CH 57

hortly after riding from the guest house in a carriage, the carriage stops.

At the same time, Rubens' voice could be heard from outside the carriage.

'We have arrived."

At the same time, the carriage door was opened

I got off after my father.

Rubens, dressed as a knight, Deanna, dressed as a maid, and several other knights were waiting beside the carriage.

But then a question came to my mind.

It was not the castle I had thought was our destination.

But it was probably the largest residence in the castle.

I was curious, so I asked my father about it.

"Father, aren't we going into the castle?"

"Yes.　You had never been to before. The castle of Renalute is a castle specialized as a strategic base. So negotiations take place here, in a place called the Honmaru Palace. Remember that."

" ...... yes."

I had no idea that there was a building called the Honmaru Goten in the castle.

The dark elf soldier called out to us while my father and I were talking.

I've been waiting for you. Now I will show you to the Audience Hall, where you will have an audience with the king. Therefore, those who will have an audience with the king are requested to refrain from having a sword in their belt.

"I understand. The persons who will have an audience with His Majesty will be myself, Rid, Rubens, and Deanna. The others will wait here. "

The soldier's words were answered by the father, and he left his saber to the knight waiting for him.

Rubens and Deanna did the same. I'm a child, and I don't carry a sword to begin with.

'Thank you for your cooperation. Now, let me show you the way."

The soldier bowed and entered the Honmaru Palace.

We followed, with my father in the lead.

"I beg your pardon, but please remove your shoes here."

Oh, so they have a "no shoes on the ground" rule here.

I felt a little nostalgic.

Father was taking off his shoes as if he was used to it.

The other two seemed a little puzzled as they took off their shoes.

I quickly took off my shoes and followed the soldier and my father.

And when I saw the inside of the Honmaru Palace, I was unintentionally impressed, exclaiming, !

When I entered the front door, I found a nostalgic sliding door.

But those sliding doors were made of gold leaf.

And a dragon and a bamboo, perhaps?　

A picture is drawn on it.

It is very powerful and beautiful.

As I was looking at it with sparkling eyes, my father whispered to me, "Don't scurry around so much."

The two men watching behind me were giggling as I apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, ......."

I followed the soldier who led me down a wooden corridor.

After a short distance, the soldier stopped and slowly opened the sliding doors, which were richly decorated with gold leaf and paintings.

Beyond the doors was a deep tatami room.

On the left and right side of the tatami mat room, dark elves were lined up toward the back of the room, sitting on chairs by the wall.

Their clothes were similar to those of the soldier, but they had medals and decorations on their shoulders, so they were probably members of the Renalute nobility.

"Please take a seat in the chair at the far end over there and wait.'

The soldier said, stepping back a little and closing the sliding door behind him.

At that moment, the dark elves' eyes focused on us.

I could see that they were paying attention to us with a range of emotions: suspicion, interest, dubiousness, and curiosity.

In the midst of all this, Father said, "Let's go," and we proceeded to the empty seats lined up in the back of the room.

The chairs were arranged in a row with two in the front and two in the back.

Naturally, my father and I sat in the front.

Looking at the front of the room, we saw that the sliding door was closed.

It seemed that there was another room in the front where we were sitting.

The room was a step higher than where we were sitting.

Then my father whispered to me, "Keep your head down a little until you are told to raise your head".

I was in a period drama, and although the dark elves were paying attention to me, I was still enjoying the room.

When he saw that we had bowed, a soldier nearby shouted, "Magnolia Empire's , Bardia family !

"The head of Bardia, Magnolia Empire, Lord R"ainer Bardia has arrived at the castle."

At the same time as that voice, there was silence, and then the sound of a sliding door opening came from in front of us.

'...... Raise your ...... face."

A heavy voice echoed through the silence.

The first time I saw him, I looked at him with a sideways glance, and slowly raised my head.

"It's been a long time. Good to see you again, Mr. Rainer."

When the sliding door opened, the dark elf sitting in front of my father called out with a smile on his face.

"It has been a long time, Your Majesty Elias."

Father answered Elias' words with a bow as he sat down.

So this is His Majesty Elias.

He had black hair and sharp yellow eyes.

And he has the air of a warrior who has fought in many battles.

Father also has a moderately stern face, but he looks similar to that.

On either side of Elias are two beautiful dark elf women.

They are probably the queen and his side-wife.

There is another boy who is about the same height as me.

I guess that's Prince Lacis.

And on the other side of him, there is a girl in a beautiful white dress.

She is probably Princess Fara

There is also a girl beside the princess, but she is probably a guard.

She is wearing the same black military uniform as the soldiers, and she is standing next to the girl.

While I was looking around, Elias and my father were still talking

"I'm sorry to be so formal today The candidate for my daughter's marriage is coming, and everyone wants to see him. So here we are. Forgive me."

By this kind of situation, I mean the state of this room.

The Renarte family members were all gathered in a spacious tatami room with chairs lined up on the floor.

It is not every day that so many people gather for an audience with a guest of honor.

'When you are a candidate for the princess's hand in marriage, it is only natural that you would feel this way.

"Hm. That's very kind of you to say. So, are you there?　You are the son of Mister Rainer?"

Elias turned his sharp eyes on me.

"Yes, I am. May I introduce myself, if you don't mind?"

" Yes, you may.'

Father, who had heard Elias' words, looked at me.

I slowly got up from my chair and spoke out to Elias after I saw him looking at me.

"I am Rid Bardia, son of Rainer Bardia, head of Bardia, family from the Magnolia Empire. It is my honor and pleasure to address you at this time. I have heard from my father, Rainer, that I am to marry Princess Fara Renaloute. I thought it would be a good idea for me to visit your country and greet you. I look forward to working with you from now on."

I said clearly and loudly, looking Elias in the eye.

Then, for some reason, the place was enveloped in silence.

The silence was broken by Elias, who rolled his eyes a little.

."..... is a very impressive speech. I hear that your age is not much different from my son Lacis.　How old are you now?"

"I am six years old. My father says I am the same age as the Princess Fara".

I could feel Elias' eyes sharpen as he spoke with me.

"I see. By the way, what do you think of my daughter as a candidate for that marriage ?"

Your Majesty. I beg your pardon, You're playing with him too much, aren't you?"

The first to react to Elias's words was the first dark elf in the front row of the royalty.

"Norris, that's fine . I'm just asking. about his thoughts ?"

Elias lightly ignored Norris's advice and asked me the question again.

I pretended to think about Elias' words and glanced at the elderly dark elf with a sideways glance.

Oh, so he's Norris.

The one who would be the biggest obstacle to this marriage, as Zack had said.

Here, the fact that he stopped Elias means that he doesn't want to have my impression .

Then I knew what I had to do.

Do what he, Norris, would hate the most.

'What's up?　.　Say what's on your mind."

I spoke slowly, with a thoughtful look on my face.

"Then, if I may be so bold as to say so, I will."

. "Yes, you may."

As I was trying to spin my words, I thought my father looked a little pale.

Perhaps it was my imagination.

"The marriage between Renalute and Bardia must be fulfilled, I believe."

'The law is ......."

My words caused a bit of a stir in the crowd around me.

I responded to with a smile and a nod.

Then, I felt that only her ears moved a little while keeping the same expression on face.

Elias looked at me sharply and spread his hands out to the left and right and said, "Interesting. Continue," he said with a smile.

"Then, let me tell you something. Renalute and Bardia are neighboring countries with borders adjacent to each other. If we can strengthen that bond, it will serve as a good deterrent against neighboring countries. A good example would be Barsto."

I dare to mention the name of Barsto, which is a close ally of Renalute.

, "What do you mean?

"What do you mean?　My country is already in an alliance with yours. That alone is not enough to deter us?"

"Yes. It is not enough."

"You make an interesting point. Does that mean you don't trust Magnolia?"

The sharpness in Elias's eyes loosened.

Instead, he seems to be starting to think I'm interesting.

"I didn't mean it that way.. From the point of view of Barsto, an alliance is only a relationship between countries. There is a possibility that Magnolia will not move quickly. But what if there is a marriage bond between Bardia and Renalute?"

Everyone listens to me in silence.

I can't see them well, but it seems that the other nobles around are also listening without saying a word.

'After the marriage, Barsto will think that the Bardia family will make a move as soon as he makes a move. on your country Besides, the Bardia family have its own army in an emergency case And after the marriage, We will have the cause of defending my wife's country and her allies. That means that in the case of an emergency in Renalute, we Bardia can move on our own, without having to ask the imperial capital to tell us what to do."

I could hear the nobles around me murmuring in small voices, "Hmmm," "Indeed," and "exactly ".

If we someone make a mome on Renalute, the Bardia family will surely help . By making Barsto think so, I believe that the deterrent benefit of the alliance will be effective. What do you think?　This is something that cannot be obtained by bond with the Magnolia royal family, can it?"

Then it was Norris who immediately responded to my words.

"I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to get yourselves out of this. Even if you and the Princess Fara do not marry, you will still have to make your move.'

"You are absolutely right. But what I wanted to convey to you is the question of how Barsto views the current alliance.　I am not a fan of the "Renaissance". I would also like to mention that if there is a problem with Renalute, the Bardia family may not be able to move their army on their own simply because we are allies".

"What do you mean by that?"

Norris is turning red in the face.

The other royal families, including Elias, were watching in silence.

I continued to explain.

"If Barsto attacked from the border adjoining Renalute alone, we would not be able to make a move until we were instructed to do so by our country. However, if I and the Princess Farra are married, we will have a great reason to save my wife's country. Isn't that right, father?"

Father, who had been suddenly asked by me, wrinkled his brow and his temples twitched, without losing his stern face.

Watching this, Elias asked my father a question in a very pleasant tone.

"What do you think, Mister Rainer? Is what your son says correct?"

He shook his head, stared at me, and then spun his words.

But I am sure he is correct in his view of deterrence due to the presence or absence of intermarriage between our Bardia and Renalute. families"

Elias continued his question with a look of satisfaction on his father's face.

"I see. So how do you see it from the standpoint of a frontier count?"

'Hah,...... that is also a statement of a child, so that is the part I would like you to listen . But the Bardia family will not be able to move alone. We will need the emperor's direction. But if we are linked by marriage , even if we move on our own, they will have a little more freedom from the imperial capital."

Norris snorted, his face still red.

Knowing this, Elias smiled and asked me the question again.

"Hm. So you're saying that your argument that we should marry is mainly

"because of Barsto?"

"Yes. There are many other things, but it will be kept secret until after the marriage."

"What kind of secrets !"

Elias was astonished when he heard my words, and then he continued to laugh hysterically for a while.

When he calmed down, Elias looked at me and said happily

"Hmmm...the son of Mister Rainer is a terrifying young man. Such an extraordinary child is the heir to a foreign country. If he were the heir to an enemy kingdom, I wouldn't be able to sleep every night."

"It's a child's , Your Majesty, and it's rude to speak to Your Majesty about secrets."

Norris turned bright red and blurted out a lot of words.

Elias looked at him sharply in the eyes and said.

"Norris. A child has a point. Even Mister Rainer admits that. If you can't see it calmly, you are a failure as a government official. Am I right?"

"Gg......"

Elias warned Norris, and Norris fell silent with a grim look on his face, as if he had been biting a bitter bug.

When Norris fell silent, Elias looked at me with interest and said,

I'll call you Mister ......, or rather Mister Rid. It was a good and pragmatic idea. Thank you for letting me listen to it."

"No, your majesty , it was a terrible idea."

Then a woman, who had been standing beside Elias the whole time, said in disgust:

"Your Majesty Elias, today is the meeting between Fara and mister . Rid. Fara has not even introduced herself yet. It is time for you to get down to business."

"Hmmm. I'm sure Eltia is right. Fara, I am sorry for the delay, but you should introduce yourself to master. Rid."

At Elias' request, Farra took a small, deep breath, a little flustered, and looked straight at Rid and said.

'My name is Fara Renalute, daughter of Elias Renalute from , Renalute Country. Pleased to meet you. ......"

When she finished, Farrah bowed.

Rid thought she looked cute.

When Rid looked at Fara's face, she turned her head slightly.

Then, her long ears, characteristic of dark elves, twitched up and down a little.

It seems that what I saw earlier was not my imagination.

Her mother Eltia, who noticed the movement of her ears, warned Farah in a whisper, " Your ears are moving. It's not appropriate," she cautioned.

Fara huffed, then took a deep breath and her ears stopped moving.

Watching her, Lid became a little curious as to what the ears meant.

As I looked at Fara, Eltia gave me a cold look before beginning to introduce herself.

'...... sorry for the delay in greeting you. My name is Eltia Riverton. I am Fara mother. I look forward to working with you.'

When she finished, she bowed.

Eltia?　

She looks like the model for that picture .

She certainly looks like it , and she is beautiful.

But Riverton?　Is she related to Zack?

I pondered a bit.

When Elias saw that they had finished greeting each other, he looked at the queen and the prince.

The two of them, noticing my attention, stood up on the spot and introduced themselves.

'I am Lacis Renalute, son of Elias Renalute, of the Renalute Kingdom.'

"I am Liesl Renalute, wife Elias."

After the two finished introducing themselves, they bowed lightly and sat down.

For some reason, Lacis seems to be looking at me with sharp eyes filled with hostility.

At the very least, I wish he would stare at me with hostility but not make the other person feel it.

When Elias saw that everyone else had finished introducing themselves, he stood up and introduced himself, giving me a strong glare.

"I am the king of the ...... Renalute. I am Elias Renalute. I hope to have a good and long relationship with you, Mister Rid."

Elias had a happy smile on his face after he said the words.

After Elias finished his self-introduction, I slowly sat down in my chair.

Then, Norris, who had been looking grim and bitter, approached Elias and gently whispered in his ear.

When Elias finished listening to Norris, he looked a little tired, but quickly returned to his stern face.

Then, he looked at me and said.

"Now, I understand what you are thinking, Mister Rid. But don't you think it's only fair to say that you are a man of principle?"

"Is it "Monbushido ......?"

I could understand it, but it seemed a bit out of the ordinary, given our previous conversation, and I tilted my head a little.

"I know that Mister Rid has a great ide . Next time, I would like to see your martial arts skills demonstrated as a viable force. ......'

I looked away from Elias, I saw Norris and Lacis smiling at me with a wicked smile.

I understood that's what they meant.

They must be trying to stiff me with their martial arts.

Then there was only one thing to say.

"I am very honored that you want to know how good I am. I would like to ask you to do the same."

Elias rolled his eyes a little at my words, but he looked very pleased.

'In that case, we will move immediately to the training ground for that.'

Elias stood up quickly and led the way to the training grounds.

We followed him and left the Palace.