A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

Just after noon, the sun was in the sky, and the hot sun set down, making the earth heat up.

The stone statue of the star goddess Isdar stepped on white jade, and the spring water scattered from her skirt gathered into a gurgling stream, and the water vapor from the fountain splashed in the air, bringing some coolness to the hot afternoon.

The tree-lined courtyard is very quiet, only the sound of the flute comes from the room and surrounds it.

After the song was played, the bard put down the flute in his hand.

He sat cross-legged on the light-colored carpet on the ground at the moment, twirled the fife in his hand, inserted it back into his belt, and looked up at his audience with a smile.

"If you are happy to hear it, can you give me some money?"

His slightly hooked peach blossom eyes looked at the blond boy sitting on a slightly higher platform, and he was full of smiles.

"I don't have enough travel expenses for my next trip, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Garlan."

His behavior of directly begging for rewards from Garlan made the female officer Taputi standing aside frowned, but she didn't say anything.

Garlan, who had been quietly listening to the melodious flute sound with his eyes closed, opened his eyes and looked at Shuros.

He asked, "You really don't intend to stay?"

"There are already many excellent court musicians in the palace, and I, a little bard, will not rob them. After all, I am still young, so I have to respect the old seniors. If I stay, I will definitely rob them Work, how embarrassing~"

The bard, who was so self-confident in himself and believed that he alone could overwhelm the audience, said so brazenly.

"Don't talk about it, with your level, I can just order a court musician to come out and swell your face."

The boy unceremoniously pierced someone's cowhide.

"It means that your archery skills can still be used."

"...Your Highness, don't tell the truth when you see through, and don't slap people in the face when you beat someone. These are good virtues. As a wise crown prince, you must learn this."

Shuros rubbed his forehead and said, then he raised his head and smiled at Garlan.

"Your Highness, I like you very much. To be honest, I don't like those arrogant nobles very much, but you are a strange crown prince, and you are not at all like those nobles. Therefore, During the time with you, although I was unlucky and always encountered various troubles, I was still quite happy."

He didn't notice that when he said the words 'a bit unlucky', the boy's brows and eyes moved indistinctly.

"However, Your Highness, a vulgar bard like me is really used to being wild and can't be restrained. He can't be a canary in a golden cage, but a sparrow that flops about in the forest. "

Schloss spoke calmly.

"Besides, although you are different from ordinary nobles, the people around you, including this beautiful lady, are very orthodox nobles. I stay here, and I am out of tune with everyone, and there are many barriers. Although you have the protection of Your Highness, but after a long time, it will always cause friction."

And this kind of friction, whether he was dissatisfied or the people around Garlan were dissatisfied with him, would bring Garlan trouble.

Maybe Garlan didn't care, but he didn't want to.

The human heart is complicated.

He could imagine that over time, when he was not happy all the time, he would gradually feel that he had wronged himself for the sake of Garlan, and thus demanded more from Garlan, which caused Garlan The people around him were even more dissatisfied with him... In such a vicious circle, in the end, he might even have resentment towards Garlan.

Schulos didn't want to go to that point with Garlan.

He is a disciple of Avdomyr, and he admires beauty.

Instead of letting each other's sincere relationship become irreparably flawed due to various frictions and troubles, he would rather part ways, and keep the best impressions of each other in each other's memory for a lifetime.

This is not a kind of beauty.

Hiding these thoughts in his heart, Shuros smiled at Garlan again.

"The reason why I wait until now is just to see with my own eyes the moment when you are established as the crown prince. It is a moment of great significance. Maybe it will be a strong stroke in history in the future. I am destined to be the most important moment in the future." Those who are great bards must of course experience that scene personally—Gal, just wait, I will be responsible for writing poems that will make your name last forever!"

Aaron Landis's greatest (future scheduled) bard assured him with such a pat on the chest, completely oblivious to the slanted indifferent eyes of the female officer next to him.

"and……"

Schulos raised his head, brushed his forehead skillfully, and turned his face to one side, posing his most perfect and handsome angle.

The peach blossom eyes are raised, and he bends his eyes and smiles, all kinds of amorous feelings are piled up in the corners of his eyes.

"Isn't it a pity that this handsome face should not be seen by more beautiful girls?"

The magistrate looked at the peacock flaunting its feathers expressionlessly, not wanting to speak.

Garlan really wanted to complain, 'It's useless no matter how many people see it, you're still...', but after thinking about it, he really didn't have the qualifications to say such a thing.

So I still don't hurt each other with Schulos.

He turned his head and looked at the magistrate.

"Taputi, give him something."

Tapti hummed, stepped forward, and handed a small black velvet bag embroidered with gold patterns to Shulos.

Seeing the small bag with bright eyes, Schulos couldn't wait to reach out to take it, and while taking it, he kept chanting.

"What? Is it a reward? Is it too much? Let me tell you, you are the crown prince now, so be generous. If you are too stingy, you will be laughed at..."

As soon as he weighed the small bag, he was taken aback.

Although the weight is not light, it feels like a square piece inside, and it doesn't seem to be a gold coin.

As soon as he opened the bag in wonder, the golden token appeared in front of his eyes.

A gold token, with a lifelike relief of a lion cub carved on the surface, and the pattern of surrounding laurel branches and leaves embedded with emerald green malachite.

From the corner of the golden token, a cyan velvet tassel fell from between his fingers.

Schulos looked at the golden token in his hand, and didn't come back to his senses for a long time.

"I've already guessed that you don't want to stay in the palace, but, as a laborer caught by me, even if you leave, you still have to work for me."

Garlan said, "So, this is for you, my Excellency Supervisor, use it well."

"...Surveillance History?"

After a long while, Schulos barely recovered his voice.

"Yes, Shulos, you want to travel the mainland, then, be my eyes, and tell me everything you have seen with your own eyes among the people, so that I will not be deceived by my courtiers, and let me always be I remember the time when I was with you as a commoner."

"Most of the time, my eyes can only see the prosperity in front of me and the people in the royal city living and working in peace and contentment. Therefore, I need to use your eyes to remind me all the time that on the land of Aaron Landis, there are still There are a lot of people who are suffering."

"But, I...in my capacity..."

Schloss frowned and hesitated to answer.

Even if he vaguely felt that the hierarchy between people seemed wrong, the concept of class was still deeply rooted in his heart, and the conflict between these two concepts made him very contradictory.

On the one hand, he felt that this seemed good, but on the other hand, he felt that it was inappropriate.He was just a commoner, but now he suddenly has the power to act as the crown prince's authority, it seems...

"Identity? Well, yes, you are the first official appointed and dismissed after I became the crown prince, so you must not embarrass me."

Garlan propped his chin with one hand, tilted his head and smiled.

Even though he has been wearing the halo of the crown prince, he is still the boy with a clear and bright smile.

"The next time you encounter something unsightly, you will show the token. It is very useful to scare some dishonest guys."

He seemed to remember something, and reminded him again.

"Remember, design a more handsome posture for lighting the token. It's best to use this posture every time, understand?"

Taputi: "..."

Schulos: "..."

The bard's frowning eyebrows relaxed, and he couldn't help asking curiously.

"Your Highness, are you not afraid that I will do bad things with this token?"

Garlan spread his hands.

"The purpose of doing bad things is nothing but glory and wealth. You can easily get these things as long as you stay by my side. Are you stupid if you insist on making such a detour?"

Schloss laughed.

Well, it's pretty silly when you think about it that way.

Thinking of this, he let out a soft, long breath.

"As you wished."

The bard leaned forward.

Holding the golden token in his hand, he knelt on one knee and bowed his head deeply to Garlan.

"I will be your eyes, and I will see for you the whole land you guard, and your people."

Schulos spoke in a very soft voice, but his tone was unprecedentedly solemn.

"I swear by the glory of Avdomir, I will take charge of this golden token in my hand with my devout heart of serving the goddess, and I will not let it be stained in the slightest throughout my life."

Having said that, he paused for a moment, raised his head, and looked towards Garlan.

"A bard is a traveler with no end in his life, and will not stay in any place in the world."

He says,

"However, my Royal Highness, no matter where I am, at any time, as long as I hear your call, I will return to your side."

He looked at Garlan with a smile.

"May Avdomir protect your beauty forever...whether it's your appearance or your heart..."

…………

As the first person appointed by Garlan, the bard and inspector Schulos left.

After watching the attendants send Schulos away, Taputi, who had endured for a long time, finally spoke.

"Your Highness, the token of King Kamos is made of lapis lazuli, and you are allowed to use lapis lazuli to make tokens. Why do you insist on using gold?"

Lapis lazuli is called the gem of Shamash because of its sky-like color, and it is also a gem that symbolizes the emperor.

General nobles can use it as ornaments, but they must not use lapis lazuli as tokens. This is an act of provoking royal power.

It is rare that King Kamos gave permission that Her Highness Garlan could use lapis lazuli to make the crown prince's token, but His Highness chose gold. Mistress Taputi felt strange and regretful about this.

"Jade tokens are too fragile, and it would be troublesome and costly to replace them with new ones again and again."

Garlan shrugged and replied.

"……what?"

The magistrate was confused.

"So, gold is better, it won't break, it won't break, and it's durable."

Taputi: "..."

…………

........................

While the bard was away, in Heymos' palace, Heymos was having a conversation with his loyal subordinate.

"His Royal Highness Heymos, because of your actions without authorization, this has resulted in the current consequences."

The priests of Nanna, the god of the night, strongly disapproved of Heymos' behavior.

"Now, His Highness Garlan has been established as the crown prince. You should know that this is very detrimental to you."

He rubbed his temples, frowning and thinking nonstop.

"I've told you many times that feelings are fleeting, they disappear, they do you no good, they only hinder your..."

"Sauga."

Heymos sat by the window with a thick parchment book on his lap.

He propped his side cheek with one hand, flipped through the pages of the book casually with the other, and glanced at his subordinate who tried hard to persuade him to instill in him the concept of "emotion is useless".

"I'll have someone invite your lover over, and you say these words again in front of her?"

Heymos glanced at Suo Jia and said, his thin lips were slightly raised, the bright afternoon sun shone on his brown skin, and the fine black hair scattered on his slightly protruding eye corners, which made his cheeks look more handsome.

A handsome young man reading a book quietly in the sun sits by the window, forming interlaced light and shadow with the slanting sunlight, creating a beautiful scene like a painting.

However, Suo Jia couldn't feel the beauty of this scene at all.

He was like a big black goose whose neck was suddenly strangled, and he opened his mouth for a long time without making a sound.

He knew it.

如果他真敢在他那位身为女骑士的情人面前说出这些话，一定会被揍得三天下不了床。

...perhaps five days?

Suo Jia struggled for a long time before reluctantly said: "This is different, Your Highness. My private affairs have no impact on the overall situation, nor hinder me. But you are different, Your Highness, your goal is the throne, and you don't care about that?" Bit' feelings are sure to get in your way."

"Your Highness, you are different from me. You are someone who wants to achieve great things. In the future, you will become the king who rules Aaron Landis."

"The king doesn't need personal feelings, it will become the king's weakness, and it will even affect your judgment... No, it should be said, it is already affecting, and it is very serious."

Soga looked deeply at his master.

"The king sitting on the throne should be like a god, calm and ruthless. As long as he has no emotions, he will not be influenced by emotions, and he will never make mistakes..."

Heymos interrupted Suo Jia's words.

"Then why doesn't the God who never makes a mistake rule this country himself?"

Suo Jia opened his mouth, but didn't know how to answer for a moment.

As a priest of the God of the Night, he naturally believed in the existence of God.

However, since the gods are wise and infallible, why should human beings who make mistakes because of their emotions rule Aaron Landis?

"Because Aaron Landis is the kingdom of man, and the gods cannot rule the kingdom of man."

Heymos stared at his subordinate.

"Suo Jia, don't forget that even if he inherits the blood of the gods, the king of Aaron Landis is a human being, not a god."

"Only people can rule the kingdom of people."

The affection for Garlan was already a part of his soul.

It is part of Heymos' existence in this world.

Dig out that part of the soul, and he is no longer Heymos.

As for Heymos who is no longer Heymos, even if he ascended the throne, it would be meaningless.

……

Suo Jia lowered his eyes, he was deep in thought, he didn't fully agree with His Royal Highness Heymos's words, but these words did make his mind a little confused at the moment.

What is the idea about the king that he has always insisted on...

At this moment, Heymos suddenly asked him a question.

"When you succeeded in courting your lover, where did you choose?"

Trying to clear up his messy mind, Suo Jia answered without thinking.

"Where we first met."

"Why did you choose there?"

"A commemorative place can bring back the good memories of the two people's first meeting to the greatest extent, so it is easier to succeed."

"Is that so..."

Heymos nodded thoughtfully as he stroked the pages with his slender fingers.

Suojia, who answered His Royal Highness's two words without paying attention, suddenly came to his senses, and looked at Heymos in horror.

Wait, wait, wait.

Your Highness, what are you... planning to do?