“N-Not that I share those sentiments. I am here only by obligation to my assignment.”
The messenger’s voice cracked a little. We didn’t have to bully the guy too much.
“Now, now, Tia. It’s not easy being a bureaucrat.”
“Hm. Not much he can do if he’s here by orders.”
With my consolation, Tiamat backed off. This was a little skit of ours. Good cop, bad cop. The more Viscount Zahreed cowered from Tiamat, the more approachable I would seem in contrast. While either of us could have played either part, I wouldn’t have made for a very intimidating bad cop. Of course a dragon’s glare packed more of a punch than a measly bureaucrat’s.
“Our Great King, His Majesty will question you.”
Managing to control his voice, the messenger told us this.
“So, he wants us to come to the castle?”
“Indeed.”
Getting angry over the king’s lack of etiquette in summoning us when he was the one that wanted something from us would not have advanced our situation. The will of any nation’s sole leader supersedes its own laws and common decency. If the king calls it white, so must a crow be white.
“Understood. I have a matter I would like to bring to the king’s attention as well. I’ll take it as a lucky coincidence.”
“Very well. I have a carriage waiting out front.”
He certainly came prepared. With a nod, I rose to my feet, and Tiamat followed. In the corner of my eye I noticed the Viscount’s relieved expression. It seemed that the title Hermit did, indeed, carry a special weight.
I felt no special emotion regarding the castle itself. I had no knowledge of their architecture and style, after all. I only acknowledged that it seemed at least bigger and more elaborate than the Melon Castle in Yubari or the NIXE castle (slash aquarium) in Noboribetsu.
We were not shown to the royal hall or anywhere, but to a courtyard. It was several times larger than Mister Milon’s, and well maintained. There was even a gazebo, too. It was super extravagant, but a common man’s (albeit a successful businessman’s) manor and a royal castle wasn’t much of a comparison.
“Private meeting, you think?” I asked.
“Most likely. He can’t publicly denounce our doings, but praising us could put a ding against the king’s power. Seems that he does want to meet us face-to-face in order to discover our intentions.”
While we were left waiting, Tiamat and I engaged in a short huddle. That being said there wasn’t much to decide at this point. We would meet with the king, have him decide on a price for the beet sugar, and begin controlling its pipeline. In addition, we would have him encourage the public to eat edamame and gagd meat. These would be our two requests. We had already completed more detailed planning, like which negotiation tactics to use, over the past half-month.
“My guess was that we would end up defending ourselves in the royal hall.”
Actually, that would have been better. Any decisions made in that situation would have directly been implemented in policy... I assumed. Since I knew little about the governing of medieval nations, I wasn’t entirely sure. I only had my own preconception that a public promise would not be broken too easily.
“That would be difficult. We are Hermits. He couldn’t very well place those that share the origin of the Hero King on the same level as his other petitioners.”
“Mister Hero was a Hermit?”
“Didn’t I tell you?”
“Only just now.”
“More precisely, he was thought to be a Hermit. He didn’t call himself one. According to his biography, he was depicted as a Hermit and hero who hailed from the realm of dragons.”
Tiamat added that it was most likely a backstory added to boost his authority. Glorified. Idolized. This was the sort of description found in any account of a nation’s founding, including Japan, of course. While some of these myths could be shrugged off by residents of the modern world, we were in a medieval fantasy world.
“That’s why we called ourselves Hermits.”
In order to give authority to our actions that would follow. It was an explanation easier for people to swallow than mere humans trying to save other people.
“Hm. It’s not really a lie, either. It’s true that you’ve both come from the same place.”
The dragon cackled. If the people in this world wanted to think of modern Japan as the realm of dragons, that was their prerogative, she added.
“A con artist would be blown away by that logic.”
I shrugged. Moving things along with the assumption that people will misunderstand, and making no efforts to correct them. That was the definition of intent, if you ask me. Under Tiamat’s clutches, the innocent people of this world were conned easier than those tricked into paying off their unsuspected debt to the IRS in gift cards.
“I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“Okay. It wasn’t really, though.”
As we engaged in stupid chatter, a figure appeared from within the inner quarters. The figure had a large stature for a resident of this world, and while they were faint, he still had some East Asian features. He was a young man with brownish-blonde hair and mahogany eyes, with an impressive build. His age seemed close to mine or a little older, but it was difficult to judge his actual age by appearance.
He was the master of the castle, the ruler of Azur, Reinhart V. His full name was Reinhart Mishima, a direct descendant of the hero who overtook this country. The hero’s great-great-great-grandchild. He was the fifth because the direct line of royal heirs have all been called Reinhart.
I couldn’t help but find his surname, Mishima, a little funny. Of course, no one is responsible for their own name, so I wouldn’t show the disrespect of laughing at it.
The king was accompanied by merely three guards. Tiamat and I stood and bowed.
“An honor to be in your presence, Your Majesty.”
“I apologize for having you come all this way, Mister Hermit.”
While he didn’t go as far as to put himself down in the apology, that was a pretty frank response. Or else he might have caught wind that his messenger had upset Tiamat.
“You can’t make the trip yourself, Your Majesty. I understand that it was necessary.”
“Thanks for saying that, Lord Eiji.”
The king gestured to a chair in a gracious manner. He didn’t seem like the malicious ruler I was expecting. Then I realized he wasn’t malicious at all. In this country, no tax was higher than it needed to be, there was no war... His people lived in peace. He just didn’t know that, in the shadows of peace and prosperity, the downfall of his nation was quietly approaching.
“You may know this already, but my ancestor was also a Hermit.”
“Hm, I do. Shizuru. I’ve spoken with him a few times.”
Tiamat was the one who answered. I couldn’t tell if that was true or not. Actually, I was pretty sure she was lying. This dragon practically exhaled smoke instead of air. What a character.
“Oh!”
And the king was easily fooled. You know, I wanted to say, you should be just a little more suspicious. There was no guarantee that anything a Dragon or a Hermit said was fact.
Shizuru Mishima, huh...?
That name rang a bell. It evoked a none too pleasant memory too. I never expected to hear that name after traveling across worlds. Was he really the hero I’ve been hearing about? Was he shepherded to this world after ending his own life?
“Not that I was too close to him.”
“Please. I sense some work of destiny. I don’t even know my own ancestor’s face.”
King Reinhart burst out laughing. Well, duh. It would have been bizarre for him to have held a conversation with his ancestor six generations before him. Since the photograph hadn’t been invented in this world, I assumed he had only seen his face in a painting.
A servant, holding a tray of tea and snacks, approached us courteously. It seemed that the king was ready to spend a portion of his afternoon for us.