It was said that some kings like to keep clowns by their side.
This was because clowns were allowed to make rude comments and criticism, even to the king, under the pretext that they were fools, and some people liked that.
On the other hand, it seemed that by tolerating the clown's rude remarks, it helped to give the impression that the king was generous.
It's true that Cerulean seemed to be doing whatever he wanted, but as I was thinking about this, a young clown pointed at me and started laughing furiously.
"Fia, if you're not good enough~, Savvis and Cyril will throw you away~."
He called the names of Commander Savvis, the top of the knight order, and Captain Cyril, the head of the knight order, without using their honorific titles.
Huh, I thought that might have been too much, and when I looked back at them, I saw Commander Savvis and Captain Cyril, their expressions not changing at all, looking down at Cerulean.
If he was looking away from Cerulean, it could be assumed that he was taking the stance that he had not heard the clown-like remarks.
However, by staring at Cerulean so intently, it was a sign that he was listening to what was being said and accepting his rude behavior.
Well, I thought it was a little surprising that these two would behave like this towards a clown, but maybe they were just following the king's attitude.
The place was starting to look chaotic, and I was wondering what I should do when I heard a low voice that sounded as if I was shocked.
When I shifted my gaze, I saw the clown sitting on the stairs next to Cerulean with his legs spread wide, resting his chin on his knees in a bad manner and objecting to Cerulean's words.
"No, no, only one person was late for the interview~, isn't it special treatment~? This is my favorite. Even during training~, Fia went to the north, south, and another knight order in the capital~. She was very popular~, so she's like this kind of knight~."
As I opened my eyes wide in surprise, wondering how he knew so much about my movements, the clown waved his hand.
"Hello~, Ron here~."
Then he introduced himself. He was polite.
I instinctively lowered my head and Ron laughed at me.
He was a well-built male clown with a fearless face.
He wore a hood with cat ears on his head, a pair of yellow and orange spotted-patterned full-body tights, and a number of star-like decorations around the neck and waist.
If a petite woman did it, she might look cute, but if Ron did it, all you could say was, "Oh, he's a clown."
Yes, that's flashy, I was thinking, when an even more flashy clown next to me flicked back his long, curly hair.
"Ehehehehehe, isn’t the reason why knights who seem to be so weak are carried around here and there so that knights who want to make themselves look better can use them as comparison targets? So, the relatively respectable-looking knights were happy. Hmm, the Knights are so evil, aren't they?"
It's completely sarcastic.
What was said was a harsh sarcasm towards the entire Order, and although Commander Savvis and Captain Cyril were probably not aware of this, they remained silent.
"Hello~, it's Dory~."
The flashy clown who finally announced his name was a tall man with feminine features.
He wore a headgear of all kinds of colors, and from above it, there's something looked like decorative bird feathers jut out from his head and shoulders.
Perhaps it was King Laurence's hobby, but all three of them were beautiful, although their types were different.
When I realized this, I had a flash of inspiration and covered my mouth.
...Oh, now that I think about it, when I joined the group, I heard that the king couldn't love women!
Well, did that mean it's the king's hobby to have such good-looking men around him?
I looked at King Laurence with wide eyes, but I couldn't ask such a question.
My gaze darted back and forth between the king and the clowns several times before I concluded that this was definitely the King's hobby.
This was because the three clowns were undeniably beautiful, each with a different taste.
I was not a king, so I didn't know how it felt, but I was sure it's fun to have beautiful people around you.
That's probably why it's overlooked that the clowns were calling Commander Savvis and Captain Cyril.
Yes, my guess was probably correct. The reason why none of the King's aides and knights who were present criticized the clowns' rudeness was because they were the king's favorites!
I looked at the three clowns confidently, with 100% certainty.
Behind me, for some reason, Captain Cyril had a depressed expression on his face.
It's okay, I nodded and said I was done with this, but he stared back at me like I was a dead fish.
The three clowns stared at me with wide grins on their faces as I tilted my head.
When I saw these three people, I thought to myself, "Wow, these are really clown-like clowns."
――In the first place, they were speaking freely, and it was the privilege of clowns.
Clowns were treated as weak, and no matter how rude they said something, they were forgiven.
Because they were seen as pathetic people who didn't understand what they were saying.
――However, in reality, they were the ones that the king kept on hand as his own cards, so they were probably excellent and capable.
And because they were actually sharp, they had quick minds and were able to utter a series of sarcastic quips that satirized power.
Unfortunately, most people didn't realize this.
As I could see from Cerulean, Ron, and Dory, their sarcasms were so strong that few people could understand what they're really trying to say, and their heavily accented pronunciation made them feel like they're from a rural area where they couldn't even speak the language well. This was because he succeeded in giving the first impression that he was a real person.
I thought that the pronunciation itself was very satirical, but I thought to myself that this was a surprisingly elaborate play.
Also, I wondered if this was part of the King's trial.
Then, Cerulean, who had been observing my situation, started talking to me with a mocking look on his face.
"Hoo~, I thought Fia was the type to put everything on show~, but I guess she's surprisingly good at belly~. She doesn't make fun of me~, even though the way I talk is funny~."
Cerulean asked me directly, and I replied in shock.
"Do you want me to make fun of you?" (Fia)
"Hmm~?"
"If I make fun of your tone, this time I won't say it out loud, but I will make fun of what I made fun of in your stomach, right?"
"Hoo~? What do you imply~?"
I spoke clearly and confidently to Cerulean, who was just trying to cut through the matter.
"The way you speak shows respect for the Rüa language, which is the basis of the language of the Näv Kingdom, right?" (Fia)
"Huh……?"
Cerulean gaped and opened his mouth.
Looking at that expression, Cerulean guessed that he had played this game many times before, and that no one had ever pointed out that it was in Rüa until now.
This kid was probably really smart.
And he himself knew this, which was probably why he came up with his current sarcastic tone, and by continuing to use that tone, he was making fun of the adults around him.
——This child was probably the King's aide.
That's why the King asked only Cerulean to speak.
I carefully explained what Cerulean clearly understood.
To warn against the bad game that Cerulean and other clowns were playing in groups.
Cerulean was probably the one who started this game, so as an adult, I felt like I had to criticize children.
"Rüa was a language that valued vowels and word endings, but as it was incorporated into Näv Kingdom, the pronunciation changed to de-emphasize them. The way you speak respects the original usage of Rüa. So, the current Näv language has accents on the vowels and the endings of words." (Fia)
I paused, and then added an unnatural accent to my words to make more of an impression.
"If you're Cerulean~, you already know~." (Fia)
Cerulean's way of speaking was imitated perfectly, and when he closed his open mouth, his face stiffened and glared at me.
So, I thought, Okay, you're listening to me very well, and I continued to explain.
"Many changes have been made in the hundreds of years since the Näv language was created. As a result, the current Näv language is significantly different from the original Rüa language. For those who do not know the rules of Rüa language, The way you speak it sounds very unique, but to those who know the original Rüa, it sounds very beautiful." (Fia)
"……………………………………………………"
Cerulean didn't seem to have any words to respond, so he bit his lip tightly in silence.
I stared at Cerulean with an innocent expression.
However, in my heart, I felt a simmering anger that he had made a fool of Commander Savvis and Captain Cyril, the pride of our knights, and for that reason, I felt that it was the last thing I wanted to hear. I said the words even though I knew they were going to happen.
"As expected of you, Cerulean! You're extremely talented!!" (Fia)
When I said that, I made a look of praise, even if it was intentional.
Author's Note
Thank you for always reading!
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Thank you very much for your support (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)⁾⁾⁾