With the agreement in place, Aura sent the mercenary back to Logfort, having been sent there herself by Zenjirou in secret to make that possible.
While Uppasala was part of the Northern Continent, it was almost in the far north, and far from the church’s influence. Yan would simply have to make his own way from that point. There should be little issue, since Logfort was a bustling, prosperous port. People would doubtless be coming and going, so no one was likely to stand out too much.
As a mercenary, long-distance travel was one of Yan’s specialties. He had also been stopped before beginning to rampage, so the church wouldn’t see him as an enemy yet. Of course, they had purposefully waited until he was separated from the priest before striking, so they would at least be wary of him. Still, with the man not having publicly moved against them, they would not be overly cautious.
Therefore, it would likely be no real challenge for him to use his skills to conceal himself and make his way back to the church’s strongholds. Still, things would need to cool down before he could hide right under their noses. Either way, Capua had nothing more they could contribute at this point.
Several days after the meeting, an expected report reached the royal palace: the Glasir’s Leaf had arrived in Valentia. Freya had already left the ship, so its current captaincy was held by the previous vice captain, Magnus. That didn’t change that it carried important allied guests, though. Therefore, Zenjirou was preparing to head there as a representative of the royal family.
Naturally, with the Glasir’s Leaf arriving, Freya was also heading for Valentia. Within the country or not, there was no way that both of them would be allowed to go with only a single guard and no assistants. Therefore, it was five days after the ship had docked that Zenjirou arrived.
Immediately after recovering from the characteristic sense of dizziness from teleporting, Zenjirou was greeted by dazzling sunlight. He had arrived in a room in the governor’s building. The strength of the light coupled with the salty scent on the breeze practically shouted his location.
“Welcome back, Sir Zenjirou,” the governor, Damian, said. The entire duchy, including the city, were practically under the direct control of the royal family, and the man tasked with its daily running was, of course, well trusted by them.
“My thanks, Lord Damian. I will be in your care for a while. Pardon the hurry, but is there a meeting room ready?”
The man gave a respectful bow at his question. “Of course. Assuming you are ready, I shall guide you there.”
The people from the Glasir’s Leaf were a given, but Freya and her guard—Skaji—had already arrived. Zenjirou was the final arrival.
“Very well. Let us be off shortly.” Indeed, after one last check over his third uniform from a maid just in case, Zenjirou left the room.
“It is good to see you, Captain Magnus. I am glad to see your skills have seen you safely cross between the continents yet again,” Zenjirou said, greeting the delegation from the ship without standing.
“It has been a while, Your Majesty. An honor to meet you again.” While he spoke formally and bowed as etiquette demanded, both the man’s words and actions were unrefined enough for even Zenjirou to notice. He was a man of the sea who had learned a bare minimum of manners.
Capua had always had a history of ignoring the particular behaviors of warriors and those who worked with their hands. As long as they showed respect in their own way it didn’t matter. Time spent polishing their manners would be better spent polishing their craft.
The two parties were sitting on either side of a long table. Freya was next to Zenjirou, and while he felt somewhat uneasy about having her on his side of the table when meeting those of the Glasir’s Leaf, it was the correct seating arrangement for their current relationship. Freya was not here as the ship’s captain, but as his wife.
Once the greetings were dispensed with, the captain and governor moved on to practical matters, those being the condition of the ship, the necessary trades, how free the sailors were to act in the city, and whose responsibility it would be if they caused trouble.
On the whole, it was much the same as the last time the ship had arrived, but there were still differences. The captain was now Magnus—a single sailor—rather than a member of the royal family, and Valentia now had a repair dock suitable for the ship’s size under construction. It was planned as a construction dock for the future.
“So, the repairs will take place at our new dock. The costs will be taken on by Uppasala. Is that acceptable?” Damian asked.
Uppasala’s ambassador, Frederick, and Captain Magnus nodded.
“Indeed, we are happy to accept.”
“We have no issues.”
The ship was a valuable one capable of intercontinental travel, and unlike Magnus—who was a simple captain—the ambassador represented the country as a whole. His discretionary powers allowed him to use a certain amount of the country’s treasury.
There was a general framework in place between the two nations that dictated how the ship would be dealt with and who would pay for things, so the conversation ended without issue. What had not gone as planned was an unexpected addition to the ship’s passengers.
Zenjirou knew that he was the one who should be leading the conversation for this part, so after a deep breath that he kept inaudible to his surroundings, he spoke. “It seems we are in agreement. So I would appreciate an introduction to our guest,” he said, directing his gaze to the unfamiliar middle-aged man at the edge of the Uppasalan delegation.
This unexpected guest was the reason that Frederick had needed to come all this way. Everyone else’s gazes followed his to focus on the man, who looked to be roughly in his thirties. His hair was somewhere between a dark blond and a light brown and was cut and styled neatly. While it was difficult to maintain personal grooming aboard a ship, the Glasir’s Leaf had been docked for several days already. He had likely dealt with it then.
At a glance, he stood at a little less than 180 centimeters, tall for the Southern Continent but perfectly average for the Sveans of Uppasala. There was a certain amount of training visible on his body, but far less than a dedicated warrior. His appearance should have been nothing particularly noteworthy, but it was impossible to dismiss the man himself as such at a glance.
Stares from foreign royalty, former royalty of his own country, and an ambassador of his own lands were focused upon him, and yet he seemed perfectly at ease. There was a light smile on his face as he relaxed in this chair. Even if it was a bluff and an act, the feat was not an easy one.
It was not Magnus that responded to his question, but the ambassador. “Allow me to introduce you. This is Professor Petr Rinne. He is a leading voice in the study of nature in our country.”
“I am Rinne, if I may,” the professor said, standing. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty.” With that, he bowed.
“I have heard of your renown, Professor Rinne. I am glad to make your acquaintance as well. While I am disappointed to tell you this, the words come from none other than King Gustav, so I must.”
Despite his king’s name leaving Zenjirou’s lips, Rinne remained smiling softly.
“He instructs you to return.”
In fact, Rinne’s response to the order coming directly from his king was to merely tilt his head.
“I have, of course, heard His Majesty’s command. However, my discretion allows me to prioritize fieldwork over such orders.” His response was not directed to Zenjirou, but the ambassador at his side.
The objection was, in a sense, correct. Those who held the role of professor in Uppasala’s university were allowed to prioritize their own fieldwork over royal decrees when they were away for the long term. However, that was nothing more than an exceptional right to avoid the risk of disobeying an order when it was difficult for others to reach them. For example, if they were told to return within a certain number of days but fell victim to bad weather, or if they were attacked by animals in a region where hunting was forbidden. In those cases, the right was given to prevent unavoidable accidents from restricting their work, so there was an argument to be made for him abusing it now.