CH 8

A guest from Royal Capital

Translated by SoundOfDestiny

Edited by Zil

After changing into his formal attire to meet his guests from Royal Capital, Raidorl led Neimilia to the parlour.

Although it was called a parlour, this was a small house where guests rarely visited. The living room was hastily cleared out and made into a makeshift reception room. 

As soon as Raidorl opened the door, the guest who was already in the room greeted him with a bow.

“It’s been a long time, Your Royal Highness, the King’s Brother Raidorl.”

“My brother the king ……? No, you’re ……”

Raidorl froze as he stepped into the room and opened his eyes to the limit.

He had thought of a few familiar faces when he heard that he was a guest from Royal Capital, but what he saw was someone he had not expected.

In a makeshift drawing room, a purple-haired woman in a clean, light blue dress stood without sitting on the chair. 

Her name is Mertina Mercer, and she is the only daughter of Lockwood Mercer, the Prime Minister of Zain and a childhood friend of Raidorl’s.

“……I didn’t think you’d come. How daring for you to come to such a small town?”

Raidorl’s voice naturally turns grim as he meets the woman who would have been his companion had he not been chosen by the Holy Sword, the woman who had so easily abandoned him in exile on the frontier.

He prepared his sword on his hip, just in case, and he’s trying to hold back his right hand from reaching for it. He exhaled loudly and calmed his emotions. 

“…… I’m glad to see you’re alive and well. My wonderful childhood friend.”

“Can’t you call me Mertina like you used to, Your Highness?”

“……still, How on earth did you end up in this remote area?”

Ignoring Mertina’s words, he sat down on the sofa and, with a tuck of his chin, invited her to sit down too.

“……”

Mertina sits silently on the sofa opposite and looks straight at Raidorl.

Behind her are two knights who appear to be her bodyguards. Both knights are dressed in fine armour and have ornate swords at their hips.

Behind Raidorl, on the other hand, there is only one maid. Not even one of his guards is here. It’s hard to tell which is the royal family.

“I’ve changed. …… So has this woman.”

After five years on the frontier, Raidorl, once a mere child, has grown into a first-class warrior.

But it wasn’t just Raidorl who had grown up, Mertina had also changed over the past five years.

Originally a pretty young girl, her appearance has been transformed into that of a mature woman, with a slender nose, full lips and large almond-shaped eyes that are incredibly attractive.

From the neck down, her body has changed into that of a grown woman, especially the two fruits on her chest, which are so rich that they make anyone salivate.

“Oh, shit! How could she be so beautiful!”

Raidorl gritted his teeth and swore inwardly.

The woman who once abandoned him has grown into an incredibly attractive woman. It was a shame.

The fact that he was able to arouse even the slightest bit of lust for a woman he should have hated with all his heart seemed like an indelible stain on his life.

“…a lot has happened. Seem we both have changed”

“Yes, five years is a long time.”

Raidorl murmured in a hushed tone, careful not to let his frustration get to him. Mertina also responded in an emotionally unreadable voice.

The two childhood friends stared at each other in silence for a while, until Mertina spoke first.

“I’m sorry for the abruptness of this visit.”

“Well, …… it’s quite a sudden visit after not hearing from you for five years.” 

“My father will make a formal apology at a later date, Your Royal Highness.” 

“…… I’ve been wondering for a while, what’s that thing you call it?”

Raidorl asked, vaguely aware of the answer. Mertina kept her eyes downcast for a moment, then looked up quickly and answered.

“His Majesty……the father of His Royal Highness Prince Raidorl, has died.”

“…ah, I see”

“His royal highness Prince Granard is now the new king. This makes His Royal Highness Prince Raidorl a royal brother.”

“……”

The answer was quite predictable, and Raidorl cast his eyes down.

His father was still young, in his fifties, but he was very ill at the time of his banishment. It’s a good thing he survived for five years.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds and prayed for the repose of his father’s soul, whom he never saw again.

The decision to exile the young prince was taken by his brother, the acting king, and his entourage. His father had no part in it, and there was no grudge between Raidorl and his father.

“………… And you didn’t bother to come and tell me that, did you?” 

After a short moment of silence, Raidorl asks again Mertina’s business.

My father passed away and my brother ascended to the throne as the new king. It’s a big deal for the country, but I don’t think the people in Royal Capital, who haven’t heard from us in five years, would have bothered to come and tell me. The main topic should be something else.

“Then I’ll tell you, ……, His Royal Highness King Granard, the new King of Zain, a royal decree.”

“…..”

“His brother Raidorl von Zain has been relieved of his duties as lord of the frontier city with immediate effect and is to return to Royal Capital……”

“What..?!”

Raidorl narrows his eyes and asks in an irritated tone.

Despite the fierce stare, Mertina doesn’t flinch and stares back at him. Her eyes are like glass beads, unreadable and emotionless, and Raidorl’s gaze grows even darker.

There was a click in Raidorl’s head and the sound of some parts fitting together.

The wheels of fate are in motion once more, and the keepers of the Holy Sword, relegated to the corners of the world, are lured back to the stage of history.