Chapter 16
"Now, tell me the story again."
After respectfully accepting the appointment order along with the dagger, I was led by the king into another room.
The king and Rays-sama took their seats at the table with practiced ease. Glantz-sama and Rapilia-sama were there as well.
As I fidgeted, unsure what to do, an attendant pulled out a chair for me. I sat down somewhat self-consciously, and the king said he wanted to hear what I had to say.
"The story...? What do you mean?"
"The bottled preserves, of course. At present, only some members of the Tenth Knight Order and I know about this. Just to be sure, you haven't told anyone else, have you?"
"Ah, no, not yet. Um, Rays-sama, about your instruction to gather trustworthy civil officials..." I was sorry to cut the king off, but with matters becoming this serious, I couldn't choose people casually if anyone I spoke to might end up under surveillance.
"I intend to review the candidates myself and make the decision," came the terse reply. That wasn't what I'd wanted to ask, but I had no choice. I'd ask again later.
So I explained the bottled preserves to the king over tea. Then again, it was probably the same explanation I'd given Rays-sama, so I assumed he had already heard it all.
"Still, it is fascinating that such an ancient technique existed. Why do you suppose it fell out of use?"
"Ah, well, this is only a guess, but I think containers may not have been very advanced back then." I gave him the explanation I'd prepared in case Rays-sama asked.
"...Oh? What do you mean?"
"This is another guess, but I think the final removal of air is quite important in making bottled preserves. The fact that they don't keep long after being opened suggests that they cannot retain their freshness when exposed to air. So perhaps it was difficult to manufacture airtight containers that could still withstand heating."
"That makes sense. Rays, what do you think?"
"Yes. It certainly seems possible. However, I do wonder why a method like bottling would have been established in an age that lacked such technology."
"I see. But I heard this came from a foreign country. In that case, it would be difficult to investigate what caused it to fall out of use. If we could find the book Roa saw, we might have another way to investigate."
"I'm sorry. It was so long ago—I was only a child..."
"It can't be helped. Changing the subject, I hear that Roa collects accounts of battles throughout history. Are there any commanders you particularly favor? No, perhaps I should put it in a more interesting way. If you were to rank our country's ten knight orders, how would you do it?"
This was a difficult subject to discuss, despite being glad that I'd been asked about my hobby.
"Your Majesty, you jest," Rays-sama chided, but the king replied, "That is right. Since it is only a jest, answer freely," making it clear that he would not let the conversation end without an answer.
"Would it be all right if I treated the Tenth Knight Order and the First Knight Order as exceptions?"
"Yes. That is acceptable."
"In that case... As far as defensive capability goes, I think the Fourth Knight Order, the Fifth Knight Order, and the Seventh Knight Order are each excellent."
"I understand the Fourth and Fifth Knight Orders, but I don't see why the Seventh is. Why?"
"Though not well known because he had a long career in the Third Knight Order, the commander of the Seventh Knight Order is a self-made officer who rose through the ranks after starting as a private in the Fourth Knight Order. Even in the battle records from previous years, his defensive tactics are unflashy but steady."
"...Rays, what sort of duty is the Seventh Knight Order currently assigned to?"
"Guarding the roads and assisting with the transport of supplies."
"Roa, which knight order is best suited to guarding roads and assisting with supply transport?"
"...Personally, I think the Third Knight Order... and perhaps the Ninth Knight Order would be well suited to it."
"Why? Both are among the most battle-hardened offensive forces in our country."
"That's precisely why. The commanders of those two knight orders are experienced, so they can act flexibly. If a battle broke out nearby while they were on a support mission, I believe they would take the best course of action without needing to check with the royal capital."
"Fascinating. That leaves the Second, Sixth, and Eighth Knight Orders. What do you think of them?"
"...The Eighth Knight Order is somewhat unusual, like the First and Tenth Knight Orders, isn't it?"
On the surface, it was an ordinary knight order, but it had almost no major accomplishments to its name. It was essentially a rear-support unit, and even the identity of its commander was unclear.
I suspected that although the Eighth Knight Order was called a knight order, it was actually something like an intelligence unit or a covert organization.
"...Then what about the Second and Sixth?" King Zeulacia neither denied nor confirmed anything about the Eighth Knight Order. That meant I wasn't supposed to ask any further.
Originally, this country had only eight knight orders. Two more had been added once the treasury could afford them, in order to counter the threat of the Empire, causing the Eighth Knight Order—once the last-numbered order—to fade into obscurity.
"I think the remaining two are best suited to offensive operations. The Second Knight Order has its famed cavalry, and its mobility is excellent. The Sixth Knight Order has also received many honors for its battles against Golbel. In addition, its commander is the youngest among the commanders, and the order itself has a great deal of momentum."
...I had tried to give a reasonably safe explanation, but how would it be received? When I looked at King Zeulacia apprehensively, he seemed to ponder for a moment before saying, "That is a fascinating analysis. Without Rays's guarantee, I would have suspected you might be a spy from somewhere."
Damn, had I gotten carried away?
"I had heard that you pored over books of battle records day and night, but this is truly impressive," Rays-sama said, looking at me with mild exasperation.
"Indeed. But it has been a worthwhile use of my time. Roa, I hear you will be assisting Rays. Whenever I invite Rays to tea, you should accompany him."
"Huh? Ah, yes." When he heard my reply, he said, "That will be all for today," bringing the tea gathering to a close.
Just as we were about to rise and leave,
"Come to think of it, you were looking for trustworthy civil officials for the bottling project," a voice called out.
"Yes."
"As for selecting them... I have someone in mind. Can you leave it to me? How many people do you need?"
Though phrased as a question, this was surely already decided. I had intended to ask Derik and Yold, but if that meant putting them under surveillance or making their lives more restrictive, it would be easier simply to hand the whole matter over to the king.
"For the time being, I think two people should be enough."
"Understood. Then I will send them to you soon. Farewell."
With those words, we really did leave the room this time.