Chapter 193: Between Kidnapping and Fishing (3)
“Your Majesty, Lloyd Frontera of the delegation and the others have arrived.”
“Let them in.”
Magentano palace. A dignified voice rang aloud through the training hall that sat at the center of the flashy palace. Its door opened.
“…”
Termes, the leader of the rebels in the sultan kingdom, was swallowed by reflex. He couldn’t think straight and was dazed. The door that just opened in front of him. The spectacle of the vast training hall. The red-haired woman standing at the center. Everything about it felt unreal. Dazed, he followed Lloyd and got down on his one knee before the woman, and that, too, felt exceedingly unreal.
“Lloyd Frontera, the son of Arcos Frontera, is honored to be in your presence, Your Majesty.”
“D-Damieta Termes of the sultan kingdom is honored to be in the presence of the queen of the Magentano kingdom.”
Fearing he would stutter or give an improper greeting, Termes had practiced dozens of times to himself after he arrived at the palace. He was on pins and needles about making a mistake. But when the moment finally came, his lips automatically moved to greet the queen, and he couldn’t inspect whether he had said it right or stuttered. Breathing heavily, he tried to calm himself. Just then, he thought about the events of the previous days.
I never imagined I would really come here.
About five nights ago, he and his team kidnapped and interrogated Lloyd Frontera because they believed him to be working for the sultan. They did so because they wanted to discover his ulterior motive behind his good actions toward the people of Kandara and what the sultan was up to.
But getting such an outrageous suggestion was the last thing on my mind.
Lloyd Frontera. He was ballsy enough to throw a suggestion at his kidnappers as though he had been waiting for the right time. His demand was to hand over the caves used for their hideouts. That way, the underground waterway could be constructed to solve the drought. Should they accept that, Lloyd promised to accept them into his fiefdom. The suggestion itself was absolutely outrageous and unimaginable. Termes obviously scoffed at first.
I couldn’t trust him.
There was no proof that Lloyd wasn’t the sultan’s stool pigeon. Thus, he didn’t trust Lloyd, arguing that he could never trust the suggestion and that Lloyd must prove he wasn’t lying first. Termes roughly and forcefully argued with him, but Lloyd’s response was a masterpiece.
He suggested that we should go meet Queen Magentano to receive a grant for asylum.
His suggestion was clearly off the wall. Termes and his team all agreed on that. However, what did Lloyd say in reply?
“Well, you chumps can stay knightly together in this city as you suffer through the drought then.”
Lloyd scoffed as he pathetically stared at them. It was because of that stare. That stare reminded Termes of the drought that swept over his hometown and of his young boy, panting helplessly as he perished in his arms. How utterly helpless he was amid such misery! The rancor and despair of that day were brought back to ache his hurt once more.
“Fine… We will go together and see. But you are a dead man if I detect any falsehood in your offer.”
He had accepted the offer as he glowered at Lloyd as though he was going to chomp him up. And just like that, they set out on the journey. Termes wasn’t worried about getting beaten up. Why? He was confident with his sword. And so, they got on a huge bird and started to fly west. Along the journey, Termes started to go through a change of heart. He was still skeptical in the desert. But when they reached the mountain range, he was curious. And when they crossed into the Magentano border, he was surprised. And today, he was flabbergasted, primarily because he was meeting the queen.
“You are the rebel leader of the sultan kingdom who came with Lloyd Frontera.”
Flinch! A soft voice jostled Termes out of his trance. He flinched visibly by reflex.
“Yes, Your Majesty! Yes! I am him, Your Majesty!”
Termes found himself bawling at the top of his lungs. A wry smile formed on her face.
“It is all good. I do not intend on hurting you, so you can relax.”
I am not going to hurt you. Her voice was soft but resolute, making it more reliable. The tensions that were built up around Termes’s shoulders loosened up at last, and he dared lift his head slightly, stealing a glance at the queen.
That woman is the queen…
Alicia Termina Magentano. The monarch of the Magentano kingdom and the sword master. Termes heard countless rumors about her, how she rose to the level of a sword master at a relatively young age. How she overcame heaps of political conspiracies and strife until she grabbed the queen title. She was said to be an intelligent sword master, and not enough with that, her political skills were known to be top-notch.
But I never pegged her to look like that.
Termes had imagined that he would find himself in the presence of an authoritative figure sitting on a luxurious throne. But in actuality, he wasn’t. Queen Magentano was covered with mud. Her modest training clothes, as well as the boots and knee protectors, were all stained with sand and mud. And her top was no different. Though it wasn’t muddy, it was soaked in sweat. The shirt that was supposed to be brown was so soaked that it looked black. The towel around her neck was the same. And the long sword in her hand, particularly the hilt, was worn out and tattered due to prolonged use. Every aspect of her appearance made more sense if she was a knight who had just finished her training. The place Termes was met with was the same.
I presume she was training until now.
Behind the queen, a group of knights was scattered, lying on the sandy ground, each clutching their arms, legs, and shoulders in pain. There seemed to be around 50 soldiers, and Termes figured that the queen had beaten them.
Amazing. I see that’s the power of a sword master.
The knights in the palace had to be fairly skilled. So, the queen was the monstrous one for being able to beat the daylights out of these 50 knights with only one sword. And now, Termes was here. To meet that monster and get her approval for asylum here.
Is this really happening?
Termes collected his breath again, and everything that was happening around him seemed so unreal. Queen Magentano let out a soft scoff at Termes.
“How surprising.”
Her eyes moved toward Lloyd, who was kneeling beside Termes.
“Lloyd Frontera, it has been a long time,” Queen Magentano said.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude, Your Majesty. Words fail to capture the joy I am experiencing to be in Your Majesty’s presence,” said Lloyd.
“Truly?”
“Without a doubt, Your Majesty…” said Lloyd after a second of pause. “That is the reason behind my visit here. To have a countenance with Your Majesty while I was in the far sultan kingdom.”
“Tsk. How dare you use such obvious flattery against me. If you followed my orders, you should be residing in Ahinsya right now. How do you explain your presence here?” asked the queen.
“Shall I keep my report short, Your Majesty?”
“I want the details.”
“Your words are my command.”
Lloyd bowed hard, beginning to narrate his long story, keeping as many details as possible. One by one, Lloyd reported the events that took place. By the time he was done, there was a slight crease on her forehead.
“In short… the sultan’s kingdom poorly treated my delegation so you signed a contract with the sultan in exchange for starting the negotiation table. And thus, now require the cooperation of this rebel leader to make the construction a success?” summarized the queen.
“Yes, that is indeed right, Your Majesty,” said Lloyd.
“So, you wish that I grant him asylum to my kingdom?”
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude, Your Majesty.”
“Your gratitude comes too early,” pointed out the queen. “I have not granted your request yet.”
“However, I, Lloyd Frontera, have no inkling of doubt on Your Majesty’s mercy and grace.”
“Tsk. I wonder how long your shamelessness will last,” quipped the queen.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude, Your Majesty.”
“Enough with your overwhelming gratitude.”
Queen Magentano spoke, but a scoff escaped her at last. She tried to hold it, but it just came out. Lloyd Frontera. She couldn’t help but laugh at his absurd behavior.
Yes. The best way to prove that he is not working for the sultan is to come to me when he needs this man’s cooperation.
Taking the rebel leader to this kingdom? That was a bold idea that anybody could come up with. However, what was truly surprising about Lloyd was his outrageous level of initiative to make that bold idea into reality.
Should I say he’s shameless or fearless?
A wry smile slightly deepened as she was torn on which word described Lloyd best. Or could it be that he was the type of person to use any means possible to achieve his goals?
“Lloyd Frontera.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You are truly an impudent loyal subject.”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty.”
“No, no need for forgiveness. If I take a step back, I see your work today will be one of the actions you have taken to fulfill the mission entrusted to you by me.”
“I am overwhelmed with your gratitude for understanding me, Your Majesty.”
“Tsk. Do stop with your gratitude. I know they are empty words,” she said. “So, I should only permit his asylum then?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lloyd bowed, flatter this time. The queen called for her official, and as she spoke aloud the content of the paper, the official wrote it down. Five minutes later, the paper that contained the official insignia of the monarch was in Termes’s hands.
“Now… With this, you and your followers will earn the right to become the people of Magentano,” she announced.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude, Your Majesty,” Termes said. Then he took the paper, his heart beating very fast. Five days ago, this moment was regarded as nothing but Lloyd’s bravado at the remote storage.
I can’t believe his words turned out to be true.
Termes felt like he was dreaming. He felt the same even later when he left as he paid his respects to Queen Magentano and when she stopped and called Lloyd.
“Oh, Lloyd Frontera… I have something to tell you now that you are here,” said the queen.
“What could it be, Your Majesty?”
“It is about that warlock you captured in Namaran. Cannavaro.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“The interrogation is expected to end soon,” she went on. “I might need your assistance and summon you to the capital.”
“Me, Your Majesty…?” said Lloyd, his voice growing smaller.
“Indeed. Do you not like me summoning you?”
“Not at all, Your Majesty.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“Right. You should be. I can tell just from this unexpected visit from you today. To you, I am someone you wish to meet at any time. Aren’t I correct?”
“T-truly, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm… I think your eyes wavered just now.”
“Your Majesty, that is due to fatigue.”
“Because you flew day and night to meet me?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“That means you will fly day and night like today the next time I call you, correct?”
“Of course… Your Majesty.”
“Again. There. Your eyes wavered.”
“Clearly, it is due to fatigue, Your Majesty.”
“I see. Clearly, it is from fatigue.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed. It must be. I pray you aren’t a selfish and sly man who only comes to meet me when you need me. Isn’t that right?”
Queen Magentano smiled, and her eyes seemed to hold a grudge. Lloyd then left her presence, smiling and sweating.
“Woah.”
Once he was safely out of the training hall, Lloyd heaved out a breath he had been holding back there. Then he turned toward Termes.
“So what now?” asked Lloyd. “Can you trust me now?”
“…”
Termes didn’t say anything. He simply moved his gaze down to his hand holding the paper, which contained the queen’s insignia granting his asylum. Laughter escaped him.
“Ha. I never imagined this to work,” confessed Termes.
“You didn’t, huh?”
“Haah. Not a chance. Truly.”
“So, are you going to take up the suggestion I made?” asked Lloyd.
“Of course. Our caves are yours.”
Termes nodded. Now, there was no reason to not believe this eccentric young master. Should someone in the group still distrust him, Termes was ready to badger them around until they were persuaded.
“Are we then going back to Kandara?” asked Termes.
“Yes, we should. Just as I told you when we took off.”
“11 nights and 12 days. Is that correct?”
“Yeah. But a day shorter if the weather is nice like this.”
“I see,” said Termes.
“Yes, indeed.”
The two walked out of the palace. Just then, Lloyd scoffed.
“Wait a minute,” he added as an afterthought, “we never officially introduced ourselves to each other.”
“Hmm?”
“Let me officially introduce myself. I am Lloyd Frontera, the eldest son of the Frontera county that is loyal to the Magentano family.”
“…”
Lloyd held out his hand, and Termes took it and shook.
“I am Damieta Termes, soon to defect to Frontera county. Nice to meet you.”
“All right,” Lloyd said, “then let’s forget that the kidnapping ever happened.”
“Certainly. You will be the ruler of my future home anyhow.”
“Then I suppose you will no longer club me in the forehead in the middle of the night?”
“I am very sorry about that…”
The leader of the rebel, Termes, broke into an embarrassed smile. 15 days later, thanks to Ggoming’s eager flight, Lloyd and Termes were able to get back to Kandara. But this time, it was to end this prolonged drought. Backed by the active cooperation of the rebels, the time had come for Lloyd to knuckle down and seriously start surveying to build the Qanat.