CHAPTER 49: SCUFFLE

"Calm down, Reymond," Reid said gently, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder. He turned to Kelar. "Then tell us, why do you believe this is the best course of action, Sir Kelar?"

Kelar circled the two princes like a lion inspecting prey. "It’s simple. The farmers and livestock breeders in Lily Town will surely try to resume their lives. But whether they continue exporting to us depends on how we treat them now. If we send help, show compassion, and stand by them... they’ll remain loyal. If we ignore them, they may look elsewhere, even to the Empire. Unlikely, yes. But in uncertain times, no possibility should be dismissed."

The king coughed, then waved a hand weakly. "Your idea of buying the town is absurd. They’ll never accept it."

"Exactly," Kelar replied, arms stretched wide. "Their refusal even while under our rule shows they’re even less likely to sell themselves to other nations. It proves their loyalty."

Edward stepped in, raising a brow. "So this was just a test of their allegiance?"

"Yes, of course. If they had accepted, that would have benefited us. But in our current situation, it’s more important to confirm where their loyalty lies."

The king leaned back, coughing again, before rasping out another order. "Hmph... if that’s the case where is my daughter? Send her to Lily Town immediately. Give her some gold for the townsfolk. And you, Reymond, investigate the tower. Bring back something useful."

"Yes, Father," Reymond answered promptly.

"Princess Erika is currently in Orchid Town," Reid interjected gently. "That town was also recently attacked."

"Call her back!" the king snapped. "Lily Town is far more important. Orchid Town only sells flowers."

"Yes, Father!" Reid bowed without protest.

The king turned to Edward. "And what of the vault theft? Have you identified the culprit?"

Edward straightened. "Yes, Your Majesty. We believe it was the Black Eagle Bandits. I’ve already dispatched a team to track them down."

"And the vault guard?" the king asked, his voice edged with suspicion.

"After interrogation, we confirmed he had no ties to the bandits. However, due to the severity of the breach, I’ve stripped him of his post," Edward reported firmly.

"Good." The king gave a small nod. Then his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "And the Inter-Guild Tournament, are the preparations complete?"

Edward opened his mouth to respond, but Kelar stepped forward with a confident smile. "Preparations are nearly complete, Your Highness. This year’s tournament will be the grandest yet. Word is spreading fast, more investors are turning their attention to our kingdom."

"Good." The king grinned, the first trace of warmth on his face. "That’s exactly what I wanted to hear."

Suddenly, Reid spoke up. "Father, the Capital Guild, Dawnbloom Guild has requested a meeting with you."

"What? What more do they want?" the King growled, his voice rising in frustration. "Those pesky guild really don’t know their place."

"I believe it’s regarding preparations for the tournament," Reid continued, keeping a respectful tone. "They’re asking for additional funding to cover adventurer costs."

"No!" the King snapped, waving a dismissive hand. "Tell them we’ve already provided them with a fine guildhall. What more do they want? They should work harder with what they have."

With a grunt, the King rose to his feet.

"If there’s nothing else," he announced, "you are all dismissed."

The King left the throne room, the Queen following behind.

"Bye-bye," Thomas waved at Cynthia with a smirk, then trailed after the royal couple.

Cynthia quietly followed Kelar out of the throne room. But as they stepped into the hallway, a sudden voice barked from behind.

"Hey, you!"

Cynthia and Kelar turned just in time to see Reymond storm forward and seize Kelar by the collar, eyes blazing red like fresh blood ready to spill.

"How dare you talk to me like trash in front of my father!" Reymond shouted, fury in every syllable.

Cynthia moved to intervene, but a man in imposing black armor, bulkier and more rugged than her own, stepped between them. He drew a massive warhammer and raised it as a warning.

"Stay out of this," he rumbled.

"What are you doing?" Cynthia growled, her aura darkening, shadow-like energy swirling around her fingertips.

Kelar, still clutched by the collar, merely smiled.

"I never called you trash," he said calmly. "But... did you think of yourself that way?"

Reymond’s grip tightened.

The palace guards nearby began murmuring. Some stepped forward, sensing escalation.

"Stand down!" Cynthia’s voice sharpened, her aura flaring fully.

But just before the situation could explode, Reid stepped between them and gently placed a hand on Reymond’s arm.

"Hold it, brother. Don’t cause a scene here in the palace."

Reymond stood still, breathing hard.

Reid looked to him with calm sincerity. "Sir Kelar is a good man. He didn’t mean any disrespect."

After a tense silence, Reymond finally released Kelar’s collar and stepped back. The energy in the room slowly settled.

Kelar brushed off his clothes and rolled his neck with a tilt.

"You’re very kind, Reid. But I’m afraid I’m not quite that good," Kelar said with a faint smile.

"Are you sure you’re not?" Reid replied, his voice calm and steady. "Because I’ve heard about a certain charity you extended to other nations."

Kelar’s smile faltered for a moment.

"You gave them our resources at a heavily reduced price. I wonder... what exactly did they give you in return? And which nation, exactly, received such generosity?"

Reid’s tone remained composed, but the weight of his words was clear.

"If Father were to hear that someone sold the kingdom’s assets for mere scraps, I imagine he’d be very interested in the details."

Kelar turned slowly toward Reid, his gaze unreadable and cold.

"You’ve been doing your homework, haven’t you?" he asked.

Reid offered a faint smile. "I only ask questions when I already know the answer."

A long pause passed between them. Then Kelar glanced from Reid to Reymond, his expression tightening. Without another word, he turned and walked away. Cynthia followed silently.

As they exited the palace halls, Kelar muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Cynthia to hear.

"That little prince... did he really know all that?" He gave a half-laugh, half-sigh. "I truly underestimated him."

The two continued walking beneath the shadow of the grand pillars, and for the first time in the day, Kelar smiled, not out of smugness, but from intrigue.

He was beginning to enjoy the game.

---

After a full day of travel, we finally arrived at the gates of Rose City.

And what a gate it was, towering at least ten meters high, stretching wide across the horizon like a mountain wall forged from stone and steel. Intricate engravings adorned the metal plates, and sentries stood vigilant atop, their spears glinting under the late afternoon sun.

Before us sprawled a sea of people. A long, winding queue stretched nearly five hundred meters from the city entrance, packed with merchants, travelers, and adventurers alike. Carts groaned under the weight of crates and barrels, fabrics billowed from makeshift awnings, and the air buzzed with the sounds of haggling, gossip, and distant animals sound.

It reminded me of rush hour back in my old world, only instead of cars, there were wooden carts and ox-drawn wagons.

Next to the crowded queue stood a separate, shorter lane, marked off by iron barriers and guarded soldiers. That’s where we were heading.

"Why are they bringing so much stuff?" Bob asked loudly, turning around on his seat at the front of the cart. He’d somehow talked his way into handling the reins three hours ago, and ever since, he’d been grinning like a kid on his first roller coaster.

The cart’s owner, a stout man with a braided beard and an oil-stained shirt, chuckled.

"They’re merchants," he explained. "Big carnival next month. Folks from every corner of the kingdoms come here to sell their wares. Rare trinkets, weapons, spices you’ve never heard of. For traders, Rose City becomes a gold mine, if you know how to play it right."

Bob’s eyes lit up. "A carnival, huh? Sounds like my kind of place."

I leaned against the side of the cart and muttered, "A lot of people..."

During the next fifteen minutes of waiting, Bob made conversation with anyone who’d talk, merchants and travelers. Meanwhile, I just sat there, half-dozing from the long ride, grateful to rest if only for a moment. Linus also joined me.

Then, with a deep groan of grinding chains and shifting gears...

The gates of Rose City opened.

And so, a new Chapter of our journey began.