75 – Climbing-10
“Is this your first time visiting the Imperial Palace? Do you like it?”
“Nice.”
There was no place that was not splendid.
Where a little bit of yellow was needed, it was decorated with gold without fail, and marble and silver created a harmonious white beauty.
When I heard that I had to wear new armor, I thought it was unusual, but it seemed that the original armor did not match this beautiful design.
“Among many men, only a few can enter the imperial palace. You can consider it honorable.”
“I see…”
Well, it’s not like you have to do something different than usual. I wasn’t here alone, there were a few familiar healers and wizards in the middle.
What was surprising was that Daisy was following me with a very nervous face.
She must be doing that because she knows better than me what it means to visit the imperial palace.
“Has the guest arrived?”
“He’s waiting for you at the residence. After a meal and a brief meeting, you’ll have sparring in a simple gladiator arena.”
“What about the opponent?”
“I picked a decent person among the knights of the imperial family. Nothing unpleasant will happen, so don’t worry.”
Actually, it wasn’t that I was worried about ‘unsavory things’.
If such a thing happens in this world, it would be all it takes to open your eyes and look at me.
It was less than Selam, but in a different sense, the etiquette was strict.
What makes me more uncomfortable than the strict etiquette is that no one told me about the etiquette I had to abide by.
“…Really, it’s okay to go out like this, right? If we talk, there might be eye contact or a mix of words…”
“About that, don’t worry. If you do anything rude or make inappropriate contact, the imperial guards will give you a stern warning.”
There was no concept itself that a man should be polite. He did that even though he was dealing with important matters of the country.
“Just do as much as you are doing to us now. Even if there are royal etiquette, you are not officially in the imperial family… You are a man. It’s okay to act comfortably.”
“I don’t even know the face of the god of death…”
“It’s okay as long as you don’t behave rudely in general.”
Rather, it seemed that it would be more comfortable if the instructions were strict.
Do this, never do this. Since there is a cultural difference, you should not say such words or show such an attitude in the imperial palace.
It hadn’t been long since I fell into this world, and I was completely ignorant of the culture of the imperial family, if not the culture of gladiators.
There was nothing strange about making any mistakes.
“Common sense, it’s not like there are people who racially discriminate against envoys from other countries or hit them because they feel bad. Rather-“
“I would appreciate it if you could refrain from that.”
The royal maid’s expression changed very slightly, coldly.
“…Was there?”
“It’s difficult for me to tell you the details… I’m sincerely sorry.”
It was absurd, but if I thought the opposite, I could put my mind at ease.
Well, maybe I’m thinking too much.
If you listen to the story, it is said that the northern part is quite barren and rough.
Perhaps the strength of the men there might be much stronger than mine.
There is still some time left, so you should have time to catch your breath.
The moment I thought that, there was a knight rushing this way. For some reason, I felt an ominous feeling.
“I’m sorry! I know it’s rude, but could you move up the schedule a little bit?”
“…Why?”
“The envoy of the north seems to have high expectations for this sword fight.”
“Yes?”
“Before the meal and talks, he said that he would like to see Evan’s sword fight first. If possible, have a lunch together…”
I didn’t expect it to be this much, but unexpectedly, it seemed like they had high expectations for me.
I’m not that great of a person, but I felt a little awkward.
“Please decline.”
Before she could say anything, the maid coldly cut off her knight.
“It shouldn’t be possible to change the schedule at will, luncheon? That’s not even a word. At the moment, what do you think of a man from the Empire…”
I don’t think it was something to get angry about, but she was getting more angry than I thought.
“I don’t think the northern princess was such an inconsiderate person…”
“Two people came. The one who came last time was the princess, and the one who made the request was the second…”
“It’s time to be in high spirits. Anyway, if you can’t, you can’t.”
“That’s…”
“In the first place, these absurd words shouldn’t have entered Evan’s ears!
She shook her head as if she was embarrassed to live here, then cautiously opened her mouth.
“Iris… The princess delivers.”
The maid’s speech choked her jaw. There was a moment of silence for her, and then she spoke softly.
“Could you forgive my rudeness?”
“It’s all natural. But there’s no time to be like this. She seems to have said that Her Majesty the Princess would ask for it…”
The maid’s crumpled impression was not easily straightened. She let out a deep sigh and bowed her head deeply, looking at me.
“Now that it’s like this, I think I have to ask you an overly rude favor. Evan. Would you mind?”
“Well, it’s me… It doesn’t matter.”
“Thank you. For this dedication, the imperial family will greatly repay you.”
She thought it was nothing to do, but she was looking at me with her eyes that said she felt sorry beyond her sorry.
However, what I have to do has not changed. I followed the maid and walked towards her simple gladiator arena.
/////
“Evan… Allowed it.”
“I’m glad.”
Called a princess from another country, she is a northern woman.
The men of Selam were thirsty for status and noble lineage, but no one wanted to meet the royal family of the north, no matter how much they were.
No matter how noble the status of the other person, when meeting such a high-ranking person, even a man must observe the minimum manners.
It is okay to have another lover locally, but it was impossible to separate at all unless there was a serious fault on the woman’s part.
In other words, it meant that the man married to the princess of the north had to go to the north.
In the southern kingdom, there is nothing that interferes with daily life, even if the dignity is a bit lacking.
In terms of wealth alone, there was no small possibility that it would be better than meeting the middle-aged aristocrat of the empire.
However, the North is different. It was a place where most people lived a nomadic life, and it was a periphery that was poor enough to make men tremble in terms of supplies and safety.
“Is it okay if I don’t meet you in person? Even if you say that, what kind of heart do you have inside…”
“Considering Logan, that is impossible. I also want to apologize directly, but I can’t.”
From noble mtl dot com
Accepting the luncheon request, accepting the violent behavior of the god of death. After all, it was all because of Iris, no, Logan’s fault.
Once a weakness was identified, there was no choice but to accept the request of the other party.
“…What if Evan gets angry?”
“It won’t happen. Don’t worry.”
Even as he spoke, Iris was acutely aware of what an ugly person he was.
Even the statement, ‘I had no choice but to accept it’, made no sense if you looked closely at it.
She would have been able to refuse such a request if she had given up the national interest of the empire, or at least accepted the reduction of her powers.
However, she chose to sell her Evan for her own profit.
He wouldn’t have liked it either. She was the one who didn’t show much interest in women, so she couldn’t be happy about things that had nothing to do with sword fighting.
But she sold him. There was no other reason. It’s just that she forced him to do nasty things, believing that he could be patient for as long as he could.
I was thinking that Evan would be useful. But useful doesn’t mean you can use it just about anything.
She did nothing to him. She used to doubt him unnecessarily, and never helped him when he went through unpleasant things.
“To him, it’s caused too much trouble.”
Iris’ expression darkened. Even Logan, to whom she had poured so much attention and love, would not have listened to this request.
I didn’t give you anything, but I received too much. A heavy feeling of debt pressed against her chest.
“Next time… I’ll give you a prize for your achievements.”
However, even the woman who said it knew that it was unrealistic.
In the first place, what could soften his heart?
He was a gladiator, and he was not someone who could negotiate with wealth and honor.
Even if you give him a chance to meet a nice girl, he won’t bat an eye.
“Haa…”
Iris’ sigh deepened. However, she couldn’t waste time.
“I’m leaving. I have to greet the distinguished guests.”
“Follow me. I will guide you.”
With her glum face, Iris prepared to greet her reaper from the north.