Chapter 93

The man who secured the promise—the pleasure-seeker Primo Gijen—finally left the room.

Left in the room were only Queen Aura and her confidant, Secretary Fabio.

In the room that had returned to silence, Queen Aura couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.

"The Gijen family and the Gazier Margrave family are to be united through marriage, huh. The balance of power within the country will be greatly shaken."

As a queen of a feudal kingdom, Queen Aura of the Kaupa Kingdom possessed an exceptionally strong power, but even so, she couldn't simply stand by and watch the alliance between powerful nobles.

"If the noble families were to increase their own strength through activities such as land development, it would contribute to the strengthening of the country, so it's not necessarily unwelcome. However, for His Majesty Aura and the Kaupa royal family, there is no reason to welcome the formation of a single powerful force through the marriage of influential noble families."

At Secretary Fabio's words, the queen frowned and nodded in agreement.

"Yes. Since it all stems from the fact that I had Pujol bound as one of my potential suitors, rejection was impossible. Therefore, the flow of events up to this point was inevitable. The problem is what comes next."

"The power of the Gijen family, or rather, General Pujol, will be too much to bear."

"Yes. I want to somehow put a stop to the Gazier Margrave family. Prepare to summon Lucinda soon."

"Lucinda-sama? Not the Margrave Gazier himself?"

At the secretary's confirmation, the queen nodded.

"Yes. The Margrave Gazier is, for better or worse, an independent local lord. It's safe to say that there's no possibility of General Pujol being under his command, both in terms of position and spirit. The problem is the next generation. Xavier is a promising and good young man, but he is still young. Moreover, his values as a warrior are strong, so he harbors a strong admiration for Pujol."

It's entirely possible that the young warrior Xavier, who was a hero in the last great war, would be drawn into Pujol's sphere of influence.

If that were to happen, a powerful central general would be born, with a local lord who possesses a strong independent force as his subordinate. This is something that the royal family cannot overlook.

"I see, that's why Lucinda-sama."

"Yes. Among the Gazier Margrave family, Lucinda is the one who best understands such complicated matters. Although the final decision-making power lies with her father, the Margrave, it would be somewhat frustrating if no conclusion could be reached on the spot, but it would be faster to start negotiations with Lucinda rather than pulling the Margrave into the discussion from the beginning."

Although it might seem harsh to evaluate a lord of a large territory so poorly, unfortunately, it's not an unfair assessment.

The current Margrave Gazier, Miguel, is, for better or worse, a straightforward warrior.

He is a rare honest and sincere person among the nobility, and as a military force, he is very reliable, but in such complicated matters, he is not dependable.

However, he is a man of great character, so he will accept the conclusion reached by his trusted daughter.

Therefore, Aura judged that Lucinda was the best person to handle the situation.

"Even if we don't give up, since it's inevitable, we should do our best to make Pujol and Nilda's wedding a success. A year is not a generous amount of time for the preparation of a wedding between the Gijen family and the Gazier Margrave family, both of which are great noble families."

At the queen's change of thought, the secretary nodded in agreement.

"Yes. Many of the noble lords who usually stay in their territories will gather in the capital. Since the local lords have their own mansions in the noble district, there won't be a problem with accommodation, but we need to stock up on food supplies to prevent a temporary food shortage in the capital."

"That's not something the palace should meddle in too much. We should give a broad outline to the merchant guild in the capital and warn them not to try to make excessive profits."

"I agree. Another issue that arises from the temporary population increase is the disruption of public order. Most of the additional population will be in the noble district, as the majority of the guests are nobles, but since it's General Pujol's wedding, the newlyweds will ride a dragon carriage in a parade through the capital. This will attract a large number of commoners who want to catch a glimpse of the procession."

A great noble's wedding is a significant business opportunity for merchants and a great source of entertainment for other citizens.

Moreover, General Pujol is a hero from the last great war.

On the other hand, his bride, Nilda, is a village girl who grew up not knowing she was a noble until she was old enough to understand.

A village girl being chosen by a great noble and a great hero is a story that minstrels would surely turn into a dramatic and romantic poem.

Naturally, the number of curious spectators who come to hear the poem will be higher than usual.

Understanding the situation, Aura frowned.

"Security. The noble district is under the jurisdiction of the palace guard, so there's no problem, but the citizens' district is under the jurisdiction of the capital guard. We need to talk to Viscount Legarado."

There are two organizations responsible for the security of the capital, Kaupa.

The palace guard, which is directly under the royal family, is very easy for Aura to mobilize, but the problem is the capital guard, which is responsible for the security of the city.

The head of the capital guard is traditionally a position reserved for the Legarado viscount.

Although their armament is limited to non-lethal weapons and their training is low, in terms of numbers, they far outnumber the palace guard, which is directly under the royal family.

Therefore, if a major event is to be held in the capital, the cooperation of Viscount Legarado is essential.

"Yes. I will arrange a meeting with Viscount Legarado."

"Thank you."

At the queen's nod, the loyal secretary accepted the task with a "I will take care of it."

"Next, regarding the matter earlier, would it be alright if I ask Zenjiro-sama to be present when introducing Sir Primo to Prince Francesco and Princess Bona?"

At the secretary's confirmation, the queen thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Yes, that would be best. Although it will be a burden on my husband, I originally entrusted the care of the two princes to Zenjiro."

"Is there a problem? Sir Primo has a bad habit of losing himself when it comes to his hobbies."

"Well, it should be fine. The two princes are not only excellent enchanters but also excellent craftsmen. Primo Gijen may forget his manners, but he never forgets his respect for excellent craftsmen and artists."

Moreover, Prince Francesco is not a man who is particular about etiquette.

While acknowledging a certain correctness in the queen's argument, the secretary, with his usual expressionless face, tilted his head.

"That's true, but at the same time, I'm a bit worried that they might get along too well. The combination of a craftsman or artist who doesn't know self-restraint and a generous patron often leads to a runaway situation, I think."

"Hmm. In that case, the damage will go directly to the Gijen family's coffers. It might even be convenient."

"Well, considering the Gijen family's wealth, it might not be a significant loss."

"You're too lenient, Fabio. You don't understand the extravagance of a connoisseur and an artist when they let loose. When they get serious, they can bankrupt not just a family but a country."

The queen sighed, recalling a story passed down in the royal family about a pleasure-seeking royal who had once bankrupted the country.

At the queen's words, the thin-faced secretary tilted his head expressionlessly.

"Is that not a matter of great concern? Even if it's the Gijen family's assets, in a broader sense, they are the assets of the Kaupa Kingdom. On the other hand, the two princes who will receive the payment are from the twin kingdom. In other words, it could be said that assets that could bankrupt a country are flowing from the Kaupa Kingdom to the twin kingdom, couldn't it?"

"..."

At the secretary's calm observation, the queen pondered for a moment and then said,

"...I will ask my husband to keep them in check so they don't go too far."

She then turned her gaze away.

"Later, we should properly thank Zenjiro-sama for his efforts."

At the queen's words, the secretary, still expressionless, let out a loud sigh on purpose.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Three days later.

In one of the rooms in the palace, four people were gathered.

"Prince Francesco, Princess Bona. Thank you very much for coming today."

Zenjiro, who was formally the host of this meeting, first expressed his gratitude to the prince and princess of the Sharowa royal family.

"Oh, oh, if it's an invitation from His Majesty Zenjiro, we are more than happy to attend."

The blonde prince said with his usual carefree smile, while next to him,

"Thank you very much for inviting us, His Majesty Zenjiro."

The chestnut-haired princess, who was hiding her nervousness, had been observing the situation closely.

The chestnut-haired princess, Bona, was probably having unpleasant thoughts because she had been summoned by Zenjiro rather than being approached by Prince Francesco.

Of course, Zenjiro had mentioned the purpose of the meeting (Primo Gijen wanted to meet Prince Francesco and Princess Bona) in the invitation letter he had sent in advance, but that alone was not enough to reassure a parent dealing with a problem child.

If he had been too roundabout, Princess Bona might have started apologizing on her own.

With this concern in mind, Zenjiro immediately got to the point.

"As I mentioned in the letter, this person wishes to meet the two princes, and I have arranged this meeting for that purpose. Primo."

Until he was called upon, the middle-aged nobleman, Primo Gijen, who had been standing back, stepped forward, bowed politely, and introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, Prince Francesco, Princess Bona. I am a member of the Gijen family of the Kaupa Kingdom, and my name is Primo. I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to meet the two princes."

The words were exaggerated, but anyone who knew Primo Gijen, a pleasure-seeker with a keen eye for art and crafts, would vouch that there was no exaggeration in his words.

For Primo Gijen, the royal family of Sharowa, who were excellent craftsmen and artists, was an object of envy.

"Hehe, I'm flattered by your enthusiasm."

Seeing Primo Gijen's almost hugging enthusiasm, Zenjiro remembered the task his beloved wife had given him.

Today's job was to somehow control this pleasure-seeking noble and the runaway prince so they wouldn't go too far.

"Now that we've introduced ourselves, let's sit down and have a more relaxed conversation."

Zenjiro guided everyone to the sofas, as if to pull Primo Gijen away from his excitement.

"I see. General Pujol is getting married, and you want to commission us for something related to that?"

Prince Francesco, who had heard the entire story from Primo Gijen, leaned forward and said.

"..."

Next to him, Princess Bona, who had been silent, was now looking at him with bright eyes, even more so than Prince Francesco.

The expression of a parent dealing with a problem child, which she had shown earlier, had completely changed, and her interest was on par with the blonde prince sitting next to her.

Prince Francesco and Princess Bona.

Despite their different personalities and genders, they shared a common trait: they were more conscious of their identities as enchanters and craftsmen than as members of a great royal family.

"First of all, what I would like to request is a 'wedding ring.' A pair of rings that the bride and groom will exchange, which should be simple enough to wear daily without causing any inconvenience."

At the mention of 'wedding ring,' Prince Francesco, who was usually cheerful, turned serious and glanced at Zenjiro.

"By 'wedding ring,' do you mean the one that Margarita and I enchanted? Are you looking for something on par with that, Sir Primo?"

'That' was, of course, the wedding ring that Zenjiro had brought from Earth, which he and Aura wore.

A fashion ring with a gold base and three tiny, perfectly matched diamonds.

While the overall artistic value might be debatable, the precision of the craftsmanship was something that could not be replicated in this world.

"Are you going to try to recreate that?"

Princess Bona, sitting next to him, couldn't hide her surprise and excitement.

"No, that's not the case. The only similarity is the purpose of use, which is a 'wedding ring.' I would like to leave the details to you."

"I see. Do you have any preferences for the metal of the base or the decorative stones?"

Before Prince Francesco could respond, Princess Bona, who was more eager, asked.

"Basically, I would like to leave it to the two princes. However, the most important thing is that it suits the wearer. I will arrange a meeting soon so that you can see the bride and groom up close and use it as a reference for the design."

"Oh, that would be very helpful."

"Please, we would be grateful."

At Primo Gijen's response, the prince and princess smiled happily.

When it comes to jewelry that is made for a specific person, it's obvious that meeting the person first makes it easier to form a clear image.

"By the way, this might be a bit of a mundane question, but what is the budget for this project?"

At the serious question from the business-minded Prince Francesco, Primo Gijen answered with a delighted smile.

"There is no upper limit."

"!"

At this answer, Prince Francesco leaned even further forward,

"!!"

At the same time, Princess Bona jumped up from her seat,

"Please, just a moment."

Then, Zenjiro snapped his fingers together.

By the sound of the snap, Zenjiro forced everyone's attention back to him. He maintained a calm demeanor and corrected the statement with a measured tone.

"To be precise, there is no clear upper limit at the moment. However, the budget is also a matter of balance between the two families, so there is a possibility that some adjustments may be necessary. Please understand this from the beginning."

"His Majesty Zenjiro!?"

At this unexpected restraint, Primo Gijen looked genuinely offended. Zenjiro explained in a lecturing manner.

"Sir Primo, you are indeed the overall head of the Gijen family for this wedding. And this is a request from the Gijen family alone. In principle, no one else should interfere, but as I mentioned earlier, there is the issue of balance between the two families. Before we formally make the request, shouldn't we confirm with Lucinda, the head of the Gazier Margrave family?"

If the gift from the groom to the bride is worth 100 million, and the gift from the bride to the groom is worth 1 million, it would certainly leave a bad taste.

Zenjiro's point was so common-sense that even Primo Gijen couldn't argue.

"Hmm... You are right."

However, compared to the general public, the budget limit was still quite high.

Sensing this, Princess Bona asked with a flushed face, unable to hide her excitement.

"Putting the budget aside for now, how should we procure the materials? We don't have any sources for precious metals or gemstones in this country."

At Princess Bona's reasonable concern, Primo Gijen, this time, answered confidently.

"Leave that to me! Not only within the country, but also in the neighboring countries that border the Kaupa Kingdom, this Primo has connections with 'all of them.' If it's something from the western part of the southern continent, I can meet any request."

"Hmm! That's very reassuring."

"Yes, Prince Francesco. In that case, we could also use coral and pearls!"

"Cough! Cough!"

Ignoring the enthusiastic response from Prince Francesco and Princess Bona, Zenjiro made a series of exaggerated coughs to pretend he hadn't heard Primo Gijen's words.

Among the countries bordering the Kaupa Kingdom, there were some that had been enemies throughout the last great war and are still 'officially' in a state of severed diplomatic relations.

In other words, what Primo Gijen was doing was, strictly speaking, smuggling.

However, it was not realistic for a great kingdom like the Kaupa Kingdom to completely seal off its borders. If it did, it would also be a problem if no information from the hypothetical enemy country could enter at all.

Therefore