Chapter 25 - 025_Audience
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025_Audience
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Before the gates of the royal castle Reidoruku Castle. The Zabalujeen territory soldiers of Count Banyusas's house and the Dedel territory soldiers of the Forvas House accompanied this far; from here, the Knight Order will escort Erimerda to the King.
Erimerda expressed her thanks to Count Banyusas and Rodney, then entered the royal castle.
"You probably think the burden is off your shoulders, but it's not over yet."
"You mean there will be an audience with His Majesty."
"That's right. There will probably be a summons within a few days."
"Understood."
Since the Forvas House does not have a residence in the capital, they will stay at Count Banyusas's mansion while in the capital.
Hacklehoff has both a store and a residence in the capital, but his uncle Santas is there, so if Rodney stays over, it might cause trouble again.
Santas is working as a regular clerk at the capital branch by order of Hacklehoff. This is because when he previously brought up cutting ties with the Forvas House, it was said that a man with no eye for talent cannot be given an important post.
Rodney produces Galim Syrup and beer, establishing industry in Dedel Territory. This brings profit to Hacklehoff Trading Company. Everyone would admit that Santas's judgment was clouded.
Rodney thinks Santas's treatment is unavoidable, but Hacklehoff does not forgive him.
Once inside Count Banyusas's mansion, Rodney immediately headed out into the town. Life Light Stones gather in the capital. Life Light Stones delivered from nobles to the royal family are used by Knight Order members and military personnel to gain source power. Therefore, Knight Order members and Kingdom Army soldiers possess some of the strongest power in the country.
Sometimes the same source power can be obtained from different Selvanui Life Light Stones, so depending on the case, a Life Light Stone may become unnecessary. Since new soldiers enlist every year, surplus Life Light Stones are used for such people, but even so, there are rare occasions when they remain.
Mixed in with these surplus Life Light Stones, rare Life Light Stones also flow out. Whether intentional or not, such things often happen.
Now, Rodney, taking Yulin along, went through every small shop in town. He looked around to see if there were any bargains. But he could not conveniently find any rare Life Light Stones.
Yulin had been dragged around the capital's streets, but she was happy just walking together. In Yulin's eyes, a display of lovely dresses caught her attention.
Dresses Yulin had never worn. She was captivated by their brilliant colors.
"Shall we take a look?"
"Eh!?"
Yulin tries to say it's fine, but Rodney takes her hand and leads her into the clothing store.
A slender male clerk around forty comes out and rubs his hands together. As befits a capital clothing store, there were many dresses. In a world where custom orders are the norm, there is no store with this many clothes even in the big city of Bassam, let alone Dedel Territory.
"Lord Rodney, I—"
"Pick out some dresses that suit her."
"Thank you very much."
Even when Yulin tries to decline, Rodney cuts her off.
The clerk immediately brings a dress with many frills and holds it up to Yulin. In Rodney's view, any clothes suit Yulin.
"I'll buy that. Show me some others too."
"Yes. Please wait a moment."
"Lord Rodney!?"
"Because Yulin is beautiful, any clothes suit her, right?"
"B-be-be-beautiful!?"
"You should dress up sometimes too, Yulin. I want to see you in a dress."
"Ugh."
Yulin always dresses in the style of a handsome woman in men's clothes, so Rodney wants to see her in a dress. Rodney grins, thinking that if a beauty like Yulin wears a dress, people passing by will probably look back.
Rodney bought three dresses for Yulin. Some alterations were necessary, but it was done quickly.
"Shall we go home wearing that dress?"
"Eh!?"
"Because it makes Yulin's beauty stand out."
Yulin's face turned bright red, as if a fire had burst out with a puff. Seeing Yulin like that, Rodney repeatedly calls her beautiful. The clerk cannot approach the sweet atmosphere the young couple exudes.
Keldo and Sage, the elite domain soldiers waiting outside the store, opened their eyes wide at the sight of Yulin in a dress. Yulin usually swings a great sword in a masculine manner, but they thought that if she wore a dress, she would be so beautiful as to be mistaken for a noble young lady.
"It suits you very well, Lady Yulin."
"You look beautiful in a dress too, Lady Yulin."
"Ah, you two!"
"Keldo and Sage think so too? I think it suits her too. Because Yulin's a beauty!"
"Lord Rodney!"
Keldo and Sage are both around fifty years old, somewhat older than Yulin's parents, so they looked at Yulin with eyes like seeing their own daughter in her finery.
Since Yulin returned to Count Banyusas's mansion still wearing her dress, the other domain soldiers naturally also saw her.
All of them were elite domain soldiers older than Yulin, but they got excited seeing Yulin in a dress. Since Yulin is usually a woman as strict as a demon of the sword, the elite soldiers around the age of fathers shed tears for some reason at the gap.
Two days later, Rodney went up to the castle together with Count Banyusas.
The royal castle he entered for the first time was extremely wide. How many Forvas House houses could fit inside? Rodney had a commoner's way of thinking.
In the audience chamber, court nobles were arrayed. "Court nobles" refers to nobles who do not own land, a general term for nobles who serve the kingdom or great nobles and receive salaries. Additionally, the court nobles serving the kingdom discriminate against the court nobles serving other nobles by calling them "toneri," but that is a digression. (T/N: "Toneri" literally means "attendant," and court nobles serving the state use this term to look down on those serving other nobles.)
As Rodney proceeded through the audience chamber following Count Banyusas, he felt uncomfortable.
There were such nobles even in the north, but he was tired of the large number of court nobles who openly radiated hostility at him.
When Count Banyusas stopped, Rodney stood one step behind him. This is because standing alongside a superior like Count Banyusas would be rude.
The King seated on the throne was still young, not yet forty. He didn't feel very dignified, but he had elegance. The Crown Prince, his son standing beside him, was seventeen, one year older than Rodney. The Crown Prince had slender features but a rather refined countenance and exuded elegance.
Erimerda had crossed the winter sea to come to the Kuodo Kingdom for her betrothal to this Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince's reputation was not bad. Rodney had heard he was an intelligent person. As far as his expression went, he seemed like a gentle person, so Rodney thought he would make Erimerda happy.
The King spoke to Count Banyusas. Then he also spoke to Rodney, and though nervous, Rodney replied without mishap.
"I hear that in Lord Forvas's territory, a sweetener called Galim Syrup, which has been gaining popularity recently, is being produced."
"Fortunately, we have succeeded in producing Galim Syrup."
On this visit to the castle, Rodney presented Galim Syrup and beer.
Since it was a sudden trip to the capital, he had brought them from Dedel Territory to Bassam and had them shipped to the capital on Hacklehoff's ships.
If that hadn't arrived in time, he intended to present items from Hacklehoff's store, but since both were in short supply, there was a possibility of no stock.
Especially beer: it was distributed in Bassam, but hardly available in the capital, so it was good that it made it in time.
Since beer is made through trial and error, 30% to 40% are treated as failures that cannot be sent out. Even failures are too wasteful to throw away, so they are stacked in the warehouse. It's not impossible that aging could make them taste better. Also, since even the failures contain alcohol, Rodney thought they could be distilled.
He hasn't yet started on a distiller, but he intends to make one. If that happens, the failures will be useful too.
"I intend to grant some reward to Lord Forvas, who rescued Lady Erimerda. What would you like?"
Rodney declined. It seems it's etiquette to refuse the first time in such cases. However, one accepts the second time. Because refusing twice is considered rude.
If Count Banyusas hadn't told him that's how it works, he would have been called an ignorant country bumpkin and humiliated. Rodney thought he should have a reliable guardian. At the same time, Rodney answered, thinking it was a troublesome custom.
"If you would permit it, I would like the right to enter labyrinths in other territories."
Whether abroad or domestically, rare Life Light Stones are not easily obtained. They can sometimes be purchased, but one rarely encounters such opportunities for rare Life Light Stones.
Rodney wanted to enter labyrinths other than his own territory in order to strengthen himself, as well as his sword retainers and domain soldiers.
"Hmm..."
The King put his hand to his chin, pondering for a few moments.
"If it is the King's direct domain, it is fine. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes, I humbly thank you."
The King's direct domain is vast, and the number of labyrinths is large. That alone was quite beneficial for Rodney.
The King added another condition. Some nobles attack labyrinths with their armies, but Rodney would be allowed in with up to ten people. This is because labyrinths are also a place for the kingdom to obtain resources, and they would be troubled if a large group entered and ravaged them.
Since Dedel Territory does not have enough domain soldiers to be called an army, these conditions were no obstacle for Rodney at all, so he immediately agreed.
The audience ended without incident, and Rodney breathed a sigh of relief, finally freed from the formality.
However, there was an event that would require him to visit the royal castle again in a few months. It is mandatory for nobles who hold territory to report the situation of their territory to the King once every few years. Next summer, the Forvas House is also scheduled to compile report materials and come to the capital.
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