CHAPTER 611: ENCOUNTER, AND THEN…

Editor: Tseirp

“A little late, but now it’s time for the after-party!”

After seeing off Prince Ryun and his entourage, Ryo made the announcement.

Of course, it was really just a normal lunch.

“I am hungry, that’s true.”

Abel nodded.

It was a little past twelve-thirty.

“Let’s head to the Holy Emperor Plaza!”

And so the two of them set out for the Holy Emperor Plaza.

Because it was not exactly the peak lunch rush of twelve to twelve-thirty…

“Maybe there’ll be fewer customers?”

“Looks like more people are leaving than going in.”

Glancing over several shops, Abel and Ryo both nodded.

“What do you say? Shall we have the Brothy Wheat Noodles again after a long time?”

“Ah, good idea. It’s been quite a while. The last time was… when we ate with the ‘Spring View’ party, right?”

“Exactly. Feels nostalgic. But didn’t we end up meeting at the next-door shop for lunch the following day too?”

Talking like that, they entered a place whose menu board outside advertised brothy wheat noodles.

“Welcome! This way, please.”

The proprietress, apparently in charge of the floor, spotted them and pointed to seats.

They were able to sit down without trouble.

“When you behave well every day, nice things happen at times like this.”

“Behave well every day? That so?”

Ryo said with a smile, and Abel tilted his head.

As usual.

But then…

“Huh? Abel-san, Ryo-san?”

The familiar voice calling to them belonged to…

“Jun Luo?”

“Everyone from ‘Spring View’!”

Both Abel and Ryo immediately knew who it was.

After all, they had just been thinking about them.

The five members of ‘Spring View’ were eating lunch at the next table.

“We really do run into each other at this shop, huh?”

“Indeed.”

Abel confirmed, and Jun Luo laughed and nodded.

“The last time we met was a month ago, right? Have you been in the Imperial Capital ever since?”

“Yes. Our lord travels back and forth between his domain and the capital, but we’ve been carrying out tasks he’s assigned here.”

Jun Luo answered Abel’s question.

But… his complexion did not look good.

“Judging from that, the assignments aren’t going well?”

“That’s right.”

Jun Luo nodded and glanced at Barili, the magician of ‘Spring View’.

Barili returned the glance with a nod.

Some sort of permission seemed to have been given.

“In fact, we’re searching for the whereabouts of eighty Second-Rank Adventurers…”

“What…?”

At those words, Abel cast a quick look at Ryo.

Catching that look, Ryo asked,

“Is this separate from the seventy Second-Rank Adventurers who were driven off by Lord Rowon?”

“You know about that incident!”

Jun Luo asked back in surprise.

The other four members of ‘Spring View’ looked startled as well.

“Ah—well—we’re on friendly terms with His Highness Prince Ryun, the Sixth Prince…”

“I see! I see! Yes, it was Prince Ryun whom those seventy attacked. But aside from that, another eighty Second-Rank Adventurers have disappeared.”

“Could it be… those eighty were also hired by a certain prince, but then vanished?”

“…Just how much do you two know?”

Ryo’s question drew a wary look from Jun Luo, who asked in return.

“We might know… rather a lot. We’re also acquainted with Shau-san, the Secretary of the Censorate.”

“The Secretary of the Censorate… Someone that important? Then you also know which prince hired the eighty…?”

“Yes. It was His Highness Prince Bin, the Fourth Prince, wasn’t it?”

Ryo answered without hesitation.

“Exactly. Apparently Lin Sui-dono, said to be Prince Bin’s right-hand man, had been in charge. But after the attack thwarted by Lord Rowon, Lin Sui-dono fled the capital. At the same time, those remaining eighty Second-Rank Adventurers also vanished.”

“Then they’re probably no longer in the capital. Maybe in Prince Bin’s territory or something like that?”

Abel asked after Jun Luo’s explanation.

“Other adventurers have checked Prince Bin’s domain… but there’s no sign of such Second-Rank Adventurers entering.”

Jun Luo gave a small shake of his head.

“That Lin Sui who fled—what kind of person is he?”

“Ah, we don’t know the details either, but he’s said to have managed Prince Bin’s entire camp. Truly everything, down to the smallest detail. So, in just a single month since Lin Sui left, Prince Bin’s circle is reportedly in great turmoil. In fact, Prince Bin himself has been failing repeatedly this past month and is said to have greatly damaged the Emperor’s trust. The final blow seems to have been yesterday’s Kyoonkai.”

“That information—was it from Roche Ten-dono?”

“Yes, from our lord. He’s staying in the capital again now.”

“Huh? Come to think of it, Roche Ten-dono wasn’t at yesterday’s Kyoonkai, was he…”

Ryo tilted his head.

The Shitaifu Class performed music there, but he certainly hadn’t seen him performing or seated among the guests.

“I don’t think he attended. The Kyoonkai requires all the princes and all the Ministers of the Six Departments to attend. But aside from that, only fifteen Shitaifu households are chosen each year. Our lord performed two years ago, so his turn is still far off.”

“There sure are a lot of rules.”

Ryo nodded at Jun Luo’s explanation and sipped his tea.

“By the way, didn’t Prince Bin also hire Third-Rank Adventurers in the capital?”

“Yes. Some of them were the ones spying on us.”

Jun Luo replied with a grin to Ryo’s words.

So they had realized they were being watched.

“After we parted with you all, it seems we were spied on as well…”

“Eh?”

“We obtained the necessary permissions and captured them.”

“That’s… my apologies.”

Apparently, Jun Luo hadn’t known that Ryo and Abel had also been under surveillance.

He bowed his head.

“No, no, it’s no problem. We caught them and handled it properly.”

“Handled…?”

Ryo said with a sly smile, making Barili the magician widen his eyes in surprise.

“We just handed them over to the proper authorities.”

Abel added, and the five members of ‘Spring View’ nodded in relief.

The slightly disappointed look on Ryo’s face afterward was surely a mistake of perception…

After this exchange of information, Ryo, Abel, and the five of ‘Spring View’ left the eatery and parted ways.

This time, the two men even made sure to give their mansion’s location.

The day after meeting Prince Ryun and ‘Spring View’, a visitor came to Rondo Manor.

For the usually quiet residence, two visitors on consecutive days were rare.

“Huh? Captain Myun?”

“Ryo-dono… pardon me—no, Duke Rondo, please forgive this sudden visit.”

Captain Myun of the Imperial First Ship offered a bow that combined boldness with elegance.

Truly fitting for a former admiral favored by the Emperor.

Both Ryo and Abel thought so.

Once shown into the room, Captain Myun immediately spoke.

“I have heard that Duke Rondo maintains friendships with both the Komakyuta Principality and the Suje Kingdom.”

“Yes. We visited both before coming to Darwei.”

“Were you aware that, at Prince Ryun’s wedding, delegations from those two nations came to the Imperial Capital?”

“Yes. I met Chairman Bandelsh of the Komakyuta Principality, and Lord Protector Kabui Somal of the Suje Kingdom. Before they returned home, they kindly came to offer their farewells.”

Ryo answered as he recalled it.

Captain Myun’s expression tightened.

“Then this will be quick. Those two nations formed a fleet and headed for the Archipelago Region… but they appear to have gone missing.”

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