“An opportunity has come,” Jubilia reported. “Some incident has sown chaos throughout the palace, and all the superior officers are meeting in the assembly hall. As things are now, I can guide you to the Sovereign.”
Saya nodded. Jubilia had been looking for an opportunity to grant her request to meet Kyou all this time.
“This way.”
She quietly followed the knight through the palace. Just as Jubilia had said, there were far fewer people around than usual. They kept walking for a while without meeting a single soul. After ascending a complex staircase, they arrived at an impressively decorated door.
“Within lies one of Lord Kyou’s living rooms.”
The soldiers standing guard next to the door looked at Jubilia and Saya, then gave them a silent nod.
“I have come to an agreement with them. The royal guards are not a monolithic group.”
“What do you mean?”
“Let us talk after we enter.”
Jubilia opened the door, revealing a violet-carpeted staircase. They began ascending the staircase as Jubilia spoke.
“The guards there are soldiers appointed directly to the Sovereign. They are well aware of Lord Kyou’s desire to meet his elder sister, so going through them was simple. The reason we had to wait until today is because Chairman Gratos’ subordinates had been protecting the passage leading here. However, they aren’t present today. Something dire must have happened.”
“What was it?”
“I have yet to be informed. There seems to have been some manner of insurrection, but information on it is being suppressed.”
Saya was curious as to what exactly an insurrection was, but there was something far more important to her right now. She had to ask Kyou about herself.
“We cannot remain here for long, but we should have enough time for you to speak with the Sovereign a little.”
Another door awaited them at the top of the staircase. There were guards posted outside this one as well. How many doors did they have to place before they were satisfied? What exactly did they have to keep sealed away so deep within this building?
“This is Lady Saya.”
The guard nodded back to Jubilia. “You may enter.”
“It’s Our dear sister!”
Kyou jumped to his feet the moment he saw Saya. His blond hair, which was immaculately well kempt, swayed in the air behind him. His golden eyes sparkled. It was as if there wasn’t a single sorrowful thing in this world.
“You came to play! Ivara, prepare some tea.”
The girl called Ivara gave an elegant bow before leaving through a door further into the room. She was a noble daughter chosen to be the king’s handmaiden because of her tremendous beauty. Her porcelain skin almost made her look more like a doll than a human, however. Perhaps this was an effect of her perfectly combed hair and the uniform that covered her entire body.
“Hello, Kyou.”
“Come now, sit over here.”
Kyou took Saya’s hand with a spring in his step. His hand was soft, much like her own. This was her little brother.
“I came because I have something I want to ask you,” Saya said.
“We shall speak of anything you wish to know.”
His golden eyes bore into her, causing Saya to avert her gaze. For some reason, she felt a little guilty about this.
“I don’t know what I am.”
“That makes sense. We had heard you were bedridden somewhere all this time.”
Saya nodded back ambiguously. Kyou truly appeared to be in a great mood.
“You are Our elder sister. Thus, you are one who possesses the qualifications of being the Sovereign,” Kyou said.
“What’s the Sovereign?”
Jubilia had already taught her about this, but Saya wanted to know what this boy thought of it himself. His answer was far too simple, however.
“Huh? The Sovereign is the Sovereign. The king. The one who rules over the land of Agartha.”
“Why? Who decided this?”
“Who...? Hmm... Maybe the Intelligence?” Kyou answered as he cocked his head to one side.
It was like he had never even tried imagining it for himself. His handmaiden, Ivara, came in with a tray of tea and set it down between Kyou and Saya.
“The tea leaves are from Leshva,” Ivara said, not that Saya knew anything about tea.
Saya took a sip as a mellow aroma filled her nose. The scent was extremely familiar—it was the same smell as the tea she had drunk in the Garden.
“I feel like I’ve had this before.”
“Leshva houses fields exclusive for the use of royalty,” Ivara replied. Her voice was rather thorny for some reason.
“They must have delivered them out to you as well, sister.”
Saya nodded, then returned to the topic at hand. She hadn’t come all the way here just to talk about tea.
“The Sovereign possesses the Sovereign’s Blood and was taught by the Intelligence how to make Amrita. There is Sovereign’s Blood in Amrita. Is that correct?”
“Yes. If not for the Sovereign’s Blood that We have inherited, Amrita cannot be made. If We were to die, you would surely inherit the Sovereign’s Blood. We are the only two members of royalty in this world, after all.”
“The only two?”
“The bloodline of the Sovereign died out in the chaos a long time ago, after the Intelligence left our world. We were the only two to survive. Although We do believe both of us were too young to remember any of it.”
“I don’t remember much of my life before the Forbidden Garden.”
She had repeated the same never-ending days in the Garden, far surpassing the lives of the commoners. During that time, Saya had completely forgotten what she was. No, until recently, she hadn’t been anything to begin with. That endlessly stagnant cycle of days sealed within a birdcage was all there had been to her life. The one who had broken that cycle was the boy who’d fallen through the glass ceiling.
To Saya, Nagi himself was her future. But right now, she was once more locked inside a cage—a prison filled with the rich scent of tea.
“We knew nothing of your existence either, sister. Everyone was hiding you from Us. But one day, someone let it slip.”
“Who?”
“It was Lernaean. He didn’t mean to, but We didn’t let it slide.”
Kyou puffed out his chest in pride, but Saya’s instincts told her that wasn’t the case at all. He hadn’t let it slip; Lernaean had said it on purpose in order to make sure Saya was brought here. Her conviction that he was the mastermind behind all of this was solidified.
“We pressed Lernaean for answers and learned of your existence. We wanted to meet you, but Gratos wouldn’t allow it. He said you were bedridden in the Garden, so We couldn’t see you.”
So, Gratos had been opposed to the idea. Lernaean and Gratos were apparently in disagreement over how to handle Saya.
“However, a bandit entered the Garden and kidnapped you, and Lernaean brought you back here.”
Saya instinctively grimaced at the word “bandit.” Kyou misinterpreted her reaction.
“Our apologies, sister. We heard you were safe, but you must have been terrified.”
“No, that’s not the case.”
“What happened to the bandit, anyway?” Kyou muttered. “ A simple execution wouldn’t suffice for the crime of frightening Our dear sister. We must inflict as much pain upon him as possible before bestowing a gruesome death. Those filthy commoners are truly repulsive.”
“Don’t call them filthy commoners,” Saya spontaneously said in a strong tone.
Kyou’s eyes grew to the size of saucers, and Ivara’s narrowed. The loyal servant was apparently unaccustomed to her lord being reproached like this.
“You are very kind, sister.”
“Aren’t the commoners your people?”
“Precisely. A king must protect such weaklings. Such is the Sovereign’s duty.”
There was no malice in his tone. Saya was unable to understand exactly what Kyou thought of the commoners. As such, Saya brought up exactly what was on her mind.
“What about the Crestfolk?”
“Lady Saya!” Jubilia interjected, but she didn’t make it in time.
“How dare you?!” Ivara bellowed.
It was unforgivable to mention that detestable name in front of the Sovereign. Saya didn’t know that it would be punishable by death if not for her special position. In contrast to those panicking around them, Kyou himself only tilted his head. He didn’t know. The Sovereign had no idea the Crestfolk even existed.
Suddenly, Saya realized that this king knew pretty much nothing about the world he ruled. Setting aside her discouragement, she continued asking her questions. There had to be something Kyou knew.
“Kyou, can you use a blood caliber?”
A vein bulged on Ivara’s brow at Saya’s tremendously rude question, but Saya had stopped paying attention to her by now. She was being allowed to ask, so she was going to ask everything she could.
“No. Royalty do not possess blood calibers.”
“Is that so?”
Saya found this unexpected and gave Jubilia a look.
“I don’t know,” Jubilia responded with a shake of the head. “This manner of question is beyond my status to begin with.”
Saya secretly believed that her blood caliber was what had killed the Garden’s guard when she was with Nagi. Was she mistaken, though? Just remembering that moment was chaotic and squeezed at her heart. She couldn’t think about it with a cool head.
“There’s absolutely no need for royalty to fight. It is our role to rule from the very moment we are born. The reason nobles possess a blade is because it is their duty to protect the Sovereign,” Kyou said, letting out a small chuckle. “If not for that, it would be like insinuating neither of us are adults yet, wouldn’t it?”
Kyou was apparently joking, but his words left a strangely strong impression on Saya. Kyou knew nothing. He was just like a child. Jubilia had said that a noble’s outward appearance reflected the maturity of their mind. Kyou’s childish figure certainly did, just like Saya’s.