“No… It’s just they have had negative views on forging diplomatic relations with other countries. I’m surprised they agreed to a meeting.”
“Duke Baskar, not a fan of diplomacy? Perhaps under normal circumstances, yes. But our kingdom is very grateful to Duke Baskar’s merchant. Because thanks to him, Count Talbot was able to forge a relationship with him and that’s why the Duke agreed to the meeting.”
Curtis’s face twisted.
“I digress. Now, if you come all the way to Tasmeria, the most desirable outcome would be if we can arrive at a mutual agreement. My kingdom can prepare a foundation for that.”
Curtis snorted with laughter, as if to say, “Don’t be ridiculous!”
Grindel and Philling were moderates, and even if they had agreed to go to Tasmeria, there was no way Baskar and Crowe would go if he put a stop to it. That was why he laughed. But then he remembered something Romello said previously and froze.
“Should we have cross-national ties or ties with individual domains?”
At first, Curtis thought he meant the man didn’t know which would be most beneficial to Tasmeria, but now he realized there was a different meaning. If Tasmeria entered a treaty with Rimmel, then all five dukes must agree to it. But if they just forged treaties with individual domains, that would be an entirely different story.
Rimmel had been formed when five countries joined together as one principality. And as such, the rulers of those five domains were very powerful. That was why it was certainly possible for each of them to engage in their own treaties with Tasmeria. In other words, Romello was telling him, “Whether the treaty is formed with the principality, or the dukes, is all up to Rimmel. And no matter what, once the dukes come to Tasmeria, that treaty will be enacted…even if some dukes elect not to come.”
It would be a different story if the other dukes were against it, but now that four of them had agreed, Curtis knew it would be very difficult to stop the treaty by himself. And for the same reason, it would be difficult for him to stop them from going to Tasmeria at all. He had no idea how Romello had gotten them all to agree to it, but he must’ve made them somehow believe that it would benefit them to make the trip to the other kingdom.
Curtis did not have the power to stop the principality from entering a treaty, nor to stop his fellow dukes. And even if he tried to force them to halt, Grindel and Philling would jump on that immediately and try to take advantage of it.
“Is there a seat for me at the table?” Curtis asked after much thought. It pained him to do so, but he put a smile on his face.
“Yes, of course. I’d like everyone to be there, if possible.”
“I see. Well, then. I’ll certainly consider it.”
“Well, well. Thank you! I’m looking forward to seeing you all there.” Romello bade Curtis goodbye and left the room. He followed the elderly butler through the hallway.
“Oh…!”
On his way out, Romello and his party ran into a slender man.
“Welcome home, Lord Cordis. This is the prime minister of Tasmeria, Romello Gib Armelia. He was just meeting with your father. Lord Romello, this is Lord Curtis’s eldest son, Lord Cordis.”
“Romello Gib Armelia…? The famous prime minister of Tasmeria!”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Lord Cordis. Yes, I am Romello Gib Armelia, although I’m not sure about the famous part. However, I’ve heard that you’re very knowledgeable about medicinal herbs—is that true?”
Cordis laughed. “I’d expect nothing less of you, Lord Romello. Would you happen to have some time to spare?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Please, come this way.” Cordis led him in the opposite direction of the parlor where he had met with Curtis. On the way there, they passed through a room decorated with portraits that Romello guessed were the previous dukes of Sligar. The frames were elaborate and gilded, and Romello and Alf stared at them with deep interest. Alf appeared casual, but he was trying very intently to commit the details of these paintings to memory. The man always had his eyes and ears peeled in order to note things that may be important later, so of course he couldn’t ignore such a room.
After they walked through it, Cordis led them out to the courtyard. Not only were the grounds designed to entertain guests, but useful plants were growing here and there throughout the garden.
“It might not be very interesting to our visitors, but I am very proud of this garden.”
“Ah… You tend to this garden yourself, Lord Cordis? That’s very impressive.” Romello looked around with great interest. Suddenly his gaze stopped on a certain plant that he recognized. It was a type of flower that, although it was very beautiful, possessed a powerful poison that could kill a person in an instant. The more that he looked around, the more he realized that many of the plants here resembled common flowers or plants, and to the untrained eye, might appear to be merely medicinal herbs. However, they were in fact frighteningly fearful poisonous plants.
“You certainly do love medicinal herbs, don’t you? I can tell you tend to this garden very carefully. But…why have you brought me here?” Romello turned his gaze back over to Cordis.
“Oh, just to boast. My family has no interest in it…although I do someday hope that they’ll come around and see just how wonderful it is.”
“Do you mean the garden…or you?”
“That’s a good question. Both, I suppose.” Cordis smiled faintly.
His expression sent chills up Romello’s spine. “I see. Well, well. Why would you share such a thing with a stranger like me?”
“Hm, I wonder? Because you seem interesting, perhaps? I can tell that you’re an intelligent man, and it’s exciting to talk with someone like you,” Cordis said in a gentle tone of voice.
Meanwhile, Alf realized that the information his spy had supplied to him had been correct, indeed. Cordis was a gentle man, yes, but through their conversation, Alf could tell that wasn’t all he was. The young man wasn’t just handsome and kind.
“Am I interesting? Perhaps that’s because you’re even more intrepid than your father. I hope that one day he realizes how useful your medicinal herbs are. Well, Lord Cordis, I must be getting to my next appointment. If you’ll excuse me.”
“Yes, of course. Forgive me for keeping you. I’m looking forward to when I might see you again.” Cordis turned to the elderly butler. “Please see Lord Romello and his party out, if you would.”
“Hm? Who are these people?” A man was coming into the manor just as they were leaving. Unlike Cordis, he was strong and muscular, and wore a sword at his hip.
“They are your father’s guests,” remarked the butler. “This is Romello Gib Armelia. Lord Romello, this is the master’s second son, Lord Miles Sligar.”
“Armelia… Where have I heard that name before…?”
The butler frowned. It was incredibly rude for the master’s son to basically say, “I don’t know who you are,” in front of Romello, as he was a guest in their house. Not only that, but he was the prime minister of a neighboring kingdom.
Miles had just revealed that he was woefully uneducated. If he had said such a thing in private, the butler would have surely scolded him.
“That’s…”
“It’s fine. Even if you tell me, I’m sure I’m not interested, and I won’t remember it either. Well, whoever you are—if you’ll excuse me.” Miles interrupted the butler and walked away.
“Please forgive his rudeness, Lord Romello,” the butler apologized.
“I’m not bothered. Thank you for showing us out.” He truly didn’t mind. In fact, he was grateful to know firsthand that the intel he’d received about the second son was true.
They left the Sligar manor and returned to the inn.
“You did wonderfully,” Alf said to Romello after they went back to his room to rest. Alf set a cup of tea in front of the prime minister.
“Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without all of your help.”
“Not at all. Well, I must make the preparations for the journey home, so I’ll go ahead and get started.”
“Yes…” Romello had a thoughtful look on his face and stared absently into space.
“Is…something the matter?” From time to time, Alf would glance over at Romello, and he noticed the man’s mind was elsewhere.
“Hm? Ah, just thinking about Duke Sligar’s eldest son.”
“Cordis Sligar?” Alf asked. Romello nodded. “I see. I’ll investigate him more, but would you tell me why?”
“Aren’t you curious? He showed us that garden with all those poisonous plants and then said he wanted his family to know how wonderful they were. It’s obvious what he wants to do. It was like he was testing me to see if I noticed the poison…almost as if he were showing them off. It was evil.”
“Yes. It’s clear that the duke much prefers the second son as well.”
“So it is. Alf, send out the orders. Once we get back, tell Louis to start preparing for the meeting with the dukes of Rimmel. I’d like you to help him too.”
“Yes, my lord. I’ll do so right away after we finish preparing for the journey back.”
Romello and his party returned to Tasmeria later that day.