As far as Simon Rodloom was concerned, Fedom, the Lord of Birac, showed no signs of a change of heart.
Despite the council having become a more nominal existence due to strengthening of the Imperial householdâs authority, Simon was still a leading aristocrat. He grasped the movements of the other nobles to some extent, their principles and claims, and also intended to understand their situation.
According to Simonâs insights, Fedom was clearly one of the anti-imperial faction.
He had persuaded the emperor, who actually wanted to continue the war with Garbera, and as the leader of the group promoting the peace negotiations, he had built up support for himself amongst the Imperial Court. Although his skills as a leader, as well as his wisdom, were somewhat lacking, he was much better compared to the other group of corrupted nobles.
However, that Fedom was definitely acting strange. Since last nightâs party â no, ever since they headed out for Seirin Valley â he had for some reason been sticking close to Prince Gil, just like a wet nurse poking her nose into peopleâs business here and there.
Did he say heâd educate the prince, just to raise him into a puppet doing his will?
That thought passed through his mind, but wasnât it a little too late to take such actions now?
Incidentally, it was also related to the prince himself. As far as he knew, Prince Gil and Fedom should have hardly exchanged any words. When the prince hung around with his young friends, Simon had always heard him call the man âthat manipulative wannabe swineâ behind his back.
How come he seemed to generously accept Fedomâs sudden intimacy or â even worse â seemed to rely on him?
Aside from making sure by meeting with the prince in private, there was a lot of work left for Simon. A delegation from the Principality of Ende had also rushed in for congratulations, although it was unusual that they decided to only a week ago. At first, there had also been talks of Ende and Garbera forming a bond by engaging royal partners, but it had probably been just one of the many things Ende and Garbera had in mind. Simon was pressed to welcome them.
But somewhere else,
âThat ungrateful bastard, Orba!â
It was Tarkas, rudely snorting and prowling about in the room.
When he thought of the Mephian noble Fedomâs sudden visit, even if it had been so abrupt, he wondered why the man had bought Orba without asking for consent.
âThe one who raised him was me! Sh*t, he was just about to earn his pay as a working swordsman, when of all things he had to be snatched away by some nobleâŠ!â
âWe do not understand it either, though.â
He had summoned Shique, Gowen and Gilliam, his main swordsmen, at a private room inside the cliffs, established for Tarkasâs use. They were here because he had to change the pairings of the competition due to Orbaâs sudden departure.
âSo why was it decided that Orba had to suddenly be pulled out? Although that kid may be a good swordsman, he was the so-called spearhead of the games to celebrate the wedding. If he simply wanted to purchase Orba for his abilities, I think they shouldâve made him participate in the fights.â
âI would also like to know â that sh*thead!â Tarkas said. âEven though he was bought by a noble, he could've at least offered himself up for the last battle as a favour. That son of a bitch!â
âMaybe itâs because we were supposed to kill each other. Iâll surely celebrate his new life, but I canât get used to this feeling, and Iâm bothered that he left without a single word.â
âOh, Gilliam. Does even a man like you get lonely when one of his acquaintances leaves?â
âShut it, Shique! I just regret that I havenât settled things with that guy!â
âWell, it canât be helped that he isnât here. Letâs consider making some exciting pairings,â Gowen said in order to calm everyone down.
Naturally, he also felt a bit strange lately.
He had no time to figure out what had happened. He had to take a look at the condition of the newcomers Tarkas had bought, and because this was different from the usual procedure, he also had to review every single swordsman.
However, something that faintly weighed on Gowenâs mind was whether Orba, who had been looking forward to a future even when his mind and body got beaten down, was now living in that very same future.
While people were busily moving about around him, former gladiator Orba seemed to have time to spare, being practically left on his own. Being tasked as a body double was fine, but he couldnât talk unless Fedom whispered the words to him, like ventriloquism.
Itâs strange...
These nobles had snatched away his brother to be a soldier. Not only had they abandoned their village but, of all things, the nobility had aimed its blades at its own citizens and had taken Alice away, causing him to fall into a life of slavery and making him wear that mask.
It might be because of a whim of fate, but none other than one of those Mephian nobles suddenly plucked Orba out of his life of slavery and ordered him to become a substitute for one of the leading figures in the imperial family.
Theft, extortion and illegal gun trading â having lived off sipping water from the gutter, he couldnât help but think he was a laughingstock for the crown prince. Although the fact that he still didnât know what another day might bring was similar to being a slave.
However â being on the other side of those black plastered streets â perhaps now he could expect to find one spot, yes, just one spot of light. As the princeâs body double, heâd have the opportunity to come in contact with leading figures, other than Fedom of course. It wouldnât be so strange to find the one who burned down his village â General Oubary â among them.
Although Orba had been hit on his head back then and had only seen him for a moment with a dazed glance, for all those two years heâd been a sword-slave, he hadnât forgotten his face for even a day. Even now it vividly came back to him in his mind.
âGil-sama.â
If we meet again.
I wonder what I should do then.
The boy swordsman, who had his mask removed, continued sinking in ceaseless thoughts. He would think of a way to give the guy the most miserable death possible, as long as it was conceivable in this world. Besides, if he was able to meet up with Oubary, he could trace back the lines to the time he got separated from Alice and his mother. Also, although he himself did not expect too much of it â for he couldnât wish for the unimaginable over and over again and virtually hope for a miracle â if he found other people recruited as soldiers by Oubary, they might know something about his brother Roanâs whereabouts.
âGil-sama, Prince. Prince Gil!â
âEh?â
Being spoken to in such a firm voice, Orba looked to his side.
Princess Vileena was sitting at a distance not too far from him. She was in front of the altar, at the place where the valley was at its deepest, looking out over the area. Only Vileena and Orba were sitting in chairs, with a stalwart group of soldiers surrounding them, while at the front of the altar, priests were chanting hymns of prayer and blessing.
âWhat is it youâre thinking of?â
âNothing,â Orba replied curtly.
It wasnât possible for Fedom to be around him during the ceremony, so heâd told him to âsay nothingâ in the meantime. Turning his face forward, he pretended to be concentrating on the ceremony.
âThatâs a lie,â Vileena decided, also in a curt manner.
What� A lie?
The timing was so excellent that Orba couldnât ignore it, and he again gave the princess of the Kingdom of Garbera a glance.
She was again wearing a dress, but a different one from yesterdayâs party, and she wore an informal tiara on her head. This close, it surprised him. Although she seemed like only a little girl the first time they met face to face, when she turned aside with a serious look every once in a while, she looked really mature.
He wondered if it was because of her clear-cut features, although Orba thought her face looked much like a dollâs. At the moment, except for being from a different birth, she seemed almost the same as Orba. Only moving when told to, and only speaking when told to by someone else.
Indeed, when he thought about it, that was what this wedding was all about. Even though she was only fourteen years old, in contrast to her true wishes, she had to become the wife of a man she only first met yesterday, and was of a former enemy country to boot. Although he couldnât get himself to feel sympathy for someone like her, who was born into a royal family, she seemed to have various hardships of her own as well.
So, itâs the same for everyone.
He suddenly remembered that voice.
â Nobody knows what kind of person heâll be. Everybody longs for a world they donât know, and pursue a meaning in life for which theyâve been born â even if heâs a priest, or royalty.
It was just like Roan said, Orba groaned deep inside.
âYou really are lost in thought.â
When she once again spoke to him out of the blue, Orba impolitely replied with the words,
âSo what?â
Vileena chuckled.
âFor quite a while, I thought you had frightening eyes at times, but now you seem to smile, thinking of something pleasant. Please tell me, you who are about to become my husband â what is it that troubles you on such a fine day, and what on earth is this matter you canât help but remember?â
The ceremony went on. They had grilled a dragon they just killed this morning, and while they scattered the bones across the base of the valley, the priests chanted their prayers. They called for the souls of the dragons that once ruled this planet to protect the countryâs prosperity.
âCould it be that the Ryuujin, if they come back, may not necessarily give this place their blessings?â
Back when humankind landed on this planet, the dragons only roamed the fields and thought of nothing but filling their stomachs, in short, they had degenerated to being on the same level as beasts.
However, they excavated the ruins of enormous cities and artefacts of unknown purpose here and there on the planet, and there also seemed to be traces of a magical civilization that possibly used some form of ether[1]. Humankind was able to wield their first âmagicâ, Zodias, after a while, and this blessing of wisdom was said to have all been obtained from these dragonsâ ruins. It was believed that the ancient dragons formed the intelligent body that once governed this planet, probably thousands of years before humankind ultimately arrived.
The custom to call those dragons of old âDragon Godsâ or âRyuujinâ was particularly Mephian, and there was a time it had been the religious faith in all of the country. Although it was now a mere shadow of its former self, for important rituals like these, the priest who presided over the ceremony was selected and summoned from one of the tribes of nomads living in the area near the Mephian border, where the roots of the Ryuujin Faith lay.
âLike I said, itâs nothing.â
Again, Orba briefly ended the conversation.
He had received a brief explanation from the page, Dinn, concerning the history of the Ryuujin Faith, but naturally he didnât feel too strongly about it. So, he wasnât able to tell whether Vileena had been joking or not.
If the real princeâs and this girlâs relations grows awkward after this, I wonât be taking responsibility for it, Fedom-sama.
On the other hand, Vileena finally gave a sigh, getting lost in her own thoughts. For Garbera, the dragons having a civilization equal to or greater than that of the humans in the past was viewed upon as nothing more than a âdragon godâ legend. Therefore she could not experience this ceremony as something sacred. And although she had gotten carelessly and completely bored, when she glanced at the person next to her, Prince Gil â the one who would become her husband when this ceremony was finally over â she couldnât help but be distracted. So, to slightly stave off her boredom, she tried to tease him a little. But, possibly revealing his âtrue characterâ, although she tried her best to look like a lady, the prince was genuinely blunt. Not only that, his brief way of talking really got on her nerves.
She wondered if it was because he was embarrassed. During last nightâs party, she hadnât caught wind of his behaviour being resentful against women either. But when she thought he might be a bit like Ryucown, Vileena felt offended by herself. There was no way the bravest general of Garbera resembled someone who was rumoured to be a complete âretardâ here in Mephius.
In any case, this is the same thing as war. To fool the enemy, I have to keep up the pace in this place.
Vileena maintained her smile, pretending not to be offended. It would be best if the prince fell madly in love with her. However, she didn't know whether it would work out that way if he already had some love affair with another girl. Anyway, it wouldnât be a problem if she just kept smiling.
Grandfather also told me that he loved my smiling face above all. So in that case, I shouldnât be mistaken.
The priestsâ tedious prayers would be over soon, and then the sword-slave battles would finally take place.
It was said to be part of the ceremony that, when the dragon bones have turned to ash and are poured over the ground, the lifeblood of men is given. Nevertheless, what they did was hardly any different from your everyday gladiator battles. The only difference was that the introductory remarks were slightly more formal than usual. The arena, a levelled ground at the bottom of the valley with only some pillars staked into the earth, was even simpler than the usual.
There, the gladiators were standing in rows to the east and west sides. Orba recognized Tarkas, Gowen, and a lot of other faces he knew, and an unusually boyish smile appeared on his face.
I doubt those guys would even imagine Iâm right here.
Although Tarkas was probably furious about him having left so suddenly, exactly because it happened so soon, it wouldnât occur to him that heâd be looking down from such a high position.
Vileena, on the other hand, despite having been informed of this earlier, was looking on with gloomy thoughts about slaves having to kill each other hereafter. There was no slavery in Garbera, which was the main reason they spoke ill of Mephius as a country of barbarians.
Unsatisfied with the war, have they wilfully made a show of looking down on slaves and forcing them to kill each other?
When the divination was over, the first group of people stepped forward. The movements of the gladiators were somewhat awkward, but perhaps it was because of the unfamiliar environment up until the end of the first round, namely, until the loser was turned into a sprawled corpse on the ground.
In Garbera and Ende, with restrictions on slave companies active in the entertainment industry, there wasnât an opportunity to see a gladiator fight. So, although the envoys had been prejudiced at first, and although it looked like they might have been enraged as the sound of clashing swords ran about, before long, they ended up bending over the stands, clenching their fists tight, giving cheers along with the people of Mephius, and started giving their applause.
Vileena soon got sick of it. Then, thinking of His Lordship, she again peeked to her side. When she saw a huge, grinning smile on his face, Vileena again felt a renewed disappointment appear. No matter how she looked at it, he clearly enjoyed seeing them kill each other from the bottom of his heart. She had assumed that he would like it, but not to this extent.
Suddenly, she was no longer able to restrain her feelings. The once disdainful feelings for her partner had turned into emotional disgust. It all happened so sudden, and she herself was actually quite perplexed. She was again reminded of how she, until just now, had to constantly try to subdue her emotions. Even though she was the princess of a country who had said she would give priority to her own nation before herself, she was only fourteen years old.
I canât, I canât!
Vileena strongly clutched her fists in her lap.
This, too, is a battle. This, too, is a trial, Vileena. My body was given a push in the back and sent forward. I canât let my spirit lose its strength like this.
Shique stepped forward at the arena. The cheers concentrated on this unique gladiator, with a decadent white-painted face. Looking at his opponent, however⊠Orba raised his eyebrows.
HeâsâŠ
For some reason, it was one of the newcomers Tarkas had hired in his good mood. Taking Shiqueâs skills into consideration, it was obvious this opponent wasnât suitably matched. Even if he was able to liven up the battle, Tarkas had struck a bad deal. This would be over in an instant.
Shique readied his trademark dual swords. Both were single-bladed swords of middle length. The newcomer nervously stood ready on the other side. This would be over within the blink of an eye â or so Orba thought at the time.
But while he thought this, he heard a loud rumbling through the ground, which practically shook violently under his feet. During that lapse in time, a dense cloud of dust swelled up on the other side of the arena.
Those soldiers who looked up at the dust, towards whatever it was, were the first to fall victim. Although theyâd gathered around the arena carrying spears and guns, they also hadnât expected such a sudden occurrence, and were crushed to death underneath a dragonâs forelegs. As soon as the clots of blood painted the ground bright red, a scaled dragon, tinged with slime here and there, emerged from the cloud of dust. The huge-shaped mass was basically stepping forward.
It was a large-type dragon, Sozos. Chains were supposed to be tied to its feet and naturally it should have also be locked up in a cage, but the dragon had become a freed creature, and even more of them appeared all at once.
âWh-Whaahh!!â
One soldier, stunned by the death of his colleagues, fired his readied gun. The moment he removed his aim, a sharp claw about three times his height swung down on his body and he immediately splattered into a heap of flesh on the ground. Then the other soldiers who were near him, shrieked like women, dropped their guns, and started running away. Their screams and shouts began to sound much like the rumbling in the ground.
âW-What, whatâs going on?â
âWhy are the dragons on a rampage?â
A large number of people started bellowing at each other underneath their tents. The dragons that were to be used by the gladiators had broken through their cages and were rampaging about. There were some people who picked up swords and guns and headed for the guards, some who ran as fast as they could, and some who spread instructions to their subordinates â mixed in with a lot of other people.
Orba stood up from his chair. For a moment he couldnât see Shiqueâs figure from under the cover of the dust cloud. Then one of the gladiators, the one who was the next to go, got kicked hard by a Baian. And another, someone from the Tarkas Group who tried to recklessly lunge at their bellies, got trampled under a Sozos.
Then, he spotted a single, small silhouette among those dragons. It was Hou Ran. She was probably running around in tears trying to stop the dragons. There were several times when she barely escaped being kicked around by the dragonsâ legs.
Lend me a gun.
Orba came close to shouting those words and taking a rifle from one of the guards. However, he was interrupted halfway as he suddenly felt a sharp pain at a certain spot on his forehead.
âAh!â
Guided by impulse and not by reason, Orba quickly concealed his body under the table. Something was flying overhead, high in the sky, at a great speed. Someone with the intent to kill. As it took form, he had a feeling that it was aiming for the ground.
A sniper!
Blended in with the sound of the dragonâs feet, the raised screams of the people, and the angry voices, was most definitely the sound of a rifleâs gunshot that rattled his eardrums.
Part 2
In the blink of an eye, the arena down below was covered in a cloud of dust. Seeing the turmoil in front of her, which was much like a battlefield, Vileena jumped out of her seat.
Able to see the rampaging dragons and the many people falling victim to them, her eyes were reflexively trying to look for an airship. If she could cut in from the sky, she might be able to draw the dragonsâ attention. There certainly had to be an old-type scouting ship among the number of crafts in the Mephian defence force.
âHey, you, donât come any further!â
âHow rude, out of all the people that came here, just who â wahh!â
A disturbance occurred among the guards who were standing in an organized line. It wasnât because of the dragonsâ disturbance. There was a man who was running away, aiming straight for them, and although two soldiers tried to hold him back, they were cut down in no time.
Who theâ!?
She meant to speak, but a lump of saliva got caught in her throat. Getting a glimpse of the bloodied sword, she recognized him as the man that should have been fighting in the arena just now. The Garberan princess barely dodged a single blow swung down from the side. However, tripping over the hem of her long dress, she fell down.
The other guards, distracted by the rampaging dragons, were moving about all over the place. Vileena nimbly rolled over on the ground and snatched a gun from the waist of a soldier whoâd been cut down. Sparks jumped out before her. The steel blade had dug into the ground but, within a short interval, he swung it down again.
Vileenaâs vision was fixed on the point of the sword, as if she had just fallen to the brink of the dark shadow of death. Then, suddenly, a single sword came down from the side, stopping the blow.
âYour opponent is me.â
The words came from behind the man â it was the gladiator who had been fighting him a while ago. His red lips formed into a mysterious smile.
âAs soon as the dragons appeared, you headed straight this way. Who are you?â
âBastard!â
The man shouted in a hoarse voice, without releasing his grip, he rotated his body and pulled out a dagger from his waist. With a movement quick enough to stir up a wind, he aimed for the gladiatorâs chest. However, that gladiator â Shique â tilted his shoulders. He swept aside the dagger with his other sword, and thrust his first sword into the manâs chest.
When the man collapsed in front of her with a surprised look in his eyes, Vileena heaved a sigh.
Then Vileena accidentally got startled, because Gil looked her way. There was not a hint of fear in his eyes, ratherâŠ
âPrincess, get over here and lie down,â Gil â although, it was of course actually Orba â suddenly said.
He half-forcingly pulled at a bewildered Vileenaâs arm and, after he made her lie down on her stomach like him, called out Shiqueâs name. The gladiator froze over with genuine surprise. Seeing him so flabbergasted, Orba was driven by the urge to make a joke, despite the current situation.
âIâm a fan of yours,â he said. He then immediately gave a serious look. âThe dragons are only a diversion. There must be a sniper aiming for us here. Find out where he is.â
âHa, hahah...â
Suddenly being spoken to in person by the prince of his country, although he was basically given an order, even baffled Shique. Orba, however, continued without concern anyway.
âAlso inform Gowen to let anyone who can fight to lend a hand.â
Shique started running, quick to come to action, although he turned his head every now and then. He started running past the dragons that were going mad with blood and devouring several people. While making sure to guard his back, Orba peeked out from under the table. And immediately drew back in again. He repeated the movement several times, until a gunshot also reached Vileenaâs ears for the first time.
A lure?
She realized that thought with a flash. Heâd purposely exposed his body like that to invite the enemyâs gunfire, so that the gladiator named Shique could learn of the enemyâs position. This prince â just what was his true face?
A Sozos climbed up through the mayhem in the valley and was approaching their location.
âYour Highness, Princess! This way!â
Two men rushed in among the guards. Finally someone who acted in the right state of mind had come for them. Orba also decided it was a good time to leave. He stood up and led Vileena by the hand. She didnât go against him and followed suit.
Orba was running. Maybe he had expected something like this to happen, because he had to act as a double. But right now, he didnât have the time to think of that. Although he was worried about the safety of the gladiators, Orba decided that, considering that the gunshots had ceased, they were probably all right.
Orba and Vileena, holding each otherâs hands, looked over their shoulders several times, as they rushed into a cave underneath the cliffs, led by the soldiers.
âGet into this hidden passage for now. It leads to the other side of the cliffs.â
When the soldier struck one of the pillars in the cave with his fist, the side of the steep cliff wall rotated, opening a space where only one person could pass.
âGo, hurry,â they urged the princess on.
The moment Vileenaâs body was pushed inside, the wall somehow rotated again behind her.
âHuh?â
She raised her voice and turned her back when there was only darkness in front of her. There wasnât a single lamp inside the cave, and although she looked for a switch, she couldnât find it in the hidden passage. Furthermore, she heard voices on the other side of the wall in some kind of argument.
Surely the enemy hadnât planned an ambush? â she soon thought.
âPrincess Vileena!â
A voice called out to her from behind. Again there were two soldiers in armour, and came from the other side of the passage carrying lamps. However, they werenât dressed in Mephian gear.
âPrincess, make haste over here. A ship is coming to pick you up.â
âShip? What do you mean by ship?â
âItâs a ship that has come to take you away from these savage lands, to a place more suitable for someone of your noble lineage.â
âYou guysâŠâ
While the Princess Vileena was struck with a certain foreboding feeling, something like a gunshot roared from the other side of the thick wall.
It was in the instant Vileena entered the hidden passage.
âHey, whatâs going on!?â
Several soldiers who seemed to be guarding the inside of the cliffs came their way. Then one of the soldiers who had guided Orba quickly struck the pillar again, leaving Vileena alone in the passage sheâd entered.
âWe donât know either. But itâs going well.â
As he spoke, he pulled and fired a gun from his back.
Almost at the same time as the guard up front collapsed with a spray of blood, the other soldier was about to lunge into their flanks with a drawn sword. Without having the time to accept the sudden challenge, one soldier, and yet another one, got cut down.
Orba was standing with his back against the wall, watching over this sudden bewildering development. This didnât look like some internal discord. With the thought that Vileena was in the hidden passage all alone, it was likely that the soldiers who had guided Orba here were involved with the dragon rampage and the sniping.
Orba gently leaned over, and took a sword from a fallen soldier. He concealed it behind his back for the time being, as the battle before him ended.
âWorthless,â the soldier whoâd fired the gun said and turned around to face Orba. âWhat should we do with the prince here?â
âLetâs keep him hostage. Get over here, you!â
The soldier holding the sword held out his hand. It was the same hand that belonged to the one who, due to the element of surprise, had killed six soldiers in an instant. Not wearing a helmet, his face was beaming with haughtiness.
âW-Who⊠are you people?â
Trembling, Orba edged sideways with his back against the wall. The two had sneers on their faces, covered with their victimsâ blood.
âHmph, I didnât know the prince of the Great Imperial Dynasty was this pathetic. After all, he canât do a thing without his many retainers by his side.â
âA guy like this would become the Vileena-samaâs husband? Ridiculous. Heâd sully Garberaâs prestigious blood. Now, Prince Halfwit of Mephius, come!â
Orba screamed and ran away from the manâs outstretched arm.
âI donât have time to play. Now, if you donât come quickly.â
As the soldier chased after him with mocking laughter, Orba promptly turned around, and cut him right up front with the sword heâd been hiding. Leaving a trail of blood and an accompanying scream, he jumped over his fallen opponent and quickly stabbed at the shoulder of the flustered man holding the gun.
âB-Bastard.â
He drove the pommel of his sword into the manâs face, who collapsed onto his knees and fainted.
Then, from the opposite side of the cave, other guardsmen from Mephius showed up. Theyâd probably caught the sounds of the disturbance. Orba quickly explained to them the circumstances â and ordered them to bind up the unconscious enemies. After that, he urged them to open up the hidden passage, but it took him quite some time and effort because the soldier in charge wasnât there.
I hate enemies who stay hidden and gather knowledge.
Time was precious. Without fully knowing the reason behind his impatience, Orba privately clicked his tongue.
Several minutes after Vileena had disappeared into the hidden passage, they finally opened the door.
The first thing Orba heard was the sound of men and a woman struggling with each other.
As expected, if he could say so, men were holding Vileena on both sides and trying to drag her along through the narrow cave passage.
âUnhand me, you insolents!â
Vileenaâs voice left the trail of an echo throughout the narrow cave. The Mephian guardsmen set out ahead of Orba.
âWhoâs there? Where are you taking the princess?â
âStupid Mephian savages! Donât you get it!?â
As the enemy soldier answered back, he pulled out a pistol. The Mephian soldier was about to counter-attack immediately, but,
âWait, youâll hit the princess!â
Orba took command as he tried to lay low. In that instant, suddenly something unbelievable occurred.
Having lost her restraints on one side from the man holding the gun, Vileena lightly jumped up and raised one foot from her dress. Taking in the brunt of the force from her foot, the gun dropped from the soldierâs hand. Quickly recovering from his initial shock, Orba made a quick decision.
âNowâ! Donât use guns, charge!â
In response to Orbaâs orders, the soldiers armed themselves with swords and spears and rushed into the other party.
Although one of them showed signs of fighting back, in the blink of an eye he was overwhelmed by the Mephian force.
âDraw back, draw back!â
Eventually they commenced their escape, leaving the princess in place.
The Mephian soldiers raised cries of war and chased after them, but it was a narrow cave after all. One Garberan soldier came to a halt and started rapidly firing at them, making them lose their joint effort as they had to take cover here and there. Providing cover for his allies thus, when his bullets inevitably ran out, he removed a knife from his pocket, jabbed it into his own neck, and finished himself off.
Orba hadnât witnessed these details to the very end. The rest was an issue between Mephius and Garbera, where he himself was unrelated. Aside from that, the safety of the people he knew weighed on his mind and he followed the road all the way back through the cave.
When he came back, the disturbance had settled a bit. The dragons were lying with their long necks on the ground, or leaning against the huge slopes in the valley, spewing out blood. They had sunk beneath the gunfire of the sword-slaves, including Gowen, and the artillery the Mephian soldiers had brought out. Having played quite an active role, Gilliam and Shiqueâs swords were wet with vast amounts of blood, and their muscles heaved along with rough breaths.
However, the strained look didnât leave their faces, rather, their looks were coated with a preparedness for death. This was hardly surprising, because the guns the Mephian soldiers had set up were currently pointing in the direction of the sword-slaves.
âWhatâs the meaning of this, Tarkas!?â a red-faced Fedom berated Tarkas.
The dragons that had suddenly gone on a rampage had been brought along by the Tarkas Group, and several people had witnessed some of the sword-slaves pointing their swords at Gil and Vileena. Although Tarkas had a pale face and desperately told him he âdidnât know eitherâ, Fedom didnât have the ears to hear it. If he would have had a gun in his hands, he wouldâve likely used it to shoot Tarkas on the spot.
Most of the sword-slaves were forced to disarm themselves, and had to cross both arms over their heads. However, there was confusion on the faces of even the guards pointing their guns. After all, the ones whoâd fought back against the dragons first were none other than those slaves.
Still shrouded with dust, the smell of earth and gunfire abundant, there was confusion in the air.
âWait!â
Orba stepped forward. The surprised soldiers holding the guns made way. Fedom glanced over at Orba and twisted the corners of his mouth.
âWhat? When you butt in like thisââ
âWho are you speaking to? Donât you recognize me, Fedom?â
Shutting his mouth with a start, Fedom gave him a disgruntled look. Seeing such a thing for the first time, Tarkas snickered.
âThis man may be involved in a country-wide conspiracy. Maybe someone took advantage of him, right? I believe that the Mephians who hired these people without knowing a thing are also responsible. But we canât say who. If I see anyone shift his responsibility and execute even one of these sword-slaves without permission, I will have his head â Iâll take it off with myâ our sword!â[2]
âI agree.â
Turning around, Orba raised his eyebrows in surprise. Vileena came walking up to them. She seemed to be wavering a little, but if you took into account the mayhem from a little while ago, you could say she was carrying herself rather firmly.
âAh, princess!â
Her maid Theresia rushed over to her, probably having been worried about her all this time, and Vileena greeted her with a thin smile.
âEven though it was a gladiator that aimed for my life, the one that rescued me was the gladiator over there. We wonât be able to come to a simple conclusion with the current circumstances, will we?â
Although her dress was covered with sand, her face bore countless beads of sweat, and her braided hair had become frayed here and there, her pupils were filled with a clear purpose.
Straight after such a commotionâŠ
Instead of being panicked, she was analysing things calmly. Until some time ago, heâd only seen this girl as a puppet, but it was only after she was injured and knocked about, that it roused his flesh and blood, and Orba actually felt that she was a person with the same beliefs as he had.
âBesides,â the foreign princess suddenly cast down her eyes and gnashed her teeth. âThey were probably our Garberaâsâ General Ryucownâs subordinates.â
That evening, Orba was in a single room inside the cliffs. It was the same room heâd spent his time in yesterday, as it was made appropriate for the Imperial Family to stay in.
While he didnât grasp the full story behind the situation, they had judged it too dangerous to go back to a city in Mephian territory with only themselves for now. With their military power currently forming a line of defence in the valley, they were waiting for reinforcements to arrive from the city.
Of course, several people from Garbera, including Vileena, and the delegation from Ende were being confined in the valley as well. At any rate, the atmosphere had gotten complicated.
The moment the Mephian soldiers, who had chased the enemy down the hidden passage, had slipped out to the valley on the other side, theyâd witnessed a dragonstone ship flying up into the air. It was a high-speed cruiser that could carry about ten people, and it had probably been waiting on the other side of the cliffs until just a while earlier. So they might have been planning to take Vileena?
Vileena had said these were âRyucownâs actionsâ.
Ryucown was a great warrior from Garbera. Even Orba knew his name. It seemed only obvious to claim that this chain of disturbances was plotted by Garbera.
HoweverâŠ
Orba started thinking it over. If that had been Garberaâs doing, there were too many unnatural aspects.
âGil-sama? Gil-sama!â
He was a little late to react to the voice calling out to him. The page, Dinn, had just placed several wine bottles and three glasses on the table. It was these items that told Orba everything.
âYouâre still a little late in noticing, arenât you?â
âIâve never been called by that name, you know?â Orba said, shrugging his shoulders. âNames aside, the âsamaâ doesnât sit well either. Itâs awkward. You donât have to overdo it when thereâs no one else around.â
âNo. Anyone can keep an eye out, and you never know whoâs straining his ears. Besides, Iâm not such a skilled person either. So Iâm not confident I can change my behaviour when it really matters if I donât regularly keep calling you Prince Gil. You too. If you donât get used to it â if you donât constantly behave like a prince should â you might expose yourself when push comes to shove.â
The still twelve, thirteen-year-old boy answered, puffing up with a nobleâs pride.
âGet used to it, huh?â Orba said, as he noticed the full-scale window that reached from the floor to the ceiling.
Because the curtains were drawn, he couldnât look out over the valley. While the balcony was packed with soldiers on guard, because the balcony itself protruded directly from the cliff, he didnât have to worry that they could hear their conversation.
That was when he remembered, and Orba smiled, thinking back. When Tarkas had been accused by Fedom, heâd offered some timely help, and afterwards, Tarkas had bowed over to him in gratitude many times over. He would never forget that hapless, tear-filled face for the rest of his life.
âSeeing the number of glasses, who are the guests coming over?â
Just when he was about to answer, the soldier guarding the other side of the door informed them he had visitors.
âLet them in.â
Being flanked by two soldiers on the left and right, two people came in that Orba had ordered to call over some time ago.
Entering quite timidly, probably due to surprise and nervousness, were the person in charge of training sword-slaves, Gowen, and the gladiator, Shique.
Part 3
âThank you for coming.â
Speaking up first, Orba acknowledged the two as they came into the room. Although he displayed a princely thin smile, naturally, in his heart, he couldnât help but find their unusually abashed behaviour amusing. The normally fearless Gowen fumbled muttered words of greeting out of his mouth, which he could barely hear, and Shique kept staring around in wonder.
He realized that, most likely, theyâd been like this ever since receiving an âinvitation from the princeâ, and Orba had a hard time resisting the urge to burst out laughing.
Dinn was also equally surprised. He had thought either Fedom or another prominent Mephian figure would come in.
âWait â whatâs the meaning of this? I canât have you inviting gladiators without permission. If Fedom-sama finds outââ
âIâm the prince, right? Canât I do as I please? Or am I not allowed to talk with somebody without your approval?â
As he brought up again their earlier conversation about behaving like a prince at all times, Dinn couldnât give a reply. By Orbaâs command, he helplessly poured wine into their glasses and treated the two visitors to a drink.
âThese guys have worked well as sword-slaves. If it wasnât for their efforts, I might not have been able to pick up this cup. We should hail them as national heroes!â
He raised his hand to put glasses together, the two nervously joined in. Enjoying his companionsâ reactions, Orba slightly sipped his drink. It was essentially not so strong.
âPrince Gilâ didnât quite seem to go onto the main subject, even though his guests grew more uncomfortable, so Shique finally broke the ice. It looked like he unexpectedly had more guts than Gowen in this kind of situation.
âAlthough I thought it strange that you spoke to me back then, how come you are f-familiar with our names?â
âYou said youâre a fan,â Gowen said. âB-But I havenât fought in the arena myself these past several years. Even back when I was a gladiator, I donât remember having any fights to leave such a mark. So, really, where Your Highness learned the name of someone like meâŠâ
âReally, Iâve known,â Orba said, purposely grimacing. âIs it something so inconvenient that I know your names? Or does an outrageous thing, like a prince indulging himself in gladiator fights, go against your conscience?â
âN-No, never!â
âNo, never mind. Drop it. Iâll give the instructions later.â
Although he didnât know what these instructions were, Gowenâs face stiffened and Shique frantically took a step forward.
âPlease forgive us, Your Highness. We are but lowly gladiators. Weâre not used to a place like this, let alone know the proper etiquette when talking to people of royalty. We barely even know one language⊠If we have in some way offended youâŠâ
Orba kept staring at the flustered Shique with cold eyes, but then,
âKuhâŠâ
Finally, he couldnât bear it any longer and sputtered a laugh. He took another shot, and then Orba started clutching his stomach, laughing loudly. The two stared blankly at him.
Dinn turned pale, and kept rebuking him, saying âPrince, Prince!â. However Orba said, âWhoâs this prince!?â, wiping the tears from his face and laughing once more.
âYou still havenât found out, Gowen? This is so unlike you! So youâre quicker with the sword than with words?â
Taking a smallsword hanging on the wall, he thrust it out right in front of Gowenâs eyes.
âAlthough I havenât used it in the arena many times, it was you who taught me the basics of using a smallsword. Show refinement in your posture, strain your upper arms, but keep it supple from the elbow down â isnât that so?â
He lightly thrust out the tip of his sword in a dance, performing his steps around Gowen. Shique then raised his voice in surprise. Orba gave him a wink, with a smirk on his face.
âCould it be â no, but â although his voice is quite similar⊠n-no, butâŠâ
Orba took one step forward, aiming for Shique, who couldnât seem to reach a decision. Shique easily moved his face away from the swordâs tip, swinging through the air. He took a step back on reflex.
âWill you allow me to scar your face? So itâll become a bond between me and you?â Orba said, grinning. Instead of Shique, who was moving his white throat, gulping up and down, Gowen raised his voice.
âOrba!?â he shouted recklessly.
The two sat at the table, taking in the shock, and it looked like not all doubts had been completely cleared away. They listened in astonishment as Orba explained how things had gotten this way. No one interrupted him in the meantime, and Dinn continued serving the three at the table with a half-sulky attitude.
âHrm,â Gowen grunted. âIâve been alive for many years and havenât heard such an odd thing. But, without the mask, your face really does resemble the princeâs. Honestly, I already thought he was quite young, but didnât think it was this much.â
âI thought about the same,â Shique said, having completely reverted back to his normal attitude. âBetter yet, arenât you more of a handsome man like this?â
Gowen shook his head.
âBut is it all right to be so open about this with us? Isnât this a state secret?â
âIt's 'not' all right,â Orba quickly said. âBut if I pretend to be a prince all on my own, I wonât have any breathing space, right? I thought at least youâd be able to keep your mouths shut.â
âOhh?â
âWhatâs with those eyes?â
Receiving a squinted look from Shique, Orba uncomfortably turned his head to the side.
âWell, never mind. Youâll get used to my face.â
âNo, thatâs not it. Orba, itâs not that the maskâs been removed. Something in the atmosphere has changed, you know?â
âThe atmosphere?â
âThe gladiator in you, somehow, seems to have been crushed by something âinvisibleâ to the eye, yet your eyes seem to constantly be shining. While, among the gladiators who are mostly ruffians, you were apparently seen as some sort of dangerous person. You gave âem the chills. Now, however, even if thereâs no reason for it, part of you seems to have completely lightened up.â
âThough, posing as the crown prince, I seem to carry this countryâs weight on my back? Youâre taking Mephius rather lightly.â
âEven so,â Shique said with a puzzling smile.
Strangely feeling like he was being treated like a child, Orba started to get a little irritated.
âAnyhow,â Gowen interjected. âIf youâve been trained as a body double before the wedding, does that mean they already expected a surprise attack like today on Mephius?â
Shique also turned serious and shook his head.
âThat seems a little bit too strange, right? All of the Mephian soldiers were taken by surprise and were hardly able to deal with it. If the prince⊠I mean, Orba, hadnât given those orders, we wouldâve stayed in the confusion too, and both the prince and the princess could have been killed by the sniper, right?â
As expected from a swordsman with this much experience, he took a good look at the situation. Orba held out the wine bottle to Gowen, who had drained his cup.
âAh.â
Raising his voice, Gowen gave a forced smile. He still was a little uneasy about this situation.
âWerenât there any signs that Tarkas knew something?â
âN-Nah. He seems to persist that he didnât know or was aware, but⊠that man isnât the type to put on a false show. I fear itâs likely that he truly doesnât know anything at all.â
âBut the ones who were about to kill Princess Vileena, and shoot the two of you, were the newcomers that Tarkas had brought in. If Iâd at least kept one of them aliveâŠâ
Shique curled his red lips. But he couldnât have expected to arrest his opponents in the middle of the melee. There was only the one swordsman whom Orba had hit unconscious and tied up. Right now he was being interrogated, or possibly in the midst of torture.
âAnd Hou Ran? Sheâs so good at handling the dragons, if itâs her, she should know something about that rampage.â
âThey say theyâre questioning her about the drugs. Although it seemed that she let one of the newcomers take care of the dragons, it has credibility. But Iâve gotten a better opinion of Tarkas. Because she comes from a tribe of the Ryuujin Faith, and yet came to like handling the dragons, she was the number one person to doubt. And even though the provincial council finds it to be obvious that she applied the drugs, he continues to keep sticking up for Hou Ran.â
âSo, when it comes to it, Tarkas can be a good guy?â
âAccording to Tarkas, after he was to be the presenting gladiatorial group, he was approached by a merchant who offered considerable financial support. Apparently, heâd jumped in without a second thought, because the Tarkas Group could then somehow carry that load on its own. He claims he had to take in those ânewcomersâ as a trade-off.â
âSo that guyâs pulling the strings? But if he had to lay out a lot of money only for those newcomers, he must likely be on a short list of names here in Mephius, right?â
âThatâsâŠâ Gowen said, having regained his usual calmness. âIf only it were so. Whether itâs true or not, any mention of this âpersonâ is only coming from Tarkasâs mouth. Nevertheless, you could say it was a bold cooperation, but thereâs no clear evidence to catch him by the tail. Itâs fruitless anyway. This obviously wonât be any ordinary foe. You can conclude that something of a larger scale is behind this.â
âFor example, the Garbera Kingdom?â Shique asked.
âI believe thereâs no doubt Garberaâs involved.â
Orba chose his words carefully.
The soldiers heâd personally faced in the hidden passage, clearly held feelings of love and respect for Princess Vileena. However, that was also why it was such a baffling issue. According to Shique, it was likely that not only Orba, but also the princess, was about to be killed back then. There was no question that those people, who had been planning to help the princess get back home, wouldnât try to get her killed.
Gowen cocked his head in thought.
âItâs not entirely unlikely that Ende was about to exact revenge on Mephius and Garbera either. They too, could bear a grudge for the alliance they once wanted to form with Garbera, being called of all. Most of all, if these two countries become allies, Ende would be the first to get into danger.â
âArenât you jumping to conclusions now? If thatâs the case, instead, itâs like virtually giving us a justification to attack Ende.â
âYouâre right,â Orba agreed. âEspecially if both royals get killed, the momentum will be terrible. Until yesterday, Mephius and Garbera were mutual enemies, but then they will join hands for a firmer cooperation to thrust the sword of revenge at Ende.â
âOh. Such a princely speech, huh?â
âShut it.â
Suddenly, it grew noisy near the roomâs entrance, and the atmosphere was again about to become strained.
It looked like the palace guards had prevented someone from entering the room. In an instant, Gowen and the rest prepared themselves, as if an enemy was about to break in.
âIâm sorry. Will you please go back to your rooms?â
Hearing the guardsâ polite words, Orba spoke up without batting an eyelid.
âDinn, let them in.â
âPrince. On your own accord, againâŠâ
âItâs okay. If you want, you can go ahead and reveal my social status.â
âIf I do, you will be hanged!â he said in complaint, although it was the same for all who were already inside. Dinn sighed and obeyed his orders. And although Dinn felt gloomy when he gave them permission to enter the room, he took a startled step back when the door opened.
Watching the ones who entered, Gowen and the rest hurriedly sat up straight as well, and stood up from their seats. Although he had about expected this, Orba, too, was inwardly surprised.
Crossing her hands before her waist, walking gracefully, but showing a firm pace, was Princess Vileena of the Kingdom of Garbera. Behind her, her chief attendant Theresia followed suit. Although both their expressions were stiff, the colour of readiness and determination shone through.
âAhh, even though sheâs supposed to never enter the otherâs chambers before marriage. Although I do understand this is a disgraceful act for a Garberan lady, this has somehow turned into an unforeseen situation. Please forgive us for our rudeness, Prince Gil.â
It seemed that the first to show her determination was Theresia.
In any case, because the ceremony had been interrupted halfway, Gil and Vileena still werenât officially a married couple. Orba again took on the mask of a prince and offered them a seat, but Vileena remained standing stock-still.
âPlease, have a listen, and pay no heed to my impoliteness.â
The first thing she said, Vileena said with the look of a soldier challenged with war. It was due to her errand, the subject, and, most of all, due to her expectations. Vileena charged that this matter was never an incident directed by her country, and that Garbera didnât feel inclined to stir up trouble with Mephius once more.
âBut,â Orba interrupted his adversary. âIs this Ryucown not someone from Garbera?â
When his name was spoken, she cast down her eyes for a moment. She tightly chewed on her lip, and immediately regained her composure. The scowling look that she gave seemed to consider Orba as an enemy.
âYes. Now that this has happened â itâs too late. When my country is informed of this incident, Ryucown will be stripped of his knighthood, and lose his Garberan nationality.â
âSo this was a scheme by Ryucown alone?â
âIt only seems most likely. Those soldiers who tried to take me away also used Ryucownâs name. And right now, thereâs only one person in Garbera who has the strength to attack Mephius like this.â
âRyucown?â
âIndeed.â
âWhat kind of person is he?â
The black pupils in her bright and beautiful eyes opened wide. Orbaâs tone of voice was mild, and she hadnât been prepared for him to ask her such an unexpected thing.
âOf course, he is famous enough that his name is known even in our Mephius, but we know nothing of his true nature. Have you happened to meet him, your highness?â
âYes⊠I have.â
Ryucownâs lineage came from a powerful clan of an area that had recently become Garberan territory and, in the generation after his grandfather, had officially become a retainer to the House of Garbera. However, Ryucownâs father lost part of his territory due to a skirmish with an equally strong clan, and his family was forced to practically live the life of commoners. Most of the nobles who had become central figures in Garbera had supported the country that was built around the Garberan royal family as dukes[3] for generations and stood firm against any influence from the âoutside lordsâ.
When Ryucown was ten, he served as a knight commanding a single unit. After getting his first military feat at the age of thirteen, and having many more successes up to the age of twenty, they said he was simply not able to get out from his rank as a knight apprentice.
The status of âknightâ was not a familiar term in Mephius, so she made it easier to understand by explaining it as a noble among warriors. In Garbera, all the people that led the army beneath the king were knights. Although not all nobles were knights, a commoner couldnât ever be one. Ryucown too, because the earlier mentioned dukes considered him an outside connection, didnât seem able to become a knight so easily.
And then, the story traced to five years ago.
At that time, a rebellion took place in Garbera against the royal family.
Having expected to be the leader among the dukes, a man named Bateaux, in cooperation with a number of local clans that had been assimilated by Garbera several years ago, had played a central role in staging the revolts. Although it was considered to have probably been a plot by Mephius, Vileena refrained from speaking about that for the better.
Nine years old at the time, Vileena had been out to play at her grandfather Jeorg Owellâs estate, but Bateaux wanted nothing more than to have that palace. At midnight, they were struck by a sudden attack.
Although Jeorg, who was at the time retired, fought a commendable battle with a small company of men, the reinforcements he was waiting for didnât seem to come. As he judged it pointless to just increase the number of deaths like this, he decided to submit. With the palace surrendered to Bateaux, Jeorg himself, Vileena, and the others were held hostage.
Jeorg had been injured during that battle. Even without taking his illness into account, the wound was a severe one, and heâd been bedridden ever since. There was a short supply of doctors and medicine, and naturally they couldnât get any supplies from the outside. And the soldiers, who had barely survived the battle, were also in a condition that if one didnât lose his life yesterday, he would do so today.
At that time, Princess Vileena was the one who took over Jeorgâs place representing the monarchy in the negotiations with Bateaux. While she had the body of a child, she argued with him on a grand scale. She insisted on keeping herself as a hostage and demanded of him that, first, her wounded grandfather and the dozens of injured soldiers, as well as the women, be released. Bateaux, impressed by the young girlâs courage, complied by releasing half of his prisoners, but Jeorg would remain among the remaining halfâs hostages.
However, although the rebellion had been very effective in its initial stages, it also contributed to internal discord among the families during their struggle for power, and one month passed in which they were being suppressed one after another. In the end, only Bateaux remained with his hostages at the estate, while he continued holding the fort. There was only a little water and food left, but Bateaux didnât intend to lay down his sword. It looked like he was prepared to die in battle.
Be that as it may, his resolution made his troopâs morale drop. The people of the palace, whoâd become hostages, found collaborators among several of the soldiers. Although several of them were tasked with keeping a tight watch in the castleâs underground waterways, one day, they succeeded in making an opening between the watch for but a short amount of time. They tried to take it to their advantage by setting at least Jeorg and Vileena free.
However, Vileena refused. She wasnât sure whether only her wounded grandfather and her young self would be able to escape. And even if they did, Bateaux was bound to find out that they disappeared, completely ruining their secret route in and out of the castle. And the people left behind would stand no chance. They would either starve to death with Bateaux, or might die, swallowed up in the fight when the Garberan army started their relentless assault, as they would no longer have to worry about rescuing the royals.
Although Jeorg was lying on the floor, he agreed with his granddaughter, and they worked out a plan. Vileena had secretly made a rough sketch of the palace layout including the soldiersâ positions. She handed it over to a young lad among the hostages and told him to âjoin the Garberan troops outside, waiting for this.â
After getting this information, the Garberan army gathered a number of capable hands and sent them into the palace. They used the same route through the underground waterways. Vileena guided them to the hostages, who were imprisoned separately, and they rescued them right away.
Among this small number of elite troops was, of course, the 23-year-old Ryucown. As soon as he gave the sign that the hostages were freed, the Garberan army commenced its attack. And, when the defending forces were too busy with the assault, Ryucown singlehandedly rushed into their midst and personally brought back Bateauxâs severed head.
Wow, impressiveâŠ
Orba honestly admired the tale deep inside. Not Ryucownâs part. But Vileenaâs â arguing with a rebel at the young age of nine, and still not giving up hope when sheâd used her wits together with her grandfather.
Afterwards, when Ryucownâs meritorious act of subduing Bateaux was recognized, the previous king Jeorg wrote a personal letter of recommendation to be sent directly to the current king, and he was finally officially appointed as a knight. And, after that, Ryucown quickly rose to fame. His achievements up to then immediately gave him the authorization to command a single air carrier. In Mephian terms, it was like getting the status of a winged dragon officer.
Ryucown further made a name of himself in his battles against Mephius, and soon after, it was decided that he would be engaged with Vileena. It was an attempt to further solidify the sense of unity in the country.
âIf I would have to describe General Ryucownâs character in a single word, it would be, yes, âhonestâ. Heâs a person who isnât able to cheat. Not even for others, and probably not for himself.â
âHimself?â
âYes,â Vileena nodded. He noticed her lips slightly forming into a faint smile.
âTherefore, if itâs so that my marriage into Mephius will bring peace, heâll be all the more against it. Itâs not because his own chances of marrying into the royal family were made void. I donât like it that others might suspect this is the case â I refuse to even consider such criticism. He would never even think of something like that. His feelings are much more straightforward, for he would simply hate to end the fight with Mephius halfway. He carries the pride and courage of a knight more than anyone else. Iâm afraid that heâs always been a knight, ever since the day he was born.â
âIsnât that the idea all Garberan citizens apparently support?â
âNo,â looking as if she suddenly woke up from a dream, Vileena raised her guard again. âOf course, a lot of people yearn to become someone like General Ryucown. When they decided on having this marriage, there were also a lot of generals who were opposed to the idea. But, thatâs just an opinion based on the stubborn side of man. Among the royal court, no, within most of the country, everyone wants an end to the war.â
âIs that also Lady Vileenaâs opinion?â
âMe? I⊠of course.â
The girl, whose eyes started to grow dark with a sadness unbecoming of her age, placed a hand on her chest.
âThe soldiers are tired, and my people have been forced through hard times for too long. At the very least, to save them from their troubled times, no one could wish it more than me to form an alliance between Mephius and Garbera with this wedding.â
Vileena looked straight at Orba, speaking without hesitation. It was within a glance, but for the first time since meeting her, she gracefully showed the true person inside. It was the kind of look that gave off the impression that there wasnât even room for anyone to doubt her words.
And that was exactly what got on Orbaâs nerves.
âYour people, huh?â
This princess spoke as if she knew her people â with an unquestioning attitude, as if she personally knew them all on sight â but he was certain she wouldnât think twice of someone like him, who stood at the bottom of society. Compared to some of the Mephian nobles, who treated their people as if they werenât even human, it felt as if she looked down on them even more.
âIf the royal family caused this war out of their own accord, without considering their peopleâs feelings, how can they now claim to take them into consideration by ending that very same war? Only being born into a different rank completely changes the way youâre treated. It was better not to start a war in the first place! If that had happened, we wouldnât have ended up with a situation where a princess has to cast herself into a marriage she doesnât want.â
âSo, that means⊠Are you trying to tell me that you, the prince, donât want this marriage either?â
âArenât we the same? Yesterday, those âringleadersâ were the ones who caused this blood-stained fight. Today we hold hands, have a marriage, and make peace. But the people who didnât want to fight, or even those who found at least some meaning to it, have all ended up under a stack of corpses. What kind of peace is that?â
âThatâsââ
It looked like, the moment Vileena made a sound, she suddenly sucked in all of her words. Although he may have been right for putting the blame on the royal family, eventually her fair cheeks reached the highest shade of red, and she raised her voice.
âYou can simply direct your words at other peopleâs business, but it was your imperial family that drove its people and its soldiers into war against us! As for your feigned ignorance, isnât that nothing more than betraying those who have died in your name? We were both born into either the royal or imperial family. It is our duty to devote ourselves to the countryâs affairs. We cannot help it if itâs our duty to quell personal joy or personal will. Itâs only to be expected that people praise our superior blood and kneel before our superior selves. Without such awareness, not only usurpers, but the populace too, would rise against the royal family.â
âSuperior blood? Superior selves!?â Orba shouted.
When he was leading a life full of hardships, the thought of royalty hadnât even so much as come up in Orbaâs mind. So when the word âsuperiorâ came out of Vileenaâs mouth, it was as if he received the mixed nuance of conceit and mockery full in the face.
âI see. So, as one who was born âsuperiorâ, you can hold all the lives of your subjects in your grip. Youâre completely in control of how they live, and how they die. Your kingdomâs âprideâ is nothing more than a figure of speech when you win as long as you can change the rules thatâll make you win. Quell personal joy, you say? Just whatâs the fun in having hundreds, thousands, ten thousands of people, each with their own feelings, kill each other!?â
âYouâŠâ
Flying into a rage, Vileena took a step closer to Orba, but Theresia, calling out âPrincess!â, pinned her arms behind her back when she was halfway there and stopped her.
âWhat!? Youâre only fourteen years old â how can you act like you know anything and everything. Go on, tell me!â
Orba, as well, took a step into her direction. When Dinn called out âPrinceâ, hoping to stop him, Gowen and Shique quickly helped him out.
âLet go, dammit! YouâŠâ
âCut it out, Orba,â Shique whispered into his ear. âOthers are coming. If itâs revealed youâre a double at a time like this, the peace with Garbera will be entirely gone.â
âDonât you think I know?â Orba yelled back, and Gowen continued.
âIf it gets out the marriage ceremony was done by a boy double, it wonât just be Garbera, but the Mephian imperial family will hang you to protect their own hides. Then whatâs the meaning of having survived those two years as a sword-slave? Is this the kind of future you had in mind?â
âLet me go Theresia! Unhand me!â
On the other side, too, Theresia was having trouble with the fuming Vileena.
âPlease stop this, princess. Just what were you trying to do? You canât deceive my eyes. Though this may be something you didnât like, that was the attitude of a princess about to wallop her company.â
âThat prince! Heâs trampling his dirty feet on the Garberan royaltyâs pride, with the face of a child that knows nothing! Whatâs wrong with hitting him? Iâm just teaching him a lesson!â
âPrincess, youâre revealing your true colours. Control yourself.â
They were raising quite a commotion, screaming and brawling like children being brought along to see a dragoneer at the pens for the first time.
At that point, someone else appeared in the room. Of course, the guards had tried to tell them so up front, but it had fallen on deaf ears for Orba and Vileena. That person stared at the strange commotion with boggling eyes.
âPrince! Princess of Garbera!â he shouted out in an angry voice, drawing the attention to himself.
It was Fedom Aulin.
âWhatâs all this about, at a time like this? Lady Vileena, as well. A situation is a situation. Please refrain from any rash behaviour.â The two said nothing in return. They were glaring at each other with detest. Fedom cleared his throat.
âVery well, itâs actually convenient now that His Highness and Lady Vileena are together. Just now, airships from our country have arrived. They were carrying a notice.â
Fedom pulled out the report with a look on his face that suggested he had been quite shocked and surprised by the contents himself.
âYesterday near dawn, Zaim Fortress, near the border of Ende and Garbera, was occupied by an army calling itself the âRyucown Forceâ. They claim to be the true representatives of the Garberan nation, and that the Garberan royal family fully supports them.â
âNo way!â
Vileena turned pale and stood stock still as if sheâd been hit by a lightning strike. When Orba saw that, although he felt inclined to say it served her right, he immediately blocked that thought.
âEmperor Guhl Mephius has concluded that the sudden attack during the wedding ceremony at hand was also done by Ryucown. Regarding this vicious inhuman act of crushing the countryâs dignity and its peopleâs hope, our Imperial Dynasty demands retribution. Troops will be sent over and, under the command of the crown prince, Gil Mephius, subjugate Ryucownââ
âWhat?â
âIn a hasty conference with the country of Garbera, we have obtained permission to cross its borders. Without passing through the imperial capital, the crown prince must immediately head for the Fortress City of Idoro along the eastern border. Thatâs what it says.â When he finished speaking, Fedom heaved a deep sigh.
When silence swooped down over them, Orba naturally assumed it wasnât related to him at first. But Fedomâs eyes told him that this would be his âfirst campaignâ.\n1. â It's called 'ether', but the author uses the characters for 'Elementary' and 'Magic'.
2. â Orba actually corrects himself, using äœ (yo), a more dignified way of saying 'I', instead of his usual ăă (ore). Seeing as there's no better way to translate this correctly in English, the majestic plural is used here instead.
3. â The actual term used here is è代 âfudaiâ. They were trusted lords of the Tokugawa family in Japan, similar to dukes in being the most powerful lords beneath the monarchy. The Garberan noble hierarchy described here, is about the same as that of the Tokugawa family in the Edo Period. Outside lords, given positions when the territory expanded, held a lower status.
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