“It was then that I learned of the existence of the Argent Knight,” the queen said. “I secretly crossed the sea, hoping to ask for his help. Luckily, because I was renowned enough to earn the nickname ‘the Eternal Songstress,’ I could utilize my fame to meet him. I was desperate to stop the Dark Lord, Vram Relirex.”
For the first time, the queen’s expression turned dark. She had betrayed him because she loved him—I couldn’t tell just how much resolve she’d needed to act upon her feelings, but the thought of betraying my friends precisely for their sake made my chest tighten enough that I didn’t entertain the thought much longer.
“I think I’m beginning to see the whole picture,” Sita said. “May I ask if you know anything about Xeoral?”
“Xeoral, the island of the skies?” the queen asked. “Ah, yes, the Argent Knight also mentioned heading there.”
“For what reason?”
“He didn’t speak much about himself, so I really am not sure... All he said was that the island was his first island.”
“The first island...” I interjected, mulling it over. I couldn’t let Sita steer the conversation by herself and joined in. “Queen Belletochka, does the name ‘Agard’ ring a bell for you at all?”
“Agard?” the queen asked. “I take it this name is related to the Argent Knight somehow...? Ah, yes, I do remember the Argent Knight occasionally muttering it. The knight had a very adorable voice then, and I thought that was unusual, but he didn’t want me to pry deeper, it seemed, so I refrained from asking. That’s about all I know.”
The queen probably heard the voice of the Argent Armor that we fought back in Eneres. If those two were both wandering around, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some stories that confused the Argent Knight for a woman.
“M-Mary, isn’t there something else you wanted to ask?” Emilia inquired. “You came here to discuss traveling to Xeoral, did you not?”
She fidgeted anxiously as she pushed the conversation along. It was likely due in no small part to her fear of running into those weapons Lady Elizabeth had sicced on her again, but she also seemed to be interested in the island of the sky. She didn’t necessarily want to go herself, though, so I was very curious about what she was plotting.
“Would you like to go to Xeoral?” Her Majesty replied. “Indeed, the Argent Knight and I once headed there, but we only went midway. We never actually reached the island, but would you still like me to give you directions?”
“Yes, if you don’t mind,” I replied. “Could you tell me everything you know, Your Majesty?”
“Very well. Then we should first get a map...”
“Ah, mother, must we take such a roundabout method?” Emilia inquired. “Why don’t you personally lead the way?”
As Queen Belletochka rose to fetch a map, Emilia clapped her hands together. The princess sounded like she knew that this was going to happen.
“What?” the queen asked, tilting her head to one side. “I’m confined to this tower. I can’t leave this place.”
“But simply giving directions might not be clear enough,” Emilia insisted a bit awkwardly, refusing to give up and continuing to try to push the queen out of the tower.
Why does Emilia keep glancing my way?
“You see, Mary is the Argent Holy Woman and has contributed considerably to our kingdom,” Emilia went on. “As a royal, we do hesitate to send her off with just a simple map and hope that she can find her way.”
“You’re quite right,” the queen agreed. “Then, Little Emilia, why don’t you lead the way?”
“Ah, well, we may not look it, but we’re terrible at directions. Prone to getting lost and all that. We don’t mean to brag, but we cannot read any maps.”
“Really?” I asked, shocked by this confession. “But, Emilia, you— Mmph!” She hastily covered my mouth before I could contradict her.
“And Mary’s the type to get lost more easily than us,” Emilia added. “We find it best that a more proper guide leads the way. Were it just the two of us, we’d be running around without ever reaching our destination. Is that not so, Mary?”
I’d often heard the phrase “eyes speak louder than words,” and it rang true here. Emilia winked at me rapidly and tried to make me catch her drift. I see... Now I get what she’s thinking. She wanted to drag Queen Belletochka outside. If the queen saw the outside world and the peace and brightness that her actions had brought the people, perhaps she would no longer feel compelled to confine herself. Or maybe the princess simply wants to go on an outing with her mother.
No matter the case, Emilia had wanted a reason, and when I’d appeared, the timing couldn’t have been better. Perhaps that was why she’d seemed so eager to bring me along. Had Lady Elizabeth and Emilia acted so swiftly because they both had the same goal? It behooves me as a capable woman to go along with this scheme. “Yes, it’s nothing to be proud of, but I really am just atrocious with directions,” I said, puffing my chest out proudly. “I can barely find my own shoes, frankly, much less navigate an unknown area.” I quickly felt a pang of sadness admitting as much...
“Exactly!” Emilia said. “The Argent Holy Woman is begging you for assistance, mother. You cannot be heartless enough to deny her request! Why don’t we get prepared in a flash and head for Xeoral before any nuisances arrive?”
At this point, the princess was pushing it. The queen looked troubled as Emilia forced the conversation along and stood up to grab her hand and leave the room.
Emilia flashed me an unusually innocent smile, and she seemed so genuinely happy. I wanted to cheer her on and encourage the queen to get ready. “Queen Belletochka, may I ask that you guide me to Xeoral—”
“That would be a problem,” a voice I dreaded interjected.
I hastily turned to the hidden passageway we’d used to enter the room, and as expected, I spotted a certain person dressed in a full suit of Argent Armor. The way she waltzed into the room practically screamed “Don’t mind me!” How did she use the secret passageway?! Was she tailing us? No, then she would’ve blocked our path before we could’ve entered. Did she always know about this place?