Chapter 6 – Reunion after a long time and a princess of the royal family
by PinkPantherIt had been a while since my master mentioned that he would be in the imperial capital for a while. Starting from the next day, my everyday life as a warrior would resume.
And a few days had passed when it happened. That day, Rishinkan had a visitor for me in the morning.
“Are you Vyril?”
“Yes.”
‘Who is this man…? He’s a warrior I’ve never seen before. Moreover, he’s quite skilled.‘
“Hmph…to give me such a probing look on our first meeting.”
“No, I… I apologise.”
Did I really give off such a probing impression…?
However, it’s true that I was trying to gauge his abilities. Even if I didn’t intend to, this man must have sensed that he was being scrutinised.
“Very well, I won’t nitpick at rudeness towards a commoner like you. I am Hiroto, from the Imperial Guard.”
“………….!!”
The Imperial Guard…! They are responsible for the protection of the royal family and it’s a position that only a few highly skilled warriors can hold…
Becoming a member of the Imperial Guard is considered an honour among the warriors of the empire. It’s an organisation where the cream of the crop among warriors gathers.
Why would someone like this… have any business with me…?
“I’m a busy person too. Let’s get straight to the point. In two days, there will be a meeting in one of the chambers in the palace. You will come there as well.”
“What…?”
The conversation is too sudden, and I can’t see anything clearly. When he mentions the palace, he’s referring to the residence of the royal family. Even for a warrior, it’s not an easy place to enter.
Meetings held there are usually only between the royal family and someone important. I still can’t fathom why I would need to go there.
“I… to the palace…? Why…?”
“There are visitors from outside the Amatsuki Empire right now. Have you heard of the people from the grasslands?”
“……….!!”
I had some prior involvement with them before coming to the empire.
“One of the visitors is the son of the chief of the Muga tribe, Karan-dono.”
“What!? K-Karan-san!?”
“…It seems like you really do know each other.”
As I heard from my master, the current empire is dominated by rogues in the west, a union of lords in the north and central nobles in the south.
Now, what about the east? Well, the eastern region is mostly covered in vast grasslands. Not the entire eastern region, really, but more like the far eastern edge.
In those grasslands, there are eight nomadic tribes, and before coming to the empire, I had been taken care of by the Muga tribe among them.
“Yesterday, Karan-dono and Kirimune-dono met. Your name came up in their conversation. It seems you were indebted to them in the past.”
“Ye… yes…”
“Since you’ve come all the way to the empire, Kirimune-dono suggested that it would be a good opportunity for you to meet again after so long… There is a meeting with the royal family at the palace in two days. You and Karan-dono will meet there.”
I see…It’s starting to make sense. They must want to use me to create a friendly atmosphere before getting to the main topic.
When a country’s warriors reunite with their benefactors after several years, it’s easier to create a cordial atmosphere.
For now, I understand the reason for my invitation. I have no right to refuse, and there isn’t really a reason to refuse in the first place.
“I understand. I appreciate your kindness. But why is Karan-dono in the empire?”
While the grasslands are technically part of the empire’s territory, there are no lords there for various reasons. One simple reason is that it’s too far from the imperial capital.
Moreover, it’s a remote area with nothing but grass and trees, so there’s little appeal to gather people and create a town in the first place.
Even if a town were to be established, it would be too far from the imperial capital for merchants to easily come and go. The time and cost required just for road development alone are unknown.
The nomadic people are generally laid-back and since they can live anywhere on the grasslands, it’s challenging to establish governance over them.
However, they have a natural【live and let live】attitude, thinking that as long as they don’t burden their way of life, being part of the empire is fine. They are not particularly rebellious.
On the other hand, the grasslands are suitable for raising horses, and they are skilled in handling and breeding horses. In fact, they treat horses as members of their families. Every year, the nomadic people send a few horses to the empire in exchange for protection. It’s a very loose and amicable relationship.
That’s why it’s intriguing. While their loyalty to the emperor is nearly non-existent, they are technically part of the empire. So, what could they be coming to the empire for?
“I don’t have that information. If you’re curious, you can ask them directly. You do know them, right?”
“…Alright.”
Well, it’s fine. I’m genuinely happy to meet Karan-dono again. I’m grateful to my considerate Master and to the royal family for giving me this opportunity in the palace.
■
And so, two days later, I arrived at the palace.
The palace had a completely different impression compared to the imperial palace and the mansions of the nobles. It consisted of wooden single-story buildings on a vast estate. The corridors extended not only within the buildings but also outdoors.
This was my first time entering a place like this, and, if I recall correctly, it was my first time seeing members of the royal family up close. Well, I did catch a glimpse of them from afar during the Grand Festival, I think.
It seemed that the discussion between the royal family and Karan-dono was already underway. I was called into the room as they finished exchanging greetings.
“Excuse me.”
The room they led me to was spacious, but overall, it had a simple and modest design. At the centre, a woman exuding a mysterious charm was seated in a chair, and on her side were three warriors. One of them was Hiroto-san.
On the opposite side, a tall man with well-tanned skin was seated. When he saw me, he widened his eyes.
“I’ve brought the warrior, Vyril.”
“Thank you. You can stand back.”
As the woman spoke, the person who had guided me this far exited the room. She then turned her gaze toward me.
“My, you truly have blue eyes. I heard that you are the last disciple of Kirimune…”
…There was no doubt that this woman was a member of the royal family. I immediately kneeled.
“It’s my first time meeting you. You may have heard from Kirimune, but my name is Vyril.”
No…I was surprised. People from the empire are often beautiful, but this woman was on a different level…!
Her lustrous, long black hair and large grey eyes were truly captivating. Her fair skin radiated beauty even down to her fingertips. She might be younger and petite, but…naturally, I found myself bowing to her. She possessed a mysterious charm.
Although I was originally from the imperial family, I was near the bottom in terms of succession to the throne. Therefore, rather than being among the royal family standing above the nobles, I had been educated as a subject loyal to the royal family.
Perhaps because of that, I could bow to the beautiful princess in front of me without feeling any particular discomfort.
“Fufu…You may lift your head in front of guests. Karan-sama, were you surprised?”
“Yes… I was really surprised. Vyril, it’s been a while. You’ve grown.”
“Karan-sama…”
I actually wanted to address him with honorifics, but the princess of the royal family was using his given name. I couldn’t adopt a familiar attitude in this situation.
“You were called here suddenly, and we haven’t exchanged greetings yet. I am Tsukimikado Mayo. Feel free to call me Mayo.”
“… Mayo-sama.”
Hiroto-san called her name as if to remind her. Well, even if she insists, it’s not easy to address her in such a casual manner.
Karan-san had a genuinely delighted expression as he looked at me.
“It’s been over eight years since then, hasn’t it? I heard from Kirimune-tono that you were doing well, but you’ve truly become splendid.”
“No… it’s all thanks to Karan-sama and the others who helped me back then.”
The nomadic people of the grasslands are generally mild-mannered. While there are eight tribes to some extent to manage the community, there is no particular animosity among them.
“Haha. If my sister, Rina, hears that I got to meet Vyril like this, she might scold me for being unfair.”
“That’s…”
“At that time, both of them were still small and I felt like I had gained not only a sister but also a little brother.”
Rina-chan, huh. She was quite memorable. A very energetic child. At first, I thought she was a boy. I remember being surprised when I found out she was actually a girl when we left the grasslands.
At that time, she was a very young child but she must have grown considerably by now.
“Is Chief Roban doing well?”
“Oh, he’s too lively for his own good. Whenever Vyril’s name comes up, I can picture him enjoying a drink.”
“Hahaha..”
During my journey before coming to the empire, the days on the grasslands were the most memorable.
I talked with the nomadic people, interacted with animals, and gazed at the vast open sky on clear nights, making me feel just how vast the world was.
We exchanged a few more words, but Hiroto-san cleared his throat softly. It seemed like it was time.
“…We’d love to keep talking, but Karan-sama probably has matters to discuss with Mayo-sama. I will take my leave now.”
Ideally, I’d like to have another conversation with Karan before he leaves the empire…I thought, but Mayo-sama spoke up.
“Both of you are reuniting after a long time, aren’t you? Vyril, there’s no need for you to leave. You’re a warrior, so you can stay here and provide room security.”
“Eh…?”
“Mayo-sama, the protection of this room is our duty as the Imperial Guard. Moreover, we might as well let Vil stay and guard the room without hearing Karan-sama’s conversation.”
Hiroto-san expressed his disagreement to Mayo-sama.
I agreed with Hiroto-san on this matter. Even though I’m a warrior, there’s no need to involve me in their conversation intentionally.
“Ara. Isn’t it the duty of the Imperial Guard to protect me? I mentioned that I wanted Vil to guard this room.”
“Mayo-sama…”
“It’s perfectly fine. I thought it would be convenient for us to allow Karan-sama to enjoy his reunion after such a long time. Once our business is completed, excluding Vyril from the room, even for Karan-sama, who treated Vyril like a little brother, wouldn’t be pleasing, would it?”
I glanced briefly at Karan-san. He showed no sign of being disturbed and wore a gentle smile.
“There may be implications for the empire as well, and it might even be helpful to hear Vyril’s opinion as someone born in the empire. Well, it’s just a way to have Vyril stay in this room. It’s probably an attempt to avoid an awkward atmosphere if I leave the room and create a subtle tension in the situation.”
I shifted my gaze to Karan-san again. He didn’t seem to mind at all.
“It may be convenient for the empire, so there’s no need to be upset about it. However, the topic we’re about to discuss may have implications for the current state of the empire. Vyril’s opinion, being originally from the empire, might actually be useful. Well, that’s how I see it.”
Well, this was probably just a means to have me stay in this room. I think the intention is to prevent me from leaving and creating an awkward atmosphere, given the current situation where Mayo-sama and the Imperial Guard are exchanging opinions.
With Karan-san’s words as the deciding factor, I remained in the room.
◼️Character Introduction
・Tsukimikado Mayo
A petite figure standing at 145 centimetres tall with an A-cup bust. She is the daughter of the current Emperor.
・Hiroto
A member of the Imperial Guard. Among the guards, he is still young and has limited experience.
・Karan
One of the nomadic people who provided assistance before Vyril arrived in the Empire. He is the son of the chieftain of the Muga tribe and is already married.