Prologue Audience with the King
Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Darkdhaos, alkin
To the east of Zetterlund continent lies
a nation situated at the perilous foot of mount Aubigne, the Kingdom of
Fremmevira. This world had a unique form of natural power-- 'magic'. And there
were beasts who uses 'magic'-- 'Demon beasts'. The nation acts as a barrier
against the Bocuse Sea of Trees, where many Demon beasts lurked. The people
called it the 'Nation of Knights'.
The year is 1277, winter was over
and it was the time for the bountiful spring that brings life. It was during this
time when that incident happened.
Division-level Demon beast 'Behemoth'
attacked. The Demon beast crossing the defense line in the eastern borders of
the Fremmevira Kingdom was known as the 'Behemoth Incident'.
That Demon beast was en route to
disrupting the major transport artery of the nation, pushing the Kingdom of
Fremmevira to the edge of downfall. During this crisis, the ones rised to the
occasion were the 'Jantunen Garrison Knights' and the trainees from 'Laihiala
Pilot Academy'. Without regarding their own safety, they fought the Behemoth
courageously. At the expense of many sacrifices, they defeated their adversary
and brought peace to the nation--
The majestic Aubigne Mountain Range
was right behind the Capital of the Fremmevira Kingdom, Känkänen.
At the centre of the Capital was the
castle Shreiber, which was surrounded by a lively atmosphere. Bards singing
about legendary tales were everywhere, entertaining the people in the taverns
who were drinking wine in broad daylight. The merchants used this opportunity
to set up shops, advertising their wares loudly. Everyone were enjoying
themselves and laughing cheerfully.
This chaotic scene was because of
the award ceremony held in the castle for the Jantunen Knights and the high
school student pilots of Laihiala Pilot Academy. Those who heard the events of
the battle trembled in fear and vigourously praised the Knights who fended off
the Demon beast. They also took the opportunity to enjoy this grand event.
An elderly man and a young child
walked on the crowded streets of the Capital. They were the dean of Laihiala
Pilot Academy 'Lauri Echevarria' and his grandson 'Ernesti Echevarria'.
The streets were overflowing with
pedestrians. The petite Eru grabbed onto Lauri's clothes so they won't be
separated. In his other hand was a thin slice of baked fruit pie.
"Grandpa, do you want
some?"
"Hmm. I'm fine; eat all of it,
Eru."
Eru nodded and he took large bites
as he moved nimbly among the crowd. This was brought from a stall that could be
found anywhere along the road.
There are so many people... Grandpa
is taking me out for a trip, and it turned out like this.
The young and old pair was in the
bustling Capital because of the King's invitation. After Eru asked, he found
out that Lauri and the King were classmates. Because of their relationship,
Lauri held the post of a Royal Consultant in the past. Lauri eventually became
a dean, and their friendship continued till this day. The King knew Lauri was
related to 'Ernesti Echevarria', the person who piloted the red Silhouette Knight
skillfully during the 'Behemoth Incident', so he invited both of them for an
audience.
Eru who heard about this couldn't
shake off the ominous feeling he had during the journey here. The King had
asked specifically for him, he wouldn't let him off easily with just a few
questions. With his sigh smelling like sweet fruits, the two of them moved towards
the Royal Castle against the flow of the crowd.
The main gate of the Shreiber Castle
was bustling with people while the back gate was relatively quiet. Making their
way through the crowd, the duo finally reached their destination and was
received by the guards. They were led to a conference room-like place in the Castle
and were left alone after being asked to wait momentarily. The grandfather and
grandson were alone in the vast room. The cheers of the crowd at the award
ceremony could be heard from the distance.
"Eru, are you nervous?"
"Of course. I never thought I
would have the chance to meet His Majesty."
"I thought Eru won't be
bothered by such small matters."
"The way you put it sounds
mean, grandpa."
Chatting idly when they were about
to meet the King, the two of them were rather audacious.
Shortly after, the guards appeared
again and announced the arrival of the person they were waiting for.
They turned and stood. The door
opened and several people walked in. Leading the way was the King everyone in
Fremmevira knew, 'Ambrosius Tahvo Fremmevira'. He was past his prime, but his
ageless majesty could be felt clearly. Two men with the air of nobility
followed behind him. When Ambrosius entered the room and met Lauri's eyes, his
mouth turned into a smile in an instant.
"Thank you for coming, I have
kept you waiting. It's been ages, Lauri."
"Long time no see, Your Majesty.
I should be the one thanking you for meeting us despite your busy
schedule."
"Don't mention it, this meeting
was arranged out of my curiosity after all. Well, he is the pilot of that
crimson Silhouette Knight... right?"
Ambrose and the nobles behind him
shifted their gaze to Lauri's side. The report stated a child twelve years of
age piloted a Silhouette Knight and fought the Behemoth, so they thought it
would be a youth that looked older than he actually was.
But in actual fact-- before them was
a child that was smaller than a normal twelve year old, a boy that could be
mistaken for a girl. He had a gentle appearance, a round face with determined
bright eyes blinking. His silvery purple hair reached his jaws, covering the
side of his face. This made the bunch, who had experienced great political
trials stiffened. But the King was no ordinary man. After raising an eyebrow in
surprise, he changed his expression to one of curiosity in no time.
"Oh, I thought it was a boy
from the reports, I didn't realise the pilot was a girl."
"No, Your Majesty. I might look
like this, but I am a boy. Pardon my late introduction. Nice to meet you, I am
the grandson of Lauri Echevarria, Ernesti. I am very pleased to meet with Your Majesty
today."
"Oh, I heard you were a twelve
year old child, but aren’t you outspoken? It’s hard to converse if you are too
formal, please relax.”
“Alright, as you command.”
Seeing Eru accepting so readily, the
two men behind Ambrosius changed their expression from shock to dumbfound. They
were unable to judge if Eru was a great person or just someone who didn’t know
manners.
“I will get to the point. I invited
you here to conclude the aftermath of the ‘Behemoth Incident.’ I heard that
your performance was excellent, but could not be commended publicly.”
Ambrosius said as he looked at Eru.
“I heard you are agreeable with
that. But I felt that it isn’t right to simply dismiss a capable Knight who
could fight the Behemoth on equal grounds, so I want to give you a fair reward
in private. That might be so, but it is hard to give an appropriate reward for
an underaged child.”
Ambrosius explained with a warm
smile-- but no matter how you looked at it, it was a smile with ‘malicious
intentions’. To bring up this issue that had already been rejected, is he
testing me? Eru behaved as usual, but the wariness in his heart increased
slowly.
“Be it promoting you to a full
fledge Knight or granting you nobility titles, your age is a limiting factor.
Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand that it is too
much for an underaged child of twelve years of age.”
“Hmm, how
perceptive of you. Eh, and so… what do you want? I think it would be
easier to ask the person in question directly. If it is something that matches
your accomplishment, I will grant it to you as a reward.”
Ambrosius’ direct explanation
surprised Eru. Accepting this proposal, Eru’s brain started churning at a high
speed.
It’s hard to imagine… but is this
out of his good will. Or, does he want to see if I am easily baited by rewards?
Wanting to give me a reward now is suspicious.
A pie that fell out of the sky into
his hands. But there were no free lunches in this world. This was common
knowledge, be it in this world or the previous one.
That might be so, but I can’t turn
down the offer from the King… I have to say something.
But, finding a reward that befits
the ‘contribution of defeating the Behemoth’. How much is this worth in terms
of money? How much is it in terms of material? Is there anything he wants aside
from titles? Eru simply didn’t know how much this is worth. Should he use his
age as an excuse and make an unreasonable request-- when he pondered about
that, he dismiss the thought.
Wrong, I don’t think that is an
expression he would show a child.
In Eru’s memory, he found Ambrosius’
expression familiar. Browsing through the fading memories of his previous life,
the warm expression was looking for the smallest loophole in the conversation--
‘the expression of a salesman’. Something must be up.
How about asking for a Silhouette Knight?
It would be great to have a reference model. It might work from the
contributions I made. Fukeke.
As Eru was about to give in to his
desires and give his reply, a strong thought flashed through his mind.
...No, no, this is a great chance.
There is no way to tell if I will ever have a chance to ask the King for
something. Then I should ask for something only the King could give?... Right,
that should be the thing that is the hardest to obtain!!
It was just a short moment, before
Eru finished his thoughts. It’s fine if it doesn’t work, he could think of
something else then-- He thought optimistically as he casually said:
“Well, Your Majesty, the thing I
crave for the most right now is knowledge… knowledge on ‘how to make an ether
reactor’.”
The air froze in silence. Hearing
this whimsical wish made Ambrosius surprised. That was expected, this was too
weird as a wish for a twelve year old child. Not just him, even the usually
calm Lauri was tensing up, the other two were stunned and seemed baffled.
They were treating Eru like a child,
if the request was ‘unexpected’, they won’t lose their composure. But what Eru
wanted was ‘impossible’ for a person. This answer was too unexpected, even the
wise Ambrosius couldn’t react immediately, creating a strange silence. The
first to react was a noble behind him-- Duke Knut Dixgard.
“You… Do you know what you are
saying…”
“Silence.”
Knut who almost lost his composure
because of the confusion was interrupted by Ambrosius who regained his senses.
The relaxed atmosphere from earlier had changed. Facing the King who was
displaying his dignity as the head of state, everyone present stood at
attention.
“Ernesti, you mentioned the
production method of the ether reactor? That is surprising, asking me is the
only way of getting your hands on it, but normal people won’t want such a
thing. And so I have to ask-- what do you plan to do with this knowledge?”
The King squinted his eyes, silently
pressuring Eru. Cold sweat was falling from Eru’s back, but he looked back with
a steel resolve.
“Right or wrong aside… state your
reason. Why do you want such a thing?”
“Yes, I… am currently studying in
Laihiala with being a pilot as a goal, but I really wanted to have my own
Silhouette Knight.”
“Oh, a personal Silhouette Knight.
What a grand aspiration. That is understandable; why not ask for it now? It
just might come true.”
Listening to Ambrosius’ words, Eru
shook his head.
“In the past, I just wanted my own
Silhouette Knight, but it’s different now. I… I wish to ‘use my own hands to
create’ the best Silhouette Knight that belongs to just me.”
Another answer that went beyond his
imagination made the King dumbstruck. At this moment, something he read in the
report came to mind.
‘Changing the magius engine’s script
by himself’ huh? Is this boy serious? He is not kidding, and really hopes to do
that?... He had that capability?
Facing the silent Ambrosius, Eru
continued to explain:
“This is the reason why I seek
knowledge from all fields in Laihiala Pilot Academy. Getting magical knowledge,
learning the construction and piloting methods of the Silhouette Knights.
I had already investigated the technique of constructing the machine
frame, but I am still missing a crucial part. That’s right, the ether reactor.
As Your Majesty already knows, the method is not available to normal citizens.
Hence, when you mention a reward, I hope you could teach me the production
method. If I know how, the next thing would be constructing it.”
Lauri looked at his grandson explain
to the King worriedly. He knew Eru was passionate about Silhouette Knights, but
he didn’t think Eru would put caution to the wind and request for it at such a
juncture. The situation had already progressed to this stage; it would be hard
to help Eru. Lauri glanced at the King and saw that Ambrosius made a serious
expression and said heavily:
“... And so, your reason is?”
“Because it’s my hobby.”
Everyone present acted as if they
saw something strange and had a complicated expression. In this silence, a
faint suppressed laughter was suddenly heard, making everyone look over in
shock. Ambrosius' shoulders were trembling silently, and he suddenly burst out
in laughter.
“How… ha! Ridiculous! To say it's a
hobby! Hahaha! This is interesting! To seek the classified secret of a nation
because of a hobby! Are you really a twelve year old kid? Ke haha! Magnificent.
I have not met such an interesting person like you for a long time!”
The two nobles watched the King
laugh uncontrollably in shocked silence. Lauri who knew the King the longest
could tell he was amused for real and relaxed.
“Fine, I will grant your wish!!”
“Wha… Your Majesty, you mustn’t!
That’s not something you can teach an unknown child!”
“I know where he came from; he is
the grandson of my friend. That might be so, but it’s only natural for you to
worry… right? Ernesti.”
After Eru finished his explanation,
he watched the situation unfold silently. When he heard Ambrosius say that, Eru
tensed his face.
“I will grant your request. But,
this is a classified secret. The mere accomplishment of taking down the Behemoth
isn’t enough.”
Eru’s expression turned to doubt.
The King accepted the proposal, but commented the accomplishment wasn’t enough.
This made Eru doubt the King’s intention. Ambrosius saw the doubt flash across
Eru’s face and revealed a joyous smile.
“Don’t worry, a king wouldn’t lie. I
guarantee you that when you have met the adequate amount of accomplishments, I
will pass the knowledge onto you.”
This could be interpreted as using a
reward as bait, and asking me to work for free… But, it is still an unexpected
gain. Forget the terms for now, this is a chance to learn a critical secret.
This reward was worth more than
10,000 in cash to Eru. The cute smiling expression was burning with desire and
passion. Ambrosius was certain his plan was right after seeing Eru’s face.
“Keke, putting it this way seems a
bit empty. I will determine the means. You said you wanted to create Silhouette
Knights? Well then, show me your worth-- prove that you can use the knowledge
of creating ether reactors.”
“Prove… please tell me what should I
do?”
“Just create a Silhouette Knight
would be enough. Apart from the reactor, make the casing of the best Silhouette
Knight in your opinion for me to see. If I am satisfied, I will make this wish
of yours come true.”
When Eru heard these words, his
expression was like a predator that had found its prey. The King used the final
part Eru needed as the goal. And to Eru, it was something he was going to do
sooner or later. And of course, he accepted without hesitation.
“By your command. I will prepare a
Silhouette Knight that would satisfy Your Majesty.”
Shortly after the audience with
Ernesti ended, Ambrosius went to a private room of the King that wasn’t a
meeting or audience hall. There was another man in the room-- Lauri.
“Keke, it’s been a long time since I
had such a fruitful day. Lauri, your grandson is really interesting.”
When he remembered what happened
just now, Ambrosius who was a little drunk would smile.
“Sigh, I left his upbringing to my
daughter completely. That child had always loved Silhouette Knights, but I
didn’t know he would bring it so far. I couldn’t grasp the situation and was
dripping with cold sweat.”
“I heard a twelve year old child
fought with the Behemoth, so I summoned him to take a look. But you can’t say
he is a child anymore.”
“Ara, my grandson is still at
school, though.”
“Children have to be ambitious, but
who would come out with such a weird request? I had heard so many requests all
these years, but the request today was ‘superb’!”
The two of them clinked their wine
glass and continued chatting in high spirits.
“Because it was too interesting, I accidentally made a happy promise.”
“Because it was too interesting, I accidentally made a happy promise.”
“Because it’s my grandson. I will
work hard to nurture him and won’t let Your Majesty down.”
“Yes. That’s right; I was worried
about his future because he was too capable. But after meeting him, I realised
that was unnecessary.”
Ambrosius probably thought of that
time again as he let out a soft laugh from his throat.
“Ara, for Your Majesty to have such
high expectations, my grandson is quite promising.”
“Kekeke, I am not interested in him because
he is your grandchild, I am curious on what surprising things he would do.
Making a better Silhouette Knight-- An absurd task, but he accepted without
hesitation.”
As he spoke, Ambrosius suddenly had
a precognition that was something similar to a belief.
“It probably wouldn’t be long before
he brings the results before me.”
“... To make such a promise lightly.
I have to advise His Majesty to curb his desire for amusement.”
One of the nobles that were present
during the audience, Duke Knut Dixgard’s complained to his counterpart Marquis
Joachim Serrati.
“Watch your words, Duke.”
“His Majesty isn’t so petty that he
wouldn’t accept advice. Or do you think its fine to disclose a national secret
to a suspicious child?”
“I don’t think so… that is why His Majesty
added these terms. Even if he is the grandson of the Laihiala Pilot Academy’s
dean, it is not easy to make a new Silhouette Knight.”
“I am not talking about how hard it
is, I am saying there is something wrong with the promise itself!”
Knut was indignant, taking heavy
steps as he passed through the corridor. Joachim who was following him saw the
figures of his children in his mind.
Supplements of the report of,
Jantunen’s Knight Commander Philip Hallhagen, was done by his daughter --
Stefania. The report included how his bastard children were close to Eru. In
the end, Eru was someone he knew.
It might be necessary to gather some
intelligence, or issue some instructions to his illegitimate children. Besides
Joachim who was deep in thought, Knut’s expression was becoming serious.
“Even though he is still a child…
It’s dangerous to leave him alone.”
These words weren’t heard by anyone,
dissipating into the air quietly.
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