Pelarhar did not avoid Erdene’s gaze, who seemed to be getting close.
However, it didn’t seem like he wanted to fight with her.
Pelarhar blinked his large, cool eyes once and said with a grin.
“Actually, I blocked Your Majesty’s sword once back then.”
“What?”
“I stumbled, and an arrow flew at you the moment you were about to cut off my head. One of Blatcherd’s archers fired an arrow while running away. I saw the arrow graze Your Majesty’s ear. Right here.”
Pelarhar tried to reach out to Erdene’s ear.
It was something he did unconsciously, but Erdene tilted her head first to avoid his touch when she saw his shoulder move slightly.
Pelarhar blinked and laughed softly.
“Excuse me.”
“I should say it’s extremely rude, at a time like this.”
However, Erdene wasn’t really angry.
Avoiding his hand was merely a reflex action, and she wouldn’t have blinked even if Pelarhar had suddenly tried to point a dagger at her instead of his hand.
It would have been a bolt from the blue for Arkan, who was suddenly having to hold the funeral of his only cousin.
After looking at Pelarhar for a moment, Erdene suddenly tilted her head back and laughed loudly.
She touched her scarred ear and let out a shallow sigh as if she was quite pleased.
“It’s quite a coincidence, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. I once blocked the sword of Your Majesty, fell, and hit my back on a rock, so I had to walk with a cane for almost ten days.”
Pelarhar laughed. Erdene couldn’t tell if he was joking or being serious, but thinking about it made her laugh again, so she put her hand on her forehead and chuckled.
“My goodness. You weren’t a mercenary, but just a bystander? You didn’t even bring a single leather breastplate, did you?”
“Of course I did, but I was just a bystander, just like Your Majesty said.”
“The war must have been quite funny.”
Erdene’s last words were a little sharp.
Pelarhar, who keenly noticed the atmosphere, still remained calm.
“That’s not true. Rather, I joined in so as not to be laughed at. If the King of Blatchard had known, wouldn’t he have frothed and fallen?”
“We don’t have to go all the way to Blatchard.”
It meant that even Arkan would foam at the mouth and collapse if he found out about this.
Pelarhar said,
“Keep it a secret. Please.”
Erdene did not answer and pretended to turn her head away. He had thought that Arkan’s cousin would have similar personalities and behaviors, but it was funny and somewhat surprising that he didn’t. It was as if she had a personality as different as heaven and earth from her twin brother, but she hadn’t even thought about it.
At that moment, Pelarhar continued.
“If there’s another chance, I would like you to teach me a trick.”
Erdene’s gaze turned to him. Now, the wariness in her eyes disappeared.
Instead, curiosity and joy at having something fun happened to emerge. Although she was still exploring the other person, both Erdene and Pelarhar subconsciously felt that the wall had lowered significantly.
“Good. I don’t refuse things like that. But this time, it would be better for you to prepare thoroughly.”
“I think I’ll search the castle storeroom to see if there’s any armor made by dwarves.”
The two of them burst into laughter. When they finished their tea, they were chatting like friends who got along well.
The topic was unclear, and their opinions were both the same and different, but Erdene was still cheerful.
After Pelarhar left, while Anne cleared the table, Erdene and Sophia left the living room.
She was about to return to the living room when she suddenly looked back at Sophia as if a memory had occurred to her.
“By the way, Sophia, what was the name of the man you were so upset about?”
“Your Majesty, the Knight Commander Belen Wiziard.”
“You asked me to spar with him. I haven’t forgotten.”
Sophia smiled broadly. Erdene’s gaze turned to the window.
She saw a few children sitting and learning instruments. They seemed to be practicing to become members of the royal orchestra.
“In the empire, whenever I looked out the window, I could always hear the clash of weapons. People swinging their swords, climbing onto sand slabs, and fighting each other. It’s like another world here.”
Erdene glanced at Sophia as she spoke.
“Then shall I lead you to a place where you can see familiar scenery? By the way, Your Majesty, please take a look at the person who might become my husband.”
When Sophia asked, Erdene smiled brightly with a very pleasant expression.
“I really like you, Sophia. Since ancient times, adjutants have to be quick-witted, so that I can be at ease.”
Sophia’s words that the barracks were a bit far away were only half true.
The street itself was not that far from the royal castle, but there was a small forest in between. It seemed like it wasn’t made for walking, and there were traces of people passing by, but the road was a bit rough.
Unlike the cautious Sophia, Erdene strode briskly along the path of rocks, tree roots, and damp earth from the shade.
As they left the forest, an open parade ground appeared.
There was a building that seemed to be where the soldiers were staying, and there were cracks here and there that seemed to be used for training.
The fence leading to the stables was open. Shields, wooden swords, and spears lined one wall.
Erdene felt her heart swell as if she had returned to her hometown after a long time, but that was only for a moment.
Although it was a military camp, there were not many soldiers who were devoted to training.
Only a few of them, and they were new recruits, were learning how to glue the bowstring.
An officer who noticed the two people entering the parade ground ran over to them.
They looked neither young nor old, and although they were physically fit, their posture was not very upright. At least that was how Erdene saw them.
“Your Majesty, what is the matter?”
It was a polite attitude, but it was not very welcoming as if he was pushing her away.
Sophia said,
“Where is Captain Wiziard?”
“Are you looking for the captain?”
“Yes.”
The officer looked back and forth between Erdene and Sophia for a moment before saying,
“Please wait a moment. There is no place to sit, so I will prepare a seat for you.”
“Okay. This is called the barracks, so I did not come here to sit in the shade and drink tea.”
Erdene spoke for the first time.
Sophia realized that her tone of speech had changed slightly from when she was in the palace.
Erdene herself probably did not notice the change.
The officer nodded, perhaps feeling a little embarrassed by Erdene’s unexpectedly strict attitude.
“Then I will hurry and be back.”
He ran inside the barracks as if he was in a hurry. Sophia said,
“Captain Wiziard was in the barracks. I am glad that I did not run in vain. Even though he is the commander of the knights, he also serves as the guard at His Majesty’s side.”
Pelarhar blinked his large, cool eyes once and said with a grin.
“Actually, I blocked Your Majesty’s sword once back then.”
“What?”
“I stumbled, and an arrow flew at you the moment you were about to cut off my head. One of Blatcherd’s archers fired an arrow while running away. I saw the arrow graze Your Majesty’s ear. Right here.”
Pelarhar tried to reach out to Erdene’s ear.
It was something he did unconsciously, but Erdene tilted her head first to avoid his touch when she saw his shoulder move slightly.
Pelarhar blinked and laughed softly.
“Excuse me.”
“I should say it’s extremely rude, at a time like this.”
However, Erdene wasn’t really angry.
Avoiding his hand was merely a reflex action, and she wouldn’t have blinked even if Pelarhar had suddenly tried to point a dagger at her instead of his hand.
It would have been a bolt from the blue for Arkan, who was suddenly having to hold the funeral of his only cousin.
After looking at Pelarhar for a moment, Erdene suddenly tilted her head back and laughed loudly.
She touched her scarred ear and let out a shallow sigh as if she was quite pleased.
“It’s quite a coincidence, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. I once blocked the sword of Your Majesty, fell, and hit my back on a rock, so I had to walk with a cane for almost ten days.”
Pelarhar laughed. Erdene couldn’t tell if he was joking or being serious, but thinking about it made her laugh again, so she put her hand on her forehead and chuckled.
“My goodness. You weren’t a mercenary, but just a bystander? You didn’t even bring a single leather breastplate, did you?”
“Of course I did, but I was just a bystander, just like Your Majesty said.”
“The war must have been quite funny.”
Erdene’s last words were a little sharp.
Pelarhar, who keenly noticed the atmosphere, still remained calm.
“That’s not true. Rather, I joined in so as not to be laughed at. If the King of Blatchard had known, wouldn’t he have frothed and fallen?”
“We don’t have to go all the way to Blatchard.”
It meant that even Arkan would foam at the mouth and collapse if he found out about this.
Pelarhar said,
“Keep it a secret. Please.”
Erdene did not answer and pretended to turn her head away. He had thought that Arkan’s cousin would have similar personalities and behaviors, but it was funny and somewhat surprising that he didn’t. It was as if she had a personality as different as heaven and earth from her twin brother, but she hadn’t even thought about it.
At that moment, Pelarhar continued.
“If there’s another chance, I would like you to teach me a trick.”
Erdene’s gaze turned to him. Now, the wariness in her eyes disappeared.
Instead, curiosity and joy at having something fun happened to emerge. Although she was still exploring the other person, both Erdene and Pelarhar subconsciously felt that the wall had lowered significantly.
“Good. I don’t refuse things like that. But this time, it would be better for you to prepare thoroughly.”
“I think I’ll search the castle storeroom to see if there’s any armor made by dwarves.”
The two of them burst into laughter. When they finished their tea, they were chatting like friends who got along well.
The topic was unclear, and their opinions were both the same and different, but Erdene was still cheerful.
After Pelarhar left, while Anne cleared the table, Erdene and Sophia left the living room.
She was about to return to the living room when she suddenly looked back at Sophia as if a memory had occurred to her.
“By the way, Sophia, what was the name of the man you were so upset about?”
“Your Majesty, the Knight Commander Belen Wiziard.”
“You asked me to spar with him. I haven’t forgotten.”
Sophia smiled broadly. Erdene’s gaze turned to the window.
She saw a few children sitting and learning instruments. They seemed to be practicing to become members of the royal orchestra.
“In the empire, whenever I looked out the window, I could always hear the clash of weapons. People swinging their swords, climbing onto sand slabs, and fighting each other. It’s like another world here.”
Erdene glanced at Sophia as she spoke.
“Then shall I lead you to a place where you can see familiar scenery? By the way, Your Majesty, please take a look at the person who might become my husband.”
When Sophia asked, Erdene smiled brightly with a very pleasant expression.
“I really like you, Sophia. Since ancient times, adjutants have to be quick-witted, so that I can be at ease.”
***
Sophia’s words that the barracks were a bit far away were only half true.
The street itself was not that far from the royal castle, but there was a small forest in between. It seemed like it wasn’t made for walking, and there were traces of people passing by, but the road was a bit rough.
Unlike the cautious Sophia, Erdene strode briskly along the path of rocks, tree roots, and damp earth from the shade.
As they left the forest, an open parade ground appeared.
There was a building that seemed to be where the soldiers were staying, and there were cracks here and there that seemed to be used for training.
The fence leading to the stables was open. Shields, wooden swords, and spears lined one wall.
Erdene felt her heart swell as if she had returned to her hometown after a long time, but that was only for a moment.
Although it was a military camp, there were not many soldiers who were devoted to training.
Only a few of them, and they were new recruits, were learning how to glue the bowstring.
An officer who noticed the two people entering the parade ground ran over to them.
They looked neither young nor old, and although they were physically fit, their posture was not very upright. At least that was how Erdene saw them.
“Your Majesty, what is the matter?”
It was a polite attitude, but it was not very welcoming as if he was pushing her away.
Sophia said,
“Where is Captain Wiziard?”
“Are you looking for the captain?”
“Yes.”
The officer looked back and forth between Erdene and Sophia for a moment before saying,
“Please wait a moment. There is no place to sit, so I will prepare a seat for you.”
“Okay. This is called the barracks, so I did not come here to sit in the shade and drink tea.”
Erdene spoke for the first time.
Sophia realized that her tone of speech had changed slightly from when she was in the palace.
Erdene herself probably did not notice the change.
The officer nodded, perhaps feeling a little embarrassed by Erdene’s unexpectedly strict attitude.
“Then I will hurry and be back.”
He ran inside the barracks as if he was in a hurry. Sophia said,
“Captain Wiziard was in the barracks. I am glad that I did not run in vain. Even though he is the commander of the knights, he also serves as the guard at His Majesty’s side.”
“Whether he is the commander of the knights or the captain of the guard, he should only do one thing, tsk... Isn’t that why it’s like this?”
Erdene clicked her tongue in a disapproving voice.
Erdene clicked her tongue in a disapproving voice.
“That’s because there is no one who can compare to the skills of Commander Wiziard .”
“Then you should cultivate skills that can compare. But Sophia, you should also take a look. When will we ever train soldiers like this? Although Vetor is located in the middle of the inland and is relatively safe if the day comes when the alliance is broken, wouldn’t it collapse in an instant?”
Sophia didn’t add that Arkan trusted the strength of the alliance. Erdene would surely react that Arkan was letting his guard down. However, Sophia, who knew the circumstances of the inland kingdoms better, had no choice but to side with Arkan instead of Erdene this time. The inland kingdoms were very solidly woven around Vetor. Because there is a main enemy.
'The alliance will probably not be broken until the Hirschsten Empire disappears into the back alleys of history. It is said that a peace treaty was signed between the Inland and the Empire with the marriage of His Majesty and Her Majesty, but it is not known how long it will last.'
Sophia did not trust the newly crowned Emperor Tenek as much as Erdene did.
"Even if you do not consider the breaking of the Inland alliance, why do you not know that there are other threats? I cannot tell whether you do not know or are pretending not to know."
Erdene muttered as if talking to herself. When Sophia gave her a slightly surprised look, she frowned and added,
"Don't you think so too? Human greed is endless."
"I do not think this is a topic for me to discuss, Your Majesty."
“No, Sophia. Why do you think so? Because Emperor Tenek is my brother? He and I were born on the same day, at the same time. So I know him so well that it’s mind-boggling. He’s a total idiot when it comes to physical strength, but he’s as cunning as an old wolf. If you don’t think about the aftermath, you’ll be in big trouble.”
“If you tell His Majesty.”
“Will he even listen to me?”
Erdene scolded, wrinkling her nose.
“He may be wise and knowledgeable, but His Majesty is too lenient on humans. Well, that’s usually the case with people who grow up in comfortable places.”
“No, Sophia. Why do you think so? Because Emperor Tenek is my brother? He and I were born on the same day, at the same time. So I know him so well that it’s mind-boggling. He’s a total idiot when it comes to physical strength, but he’s as cunning as an old wolf. If you don’t think about the aftermath, you’ll be in big trouble.”
“If you tell His Majesty.”
“Will he even listen to me?”
Erdene scolded, wrinkling her nose.
“He may be wise and knowledgeable, but His Majesty is too lenient on humans. Well, that’s usually the case with people who grow up in comfortable places.”
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