(EP-177.1) Sand #2
177 – Wind and Sand #2
Kasim, Prince of Tureuki.
No, it was now Crown Prince, the King’s younger brother.
Thinking about that man, all that came to mind was a loud, noisy, and ostentatious person.
Although I only met him once, he was so flashy that it was unforgettable, and even trying to forget such would be futile.
To explain, it would be better to talk briefly about the Tureuki Kingdom first.
In short, the Angmar lineage, which was the royal family of the Angmar Kingdom, and the Tanak lineage, which was the royal family of the Tureuki Kingdom, were actually very distant relatives.
Perhaps we could say they share a common ancestor?
Thanks to this, despite being a smaller and sometimes hostile country, the Tureuki Kingdom occasionally received invitations to events at the Angmar Royal Palace.
Yes, they received an invitation.
When was it again?
Maybe around June, the Victory Day celebration of the expulsion of the Demon King Angmar.
At that time, I was struggling as Aira’s aide. Meanwhile, a grand celebration was held at Monarch City.
Tiger King Suleiman of Tureuki, who helped defeat the Demon King Solomon was invited back then.
But since the old King Suleiman didn’t have enough vigor, one young prince who was also a brilliant Mage visited the court in his stead, that was Kasim.
━Behold, and worship. The only son of the great Tiger King, Kasim Tanak-!
I still vividly remembered the moment when numerous elephants and tigers, camels laden with treasures, and splendidly gilded slaves crossed the city gates.
━What in the world, look at those. What kind of beasts are that large?
━That’s an elephant. But it’s fascinating to see one adorned with jewels.
━Yeah, it’s flashing. Was the Tureuki Kingdom always so rich?
━I heard that they discovered some incredible petroleum in the last war. What was it? Gongcheong petroleum?
Riding on the back of a tiger, adorned with jewels and gold on his waist, the young prince brandished his sword and staff. Indeed, this was what I imagined what the prince of sand and oasis would look like.
That remained the same even now.
Seureureuk.
A magnificent banquet hall was prepared in the Great Hall of Gracia, the holy city.
As the door opened, a man wearing a jeweled turban entered. That was right, it was a turban and not a crown.
It was paired with loose white silk clothes, and he had rings and gold ornaments on his neck, arms, and fingers—needless to say, he was dressed in money.
He had reddish skin and hair. In contrast, his sparkling blue eyes were as sharp as those of a predatory bird’s. How old was he? Probably in his mid-twenties?
At a glance, he seemed like a lively young man who hadn’t experienced failure. The Crown Prince then spread his hands to the left and right as he entered the banquet hall.
“Oh, noble Queen Tarantera. I should thank God for granting this precious meeting on such a fine day!”
His tone and gestures were exaggerated like that of a theater actor. Seeing his face, Aira lost her relaxed attitude and clicked her tongue.
“So ostentatious, Kasim. You haven’t stopped your clowning even after that day, huh?”
“You’re still as sharp as ever. But as they say, beautiful flowers have thorns!”
Kasim pulled out a chair and sat down.
“So, it seems the rumors about you being in Ark were true… Unbelievable.”
He found it hard to believe that Queen Aira had left Monarch City’s Court to seek education in a foreign land.
But his attention soon shifted away from Queen Aira to me, sitting beside her.
“Theo-kun, it’s been a while! You look a lot better than the last time we met. How is the elephant I gave you as a gift? White elephants are rare, you know.”
“Ah, that white elephant… Anyhow, how have you been? Prince Kasim.”
In response to my greeting, Kasim raised one finger.
“Thanks for the greeting, but I must make a point of correction. I am no longer a prince, but the crown prince. I am not the King’s son, but the King’s brother.”
So, the rumors were true.
Saladin had two children.
The eldest was the wise Serazade, well-known for her wisdom. The second was Kasim, known for his extravagance and arrogance.
But the news that Kasim became the crown prince meant that Serazade had taken the throne. For the traditional male-dominated and patriarchal society of Tureuki, it was quite unusual for a princess to become King, or Queen in this case.
Although it was hard to believe, looking at Kasim’s attitude, it seemed certain.
Aira then mocked.
“So, you lost the throne, Kasim.”
“Queen Aira, it would have been I, who’s sitting on the throne if we had married. Well, things have already turned out this way. But it is a bit of a pity, indeed…”
According to the spies I planted, Kasim had originally coveted the King’s position. That was why he persistently pursued Aira.
If he had married Aira, the Queen of Angmar, his influence would naturally increase, and he could have surpassed his intelligent sister Serazade to become the King.
Kasim sighed as if it were truly regrettable.
“Aira, you could have proudly taken the position of the top among my five wives.”
“Hmph-.”
Aira harrumphed. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Just looking at Kasim seemed to irritate her further.
“I’ll be stepping away for a moment.”
Seuk.
Soon after, Aira stood up and disappeared somewhere. As a result, only Kasim and I remained.
* * *
Jwaljwaljwal.
“So this time Bormis, ah, Bormis is my 7th mistress. She is from Angmar, with beautiful blond hair and fair skin. Anyway, Bormis said that she wanted to see a white tiger.”
Kasim continued to chatter incessantly, mostly about his own achievements.
About how beautiful his wives were, how many lovers he had, and tales of generously gifting them pearls as large as eye candy—such trivial stories.
Did harem men have to cherish and love their wives so much? Not going to lie, it did help me learn a bit, as someone who aspired to build a harem of my own, but-.
If this continued, I’d end up listening to his bragging all day, so I let out a moderate cough and cut off his tempo.
“Anyway, I’m glad you seem to be doing well.”
“Of course. Why, do you think my sister would kill me now that she’s on the throne? Even though we’re half-siblings, we still share our father’s blood!”
“I see.”
“On the contrary, I’m quite surprised. I didn’t expect the Queen to be living a humble life in a foreign land outside the palace. Is this something you planned?”
“Something I planned? Why would you think so?”
“How modest~. I must admit that it is a virtue I lack. Anyway, calling me here must be your idea. Perhaps you have some request?”
Indeed, Kasim wasn’t entirely foolish. Despite appearing as a frivolous jester, he was still a Rank 5 Archmage. And, being a Mage required intelligence.
“The Queen dislikes me. No matter what problem occurs, she would never call upon me. Even if the world were to fall, and there’s only two of us left, she would bite her tongue and choose death over taking my hand~.”
… He knew it well. That was the case, indeed. However, accepting that immediately wouldn’t be courteous, so I decided to deny it for now.
“Eh, no way!”
“No, this is the truth. And if the Queen didn’t do it— someone else did. And, as far as I know, the only person who could do that… is you.”
Kasim seemed to be much smarter than I gave him credit for.
He seemed like an arrogant and irrelevant fool in Angmar’s court, but looking at it this way, he was a wise man.
“Why, being such a smart person, do you persistently bow your pride and face rejection from Aira-nim?”
It was a rather rude question, but Kasim simply laughed, as if he had heard something interesting.
“It could be a bit of a political story. I don’t want to discuss distasteful matters on such a good day with a friend like you. But if you really want to know, I’ll tell you.”
Swish-. Kasim looked around and hid his lips behind his palm in secret.
“If things go well, I might be able to obtain the throne of Angmar.”
“The Throne of Angmar?”
“That’s right. Our Tanak and Angmar family have a common ancestor, Ibraim. But now that Angmar is gone, who do you think has the right to their legacy?”
Was it really the case?
Kasim seemed to be interested in the heritage and relics of the Angmar dynasty, coming from the same ancestor Ibraim. His argument seemed somewhat plausible.
“Originally, the firstborn son inherits their father’s possessions. Ismail, Tanak’s ancestor, is the eldest son of Ibraim. Shouldn’t he have the right to the legacy?”
“But, was it not Isaac who’s favored? Ismail was….”
“The illegitimate son of a servant? Well, some people say that, but it depends on the perspective. Values change depending on the way you look at them. The fact that he’s the first son remains unchanged.”
“That’s true…”
Anyway, to summarize, it was courtship entangled with various political views. And Aira loathed people with ulterior motives.
So it was natural for her to treat Kasim harshly.
After chatting for a while, Kasim slurped his hot tea, feeling thirsty.
“Aiya, that’s very hot. Why are you drinking something this hot?”
“Well…. I just brewed it.”
“Anyway, well, now that I’ve been completely pushed aside by my sister, and I’ve put down various things. There’s no reason for me to continue being a clown for your Queen.”
“I see…”
“So, can I ask you a question now? I couldn’t hold back my curiosity since a while ago.”
“Of course.”
Did he want to know how Aira came to Ark? But what Kasim talked about was unexpectedly different from what I imagined it to be.
Edited by: faker
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