“Please bring in everything she’ll need,” I told the head maid.
“All you wish, my lord.”
She bowed her head to me before casually ushering the inn’s owner out of the room and following after him. She must’ve known I’d want a moment alone with Carol.
I sat at Carol’s bedside and looked at her. She appeared weak, but nothing indicated that her life was in danger.
“Carol. Rest here for a while.”
“Okay...”
That confirmed she could hear me.
“We’re in Ho Province. You’re safe now. You should get some sleep.”
“Yuri...go. Hurry...to the royal capital...” Carol sounded delirious. She spoke as if the matter was urgent.
“Stop talking. You’ll tire yourself out.”
“Forget me... Just go... Take back...Sibiak...”
“All right. I hear you. I’ll go do that.”
When I held her hand, it felt hot like she was running a fever. She gripped me in return with a surprising amount of strength.
“Please...”
“You can count on me. Don’t worry, I’ll reclaim the city, whatever it takes.”
I let go of Carol’s hand and left the room.
Outside, I found the head maid with her head bowed. She spoke quietly so that only I could hear her. “Please leave Princess Carol in my care. Rest assured that I’m an experienced nurse.”
“It might be a good idea to feed her some watered-down gruel,” I suggested. “And pay attention to the room’s humidity.”
“As you wish.”
“I’ll take the noisy soldiers with me to the next town.”
Even indoors, we could hear loud chatter and orders being issued outside. I couldn’t tell them to quiet down because it was just the sound of them doing their jobs. There was no way I could let them all stay here, as much as I wanted to let them rest after a sleepless night of marching.
“Before long, local soldiers will arrive to defend this inn. If they’re noisy enough to disturb her sleep, do something about it immediately. Make your demands clear to the town’s mayor.”
“Understood.”
“Pay close attention to everything around you. Remember the faces of the inn’s staff and report it if you see anyone new. The inn should be entirely ours.”
“Very well.” The head maid respectfully lowered her head again.
She never forgot about the small details when handling difficult tasks like this, so I knew she was the perfect person for the job.
“If anyone arrives claiming to be a royal sword, call the soldiers and have them arrested. The royal swords might work for the enemy now, but if they’re on our side, they won’t resist arrest. You can let Carol speak with them after they’re detained.”
“Understood. I’ll do as you wish.”
I didn’t fully understand how the royal swords operated. I knew they could be fanatical at times, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they became slaves to Carla the moment the crown was placed on her head. Carol would know better than me, but this was no time to question her. The next most knowledgeable person would be Myalo, but she wasn’t here.
That said, I didn’t know whether any royal swords were still alive. It was possible that they’d all died trying to protect Queen Shimoné. At any rate, they were a source of uncertainty.
“And lastly, the most important point.”
“Yes?”
“If there’s a sudden change in Carol’s condition, send word to me at once.”
“I will remember that. I know exactly how you must feel, my lord.” The head maid bowed to me once again.
“I’m going to fly to Kalakumo now. I’m leaving Carol in your care.”
✧✧✧
I rode White Sunset to the Ho family manor in Kalakumo.
When I arrived, the man in charge of the birdcages waited for my eagle to land, then came hurrying to me.
“Lord Rook! I knew you were—!”
He was a commoner named Yorn whose face I knew well because I’d worked alongside him on the ranch as a young child.
There’d been an old man who’d managed the birdcages since Gok’s time, but after he retired, Rook had chosen Yorn as his replacement. Rook had gotten along with Yorn better than anyone else in his days as a rancher, and while Yorn couldn’t ride an eagle—and therefore couldn’t train them—Rook had known he could be trusted to take perfect care of them on the ground.
“Lord Yuri...” Yorn’s head dropped when he saw that it was me who climbed off the eagle.
White Sunset had a distinct appearance. Just as the name suggested, the bird had more white feathers than most eagles. Yorn must’ve thought that Rook was the rider.
I released my restraints and climbed down.
“Then the rumors are true. His Excellency Lord Rook is...”
There was no covering it up, so I answered honestly. “My father was killed with poison.”
“Oh...”
“He entrusted White Sunset to me in his final moments. Princess Carol and I both rode this bird together when we escaped the royal castle. Can you ensure he wasn’t injured?”
“Yes, sir...”
With tears running down his face, Yorn took the reins from me and led the eagle away. He petted the bird as he walked, as if expressing condolences for the loss of his master.
“Lord Yuri! Is it true that Lord Rook has passed away?!” The next voice I heard came from a female servant who’d worked at Ho Manor since long ago.
“It’s true. I’m in a hurry. Can you prepare clothes for me? Something I can wear while riding an eagle.”
I was still in leather armor and chain mail—not the ideal riding gear.
Naturally, it would take some time for the lords to arrive at Kalakumo, giving me a chance to take care of other matters in the meantime.
“Yes, sir. I’ll find something right away.”
The aged servant began wiping her tears with her sleeve. I rarely visited the manor, so I was only now learning how popular Rook had been.
I walked into the building.
Last time I’d visited, this manor had been full of life and activity, but now there was uncertainty in everyone’s eyes. It felt as though no one could bear to sit here idle.
Officers, bureaucrats, and servants kept their distance as they watched me walk by. Rumors of all kinds were no doubt spreading among them.
“I’ll be back with you in one moment.”