Water Magician-Chapter 624: The Shape of Love
Editor: Tseirp
“Calculating from the wind and currents, we’ll arrive at the autonomous city of Kwebasa in ten days.”
Captain Myun of the first ship explained this to Prince Ryun, Princess Shio Fen, and the negotiation delegation leaders, including Ryo and Abel, who had boarded the first ship.
“I’d heard the schedule was two weeks, so that’s quicker than expected.”
“Yes. The currents at this season are predictable, but the winds shift a great deal, so I gave a standard timetable.”
Captain Myun answered Prince Ryun’s confirmation.
Prince Ryun is an imperial prince and holds a considerably high rank.
Yet he addressed Captain Myun with very polite language.
Captain Myun himself was once an admiral who led the Darwei navy.
Because of that, he is well regarded by the Emperor.
Emperor Tsuin counts him among the most trusted men of the sea.
For that reason, no one would treat Captain Myun carelessly.
“Sea men and sea women—those kinds of people just seem cool, don’t they?”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
With the schedule explanation finished, Ryo and Abel chatted idly.
“Abel, when you step down as king, why not become an admiral? Lead the Knightley royal navy and conquer the seven seas!”
“I don’t get your meaning.”
“A former adventurer and former king— Admiral Abel, commanding the strongest royal navy! Pretty cool, right?”
“Who would that strongest navy fight? The supposed enemy Debuhi Empire doesn’t even have a navy.”
“Then the enemy would be… the Kraken Legion!”
“Yeah, we’d lose.”
Abel shook his head slightly.
“Fine, then I’ll settle for a Sardine Fleet.”
“What’s that supposed to be…”
“Bait balls, you know… small fish swimming in a swarm?”
“You mean those seven little monsters we snagged after beating the Kraken?”
After defeating the Kraken, on the way back, they once grabbed seven sardine-like monsters with the Neil Andersen’s ‘arm’ and brought them ashore.
Abel remembered that too.
“Setting aside the ‘strongest navy’ bit, I hope one day we can sail the southern seas of the kingdom.”
“Right. When we return to the kingdom, we should inspect the Maritime Ministry.”
“Inspect…”
“There must be corrupt nobles or ministers doing bad things. We’ll confiscate their wealth and pocket it!”
“Well, confiscated goods go to the treasury, not to the premier duke’s pocket or the king’s.”
“Grrr… First, we change the law before inspections. I’ll take everything from the corrupt premier duke myself.”
“Saying you’re corrupt yourself isn’t a great sales pitch.”
Even far from their country, the king and the premier duke argued energetically about how to improve their homeland.
This surely is what those who govern a nation should be like.
…Yes, exactly that.
Captain Lu Yao and Friendship Token No.2 came into their view.
Seeing that, Abel asked,
“Hey, Ryo.”
“What is it, Abel?”
“I always wondered about Friendship Token No.2… why is he able to move?”
“Hm?”
For a moment Ryo didn’t grasp the meaning of Abel’s question.
“Aren’t your golems supposed to move only inside and around the Rondo Manor?”
Because they receive mana from the water magic stones installed in the Rondo Manor, they can only operate within that area… which is quite wide and fully includes Prince Ryun’s Royal Residence.
But here they were on the sea.
This isn’t even inside ‘Chuo Chuang’.
“Oh, that’s what you mean. Good memory, Abel.”
Ryo was impressed by Abel’s recall.
People often forget details they aren’t especially interested in…
“Friendship Token No.2 has been switched to a stand-alone mode.”
“Stan—what?”
“I mean autonomous. Actually, a water magic stone has been directly installed into him.”
“Oh, the last one you had?”
Abel nodded at Ryo’s explanation.
Of the magic stones Ryo had taken from the sardine-type monsters, he had kept three.
Two were used at the Rondo Manor—the remaining one was installed in No.2-kun.
“So Friendship Token No.2-kun can operate anywhere now.”
“But it’s a water magic stone, right? Captain Lu Yao is a fire-attribute magician.”
“Yes, I set it up as a magic circle rather than a simple spell formula, so it can be filled with mana of any attribute, not just water.”
“I see.”
A magic formula tends to be attribute-specific, but a magic circle can, at the cost of efficiency, accept mana from magicians of any attribute.
“Duke Rondo.”
Captain Lu Yao, leading Friendship Token No.2-kun, came over.
“Captain Lu Yao. Friendship Token No.2-kun has really taken to you, hasn’t he?”
Ryo said, alternating his glance between No.2-kun and Captain Lu Yao.
“Yes… Um, Duke Rondo, are you really sure?”
“Huh?”
“You don’t mind if I formally take No.2-kun as my own…?”
“Of course.”
Since that day two months ago, Ryo had come to think that Friendship Token No.2-kun truly belonged with Captain Lu Yao.
Thereafter, he had left No.2-kun with her… and a week ago he formally handed him over.
At that time, Captain Lu Yao had been more bewildered than simply happy.
She wondered if she could really accept him.
Now, a week later, her affection for No. 2-kun seemed even deeper; she often patted his head.
It was enough to make one wonder if she could love anyone else.
Ryo understood that was intrusive to think, but he hadn’t been able to help it.
“Friendship Token No. 2-kun should devote all his loyalty to Captain Lu Yao.”
“Duke Rondo, I am grateful.”
Captain Lu Yao said that and stroked No. 2-kun’s head with a smile.
Truly joyful.
Human love for a golem.
It seemed plausible.
Yet there are swordsmen who do not understand such things.
“Captain Lu Yao must be popular with the Royal Residence troops. The magic artillery corps look at her with almost worshipful eyes.”
“That’s fine. People finding love and being united. That’s true freedom.”
“Well, that may be, but…”
“What, are you trying to set Captain Lu Yao up with someone, Abel?”
“Not that….”
Ryo and Abel had been whispering so quietly that they thought no one could hear…
But apparently Captain Lu Yao did.
She laughed and said,
“I’m sorry, but even if you introduced someone, I couldn’t go out with them.”
She said it plainly.
“See? Abel said something weird.”
“No I didn’t. Ryo brought it up on his own…”
They blamed each other.
Then Ryo seemed to recall something and asked,
“Captain Lu Yao, are you already seeing someone?”
“Seeing someone, or rather…”
Captain Lu Yao tilted her head and seemed to be thinking about how to answer.
“Hey, Ryo, aren’t you prying too much?”
“Yeah. Sorry, forget I asked.”
Abel reprimanded him, and Ryo accepted it.
This was a private matter.
Using the authority of Duke Rondo to force an answer would be improper.
“No, that’s not it. Rather… it’s already decided that I will marry.”
“Oh? You mean you have an arranged fiancé. As a retainer to Prince Ryun, there must be family considerations.”
Neither of them knew the details of Captain Lu Yao’s family.
But having been raised with Prince Ryun from childhood suggested a good lineage.
“A fiancé, yes—I will become Prince Ryun’s second consort.”
“…Pardon?”
Ryo couldn’t immediately process Captain Lu Yao’s flat statement; Abel blinked repeatedly beside him.
Abel blinked repeatedly beside him.
Both were speechless.
Captain Lu Yao said nothing more.
She had conveyed everything she needed to.
She stroked No. 2-kun’s head and adjusted his scarf.
“Excuse me, I may have misheard, but did you say Captain Lu Yao will become Prince Ryun’s second consort?”
“Yes.”
“Um… when was that decided?”
“When? Since childhood…”
“Second consort?”
“Yes. Darwei princes do not take primary wives from within the country; they always take them from foreign royal families.”
“I see.”
Indeed, in a superpower like Darwei, it is natural for princes to have several consorts.
“About Captain Lu Yao being a second consort… um… does Princess Shio Fen know?”
“Yes, of course.”
“When…?”
“When I first met her, he introduced us.”
“Ooh…”
A world Ryo did not know was unfolding.
Abel was likewise unfamiliar with it.
“What did Princess Shio Fen say then?”
“She said, ‘Let us support him together.’”
“I see.”
After that conversation, Captain Lu Yao left with Friendship Token No. 2-kun.
Left behind were the two of them.
“Wow… that’s a lot to take in.”
“Yes. I don’t really understand it.”
Apparently, it was a world neither the king nor the premier duke could easily comprehend…
“Abel, in Knightley, does the king also have a second consort…?”
“Yeah, would the premier duke like to propose that idea to Queen Rihya?”
“…Sorry, forget I asked that.”
Knightley is a great power.
But with a small royal family.
More royal children might stabilize the succession.
Though it risks disputes.
Given the kingdom’s scale, a king having multiple consorts would not be strange.
But recommending that to Queen Rihya felt… improper to Ryo…
There was no solid reason;
He simply didn’t want to intervene…
Abel and Rihya loved each other.
That was enough.
Third parties should not meddle.
Love takes many forms.
Yes… that should be fine.
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