An Audience with the King
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
A finely decorated carriage slowly made its way along the road to the Crystal Glare Palace. Inside the carriage, Hansel Abbott was sitting with his eyes closed, but his mind was racing.
In just a little while, he would be meeting with His Majesty the King, and he had to be extremely cautious.
"My child, don't be nervous. His Majesty is a kind and generous king. I've already instructed you on the etiquette. As for the rest... just speak honestly," said the person sitting next to him, a man in his forties—Hansel's father, the old Earl Abbott.
"Yes, Father."
Despite this, Hansel still had a complex expression.
The old Earl Abbott was quite pleased. Just yesterday, his youngest son, Hansel, had suddenly returned to their home in Crystal Glare. The family had barely recovered from their joy when Hansel was eager to meet with the King.
The old Earl inquired about the reason. It turned out that news of the West Port pirate invasion had reached the Northwest Bay. The Northwest lords, led by Earl Grayman, planned to send troops to aid the king, and their fleet had already set sail south. Hansel had returned to Crystal Glare as an envoy from the Northwest lords to coordinate with the kingdom's government to besiege the pirates.
Ah, Hansel, you can finally serve the kingdom honorably like your elder brother and fulfill your long-held wish.
The old father was very gratified. Since it was Hansel's first audience with the King, he decided to accompany him to the palace personally, to prevent any mistakes due to Hansel's inexperience that might leave a bad impression on His Majesty.
The carriage slowly drove through the palace gates. Hansel got out of the carriage and approached the royal guards stationed there, introducing himself, "I am Hansel Abbott of the Abbott family, here to meet His Majesty the King as the representative of the Northwest lords."
Hansel Abbott? The guard thought the name sounded familiar.
Oh? Isn't this the son of the prostitute? The one whose father, Earl Abbott, scandalously brought a prostitute into the family, causing quite a stir at the time and ruining the Earl's career?
A fleeting look of disdain appeared in the guard's eyes. The royal guards were all young elites selected from noble families with pure bloodlines, and they naturally had little regard for someone of "tainted" noble blood like Hansel.
The guard carefully examined the token Hansel presented.
"Go on in," the guard said gruffly.
The fleeting disdain and the tone of the guard's voice deeply hurt Hansel.
For a moment, he longed for the Northwest Bay, where people at least didn't look down on him because of his lineage.
Hansel suppressed his strong discomfort, keeping a calm expression as he turned and entered the carriage, which then slowly moved past the palace gates.
This scene was observed by another carriage not far from the gates.
"Hansel Abbott?"
Inside the carriage, Eileen looked at the approaching palace and uttered the name.
"Why has he returned to Crystal Glare? Did Paul send him?"
"Baron Abbott? Is he the same Hansel Abbott who serves as the royal commissioner in Alden? Is Princess Eileen mistaken?"
Guard Lydia asked in surprise, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Yes, I am sure I am not mistaken," Eileen replied confidently.
At the palace gates, the carriage was stopped by the guards.
"Who is it? Come out for inspection!"
Because the carriage was very simple and lacked any heraldic markings, it was clearly not one of the nobility, so the guard's tone was quite impolite, and a group of people quickly surrounded the carriage.
"It's me," Eileen said, pulling back the curtain and addressing the lead guard with a displeased expression.
"Princess Eileen!"
The royal guards were shocked to find that the carriage contained the long-lost young princess.
They were unaware of Eileen's departure from home and thought that the princess had simply taken another exit from the palace and returned through this gate.
"My apologies!" The lead guard and his subordinates quickly bowed and then cleared the way for the carriage to pass.
...
In a side hall of the palace, Hansel respectfully greeted the King, then handed over a letter to an attendant, who then delivered it to Rodney, the King. If Hansel had been a trusted advisor, he might have had more direct access, but since he was not, he had to follow the formalities.
The elderly King opened the letter and read through it carefully.
The letter was from the Northwest Bay lords, led by Paul Grayman, requesting military support to eliminate the pirates in collaboration with the royal forces. Paul felt that his influence was still insufficient, so he had also enlisted the support of allied families such as Parker, Heller, and Fraule to petition the King.
"Hmm... The lords of the Northwest are truly commendable, once again eager to assist the kingdom in its troubles," the King remarked.
First, Paul Grayman had sent food to the royal army during a shortage, and then he and other lords provided a large supply of high-quality weapons during a standoff with the rebels, which had greatly impressed Rodney and raised the lords of the Northwest in his estimation.
Especially Paul Grayman, the King had specifically asked the officials in charge of heraldry to investigate the family's history. He sometimes considered whether he should overlook old grievances and restore the family's honor.
The King sighed, "Ah, if only other lords were as eager to serve the country as those in the Northwest, how could we not pacify Giles?"
"Ah... By the way, Hansel, you have also made a significant contribution. Your efforts are much appreciated. It seems that appointing you as the royal commissioner to liaise with the local lords was indeed a wise decision by Catherine."
"Wherever there is service to the kingdom, we shall fulfill our duty," Hansel humbly replied.
He continued, "Your Majesty, before launching the attack with the kingdom's forces, the Northwest fleet will need a port for repairs and supplies. I request Your Majesty's decision on this matter."
"Hmm... A port."
Rodney stroked his beard, considering the request.
"Hansel, can the Northwest commanders keep their troops in check and avoid causing trouble?"
The King was well aware of the nature of armies in this era and was concerned that these foreign troops might cause problems.
"Your Majesty, as far as I know, the discipline of the Northwest army is... second only to the royal regulars. Please rest assured, they will not disturb the local populace."
Having spent so long in Alden, Hansel was familiar with Paul's army. He was about to say "unparalleled in the world" but feared offending the King.
"Very well, I trust your judgment. Let's designate Kiel Port as the Northwest fleet's base. It is closest to your brother Harrison's station and will facilitate communication."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Hansel bowed to the King. He had learned from his father that his elder brother had been appointed as the commander for the pirate expedition.
(End of the Chapter)
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