Chapter 207
(Kyle Calendar Year 511: Age 18)
The Night Visitor
Translator : PolterGlast
Having each fulfilled
our objectives, we returned to our lodgings in Fairy, the Royal Capital of the Principality
of Fearalt, to find dinner prepared.
And I was wide-eyed at
what was served there.
There was a soup with
ingredients in a yellowish, spicy broth. And on a large platter, colorful...
something like shellfish, vegetables resembling paprika, small shrimp, and fish
fillets...
"This is... soup
curry! And this... could it be? Paella?"
I was speechless with
surprise. Was there someone else besides me who had their eye on rice? What's
more, the soup curry contained ingredients like turnips and potatoes.
Rice, potatoes,
turnips...
"Does this mean
they've investigated us thoroughly? Both before we came here, and after we
arrived? It's meant as a welcome, but also a warning not to let my guard down,
perhaps?"
I sighed softly and
looked at Claire, who puffed out her chest as if to say, "Leave it to
me!" She had returned from sightseeing at the market a step ahead of us
and had checked everything from the ingredients to be served at night to the
cooking methods.
She immediately had
the seasonings and spices used added to Yoltia's shopping list.
Watching Claire and
the others, at first they seemed puzzled by the unfamiliar meal, but once they
took a bite, everyone ate with relish. Seeing that, I was convinced once again.
Curry rice, soup
curry, and paella—if these three spread successfully, the unfamiliar practice
of eating rice will become widely generalized, and demand for rice will surely
rise.
Rice cultivation is
our monopoly within the Kyle Kingdom, and there is a strong possibility it
could become a specialty product. Furthermore, rice cultivation in Aegis
utilizes abundant spring water from the mountains, so the impact of drought is
minimal. Therefore, it also serves as a countermeasure against next year's food
crisis.
It was a moment where
I realized once again that this special envoy visit had yielded a great
harvest, besides the Klimt scales.
※
After a very
satisfying dinner, I received a visit from an unexpected person. The one who
came, guided by Claire, was Count Flame.
"I apologize for
the late hour. There is a small matter regarding tomorrow that I wish to
discuss. Could you spare me some time?"
"Not at all. I
was just thinking that I needed to thank you for the wonderful meal."
"Thank you. By
His Majesty's will, the royal head chef was dispatched here to prepare the
meal, and I am glad it suited everyone's tastes. Now, please allow me to guide
you to the parlor of this inn."
Led by Count Flame, I
moved to the inn's parlor. And there...
"Demon Territory
Count, is it? I am very pleased that you accepted my impolite invitation and
visited my distant country."
I was welcomed by a
man of imposing stature, appearing to be in his late twenties, dressed in
simple military attire. At this point, I guessed who it was.
"It is an honor
to meet Your Majesty for the first time. I am Solis von Takuhir, here as a
special envoy of the King of Kyle. I thank you sincerely for your personal
consideration regarding the meal."
"Then, Your
Majesty, I shall take my leave..."
After the greetings
were over, Count Flame withdrew.
"I apologize for
the suddenness. The Royal Palace is stiff and formal, and one cannot have a
decent conversation there, with too many superfluous eyes and ears. As you can
see, I am a royal in name only; at heart, I am a warrior. This appearance is
most comfortable for me, and right now, as fellow warriors, I wished to speak
frankly."
"No, no, thank
you for such words to someone like me. Just seeing Your Majesty's majestic
figure would encourage soldiers more than a reinforcement of 100,000. I am
originally the second son of a frontier baron, so I humbly beg your forgiveness
for any poor manners or such."
"No, no, there is
no need for etiquette or rank in a secret talk. Please do not worry about
it."
Hmm? I feel like I've
heard those words before...
"Still, Your
Majesty seems to know us very well, and I felt humbled once again."
"No, no, I heard
various things from merchants.
That you saved your
domain from famine with turnips when you were still a child. That you strove to
improve the food situation in your domain by seeking potatoes. That you sought
grain and sugarcane from far away in the southern Empire and around the Sura
Duchy, and are cultivating them in your domain.
Hearing all of this
again, I was truly surprised. Many focus only on your military exploits, but
policies that support the citizens are rarely appreciated.
Also, Flame sent a
fast horse saying you were very fond of dishes using our country's spices. I
ordered the head chef to serve dishes that fused them, but did you like
them?"
"Yes, seeing the
ingredients, Your Majesty's thoughtfulness touched my heart. I have already
instructed my subordinates to buy spices at the market so we can recreate them.
Still, I was surprised that the grain we call rice is available in this country
as well."
"In our country
too, the people living in the mountains of the southern border have cut small
terraces into the mountains. Although the area of each one is small, they have
created arable land utilizing the slopes and cultivate it there. Even here in Fairy,
a small amount of that grain flows in."
Ooh! That's terraced
fields! The nostalgic sight of Japanese rice terraces seemed to float before my
eyes.
"Until now, I had
lost my place in this magic-prioritizing country. I kept my distance from the
succession, but there were many who maneuvered behind the scenes to prop up my
young brother and sister and wield power as maternal relatives, and I could not
stand for it.
At such a time, I
heard a story from the neighboring country about a noble head who was not a
mage, rallying his subordinate mages and achieving miraculous military results.
Well, encouraged by that, I made up my mind about the succession this
time."
"That was an
embarrassment to hear. Personally, I believe that those who stand above do not
need to be mages. Even if a general leading an army is a mage, it is highly
unlikely that the tide of battle would change as a result of the general using
magic on the battlefield. I believe the roles are different."
"Exactly so.
There are few in this country who understand that. Situations where a king or lord
uses magic and plays an active role are rare indeed."
"Yes, the heads
of noble houses in the Kyle Kingdom can use bloodline magic with few
exceptions, but the fact that it has been of no use until now is proof of that.
I myself have only thought about protecting mages, giving them a place to
shine, exposing myself to the same dangers as them on the front lines, and
utilizing their magic in peacetime development."
"Ooh! Exactly as
I think! I, too, have been thinking the same thing for a long time. I am truly
glad I met you, from the bottom of my heart. But in this country, there are
many who believe that being a mage is the proof of bloodline and
legitimacy."
"I sympathize
with your feelings. Especially for those who obtained their current position
solely by being mages rather than through ability, they will lose the ground
they stand on. Hence, there will be backlash."
The King of Fairlart
seemed very happy. In a state where he had no like-minded companions, he must
have also been fighting a lonely battle.
"No, no, this is
very delightful. Today, I was looking forward to drinking with you and hearing
your heroic tales as a side dish. I would very much like to hear about the
command of a famous general who possesses both wisdom and courage, to the extent
you can speak of it."
"No, no, my
military exploits are trivial and embarrassing... but Your Majesty, before
that, I have one correction to make."
There, I corrected
what I thought was a misunderstanding.
That I have a brother
who possesses both wisdom and courage and holds the title of Sword Saint. That
my brother was the main character in suppressing the rebellion, and I only won
local battles. That before the conferment of honors, we were both Baron Solis,
making it easy to confuse us.
"Hahaha, of
course I know about Lord Darek as well. But you are also sufficiently strong
with a sword. That is also a fact."
Eh? He knew? If so,
why did I end up hearing this from that old fox?
"In the battle in
the demon territory on the outskirts of Salaam, Flame was astounded. Not only
your tactics against monsters, but also that you were completely unshaken even
when facing extremely dangerous monsters. He was surprised, saying that unless
one is accustomed to fighting monsters and has undergone considerable training,
one cannot do such a thing.
In the war with the Gryphonia
Empire, you charged alone into the enemy army and achieved military results,
did you not? At the academy of the Kyle Kingdom, where powerful individuals
gather, they say that in swordsmanship, you had absolutely no rival other than
the young female swordsman who is accompanying you this time?"
Gah! Everything about
me is known! Wait, he even knows about Karla! This is getting awkward.
"Well... you know
so much. On the contrary, it made me feel a chill down my spine."
"Much of the
information held by the nobles here is stained with the soot of prejudice,
clouding the eyes of both the viewer and the receiver. I value accurate
information above all else, and I believe I understand its value. The moment I
became interested in you, I personally gave direct orders to reinvestigate
everything."
Saying this, the King
smiled brightly.
I see, the fact that
he deliberately mentioned this... means he's implicitly telling me that
information from the Kyle Kingdom has been leaking like a sieve, right?
"By the way,
there is something I would very much like to ask you this time. How did you see
through and defeat the Istoria Imperial Kingdom's deadly formation, which was
famous even in neighboring countries? I hear it was an overwhelming, complete
victory."
"Let's see... I
believe it is safe to say that the combination of their formation (Dublin
tactics) and longbowmen is a nearly invincible tactic when on the defensive.
The elements necessary
for this are... And the fundamental weakness of this formation is... As a
countermeasure against it..."
I explained to the
King within the scope that was permissible. The King, originally a military
man, took the bait hook, line, and sinker, leaning forward eagerly.
"I see, combining
an invincible tactic with a trap of a defense in depth to lure the enemy... And
to immediately adapt that for suppressing a rebellion is thrilling and
magnificent.
It pains my heart
somewhat to just listen to your stories. As proof of my trust, let me tell you
about our country's Mage Corps and the tactics adopted in battles with other
countries."
Eh? Is that okay? I
was momentarily confused, but the King seemed serious.
"Our country's
Mage Corps consists of 500 soldiers; 200 are in the Royal Guard Division, and
300 are under the jurisdiction of various powerful nobles.
Their composition is
mainly... The tactics adopted for offense are mainly... Therefore, as a
weakness..."
No, really, is it okay
to say that much? My thoughts might have shown on my face.
"What, the Kyle
Kingdom is known for its exclusively defensive posture, and as long as I am
King, there will absolutely be no war with the Kyle Kingdom. I am speaking
based on that premise.
Well, in the unlikely
event of an unforeseen situation that normally wouldn't happen, such as
disgruntled nobles in my country raising a rebellion and me asking your country
for reinforcements, or if they invade your country, you can just make use of
what I've told you then."
Eh?
Somehow... I feel like
a really bad flag has just been raised, but surely I'm mistaken, right? I want
to believe it's just my imagination. I already have my hands full in the south.
I won't go to the west next... I won't, okay?
Seeing him smile
mischievously in front of me, who was panicking internally...
As expected, a
battle-hardened king entrusted with a country. This person is also a
magnificent raccoon (schemer)! I thought.
"This day, I have
gained a new friend! I thank the Demon Territory Count for having such a
meaningful meeting! Then, let us meet again tomorrow at the Royal Palace."
As he said this, the
door opened, and Count Flame was kneeling there.
It was the moment I
made my second『friend』who happened to be a king. Or rather, things are
moving in a direction so completely different from the previous history that
honestly, I shuddered.
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