Chapter 53

Thank you for visiting today.

Ein and his party were led to the residence of Duke Amur, and they were waiting for the meeting to begin in a large conference room. The room was not decorated with the usual interior design seen in Ishtarka, but instead had a distinct ethnic atmosphere, which appeared stimulating to Ein.

Currently, Duke Amur was carefully reading the letter of introduction that Warren had handed over.

"... Duke Amur, please act as if you are reviewing the documents with me."

"Hmm? What is it, Ed?"

Ed, with a serious expression, was looking at the letter beside Duke Amur. Suddenly, he spoke up.

"Please listen carefully. The beautiful blonde woman standing next to Prince Ein is the new Marshal of the Ishtarka Knights, Lady Christina."

"The number two in the Ishtarka Knights, as I've heard?"

"Yes. After Lord Lloyd stepped down from that position, she took over. She is also the commander of the Royal Guard, I believe."

Hearing Ed's explanation, Duke Amur had a thoughtful look on his face. Then, as if he had thought of something, he asked Ed.

"... Out of curiosity, Ed, what about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. Can you win against her?"

Ed, who had been known to treat Rogas, one of the strongest on the continent, like a child, was a prominent figure in the Duchy of Eulo. Duke Amur was very curious about how Ed felt about the new Marshal of Ishtarka.

"... Just a jest."

Duke Amur thought Ed was just joking around as usual, but when he glanced at him, he noticed a thin layer of sweat on his temple. This made him reconsider his initial impression.

"More mysterious is Prince Ein."

"Mysterious? What do you think, Ed?"

"He doesn't fit his body. When I stand in front of him, I can't help but see a large monster. I don't understand why, but..."

"I don't get it, Ed."

"Most likely, in a one-on-one battle, Lady Christina is the strongest. But in a fight against a powerful monster, Prince Ein might be the strongest."

Ed continued, simply expressing his impressions of them. Despite this, Duke Amur still couldn't fully understand.

"I don't get it. Why not Lady Christina?"

"I don't know either. But... when I first saw Prince Ein, it reminded me of an experience from the past. When I was an adventurer in Rockdam, there was a large dragon model in the guild. The feeling I had when I saw it was similar to what I feel now."

"... Ed, are you getting old? To think you'd have such an impression of a young boy... Prince Ein is human, after all."

"... Yes, I might be getting old. But if I'm not mistaken, Prince Ein might be more terrifying than the warship he brought."

It was difficult to explain the emotion he felt, but when Ed saw Ein, he felt as if he was facing something enormous.

"Very well. I have thoroughly read the letter of introduction from Lord Warren. The intentions of King Silvado of Ishtarka are clear."

"That is good to hear."

"Several agreements regarding new trade, as well as a formal friendship treaty. From our perspective, there is no loss, and it is a favorable arrangement."

"That is indeed good news, Duke Amur."

"Then let us begin the discussion to confirm the details. May it be a fruitful meeting for both sides."

The letter prepared by Silvado was not bad from the perspective of the Duchy of Eulo. They could import food from Ishtarka at nearly cost price. In exchange, they would keep the current purchase price of sea crystals, but they would need to promise a moderate amount of food imports.

For Ishtarka, this meant they could sell excess food. For Eulo, it meant they could buy food from Ishtarka at a lower price instead of purchasing it from trade cities at a higher cost.

It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The meeting began, with Duke Amur leading the Eulo side and Warren leading the Ishtarka side.

Ein felt relieved that the meeting was progressing smoothly.

*

Outside the castle, the moment was finally approaching. The party from Heim had finally arrived at Duke Amur's residence.

"No, no, no!"

"Why not? I came all this way, and Duke Amur won't even see me!"

At the entrance of Duke Amur's residence, an uninvited guest from Heim appeared.

Duke Amur's residence was a large castle situated near a cape. Because of this, it was difficult to see the Ishtarka ships docked behind it when coming straight through the town.

"Father... I have a letter from His Majesty! Even with that, you're going to turn me away!?"

"H-Heim's king...!?! I-I'm sorry... but I can't make a decision on this. I'll go and ask someone in charge, so please wait a moment..."

"... Hurry up."

The knight rushed into the castle to seek guidance from Duke Amur and those close to him. It was understandable, as this was a matter beyond the capabilities of a mere knight.

"Please, follow me to the guest room. This way."

The party from Heim, showing no signs of hiding their dissatisfaction, was led to the guest room by the castle's knights. Normally, such behavior would have been a serious issue, but Heim, being the strongest on the continent, often took a hard stance against other countries, and this was no exception.

Even if Eulo was trading with Ishtarka, it didn't change their attitude.

"Prince, by the way, I heard that Eulo's castle has a beautiful cape. How about we go and see it?"

"That sounds good. I'll take Grin's suggestion. We don't need to go to the guest room; just show us the way."

"As you wish, Your Highness. Duke Amur, please take care of it."

"Very well. Let's go... Ed, show them the way."

"Understood."

At Duke Amur's request, Ed took the lead in guiding them. Ein and the others followed, with Chris and Dill standing on either side of Ein, and Warren leading the way. Behind them, the royal guards who had been waiting outside the conference room followed.

"Quite a procession, isn't it..."

"It's not an enemy country, but considering your position, Prince Ein, it's to be expected."

Ein muttered, and Chris replied in a low voice.

"I understand, but Chris, Dill, I'm counting on you."

Instead of words, the two nodded. Ein, protected by his reliable allies, followed Duke Amur and the others.

In Ishtarka, the castle was mostly made of materials similar to stone or minerals, and carpets were laid to make walking comfortable.

On the other hand, Eulo's castle seemed to be primarily made of materials resembling rock. While beautifully woven fabrics and carvings adorned the place, the overall impression was more natural. To put it bluntly, the castle felt somewhat cold inside.

They walked through the castle, descended the stairs, and headed outside.

"By the way, Lord Warren."

"Yes, Duke Amur?"

"Actually, I was going to report this today. The place where your ships are docked... a large block of sea crystal was found on the seabed."

"Really... How large is it?"

"About 15 meters in diameter. What do you think?"

Hearing this, Warren couldn't hide his surprise. It was no wonder, as such a large block of sea crystal had never been found in Ishtarka. The number of magical artifacts that could be made from it was staggering.

"Such a large size...! No, I apologize, I've never seen anything like it before."

"It's understandable. I'll have the details sent to you as soon as the meeting is over."

"Thank you. It will be difficult to mine such a large block, so we'll consider our options after reviewing the materials."

"That's a good idea."

Despite the intention to take a break, the conversation about the trade deal started again. Ed sighed and tried to advise Duke Amur.

"Duke Amur, since we're on a break, it's not appropriate to discuss such matters here..."

"Ah, you're right. I apologize, Lord Warren."

"Don't worry. We appreciate the good news. Thank you."

"I'm relieved to hear that..."

Duke Amur, looking somewhat embarrassed, but fortunately, they had reached the exit.

"From the courtyard, you can go down to the cape. Please be careful as you descend."

Ein and the others, continuing to follow Ed and Duke Amur, reached the courtyard. It seemed they could go down to the cape from there, and Duke Amur's pride in his castle's view was evident.

"The waves are calm today, and the wind is settling down, making it warmer. It's a perfect time."

Ein and his party had left Ishtarka at night and arrived in Eulo in the morning. When they arrived, it was a bit chilly, but now, after the meeting, the warmth of the afternoon was just right.

"What a pleasant sea breeze."

"I'm glad you like it, Prince Ein. This way... hmm?"

Duke Amur, pleased by Ein's comment, noticed a few knights on the path from the courtyard to the cape and wondered what was going on. Ed, noticing the same, asked the knights.

"What are you doing here?"

"Th-this is Lord Ed. And Duke Amur... and the guests from Ishtarka as well."

"Yes. We were going to show them the view. What are you doing here?"

"... The guests are waiting to see the view."

Hearing about the guests, Ed and Duke Amur were puzzled.

"Excuse me. Did we, from Ishtarka, do something wrong...?"

Warren asked, wondering if the knights they had brought had acted rudely.

"N-no, not at all! The guests are... well..."

The knight seemed reluctant to say, and Duke Amur started to question him.

"Enough... I'll go and check myself!"

Ignoring the knight, Duke Amur descended the stairs and appeared on the terrace by the cape. Even if the guests were real, there were no such plans for today, so they were uninvited guests. Even if they were assertive, the rudeness was on their side.

Ed followed, and another knight, apologizing to Warren, led Ein and the others to the terrace.

On the terrace, an unexpected "uninvited guest" was waiting for Duke Amur, with a few guards standing behind them.

"Duke Amur! You're late! I didn't expect it to take so long!"

"... Why are you here...?"

Climbing the stairs to the cape was Tigr, the third prince of the Kingdom of Heim. He was accompanied by a few guards and Grin, the next head of the Roundheart family, and they had unexpectedly met Ein and his party.

"Duke Amur, what happened? Why did you suddenly rush...?"

The knights led Ein and the others to the terrace, and Warren asked Duke Amur what was going on.

"... Hmm? Who are you, Duke Amur? Were you entertaining other guests while making me wait?"

One of Tigr's guards was surprised by the sight.

"... No... No, it can't be. Why... Why are you here!"

"Grin, why are you shouting? You're embarrassing me..."

Grin, walking behind Warren, was so surprised that he forgot his manners. It was understandable, as he had never expected to see his brother, who had suddenly disappeared a few years ago and was thought to have fled from the Roundheart family, here in Eulo, talking to Duke Amur.

"Your Highness! That man is my brother... no longer part of the Roundheart family, but his former name is Ein Roundheart! He is my real brother!"

Grin pointed at Ein and told Tigr. Everyone present, including Ed and Duke Amur, was speechless and looked at Ein.

"It's been a while, Grin... Chris, Dill, don't move your hands. Everyone, okay?"

"... Understood."

"Hmm..."

Chris and Dill, who were about to draw their swords, were stopped by Ein. There were several reasons for their anger.

First, calling Ein "that man" in this situation. Then, the way he spoke and pointed at him. Lastly, the mention of the Roundheart family and the word "Highness."

The Roundheart family and the word "Highness" implied that Grin was referring to the royal family of Heim. Given the past of Olivia and Ein, it was understandable why the Ishtarkans would react with hostility towards the Roundheart family and the Heim royal family.

Therefore, it was understandable that the two were about to draw their swords. Normally, they would have been reprimanded, but Ein didn't do so in this situation.

Incidentally, it wasn't just Chris and Dill who were about to draw their swords. Ein had said, "Everyone, okay?" because he could hear the sound of the royal guards behind him reaching for their swords.

They were also on edge.

"How dare you say 'it's been a while' so casually!"

"Excuse me, you are—"

Warren tried to take control of the situation, but was stopped by Ein.

"... Duke Amur, this is not a time for a break. We've had a chance to walk around and change our mood, so I'm grateful. But there are other guests. Let's prepare a new conference room and gather there."

"... Brother! Why are you suddenly taking charge!"

Ein, slightly annoyed by Grin's lack of awareness of the situation.

"Grin, as a noble heir, you should act appropriately for the situation. I shouldn't be the one to say this, but your behavior is excessive. ... Duke Amur, is that okay?"

"U-um... You're right. I don't understand the situation, so I apologize for the inconvenience. Let's return to the castle."

Ein's unique aura, which overwhelmed Tigr and the others, made Duke Amur accept his proposal and return to the castle.

At that moment, Ed sensed Ein's unusual aura again and instinctively became cautious.

"... Tigr is the third prince! You should show more respect in front of a prince!"

Duke Amur accepted Ein's proposal, but Grin, still not giving up, spoke up. His words, while he was younger than Ein, were still excessive.

"... Then I am the crown prince. 'Just' a third prince and a crown prince, even a child can tell who has the higher position. If you have a brain that can understand this and are not a fool... follow me quietly first!"

With those words, Grin and Tigr's faces turned red with excitement, but Ein, completely ignoring them, climbed the stairs and headed back to the castle. Warren, Chris, Dill, and the royal guards followed.

"Such rudeness...! But the wind is suddenly strong... Whoa!?"

"Your Highness! Please be careful of your footing!"

It seemed that a sudden strong wind had hit Tigr and the others. Ein, watching from the top of the stairs, noticed this.

"... Chris, did you do something?"

"This is as much as I could do. You should be grateful."

It seemed that Chris had used wind magic to gather the strong sea breeze around Tigr and the others.

"I like that about you, Chris."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Ein, who had various thoughts in his mind, was slightly relieved by Chris's cute resistance. Chris, blushing slightly, looked down to hide her face, but her tone remained the same.

Nearby, the royal guards and Dill also praised her in low voices. Among them were voices praising Ein's earlier attitude.

Then, Warren, who had seen Ein's behavior, spoke to him.

"Prince Ein, that was impressive. Should I report it to His Majesty, the Empress, and Olivia?"

"... I thought I was being too rude by calling him 'just a third prince.'"

"No, no. You could have said even more. For example, 'Considering you can't inherit the throne,' would have been fine. It's not a problem."

Tigr is the third prince and can't inherit the throne unless something major happens.

"... Are you in a bad mood, Warren?"

"Perhaps... Who knows?"

Warren, a man who never shows his emotions, was probably in a bad mood and was being a bit mischievous. He smiled faintly, bowed to Ein, and returned to his place.

He probably thought that Tigr and Grin should consider the country of Ishtarka more and be more careful with their words, given their pride and dignity as royals.

"Ha, maybe I should have declined this representative role... Why did it