“When he summoned me, he signed off as the monarch. I’m not here to see him as Sasha’s dad. Right now, this is a commoner meeting a king. ’Course I’m anxious.”
“You’re worrying too much.”
“Everyone thinks you’re always breaking the mold, but you really do make a distinction when there’s a time and a place for things.”
“Hmph. Whatever you say.”
I looked over at the big window, trying to lighten my mood even slightly. Beyond it was the balcony and a beautiful blue sky.
The clouds were moving quickly across it. A strong wind must’ve been blowing.
Right around now…Raddermark was probably fast at work trying to fix up the great market and houses my Pandora had trampled over. At my workplace, the Horse’s Drool Pavilion, my boss was probably flying off the handle from being down a worker and being so busy, and Ilecia was likely consoling him.
The whole clash between my Pandora and the Angel-Eater…
Apparently, from what I’d heard, despite two legendary beings duking it out, there’d been extremely few casualties, so they’d been calling it the miracle of Raddermark.
The only people who’d died were the summoners who the Angel-Eater had absorbed to begin with…and there were even some rumors that none of the civilians had been killed. As of right now, Cyril and I had assumed that there was no way something like that could’ve happened and that the town and Academy must’ve been telling us that so we wouldn’t feel bad…but if it was true, my prayers in Pandora on that day for no one to die might’ve all been worthwhile.
Come to think of it, the one who’d started it all—Bernhart Hadcheck—had disappeared into the Angel-Eater, so his family, the Hadchecks, were shouldering his blame.
Then again, the adults had said they’d handle that stuff so us students hadn’t even been informed about what was happening for the most part. They’d likely have to forfeit their fiefs and fortune to act as the funds for the Raddermark reconstruction.
Anyway…
…our world had been saved by the legendary beast Pandora, and though it was slow, we were settling back down into our normal lives. The only people who still had anything to worry about were us—after we’d gotten a summons from the king.
“What are you going to say if His Majesty asks about that final blow?”
“The final one… Why?”
“It was right after Pandora roared and punched through the Angel-Eater. You said you hadn’t been using Linebolt right then,” Cyril explained.
“Well, yeah.”
“Even watching from outside, it looked different. Apparently, the summoner corps prepared a long-sight spell for His Majesty, so he saw the Angel-Eater fight, too. He’s probably heard about it. So does that mean Pandora was alive then?”
“Probably… I’m pretty sure he’s dead.”
“Then how—? You’re not planning on claiming it was an act of god, are you?”
“Right, that. That’d be too convenient. I’d be doing a dishonor to my fellow students claimin’ that.”
“Oh? Looks like you know what it was, then?”
“Since Myfila and I came to the same conclusion separately, I think it’s pretty good reasonin’.”
“It was probably a Volte-face.”
“Really? You think so, Myfila—?”
“But it ain’t anythin’ as perfect as Sasha’s and her archangel’s. And I was on the verge of death, so I dunno if I just so happened to sync with Pandora’s corpse or if I had a foot in the grave and Pandora just so happened to help me out from the world beyond this one. The only thing I know is that if it hadn’t happened, we would’ve been in trouble.”
We still had tons of time before we had to have our audience.
The palace servants who’d been there to bring tea and snacks for Cyril and Myfila until now had made themselves scarce, so the only things occupying the beautiful, giant guest room were us and our voices.
Then suddenly—Knock, knock, knock, knock.
An elegant sound rang out from the door, which was framed by flowers, and we all suddenly looked over.
“Excuse me.”
“Our master has arrived to greet you.”
Right after the knock, the newcomers waited for an appropriate amount of time, then young palace servants reverentially entered the room. The two girls in matching black-and-white maid uniforms were Sasha Shidoh Zultania’s two teammates back at the academy—which meant there could’ve only been one VIP possibly standing behind them.
I immediately whispered to Cyril, “Why would Sasha be here to greet us?”
“Not sure. Probably to see how you’re doing, Feil?”
Then in the next moment, the third princess of Shidoh appeared in front of me for the first time in five days, in the flesh.
I caught sight of her flowing platinum hair and amethyst eyes.
The long skirt of her blue off-shoulder dress, which featured gold embroidery, fell loosely from her waist, but the bodice was made to fit her body perfectly. Apparently, she wasn’t trying to cover up her curves.
…She’s as gorgeous as always…
I could only smile wanly at her and the full royal aura she gave off. “Sorry, Cyril.” “Really? You’re so fastidious about the oddest things.”
Cyril loaned me his shoulder so I could stand up.
“Owww—”
“Your whole body’s floppy, so you may as well stay sitting down.”
In the end, even Myfila helped, and I somehow greeted the third princess Sasha Shidoh Zultania and her retinue of two while standing.
………
The six of us summoners silently faced each other.
Or really, the silence lasted barely a second. Sasha immediately gave us a greeting fit for royalty.
“Welcome to my father’s castle. I welcome you, students of Raddermark.”
She lifted her voluminous skirt with both her hands and drew her left leg sideways and behind her, lowering her head slightly without bending her knee.
Then as though they were kneeling in place of the princess, who wouldn’t kowtow in front of the common people, the two girls to her sides both bent deeply, following the same etiquette as Sasha.
It was way too showy for just a curtsy.