Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: 38. Same Bed, Different Dreams (3)
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The delegation had to march for quite some time even after passing through the city gates.
They had been on the road for nearly half a day, yet the imperial palace visible in the distance showed no sign of drawing closer.
It was only natural, really.
The Empire's knight leading the way had chosen the route from the start.
The imperial knight in charge of guidance was clearly taking the long way around. Despite the main road leading straight to the palace, he kept circling the outskirts.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Shiorin Kirguyen asked the imperial knight why they were detouring.
His response was nothing short of outrageous.
"Since we're already in the imperial capital, shouldn't we take the chance to sightsee to our heart's content? That way, we'll have stories to tell when we get back."
He said it as if granting some grand favor, treating them like country bumpkins getting a tour of the big city.
Yet this was an official delegation representing a sovereign nation, and they were being treated like this.
It was an unprecedented breach of protocol.
I stopped Shiorin, who was furious and about to lodge a formal protest with the imperial knight.
There was no need to waste energy on childish power plays.
I simply urged them to engrave this humiliation in their hearts and remember it well.
That single remark completely changed the atmosphere among the knights, who had been growing restless.
The Iron Lion knights pressed their helmets down firmly and ceased all agitation. Even when the imperial knight occasionally provoked them with absurd nitpicking, they ignored him completely.
"We're in the heart of enemy territory. Don't forget that."
"Stay sharp."
The Iron Lions kept reminding each other of their position in the enemy's midst, focusing solely on their mission.
Their unwavering demeanor even wore down the imperial knight, who had been strutting arrogantly as he led the delegation around.
"Well, that's enough sightseeing for now."
The imperial knight brazenly announced as he finally turned onto the main road toward the palace.
Only then could we set foot on the proper path to the imperial palace.
But the real humiliation was only just beginning.
As we walked the main boulevard, the Empire's citizens openly mocked me and the delegation.
They treated our group like rural hicks and jeered at our dust-covered appearances.
"Heavens! These must be important figures in their own land! How dare you mock their humble attire? Act like the enlightened citizens of the Empire!"
The imperial knight pretended to defend us while actually egging on the imperial subjects' ridicule.
"Please, Your Highness, get in the carriage."
Shiorin, stiff with anger, suggested I retreat to the carriage. There was no reason to expose ourselves to their taunts.
Instead of replying, I called out to the imperial knight ahead and asked his name.
"What do you want with the name of a lowly knight like me?"
The imperial knight sneered.
"Thanks to you, we got a full tour of the capital. I owe you one—gotta repay the favor sometime."
"I wasn't expecting any reward, but if you insist... I'm Luang of the Ipsent family."
No wonder the guidance was so obnoxious—he was from the Ipsent marquisate.
"Good. Luang of the Ipsent family. I'll remember that name."
Luang snorted derisively at my words, as if a prince from some minor kingdom posed no threat at all.
Led by the man from the Ipsent marquisate, we walked for a good while until the imperial palace finally came into view.
"The Leonberger delegation will be staying at the 15th Palace. We'll notify you when the schedule begins, so feel free to rest until then."
The court attendant who came to greet us barely managed a perfunctory bow before getting straight to business.
"There must be some mistake. Our delegation includes the royal family's eldest son. Please check again."
The attendant pretended to scan the list at Shiorin's words, then replied with a sour expression.
"No mistake. The entire Leonberger delegation goes to the 15th Palace."
Then, as if annoyed by the hassle, he turned and vanished toward the inner palace.
"Your Highness, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."
Shiorin, standing there in a daze, apologized and explained the situation.
The Burgundy imperial palace had ten additional palaces beyond the 1st, where the emperor resided, and the 9th for imperial family members. The 15th was reserved for lower-ranking nobles in the protocol hierarchy.
"At least we won't get tangled up with those arrogant imperial nobles. A quiet spot might be better."
"True, given Your Highness's temperament, avoiding the Empire's haughty high nobles is probably for the best."
Erhim Kiringger's jest drew laughs from the Iron Lions.
The guiding attendant glanced back in surprise before hurrying onward.
My expectation that the 15th Palace would be quiet was off the mark.
It was already bustling with arrivals who had come ahead of us.
Some appeared to be imperial officials, others envoys from other nations.
Distinguishing between them wasn't hard.
Those who haughtily tilted their chins and stared openly were imperial nobles; those who hunched over, furtively glancing our way, were clearly foreign envoys.
"Tch. More mongrels showing up."
Even the Empire's own low-rankers, outclassed in protocol, called us mongrels upon seeing our group.
I strode right up to the imperial nobles.
"Wh-what?"
"How dare a minor kingdom's envoy approach great Empire nobles."
The imperial nobles flinched back before belatedly scolding me.
I greeted them with a broad smile.
"Nice to meet you, mongrels."
In the kingdom's tongue, not imperial.
"Wh-what did he say?"
"Looks like a greeting from his face?"
"He doesn't speak imperial, apparently."
Misreading my expression, the imperial nobles assumed a dignified air.
"The Empire's bosom is vast, so rest easy wherever you're from."
I nodded to their condescending welcome.
"Sure. Make yourselves at home and enjoy."
Again, in the kingdom's tongue.
"So, which delegation is he from anyway?"
The imperial nobles whispered among themselves.
Even with the golden lion emblem emblazoned on our chests, they scratched their heads. Whether it was the kingdom's low status or their own ignorance, I had no way of knowing.
And no interest.
I signaled the attendant again, and the quick-witted servant led our group to the outskirts of the 15th Palace quarters.
"What treatment, huh."
Shiorin shook her head at my curt assessment of the malicious assignment.
"Looks like even Marquis Montpellier's insignia doesn't carry weight in the palace."
"Might be seen as an affront."
After all we'd done, getting stuck in a backwater lodging was no big deal.
I unpacked in the most remote corner of the 15th Palace, the mongrel gathering spot.
The young prince of Dotrin Kingdom gritted his teeth.
He was on the verge of bursting into laughter if he let his guard down even slightly. He pinched his thighs to forcibly hold it back.
His retainers shook their heads at the sight of their odd-tempered prince struggling to suppress his mirth, figuring he was lost in some delusion again, nothing serious.
"D-did they leave?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
A retainer confirmed the imperial nobles had departed.
"Pfft!"
The young prince's laughter exploded at that moment.
"His laughter's broken again."
The retainer sighed in exasperation. The young prince protested indignantly.
"No, this time I wasn't laughing alone!"
He explained the recent events in a low voice: the meaning of the greeting the newcomer to the 15th Palace had given the imperial nobles.
"That's funny?"
"It is. Imagining those smug imperial nobles strutting around without a clue makes it even funnier."
"That's not what they taught us Leonberger for."
The retainer clicked his tongue and warned softly.
"Anyway, now that you get it, keep your voice down. Someone might hear."
"Hear? Who? So what if they do? They won't understand anyway."
No imperial noble, steeped in imperial supremacy to their bones, bothered learning a useless minor kingdom's language.
Even if any did, none were here.
The retainer, inadvertently convinced, changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, were those the rumored Leonberger delegation?"
"Many houses use lions as symbols, but only the Leonberger royals depict one trampling a dragon."
"Indeed!"
The sharp-featured retainer exclaimed in admiration at the prince's reply.
"They say they held their own against imperial knights, and their fundamentals are already exceptional."
"He doesn't know a damn thing about swordsmanship."
"He may not know swords, but he reads people well."
"Fundamentals, you say. How's a sword-illiterate supposed to judge good material..."
"Ugh. It's not for showboating; they didn't teach us swordsmanship for that."
Dotrin's prince chuckled, then turned serious.
"Looks like they've been thoroughly marked. Rumors said high imperial nobles had their backs, but getting assigned to the 15th Palace with these mongrels says otherwise."
"We're mongrels too, technically."
Ignoring the retainer's jab, the prince continued.
"He didn't look regretful about his past actions at all. Doesn't seem the type to kowtow to imperial nobles just to smooth things over either."
"Just in case: don't stick your nose in."
"Crazy. I'd get dragged into trouble."
"Can I trust you?"
The retainer fixed his guppy eyes on the prince.
"What do you take me for!"
The prince jumped up in protest.
"It's an honor to meet the man of the rumors like this."
Out for a stroll to catch the night air, a boy suddenly appeared and greeted me fluently in the kingdom tongue.
"Doris Dotrin of the Dotrin Kingdom."
The slight, pretty boy with a gentle smile introduced himself readily.
"This is my retainer, Jin."
Noting my silence at the abrupt greeting, Doris Dotrin even volunteered his unasked retainer's name.
"...It's the greatest honor of my life to meet the Leonberger heir. Jin of the Katrin family."
The sharp-featured retainer bowed curtly to me. For a split second, displeasure flickered across his face.
From that, I gathered this encounter was spontaneous, orchestrated by Doris Dotrin's whim.
"Idrian Leonberger."
Jin's eyebrow twitched at my curt reply, barely qualifying as a greeting.
"His Highness Doris is twenty-six this year."
"You look young."
Jin's expression stiffened faintly at my words.
I knew his intent in mentioning his superior's age in this context, but I saw no need to show undue deference.
The man himself didn't seem to mind.
"More importantly, what's this about?"
I asked with a touch of wariness.
"Just a hello?"
"If that's all, we're done."
"And pure curiosity as a fellow traveler on the path of the sword?"
Doris Dotrin's expression hadn't changed much since we met.
A flawless, clear smile—but smiles were perfect for concealing dark intentions, so I kept my guard up.
This was the Empire's heart, enemy ground if there ever was one.
Anyone could pop out anywhere and try something.
I stepped back, appraising the two men.
Naturally, the Authority of Appraisal settled into my eyes.
"Huh?"
I widened my eyes at the status window floating in the air.
"If opportunity allows, I'd love to witness the famed Leonberger knights' swordsmanship..."
"Your Highness. Fame and swords aside, that's not the issue right now."
"Then what is?"
Jin glanced around before speaking lowly.
"Didn't something feel off just now?"
"No, not really."
"So oblivious. No wonder endless sword training's useless."
"So what're you getting at?"
Jin stared straight at me.
"Looks like we're busted."
"Nah, no way."
Doris rolled his eyes toward me.
"Yeah. We are."
Then he froze.
"Busted."
Doris grinned foolishly.
I smiled back at Doris and Jin.
But identical smiles didn't mean identical meanings.
One side was a feeble attempt to mask embarrassment.
The other was pure, genuine amusement—nothing more, nothing less.
The latter was mine, of course.
Though, to be honest, not entirely pure.
The 3rd Prince was in a foul mood.
He had been ever since hearing that the Leonberger prince— with whom he had recently sworn brotherhood—had been assigned to the 15th Palace.
Forget sincerity; even considering face, they wouldn't have stuck the Leonberger delegation there.
It was blatant disrespect, an outright provocation.
And he was not one to swallow insults meekly. This time was no different.
His short fuse burned out in under an hour, and he sprang into action.
"Y-Your Highness."
The court attendant paled upon spotting him.
"How dare you humiliate me like this?"
The 3rd Prince grabbed the cowering attendant by the collar and shook him violently.
"Y-Your Highness! This wasn't my doing!"
"Then whose?"
As the prince raised his hand as if to slap him, the attendant squeezed his eyes shut and shouted.
"It was His Imperial Majesty's command!"
"What?"
The 3rd Prince blinked dumbly.
Seizing the moment, the attendant slipped free and prostrated himself on the floor, yelling.
"Everything was directly ordered by His Majesty the Emperor himself, Your Highness!"
"His Majesty, so busy with state affairs, personally assigned lowly delegations' quarters?"
"Why would I lie to you? Please believe me!"
The attendant banged his head on the floor repeatedly, pleading.
"Why on earth?"
The 3rd Prince couldn't comprehend it.
Dozens of delegations from petty kingdoms visited yearly, and the emperor had never once paid them any mind.