With the rite completed, Priestess returned the Earth Mother’s staff to King’s Sister and then left the demonic portal. It was a big national secret, so when she shut the door behind her, none of her friends were waiting for her.
The castle hallway was more opulent than any she had yet seen. Her feet sank into a thick rug, while the walls and windows were adorned with metalwork. Moreover, there were tapestries of the warriors of light who carried the four orbs and of the three generations who had delved for the dragon. The windows were as translucent as ice, and sunlight poured through them, warm, pleasant, and golden. And yet…
Why is this place so big?
It just didn’t sit right with her. She’d been to various temples that were bigger than this castle hallway, and yet…
Oh! I haven’t heard about the others’ adventure!
It wasn’t unusual for her and her friends to go on separate adventures, but of course she wanted to know how things had gone for them. And she wanted to tell them how hard she had worked.
They were probably getting ready to go by now, so maybe they were near the castle gate? Priestess, suddenly in a hurry, jogged down the massive corridor. Sure, an onlooker might chide her for such unladylike behavior, but running through a castle—
Isn’t that an adventure in itself?
“…Hee-hee!”
It was an amusing little excuse, and it made her happy; her steps grew lighter with it.
Just try not to stumble, try not to fall. Imagine you’re going along with a ten-foot pole.
And watch out for random encounters around any corner you might turn…
“Ah, there you are.”
“Eep…?!” Priestess yelped, hurriedly straightening up and taking off her cap. There, just around the corner, was a handsome man whose looks evoked a young lion.
I never expected to run into His Majesty the King here!
Well, that was what made it a random encounter, wasn’t it? The same turn of chance that could see you meet a dragon in the open field.
“Er, uh, that is, pardon me. Please excuse my unconscionable rudeness…”
“Think nothing of it.” King waved a hand merrily, both accepting and dismissing Priestess’s apology. “If there’s anything unconscionable here, it’s the trouble to which I’ve put you.”
“N-no, sire! Not at all!”
“I’ll see that a proper thanks and…a reward will be sent to the western frontier. You have my gratitude.”
Priestess managed to squeak out, “Th-thank you very much, Sire…”
“Mm,” said King. He nodded, and then for a long moment, he studied Priestess’s face.
“……?”
Priestess, much puzzled, could hardly breathe; she felt like she had been placed under a petrification curse. Somehow she managed to both feel completely frozen and fidget awkwardly at the same time.
She was anxious, yes—but strangely, not uncomfortable.
Sometime thereafter, King closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and then asked slowly, “Do you enjoy your adventures?”
“Yes, sir!” Priestess responded without a moment’s hesitation. A shy smile appeared on her face. Here, at least, was a question she could answer with confidence. “They involve a lot of difficult things, a lot of problems, a lot of pain…”
“Is that so?”
But despite it all, adventures were still fun, Priestess informed the young king. At that, he smiled and nodded.
“I remember it myself. The pleasure of advancing forward… Even if it got me in trouble sometimes.”
Gripped by what seemed to be nostalgia, he rubbed the back of his neck. Priestess wasn’t sure what the gesture meant. She understood, though, that it was born of a memory of adventure that this person had experienced. A recollection of some important quest that only he knew about, that no one else could imagine.
And I have them, too.
Memories of adventures like that. It had only been a few years, but she would hold them forevermore.
“…”
Did the young king know what she was thinking? He didn’t say anything, but a slight smile came over his face—for a second. Then he tightened his lips, and the smile was gone as if it had never been there. In its place was an expression of seriousness that made Priestess stop and swallow hard.
Finally, King said only: “See that you remain a friend to my little sister. Please.”
“Yes, sir!” Priestess replied, again without hesitation—what else could she say? “She is my friend, after all!”
There was not a bit of flattery in this; she wasn’t simply saying what he wanted to hear.
For a moment, the king of the whole nation regarded her expression, bright as the morning sun, with a smile in his eyes.
Then, after a moment of silence in which he seemed to be searching the air for the right words, he said, “As her older brother, you have my gratitude. Thank you.”
“Oh! No, I—I mean… You’re welcome.” Priestess scratched her cheek, then coughed discreetly. “Ahem, I, uh, I should be going now.” Everyone was waiting for her, she added, and then she bowed to him. She put her cap back on her head and scuttled down the corridor with the gait of a little bird.
The young king of the whole nation watched her go for a silent moment, and then he turned on his heel and walked away.
The shorter a conversation between the king and an adventurer, the better.
That was the way it was, and the way it ought to be.
King knew that better than anyone.