Published: January 17, 2026
The next day, I was to wait with Rosso at the lord's manor for the envoy from the Fiesta Kingdom. Perhaps due to a bit of nervousness, my throat felt unusually dry.
"Til, could I have a refill?"
"Sure!"
This was my second cup of tea. Til cheerfully responded and poured the tea from a corner of the room. She swapped my cup right in front of me, and I immediately brought it to my lips. The rich aroma seemed to calm my mind.
Why was I so nervous? It wasn’t just because I was in the lavish hall prepared for the meeting. The real reason was that, after sharing information with Rosso the day before, it seemed the talks were going to be difficult.
"…You're unusually nervous, huh? You weren’t tense at all with His Majesty," Rosso said, amused.
I gave a wry smile and let out a sigh.
"From what I heard yesterday, this will be tough… Ah, I wish Mr. Tran were here."
After replying to Rosso, I grumbled about Tran, who wasn’t present. Rosso shook his shoulders laughing at that.
"Hahaha! Indeed, Lord Tran was a pleasant fellow. But the Fiesta Kingdom wants to assess each country from multiple perspectives. It’s understandable. Besides, the envoy said that Tran has headed to the Solstice Empire this time."
"The Empire, huh… It’s nerve-wracking when compared like that. Oh, but this envoy we're meeting now is the same one who had talks with the Empire before, right? Maybe we can learn about the Empire’s future plans too…"
"Exactly. When meeting people from other countries, you must consider things from various angles. Not only do you learn one country’s thoughts, but also the actions and relationships of other related nations."
"Got it!" I nodded vigorously at Rosso’s words. Thinking that way made me feel more positive about dealing with such troublesome talks.
Just as we were talking, the Fiesta Kingdom’s envoy arrived. There was a knock on the hall’s door, and one of the knights appeared.
"Excuse me. Lord Mondeo from the Fiesta Kingdom has arrived."
"Very well. Let them in."
"Yes, sir!"
After a brief exchange, the knight went to fetch the envoy. Soon, he returned, leading a man into the hall. The man was small in stature with brown hair and a slender build, making him appear quite small. Compared to the last envoy, the big and muscular Tran, he seemed especially diminutive.
The envoy stepped into the hall, narrowed his eyes in a smile like thin threads, bowed respectfully.
"I am Mondeo Orcus, fleet commander of the Fiesta Kingdom’s Fourth Fleet. Lord Rosso, I am deeply honored to have this audience with you today."
Mondeo bowed deeply in a formal greeting. Rosso raised one hand in response.
"Very well. Then, Lord Mondeo, please take a seat here. Viscount van nei fertio will also be participating in this meeting. Is that acceptable?"
"Oh, you are Lord Van…! I have heard you are a young man with remarkable talent and high ability! I am fortunate to meet you! Of course, I would be delighted for you to join us!"
Mondeo smiled and said this in response to Rosso’s introduction. His enthusiasm was a bit excessive, but I didn’t mind the praise. Slightly embarrassed, I returned the greeting.
"Nice to meet you. I am van nei fertio. Since you are a fleet commander as well, you must be very skilled at ship handling. I’d love to see it sometime."
"Oh no, I’m not that skilled… I’m just a bit good at wind magic."
Mondeo said, laughing modestly. According to Tran, besides the fleet commander, there were also others who used wind magic. But perhaps on Mondeo’s ship, the fleet commander himself primarily used wind magic.
If so, he probably had enough mana power to sustain long voyages. Despite his appearance, he might be an excellent magician.
My first impression of Mondeo was that he was someone who never revealed his true feelings.
Still a little nervous, the talks began, focusing mainly on the Kingdom of Scuderia and the Fiesta Kingdom. Both sides were cautious, so we didn’t delve into anything too deep. When Tran was here, I couldn’t help but ask many questions about the ship, but with Mondeo, it seemed better not to touch on any sensitive state secrets.