Water Magician

Editor: Tseirp

That night.

At the residence of Fourth Imperial Prince Bin, outside the Forbidden Palace.

"Who's there?!"

Sensing a presence in the corner of the room, Imperial Prince Bin called out.

"It's been a while."

A woman's voice answered.

"You…"

Prince Bin recognized the voice.

Nor had he ever seen her face.

Because she always wore a mask…

That night as well, the woman emerging from the shadows was dressed in a black robe and wearing a black mask.

Robes like that were rare in Darwei and its surrounding nations.

Which only confirmed to Prince Bin that she was the same person as before.

The last time they met had been the day after Prince Ryun and Princess Shio Fen's wedding banquet.

Yes, there had been an incident at the banquet, one that should have killed Prince Ryun, dragging him into the chaos, but he survived.

Several moves in that plot had been arranged by Lin Sui, Prince Bin's right-hand man.

The chaos occurred, and attackers came for Prince Ryun…but they failed.

"So you lot turned out to be from the Choouchi Empire, or whatever it's called."

"That's not quite accurate…but it's meaningless to explain the details."

"Hmph."

Prince Bin brushed off the masked woman's words with irritation.

But her next words struck him like a thunderbolt.

"It's been decided. Sixth Prince Ryun will be conferred the title of Imperial Prince."

"What!"

Prince Bin literally leapt to his feet.

What he had feared had come to pass.

"I told them! I warned them that Ryun was dangerous! But my brothers refused to listen…"

His shock turned to anger as Prince Bin spat out his words.

"No… or could it be they understood everything and are trying to have Ryun and me destroy each other? It's possible. All of them are contenders for the throne… they'd be happy if everyone else sank!"

He muttered to himself in anger.

While the black mask watched in silence.

The mask, of course, betrayed no expression.

But if one could have seen the face beneath it, a wicked smile would have been there.

"This is bad. I have to do something."

Prince Bin's thoughts turned toward dealing with Prince Ryun.

"Hey, Black Mask."

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"I'm commissioning you again to eliminate Ryun."

It was a command, spoken as if to a subordinate.

Prince Bin considered her beneath him.

However…

"I apologize. At present, I do not have the forces necessary to take on such a task."

"What did you say?!"

The Black Mask refused him with calm finality,

causing Prince Bin to explode with rage.

He saw her as beneath him,

but to the Black Mask, it was laughable.

The previous attack had been accepted only because it aligned with her interests.

There was no benefit in accepting this request now, so she had no intention of taking it.

"Useless!"

Prince Bin spat.

Even then, the Black Mask did not grow angry.

If anything, she was laughing silently beneath the mask.

That laugh meant: So this is what passes for one of the successors? How pitiful.

Even so, the Black Mask thought it would be interesting to stir the pot further, to push the princes toward conflict.

So she made a suggestion.

"Your Highness, the Imperial Capital is filled with expendable forces you could use, is it not?"

"What? My army…? I can't use the Bin Household Army. If they attack Ryun, I'd be stripped of my title as Imperial Prince."

Prince Bin responded.

The Black Mask sneered beneath her mask.

(Does this fool really think of his own army as expendable? I knew he was foolish, but this is beyond foolish.)

"Your Highness, I was referring to the adventurers."

"Adventurers? Ah…I see."

His reaction was slower than she had expected.

It was clear that adventurers had never crossed Prince Bin's mind before.

"Second Prince, Third Prince—both make good use of adventurers."

"I see… Adventurers, then."

Prince Bin nodded once and raised his voice.

"Lin Sui! Lin Sui, where are you?!"

He was calling for his right-hand man.

By the time Lin Sui entered the room, the Black Mask had already disappeared.

At the Ryusen Residence.

"Taoran, reporting back."

"Well done."

The black-robed woman knelt before Crown Prince Berke, reporting.

In her hand, she held her black mask.

That face…was the same as one of the envoys who had accompanied Crown Prince Berke to the palace.

"How did it go?"

"Yes. I successfully stirred him up."

"I see."

Berke nodded with a smile at Taoran's report.

"Adventurers are not a force to be underestimated when it comes to defending a nation. Even if they hate the elite or the royals, they will lend their strength when the country is in danger. The best time to thin their numbers…is now."

This muttered remark was heard only by Taoran, bowing before him.

"Don't they have catering around here?"

"Cate…what?"

Ryo dropped an incomprehensible word, and Abel tilted his head.

It was the usual scene.

"It's a wonderful service where restaurants deliver food to you while you're lazing around at home. So you don't have to go out or cook for yourself."

"If you pay extra, wouldn't any place do that for you?"

"Huh?"

"If you pay enough, they'd come to your house and cook it for you, wouldn't they?"

"I'm not talking about rich people's indulgences!"

Abel replied matter-of-factly, while Ryo indignantly insisted he was talking about a service for ordinary people.

To be fair, even on Earth, some people would pay hundreds of thousands of yen to have top chefs come and prepare meals for them for parties.

But that wasn't what Ryo was talking about.

He meant an everyday service for the general public… perhaps slightly expensive, but within reach.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just go out and eat? Besides, if they deliver, it'll get cold, won't it? The taste and aroma will change. It's best to eat freshly made food on the spot."

"Well, you're right, but that's not the point! Busy people don't even have time to go out. You were like that too, weren't you, Abel?"

"Me? Was I?"

"When you were a king, didn't you have your meals brought to your room? That's catering!"

"Ah, I see… that's what it is…"

Abel finally understood and nodded.

"But I still preferred eating freshly made food…"

"Well, I can't deny that…"

There are many busy people in this world.

As they chatted, they were eating boxed lunches in their residence.

The lunches had been sent over by their neighbors, Prince Ryun and Princess Shio Fen.

Originally, Prince Ryun was supposed to come over and eat with them… but he had been suddenly summoned to the palace, so only the lunches were delivered.

"Prince Ryun was supposed to come over and talk, but… it's probably about that, right?"

"Well, at this timing, it's only natural to think it's about his new Imperial Prince title."

Abel nodded in response to Ryo's question.

Given the timing, it was hard to imagine it being about anything else.

"What if he asks us for a request?"

"A request?"

"To assassinate the other three Imperial Princes."

"Why would he…?"

Ryo said it with a mischievous grin… no, it was outright malicious.

Abel shook his head in exasperation.

"Ryo, you're practically a state guest here. Why would he ask someone like you for an assassination job?"

"But we're adventurers too, you know? We took that escort request from Count Von Debout of Matan as adventurers… We even have a record of taking requests from the Shitaifu class."

"Well, yes, but… Even so, knowing your status as Duke Rondo, they wouldn't give you an adventurer request. And even if they did, it wouldn't be an assassination request."

"I guess. But wouldn't 'The Assassin Duke' sound cool? I feel like there's a story in there somewhere."

For some reason, Ryo looked pleased with himself,

Muttering things like 'Assassinations involving dukes happen, but flip the words around and it sounds cool' and 'There might have been an Assassin Duke in history'…

Abel let out a small sigh and spoke heavily.

"A nation can't be sustained through assassination."

"Ugh…what a solid argument."

The reason they were staying in all day wasn't just because of Prince Ryun.

They were expecting something to arrive from the palace in the afternoon.

A reward from Emperor Tsuin for the capture of General Yun.

They had stayed home to receive it…

Though they had no idea what it would be.

"We've already received splendid Darwei clothes, after all."

The day after returning from the suppression, both Ryo and Abel had been gifted stylish Eastern-style attire.

"But apparently that wasn't nearly enough."

"Indeed. I'm curious."

They had forgotten about it while eating, but now that they remembered, Ryo began fidgeting in anticipation.

After a while…

"It's here!"

Before anyone could announce it, Ryo, having detected it with , dashed toward the gate.

"So unnecessarily quick."

Abel chuckled wryly as he walked toward the gate.

At the same moment Abel arrived, the imperial envoy arrived as well.

They recognized him— though they didn't know his name.

"Uh…you're the Chief Eunuch from the Shouhoukan, right?"

"Yes, Duke Rondo."

It was the Chief Eunuch of Shouhoukan, which oversaw Chouonkaku and other facilities.

He was the man who had once scolded Workshop Chief Ron.

Leading the way, the eunuch entered the mansion grounds with an enormous cart laden with an enormous crate.

And standing beside that cart were two familiar figures.

They knew their names.

"Ron-san?"

"Yes, Duke Rondo, Albert-san."

It was indeed Workshop Chief Ron.

"Wait…don't tell me, the thing we're receiving is…"

In the garden of the mansion, the imperial edict from Emperor Tsuin was read aloud.

"The grand piano, 'Shen-Lon' No. 1, shall be bestowed."

"I knew it… it's a piano…"

Ryo exclaimed in surprise.

After reading the edict, the eunuch handed it to Ryo.

Though surprised, Ryo received it properly.

Like receiving a certificate back in school…

But then, he snapped back to reality.

"'Shen-Lon' Grand Piano?"

"Yes. We have engraved its name: 'Shen-Lon'."

"That's wonderful!"

The engraving was essentially the brand name.

While it often included the maker's name, it could be slightly modified or presented under a different moniker…

As long as it could be distinguished from others.

'Shen-Lon'…now that he thought about it, Workshop Chief Ron's full name was Ron Shen.

And on Earth, there was a country that pronounced 'Shen-Lon' as 'Shenlong' for 'Divine Dragon'.

"But…is it really okay to keep such a marvelous instrument here at the mansion?"

"Yes. It was my wish, and His Majesty graciously permitted it."

"Um…we will eventually return to our country…"

"It's fine even if you leave it here. Of course, you're welcome to take it with you as well."

Ron replied with a warm smile to Ryo's concern.

"You hear that, Abel? If we end up having to transport it, I'll be counting on you."

"No way, that's impossible."

It seemed the piano would remain here.

But until then, Ryo would be free to play it as much as he wished.

"Ah, how wonderful… Ron-san, Chief Eunuch, thank you. Please tell His Majesty that I was overjoyed."

Ryo bowed with a radiant smile.

From that day onward, there was not a single day at Duke Rondo's mansion when the sound of the piano could not be heard…

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

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