Chapter 94

The encounter near Filwach still left a bad taste in our mouths as we decided to head back to the capital. When we arrived, the royal castle was in an uproar. “Has something happened?” Lainie called out as she hurried along beside us. With her acute senses, she would have easily recognized that everyone was on edge. “I’m not sure… I wanted to let Euphie know what we found in Filwach immediately…” We hurried into one of the gardens by the detached palace. As though waiting for us, Ilia stepped out of the building and rushed our way. “Lady Anisphia! You’re back safe and sound, I see.” “Did something happen, Ilia? The whole castle seems to be up in arms…” “I’m so sorry. I know you must all be tired from your journey, but Queen Euphyllia wants to see you at once. She has important news for you.” “For me? Is it urgent? Okay. I need to talk to her as well, so I’ll be right there. Also, we need to let Tilty get some rest.” Tilty was still unsteady on her feet, relying on Lainie to support her. Ilia’s eyes briefly went wide, then narrowed. “Did something happen out there?” “I’ll explain later. I’ll take Lainie to see Euphie. Everyone else needs to take a breather…” “Very well. Then you should go at once, both of you. I suspect you’ll be asked to leave the capital again…” “Leave the capital? With Euphie? Why…? No, I’ll just ask her myself. Take care of everyone, please, Ilia. Lainie! Euphie wants to see us! We’re going to go see her!” “I—I understand!” “Good work, Garkie and Navre! I’d like to tell you to take the rest of the day off, but that might not be possible! Make sure you’re ready to leave on a moment’s notice if need be!” “Understood, Lady Anis.” “Very well. We’ll be ready.” After making sure that Garkie and Navre knew the situation, we left Tilty in Ilia’s care and made our way to the castle. As soon as we arrived, a maid showed us into Euphie’s office. “We’re back, Euphie!” I called out. “Anis! Lainie! We’ve been waiting for you. Welcome home.” My father and mother were also in the room, both of them wearing grave expressions. The air was heavy. “Has something happened? I heard there was urgent news?” I asked, frowning. “We received a critical missive from Algard on the frontier,” Euphie explained. “From Algard? About what?” “He says they captured a runaway vampire attempting to escape into the kingdom’s territory.” “He caught a vampire?!” I exclaimed in shock, while Lainie muttered the exact same words in perfect unison. “Acryl is certain of it, so there can be no doubt.” “Acryl…? If she recognized them, it has to be true.” “On top of that, they encountered some strange monsters in the course of apprehending the vampire.” “Hmm…?” “Algard wrote that he suspects they were turned into vampires themselves, or at least, were being used by vampires…” Euphie paused, giving us both a careful look over. “What’s wrong, you two?” Lainie and I exchanged cautious glances. What did this coincidence mean? Euphie watched us suspiciously, head tilted to one side. “Euphie,” I began. “Actually, we have something we need to report as well.” “You do?” “I think we found some of the same monsters Algard mentioned. Which means vampires have already infiltrated the kingdom.” Euphie gawked in alarm, while my father and mother voiced their apprehension. “What?!” “You’re sure of this, Anis?!” “The vampire we encountered was hostile—not just toward us, but the Kingdom of Palettia as a whole. She was part of a group banished from the kingdom long ago, and they still resent us for it. I think they’ve been building up their forces ever since.” “…If this is true, we’re in for even more trouble than I thought,” Euphie said. “We need to get as much information as possible. Father, Mother—I would like you to deputize for me in political matters while I’m away.” “Must you really go in person, Euphyllia?” my father asked with a worried frown. “These are vampires. Algard should be able to report anything he learns…” Euphie shook her head. “We need to be sure. And if they attack Algard in greater forces, we risk forfeiting not only this vital chance to learn more, but Algard himself. That would be a great blow, considering we need his help in developing our defenses against vampires.” “That’s true, I suppose…,” my father murmured. “Euphyllia,” my mother stepped in. “I won’t stop you from leaving for the frontier. But please, be sure to take the royal robes with you.” “Mother?!” I practically shouted. Euphie had a similar reaction to this proposal. The royal robes were the special dresses that Euphie and I had worn during the unveiling of our flying magical tools. Since then, they had been kept safe in storage to help with future research and development… “You may have your Airdra and Airbikes, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. If worse should come to worst, you may need to use them to return to the capital,” my mother explained. I contemplated such a scenario. Yes, they would certainly work as an insurance policy in the event we had any problems with the Airdra or Airbikes. “But the royal robes are less efficient than the Airdra and Airbikes,” I pointed out. “Besides, they were never designed for traveling long distances…” “I know that. But you are both indispensable to the Kingdom of Palettia. You two are going because you’re the only ones qualified for this task, but do keep in mind that you really should be sending your retainers on these missions whenever possible.” “Mother…” “You’re strong, both of you. But you are also uniquely vital to the kingdom’s prospects. You must place greater emphasis on your own lives above others’. Do whatever you can to be prepared. Consider this a mother’s wish for her children. Is that clear? Anis? Euphie?” “…I understand,” I answered. “Yes, you’re right, Mother. Nothing is more important than forethought.” We both nodded along, when my mother responded with a loud clap. “Then hurry along and get ready. Take your escort with you, Anis. The same as last time. The situation being what it is, I’m afraid we won’t be able to send greater support…” “We’ll do our best to alleviate your anxieties by coming back alive, Mother,” Euphie declared. “…Yes. It’s a promise, then.” She smiled, but I knew she was worried. Our lives weren’t equal in value to those of others. There were things only we could accomplish. That’s why we had to return alive. Once again, I was left with a heavy feeling in my heart. We had responsibilities. We had to do everything in our power to secure the future that we had set in motion. But we couldn’t let the weight of that duty defeat us. So long as threats faced this country, we had to confront them. I won’t let those vampires have their way with us. There’s so much here we need to protect. Our meeting concluded, we made our preparations to leave for the frontier with all haste. Euphie and I changed into our royal robes, while Lainie and the others got ready to set out once more. Our party consisted of me, Euphie, Lainie, and our protective escorts, Garkie and Navre. This time, Euphie and I would ride the Airdra. Lainie and the others would take one Airbike each. While busying ourselves checking to make sure that there weren’t any problems with the Airdra, Tilty appeared, Ilia supporting her with one shoulder. “Tilty?!” I exclaimed. “What are you doing here?! You should be resting!” “…I couldn’t sleep, what with you all in such a hurry,” she answered. She leaned in close, and there was an intense will in her eyes. I could tell I was powerless to stand in her way. “…Do you understand that you could end up running into another one of those monsters?” she asked. “I’m aware of that…” “Well, you might actually be able to handle it, Anis. Your wild side will come in handy.” “Right, right. We’re in a hurry here. Go get some rest.” “Anis,” Tilty said, placing a hand on my shoulder and leaning forward. She was shaking, so I placed a hand on top of hers. “…Come back. Do you hear me?” Her voice was barely audible.