《Waxing Silver》
Prologue
A number of people went by the busy street. It was like any other day. Stalls were put up. Children ran around. People spoke and laughed and produced a cacophony.
A girl wearing a cloak entered the busy street. She went against the throng of people as her blonde hair swayed. Gradually, her footsteps brought her to a plaza where the cacophony toned down.
Her eyes were naturally drawn to the marble altar at the opposite end of the plaza.
¡°Ah...¡± The girl muttered. The edge of her lips rose slightly.
It¡¯s somewhat bitter.
The girl approached the altar with a straight face, yet her feet were heavier at each step she took.
She stood in front of the altar and reached her hand into her cloak. She took out a flower, a pink rose, and placed it among the flowers on the altar.
¡°Probably the children,¡± the girl chuckled. She saw stones on the altar among the mix of fresh and wilted flowers. Some were shiny. Some flat. Some round. The others are a mix of different colors and patterns.
As she stood there identifying the various flowers and their meaning, another person came up the altar and stood beside the blonde girl.
¡°A foreigner?¡± the person asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I see...¡± The person, a black-haired girl then said, ¡°Gratitude? Were you somehow saved by her in some way before?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
¡°You can say that.¡± The blonde girl focused her sight on the altar.
¡°I see.¡± A bitter smile ran across the black haired girl¡¯s face. ¡°I, too, as well. I was saved multiple times, but I never managed to return the gratitude...¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t continuing to live already a way of showing your gratitude? Cherishing the life saved by that person. I think that''s a beautiful way of repayment.¡±
¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± the black haired girl answered as she lifted her sight to the clear sky. ¡°But it feels empty¡ It feels¡ wrong to let everything crumble to pieces. All the effort and hardships are gradually boiling down to nothing.¡±
¡°...¡±
¡°Sorry, I got emotional.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t mind me.¡±
¡°Anyway...¡± the black haired girl muttered.
¡°Sorry, I have to leave.¡± The blonde girl turned away.
¡°Please, wait.¡± The black haired girl reached into her pocket and offered a pin. ¡°If you ever encounter any trouble please use¡ª¡±
¡°No.¡± The blonde girl cut-off as she halted her steps.
¡°In that case, please approach Tercel or any Noble and mention my name, M¡ª¡±
¡°I won¡¯t.¡±
¡°...Why?¡± The black haired girl asked, puzzled.
¡°I should be asking that. Why are you trusting someone you just met?¡± the blonde girl asked, as she turned her eyes on the black haired girl, dressed in light armor and armed with a rapier.
¡°Because I decided to change. To get stronger, and be able to reach out and help people as she did.¡± The blacked haired girl bore the determined eyes despite her young face.
¡°You need not be too trusting to become stronger.¡±
The black haired girl shook her head. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s true. I think she would have said the same thing. But... this is what I wanted to become.¡±
¡°Is that coming from you due to your title?¡±
The black haired girl¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m doing this not because I was labeled as a Hero, but because I wanted to.¡±
¡°I see.¡± The blonde girl moved her feet and walked towards the street she came from. When she was far enough from the black haired girl, she muttered, ¡°May you live long enough to return home.¡±
Chapter 1
Year 352 - Late Fall - Outskirts of Aves, Kingdom of Laurel
¡°Grandpa! Grandpa!¡± A girl ran with a bright smile. Her small feet took her before a man at about three times her height. ¡°Grandpa! I want to come too!¡± She spread her arms wide, waiting for her Grandfather to take her by her armpits.
Her Grandfather chuckled as he turned his broad shoulders. ¡°You seem full of energy, Amelia.¡± The silver hair he bore was similar to Amelia¡¯s.
¡°Hmm?¡± She crossed her arms over her chest clothed in a frilly green dress and tilted her head. ¡°But wasn¡¯t it Grandpa who told me to keep going as is?¡± And again, she tilted her head, letting her shoulder-length hair brush her shoulders.
¡°Yes, yes I did.¡± The man expressed a smile over his thin-bearded chin. ¡°Now then.¡± He kneeled over a patch of grass and offered his arms. ¡°Where does my precious Granddaughter want to go this time?¡±
Amelia threw her fair arms into the air. ¡°Anywhere! Anywhere is fine as long as I¡¯m with Grandpa!¡± Her large blue eyes gleamed as she anticipated her Grandfather¡¯s response.
The man, Randolf Laurel, laughed once more. ¡°Well, well, what a fine Granddaughter you are.¡± His blue eyes flashed a gentle glint. Then he lifted Amelia to his embrace, unmindful of the creases that formed on his black coat.
¡°Say, Grandpa, when will Grandma return?¡± Amelia roamed her eyes. What she saw were the usually trimmed hedges around the Palace¡¯s garden. The flowers, crocuses, fritillarias, and hyacinths, were in full bloom.
¡°Hmm¡ I¡¯m not sure myself.¡± Shifting his hold on Amelia, Randolf walked towards the stone-paved pathway. ¡°But maybe one day, when the butterflies return to this garden, your Grandmother will turn up by herself.¡±
His eyes looked past the garden and into the horizon¡ªinto the setting sun. Gradually, the stars peeked into the night.
¡°Grandpa, I want to try traveling around the world like Grandma.¡± Amelia looked up with asking eyes.
Randolf shook his head. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t, Amelia.¡± He returned Amelia¡¯s gaze with half-closed eyes. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t leave everyone behind. Your Mother, Father, Argent, Mark, Elaine, and everyone else will be saddened. And besides, what would Erina, Mira, and Ria do without you?¡±
Amelia sank her sights to the palm of her hands. ¡°I guess so...¡±
¡°Now, now.¡± Randolf placed Amelia on the ground. ¡°Show me that smile again.¡±
¡°...¡± Amelia reached her hands towards her cheeks and pinched it. ¡°Heeee.¡± Stretching her cheeks, Amelia imitated a smile.
Randolf snorted a chuckle. ¡°Really.¡± Then with a smile, he ruffled Amelia¡¯s hair.
Amelia giggled a laugh. ¡°Gee, Grandpa! Erina would scold me if it gets too messy!¡± Despite her retort, she expressed a smile.
¡°Then let¡¯s ruffle it more!¡± This time, with two hands, Randolf played with Amelia¡¯s hair.
¡°Eh?!¡± Amelia crouched, covering her head with her arms. Every time she was able to block her Grandfather¡¯s hands, she giggled. Again and again, they went on until Amelia was exhausted.
¡°Uuu¡ Erina would surely scold me for this...¡± This time, however, she was frowning.
¡°Then, as an apology, let¡¯s visit the forest tomorrow.¡± Randolf climbed to his feet and offered his hand to Amelia.
Amelia looked up in disbelief. ¡°Really?¡±
¡°Really.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Then gradually, the corner of her lips rose into a wide smile. ¡°That¡¯s a promise!¡± As quick as a cat, she pounced on Randolf¡¯s hand. ¡°A promise is a promise, okay?!¡±
¡°I swear by Laurel¡¯s throne.¡±
¡°Then that settles it!¡±
¡°Are you sure that¡¯s all?¡± Randolf covered his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter.
¡°Eh? Why?¡± Amelia tilted her head.
Randolf lifted his left hand and pointed behind Amelia. ¡°Look over there.¡±
¡°There?¡± Amelia blinked her eyes. Following Randolf¡¯s hand, Amelia turned around. There she found a familiar face. ¡°E-erina.¡± Her face grew pale. Her body quivered in fright.
¡°What is it, Her Highness? It seems like you have seen a ghost of some sort?¡± Over her oval-shaped face wore a twitching smile. Her long blonde hair trailed over her black and white clothes fitting for a Royal Maidservant.
¡°N-nothing!¡± Amelia tucked her hands behind her straightened back. Beads of sweat started to form on her forehead.
¡°I see, nothing huh.¡± Erina nodded and turned her eyes to Randolf. ¡°Well then, Your Majesty Randolf, I will be taking Her Highness with me.¡±
¡°S-sure. Go ahead.¡± Still, he was restraining his laughter.
¡°G-grandfather, you traitor!¡± Amelia immediately turned around and ran. But alas, she was too slow.
Randolf burst out laughing.
¡°Where are you going, Your Highness?¡± Holding her by the hand, Erina expressed a mischievous smile. ¡°We still have some studying to do, don¡¯t we?¡±
¡°I-I¡¯ll do that tomorrow!¡± Amelia protested. ¡°I still want to play!¡±
¡°Hmm?¡± Randolf brushed his tears with his fingers. ¡°So you won¡¯t be coming along tomorrow?¡±
¡°Eh? Eh?! I can¡¯t do both tomorrow?!¡± Amelia froze; her mouth gaped.
¡°Hmm? A trip tomorrow?¡± Erina glanced at Randolf. ¡°I wasn¡¯t informed of this, Your Majesty.¡±
¡°It was recently decided.¡± Randolf waved his hand in dismissal. ¡°But if Amelia already has plans for tomorrow, then¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go! I¡¯ll definitely go tomorrow!¡± As Amelia protested, Erina released her hand. ¡°Now take me, Erina! I¡¯ll even skip dinner!¡± Her eyes closed tightly, Amelia stretched her hands wide. Perhaps she thought she was offering herself to a demon.
This is! For! My! Freedom! Amelia thought.
Erina raised a finger. ¡°Oh, let¡¯s add breakfast to that.¡±
¡°Noooooo!¡± Amelia¡¯s knees buckled and fell to the ground. ¡°You can¡¯t do that! I¡¯ll starve to death!¡±
¡°You can live without food for a day.¡± Erina reached for Amelia¡¯s hands. ¡°Now, Your Highness, your dress will become dirty if you stay there.¡±
¡°Uuu...¡± Amelia pouted as she rose to her feet. ¡°No fair.¡±
¡°Well then, Amelia, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Randolf waved goodbye.
Amelia returned a wave while she was being led away by Erina. ¡°It¡¯s a promise!¡±
Waiting for her near the entrance to the palace were two other Maidservants. Ria and Mira. Both were also part of Amelia¡¯s personal Maidservants.
¡°...¡±
¡°¡ªlia. Her Highness Amelia. Wake up.¡± Someone, a sleek arm, shook my shoulders lightly. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, Amelia. It¡¯s almost time to alight.¡±
A dream huh.
As I lifted my eyelids, Erina¡¯s face greeted me. ¡°Erina, how much longer?¡±
¡°Like I said, we¡¯re almost there.¡± Her golden fringes swayed lightly as she returned to her seat.
¡°¡ I see.¡± Promptly, I shut my eyes. ¡°Then, just a little more.¡±
But even in a dream, dear Grandfather, it¡¯s nice to see you again.
¡°Amelia,¡± Erina called in an indifferent tone.
¡°Alright, alright.¡± I stretched my arms and yawned. Then I shifted my eyes beyond the glass pane¡ªbeyond the structures of wood and stone and into the sky. ¡°Sunset huh, the same time as then.¡±
¡°Is something the matter?¡± Sitting opposite me, while the wheels clattered, Erina glanced at the direction I was looking.
¡°Nothing.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I just had a dream with a similar time as now.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Erina began to rummage through the leather sack beside her. After taking out an ornamental comb, she sat by my side. ¡°What was the dream about?¡± Then she began to comb my hair, which now ran down to my waist.
With a wry smile, I replied, ¡°About Grandfather.¡±
¡°Was it a pleasant one?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± I closed my eyes and recalled the scene. A time when I used to play with Grandfather, the previous King of Laurel. ¡°Truly, it¡¯s a time for me to admire.¡± A smile naturally emerged on my face. ¡°Erina, you were there too. As well as Ria and Mira.¡±
Erina chuckled and broke into a smile. ¡°Then, indeed, it is something pleasant.¡±
¡°Yes. A truly pleasant dream.¡±
Chapter 2
Year 352 - Late Fall - City of Aves, Kingdom of Laurel
A few minutes after the carriage rattled through the streets, I alighted. As soon as my feet reached the ground, a line of servants bowed before my presence.
¡°Welcome back, Your Highness.¡±
¡°You have my thanks.¡±
Beyond the line of servants was a manor. The manor¡ªmade of cement and a mix of iron and wood¡ªwas not too large, neither was it too small. However, the space for the garden and other building facilities covered about two-thirds of the land.
¡°Milady, I welcome your return.¡± As soon as I reached the antechamber, a medium-built man¡ªwearing a black tail-coat¡ªgreeted me. His black hair revealed several strands of white.
¡°I¡¯m back, Ark.¡± I returned a smile. ¡°How are things going around in Aves?¡±
¡°I have prepared the reports in your room, your Highness.¡± Ark gestured towards the staircase past the antechamber. ¡°But would you like me to give a brief summary of the current situation?¡± His clear brown eyes shifted back to me.
I waved my hand in dismissal. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just read through them later. But for now, could I ask you to prepare some coins for tomorrow? About one gold, three silvers, and five large coppers would be enough.¡±
Erina, who stood by my side, commented, ¡°Amelia, are you perha¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯ll return before it gets dark.¡± Then I reached into my pocket and brought out a small clip. ¡°Besides, I have this. You could also inform the Royal Guards that I¡¯ll be roaming around Aves tomorrow. And if you¡¯re still uneasy, it¡¯s fine to tail me from behind.¡±
¡°I understand.¡± Surprisingly, Ark answered instead of Erina.
¡°...¡± On the other hand, Erina remained silent.
I nodded. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡±
I went up to my room and asked the servants to prepare some sweets. I sat down at my desk and began to check the piles of paper arranged in different stacks.
¡°As to be expected of Ark.¡± I could not express my gratitude enough. Ark was not exactly born from a noble house. He was originally an adventurer if I remember, but he was just as good as any competent diplomat I knew in managing information. Still, I wondered where my Mother even met Ark.
¡°He¡¯s truly capable, but surely, he¡¯s informing Mother of whatever information I¡¯m trying to get hold of.¡± Amelia frowned with a sigh. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m aiming for the throne anyway. Might as well make use of Mother¡¯s network.¡±
A knock came from the door and I immediately allowed the servants to enter. They brought tea and a plate of biscuits. After setting the plate I promptly mentioned my gratitude and began to read through the papers and consume the prepared sweets.
¡°Hero Summoning huh¡ Is it really that time?¡± Amelia tilted her head. ¡°Well, I can''t really call Libet sane judging by their movement. But they are performing it this Fall¡ Guess I should consider that the Hero is summoned considering the delay of information. Now, how would Mother and Father exactly handle them?¡±
Amelia tossed the paper aside and read through the other piles.
¡°The Duchy is working well. Mola is having fun with experiments. Glasses is the same as always. Academia is performing more experiments, but nothing off the usual. Brent is well¡ Brent. I hope they hold on well after Niveria¡¯s fall¡ Still, the refugees will be a problem¡ Although I still wonder how they will handle Maxwell and Clarissa during this state.¡±
Amelia laid on her bed after a quick scan of the papers. ¡°It¡¯s still early, but guess I¡¯ll sleep.¡±
Year 352 - Late Fall - City of Aves, Kingdom of Laurel
¡°Amelia, aren¡¯t you going to visit the palace first? His and Her Majesty might be waiting,¡± Erina asked. It was about an hour away before dawn.
Meanwhile, I climbed the carriage and sat behind the coachman. ¡°Erina, it¡¯s fine. There isn¡¯t anything urgent in the palace. But maybe tomorrow, I¡¯ll visit. But for now, I¡¯d like to roam Aves. And you know? There might be a chance I meet Father along the way.¡± I chuckled.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t take after His Majesty¡¯s example,¡± Erina said indifferently.
¡°I know, I know. I¡¯ve heard that too many times now.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°But rest assured, I¡¯m not like Father. He¡¯s actually a good model of not what to become.¡±
¡°Says the girl who is about to do what her Father does.¡±
I heaved a sigh. ¡°Unlike Father, I¡¯m not running away from my duty.¡±
¡°But you are running away right now.¡±
I looked away from Erina. ¡°¡ Anyway, I should go. See you later, Erina.¡± I waved my hand.
¡°Take care, Your Highness.¡± Erina promptly returned a wave herself.
And so the carriage began to move. The horse¡¯s hooves clopped against the pavement. And the iron fence that surrounded the manor began to run past me. Meanwhile, I looked at the sky and said, ¡°Seems like it¡¯s going to be a clear day, huh.¡±
¡°Indeed it is, Your Highness,¡± the coachman replied.
It was an idle ride to the main streets from the Noble Quarters.
¡°Hup.¡± The sole of my leather boots struck the stone pavement. Afterward, I turned around and waved at the coachman. ¡°Thanks for the ride.¡±
¡°You¡¯re welcome, little missy.¡±
When the carriage vanished from sight, I took out a shard-encrusted clip. Promptly, I inserted my hand into the hood of the cloak and clipped my fringes to the side. Then, after pouring a handful of mana into the shard, I took out a mirror.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
¡°Now then.¡± I pulled down my hood as soon as I confirmed that my hair turned chestnut brown. I roamed my eyes and took in the position of the sun based on the gradient of the morning sky.
¡°For now.¡± I shifted my sight to the side. ¡°I¡¯ll check some wares.¡±
Here and there, the shopkeepers began to pull open their stalls. Some latched a wooden pole against hinged roofs. The others brought barrels and baskets of varying sizes. Each contained products that were different from one stall to another.
At the sides, there were people handling a ball of water in mid-air. They took a glance from left to right before splashing the ball of water onto the pavement¡ªwashing down the built-up dirt into the open canals.
¡°Nothing seems to be different from before.¡±
I skirted around the plaza, eyeing anything that would catch my curiosity.
¡°Mister, how much for the chub?¡±
¡°Hmm?¡± The shopkeeper turned around. ¡°Why, aren¡¯t you early missy?¡±
¡°A young bird chirps early, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I took out a large copper and handed it to the shopkeeper. ¡°Please give me as much as you can with this.¡±
The shopkeeper received the coin and returned with a paper bag of three chubs and a copper coin.
¡°Thanks for the patronage, miss.¡±
¡°You''re welcome.¡±
With the bag of chubs in hand, I exited the plaza and walked next to Ave¡¯s river-fed canal. Next to it was Ave¡¯s walls. Opposite the wall was the river called Twins.
Along the way were unique cats. These cats, rather than the ordinary quadrupedal cats, were bipedal. They were a race called Lynxes. Lynxes were easily distinguishable to cats due to their size. They were thrice as large as ordinary cats.
Also, we could understand their speech despite them crying like an ordinary cat.
Along the way I found a Lynx and a cat bathing in the sun.
[Plans today?] The lynx asked the cat. [Or want fish?]
Out of curiosity, I nimbly took a seat about half a meter away from the lynx and the cat. Then, invoking telepathy towards the Lynx, I said, [Want fish. Go catch.]
[Aye!] The lynx, oblivious to his situation, ran down the stairs and concentrated on the surface of the water. [Fish closer!]
I giggled at the sight of the lynx. ¡°As always, they¡¯re quite an oblivious race.¡± At times, I thought that ordinary cats were more clever than Lynxes. They were not exactly the brightest. ¡°Well, I guess that Lynx would take time before it catches one.¡±
I climbed to my feet, walked down the stairs, and approached the lynx. ¡°Here.¡± I reached out two of the chubs I had. ¡°One for you and the cat.¡±
The lynx quizzically stared at me for a moment before jumping into a dance. [Fish! Thanks! Very much!]
Then, I resumed my tour. Next in the list of my destination was the guild.
¡°Hmm¡ there¡¯s nothing interesting from the list.¡± I took a second look at the requests posted on the guild¡¯s board. ¡°Yep, nothing, but understandable.¡±
There were few requests listed. Most were herb gathering requests. The others were minor hunting quests for Al-mi¡¯raj or Tusked Boars. The rest were subjugation requests for far-away villages.
Your gazes are quite obvious, you know? I turned around and walked towards the counter next to the guild reception while ignoring the on-lookers. Can¡¯t blame them though. Academia¡¯s cloak is rare in these parts.
¡°Do you have any mana herbs in store?¡± I asked the girl manning the counter.
¡°Could I ask for your identification?¡± With a practiced smile, the girl replied.
I took out a silver card and handed it to the girl. ¡°Mia Spencer.¡±
The girl sprinkled a pinch of bluish dust over the card. In return, the card reacted with a dim blue glow.
¡°Mia Spencer, Second Level Scribe, is it?¡±
I nodded.
¡°Please wait a moment.¡± The girl returned the card and vanished through the door on the back. After a few seconds, she came back with a small chest. ¡°That¡¯s 12 silvers a piece.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll take one.¡± I handed one gold and two silvers.
In return, I received a small case containing a translucent herb. After confirming the contents, I left.
Ugh¡ Why do I have to deal with this?
As soon as I exited the guild, I heard a few chairs rattling against the floor. And so, while walking down the street, I darted my eyes in search of an alley.
There.
Neither increasing nor decreasing my pace, I started muttering a chant.
O¡¯ ruler of the light, and ruler of the dark, I beseech you.
Darkness shadows the light, and in the shadows, I hide.
Light triumphs over darkness, and thus conceal from prying eyes.
At the exact moment I turned towards the alley, I resumed my chant.
Manifest, Cloak of Concealment.
The moment I finished the chant, I stood to the side and waited. Soon, the people tailing me arrived.
¡°Where did she go?¡±
¡°Wait, what?¡±
Two men wearing light leather armor stood at the entrance of the alley, blinking their eyes in search.
As they wondered how I vanished from sight, I took their features into mind. They looked like your run-of-the-mill adventurer. They did not look suspicious in any way.
¡°Tch, you were damn slow.¡± One spat.
¡°Why are you blaming me?¡± The other snorted.
They turned around and went down another alley as I followed them. They took some turns into the shady region of the city and eventually entered a dilapidated shack by crawling.
I would have guessed this is something children would have used as a secret base, not by adults.
I went downtown on a jog and joined the throng of people coming and going from the market. I dispelled the magic after a minute and walked as if nothing happened. It did not take long for me to spot a roaming guard in the market.
¡°Excuse me,¡± I called.
¡°Hmm?¡± The guard turned. ¡°A student from Academia? What can I do for you?¡±
I reached into my cloak and pulled a necklace out my robe for a brief second.
¡°Shack, northeast, 4 streets south of docks, three blocks from sunrise.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± The guard reacted in confusion. ¡°Wait¡ Really?¡±
¡°Give it a check. Least take 2.¡± I waved my hand as I passed the guard and disappeared into the crowd of people milling about in the market.
¡°Nothing much changed around Aves...¡± I dwelled on the streets and alleys I passed by. I was away from Aves for at least a season so I expected some changes. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not entirely like nothing changed other than the barrels for Lynxes. Still, I wonder where they originally came from anyway?¡±
I walked towards the noble district in thought. True enough, the appearance of the Lynxes in Laurel about a decade ago was mysterious. There were no Lynxes accounted for in the other Kingdoms. So, in essence, they began to appear only from Laurel.
I walked into a nearby cafe with nary a customer in sight. Still, I sat on the corner farthest from the street and the bar. I raised my left hand and formed a fist, a number two, and lastly a one.
¡°Well received.¡± A person from the back of the bar answered.
¡°Lynxes are definitely harmless on their own. They are more like kids in all honesty,¡± I muttered. ¡°Still, tracing back, they came from Alabaster¡ Which means they came from beyond the mountain range.¡±
I heaved a sigh at the thought of the oblivious race called Lynxes surviving the terrors of the infamous mountain range to the south. There were multiple attempts to wipe the place clean of beasts, including expeditions, but it was never fully successful. The thought of these harmless cats journeying beyond it was one of the unanswered questions in society.
As I lost myself in thought, the clack of the teacup against the table brought me back to reality.
¡°Thank you for the patronage,¡± the waiter mentioned as he bowed similar to a butler.
¡°Have them disperse, please. Call for a carriage as well.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
I reached my hand to my clip once more and poured mana into the embedded crystal. ¡°That should do for a bit longer.¡±
Chapter 3
Year 352 - Late Fall - Royal Palace: Tercel, Kingdom of Laurel
¡°May you have a pleasant day, Your Highness.¡±
¡°I share the sentiment.¡± I looked over the few faces of the nobility before me as I sat at the head of a round table. ¡°Please look forward to more developments. I¡¯ll have the samples ready in a few days.¡±
¡°That is helpful, Your Highness.¡± A noble said.
¡°On another note, Your Highness,¡± another noble mentioned. ¡°My son is intereste¡ª¡±
¡°I understand I am of marriageable age, however, such matters are best not discussed in such a manner, no?¡± I slightly tilted my head and expressed a pleasant smile.
¡°... It seems so. Now then, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±
The nobles left the room promptly. After the door closed, I stood up and asked Erina to take care of matters for the next meeting. I approached the door and had another servant escort me.
It was not long before I left the room and moved towards my personal quarters in the palace. It was a long walk from the left wing to the right. Fortunately, I did not come across anyone aside from the guards and servants.
¡°Allow none to enter other than Erina,¡± I mentioned as I opened the door.
¡°Understood.¡±
¡°Now then.¡± I took a deep breath and scanned the room. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Or at least, it was an ordinary room on the standard of royalty depicted in books.
Well, those books had several exaggerations but it was not that far from the truth anyway.
I approached the single couch facing the window. ¡°It¡¯s quiet here as usual.¡±
There was not much to ponder about the room. It may be my room in the palace but it was not my original room from five years back. And since then, I''ve stayed in this room less and less with each passing month.
¡°After all, the Palace is but an empty place.¡± I relaxed and focused on the soft sensation enveloping my body. ¡°For me, at least...¡±
My eyelids gradually fell and I felt my consciousness slip. Ahh¡ I really hate this place¡
Thud! Thud!
I immediately sprang to my feet and removed the hairpin from my hair and felt like a dagger. I held it in a backhand manner and scanned the source of the sound. ¡°Were the servants careless or was it the guards?¡±
Seriously, why now?! I¡¯d be locked up again if Mother or Father finds out I¡¯m being targeted again! In the palace nonetheless!
Thud! Thud!
I reacted to the sound and realized that the sound came from the shelf near the desk. I warrily approached as I raised my focus.
Thud! Thud!
¡°What?¡± I could not help but blurt. The sound came from a book on the shelf. The shelf was full of books. There was, in every sense, no space for anything else.
I kept a doubtful eye on the book trying to move out of the shelf without lowering my guard. Still, it was hard to wrap my head around the situation. Eventually, the book made it halfway out of the shelf and fell on the floor.
[Finally!] A small blonde girl with butterfly wings emerged from the book.
I did not waste time to grab the creature on its wings and pointed the tip of the hairpain on its abdomen. ¡°Who are you?¡±
[Hiieee!] The creature cried. [I-I¡¯m just a Fairy! The name is Talya! I mean no harm! P-please! Spare me!]
¡°What are you doing here? How did you get here?¡± I asked as I glared at the Fairy.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
[Like I know! I¡¯ve been in that book for a long time!]
¡°The book itself had none of its pages carved out. It¡¯s physically impossible for someone like you to be inside that book.¡±
[Of course not! Who even uses such a lame trick to hide themselves in a book in this day and age?! The reason is magic! Fairies are not blessed with pure mana for nothing!]
¡°Tch!¡± I had to admit, books often depicted Fairies as beings who were overwhelmingly physically weak. However, that weakness was covered up by their specialization in magic. On another note, I pride myself as one of the top students in my Academe, yet I have not heard nor seen anyone practice spatial magic or something similar.
¡°Then why did you choose to leave the book now?¡± I asked, ignoring the Fairy''s request to put away the hairpin.
[It¡¯s simple! The magic crystal in the book¡¯s spine has deteriorated too much so I had to forcibly leave!]
¡°That¡¯s too much of a coincidence.¡±
[It¡¯s not!] The Fairy struggled with her arms and legs. She immediately stopped as I pressed the hairpin to her neck instead.
[What do you want me to do to prove myself?!]
¡°Good question.¡± I pondered. Grandfather believed in peace and communication between different races. However, I am no fool that would apply such ideals in all matters like some certain heroes in history. ¡°Why did you decide to remain in the book for as long as it could?¡±
[It was doing it on an agreement with a human! Oh, right! That human was supposed to be the king or something!]
¡°A king, you say?¡± I voiced my confusion. ¡°Do you remember the name?¡±
[Ah, right, he mentioned his name was Randolf! Yeah! Randolf Laurel!]
¡°...¡±
I could not express in words my surprise. Or was it confusion? In the entire time that I kept myself stuck with Grandfather as much as I could, I have never heard him having a fairy acquaintance. If anything, it would have caused a huge turmoil for the king, the previous king, to causally speak with a fairy of unknown origin. Nevertheless, information about Grandfather is valuable.
¡°... what is your relationship with my grandfather?¡±
[grandfather? EH?!] The fairy stared at me, slack-jawed. [He had a granddaughter?!]
¡°Unbelievable...¡± I heaved a sigh. ¡°To think such an existence was connected to Grandfather before I was even born. If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s safe to say you have met my grandmother?¡±
[Oh! Oh! Was her name Galilea?! Then, yes! Yes! Definitely!]
I took a deep breath and freed the fairy. ¡°Try anything funny, and I won¡¯t hesitate to kill you.¡±
[Why are you like that?! Who hurt you?!] The fairy fluttered to the desk and sat on the edge.
¡°We have time, so let¡¯s talk.¡±
[Eh? Well, sure. It¡¯s not like I have something to do at the moment.]
¡°I¡¯m assuming you were aware of Grandfather''s dream. Is that right?¡± I crossed my arms and kept a fair distance between us.
[Yeah. Of course. It¡¯s also the reason why I¡¯m helping him anyway.] The fairy nodded. [By the way, where is he?]
¡°He has left this world.¡±
[... I¡ I see...] The fairy looked down and remained silent for a minute. [He¡¯s gone huh. Really, it was going well.]
¡°What was going well?¡± I questioned.
[His plans in introducing a more peaceful method to reconcile races.]
¡°Ahh¡ as usual.¡±
[Oh, it¡¯s not just the usual races humans usually see and meet, okay? He meant every single race in the entire world!] The fairy raised her arms in the air.
¡°The entire world? Grandfather was definitely ambitious, however, humans have limited information on what¡¯s outside this continent. This continent is even largely unexplored for us humans.¡±
[Well, there are races such as us fairies that could go pretty much anywhere since our place does not physically exist in any place in this world. I think he wants to utilize that ability to connect different races around the world.]
¡°Ahh...¡± I placed a finger on my lips. ¡°That is indeed plausible...¡±
[Also, do you know the history of the races?]
¡°There are accounts in history but there are different theories.¡±
[Oh, yeah... Humans have not been around for too long since the reset...]
¡°Reset?¡±
[Yeah, but that¡¯s too much of a topic so let¡¯s skip that. Let¡¯s just say that us fairies were mostly unaffected so we technically have knowledge beyond what humans have recorded.]
¡°I see.¡±
[Also, did you know that most conflicts between races originally started since they mistook them for some intelligent beast or something? Back then language was a huge problem! But Gods intervened and gave every single race an ability! That ability is telepathy! It is unconsciously triggered when one intends for another race to understand what they are saying!]
¡°It coincides with the theory from a professor I know. A race is determined if you can communicate with them through unconscious telepathic communication.¡±
[Yes, that¡¯s it!] The fairy raised her right hand and showed a thumbs up. [Wow, some humans really are intelligent for guessing that right without knowing history at all!]
¡°I believe we are straying away from the topic.¡±
[Oh, you¡¯re right. In any case¡ª]
Knock! Knock!
¡°Your Highness, your next appearance is approaching. Erina would like to enter in accordance.¡±
I faced the fairy and said, ¡°hide yourself and don¡¯t show yourself to anyone else. Let¡¯s continue the conversation later.¡±
[Okay!]
Chapter 4
Year 352 - Late Fall - Royal Palace: Tercel, Kingdom of Laurel
I met several more nobles in the afternoon. The matters I discussed with the nobles earlier were simply repeated. The usual greetings, the status of my fief and the number of demi-humans living within it, the research and the products produced in my fief, and lastly my marriage candidate. That was all to it if I were asked.
The meetings ended late in the afternoon as I expected. I have Erina to thank for the schedule and the arrangements. Nevertheless, I was not completely freed from my duties on that day¡ quite unexpectedly so.
¡°Ah, Lia.¡± A blonde man, a head taller than me, appeared from the coroner of the hallway during my walk towards my room.
¡°It¡¯s nice to see you at this hour.¡± The man smiled as he approached. Upon reaching a distance of two steps away from me, he placed his right fist to his left chest and made a slight bow. ¡°Although it really hasn¡¯t been long since we last met.¡±
I pinched the sides of my dress in response and curtsied. ¡°Yes, it hasn¡¯t,¡± I replied with a strained smile. ¡°However, I was not expecting to meet you here, especially with the current affairs in Brent. And mind you, Prince Maxwell, we are currently not in Academia.¡±
Maxwell sighed as he scratched the side of his cheek. ¡°We are not, true enough. But we are no strangers. We used to be¡ª¡±
¡°We used to be, Prince Maxwell.¡± I kept a smile as I responded. ¡°Let us leave it at that.¡±
¡°...¡± Maxwell kept his silence as he looked to the side. ¡°I may have said this multiple times, but I¡¯m sorry for what happened back then.¡±
¡°...¡± I looked beyond the window of the corridor as I tried to recall the events from five years back. ¡°It was not your fault to begin with. Neither was it Brent¡¯s. At least, that is what I think and feel.¡±
¡°Pardon for my rudeness, Prince Maxwell,¡± Erina voiced from behind. ¡°Her Highness has finished her tasks for the day and I believe a rest is due.¡±
¡°Ah! You are correct, Erina. Thank you.¡± Maxwell smiled and looked at Erina, expressing gratitude. ¡°Although one last thing, does Lia have a free slot in her schedule?¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to ask me instead?¡± I asked.
¡°Please forgive me, Prince Maxwell, but Her Highness¡¯s schedule is mostly unpredictable as Her Highness remains in Tercel.¡±
¡°I see¡ It¡¯s unfortunate.¡± Maxwell awkwardly smiled. ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll see you again.¡±
¡°... Yes. I¡¯ll see you.¡± I replied as Maxwell passed by.
A moment of silence passed by after Maxwell¡¯s footsteps vanished from the hallway.
¡°Are you okay, Amelia?¡± Erina whispered.
¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see Maxwell here in Tercel of all places.¡± I sighed.
¡°Your coming of age is near. It¡¯s the least you can expect.¡±
¡°Erina, we both know that some nobles still blame Brent on what happened. Majority are somewhat neutral. However, those who see them in a positive light are few.¡± I took a glance at Erina and muttered, ¡°After all, our engagement would not have been called off due to the circumstances. And the likelihood of re-establishing the engagement is slim.¡±
¡°...¡± Erina kept her silence.
¡°In any case, let us return.¡±
I walked down the hallway after erasing any vestige of emotion I had felt during the encounter. I kept a straight face as I usually do. However, after several steps, I felt a sudden pang in my head.
¡°Urgh...¡±
I place my fingers on my forehead in response.
¡°Are you okay?¡± Erina asked. Her tone hinted warriness.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°Yeah, just a passing pain.¡± I shook my head and turned my sight back to the hallway. At that, I faint glowing orbs at around the size of marbles. Not too few, not too many. They seemed to flutter like fireflies and moved towards the adjacent pathway.
¡°Amelia?¡± Erina asked. ¡°Is something the matter?¡±
I turned to Erina and said ¡°Did you see some lights?¡±
¡°Lights?¡± Erina knitted her brow.
¡°Ahh...¡± I looked at the trail left by the glowing orbs and said, ¡°I have to check something.¡±
I hastened my pace and followed the trail.
¡°Amelia? Where are you going?¡± Erina asked as she kept up with my pace.
¡°I remembered something, but I can¡¯t tell.¡±
¡°You are supposed to take a rest. Now is not the time to play around.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not playing around.¡± I said as I took another turn to the left. After a few more steps, the trail of light ended in front of a large double door.
The Royal Library? I muttered in thought. I wonder why the light stopped here¡ What even was it? I¡¯m pretty sure Erina couldn¡¯t see it.
I took a deep breath and opened the door to the Royal Library.
¡°It¡¯s as musty as always,¡± I muttered as the air from inside the library gushed out.
The door lightly creaked as I pushed it further. As soon as my eyes adjusted to the dark library, I found a familiar figure at the raised platform deep in the library.
¡°Mother?¡± I asked myself as I knitted my brows and tilted my head.
I walked towards Mother and passed by several shelves, each reaching up to 3 meters high.
Mother may be sly, but she was never the type who¡¯s good with magic, much less a magic that can only be seen by a select few¡
¡°Mother, it¡¯s been a while.¡± I mentioned as I curtsied after reaching the top of the platform.
¡°My, Amelia, what a surprise.¡± Mother responded. She gestured towards the seat beside her and said, ¡°Come, take a seat.¡±
I glanced at Erina. She remained at the foot of the platform and kept her face down.
It¡¯s been years¡ but Mother still hasn''t forgiven her entirely¡
I sighed and sat at the offered seat.
¡°I will let that slide,¡± Mother muttered.
¡°I am grateful, Mother.¡±
Ahh¡ the pressure¡
Mother looked at my eyes directly with her beautiful yet pressure inducing smile.
¡°It¡¯s rare to see Mother with her hair down. Has something occurred lately?¡± I asked.
¡°Oh, indeed, it¡¯s quite rare for you and Argent to see me like this.¡± Mother placed her fingers over her red lips and chuckled. She then combed her straight hazel-brown hair resting on her right shoulder to her back. ¡°Now, whether something has occurred or not, I believe you have the resources to find out.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°I look into it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Mother smiled in response.
Back then, Mother provided hints to train me and Argent to manage our resources and build up our own way of handling things. However, it was never easy. She usually left Argent and I to scramble for ourselves and piece one information over the other to get a better view of the situation. Borrowing the words from a Hero in the history of mankind, it was spartan. Quite frankly, there was no end to it. This matter was simply one of those tests.
¡°But Mother, what are you doing here in the library? It¡¯s quite rare for you to visit yourself rather than order a servant for the book you need.¡±
¡°There are some books that are best not seen by servants, Amelia. This is one of those cases.¡±
I nodded. ¡°I see. One of the sealed books.¡±
¡°Indeed.¡±
I trained my eyes over the book on the table. However, I could not see any form of title. At the least, the cover was made from some sort of leather. Probably leather of a beast I have not encountered before.
¡°What book was that about?¡±
Mother¡¯s slender fingers caressed the edge of the book. ¡°It¡¯s Laurel¡¯s oldest book.¡±
¡°Oldest?¡± I tilted my head as I asked. ¡°It¡ doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s old. And if it¡¯s the oldest¡ it should be around 250 years old, right? But¡ it doesn¡¯t look old in any way...¡±
I expected the book to have some sort of damage or wear. However, I could not see any form of damage whatsoever.
¡°It¡¯s a special book, you see. We hired a well-known mage once, but even he could not figure out why such a book has sustained it¡¯s appearance over the years.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ unexpected.¡±
If it was a book from at least 250 years back, the existence of magic preservation techniques should have been ruled out. However, despite that, the book is undamaged.
¡°I understand what you are thinking, Amelia. I had the same thoughts when the book was first shown to me by the Late Queen.¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s hardly reasonable. However, it might be an outlier case, or at least it should be since I don¡¯t think we can explain the reason behind it.¡±
¡°Indeed. Despite that level of preservation, the content of the book is hardly critical for Laurel.¡±
¡°What?¡± I muttered unexpectedly. I quickly covered my mouth in response. ¡°Apologies.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll let that slide as well. It¡¯s a fair reaction, after all.¡±
I leaned slightly forward and said, ¡°Could I see the content?¡±
¡°Might as well. You may say it¡¯s related to you more than me.¡± Mother handed me the book. ¡°After all, it¡¯s the diary of your ancestor. The first silver-haired human.¡±