Volume 1 Chapter 16 Meeting His Royal Highness The King's Younger Brother
──Tenhou's Perspective──
A few days after the Seirei incident.
I was going to visit Ryougen-kun's mansion with my father and Seirei.
This was to thank him for his help and to apologize for my rudeness.
We took a carriage for the visit.
The driver was Hakuyou. In the seats were my father, Seirei, and me.
Behind the carriage, there were people carrying gifts.
There were only a few of them. This seemed to be on the smaller side.
When it comes to nobles, there can be over a hundred people in line. They show respect to the other party by having a large number of people and gifts.
Noble socializing is tough...
"Look over there. That is His Royal Highness the King's younger brother's mansion."
"It looks like a castle."
"...I'm surprised."
Soon, we could see a building surrounded by high walls.
There was a large gate in front, and a few guards were standing there. Beyond the gate, there was a watchtower. Soldiers were stationed there too.
It really felt like a mansion of a high-ranking noble.
I could see a tall building beyond the walls.
According to my father, it's called 'Moon-Watching Tower (Bougetsurou).'
It's a platform for moon viewing, and if you climb it, you can see the town of Hokurin.
Surrounding the mansion were the homes of Ryougen-kun's subordinates and guests.
The guest of Ryougen-kun, which means the people who serve him, have various talents.
Raikou-sensei is one of them. In the game world, she was Ryougen-kun's bodyguard.
"Both of you, get off the carriage. Make sure not to offend His Royal Highness the King's younger brother."
"Yes, Father."
"I-I understand."
We got off the carriage just before the gate and walked towards it with Father leading the way.
It seems the arrangements had already been made. When Father introduced himself, the gate slowly opened.
On the other side of the gate was a square with cobblestones.
Guards were standing on both sides of the path, and various people were gathered around.
Some were practicing martial arts, while others were playing Go. Next to someone reciting poetry, there was a discussion about different ethnic groups. All of them seemed to be guests of Ryougen-kun.
We made our way through the crowd and continued forward.
We entered the building, passing between red-painted pillars, and went into the inner room.
In that inner room, Ryougen-kun was waiting for us.
Even though he was a high-ranking noble, his clothes didn't look that fancy.
I had heard that royal family members liked shiny decorations, but he seemed different.
Now that I think about it, there weren't any luxurious furnishings or decorations in the mansion.
I remembered Ryougen-kun's lines from the game.
He said, "Those wasteful scoundrels. Money should be used to nurture talent."
It seems he uses his funds not for luxury items, but to support talented people.
The origin of 'Ryougen-kun' comes from the fact that he helped rebuild towns and villages that were burned down in war――he became Ryougen.
He is the younger brother of the king and the prime minister. A master of diplomacy, he is well-respected and has a strong character.
That makes him the number 2 in Aika Country.
The king's younger brother, Ryougen-kun――his real name is Ai Hakusho.
"Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother, I hope you are in good spirits."
Father knelt on the floor.
I and Seirei did the same.
"Thank you for giving us the opportunity to meet today. I am Kou Eishin, along with my child, Kou Tenhou, and my adopted daughter, Ryuu Seirei It is an honor to greet Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother."
"No need for such formal greetings, Kou Eishin-dono."
Ryougen-kun stood up and approached Father.
Then, as if they were colleagues, he patted Father on the shoulder.
"We are both servants of the royal family. Besides, this is a private meeting. There's no need to kneel."
"I apologize."
Father trembled slightly, feeling up embarrassed.
When he looked with permission, Ryougen-kun was looking at us with a gentle expression.
This person was... an enemy of Kou Tenhou in the game.
Now he is on our side, but I can't let my guard down. I need to be careful.
"Recently, I heard that while Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother was exploring the town, my son acted disrespectfully."
Father's greeting continued.
"Disrespect towards Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother is unacceptable for a subject. I have come today to apologize. Also, I have heard that one of Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother's subordinates helped Tenhou and Seirei in a difficult situation. I wanted to express my gratitude for that as well. Please accept this gift."
"I accept your apology and thanks. That is enough."
"...What?"
"I have heard the situation from your son. He was looking for his kidnapped sister."
Ryougen-kun rested his chin on his hand and nodded as if he understood.
"That day, the town was crowded because of the festival. So, it was a reasonable decision to call out to me while I was in the carriage to search for his sister. The Kou family has a wise son."
"Oh, I am honored."
"Kou Tenhou-dono."
Ryougen-kun's narrow eyes looked at me.
"I would like to congratulate you on your sister's safe return."
"Thanks to Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother."
"And I have heard about your wish. You wanted to become a disciple of the martial artist Raikou, right?"
──Here it comes.
I knelt down, took a deep breath, and answered.
"Yes. If possible, I would love to."
"May I ask why?"
"I'm naturally weak in 'ki' energy, so I couldn't learn martial arts."
I slowly choose my words.
"Recently, I've gained a little 'ki' energy, but even so, I can't compete with those who have formally studied martial arts. I realized this when my sister Seirei was kidnapped. I was able to resist the thugs, but I couldn't eliminate them."
"Go on."
"After that, I was captivated by Raikou-sensei's movements when she came to help. It was as if she had no weight, running on walls and soaring through the air. I thought that if I could learn such light skills and footwork, even someone like me who can't fight might be able to escape from enemies."
"Is that all you plan to do, run away?"
"No. When I run away, my family will be with me."
I answer.
"I want to protect my family in danger and escape together. Or, I could confuse the enemies with movements like Raikou-sensei's to buy time for my family to escape. That's why I want to become her disciple."
"I understand."
With a soft sound, Ryougen-kun moves toward Seirei.
"Ryuu Family's eldest daughter, Ryuu Seirei."
"Y-yes! Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother!"
"To help you, your brother asked me for a favor. I lent him a hand. As a result, you are here now. Do you understand?"
"Yes!"
"On that note, your brother has asked me for a favor. I want to grant his wish to protect his family, but in return, you will have to endure some things."
"...Y-yes."
"It's a simple thing. Your brother will do the job I requested. You must accept that he will struggle for your sake. Can you do that?"
"────!?"
I could tell that Seirei gasped.
Ryougen-kun was looking down at me and Seirei with a serious expression.
"Kou Tenhou used the name 'General Skybear' to ask me about your clues. That's fine. It's because a child's life is at stake. Of course, I will help to save the family of my fellow 'General Skybear.'."
Ryougen-kun said in a stern tone,
"However, my guest's wish to become a disciple is a personal desire of Kou Tenhou. I can't grant it unconditionally. To fulfill a wish, there must be a price. He must work for Aika Country using the skills he learns in exchange for martial arts training."
"Y-yes."
"What can you do for him?"
"...I will do everything I can to help Brother Tenhou."
Seirei answered in a trembling voice.
"I will do anything I can. I will think about what will help Brother... because my life feels like it was given to me by Tenhou."
"I see, understood."
Ryougen-kun nodded.
"I remember the look on your face when Kou Tenhou asked about your whereabouts. It was as if his life depended on it. I could tell he truly care about you."
"...Y-yes. My brother is that kind of person..."
"I wanted to confirm how you feel about your brother."
"I will ask Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother."
Suddenly, my father spoke up.
"Do Your Royal Highness intend to give Tenhou some kind of task?"
"Let me explain clearly. Kou Tenhou and Ryuu Seirei, please sit down."
When Ryougen-kun said that, the house servants around us silently offered chairs.
Overwhelmed by their perfectly synchronized movements, we took our seats.
"I will ask Kou Tenhou. Do you remember the boy who was with you when Raikou helped you?"
"I remember. It was Sui Kaou-sama."
"He is also Raikou's disciple. For me, he is a subordinate's disciple."
Ryougen-kun said.
"He will also have a 'role' to fulfill from now on. As the younger brother of the king, it is my duty to serve the country. The martial arts I learn from my guests must be used for Aika Country. You will be the same, Kou Tenhou. After you learn a certain level of martial arts, you will have to fulfill the role I request of you. Is that clear?"
"Yes. I understand. Please let me do the work."
"...You are quick to respond."
Ryougen-kun's eyes widened.
It must have been an unexpected reaction.
But there's no choice here.
The 'Kou Tenhou death flag' could drop anywhere.
To survive when it matters, I need the escape skill 'Four Divine Steps.'
I can't miss the chance to learn that.
"Younger kids sure are bold. Don't they worry about what kind of role they'll be given?"
"I can't believe the famous Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother would give me an unreasonable tasks."
"Famous? So you're judging based on rumors?"
"The fact that my father... no, 'General Skybear' is here is one reason."
"Go on."
"I thought the 'role' Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother mentioned is related to my father's duties."
Ryougen-kun is looking at me with eyes that seem to peer deep into others.
It feels like he's measuring whether I'm worthy of hearing his wishes.
As I thought... this person is scary.
"My father spends half the year at the northern fortress to protect the borders from other tribes. If it's a role that would satisfy him, it's probably in the north――"
"That's enough."
Ryougen-kun raised his hand, stopping my words.
He had a satisfied smile and then looked at my father.
"Indeed, it seems the Kou family has raised good children."
"That's too kind of you."
"Kou Kairyou, the successor of 'General Skybear.' The wise and brave younger brother, Kou Tenhou. With the two of them, the Kou family should be safe. What a pity. I wish my older brother had children like them..."
"Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother?"
"No, that was a slip of the tongue. Please forget it."
Ryougen-kun clapped his hands to change the mood.
"I would like to ask 'General Skybear' if I may entrust my guest to your daughter."
"If Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother recognizes Tenhou, then I have nothing to say."
Father stood up and clasped his hands.
"Please take care of my son, Your Royal Highness."
"Understood. Now, Kou Tenhou."
"Yes, Your Royal Highness the King's younger brother."
"I will guide you to another room. I need to properly introduce you to Raikou and Suikaou."
After saying that, Ryougen-kun looked at Father and Seirei.
"Kou Eishin and your sister have the banquet prepared. I want to deepen my friendship with Kou Eishin during this opportunity. Ah, Ryuu Seirei. There's no need to look worried. I will take full responsibility and return your brother to you. I promise, with the great name of Ryougen-kun."
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