Volume 1 Chapter 39 State Funeral
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The cause of death for the late king was illness. It was announced that the heir would be Prince Yōmo, and a month later, a national funeral would be held, followed by a coronation ceremony 3 months after that.
During the time leading up to the funeral, the Royal Capital would fly flags at half-mast, and parties and festivals were banned. The citizens were also prohibited from wearing fancy clothes, entering a period of mourning.
Coming back home after a long time, nothing much had changed… well, except that Karin was out of diapers. She seemed to be getting better at talking day by day, and it really felt like the saying “you could put her in your eye and it wouldn’t hurt” was true.
”Papa. Milk, please!”
”Wow, drink up! If you don’t drink a lot of milk, you won’t grow up to have big boobs like Mama!”
I said, pouring more milk into Karin’s cup.
”Hey, Yuuta. Don’t teach the kid silly things… But hey, Yuuta. What do you think will happen with the king’s funeral? Do you think Princess Aaa-aaa will come? She should come for her parent’s funeral, right?”
”Well, even if she leave now, it would take 4 months to get here, and she wouldn’t make it in time for the coronation. More importantly, I wonder when the news of the king’s passing will even reach them…”
”I see. I was hoping PurPur would come too, but I guess that’s not happening.”
We had no idea what Princess Asuka’s current and future position in the royal family would be, as commoners. But since the first prince was becoming king, the second prince wouldn’t be able to act up as much anymore. I thought maybe Aaa-aaa and Puruun would come back here eventually.
Then, 3 days before the king’s national funeral, I was called out to a rundown tavern near the Royal Palace.
There, I found Ms. Claudel.
”Ah, you’ve finally returned. It’s good to see you well.”
”Mr. Yuuta. You too… Anyway, the princess and Puruun have been safely protected by Count Coral. Here, I brought you a letter.”
Saying that, Ms. Claudel handed me a letter written by Puruun.
”Still, to think the king would pass away at this timing… The princess must be so disappointed not to be able to attend the funeral.”
”Well then, Ms. Claudel. With this, the talk about the throne succession is settled, and soon the princess and Puruun can come back here, right?”
”Yeah~ I hope so~ If not, I’ll still be a traitor who deserted the military. I can’t attend the state funeral or the coronation. But until that second prince gets a bell around his neck, I guess it won’t be possible…”
”I see… Oh! Ms. Claudel. I have something to discuss with you…”
I asked Ms. Claudel if she could help me get information about the Elf working at the military joint research institute.
”Hmm. It’s true that if I ask my father, it could be done, but… right now, I’m in hiding too. Going to see my father openly is a bit… But, well. Since it’s your request, it might be difficult right away, but I’ll try to contact him when the timing is right.”
”Thank you. I’ll definitely repay this favor someday.”
”Oh, you can forget about that for now…”
”Huh?”
As she said that, Ms. Claudel hugged me tightly. The people who were around us had somehow disappeared.
”Mr. Yuuta. I’m sorry. After being with you in Ilman, I’ve been living a life of abstinence for ten months… and yet the princess and Ms. Puruun are always being all lovey-dovey… I just can’t hold back anymore!”
Ah. Is this Sir Mihail’s prophecy coming true? Even so, the princess and Puruun? I was pushed down by Ms. Claudel, and it turned into a third round.
* * *
When I got home, we all read Puruun’s letter together. Ms. Akari, Melon, and Ellulu were all happy that they had arrived safely.
Still, to think they met a human… I guess they often hide in the mountains.
I feel like I want to go, but it’s too far. I guess we’ll just have to wait for more news from Puruun.
And the princess… seems to be struggling mentally. Ms. Claudel said that, but I think Puruun is doing her best to support her. I hope that the news of the king’s passing doesn’t have a bad impact.
After that, everyone wrote a letter to Puruun. We also included a strange drawing that Karin made. Tomorrow, let’s send it through the merchant guild.
The next day, I headed to the merchant guild with Ms. Akari and Karin. Mr. Agohige should be back from Tokura Village by now… there he is! Mr. Agohige and Ms. Sharlin.
”Oh, Mr. Yuuta, Ms. Akari. Long time no see! Oh wow, Karin-chan, you’ve grown so much!”
As Mr. Agohige picked up Karin, she proudly tugged at his Agohige.
”Haha, your daughter is still as lively as ever. And it’s good to see you both doing well.”
”It’s great to see you too, Ms. Sharlin. By the way, there’s been a bit of progress on my return to my world.”
I then told Mr. Agohige and Ms. Sharlin about the Military joint research institute.
”I see. But a military joint research institute sounds a bit fishy. It’s not something amateurs should get involved in. It’s better to rely on Sir Mihail without pushing yourself too hard. Speaking of fishy, the surrounding lords are also acting quite suspiciously. Until Lord Yōmo is crowned and the second prince, Sir Aaron, moves to some territory, there might be some turmoil. I was surprised to hear about Ms. Puruun later, but I wonder how Princess Asuka will act… it’s a situation where both merchants and officials can’t afford to be careless.”
It seems like it doesn’t concern us common folks much, but the future turf wars among the royal family and nobility will likely heat up.
”Yuuta. Starting tomorrow, preparations for the king’s funeral will restrict outings, so let’s do some shopping and head back.”
For the national funeral the day after tomorrow, many VIPs will gather in the Royal Capital, so public access will be heavily restricted. Except for hospitals, police, and fire services, most government offices, shops, and schools will be closed.
I bought 2 days’ worth of food with Ms. Akari and returned home.
Then came the day before the state funeral.
School was closed, so Melon and Ellulu were playing with Karin at my place.
It felt a bit cramped, so I stepped out onto the street in front of the lodging, and immediately got called out.
”Hey, you there! It’s a lockdown right now. Get back home!”
Oh, sorry! I went back inside the lodging, but that was not the police; it was military personnel.
Curious, I peeked outside the window and noticed that the number of soldiers in town seemed to have increased dramatically. Isn’t this a bit too intense?
Without a radio or TV, I had no idea what was happening in the town, but it felt like martial law.
Is this what a state funeral is like in this world?
But even after that, the town remained eerily quiet, and time just passed by until the morning of the state funeral arrived.
”Ah. There are no security people outside anymore.”
Ms. Akari said after looking out.
”Well, it’s not every day that a VIP passes through downtown.”
”I’m going to get some fresh air.”
Ellulu said, taking Melon outside.
”Oh, I’ll go too!”
Defeated by boredom, I took Karin and stepped outside.
Still, with no shops open, it was just a walk.
Thinking that, I walked toward the main street to the north. The military personnel I saw yesterday were nowhere to be found. I figured the security had moved to the funeral venue when I noticed a crowd gathering. I got closer, wondering if a shop had opened, and saw a large sign in the middle of the road that read:
’To the subjects of the Kingdom,
The First Prince Yōmo has assassinated the former king, and the Second Prince Aaron has avenged him.
Today’s state funeral will be conducted smoothly by Aaron.
Furthermore, Aaron will inherit the throne.
Subjects, march forward into the future with Aaron.’
”Yuuta. What’s this…?”
Melon clung to me.
”Ah. This proclamation… it’s a coup! Melon, Ellulu. You two stay with Karin and stay put at home.”
You never know when a riot or a fight might break out.
I’m heading to the upper residence to gather some info.
So, I made my way to the upper residence.
* * *
”Hey, Mr. Yuuta. You shouldn’t be out and about! You need to stay at home!”
The one who called out to me as I entered the upper residence was Sir Mihail.
It seems Lady Beyond is also inside.
”Sir Mihail. I didn’t know you were here. I saw Prince Aaron’s announcement all over town and thought I’d come here to find out what’s going on. What’s the situation?”
”Well, it’s probably just as that announcement said. We came here as a couple for today’s state funeral, but if we just walk into the venue like this, it’s not going to end well. If we’re not careful, we might get kidnapped until we pledge loyalty to the Second Prince.”
”I see, that might be true. So, are you heading back to Ilman now?”
”No, no, the Royal Capital is probably locked down right now. But even so, this place isn’t safe either…”
”However, if you escape from the prince, you’ll definitely be seen as a traitor, right? Wouldn’t it be better to pretend to pledge loyalty instead?”
”If that were possible, I wouldn’t be in this mess. A pledge of loyalty comes with a curse, so if you betray later, your heart just stops.”
”Dear! Should we just take out the guards?
We need to sort this out anyway, right?”
Lady Beyond shouted.
”Well, it’s true that not following the Second Prince is a given, but even you can’t break through the military’s encirclement… and Lord Rainsheyn is here too…”
Ah, there are other nobles here as well. They probably took refuge here in a hurry.
”Ah, Mr. Yuuta. Let me introduce you. The person sitting in the back is Count Rainsheyn and his wife. They are Clau-Clau’s parents. He usually works at the royal castle and noticed something was off last night, so he came here.”
From the back, a well-built middle-aged Elf man walked over, and Sir Mihail introduced me.
”Lord Rainsheyn. This is Mr. Yuuta. He’s human but quite capable. He’s also a friend of Miss Claudel.”
”Nice to meet you, Count. I’m Yuuta. I know Ms. Claudel because my partner used to work under her when she was in the royal guard.”
I can’t exactly say we’re friends with benefits.
”I see. Thank you for that. But that rebellious one is quite a headache. I think she’s hiding somewhere in the Royal Capital, but I haven’t heard a thing from her… Given the situation, I could really use some help.”
Ah, in this situation, she probably aren’t at that tavern near the castle.
Sir Mihail spoke to me.
”Mr. Yuuta. I have a request… could you hide us at your place for a few days? I’ve heard the princess has been hiding for over a month without any issues, so it seems Downtown is outside their watch. I know it’s a lot to ask! Once we figure out the situation, we can take action.”
”No, no, that’s way too cramped… But I guess that’s all we have for now. If you’re prepared for some discomfort, I’ll get my family to help.”
So, with 4 nobles in tow, I headed back home.
Seriously, is my house a nobles-only zone now?
…
…
”Wait! Now we have 2 couples of Counts?”
Ms. Akari bowed again.
We all discussed it, and Melon and Ellulu would stay in my room, while the 4 Counts would use Ellulu’s room.
The royal funeral should be happening right now, but from here, I can’t tell anything, and the town looks relatively calm. In reality, it’s just a royal family issue, and it probably doesn’t concern commoners much.
The next day, I got word from the upper residence that the city gates were opened. However, only those who attended the state funeral could leave the Royal Capital, and it seems that anyone who was supposed to attend but didn’t is being captured on the spot.
It looks like Sir Mihail’s guess about forcing loyalty to the Second Prince is spot on.
At this point, I was wondering how long it would take for the gate guards to relax when, that night, another messenger came to see me. It was a summons from Ms. Claudel! I thought about telling Lord Rainsheyn, but then I reconsidered and decided to check with her first, so I went alone to the designated place.
Wait, this place… why is it a Date Cafe…
Could it be that the colleague who told Puruun about this place…?
”Hey, Ms. Claudel. I’m glad to see you safe… but why are we meeting in a place like this?”
”Oh no, Mr. Yuuta. I had no idea this place was so shady… right now, all the hotels and cafes in town are being watched… back in the day, it was said that this was the best spot for secret meetings between men and women… but that’s not important now. I came to ask you for a favor. It’s hard for me to move around in the current castle town, and I need the help of someone from the private sector who can keep their mouth shut. Please, I need you to find out where my parents are.”
”Oh, I see. No need to worry. Lord and Lady Rainsheyn are actually staying at my place along with Count and Countess Mihail for some reason. Your father was also asking to see you. He wants help escaping the Royal Capital.”
”What! So it’s the same as with the princess. That place is the safest, huh… I’m so glad. Really glad… Mr. Yuuta, you’re truly reliable in times like this.
…Now that I feel reassured, I’m starting to feel a bit restless down there.”
As she said this, Ms. Claudel reached out toward my groin.
”No, no, Ms. Claudel. Sure, this is that kind of place, but isn’t your father’s situation the priority right now?”
”Geez, Mr. Yuuta, you’re so mean! Well then, once everything settles down this time… it’s a promise!”
Saying that, Ms. Claudel gave me a light kiss.
Then she started sharing all sorts of information she had.
It seems the king really did die of illness.
The first prince is locked up in a dungeon.
The coup led by Prince Aaron, Duke Asunabal, and General Naskinpos has taken control of the military in the royal capital. The nobles who attended the state funeral were forced to pledge loyalty to Prince Aaron, but there are still quite a few nobles running around the royal capital, and the military is desperately searching for them.
”This is clearly an outrageous act of usurpation. But I guess Prince Aaron was somehow in a hurry. If he had executed the coup during the coronation ceremony, he could have captured more nobles.”
I see, with this state funeral, they can only catch nobles who can make it to the royal capital within a month.
If it were the coronation ceremony 3 months later, more nobles would have attended.
”Anyway, we need to figure out how to help my parents escape from the royal capital and return to their territory. If the nobles prepare in their own territories, the military in the royal capital won’t be able to attack easily.”
”But the gates are packed with military troops, so it might be pretty tough… wouldn’t it be faster to just dig a big hole somewhere?”
I said it half-jokingly, but Ms. Claudel’s expression turned serious.
”…I see. That might be worth considering. I’ll consult with the underground members right away. Oh, and please let my father know not to worry. If necessary, I can send messengers as needed.”
”Understood. If that goes well, the nobles will aim to restore the first prince, right?”
”? What are you saying, Mr. Yuuta? At this point, this country can’t be held together by Lord Yōmo. We want Princess Asuka to inherit the throne!”
”Huh?”
”Even if we manage to get rid of Sir Aaron, if Lord Yōmo rises again, the lords who supported Aaron won’t follow him. At this point, it seems like a third option is the way to go.”
I see, having Princess Asuka as the king is the compromise that both the Yōmo and Aaron factions can agree on.
But, is that princess really okay for the job?
Lately, she seems to be all about Puruun and yuri stuff… Wait, if that’s the case, does that mean I’ll be the guy who took the king’s virginity!
Haha, there’s no way I’ll end up on death row for that, right…
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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