
Ryo's house was just outside the East Gate.
And this area had a lot of good places to eat, so the two of them often went around sampling food together.
And the shop Sera entered was… one Ryo knew as well.
"Hello, Master~"
Sera said that as she went in.
"Hey, hang on a second."
A deep low male voice rumbled back from the rear of the shop.
Within a matter of seconds, a heavily bearded man in his fifties emerged, built impressively wide but stood remarkably short.
"Well, if it isn't little miss Sera! Long time no see."
The man who came out was Master Dolan, a dwarven blacksmith.
Yes, this was Master Dolan's shop.
"Hm? And ain't that Ryo over there? Long time no see for you, too."
"Good to see you again."
They had met before, at the lord's manor of the Rune frontier count, before the Kingdom Liberation War began.
Yes, it had been in connection with the Golden Hind.
"Ain't you two supposed to be up in the royal capital, right? It's rare to see you back in Rune."
"Actually, there's something we wanted to confirm with you. Master, you're a disciple of Ilmatar, right?"
"Hm? Yeah, I'm Master Ilmatar's disciple. You knew that, didn't you?"
"Ryo, there's your answer."
Sera said, turning to him after Master Dolan confirmed it.
"So Master Dolan was one of the disciples of one of your party members, Sera?"
"Of course it's not just me. Most of the dwarf smiths swinging hammers in the southern part of the kingdom are Master Ilmatar's disciples. That's why we're so skilled."
Saying that, Master Dolan burst into laughter.
"When Ilmatar passed away, his belongings were divided among his disciples, right? I came to ask if there happened to be any Mithril ore among them."
"Mithril ore? Ah… you mean the leftover material from the sword he forged for the young missy before he died?"
"That's right."
Looking at Sera's sword, Dolan seemed to understand what she was referring to.
"Unfortunately, there ain't a single scrap left. Every last bit was hammered right into that sword."
"Ah…"
"Even so, what happened back then was terrifying… Even now, remembering it…"
"Yeah, Ilmatar scolded me mercilessly."
Dolan shook his head, while Sera laughed.
"Scolded you?"
Ryo asked.
"Actually, I broke the sword Ilmatar had forged for me during a small martial arts tournament. So I came back to Rune and reported it to him, and he scolded me."
"Hey now, young lady, you're skipping the most important part."
Dolan frowned.
"At the time, Master was already on his deathbed. We disciples had gathered around his bed, seeing him off as he prepared to pass on… but the moment the young lady came back and said she'd broken the sword… Master suddenly snapped his eyes open and sat up."
"What…?"
"And then he bonked the young lady on the head… dragged himself out of bed… and started hammering at the forge…"
"Good heavens…"
Ryo was at a loss for words.
A man on his deathbed rising and starting to forge a sword… anyone would lose their words imagining such a scene.
"Back then… Ilmatar forged that sword for three days and three nights without stopping."
"Yeah. And what came out of it is the sword the young lady is wearing now. Without a doubt, it's Master's greatest masterpiece."
Sera said it while reminiscing, and Dolan said it while looking at her sword.
That's right, anyone could tell it was a masterpiece.
It wasn't some magic sword or holy sword.
It transcended such things, a sword worthy of being engraved into history itself…
"If he was able to leave behind something that incredible, then I'm sure Ilmatar must have been satisfied."
"Yeah. The moment he finished forging it, he went straight back to bed and breathed his last."
"A fitting end for Ilmatar."
At Ryo's words, Dolan nodded, and Sera nodded as well.
The two left Master Dolan's smithy.
Then, a familiar aroma drifted toward them.
This was Rune's workshop district.
Near the eastern gate.
"This smell…"
"That place, huh…"
Neither Sera nor Ryo needed words.
Without saying anything, they headed toward the source of the aroma.
A place both of them knew well.
And so they arrived at 'Kagutei'.
Needless to say, the two thoroughly enjoyed the curry at Kagutei afterward.
After savoring their long-awaited meal at Kagutei, the two stepped outside.
It was pure coincidence that the three of them were walking by at that exact moment.
"Huh? Ryo?"
It was a familiar voice.
And so was the woman beside the speaker.
And the old man in red standing next to her.
And even the box trailing behind the old man… like a coffin.
"Roman? Nadia? Merlin-san?… And the coffin too?"
Ryo was stunned.
He had heard from Abel that Roman and Nadia had moved in next door to his house.
So meeting the two of them in Rune wasn't entirely unexpected.
And Djinn Merlin was, in a sense, like their grandfather figure, so it wasn't strange for him to be nearby either.
But the coffin… why it was following behind Merlin, Ryo had no idea.
Everyone was equally surprised, but one person alone tilted her head in confusion.
That was only natural, Ryo was the only one who knew everyone here, so it was his job to introduce them to Sera.
"This is Roman the Hero, Nadia the Demon Lord, Merlin-san the Djinn… and, uh, this is a coffin containing… a Fallen."
Then he introduced Sera to the three people and one box.
"And this is Sera, Commander-in-chief and First Knight* of the Kingdom of Knightley, and the next representative of the Western Forest." (TLN: First Knight sounds better than Chief Knight)
Only then was everyone finally able to be surprised.
"I had heard from Rihya that the Hero and the Demon Lord had relocated to the house next to Ryo's… but to think we'd run into you here. Ah, I see, you're the ones whose clash with Abel was mediated by Ryo in the past, correct? But Djinn Merlin-dono? If my memory serves me right, aren't you the gentleman known as the 'Crimson Arbitrator'? The chief strategist of the Demon Lord's Army?
"My, you know quite an old nickname… even though that was more than a thousand years ago."
At Sera's words, the Djinn gave a wry smile.
Djinn Merlin always wore red clothes and a red hat.
"Crimson Arbitrator… wow, that sounds cool."
Ryo's muttered words went unheard by anyone.
"I have heard of you, Sera-dono the First Knight."
"The bards all sing of your deeds, after all."
Roman and Nadia seemed to know Sera's name.
"The First Knight is… yeah, that's cool too."
Ryo's second mutter likewise went unheard.
Ryo's gaze moved to the coffin.
Then he noticed something.
"Come to think of it, just now, that coffin was following behind Merlin-san, wasn't it?"
"Indeed. It follows. Remember when we used its magic power to teleport from the West Dungeon?"
"Yes."
"At that time, we made an 'opening' to pass its magic power into the dungeon, did we not?"
"Now that you mention it…"
Ryo nodded several times as if remembering.
It wasn't a 'physical' hole, but an 'alchemical' hole.
So outwardly, nothing should have changed.
"It releases magic power from there, levitates, and follows from behind."
"Unbelievable…"
Ryo was astonished.
They had needed to make the opening… but it was true, they had never sealed it afterward.
And before they could even find out whether that opening would cause problems, he and Abel had been sent flying away.
"Ryo."
A low voice echoed out.
It came from inside the coffin.
"That was… Regna-san inside the coffin, right?"
"It is only a temporary name, but that will do. Sacharias called me that."
"Ah… the Cardinal of the Church who was also an alchemist."
Ryo remembered.
Cardinal Sacharias had prepared this coffin.
Ryo had modified it slightly so that it could seal Regna.
Come to think of it, the magic nullification cylinder Kenneth had analyzed was also something Cardinal Sacharias had made.
"There's something I'd like to ask you, Regna-san."
"You are the one who captured me. Ask."
"The magic formulas in this coffin, and in the magic nullification alchemy tool made by Cardinal Sacharias… those were taught by you, Regna-san, weren't they?"
"Correct. Not all of them, however."
"I knew it."
Ryo nodded at Regna's answer.
He had read the magic formulas written on this 'coffin' when he modified it.
They were astonishingly complex… and not only that, many parts were utterly incomprehensible.
Not only were they formulas Ryo had never seen before, but they were also completely different from anything in the alchemy-related books he had read in the Western Countries… that was how he recognized them.
It was like suddenly finding kanji, hiragana, katakana, Arabic script, or hieroglyphs mixed into an English sentence…
Like writing that had started from left to right suddenly becoming vertical, or diagonal.
Something alien.
Perhaps they were formulas built on knowledge touching the 'Laws of the World'… knowledge humanity had yet to understand.
For example, in Earth's terms, like magic formulas built based on a Grand Unified Theory.
Incidentally, while Grand Unified Theory sounds fantastical, it is a legitimate term in theoretical physics.
To begin with, this 'coffin' was something meant to store human magic power and 'Fragments of God'.
Ryo had modified it so that it could seal an existence like Regna.
He had only altered the necessary parts, so he was still far from fully understanding it.
And besides, since he had also made an alchemical 'opening' in it, he thought that if Regna truly got serious, escaping the coffin might actually be possible…
"There's also something else I've been wondering… Regna-san, why do you keep staying inside the coffin? If you wanted to, you could probably break the seal, couldn't you?"
"I know not why, but it is comfortable here."
"Ah… I see…"
Regna's answer was one Ryo simply could not understand.
Incidentally, everyone else was left dumbfounded.
Merlin, in particular, had his mouth hanging half open.
"Ryo, do you wish to know about the magic formulas written on this box?"
"Yes, I do. But… first, I want to try deciphering them myself."
He understood they were difficult.
Even so… after being sent to the Eastern Countries for a year, he felt his knowledge of alchemy had increased considerably.
Even if full understanding was impossible, he wanted to challenge it himself first… that was what Ryo thought.
"Do as you please. The desire of man to approach, or decipher, the truth of the world is a precious thing."
Ryo generated a sheet of ice.
"
He copied the coffin's complex magic formulas, too difficult to memorize, onto the ice.
If he preserved them like this, he could bring them out and study them whenever he wanted.
"Someday, I'll unravel the Principles of the World itself!"
Ryo carried that resolve in his heart.
And Sera watched over him gently.
Ryo and Sera parted ways with the three people and one box, climbed back into their carriage, and returned to the royal capital.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0715 Associate Researcher at the Royal Alchemy Workshop
-x-X-x-
Ryo, having returned to the Royal Capital, was dropped off at the Royal Alchemy Workshop.
"L-Lord Duke Rondo!"
"Sorry, sir guard, I came to see Kenneth."
"A-ah… Chief Researcher-dono has just gone out, but…"
"What?"
At the guard's words, Ryo slumped.
But he recovered almost immediately.
"Then I'll just have to transcribe the magic formula for the 'magic nullification cylinder'."
The alchemy tool for nullifying magic had apparently been given that name on its own…
Of course, in Ryo's mind, it was simply a name he had made up.
"Huh? Ryo-san?"
"Oh, Radden, perfect timing!"
When Ryo, having entered the workshop, poked his head into Kenneth's laboratory, there was Radden, the deputy chief, standing there.
"Could you show me the alchemical tool for nullifying magic, the cylinder-shaped one, just for a bit? I'm qualified to see it, right?"
"Yes, of course. Since Ryo-san is registered here as a researcher."
That was right, Ryo was also a researcher at the Royal Alchemy Workshop.
Strictly speaking, he was an associate researcher, but… details like that did not matter!
Radden brought three tools from the back.
The magic nullification cylinder.
The concealment bracelet.
The fusion magic brooch.
Maybe these three were meant to be considered a set.
"I probably do not need to say this, but using them is prohibited."
"Yep, of course I know that. I'm just going to copy the magic formula a little."
"Copy?"
Radden tilted his head at Ryo's words.
It seemed the word 'copy' did not get across.
'Transcribe' would have, though.
Just like with the 'coffin', he transcribed each magic formula using water attribute magic.
He went ahead and transcribed all three.
The bracelet and the brooch were also made by Cardinal Sacharias.
If one were to decipher his alchemist way of thinking, the more things to compare, the better.
"Heh heh heh, with this, I'm one step closer to the truth of the world."
"The truth of the world…?"
"Oh, no, please ignore that."
Leaving Radden, who was still tilting his head in confusion, behind him, Ryo left the Royal Alchemy Workshop.
His next destination was the Royal Castle.
As a place to conduct alchemy research, the Royal Castle was one of the best places there was.
The Royal Castle library housed a wealth of books related to alchemy.
What was more, Ryo, as the Premier Duke, could even enter the forbidden archive and read the treasured books stored there!
Wonderful!
What was more, the Royal Castle even had sofas that were perfect for reading the books borrowed there.
In the same room, some big shot was signing paperwork, though…
"Ah, Ryo. You finally came back."
After borrowing about three books related to alchemy from the Western Countries and entering the king's office, the room's owner spoke to him.
"You were worried because I hadn't appeared for a while, weren't you?"
"No… you went to Rune city with Sera, right?"
"How did you know that?"
"We received reports about it."
"What a surveillance society!"
Ryo was terrified of a world where he was constantly being watched.
"If the Premier Duke and the First Knight use the royal carriage to go Rune City, isn't it only natural that a report would come in?"
Abel shrugged, saying it was obvious.
"My freedom of movement…"
"You are free to move. Reports just come in. That is what it means to be in a high position."
"I cannot understand people who want to be in an important position."
"You're always being watched, reported on, and gossiped about. That's all there is to it."
"I can't relax like this. I want to be a duke like an ordinary person…"
"Give it up."
Abel said that while laughing at Ryo's words.
The king, who could be said to stand at the very top and be constantly watched by everyone.
Seeing Abel handle such a position so effortlessly, Ryo admired him from the bottom of his heart.
"Abel, please keep doing your best as king. I'm rooting for you."
"S-Sure?"
Abel did not really seem to understand.
But then it seemed he remembered something.
"I said this before, but we're departing for Whitnash tomorrow."
"Oh, right, you did mention that. Then I have to hurry and finish reading these by tomorrow."
Ryo said that and lightly patted the three books he had brought from the Royal Castle library.
"Alchemy? You're really passionate about it, huh."
"Passionate? I'm just doing it because it's fun, that's all."
"Ah, that's the best way."
"It's the same as you signing paperwork like crazy, Abel."
"Yeah… I know it's an important role, but it is definitely not fun."
Being king was apparently tough.
And yet…
"Abel, I'd like some coffee. If there's cake too, then today I'll have Mont Blanc."
"…Why are you telling me?"
"This is the king's office, right? So the owner is Abel, right? If I went and ordered on my own, that would be bad, wouldn't it?"
"You're saying something that sounds reasonable at first glance… but mistaking the king's office for a place to drink coffee is, in the first place, a huge error."
"If you get hung up on tiny details, you'll never become king."
"I'm already king, you know."
In the end, cake and coffee for two were delivered.
The next day.
Centered around the carriage carrying His Majesty the King and the Premier Duke, a group escorted by the First Guard Regiment and the Royal Knights set out from the Royal Capital and headed for the port city of Whitnash.
Inside the carriage as well, as expected, His Majesty the King was reading documents and signing them.
In another carriage, a pile of documents waiting for signatures had been prepared.
Even so, compared to before, it was dramatically less.
By the way, the Premier Duke riding with him was, as expected, reading too… but not documents. He was reading an ice slab.
Magic formulas were written there, and… ordinary people would have had no clue what he was looking at.
Even the Premier Duke still had no clue.
But under a firm resolve to someday understand it… that did not seem to be the case.
Rather, he looked happy.
He looked like he was having fun.
"Ryo, you look like you're having fun."
"Hm? Do I?"
"Yeah, you do."
"Exactly right. I don't understand it at all, but it's fun."
Ryo answered with a carefree expression.
Things one likes are fun even if one does not understand them.
No, rather, perhaps because one does not understand them, they feel fun.
When something one does not understand blocks the way ahead.
Do one get irritated, or do one get excited… Ryo even thought that difference might be the boundary separating things one does not like from things one likes.
"The peak of alchemy is very far away, after all. No matter how much I study, I still cannot see it at all."
"And that's fun?"
"Yes. Because, until I die, I can grow as much as I want, right? No matter what it is, it's fun when you can feel your own growth, isn't it? And if it's something you like, even more so, right? You can keep doing that for the rest of your life, you know?"
"When you put it like that, that's true."
Ryo made his case passionately, and Abel nodded along.
If he replaced it with swords, Abel could understand it too.
Feeling one's own growth… perhaps that was one of the greatest motivations a person could have.
"What Ryo is looking at is that magic nullification thing, right?"
"No, what I'm looking at right now is the 'coffin'."
"…Coffin?"
It made absolutely no sense to Abel.
Naturally, it didn't.
Ryo had not explained anything.
"Come on, do you not know? The box beside Djinn Merlin-san?"
"I've been briefed. I heard it always follows behind Merlin-dono, so I just assumed it was something like Ryo's
"That thing is the 'coffin'. Inside it is a Fallen… angel-like thing."
"Yeah, I don't really understand."
"Well, to put it simply, it's a being of energy that was not supposed to exist in this world, incarnated into flesh… Hmm, how should I explain this?"
"Anyway, it's something that was not originally in this world. That's enough."
Abel forced himself to accept it.
"That 'coffin' is a box for capturing… sealing away beings like that, and I slightly rewrote the magic formula."
"I see."
"The original magic formula was made in large part by that angel-like person inside the box, and then taught to Cardinal Sacharias of the Western Church."
"I see?"
"So there are magic formulas written there concerning all kinds of things that people in this world still cannot understand… things like the truth of the world. Even Kenneth could not understand part of it. But that is only natural. It is not Kenneth's ability that is the problem. It is simply not easy to get closer to the truth of the world."
"Hmm… still, I don't understand."
"Figured as much."
Ryo could tell from Abel's expression that he had not understood from partway through.
Well, it couldn't be helped.
"Someday, when I reveal the truth of the world, I'll tell you too, Abel."
"Is that so? I look forward to it."
"It might take about five hundred years, though."
"I'll probably be dead by then…"
The pursuit of truth is not easy.
"By the way, how many days are we staying in Whitnash?"
"One night."
"…Huh?"
"We arrive in the morning, handle the ceremony and such, and plan to depart the next morning."
"We're spending two days traveling there and another two days coming back, and the stay is only one night?"
"Yeah. That's just how a king's visit is. The longer the stay, the greater the burden on those receiving us. Security and all that."
"Ah…"
Ryo nodded, grimacing.
If anything happened to the king while he was staying there, it would be a huge problem.
As long as the king was there, not only the local security officer but also the lord and the magistrate would never be able to relax.
"But compared to the old days, things have improved, right?"
"The old days? What do you mean by improved?"
"Before we were sent to the Eastern Countries. Abel, you went on inspections to the northern regions and stuff, but even that was only possible after an enormous amount of schedule coordination, right? This time, it wasn't nearly as difficult to arrange, was it not?"
"That's true. It's because, during the time we were gone, the Kingdom government's approval process and lines of responsibility were redistributed. That's why I have fewer approval documents this time too."
"And even so, that still fills one carriage."
"Just one carriage."
Abel answered with a shrug.
There was no point in saying anything to someone whose senses had gone numb.
So Ryo changed the subject.
"I heard Sera became the First Knight."
"When we were away, yes, by Queen Rihya's authority. 'Commander of the Kingdom's Entire Knight Order, and First Knight'… a position that no one had held since King Richard. Apparently she was persuaded into taking it to keep the neighboring countries… to put it plainly, the Empire and the Union in check."
"That's why she can use that thing, the royal carriage, freely?"
"It's needed for trips between the Royal Capital and the Western Forest."
"I want one too."
"No way. Give it up."
"…That's what I thought."
Just as expected.
He knew Abel would say that, anyway…
"Sera's position is special."
"Position?"
"Commander of the Kingdom's Entire Knight Order and First Knight, that one."
"Oh, really?"
"She has command authority over every knight order tied to the royal family. In wartime, she is even granted command authority over the territorial knight orders of each noble house."
"What the…"
Ryo was shocked by the sheer enormity of the command authority.
Because that meant…
"Isn't that stronger than Abel as king? You don't even have command authority over the territorial knight orders, do you?"
"Yeah, I don't. Even if only in wartime, she's legally granted command authority that large… that's what it means to be Commander-in-chief of the Kingdom's Entire Knight Order and First Knight. That's why no one had ever held it for hundreds of years since King Richard… no one could hold it."
"To put Sera in such a position…"
"When I asked, it seemed it was Rihya's idea. Of course, Marquis Heinlein supported it too, and we got permission from Father as well, although he still could not get back on his feet at the time."
Abel shrugged.
Of course, as king, Abel could strip that position away.
However, he had no intention of doing anything like that at all.
"The relationship between the Western Forest and the Kingdom government has never been bad. But there has never been a time when the two were this close either. Well, the final step happened because we got sent away."
"True."
"To put it bluntly, it's a difficult position for an ordinary Kingdom citizen, or even a Kingdom noble, to take. That's why I think having an elf in Sera's position is, in a sense, ideal."
"I see."
Ryo nodded at Abel's explanation.
Indeed, there was no one more suitable than Sera.
"If it were anyone other than Sera, there would only be one person who could take it."
"Is there? Someone like that?"
"Yeah. But that person is already the Premier Duke."
"You mean…"
"That's right, Ryo."
Abel said it flatly, looking right at Ryo's face as Ryo grimaced hard.
"I refuse."
"I figured you would."
When he heard that Sera had become the First Knight, he had thought it sounded cool, but the more he heard, the more it became clear that it was an utterly troublesome position.
If Ryo had such a position, peace would never come to him.
"At night, assassins would come one after another, the constant fear of poisoning would be there, evil clutches creeping in from every shadow… I wouldn't have enough lives to survive it all."
"I don't think it's that extreme. It's not like you'd be royalty or anything."
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