Chapter 51 The Royal City
"Been outside the walls before, but this is my first time inside the palace itself..."
Yuruyana and I stood gazing up at the gates, surrounded by towering walls.
Honestly, it looks like they're gearing up to invite a giant──these gates are huge, both vertically and horizontally.
As expected, these gates rarely open in history.
Usually, they come and go through the small side doors.
"You did well out there, right? Didn't you get any kind of award or recognition?"
One of the two outfits I had tailored was a simple, safe shirt and slacks ── even with my face, they looked like a regular guy's.
But today, Yuruyana's dressed in an elegant frilled dress.
He's even gone all out with makeup, making his whole look shimmer──more than usual, like he's determined to look perfect.
That seems to be his formal outfit.
Too bad ── he had a perfect shot to clear up Princess Ellen's misunderstanding, but it's probably not going to work.
"Wasn't there a story about someone who helped out on a mission by chance, and they got an award because they were nobility or something?"
"And?"
"But I collapsed before the schedule was set, so it never happened."
I've completely forgotten the noble's name by now.
I think he was a second son from a count's family or something.
"What a shame. Why not still do it now?"
"Honestly, I did it just to help, not for any awards. I don't care."
Sometimes I feel annoyed ── the commoners I helped seem worth more than those nobles' lives, and that just feels wrong.
Plus, I've been killing──so really, it all balances out to negative.
I'm not the type to be awarded for that.
"If there's a reward, maybe you could even buy an Arcane Bicycle."
"...Nah, that's all in the past now."
I felt a tiny pang of regret, but it's too late to dwell on it.
Gotta earn more from now on.
As we kept talking, I heard the bell ring right on the hour.
At the same moment, the servant's door swung open, and a figure dressed in formal attire stepped out.
"Thank you for waiting. I look forward to working with you today."
Ms. Helmine saluted with a knight's formal respect ── her uniform, mainly white and blue, was detailed at the waist with delicate embellishments, and she carried a saber.
Her perfect, military-style uniform──just like the male knights──looked way cooler than my clumsy attempts at not ruining my fancy clothes.
"Hello, thank you for inviting us this time."
I bowed my head, and Yuruyana followed suit in a hurry.
"Please, don't be so formal. It's my fault for imposing on you."
This time it was Ms. Helmine who seemed flustered.
We were led through the entrance and into the inner chambers, undergoing a simple body check to ensure we weren't carrying any weapons.
I brought only the essentials today since it takes until dusk just to lay out everything from my usual Arcane Art bag.
Somehow, I feel a bit uneasy.
While the soldiers inspected the contents of my toolbox, we were left waiting on luxurious sofas, Ms. Helmine bowing deeply to us.
"First, allow me to apologize. I hadn't realized this would become such a significant matter."
"Please don't worry about it. It's an honor to receive a commission from the royal castle."
"I'm relieved to hear you say that."
Ms. Helmine must have intended it as nothing more than casual small talk, merely mentioning a few stories from the lower town with no connection to the princess.
Who could have imagined she'd actually barge into the shop?
"Princess Ellen is quite the proactive one, isn't she?"
"Yes, she's incredibly reliable."
She smiles bitterly, fatigue peeking through her expression.
It seems she's been running around quite a bit in the castle.
Once we received our clearance, we finally stepped into the castle grounds with Ms. Helmine.
We walked along a white stone path that cut through a beautifully maintained garden, shallow waterways running along both sides.
The water source was a fountain set in the center of the garden.
One would expect moss to grow on such a sunny waterway, but the white bottom of the path was spotless.
"What a beautiful place──"
While I'm fascinated by the fountain's mechanics, Yuruyana's gaze is on the trees and flower beds.
Wherever you look, vibrant summer flowers bloom unaffected by the heat, a testament to the gardeners' hard work.
"The previous princess consort──Dear Princess Ellen's grandmother, I believe──loved admiring gardens and flowers. They held a contest to compete in garden design and technique."
"Is this the winning garden, then?"
"Yes, and every 3 years, there's a contest for the gardeners. The winner gets to take care of this garden."
"Huh!"
So, no matter the era, the best gardeners in the country have always maintained this garden.
It's the crystallization of passed-down skills and pride.
"I wish there were contests for pharmacists and Arcane Engineers too."
"I think I'd rather be at the shop..."
It's the best workplace in terms of satisfaction and budget, but if I'm on-site all the time, I'll be at the mercy of the princess's whims.
"Pharmacists have all sorts of complications with family background and trust. Even if there was a contest, the royal marriage would still be under strict scrutiny, right?"
"Indeed. Not only skill and knowledge, but unwavering loyalty is a must."
Gardeners have limited contact with the royal family, but pharmacists? They make things you ingest.
If there were a mix-up and someone ended up poisoned, it'd be a disaster.
"I see... Then what about engineers?"
"I doubt they'd even consider it for another hundred years. Arcanists don't like Arcane Engineers."
Princess Ellen seems unbiased, but the divide between them is deep.
Rarely contracting out like this is probably the best we can hope for.
"I see..."
Suddenly, Ms. Helmine's expression clouded over.
After a moment's thought, she nodded, determination set in her face.
"I considered not mentioning it, but since we might meet in the castle, I should tell you."
"What is it?"
Yuruyana tilted his head.
"Actually, with the introduction of the air conditioning unit, there's been some opposition from the court Arcanists."
"Huh! Even though it's the princess's request?"
"As you've heard, it's a direct request from the princess, so it won't be overturned. But be careful, you might receive some thoughtless remarks from Sir Tsukumo."
"...I expected as much. I'm not worried about it now."
I've had my fill of those kinds of entanglements in my academy days. I've built up a tolerance.
I just focus on doing the job I was asked to do.
"They wouldn't actually get in the way, right?"
"They're not students anymore, they shouldn't have that much free time to cause trouble."
But then again, there are idle hands everywhere.
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