Almadious wasn’t letting her get away. He looked like a father who enjoyed teasing his daughter. Titania, on the other hand, looked like she’d bitten a bitter bug, and the taste was still lingering on her tongue.
“I lost,” she admitted. “But he resorted to cowardly tricks!”
“Suimei-dono isn’t a swordsman,” Almadious said. “He won’t fight you ‘fair and square’ the way you believe a fight should be conducted. Every master has their own tactics in battle.”
“I know that, but still!”
“I wonder if you’ll ever grow out of being a sore loser,” Almadious said, sighing at his daughter’s inadequacies.
“F-Father!”
And that was where their audience with the king came to an end.
After their audience with the king, Reiji’s group was escorted to their room within Castle Camellia. It was the same room they’d used during their previous stay in the palace. A mix between a hotel room and a parlor, it was a spacious guest room furnished with two beds, a closet, a large work desk, two sofas, and a coffee table.
The sweet and gentle aroma of late-blooming gardenias filled the room upon their entry, fresh enough to perhaps have been placed there just ahead of their arrival. The party entered and got themselves settled in: Titania sat on one of the sofas and helped herself to some premade tea, while Graziella sat on the opposite sofa, spreading her arms over the backrest and folding her legs. Mizuki sat backward on a chair, hanging her arms over it and lazing about.
Reiji looked out the window. He could see soldiers in the middle of training. Though their spirited shouts and the clash of their wooden swords could be heard, it wasn’t so loud as to be unpleasant. After watching them for a while, he sat down on the bed.
“The king hasn’t really changed, huh?” he commented.
“I know, right?” Mizuki agreed. “He’s so gentle. It’s calming.”
It wasn’t like the king was entirely devoid of austerity, but his broad-minded attitude really put one at ease.
“I can’t see the strength he hides at all,” Graziella said, folding her legs the other way and turning a meaningful gaze to Titania. “I take it you inherited that from him?”
“Both my father and I are simply conducting ourselves in our usual manner,” Titania responded calmly, quietly sipping her tea.
“Huh? Tia, is the king strong?” Reiji asked.
“Yes. He possesses significant skill with a sword,” Titania answered. “However, due to his standing, he cannot participate in the ceremony for the Seven Swords.”
“That’s why Duke Hadorious participated in his stead,” Graziella added.
Just as Graziella said, Reiji couldn’t see that side of the king at all.
“Reiji-kun, does he look strong to you?” Mizuki asked, thinking the same thing.
“I can’t tell. Suimei might be able to... Or maybe not. Suimei didn’t really look at him like that either, so I wonder.”
“A fair amount of time has passed since he’s retired as a swordsman,” Titania said. “It’s possible he’s deteriorated somewhat compared to his active days... Not that I believe it.”
“I’m pretty sure Suimei-kun called him a sly old fox,” Mizuki said.
“M-Mizuki, that’s a little rude...” Reiji said. “It does sound like Suimei, though.”
“Right? Suimei-kun is definitely calling him that behind his back. There’s no mistaking it.”
At any rate, if he truly possessed such skill, then Almadious’s authority made sense. He didn’t maintain it by pressuring those around him. He did so thanks to his background as a powerful swordsman. That was how he maintained a proper pecking order in his court.
“More importantly, Suimei!” Titania suddenly yelled. “Of all things, to call the White Flame a klutz... How can he slander her like that when he relies on her every day for his housework?!”
“I’m sure he’s referring to the past,” Graziella said with an exasperated sigh. “Besides, he’s the one teaching her right now. Even you would be overjoyed if a little housework was all you needed to do to learn a master’s techniques and secret arts, yes?”
“That would reflect poorly on the royal family’s dignity,” Titania objected.
“If you would lose dignity over such a trifling thing, you’re better off not having any to begin with,” Graziella retorted.
“Oh? Then, Princess Graziella, would you do housework to learn Suimei’s magicka?”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t reluctant, but to become his disciple...”
“How unexpected,” Titania commented.
“It’s only natural. I can’t be selfish, especially when it comes to matters of national interest. His power is simply that valuable.”
Reiji was surprised by Graziella’s high estimation of Suimei. She always cursed about him as much as Titania did, so he’d never expected to hear praise from her like that.
“Graziella-san, you assess Suimei rather highly, huh?” he commented.
“You must know the extent of his abilities too,” she responded. “In all likelihood, he possesses significant power, even compared to the people of his world. I can easily picture the ones who went with him in shock at how highly everyone in his world regards him.”
“Princess Graziella, isn’t that going a little far?” Titania said. “Suimei is far from a great man. Well, I suppose... there is a small—a very small—part of him that can cut a somewhat heroic figure.”
“We’ll find out the truth of the matter once they return,” Graziella said. “It was a highly contested topic among them. Liliana will tell us right away, at the very least. She’s as much of a sore loser as you are.”
“I-I’m not a sore loser!” Titania protested.
Just then, a knock came at the door.
“I come bearing a message,” a voice said from the other side.
“What is it?” Titania asked as she answered the door.
“Ma’am! I bring word from His Majesty the King. There will be a modest banquet this evening. He requests that everyone here attend.”
“Ooh, a party,” Mizuki said, her eyes glittering.
“I guess this sorta thing is nice every now and then,” Reiji said.
“Right?! We’ve been so busy lately. It’s been disaster after disaster...”
“Yeah. I guess you’re finally self-aware, Mizuki,” Reiji said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.
When she heard the strong emotions behind his voice, Mizuki’s expression turned fiendish.
“Rei. Ji. Kun?”
“Oh! Sorry!” he cried. “It’s nothing! That was a slip of the tongue!”
“That’s way too big a slip! It’s like hydroplaning when it’s not even raining and crashing into someone!” Mizuki rocked her chair back and forth, puffing her cheeks in anger.
“Hahaha...” Reiji laughed. But his delight didn’t last long. “But is it really alright for us to be going to a party at a time like this?”
Their current situation made him anxious. They had to make a move to defeat the demons. Did they really have time for this? Wasn’t there something else they should be doing? Though he wanted to take it easy, his sense of responsibility felt like a weight in his chest.
“Reiji, it is a hero’s duty to replenish his spirits too,” Graziella said. “At any rate, those who left for the other world are sure to be taking a breather themselves.”
“Reiji-sama, you’re already far more active than you believe yourself to be,” Titania added. “From that demon general called Rajas to the man-eater in the self-governed state to the army of demons who invaded Nelferia to Elliot-sama’s rescue, you’ve done practically nothing but fight.”
“That’s right! You need to have some fun!” Mizuki joined in.