"A man who knows not how to bear a blade, is as useless as a blade wielded by no one. A tool is but a tool, and all rests upon the hands of mankind."
- Maguu Tsuchii, ancient Tenka philosopher
An excerpt from his memoir "A Serpent's Maw".
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
["GOOOOOOOOOD MORNING, TENKI CIIIIIIITY—!!!"]
"""WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"""
["Are ya ready for the final fight of the Academy Swordsmanship Tournament?!!!"]
During the week after my fight with Junpei, I would face 6 more opponents that I easily beat, letting me move to the quarterfinals, and later on, the semifinals where I fought and won against 4 more opponents.
In the end, my record stood at 81 wins to 3 losses, those three losses being against opponents in the preliminary round which I didn't take seriously.
["From the 3rd years of the Basic Curriculum campus, with a fighting record of 102 wins and no losses! Give it up for the Giant of the Khan-Jin Steppes! The man who can wrestle a Giant Grizzly! The pride of the Temujin people! GOLTAS BAATAR!!!!"]
Today, I'm at the finals where instead of being a one-on-one fight, all four finalists from the four competition brackets, are going to fight against each other.
"""Goltas! Goltas! Goltas!"""
The first to enter the arena, as he has the best win-to-loss ratio among the four of us, was a man named Goltas Baatar from the Central Khobar Khanate.
"HRAAAAAA!!!"
"""WOOOOO—!!!"""
To say that he is a man of bizarre physique is to put it very lightly. From the immense bulk of his muscles that blatantly showed off his physical prowess, to the astute and confident gaze that his eyes show, I have no questions about him being the crowd favorite… as well as the one who is next in line to come out.
["And from the 2nd Years of the Basic curriculum campus, with 98 wins to 1 loss, let's give it up for the fighting pride of Marl-Kah! The empire's reigning champion of Arbis martial arts! MANUEEEEEEEELLL MARCELOOO!!!"]
"""Manny! Manny! Manny!"""
"A-Ahh… Hello, everyone…Hehe."
The next one to come to the stage was a man with a kind and joyous expression on his face that seemed a bit shy about the cheers resonating across the entire arena. While it may seem like he's nervous and weak, the posture of which he carries himself, as well as how he holds the pair of competition blades on both sides of his waist speaks volumes to his actual fighting ability.
I've heard about him before from sports magazines and newspaper headlines. His family and he himself doesn't belong to the nobility, but after winning in Marl Kah's national Arbis martial arts tournament, the Salonga royal family of Marl Kah gave him an honorary noble title and made him study in the imperial academy to proliferate his martial arts' fame across the empire, something that his countless victories in martial arts tournaments here in the capital, successfully achieved.
For Goltas and Manuel, I see our battle as one where my skills and grit would be truly tested, as both of them rose up to that position through their own strength and will…
…I cannot say the same for the next person who is about to come out.
["From the 1st years of the Advanced Curriculum campus! With a battle record of 94 wins and no losses! Let's applaud his arrival with loud cheers! The heir of Kal-Rejhi viscounty! The master of the Ehmori sword style! KHALIL NAIDUUU!!!"]
Unlike the first two, Khalil's entrance wasn't met with a rapturous applause or united chanting, but instead, a mix of mild, half-hearted claps from fellow nobles that line the private ring-side lounges, and the rancid and toxic insults from the other students.
"Come on, dinky! Show it!"
"Hah! So much for the fabled "Rava's sheath", yeah?"
Ever since he and his minions were beaten up by a group of students from the Boreas dukedom and was tied while butt-naked to the academy's entrance arch, Khalil's "sheath of Rava" has been the primary ammunition of everyone who wanted to insult him.
"S-Shuddup! Once I win here, I'll go after you losers next! You better hide now while you still can!"
To even argue with his haters… honestly, what a pathetic guy…
["And last but not the least! Coming from the 1st years of the Advanced Curriculum campus! The dark horse of the tournament who has steadily rose up the ranks despite it being his first time competing! Let's give our cheers to lord of the Fenris Bougainvillea barony! A war veteran! The Wolf of Serafina! JONATHAN BOUGAINVILLEA!!!"]
My turn finally came and as I walked out of the tunnel and into the stage, I wasn't met with much fanfare and applause as the others. However, given my status as a newbie in the tournament with nothing much to his name other than his title and the story of how he led and won in a war in his homeland, I wasn't really expecting anything.
"Kh! You… Grrrrr-!!!"
"Hmm… Oh!"
As soon as he saw me, Khalil directed a furious expression to me which I completely ignored, turning my attention to the two who seem to be just as interested with me as I am to them.
"Hey there, Sir Baron. You seem prepared already." The huge man named Goltas mused to me which I responded to politely.
"I am. I can say the same to you two as well, Goltas-san and Manuel-san."
"Eh? Ahaha… and here I was, thinking that I look a bit too awkward over here." Manuel, still looking a bit shy about all of this, replied while giving us his signature wide smile.
"What? Hah! Nonsense, I say! If anything, you look like you're ready to knock all three of us out, Sir Manny!"
"I agree with Goltas-san… let's call it our "warrior's sixth sense", it tells me that all you need is a second to gain supremacy in this bout of ours." I spoke, agreeing to the big guy's summation of the Arbis champion's strength, which gained Manuel's slight chuckle before he drew out his pair of blades from their sheath.
"Haha! Warrior's sixth sense, huh? Well then… let's see if it's as sharp as you think it is."
"Thought you'd never say that… ALRIGHT! Let's do this!" Goltas shouted after ripping off the tough canvas that covers his war axe using his bare hands.
"Goltas-san and Manuel-san… please promise me that you won't hold back!" I spoke out and infused my body with physical enhancement spells as I prepared for battle.
It was at that moment when I sharpened my senses that I stopped ignoring the third opponent's bluster and heard his rambling shortly before a dull sound rang out and cut his words shortly.
"YOU PESTS! HOW DARE YOU ACT AS IF I WASN'T HERE! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY WITH—"
*BYINK—!!!*
"GWAH—!"
In a blink of an eye, without even being able to draw out his sword, Khalil was sent out of the stage by a powerful punch to the face from Manuel, followed by kick to the gut from Goltas.
["WOAH! What a way to start the round! In an instant, a competitor has already been eliminated by a combined attack by Goltas and Manuel!"]
Hmm… I see.
Their action just now cleared up my suspicion from earlier…
"Goltas-san and Manuel-san… Can I take this as confirmation of the rumors that I heard around the campus today?"
"Confirmation? Rumors? Ahahaha! Sure, sure… Treat it as that if you wish."
"Tis but a reality of competing. Nothing personal, sir Baron…"
Goltas and Manuel replied accordingly, making me sigh both in exasperation and nervousness of what this means for me now, who has to fight against these two who agreed to fight together until they're the only ones left to settle who'll be the champion.
"Really sorry, Sir Baron, but I carry my tribe's pride and future in this fight. I can't afford to easily lose." Goltas spoke while pointing his war axe towards me.
"The same goes to me. I have my pride as a fighter… and also the task given to me by my benefactors." Manuel followed with his words while taking a new fighting stance.
"I understand… Goltas-san, Manuel-san. If you're going to give it your all…"
Faced with the pressuring determination of these two, I had nothing in my heart but appreciation to them for facing me with all they have and none of the tricks and threats of the other opponents that I met so far.
"…So will I."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The battle between Jonathan and the Goltas-Manuel pair became a sight to behold as soon as the three of them went all-out.
"HRAAAAAAAAAH—!!!"
There was Goltas's monstrous strength transferred to his war axe that crushed the tough stone of the stage and the defensive magic shell that Jonathan conjured to protect himself.
"HIYIH—! HYAAH—!"
There was Manuel's quick, precise and deadly strikes from his twin blades that pierced Jonathan's magic shell and at times reached his clothes, causing stabs and fatal near misses.
However, even their coordinated and powerful attacks can do little against Jonathan's expertise with the sword and inhumanly fast and powerful spellcasting that wasn't limited to physical enhancement magic and defensive formulas, but also elemental magic applied indirectly to create obstacles and diversion in the fight.
["Oho! Baron Bougainvillea isn't only holding on because of his superb swordsmanship, he's also keeping them at bay through magic formulas!"]
["But sword master, aren't those illegal?"]
["If he intentionally strikes his opponents directly, yes. However, he's doing nothing but to set up obstacles and using the alchemical reactions, such as the combination of fire and ice magic, to create diversions and smoke covers. It's all legal."]
As the commentators answered the question of some of the audience, the crowd went into a loud cheer as even with his stubborn defense, Jonathan slowly went on defensive against Goltas's and Manuel's unrelenting attacks.
Little by little, they learned about Jonathan's fighting patterns and the weakness of his sword style and spell casting. As expert fighters in their own right, the two quickly formed attacks using their own style to capitalize on the opening they perceived.
"This ends here! HEAVE! HAAAAAH!!!" Goltas shouted before striking Jonathan's magic shell with a powerful axe strike, breaking it into pieces.
"No hard feelings, Baron!" Manuel followed after the opening that Goltas made, driving his blades right next to Jonathan's throat in a bid to make him surrender.
However, what happened next baffled not just Jonathan's two opponents but everyone in the arena.
"Ghh-!!!"
"W-What the—?!"
As if having no regard for his own safety or fear for the pain that it would cause, Jonathan caught Manuel's blade with his bare hands, making them bleed slightly alongside his face contorting in immense pain.
"Heh! I finally got you to get near enough!"
"What? Kh-!!!"
With an almost instantaneous speed, Jonathan pulled in Manuel through his blades and drove a devastating knee blow into his torso.
"GUHAK—!!!"
The force was so great that it caved in his chest, bruising his flesh, breaking his ribs and pushing out the air within his lungs, making him catch his breath as soon as he landed on the ground… which in this case was out of the stage's bounds.
"By way of elimination! Contestant Manuel Marcelo is out!" the referee declared before calling in the medical team to help tend to Manuel's fractured ribs and beaten flesh.
"Risking your hands to get him to stay put and be vulnerable… Heh! You're a sneaky one, Sir Baron."
"…Ich! Darn—"
"Hm? What's wrong? Can't grip your sword now, can't ya?"
Just as Goltas said, Jonathan tried to pick up his sword, but even the blunted competition blade filled with safety runes that he caught earlier, damaged his hands enough that it essentially made him unable to use his sword.
"Well then… I guess I have to fight you now on your own terms, don't I?"
"!!!" Goltas was shocked after seeing Jonathan bending his body and lowering his hips to a stance that is very familiar to him. "Baron, you—"
"Come, Son of Baatar!" Jonathan shouted while clapping his wounded hands to disperse the blood on it while also performing the traditional "challenge call" of Goltas's tribal sport.
"HAHAHA! It will be my honor, Baron Bougainvillea!" Goltas excitedly replied, throwing away his axe, ripping off his shirt and wrapping a leather belt on his waist.
["W-Whoa! Is this really happening now?!!"]
["Oho! Indeed, it is! Our two remaining contestants are going to settle this with the traditional sport of the Temujin tribes!"]
Decades ago, Khan Wrestling is quite unknown outside of the lands of the Khan-jin steppes. For many among the Temujin people, such unpopularity is exactly what it their sport should be, fearing that having it known in the public sphere would inevitably make it a mundane and "corrupted" martial art like Qima's Wun-Fou, Tenka's Budou and Marl Kah's Arbis, that has become an object of acclaim and personal pride rather than a way to discipline oneself.
All of it changed when from the central tribe of the Temujin people, from the very same family line where a once great conqueror and warrior-king came from, a young man named Goltas Baatar came out into the public knowledge due to his extraordinary physical strength and absolute prowess with Khan Wrestling.
"Are ya sure about this, sir Baron? Your hands are as busted as beaten boiled corn!"
"Don't mind that, Goltas! Just give me your all!"
"Alrighty! You asked for this, so don't blame me for being too excited now!" Goltas shouted and charged towards Jonathan, capitalizing his immense weight and speed to push Jonathan out of the stage, but his opponent stood his ground.
"Ghh—!!! Damn! They didn't tell me that Khan Wrestling was this intense!"
"Hell yeah, it is! HRAH!"
"No, you don't!" Goltas tried to grab Jonathan by the shirt to throw him down, but Jonathan quickly pushed him away, gaining distance from him.
"HAHAHA! Nice reflexes, baron! If you followed up with a countercharge after that push, I would've mistaken you for a seasoned fighter."
"Yeah, tough luck with these mangled hands of mine… Well, not that I'm complaining…!"
Jonathan charged towards Goltas and even with his injured hands, rained slaps and strikes to his body, the only acceptable direct hits that one can make in Khan wrestling.
"Hyahaha! Good going, baron! But that's not enough!" Goltas shouted and grabbed hold of Jonathan's belt before throwing him down to the ground.
"GAK—!"
"Haha! Come on and get up! You said you'd fight on my terms, yeah?!"
"Haah… I sure did." Jonathan, despite being beaten by the prior throw attack, stood up and went back to his wrestling stance, once again securing his posture to meet his opponent. "—!!!"
"What the—!?" Goltas was shocked when despite the clear injuries that he sustained, Jonathan charged towards him with inhuman speed and force. "You—!? How did—""
"HRAAAAAAAAAHHH—!!!" Without minding Goltas's shock, Jonathan held the leather belt on his opponent's waist and used it to throw him down to the ground, but to no avail given Goltas's immense strength and experience in the martial art.
"You gotta do better than that, Baron!"
"I sure as hell will!"
While the two are giving their all to settle their duel through wrestling, the two commentators spoke to the crowd about what is happening through their magic-powered megaphones.
["To meet his opponent within unfamiliar ground, contestant Bougainvillea sure is either brave or foolhardy."]
["I wouldn't simplify all of this into that so easily, my boy. I believe this goes deeper than you think it is."]
["Really? Why do you say so, sword master?"]
["Something tells me that contestant Bougainvillea would have an easier time if he chose to use healing magic to regain control of his injured hands. The rules say nothing about using healing formulas if the contestant can do it in the middle of a fight, and yet, he isn't doing it."]
["T-that's a good point, sword master! If so, then why is he not—"]
["I believe that it's a matter of personal principle for the baron… and also of one's pride as a warrior."]
"HYAAAAAAAAHHH—!!!"
After the sword master said that, Goltas shouted and was followed by the noise of a loud crash and a plume of dust. He once again threw down Jonathan who rose back up to his feet despite having blood flowing out of his mouth.
["He sustained those wounds willingly in order to neutralize contestant Marcelo earlier and unlike him, Goltas is not blessed with enough bodily mana to use much magic."]
["A-are you saying then that—"]
["Right! The Baron is meeting his opponent's power and capability, as well as respecting the martial art that he truly loves."]
After an exchange of blows and throws, Jonathan grabbed hold of his opponent again.
"It's time to end this! TAKE THIS, GOLTAAAAAAS—!!!"
But instead of grabbing him by the leather belt, Jonathan took his opponent by the legs, raised him and slammed Goltas to the ground with a crash strong enough to break the stage in half.
At that moment, despite being outmatched by his strength and experience, the first to give in to his injuries was not Jonathan but instead, Goltas. After seeing that one of the competitors has become motionless, the referee climbed into the stage and went near him.
"Khh… KAH—! I…I surrender…"
"Okay… Stop the fight! By way of surrender! Winner, Jonathan Bougainvillea!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Jonathan's victory in the imperial academy's spring festival swordsmanship tournament was nothing short of a huge upset to almost everyone's expectations.
"That guy is bonkers! To even dare to meet the empire's champion in Khan Wrestling in a no-bars held fight!"
"Yeah! "What an idiot!", I thought first, but the moment he actually managed to make Goltas wince in pain and even slam him down with a throw, I knew that he can at least be a match!"
With all three of them injured, the awarding ceremony was decided to be done at the final day of the festival two days from now. At the academy's clinic, Jonathan, Goltas and Manuel talked about their fight earlier and things that they didn't have the time and place to say.
"You call that Khan wrestling? Save for not throwing closed-hand punches and kicks, there's nothing about what you did that counts as Khan wrestling."
"Yeah, yeah… I just heard and saw it from a sports magazine article about you. I just thought it is similar to Tenka Sumo or Romulusian Wrestling."
"You cur! Don't you dare compare my tribe's sport with those two!"
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry." Goltas shouted with an annoyed tone, causing Jonathan to give an apology.
"How about me, Baron? How did you come up with the plan of grabbing my blades just to keep me still?"
"That, huh? Well, do you remember Antonio Marques? The guy you fought in the united martial arts competition?"
"Ah! The guy from Cattleya. I do remember him. After all, he's the only one who lasted to the final round against me despite the injuries he sustained. What about it?"
"He said in a later interview that one of the reasons why he had so much trouble against you was because you're so nimble and your reaction time is too fast for his Cattleyan pugilism."
"Haha! He really said that? Sounds a lot like a pathetic excuse to me!" Hearing Jonathan's words, Goltas laughed loudly and gave his comment.
"He said that the only way to beat you is to use Arbis's fundamental rules to pin you down, and to end the fight before you can invalidate your fighting routine to escape from that position."
"I see… so you caught my blades and used them to pull me into a knee blow before I can escape."
"Exactly."
"Hahaha! I guess I still have room to improve. I have to create new drills for myself and the kids back home to avoid this ever happening again." Jonathan's reply gained Manuel's hearty laugh shortly before he asked them a question that has been bugging him for a while.
"By the way, why did you decide to kick out Khalil the instant the fight started?"
""Because he's f****** annoying!""
"I… can see that." Jonathan's mumbling was followed by the two's complaints about the only finalist who wouldn't receive an award.
"I hate that guy's darned attitude and guts! For the heir of such a minor feudal territory, he sure loves to rub the fact on everyone's faces! It seriously annoys me!"
"As for me, it's his prior comments about Arbis and its practitioners. The martial art has a long and verifiable history in Marl Kah's 16 original tribes that make it a genuine native fighting doctrine… and yet, that pompous b*stard keeps telling people that it originated in the lands of Malhotra and that we're nothing but frauds in comparison to them."
After Goltas and Manuel spoke about the fight and their annoyance towards Khalil, the subject of their conversation went to something more personal.
"Hey, you two… What were you planning to do with the "imperial favor"?"
"That? Well, I didn't really think about it much since I'm just a commoner fella' from the steppes who doesn't have a lot of material ambitions. Asking a favor from someone in the imperial family doesn't really matter to me… but I guess if push came to shove, I would ask for Khan Wrestling to be recognized as a legitimate martial art in the Ostadonian Imperial Games."
"The same goes to me. I'm already contented with having the Salonga royals as patrons who supports me, my family and my students, and Arbis is already a well-known martial art. I think I'll just ask the imperial family to support their athletes more since not everyone who's devoting their blood, sweat and tears to this thing is as lucky as me and Goltas here who has benefactors looking after them."
"Well said, brother! Give me a fist bump."
"Ah! Ahaha…"
Hearing the answer of the two, Jonathan showed a smile before looking out of the window where the bright sunset painted the sky orange and red.
"How about you, baron? Since you're the champion, what are you gonna ask them?"
That question by Manuel meant to be a gesture of friendliness, quickly became a memory that he'd remember for a long while… after all, the answer that Jonathan gave was one that can only come from an absolute madman.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The evening after the awarding ceremony and the end of the academy's spring festival, a carriage stopped in front of the Tenjin Imperial palace's west mansion gates. Inside of it was a young man wearing his best formal wear and a young lady dressed in a formal kimono.
"…Until when do you plan to stare at me, young master?"
"Until you become annoyed enough to shout at me."
After being hailed as the swordsman tournament's champion, one of Jonathan's rewards called an "imperial favor", was scheduled for the very same day's dinnertime. Since it's a meeting with people who belongs to Ostadonia's ruling imperial family, Jonathan and Martha are dressed to their best in order to show their respect to the imperials and their position as nobles, albeit a lower-ranking one.
"The light blue and yellow color and summer motif really suits you, Martha. I should buy you another one when the time comes."
"S-Stop teasing me already… I told you that I'm not used to attending meetings with nobles and wearing Tenka clothes." With a bashful expression, Martha retorted and complained about having to join Jonathan in the dinner meeting.
"Hey, the invitation clearly said that they'll reserve two seats. Save for me, you're the only other person at the mansion who has a noble title."
"S-Still…!"
"Ah-ah, no more buts! And as for your complaint about wearing a kimono, you should get used to trying out new things from now on."
"I-I'm not afraid of trying out new things… It's just that… Tenka kimonos are—" Martha tried to tell her reason for not liking to wear a kimono, but the end of their carriage ride cut her words off.
"We're here. Well then, Martha. Care to join me for dinner?"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
While many people call Tenjin palace as a "mountain castle", such a name is actually not accurate. In truth, the Tenka-go characters used to refer to it calls it Shiroyama (城山) or castle in a mountain, instead of Yamajiro (山城) or mountain castle.
Apparently, it was hewn out from the tallest mountain in Tenka all the way back to 6000 years ago. Using the best magisteel tools and magic spells of the time, the mountain was slowly drilled and hewn out until it formed a castle that can withstand any force thrown against it, may it be natural or man-made.
It was said that during the Harekaze Rebellion from two thousand years ago where the Shogunate was finally dissolved to give way to returning the power in Tenka back to the emperor, it was only the sheer resiliency of Tenjin palace against everything that the Shogunate forces threw at it, that allowed them to win the war in the end.
"Bougainvillea-danshaku-sama and Robinson-ojousama, we're honored to receive you in the imperial dining hall tonight." As the doors of the corridor leading to one of the palace's dining halls opened, we were welcomed by a palace court lady leading a group of younger palace servants.
"So are we, Kanjo-dono." I replied courteously, followed by Martha who isn't as used to Tenka etiquette as me, making her reply a bit hesitant. "Y-Yes, it's an honor."
The palace servants led us into a dining hall that unlike the rest of the palace, doesn't follow traditional Tenka architecture. Instead of low tables and seats where you have to sit on your legs, this dining room follows Erican aesthetics of marble tables and wooden chairs, something that is a bit more familiar to us who belong to the feudal domains.
"Danshaku-sama, Ojou-sama. Please wait here for the arrival of the imperial highnesses."
"Understood. Thank you for leading us."
After we were led to our seats, the court lady left the room and the palace servants she was leading, likely to inform the members of the imperial family who would dine with us tonight. While the servants orderly tended to their pre-assigned duties, I lifted my chair away from the table just enough so I can take my seat.
"Y-Young master…! What are you doing?!" Martha shouted through a whisper which I answered back properly.
"Hm? Taking my seat, of course."
"A-Aren't we supposed to only sit down after they come in?"
"Oh. No, no. It doesn't work like that in this setting. We are guests tonight. It's their priority to have us seated comfortably as soon as possible."
Just as I said that, a pair of palace servants who seem to be assigned to help her out specifically, approached her and talked to her… unfortunately, it seems like they only know how to speak in Tenka-go while Martha can only speak in Common Ostadonian.
"Ojou-sama, kochirae douzo."
"Ojou-sama, douzo."
"A-A-Ahh…? Eeehhh…? H-Hai. Watashi wa tamago—"
Before she can continue what I believe she is about to say in broken Tenka-go, I took over and talked to the servants in her lieu, apologizing for the misunderstanding and telling them that she isn't used to speaking the Tenka tongue. With that, they gave a respectful bow and retreated back near the room's wall where the other servants have lined to stay in attention.
"T-Thank you very much, young master…"
"You're welcome… Ms. Egg. Kuh-!"
"Khh—!"
I teased her after hearing her butcher her practiced self-introduction where she called herself an egg. I can barely contain my laughter while she does the same for her annoyance and shame.
Moments later, a loud voice announced the arrival of the members of the imperial family who chose to attend the dinner meeting with us.
"Crown Prince Akihiko Tenka and 7th Prince Toshihiko Tenka has arrived!"
As the dining hall's doors opened, Martha and I stood up to give respect to the two men who entered the room while the servants around us bowed as low as their own waist would allow, which means an almost 90-degree right angle as per Tenka tradition.
"Good evening, Baron Fenris Bougainvillea and Lady Robinson."
"Good evening too, Akihiko-mikonomikoto-sama."
"Please, Baron. Taishi would suffice."
"U-Understood, Akihiko-taishi-sama."
(T/N: Editor Key here. As you can already see, Author Rai is being very meticulous about setting the tone of the scenes, even going as far as using the nearest possible old-timey Japanese honorifics for everyone's names and positions. No sweat for you readers though, ZERO and I will do our best to make this gibberish to make sense.)
In contrast to the serious, prim and proper crown prince Akihiko, the other man who is here to meet us was the far more relaxed and casual Prince Toshihiko.
"Hey there, Baron and young lady. Been a while, ain't it?"
"Indeed, it is, your highness."
"Ehehe~! I'm glad you guys finally came around to visit lil' old me."
As for their appearances, it was almost alike although there was an age gap between the younger crown prince and the older 7th prince.
Without much more distractions, we sat down and was tended to by the servants who gave us set after set of dishes to enjoy. Some of which are from the Tenka palette while some other belong to foreign tastes.
During the meal, we talked about mundane stuff such as my victory in the academy's tournament and how things has been going back in Serafina where Martha's more updated information compared to mine made her included in the conversation. Once the meal was over though and we are having our evening tea, the topic went to a more serious tone.
"…I'll be frank with you Baron Bougainvillea. If you came here to seek the imperial family's apology for disregarding late lord Joseph's dire health condition, you won't be getting it." The crown prince spoke which made Martha gasp in surprise of his underlying hostility, but I replied with just as much subtle poison in my words.
"Fear not, Taishi-sama. I'm not here to dig up some old, dried bones. My father's death is a consequence of our own lacking means and his own personal pride. I don't believe that the imperial family or anyone in that regard, has to own up this blame."
"…You say that, yet your eyes say the opposite. I can sense that you do have someone to blame for the fate that befell your father."
"Apologies, Taishi-sama. I'm but an emotional human. I know for a fact that it isn't the case, but my feelings about my father's demise betrays that knowledge. I implore you to ignore my unsightly display of emotions."
The crown prince's eyebrows furrowed as soon as I flawlessly parried his words without even batting an eye. He wanted to elicit a reaction from me, yet it was him who broke his neutral expression first.
"If that is so, then let's hear it from you then… Tell me, Baron Bougainvillea, what do you wish from us that you went as far as taking advantage of the swordsmanship tournament's mechanics?"
"…The Forbidden Archive of Izanami-no-Mikoto."
"That—!"
"Oh? That's a name I didn't expect to hear any soon…"
After I said that, the crown prince almost stood up in shock and even prince Toshihiko who has been keeping his plastered expression broke it into a serious one.
"That's my wish. I wish to enter the library of Tenjin palace's dungeon."
"…For what reason?" Prince Toshihiko asked, his mouth turning to an interested grin.
"I'm trying to find a book which is believed to be kept there."
"Wherever you heard that, it's not true. Look elsewhere." Without missing a beat, the crown prince replied, turning down my request as soon as possible.
"Oh? Is that so? As much as I wish to trust you wise words, Taishi-sama, I'm inclined to believe the person who pointed me there more than you."
"That book… that name—!" the crown prince's jaw almost dropped to the floor after I took out an old book with a name on its cover that I was keeping in my coat pocket. "You cur! How dare you bring that mongrel's name—!"
"Dameru, jakutei!" (Shut it, younger brother!)
"S-Shikashi, Aniki—" (But, elder brother—)
"Dameru! Onegai, Kuchinichakku!" (Enough! Please, shut up already!)
After their short exchange in Tenka-go which I almost barely understood, the crown prince sat down and gave way for the older prince Toshihiko to address my request.
"I apologize for that, honored baron. Since you came here with that book, I assume that you already have a gist of what happened between our imperial family and the late imperial duke Gerald Bougainvillea."
"I do. This unfinished and unpublished autobiography recorded much of his daily life and personal thoughts… until this part where the pages seem to have been forcefully ripped out of the bindings. The only clue that I got was this small, faded note that he made at the back of the rear cover where he said that the missing pages are located in the imperial palace's dungeon library."
As I showed that note, the serious expression of prince Toshihiko took another shade of suspicion as he seems to contemplate Jonathan's true intention by making this request. "What do you intend to do if you get hold of these missing pages?"
"It depends on what I see there. From what I've read so far, my ancestor was nothing short of a loyal and capable subject who served his nation as both warrior and diplomat… which begs the question, why was it that everything that he rightfully worked for was taken from his hands and his great legacy tainted by unjust slander and buried by the passage of time?"
"…Even I am not in the right position to answer that, baron. The answer that you seek may very well be hidden in the forbidden library, but as you can already surmise, I cannot give you that thing which you seek."
"Care to give me a reason why?"
"You've done far too little to earn that privilege. Not only are you a newly established noble leading a branch family, but you've also earned the enmity of the imperial senate and are currently being subjected to their assigned punishment."
"Very well then, let me give my deal."
"Deal?"
As I said that, I gestured my hand towards Martha who took out a folder from her kimono's sleeve pocket. I then raised it to my right-hand side, asking the palace servant assigned to me to hand it to prince Toshihiko.
"What is that, elder brother? Wait, those are—!"
"Hmph… Somehow, I feel like your request to be allowed into the forbidden library was just a ruse. In truth, this was your actual request."
"Feel free to think about it as you wish, your highness. All that I'm concerned about is whether you'd accept this counteroffer or not."
The contents of the folder are a concise yet highly detailed report on the current war in Silesia, the larger conflict where the war in Irma Island is just a minor part of. Normally, only the imperial army's higher-ups or assigned leaders in the senate or nobility would be in the know about this, much to the shock that the crown prince expressed.
"If I remember right, you've been suspended from military participation for the next three months."
"That's exactly why I've given this to you, prince Toshihiko."
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
"If the silver-tongue that convinced the imperial senate and Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress to recognize prince Akihiko as crown prince can achieve that, I have little to no doubt that it can invalidate that stipulation in my punishment."
No one in my position would have the balls to say what I just said, but I knew that this is the only way to hammer my point to this man who can actually achieve it.
"And what makes you think that I'd do that? As I said, you're but a mere baron with little influence and capability in the world of the nobility."
"Because I know the truth about Ostadonia's current circumstances…"
"The truth?"
What I said after that sealed my fate, yet I have no fear in my heart and mind…
"If the Empire of Tenka wishes to remain as the ruling imperial government and avoid its downfall, the unending skirmishes in Silesia has to end once and for all… and right now, I'm in the unique position of being capable of doing that with as little repercussions to your side."
"I see… Heh. You sure are a sharp one, baron."
…After all, this was what I wanted all along.
"I'll end the war in Silesia. Thus, I need you to approve my request to become a militant noble house."