SEI watched over everything from a distance.
He couldn’t help being curious. So, once they parted, he reconsidered. Fortunately, there were a large group of people going the same way he was, so he fell in with them to avoid detection.
As he feared, Yura was walking like a prisoner escorted by her jailers. She likely didn’t realize it herself but being dressed in finery as she was had attracted the attention of many. All the people walking by sighed in admiration when they saw Yura, though they seemed to take her desperate movements as playful and chuckled.
Sei wanted to put a flustered hand to his head.
Only invited guests were allowed into the hall. No matter how worried he was, he was still just a knight, so he wouldn’t be able to see inside. The only knights there were those granted permission to serve as bodyguards.
Maybe I’m overthinking it, Sei thought, lingering by a pillar.
The door to the room Yura had been pulled into was shut tight. He thought he heard a strange commotion from within and shook his head vigorously.
How did she plan to bring up the subject anyway?
Yura had told him, when they saw each other the day before in the garden, that she decided to ask Bishop Evayne, who was known for his tolerance. “Leila got me a seat next to him,” she said.
But how does she plan to ask him? Sei had a general idea, especially after remembering their conversation from two days ago.
He was the one who put the idea in her head to ask high-ranking clergy in the first place. But he hadn’t asked exactly how she would go about it. There was no way she’d just come out and ask…would she?
“I wonder how it’s going…”
He shook his head and started to walk away. But several steps later, he froze. Maybe he was overthinking it.
But something was still bothering him, so he turned toward the door.
Yura was susceptible to peer pressure. So, if someone asked her a difficult question, would she be able to get herself out of it? She might second guess herself on whether she should even avoid the question.
What if because of that, people began having strange doubts and questions about her? Bishop Evayne wouldn’t be the only one listening to the words of the girl who catches every eye in the room. And then, there was the actual content. He hated how the clergy seemed to overreact to everything. They could become confused and there was a one in a million chance they might develop the wrong suspicions about her.
“Come on! I really am overreacting now…” he muttered, turning back.
He passed the door and turned down a small aisle he spotted. Between the buildings was a narrow path, one that ran right along the hall where today’s ceremonies were to be conducted. He came out by the back door of the hall.
All the soldiers tasked with serving as bodyguards were using that door to enter and exit the hall.
But what will I do once I’m in?
As the thought crossed his mind, he noticed a solitary guard in armor, lingering in the small garden past the exit of the side path. He was holding his steel helmet in his arms, and he was wearing the half-circle cloth those tasked with standing guard for the day had been given. It was a little cramped, but the armor made not a creak as he moved around.
“……”
A sucker born every minute, Sei thought. He knew he shouldn’t, and he did feel bad. But desperate times called for desperate measures.
Well, he actually didn’t have to be so desperate, but Sei was already swiftly sliding his sword from its sheath. There was a narrow path on the other side of the garden that’d be just perfect. The guard was looking that way.
“Sorry.”
The guard tried to turn around upon hearing Sei’s voice. But with a light punch just behind the guard’s neck, he quickly fainted and toppled to the ground. Sei had a good arm. With that much force, the guard would definitely be out until nighttime. As Sei returned another guard happened by.
“Wh-What’s happened here?”
It seemed he was waiting on the other guard. Sei twisted around and quickly gave orders.
“He’s suddenly taken ill! Help me move him. How much time do we have until the ceremony starts?”
“B-By my estimate, probably not more than one bell left…”
“You’re one of the bodyguards, right? Can you call for a substitute?”
The guard was clearly flustered. Sei lifted the fallen guard and nodded at the other guard as they carried his partner.
“Then teach me his positions. I’ll cover for him.”
The guard looked grateful. Sei looked down, offering a silent apology to the snoring man. The helmet he’d dropped seemed to be glaring at Sei.
It was the sole witness.
Hearing the bell ringing from above, Sei quickly walked off.