"Yeah, to think about it, you didn't come with one." The chef only shrugged his shoulders. "No matter, you guys won't have a servant in the palace, either. You're the ones serving His Majesty's needs. But don't worry too much. He still had a lot of other servants to make your lives easier.
"You know, His Grace…?" The chef knight started to gossip. "Everyone keeps complaining about his willfulness in our travels, but I can understand him. The moment we get home, he will become His Majesty's ultimate leg-worker again. Even Vulcan, His Majesty's adviser, throws him from one place to another. Hehehe, just let him act like a big shot while we're out here."
Kanaru's eyes flickered before he nodded slowly. He couldn't imagine Rodnir as an overworked servant, especially when he acted so loftily. Then again, he could just ask when they were alone in the carriage. For now, he focused on the cooking soup. If he liked it, he should be able to replicate the dish.
If Rodnir liked it, he should master making soups.
…
Swish! The fishing poles whipped toward the water, and Kanaru waited for a fish to take a bite. He had a small smile on his lips as he fished in the stream. He could have gotten some fish by hand, but he didn't want to look like a wild animal in front of the noble unicorns. Moreover, he was trying to teach Rodnir how to fish in shallow waters.
As for the student, he was waiting for another fish again. He had already gotten three since morning, but it was incomparable to Kanaru's catch. They already had enough fish for today's lunch and dinner with just Kanaru's fish to serve.
"The fish here are more powerful than from the forests nearby Burdett…" Kanaru commented, casually wrangled with the fish that took his bait. With a decisive whip upward, the fish came flying toward Kanaru again. He caught it without difficulty, easily getting the hook out to get the fish into the bucket.
"Hmm… I should have trained there instead…" Rodnir frowned as he had another fish take the bait. However, he couldn't pull the fish to the surface. The moment he started growling and forcibly pulling on his rod, Kanaru went to help out. "I want to think I can handle this myself."
"The fish says otherwise…!" Kanaru laughed as he gripped the rod as well and helped in pulling the fish. He then laughed louder when even Sir Heinz joined them. "I don't think this is a fish anymore, Your Grace! Just let it go!"
Rodnir channeled more strength to his arms, the same as Sir Heinz. He was even struggling to keep a calm demeanor. "I won't lose to… a fish!"
Swoosh! The 'fish' finally gave in, but the three saw how a giant frog leaped overhead. Its huge mouth soon opened to eat the three of them. However, a knight from the Black Smoke Corps came to kick the frog away. Sir Heinz had also pulled the fishing rod off Rodnir's and Kanaru's grip, letting the frog escape in fear. At least, their catch was safe.
Kanaru watched the huge thing jump away before giggling. "Well, you lost to an amphibian so it shouldn't count, Your Grace! We ran into another beast-born, I guess."
"…how embarrassing…" Rodnir sighed as he lost the rod as well. He was just fishing and not making use of magic; how come he was still running into misfortune?
The king's ward just watched Kanaru pick up the rattan basket and bring it to the chef watching over Kanaru's catch. They added the three fish to the batch, and the chef decided to start cooking by then. After all, the clocks put the time at an hour before noon. Moreover, the artificial lights might run out of battery if they use it for too long.
Kanaru soon joined Rodnir in his log seat. There was a fallen tree nearby, and it served as the bench for the high-ranking officials. Since the bird prince was a candidate, the ambassadors didn't mind him sitting. Moreover, Rodnir dusted the spot next to him.
"How far along are we? I'm completely losing track of time…" Kanaru whispered as he stared at the dark sky. It had never changed no matter how long Kanaru traveled. The only instruments of time they had were the clocks inside their carriages. If Kanaru were left on his own, he would have gone insane. He still wanted to seek the sun even if exposure to it was the worst kind of burn.
"We have spent five days already. It's still a long way to go before we reach Middlemist." Rodnir only reached out to pat Kanaru's head. It didn't help how Kanaru leaned closer to get more patting.
Kanaru closed his eyes in strange exhaustion, but he tore them open at a sudden faint shriek nearby. He would get up to investigate, but Rodnir slipped his hand down to Kanaru's shoulder to hold him in place. The prince whispered, "Something dangerous could be in the forest with us…"
Rodnir turned in the direction of the faint shrieks. "Dangerous, yes, but the knights can handle it. No need to pay attention. We are perfectly—"
Before he could even finish his words, Rodnir swiftly evaded to the side, grabbing Kanaru out of the way. The two ambassadors were alarmed, but they failed to escape the blast that volleyed from the woods. Balls of black shot from the darkness, only illuminated by the bonfire. In the next moment, the quiet clearing was covered in crawling black threads that grew thinner toward the end like hair.
Kanaru wasn't touched by any of it, but they were buried under it just like everyone else. He looked up and saw how Rodnir's eyes grew the sharpest he had ever seen. A glint of anger was even budding within them. However, when Rodnir looked down to find Kanaru's eyes on him, he smiled nonetheless.
His hand formed a shallow bowl next to Kanaru's face, and a faint wisp of light showed up. It was not bright enough to blind Kanaru in complete darkness, but it could show Kanaru how Rodnir poorly covered the prince with his cape. Rodnir was also on top of him, catching the weight of whatever shrouded them. Kanaru could only tell it was heavy since Rodnir was pushing against it.
"Are you hurt? I ended up throwing you to the ground. I'm really sorry." Rodnir chuckled, but his smile couldn't hide his growing amusement. After all, he could feel Kanaru's breath on his face. Their noses were even almost touching.
"Not really. You're just heavy…" Kanaru blushed a little and looked away from the glinting red eyes. The man wasn't angry anymore, but the glow was making Rodnir's face especially enticing. If Kanaru kissed just an inch of it, wouldn't he fail the test?