Published: July 4, 2025
For three days after the palace assault, the two of them spent their time secluded in the Dragon Spring Residence.
Abel devoted himself to practicing the Flying Ring, while Ryo focused on analyzing it.
On the evening of the third day, they received a message from the palace.
"It seems we can move into the mansion starting tomorrow."
"Isn't that a bit soon? It's only been three days, right?"
Of course, the residence bestowed upon them by the emperor was not a newly constructed one.
Thus, it probably didn’t take much time to prepare it...
"It seems that Prince Lyun and Princess Shio Fen moved into their new residence the day after the palace assault... So they probably want us to move in quickly next door, right?"
"Is that how it is?"
"Well, it's fine for us to move in. But there is a very big problem."
"A problem? What is it?"
"It's the moving-in greeting."
"Huh...?"
Abel froze, unable to comprehend Ryo's words.
This was typical.
"We have to say, 'We've moved in next door. This is just a small gift, but please accept it,' to our neighbor."
"I don’t quite understand... so we take something trivial?"
"Well, that’s just a common phrase. Humility... or was it modesty...? Anyway, we need to bring a gift."
"I see... It sounds a bit complicated."
Abel shook his head slightly.
"Why are you acting like it doesn’t concern you, Abel?"
"Huh? Does it concern me too?"
"Of course! We're both responsible for the moving-in greeting, so you'll end up embarrassed too!"
"That’s a bit over the top..."
Ryo muttered while deep in thought.
"First of all, we can't use alcohol. We're both young, after all. Princess Shio Fen is still a minor at seventeen. So, I suppose traditional baked sweets might work. But we don’t know which sweets are delicious. If we were in the royal capital, we could go to Café de Chocolat... oh, but I’ve only had cake there. I wonder if they have cookies or something like that..."
Seeing this, Abel muttered, "Ryo, you’re quite diligent..."
The two pondered for an entire night.
Abel, at least, was humoring Ryo.
At nine the next day, after finishing their greeting to Von Dobre, who was also staying at the Dragon Spring Residence, Captain Li Chuu and the White Flame Army came to greet them.
It seemed that fifty members of the White Flame Army were there to help carry their luggage as well.
However, the two didn't have much luggage.
"Is that all you need?"
Aside from the robes and cloaks they usually wore and their swords, Ryo only had his usual bag.
It contained a few books, but it wasn’t heavy at all.
Seeing the somewhat disappointed expression on Captain Li Chuu's face, Ryo decided to ask, "I don’t know about a moving-in gift, but there are trendy baked sweets that people in the Shtaiif Layer exchange."
"Oh!"
"I'll have my subordinates go buy some."
"Thank you!"
With Captain Li Chuu's words, Ryo's concerns were resolved.
Ryo was delighted.
Abel watched him from the side and smiled wryly.
For now, the two rode Andalusia and Feiwan, with the White Flame Army providing protection as they moved, just like last time.
They were guided to a corner in the southeast of the imperial capital.
Prince Lyun's residence was newly constructed, but adjacent to it were several abandoned mansions.
These had belonged to the emperor, but one of them had just been granted to Duke Rondo.
Even though they were unused, it seemed that patrolling guards frequently surveyed the area to prevent thieves from using them as bases.
The patrolling guards might be similar to the guards or defensive soldiers in the Central Nations.
Since Prince Lyun's arrival, it seemed the patrolling guards had become even stricter in their security measures.
"Captain Li Chuu, are the patrolling guards under the Ministry of Military Affairs or separate?"
"The patrolling guards belong to the patrolling squad, but the patrolling squad operates independently from the Ministry of Military Affairs. The command authority lies with Count Hao Gin."
"Count? Is that different from a duke or an earl?"
Another unfamiliar term.