Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 122: The Confidential Room
We arrived at the entrance to the royal castle. No matter how many times I saw it, the enormous gate was overwhelming.
While I stared upwards, Father completed the entry formalities, and we passed through without much delay.
Several other carriages were being held near the gate while their occupants underwent lengthy checks. That made sense. His Majesty had nearly been poisoned only days earlier. Very few people knew the truth, but castle security had clearly been strengthened.
Our carriage continued deep into the castle grounds and stopped at a carriage entrance reserved for the highest-ranking nobles. I could see no other carriages through the curtains.
The moment we stepped down, a man appeared to receive us.
“Margrave Heine, please follow me.”
Father nodded without speaking, and I silently followed behind him.
We were shown into a reception room I had never seen before. It wasn’t particularly ornate and appeared designed for function rather than display. There were no windows, and identical magic tools had been installed in all four corners.
Could those be soundproofing magic tools?
A single round table stood in the centre of the room. It could have seated ten people, but only four chairs had been prepared. There were seats for Father, me and His Majesty. Who was the fourth person?
“This is your first time in this room, Julius,” Father said. “It’s used for conversations that mustn’t be heard outside. Those are soundproofing magic tools.”
“I thought so.”
“You recognised them? Impressive.”
Father’s expression softened. Was he testing me? We hadn’t passed a single person on the way here. The route must have been chosen specifically to prevent anyone from seeing us. The castle truly was a maze.
After a short wait, His Majesty entered with the Prime Minister. So the final chair was for him. If I remembered correctly, the Prime Minister had been His Majesty’s childhood friend and remained one of his closest confidants.
Once everyone was seated, His Majesty spoke.
“I apologise for keeping you waiting. Moving through the castle without arousing suspicion took longer than expected.”
“There’s no need to apologise, Your Majesty,” Father replied.
“Everything said in this room will remain confidential. You may speak freely.”
His voice mixed his usual warmth with unmistakable gravity. He plainly had many questions, so I waited for him to begin.
“First, I must thank you. The Panacea you prepared saved my life. A suitable reward will be arranged.”
“I merely did what was necessary, Your Majesty. No thanks are required.”
I gave the conventional answer. Father and the Prime Minister nodded, so I appeared to have passed some unspoken test. My stomach began to ache anyway.
“That won’t do,” His Majesty said. “You’ll accept the reward. Is that not so, Prime Minister?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. It’s well deserved. Lord Julius, how did you bring the Panacea into the castle?”
Princess Chloe had evidently told them that I made it while keeping my Subspace aptitude secret. I would have been in trouble if they had demanded an explanation of that power.
“I concealed it inside the stuffed holy dragon I gave to Princess Chloe.”
“Inside the stuffed toy…”
His Majesty frowned thoughtfully. From now on, castle security might begin inspecting the interiors of stuffed toys. I was glad I hadn’t installed any sort of listening device in it. That would undoubtedly have placed me in a dungeon.
“I had no idea Margaret taught you to make a Panacea,” His Majesty said. “She never carried one herself. It must be an extraordinarily valuable potion.”
“It is. I was fortunate to find the required ingredients among Grandmother’s valuable materials, but there was only enough for one bottle.”
It would have been reassuring to make several, but the ingredients were exceptionally rare. I was fortunate to have had even one—and that single bottle had saved His Majesty.
His Majesty rested a hand against his chin and looked at Father.
“Maximilian, has Julius already inherited Margaret’s potion book?”
After a brief hesitation, Father answered, “Yes, Your Majesty. My mother entrusted it to me personally and instructed me to give it to Julius.”
Father sounded reluctant. He couldn’t lie in this confidential room or refuse a direct question from His Majesty, but he clearly wanted the matter kept secret.
“I understand. Don’t worry. This information will remain among the four of us. Prime Minister?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
Father and I bowed together.
Possessing Grandmother’s book could cause serious trouble. Anyone struggling for influence within the Magic Pharmacists’ Guild would covet a volume carrying the authority of a renowned high-ranking magic pharmacist.
“There’s something I wish to give Your Majesty,” I said.
“What is it?”
I passed a sheet of paper to the attendant. After checking it, he handed it to His Majesty. The King’s eyes widened as he read it.
“This is the recipe for the Panacea. Are you certain you can give us something so valuable?”
“Yes. Every ingredient is rare, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to make another bottle. It would be safer for the royal magic pharmacists to prepare it whenever the materials become available.”
“I see…”
His Majesty studied the page in silence. The Prime Minister had clearly not expected me to surrender the recipe either; his mouth remained slightly open in astonishment.