Chapter 469: Where the two are headed

Editor: Tseirp

“It was a wonderful coronation ceremony.”

Ryo said happily.

Ryo and Abel were leaving the Great Audience Hall and heading toward the east pavilion of the ‘White Annex’.

Queen Iliaja and Lord Protector Kabui Somal had tasks such as reporting to the spirits and hosting a dinner for foreign ambassadors in the evening, but the two of them were almost done with their work.

Though they had been asked to attend the dinner, it was more as guests than as guards, much like during the coronation.

“Well, considering there was such an uproar just before, I think it went pretty well.”

Abel replied.

“Abel, even though the whole country is in a celebratory mood… if you keep making sarcastic remarks like that, no one will be pleased. People tend to distance themselves from sarcastic people.”

“I’m not being sarcastic, though…”

Ryo didn’t want Abel to become someone who only made sarcastic remarks.

The trend of praising cynics and critics as cool was outdated!

“People like those who are honest. And as king, you must be aware of that.”

“Why does that apply to the king?”

“Sarcasm from someone with power is a weapon. If the king wields such a weapon, it could destabilize the country.”

“Is that so…? Well, I think I’m an honest person.”

Abel was generally seen as straightforward and bold by the leaders of neighboring countries.

It was a reputation that placed him at the opposite end of the spectrum from schemers.

“Just stay calm and be a clean and honest king, Abel. We’ll handle the dirty work.”

“Ryo will?”

“Yes, leave it to me. If you find the Debuhi Empire bothersome, I’ll deal with the emperor. If the Union is a nuisance, I’ll freeze their capital. Leave the scheming to us, and you just be a good king…”

“That’s not scheming at all, though. And I don’t want that.”

“Or are you perhaps aiming to annex all the central countries at once…?”

“Hell no!”

It seemed that the ambitions of the premier duke and the king would not be put into action.

The British Prime Minister Disraeli once said,

“The world is governed by very different persons from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes.”

Even though the world changes and times change… some things remain unchanged…

When the two of them entered the pavilion, there was an extra mannequin.

Abel’s leather armor was there.

“Oh, it’s been repaired.”

Abel said, his voice slightly excited.

As a swordsman, he was pleased to see his gear restored.

This leather armor had been repaired by a craftsman at Kabui Somal’s request.

Abel had been wearing ceremonial attire for guests today, and for the past few days, he had been dressed in clothes resembling a captain of the royal guard, with white as the primary color.

During that time, the armor had been repaired.

“It’s impressive. You’d never know there was once a big hole in it.”

Ryo said as he inspected the armor, touching it with his fingers.

Abel’s leather armor had been made for the king of the Knightley Kingdom.

It was meant for battle, and Abel had favored leather armor since his days as a swordsman, so even as king, he continued to wear it.

However, being king, it was, of course, the highest quality.

Though practical, it had just enough decoration to avoid being too extravagant, and even to Ryo’s eyes, it was elegant.

“Is it the same repair technique as what was done in the Komakyuta Principality?”

“Hmm, probably the same.”

Ryo nodded in response to Abel’s question.

Without alchemy, such a perfect repair would be impossible.

“Alright, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll practice with this on the ship.”

“On the ship?”

“Yes. Now that the princess—no, Her Majesty the Queen’s coronation is over, we can probably be dismissed, right? Then we’ll be sent to the continent. I’ll practice on the ship.”

“Hmm…I wonder when we’ll be able to leave.”

While Ryo’s thoughts were already focused on the sea route to the continent, Abel remained grounded in reality.

“The Ghegish-Lu Federation is in the midst of a civil war, and relations with the Atinjo Grand Duchy have rapidly deteriorated with this Suje Kingdom… right?”

“Ah, that’s true, but… the continent isn’t just those two nations, right?”

“Of course, but if they’ve only been trading with those places, then they only know the seas around there. No matter how skilled the navigator is, it’s impossible to sail through unknown waters. You don’t know what’s out there, or who.”

“I see.”

Ryo, who usually had many counterarguments to Abel’s words, nodded in agreement this time.

Indeed, they had no idea what might be out there.

It’s one thing to deal with a single Kraken, but Abel had said they tend to swarm…

If they ran into a group, an ordinary ship would surely sink.

Even Ryo’s second ship of the Rondo-Class, the Neil Andersen, wasn’t guaranteed to survive.

Three days later, Kabui Somal came to explain their journey.

“A free city?”

“A free city!”

Abel asked in confusion, while Ryo exclaimed in wonder.

As far as Abel knew, there were no free cities in the central countries.

However, during his time studying as the second prince in the royal castle, he had heard of small nations called free cities existing in the eastern and western countries…or even on the dark continent.

This knowledge led to his question.

Ryo, of course, knew from his knowledge of Earth that free cities had existed.

Naturally, the enchanting term also appeared frequently in stories…

In terms of world history in high school, the concept of free cities refers to cities in Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.

These cities, which originated from episcopal cities, gained a status directly under the Holy Roman Emperor.

Because they were exempt from taxes and military service, they were called ‘free’ cities…however, this idea of freedom is somewhat different from the ‘free’ cities that often appear in stories.

In terms of Japanese history in high school, examples might include Hakata during the Muromachi period or Sakai during the Sengoku period.

These cities were self-governed by powerful merchants.

Which is closer to the image of ‘free’ cities that appear in stories.

Of course, in the end, the autonomy of these cities eventually came to an end under the rule of a powerful leader…

“Free City of Kwebasa is located between the Ghegish-Lu Federation at the southern tip of the continent and the Atinjo Grand Duchy. The city governs a peninsula and several surrounding islands.”

“Between the Ghegish-Lu Federation, which is in the midst of a civil war, and the Atinjo Grand Duchy, which has been meddling recently? I understand that we’re lucky just to be sent anywhere, but…is that place really safe?”

Abel raised his concerns directly in response to Kabui Somal’s explanation.

If they were left in an unsuitable place, things could get tough… tough …well, they could manage anywhere…?

“I understand your concern, Sir Abel. However, that is a city that has maintained its independence for over a hundred years, despite being between those two countries. In fact, it is said that its military strength, particularly its naval power, is on par with both the Federation and the Grand Duchy.”

“That’s honestly surprising. There are no free cities in the central countries, but I have some knowledge about them. Typically, free cities maintain a balance with neighboring countries, and their existence is permitted because no single country can dominate them… otherwise, other countries would be at a disadvantage and step in… I’ve heard that many free cities are like that.”

Hearing Abel’s words, Kabui Somal widened his eyes in surprise.

“Color me surprised. You are correct. However, Kwebasa is an exception. It has existed as a trading port for hundreds of years. The first governor of Kwebasa gained a charter of independence from the kingdom that ruled the area at the time… That kingdom was eventually absorbed into the Federation, but Kwebasa has continued to exist as a free city. What makes Kwebasa even more advantageous is that it is also a trading port.”

“I see. That makes it easier to find ships heading further north on the continent.”

“Exactly.”

Kabui Somal nodded deeply in response to Abel’s words.

“Hmm.”

Abel muttered as he crossed his arms and began to think.

In the meantime, what was Ryo doing? He was quietly sitting on a chair, sipping coffee.

He was a very considerate magician who knew not to interfere.

Since it was a matter concerning their future, it was only natural not to interrupt.

As Abel was deep in thought, Kabui Somal started talking to Ryo.

But about something else, not about the journey.

“Sir Ryo, regarding the bracelet Her Majesty received…”

“Oh right. If you recharge it with magic power, it can be used repeatedly. Any magician can do it. Oh, you know, like that admiral who returned from the Komakyuta Principality…”

“Admiral Rockday?”

“Yes, Admiral Rockday, the one who made a big hole in Abel. I think he has a lot of magic power, so he should be able to handle it. The magic power recharge doesn’t need to be done by a water-attribute magician. There’s a circuit for that in the magic circle.”

Ryo said this with a satisfied smile.

Even though it was a rush job, he thought he had done a pretty good job.

At first, he considered making it exclusively for Queen Iliaja, but then he thought about the possibility of her giving it to someone else to protect them… so he made it more versatile.

“It’s designed so that anyone can use it. Just be careful not to let it be stolen, okay?”

Ryo added a word of caution.

“Thank you. Her Majesty is very fond of it and has been wearing it constantly since receiving it.”

“Oh, I’m glad to hear that.”

Kabui Somal responded with a smile, and Ryo also nodded with a smile.

It was truly gratifying to know that something you created and gave to someone was being cherished.

“And… regarding the payment for that bracelet…”

“Payment?”

Kabui Somal asked, and Ryo tilted his head.

“Yes, we understand its extraordinary value given its performance. However, to be honest, we are unsure of how much would be an appropriate amount to pay. Neither I nor the alchemists at the castle can determine its worth…”

“It’s free.”

“We couldn’t possibly accept that…”

Kabui Somal panicked at Ryo’s words.

“Hmm… but the magic stone is very small… and you handled the bracelet’s decorations yourselves…”

“But that is a water magic stone. Even in this archipelago region surrounded by the sea, water magic stones are extremely rare. On top of that, the magic formula that activates the ice armor… it’s unimaginable…”

“Then how about this? Since you helped repair Abel’s armor, let’s consider it even.”

“Sorry, but that’s not nearly enough.”

“Uh…”

Apparently, Ryo’s suggestion was far from sufficient.

“You’ve been providing us with three meals a day, plus snacks. The bed is excellent, and the coffee is delicious… Honestly, I don’t need anything more…”

“This is troubling…”

Ryo grumbled, and Kabui Somal shook his head slightly, also grumbling.

At that moment, Abel opened his eyes.

“Ryo, I think traveling to the Free City of Kwebasa would be the best option.”

Abel declared clearly.

After much thought, he had made up his mind.

When one decides after careful consideration, they are also ready to take responsibility for the outcome, whatever it may be.

“I’m fine with the free city as well.”

Ryo replied, without giving it much thought.

If Abel was fine with it, then so was he… honestly, that was about the extent of his decision-making.

“Thank you very much.”

Kabui Somal said, bowing his head after hearing their answers.

He then continued.

“The departure is scheduled for three weeks from now. Of course, that depends on the condition of the sea. We have arranged for an offshore cruiser from the central navy. It’s a fast ship, and since it’s a warship, it won’t rock much even in open waters. However, even with smooth sailing, the journey will take over forty days. Of course, we will make several stops along the way, so you won’t be stuck on the ship the entire time.”

“Hear that. Looks like you’ll have forty days, Ryo. Plenty of time to study.”

“Abel… you’re only encouraging me to study restoration alchemy so I can fix your armor the next time you put a big hole in it, aren’t you!”

“Ah. You caught on quickly.”

“…I’ll charge you for it.”

“Trying to extort money from an innocent swordsman? You’re a disgrace to magicians everywhere.”

“…I think your comebacks are starting to sound a lot like mine.”

“Noticed that, did you? I thought I’d try imitating you a little.”

Abel said with a mischievous smile, fully aware he’d been caught teasing on purpose.

Ryo looked at him with a pained expression.

Surely, the relationship between swordsmen and magicians was destined to always be one of rivalry.

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