Night had fallen by the time I finally rose from my seat in the study. I’d been telling everyone not to overwork themselves since the Founding Festival, so I wasn’t exactly setting a good example, but I’d only just returned to the country a few days ago, and there was too much that was waiting to be done.
We’d set out for the Kumiu Port in Mubana to provide aid, only to receive word it had fallen. Instead, we’d continued on to the royal capital of Una, where we had an audience with the king of Mubana. I’d expected him to convene a war council to reclaim Kumiu Port, but unrest had broken out all over the kingdom, and Mubana was in no state to continue the war. So, in the end, they’d decided to abandon the port.
The unrest all over Mubana had likely been incited by agents from Guilonde, but I couldn’t help but think that their system of government itself was partly to blame for failing to detect and prevent it. Just as it had been in our kingdom, there could be no doubt that a number of Guilonde informants had been embedded inside the country.
I’d witnessed the sorry state of our allied nation firsthand, and we managed to return to the castle just a few days before Setsuna’s message arrived. Since then, I’d spent almost every waking moment gathering reports about what had happened during my absence and what challenges awaited us.
Tonight, however, would be the end of this busy schedule, and the next day, I’d finally be able to resume a more measured pace.
I rubbed my weary eyes and let out a quiet sigh. As I turned down the lamps and walked out, my knight opened the door and led the way.
My steps slowed as I glanced toward the courtyard. Someone was sitting out there alone. I wondered who it could be at this hour and narrowed my eyes to see more clearly. It was Setsuna.
He was gazing up at the night sky, drinking. I couldn’t read the expression on his face, but there were two glasses on the grass beside him. One must have been meant for the old man who passed away.
When he’d first arrived at the castle the other day, Setsuna had looked so emaciated I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. Lilia and Sophia had angrily fussed over him, but maybe that was exactly what he’d needed.
I turned away from my quarters and headed for the courtyard instead. Setsuna must’ve sensed me coming because he turned his head. As he started to get to his feet, I motioned for him to stay where he was and sat down beside him.
“You know, sitting on the ground like this hardly suits you,” I said.
“You’re sitting here, too, aren’t you?”
“It does rather undermine the dignity of a king.”
Setsuna shrugged. “It’s not the first time I’ve done this.”
I tipped my head back and looked up at the moon, no more than a thin crescent. Setsuna took a glass from his bag and poured me a drink. I swallowed it in one gulp.
“It’s good,” I said.
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Judging by the glass sitting next to him, he must’ve spent many nights sharing drinks at this hour, remembering the departed this way. I searched for some words of comfort to offer him.
“You know, I never once shared a drink like this with my father.”
“Really?”
“It wasn’t that we didn’t get along from the start. He was a foolish king to his subjects but a kind man to his family. Or perhaps he was too kind to us, and that was why he became a fool. He would buy us anything we asked for and took from the people to do so.”
“…”
“I thought my father was a great king who could grant any wish until I learned how the world really worked. I even imagined that when I came of age, he’d be the first person I’d share a drink with.”
“Did you two ever make that dream come true?” Setsuna filled up my glass again, and I watched the reflection of the moon shimmering in it as I continued speaking.
“Once I realized my own life was built upon the suffering of the people, I started speaking to my father less and less. By the time I reached adulthood, the chasm between us had grown so deep there was no way to fix it.”
“It must have been painful, not being able to understand each other. In that sense, I guess I was fortunate.”
“I suppose so. I’ve never regretted defying my father or my brother. But there isn’t a day I don’t wonder if he could’ve shown his subjects the same love he had for his family. Perhaps we could have shared a drink like this. I can’t deny that thought makes me a little envious.”
I lifted my glass and swallowed the pale moon with my liquor.
“That may be true,” Setsuna murmured, taking a drink himself.
Somehow, in that moment, there was a fragile, ephemeral quality about the man. As if he were a cloud drifting away.
“What do you intend to do from now on?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Though I think one day I’ll go to Sagana for Alto’s sake.”
“Ah, the beastfolk kingdom. Will you go by ship?”
“Yes. There’s no need to hurry, so I could travel to Miglis or Nubul first and set sail from there.”
“You sound as though you have other plans in mind.”
“I was thinking it might be interesting to retrace our path. According to a text I found in the castle library, there’s an underground stream running through the cave. If I follow it downstream, I could cut down the travel time to Kutt considerably. I’d like to try it.”
It momentarily occurred to me that this might serve as an alternative trade route, now that Mubana’s port had fallen. But another thought rose to the surface.
“I see. So you don’t want to put down roots here in this kingdom?”
Setsuna lifted his gaze and met mine directly.
“I don’t know that, either. For now, I expect I’ll stay at Ragi’s house for a while, but I haven’t decided what I want or what I should do.”
“I understand. I suspect quite a few people here would be glad if you chose to stay.”
“It means a lot to hear there are people who feel that way.”
Once he said that, I found I had nothing else to say. There was an uncertainty to Setsuna that made me want to help him. He was someone my wife and retainers all valued deeply, and he’d once saved my life. That only made the feelings stronger.
But I wasn’t close enough to him to be part of his daily life. And because of that, I thought it wouldn’t be right to butt in any more than I already had. So I said nothing.
“Setsuna, do you truly have no interest in serving this kingdom?” I asked.
“I can’t say I expected a recruitment offer at a time like this,” he said with a soft chuckle. “I have no desire to serve any kingdom right now.”
“It was just a joke.”
“I know.”
He’d looked up and smiled brightly when I said that, but I could sense he was forcing it.
“I’ll keep it in mind as my first choice, though.”
We fell silent after that, each of us drinking without speaking. After a while, Setsuna frowned. I studied him, wondering what had brought that on.
“How is it you always find me no matter how often I move around?” He hadn’t even finished the sentence before the general appeared before us.
“Why must you keep changing locations every night? It’s a nuisance to have to track you down all the time, Setsuna!”
The first words out of his mouth were a complaint.
“I only wanted to have a drink in peace. Whenever you show up, you start demanding I pour you some.”
From the way they spoke, it seemed the general had been helping himself to Setsuna’s drinks every night. I couldn’t help but laugh quietly to myself. I’d known since long ago just how much Dolph loved a good liquor. Setsuna shot me a sulky look when he heard me chuckling and grumbled, “It’s not funny, Your Majesty.”
His uninvited guest had already settled himself down in front of Setsuna while we were talking. Setsuna let out a sigh and poured him a drink.
He could easily avoid being found if he really wanted to, I thought.
Yet he didn’t, probably because he felt it would be rude to disregard Dolph’s feelings. I was certain Setsuna believed Dolph had begun searching him out because he couldn’t bear to see him drinking alone.
“What’s this you’ve brought tonight?” Dolph asked.
“It’s a bottle from Ineses.”
“South of Gardir?”
“That’s right.”
“What sort of a country is it?”
“I’ve never been there myself, so I don’t know.”
“Then how do you have it?”
“I make it a habit of buying any unusual spirits I come across,” Setsuna replied.
“I see. Southern vintages never make it up here. This’ll be a treat. Ahh… Excellent!”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Bring out some food. You can’t have a good drink without something to eat.”
“I don’t even want to see any food. I’ve overeaten the past few days as it is.”
“You need snacks with a drink!”
“I don’t want any.”
“Well, I do!”
“…”
Setsuna reluctantly rummaged through his bag and took out some snacks. I felt a bit bad for him.
“Dolph. I was under the impression that you’d already returned home for the night,” I said, trying to rescue Setsuna.
Dolph looked momentarily surprised, then laughed. “I did go home. I was startled to find you here tonight, Linus.”
He addressed me by name, perhaps sensing my intention.
“I came across him by chance, unlike you.”
“Yeah, I was deliberately searching for him.”
“…”
Setsuna shot him a thoroughly annoyed look, but Dolph didn’t seem to care in the slightest.
I turned the conversation to trivial things to make it more comfortable for Setsuna. Not long afterward, I suggested we end our little drinking session before Lilia started to worry.
Setsuna pulled a bottle out of his bag and spoke to Rombal.
“This is a vintage from Lypaed that’s approximately a hundred and twenty years old. It’s only produced in small quantities, so it’s difficult to come by. Please take it as a souvenir, since you didn’t get to drink anything tonight.”
Knowing what Setsuna was up to, my first knight tried to refuse, but when I told him to go ahead and take it, he reluctantly accepted. Dolph’s eyes gleamed in a way that was almost unsettling, but I pretended not to see it.