Chapter 274

Translator: Kell | Editor: Weasalopes

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 .