Side: Hildegard
My stay in Amister was only four days, but I was overjoyed to be reunited with Prim and Mana, who are like sisters to me.
I was also fortunate enough to meet someone like Lord Yamato.
With Lord Yamato’s escort, I will be returning to my home country, Torencia, today.
When I came to Amister, I pushed our Wyvern, resulting in a two-day stay in the town of Libertà to allow it to rest.
Then, after a night in Alegria, I entered Amister, and spent another night in Emosion, the capital of Duke Turkis’s territory, to pay my respects to His Grace the Duke.
We arrived at Float the evening after that, so it took us five days.
However, this was the shortest possible time, so we didn’t find it particularly odd. We could have shaved off two days by passing through Solemne, but as we are at war with that country, such a thing is impossible.
Or so I thought. Yamato and Mana formed a Dragon Resonance Contract with a Dragonian, and Eos, a Green Dragonian who had contracted with Mana, astonishingly claimed she could reach the Phantom Capital Bestia in Torencia in just two days.
I had seen Eos’s dragonian form when we recently went to the Instant Labyrinth and had even ridden in the Beast Carriage that Yamato developed.
While arriving early is never a bad thing, in this particular instance, I had to admit it was problematic.
“What? You mean arriving at Bestia too quickly will mean preparations won’t be complete?”
“I am terribly sorry, but that is indeed the case. We are preparing a banquet, as Mana, Yuri, Prim, and even Sayuri are coming. However, those instructions were given yesterday, so they would not have reached the home country yet. In fact, arriving in two days means you will arrive faster than the messenger.”
Indeed, the Princess of Amister, the former Princess Consort of Torencia, and the former Duchess of Valentia are visiting, so we must make appropriate preparations.
That is why, yesterday, half of the civil and military officials accompanying me were sent back to the home country as messengers.
It would normally take another three days by Wyvern, but if Eos can reach Bestia in two days, then you will arrive before the messengers.
Naturally, no preparations will be ready, which would be a loss of face for Torencia, and it becomes an even greater issue when it concerns the Amister Royal Family, our liege lords.
Thus, our original plan was to stay in Libertà for two nights to rest the Wyvern before heading to Torencia.
The messengers were instructed to shorten their stay by one night, so we were supposed to have two days to complete the preparations, but I never imagined such a situation would arise…
“Don’t be so down, Sister Hilde!”
“That’s right. We can just adjust the time on our end.”
Prim and Mana comforted me as I felt like I was about to break down in tears.
As a queen, I am disqualified for showing such weakness, but as they are like my sisters, it is acceptable to show this side to family.
“Well, I’m here too, you know.”
“I am terribly sorry. I have shown you an unbecoming display.”
That’s right, this is Amagi Castle, and most importantly, we are in the middle of discussing today’s plans, so Brother Rai is also here.
Although he is someone I can call brother, we now hold the titles of King of Amister and Queen of Torencia respectively, so I cannot afford to show such a pathetic sight.
Though, it’s already too late for that…
“Then, that means we have three days to spare, right?”
“Yes. Normally, arriving early wouldn’t be a problem, but in this situation…”
“Ah, please don’t worry about it. Forming a Dragon Resonance Contract with a Dragonian is not something one would normally consider.”
You are too kind, Lord Yamato. My heart flutters.
“So, what should we do? We also wanted to test the Beast Carriage, so how about we go to a seaside town and try it out there?”
“That’s an option, but we can’t keep Emperor Hildegard waiting unnecessarily, can we?”
“Indeed. If it were a secret visit, perhaps, but since it’s a formal visit, taking you around might be problematic.”
Lord Yamato, Prim, and Mana are pondering, but I feel nothing but guilt.
“Normally, you’d stay in Float, but Hilde has been to Float so many times, there’s probably nothing for her to see.”
“Th-that’s not true…”
“Don’t worry about it. That’s why I allowed you to go to the Instant Labyrinth the other day. However, I suppose we can’t go to a labyrinth again.”
Of course not. In fact, for the last Instant Labyrinth, you indulged my whim.
“Feel is our first choice, but that town isn’t as large as Float, and more importantly, such a sudden visit would give the Provincial Governor an ulcer.”
“I imagine so. Well, compared to what Yamato and Prim have done, the visit of a queen shouldn’t be too much for the townsfolk, should it?”
“I wonder about that…”
Yamato averts his gaze from Brother Rai, but considering what they’ve done, it’s true that the townsfolk might feel that a queen’s visit is not that big of a deal.
“Then, for the same reason, Memoria is out.”
“The Lord is absent. Feel would be better.”
Memoria? Isn’t that the name of a town a short boat ride north from Float?
Lord is absent there, but is there a reason for that?
“Ah, the Lord of Memoria is currently serving as the Provincial Governor of Feel.”
“I see.”
I believe it is necessary to pay my respects to the Lord, so if they are absent, I would prefer not to go.
“It can’t be helped. For now, let’s go to Alka. It’s easy to move around there no matter where we go, and I believe it’s only a day’s journey from Feel.”
“That seems like the most reasonable option. It will involve inconveniencing your companions, but please forgive us.”
No, it is we who should be asking for forgiveness.
“Still, that leaves us with four days. We can kill time however we want, but what about Their Majesties…?”
“In that case, I would like to request an extended leave of absence to spend time in Alka. They have been diligently performing their duties, and this is a wonderful opportunity.”
I cannot trouble Lord Yamato any further.
Besides, Alka has many unusual things, and if we can stay there under the guise of an extended leave, my companions will have ample opportunity to rest. And there are those wonderful hot springs.
“That’s fine, but there’s nothing there. Well, there are hot springs, but no entertainment, so you might get bored, don’t you think?”
“I think cards will be enough. But yes, being cooped up for four days would be tough.”
No, if we have cards, that is sufficient. The military officials will likely engage in combat training, but given the vastness of the area, I believe that will not be a problem either.
“We also have board games besides cards, and if we think of some good penalty games, it should be enough, right? Yamato, you should be familiar with them.”
“Yes, we do. Especially with penalty games, I found that even if the stakes were low, the tension was surprisingly high because nobody wanted to lose.”
“That’s right. I haven’t played recently, but when I came to Helios Orb, we played often.”
Sayuri and Yamato seem to be getting along well as guests. However, Torencia also has games with penalty rounds, so I can see how that might be a good idea.
In the end, we decided to spend about four days in Alka. I was invited every night, but my companions were there for the first time, so they were quite surprised.
As expected, the military officials engaged in combat training, while the civil officials often read books in the library.
As for me, I had the chance to ride in a prototype Beast Carriage on Alka’s lake. The idea of placing a Beast Carriage on a ship was interesting, and it seemed to have high utility even as a mobile fortress. Brother Rai had apparently used it before, and he mentioned that Amister was prepared to develop a dedicated version for the Order’s Guild based on the completed Beast Carriage. Torencia was also encouraged to do the same, but with a 30-fold increase in mirroring capabilities, it was difficult to say yes. Nevertheless, the ride was smooth, both as a Beast Carriage and as a ship.
And so, we were spending peaceful days in Alka when, on the third day, Yamato brought a woman with him. From what we heard, she had been attacked by bandits near Feel and was rescued. Fortunately, the rescue was swift, and both the woman and her escort hunter were unharmed, although they were all injured, and the woman was unconscious. Yamato said he brought her to Alka. Apparently, the woman was a Prister, and judging by her clothing, she was from Brister. She seemed to be the same age as Yuri, but if she was near Feel with her escort, perhaps she was on a pilgrimage?
The reason became clear on the fourth day, when she regained consciousness.
“Thank you for saving me. My name is Aria. I am a C-rank Prister.”
So she was indeed a Prister. Though she is only fifteen years old, being a C-rank at that age indicates she is quite a talented Prister.
“I am Yamato Hydrangea Mikami, leader of Wing Crest. You were attacked by bandits, do you remember?”
“You… Ah, yes. My escort was fighting them, but unfortunately, I was hit by a thrown rock…”
“I saw that. Of course, I was trying to intervene quickly, but I couldn’t stop that. I apologize.”
“No, just being saved is enough. I heard my escort is also unharmed.”
While being hit by a projectile was unfortunate for Aria, it was fortunate that Yamato was able to intervene.
“Aria, why were you in Feel, even with an escort?”
“Yes. Last month, the Pope received a divine oracle. I was then dispatched to Feel.”
“A divine oracle? That doesn’t sound peaceful, but I suppose it’s impossible to tell me the details here?”
“Yes. I am terribly sorry, but I am instructed to report to the Prister Master in Feel, and then proceed from there.”
As Mana said, a divine oracle is not a peaceful matter. However, if we were to force her to tell us, we would be subject to divine punishment, and Prism Pristers sometimes die beforehand, so if the instruction is to report to the Prister Master in Feel first, then we have no choice but to wait.
“Um, where are my escorts?”
“Ah, they are resting in the guest quarters. We will escort them to Feel as well.”
“Thank you. I apologize, but I will take you up on your offer.”
That would be for the best. Regarding the bandits, Wing Crest, under the guidance of Aria’s escort hunter, is currently searching for them and has been successful in their extermination, so safety near Feel should be secured. However, that is a separate matter.
After having lunch, Yamato took Aria and her escort hunter to Feel. However, in the evening, to my surprise, Yamato returned with Aria. Yamato had a troubled expression on his face, so something must have happened. Could it be related to the divine oracle?
