Water Magician

Editor: Tseirp

"I failed."

After Emperor Tsuin had left, Ryo muttered those words.

Abel noticed and asked.

"What's wrong? Did you say something unnecessary to the emperor?"

"No, it's not that. If I had known it would come to this, I should've brought the 'Panacea Breath: Long-Range Diffusion Type – Mercy of the Goddess'."

"Yeah, like hell you could."

The 'Long-Range Diffusion Type – Mercy of the Goddess' was an alchemy tool developed by Ryo and Viscount Kenneth Hayward. It spreads a healing spell——across an entire battlefield.

Rather than a tool, it's more of a full-on apparatus in terms of size.

"We got caught up in the djinn's magic and flung somewhere in an instant anyway… And besides, that thing's huge."

It's the size of a full carriage from the Central Countries.

"So the key is miniaturization. Something that fits in the palm of your hand…"

"From carriage-sized to palm-sized? That's a bit extreme."

Abel didn't take Ryo's muttering seriously in the slightest.

Of course, Ryo's muttering wasn't particularly serious either.

"Well, anyway, our job is to support Prince Ryun… His Majesty called us 'advisors', right? Since this is the Eastern countries, that means—"

"Means?"

"A military strategist!"

"…A what now?"

Ryo stood up excitedly, but Abel had never heard of a gunshi*. (TLN: military strategist)

Ryo turned to him, visibly shocked.

"What's that face for? I just don't know the word."

"So strategists… don't exist in the Central Countries? I mean… not as a profession or even a concept?"

"Never heard of it."

Abel tilted his head.

If even the king hasn't heard of it, then the role must not exist.

"It's someone who doesn't fight on the front lines, but advises the commander, and might even have authority to move troops. Like a civil official… but in battle."

"A civil official in battle? That sounds odd… I guess the closest we have is old man Ilarion?"

"Ilarion-sama… is different, I think."

Ilarion Baraha was always at Abel's side, using magic to convey orders to the army. He was indispensable.

But he wasn't what Ryo imagined a strategist to be.

To Ryo, a strategist was someone like Zhuge Liang or Sima Yi from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Or perhaps Zhou Yu or Lu Xun…

He remembered the strategy game Sukoku-shi that he used to play obsessively…

"Right, right—Cao Cao was too strong and good at everything… I liked him, though. Liu Bei was weak, but that made him sympathetic. Sun Quan… I never quite got him."

"Yeah, Ryo, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ryo passionately spoke about the Three Kingdoms, but it was lost on Abel.

Then Ryo had an idea.

"Abel, I need a hat and a feather fan!"

"Huh?"

"A strategist must wear a big hat, like a rolled cake, and carry a white feather fan!"

"I get the hat, but what's a feather fan?"

"A fan made by bundling together multiple feathers! Or maybe more like a flat fan?"

"A fan? A flat fan?"

Apparently, there are no fans or flat fans in the Central countries.

Come to think of it, Ryo couldn't remember seeing any either.

"Abel, let's go buy one in town right now."

Ryo may be the type who needs to start with appearances…

Meanwhile, at Prince Ryun's residence next door.

"A letter just arrived…"

Ryun's most trusted aide, Grand Chamberlain Lin Shun, brought in a single sheet of paper.

"Hm?"

Ryun opened the letter and read it.

Surprised by the content, he read it again.

"This… certainly bears His Majesty's seal…"

It was rare for Emperor Tsuin to send a letter as a single sheet of paper.

"It was personally delivered by Commander Tin of the Forbidden Army. Most likely, he had just visited Duke Rondo's residence."

"I see."

The letter asked Duke Rondo to accompany the suppression forces headed for the Moason region.

"Does this mean… the command will be given to Duke Rondo?"

"Impossible… does His Majesty not trust Prince Ryun?"

"This and the matter with the Forbidden Army—perhaps it's the work of the imperial princes?"

"Enough."

Ryun cut off his subordinates' speculations with a single word.

"His Majesty must have his own reasons. At the very least, the letter did not instruct us to halt our preparations. Pay no mind to Duke Rondo. Continue as planned."

"Yes, sir."

That was all Ryun said out loud.

But he understood.

He understood Emperor Tsuin's reasoning.

Perhaps because he had seen the wall of ice that had protected them during the palace attack.

"To protect me… in case something happens."

He shook his head slightly and murmured.

"I must prepare so that such a case never comes."

Ryo and Abel went into town in search of a feather fan and a hat.

But then encountered something far more unexpected.

"Huh? Banhu?"

"Eh? Oh, Ryo-sama, Abel-sama—it's been a while!"

They ran into Banhu, the youngest son of the Blue Jade Trading Company from the Komakyuta Principality.

"What are you doing here, Banhu? Don't tell me—you're opening a branch of Blue Jade in the imperial capital?"

"No, Ryo-sama, that would be impossible. This place is too far from our homeland. Doing consistent business here would be quite difficult."

"Yeah… asking about a branch right off the bat is one thing, but answering so plainly is also… well."

Abel murmured at their exchange.

"Abel, with that mindset, you'll never be a good merchant!"

"I wasn't planning on becoming one…"

"If your current career falls apart, you'll have to survive as a merchant! You should be training your entrepreneurial instincts while you're young."

"Uh… is that how it works…?"

Abel tilted his head. He had absolutely no intention of becoming a merchant.

"Actually, I've been sent here as a diplomatic envoy for the wedding of the Sixth Prince of Darwei."

"From your country? So large trading companies get such assignments?"

Banhu explained how he came to Darwei and what he had been doing there.

"I never imagined that Kabui Somal, the Lord Protector of the Kingdom of Suje, would be here too."

"That's pretty far away. Is their country okay…?"

"Yes. Since Queen Iliaja ascended the throne, Suje has been recovering rapidly in every field."

At that, Banhu's face lit up as if remembering something.

"Come to think of it, the book 'Abel, the Hungry Swordsman'—wasn't that written by Ryo-sama, with Abel-sama as the main character?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Even people in neighboring countries know about it…"

Banhu asked, Ryo replied proudly, and Abel muttered, shaking his head.

"Oh yes. It's reportedly the most popular book in Suje's history. It spread as Queen Iliaja's favorite read."

"Whoa!"

"You've got to be kidding…"

It was more popular than expected.

"That was my magnum opus. I want as many people as possible to read it."

Ryo said, honestly, as the author.

"Actually, our trading company is currently negotiating to publish it in the Komakyuta Principality as well…"

"What?!"

"C'mon…"

"Of course, I've read it myself. It's very entertaining…"

As Banhu shared his impressions, Ryo nodded happily.

Abel, meanwhile, listened with his mouth half-open.

"As expected of Banhu! Did you hear that, Abel? You should read it too!"

"I mean, it might be good, but… it's embarrassing when I'm the protagonist…"

"Don't worry. It's not like I wrote you as a constantly hungry, lazy swordsman or anything. You're portrayed in a way that inspires admiration… well, maybe half…or ten percent…or like, five people might admire you…"

"What the hell kind of portrayal is that…"

Abel grew increasingly worried about how he was depicted.

He decided he'd secretly read it someday.

"By the way, earlier you two seemed to be looking for something?"

Banhu remembered how they'd looked when they met.

"Right! We're searching for a white fan—a white feather fan, or flat fan. Something that can flutter and send a breeze."

"I see. Actually, I think I passed by a shop that specialized in wind-making tools earlier."

"Where is it?!"

Ryo immediately perked up at Banhu's words.

"I'll guide you."

With that, Banhu took the lead and started walking.

TLN: Please read my translations at tseirptranslations.com, I did not give permission to any site to host my translations.

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