
“It really suits you.” (Ban)
The next day, I changed into formal attire for the ceremony at Mr. Ban Trading Company.
Hmmm, I should have asked him not to be too flashy.
The design reminds me of a medieval nobleman. Is this kind of understanding common throughout the world?
However, if that's true, I'm worried about the future of Saira, who has a taste that some people may only like.
After all, he had to find a teacher who would teach him the basics, not just self-study.
Wolfe waved his tail with interest upon seeing this outfit.
"Shisho, you look different!" (Wolf)
"really?"
Unlike the clothes of Illias' father, her tightness was extremely painful.
I had no choice but to think that it was better without a corset or a wig.
While feeling her tight-fitting suit for the first time, I studied the ceremonial customs with Mr. Ban.
When I did that, Grandpa Kara came by train.
“Wah, Whoa, Son! You look great!" (Kara)
"And you're wearing the usual armor?"
“No, no, this is different.” (Kara)
And he showed me his armor.
Ah, the design is the same, but there are additional decorations here and there.
The armor itself was barely scratched and was extremely beautiful.
“So, you have special armor for ceremony, yes.”
“It's dust covered and hard to wash, you know.” (Kara)
I know it. When there was a sudden ceremonial event, I took out leather shoes that I would not normally wear.
So, I took the train and headed for the castle.
Tiez Kingdom is surrounded by a huge wall.
Market areas and houses of ordinary citizens were seen through the gates.
The house of "Dog's Bone" and Illias are here.
As we go further inward, the number of luxurious buildings where the rich live will increase.
Maya Church is in the middle of ordinary houses and luxury buildings. As we continued, I was able to find Mr. Ban's Trading Firm and the home of renowned knights like Grandpa Kara.
And as we went further, I saw Tiez Castle surrounded by walls.
The height of the walls of Tiez Castle was roughly half the height of the outer wall, and there was a moat around it.
Only the bridge is the only way to enter Tiez Castle.
After completing the inspection in front of the bridge, we were allowed to enter and pass through the wall.
The castle itself reminds me of a castle from the Middle Ages, but from the surrounding scenery, this castle looks more like a military facility.
Many stables and barracks can be seen.
I can also see the knight training ground here and there.
In the city, I only saw knights patrolling or guards standing guard at some point, but the ones here, were they active every day?
Then, in front of the entrance of the castle I got down from the carriage and underwent further inspection.
I could see a Magic Sealing Stone of a certain size being a decoration at the entrance.
Hmm, so, they are also considering security measures against magic?
This would be an examination of those who changed their appearance with magic.
Continuing the process inside the castle and finally I arrived at the hall where the ceremony was going to take place.
Many knights and nobles have formed a line in every place.
It doesn't seem to have started yet, because I can hear a lot of noise here and there.
Many eyes were on me.
Some were knights, but most of them were nobles.
A rare black-haired young man who performed alongside a veteran knight like Grandpa Kara, it was naturally a good reason to look at him.
Grandpa Kara came with me to the aristocratic room.
"I think it's gonna start soon." (Kara)
I could hear all sorts of conversations in my ears.
Rejoicing that the bandits had been subdued, talk about future national trends, and other talk as well.
However, I can hear unpleasant voices like "Even though she is only a woman," "What kind of cunning hand does she do," and "She doesn't know her own position."
Then, I gently looked at Grandpa Kara.
From her expression, she did not look angry, but I could not feel the calmness I usually felt.
He knew, if he reprimanded them here, it would interfere with the ceremony.
Moreover, this kind of thing was already an everyday occurrence.
I'm so glad Grandpa Kara's on Illias' side.
Finally, someone who seemed to be a high official came forward and announced the start of the ceremony.
He talked about the process of bandit subjugation this time and the result of the conquest.
And King Tiez appeared.
He's a young man.
I imagined a bearded dandy king, but the impression I got was that he was a young politician.
However, as expected of a King, his appearance was impressive.
Hm?
Did we just look at each other, or was it just my imagination?
Then the ceremony of receiving praise and gifts from the King begins.
The leaders of the Knights participating in each operation were summoned and kneeled before the king.
Received a gift from the King in recognition of his achievements.
I also noticed the red-robed Lord Leanor and the yellow-robed Lord Fowl.
And an old knight wearing a turquoise robe appeared in front.
Listen to the name called. Is that Lord Ragdo?
I've never seen him, but I feel confident about his appearance.
“And lastly, Lady Ratzel!”
Illias, who I didn't know where she was until now, came out.
He wore armor that was somewhat better than his usual armor.
His figure was a dignified knight whom I saw several times when conquering bandits.
The figure of someone who continued to polish his strength.
“Let us praise here for his achievements in conquering bandits, and most importantly, as a hero who managed to defeat the leader of the bandits.”
In contrast to the Corps leaders who received the prize as representatives, Illias received the individual award.
A valuable sight where his personal achievements have been publicly acknowledged.
Faintly heard the sound of tongue crackling and others, it was just a sign of jealousy.
Wait, Hey you!, I remember your face.
After that, the ceremony went on steadily and ended.
From the magnificent hall, we moved to a beautiful and beautiful hall for a party.
Grandpa Kara went to another corps.
He said that I can eat and drink as I please, so let's enjoy the nobles' meal right away.
There are some dishes that use salt. But I could see that all the ingredients they used were good, so I was sure it would be better when I ate them.
This thing that looks like a giant pistachio tastes good but is troublesome to eat.
This herbal-wrapped grilled fish is my favorite food.
For alcohol I prefer the one from Gozz's place, so I just enjoy the food.
Even so, the gaze of the others was a little….
If you're curious, you can come and talk to me, you know?
However, they just put food on the plate, and maybe he doesn't know the time to come.
Then it's easy.
"Ah, you're there apparently." (Illian)
When I thought they could finally come here, it turned out to be Illias.
“Oh, you yes. Did you finally finish what you had to do?
"Yes, I've finished all the greetings." (Illian)
Illias let out a light sigh, but from there I felt mentally exhausted.
He's in the spotlight today, so there must be greetings with various people this time.
Of course many do not support Illias.
Like most of the knights and nobles other than Lord Ragdo's corps were such people.
I'm sure they said sarcasm and cynicism to her.
It might not be a bad idea to celebrate with Wolfe when he gets home.
Oh yeah, I wonder if Wolfe is okay at Mr. Ban's place…
And, by the way, can I bring and pack these foods home? do they have 'Tupperware' here?
“Lord Ragdo said that he wants to see you. Come with me." (Illian)
"Oh well."
I almost forgot. Since I was invited by Lord Ragdo, I should give him my regards.
Food and drinks are placed in the center of the venue.
The surrounding area was a space where nobles and knights dialogued while eating food and drinking alcohol.
He led me there.
There is Lord Ragdo and King Tiez.
Uh, seriously!? King with?
As I glanced at Illias, Illias also looked shocked.
Hmm…?
"Y, Your Majesty!" (Illian)
“No need to be too tense. If you were tense even at a buffet like at a ceremony like this, you wouldn't be able to enjoy the taste of the alcohol, would you?” (Marito)
King Tiez laughed with a friendly feeling.
And Lord Ragdo walked over here.
“So, you are that young man. I've heard stories from Illias and Karagyugjesta. My name is Salvet Ragdo. Thank you for helping the knights of my Corps. ” (Ragdo)
“No, I myself was greatly helped by the Ragdo Corps by protecting me when I was in a predicament, and also became a rescue team in trouble with the Black Wolf Tribe.”
I'm sure he's heard a lot about me.
The book is in this man's hands. I'm sure he thought a lot about me.
“So, so, So, you're collaborator Lady Ratzel, yes!” (Marito)
King Tiez suddenly interrupted.
"I am the king of this Tiez Kingdom, Marito Tiez." (Marito)
He came here with a friendly smile.
“Lady Ratzel is an outstanding Knight in her fighting prowess, but unfortunately she's a knight who still lacks in some ways. I've been thinking of talking to you once as a person who well led him and helped him."
With that said, Marito Tiez asked for a handshake and extended his hand.
Illustrations
◇
Black hair, black eyes.
As he looked at his appearance like the one in the report, the corner of his mouth almost curved upwards.
He heard that the young man was going to participate in the dinner party after this.
He wanted to talk to her quickly, and wanted to see clearly what kind of person she was.
Thinking about it, he thought of a plan.
He had heard that the young man was familiar with Lady Ratzel.
So, the plan was to ask for a handshake with her after making Lady Ratzel look stupid.
The king wanted to know what he was going to say.
『Call him here. I want to test it a little while saying hello. This is a bit bad for Lady Ratzel, but can you do acting to help me? 』
The king had held a strategy meeting before.
Lady Ratzel made a complicated face behind her.
In front of the King was that young man.
There were two possible actions that the young man could choose.
Refuse or accept this handshake.
Was he angry that someone close to him was ridiculed?
Will he say the words that will help him, or will he lose control and go berserk?
Would he kill that feeling and shake this hand?
Will she show a face and hold back this feeling with a smile? Would he say clever sarcasm? or will he flatter her in front of the king?
No matter what the choice is. It is an act of knowing him.
Well, what are you gonna do now? O Youth from another world.
“….”
The young man was silent.
Now, he saw the face of Lady Ratzel and Lord Ragdo who were before him.
Did he observe the two after seeing my actions as King?
He doesn't seem like a straightforward person. But that might be true now.
Looking at the complex face of Lady Ratzel, there might be emotions emerging.
“…..?”
Then the young man looked around and turned around and started walking.
Did he choose to refuse the handshake and leave here?
When the King thought about it, the young man went to the place where the food was placed, and immediately returned.
Then he handed over the food in his hand.
"…Huh?" (Marito)
"Please, enjoy the food."
Did he consider that the King extended his hand as a request for food?
Is that his way of taunting the King?
But it doesn't look like it.
But how should a King react to this.Perhaps pretending to be angry?
No, wait, if he gets scolded then everything will be over.
For now, let's eat while showing a state of confusion and see the reaction.
"Y, Yeah." (Marito)
However, this fruit is troublesome to peel and eat.
If it is too forced, the fruit inside will collapse and spill.
Is he going to quip about the King dropping food on the floor?
But, if it was only this much, he felt it was okay.
The king carefully took out his shell, took the fruit and ate it.
It was something he used to eat. Nothing special.
Well, what's next?
“…….”
The young man walked somewhere again.
Any more!?
What will he bring next, huh!?
Wait, in the first place. This is a handshake.
However, ever since he left the place, the King was reluctant to call and stop him.
When he comes back later, let's talk to him.
The young man went to the place where the food was placed and slipped through the place….
And that young man had just left the hall just like that.
"…..Huh!?" (Marito)
The king did not know what happened for a moment and made a sound.
Looking back, Lord Ragdo and Lady Ratzel.
The two of them, stunned. Same seems.
Of course it would be like that. When the King asked for a handshake, the young man gave him some food and then left.
The king doesn't even know what that means.
There was no sign the young man would return.
Did the young man really come home?
No, no, wait!
The King had just met him, but it was over!?
The king had thought through various topics and questions to gauge them after this. he had yet to wish to end this meeting.
Ask the guard to bring him back.No, wait, it would be an uproar if he did that.
On the other hand, the young man was only seen going back and forth between the King and the place to eat, then disappeared.
Wait, this is not the time to think too much about it. Soon, I'll have to call him back here immediately.
The king headed to the exit of the hall.
Walk slowly so that the surrounding environment does not become an uproar.
Still, it was necessary to walk a little quickly in order to catch up with him.
At the entrance, the guard lowered his head.
The king only responded by shaking his hand then immediately left the hall.
Looking around, the young man had yet to be seen.
After confirming that he had disappeared, the King ran towards the exit of the castle.
Right around the corner, near the entrance…
"Are you in a hurry, Your Majesty?"
The young man stood there smiling.
◇
In front, King Marito was shocked.
"You are not ... Not home?" (Marito)
"Your Majesty seems to want to play a small game, so I just responded to it."
I soon realized it was an act.
First of all, I heard from Grandpa Kara that King Marito is not a person who prejudices men and women.
Likewise when Lord Ragdo gave me his greetings, he was pale.
And just to invite me, he even ordered Illias not to be on duty to make sure that I was invited.
Perhaps the one who wanted to meet me was the one who was above him rather than Lord Ragdo himself.
Who is that guy? None other than this guy.
By the way, Illias' acting was very bad, it felt unnatural, and when I was asked to shake hands, I saw her face again, and I was sure that it was all acting.
Illias once said that Marito was a good King, but was ridiculed by him instead. It was strange that Illias was not surprised when the King said that. And what Illias showed was a painful face.
He should have learned from Lord Ragdo, who acted completely expressionless.
It seemed like the King was observing the actions I was about to take, whether I would receive a handshake or not, so I took the third choice.
Maybe because I was still thinking about Wolfe bringing food for him, I immediately thought of this.
Give him something that looks like a giant pistachio with a shell and force him to eat it.
A good King will be angry at the time or try to shift the conversation back to a handshake.
But King Marito ate it.
That is, he took the choice to wait for my next action.
And I pretended to go eat again and just pulled away.
I suspect that King Marito, who was astonished by my actions, will try to call me back in a hurry.
“I did not expect that His Majesty came alone to me. You don't have to panic like that.”
From my personal experience, I bet that Illias is the one who will come to stop me, I never thought that it was the King himself who wanted to see me so badly.
"So you're the one testing me?"(Maritsa)
"Are you getting satisfactory results?"
“Pfft... Hahaha!”
King Marito laughed.
“But really, you hit me hard. Sorry to do that, I can't control my curiosity!" (Marito)
"You should have called Lord Leanor."
“If I do that, it won't end with just acting. I feel sorry for Lady Ratzel, but her acting sucks.” (Marito)
“Really King the Jahil.”
“Hahaha, forgive me.. Well, why don't we talk again? My friend from another world.” (Marito)
Then we went back to the dinner party.
Only Illias waited with an anxious look.
"What happened to you all of a sudden !?" (Illian)
“I have to hold back my laughter seeing your bad acting. So, I laughed outside.”
"What!?" (Illian)
“Um, I love it. I want to talk to this guy about various things. I'll borrow it for a minute Lady Ratzel." (Marito)
"O, okay." (Illian)
Illias sighed and Lord Ragdo laughed happily.
Lord Ragdo is exactly what I heard from Grandpa Kara.
But, King Marito seems to have a more pleasant personality.
Afterwards, I was taken by King Marito and guided to a private room overlooking the dinner party square.
Lord Ragdo was by his side.
Illias seemed to be talking to the members of Lord Ragdo's corps in the hall.
“Well, consider this as your own home. You don't have to talk too rigidly & just call me Marito from now on!”
In an instant, his dignified image flew out of my mind.