Riyao had just held up a honey-filled pie to the berry pie stall and hadn't even had the chance to ask the price when a steady, upright voice suddenly came from behind him, carrying a sense of unquestionable etiquette: "Mr. Riyao, His Majesty the King requests your presence."
He whipped his head around, half a pie still dangling from his mouth, to see a young man clad in silver-white knightly armor standing at the alley entrance. Emerald badges were set into his pauldrons, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and his posture was as straight as a pine tree. This was Arcadios, the most capable knight under Princess Hisui's command.
Riyao didn't even bother to chew carefully; he swallowed the pie in a few messy gulps, stuffed the remaining dried strawberries into his robe with one hand, and shoved the last half of the pie into his mouth with the other. His cheeks puffed out as if he were holding two walnuts as he replied indistinctly, "Ah, okay, okay! You guys, lead the way~"
The moment he followed Arcadios through the palace gates, Riyao was completely stunned. Above him were crystal chandeliers that looked like they were studded with diamond fragments, their light spilling onto the crimson carpet and making the gilded pillars on either side shimmer brilliantly. Gold-framed oil paintings hung on the walls, and even the railings of the corridors were embedded with tiny colorful gemstones. A faint scent of incense drifted through the air, a world apart from the smoky atmosphere of street food stalls.
He raised his sleeve to haphazardly wipe the frosting and breadcrumbs from the corners of his mouth and patted down his lapel, which was covered in snack crumbs. He hurried to catch up with Arcadios, not forgetting to grab a handful of dried berries offered by the stall owner as he passed by, munching on them with a crunch.
"Holy crap..." Riyao subconsciously blurted out a curse, his eyes wide. In his previous life, let alone a high-end club, he hadn't even been to a foot massage parlor; in this life, he had actually stumbled directly into such a luxurious palace.
His pace slowed down as his left hand stroked the carvings on a gilded pillar, his fingertips brushing against the cool, smooth metal. He muttered inwardly, "How much must this be worth?" His right hand secretly reached for a colored gemstone on the railing, his fingernails tentatively trying to pry it loose. It didn't budge. He applied a bit more pressure, but it still remained motionless.
"Tsk, it's stuck on pretty tight," he grumbled under his breath. His gaze then fell upon the oil painting frames on the wall. He reached out to touch the cool gold trim, muttering to himself, "What should I take back as a souvenir? This frame looks valuable..."
Walking beside him, the veins on Arcadios's temples throbbed violently. His handsome face had turned completely dark, and his mouth twitched as he fought the urge to facepalm. In all his years, this was the first time he had seen someone treat the royal palace like a grocery store—touching everything and trying to pry things off as soon as they arrived. Yet, this kid was the guest of honor the King wanted to see, so he couldn't just stop him outright.
"Mr. Riyao," Arcadios took a deep breath, trying his best to keep his voice steady despite the unmistakable exasperation in his tone. "His Majesty the King is already waiting in the Grand Hall. Please pick up your pace and do not be discourteous."
"Ah? Oh, right, okay!" Riyao snapped back to his senses and reluctantly withdrew his hand, though he didn't forget to rub the gilded carvings he had just touched with his thumb. He plotted in his mind: After meeting the King, maybe I can find a chance to swipe some small items? As he thought this, he hurried after Arcadios, his eyes still darting around like a little mouse in a granary, afraid of missing any "treasures."
Seeing him looking around restlessly, Arcadios's brow was practically covered in dark lines. He could only sigh inwardly: Mages from Fairy Tail are just as... headache-inducing as the rumors say.
Riyao hurried after Arcadios, his gaze still wandering over the palace's ornate architecture. Chewing the last of the dried berries, he leaned in and asked indistinctly, "Hey, Sir Knight," he poked Arcadios's shiny armor, "who exactly are you asking me to treat this time? Is it the King himself, or some noble?"
Arcadios didn't stop. The lines of his profile were tense, and his voice remained steady. "Mr. Riyao, the specific identity of the patient will be disclosed to you by His Majesty personally once you meet him."
"Oh, come on, it doesn't hurt to tell me early!" Riyao didn't give up, taking two quick steps to keep up, his eyes sparkling. "Is it an acute or chronic illness? Any strange symptoms? Like glowing all over, being unable to sleep, or... a pet that suddenly starts talking?" He guessed wildly, his mind already conjuring up all sorts of bizarre ailments; after all, the requests in the guild were never normal.
The dark lines on Arcadios's forehead deepened. He responded patiently, "I am not at liberty to disclose the details of the symptoms. I only know that the patient has been bedridden for many days. Various healing spells and potions have been tried to no avail. That is why we heard of a young Mage from Fairy Tail who excels in Healing Magic and specifically invited you."
Riyao rubbed his chin and smacked his lips, then pressed further, "So, is the patient old? Do they have a good temper? Will they be like some old geezers who get angry if they aren't cured?" He hadn't forgotten his previous worry about being "silenced"; it was always better to gather more information.
"Rest assured, Mr. Riyao," Arcadios finally glanced at him, his eyes filled with a touch of helplessness but still maintaining his knightly etiquette. "The patient is of noble status and has a gentle temperament. We have invited you in sincere hope of a cure and will certainly not make things difficult for you." He paused and added, "It is just that the symptoms are quite peculiar, so please do your absolute best when the time comes."
"Of course!" Riyao patted his chest, the bag of dried strawberries in his robe rustling. "When Riyao takes the stage, I can handle basically anything except 'poverty'!" As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at a nearby gilded vase, calculating in his head: Once the illness is cured, maybe the King will reward me with some gold, silver, or jewels? Then I can take all these pretty little things home.
As if seeing through his thoughts, Arcadios's brow furrowed imperceptibly as he quickened his pace. "The Grand Hall is almost here. Please focus your mind. You must observe proper etiquette when meeting His Majesty. Do not... again..." He swallowed the words "touch and pry at things" and settled for a different phrasing. "...Do not behave unbecomingly."
"I know, I know!" Riyao promised readily, yet he still took advantage of the moment Arcadios turned around to quickly stroke a jade ornament. Feeling the warm, smooth texture, he sighed inwardly: This material is really nice. It would be great if I could pry off a small piece to make a bracelet.
Out of the corner of his eye, Arcadios caught his little movement. He took a deep breath, his eye twitching as he forced down the urge to facepalm. He felt that leading the way this time was more exhausting than dealing with ten monsters. Fairy Tail truly lived up to its reputation.