The Water Magician

The Deputy Minister of Rites, Snus, in charge of the wedding ceremonies for Darwei, had a face that looked like he had bitten into a bitter bug all morning.

"What an outrageous blunder!"

He had muttered this countless times.

In front of him lay documents with the names of over seventy people.

All of them were names of those included in the current princess's guard.

At the same time, they were also the names of those withdrawing.

"I've never heard of so many guards experiencing intense stomach pains all at once..."

With that said, Deputy Minister Snus literally buried his head in his hands.

Snus was currently forty-one years old.

He belonged to the Department of Rites that oversaw ceremonies and festivals, but in his younger days, he had been a soldier in the forbidden army, which was directly under the emperor.

Because of this, even after moving to the Department of Rites, he often took charge of noble protection and the transportation of valuables, leading the guards belonging to the department.

With his impressive build and black hair neatly tied up and secured with a crown, he was regarded as a promising figure within the department, even having received direct praise from his majesty the emperor.

And...

This time, it was the escort for the one who would become the sixth prince's principal consort.

In the case of a prince's principal consort, there were many scheduled events along the way in various towns, including public appearances.

Of course, when most of the travel is by ship, it is organized with a considerable buffer in the schedule due to the possibility of weather affecting the trip.

However, that was a concern for the later part of the journey.

As for the port town of Randa, which was to be reached in a day from Bosunta Kingdom, the schedule was not particularly flexible...

During the long journey, there would inevitably be those who would fall ill and have to withdraw.

This was within the realm of expectations.

It was fine to have them withdraw and catch up later.

However, the simultaneous withdrawal of over seventy guards was certainly beyond the scope of what was anticipated.

There was a knock at the door, and Secretary Val entered.

"Your Excellency, another ten guards have..."

Secretary Val could say no more than that.

He could clearly see the anguish of his superior.

"The princess has a dinner engagement with the local daimyo and influential figures in Randa today, correct?"

"Yes. We plan to stay overnight and depart Randa tomorrow morning."

"And the healers' opinions remain unchanged?"

"They are the same. While healing magic is applied, there is improvement, but it worsens as soon as it is removed. It is not a natural case of diarrhea, they say."

Upon hearing Secretary Val's report, Deputy Minister Snus let out another deep sigh.

It was confirmed that this was a conspiracy or disruptive action.

This meant that there was a possibility of further interference to come.

"Of the hundred guards, eighty withdrew in the first town..."

Verbalizing it again made the seriousness of the situation painfully clear.

The journey ahead to the imperial capital of Hanlin would take over a month, with many stops in various towns.

Of course, they would have to replenish the guards along the way.

Sending guards directly from the Department of Rites would take time.

That said, it was out of the question to borrow troops from local lords or daimyo.

If most of them were affiliated with one of the three princes' factions, to be honest, one could not predict what might happen with borrowed soldiers.

"Would it be better to hire adventurers instead?"

"Your Excellency?"

"No... I have reported to the Department of Rites in the imperial capital and requested the replenishment of guards. If they act quickly, we will meet in the town of Boago, which will dock in a week. We just need to hold out until then. There are two hundred guards from Bosunta Kingdom this time. Given that the princess has been caught up in domestic troubles, it is understandable for there to be many. We can redirect some from there to fill the gaps... and use adventurers for the transportation of luggage and such."