Ein frantically rushed through the burning remains of the former royal capital, searching for an opportunity to help in any way he could. But he was soon brought to his knees by a sudden, head-splitting migraine.
“Gah... Agh...” he groaned.
He writhed around on the ground, holding his head in his hands as he screamed in agonizing pain. The prince assumed that the legendary trio had fallen, but the pain quickly disappeared with an unsettling swiftness. Ein remained on high alert as his surroundings suddenly shifted to a room not dissimilar from his grandfather’s own. The only real differences were a few rugs and one or two pieces of furniture.
Baffled, Ein surveyed the room to discover a man sitting up in bed. The crown prince tried to approach him, but found himself unable to move. Ein was only allowed to watch from a distance as a bystander.
“I’d like to spend my last days in my hometown,” the man said. His voice sounded strikingly similar to Ein’s.
The canopy on the bed obscured the man’s face. Next, Ein saw a woman seated next to him; the pair had been engaged in a conversation.
“But there’s something I must do first,” the man said.
“Are you going to fight again?” the woman inquired.
“No. There’s something that I must leave behind.” He stood up and headed to a window in the depths of the room. “Please allow me to leave this castle for roughly one fortnight.”
“What a cruel thing to say. You just said that you won’t even last a month, and here you are, stealing away half of the time I have left with you.”
“Are you mad?”
“I won’t be, if you promise to stay with me until I die.”
“Ah... Then I suppose I must show my obedience and endure your scolding.”
There was a jokey tone to her voice, but she remained seated as her body trembled. Whenever she sighed, one could hear her sobbing.
“Please forgive me. I’m doing this for our child,” the man said.
“You’re so unfair...Jayle,” she said.
This woman was known as Consort Laviola von Ishtarica.