Chapter 99 - Raishti The Diplomat

"Drats! You children are the worst! Come back here!"

Lady Wilhengard said as Yulio and Raishti had escaped once more on the first day of the Festival of the Crimson Wolf. They darted in opposite directions to misdirect her, and converge together again using their mastery of the Capitol streets.

Of course, without Suzhi's help of pointing to her the new low-prized goods market, also known as "commoner's sale", they wouldn't be able to make their great escape again.

The two close friends laughed as they ordered some candies on a stick, made of fruits. Their favorite was, of course, the peach.

"Oh, bugger. I forgot to bring enough money for two." Raishti grumbled as he count the coins in his palm, but he doesn't truly look that disappointed. He handed them to the vendor. "Guess we'll just have to share this one."

Yulio scoffed, and took the candied peach.

"Hey, give me some!" Raishti tried to take it back, but he just pushed his face away.

The boy with flaming hair complained. "You always forget to bring enough money to buy food for the two of us every year!" 

The turquoise haired boy just chuckled. "That's because I am not a prince, and I can only earn so much for the whole year by doing errands around town and sweeping gardens."

Yulio felt guilty about what he said, and eventually, passed the candied peach to Raishti. "Fine. The rampiogli would be my treat, but I can only buy one since I don't have enough money either."

Raishti bit the untouched half of the candied peach. "Hey, maybe we can earn some more from game prizes, and people tend to be forgetful during festivals like these. We just have to be on the lookout for any money dropping on the streets."

He gave the peach back to Yulio. "For now, you can finish this peach. I don't like it. My cooking is better."

"Why don't we start a candy stall business then? That way, we can earn a lot of blodrop during the Festival, and buy all the things we want!" Yulio suggested.

"But we don't have ingredients, and we can't afford them." Raishti frowned. "Building a business is no easy feat. You have to consider the area, the customer's preference, competitors...."

"Ay, you're overthinking again!" Yulio scratched his head. "I'm not asking you to be a grand merchant of wares, I'm just saying we could sell some to a few gullible rich children!"

"But where will we get the fruits? The sugar?" Raishti reminded.

"Well....." Yulio stared at the store to their right, the owner too busy to pay attention to his crates of fresh fruits and vegetables. "We could always grab some of those and go. No one will notice---"

"No. I am not a thief, Yulio." His friend scowled. "An economist from Ilvedia once said that 'Though I may be poor, I still have my honor.' We can't be tempted to let go of our morality just for petty desires."

"Ay, what do Ilvedian scholars know! They just sipped tea and write books all day, the one who wrote that probably never experienced being poor!" Yulio rolled his eyes, biting furiously at the candied peach. 

"Poor or not, he is right. I still won't steal, Yulio." 

The two went quiet from this argument, no longer seeing eye to eye. They walked into the packed joyous streets. One silently munching on candied peach while the other ruminating on something with a hand on his chin, looking very serious.

Yulio paid attention to his friend. He truly has the features of a scholar, not fitting to his ruffian image in the streets. His chestnut brown skin was smooth and unblemished, unlike his that was pockmarked by dots and scars from constant sword fighting and blade combat. His blue-green hair reminded him of a regal peacock. His blue eyes reminded him of a lace agate, like they were embedded in him to look always shiny and airy as a spring sky.

But don't be fooled by his gentleman appearance and demeanor. Raishti is a beast in terms of... bedroom activities.

A true sadist who relish bringing torment to Yulio with his whips and weird devices. The boy can't help but shiver from the thought of his latest invention. 

The tickle device.

It's a feather attached to a rolling contraption so that it tickles you even faster!

That bastard tested it on him, and he was rendered weak. The whips were more tolerable, at least they only brings a sting on his hand whenever he lost rock-paper-scissors. And when they pillow fight, Raishti cheats by pulling his hair, which he knows is sensitive and would make him yelp like a little girl.

These were their bedroom activities. It's not what Suzhi thinks at all. But in the future, this friendly fun would revolve into something more once they have fully outgrown their childishness and denial for regarding each other as anything other than brothers.

Since these thoughts are rather becoming more on the ridiculous side, Yulio's demeanor lightened and he saw something at the corner of the street. He tapped Raishti and pointed. "Look, I see Vladstin and Leron over there!" 

Raishti was still a bit upset with him for insinuating that he could still, but his face softened when he saw his young friends. "They're playing Wolf's Mouth, huh?"

"Let's join, I bet we would wipe out all the prizes there!"

The scholarly friend made a face at him. "Yulio, those games are for children. You'll be trying out for the military soon, be more mature. Besides, we're too tall and it will be unfair so the gamemaster would probably not let us."

"Then let's have him raise the wolf heads, then!"

Raishti did not answer, and instead pointed at a bookshop. "Look, the new edition of the The Laws of the Thirteen Kingdoms is here! Let us go see!"

"Ugh, but that's boring!"

Yulio joined him anyway, seeing how much Raishti's eyes brightened up when he saw the book. At least there's adventure novellas there, and records of expeditions of the famous Marcus Pollus from Faldenhorf. When they got hungry, they bought rampiogli and had to to the tradition of sharing a single pasta until it got as short as possible, lips almost touching. Yulio's cheeks were bright red, not just from the spice, but the confusion in his heart.

After lunch, they went back to check more bookshops, just hopping from store to store without buying anything. They both have a good time, picking up any books that interest them, reading and reading until sunset has come and the last bookseller shooed them away.

When it's time to go back to Lady Wilhengard's group, Yulio tapped Raishti's shoulder meekly. "Er... Raish."

"Hmm?" Raishti raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Yule-dog?"

"Don't call me that." Yulio punched his elbow lightly. 

"You call me nicknames, why can't I do the same as well?"

"Fine, fine." Yulio relented. "Anyway, about earlier..... When I offended you about my suggestion. I want to apologize. I was only suggesting it jokingly, I should have known how it would affected you."

Raishti went quiet for a bit, not expecting his crude-mouthed friend to apologize about it. It took him long enough but it is better to receive an apology late than not receive one, right?

He ruffled Raishti's hair. "I forgive you. But the business idea is not bad. Once I get money from being the head of finance, and you with your military endeavors, let's settle down and build a confectionery shop."

Yulio nodded. "Sounds like a good plan. That way, the orphans won't have to ask Lady Wilhengard for spare blodrops to buy something gummy or chewy."

"Haha, we'll be old by the time of our retirement, Yulio. I'm sure Lady Wilhengard would have long reincarnated into the annoying goose she is by then."

"You never know, that woman can be like a tortoise and yell our ears off for another hundred years!"

Raishti dramatically put a hand over his face. "Oh, the agony!"

Yulio joined him, even kneeling to the ground. "What cursed fate! What torturous predicament!"

"Hahaha! Get up! Everyone will see you!"

"Hahahaha!"

How good the times back then were.

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Raishti was busily pushing the golden beads of an abacus, thoroughly focused.

The income statement from the feudal lords... It's all wrong. They do not match with the vassal's reports, and thanks to Yulio's letters about his experience talking to the locals of the farther provinces, they were all suffering from wage shortage and overpricing of their own goods.

Why? Crescentia prided itself on being fair, on putting trust above all else, on impaling the head of traitors on the spires of their very own gates. But why.....

How could this corruption suddenly happen? This never happened before, and so there is no room for error in Raishti's calculations assigned to him by the treasury head as the private secretary. He needed to make sure it was not a mistake on his part, but the truth was as hard to swallow as a bitter pill.

He re-computed again and again, shifting the abacus beads with much conviction. Hoping that he would soon arrive at the right number. But it's no use.

As an Ilvedian political philosopher from the school of democracy once said, 'Corruption is rife on every monarchical government. A kingdom that does not have one must not be trusted.'

Who was it? Who dares to be the poison to the common people, to the civilians who had to tolerate doing odd jobs when they have nothing to eat? When they can only afford to share a single candied peach by breaking it in two every Crimson Wolf festival?

Was the old man right all along?

His father. He warned him about this.

He took a piece of paper and a quill, and immediately wrote the longest letter he wrote on his life. For six years, he promised not to write back to him. For six years, he just kept the letter revealing the truth of his identity on the wall, somehow unable to dispose of it or reveal it to Yulio, who shares the very same room.

Was it cursed fate that he was right in keeping the letter all along?

He thought of the last time he saw the Royal Family, always laughing and celebrating with the guest. He was childhood friends with Vladstin and Leron, who had now announced their engagement. This is all well and good on the matters of unions of partners from the same sex, but were they just so happy that they forgot to take care of their own kingdom?

Or was this corruption within them all along, like the philosopher said, and he only now noticed?

These thoughts turned into an illness in his heart, a torturous predicament.

--------------------------------

"The pawn is ready, Your Majesty. He had secured that we will be able to breach the gates with no opposing force, as he sent a letter to the head of the military to have an expedition somewhere very far..... Victory is ours."

The King was delighted, and shook the man's hand. "You are a very convincing 'father', doctor."

"Writing letters is easy, feigning blood relations even more easier. Since there is no scientific way to discern such claims." The doctor grinned. "All I have to do is to send him a strand of blue-green hair. The boy is smart in many things, but perhaps not in genetics."

"He's no use to us after the siege. If you plan to truly claim him as your own, I will not stop you." King Casserome watches the distant Crescentia from the balcony, squeezing it between his fingers. "But if not, then let him burn with his home."

"I think he will be a useful assistant." The doctor said. "It was an honor to contribute our glorious undertaking, Your Majesty."

"It was well-appreciated. You may go."

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"You lied to me!"

"I did what I could, as your father. Even if it is true that Ilvedia is still not applying democracy, the ruler is still better is he not?" The doctor countered. "They even allowed Crescentian scholars to have rights, give housing to the immigrants, what more could you ask?"

"No! It's not enough!" Raishti pulled his hair. "What the people need is a leader they chose out of their own free will, not someone whose leadership was inherited through blood!"

"Then who do you think would be the right fit for the people, huh? You?" The doctor laughed condescendingly. "You are too ambitious, Raish."

"Don't call me that!" Raishti shouted, holding his own aching head. "You... You are not even my father! You are too young, it was all a lie...."

"It is too late, kid." The doctor patted his back. "Your favorite philosopher, the one who invented the school of democracy, once said that 'Regret is the enemy of progress."' There is nothing to be done. Or do you want King Casserome to have your head?"

"I sacrificed my people..... You told me you would not kill my family, but you did. I sacrificed my own friend.... I was a fool." Raishti knelt on the ground, sobbing. "I was a fool... Yulio....."

"Yulio is gone, my child. But you have a future awaiting here in Ilvedia." The doctor patted his head. "Even if you do not achieve the democracy you so long for, you can still help your people. Be healers with me, I will teach you the craft of medicine and surgery---"

But he soon noticed that Raishti's shoulders are no longer shaking, and dark red was spreading on the floor beneath him.

The doctor watched in horror as he realized his fake son stabbed himself in the stomach before him.

Raishti's last recollection was Yulio's face on that day, the Crimson Wolf festival. His bright smile, his red eyes that easily lit up like a flame for his passion for adventure..... for helping his fellow commoners..... for playing games with him. He missed him. He wanted to see him again.

"Let's see each other in the next life, soul brother.. Then, we'll build the candy shop, just like we promised."