“To my eternal shame,” said Yuri. She was overly serious even as far as knights went. There was no doubt that she meant those words. She could have won if she had believed Nacht when she’d said she would stop the fight before anyone’s life was in danger. If only she hadn’t held back on that first attack...
“Oh well,” Theresia said. “I suppose I’ll just have to look forward to your punishment, then. Are your wounds healed?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Yuri said despondently. “The potion Miss Nacht gave me was incredible. It had the same restorative power as the high-grade potions reserved for the royal family.” It should have taken three entire months for Yuri’s wounds to heal, but they were already gone without a trace. It was very rare to find a potion with such a powerful effect. Theresia was not without her own means, but there was something else bothering her.
“Am I imagining it, or is she simply giving those things away...?”
“No, Your Highness. It seems that way to me as well.”
“Goodness...” the princess sighed. “Ah, if only I could have gotten my hands on that girl...”
The extent of Nacht’s power was unknown, but it seemed to be even greater than the rumors had suggested. And based on the number of expensive potions she had been giving away as if they were candy, she had plenty of resources as well. Moreover, Theresia had found herself charmed by Nacht’s personality.
“Still,” Theresia continued, “I suppose things went well enough.” She had succeeded in establishing a friendly connection. She may not have won Nacht’s support as an ally of the kingdom, but she was sure she had at least lessened the possibility of Nacht siding with their enemies. But that silver lining didn’t change how frustrating it was. “I really would have married her, you know...” she said, a teasing tone in her voice.
“I wish you wouldn’t say such things, Your Highness...” Yuri protested, but she knew it was pointless. Theresia, for all her talent, was always fixated on those with abilities greater than her own, be it her father’s talent at mediation, her older brother’s or Yuri’s skill with arms, or her older sister’s beauty. Nacht in particular had exceeded her imagination, and in more than just martial prowess—when Yuri lost the duel, Theresia had challenged Nacht to a game of strategy only to be soundly defeated. Theresia hadn’t lost a game since she had challenged the emperor to a round.
Additionally, Theresia had already given up her right to succeed to the throne. She had no reason to concern herself with succession politics. Her father had been haranguing her for years to find a spouse. It didn’t seem impossible to think that he might approve an arrangement with Nacht.
“Isn’t that right?” Theresia concluded, having finished explaining all that and more to her beleaguered knight.
“Perhaps.” The air shimmered behind her. “But I have to wonder if His Majesty would approve of a marriage between two women...” A girl appeared behind Theresia. She was short and cute and wearing a black maid’s outfit.
“So you were watching, Cia,” said Yuri. Even she was unable to notice the princess’s shadow when she didn’t want to be seen.
Cia sneered mockingly. “Of course!”
“Good,” said Theresia, cutting Cia off before she could make a comment about Yuri’s humiliating loss. They could snap at each other after she had asked her question. “Come out, then, and tell us: do you think she noticed you?”
Cia had accompanied the princess from the shadows as her bodyguard all day. When she had hidden herself, even Yuri, with all her skill, couldn’t notice her.
Theresia had formed the Knights of the White Lily to fight her public battles. The Sable Attendants were her blades in the dark. They specialized in information—part of Cia’s job had been to gather intelligence on Nacht.
“Yes,” she said. “Without a doubt.”
“I really can’t believe I let her get away...” The princess looked even more disappointed than she had before.
“She spotted me around the time a certain knight lost her duel.”
“If you wanna fight, bring it.”
Cia ignored Yuri and continued. “She’s dangerous...” she said, a sudden note of anxiety in her voice. “I can’t even tell how powerful she is. If she tries to hurt you, Your Highness, I don’t know if I could keep you safe...”
Theresia smiled and stroked Cia’s hair. “If you can’t beat someone, just make them an ally instead. You know, perhaps we should do some investigations of our own—into the matter of Aisha’s mother.”
“If you order me, I can start immediately.”
But who is she...? Theresia wondered as she continued stroking Cia’s hair. My bestie Nacht... She detached herself from the world around her, plunging into the sea of thought. Before the Battle of the Dragon, Theresia had never heard so much as a whisper about the girl. And between her beauty and her personality, there was no doubt that she would stand out anywhere she went. It was as if she had appeared out of nowhere. A woman of mystery, with no past to speak of. And a demiwyrm... Perhaps a visitor from the hidden world of dragons? What if the fire dragon was trying to take her back to their home world? It makes a kind of sense, I suppose, but the whole thing is preposterous...
In the end, there was only one thing Theresia knew for certain: she still could not say who Nacht was or where she had come from. “Not that it matters,” she said, smiling like a playful child. “Whoever you are, we will have tea together one day, and you will teach me what you know.”
~ ‡ ~
The next morning, Nacht and Aisha left Free Market City. They were seen off by a great crowd of everyone from adventurers to elderly merchants. It seemed that Nacht had developed a bit of a fan club in the short time she had been here.
“We’ll miss you! Stay well and travel safe!”
“Nooooo! Lady Nacht! Don’t gooooo!”
“You come back sometime, you hear?”
And they were off.
“It’s a lovely day today, isn’t it, Mistress.”
“Yeah! Perfect day to set out on a trip!”
They made their way under the clear blue sky, the sun shining down on them. Aisha was sweating from the light exertion. “Um...” she said after they had been walking cheerfully for two hours. “Mistress, how far is it going to be to Estoll?”
“At the pace we’re going,” Nacht answered, “about a month.” Estoll was the neighboring country. It only stood to reason that it would take a considerable amount of time to get there on foot.
“Weh?! Th-That’s way too long! Shouldn’t we go back to the city and find a carriage or something?” The normal route to take when traveling from Free Market City to Estoll was to take a public carriage to Margrave Reinholt’s domain, and from there pass through the Great Tunnel of Leegh.
“Don’t be silly, we have nothing to worry about! My plan is to reach Estoll by tomorrow.”
“Um, Mistress... I can’t run as fast as you, you know...”
“Ah ha ha!” Nacht grinned. “You think I’m gonna run there?”
Aisha looked dubious. “Th-Then how are we...”
“Well, we’ve walked a good ways,” said Nacht. “Wanna take a break, Aisha?”
“I...um...well...yes. A short one.”
“All right! Then come here.” Nacht reached out to take Aisha by the hand. Aisha, who hadn’t quite relaxed her guard, flinched back. But Nacht was faster. In a heartbeat, she pulled Aisha into her arms. She cradled her gently, their faces almost touching. Aisha flushed with embarrassment as she clung to her mistress.
“Weh... Um... All that walking made me sweaty, you know...” Aisha protested. “You might not want to—”
“The wind’ll have you dry in no time!” said Nacht. “All right, Aisha...ready to fly?”
“Huh? Did you say... Are you... Mistress, wait for— Eep!” Carrying Aisha bridal-style in her arms, Nacht leaped into the sky. “Aaaaacpth! M-Mistress! We’re too high up! You’re going too fast! Slow down!” Aisha held on for dear life. But Nacht was the kind of being who was only spurred on when told to wait.
“You’re safe! Just think of it as a roller coaster! It’s fun!”
“Wait! What was that spin for?! Y-You’re going to get me killed! My heart is going to fly out of my chest and then I’ll die!”
Holding Aisha’s soft body close, Nacht slowed down to a leisurely pace. She’d had enough fun at the girl’s expense.
Aisha’s shoulders heaved with frantic breaths as she glared up at Nacht. But she was so cute when she was frightened like this that Nacht just couldn’t help herself. Oh well.
“Th-That was really scary...” Aisha said.
“Sorry,” said Nacht. “Just having a bit of fun.”
“If that’s your idea of fun, you’re going to get me killed one of these days...” Aisha muttered. She clung weakly to Nacht, pressing her face into her bosom so as to not accidentally catch a glimpse of the ground beneath her.
“Didn’t you fly in your fight earlier?” Nacht asked. “What’s got you so scared?”
“That was much slower...” Aisha said. “And I was pretty high up, but not this high. And I was flying with the power of the spirits. Like this, I just can’t stop thinking about what would happen if you dropped me...” She gulped and tightened her grip.
Nacht certainly didn’t mind the girl clinging to her, but she already had her shoulders and legs well supported. “Don’t worry about that,” she said. “I won’t let you out of my grasp, come arrows, come wind, come lightning, or come dragons!” That made Aisha smile a bit. She looked up at Nacht. “It’s pretty up here, y’know,” Nacht encouraged her. “You should have a look around!”
Slowly, Aisha turned her gaze away from her mistress’s face. “Wah!” she exclaimed. “It’s beautiful, Mistress! The sky, the sea...it’s all so pretty!”
The blue sky stretched in every direction, curving gently at the horizon. The clouds drifted around them like floating islands. Beams of light filtered through the gaps in the clouds like great pillars, illuminating the land beneath them. To the left, she saw the brilliant green of the Yolno Forest. To the right, she saw a great river. And off in the distance, she could just make out the sea. Straight ahead, they were coming up on a mountain range, high enough for its peaks to poke through the cloud tops.
“Yeah,” said Nacht. “It’s a fantasy world, all right.”
Aisha’s eyes shone. Seeing the world from the sky was a whole new perspective for her. For a while, she just enjoyed the experience. But then, suddenly, she remembered where she was. She looked down, and a shiver of dread ran through her body.