Off to the Princess

We spent the night at the inn and ate breakfast in our room.

The menu was thick-cut bacon grilled until crispy, with pickled vegetables on the side.

Toast and a root vegetable potage soup.

Standard fare up to that point, but the dessert was something different.

Several kinds of candied fruit had been chopped and mixed together, eaten with the syrup. Little boiled dumplings made from wheat flour were mixed in too, giving it a fun, chewy texture.

The candied fruit had softened, and the contrast between the two made it dangerously easy to keep eating.

"This is delicious. You carry candied fruit at your shop, don't you?"

"We do. The syrup is just the liquid from cooking the candied fruit, and I don't know how to make the dumplings, but I'm sure we could recreate it."

"Maybe I'll have you deliver some next time. It's delicious."

Ramiza-san said this as she polished off the fruit punch.

I'd found it tasty too, but it seemed especially popular with the women.

Azu's eyes were practically sparkling as she ate.

"I had no idea something this delicious existed…!"

"Ah, it's so sweet. Sweetness is a blessing bestowed by the gods."

I'd ask the inn's cook for the recipe later.

"Time to head to the castle. Given who we're meeting, we can't afford to make her wait."

"Haah. The weather's so nice today, too. It's been a while since we've had such perfect nap weather."

"You nap every day."

"I'll accompany you."

The castle-bound group stood up.

Finn and Alexia would have free rein until something came up.

We each carried a single magic tool that could transmit voice.

It could only convey limited phrases, but that was enough for emergency communication.

Alexia could use message magic as well, but she couldn't come with us.

"Be careful."

"Have fuuun!"

Given her history with nobles, Alexia never missed a chance to nag. I'd been reflecting on my behavior and trying to mind my manners, I swear.

But it seemed I'd keep hearing it for a while yet.

We left the inn and set off for the royal castle.

The capital was vast. Since the inn was relatively close to the castle, we went on foot.

The Royal Capital had a long history.

It predated the formation of the Kingdom itself.

By now, trade route networks had been built across the continent and the central hub had shifted elsewhere, but in the old days, this capital had been the linchpin of all commerce.

That legacy persisted strongly. Many people still chose the Royal Capital over Alsarm as their destination for trade and commerce.

The Kingdom lacked standout exports, but its temperate climate and varied terrain yielded a good supply of spices. Monsters were abundant too, and merchants came seeking their materials.

Burning stone came from many deposits as well, and the energy-poor Empire made a natural trading partner.

I'd heard that was partly why Alexia's father had invaded in the first place.

When you thought about it, the Kingdom had quite a lot going on.

None of it was headline-grabbing on its own, but it all contributed to the nation's foreign revenue.

Within that larger commercial sphere, I too reaped the benefits. Thinking of it that way, meeting one member of royalty was nothing to fret over.

"Even Yohane-sama gets nervous, huh?"

"Azu. What exactly do you think I am…?"

"No, it's just rare, so I couldn't help it."

She scrambled to explain when I turned my gaze on her.

Since Ramiza-san was with us, I had Elza and Azu address me as Yohane for the time being.

"You've had nerves of steel since you were a kid. Nothing like your father."

"You think so? Dad was just someone who couldn't say no."

"He was a kind man, though."

Ramiza-san said it wistfully.

Kindness wasn't always a virtue.

The stress had gotten to him, and he'd died young.

My mother had followed soon after, leaving behind only her keepsake gemstone.

I wasn't lonely. The days kept me too busy for that, and now I had Azu and the others.

I could pursue moneymaking as both hobby and livelihood to my heart's content.

… Making the trading company my father left behind the greatest in the Kingdom. That was the best tribute I could offer him.

"She didn't seem like an unreasonable person, so it should be fine. Though she's probably merciless to her enemies."

"Don't say scary things."

"She likes you, so it'll be okay. It'll be fine, really."

I reacted to Elza's words.

The only one in this group who hadn't actually met the princess in person was me.

All I knew was that she had an interest in the drug affair and that she was a beautiful princess.

Duchess Anatia was a relative of hers, so perhaps they resembled each other.

Could she possibly sit in on the meeting? We were her benefactors, after all. I indulged in escapism until we arrived at the royal castle.

That attendant, Kanon, would probably be there too.

Beautiful women with strong personalities were frankly intimidating.

The castle wasn't open to the public, but Kanon had given me a pass for this occasion.

I showed it to the guards, and the gate was opened for us.

Elza's identity was checked, but she successfully proved she was not a priestess of the Sun God by showing her rosary.

"Incredible…"

"Quite impressive."

"How much time and manpower must it have taken to build something like this?"

This was the first time any of us besides Ramiza-san had seen the royal castle up close.

It was nothing like Kassad's lord's keep, or even the grand castle in Alsarm.

Before us stood the king's castle, steeped in history yet projecting an overwhelming sense of impregnability.

I couldn't begin to imagine how you'd lay siege to it.

The very symbol of the Kingdom's might… though perhaps that was laying it on a bit thick.

I was working my brain, trying to stock up on conversation topics for the audience with the princess.

Some people disliked excessive flattery, so calibration was tricky.

Royalty would surely be accustomed to being flattered.

The castle's soldiers moved with crisp discipline as they patrolled.

Simply being posted here marked them as the cream of the elite.

I wondered if any of the knights were stronger than Azu.

I'd fully expected to be kept waiting for a while, but instead a knight stepped forward to guide us.

And just like that, we were led to Princess Tianis's chambers.

"Mind your manners. Absolutely."

The warning came in a deep, threatening tone.

She must be popular.

Young and in the flower of her youth, she was probably the knights' idol.

A maid who had been standing by outside the room went inside to announce our arrival.

Until the other side was ready, we'd wait.

I'd expected to be sent off to some waiting room until a convenient hour, so this was nothing.

"Please, come this way."

Permission to enter was granted.

We passed through the door the maid held open and stepped inside.