Chapter 42: Reunion with Albert
It is said that among the Knights, Chester gets along best with the Dragon Knights who stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
Among the Dragon Knights, there is a senior officer - a man named Greg. This man seems to be a somewhat controversial figure within the Knights.
He talks about idealistic principles but isn't considered particularly skilled as a commander - in other words, he's the type who says things like "Do it with spirit and guts." He's well-received by the nobles for his grandiose speeches, but disliked by the lower ranks... or so it seems. Seeing Chester being highly regarded and promoted under Greg's command, it's likely that those two get along well.
If that's the case, either Chester or Greg, or perhaps someone related to Greg among the nobles, should be approached with caution.
Lost in thought while looking out over the knights and soldiers in the training ground below, the minstrel unit sounded their trumpets.
The clamor of the guests hushed, and King Melvin appeared on the balcony of the Knight's Tower. He was around 50 years old, with a dignified and strict demeanor.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a momentous occasion," King Melvin's solemn voice echoed across the square.
"Originally, this was supposed to be a banquet for deepening friendship, but considering the recent incident in Cardiff and the appearance of the demon, several soldiers have sacrificed their lives for our kingdom. Thinking of the hearts left behind by their wives, children, and parents, I believed it inappropriate to hold a celebration tonight."
King Melvin paused for a moment, then opened his arms wide.
"However, due to the earnest pleas of some, I have decided to permit tonight's celebration. To honor their loyalty and bravery. So that you, my friends and compatriots, will not forget their names and faces. As long as we have brave warriors like them, the glorious Verdogal will remain unshaken even against the attack of such a demon. Our knights, who possess glory and honor, will inherit their souls and determination. All of you, drink and eat to your heart's content tonight. It shall be a tribute to those courageous souls who devoted themselves to the kingdom."
Raising his cup, King Melvin declared, "To the warriors!"
He drank it all in one breath. The guests followed suit, and cheers erupted in the square. King Melvin nodded gracefully, scanned the surroundings, and spoke again.
"And... the small hero who faced the demon alone and annihilated it. I am delighted to hear that he is also invited to tonight's banquet, buried somewhere in our country's wilderness, risking his life without considering his own safety, courageously confronting the threat."
The minstrel unit sounded their trumpets again.
King Melvin looked straight at us and grinned, revealing his teeth with a mischievous expression that reminded me of a playful child. The gazes of the invited guests turned toward us. Hmm.
...King Melvin. From what I've heard, he is a straightforward and sturdy person of the warrior type. He might get along well with Oswald, but in BFO, although his name appears, players have had no direct contact with him.
Therefore, I practically know nothing about King Melvin's personality. Reputation and appearances can be deceiving, and when it comes to a king, there are political factors to consider as well. It's not easy to judge someone solely based on whether they can be trusted or not.
The intentions of the Knights are their own, and the intentions of the King are his own, but I still don't know whether he fully understands the situation around Chester.
As King Melvin settled into the large chair prepared on the balcony, the musicians began to play solemn music. Usually, a more elegant tune would accompany a lighter speech, but the circumstances were probably different.
First, they wanted to showcase the results of their daily training to the king. Mounted and infantry knights formed their formations and demonstrated various rearrangements.
With a single command, they changed formations one after another. The entire royal army may not be highly trained, but their disciplined and coordinated movements were impressive to watch.
Next up seemed to be a jousting tournament or an archery contest while on horseback.
The current event was a tournament called "Turney," a team competition in jousting. Knights clad in armor faced each other on horseback or on wyverns and tried to unseat their opponents with lances while passing by each other... It was a competitive sport.
The lances were made of specially processed wood, designed to break easily upon impact, and their tips were fitted with flat caps to reduce lethality. However, there were still dangers involved, such as being impaled by fragments or falling from the horse, so it couldn't be considered entirely safe.
Oswald pointed out some highlights and provided explanations. The audience cheered every time a knight successfully knocked another off their mount.
The teams were divided into one with red feathers on their helmets and the other with blue feathers, each consisting of five members.
As for the match, the vanguard of the blue team managed to knock down three members of the red team, but then the vice-captain of the red team retaliated by unseating three members of the blue team.
Each time the vice-captain of the red team unseated someone, the crowd erupted with yellow cheers.
Although his face was obscured by the helmet, it seemed like Chester was among the participants.
Oswald speculated that the red team would win if everything went as expected... Indeed, Chester seemed to have a noticeable advantage over the others.
However, Oswald didn't appear to be pleased. Even when Chester won, he wore an expression that didn't look too amused.
"Is there a problem with Sir Chester?"
"Chester, or rather... the entire knight order, you know. It's not just about him being individually dull and uninteresting, but the knights as a whole are disappointing if they can't even put up a decent fight. The knight order is well aware of this, so they brought in the second strongest from the blue side to be the vanguard and set up the stage for him."
"I see..."
It's like half a rigged match, isn't it? Since it's a match between insiders and also an event, I understand the need to liven things up. The match itself seems serious, and it appears to be exciting to the spectators, so the knight order must have achieved its objective.
But even Oswald... he always makes things complicated. Chester's style of fighting is orthodox, but precisely because of that, it's well-received by the invited guests, which seems to lead to an evaluation of "neat but not interesting" from Oswald's perspective.
"That's why I want you to go and participate as a surprise entry. It will be a good stimulation."
"Why is this person saying such foolish things?"
While evading Oswald's jest, a woman approached.
"I apologize for interrupting your conversation. Is Theodore Gartner-sama here? I'm Annie Elimson."
"....Thank you."
"I'm a member of the Mage Corps. Someone wanted to greet Theodore-sama, so they asked if I could come and convey their regards."
...The Mage Corps, huh? They are in conflict with the knight order, right? Maybe I can learn some useful information from her.
And now, it's an occasion for interaction, but when it comes to having to reach out to others and find a topic to talk about, the natural candidates are limited.
"...Alright. I'll accompany you."
"I'll come along too."
Upon standing up, Grace also got up. It seems the two of them plan to go together.
"Is it okay for you to watch the match?"
"No, please let me be with you."
Ashley smiled.
"Well, it would be boring otherwise. And if I'm fighting alongside you, even more so."
"Hmm..."
...Is it really like that?
Led by Annie, they headed to the Knight's Tower adjacent to the training grounds. Currently, the royals should be on the upper floor, so security is tight, but Annie advanced without any hesitation.
"Here it is."
――With those words, I entered the room they led me to. There, I found someone I already knew, yet they greeted me as if we were meeting for the first time.
"Hey there, nice to meet you."
It was Prince Albert, wearing a friendly smile. Today, he was accompanied by his sister Princess Marleen and his fiancée Ophelia.
Princess Marleen seemed shy and would hide behind Prince Albert whenever she looked at me, cautiously observing my presence. On the other hand, Ophelia appeared confident.
"As for this person..."
Annie tried to introduce me, but Albert waved her off with his hand.
"No need, it's okay. I don't like overly formal greetings. Sorry for the interruption during the match. I just really wanted to talk to you in private."
"I see."
"I'm Albert, the fourth prince of this country. This is my sister, Marleen, and, uh, my friend, Ophelia."
Yeah, I knew that. I had expected him to reach out to me when I came to the royal palace.
Prince Albert wanted to become a magician in the future, so it made sense for him to have connections with the magician corps.
I knew he was a sociable person, but... well, this was our first meeting, and he was a prince, so I couldn't treat him as casually as I did Alfred.
"This is my fiancée, Ashley, and Grace."
Following proper etiquette, I greeted Albert and introduced the two of them.
"Fiancée... impressive, huh?"
Albert's eyes widened.
"Even the prince has a fiancée, you know."
Ophelia said with a chuckle, her smile deepening.
"Well... yeah, you're right. Ophelia is my fiancée."
Prince Albert blushed slightly and scratched his cheek with his index finger. It seemed a bit embarrassing for him to introduce Ophelia as his fiancée.
"Well, anyway... The reason I asked you to come here is that I heard about you from my friend, Talcott."
Ah, so that's how he's going to bring it up. As someone familiar with subterfuge, I was slightly thrown off by his approach. He seemed intent on hiding my identity as Alfred.
"He wanted me to thank you."
"Is that so? I don't think I did anything worthy of his thanks, though..."
"It's up to you and Talcott to decide whether there's a reason for gratitude. But I did convey the message."
"...I understand."
He must have wanted to deliver Talcott's message, but there seemed to be more to it. I wonder... What exactly does Prince Albert want from me?