Torn Asunder by War, A Sword Saint for Tomorrow X The Knight Wizards!! – Chapter 79

Chapter 79: A Scene at the Theater
  By the way, since the guard at the head of the procession was displaying a territorial flag with a design of a silver shield and a winged serpent, people who noticed the presence of the lord spontaneously moved out of the way, allowing the procession to proceed through the streets more smoothly than before.
  
  After a while, listening to the light hoofbeats and being swayed by the vibrations, we reached the stables attached to the theater, and one of the Royal Guards who had accompanied us politely opened the carriage door.
  
  “We have arrived, Your Majesty.”
  
  After expressing my gratitude to the bowing attendant and getting off, I immediately turned around and offered my hand to Izana. Sariel, the court magician who was waiting nearby, narrowed her one eye and nodded with satisfaction.
  
  Radglyph stiffened for a moment at the sight, then laughed it off with a carefree smile.
  
  “Kuhaha! To think the Knight King is whipped!”
  “No, Danna-sama is just being kind to me.”
  
  The girl with emerald eyes, whose hand I was holding, gently rebuked him first, so I refrained from saying anything unnecessary and let it slide.
  
  The Count himself was also nudged in the side by his wife and forced to swallow the words he was about to say, so it’s not like we weren’t even.
  
  “My apologies, it seems I misspoke… There is a VIP entrance over there. It’s a little early, but let’s take our seats.”
  
  “Ah, right.”
  
  Following the Count and his wife, who slowly began to walk, guided by the guards, I also started walking, accompanied by the Royal Guards, matching Izana’s pace as I held her arm.
  
  Partway there, we separated from some of the soldiers who had moved to key points in the theater to ensure the safety of the VIP seats, and when we reached the VIP section… a noble-looking dandy and a woman who seemed to be his escort knight were already seated. My father and Fine, the Knight Commander’s daughter, who had been invited to the music festival several times, raised questions from behind.
  
  “Lord Radglyph, were there other invited guests this year?”
  “It’s unusual to be seated with other nobles.”
  
  “I was asked to do so… Even a humble neutral like me has some social obligations.”
  
  With a sigh, he told us that there was actually about a quarter of an hour until the performance started, and while we were dumbfounded by the fact that he had arranged a meeting with his acquaintance, we were urged to our seats.
  
  Of the two who rose to greet us, the dandy in a lapis lazuli blue thin coat bowed slightly, his gold-threaded hair swaying a little.
  
  “Thank you for all the trouble. I am grateful, Lord Radglyph.”
  “No, it’s a deal that benefits me as well, so please don’t be so formal.”
  
  The Count lightly raised his hand to stop him and turned around, introducing the excessively handsome young man to us.
  
  “This is Lord Elbeato, the second son of Lord Hazen, who belongs to the Imperial Faction of the Empire.”
  “I hope to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty… and your lovely wife as well.”
  
  “Fufu, thank you for your kind words.”
  “This must be fate, please be kind to me.”
  
  After exchanging greetings for the first time and sitting down next to each other, Izana sat down on the other side, and a little later, I heard the sound of the Count and his wife, as well as Xenos and the others, taking their seats directly behind us.
  
  I turned my gaze towards the stage, which was hidden by the curtain, and wondered what to do when the other party started the conversation.
  
  “… I heard from rumors in the city that you are a Rare Human from Yamato. You may be unfamiliar with this world, but are you familiar with our Almaine territory?”
  
  “Sorry, I’m still unfamiliar with the geography of the Western countries.”
  “It’s a Marquis territory in the central-western part of the Empire, Claude, with the core city of Franc.”
  
  Izana’s whispered words reminded me of what the Vice-Captain had drilled into me about the major imperial cities during my visit to Zephyrus Domain.
  
  It was a major city along the Linea River, which originates in the mountainous region of the Lichtea Principality and flows through the Knight Kingdom and the Aius Empire, eventually reaching the North Sea…
  
  “It seems like a pretty good place, Lord Elbeato.”
  
  “Indeed, our finances are healthy thanks to river trade. However, the core cities and port towns are concentrated in the western part of the territory, so we are constantly worried. It’s quite troublesome.”
  
  From his wry smile, I could sense the atmosphere that if the three western territories were to be breached by the Aberrations of the “Hour of Ruin,” they would be the next victims.
  
  “Well, I’m sure you wouldn’t just wait for disaster to strike without a plan, would you?”
  “Of course not. We are taking various measures, including this meeting.”
  
  Judging from the dandy’s casual attitude, his father, who sent him here, must be a noble of the Imperial Faction, but he must also be against any internal strife that would worsen the situation of the three territories acting as a shield for their own.
  
  As I was exchanging words, taking into account the intentions of the gentleman I had not yet met, Radglyph coughed ostentatiously and urged us on.
  
  “We don’t have much time until the performance starts. Let’s get this over with quickly.”
  
  “In that case, let’s get to the main topic… Knight King, Lord Heisel of Rigsia will be making a move soon.”
  “So the preparations for the fox hunt are complete before the harsh winter sets in.”
  
  Nina Valer, also known as the White Fox, had heard similar stories from her spies and merchants she had dealings with, and a confidential letter had arrived the other day via the Knight Kingdom’s resident officer stationed in the core city near her, asking her to “be prepared to respond immediately to a request for assistance.”
  
  Therefore, there was no element of surprise, and Elbeato probably assumed that we already knew. However, hearing it from the second son of an Imperial Faction noble who has interests aligned with hers leaves me with a subtle sense of discomfort.