“But isn’t a good opportunity to do just that…?”
Yura raised an eyebrow in annoyance. Sei tucked his chin in thoughtfully, then began to explain more explicitly.
“Starting with His Lordship the bishop, there are several high-ranking clergymen who will be in attendance, yes? If you’re allowed to join them, then you’ll also be able to speak with them directly…”
“Speak with them…?”
“What I mean is, you could ask them about their sacred knowledge, about magic and miracles and the like.”
“…Uh-huh.”
Magic. Miracles. Yura’s shoulders drooped.
I guess at this point, that’s all I have.
Yura seemed defeated Sei thought, as she heaved a sigh.
“But…”
“Yes?”
“Does magic really exist…?”
“It does,” Sei said, responding so quickly it surprised even him. “The problem now is figuring out how to find that magic…”
Yura was surprised at his light tone. She immediately asked “…How can you be so sure?”
“How…?”
Sei gave her a blank stare and then turned away to gaze up at the sky. As if he were looking for something
“You can’t see it from here.”
“What?”
“His Majesty’s eagle. It’s always flying around above the castle.”
Just then, Yura got an idea. She shouted without meaning to and clapped her hands.
“You mean that gigantic bird?”
The image of that bird she’d seen many times appeared in her mind. That nimble bird who’d been perched on the throne. The one depicted in the tapestry.
So that was Ashes’ pet. But what does that have to do with anything? Yura wondered with a dubious expression. Sei smiled at her.
“You don’t know? That’s a statue.”
Yura was taken aback.
✦ ✦ ✦
A bell passed before she could catch Ashes. No matter where she went, she couldn’t seem to catch up to him and she was unable to enter the rooms he’d gone into.
She heard he’d returned to his room for a nap. When she finally headed for his sitting room, the guard at his door warned her not to bother him. Yura ignored him and called to Ashes through the door.
“What is all that commotion…?”
Ashes poked his head out, looking annoyed. Slipping into the room, Yura spoke.
“Um, Ashes, I’m here because I have a favor to ask!”
Ashes folded his arms and looked from Yura to her feet. It was only then that she noticed.
“Oh no! Has that been with me this whole time?!”
She grabbed the hem of her skirt. Something beige crept out. It was the hedgehog Benechka, the woman who had been instructing her that afternoon, brought with her. It must have been hiding in my skirt the whole day!
“That’s a strange thing to keep. And in such a strange place,” Ashes laughed. “So, what’s this favor?”
Yura immediately snapped into a more proper posture. She clasped her hands in front of her face.
“I want to see the eagle!”
Ashes squared his shoulders, as if he had expected this.
“Where exactly did you hear a rumor like that?” Ashes asked with a laugh, opening a window that led out to the balcony.
The sky was bright this evening. The waning moon slightly warmed the air as it showed through the clouds.
“A r-rumor?”
“Please stay back. He’ll cut your cheek.”
Yura stopped at Ashes’ words. She remained in the room, peering out at the balcony.
“…Whoa!”
When she started to speak, she realized something was swooping in from the sky. It kept coming, with no sign of slowing down. The second she noticed the shape of a rhombus, it appeared. As if in the blink of an eye.
The wind began to swirl.
It was just like coming outside right after a typhoon. Like a sudden wind began to blow. Without a moment to cover her face, Yura closed her eyes, her hair blowing in the wind. The wind was so strong, her hair and skirt fluttered behind her. Ashes’ cape also fluttered with a mighty noise.
The first thing she saw were the wings dancing in the air. With hints of ashen grey mixed in, like someone shattered the glass of the sky, it let out a sound that shook Yura to her core.
She couldn’t believe her eyes.
The thing perched on the railing was really a sculpture.
It was a massive sea eagle, a chalk white sculpture, carved in intricate detail. It looked like he was deliberately made that way, like some sort of prank by a master sculptor.
His neck turned and his talons curled, his wings gliding in front of his sharp beak. Yura’s eyes were wide.
“You’re sure in a mood.”
Ashes reached out a hand and ran his fingers along the stone’s neck. Narrowing its eyes, the creature stared menacingly at Yura.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Ah…”
Yura stared back at it in fear and disbelief. She undid her clasped hands, lifting them as she asked, “M-may I touch it?”
“You’ll lose a finger.”
Yura shrank back. Ashes laughed as she retreated further back into the room.
“It will only allow members of the royal family to touch it. My mother never was able to in her whole life.”
“……”
“Are you satisfied?”
Yura nodded, still shaking. She shivered, either from the night air or the wind. She grabbed her arms, completely shaken.
She had so many questions to ask him, but in the end, she didn’t have the chance before she needed to go back to her room so he could return to his duties.
She pulled the cape Ashes had lent her tight around her, thinking as she walked through the dimly lit hall.
…It was real.
The guard tasked with seeing her to her room carried a candle that reflected off his armor. She trudged along behind him, carrying the hedgehog, her mind hard at work.
“The clergy will be there, yes? The fact that you’ll be there means you can ask them directly…” she recalled Sei saying.
She had no choice but to find out more.
The problem is, how…?
“They’ll arrive on the third day of the cleansing festival. Did you know that you have a seat there as well?”
I guess that’s how!
Yura clenched both hands.
✦ ✦ ✦
“WHAT in the world has gotten into you? You certainly are working hard today,” Leila chuckled as she served lunch.
Sisty smiled as well, water in hand. Yura stopped shoveling food into her mouth and smiled.
“Lady Benechka had so much praise for you. At this rate, you’ll be able to move onto table manners tomorrow,” she said, peering into Yura’s face. Yura gulped, her eyes forward.
“Yes. If I must learn them, I will.”
“So, what’s really going on?” Leila exclaimed with excitement. Yura was in something of a good mood. At the very least, she didn’t mind the two of them fussing over her.
On the table were foods so splendid, it seemed hard to think of them as mere lunch. They were all so magnificent, Yura couldn’t even think of laying a hand on them. Even so, eating had become easier. On the first day, her hands had frozen just using the knife and fork.
Yura would eat quickly to try and get used to this world’s food. If she went bite by bite, she might taste something unfamiliar and stop eating. It’d been the same back home. If she’d encountered something she didn’t like, she wouldn’t want to eat it.
“This is delicious!”
“That is nice to hear!”
Despite the fact that Yura was rather mannerless in her way of eating, Leila still paid it no mind and grinned at her. She was looking out for Yura, who seemed to be having trouble acclimating to her new life there.
There wasn’t anything too exotic at the table. It was all easy for her to eat. Yura was happy for such thoughtfulness.
After finishing lunch and tiring of turning things over and over in her head, Yura decided to visit the mirror chamber once more. Blessed with weather the same as that day, time seemed to stand still inside that room. The mirror in question shone as brilliantly as ever.
If Yura’s guess was correct, this mirror could connect to the one in Tomoko’s shop. Or at least, it should be able to.
First, she tried calling Tomoko’s name, but got no response.
She cautiously touched the mirror, but there was no change.
It remained a terribly ordinary mirror, as Yura expected. But still, she was disappointed.
There’s just so much I don’t know about it…Yura thought, looking over the mirror.
It was platinum, and while extravagant, that was the most remarkable thing about the metal. She also didn’t understand how the double-sided mirror was constructed. Even focusing just on that aspect, there was still so much she didn’t know.
“…I wish I at least knew who made it…” Yura muttered, then a thought struck her.
She fell silent, not even realizing what she had said at first.
The mirror’s history.
Just as one knows when the hot liquid they drank is making its way through their stomach, Yura could feel the wheels in her brain begin to turn.
That’s it.
Yura spun around and took off.
Where else would Sei be at this time? She shoved the door open and leapt through.
That’s it! Why didn’t I realize it before?
The history of the mirror, who made it, and exactly how it was made.
They might hold the clues she was looking for!