Throughout the entire ride across the endless plains stretching northward, a strange silence and taut tension hung over the ranks of the Imperial Army escorting me.
After all, they had just seen four soldiers’ heads go rolling in an instant simply because they had laughed and chatted a little at our point of departure.
Surprisingly, however, my conversation with the very person responsible for that incident—Amber White—flowed far more smoothly and pleasantly than I had expected.
“What is the weather like in the imperial capital? I spent my whole life growing up in warm southern Sterling, so I can’t quite get a feel for the climate up north.”
As I asked while riding alongside her, Amber answered with sparkling eyes.
“Ah, the capital’s winters are fiercer than anything Sterling could compare to. Once it snows, it’s normal for it to pile up to your knees. But you needn’t worry too much. Inside the Imperial Palace and the mansions of the nobles, there are perfect temperature-control facilities using the highest-grade fire magic stones, so even in the depths of winter, you should have no trouble living in the thin clothing you’re wearing now.”
“Oh, heating with magic stones. That sounds quite convenient.”
“Doesn’t it? And once the social season begins, the entire capital heats up with a festival atmosphere because of the nobles, and the passion of the balls held then is enough to make you forget the cold. Of course, the Imperial Palace library is also the largest on the continent, so Your Highness will have no time to be bored.”
The empire’s climate, the atmosphere of the capital, even the light trends of noble society.
Though the questions were rather blatantly information-seeking for a hostage from an enemy nation, Amber answered in great detail and with genuine enjoyment, without the slightest sign of annoyance.
For someone who wore terrifying black steel armor and had beheaded her own subordinates with a single stroke, a direct knight of the First Imperial Princess, she truly seemed to enjoy talking.
When I made full use of the skills from my previous life, where I had been famous in my department for giving the best romantic advice, nodding along and giving just the right responses, her words visibly increased.
Watching Amber enthusiastically go on about even the famous dessert shops of the empire, I quietly lifted the corner of my mouth.
“You seem to rather enjoy speaking, Sir White.”
At my gentle observation, Amber’s shoulders, which had been animatedly moving as she talked, stiffened.
Realizing that she had become too excited, she scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
“Haha... Was it that obvious? It’s embarrassing, but the truth is, I normally love chatting. Once I get going, I can talk all night.”
“Then why have you been holding yourself back so much?”
“Well... because I’m a soldier, a direct knight of Her Highness the First Imperial Princess. Our captain is such a terrifying and blood-loving person that those of us under her often have to keep our mouths shut in daily life, pretending to be solemn and enduring like shadows. But today, Prince Ian listened to me so comfortably, I suppose I got carried away before I knew it. I apologize if I overstepped.”
“No, please, there is no need to apologize. On the contrary, I am the one who is very pleased to have found such an excellent conversation partner for this long journey. There is no need to force yourself to act solemn, so please speak comfortably whenever you like.”
“Hahahaha, thank you! Then I’ll take you up on that.”
At my consideration, Amber smiled broadly, the scar near her eye creasing.
“You are like an academy girl, Sir White.”
“Oh, did I seem that way? Thank you for the compliment.”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, I’m an ignoramus who can barely read and write, let alone have gone to an academy. I grew up in a poor family. I enlisted because I didn’t want to starve, and after nearly ten years rolling around in the army and building up military achievements, I somehow became Her Highness the Imperial Princess’s trusted retainer.”
“Oh, it seems you have quite a long military career. I thought you were rather young.”
“...How old did you think I was?”
“Early twenties?”
At my answer, Amber turned her head on horseback, barely managing to force down the corners of her mouth, which had been trying to rise.
“...I’m thirty-two, Your Highness. Thank you very much for seeing me as younger.”
‘Success!’
No matter where you go, telling a woman she looks young is a compliment.
If, by some chance, she had been sixteen or seventeen, then it would have been like openly picking a fight, but telling a thirty-two-year-old she looked to be in her early twenties was the highest praise.
After we had been conversing like that and riding without rest for about half a day—
Beyond the horizon, a fairly large fortress city with solid walls came into view.
“We will be staying there tonight.”
Amber pointed to the castle and added.
“Originally, it was the lord’s castle of the Kingdom of Tour, which shared a border with the Kingdom of Sterling... But after being conquered by the Imperial Army a few years ago, it became an ordinary southern provincial city of the empire.”
The Kingdom of Tour was a name I had heard while looking at maps in the royal castle’s study.
A neighboring country that had, until only a few years ago, actively traded and interacted with our Kingdom of Sterling had now fallen into a mere frontier city where imperial soldiers stopped to rest.
The blackened traces of siege warfare remaining here and there on the walls testified at once to the impermanence of the world and the overwhelming violence of the empire.
Once we entered the castle, Amber guided me to the largest and most splendid dining hall in the lord’s castle.
“We’ll have to camp out on rough roads for a while, so it would be best for you to rest well in a proper place today. As it happens, the cook of this lord’s castle is quite well known even among the Imperial Army for his skill. I instructed the kitchen to bring something very delicious.”
Entering the dining hall, Amber naturally pulled out the chair at the innermost seat of the table, the seat of honor engraved with elaborate patterns, and offered it to me.
“Your Highness, please sit here.”
“Thank you.”
Soon after, the dining hall doors opened carefully, and the maids of the lord’s castle began carrying in steaming dishes on large silver trays.
Thickly sliced boar steaks grilled with a smoky char, rich meat stew boiled with large chunks of potatoes and carrots, fluffy bread fresh from the oven giving off the savory scent of butter, and even a fresh fruit salad.
Just as Amber had boasted, it was a splendid dinner that made it hard to believe this was a castle on the frontier.
“Mm, it smells truly wonderful. I shall enjoy it.”
Without hesitation, I picked up my knife, cut off a large piece of the thick meat, and put it in my mouth.
The moment I chewed, the juices burst forth, and a salty, rich flavor blended with pepper and spices struck my palate.
As a noble who had lived eating only fairly delicious things, my tastes had become quite refined, but even taking that into account, it was good.
“This stew is amazing as well. The meat simply melts in my mouth.”
When I tore off a piece of bread, dipped it deep into the stew, and exclaimed in admiration, Amber, who was sitting opposite me and picking through her salad, looked at me with an extremely peculiar expression.
“...Does it suit your palate?”
“Yes. It is well worth boasting about. It is far better than the dishes I ate at the royal castle.”
“That is honestly a little surprising.”
Amber set down the fork she was holding and rested her chin on her hand.
“I have destroyed countless kingdoms and escorted countless hostages until now, but normally, hostages dragged to the empire fall into despair, spend their nights in tears, refuse to eat, and cannot even properly swallow a sip of water. You are the first person I have seen who enjoys a meal so peacefully and deliciously, Your Highness.”
I swallowed the stew and lightly wiped the corner of my mouth with the napkin beside me.
Then I smiled with great ease.
“Well. To begin with, when one is a guest in someone’s castle, I believe refusing the food the host has so carefully prepared is a very discourteous act for one of blue blood.”
“Courtesy, you say?”
“Of course. Moreover, if I were to grow frightened in advance and leave the entire meal untouched, how hurt and disappointed would the cook be, after putting his heart and soul into making this excellent food since earlier? That would not be courteous to the ingredients either.”
At my answer, Amber’s eyes widened into perfect circles.
I cut another piece of meat, put it in my mouth, and continued.
“Most of all... the food is genuinely delicious.”
At my words, Amber stared blankly for a moment, then burst into a hearty laugh loud enough to shake the dining hall.
“Indeed! Now that I hear it, Your Highness is absolutely right.”
The atmosphere softened even further.
Throughout the meal, whenever my eyes met those of the maids approaching to clear empty plates or pour water, I lightly nodded and smiled at them.
“Thank you. The bread is very soft.”
“Thank you for filling my empty glass. The stew is truly delicious, so would you please convey my compliments to the chef?”
“Ah, yes! Th-thank you... Your Highness!”
The maids who received my greetings flushed bright red and did not know what to do.
They must have entered in a state of fear and tension, thinking I was a hostage from a defeated nation who had come in with the army of the enemy empire. Yet instead of the nervous and overbearing attitude typical of royalty and nobility, they were faced with a royal who met their eyes and warmly thanked them for their labor. Their confusion was evident, but so was their swelling emotion.
Amber, who had been quietly watching the scene, once again let her gaze sink deep.
She took a sip of the remaining wine, then asked in a serious voice.
“Truly, the more I learn about you, the more fascinating you are.”
“In what sense?”
“Because I have never seen a royal treat those beneath them, and mere maids at that, with such kindness. Not in the imperial family, of course, nor in any of the many neighboring kingdoms I have brought down. Are the royals of the Kingdom of Sterling all originally so kind and considerate toward those beneath them?”
I placed my napkin on the table and smiled.
“No, well, the people of our kingdom are generally more relaxed, but this is closer to something I consciously try to do.”
“May I ask the reason?”
“It is simple. Offering a word of praise—‘thank you,’ ‘good work,’ ‘that was delicious’—to the people who work for me costs me no money and expends no physical effort.”
Amber rested her chin on her hand and listened with interest. I lightly snapped my fingers.
“But what happens in the hearts of those who hear those words? Given the choice, would they not work harder and far more gladly for someone who respects them as human beings rather than someone who treats them like insects? The maid who received my greeting just now will probably make an effort to bring the cleanest, coolest water when she brings water to my room tomorrow morning. I merely tossed out a single word, yet the value of the service and loyalty that returns to me increases without limit. In other words, it is thoroughly profitable.”
“Ho...”
“And I believe this is conduct that better befits the dignity of royalty. Tolerance and understanding are always the province of the upper class, after all.”
Amber stared at me with a dazed expression for a long while.
“...Truly, I have learned a great lesson. What Your Highness told me today is something I will definitely try using when I deal with my subordinates in the future.”
“Haha, that sounds good. Still, the army is the army, so you should do it while properly following regulations and discipline.”