Chapter 98

About half a month after Zenjiro successfully activated the "Instant Teleportation."

Zenjiro, having made thorough preparations, teleported to the capital of the Lala Marquisate with Queen Aura's "Instant Teleportation."

Strangely, there is a difference in the sensation between performing "Instant Teleportation" on one's own and being teleported by someone else. When performing it on one's own, the surroundings seem to be rewritten, with almost no sense of discomfort. In contrast, when being teleported by someone else, there is a brief but difficult-to-describe discomfort, akin to the floating sensation you feel just after an elevator starts descending or just before it stops ascending, but magnified several times over.

Nonetheless, suppressing such discomfort, Zenjiro slowly opened his eyes. What immediately caught his gaze was a familiar knight standing in an unfamiliar stone room, and the familiar figures of two maids bowing deeply in front of him.

Natalio, the only knight Zenjiro had at the moment.

The maids Ines and Margarete, who had been sent ahead by Queen Aura through "Instant Teleportation."

The Lala Marquisate was, for the maids Ines and Margarete, their hometown.

Perhaps because of this, while Knight Natalio was visibly tense, the maids Ines and Margarete appeared somewhat relaxed.

"Welcome, Lord Zenjiro. I congratulate you on your safe arrival."

"Natalio, Ines, Margarete. Your welcome is greatly appreciated."

The grand exchange was purely formal. While it is usually a significant event to be celebrated when a royal moves to another city within the country, there is no danger or fatigue when using "Instant Teleportation."

"Though you must be tired from your immediate arrival, Lord Lala Marquis is waiting for you. Would you be willing to come with us?"

Thus, the words that followed from Maid Ines were also nothing more than formalities.

"Yes, that's fine."

"Then, I will guide you."

Led by Maid Ines, Zenjiro walked through the unfamiliar mansion.

The capital of the Lala Marquisate was the old capital, and the Lala Marquisate residence was the old royal castle. Although it was considered presumptuous to use it as is and was too large, it had been reduced in size, but it was still the old royal castle.

Passing through the corridors that exuded a sense of history and tradition, Zenjiro arrived at a room where a man and a woman were waiting respectfully.

"First time meeting you, Lord Zenjiro. I am Fernando, the head of the Lala Marquisate. I am deeply grateful for the honor of welcoming you to our territory. This is my wife, Elmir."

Lala Marquis Fernando was an elderly man. He was tall, around 180 centimeters, with a complexion common in the southern continent, a brownish hue. His hair was gray, likely due to age rather than being naturally so, and it was neatly combed back. His build was neither particularly fat nor thin, but his posture was exceptionally good.

He was a person with an overwhelming presence, different from the oppressive pressure of General Pujol.

"I am Elmir. I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to meet you, Lord Zenjiro."

Next, the elegant lady standing beside him greeted him. She appeared to be a few years younger than Lala Marquis. Her age was hard to place, making it uncertain whether she could be called elderly.

The Lala Marquis and Lala Marquise. The wet nurse and wet nurse's husband of Queen Aura, Zenjiro's wife.

In terms of human relationships, they were people who should be called "parents" more than his actual parents, according to Queen Aura.

Although Zenjiro's status was higher, he had to be considerate of them in every way.

"I am Zenjiro, the consort of Queen Aura of the Kingdom of Kaepa. Your personal welcome is greatly appreciated."

Zenjiro thought he had said it without showing any tension in his voice or expression, but how it actually came across was another matter.

"Thank you, those are kind words."

From the way Lala Marquis responded, it was impossible to tell.

After the greetings, they sat on sofas facing each other, and the formal conversation began.

"First, I will convey the words of Queen Aura: 'Come and see Carlos's grandson's face sometimes.'"

At Zenjiro's message, the Lala Marquis and Marquise both smiled wryly. They exchanged glances and nodded, then turned their attention back to Zenjiro.

"Please convey to Queen Aura: 'We would like to see our grandson's face, but going to the capital would be against the national interest.'"

Lala Marquis Fernando's words were echoed by a soft laugh from the Marquise. The well-coordinated exchange between the long-married couple made Zenjiro feel a slight envy.

"Understood. I will convey that."

The Lala Marquis and Marquise seemed to have no intention of coming to the capital, as expected. However, their lack of objection to Queen Aura referring to Prince Carlos Zenki, Zenjiro and Queen Aura's son, as their grandson suggested that they viewed Queen Aura as a "daughter" psychologically.

After a brief exchange about Queen Aura's recent well-being and the differences in customs between the capital and the Lala Marquisate, Zenjiro and Lala Marquis moved on to the main topic.

"I understand the situation. The proposal is to welcome either Aida, the third daughter, or Lolita, the fourth daughter, as the wife of Lord Xavier of the Gazier Border Baron."

"Yes. To add, there are other candidates, so it is not absolute, either good or bad."

At this stage of the preliminary negotiations, both sides spoke directly without sugarcoating.

Good or bad. At this stage of negotiations, if this marriage is deemed disadvantageous to the Lala Marquisate, it can be declined, and if it is considered beneficial, it could still go to another candidate.

"I understand. For now, I would like to send Aida and Lolita to the capital as part of their education. If you could arrange a meeting with Lord Xavier of the Gazier Border Baron, that would be appreciated."

It might seem too obvious, but the formality is important. It is less likely to cause trouble if one is chosen from among multiple acquaintances who are not yet engaged, rather than from multiple candidates who are all potential brides.

"If it can be decided internally, it would be fine to send just one of them, right?"

To which Zenjiro's question, the response was:

"There is such a thing as compatibility."

It was a response that suggested sending the one with better compatibility. It showed both the strategic thinking of a lord and the affection of a father.

While Zenjiro, influenced by modern Japanese sensibilities, found it hard to accept, the behavior of the Lala Marquis and Marquise was considered quite considerate of their daughters among the high nobility.

"Understood. Then, I will take responsibility for sending both of them to the capital."

"Thank you very much."

"It's a bother, but I will do it."

The words and gestures of the Lala Marquis and Marquise in expressing their gratitude were as well-coordinated as ever, a pleasure to watch.

"What do you think about the schedule?"

"Yes. We plan to hold a small welcome party for you tonight. Aida and Lolita will be introduced to you there. After that, depending on your schedule, we would like to send Aida to the capital tomorrow and Lolita the day after."

The face-to-face meeting tonight was not unexpected, but sending them to the capital by "Instant Teleportation" tomorrow and the day after was a surprise.

"I have no problem with it, but is it really okay? There's no need to rush, is there?"

"There is no problem. The preparations are already complete. Even if there is no need to rush, the sooner the better. It is also uncomfortable to keep you here."

As long as the movement relies on Zenjiro's "Instant Teleportation," Zenjiro's return will inevitably be the last. The longer the schedule is delayed, the longer Zenjiro's stay will be.

According to the information Zenjiro had from Queen Aura, the Lala Marquis and Marquise were pragmatists, so their response was inevitable. However, it also felt like they were rushing more than necessary.

If accused of being overly self-conscious, that would be the end of it, but from the perspective of a powerful local lord and as the wet nurse and wet nurse's husband of Queen Aura, Zenjiro was probably someone they wanted to keep around and interact with within reasonable limits.

Given that Queen Aura had told him that the Lala Marquis was a close family-like existence, Zenjiro asked frankly:

"You seem to be in quite a hurry. Is there any inconvenience with me staying here?"

To Zenjiro's words, Lala Marquis maintained his gentle and serious expression and nodded.

"Yes. To be precise, the longer you stay, the higher the risk, as I speculate. This place is close to a troublesome 'neighboring country.'"

"The 'neighboring country.' You don't mean the Kingdom of Alve, do you?"

"No."

To Zenjiro's cautious confirmation, Lala Marquis affirmed. The Kingdom of Kaepa, a major power, viewed the neighboring Kingdom of Alve more as a buffer zone manager than a country. The neighboring country referred to the Kingdom of Tukale, on the opposite side of the buffer zone.

"The Kingdom of Tukale, huh."

The name of the country he had heard beforehand slipped out naturally.

The Kingdom of Tukale, a major power in the western part of the southern continent and a victorious nation in the last great war.

"Have you received any reports that they are moving?"

"No, we haven't received any information that would require a report."

To Zenjiro's question, Lala Marquis responded calmly.

A merchant from another country had said something that caught his attention. A person from another country had looked at him with a slightly curious eye. If such trivial information were reported to the king every time, the king would be overwhelmed by the flood of information.

The information Lala Marquis had on the movements of the Kingdom of Tukale seemed to be at that level. In reality, such trivial information that might be interpreted as "Is this someone's plot?" often comes in when the border territories are on high alert. Most of the time, such information turns out to be just an overreaction.

Therefore, Lala Marquis's decision not to report to the center was quite reasonable, and his attitude of trying to shorten Zenjiro's stay was, if anything, overly cautious.

In conclusion, Lala Marquis's judgment was correct in broad strokes, but also somewhat meaningless.

While the conversation with Zenjiro was ongoing, a person who seemed to be a subordinate of Lala Marquis entered and whispered something in his ear.

Upon hearing the words, Lala Marquis, maintaining his gentle expression, said "Understood" to his subordinate and turned back to Zenjiro.

"Lord Zenjiro, a merchant who claims to be from the Kingdom of Alve and who frequents our house wishes to meet me urgently. I would like to attend to this matter. May I be excused?"

He asked for permission.

Needless to say, it was a request that could hardly be called reasonable.

To entertain a high-ranking royal, especially a consort, and then to leave to attend to a merchant's business, no matter how urgent, would be considered impolite.

However, the emphasis on the word "claims" in the mention of the merchant from the Kingdom of Alve made even the not particularly astute Zenjiro realize that this was connected to the previous conversation.

"I will leave it to your judgment."

"Then, I will take my leave. Elmir, I leave the rest to you."

"Understood."

Leaving the situation to his first wife, Elmir, Lala Marquis left the room.

Elmir, who had been entrusted with the task, turned to Zenjiro without showing any signs of agitation.

"The Marquis will return shortly. Shall we resume our conversation from where we left off?"

"Yes, that's fine."

The important matters would be handled by the head of the household, Lala Marquis. It seemed that Lala Marquise, as a proxy, intended to stick to this stance, and the topics she discussed were limited to personal matters and trivialities.

"Still, it's hard to believe that Queen Aura is a temporary mother."

"Is that how it is? I apologize, but as someone who already has grandchildren, it's not hard to imagine, is it?"

Tilting his head, Zenjiro asked, and Lala Marquise smiled elegantly.

"Indeed, my eldest daughter, Augusta, and my second daughter, Ghermina, are already married and have children. So, it's more about 'Queen Aura' than the passage of time. To be honest, the Queen Aura I remember—then a princess—was a woman whose future as a mother and wife was hard to imagine."

"Ah."

Zenjiro understood the Marquise's words.

Queen Aura had been active as a general, borrowing the troops of the Lala Marquisate, even before she ascended to the throne. This was not something that could be done suddenly when a war started. It meant that Queen Aura had been trained as a warrior and a general since childhood.

Needless to say, this was very different from the typical growth of a woman in the southern continent. Naturally, it was not a way of being that would appeal to men.

"Was that not a problem as a wet nurse? After all, you were responsible for raising a royal?"

"In terms of whether it was a problem or not, it was a problematic way of raising her. However, Queen Aura was so well-educated in the typical ways of a royal woman that it was not an issue, and at the time, there were enough royals that one unusual upbringing was not a problem."

"There were many royals, huh. I can't imagine it, but the situation must have been very different from now."

"The situation in the southern continent changed dramatically before and after the great war. Among the four major countries in the western part of the southern continent, only the Kingdom of Tukale and the Kingdom of Kaepa emerged as victorious nations after the war."

Moreover, the Kingdom of Kaepa had been reduced to having only Queen Aura as a bloodline magic user. If things had gone wrong, the western part of the southern continent would have become a one-sided dominance of the Kingdom of Tukale.

"I have heard the general flow in the form of a lecture, but I suppose I can't fully understand the deeper aspects since I wasn't in the country at the time."

"Secondhand knowledge inevitably has its limits. Conversely, I find it hard to reconcile the information I hear about Queen Aura as a temporary mother and the Queen Aura I know."

Narrowing her eyes, Lala Marquise smiled, and Zenjiro's lips also curved.

"Lady Marquise, you really do love Queen Aura like a daughter."

"While our positions must be considered, emotionally, she is no different from a daughter."

As they were talking, the door creaked open, and Lala Marquis returned.

"I apologize for the delay."

"No, I was rather surprised by how quick you were. Did you finish your business?"

To Zenjiro's question, Lala Marquis, maintaining his unreadable gentle smile, replied.

"Yes. I only received a gift that the merchant insisted on presenting. They left immediately without any further negotiation."

Upon closer inspection, a servant standing behind Lala Marquis was holding a small rectangular box. That must be the "gift." Since it was brought here, it must be related to Zenjiro in some way, but Zenjiro had no idea what it could be.

With Zenjiro's permission, Lala Marquis sat back down on the sofa opposite and immediately gave instructions to the servant. The box was placed on the table and opened to reveal its contents.

The small rectangular box was divided into two compartments, each containing a gemstone.

The color was yellow, the shape was round. They were likely amber, and they had been polished so meticulously that even Zenjiro, a layman, could see their beautiful luster.

"What is this?"

To Zenjiro's puzzled question, Lala Marquis shrugged slightly and relayed the merchant's message.

"The merchant who brought this said, 'I present this to the most noble person staying in this mansion. It is a humble gift, but if it can be bestowed upon someone who needs it, it would be a great honor.'"

Bestowed upon someone who needs it. Those words connected the dots in Zenjiro's mind.

Two pieces of amber. Someone who needs them.

Currently, Zenjiro was handling the preparations for the wedding of General Pujol and Nilda Gazier. In this process, Pr