Chapter 25
It was a foreign land.
I could feel the port drawing closer.
A salty sea breeze blew in from the bow of the ship.
“We’ve finally arrived.”
Ainz, who was standing beside me, muttered quietly.
His exhaustion was apparent.
“You’ve done well.”
A calm voice followed.
Its owner was Erdi.
In truth, the Prince didn’t allow Erdi to accompany us, but I persuaded him to bring him along.
I needed at least one ally by my side to feel at ease, didn’t I?
“But still, I was really surprised earlier.”
“Indeed.”
We almost wrecked the ship after hitting a reef on the way here.
The ship was rocking so violently that I felt like I was going to be seasick.
How do the much larger trade ships even manage to travel here?
‘Makes sense.’
If the port of the Rosley Margraviate were still operational, no one would have come this way.
The ship gradually slowed down and eventually came to a stop.
Upon stepping onto land, I saw a line of knights standing in formation.
At the very front stood a man dressed in luxurious attire, draped in a red cape.
It was obvious to anyone that he was the king.
It seemed he had come to greet us in person.
As the Prince approached him, the king slightly bowed his head in greeting.
“It is a great honour to welcome Your Highness, the esteemed Prince.”
He was full of courtesy and formality.
There were no suspicious signs.
The Prince responded in kind.
The two of them matched steps as they walked forward together.
‘I suppose it’s best to follow along.’
I moved my feet.
The Royal Palace was very close by.
***
A banquet to welcome the Prince’s visit was scheduled to be held tonight.
“You can perform your piece then.”
“I understand.”
Even as a guest, I couldn’t just idly lounge around.
That’s not how things work in this medieval world.
Especially if someone like the Prince visits a neighbouring country, it’s customary to bring a gift.
That’s right.
And the so-called “gift” is me.
They want me to play the piano at the Royal Banquet.
That’s why I was brought along in the first place.
Fine.
It’s not like anyone else is asking me to do it, but if it’s the Prince’s command, I have no choice.
This time, I was promised a decent reward, so I can approach it with a lighter heart.
‘Elevation of the title, huh.’
I think there was such a system.
Could we aim for Viscount or even Count?
Of course, the one who’ll be promoted is my father, Baron Julian, not me.
But that’s fine.
‘It’ll be mine to inherit anyway.’
Since the Prince said it himself, it can’t be a lie.
I decided to rest until the evening.
Leaving the Prince and Ainz behind, I headed to the guest room I was shown to earlier.
I slowly reviewed the sheet music that Erdi had given me.
‘What piece would be good?’
Regardless of the reason we came here, a gift is a gift, and a performance is a performance.
There’s no concrete evidence yet that Ibelon is behind everything, so I can’t afford to cause a diplomatic incident by making rash decisions.
If I had previously chosen cheerful and lively pieces for commoners, this time, I thought it would be good to do the opposite.
‘The guests at the banquet will mostly be nobles, after all.’
A more elegant and calmer atmosphere would be fitting.
While I was spending some time selecting a piece, I heard a knock on the door.
When I opened it, there stood an unfamiliar man.
“Sir Anton Tilburg.”
“That’s right.”
Who could it be?
“I am Chris Kubel, the King’s Deputy.”
***
I led Chris into the guest room.
If he’s a deputy, that means he’s an official who assists the king.
I didn’t know why he sought me out, but it didn’t seem like an assassination attempt, so I was relieved.
“Pardon my intrusion. I apologize for coming on such short notice.”
“It’s all right. What brings you here?”
Chris sat down and neatly clasped his hands together.
Our eyes met.
His gaze was unreadable, revealing no emotions.
“Sir Anton Tilburg.”
“Yes.”
“What is your first impression of this place? The fresh wind blowing in from the port is the pride of our kingdom.”
I chewed over his words for a moment.
It was a question with an unclear intention.
I gave a nonchalant response.
“The wind is quite cold.”
Chris smiled at my reply.
It was an extremely unnatural smile.
“I’ll take that to mean you’re satisfied.”
Then, he leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.
“Have you ever thought of starting anew here in Ibelon?”
“…”
A new start?
All of a sudden?
I was caught off guard.
It wasn’t hard to grasp the hidden meaning behind his words.
He was essentially inviting me to leave the Empire and join them.
He didn’t spell it out in such explicit detail, but, well, that’s what it was.
I wanted to confirm if I had understood correctly, so I asked again.
Chris nodded.
“That’s right.”
It was still an unsettling smile.
‘It’s not an entirely unrealistic idea.’
If you look at Leonardo da Vinci, for example, he moved around various countries, receiving patronage as he went.
It’s like a scouting offer.
For artists, it’s relatively common.
However…
It’s still a dangerous proposal.
Musicians are valuable resources, and trying to poach one would undoubtedly insult the Pride of the other Nation.
If I were in a position where I was being persecuted, I might have given it some thought.
But I am currently satisfied with my life here.
There’s no need for me to accept.
I also have no desire to cause unnecessary conflict with the Imperial Family.
But then, doesn’t this man fear the repercussions?
If our conversation reaches the Prince’s ears, it’s obvious that things would take a turn for the worse.
Hiding my expression, I tested the waters by asking, “Thank you for the offer, but may I ask why?”
“The rumours of your extraordinary musical talents have spread far and wide, even reaching the Kingdom of Ibelon. They speak of you almost as a legend. I thought it might be a good opportunity for you to spread your wings on an even bigger stage.”
My honest thoughts on that?
‘Is it really that well-known?’
It felt a bit exaggerated.
I understand that the rumours have spread.
Given the port’s proximity, it’s not surprising that news travels quickly.
Merchants, who move from city to city, are practically living information hubs.
However…
It felt like an excessive compliment.
Ibelon might very well be the Empire’s enemy.
They might be the ones who struck against the Margraviate and seized control of the trade route.
I followed the Prince here to uncover the truth behind it.
Naturally, Chris’s words didn’t sit well with me.
It felt like he was openly declaring that they intended to entice the Empire’s asset away with sweet words and take it for themselves.
‘They aren’t even trying to hide it.’
As I hesitated, Chris added another statement.
“We promise you ample compensation.”
I relaxed my expression and looked at him steadily.
“If I accept your offer, will my personal safety be guaranteed?”
“You’ll be staying at the palace, so there’s no need to worry about safety. Moreover, the kingdom’s finest knights will guard you.”
“And if I refuse?”
“What do you mean?”
“If I decide not to relocate.”
I was asking if he could take responsibility for what might happen.
“What are you trying to say…?”
Look at this guy, pretending not to understand at all.
Unless this were an official diplomatic table, the casual conversation we had in this room wouldn’t leak outside.
There were no recording devices, so no evidence would remain.
If he denied it, it couldn’t be proven.
‘There’s a reason he made such a confident proposal.’
Based on Chris’s attitude, it’s clear that the Kingdom of Ibelon is a rather suspicious place.
Suspicion had shifted to trust.
Given how far we’ve come, I decided to ask outright.
“Not all the rumours about the Kingdom are favourable.”
“Haha.”
Chris laughed mechanically.
“If there are good rumours, there will be bad ones too. Is that not true for any kingdom?”
He slipped out of the question smoothly.
His answer only made me feel more frustrated.
“I’ll consider your proposal.”
After saying just that, I let Chris go.
I headed to the Prince’s chambers.
When I knocked, Ainz came out.
“I’m here to see His Highness.”
***
I confided everything to the Prince.
“So, that’s what happened.”
He seemed to believe my words.
But.
“I can’t raise the issue publicly.”
Chris would likely deny that such a conversation ever took place.
A one-sided claim like ours would have no political or diplomatic impact.
The Prince appeared to ponder for a moment, then called for Ainz.
“Bring it.”
Ainz placed a small box on the table.
Inside was a glass vial.
A black liquid swirled inside.
“It’s poison.”
“…Pardon?”
He began explaining.
It was a deadly poison that could burn through skin with a mere touch.
Traces of it had been found on the Margrave’s traded goods.
They discovered the same poison in Ibelon Kingdom’s black market.
‘When did they investigate all this?’
My gaze naturally shifted upwards.
Ainz was there.
The master of investigations. It’s you again.
While I was cooped up in my room, they had already reached their own conclusions.
“We interrogated a merchant. A person with an unknown identity purchased five vials of poison several months ago.”
And the timing matched exactly.
Right after the poison was sold, an incident occurred at the port of Margrave Rosley’s territory.
The circumstances lined up perfectly.
“Then the matter is resolved, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
Even without blaming Ibelon Kingdom, there was enough to prove Margrave Rosley’s innocence.
Just by testifying that the merchant sold the poison, we could demonstrate that this incident was a premeditated conspiracy.
“But I must hold Ibelon accountable. Letting the arrogant ones who dared to provoke the Empire go unpunished, just because we lack evidence, is something my honour won’t permit.”
The Prince spoke firmly.
“It won’t be easy.”
Ainz responded.
Both of them had a point.
If we let this slide and cover up Ibelon’s guilt, something like this could happen again at any time.
A public warning and pressure were necessary.
But the problem was that we still hadn’t identified the true culprit.
We had strong suspicions but no concrete evidence.
It was complicated.
And yet, why was it?
I could see a breakthrough.
“May I handle this matter?”
The Prince and Ainz both turned to look at me simultaneously.
—
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