It was the morning of March 31, and Lia, Rose, and I were traveling back from Ms. Paula’s dorm. We headed straight home without making any detours, pushing through dense forests, crossing undeveloped mountains, and traveling over empty fields until the city of Aurest came into view.
“Sweet, we made it… Whoa, are you two okay?” I asked.
“Haah, haah… I’ll never get used to that rough journey…,” Lia said.
“Yeah, that’s one heck of a workout…,” Rose added.
They both wiped sweat off their foreheads as they caught their breath.
“Ah-ha-ha. It definitely takes getting used to,” I conceded.
The more time you spent traveling through overgrown forest trails, winding mountain paths, uneven plains, and poorly maintained roads, the more helpful tricks you learned to make the journey less tiring.
We continued walking toward our dorms at Thousand Blade until Rose stopped at an intersection.
“I’m going this way,” she said, pointing away from the academy.
“Why?” I asked.
“Is there something you need to do?” asked Lia.
Rose placed her left hand on the sword at her waist. “Tomorrow’s the start of a new semester. I want a fresh start, so I’m gonna get my sword serviced at my favorite weapon shop.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea. I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” I said.
“Make sure to set your alarm tonight. You don’t want to oversleep,” Lia warned her.
We parted with Rose and walked toward Thousand Blade.
“Hey Allen, when do you think you’ll try going back to your village again?”
“Hmm. I haven’t really thought about it, but…maybe next summer break.”
We chatted all the way back to the dorm, but when we arrived, we encountered a small problem.
“…Hmm?” I said.
“…Huh?” Lia said.
There was an old woman I didn’t recognize standing at our door. She looked over eighty years old. Her long white hair, drooping nose, and deeply crooked back made her look like a witch out of a fairy tale.
“Do you know her, Lia?”
“No, I don’t.”
She either had business with one of us, or she had the wrong room. We wouldn’t find out which it was if we just stood around, though.
“Well, why don’t we try talking to her?” I said.
“Yeah,” Lia agreed.
We walked up to the old woman, and she turned toward us.
“Would you happen to be Mr. Allen Rodol?” she asked.
“Uh, yes,” I replied.
Apparently, she was here for me.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hiyobah. I am a humble maid of Lord Patriot Bolnard.”
“Umm… Nice to meet you. I’m Allen Rodol,” I said, freezing up for a moment after hearing that unfamiliar name.
Patriot Bolnard…? Who’s that?
“Criiigh?!”
I heard what sounded like the death throes of a frog next to me. I turned toward the sound and saw Lia with an expression of pure shock on her face.
“Lia? What is—?” I started to ask, but I was interrupted when Lia regained her composure and politely spoke to Hiyobah.
“I’m sorry, but there is something I wish to discuss with Allen. Would you mind excusing us for a moment?”
“Not at all,” Hiyobah said, smiling kindly.
Lia tugged my sleeve and led me a short distance away.
“Lia, what’s going o—?”
“Allen, did you cause trouble again?!”
“No, I… I don’t think so.”
I hadn’t done anything to cause any problems… Not that I could remember, at least.
“House Bolnard is one of the two biggest royal families in Liengard, and Patriot is the head of the family,” Lia explained.
“Oh… I see… This sounds like an invitation to meet with the noble faction.”
Shii and the Empress had warned me multiple times that this would happen.
“What are you going to do?” Lia asked.
“Hmm… Well, I guess I’ll hear her out,” I said.
So far, I had only heard the imperial faction’s side of the conflict. I thought it would be a good idea to listen to both sides rather than just accept what they had told me as fact.
Besides, this is an invitation from one of the most powerful nobles in the country… I was a commoner, so refusing him would cause offense.
“Okay. Well…I doubt they can hurt you, but be careful, Allen,” Lia said.
“Thanks. I will.”
Lia and I returned to the old woman to resume our conversation.
“Sorry about that. So what business do you have with me today?” I asked.
“Lord Patriot sent me to convey that he wishes to speak with you, Mr. Allen,” Hiyobah said.
Just as I’d thought.
“I see. I would be honored.”
“Oh, how wonderful. Thank you very much. My master will be delighted,” Hiyobah said, rubbing her hands and bowing deeply.
“When would he like to speak with me?” I asked.
“Whenever you are able. Please let me know what a good date and time for you would be. I was ordered to arrange it at your convenience.”
“Really? I appreciate that.”
I considered my options. I’ll be really busy starting tomorrow because of the new semester… And more importantly, I didn’t want the stress of this meeting hanging over me.
“Umm, this might be too much to ask, but…”
“Please, ask away,” replied Hiyobah.
“…would today be possible?”
I couldn’t think of many things I’d rather do less than meet with a noble, so I wanted to get it out of the way as soon as possible. Still, is it unreasonable of me, asking to do it today?
Unexpectedly, the old woman smiled. “Why, of course. If it suits you, I’ll take you there right now.”
“Huh? Are you sure?”
“Yes. My master wishes to pay you the utmost respect.”
“Great. Then let’s—”
“Wait,” Lia interrupted as I was about to leave. “Don’t you need to change first?”
“…Ah,” I said, looking down. My Thousand Blade uniform was muddy and covered with leaves from traveling the rough roads back to Aurest.
I could change into a clean uniform, but that would feel lacking for meeting with an influential noble. There was a dress code people were supposed to abide by at times like this. What should I wear to an audience with a noble…? I didn’t know much about etiquette, but I felt like a plain-colored suit would be acceptable.
Would the suit I wore for the New Year’s Jubilee be okay? I wasn’t sure. The dress code for a celebratory function like that was probably different from the one for visiting the mansion of a noble.
…Maybe it would be best to do this another day, after all.
But just when I was about to ask Hiyobah to postpone, she shook her head.
“Please, you needn’t concern yourself with your attire. My master is not one to be offended by something so trivial.”
“Is that really okay?” I asked Lia in a whisper.
“Normally, it wouldn’t be…but if your host’s housekeeper is telling you not to worry about it, then you should be fine.”
“That makes sense. In that case, I’ll leave now and come right back.”
Now that the dress code issue had been resolved, there was nothing to prevent me from going today.
“Okay, Ms. Hiyobah,” I said, turning back to the elderly lady. “Could you please take me to speak with Patriot today?”
“Certainly. We will ride in a horse-drawn carriage to his estate, so let me know when you are ready to leave.”
“Got it. I’ll be quick.”
“Please, take your time.”
I entered my room and started tidying my appearance. I don’t want to make them wait, so I’ll just give myself a quick once-over. I wiped my body with a wet towel and changed my uniform—and with that, I was done.
“This looks okay, right?” I said, looking in the mirror over the sink.
“Are you ready, Allen?” Lia asked, poking her head into the room.
“Yeah, I think this is good enough.”
“I’ll give you one last check.” She put her right hand on her chin and looked me over from head to toe. “Hmm… Ah, you have some loose hair. Your collar is wrinkled, too. Also…” Lia fixed my hair and collar and tightened the tie around my neck. “Perfect.”
“Thank you.”
“Hmm-hmm, you’re welcome.”
Now that I was ready, I left our room and rejoined Hiyobah, who was waiting outside.
“Sorry for the wait,” I said.
“Don’t worry, dear. You were back in a flash,” Hiyobah said with a teasing smile. She pulled a curved short sword that looked like a wakizashi out of her robe. “Please step back, Mr. Allen. I am going to produce the carriage.”
“Huh? ‘Produce’ it…?”
“Yes, like so.”
Hiyobah tossed her short sword into the air and quietly put her hands together in front of her.
“Intone Merrily—Fairy Tale.”
As soon as she spoke, the short sword spinning in the air transformed into a small pumpkin carriage.
“Oh, you’re a Soul Attire Wielder?” I said. “Being able to turn a sword into a carriage sure is a strange ability.”
“Ho-ho, it is little more than child’s play,” Hiyobah said modestly with a kind smile.
That really is one of the stranger Soul Attire abilities I’ve seen. She had produced not just a carriage, but also a horse to pull it. If I had to guess, she’d probably reproduced the very concept of a “horse-drawn carriage.” Considering the name “Fairy Tale,” maybe her Soul Attire can summon things from children’s stories. I didn’t know the limits of her ability, but it seemed very versatile.
“Please, Mr. Allen. Take a seat,” Hiyobah said.
“Thank you,” I replied before climbing into the pumpkin carriage.
Wow… It’s bigger on the inside. The carriage was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside, giving me plenty of room to stretch my legs. It was very comfortable.
“I’ll see you later, Lia,” I said, looking at her through the window of the carriage.
“Yeah. Be careful,” she responded.
“Up we go,” Hiyobah said, clambering into the coachman’s seat. “Are you ready to set off, Mr. Allen?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Very good.”
She lightly cracked a leather whip, and the carriage began to move slowly forward. And with that, I was on my way to the mansion of Patriot Bolnard, one of the most powerful nobles in the country.