Chapter 86

Reeds rustled as waterfowl took flight.

Somewhere, a white fox cried out in apparent regret. Had its prey escaped, or was there another reason?

Among the three, who had remained silent, it was Godhardt who spoke first.

"What about the venue? There’s also the issue of security."

"The inn has already been reserved under the Council’s name, several rooms in a row. It won’t be a problem no matter which one is chosen."

"Several rooms?"

Despite thinking it was a rather silly question, Reinhold couldn’t help but ask. He wanted to know every detail about this matter, no matter how trivial.

"It’s a matter of security. If there are multiple venues, it can serve as a diversion."

Godhardt answered in a sober tone, as if the alcohol had worn off.

"Godhardt is right. We need to tighten security this time."

"Someone might come after us?"

"Think about it, Reinhold. His Majesty the Emperor has no direct heirs. If this marriage doesn’t happen, there will be an imperial election in a few decades. There will be more than enough qualified candidates who want to run their children or grandchildren."

"That’s not all. The Eastern Kingdom is not a monolith, so the Extraordinary Envoy will come. Then there’s the <Cloak and Dagger> of the United Kingdom, and the <Long Arm of the Patriarch> from the Holy Kingdom."

The names Marcel listed, with a serious face, were more often taken as jokes. At least, they weren’t the kind of things to be discussed earnestly in public.

"Are these just rumors? Like knightly tales?"

"Well, it’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared."

Godhardt either deflected or agreed with Reinhold, summarizing the conversation. A lingering unease remained, but pressing the issue further seemed futile.

"In any case, we need to proceed with the preparations. We’ll have to inform the Council eventually."

"‘Rumors and the flow of Belfrau cannot be stopped.’”

Surprisingly well-versed in literature, Godhardt quoted a line from Diestavek, leaving Reinhold and Marcel no choice but to nod. For a while, they would have to operate with only the trustworthy members of the Council, excluding the old Bakkeshof faction.

"Eleonora, Geaunot, Holger, and Lorenz, I suppose."

"I don’t like it, but we’ll need to include Nornhausen and Kepen to form a majority."

"Shouldn’t we also inform the young lord of Alnu?"

Thinking of the Council members, the izakaya Nobu inevitably came to mind. Perhaps the place had a magic that attracted good encounters. The thought made Reinhold’s stomach growl.

"…Sorry."

"No, it’s fine. But there’s no place to eat around here."

Seeing Marcel’s thoughtful expression, Godhardt smiled slyly.

"I’ve prepared for such occasions."

He took out a large, woven reed bag from behind and laid out its contents on the boat’s bottom.

"I asked Nobu to prepare some bentos."

"Nobu, huh."

Marcel’s expression was sour, likely because he hadn’t been to Nobu in a while. Since the incident at the market, Marcel had become quite busy and couldn’t freely go out for drinks. Compared to the extravagant lifestyle of his predecessor, Bakkeshof, Marcel was quite earnest. The items laid out before them were onigiri. Reinhold had eaten grilled onigiri at Nobu a few times. The meeting place had quickly turned into a late lunch setting.

"Is this rice?"

"Do you know rice, Marcel?"

Holding an onigiri in both hands, Marcel’s expression was one Reinhold had never seen before.

"Despite appearances, since becoming the Council chairman, I’ve been overseeing the logistics of the ancient city. I’ve also received reports that the EisenSchmidt Trading Company has started handling Sasarika rice."

"You’re quite diligent. Bakkeshof would never have done that."

"Well, Godhardt, I think this is what a chairman should be like."

With a self-deprecating smile, Marcel bit into the onigiri. After a couple of bites, his eyes widened.

"Hey, there’s something inside."

"Of course. It’s not just rice."

Godhardt laughed heartily, as if he had given the order himself. When Reinhold bit into his, he found salmon inside. It was well-salted and delicious. Despite initial concerns about cold rice, it turned out to be quite tasty.

"What’s this? It’s spicy but delicious."

"That’s mentaiko. It’s good as a snack with alcohol, but it also goes well with onigiri."

Marcel and Godhardt, both grown men, were as delighted as children over the onigiri fillings. Sharing the onigiri with the boatman, Reinhold also reached for the side dishes.

Tamagoyaki and small sausages.

The tamagoyaki was slightly sweet, likely due to sugar. While sweet eggs seemed unusual for a meal, they harmonized well with the onigiri, which had more flavorful fillings.

The sausages were lightly stir-fried and also went well with the onigiri. He could eat several more.

Given the owner of that place, he must have carefully considered the flavor combinations and decided what to put in the onigiri. It was impressive.

Perhaps the imperial meeting between the Emperor and the Princess Regent could be held at Nobu.

Reinhold couldn’t bring himself to suggest such an unconventional idea.