Chapter 34: Settling down

I return to the office after putting Andromalius to bed. Walking through the ripped-out door...having the door ripped again raises my anxiety. So I won't have a door at my door office if this continues.

I return with the stack of paper locks inside the desk's drawer. I see that it's been partially organized, with the most fluent writing ones to the most blurred ones. Let's start with the ones that are blurred.

"Lord Andromalius, please accept-" The butler stands in front of the office door, surprised to see it ripped open, as any normal person would be. Examine the door; he may have overlooked the surroundings.

He keeps setting the tray of food down. "Well, your Majesty would be enraged if he saw this-." I cough to alert him to his obliviousness. “Ahem.”

"Speaking of the devil. Why does  your majesty still awake at this hour?" Jolting behind the butler, he nearly trips over the tray of food. His clumsiness gives a positive impact on what I'm about to face.

"Well, I'm going to spend some time catching up on these past events. " I'm sorting through the stack of papers," I explain. "Are those sandwiches?" I ask. The butler's approach with the sliver tray, the content appears to include a ham sandwich and some milky soup from the previous meal. I'm too hungry to eat dinner, so this will suffice as a supplement.

"The northern lord has requested that I bring these late-night snacks. Would you rather savor this, your Majesty?" The butler inquires about turning.

"I'd prefer sweet brioche, but these will do. Thank you very much." He walks away without saying anything else. I guess he still believes Ragnorr will return, so he can't stay for the abuse.

The sandwich retains its savory flavor, with the meat of the winter boar being thick enough to not be finished in one bite. The soup appears to be an onion soup with a rich cream flavor; however, the onion tastes quite sweet, and the tangy cheese left a slimy texture, making it less enjoyable at night.

I was dissatisfied after finishing the meal. It didn't completely satisfy my hunger, but it was still somewhat enjoyable. The moon's presence is missed in the night sky; it hasn't been a new moon in a long time, and it isn't yet time for its waxing phase.

The handwritten letter from...a distant relative of the previous king? is the first item in the request pile. For those words claiming my heinous act of usurping the throne. Why would I bother reading this if it is nothing more than a complaint letter with inconclusive evidence? This should be thrown away.

The second appears to be more promising, coming from a more humble background as a descendant of a deserter. She aspires to be a soldier in order to restore her family's tarnished honor. This one looks promising and will be added to the "purposeful employment" piles.

…

I'll have some time to sort through the more informative ones after I finish the blurred ones. Despite their small number, they are quite stuffed. As I go through them, I notice that some of them have royal prints on them. I need to complete them before the half-moon. I'm so tired that I can't remember how long I've been in here.

Dawn breaks with an irritating light shining through the open front door. It would be wise to stop sorting before my health deteriorates. I'm sure some black tea will help with the tiredness. Someone walks into the office with light steps.

"Well, you've gotten up early. I don't think so after last night." Ragnorr appears, holding a cup of tea. Unlike yesterday's horrified appearance, he is only better in appearance. However, I doubt his mind would be in the same state as before.

"You're the one who needs to speak. After you fainted, I have to carry two bodies nearly twice my size." I take a tired step away from the chair. While squirming, I forget to adjust myself before others. So a quick fix for 'illusio' wouldn't be too much to ask.

"I thought I was going to die as a result of the impact. How did you escape the poison unscathed? Do you immune to everything?" Ragnorr wails in annoyance. Seeing the battle for himself, irritated him greatly. But, after all, it's his fault for speculating so much. Even in the previous one, I transport Kryos to another location so that he is not affected by Andromalius's poison.

"No, sir Andromalius' poison continues to disrupt my mana circuit. It took some time to untangle them." I explain while displaying my fallacious pluses. Ragnorr takes a deep breath of relief after seeing my wounds. I admit it's a twisted way of looking at things, but finding a weakness in an unkillable monster is like discovering a world-ending countermeasure.

Ragnorr notices my discarded piles of requests as he looks around the room. Some of them are still useful, but they are not conducive to the growth of Saudade. I intend to reject them outright, but just in case, I'll ask Ragnorr if he's ever interested in taking them.

"These papers are true unruly, have you been reading these? Have you slept at all, Mikhail?" Ragnorr shakes his head in defeat, noticing how they are out of order in terms of both name and time of distribution.

"Another night wouldn't make my wasted mind any worse. Here are some requests that I thought would make good supporters for you." I lie some white ones because they aren't untrue and are suitable for disputing the untrustworthy state of my self-preservation.

Ragnorr takes over the reading. I can't help but squirm in response to the aching pain. Going to the cupboard, I notice that there are still black tea leaves left over from yesterday's chai making. Drinking them on their own wouldn't be so bad, but I still prefer to keep the dandelion ones to be restocked.

"These are researching funds exchange for serving. Why are you giving these to me? If you accept them as subjects, they would be good assessments." Ragnorr was sorting the discarded items into two piles without looking at me. I suppose even goodwill has standards for whether or not to accept them.

"We were discussing forming an alliance, Ragnorr? So I want to do my part to help your ruling flourish firsthand. I am still on the right path with my ambition." I briefly explain how I want Ragnorr's castle to keep experimenting with magical theories while I and the nobles who will serve under him provide the necessary equipment, catalyst, and ingredients.

Pouring out a cup of tea for myself while taking the other to Ragnorr, I reassure myself of how yet I stray from the duties and purpose of this well-earned freedom. The refreshing smell of the dried tea depleted into the hot water, so the smoke screen fades one’s mind clear of doubts.

"You can revalue them before returning to your castle. I'll go check on Sir Andromalius." I walk outside with the teacup in my hand, breathing the repulsive morning air. Nowadays, with less important tasks to complete, the palace servants appear to enjoy themselves in both the crowded and relaxing environment.

The guards and troops, on the other hand, wear such solemn expressions. Carrying out days without alcohol or the comfort of heavy meals, I approach them for correction.

"What's with the startled expressions? Has something happened of late?" I get such a fleeting glimpse of them when I ask. They appear to be deliberately avoiding me.

"Your Majesty...," one guard says tremblingly. " We are currently investigating a massive attack that occurred last night. The training ground was badly damaged, so we're looking for." because they're afraid of being held accountable for misconduct that I know all too well is my fault. It's almost embarrassing to admit what happened yesterday.

"I am the culprit. I was having a heated spar with the northern lord." I say with a chuckle that they find it amusing enough to relieve the tension in their minds.

"A spar!? Your Majesty, I understand. Let me inform Lord Advisor." One more step out to complete a report for the advisor. How terrifying... After this destruction is over, I'm going to get an earful.

Walking down the empty hall to the bedroom I rarely visit after that. I hope Andromalius has been recovering well; he can take a few days off if he so desires. I just hope he survives this.

When I open the door, it's strangely empty. The blueblood stain is still on the bed where his body was placed, mixed with the freezing cold of frostbites. He hasn't gone in a long time because the room still reeks of poison. A voice can be heard from behind the closed door.

"Your Majesty, I have come to replace...to serve as your protector." The voice carries an unfathomable sadness. it must have been Shin, the most anxious of the three descendants. Is it because there isn't an ounce of grief in the last look that Andromalius was just so badly wounded?

"When did he come back, Shin?" I condemningly inquire. After all, the virtue of a doctor should not prevent the patient's fate from being so uncertain. I was able to fully heal him, but I have waited this long because something in me has allowed his critical condition to be discovered poorly, was it the leftover bloodlust from last night?

“Akan collected milord per his request last night before the moon faded away in the sky," Shin speaks of his own volition; I believe he is either attempting to explain the guiltlessness of Andromalius's sudden retreat or is dissatisfied with how I treat Andromalius... Last night was rough for him, even for one of Ars Goetia's demons.

"Milord had numerous wounds...Although they are still healing, Milord stated that he will be unable to perform his duty," Shin explains while keeping his voice rather low. The situation does not appear to be life-threatening, but he finds himself quite depressed and embarks on an erroneous training path.

Assuming he visits the snow mountain next week, I will allow it. Because it is only the eleventh moon, there will be very little danger from the north wind. Otherwise, I'll have to pick him up before the new year.

"After all, it was my fault. I'm the one who caused them." I guess I am no better than Pa in terms of treating others if I blame myself for those setbacks.

"Milord has asked me not to mention them here yet here I speak out of line...I'm sorry, your Majesty." Shin sounds apologetic and tearful as he cries; I must have put him in a difficult position by beating myself up like this.

"It's not your fault. Let's have some breakfast." I soothe him. For a brief moment, the sniffle ceases.

"Yes, as you wish," Shin responds.

They serve french toast with yesterday's onion soup for breakfast today not expecting that  I'm back so soon, and the current population increase in the capital has depleted every bakery of sweet baked goods, leaving only wheat and plain bread. What a letdown; I'd like to eat some brioche or crème brulee.

"Is your Majesty still depressed?" Shin inquires as to when he finished breakfast; we have only five minutes before we sit down at the table yet he has already finished his portion.

"Can you finish this for me? I'm not a big fan of savory toast; I prefer sweets, Shin." I push over my half-finished breakfast, hoping he'll finish it for me. The cheesy stuff is still terrifying the bloated soup from yesterday. I can't imagine eating this first thing in the morning.

“Ah! I have something to help your stomach, your majesty."

Taking from the sub-space, I'm curious about what he takes out of a frozen box. He takes great care of the content as it fades due to the cold condition. Inside was a five-scoop of white dessert, which I'm curious about.

"Akan's mother has made me some vanilla gelato, your majesty; please enjoy them." Shin generously offers me the entire box. If anyone dares to hurt him, I will personally deal with them.

"Thank you very much, Shin." The gelato has a mild flavor because it is made with a generous amount of buttermilk and sweeteners, and it is quite satisfying to bite into because it does not melt immediately or taste like flavored ice. It's a tasty breakfast treat for a hangover.

Following the meal, we proceed to the noble's line in front of the dirt path leading to the palace gate. Ragnorr is already there to collect his share of requests; he appears to have gone to half of them.

I form a small line of fewer than thirty people after reading the names of the acceptable requests. They were an honorable group, as expected, so I let them into the palace. With the maintenance training ground closed, I suppose I can direct them elsewhere for the knowledge test.

"Whoever is here for the military test should go to the left room, and whoever is here for the civil test should go to the right room?" The left room is guarded by the advisor's watchful eyes, and anyone who attempts to force their way through it will be shocked with electric magic. The librarian guard, on the other hand, uses the worst nightmare to torment those who wish to cheat with magic.

"Your Majesty, may I inquire as to the nature of the military test?" One question of curiosity

"Both are writing tests based on common knowledge and situational flexibility," I explain briefly as the crowd whispers in response. For those who wish to escape this, it is too late to enter the palace grounds.

"Are we just here to test our strength? Your Majesty, you're being unreasonable." Hearing that, one cries and wishes to return home. However, the guards continue to block the only exit.

"You should already be aware of my authority; there is no mercy for fools." Shin rushes the group members into two rows and enters both rooms with a sigh as if he was opposed to my method.

After entering the room, there are wailing and crying coming from both rooms. How delightful as the ignorants crying as it’s music to my ear, this day can’t be better than the night when sorting their scores.

I can’t wait.

The end

Saying an eye for an eye

Those kinds of vengeance never cease

Only those who wish for peace

Finding them upon parting past memories.