NOVEL NEXT Chapter 91: Compare the pair: Prince Rian or King Augustus?
“Let’s have a duel, right now!” Rian challenged.
Ren Xiyang jumped up and started to fly away. “No.”
“Earl Rosewood!” Rian quickly followed.
But how could Rian catch him? Ren Xiyang was faster and more agile in the air.
Rian shouted, “If you don’t stop, I’ll—” He abruptly stopped as Ren Xiyang suddenly came over to him.
“How do you want to threaten me this time?” Ren Xiyang asked.
Rian placed two hands on Ren Xiyang’s shoulders and smirked. “I’ll make you shorter.” He started pushing down while they were both still levitating in the air.
Ren Xiyang: “...”
“I’m much taller in this life at this age compared to my previous life,” Rian said proudly.
Ren Xiyang sighed. This wasn’t the first time Rian had told him that, and it wouldn’t be the last. A lot of things about Ren Xiyang’s body were different in this life compared to his first life too, but he didn’t go around repeatedly boasting about it to Rian.
“If you mean you’ll stop being my male test subject, I’ll ask Alexius instead. Didn’t you say he was taller than you previously?”
Rian narrowed his eyes. “Ren-Xi-Yang, you wouldn’t dare. You’ve threatened me multiple times but never followed through.”
“Wouldn’t he be flattered to know a secret about me?”
Before Rian could retaliate, Ren Xiyang flew away again.
In a huff, Rian gave chase.
Ren Xiyang led Rian on a merry flight around and through the mountains.
Cognisant of the time, Ren Xiyang headed back to the convoy. He landed first and turned around, smirking at Rian.
“Perhaps you should play less and practice more, Your Highness,” he teased. “Otherwise, you’ll never catch me.”
Rian lunged and hooked an arm around Ren Xiyang’s shoulder. The Ren Xiyang after exercise was the best—he was the most uninhibited at this time, the most open, the most friendly. “Look, I caught you!”
Ren Xiyang snorted. “You know that doesn’t count.”
Rian pouted and took the chance to take a nice close look at Ren Xiyang. They were currently standing in the shadows of the trees. The faint glow of light from the clearing ahead outlined Ren Xiyang’s face. The soft boyish lines had started to firm up, and his red irises flickered in a lively manner as the wind blew and dappled light fell upon his face.
Rian’s heart skipped a beat.
Ren Xiyang glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “Are you thinking that I’m more handsome than you?”
Rian let go and bumped their shoulders. “You know that I’m the most handsome, there is no challenge. But you can be second best.”
“Thanks ever so much,” Ren Xiyang said drily. “Now come on, or else we’ll be left behind.” He started walking, and Rian followed.
They stepped into the clearing, finally giving Rian’s poor Royal Guards relief.
“Your Highness, my Lord, the Imperial carriage is ready to depart…”
They continued onward and reached the other side of the crossing in the late afternoon.
Here, the Angio side of the mountain ranges was drier compared to the Sedaverian side. Trees were sparser and it was warmer during the day and colder during the night.
Earthen walls marked their defendable border, but the gates were open and figures could be seen in the vast orchards of fruit trees that lay outside the wall and partially up the mountain.
A large group of soldiers and guards awaited them just outside the gates, along with Marquis Terra. They all rode horses.
The Sedaverian envoy slowed down, while the Imperial carriage continued forth with a small group of Royal Guards.
Marquis Terra pulled his horse up alongside the Imperial carriage.
Prince Rian poked his head through the carriage window. “Marquis Terra, what a surprise to see you here. We could have gone directly to your castle and saved you the trip,” he said.
Marquis Terra smiled and replied, “How could that be, Prince Rian. I should have been with you the entire trip and personally escorted you. That is my dereliction of duty.”
“Would you like to come inside and sit with us?”
“Let’s speak more comfortably at my home. We have snacks prepared.”
“Very well.”
With nods of acknowledgement on both sides, Marquis Terra pushed his horse forward to take the front, while Rian sat back properly inside the carriage.
Marquis Terra led the entourage to the Terra castle. All their servants were waiting for them, along with the Terra family.
Marchioness Terra welcomed everyone to Angio. Terra servants were assigned to the members of the convoy and they showed the members of the convoy to their rooms to rest and freshen up before dinner.
Marquis Terra led Rian and Ren Xiyang to his private study to talk. As promised, there were snacks prepared.
Marquis Terra introduced the traditional Angio snacks first. Rian and Ren Xiyang both tried some.
Then, Marquis Terra turned serious. “Prince Rian, Earl Rosewood, your help has been very important for my people. Since you left, there have been no other raids in my fief.”
Rian narrowed in on the unspoken implication. “There have been raids elsewhere?”
“Yes.”
Ren Xiyang stifled a yawn. “If you have a vague idea where the bandits are located, then we can help you.”
Marquis Terra’s lips thinned. “Bandits are a problem in many fiefs, but rarely have we been able to find their bases. They have either mages or magical arrays that deflect our attention and hide their locations.” He shook his head slightly. “I doubt there are any in my fief, unless they live deep in the mountains.”
Ren Xiyang hadn’t detected any large groups of heat-sources when they travelled over the mountains. That either meant there were no bandits within his heat-sensing range, or they had used something to hide them on the heat spectrum. If they used a complete hiding spell, that should create patches of unnatural emptiness—there were almost always tiny heat sources across the earth, due to various small creatures. Ren Xiyang hadn’t checked carefully enough to notice something like that, though.
Rian looked at Ren Xiyang. “What are you thinking about?”
“I might be able to find them. It depends on how they’ve hidden themselves.”
Marquis Terra glanced between the youths. They were younger than his own children, but they had unusual skills and strength that was rare. Maybe, if it was them, they’d be able to find the hidden bandits.
“If you have interest in finding the bandit bases, then there are some Angio nobles who may want to work with you,” Marquis Terra said.
Rian’s eyelids lowered a fraction. Hearing Marquis Terra’s wording, it sounded as though Marquis Terra wouldn’t come along with them to hunt down these bandits. If an Angio citizen wasn’t planning to put in the time and effort, why should they, two Sedaverian foreigners?
But Rian wasn’t going to burn any bridges just yet. He knew that Ren Xiyang was more soft hearted, and their aid could provide some indirect benefits to Sedaveria if they proceeded.
“Will you put us in contact?” Rian asked.
“I will.” Marquis Terra had a few candidates in mind.
“Will we pass by their way to your Capital?”
“Not via your current route.” Some of the candidates that could have been on the way had a history of being against King Augustus in some matter or another. He had helped plan the route for Prince Rian, and he had avoided these nobles because it wouldn’t have been politically wise for him to visit them before seeing King Augustus. “I will put you in touch with the best people.”
“Very well. Now, let’s talk about your debt,” Rian said.
“Of course. Is there any way I can repay you?”
Ren Xiyang opened his mouth, but Rian replied first.
“In light of our business relationship, we will accept the debt being cleared if you give us a sufficient discount in future trades.”
Ren Xiyang closed his mouth. He was going to ask for gold or glass directly, but this worked too.
This was a milder request than Marquis Terra expected. It was better than directly sending away gold from his coffers.
“You must have a percentage and time frame in mind,” Marquis Terra said.
“Ten percent for five years, starting this autumn. The grace period is to keep in mind the expenses needed to help your villages affected by bandits.” Rian smiled. “We hope to have a long-term collaboration.”
Marquis Terra felt a little wry. Unlike the princesses and princes of Angio, Prince Rian was very straightforward to deal with. He appreciated the concrete request to clear his debt. Of course, those princesses and princes were constrained by their situation, and no doubt Prince Rian had his own plots and plans.
“Three percent,” he said. “I hope that we can increase our trade volume, so three percent is more suitable.”
Ren Xiyang remained silent as Marquis Terra and Rian bargained with each other. Without Ren Xiyang saying anything, the two decided on a set of conditions and wrote up a new contract.
In the end, they decided on a five percent discount, from wholesale price, over a minimum sales volume of 400,000 gold coins across seven years. As part of the deal, Marquis Terra would also prioritise supplying Earl Rosewood and Prince Rian over other clients. Rian also wrote down a number of quality assurance clauses that needed to be met. In total, the savings would be at least tens of thousands of gold coins.
“You make a good businessman,” Marquis Terra ceded.
“This is a measure of your gratefulness,” Rian said.
“It is.” Otherwise, Marquis Terra would have never agreed.
Rian smiled in satisfaction. “Now, Earl Rosewood, sign here for me.”
Ren Xiyang signed as directed. “Thank you.”
“Without your help, my fief would be devastated. Thank you for your help,” Marquis Terra said.
“You’re welcome and you’re welcome,” Rian said to both.
Marquis Terra gave a wry smile. “Now, dinner will be soon, so I won’t keep you any longer. Servants will take you to the dining hall on time.” He accompanied them to the door of his study and the servants led them away.
Marquis Terra watched how Earl Rosewood and Prince Rian walked close, how Prince Rian leaned in to whisper something into Earl Rosewood’s ear.
These two were going to be the future of the kingdom of Sedaveria. He wondered what that would mean for Angio.
For him, it meant a steady income for the next seven years.
King Augustus snorted in annoyance as he returned to his rooms at the top of the castle. His temper was short and this night’s dinner with the court nobles was irritating as usual. Couldn’t they eat more quietly, improve their expressions, and be more pleasing to the eye?
Electricity flickered faintly across his skin. He had ‘almost’ hit a few nobles that night. He spared their lives on purpose and they should be grateful.
Two silent servants emerged out of the shadows to serve him. There was fear of the electricity in their eyes, but they had to serve him nonetheless, stepping forward to take off the ornament cape across their king’s shoulders.
King Augustus looked down on these weaklings.
Another servant emerged with his head respectfully bowed and a tray in his hands. “Your Royal Majesty, the Sedaverian convoy has entered the kingdom. This servant has also prepared a report for you regarding the bandits.”
“Continue.”
“Yes, Your Royal Majesty.”
The servant gave the verbal report first, outlining what had happened during the bandits’ raids, how they were captured, and their current situations.
King Augustus glanced through the written report after the servant left. It included everything that was said but in greater detail.
He narrowed his eyes, his lips pulling into a faint sneer.
Marquis Terra was becoming more displeasing and weak, lowering himself to let some Sedaverians help him.
Earl Rosewood was an interesting character. So far, he had bested other weak mages, so coddled in little old Sedaveria. He must be a proud and arrogant little boy, believing himself so great as to capture a few weakling peasants. King Augustus wanted to see his expression break under true power.
As for those bandits, trash should be thrown away.
The next morning, an unexpected message arrived at the Angio court. Marquis Terra had given the message via communication crystal to his servants at the Angio capital, who transcribed his words onto paper and sent the message to the court.
The nobleman acting as the speaker read out the announcement: “Marquis Terra from eastern Angio first greets His Royal Majesty. Marquis Terra secondly gives greetings to the court of Angio.”
“Firstly, this Marquis announces that the Sedaverian convoy has arrived safely.”
“Secondly, this Marquis informs that bandits attacked the villages of the fief of Terra. Thankfully, Earl Rosewood of Sedaveria and Prince Rian of Sedaveria lent their aid, which this Marquis could never fully repay. These bandit attacks have prompted this Marquis to deeply understand the devastation from bandit attacks and become deeply remorseful for not paying attention to similar occurrences elsewhere in the kingdom. As such, this Marquis plans to send to the Angio court fifty thousand gold coins and fifty tonnes of wheat to support the court and suppress bandits across the kingdom.”
The nobles attending court were all good at hiding their expressions. No one knew what others were thinking.
King Augustus, seated on his throne, gave a sarcastic smile. “This King accepts Marquis Terra’s tribute. He is a good role model that others should copy.”
It was unknown just how little of that tribute would be used for Marquis Terra’s ‘intended purpose’ and how much of it would go into King Augustus’s coffers.
“Now, who here has any ideas on how to deal with the bandits in our kingdom?” King Augustus said lazily.
Some of the nobles quietly slandered in their hearts—King Augustus was the one who funded most of them!—but they all had to come up with something to say that wouldn’t attract King Augustus’s ire.
At the border fief of Terra, King Augustus wasn’t on most people’s minds. The Terra castle was lively with the visit of the Sedaverian convoy.
In the morning, Marquis Terra gave the international visitors a tour of key locations near the castle and in the main town. Here, the language was different, the architecture was different, even the road layout was different.
Many people flocked to the streets to see the group pass through, both Angian and Sedaverian. The Angio citizens were curious about the foreigners and gawked at their floating(!!!) carriages. The Sedaverians, some of whom had been away from their home country for a while, felt a sense of connection and pride at seeing the majestic Sedaverian convoy.
I was going to call this chapter “Two sticky friends”…naming chapters is hard!