[267] The Kingdom of Kazura (4)
Shirone opened the window and looked around.
They were in a deep forest, and only the torch fixed to the coachman's post lit the road ahead. Gloomy tree shadows streaked past in the opposite direction. It was a relief that the full moon had risen, but clouds were gathering from somewhere and soon swallowed even that.
Shirone's worries deepened.
At some point the carriage had slowed to a crawl and then stopped.
The horses' hooves clicked into the still night air.
The coachman opened the door and murmured, "Lady Reina, we have arrived at the rendezvous point."
Reina pulled up her hooded cloak. The others likewise hooded their faces and climbed down from the carriage.
The meeting place was a vast wasteland where the horizon could be seen. Shirone sketched a quick mental map and guessed they were somewhere around the Dawn Plateau north of Tormia.
They were being thorough. In an open wasteland it would be extremely difficult to attempt an assassination.
Of course, someone could dig tunnels if they were determined, but dwelling on such possibilities was pointless.
The rendezvous point was about three hundred meters from where they had stopped, and in the distance Kazra Kingdom's escort appeared as silhouettes.
Louis, steward of the Ozent household, signaled with his hands.
When Reina exchanged the password in the same way, the two parties finally met at the midpoint.
Louis approached carrying a torch and bowed to Shirone's group. "Welcome. We have been awaiting you."
"You've done well. I heard the entry procedures are proceeding smoothly."
"Yes. We haven't detected any subversive movements. But you can never be too careful. Please get in; I'll explain on the way."
Shirone's party followed Louis. A massive carriage, like the one they'd seen at Alpheas School of Magic, waited.
The captain of the escort introduced himself. "My name is Rugen Godin, captain of the escort who will accompany First Prince candidate Shirone. You know the situation and may be anxious, but there's no need. The kingdom has assembled its top talents for your escort, so you will reach the castle safely. Please board."
A soldier with a silvered sword opened the carriage door.
Shirone was surprised before he even stepped inside. Crystal orbs that gave off light were set into the ceiling, making the interior as bright as midday. There were beds and even facilities for relieving oneself.
"You're distinguished guests, so this won't be entirely comfortable, but please bear with us for a little while. We'll bring you to the castle soon."
As soon as Shirone climbed aboard he lay on a bed. It was a bed he used every day, but being inside a carriage made it feel foreign.
"Ha! Amy, this is really fun."
Amy sat on the opposite bed and smiled. "They call it a house carriage. It even has shock absorbers, so a ten-hour journey is nothing. I heard maintenance costs are enormous. Royals really are different."
Reina said, "But the travel speed has to be slower. It might be safer to arrive quickly instead. Regardless, we should make thorough preparations on our side too."
Amy raised her hand. "I'll stand watch. Mages can stay awake for a day without trouble."
Shirone shook his head. "No. Then take turns with me."
"No, you'll be frazzled the moment we arrive. Get some rest now."
Even with an escort, one could not afford to let their guard down. Someone had to watch over the group. Amy thought she was the right person for it. It would be absurd to expect Shirone's parents to stay up all night.
Reina frowned as if offended. "What? Are you looking down on me? I can do Skima, you know! When I was an apprentice I pulled all-nighters. Let's take turns among the three of us. We don't know the situation at the castle, so it wouldn't be good for one person to tire first."
Amy agreed; it was the sensible plan. Vincent and Olina asked to be included, but ordinary people couldn't stay awake through a carriage journey for twenty-four hours.
"Get plenty of rest. If you're exhausted already, that will only be worse."
Vincent and Olina reluctantly lay down and, unsurprisingly, fell asleep quickly.
They decided the remaining bed would be shared among the three of them in shifts.
Reina and Amy could sleep together, but Shirone couldn't sleep with women, so he leaned against the wall and tried to rest.
How long he slept he didn't know, but he woke when Amy nudged him. "Shirone, if you're tired, shall I keep watch longer?"
Shirone opened his eyes in an instant without even a pre-movement. Four hours had passed — it was his turn.
His mind was clearer than ever and his body did not feel tired. He finally understood why nobles paid so much for a fine carriage.
"No, I'm fine. You get some more sleep. Anything happen?"
"No. It's disturbingly quiet. If the soldiers had any gossip, we could have listened, but perhaps they're being cautious about Skima and haven't said a word."
Shirone nodded and moved to the center of the carriage. "All right. Thanks, Amy."
"For what."
Amy wriggled over next to Reina to catch a short nap. Then, as if remembering something, she propped herself up and looked at Shirone in a catlike pose that made him laugh.
"What's wrong? Can't sleep?"
"Well, that and—"
Amy trailed off. Ever since the Kazra Kingdom's envoys had come, something had been gnawing at her.
"Shirone, if you become royalty…."
Amy asked as if she had made a decision. "You won't learn magic, will you?"
"Huh?"
"You know. From then on you'd be First Prince. Of course you'd have to take heir training, and you probably wouldn't have time to learn magic."
Shirone snorted. She'd been thinking that all this time?
Lately he'd been so busy saving his own life that he hadn't paid attention to other people's worries. "Amy, I'm not going to be a prince."
Amy's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? Are you planning to run away?"
"If that's the last resort, then I'd run. But I'll try to persuade them so that won't be necessary. Even those who gave birth to me are only two people to me. I'm not going to the castle to become an heir. I'm going to deliver my intentions. I will return home and attend the School of Magic. And…." Shirone hesitated a moment, then mustered his courage and said, "I will keep the promise I made to you."
"Shirone…."
Amy was moved, but at the same time worried.
So far Shirone had lived by his beliefs and it had worked, but this time the opponent was different.
Royalty weren't rational in the way Shirone imagined, nor were they driven by simple emotions. They were creatures of instinct. People who hold the world in their hands think in simple terms: do it or don't. At a king's level that simplicity evolves into something extraordinary; a single choice can advance or set back history.
You could not change that kind of mindset with mere words.
Still, Amy said nothing. She wanted to keep the lingering echo of Shirone's final words locked inside the carriage for as long as possible.
"See you later, Shirone."
Amy lay down beside Reina and took a brief sleep.
@
Reina's whisper woke them all. "Wake up. I think we've arrived at the castle."
Amy rubbed her drowsy eyes and rose. Through a crack in the curtains she peered outside: dawn had not yet broken.
But the carriage no longer rocked, and the sound of hooves on a paved road was sharp.
Shirone opened the window and looked out. It was still dark, so he couldn't see details, but buildings were passing by. They had entered a city. Yet not a single house had its lights on.
A mounted guard approached and said to Shirone, "I'm sorry. Due to night inspections, you cannot look outside. We will close the windows."
A guard snapped the window shut.
Shirone clicked his tongue and turned back. Reina and Amy shared surprised looks.
Amy pouted. "Tch! As soon as we enter the castle, people change."
"You can't say that yet. That's the first time that man has spoken to us. It's a matter to judge carefully."
Shirone agreed with Reina. From here on it would be a tightrope — a small mistake or misunderstanding could put everyone in danger.
As they entered the inner ward the sky brightened. A guard knocked on the carriage and informed them they could look around now.
Shirone felt the alienation of a foreign land. It seemed that at night you were not only forbidden to go out but even to spy.
They were definitely stricter than Tormia. He'd have to stay alert.
The carriage passed the great moat encircling the castle and entered the inner ward.
Kazra Castle was not heavenly in beauty, but it was enormous.
Halfway across the bridge a fanfare blared.
A military band appeared, and low-ranking castle officials lined up and clapped as they welcomed them.
Shirone turned to Reina, taken aback by the unexpectedly public reception. "What's going on here?"
"Right? I didn't think they'd welcome us openly."
Reina agreed it was odd. If the Kazra Kingdom had grown under Teraje's protection, Shirone's presence would surely be a thorn to the queen's faction.
And yet there had been no assassination attempt or any other incident. On top of that, this level of welcome...
Two realistic possibilities came to mind. Either Orcamp's side was putting everything on the line for Shirone, or Teraje simply didn't care. Both were plausible, so it was impossible to say which was more likely.
Shirone's expression remained calm. Though this situation must be more stressful for him than anyone, the anxiety that had accompanied them at departure had vanished the moment they arrived. This was the strength Reina had admired.
The same was true at the Ozent household. He was usually as innocent as any youth, but when danger approached he became cold as if by magic.
Well... now he was the kingdom's top mage hopeful.
His essence was the same, but everything that made him who he was had changed. When Reina read Shirone's article in Spirit magazine, she'd asked a mage she knew what an Unlocker was. He told her it was the greatest mental state a person could reach. Knowing that, she could no longer see Shirone as just a child.
Kazra Castle covered roughly twenty thousand pyeong, with about a thousand residents.
Its design favored combat readiness over splendor, and for that reason the entrance was narrower than most castles.
Once inside, however, the grand hall opened so immense that one could not help but feel they were in a castle.
High officials stood on a red carpet in order of seniority, and above the stairs a throne sat where Orcamp IV presided.
It felt improper to stare straight at the king, yet Shirone's group could not look away.
He had the same blond hair as Shirone and an elegant expression that made it hard to believe he ruled a nation. Yet the aura emanating from him was no ordinary thing.
No matter how exalted, a king is still a person, but someone who holds millions of lives in his hands was undeniably different.
That man—
Put alongside Orcamp, Shirone could easily be mistaken for his son. They weren't a cliché; they'd been apart for eighteen years, so environment had to be taken into account.
Shirone's party performed the ceremony according to protocol.
Orcamp showed no reaction and simply stared intently at Shirone's face. "Raise your head."
Shirone met Orcamp's gaze.
The king's eyes drew him in and shook him to the core. It was the aura of a sovereign, something neither a judge nor a mage could produce.
But Shirone quickly steadied himself and returned to a composed state — an unshakable, diamondlike calm.
Orcamp's eyes brightened in surprise.
Is he truly my son...?