Published: July 4, 2025
The day after the suppression army returned to the imperial capital.
Prince Lyun, his attendants, General Bijan Lu of the Black Flag Army, as well as Ryo and Abel were summoned to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to receive their rewards.
"I received a really cool eastern attire," Ryo exclaimed.
"Ah... me too," Abel replied.
Once back at the mansion, the two changed into the eastern attire bestowed upon them by the emperor.
Ryo's outfit was a light blue base with dark blue trimmings, adorned with a pattern resembling arabesque stitched in gold thread.
Abel's outfit featured a red base with black trimmings, and its pattern was stitched with silver thread.
Standing in front of the mirror together, they looked quite good in their outfits.
Moreover, surprisingly, the sizes fit them perfectly.
"I don't remember being measured," Ryo said.
"Me neither. What could it be, some special technique of Darwei's?" Abel pondered.
Indeed, neither of them had any recollection of being measured.
Yet, every part of the clothing fit them snugly.
It was quite remarkable.
"But I have my favorite robe given to me by my master," Ryo said.
"Well, you can wear it sometimes, right? This definitely isn't something for everyday wear," Abel replied.
It would be suitable for ceremonies or within the imperial palace.
However, it wasn't something they would wear around town...
The next day.
The two were present in the imperial palace.
Having received splendid clothing, they were on their way back after thanking Emperor Tsuin.
"Still, the imperial palace is really vast," Ryo remarked.
"Yeah. If it were just the two of us, we'd definitely get lost," Abel agreed.
Neither Ryo nor Abel had confidence in walking through the palace without getting lost.
For that reason, a guide was leading them ahead to show them the way out.
However, today, it seemed that the Suzaku Gate, which could be considered the main gate, was closed for some kind of ceremony, and they were being shown a different route than usual.
A different path.
A different sight.
While the two were curiously glancing around, they heard the sound of an instrument.
"Huh? Is that a violin?" Ryo wondered.
"Yeah, it is. But it sounds pretty bad," Abel replied honestly.
Ryo was taken aback by Abel's bluntness and couldn't continue speaking.
"What is it, Ryo?" Abel asked.
"Um... while it's true that your violin skills are excellent, I think it’s not appropriate to be so straightforward about it..." Ryo replied.
"Hmm? Just because someone is bad doesn't diminish their worth, right? If they enjoy it, that's all that matters, I think. Of course, I wouldn't say that to their face. It wouldn't be good to dampen their motivation," Abel said.
"Your standards are hard to grasp," Ryo said, shaking his head slightly.
When dealing with matters as the king, he might encounter suggestions that don’t seem good.
However, if the purpose or the goals are commendable, perhaps one should change the approach and return the proposal.
When making such judgments, it seems necessary to distinctly differentiate between ‘good’ and ‘bad’...
There might be various aspects due to differences in status.
As long as the way of communicating to the person is not wrong, there should be no issue.
"This is likely the sound coming from Chouonkaku. It must be Master Ron Shen of the workshop," the guide informed them.
"Is the workshop chief someone who creates things?" Ryo asked.
"Yes, they create instruments."
"Wow!"
Ryo was surprised to learn about such a department existing within the imperial palace.
"It seems he's not a performer but an instrument maker. It's understandable if he's not that good," Ryo added.
"That's true. Without the creators, good instruments wouldn't come to be," Abel nodded.
"I'd really like to visit this Chouonkaku place. Is that possible?" Ryo asked.
"Of course. Please, this way," the guide responded, leading them to Chouonkaku.
"Though you said he’s bad, the sound isn’t that far off, is it?" Ryo said.
"Isn’t saying 'not that far off' already implying he’s bad?" Abel countered.