The Water Magician

The day after the piano arrived at the mansion.

Ryo and Abel were visited by their neighbor.

It wasn't unusual for the neighbor to come over... it was just that his status was that of a prince.

"Prince Lyun, welcome!"

"Duke Rondo, I apologize for yesterday."

Ryo greeted him with delight, and Prince Lyun apologized for not being able to visit the day before.

"Don't worry about it. I was summoned to the Imperial Palace."

With that, Ryo invited him inside the mansion.

Behind Prince Lyun, his usual entourage followed.

However, what caught Ryo's attention was the attire worn by Prince Lyun and his companions.

While it was common for his hair to be neatly tied and adorned with a crown, the clothes he wore were the kind one would wear at the Imperial Palace… no, they were formal attire that wouldn’t be out of place even in front of the emperor.

Ryo was dressed in his usual robe, and Abel wore eastern attire, which was closer to commoners' clothing than what one would wear to the Imperial Palace.

Their upper garments were short, reaching only to the thighs, making them look easy to move in...

The contrast with the prince's group was quite striking.

Once inside the mansion, Ryo personally brewed some tea, took a sip, and then asked,

"Prince, your attire seems rather formal..."

"Yes. Today, I have come to request a favor from Duke Rondo."

"Yes?"

Prince Lyun's tone was serious. Perhaps it was more appropriate to say it was formal.

"I, Lyun, have been granted the title of prince."

"Congratulations!"

"Therefore, I would like to ask for your assistance, Duke Rondo."

"Assistance?"

Ryo tilted his head in confusion.

Out of the corner of his eye, he also saw Abel tilting his head.

Prince Lyun looked intently at Ryo and firmly stated,

"I aim for the position of the next emperor."

Both Ryo and Abel had anticipated this.

They had even discussed it.

However, hearing it stated so clearly by the prince made them both feel a sense of tension.

"I would like to have your assistance in this matter."

Prince Lyun's gaze remained steady as he looked directly at Ryo.

It was the gaze of someone who had thought long and hard, communicated with those around him to gain their support, and had resolved to continue down that path no matter what.

But...

"Is that so..."

That was Ryo's response.

When Abel heard this reply, he was shocked.

He had thought that Ryo would immediately say he would help without any hesitation.

An unspoken period of silence flowed.

In this situation, it should have been Ryo who spoke next.

Regardless of the response, it was Ryo’s turn to speak.

Of course, Ryo understood this himself, but...

After a lengthy five minutes of silence.

"Prince, please allow me to think about it."

After sending the group of Prince Lyun off from the mansion, Ryo and Abel returned to their room and had another cup of tea.

Ryo clearly had a frown on his face.

It seemed that while Prince Lyun was present, he had tried not to show it.

"Knowing Ryo, I thought you would say 'leave it to me!' or that the throne is yours, your highness, and immediately accept."

Abel voiced his honest thoughts.

It was because he recognized their close relationship.

"Yeah."

Ryo was aware that Abel would think that way.

"However... the more I thought about it, the less confidence I had. No, maybe I couldn't take on that responsibility."

"Confidence? Responsibility?"

Abel tilted his head at Ryo's words.

"Confidence in whether or not I can truly support Prince Lyun."

"Does that mean you think Prince Lyun is unworthy of being emperor?"

"No, that's not the case... As far as I know, I think he is suitable to be emperor. But whether he is 'the most suitable to be emperor' is something I have no confidence in."

"Ah, other princes, then."

Abel nodded slightly at Ryo’s words.

Indeed, the two of them hardly knew anything about the other princes.

"I understand the confidence part. What about the responsibility?"

"Responsibility towards the citizens of Darwei."

"Responsibility towards the citizens of Darwei?"

Abel tilted his head again.

"If this were the Mafalda Republic in the Western Nations or Kubevasa, which used to be a Free City, I wouldn't have needed to think this far. It would have been a democratic process to select the ruler. But... while Naitorei Kingdom is one thing, Darwei is also not a democratic country. The king or emperor isn't chosen by the citizens... even if he were a terrible emperor, the citizens would have no choice but to accept that."