Behind the throne, a sheet of white fabric had been hung up around the Right of Rule.
The audience room was under tight security, and soldiers had been posted at its doors. It had been cleared of all people, save for one.
Princess Catharine parted the white shroud to approach her kingdom’s Right of Rule, and she quietly gazed upon it for some time.
At the foot of the monolith, the furs of a snow wolf had been laid out.
Someone must’ve thoughtfully put that here for her, seeing as she visited nigh constantly. A cushion large enough for her to rest on, as well as a lap blanket, had also been placed there for her use.
Seating herself on the cushion, she scooted closer to the Right of Rule and raised her hand to it. Placing her fingertips against its engraved surface, she traced her twin brother’s name.
It shone a brilliant gold.
That was proof that somewhere out in the wide world, her brother still lived, and he yet retained the rights afforded his lineage.
“I knew you’d be here, Catharine.”
“Oh, Lucian...”
Her eldest sibling and stepbrother had joined her beneath the white shroud. Her hand lowered as he approached.
He looked at her silently for a moment before remarking, “A kingdom’s princess should not be seated on the floor. If you mean to stay here for a while, you should have a chair brought. You’ll catch a chill down there.”
“Regardless of how shielded I’d be from prying eyes, I cannot sit in a chair in a place level in height with the throne. Besides, staying here is my own selfish choice. But I thank you for your concern.” Catharine laughed softly as she rose from the fur pelts she had been sitting on. After steeling herself for a moment, she asked, “Has the letter been deciphered?”
“It has,” Lucian replied as he handed a sheet of paper to her.
She took it in hand and read through its contents.
A letter had arrived from her brother. Her dear younger twin, who had been missing from among the evacuees from Tachyrinn.
She had been searching desperately for him since he had stepped out of the teleportation portal of his own volition and vanished. Since then, his whereabouts had been unknown.
While she was able to confirm that he still lived by examining the Right of Rule, she and Lucian had been left in the dark regarding his location. If he had fallen into the clutches of their enemies, they had no way of knowing.
When the first letter had arrived, sent via a secret method known to the royal family, Catharine had cried. That told her that her twin brother was still safe and unharmed, and that he hadn’t been imprisoned. The letter’s arrival was proof that he still retained the freedom to send it.
Then, two other letters had come, each following a different route. With them, they could finally decode the letter’s cipher.
The missive began with an apology for his foolishness.
Catharine had heard from the mages who had safely managed to evacuate that he had been incensed by the sight of a crown kicked about by the enemy and had dashed out from the portal. The letter confirmed that story. After that, Kariya had saved him, and they had managed to escape from the citadel. Now, the two were endeavoring to return to Tiuccia.
“But of all places... I can hardly believe they ended up in lands under the control of the Northern Bloc,” muttered Lucian.
He had already read the letter.
“And not just anywhere,” he continued, “but to the remotest of hinterlands in the north. They needed all of the time between his disappearance and now to reach the town of Helenna so he might send us this letter at all.”
“Thank goodness Kariya was with him...”
Although the man was a crafter, Catharine couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief knowing that an S-tier transmigrator was at her brother’s side.
“Catharine,” Lucian said after a moment, looking for the right words, “in your eyes, is Kariya trustworthy?” Since his sister seemed to be reassured by the news that they were together, he had to ask.
The princess fixed her eyes on her brother with an unwavering gaze. “He most certainly is, Lucian. He is a goodly neighbor who brings blessings unto our world and our people.”
Just as it was broadly understood that people were divided into those who were benevolent and those who were wicked, there were also good and evil among those known as transmigrators.
The epithet “goodly neighbor” signified that a transmigrator was a person of great kindness and compassion. One who held profound goodwill in their hearts toward those they called NPCs. A goodly neighbor loved this world and would freely offer their wisdom to the people.
The SS-tier transmigrator whom the royal siblings had referred to as their master was one such goodly neighbor.
Though he’d had extraordinary might at his fingertips, their master-at-arms had never gotten drunk with power. Instead of abusing his abilities, he had protected the people around him—the people of Tiuccia—and had done his utmost best to guide them to a better tomorrow.
He had loved his country of Tiuccia, and even when other nations, including the Raghion Empire, had formally invited him to join them, he had refused to leave it behind.
The man had also cherished the young Catharine deeply. She could still remember the way his broad, weathered palm had felt when he’d gently stroked her hair.
“The only reason our army could fight on even ground at Croway Plains was because of Kariya’s abilities,” she began. “Had he not been with us, we never could have held our ground for so long. And despite the incredible amount of logistical support he offered us, he never demanded restitution. When we tried to pay him, he would only accept an amount equivalent to his services as calculated by his mercantile skills. His devotion to our cause was nothing but sheer altruism, through and through.”
“And you stand by what you say with absolute certainty?”
“Of course. He lent us his strength out of the bit of love he has for our country...as well as out of friendship. Just as our master-at-arms had been dear friends with our king grandfather, Kariya and Nadar Cautley were comrades. It was through Nadar that he supported Tiuccia so staunchly.”
Catharine closed her eyes and paused there.
“Now that Nadar’s gone, Kariya will never betray us. Khrasiel has made an enemy of him for what they did to Nadar.”
Catharine had seen with her own eyes how despair had stained Kariya’s ordinarily refined countenance. She was confident that Kariya would never ally himself with the adventurer’s guild, nor with Khrasiel. To him, Khrasiel had become his number one enemy.
For a moment, Lucian silently reflected on Catharine’s words. “So, was Kariya truly Nadar’s lover after all?”
Catharine frowned. “Please, brother, don’t even think of asking him that. It’ll only make him upset. Besides, we already determined that he’s not interested in other men during our tea party, haven’t we?”
“Ah, yes... We had discussed that back in Tachyrinn. In that case, Wald shouldn’t lose his lineage rights even with Kariya as his companion,” he remarked.
“Come now, Lucian! Do you really think Kariya would force Wald? That would never happen...I think.”
The princess, after a moment of deep thought, nodded to herself in affirmation. “Correct. Kariya would never,” she reasserted. “He’s a very nice young man. Regardless of how pretty Wald is, Kariya would never force someone, and especially not someone his junior. Besides...” She paused there, thinking of her brother, “Wald was raised to ascend the throne as a contingency, as you know. He would never do anything that would cause him to lose his lineage.”
But then, musing aloud, she said, “As for the other way around...”
“The other way around?” Lucian repeated as he stared at her.
Catharine stared back at him meaningfully but changed the subject. “At any rate, I’ve finished reading the letter. I’ll burn it now.”
After her stepbrother nodded back to her, Catharine began reciting an incantation. A flame flickered to life at the edge of the letter, then burned it away in a flash.
As she watched the paper crumble away, the princess spoke once more. “Should we announce that Wald still lives?”
Lucian, who was jointly serving as regent alongside Catharine, sighed at the question. “No, we’ll continue monitoring the situation as is for a while longer,” he replied. “We won’t publicize any real information of note—just that Wald is currently absent. By keeping everyone, meaning those both within and outside Tiuccia, guessing, we can afford Wald a little more time. If we reveal his status now, I’m afraid he’ll only be met with greater danger, given that he’s already being hunted.”
“All right,” Catharine nodded, then groaned. “I’ll just have to tolerate being popular a little while longer. The letters asking for my hand in marriage keep coming in, you see. It’s quaint, if you ask me, considering that not a single person was interested in me when my fiancé passed away six years ago. I suppose most find the prospect of being a queen’s prince consort far more appealing.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised. But let me assure you that I’ve been no less popular—should any wish to tie the knot with you, they must first obtain the rights of our lineage, after all. There’s been quite a fuss surrounding my bed.”
“Ugh, please. I do hope you’ll keep a tight leash on your lovers, brother.”
As she trailed behind her stepbrother to leave the room, Princess Catharine turned around one last time.
Until her twin brother returned home, the shroud surrounding the Right of Rule would not be lifted. Beyond it, his name yet shone a brilliant gold.