Idle Talk: The Ambitos Royal Family
I am Vazots Ambitos, the king of Ambitos, a royal of the Ambitos Kingdom.
In my younger days, I had grievances about this country. Despite being born into a royal family, I questioned why our birthplace was nothing but rocks and sand, why we endured extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night, why there were periods when drinking water was a challenge, why arable land was limited, and why the desert was teeming with monsters.
Our neighboring country, Rocha, had so much greenery, flowing rivers from the mountains, and fields full of wheat.
As I grew older, I realized that Ambitos was blessed among desert nations. While other nations had to rely on springs or lakes, we could utilize the river flowing from Rocha. This made a significant difference in the available water supply. In other countries, due to the scarcity of water, they had to sell the meat and hides of hunted monsters to buy wheat, but in Ambitos, even a small amount of cultivation was possible.
The scarcity of trees in the desert made metal refining challenging. Therefore, we had to import from Rocha, a nation skilled in metalwork. Thanks to its location, Ambitos could earn profits by mediating imports for other desert nations and even cut off trade with unfriendly nations. This gave us the most influential voice among desert countries.
The ease of obtaining refined metal resulted in high-quality weapons for our soldiers and citizens. While desert monsters were formidable, having sturdy soldiers and reliable weapons allowed us to live in peace. In contrast, other desert nations often suffered from poor-quality weapons and frequent attacks by monsters.
Despite being in the best location among desert nations, Ambitos had a harsher environment compared to Rocha and the countries beyond the plains and mountains. This environment fueled a sense of superiority and inferiority in the Ambitos royal family throughout its history, leading to a desperate desire to overcome this inferiority.
One king sought to alleviate his inferiority through victorious wars. Another used the power of gold to collect art, seeking satisfaction.
As for me, I sought to assuage my feelings of inferiority through indulgence in physical desires. I gathered beauties from all over the country, making them my wives and indulging in pleasure. Their exceptional beauty warped under my influence, and their pleas for respite only fueled my desire for conquest.
The people, surprisingly, accepted my actions with goodwill. While there was initial resistance when I forcibly took beautiful women, they judged my vices to be relatively endearing compared to past kings who imposed heavy taxes for war expenses or art collections.
Engaging in acts of physical pleasure with multiple wives resulted in many children for me. Five sons and seven daughters, all of them lovely children. While continuing my encounters with my wives, the joy of raising children also helped alleviate my feelings of inferiority.
I could even say that I doted on my children. I granted their wishes, spent time with them like any other family, and, thanks to these efforts, I was proud to have built a happy royal family despite my status.
Among my children, the eldest son, Spellviard, held a special place in my heart. Besides resembling me during my youth, his eye for selecting women mirrored my own.
"My ideal women are the mothers!"
He used to say, and his attachment to his mothers was slower to wane than with the other children. I worried a little, but that changed one day when he suddenly shifted his affections.
"Father, who is that beautiful young lady?"
Spellviard's gaze was fixed on a young girl who appeared at a winter dinner party.
"That is the first princess of the mountainous small country, Princess Solerina Nonette of Nonette."
"Princess Solerina... Father, I wish to make her my wife!"
At that moment, Spellviard's expression shifted from that of a child missing his mother to that of a young man who had discovered love.
And rightfully so.
Princess Solerina was an exceptionally beautiful young lady. If I were a young man, I would have proposed without hesitation.
However, the problem was the princess herself.
"I see... Well..."
Spellviard realized from my expression that I was facing a difficult decision and clung to me.
"Can't I marry Princess Solerina!?"
I wanted to fulfill my child's wish, but it was a challenging task in reality.
So, I chose my words carefully.
"I will send word to the King of Nonette that Spellviard desires a marriage with Princess Solerina."
"Then!"
"But, Spellviard, don't get too excited. Think about it from another angle. If an unknown princess from a foreign country suddenly wants to marry you, would you accept so easily?"
My words made Spellviard realize something.
"I understand. As I am now, I am just one of many princes in her eyes. I need to make her consider marriage with me. With words, with wealth, with power, or even with force. I must capture Princess Solerina's heart with my words and strength."
"I see. Now you understand. You are just an ordinary prince in her eyes. Make her believe that marrying you is a desirable choice, using your own words and strength."
"Understood! I will talk to Princess Solerina right away!"
Spellviard left my side and headed towards Princess Solerina. I was not insincere in what I said earlier. If Princess Solerina were to fall for Spellviard, there was a good chance the King of Nonette would not refuse their marriage.
However, I never expected Princess Solerina to have such a fierce personality hidden beneath her appearance. Spellviard's return in tears was far from my expectations.
Spellviard's ardor for Princess Solerina was so intense that he even chose a prostitute to educate him in matters of the flesh.
"Her facial features and eye shape resemble Princess Solerina, so I chose her."
He said such things, causing me no end of trouble.
As a prince, he needed to have a fiancee, and so I made various arrangements to find a girl who resembled Princess Solerina. However, this girl was quite bold in saying, "The first lady's position is reserved for Princess Solerina. I'll accept being the second lady's fiancee. Is that okay?"
I had no choice but to accept, although she was to become the fiancee and the second lady in the future.
Of course, every time Spellviard met Princess Solerina, he made efforts to win her over.
"I'm sorry, but I don't find you attractive at all."
"Gifts? Do you think I'm a woman who can be won over by jewelry and goldsmithing? You looked down on me just because I'm the princess of a small mountainous country."
"What's with that cold poem? It's too overly decorated for a love confession. Instead of making something you learned from a teacher, express yourself more honestly from your heart."
There was no island to cling to; this was the situation.
All of Spelviard's attempts ended in failure, and he couldn't even make Princess Sorelina smile.
Involuntarily, I advised Spelviard.
"Give up on Princess Sorelina. You'll understand when you see the beauty she has become. She already possesses the dignity of a queen. No matter what prince, standing next to her will pale in comparison."
Spelviard seemed to be motivated by my words.
"No, Father. The greater the difficulty, the greater the joy when you achieve it. When Princess Sorelina criticizes me like this, it's the flip side of her expecting something from me. If I give up here, it means I'm no longer a man."
Blinded by love, Spelviard didn't realize.
The way Princess Sorelina looked at Spelviard was as if she had found a bug gathering on wheat. Regardless of the efforts he would make in the future, his evaluation would be no higher than that of an unusual bug.
I couldn't bring myself to tell Spelviard this cruel truth.
Little did I know that this would lead to a terrible situation later on.
In order to turn Sorelina's gaze toward him, Spelviard diligently acquired wisdom and martial skills. At the same time, he worked to improve the lives of the people and trained the soldiers.
"When Princess Sorelina becomes my wife, I don't want her to be disappointed by the people's way of life."
Regardless of his motives, if things continued this way, Spelviard would not only surpass me but also become one of the wisest kings in history. It wasn't just my biased opinion as a father; even the people and soldiers recognized him as a promising future king.
I had hoped that this peaceful life would continue, but one day I had to share some unsettling news with Spelviard.
"Princess Sorelina is getting married."
"What! Did she approve of our marriage?"
"Unfortunately, no. Her groom-to-be is a person named Duelpha Analorgi."
"I've never heard that name before. Is he from a royal family of another country?"
"He's from the neighboring country of Spozaato, and he's not royalty; he's a bureaucrat."
"A bureaucrat!? So, is it common for royalty to marry commoners!? Did Nonette sell the princess for money!?"
"No, this is apparently Princess Sorelina's wish. She fell in love with Duelpha, and she even said she would kill herself with a sword if she couldn't be with him."
"What in the world!"
Spelviard wept. He wept because he realized that a man who was not even of royal blood had taken Sorelina's heart, something he had been unable to achieve for years.
"Why, why!"
From the day he learned of this unbearable truth, Spelviard began to fall apart.
To forget the painful reality, he drank alcohol excessively, and in a drunken state, he took other women as replacements for Princess Sorelina. He also began to scheme, hoping to somehow win Sorelina over.
"I'll defeat Spozaato and obtain Princess Sorelina as compensation. She's the wife of a bureaucrat. Spozaato's king will surely accept—no, no, that won't work. If I try to forcefully obtain her, the proud Princess Sorelina will surely take her own life. I have to find a way to keep her by my side peacefully and make her change her mind."
I received reports about this bizarre behavior from Spelviard's caretakers, but there was nothing I could do.
Spelviard was currently in a state where he was magnifying the inferiority complex carried by members of the Ambitos royal family to the extreme. To improve this situation, there was only one way: either winning Princess Sorelina or giving up.
But Spelviard would never give up. However, since Princess Sorelina had entered Spozaato and hadn't come out since, there was no way to reach her.
We had to wait for the days to pass without incident and hope that Spelviard's inferiority complex would gradually fade away.
And so, the time came for me to pay the price for procrastinating on this problem.
First, news arrived that Princess Sorelina had headed to Nonette.
Spelviard sent troops to capture her, but Sorelina entered the Rocha region of Nonette after a forced march, making it impossible to reach her.
It seemed that Spelviard's rationality had finally collapsed upon realizing that he had almost caught her.
"If that's the case, it's time to put the plan into action!"
I learned about this later, but in order to capture Princess Sorelina when she returned to Nonette, Spelviard had apparently entrusted a wealthy clan in the Kampara region of the Rocha region, the only commercial route leading to the main Nonette territory, with money.
The plan was to wait for Princess Sorelina to fall into the trap, but it didn't go as smoothly as Spelviard had hoped.
I received a report.
"There's a rebellion in the Rocha region of Nonette. It's said that the so-called 'Monkey Prince' of Nonette, who's been there for years, quelled it—no, he immediately suppressed it. It seems he's an excellent military commander."
The caretaker who came to report reacted to my muttering.
"Is that report true?"
"Of course, it's true, but what's the matter?"
"Well, within Spelviard-sama's delusional plan, that region plays a role, you see."
"Could it be that he manipulated the situation in another country!?"
"N-no. All I know is that he had people in that region for several years, giving them money and requesting that they capture Princess Sorelina when she returned home."
Shocked by this revelation, I rushed out of my office and headed to Spelviard's room.
But it was empty.
"Where has Spelviard gone?"
No one answered my question. And for a good reason. Spelviard had left with those under his influence, going somewhere.
Therefore, I only learned about Spelviard's plans when he returned as a lifeless body.
The soldier brought by Spellviard is now reading a letter in front of me as an envoy from the Nonette Kingdom.
"――Based on the aforementioned facts, Prince Milimos of Nonette Kingdom has condemned Prince Spellviard, and executed him. The entire blame for this result lies with the Ambitose Kingdom. This is guaranteed by the knights accompanying us. However, since it was the recklessness of the royal family, the Ambitose Kingdom's citizens are not held responsible. Therefore, we demand a formal apology only from the Ambitose royal family. If this demand is not met, the Ambitose royal family is allowed to appoint a representative to challenge me, Milimos Nonette, to a one-on-one duel. We strongly advise against choosing the foolishness of further military conflict that would harm innocent civilians."
How much of the envoy's words did I and my family hear?
We were all fixated on what we referred to as Spellviard's crushed body, both in our minds and hearts.
"...Is this really Spellviard?" I unconsciously muttered, prompting the captured soldier, who was the envoy, to solemnly nod.
"There is no mistake. Before my very eyes, Lord Spellviard became 'that.'"
This response turned not only my expression but also that of my family crimson, with anger, of course.
"You! You were right there and let Spellviard die!"
"You come as an envoy after letting my child die; what shamelessness!"
"Your brother may have done something wrong! But, in this state, he's so pitiful!"
"Why don't you say something instead of staying silent!"
In the face of our accusations, the captured soldier, now back as an envoy, initially appeared troubled but then adopted a determined expression.
"I will speak as I've been instructed. In war, people die, and commanders are targeted first when identified. And Lord Spellviard was the instigator of this war. Even returning his body to his country can be seen as Prince Milimos's mercy."
"You! Are you siding with the enemy prince?"
"I'm not taking sides; I'm stating simple facts."
The captured soldier's attitude, which hadn't uttered a single falsehood, further fueled the anger in my family, but I raised my hand to stop them.
However, even my raised hand trembled with anger.
"I understand your point. So, who is responsible for making Spellviard like this?"
"It's Prince Milimos. He pursued Spellviard, who had fled to the Roccha region, and crushed him under his horse's hooves."
"I see. That's all I needed to know."
When I waved my hand, the guards who had protected the envoy's room were thrown into confusion.
When I waved my hand again, the guards who understood that there was no mistake moved and pointed spears at the captured soldier, who was an envoy from Nonette Kingdom.
"What's this!? I'm here as an envoy from Nonette Kingdom!"
"Be quiet. You are a major criminal for letting Spellviard die. Whether you are an envoy from another country or not, I couldn't care less!"
As I lowered my hand, the guards resolutely stabbed the captured soldier.
"Y-you fools."
The captured soldier muttered, glaring at me, and then breathed his last.
Even looking at that corpse, my feelings couldn't be quelled.
"Very well. Cut off his head and send it to this so-called Prince Milimos. We won't apologize; instead, we'll offer retaliation and make it clear when we send it!"
Following my orders, the guards took the body away.
Even after sending the envoy with the message that we would continue the war, I couldn't help the swirling emotions in my chest.
I recognized this feeling. It was inferiority.
Seeing the mangled body of a Spellviard similar to myself, I had delusions of being inferior to that Prince Milimos.
I struggled to contain this feeling and refrain from reaching for alcohol.
Escaping into alcohol felt like following in Spellviard's footsteps and only intensified my sense of inferiority.
With an irritated mind, I began to take actions to continue the war with Nonette Kingdom. I believed this was the only way to honor Spellviard.
"Send messengers to every village. If soldiers captured in the battle with Nonette return, bring them to me. They are major criminals for letting Spellviard die. If we try to cover it up, their families will be guilty too! Also, if Nonette's army is seen approaching, send word immediately!"
"Yes, understood!"
For now, this will have to do.
Nonette Kingdom was a mountainous nation, while Roccha, which we had annexed, was a land of mines and plains.
Neither of them was accustomed to battles in rocky terrain or deserts. If we could identify the enemy's position first and fight in a location advantageous to us, we might have a chance despite our smaller numbers.
I waited impatiently for news, but a few days later, a shocking report arrived.
"There are people outside who seem to be soldiers from Nonette! They are loudly condemning us!"
Upon hearing the messenger's words, I panicked.
"There shouldn't have been any word from the villages yet! And it's only been a few days since we sent an envoy. How did they get here so quickly?"
"I don't know, but we need to respond!"
"I understand. Gather the soldiers in the city and head towards where those enemy soldiers seem to be! The guards will protect the city gates! They likely outnumber us. If necessary, we'll engage in urban warfare with the help of the townspeople!"
"Understood! I'll convey the message!"
The messenger rushed out, and I sat back deeply in my throne.
"What on earth is happening? Could this be a dream I'm having?"
The surreal report made me question whether the scene before me was real, but I shook my head to dispel such thoughts.
"Anyway, I must evacuate my family. Let's take them to the safest room."
I stood up from the throne and moved towards the living quarters. Gathering my entire family, I made sure no one was missing, and then headed to a corner of the royal palace.
As we passed by the central fountain in the palace, I noticed that the area around the castle gate was noisy.
"What's going on with them!?"
"Why can they run along the walls like that!?"
The guards were speaking incomprehensible words, and their strange behavior frightened the women in my family.
"What's happening?"
"Look at that!"
One of them pointed in a direction, and as we turned to look, we saw two figures on top of the castle walls.
With each step they took closer to us, their features became clearer. One was a teenage boy in easy-to-move leather armor. The other was a knight covered from head to toe in silver full plate armor—a female knight, judging by the shape of the chestplate.
When the teenage boy smiled at us, he introduced himself.
"I greet the Ambitose royal family. Good evening. I am Milimos Nonette. I've come here because I want to avenge Spellviard's death. Shall we settle it with a one-on-one duel?"
His shocking introduction left my mind blank.
After all, the teenage boy before us claimed to be the one who had killed Spellviard.
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