The Water Magician

"Why are you two here?"

After inviting Ryo and Abel to take a seat, Roshu Ten asked.

It was a natural question.

The two, who had parted ways in the City of Nomon, had unexpectedly shown up in the imperial capital, at the very inn where he was staying.

Moreover, no one had come to inform him...

"Well, it's just a courtesy visit," Ryo replied.

That wasn't a lie.

Of course, it wasn't the only reason.

"I see... So, you've heard about it as well. But it was just a few hours ago, wasn't it? Isn't that a bit too soon?"

Roshu Ten, a person who could be described as calm, was certainly not dull-witted.

"That's correct. In fact, I am currently employed as a guard by Earl Matan Von Dobre," Abel honestly stated, and Roshu Ten's eyes widened.

He seemed quite surprised.

However, that surprised look vanished in a moment.

"I understand now. If that's the case, it makes sense. The earl's retainers must have been gathering information as well. Your presence here is part of that, right?"

"Yes. Given the recent incident, it’s somewhat awkward for someone who is employed by the very person who attacked..."

"No, I don't mind. Rather, I would like you to inform the earl's retainers when you return."

"Inform them? About what?"

"To refrain from rash actions."

Roshu Ten's expression was completely serious.

"I understand, I promise to convey that. For that purpose..."

"Yes, I will share everything I can."

Roshu Ten nodded.

"That said, I don’t have much to share."

Summarizing what Roshu Ten explained, it was as follows.

Roshu Ten had been appointed as a consultant for the setup of the new residence following the wedding of His Highness Lyun, the sixth prince.

He frequently visited the imperial palace for that reason, but it had been a while since he had walked through the southern corridor where the recent incident occurred.

While walking there, he heard a scream from behind.

Turning around, he saw a forbidden army soldier who had fallen on his backside and Earl Matan running towards him, sword raised.

He noticed people around, but no one was moving.

Since the earl swung his sword with great force, Roshu Ten dodged.

The earl staggered significantly and was soon surrounded by nearby officials and other lords, unable to move further and was restrained.

Roshu Ten had been swiftly moved to another room, so he did not know what happened thereafter.

"I’m not particularly skilled in martial arts either, but Earl Matan wasn't well-versed in that realm."

Roshu Ten shook his head slightly as he concluded his explanation.

"Are you close to Earl Matan... Von Dobre?"

"No... Of course, I am aware of him, but we have never worked together. We hardly know each other."

"Hmm."

"While Earl Matan is certainly not a man of martial prowess, I do know that he is a person of strong character. He doesn’t belong to any faction and maintains his principles even with the princes, and even with the noble princes. Therefore, if such a person attacked someone in the imperial palace... If it weren't for me, I would have found it hard to believe."

After saying this, Roshu Ten finished the remaining tea in his cup.

"Did you notice anything unusual? Anything different from usual, or perhaps regarding Earl Matan's behavior?"

"Well... frankly speaking, there were many things that were different from the usual. When I was attacked, I thought of two things. One was that Earl Matan had his eyes closed when he charged at me."

"...He had his eyes closed when he charged?"

"Yes. Strange, isn't it? No swordsman can hit their target with their eyes closed. Also, for just a brief moment, I noticed a sweet smell coming from Earl Matan's body."

"A sweet smell..."

"It was a scent I hadn't smelled much before... probably from inside his clothes. I don’t know if that information will be of any use, but it stuck very clearly in my memory."

"No, that’s very helpful."

Abel nodded at Roshu Ten's words.

Ryo, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.

"Do you know what Earl Matan was working on this time?"

"Yes. Earl Matan was in charge of Princess Shio Fen's hospitality role. In other words, he was responsible for looking after her, the principal consort for His Highness Lyun, the sixth prince, as well as setting up temporary accommodations for the wedding and related matters. Of course, the actual work is handled by officials, so we as earls are merely responsible for oversight. We do attend to the formalities and maintain good communication with the other party... I had heard that the earl’s hospitality role was progressing without issues."