Episode 17 – Interlude, Within the Old Castle

Interlude, Within the Old Castle

The mountain was rugged, and I was exhausted.
As I walked along the unmaintained path, Aliana’s memory suddenly crossed my mind.

“Let’s take a break here. It seems there are no invisible demons around yet since we’re still at the foothills.”

Less than 30 minutes had passed since we started climbing, but cold sweat covered my entire body. It was a natural response when considering the invisible demons that could approach from anywhere.

Lumen silently leaned against a rock. The fog was slowly covering the sky.

Not much time left until I meet the master who excommunicated Troka.

She’s one of the few who knows my past, so fear takes the lead. No matter what I say, if she brings up the past, I’ll have no choice but to become mute.

Should I call it an immature period? Well, master might have already forgotten it. She tended not to remember personal matters, so I hope that part of my life has also flowed away from her memory.

“Sigh…”

There’s still a long way to go. I’ll think about it later.

* * *

Meanwhile,

The castle was as noisy as ever.

There was a brief commotion due to an unrefined man, but that story is now old news.

The man has left again, and with the Demon King dead, we can live a comfortable life without the threat of a Demon King for a few centuries. Demons and monsters will run wild for a while, but that’s a minor problem.

The hero party is still intact, so dealing with the remaining remnants is easier than breaking a child’s arm.

The swordsman who split the sky.
The wizard who obliterated dozens of magic towers.
The archer who could pierce mountains.
The saint known to revive the dead.

And the hero who annihilated half of the Demon King’s subordinates and pierced the heart of the Demon King, who was immortalizing half of the demon army. What mad demon would dare challenge humanity now?

Of course, with the common enemy, the Demon King gone, the nations will fight for their interests again. But it’s still better than dealing with demons who kill people like ants. At least they treat prisoners properly.
Although there are exceptions sometimes.

Moreover, how could they not be overjoyed when the person they serve is to become the consort of the hero?

Even if they cannot become the consort of the world-saving hero, they can at least get some crumbs of benefit.

With such vague expectations, the castle was a bit noisier and more cheerful than the citizens who were shouting with joy and dancing.

However, there was one minor problem.

The state of the princess.

After exchanging a few words with a lowly porter, Aliana had not shown the same intelligence as before. To be precise, she was unable to fulfill her duties as a princess.

It was not publicly known, but the unwelcome visitor she had met was also a member of the hero party.

His official position was quartermaster. What he actually did was act as the party’s porter and errand boy.
The nobles called him, behind closed doors, a future disaster and slaughterer.

Rumors even circulated that he had a dirty past that did not fit with the hero party, so he lived with a derogatory label attached to his name.

Nevertheless, there were not a few who supported him. Like the nonsensical saying that women are attracted to bad boys.

His actions were eccentric, and his expression was perpetually sour, with a gaze as if he had killed a man or two. His face wasn’t one that would typically attract affection, but there were a few women who were enchanted by his unique, sharp aura.

And among those women was Liza, the maid who had led him to the princess.

His audacity to speak freely even to high nobles, let alone the emperor.
The confidence to teach manners to the sister of a knight favored by the emperor.
In a bad sense, it could be considered reckless bravery, but when it comes to describing a person, the meaning behind their actions is crucial.

Above all, he had helped her when she was nearly violated by another noble’s offspring at the ball. That alone was reason enough for Liza to support Flan.
It was more admiration than romantic affection.

Therefore, she couldn’t help but be interested in what transpired between the man she admired and the princess she served.

“Your Highness. The tea party is scheduled to begin soon.”

Especially since the princess she served had become so strange.

[I’ll be out soon…]

Her voice was unusually soft. It was a clear sign that something was off.
Normally, she would have said with confidence to wait because she would be out soon.
But after that visitor had left, she had become unrecognizably timid. More precisely, her self-esteem seemed to have plummeted, and even though she spoke with a firm tone, her voice would sometimes shrink so much it was barely audible.

She wouldn’t show such an attitude even in front of a hero.

While Liza was worried about her mistress, her curiosity about what conversation she had with Flan to make her so timid only grew.
But she was just a maid. It was not her place to meddle in her mistress’s affairs. She was there to follow orders.

[No, that won’t do. Liza, cancel the tea party for today.]

“Yes, I understand.”

But it had already been a week since Liza had seen Aliana’s face. During that week, she hadn’t shown herself to anyone except her personal guard. Even that guard was tight-lipped about her condition.
By now, anyone could tell that something had happened to Aliana.

What could have happened to the noble princess to cause such a change?

The reason was obvious.

Flan. Ever since that man had visited, Aliana had not shown herself properly.

Even if the relationship was tied to money, the mistress was still the mistress. Although she had only been assigned here recently, she still hoped that her mistress would stay healthy and live a long life.

And most of the servants felt the same way.

[Then, stay inside…, eek!]

If there was a chance to see Aliana, they had implicitly decided to check on her physical condition.
Liza had not forgotten that promise.

The firmly closed door opened surprisingly easily. Probably because it had never been locked in the first place.

Worried about what might have happened to the princess after hearing a scream, and whether she was alright, Liza opened the door to find…

“Liza?”

The room was darker than expected, and there she was, having fallen in a simple manner. Surprisingly, she looked quite unscathed.
Considering she had been shut away for a while, her face was clean. Her hair was a bit frizzy, but it didn’t look bad.
The only suspicious point was that despite it being midsummer, she was wearing a long-sleeved top that covered her wrists.

“…I’m sorry. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Liza quickly knelt down. Even if the situation was urgent, since her entry was without permission, an apology was essential.

“It’s okay. You can get up now.”

The face she glanced up at was haggard. Should I say it lacked vitality? Upon closer inspection, the area around her eyes was smeared with traces of dried tears.

Aliana reached out a hand to support Liza, and as she did, her sleeve slightly folded back.

She saw the bandages hidden beneath Aliana’s sleeve.

The suspicious bandages wrapped around her wrist. At a glance, it seemed like there were dried bloodstains on them.
Catching that brief look, Aliana tried to reassure Liza with an awkward smile.

“…I did it because it makes me feel good. It makes me feel… a bit… better. So don’t worry about me, Liza. I’m fine.”

“…Understood.”

Of course, Liza didn’t buy it, but at least in front of Aliana, she pretended to believe her and stepped back.

She thought to herself. There must have been some incident between Aliana and Flan. At least that much was certain. So, for now, she decided to inform the servants about the princess’s condition, while keeping the wrist injury, which could be related to Flan, as concealed as possible.

With that in mind, she headed to her private quarters.

Liza learned that the Emperor had arrived at the castle that evening.

Despite being just a maid, she thought it risky for the current Aliana and the Emperor to meet.
After all, Aliana had not been meeting the Emperor, and she was refusing to meet anyone else, so there should be no problem. That was her conclusion.

For that reason, all Liza could do was apologize to the Emperor, who wanted to see Aliana.

Until then, the Emperor had been drinking indifferently.
Regardless of his love for Aliana, she did not care for him, and he knew that well. He probably expected that she would not agree to meet him.

“Hey, isn’t Aliana coming?”

Even the servants kept their distance, so the Emperor had no choice but to meet with his loyal retainer.

“No, she’s not coming. But are you drinking again, Your Majesty? Isn’t it time to cut back on the alcohol?”

“I drink because it’s tough. Are you my bodyguard, don’t nag me.”

The Emperor was holed up in the guest room, pouring alcohol down his throat.
And there, his loyal sword, Nicola, was glaring at him while sighing deeply.

“What’s so hard for you?”

“My daughter won’t see me. That’s what’s tough. What else could it be? I hear she’s been secluding herself and not meeting others either.”

“You should have taken care of your family from the start. It’s too late now. Just accept it, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor, with a fluttering motion, placed his hand on Nicola’s shoulder. As the smell of alcohol wafted around, Nicola pinched his nose and sat the Emperor down in a chair.

“Ah! Useless fool. Show some empathy… Tsk, it’s the first time Aliana has sent a letter and I came without even reading it.”

“If only Your Majesty hadn’t allowed her to meet with Flan in the first place, then for a while…”

“What?”

The Emperor, thinking he heard something he shouldn’t have, looked at Nicola with an baffled voice and a scrunched-up face.

“Why would Flan meet with Aliana now?”

“What? You didn’t send him, Your Majesty?”

-Crash!

Shards scattered in all directions. Pieces of the glass bottle, now a broken vessel, pierced through the leather of the sofa and embedded themselves firmly. Blood dripped from the Emperor’s hand, forming a small pool. Then, with a voice calmer than ever before, he asked Nicola.

“…You said Aliana secluded herself after meeting with Flan?”

The voice didn’t seem to belong to someone drunk. It was as if it carried the same valor as in the old days when he was slaying dragons.

In that moment, Nicola thought:

Flan.
Is this a disaster in the making?