Chapter 274 – Conversation with the King

Conversation with the King

After the feast, Hikaru was invited to a different room by the king. Worried about Drake, he asked the girls to go back to their room, so he was alone right now.

He entered a small room furnished only by a table and some chairs. Doriachi was there, leaning back against a seat, raising his hand rather slowly.

『Thank you for coming.』the king said, his face and neck red.

「You were drinking again?」Hikaru replied, shocked.

Before Deena could translate, the king spoke, as though he already expected Hikaru’s reaction and knew what he said.

『We must drink during banquets. It’s a tradition started by the first king. I had no other choice.』

Hikaru was starting to get a headache. This culture of “drinking is a virtue” took root because Eiichi brought a silly custom from average office workers in Japan. Genetically, these people couldn’t stand alcohol.

Hikaru told the king to drink some water to help which he obeyed without asking questions. Deena poured water from a pitcher and gave it to Doriachi who gulped it all down in one go before asking for another glass.

In the meantime, Hikaru surveyed the room. A small shelf stood by the wall and a bronze statue sat on one corner. But what really caught his attention was the famous quote by Lao Tzu — “千里之行 始于足下” framed on the wall that meant “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. The penmanship was quite fine, written in a brush used only in paintings in this world.

『I see that caught your eye.』Doriachi said.『It’s something the first king left behind.』

「So, there’s something you want to talk about?」

『Yes. Something I can’t discuss in front of the clan leaders.』

「Hmm, I see.」

Apparently even Dream Maker wasn’t a monolith, which was apparent after witnessing Grucel and Duinkler’s relationship.

It was an established practice for the leaders to go to an afterparty together with people from their factions after a feast. There were even establishments that catered to particular clients. For the king, this opportunity was rare.

Hikaru shot a glance at Deena.

『Ah, it’s fine. The secretary reports to the king directly.』

Deena felt somewhat proud as she translated the king’s words. But Hikaru just couldn’t quite trust this woman.

I can’t really leave either, Hikaru thought. This could be my only chance to talk to Doriachi directly. I wonder if there’s any way we can talk alone.

Not understanding each other was a lot more annoying than he thought. Every line had to be translated, and there was no guarantee that every word could be accurately conveyed in the target language.

Then Hikaru’s eyes darted to the framed quote once more, and an idea struck him.

《A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.》he said.

The effect was immediate.

《How can you read that?!》

Doriachi could speak Japanese.

Deena was ordered to leave—rather, asked to stay in the hallway—leaving Hikaru alone with Doriachi. She thought Hikaru might not target the king’s life, considering he already convinced everyone to cut open his belly.

「There’s only a few people besides me who can speak Japanese. Only those who are descended from the First learn the language.」Doriachi said.「So you’re also from Japan.」

「Yeah.」Hikaru pulled down his hood, revealing his black hair.「I’m guessing Eiichi thought there might be other people like him.」

「Yes. He said if we found one, we should welcome him, and ask him to help in the development of Dream Maker.」Doriachi said, his eyes glistening.「King Eychi was right! After all, it was none other than a Japanese person who saved my life!」

「That wasn’t my doing. My companion’s healing magic is just too powerful. Actually, you know it’s not Eychi but Eiichi, right?」

「Yes, but it’s difficult to fix it at this point.」he said with a strained laugh.「But it does have its merits. If someone found the pronunciation strange, then I would suspect they were from Japan.」

「I guess that makes sense. I must say, you’re quite good at Japanese.」

「Thank you. It is necessary for the king to be proficient at the language in order to lead this country.」

Apparently half of the notes that the first king left were written in Japanese, notes that contained innovative ideas. Since most of them were highly classified information involving the nation, only those who had a right to the throne were taught Japanese.

「Were you a doctor?」Doriachi asked with bright eyes.「Your diagnosis on me was accurate.」

「Sorry to say, but I was just a student. I don’t think I can contribute to your country’s medical advancement.」

「Th-That is… indeed unfortunate」he said, stuttering as though feeling embarrassed that Hikaru saw through his intentions. Hikaru didn’t really mind. It was only natural for a king to prioritize his kingdom’s growth before anything.「But how do you have such professional knowledge when you were merely a student?」he added.

「Wasn’t Eiichi a teacher?」

「I’m surprised you know.」

「Japanese students basically learn a lot of things. They then decide which career to follow based on what they’re good at.」

Completely sober now, Doriachi leaned forward, listening eagerly as Hikaru explained the Japanese educational system. Hikaru had a few reasons why he told Doriachi about where he came from. First, there wasn’t much risk. Since he introduced himself as Silver Face anyway, if he ran into trouble, he could just ditch the mask and go into hiding. Second was to earn Doriachi’s trust. If he did, he might be able to do whatever he wanted here in this continent.

「So I had casual knowledge about cirrhosis, but I wasn’t entirely sure we could heal you.」

「I see… Still you came up with the drastic idea of cutting me open. I’m a king, you know.」

「I was confident we could fix you as long as you didn’t die.」

The operation was a complete gamble. Hikaru believed that with Paula’s healing magic, death could at least be avoided.

「The liver is known as a silent organ, as even when a liver failure occurs, the symptoms often go unnoticed. By the time an abnormality is detected, it’s usually too late. Maybe the people in this country are slowly developing some serious illness too.」

「Perhaps we should abstain from alcohol and salty food.」

「Those who can’t hold their liquor should really refrain from drinking alcohol. And I suggest you only lightly season your food. For the record, this doesn’t guarantee that you don’t get the disease as there are also other factors that might cause cirrhosis.」

「Hmm, yes…」

Doriachi seemed to be in a dilemma about abstaining from alcohol, one of the few pleasures they had. Hikaru couldn’t really do anything about it.

「Let’s get back on track.」Hikaru said.「What did you want to talk to me about?」

「Oh, my question has already been answered. I wanted to know why you employed such a risky procedure just to help me.」

「Really, now? You knew what I was thinking?」

「Yes, for the most part.」Doriachi smiled.「There’s something you want to do in this continent. And with the king’s support, you can do it easily. In other words, you wanted me to owe you. Which is also why you revealed that you were from Japan.」

「Wow. That is exactly right.」

「Please, it’s nothing. You can hardly call that a deduction.」Doriachi said, waving his hand in embarrassment.「So what do you want?」

「Well, there’s a few things…」

Hikaru told Doriachi his demands. First, sightseeing. He wanted to look around the city however he pleased. Second, he wanted access outside the city. Hikaru thought that with their sturdy outer walls, passage also must be restricted. Lastly…

「Hmm, I can grant your first two requests. I heard you’re quite strong, so I’m sure you’ll be fine in the forest. But I’m not sure what you mean by the last one. Can you elaborate on that?」

「I meant it literally. I want to know the origins of this continent. It might just be my thirst for knowledge. I want to be introduced to some old-timers who know about old legends and such.」

What Drake said bothered Hikaru. He said this place reeked. There was almost no doubt that something evil was lurking somewhere in the continent. Legends and folklore about this place’s origins might prove useful.

「Very well. We’ll introduce you to someone who meets your requirements.」

「Thanks.」

I can’t wait to see what kind of surprise awaits me, Hikaru thought, feeling curious.

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