Chapter 193
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Translator: Prime Works
Chapter: 193
Chapter Title: Between Kidnapping and Fishing (3)
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“Your Majesty, Lloyd Frontera of the special envoy and his party have arrived.”
“Let them enter.”
This was the royal palace of Magentano.
A voice full of dignity echoed across the lavish central training grounds.
Soon, the doors to the training grounds swung open.
“......”
Termes, the rebel leader from the Sultanate, swallowed dryly without realizing it.
He couldn’t pull himself together at all.
He was utterly bewildered.
The doors opening right before his eyes.
The vast expanse of the training grounds unfolding beyond.
The woman with red hair standing tall at its center.
All of it felt utterly unreal.
Even his own body, which had unwittingly followed Lloyd and knelt on one knee before her, felt profoundly surreal.
“The son of Arkos Frontera, Lloyd Frontera, comes before Her Majesty the Queen.”
“Damieta Termes of the Sultanate’s rebels comes before the Queen of Magentano.”
Had he stuttered?
Had he botched the greeting?
He had rehearsed it in his head dozens of times since arriving at the palace.
He had been terribly worried about making even the slightest mistake.
Yet his mouth had moved on its own, spitting out the words.
He couldn’t even check if he had stumbled or gotten it wrong.
Termes simply let out ragged breaths, desperately trying to calm his nerves.
In that moment, his thoughts drifted back to the past few days.
‘Never dreamed I’d actually end up here.’
It had been five days ago, that night.
He and his comrades had kidnapped Lloyd Frontera.
Lloyd, who seemed like a lackey of the Sultan.
They had snatched him up and interrogated him.
To uncover why he was doing good deeds for the people of Kandara.
To figure out what scheme the Sultan was plotting.
They had steeled themselves and gone through with the kidnapping.
‘But who would’ve thought he’d make such an outlandish proposal right there.’
Lloyd Frontera.
Kidnapped as he was, he had made a proposal as if he’d been waiting for it.
Hand over all the tunnels they used as their hideout. Only then could he build an underground aqueduct to solve the drought.
Accept it, and he would grant them asylum in his territory to escape the Sultan’s reprisals.
Absurd.
Unimaginable.
That was the proposal he had made.
Naturally, they had scoffed at first.
‘It just didn’t seem believable.’
At that point, there was no proof Lloyd wasn’t the Sultan’s puppet.
So they didn’t trust him.
How could they trust such a proposal?
How would he prove it was genuine?
They had grilled him harshly.
And Lloyd’s response had been a masterpiece.
‘Let’s go get an asylum permit from Queen Alicia.’
Of course, it sounded insane.
His comrades and he had thought so.
But then Lloyd had said...
‘Well, if you don’t believe me, keep suffering through the drought in this city like good little lambs.’
That look in his eyes, glancing over with pity and a smirk.
That was what did it.
It brought back the drought ravaging his hometown.
It conjured the image of his young son dying of thirst.
It reminded him of his utter helplessness before it.
The rage, despair, and grief from that day stabbed at his chest anew.
Perhaps that was why.
“......Fine. We’ll go verify it together. But if there’s even a shred of deceit in that proposal, don’t expect to survive.”
He had glared at Lloyd as if he could devour him and accepted the deal.
And so they had set off on a journey with Lloyd.
He wasn’t worried about Lloyd pulling anything.
He was confident in his swordsmanship.
They had flown together on that bizarre, enormous bird.
Heading diligently westward.
Along the way, his inner thoughts had gradually shifted.
Suspicion lingered while crossing the desert.
Curiosity bloomed while scaling the mountains.
He was inwardly astonished upon crossing Magentano’s border.
And today, he was finally awestruck.
Now, face-to-face with the Queen of Magentano.
“You’re the rebel leader from the Sultanate who came with Lloyd Frontera?”
Termes flinched!
The low voice snapped him out of his reverie.
He jerked his shoulders without meaning to.
“Y-Yes! That’s right!”
He had bellowed it far louder than intended.
A wry smile tugged at Queen Alicia’s lips.
“No need to worry. I have no intention of harming you, so relax.”
No harm will come to you.
A soft yet authoritative phrase that inspired trust.
At last, the excessive tension in Termes’s shoulders eased a fraction.
He dared to lift his head slightly.
Stealing a quick glance at Queen Alicia.
‘That woman is the real Queen......’
Alicia Termina Magentano.
Queen of the Magentano royal family and a Swordmaster.
He had heard countless rumors.
She had reached Swordmaster at a relatively young age.
She had overcome innumerable political intrigues and struggles to seize the throne.
The epitome of literary and martial prowess.
With exceptional political acumen to boot.
‘But I never imagined she’d look like that.’
He had expected her to receive him seated on a lavish throne, radiating authority.
But in reality?
Far from it.
Queen Alicia was covered in dirt.
Clad in simple training gear.
Her boots and knee pads were caked in sand and mud.
Her top was no different.
No mud, but drenched in sweat.
Her originally brown shirt was soaked dark.
And the towel around her neck?
The longsword in her hand?
The hilt was worn smooth from use.
She looked far more like a knight fresh from training than a queen.
Even the venue matched.
‘Was she training right up until now?’
Behind the imposing Queen Alicia.
Knights lay sprawled across the sandy training grounds.
Clutching arms, legs, shoulders, groaning in pain.
At least fifty of them, by rough count.
They had probably just been thrashed by her.
‘So that’s what a Swordmaster is.’
The knights in the palace wouldn’t be second-rate.
For her to roll fifty of them effortlessly with a single sword made her the monster.
And he had come to her for asylum.
‘Is this really reality?’
Termes heaved for breath again.
He still couldn’t quite grasp the situation.
Queen Alicia’s chuckle flowed toward him.
“Impressive.”
Her eyes shifted.
To Lloyd, kneeling beside Termes.
“Lloyd Frontera, it’s been a while.”
“Your presence honors me, Your Majesty. I am overjoyed to behold your visage once more.”
“Truly?”
“......I swear it is so. Else why would I rush here from the distant Sultanate, driven by the single-minded desire to see you?”
“Tch. Flaunting such obvious flattery before me. By rights, you should be residing in the Sultanate capital of Ahinsha under my orders. What brings you into my presence now?”
“Shall I summarize briefly, Your Majesty?”
“Report in detail.”
“As you command.”
Lloyd prostrated himself flat.
Then launched into a lengthy explanation.
Detailing everything meticulously, step by step, in order.
When he finally finished.
A faint crease formed between Queen Alicia’s brows.
“......So to sum up, the Sultanate grievously slighted my special envoy. You forged a construction contract with the Sultan to break that impasse and negotiate. And to complete that construction successfully, you needed this rebel leader’s cooperation?”
“That is correct, Your Majesty.”
“And thus you wish me to grant him an asylum permit?”
“Your grace would be most appreciated, Your Majesty.”
“Gratitude is premature. I have yet to approve your request.”
“Yet this Lloyd Frontera firmly believes in Your Majesty’s boundless mercy.”
“Tch. How far does your impudence extend?”
“Your grace is too kind, Your Majesty.”
“Enough of your endless ‘graces.’ Very well, I suppose issuing the permit to him settles it?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
Lloyd flattened himself further.
Alicia summoned attendants from either side.
She dictated the permit’s contents, and a palace official drafted the document.
Just five minutes later.
An official asylum permit bearing the Queen’s own seal was placed in Termes’s hands.
“......With this, you and your followers may become citizens of Magentano at any time.”
“Your grace is too kind.”
Termes tucked away the permit with trembling hands.
Five days ago, in that warehouse on Kandara’s outskirts, he had scoffed inwardly at Lloyd’s bold claims.
‘Who’d have thought those words would become reality.’
It felt like a dream.
That dreamlike feeling persisted afterward.
Even as he bowed farewell to Queen Alicia.
Even when she called Lloyd back mid-retreat.
“......Oh, Lloyd Frontera. Since we’ve met like this, there’s something I must tell you.”
“What is it, Your Majesty?”
“The black mage you captured in Namaran, Kannavaro.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“His interrogation will likely conclude soon. Around then, I may summon you to the capital to request your aid.”
“......You mean this humble servant?”
“Indeed. Do you find my summons unwelcome?”
“Of course not.”
“Good.”
“Absolutely, Your Majesty.”
“Quite. It must be so. Just look at how you’ve barged in on me today. I’m always someone you’re dying to meet, aren’t I?”
“O-Of course, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm. I swear your eye twitched just now.”
“Ah, it’s merely from my recent overwork.”
“Flying night and day to see me?”
“Precisely.”
“Then you’ll come flying just as relentlessly next time I summon you?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“Again. Your eye twitched.”
“Overwork, truly.”
“I see. Overwork, indeed.”
“Yes.”
“Right. It must be. You’re hardly the sort to only visit when you need something—a spiteful, selfish type. Right?”
Queen Alicia flashed a smile laced with lingering bite.
Lloyd retreated from the throne room with a sweat-drenched grin.
“Whew.”
After safely(?) escaping the Queen’s training grounds.
Lloyd finally exhaled the breath he’d been holding.
He turned to Termes.
“Well? Do you trust me a bit more now?”
“......”
Termes silently shifted his gaze.
To the single sheet of paper in his hand.
The asylum permit, stamped with Queen Alicia’s seal.
He couldn’t help but smile.
“Ha. Never thought it’d actually happen.”
“Didn’t expect it, did you?”
“Whew. No. Honestly.”
“Then you’ll accept my proposal now?”
“Of course. We’ll hand over all the tunnels.”
Termes nodded.
There was no reason left not to trust this eccentric young lord.
If any rebel comrades still doubted him? He’d pack lunches and personally convince them, one by one.
“So we’re heading back to Kandara now?”
“Yes, as planned from the start.”
“Eleven nights, twelve days. Right?”
“Yeah. If the weather holds, maybe a day early.”
“I see.”
“Yeah.”
The two walked silently toward the palace gates.
Then Lloyd chuckled.
“Come to think of it, we’ve never properly introduced ourselves, have we?”
“Hm?”
“Let’s do it formally. Lloyd Frontera, eldest son of the Frontera County, loyal to the Magentano royal family.”
“......”
Lloyd extended his hand.
Termes reached out as well.
Shaking hands, he said,
“Damieta Termes, prospective refugee to Frontera County. Looking forward to working with you.”
“Perfect. So no more kidnapping dramas between us.”
“Naturally. You’ll be the ruler of my future home, after all.”
“Then no more midnight club to the forehead, I assume?”
“......That, I am deeply sorry for.”
Termes, the rebel leader, grinned sheepishly.
And six days later.
Thanks to Komingi’s tireless wingbeats, Lloyd returned to the desert city of Kandara with Termes.
Now, to end the long drought at last.
With the rebels’ full cooperation secured.
It was time to begin full-scale surveying for the qanat construction.