Chapter 93: The Crown Prince’s Return

The Crown Prince is coming back!

The Imperial Palace and the nobles of the capital buzzed with rumors.

Since it was known he had left to find the missing Kazin, everyone’s greatest curiosity was whether Kazin had been captured.

And...

“Did you hear? Something incredible has happened!”

“What on earth are you making such a fuss about?”

Before anyone could even think about Kazin’s capture, astonishing guests appeared in Shurium.

“Elphirians—no way!”

“Am I seeing things right now?”

“In my whole life, I’ve never seen so many Elphirians at once.”

Tall, striking figures on horseback.

Even with their long, pointed ears and veiled faces, their dazzling beauty shone through.

“Wow...”

In every city they passed, people could only marvel at the procession of Elphirians.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted in the Imperial Palace.

“Your Majesty! The identity of the guests the Crown Prince is bringing with him...!”

“What! You’re saying they’re Elphirians? And even King Nas is among them?”

“They’ve reached the Blashu region as of now.”

“If they’re in Blashu, they’ll arrive the day after tomorrow.”

Beltar rubbed his forehead with a troubled expression.

Amanda, Sherylda, and Isabel, who had been waiting for Rohan’s return, were also greatly surprised by the news of the Elphirians.

“So this is why you asked us to prepare for the guests?”

“Still, shouldn’t you have at least hinted at who would be coming...?”

The Empress and Consort each added a word.

“This isn’t the time for that, Father. If the guests arriving with Crown Prince Rohan are esteemed guests of Silvaren, we need to change what we’ve prepared, even now.”

Isabel quickly assessed the situation and did not hesitate to advise Beltar.

“Change what we’ve prepared? What do you mean?”

“How about relocating the guests’ lodgings to the northern ‘Hall’?”

“Huh, the ‘Hall’!”

A faint frown creased Beltar’s brow.

“Certainly, it would be much better than the main palace, where there are so many people... But can it be prepared in such a short time?”

“I’ve already thought it through, so please don’t worry and leave it to me. Also, I’ve heard that Elphirians mainly eat vegetables and fruit, so we should prepare meals accordingly.”

“That’s a fine idea, Isabel.”

“Your Majesty, Princess Isabel is truly impressive.”

Amanda whispered quietly to Sherylda.

Seeing her own daughter recognized by everyone, a smile naturally crept onto Sherylda’s lips.

“Your Majesty. There isn’t much time until the Crown Prince arrives... Wouldn’t it be better to have Princess Isabel take charge of welcoming the distinguished guests?”

“Oh my, Consort.”

Empress Sherylda tried to protest, but Amanda continued.

“If the Empire’s princess is responsible for greeting the guests, they will surely feel our sincerity more than with any other attendant. What do you think, Your Majesty?”

At her question, Beltar stroked his chin and soon nodded.

“Hmm, you’re right. Since they are a different race, they’re sensitive to discrimination. If the Empire’s princess steps forward for them, even if something is lacking, they will not misunderstand our intentions.”

A gentle smile formed on Beltar’s lips.

“Let’s do as you suggest, Isabel. You will be in charge of the distinguished guests from Silvaren this time.”

“Yes, Father.”

With a confident smile, Isabel bowed gracefully.

And she didn’t forget to wink playfully at Amanda.

---

The Imperial Palace was bustling from the morning.

“They’re coming!”

Far away, at the entrance to the palace, many craned their necks to see the approaching procession.

No wonder—the sight was so rare, most would never see it again in their lifetimes.

“My goodness, those really are Elphirians.”

“Who would have thought we’d see them at the palace...”

Nobles and ministers alike were caught up in watching.

At the very front of the procession, Rohan sat tall and proud on his horse.

Has the Crown Prince truly succeeded in joining hands with Silvaren?

They had thought he’d only gone in pursuit of Kazin. The visit of the Elphirians came as a complete surprise.

“Haha, Rohan. To return with such distinguished guests! So, did you return safe and sound?”

In the Emperor’s audience chamber, Beltar greeted Rohan warmly.

Isabel was present by Beltar’s side.

Rohan bowed in proper form and replied.

“Yes, Father. Thanks to your concern, I was able to return without any trouble.”

He then turned behind him.

“This is King Nas of the Prana Union, leader of Silvaren.”

At Rohan’s introduction, Beltar stepped down from the throne and walked forward himself.

“King Nas. I’ve heard much of your name. I’m glad and honored to meet you here in Shubert.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, even at such short notice.”

“Since you’ve come a long way, I hope you will rest comfortably here.”

Beltar looked genuinely pleased.

And for good reason.

“Isn’t this the first time the leader of Silvaren has visited another country?”

“That’s right! Just imagine how this will raise our Shubert’s standing. This news will soon cause quite a stir.”

For the leader of Silvaren, Nas, to personally visit another nation’s castle was unprecedented in history.

After all, ‘officially,’ there had never been any exchanges between Silvaren and humans.

“This time, Princess Isabel will take full responsibility for the distinguished guests from Silvaren.”

As Beltar gestured, Isabel rose from her seat and greeted them.

“I am Princess Isabel Shubert of the Empire of Shubert. If you need anything during your stay, please let me know.”

Ho, so Isabel has been given full authority?

One of Rohan’s eyebrows twitched.

While he was away, Isabel, too, had been working to solidify her own position.

“The guests from Silvaren will be staying in the northern ‘Hall.’ Your Majesty, shall I guide them there now?”

“Do so.”

Beltar nodded.

He wanted to ask the reasons for their visit right away, but there was a proper order to things.

Suppressing his curiosity, Beltar decided to let the tired guests rest first.

“You should go along too, Rohan. Since this is a strange place for them, you should take extra care.”

“Yes, Father.”

The welcome ceremony concluded with only the simplest of formalities.

“Well then, shall we go?”

Isabel led the way with a bright smile.

“......”

Nas nodded and, along with Rohan, headed toward the northern ‘Hall.’

.

.

.

“So, what exactly happened?”

On the way to the Hall, Isabel drew close and whispered to Rohan.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you left to find Kazin Fabian, and suddenly you bring the King of the Prana Union and a whole group of Elphirians with you?”

“There were some incidents up north, and we ended up helping each other out.”

“Oh? Still, that’s impressive. To build such a bond and bring them all the way to the palace.”

“We’ll have a lot of opportunities to cooperate from now on.”

When Rohan grinned, Isabel blinked in surprise.

Cooperate with the Elphirians? What does that mean?

‘Well, I guess I’ll find out soon enough.’

Whatever it was, it was certainly impressive.

Rohan had accomplished what no one else ever had.

“We’re here.”

Looking ahead, Isabel beamed.

“Everyone, this is the place called the ‘Hall.’ This will be your lodgings during your stay.”

Rohan gazed at the Hall.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.’

The most secluded place in the palace.

Once, it had been the splendid residence of the royal family—the ‘Hall.’

“Please, come inside.”

With a smooth gesture, Isabel guided them in.

“Huh...?”

Rohan’s eyes widened slightly as he entered.

Antique wooden walls, furniture, and floors.

Ivy and grass growing here and there indoors, despite being inside.

At a glance, it seemed uninhabited, but on second look, the interior was impeccably tidy.

“I like it. Thank you for preparing such fine lodgings.”

Nas spoke for everyone, and Isabel’s nose rose proudly.

She approached Rohan and whispered.

“I knew they’d like it!”

“What’s all this, anyway? The vines, the wood...”

He’d known the Hall had been left unused for years, but it felt almost too close to nature for a guest’s quarters.

“That’s why I chose it for the Elphirians’ lodgings.”

“Huh?”

“Elphirians live close to nature. I thought they’d prefer a place like this, less frequented by people, rather than somewhere crowded.”

“Haha...”

Now that he thought about it, it made perfect sense.

On the way to the palace, the Elphirians had kept stony faces under the constant gaze of the crowds.

But here, their expressions seemed much more at ease. Clearly, Isabel’s strategy had worked.

“Rohan.”

Just then, Retina approached.

“Can I stay here too?”

“Well... If you’d like to stay with the Elphirians, you can. There are plenty of rooms, right?”

“There are more than enough, don’t worry.”

Isabel nodded as she answered.

But Retina looked just a little disappointed.

Noticing her expression, Rohan added with a small smile.

“Of course, if you’d rather, you can stay at the Boronia Palace. I’m sure Mother will want to see you as well.”

“...Really?”

Retina’s expression softened a little.

After glancing around inside for a moment, Rohan walked over to Nas, who was just coming out.

“Please rest for a bit—an attendant will be along soon. I believe there will be a luncheon with His Majesty.”

“Understood, Rohan. We’ll be ready.”

Since it was their first visit to a foreign land, Nas and Beltar would surely have much to discuss.

“Retina... may I take her somewhere for a while?”

“Haha, you don’t need my permission for that. She is her own person. If she wishes to go somewhere, no one can stop her.”

A noble of Silvaren, Silvarenean.

And among them, Retina was famed for her speed, almost too swift to be seen.

As Nas said, if she wished to go anywhere, she could.

“Alright, shall we go then, Retina?”

“Yes.”

Retina smiled as if she had been waiting.

“Let’s go back, to Boronia Palace.”

The place where Mother was waiting eagerly.

And William, Jenon, and Lucretia would have already heard the news and be waiting for them, too.

Returning to Boronia Palace after almost four months.

“Just thinking about going home makes me excited already.”

A bright smile played on Rohan’s lips.

The figure of him heading toward Boronia Palace had changed greatly.

He had left as a fourteen-year-old boy.

But when he returned... Rohan had shed the air of a boy, becoming a young man of fifteen.