556 - - 554th.

Since the degraded version of Damascus that Mel was able to make seemed to be a more amazing metal than we had expected, we decided to talk to the king first and ask him to get behind Mel. I was relieved to hear that nomos only has a two-step increase in performance, but it seems that the first step of nomos has a very high standard. This is why the genie is .......

"What!　Did you use the dagger that the necromancer gave you to ask me to meet with you?"

The king, the head of the kingdom of Chrysoprase, always maintains a dignified bearing and rarely expresses genuine surprise on his countenance.

"Yes. I tried to take him to His Majesty, but he was adamant that an appointment with him would suffice for this occasion.

And the one who made the report that slightly surprised the king was the butler who had been Yuta's partner.

Yuta only thought that he was nervous because of the butler who seemed to be a great butler, but since he is the top butler in this country, a so-called "power elite" who has a title and can report directly to the king, his evaluation that he looked great was in a sense off the mark, and he was actually great, not great-looking.

"Hmm. You finally understand how to use a proper dagger."

The king breathes a sigh of relief.

"I see."

The chief butler responds to the king with a correct posture.

"It is fortuitous. I was indeed embarrassed when a confirmation messenger came from the Kingdom of Beryl.

Unbeknownst to Yuta, the master of the Beryl jewelry had reported Yuta to the royal court of the Kingdom of Beryl, causing a bit of a stir.

The dagger Yuta carries indicates that the person who holds it is backed by the king. In other words, it is a sign of super VIP.

Normally, no one would use such a dreaded object as an ID card in a bar in another country, even if it is a high-class one.

The kingdom of Beryl was perplexed and sent a messenger to confirm it just in case.

Excuse me, your dagger-bearer used a dagger to enter a bar in our country, are you sure?　and .......

It must have been awkward for the messenger to ask such a stupid question, but it was even more awkward for the messenger to be asked such a stupid question.

He confirmed the characteristics of the person who used the dagger with a ray of hope, but unfortunately, there was no mistake that he was the spiritist who gave the dagger to the messenger.

When the king answered the messenger that he was sure, his heart was filled with various feelings.

The biggest one was embarrassment. Then, anger that he should not use the dagger for such a trivial thing.

Finally, regret that I should have made him explain the value of the dagger and how to use it.

I hope this will never happen again, but the person in question is too dangerous to antagonize, to lecture, or to take away the dagger.

The king had no choice but to cry himself to sleep.

"Yes. I never dreamed that the best store in the kingdom of Beryl would use your dagger as a letter of introduction.

The chief butler, perhaps remembering that moment, responds with a wry smile.

Even the king could not imagine that anyone would use his dagger for such a trivial purpose, and he was truly relieved that Yuta had used it in a proper way this time.

"Next time you meet with this genie magician, make sure you nail him on the usage of the dagger. I don't care if I have to issue you with the country's highest level of identification. It's better than him using the dagger again and going to a bar."

"Awe."

An identity document is a guarantee of a person's safety by the state, and the highest level of the document is as reliable and effective as that of a high aristocrat.

Naturally, it is not something that can be obtained through mere merit, but compared to the king's dagger, it is mildly effective, so even if you use it in a bar, you will not get a messenger sent to you.

"So, what is the purpose of the necromancer's coming to see me?"

"It seems that he wants to introduce his disciples to His Majesty and wants his backing."

"You mean you want my apprentice to serve me?"

No, it seems that my apprentice has become able to create a metal of any kind, and he wants your help in dealing with the commotion caused by this.

"That's a very brazen request. In the first place, why do disciples of necromancers make metal? ...... No, there was one blacksmith's apprentice. Did he make it?

Yes, it seems so.

"And what is this metal?　Is it something I should be involved in?"

"A degraded version of Damascus," he said. It is said that it is not as good as the real thing or rare metals, but it is said to have exceptional performance compared to common metals and is sure to cause a stir when it is released to the public."

"...... Isn't that a story that, depending on the time and cost of manufacturing, could strengthen the entire country?"

Even if the equipment of the higher-ups is strengthened to some extent, if not everything that ordinary soldiers have, the power of the country will increase in its own way.

From the king's point of view, this is not something he wants to hear.

"I have not been told the details, but I think there is a good chance.

"...... I see. Treat the sorcerer and his apprentice to the finest hospitality."

"No, if you make a big deal out of it, they will probably run away. I think we should be gracious but modest in our hospitality.

The chief butler had seen through Yuta's character in just a few moments.

"Hmm. I don't know what to make of that genie magician. It would be easier if he were motivated by status, honor, money, or women, but from what I see in your eyes, is he going to be able to manage?"

"Considering what happened in the Kingdom of Beryl, a woman would be the most effective, but even so, it may not be possible. She seems to have a disposition to dislike troublesome relationships."

"The kind of eccentric sorcerer you might encounter. The type that can be troublesome if the relationship gets complicated. Very well, I'll leave you to it. You are to have no ill feelings toward this country.

The king gave up using Yuta as a pawn, and his first priority was to prevent the relationship from deteriorating.

As the king, he could only meet with those who were powerful and capable.

He understands that many powerful people have strong habits, and he is aware that trying to tie them up will worsen the relationship.

"I'm sorry, sir. I will arrange it that way.

"Mm. Oh, and make sure that someone who can evaluate this degraded version of Damascus and Barotta are present when you have an audience."

"Ha!"

Yuta had expected that his sudden action would cause trouble at the castle, but he had never dreamed that his actions would be so carefully considered, and he was making rapid preparations for his audience with the king.

**

"The innkeeper told us where to store, so let's get going."

"Ugh, are you really going?"

"Yeah. Because Mel doesn't have clothes for an audience with the king, right?　Then I guess I'll have to buy one, won't I?"　　　

As I pulled out my own one-of-a-kind outfit out of my magic bag to freshen up, I realized that Mel needed clothes for meeting the king, too.

There was no way that Mel, who had come to Paradise to train, would have brought clothes for meeting the king. I asked him if he had such clothes at home, but he replied with tears in his eyes that he did not have such clothes for meeting with the king, even if he had clothes for going somewhere else.

Well, it is natural for a normal person.

When I told him that if he didn't have any, he would have to go out and buy some, his resolve to meet the king was easily shattered, and he returned to his weak and vulnerable self.

It seems that Mel has been training hard all his life and has been taken care of by Eunice in terms of clothes, and fashion is a field that he is not very good at.

As a craftsman, I don't think that's a good idea, but I'm not the type of person who is interested in fashion, so I didn't go into it too deeply.

However, it is an unchangeable fact that we need clothes. We have to have at least the bare minimum of personal appearance in order to meet the king.

I asked him if he wanted to buy clothes for Gina and the others, but he said that Sara, Marco, and Kikka were growing up and would most likely outgrow their clothes soon, and that he didn't need expensive clothes that he didn't plan to wear.

Gina's motherhood, originally quite large, was still growing.

...... Sylphy's eyes were kind of scary.

I'm going to go, I don't have time for this.

"But master, is it possible to go shopping and get clothes at a moment's notice?　It takes quite a while to get new clothes, even for a commoner like me, even for everyday wear, right?"

Mel wants to somehow discourage them from going shopping for clothes. Without clothes, might the audience be canceled?　Or perhaps he is thinking of something more convenient.

Or, he is definitely thinking about it.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, I've been told about a store that has emergency clothes for emergencies."

If it were custom-made, we would never make it in time, but we are lucky that we are in the royal capital and Mel is a small man.

Noble or not, a child is a child. Even if they are educated and are more mature than normal children, they still get their clothes dirty.

It would be fine if they have a spare set of clothes, but the lower class nobility may not have a spare set, or they may need them for a sudden party, so the store has a large selection of children's clothes that can be worn with the minimum of decorum.

"But ......"

"Oh, and if you can't buy clothes, you'll have to go to the castle in your regular clothes, so you'd better hurry."

"Master. Let's hurry up and go!"

"I'm glad Mel is so positive."

I think it was half a threat, but maybe I'm imagining things.

"Is that ...... Bell and the others?"

From a distance, I see little kids who look vaguely familiar blasting through the skies of King's Landing. I'm not sure it's Bell and his friends, because there are so many of them for some strange reason.

"Yes, the Belles.

I was a little worried, and Sylphy told me that I was not mistaken. So, the more children must have made friends in King's Landing.

I'm glad to hear that they are having fun, since I'm too busy to spend much time with them now.

Maybe they have found a new food stall or something and we can go for a walk together after Mel's case is settled.

While observing the streets of the Royal City, we arrive at the place that the innkeeper told us about.

It is quite a magnificent store, but I guess it must be this prestigious if it is used by aristocrats.

Welcome!

Upon entering, I was immediately greeted by a waiter. He was neatly dressed and had a correct posture. As one would expect from a high-class restaurant.

The day after tomorrow, this girl is going to have an audience with me, and I need something that won't embarrass her. I don't care what your budget is, as long as it's within the bounds of common sense.

Ask the clerk to throw in a few questions before you are asked anything else. Neither Mel nor I had confidence in our fashion sense, so we decided to do so after discussing it with Mel along the way.

"Um, Master, I think it's my imagination, but the children's clothes are ......".

I'm going to take a break outside for a while, thank you.

He pretends not to have heard Mel's words, and then asks the clerk to let him leave the store.

If it were a beautiful and stylish girl, I could do my best to increase the exposure of her clothes, but with Mel's choice of clothes, there is not the slightest chance that I can be of any help.

And ...... sorry Mel. I heard that adult clothes in Mel's size are only available by custom-made. Good luck with your shopping experience.